Schlafly Beer Dinner at Cafe Lou Lou - 6 courses $45!!

WHOA! I'm still recovering from incredible food, wonderful company and a host that went so over and above that there aren't words suitable to describe it!

Last night's dinner was, in my opinion, one of the best events to happen in Louisville in quite some time. The food ... oh my goodness .... the food! From the Sweet Chili Prawns (on Toasted Rustic Bread) all the way through the incredible Dark Mocha Stout Cake with Stout Creme Anglaise ... each course seemed to be better than the previous one. The Potato Beer Cheese Soup was one of the smoothest, creamiest, tastiest potato soup I've ever had the privilege to eat. We all commented on how there was no potato "graininess" to it ... it was like cream. The Spring Pear Salad was divine ... the Schlafly No. 15 Mustard Vinaigrette should be bottled and sold. The Chilean Sea Bass simply took the (dark mocha stout) cake. The Sherry-Tarragon Cream Sauce on the Sea Bass had to have had crack in it. I would use that sauce on everything .... it was smooth, creamy and one of the best sauces EVER! Someone with greater culinary expertise than I will have to give all the details on nuances ... I just know it was divine. I even liked the duck ... the one course of which I was a bit frightened. John (Marsha's BF) summed it up best: "The duck is the beef of fowl".

I was even impressed with the beer pairings. I'm not a beer-drinker, so I don't know about hops and barleys and ales. Scott, the Schlafly guy educated us and made it fun in the process. I tasted every beer and the No. 15 was my favorite. The beer connoisseurs around me will have to give more detail. Being a non-drinker, however, I was totally impressed. I learned so much about beer and came away with a greater appreciation of those who brew and care about all the subtleties. Who knew?

Clay outdid himself and was such a generous and gracious host. We are so blessed in Louisville to have chefs of his caliber. Our server, Sarah, was awesome! She took care of our every need with a smile. She even helped us stretch a bit so we could finish all six courses! It was great meeting and dining with other forumites (Bob C., Carol C., the Holsteins, and more!). Our own Marsha was so cute in her new chef's threads! It was just a stellar night.

A humongous thanks to Clay, Marsha, Sarah, Schlafly's and the rest of the Cafe Lou Lou staff for an absolutely exquisite evening. I'm still stuffed to the Sea Bass, but happily went off my diet to enjoy a great evening of food and company. I am so looking forward to the next dinner ... just go ahead and put in my reservation now! In the meantime, it's a least two hours on the elliptical for me! My steamed veggies seem so inadequate today ....

What an outstanding dinner! Every course was expertly prepared and beautifully presented and matched very well with all of the beer. The Mocha Stout Cake with the Coffee Stout was suprisingly my favorite course of the night. Thanks to Clay, Marsha, Scott et al for an extremely educational, delicious and fun dinner.

Thanks to all of you who showed up to support us last night. It was one of the best food experiences I have ever had. It can be very nerve-racking doing these pairings sometimes. I have had all of the beer many times, but having never had these particular dishes, sometimes the best you can do is cross your fingers, hope your experience pairing beer and food is enough, and hope for the best. Having said that, I thought everything worked amazingly well. As everyone on here has said already, Clay, Marsha, and the whole crew did a fantastic job. It is quite a task feeding 80 people six courses of food, but they handled it beautifully. I don't know what else to say. The crowd that attended was one of the most lively, supportive and attentive crowds I have ever seen. They are really the ones that made the night so much fun. So, one final thank you to all who attended and to the entire staff at Lou Lou. I can't wait to do more of these events with Clay, and I hope to see all of you there. Seriously, how awesome is the Louisville restaurant scene? Man, we are lucky!

