Lynn "cooky" L.'s Profile
Date
We got a bottle of wine, a Priorat, from a list that was quite reasonable. I think the most expensive bottle was at $40. We shared the meat and olive plate to start. Definitely authentic Spanish flavors! The jamon reminded me of our trips to Spain, and the house-made chorizo was very tasty. The bread and garlic butter were both out of this world! Could have eaten both all night. :)
We were told that the chef wouldn't make a "special" paella for us. Neither my guy nor I is big on shellfish, but it's common in Spain to have chicken/chorizo paella, but I guess not at this restaurant. :(
The entrees we ended up with were slightly disappointing. I got the rib eye with Cabrales sauce, which didn't have very much "Cabrales" taste, for being a bleu cheese reduction. I thought the sauce was too thin, as well. My guy got the lamb, and was quite disappointed at the meager portion. Both entrees came with a braised red cabbage that tasted a whole lot like German sauerkraut, so that sort of confused us!
Anyway, we forged ahead and got the cream puffs and banana sauteed in sherry for dessert. I have never seen such small plates, or depressing presentation! Both were served on a square coffee saucer, maybe 4 inches wide.
Despite being one of only about 3 tables in the restaurant, service was very slow. I'm not sure if it is due to the kitchen being split between De La Torre's and La Bodega, but we were surprised how slowly our meal came out, when it seemed relatively empty inside.
I'd like to go next door to La Bodega and tapas it up, to see if it's better on the other side!
First, we were seated at a table in the middle of the dining room. If you've been to Vincenzo's, you know that preparing the food tableside is a "thing" of theirs. We didn't know this. Had we, I definitely would have asked to be seated somewhere else. We were constantly being knocked and bumped by the waitstaff, and the burners were close enough to my back to feel the heat when they were on. Yeah, not easy to enjoy your dinner if you're worrying about catching on fire!
The food was just "meh". I mean, seriously "meh". And the prices! They have a commercial out at the moment that states "affordable". Is $30 an entree and up affordable? I guess for some people, but for me, it's more special occasion. The Secondi menu is very, very veal-heavy, which was disappointing to us, as we don't eat veal. We paid $36 for my filet, which was seriously unmemorable (though cooked to perfection) and $38 for a rack of lamb, which was tender and also cooked well.
The shining moment was a fantastic 2003 Barolo that was recommended (by Mrs. Vincenzo?). It was spectacular.
The dining room was slammed, and servers were stressed. Unfortunately, this means we had lackluster service for our meal. Long wait times between courses, not very many "check ins" to see how we were doing. We did get complimentary dessert at the end of the meal for this reason, but the damage had been done.
Clearly Louisville loves this place. And by "Louisville", I mean the older citizens. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but we were one of only a few tables that didn't have grey hair. ;) The decor seems not to have been updated since the 80s - or if it has been updated, has kept this style. This restaurant will clearly survive as a staple in Louisville's dining scene and do well, but we will not be coming back. For Italian meals, we have had much, much better at Volare.
The food here is some of the very best in Louisville, and 610 is always top-of-mind for special evenings and celebration dinners. It's no surprise that Chef Lee has been showered with accolades - they are well-deserved! The only downside is that it's only open for dinner 3 nights a week, and reservations can be hard to come by. Dinner here definitely requires some advanced planning.
There are tremendous values on the winelist, and the sommelier is always willing to help with suggestions. We got a $50 Spanish Priorat that was out of this world. If you're willing to venture outside of Bordeaux, you will find something tantalizing for a reasonable price!
You can choose between 3 courses for $50 and 4 courses for $60. Wine parings are available for an additional $45. This is a huge value for organic, local, expertly prepared food. A menu like this would cost 50% - 100% more in a city like San Francisco or New York. So, we Louisvillians are lucky! :)
1 Previous Review:
-
2/8/2011
Going to give it a 3.5 for now, until I can go back and try it again. We had our NYE dinner here, which is never a good night by which to judge a restaurant, from my experience.
I really loved the space here - it felt rustic and chic all at the same time. The hostess and sommelier were both super friendly, and we had a nice server also. The hostess, sommelier, and server all shared our table, which was kind of a nice experience.
The food was well-prepared, artfully presented, and it tasted delicious. The amuse trio with the mini BLT was amazing. I would like a larger portion, for sure!
To start, we had the ahi tartare and lobster arancini. I'm rather tired of seeing ahi tartare on menus these days, but this was a nice interpretation. The lobster arancini didn't taste much of lobster, and it was slightly soggy, which was disappointing.
