LEO's Eats with Robin Garr
So, what kind of restaurant is this new Majid's St. Matthews? Is it Iranian? Yes. Mediterranean? Sure. Is it American? That, too. Majid's is affordable, but you can go pricey. It's a great bar, and it's a classy dining room. It's casually dressy and upscale casual. In short, it comes about as close to being all things to all people as a restaurant can.This amiable approach reflects the style of owner-restaurateur Majid Ghavami, who assimilated the principles of high-level service at the storied Casa Grisanti, Mamma Grisanti and Vincenzo's. He refined this quality-and-service tradition at Saffron's, which he opened downtown in 2001, and at Volare, where he remains general manager.
His latest venture, Majid's, arrived during the holiday season in the beautifully redesigned Chenoweth Square space that has housed a string of short-lived, forgettable bars-with-eateries after Rick Dissel closed Rick's Ferrari Grille here to open Blackstone in Prospect.
The restaurant has been stylishly reimagined in cool, attractive colors of lavender, silver and black; the walls that once isolated the restaurant's bar and dining room have been removed to convey a more open feel. Staffed with some of the city's top pros in service, in the kitchen and behind the bar, Majid's makes you feel welcome and satisfies your hunger as it calms your spirit.
The menu includes some of Saffron's favorite Iranian dishes but goes far beyond. The bill of fare spans the Mediterranean, the Middle East and Central Asia to incorporate, as Ghavami says, all the lands that once fell under the domain of Cyrus the Great, the Bronze Age emperor who precedes Alexander of Greece and the Caesars of Rome in the history books.
All that, and America, too: Where else can you find shrimp and grits ($6), Persian eggplant Kashke Bademjon ($6), clam chowder ($5) and Greek pastitsio ($19) all on the same menu?
Read the full review on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/have- ... t-matthews
and in LEO Weekly:
http://leoweekly.com/dining/have-it-you ... t-matthews
Majid's St. Matthews
3930 Chenoweth Square
618-2222
http://www.majidstmatthews.com
Robin Garr's rating: 91 points
Plus, I like rolling 3rd person now and then, makes me feel good.