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find fish, steaks, pastas and home-made pizzas, along with the requisite river-rat bar foods. Owner Paul Coogan r eportedly plans Sunday brunch as well. $$ p f h FIRESIDE BAR & GRILL 7611 IN 311, Sellersbur g, IN, 246-5456. Best known for the specially seasoned fried chicken. They also make excellent pastas, steaks, seafood, and salads. Homemade soups ar e created daily and cof fee and desser ts ar e always fresh. $$ p ✿ GAVI’S RESTAURANT 222 S. Seventh St., 583-8183. This family-owned eater y has been ar ound for decades. Standard casual American cuisine adds a few Russian-style specialties such as homemade borsht soup and beef Str oganoff. Daily lunch specials include lots of fresh vegetable dishes. $ ✿ GOOSE CREEK DINER 2923 Goose Creek Rd., 3398070. Goose Cr eek Diner of fers old-fashioned comfort food, as the name “diner” suggests, but transcendently adds a gourmet taste to the downhome eats. $ HOME RUN BURGERS & FRIES 2060 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 409-7004. Burgers, dogs and fries and drinks with a baseball theme highlight this suburban spot, and mor e than 20 toppings of fer you a fielder’ s choice of options to dress your burger. $ f ✿ HOOTERS 4120 Dutchmans Ln., 895-7100; 4948 Dixie Hwy., 449-4194; 7701 Pr eston Hwy., 9681606; 700 W. Riverside Dr., Jeffersonville, IN, 2189485; 941 East Hwy. 131, Clarksville, IN 284-9464. Hooter’s may draw cr owds with its long-standing reputation as a par ty scene, but you’ll stay for the food, an appetizing selection of soups, salads, seafood and more. $ p f e h INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF P ANCAKES 1220 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN. 285-1772. This is currently the familiar IHOP franchise’ s sole property in the Louisville area. $ h ✿ JOE’S OLDER THAN DIRT 8131 New Lagrange Rd., 426-2074. Going str ong after many years in this Lyndon location, Joe’s has gradually gr own from a little house to a sprawling complex of indoor and outdoor tables with live music many evenings. Excellent barbecue is a specialty, and so is ice-cold beer. $ p e h JUKE BOX Highlander Point Shopping Center Floyds Knobs, IN, 923-1435. $ e
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KAELIN’S RESTAURANT 1801 Newbur g Rd., 4511801. This Highlands tradition has been around for almost 70 years, and their cheeky claim to have invented the cheesebur ger actually seems to have some basis in fact. A spacious patio and r ecent renovations keep it up to date. $ f ✿ KAREM’S 9424 Nor ton Commons Blvd., 327-5646, 314 Wallace Ave., 895-0084. Karem’s Grill & Pub is one of the first r estaurants located in the villagelike Nor ton Commons, this is a ver y good eater y indeed. Inside and out, it carries the look and feel of a neighbor hood watering hole. The test of a restaurant, though, is the food, and Kar em’s is excellent. You’ll find similarly good chow in a delistyle setting at the original outlet, Kar em’s Deli & Catering, still active on Wallace. $ p f KARMA CAFÉ 1126 Bardstown Rd., 587-0062. Karma Café stays open late and of fers diner-style courses — with a few Middle Eastern dishes for accent — in a casually artsy and informal setting. $ f h ✿ KERN’S KORNER 2600 Bar dstown Rd., 456-9726. This family-owned tavern has been a popular neighborhood pit stop since 1978. Kern’ s of fers freshly made ham, chicken salad sandwiches and burgers, as well as a menu of soups, chilis and appetizers. $ p LEGENDS Horseshoe Casino Hotel, Elizabeth, IN, 888-766-2648. The hot and cold shor t or ders ar e served up with riverboat hospitality , but in a Las Vegas atmospher e. A well stocked bar and a live 66 Summer 2008 www.foodanddine.com
