brown butter sage gnocchi or cauliflower steak. A full bar and signature cocktails, and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. $$ Br D hpf ALEX&NDER 1121 E. Washington St., 561-0267. Taking advantage of a new law allowing distilleries to sell liquor on site, the top floor event space of Copper & Kings is now this chic bar with a view of downtown to the west. Along with brandy cocktails, wine and beer, “boozy milkshakes” are on offer. $$ D hpfe ANOOSH BISTRO 4864 Brownsboro Rd., 690-6585. Anoosh Shariat’s elegant Brownsboro Center space has an eclectic lunch and dinner menu that includes trout provençal, coconut curry tofu, grilled romaine salad, and house-made pastas and risottos. $$ L D p BISTRO 1860 WINE BAR 1765 Mellwood Ave., 6181745. Chef Michael Crouch’s menu concept offers three sizes/price ranges — petite for tasting, appetizer and small entrée — allowing diners to explore the menu at a reasonable cost. The homey, chic old Butchertown building is both comfortable and elegant. In fair weather, dine in the shady garden, or ask to be seated in the Camel Lounge upstairs. $$$ D hpf BISTRO 301 301 W. Market St., 584-8337. Its central location across the street from the Convention Center and a short stroll from the Yum! Center makes this stylish casual bistro a good choice for food and Chef Chase Schnatter is in charge of the modern, locallyfocused menu. Dine in the hospitable bar, or in the relaxed dining room off to the side. $$$ L D pf BOURBONS BISTRO 2255 Frankfort Ave., 894-8838. Located in an historic Clifton building, Bourbons Bistro stocks a selection of more than 130 bourbons, including a barrel selection program. Chef Jereme McFarland’s bourbon-inspired, seasonally-influenced menu recently has featured tuna poke tacos, sweet potato gnocchi and bourbon bread pudding. $$$ D pf
DITTO’S GRILL 1114 Bardstown Rd., 581-9129. This informal Highlands space masks the work of classically trained owner-chefs Dominic Serratore and Frank Yang. Don’t overlook Serratore’s “gourmet casual” menu of New England crab cakes, fanciful salads and Sunday brunch egg dishes. $$ Br L D hpf
HARD ROCK CAFÉ 424 S. Fourth St. (Fourth Street Live), 568-2202. Louisville’s Fourth Street Live echoes with a bang amid hammering guitars and happy throngs at the local branch of this popular shrine to rock. The music scene is the draw, but you’ll have no complaints about Hard Rock’s standard American cuisine. $$ L D hpfe
EGGS OVER FRANKFORT 2712 Frankfort Ave., 7094452. Husband and wife team Jackson and Cortney Nave have creatively refurbished this Crescent Hill space into a “very traditional” breakfast spot. Its menu includes omelets, eggs Benedict, waffles and oatmeal, as well as salads and sandwiches for lunch. $ B Br L
HOLY GRALE 1034 Bardstown Rd., 459-9939. There are a lot of places to quaff craft beers in town, but Holy Grale’s frequently changing draft selection is among the most esoteric. Couple that with the seasonally adapted menu of smll plates and the oddity of being housed in a renovated church and you have a unique dining and drinking experience. $$ L D h e
ENCORE ON 4TH 630 S. Fourth St., 587-0526. Encore is the newest incarnation in the space that started as Cunningham’s. The new business offers a variety of Happy Hour specials on different days, an eclectic range of starters (risotto balls, grilled octopus), salads (roasted pumpkin, fried Brussels sprouts), seafood, pastas and entrées ranging from burgers to cabbage rolls to crispy duck breast. $$ L D p GARAGE BAR 700 E. Market St., 749-7100. Housed in a former service station in NuLu, Garage Bar serves up draft and bottled craft beers, Bourbons, seasonal cocktails and wine, pizzas from a wood-fired brick oven and Southern specialties, with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients. The ham flight is not to be missed. $$$ D hpf HAMMERHEADS 921 Swan St., 365-1112. One of the more unusual restaurant spaces in town, Hammerheads is also one of the hippest. Adam Burress and Chase Murcerino, who share owner and chef duties, fire up their BBQ smoker street-side, and fans far and wide flock to the semi-basement space on the edge of Germantown to partake of pulled pork and beef brisket, pork and lamb ribs, roasted duck sandwiches, pork belly BLTs and soft shell crab tacos. $ D h
JACK’S LOUNGE 122 Sears Ave., 897-9026. Under new ownership of Jared Matthews, Jack’s remains a sophisticated, elegant bar associated with the Equus restaurant next door. Regulars are happy that the change in ownership has not changed much about Jack’s convivial atmosphere and stellar bar offerings $ D pf LEVEE AT RIVER HOUSE 3015 River Rd., 897-5000. Levee is the more casual, family oriented component to John Varanese’s River House venture. Small plates and other light eats, all priced under $15, and entertainment are on offer nightly. That live music program include an eclectic mix of jazz, blues, salsa and even “beachy music.” $$ D hpfe LOU LOU FOOD + DRINK 106 Sears Ave, 893-7776. Jared Matthews, who also operates Equus and Jack’s Lounge, continues the Café Lou Lou tradition of Nawlins-style Cajun food, but Chef Jon Pauly has added other casual fare including pizza and calzones. $$ Br L D hp LOUVINO 1606 Bardstown Rd., 365-1921, 11400 Main St., 742-1456. These two wine bars are so popular for their clever wine flights and tasty small plates that owners Chad and Lauren Coulter are opening outlets in
BRIDGE & BARREL 700 W. Riverside Dr., Jeffersonville IN, 206-7170. Bridge & Barrel, offering upscale Southern comfort foods like fried green tomatoes, blackeyed pea hummus, smoked pork shoulder sandwiches fried chicken and catfish platters. Enjoy it all with sweeping views of the Ohio River and the Louisville skyline. $$ L D pfe BRIX WINE BAR 12418 La Grange Rd., 243-1120. The use of an obscure wine term (it’s pronounced “bricks” and refers to the sugar content of ripe grapes at harvest) hints that the proprietors of this wine bar know their vino. Interesting wines and a short bistro-style menu make it a welcome suburban alternative. $$ D hpe BUTCHERTOWN GROCERY 1076 E. Washington St., 742-8315. Bobby Benjamin’s restaurant offers housemade pasta and charcuterie, a chef’s table near the kitchen, and dishes such as whole rotisserie chicken and the Grocery steak, a bone-in, 55-day dry-aged ribeye served with black truffle béarnaise. An upstairs entertainment space, Lola, has intimate seating and its own kitchen for late-night noshing. $$$ Br L D hp CUVÉE WINE TABLE 3598 Springhurst Blvd., 242-5200. Scott Harper and others from the Bristol Bar & Grille organization have made this wine bar and café in the East End a fine stop for after work. Drop in to explore Master Sommelier Harper’s adventurous wine list with tasting pours and small plates of charcuterie, cheeses, salads and snacks from the kitchen. Look for regular casual classes organized on various wine themes. $$ L D hpf DISH ON MARKET 434 W. Market St., 315-0669. Owner Anderson Grissom offers breakfast, lunch and dinner in the comfortable, brick-walled downtown space. Get your day going with eggs, omelets or bread pudding French toast. Lunch on salads, sandwiches or burgers or choose a dinner entrée (a notable Hot Brown or chicken and waffles) any time of the day or night. $ B Br L D pf
h = Late Night p = Full Bar f = Outdoor Dining e = Live Music
www.foodanddine.com Fall 2018 51