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The old Harper's is turning into an Amerigo........

This is not a BAD thing at all......I love the ones in Nashville. They have good food, are well priced, and always fun. I just question the fact that it will be about th 9th Italian joint in the area.

[Robin Garr]

The old Harper's is turning into an Amerigo........

I can't recall if this has been mentioned here, but Chef Anthony Lorie, who had been at the excellent Bluegrass Bistro in the antique mall on Old Bardstown Road on Buechel, will run the kitchen here, and he told me in an E-mail that he's going through extensive training in Nashville and learning that just about everything is made from scratch. No ordinary chain, for sure!

He says opening is slated for July 18, if all goes well.

The Louisville eatery will have a menu similar to the Nashville Amerigo's ...
http://www.amerigo.net
plus daily specials.

Checked out the Nashville location menu, they have an extremely limited menu from dinner opening to 5:45, I'm not a retiree but we eat around 5:00 all the time for dinner. I note that not all their locations have this policy though, time will tell.

Regards,
Brian

It is an odd choice of location to me, but indications are certainly high that it will kill the chains in the area, quality wise. But still, it's a little saturated over there... I'd much rather see Amerigo make it and one of the existing places make way, if something has to give. I'll willingly go to Buca, don't particularly mind when someone drags me to Olive Garden or Carraba's though I'd rather not, but I put my foot down at Macaroni Grill. Wouldn't mind losing any of the latter three, really.

I look forward to trying it if we find ourselves in that area around dinner time.

It is an odd choice of location to me, but indications are certainly high that it will kill the chains in the area, quality wise. But still, it's a little saturated over there... I'd much rather see Amerigo make it and one of the existing places make way, if something has to give. I'll willingly go to Buca, don't particularly mind when someone drags me to Olive Garden or Carraba's though I'd rather not, but I put my foot down at Macaroni Grill. Wouldn't mind losing any of the latter three, really.

I look forward to trying it if we find ourselves in that area around dinner time.

Really. I'd much rather go to Macaroni Grill than Olive Garden (though this is experience in other cities, I've never been to either in Louisville).

I think Carrabba's is fantastic.

I guess one could say this is a "chain", however, Louisville will be only their fifth location, that's a small business by definition and no where close to the mega chains on Hurstbourne. Hopefully, that will translate to high quality.

You guys kill me with your chain garbage. Not every chain loses quality when they expand! Maybe you should broaden your horizens and go to other restaurants just like you ask other's to do when you talk about an independent restaurant. I know there are a bunch of independent restaurants in this city that I think are aweful. Don't get me wrong I do think there are some fantastic ones but I don't rule out a restaurant just becuase they have a location in another city.

You guys kill me with your chain garbage. Not every chain loses quality when they expand! Maybe you should broaden your horizens and go to other restaurants just like you ask other's to do when you talk about an independent restaurant. I know there are a bunch of independent restaurants in this city that I think are aweful. Don't get me wrong I do think there are some fantastic ones but I don't rule out a restaurant just becuase they have a location in another city.

What chain garbage? It seems that everyone on this thread is being highly complimentary of this chain and several others.

You guys kill me with your oversensitivity to anyone saying anything about a chain restaurant ever. You'd think we were picking on little old ladies instead of huge, million dollar corporations, the way you guys coming running to their defense.

I am sorry if a company makes money and you think they are evil, I worked my way through college by bartending and I worked at some fantastic small and large restaurants and I don't remember any of them having a goal of anything less than making people happy and making money.

I am sorry if a company makes money and you think they are evil.

I don't. and no one else on this thread said anything about that either. that's why I can't understand why you started going off about chains on this thread.

Everyone was saying GOOD THINGS about this chain. GOOD THINGS.

Reread the thread! I personally have never been to this restaurant and it has nothing to do with it so I guess I am way off topic and for that I apologize. There are many chains that do not sacrifice quality as they expand however.

I eat at chains but all of my props and appreciation goes to indies for the most part. Heck, I ate at Olive Garden today. It was the first time in at least four years but it wasn't bad. All you can eat salad and soup for $5.95. I had two big bowls of salad and two bowls of soup and it was good.

I've worked in several chain restaurants. Everything is "dumbed down", standardized, etc. to make for easy duplication at many locations for easy replication. Big chains are almost like factories. There is no creativity.

I'm betting this new place will be pretty good based on their website. Personally, I wouldn't even classify them as a chain yet with only five locations and being privately owned.

I eat at chains. Everyone on this site, except maybe Roger Baylor, does as well. We say that over and over and over and over again, but still Doogy and Robert and others continue to want to make this into an "us" versus "them" thing with chains and indies. I really and truly don't get it.

I have no problem with anyone who doesn't eat anywhere for any reason. I just have a problem with anyone one who bashes a company for the sole reason that it is large.