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Robin Garr

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Fork & Barrel’s brunch soothes and satisfies

by Robin Garr » Wed Feb 19, 2020 9:53 am

Fork & Barrel’s brunch soothes and satisfies

You haven't had eggs benedict until you've indulged in Fork & Barrel's braised short rib model on thick hash browns.
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There is something indulgent about brunch that we don’t often experience at even a lavish dinner. It’s not necessarily a matter of gluttony: I’d rather choose from a selection of chef-created morning and midday dishes rather than dive into a gigantic buffet spread under plastic hoods known as sneeze guards. Ick.

No, the joy of brunch has something to do with comfort food – breakfast for lunch – elevated by culinary touches that we aren’t likely to replicate at home. And also brunch drinks! Mimosas! Bloody marys!

So, where shall we go for brunch? This week Fork & Barrel beckoned, and I was happy to respond.

Fork & Barrel is Culinary Institute of America-trained Chef Geoffrey Heyde’s upscale-casual eatery in Clifton. It opened in 2017, filling the space vacated by Basa Modern Vietnamese. I enjoyed a delicious dinner there not long after it opened, impressed by the fare but a bit gobsmacked by the $235 toll for four, not including tip.

This flattened-wallet memory discouraged thoughts of a speedy return, but wait! Fork & Barrel’s got brunch? Brunch makes it possible to enjoy a fancy place at a relatively painless price. So off we went, and sure enough, Fork & Barrel’s kitchen hums the same high note by day as it does at night.

The long, narrow room retains a touch of its predecessor’s spare Asian sensibility. The walls are off-white, with a rectangle of rough-hewn planks and high-back burgundy banquettes rising along the sides. Front windows offer a view of Frankfort Avenue; a small Z-shape bar zig-zags across the rear of the room, offering a quiet refuge. Heavy wood tables are set with buff cloth napkins artfully folded around heavy flatware.

The brunch menu isn’t as extensive as, say, a fancy hotel’s Sunday buffet. But it offers plenty of choice and good variety, with nine brunch entrees that range in price from $9 (for a stack of cornmeal pancakes with real Vermont maple syrup – no Bernie jokes, please) to $19 (for a luxurious take on eggs benedict). ...

Read the full review on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/fork-barrel-brunch

You'll also find this review in LEO Weekly's Food & Drink section today.
http://www.leoweekly.com/category/food-drink/

Brunch at Fork & Barrel
2244 Frankfort Ave.
502.907.3675
https://bethefork.com
http://facebook.com/bethefork
https://instagram.com/bethefork

Robin Garr's rating: 90 points.

Noise level: It's a happy, noisy place when the room is filled, but we were able to chat with friends at our table. (Average sound level was 79dB, near the upper edge for comfortable conversation, with an occasional ear-pounding shriek to 89dB.)

Accessibility: The front entrance is inaccessible to wheelchair users, up two tall steps to a heavy door. We're told that level access is available via the rear from a small parking lot, though, and the restrooms are accessible.

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