Scott Shreffler
Schlafly Beer

I am beginning to love Mondays! A week ago I had this remarkable "buffet" at Maido's; last night, the dinner of all dinners at Cafe Lou Lou. I came home totally stuffed and then some. Really, I couldn't manage but a mere taste of Marsha's Dark Mocha Stout Cake last night. So I brought it home with me. I didn't think I would be able to eat all day today, but this morning this sumptuous cake was calling to me from me kitchen counter. I couldn't resist. I have just had my best breakfast ever: Dark Mocha Stout Cake with a cup of fair-traded Justo Arabica coffee from Mexico.
Last night, the best course was the Sweet Chili Prawns on Toasted Rustic Bread with just the right amount of heat emanating from the sweet chilies.
No, wait, the best course was the Potato Beer Cheese Soup. As Rebecca pointed out, a potato soup with absolutely no graininess, just pure potato, cheese and pancetta flavors dancing in one’s mouth lightly laced with the flavors of the stout and leeks. (Clay, I hope you give serious consideration to adding this item to you menu when the cool weather returns in the fall.)
I’ve changed my mind! The best course was the Spring Pear Salad on Field Mix. Marsha had brought the pears to the perfect point of melt-in-the-mouth ripeness. Does blue cheese get better than Pt. Reyes? The candied walnuts added the perfect crunch. And then there was the Schlafly No. 15 mustard vinaigrette. One could just eat it by the spoonful, or drink it by the glassful by that matter.
No, wait, (Are you getting the idea?) the best course was the Chilean Sea Bass with Shiitake and Sherry-Tarragon Cream Sauce. One taste and we all thought we’d died and gone to heaven. We were hard pressed not to lick our plates.
I was so full by then I thought I would have to quit, but then came the Seared Duck Breast and I quickly relented. As Rebecca said, “John (Marsha's BF) summed it up best: ‘The duck is the beef of fowl’.” The cherry-port reduction flawlessly played up to the richness of the duck meat.
I only had room for the tiniest taste of dessert last night, but I’m so glad. Otherwise, I would have missed my best breakfast ever!
Clay and Marsha were not only the chefs par excellence, but also the host and hostess with the “most-est.” Sarah, our wait person, performed flawlesly. The company at our table were awesome. I hadn’t eaten at Café Lou Lou since the big move. But I’m going to become a regular. Way to go and then some!

Where do I start?

Best place me thinks would be a Big Hats Off to the entire Lou Lou Staff.
It was so much fun to finally meet Marsha.........Dessert Goddess Extraordinaire.
Chef Clay was everywhere. His presence, food descriptions and culinary talents abound.
Sara's service and humor made for a smooth transition from course to course.
The balance of the staff wore big smiles and handled a 70 plus diners with professionalism we all admire.
It's easy to tell this team cares. Bravo Lou Lou!

Rebecca's review above is spot on. I can't add much more from a food perspective. I couldn't agree more about the Sea Bass sauce. I could smell the Shiitake influence the moment the plate arrived.......I too would use that on everything!

Scott Sherffler's descriptions of Schlafly beers and how they related to Lou Lou's dishes was a welcome aid to this beer novice. The Number 15 paired with a mustard vinaigrette incorporating the same was outstanding. If something makes me love pears...
I thought the most interesting beer was the comparison of the 2006 vintage Oaked Barleywine vs the 2007 vintage of the same. It amazing how brew ages.

Best for last. I don't eat a lot of desserts.........it's seems I've already had enough for two lifetimes. Our own Chef Marsha out did herself! Dark Mocha cake......how about Heaven on a Plate? The Stout crème anglaise was possibly one of the best accompanying sauces I've ever been treated to. You can tell there's love involved. John's a lucky man!

All the above shared with our forum friends and a fun & lively crowd made for an evening not soon to be forgotten. Louisville is truly blessed with such a fine eatery staffed with even finer people.

All I can say is WOW! What an amazing night! I cannot top the food reviews that have been previously posted, but to say the entire evening went beyond any expectations would be the greatest understatement. Mike and I waddled into our house last night and pinkie swore that we would never miss a chance to do this again. Kudos to Clay, Scott, Marsha, Sara & everyone who had a part in putting this event together. Mike and I met some wonderful people, and although we are a bit biased, we can easily say our table rocked!! Oh, if that No. 15 Vinaigrette is ever bottled, I will have died and gone to salad heaven. The pairings were divine, the hosts were beyond gracious and the company was just right. We feel privileged to have taken part in such a special evening.

Now to hit the treadmill...

I am so jealous that I had a prior commitment and had to miss this! It sounds like it was a wonderful evening and everyone enjoyed themselves. Way to go Lou Lou's (Clay and Marsha especially) and Schlafly!

So, when is the next one...I promise I won't miss it!

DD

Whoa - you guys are gonna make me cry!