As a second course, we got caramelized fennel, pear, and frisee salad, and bison carpaccio. The salad was a winner, but the carpaccio was VERY gamey. The flavor was so strong, the accoutrements of the dish were completely drowned out.
Main course, we both got espresso- and chocolate-rubbed venison, beef cheek, parsnip puree and tasting of beets. YUM. I really, truly, loved this dish. I'm normally not a venison fan, because it's often prepared incorrectly and as a result tastes really gamey. This was delicious, and the beef cheeks were melt-in-your mouth. A real winner, and I would gladly order it again on a menu!
Dessert, I can't recall exactly what we had, but it was a combination of sweet and savory, and pretty small in portion (more of a "taste").
With wine ($125) and gratuity, we spent $425, which is far too much for the meal we had, imo. I'd like to come back and try again on a "regular" night and not NYE.
My final grumble is that when I made the reservation for the late seating at 8 pm, I was told we would have 6 courses and a champagne toast at midnight. Instead, we got 4 courses. Because we finished the meal at 10:30, we didn't get our champagne, since we didn't want to sit at the table for another hour and a half.
There were three of us recently, and ordering a cocktail, three courses each, a bottle of wine, plus two glasses of wine, and the bill was $160. We gorged like kings! If that's not upscale dining value, I don't know what is.
The food is absolutely ridiculous...in a delicious mouth-gasm way. The three of us shared
-Salbutes of the day (beef tongue, which was surprisingly tender and non-gross!)
-Chile relleno (light and crispy)
-Empanadas (black bean and goat cheese)
- Cochinita pibil (just could not say no to this deliciousness!)
- Brisket chilaquile (surprisingly light and brisket super tender!)
- Flank steak with yellow mole (excellent)
Our out of town friend could not believe the food here, and was already planning his next visit to come back and eat here!
My only (minor) complaint is that even with the interior re-design, the space still does not fit the food. The tables are pretty close together, and it feels kind of cramped in there. The ambiance is still not my favorite, but I'm willing to overlook this. The food is just that good.
1 Previous Review:
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8/8/2010
I was almost scared to come here for fear that it would be overrated. I'm very happy to report that this place is NOT overrated and deserving of a 4.5-star rating!
We were delighted with our dinner. We got the salbutes of the day, which were black bean, goat cheese, and a delicious spicy jalapeno sauce. YUM. We also shared the ceviche of the day (ahi tuna tossed with a corn salsa) and the special salad (watermelon, jicama, cucumber, arugula with chili vinaigrette).
For our mains I had the mole of the day. It was a white mole with sea bass and an eggplant flan. Very unique, and unlike anything I'd ever tasted. Only downside is that it was really rich and I didn't finish. The boy had the Cochinita pork pibil, which was definitely awesome!!
We rounded out the meal with the banana churro and the chocolate goat cheese flan.
The cost is VERY reasonable. We had 3 starters, two entrees, two desserts, and 4 glasses of wine and the total was $121.00 without tip. Anywhere you can feast like this for a price like this is a place to which I will return!
The only thing I have to complain about is the interior (feels strip mall-ish and is not representative of the food that's served). The service was also a bit awkward - at places more upscale, plates should not be cleared until everyone at the table is finished.
The space would also greatly benefit from a bar area where patrons could have a glass of wine and some appetizers.
Delicious! And, reservations are recommended; required on weekends.
Order at the counter, for here or to go. The food, the gyros in particular, are really tasty. Thinking of spending $5 on Taco Bell, or Arby's, or White Castle, or Wendy's (all about a mile away from Bosna-Mak)? Spend your lunch money on a $5 gyros from Bosna-Mak, and you will not be disappointed!
Unlike Greek gyros that are served on pita, this sandwich is served on Bosnian flatbread, which is pillowy and chewy. Great texture! Stuffed with meat, lettuce, tomato, onion, and tzatziki, it will keep you full all afternoon. For those with larger appetites, there are various plates and platters available. I've also had the feta-stuffed meat patty, and wasn't too impressed.
Stick with the gyros and make your mouth happy!
First of, I love the interior of this restaurant! It is extremely warm and inviting, with brick veneer on the walls giving the feeling of exposed brick, and soft lighting. The light wood furniture sets it off. The open kitchen is nice, too, for those who are not familiar with a parilla to see it in action!
