By Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
There’s a lot to love about the spicy, aromatic wonders of Ethiopian food, and I’ll tell you right now that I love it. But Ethiopian cuisine makes some folks nervous.
Why is that? Here’s why: Walk in to an excellent Ethiopian restaurant like Louisville’s Queen of Sheba without a prior introduction to this ancient East African cuisine, and you’ll see surprising things.
Continue reading Have it your way at Queen of ShebaBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
Food-loving Louisville folks often complain that our city just can’t get a genuine, New York Jewish deli like Shapiro’s in Indianapolis, or for that matter like Katz’s or Sarge’s or the late, touristy Carnegie Deli in actual New York.
I have never quite gotten this. We have excellent Louisville-style delis here where you can get a pastrami or corned beef on rye that gives New York a run for its money.
But nope, that doesn’t seem to satisfy the deli-hungry crowd. “That’s not autheeeennnntic, they cry.
Continue reading Good Belly brings us good deli, and we’re gladBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
You wouldn’t expect Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood to have a deep resonance with Louisville, but that erroneous conclusion overlooks the importance of Harold Henry “Pee Wee” Reese.
Continue reading Wheated brings great pizza and a taste of FlatbushBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
Generally speaking, I’m no fan of restaurant buffets. I didn’t complain much when the Covid-19 pandemic banished the buffet.
But I hear a lot of people complaining about the near-demise of the Indian buffet.
Why the difference? I wonder if it’s about unfamiliarity with Indian cuisine, coupled with just a touch of fear that you’re going to get something unfaniliar and possibly as hot as the hinges of Hades.
Continue reading Irresistible Indian food favoritesBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
I really like little Namnam Cafe in St. Matthews, but to be honest, the last time I was there it wasn’t easy to concentrate my full attention on the fare.
What was the problem? That was in mid-March of 2020, just days before Gov. Andy Beshear ordered Kentucky restaurants and bars closed to indoor dining.
Continue reading It’s hard to go wrong at Namnam CafeBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
When a rising young chef at a popular new restaurant earns a James Beard Award nomination as an “emerging chef,” then steps up to serve as executive chef at another exciting new eatery, what would you expect?
When we’re talking about Chef Lawrence Weeks, who garnered the Beard nomination at North of Bourbon in Germantown, and spread his wings to hold down the same role at Enso in Clifton, I would expect great things.
Continue reading Our critic oohs and aahs over EnsoBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
Every now and then I’ll see an email or social-media ad that inspires immediate action. The new iPhone is available! Two-for-one sale on Häagen-Dazs! And, just the other day, “Tomato season has returned, and so has the beloved Haymarket BLT!”
Continue reading Haymarket lures us with farm-to-table BLTBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
One of the first things I noticed when I took my seat at a table in Perso was the high quality of the table itself: Burnished wood, smooth as silk, it reminded me of the work of Shaker artisans.
Then I unrolled the black cloth napkin and noticed something unusual about the quality stainless flatware: Every surface was mirror-shiny, without a single dishwasher spot in sight, almost as if each piece had been wiped clean by hand before service.
And speaking of service, that was great too: Friendly but not smarmy, attentive but not bothersome, there when we needed them, good with eye contact and a smile.
So what, you say? How about the food?
Continue reading Perso gets the small things and the big things rightBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
Louisville seems to be having a ramen renaissance right now, and I am here for it.
Yes. we’ve had access to genuine ramen that didn’t come from a cheap supermarket packet for a while. Of course you can still get your ramen fix at full-service Japanese and other Asian restaurants. And we’re not even talking about all the tasty Vietnamese pho and Thai yum, which are delicious soups-as-a-meal too but entirely different.
But there’s no substitute for those memorable places where the chefs treat ramen as a calling, a spiritual experience that must be done properly and consumed with respect but quickly, before the broth cools.
Continue reading Kiwami brings the ultimate ramenBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
I have this funny reaction to Indian food: The minute I start thinking about it, I want to go get some.
The only issue is where to go! Louisville is currently blessed with enough good Indian eateries that I’d be hard pressed to declare one of them the local G.O.A.T. It would be like trying to pick this year’s Derby winner without a photo!
But I’ll say this for sure: Clay Oven in Middletown is a strong contender for the prize.
Continue reading Clay Oven inspires an Indian food crave
