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Andrew Mellman

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Porch at the Marriott downtown

by Andrew Mellman » Tue Mar 06, 2018 4:08 pm

My wife & I decided to try the Porch at the Marriott before a concert last weekend. They’ve only been open a week, so this is a preliminary and brief summary of our opinions!

The space is quite nice, very different from the old Champions; it’s still bar-ish, but more formal, dimmer lighting, and while there are still tv’s with sports showing they are less obtrusive than previously. The place does get noisy as it fills up, but I know of few places today where this doesn’t happen.

We started with their signature Old Fashioned, a sweetish take on the classic with the addition of vanilla. While a tad concerned, we found it very refreshing and – while sweet – was not TOO sweet.

It was early and we weren’t that hungry, so we split two dishes. The crab hush puppies were seven smallish rounds of fried dough, stuffed with the strong taste of crabmeat. I thought this the best bite of the night, as – especially with the dipping sauce (a slightly spicy version of a remoulade) – it was a perfect starter (and with a soup or salad would have made a decent lunch).

The mahi tacos were delicious: two tacos containing very fresh perfectly cooked mahi mahi, with appropriate veges and sauces, and accompanied by a serving of elotes off the cob (a distant relative of creamed corn, with the “cream” being the typical topping if were on the cob!). My only problem with this is that it was $17. While possibly appropriate for perfectly cooked fish in a hotel restaurant, it was high for what we had.

Decided on dessert at the last minute, as we still had time before the show, so we also split a peanut butter pie. The layers (crust, a layer of deep chocolate ganache, a moderately heavy but tasty peanut butter mousse, and topped with whipped cream) were topped with broken pretzels for adding crunch to the pie or for dipping into the toppings!

Finally, the waiter was exceptional, very knowledgeable about the food and giving good recommendations. While corporate management was keeping an eye on everything (since it was only open the week), we felt that his training and personality wouldn’t change even without the supervision.

Overall, a very enjoyable experience! We are adding it to our list of pre-theater (or post-theater) places walking distance from the KY Center. I don’t know that we’d make a separate trip to dine there, but when we’re downtown it’s a definite option.
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Mark R.

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Re: Porch at the Marriott downtown

by Mark R. » Tue Mar 06, 2018 5:36 pm

Thanks for the excellent review of this restaurant. It confirms my thoughts while looking at their menu, it's a great replacement for Champions but I really don't think it's at all a replacement for Blu. It seems really strange to me that a restaurant of this caliber in a premier location like this does not have a higher and restaurant. I certainly understand the need for a relaxed atmosphere restaurant like this 1 is but really believe they still need a more formal restaurant to complement it.

If you take a look at the restaurant selections in the Omni that's what I have asked you most major hotel chain downtown locations.
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Andrew Mellman

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Re: Porch at the Marriott downtown

by Andrew Mellman » Tue Mar 06, 2018 7:15 pm

Mark R. wrote:does not have a higher and restaurant. I certainly understand the need for a relaxed atmosphere restaurant like this 1 is but really believe they still need a more formal restaurant to complement it.


Totally agree, yet the Seelbach closed its high end five diamond restaurant so maybe people just aren't supporting that price point?
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Re: Porch at the Marriott downtown

by Mark R. » Tue Mar 06, 2018 10:56 pm

Andrew Mellman wrote:
Mark R. wrote:does not have a higher and restaurant. I certainly understand the need for a relaxed atmosphere restaurant like this 1 is but really believe they still need a more formal restaurant to complement it.


Totally agree, yet the Seelbach closed its high end five diamond restaurant so maybe people just aren't supporting that price point?

True although the English Grille seems to be doing very well as does Jeff Ruby's etc.
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Re: Porch at the Marriott downtown

by Jeff Cavanaugh » Wed Mar 07, 2018 11:22 am

I went to Porch for lunch with a friend on Monday. My brisket tacos (pulled and sauced meat) were tasty, and if I hadn't had a 25% off coupon they were giving out last week to bring the price down from $14 to $10.50 for two tacos, I'd have been really dissatisfied with the value. Still, they were tasty and the restaurant buildout looks really good.

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