Cafe Lou Lou in the Highlands NOW OPEN - NOW WITH WINE LIST

Marsha? Your "The Devil's in the Details Devil Food Chocolate Cake" is fantastic. Not that I've had it twice this week at the Loop or anything.

Thanks, Michelle. I love the frosting on that one - chocolate cream cheese buttercream with drizzled ganache. I have two new desserts at Lou Lou St. Matthews, too - the tiramisu is now raspberry tiramisu (raspberry and espresso flavors go yummy together), and Chocolate Delusion, my new flourless chocolate cake enrobed in dark chocolate ganache - for the gluten-free peeps and others.

Robin, I've got the price list at hand - any in particular?

[Robin Garr]

Robin, I've got the price list at hand - any in particular?

Oh, doesn't matter much ... just a random few for comparison.

How about these by bottle/glass?

Chard, Sonoma Cutrer, CA '06
Fume Blanc, Ferrari Carano, CA '07
Pinot Gris, King Estate, OR '06
Gewurtztraminer, Trimback, ALS '05
Chenin/Viognier, Pine Ridge, CA '06

Chard, Sonoma Cutrer, CA '06 - $9, $40
Fume Blanc, Ferrari Carano, CA '07 - $6.25, $27
Pinot Gris, King Estate, OR '06 - bottle only, $28
Gewurtztraminer, Trimback, ALS '05 - bottle only, $44
Chenin/Viognier, Pine Ridge, CA '06 - bottle only, $27

See? That's just hateful. Going to make me go to St. Matthews for Chocolate Delusion. Can't you just ship one to the Loop location with my name on it?

[Robin Garr]

Fume Blanc, Ferrari Carano, CA '07 - $6.25, $27

Not bad ... I paid $34 for it in an upscale place recently.

Here's the current wine list for Cafe Lou Lou in the Highlands

Looks like a really nice list, Marsha. Good variety. I'd be interested to know some of the prices ...

(and: ?? what's ALS?)

Alsace. Northeastern France, on the Rhine River, a frequent prize of war that has gone back between the French and the Germans many times. Lots of German family names there (note the spelling of Trimbach, by the way, which should end with an H rather than a K) and hearty German food. The wines are very different from the rest of France or from Germany. Mostly whites, very rich and full-bodied. Interesting stuff.

We've recently picked up several varietals from the Alsace region from Pierre Sparr. They have an excellent Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and a Gewurztraminer I got in today that blew me away. Perfect for Turkey time! Its an interesting region that has an surprising mix of French and German varietals, but most area unique style all of their own.

Dined at Lou Lou tonight for the first time (at either location). A $12.50 bottle of wine (1/2 price) and a 14" Smoked Salmon pie with artichokes. The pizza was great and had 1/2 left over. Service was excellent. Great food and wine and great value. Will be back. (maybe every Wed. And I live 6 miles or so outside the Watterson )

(and: ?? what's ALS?)

Alsace. Northeastern France, on the Rhine River, a frequent prize of war that has gone back between the French and the Germans many times. Lots of German family names there (note the spelling of Trimbach, by the way, which should end with an H rather than a K) and hearty German food. The wines are very different from the rest of France or from Germany. Mostly whites, very rich and full-bodied. Interesting stuff.

I lived in Strasbourg (in Alsace) for four months in college, and did a good bit of traveling throughout the region. There are some fantastic wines, and as Robin noted, very different from the rest of France or Germany (or anywhere else for that matter). The region is more noted for its whites than reds. As an example, Riesling is an Alsatian wine, and IMHO, true Alsatian Riesling is VERY different from it's California counterpart (more dry and crisp). I digress - but the wines are wonderful, and the Alsace region also produces some great ice wines.

Another interesting tidbit - Alsatian wines are named for the grape variety used (with a few exceptions - e.g., Chardonnay is produced in the region , but only for use in the Cremant d'Alsace sparkling wines).

We finally made it Lou Lou in the Highlands last night, and were very happy. We arrived 15 minutes before our reservation time, and were seated immediately, depisite a pretty good crowd. I was very impressed with the layout and decor - typical Lou Lou look (walls painted different bright colors, interesting art on the walls), and it worked great. I like the bar area on the first level and the step up to the dining tables.

We started with the shrimp and grits, and it was fantastic. The gravy melted in the mouth, with just the right amount of heat to it. We shared a caesar salad, which was a good, standard caesar salad. The lettuce was crisp, the croutons crunchy, and the dressing flavorful without being heavy. We shared the smoked mozzeralla ravioli for our entree, and this was the highlight of the meal. The sauce was great, with solid chunks of tomatoes to be found. The ravioli were cooked perfectly, and the smoked mozzarella filling was a nice surprise. I could definitely taste the smoke, which was an odd but nice contrast to the lightness of the cheese. The shrimp in the dish was good, but didn't really add anything, in my opinion. The tiramisu dessert was definitiely tasty as well. I had an Ommegang Three Philosophers to wash it all down (impressive bottled beer list).

My only gripe was that the salad came less than three minutes after the appetizer was brought out, and the entree followed two minutes after that. There was no spacing to it, and we ended up having our two top bursting with food. Otherwise, Cara gave us wonderful service and was very attentive.