Louisville Restaurant Review: Hammerheads

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Ok... this is a Louisville restaurant that we've been hearing about for a while. Hammerheads, in Germantown. We stopped by there last weekend for a quick dinner and, um.... the place smells meaty. Or maybe not meaty as much as SMOKEY, and I was wearing this on my way to a fashion event and not real pumped about smelling like that for the rest of the night. You walk down a couple of stairs to get in there and it's small and... I just wasn't sure about it. Time gave us limited choices, however, so we pulled up seats at the bar (closest to the door for any chance of ventilation! LOL!).

The menu is definitely meat-centric, lots of brisket and pork and ribs and housemade burgers of unusual selections like venison and elk. We went with sandwiches and truffle fries. OMG the truffle fries. Those might seriously be the best fries I have ever had in my life. EVER.

Garcia (veggie) burger + pretzel bun,  $9

Beef Brisket Sandwich with pretzel bun, $9

Truffle fries, $5 x 2. Like a basket of hot crack. Really. These fries alone will necessitate a return trip! 

Doesn't it look delicious?? It was freakin' DELICIOUS. You can view the entire menu here. 

And let me just take a minute to comment on how over the top nice the service was. Seriously, just wonderful service from general runner who was cleaning tables and directed us to our seats to the bartender who served us. 

We've heard such great things about so many things on the menu - we will be back specifically to try the Grippos fries and mac and cheese balls! LOVED Hammerheads and can't wait for the return trip! 

** UPDATE 11/8/13 ** Can't get enough Hammerheads! We've been back for an even better return trip, given dinner here as birthday gifts and are returning tonight for third time! Place is amazing.

Restaurant Review: Mussel and Burger Bar

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The hubs and I have heard sooooo much about this restaurant. Seriously. It's everywhere right now. They don't take reservations and can run on an hour and a half wait even on weeknights so, when we found ourselves hungry at a weird mid-afternoon time with no line, we decided to give it a shot! 

Mussel & Burger Bar is the latest venture by the same people who have brought Louisville Havana Rumba and Guaca Mole. As far as I can see online, they don't have a legit website?? All I can find is the Facebook page I linked above and no full menu or anything? I was able to track down some prices in some random photos on the FB page... Weird. Just totally going on word of mouth at this point, I guess! 

So, we came directly from a University of Louisville football game and were still dressed accordingly! I was still sporting my red and black!

* Chanel Sunnies
* Chevron pants from Apricot Lane
* Alexander McQueen tank from eBay

The game was HOTttttt and we were a sweaty mess... This may have been why we wound up seated in the bar area? LOL! The tables were pretty plain, just a little candle and a sheet of brown paper. Seriously. No sweeteners, no salt or pepper, no condiments at all. The overall vibe is super pub-y and charming. Love the Mason jars! 

Hubs took a friend's recommendation and started with the  Blue Cheese Beer Pancetta Mussels ($7). *barf* I'm a 20+ year vegetarian and normally I can tune the meat out but these things smelled STRONG! LOL! He liked the blue cheese but slid the plate aside after biting into his second or third crunchy thing. He wanted me to post that anyone who cracks a tooth on one can come to him for a repair! Hahahaha! 

Blue Cheese Beer Pancetta Mussels

For burgers, hubs went with the Local Burger, which I'm annoyed to say I can't even find in the random pictures of the menu that I dug up on the FB page... Let's just guess that it was $12 and, as for details, it is mostly locally sourced. The burgers are served with sweet potato fries (that are awesome) and a smokey pineapple dipping sauce (also awesome).

Local Burger

I ordered one of literally only two things on the menu that are meat-free. I didn't even SEE the other thing, the server just told me about it near the end of the meal... I had the Vegetarian burger ($9), an 8 oz beet and red quinoa burger on pretzel bun with goat cheese and black olive aioli. It looked pretty when it came out:

Vegetarian Burger

But, um, I took ONE bite and the whole thing squished out the back. By a few bites, it had disintegrated into a mess than could only be picked up with a fork... It was tasty enough but, OMG, seriously annoying to eat. I had heard that this place pretty blatantly does NOT cater to vegetarians and I can confirm I that felt very un-catered to! Our server was great but I seriously felt like this entree was a trick! All the servers walking around in "Meatatarian" shirts just made me feel even more like I was on Punk'd or something! LOL!