Listen: Clay, Helen, myself and the whole Lou Lou crew are just overwhelmed at the positive response we got (are still getting) from last night's attendees. Your enthusiasm, both last night and today, makes all the jitters, nerves and extra shifts worth it. As I was trying to say last night (well, I said it in much abbreviated form): We're not exactly getting rich in this business (well, maybe Clay is - although not at the prices we were charging last night), so most of our rewards are intangible. A successful night like last night will keep me going for weeks and weeks.

When your friends and family are your frequent guests, and your regulars become your friends and family, you've got it all. There was so much great energy in that room last night, it spilled right into the kitchen. There was no drudgery going on in there, either - we could tell it was going well every time the door swung open. We had the radio up LOUD and we were dancing and singing while we plated.

I hope sincerely that no one was bothered by how noisy it was (a comment we sometimes get, although I didn't hear anyone complaining last night!! ), but pure distilled fun is rarely quiet.

Scott did a great job presenting the beers and I hope everyone remembered to take their commemorative glass home with them. You all heard Clay say we will be doing this more often, so I expect you guys to put your money where your food goes and join us again next time.

Finally - does anyone need a half-gallon of leftover stout anglaise? I got a little paranoid and made a wee bit too much. I didn't make too much cake, though...there were some anxious negotiations over the last piece that left the kitchen

Thanks again, from the bottom of my heart.

I can't really give anymore of a description about how awesome last night was. I sat with two of my best friends. One is the GM at Mitchell's Fish Market, the other is a life long foodie, such as myself. Two of the other guests at our table were my boss and the gentleman that is luck enough to represent Sysco/Louisville for us to Clay and Co...at Cafe Lou Lou....we were all blown away at how awesome the food was, then we were even floored more by how well the "beer" (I quoted that because sometimes the word "beer" can't do the justice) went with the courses. The prawns, the sea bass, the duck, and the cake were 100% to die for. I thought I may not leave full, and I almost couldn't make it happen. I was stuffed to the gills. That said, Clay said that they will be looking to do this sort of thing again in the future, maybe as frequently as once a quarter. If you missed this one, make sure to get to the next. It was as great a value as I have ever spent in a restaurant. This post sincerely doesn't give justice to the majestry that the Cafe Lou Lou crew pulled off last night. Kudos to Clay, Helen, Marsha, Co....you made us feel like friends first, guests second, and never a customer. A+ from this fan for life.

Marsha,

If that Anglaise will keep for a week or so, I can put it to use. If not, feature it....it rocks.

Marsha,

If that Anglaise will keep for a week or so, I can put it to use. If not, feature it....it rocks.

Oooh, I wouldn't want to try to hold it for a week, Rob. I was mostly poking fun at myself for making so much. That said, if you have a pressing need for a fresh batch, give me a call, and thanks for your kind words.

I meant to take a lot of pictures, but naturally got busy and only took a grand total of about 3. This one's definitely worth posting, though:



That's Mark Johnson (blurry, he never stands still) and Jeffrey Jacobs, our sous chefs. They are the geniuses that actually cooked the meat and vegetables you all enjoyed, and I wanted to mention their names and make sure they get the credit they deserve. Mark moved back to Louisville last year after a stint at a very popular steakhouse in Boulder, CO. Jeffrey used to work for Clay and Helen at their restaurant in New Orleans, and he moved to Louisville after the hurricane destroyed a lot of his possessions and the place he was living. We are very lucky to have them both.

If anyone has any other good pictures (I know I posed for several people!), you can e-mail them to me if you don't want to or can't figure out how to post them.

I meant to take a lot of pictures, but naturally got busy and only took a grand total of about 3. This one's definitely worth posting, though:

That's Mark Johnson (blurry, he never stands still) and Jeffrey Jacobs, our sous chefs. They are the geniuses that actually cooked the meat and vegetables you all enjoyed, and I wanted to mention their names and make sure they get the credit they deserve. Mark moved back to Louisville last year after a stint at a very popular steakhouse in Boulder, CO. Jeffrey used to work for Clay and Helen at their restaurant in New Orleans, and he moved to Louisville after the hurricane destroyed a lot of his possessions and the place he was living. We are very lucky to have them both.

If anyone has any other good pictures (I know I posed for several people!), you can e-mail them to me if you don't want to or can't figure out how to post them.

Kudos to Mark, Jefferey and all the "behind the scenes" crew.

Beyond the fabulous food I'm awestruck at the cleanliness/orderliness of the kitchen while jammin' 80 x 6 courses of great treats!

I can't wait to get back!