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Dani Nolan

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Looking for great restaurants to try while in town

by Dani Nolan » Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:50 am

My husband and I will be heading down from Indy to Louisville this weekend for a little weekend getaway for our anniversary. Found this site and thought it would be a great place to get some suggestions for restaurants to try while we are down there, rather than trusting the hotel concierge. :? Much to my husband's dismay, I'm kind of a picky eater so a place with either a pretty basic menu, or a lot of menu choices would be nice! :wink: Thanks for your help!!
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Brian Curl

Re: Looking for great restaurants to try while in town

by Brian Curl » Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:54 am

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Doogy R

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Re: Looking for great restaurants to try while in town

by Doogy R » Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:58 am

I 2nd Brian's suggestion. Here is a link to a thread about a lunch 14 of us enjoyed there last week, pix included.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4024&start=0
Great food along with great company is truly one of lifes best treasures.
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Bill Veneman

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Re: Looking for great restaurants to try while in town

by Bill Veneman » Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:05 am

Lynn's Paradise Cafe (they take reservations for any number at any time, so they say, but I've never had a problem getting in)

Ditto's has a fun menu.....was there last evening and the food and service were excellent as usual.

There is another site I like that has all kinds of menus and web links for places here in town......Menu's of Louisville dot com......... http://menusoflouisville.com/default.aspx

Enjoy your visit to our fair city.......
If life's a Banquet, what's with all the Tofu?

Cheers!

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Robin Garr

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Re: Looking for great restaurants to try while in town

by Robin Garr » Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:12 am

Dani, Corbett's, is indeed a great restaurant but located way out in the far Eastern suburbs. If you're staying downtown and aren't familiar with Louisville, that might be a concern for you.

A list of other hot spots that would really represent Louisville's dining scene well and are in the urban area might include Proof on Main, Seviche, Varanese, Bourbons Bistro, Palermo Viejo, Primo, Volare ... Equus, which is owned by the same folks as Corbett's but is not so far out. If price is no object, 610 Magnolia. If cost is some object and you want a fun meal with plenty of options for picky eaters, Cafe Lou Lou.

I've just scratched the surface - this is a great restaurant town, especially if you stick with our excellent locally owned and operated indies and steer clear of the chains - and I'm sure you'll be getting more good advice.

Dani Nolan wrote:My husband and I will be heading down from Indy to Louisville this weekend for a little weekend getaway for our anniversary. Found this site and thought it would be a great place to get some suggestions for restaurants to try while we are down there, rather than trusting the hotel concierge. :? Much to my husband's dismay, I'm kind of a picky eater so a place with either a pretty basic menu, or a lot of menu choices would be nice! :wink: Thanks for your help!!
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Chris M

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Re: Looking for great restaurants to try while in town

by Chris M » Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:15 am

Unfortunately, most of my favorite places probably wouldn't appeal to someone looking for a "basic" menu.

Seviche is IMO the best restaurant in town. Either location. The one on Bardstown Road has the best surroundings and ambiance. Definitely NOT basic, but amazing.
Cafe Lou Lou is another favorite of mine, but might not fit your criteria.
Jack Fry's would probably be more to your liking and is outstanding.
Z's Oyster Bar & Steakhouse has great steaks, and Jeff Ruby's downtown is high on the glitz and glamour scale. Both have pretty simple food. Steaks, seafood and sides.
Rivue and Ruth's Chris have average-ish food, but can't be beat for a romantic sunset view, as both are high atop buildings.
L&N is great, especially if you are a wine lover.
Corbett's may be the most sophisticated restaurant in town. La Relais is both romantic and very, very good. I can't describe either as "basic" though.
Primo is great, as is Proof. The Oakroom has traditionally been excellent, but they are undergoing some staff changes so I don't know how it is holding up. Again, not really "basic".
If you like traditional Italian home cooking (red sauce), don't miss Melillo's. Another favorite of mine.
Toast is a great place to grab breakfast/brunch one morning.

I guess given your specifications I would have to recommend Jack Fry's as a good choice. I'm sure you could find something you'd like at L&N, or Primo also. Melillo's for italian. Besides than the steak houses, the others might be a little challenging for someone looking for "basic" flavors. Not that you wouldn't find something you would enjoy at any of them, but your options might be a little limited.

A bit more specificity with what "basic" means and what part of town / price range you are looking would be helpful, but I would recommend reading Robin's reviews of the places I listed and deciding from there. Many have menu's available online also.

I only ask one favour. Please try not to eat at any of the mass chains in town. We have too many unique local places to mess with those. Ruth's Chris and Jeff Ruby's are technically chains, but they do have unique atmosphere or location things going for them that helps make up for other shortcomings.