The girls just walked by and saw this pic and said WHAT ON EARTH?? They agree that it looks like Red Velvet cake - and also agree that that would probably have been more fun! LOL!

Our opinion? It was very much okay. This is kind of how we felt about Havana Rumba and Guaca Mole, too? Are we doing it wrong? Granted, this trip didn't include any of the interesting beer on offer (we had just come from tequila sangria at the game) and we skipped out before dessert, so maybe we need to give it another go before we totally dismiss it. Next time, though, I'll probably have an entree beforehand! ;)

Restaurant Review: August Moon

Hubs and I headed out for dinner a few nights ago and, after debating lots of new places, we wound up at one of our longtime favorites, Louisville staple August Moon Chinese Bistro! 

What to wear?? It was SO mild all summer and, now that it's the end of August, it's been SCORCHING hot! So I took the chance to get in another cute summer ensemble! 

* See by Chloe seersucker apron dress
* Bauble Bar chunky crystal necklace from August Mystery Makeover box 
* Juicy Couture suede wedges

There are so many great things to eat here, but it happened to be happy hour so we sat at the bar to take advantage of drink specials and the small plate menu! They have lots of things to try and I think small plates are $5 each? It's a fun way to have dinner out, ordering 3 or 4 things to share (even though that's not what we did this time... LOL!). 

Finlandia Vodka Fusion Blood Orange Martini, $5 on Happy Hour (normally $6.50) - Made with fresh blood orange puree, super tart and SO good! 

Veggie Spring Rolls, $2.50 per roll - Nobody likes super spicy more than I do but WHOO, their house made mustard is HOT! 

Sichuan Style Hot and Sour Soup, $3.50 - One of hubby's faves!


And for entrees!
 

Thai Curry Vegetable Bowl with  Warm Naan, $5 - Okay, this right here. This is why we went. It's one of my hands down favorite dishes ANYWHERE. It's only available at the bar during happy hour (4-7 I think?) but, OMG, it's my vegetarian dreams come true!! 

Hot and Spicy Beef and Vegetables, $14 - Definitely not the hubby's favorite thing he's had here. He didn't even take the leftovers home! 

Seriously, I will go back over and over for the Thai Curry dish! LOL! You can view the entire August Moon menu here. 

Date night! The Chocolate Martini Bar Restaurant Review!

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Yay!! Date night! I was excited to have grownup dinner with the hubs I adore and anxious to try Louisville's own version of The Chocolate Martini Bar. It looks from the website like this is a little mini chain with locations in Louisville, Cleveland and Buffalo. 

First of all, what to wear??

Juicy Couture Palm Leaf Peplum Blazer
Current Elliott shredded boyfriend jeans
Bauble Bar rose gold chain
Vintage Gucci Crossbody
Donald Pliner neon cactus heels

I had been looking for a way to rock this horrible heavy rose gold chain from the July PopSugar box and it looks like I found it! I wove a little piece of black tulle ribbon through part and tied a bow, to make it a little more cheeky and a little less serious. I love doing this with the massive string of real pearls I have, too! So much more comfortable with things worn in a playful and unexpected way! 


To play up the Havana nights feel a little bit, I went with some really 60's makeup. Dramatic black liquid eyeliner cat eye, super frosted pink lip (Pop Beauty lip crayon from July Ipsy bag). Not sure how to really photograph makeup? I'm working on it! LOL!

Cheesy wink for ya! LOL

And now for the FOOooooD! So many things on the menu used chocolate in unexpected ways, from white chocolate sauce pasta to salads with shaved chocolate on top! Here's what we had:

Chocolate salted caramel martini, $8 on happy hour (normally $10). Pretty good! Pretty much no alcohol though! LOL!

Chocolate Bar Baguette, $6 on happy hour (normally $9). Toasted baguette with smooth dark chocolate and coarse sea salt and olive oil to dip. Yummmmmmy!

Apple and goat cheese salad, $9. We split one of these, this was my half! Fresh strawberries and blueberries, absolutely delicious and half was PLENTY! 