stage welcome the best of r egional and visiting national acts fr om W ednesday thr ough Satur day nights. $$ p e h
“gourmet burgers” and trimmings, has now landed in two East End locations. Despite a full bar , it reportedly attracts hordes of happy youngsters. $$
LYNN’S PARADISE CAFÉ 984 Barret Ave., 583-3447. One of the most popular places in town for brunch, Lynn’s Paradise Café lur es happy, hungr y cr owds with its hear ty far e and funky decor . L ynn’s sponsors the State Fair’ s tongue-in-cheek Ugliest Lamp Contest, but ther e’s nothing ugly about the delicious and filling food. $$ p ✿
ROOSTER’S 7405 Pr eston Hwy ., 964-9464. This Columbus-based wings-and-br ews chain conquered Ohio and is now spr eading its franchise wings acr oss the Eastern U.S. Its first Louisville property is gaining popularity for a lively sports bar setting and oversize wings. $ p f h
MANHATTAN GRILL 429 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd., 561-0024. $ ✿ MASTERSON’S 1830 S. Thir d St., 636-2511. A fine, family Louisville tradition, this familiar T udor structure near the U of L campus is the state’ s largest full-ser vice restaurant and the city’ s largest caterer. Serving a lunch buffet Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. only. Sunday Jazz Brunch. $ e MAX & ERMA ’S 2901 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy ., 4939662, 3921 Summit Plaza Dr ., 412-5229. Max & Erma’s, a national chain that star ted in Columbus, Ohio’s German Village in 1972, has grown to nearly 100 pr operties with a steady formula of friendly service and casual-dining far e that ranges fr om specialty bur gers, soups and salads to mor e weighty entrées. $$ p f ✿ MIMI’S CAFÉ 615 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy ., 426-6588. This California chain, a subsidiar y of Bob Evans, goes urban and upscale where farmer Bob is folksy and country. This new East End location is drawing crowds, building its r eputation on those familiar with the chain from other places. $$ ✿ THE MONKEY WRENCH 1025 Barr et A ve., 5822433. A popular spot in the urban neighbor hood where the Highlands meet Germantown, The Monkey Wrench offers comfort food with a stylish spin, top flight music, a r elaxed ambience and welcoming ser vice. The new r ooftop patio adds another dimension to the fun. $ p f e h ✿ NORMA JEAN’S TRACKSIDE 119 W. Main St., LaGrange, KY, 222-8044. This Oldham County favorite has evolved over the years, taking on a mor e upscale touches, but hosts Norma and John Burley consistently make it feel a lot like home. $$ p f ✿ O’CHARLEY’S (6 locations) O’Charley’ s, Inc. could serve well as the pictur e in the dictionar y next to “American casual dining.” The Nashville-based chain operates 206 pr operties in 16 states in the Southeast and Midwest, ser ving a straightfor ward steakand-seafood menu with the motto “Mainstream with an attitude.” $$ p h OTTO’S CAFÉ 500 S. Four th St. (Seelbach Hilton Hotel), 585-3201. Southern cooking with gourmet flair makes Otto’ s an intriguing alternative to the Seelbach’s more upscale Oakr oom. Check out the Southern Br eakfast Buf fet and the Executive Express Lunch Buffet. $ PEPPERS BAR & GRILL 320 W. Jefferson St., (Hyatt Regency) 587-3434. The casual-dining facility in the Hyatt Regency of fers a full dinner menu for hotel guests and outside visitors as well. $$$p h ✿ PUB LOUISVILLE Fourth Str eet Live 569-7782. Owned by Cincinnati’ s The T avern Restaurant Group, The Pub featur es “nouveau pub cuisine” ranging from shepherd’s pie and fish and chips to more Continental dishes like fried calamari and a seared ahi tuna entrée. $$ p f h RAFFERTY’S OF LOUISVILLE 988 Br eckenridge Ln., 897-3900. 3601 Springhurst Blvd., 412-9000. This full-service, casual dining establishment has a hearty menu. Specialties like Red Alfr edo Pasta showcase the gourmet offerings along with some of the largest and most creative salad combinations in town. $$ p ✿ RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS 9870 Von Allmen Ct., 339-8616, 5000 Shelbyville Rd., 899-9001. The Robin, a Seattle-based chain well r egarded for RED = ADVERTISER