Footnote : I left a lot of great restaurants out of my list, but you only have a weekend, so... :-)

Enjoy your stay and your eating!!
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Matthew D

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Re: Looking for great restaurants to try while in town

by Matthew D » Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:57 am

A definition of basic would help...I tend to think of basic as traditional but that's only my definition. Now I'm going to catch all kinds of h-e-double hockey stick for throwing out my connotation and then connecting it with restaurants...[flame suit on]

Places that I think do the "basics" quite well....

Third Avenue Cafe (the lunch sandwiches are great), the dinner has been lacking recently.

Baxter Avenue Station - Only been there once, but it was very recent. The thing I liked most about this place, beyond the quality of the food, was the number of entrees on the menu that really interested me. I had to make a choice from 8 or so, whereas I usually really find that "one thing" I like at many stops. If you are picky, I'd very much consider here.

The Cafe - once again, a great lunch location.

Ditto's, as mentioned.

Those 4 suggestions are for a rather inexpensive meal, more likely a lunch, and not your "anniversary dinner."*

As for "good at what they do," that will also satisfy the one who likes the basics, at a higher price point...

Club Grotto
Jack Fry's

* I'm assuming anniversary dinner means "fine dining," but you might be like me and would rather spend it at a brewpub. More details concerning likes, dislikes, location, and budget would be helpful.
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John Greenup

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Re: Looking for great restaurants to try while in town

by John Greenup » Wed Aug 27, 2008 12:31 pm

Dani...

Other posters have already innundated you w/great suggestions, so I'll just add to the pile w/a few of my favorites:

1. Stoney River Legendary Steaks....this is a chain (but I don't think they currently have an Indy location); excellent steaks and seafood sections, along with other great dishes...located at The Summit (shopping center complex)...

2. Pat's Steak House....a long-time Louisville restaurant (somewhat similar to St Elmo's -- and unfortunately, about as pricey) -- but a good choice, if it's in your budget...

3. Stevens & Stevens....Good place for lunch; arguably the best deli in town (shares the same building with "Ditto's", which someone recommended earlier)....think "Shapiro's", but smaller....sandwiches just about as good -- but not quite as expensive.
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Doogy R

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Re: Looking for great restaurants to try while in town

by Doogy R » Wed Aug 27, 2008 1:03 pm

Dani, you indicated you're a picky eater, so it made me somewhat hesitant to suggest Saffron's but I am anyhow. Why don't you peruse the menu a bit to see if the food is too weird for you? I've taken "picky" eaters there before and they have come away pleasantly surprised.

Link to the menu. http://www.saffronsrestaurant.com/194954.html

My go to place for breakfast is North End Cafe. We have a slew of great breakfast spots, and of course it's a personal choice, but I happen to favor them. Here is a link to their website. http://www.northendcafe.com/

Also, here is a link that is probably the most inclusive of all the menu websites for the Ville. http://menusoflouisville.com/default.aspx

Wherever you try, please let us know how you all liked it or not and whatever you do, have a great time celebrating your anniversary.
Great food along with great company is truly one of lifes best treasures.
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Steve H

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Re: Looking for great restaurants to try while in town

by Steve H » Wed Aug 27, 2008 5:18 pm

You may want to check out Caffe Perusa, which I only recently discovered. None of their appetizers really strike my fancy, but I'm loving their seafood offerings. And they make a pretty fine Manhattan too. Seems like a perfect place for an anniversary dinner.
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Re: Looking for great restaurants to try while in town

by Steve H » Wed Aug 27, 2008 5:25 pm

Oh. I almost forgot. On the basic menu side, you really should consider Palermo Viejo. IMHO, they have the best steaks in town. They also have other delicious charcoal grilled meats and a nice selection of appetizers and desserts There is nothing fancy about this place, just simple food, well prepared.
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Re: Looking for great restaurants to try while in town

by Jess T » Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:29 am

Wild eggs for brunch. Get the Kalamity Katie- you won't be disappointed.

Have a drink and an appetizer at Proof. You will not forget this place.

Have a very romantic dinner on the patio of Varanese or share tapas at Mojito's.
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Robin F.

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Re: Looking for great restaurants to try while in town

by Robin F. » Thu Aug 28, 2008 3:36 pm

Romantic anniversary dinner . . . Le Relais. Everything on the menu is fabulous and the decor is very romantic.
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Dani Nolan

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Re: Looking for great restaurants to try while in town

by Dani Nolan » Fri Aug 29, 2008 2:03 pm

Wow ~ thanks for all of the suggestions, truly appreciated!! I'll let you all know where we ended up. Thanks again!! :D

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