What is your favorite "go to" restaurant in the Metro??

What is your favorite "go to" restaurant in the Metro??

You know the place you go to when you're having trouble deciding what you want.
The place where no matter what you are in the mood for, you'll find something perfect.

LOUISVILLE

Varanese - love it, love it, love it (simply put, the chef makes me love things that i used to hate, grits being the prime example of this)

Cafe Lou Lou (Douglass loop) - if i can ever get past the seasonal salad and the potato pizza, i'll tell you about the rest of the menu

Frankfort Avenue Beer Depot - the bbq is always spot on and the Newcastle is always ice cold (and yes, that is the way i think a Newcastle should be served)

Saffrons - honestly, its difficult to make it past Market Street, if i'm hungry when i get off the second street bridge

THE SUNNY SIDE

Connor's Place - it helps when you know everyone in the bar and the kitchen, but the Cuban sandwich (the Ernesto) is the best i've found in Louisville

Bank Street Brewhouse - a 10 ounce beer and a soup set off the sandwich from Connor's perfectly

Come Back Inn - always good beer and pasta

Mai's Thai - if you don't know by now, you better head over to Jeffersonville, right away

i'm with you 100% on come back inn. i go to swann st because i live in louisville. i'll have to try the indiana location though.

when in doubt, i go for sushi, and my favorite place for that is oishii sushi on bardstown rd. i always get something with lots of spicy crab and usually a philly roll. if we get a third roll i like it to be something i haven't yet tried to keep things different.

i like ditto's a lot too. i'm a former employee so i've tried everything they have. their citus cod with mashed potatoes is in my top three favorite foods of all time. they have good pizzas too and wonderful tomato ginger soup.

Tokyo on Lime Kiln is our sushi home. Mojito's, Corbett's, and Jack's Lounge are routine with us.

We're still relatively new in town, thus there are a lot of places we have yet had the opportunity to try. Our favorite place so far is without a doubt Selena's. We really really enjoy the food and the atmosphere.

Mojito's
Havana Rumba
FABD
Maido
Napa River
Richo's (New Albany)
My Patria
Los Aztecas

[Robin Garr]

I call them "Places we go regularly even when I'm not reviewing." So many of them, often but not entirely ethnic:

Equus/Jacks
Palermo Viejo
L&N Wine Bar
Red Pepper Chinese
Oriental House
Jade Palace (dim sum)
J. Gumbo's (Clifton)
Caffe Classico
Meridian Cafe
Heine Bros.
Vietnam Kitchen
Rosticeria Luna
Perla del Pacifico
La Tapatia
Buenos Dias Cafe
La Rosita
Thai Taste
New Albany Brewing Co.
Bluegrass Brewing Co.
Cottage Inn
Maido
Dragon King's Daughter

I'm sure I'm overlooking a bunch, but these are places I'll absolutely go for my own pleasure even without any review in mind.

Cafe Lou Lou (St Matthews)
Selena's
Limestone
Captain's Quarters (in nice weather)
Tony BoomBazz
Porcini Smile
Jason's Deli
Equus

I agree with all of the ones mentioned and add a couple as well...

Captain's Quarters - for fried banana peppers when I just want to hang and watch the river with a well made cocktail.

Mike Linnings - because it reminds me of my childhood.

For us, I'd have to throw Irish Rover into the aforementioned lists, and second Cafe LouLou, and for lunch Shah's Monglian. Seems like we're there a lot. For a nice dinner it"s Mayan Cafe nearly every time

Great thread, IMO.

Let's see...

Santa Fe (the tacos always deliver and its quick and cheap)
Come Back Inn (I have had issues in the past but they were not food related. The food is always consistent)
Flanagan's (The burgers, the beers... not so much on a weekend night though)
Havana Rumba and/or Mojito's (when I want to impress out of towners or get some of my favorite food in the city)
Jack Fry's (When I want to super impress... That pork chop... damn.)
Cumberland Brews (best microbeers around IMO and I LOVE that bison burger)
Pat's Steak House (regressed a bit in the last few years but I still love going there with my pop and having Manhattans and a nice filet with a side of butter beans)
Cafe Mimosa (RIP sort of... I loved this place. Best General Tso's around)
Blimpie's (Yeah whatever they're a chain. It's a good sub though. A nice lunch spot)
Baxter Station (Been a regular here for over 10 years due to living less than a block away. The burgers and that steak sandwich...)
Back Door Lounge (Great bar food. The Blackened Chicken Club? Lookout.)
The Fish House (Simply a great fish sandwich in a town full of them)

There are tons of great restaurants. But for us, I think we end up at Havana Rumba if we don't have another specific plan.

Vietnam Kitchen.

I think it's a combination of 1) limited budget and 2) so many options that result in me not having a "go to" place. As I try to rotate through old favorites, new places, and forgotten options, I probably only dine at (even) my favorite places 4-6 times a year. If that.

For example, I love Meridian Cafe, but probably have not been there in 3-4 months. Same with Vietnam Kitchen. Think I last visited there last fall. Sad, actually. If I were not investing my limited dollars in other local places, I'd feel extreme guilt instead of merely sadness. And the list goes on - Palermo, Havana Rumba, BBC, Red Pepper, the Cafe. You know, the very very good places everyone else loves.

Now, if I was offered the funding to make any place my "go to" place, I'd go with Mayan Cafe. And the competition is not close. Any backers interested in what's a losing proposition for you, but a slam-dunk proposition for me? Mayan Cafe whenever I would want it - at least a poor boy can dream!

* Before I get friendly flamed, I readily acknowledge that having a "dining out" budget somewhat contradicts my "limited budget" claim. But, let's just say, I've never tried Corbett's, or Limestone, or...

I think it's a combination of 1) limited budget and 2) so many options that result in me not having a "go to" place. As I try to rotate through old favorites, new places, and forgotten options, I probably only dine at (even) my favorite places 4-6 times a year. If that.

For example, I love Meridian Cafe, but probably have not been there in 3-4 months. Same with Vietnam Kitchen. Think I last visited there last fall. Sad, actually. If I were not investing my limited dollars in other local places, I'd feel extreme guilt instead of merely sadness. And the list goes on - Palermo, Havana Rumba, BBC, Red Pepper, the Cafe. You know, the very very good places everyone else loves.

Now, if I was offered the funding to make any place my "go to" place, I'd go with Mayan Cafe. And the competition is not close. Any backers interested in what's a losing proposition for you, but a slam-dunk proposition for me? Mayan Cafe whenever I would want it - at least a poor boy can dream!

* Before I get friendly flamed, I readily acknowledge that having a "dining out" budget somewhat contradicts my "limited budget" claim. But, let's just say, I've never tried Corbett's, or Limestone, or...

Is it bad form to respond to oneself on a forum? A clarification...

Having re-read my post, it sounds like I am more whining about not having money than making a point. My point is simply, without an infusion of significant capitol, I couldn't imagine having a go to place. There are just too many good places in this city, including those good places I've never tried. Oh, the agony of living in such a great culinary city! I think I will survive ... somehow.

Robin
The place you mentioned, Rosticeria Luna, is that on Preston Hwy? If so, they have some tasty chicken. There is another place nearby that is worth checking out. Behind the Popeyes on Preston there is a large Latino supermarket, I dont remember the name, inside the market is a cafe that serves up some of the same style chicken along with a lot of tasty latino food. It is one of the largest latino markets in Louisville.