Mexican Pork Tenderloin, $12. Hubby's entree. He enjoyed it, I'm thinking he would try something different next time, though! 

Strawberry Balsamic Flatbread, $7. My entree. Homemade mozzarella, fresh strawberries, balsamic reduction, white chocolate. Really good and interesting! Would def try something different next time but enjoyed this as a unique vegetarian option!

The vibe in the place could use a little classing up. It was fine, just a little too casual for how good the food was and how pricey the drinks were, if that makes sense! One cute touch is the TVs spread out playing chocolate themed shows - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I Love Lucy chocolate factory episode, etc. There was one in the bathroom playing a Spongebob episode about chocolate on a loop! LOL! 

Kind of Chuck E Cheesy to hear spongebob yelling CHOOOOooCOLATE while in the bathroom... 

There are some potential good times here with this $70 MEGATINI and the Manicure Mondays, when you get a free manicure with the purchase of a (regular sized) martini! 

OMG, now THAT'S a drink! Haha!

The takeaway? Probably won't do it again as a grownup night out but will definitely do a family meal there at some point. Kids eat free on Tuesdays and the kids menu looked like it could potentially be our girls' favorite place - PB&J, grilled cheese, kids mini fondue for dessert. 


And it was fun to walk around Westport Village for a bit! Picked up my new favorite University of Louisville game day pants and some cute jewelry at Apricot Lane! 

Can't wait for football! 

If you'd like to drool over the entire menu from The Chocolate Martini Bar, you can do so here! Enjoy!! 

Restaurant Review: Varanese

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Hubs and I had dinner at Varanese recently to celebrate our 12th anniversary! Depending on where you read, it's described as anything from "New-American Cuisine" to a "Mediterranean restaurant." We had heard such great things about this Louisville favorite and were excited to give it a shot!



First, of course, what to wear??

Dress by High Society, scored at the Gilt Warehouse pop-up sale happening in Louisville right now, random bag scored at the major Urban Outfitters haul I did in California in May, Steve Madden studded sandals (on sale now!, available here), freshwater pearl necklace and Bauble Bar bracelets. Cute! :)


The night we went was RAINY... one day of what seemed like three weeks in a row of non-stop rain. The open-air dining room was open regardless and it was actually nice to still be "outside" despite the wretched weather! 

A stock image, with dining room all closed up!
I didn't get one from outside!

View from our table.
Live three piece band up there in the middle
(pretty much in the rain...)

Water feature wall was SO pretty,
added to the water-all-around effect! LOL!

Before we even placed our orders, a little plate of bruschetta was brought out as a starter from the kitchen! Loves it! And my drink of choice, the Sunrise _____ (can't remember second word in name?, sorry!), came out right afterwards. Cocktail was gin based with fresh grapefruit, mint, etc., kind of like a mojito! 

Let me just stop here and say how OUTSTANDING the service was, from the hostess who greeted us to the chef who stopped by each table as entrees were served. We are suckers for great service! It makes ALL the difference!!

Isn't our little table pretty?? 

Great refreshing summer cocktail! 

We started with the Baked Brie ($9) and it was wonderful. I have high expectations for this dish, though. We have the hands down best baked brie recipe EVER that was passed along to us by a friend of ours. The secret? Bourbon! I'm going to put it in a follow-up post in a few days! 

For salads I had the Candied Pecan and Apple Salad ($7) and hubs had the Pistachio Encrusted Goat Cheese option ($9). I couldn't really get pictures of his food in this setting without looking like a freak, but take my word for it, he loved his!! LOL! The hot garlic cheese bread was fab, too! 

My entree was the Angel Hair Bruschetta Pasta ($14) and hubs had the Bourbon Barrel Smoked Pork Chop ($18). After ordering the pork chop at 610 Magnolia and being grossed out by the fact that the plate included pork BELLY, he was very, very happy with this "normal" dish! Haha!

We skipped dessert this night, so no indulgent chocolate pictures! LOL! The meal was really really great. Everything was so tasty, the ambience was so comfortable and fun, the staff was outstanding. The price was actually pretty surprising, too, ringing in right at $90 even including a 30% tip! We liked everything we tried and will definitely return to try some other things! If you would like to see the whole menu, you can access it here!