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RUBY TUESDAY 11701 Bluegrass Pkwy ., 267-7100, 1354 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN. 288-5010. If success demonstrates quality, then Ruby T uesday’s 600 international properties and 30,000 employees can stand up with pride. They’ve been upholding the slogan “A wesome Food. Serious Salad Bar” in Louisville for a generation. $$ p h ✿ THE RUDYARD KIPLING 422 W. Oak St., 636-1311. The word “eclectic” fits this Old Louisville eater y in just about every dimension, from its funky decor to its diverse bill of fare, not to mention an array of entertainment that bridges the generations fr om Generation X’ers to aging hippies. $ p f e h ✿ SAM’S FOOD & SPIRITS 3800 Payne Kohler Rd., Clarksville, IN, 945-9757. Opened by a man named Sam some 16 years ago, this popular Southern Indiana institution feeds an army of happy diners. Y ou’ll find seafood, steaks, pastas, salads and desser ts. The menu is extensive and child friendly. $$ p h ✿ SHONEY’S 811 Eastern Pkwy ., 636-1043, 6511 Signature Dr ., 969-8904. For nearly 50 years, Shoney’s r estaurants have been one of America’ s top choices for fast r oadside dining, and happily they’ve kept up with the times. $ SKYLINE CHILI 1266 Bar dstown Rd., 473-1234, Plainview V illage Center, 429-5773, 4024 Dutchman’s Ln., 721-0093, 6801 Dixie Hwy ., 937-4020, 426 W . Market St., 561-9999 721-0093, 4024 Dutchman’s Ln. Louisville’ s outposts of a famous Cincinnati chili r estaurant, these casual eateries offer the r egional favorite (r eally it’ s Gr eek spaghetti sauce, but keep it quiet) and other fastfood dishes. $ h ✿ SPORTSVILLE GRILL & BAR 4004 Gardiner Point Dr., 753-4413. Y ou’ll find a varied menu and a sports-bar theme at Spor tsville Grill, dining r oom of the Holiday Inn Airport East. $$ p ✿ STEAK N SHAKE 3232 Bar dstown Rd., 456-2670, 4913 Dixie Hwy ., 448-4400, 4545 Outer Loop, 966-3109, 2717 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy ., 491-3397, 10721 Fischer Park Dr ., 326-3625, 980 E. Hwy . 131, Clarksville, IN., 285-1154. One of the oldest fast-food chains in the U.S., Steak N Shake traces its ancestry to an Illinois roadside stand in 1934. It now boasts 400 outlets in 19 states but still sticks to the basics: quality steak burgers and hand-dipped shakes served, if you dine in, on real china. $ h ✿ TGI FRIDA Y’S 9990 Linn Station Rd., 425-8185, Fourth Street Live, 585-3577. The original place to loosen the tie and congr egate after the whistle blows. TGIF carries on its par ty atmosphere tradition with American bistro dining and libations. The bill of fare ranges from baskets of appetizers on up to contemporary entrées. $$ p f h ✿ TOAST ON MARKET 736 E. Market St., 569-4099. A historic theater building (long a landmark junque shop) lends a funky atmospher e to T oast, a local breakfast and lunch favorite. Chef Geor ge Morris’s simple yet exciting menu adds a tongue-in-cheek bistro spin to traditional diner far e. $ p f ✿ TOMMY LANCASTER’S REST AURANT 1629 E. Market St., New Albany, IN, 945-2389. V alue and variety ar e the str ong points of this community tradition and the far e goes fr om burgers to steak. Friday or Saturday evenings feature a buffet. $$ p
p = FULL BAR
f = OUTDOOR DINING
e = LIVE MUSIC