We got a bottle of Malbec to start - nothing special, but for $30, I was not complaining! We shared a chicken and ham/cheese empanada. The chicken had a vinegar-y flavor that I wasn't too keen on, but the ham and cheese was good. If you are used to empanadas that are fried, you may be surprised to see that these are baked. They have a completely different texture than fried (for the record, I prefer the fried!).
We also got the provoleta, which is aged provolone cheese made all melty by the parilla. It was pretty yummy, but too much oregano for my tastes.
I got the lomo (filet), which was cooked perfectly and my guy got the sampler (flank, ribeye, strip, and chorizo). The chorizo and flank steak were both good - everything else was sort of "meh". Not great beefy flavor as you would expect from an Argentine steak (if they don't get their beef from Argentina, this could have something to do with it!).
The worst part for me was the chimichurri. I adore green chimichurri with its bright parsley flavor - it helps break up the steak flavor. Unfortunately, this chimi was mostly vinegar with no green herbs in sight! It seemed that there were some red pepper flakes and oregano in there, but otherwise, it was a lot of vinegar. For me, it did not enhance the flavor of the meat, and in fact, sort of spoiled it! For the combo platter my guy got, it was drizzled all over the top, so was hard to avoid. :(
The absolute best part of the evening was the banana ice cream. O M G it was unreal!! I would come back only for dessert in a heartbeat. It was truly amazing!!
Houston, TX 77098
(713) 522-2530
Goode Company Barbeque
Category:
Barbeque
Neighborhood: West University
I got to sample the links, brisket (both lean and fat), slaw, tater salad, and the bread. The slaw and the tater salad were the best things, sadly. The brisket was mostly tender, but not very flavorful. The lean was kind of dry.
The sauce applied atop my brisket and links was just plan bad - watery and tomatoey. No spice, no thickness. It was like pouring crushed tomatoes on top.
To add insult to injury, the "world famous" pecan pie was made with slightly rancid oil (I have a weird ability to smell/taste rancid oil, not sure why, but I'm highly sensitive to it), so it completely ruined the flavor. So sad!
Based on this experience, I won't try the restaurant.
Pass on the rice, though - it was dry and unflavorful.
Houston, TX 77098
(713) 527-8300
Churrascos
Category:
Latin American
Neighborhood: Montrose
Since I knew I wanted to have dessert later, I went straight to the entree, got got the Churrasco steak. I'll admit, I was surprised to see it was filet mignon, not the most flavorful cut. Well, I could not believe how much beefy flavor, and how incredibly tender, this steak was!! Truly delicious, and in the top 5 steaks I've eaten.
The plate of veggies that came along was also good, with yucca, sweet potato, zucchini, and a few others. A little underseasoned, but the sauces that came with the plantains helped.
I saved a little room for the tres leches, and again was not disappointed! It was super-sweet, yet addictively delicous! I wish I could have finised it myself, but alas...
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Louisville, KY
Yelping SinceFebruary 2008
Things I Love Find Me Inthe kitchen
My HometownAlstead, NH
My Blog Or Website When I'm Not Yelping...I am a slave to my job
Why You Should Read My ReviewsI'm a glutton, and it shows!
My Second Favorite Websitehttp://facebook.com (addicted!)
The Last Great Book I ReadThe Millennium trilogy
My First ConcertB-52s (wow)
My Favorite MovieI couldn't pick just one...
My Last Meal On Earthdouble-double animal style and a neopolitan shake
Don't Tell Anyone Else But...I can't stand foie gras or caviar
Most Recent DiscoveryClever Crow pizza (OMG)
Current CrushEric Ripert
The beer list is phenomenal - only second to Sergio's, imo. They have a slight edge over Sergio's because most of the breweries and beers on the list, you've probably never heard of, which is really fun. Descriptions are thorough, which helps you narrow your choices. They have an entire menu for lambics and sours, if that is your thing! Typically I am one to try a few different beers throughout the course of an evening, but the first one I chose (Noel de Silenrieux, a Belgian Strong Dark Ale) was so good I stuck with it all night.
I was pretty disappointed in the food menu. They were "sold out" of some things, so there was only about 5 choices available. Nothing I read about on Yelp was offered (Scotch egg, chorizo tacos, etc...). That being said, I got the burger, and it was one of the best I've ever had. Pretzel bun was perfection, tender beef, gooey cheese, whole-grain mustard, arugula. It hit all the right flavors. So, they somewhat redeemed themselves, I guess. :) The brat special was not so good - sauerkraut needed some serious work, and we left nearly all of it.
I definitely see myself coming back here mid-week on a regular basis - early to beat the crowds. I can imagine on the weekends, it'd get pretty crowded.