They are having an event that looks really fun tomorrow night. It's a Sierra Nevada Beer Dinner with a guest speaker from River City Distributing. Sounds fun to try all the beer pairings! Let me know if you check it out!! 

610 Magnolia Restaurant Review

Yay!! Date night!!

We made a reservation at 610 Magnolia after learning more about it in this month's box from the Our Local Box subscription service. This Louisville restaurant only seats 50, is only open Thursday through Saturday for dinner and has only one seating a night. Our kids had a date to go to Circe du Soleil with their grandparents so were were able to book a couple of weeks in advance and get the night we wanted. Usually we try to get reservations at the last minute and that's often dramatic! LOL!

The restaurant is owned by Chef Edward Lee, who has gained prominence through various television appearances (Top Chef, Iron Chef). He is also a multiple time finalist for the James Beard Foundation Awards as best chef southeast. 

610 Magnolia is located in one of the old, historic parts of Louisville. There is an 1800s mansion for sale nearby that looks creepy as hell but the hubs thought it was awesome (aw hell naw) and this one I found when trying to find the mansion listing - it's legitimately creepy as hell!! LOL!! Needless to say, the neighborhood is awesome and full of character! The restaurant has no big sign or anything, just some little bitty painted writing by the door, and we would have driven right by it if we hadn't already seen pictures!

The vibe is very homey but still super chic. I don't think I've ever seen a table set with so many glasses. Seriously, like 8 per place setting, so a round table of 5 had 40 or so pieces of stemware. All sparkly and shiny, it was a gorgeous effect. I was told by a friend that I had to have the champagne cocktail, so all my stemware was whisked away except for water glass and towering champagne flute. When I had my SECOND cocktail, I noticed the stem was about half the length and hubs joked that #3 would be in a flat to the table tumbler, to save their stemware from the drunken accidents which got progressively more likely! LOL!

The menu is fixed price, there are 4 courses and you can have any three courses for $55/person or all 4 for $65/person. I'm a 20+ year vegetarian and hubs mentioned this when he made our reservation. Our server already knew this without me telling her! Nice touch! We went for the 4 course option to try as many things as we could while we were there.

After ordering, the meal was started with a three piece presentation of small bites. Hubs' involved mussel and escargot, mine a lot calmer with artichoke salad, a goat cheese pastry and homemade hummus. Ive been obsessed with hummus lately, so that was perfect! All very interesting!

Sorry... I already ate the middle bite! LOL!

Our favorite part of the meal was probably the Blue Dog Bakery bread with sea salt topped butter. Seriously. To. Die. For.

nom nom nom....

Next came appetizers. I misunderstood the ordering process and was served a crab leg horror show (horrifying to a veg! Haha) and hubs got a prawn dish. The staff completely freaked out over what they all assumed was their mistake and even after I insisted it was fine, returned with a salad to replace the crab, then suggested hubs change HIS salad course since the one they brought was what he had ordered. Just so, so, so over the top nice. The service has been the make or break point for us SO many times and I can't say enough about how wonderful they were!

Next came salads, which were wonderful! We both had a mixed greens salad with cherries and walnuts and a wonderful, rich balsamic vinagerette. So, so delicious!

For entrees, chef whipped me up an awesome ricotta gnocchi and vegetables dish and hubs had some kind of pork belly concoction.

Dessert was awesome. Cheese plate and accoutrements for hubs and an interesting and delicious strawberry ice cream with various sauces for me!

We picked up one of Chef's new Smoke & Pickles cookbooks while we were there and got the chance to have it personalized!

The main issue for most people, I'm sure, is the cost. Our meal was $65/person, cocktails were $12/each, mandatory 18% gratuity is added on (we always tip more like 25%, so that was no surprise, just made it hard to do some math at the END of the meal! LOL), coffee and taxes, made our dinner about $230. It definitely isn't something you'd do every day! But would we go back? In a heartbeat. It was a unique experience and a chance to enjoy a meal in what is arguably a Chef's dream circumstances. The place is world-class and is yet another gem in this fabulous, fabulous city!!

You can view the current menu for 610 Magnolia here if you'd like more accurate, foodie descriptions of what we ate! LOL!