Varanese Part Deux

So quite obviously I stink at keeping up with my blog. Food blog wonders such as My Baking Addiction, Teenie Cakes, and Chocolate & Zucchini put me to shame (not to mention all their GORGEOUS photos!) However, I still like to talk endlessly about food, so I will continue on, no matter how intermittently.

Varanese Caprese Salad

July is the month of my birthday, and I got to have some wonderful eating adventures in celebration of said birthday. The best perhaps being my birthday night meal with the hubby at Varanese. Yes, I already wrote about them, but it was so good, I snatched the LivingSocial deal that came up after Supper Club’s outing and dragged him to it.

We have a convert people!

Beef Tips and Tortellini

I started with their special salad, a twist on a caprese. Mixed greens, thinly sliced tomatoes, and a cheese that was smoky, sweet, and unbelievably dense, all drizzled with a balsamic glaze. Absolutely delish! For our entrees, I ordered the Beef Tips & Tortellini (tossed in a gorgonzola cream sauce, with baby spinach, grape tomatoes, and toasted pine nuts, topped with crispy prosciutto) and he ordered the “V” Burger (char-grilled grass-fed beef topped with smoked mozzarella, crispy prosciutto, and Chef John’s V-12 sauce). We both loved them! Mine was the perfect balance of the gorgonzola with the steak and pasta, and the pine nuts added a great crunch. He absolutely raved about his burger, quickly devouring it and sopping up the rest of the V-12 sauce with his fries.

Small Bites Dessert

Soon after, the jazz duo played “Happy Birthday” for me, and our server brought out their Small Bites dessert, which had (clockwise from left) a chocolate bar with the Varanese logo, a small cup of what we were told was blueberry waffle ice cream (kinda tasted like a mild cookie dough), and a dense peanut butter caramel brownie. While they were all good, they didn’t knock my socks off. One of their dessert specials that night was a grilled peach with vanilla bean ice cream and blueberries…so we ordered that! When it came out, we saw two peach halves with a gooey scoop of rich ice cream, all swimming in a caramel sauce. It was out of this world! We ate every bite and loved it.

Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Afterwards, a stroll on the waterfront to watch the sun set was in order to burn just a few of the calories we had consumed, and then home to drop into a deep food coma. Absolutely perfect evening.

Varanese

A little belated in posting this, but c'est la vie.  It is still the month of May, and May was "V" for Supper Club...Varanese it is.  I was excited to try another new place, and had heard great things, so I figured I was in for a treat.

I was right!

It was a very warm and humid May night.  When I arrived, some of the ladies already had cherry blossom mint juleps, a house specialty, and fresh bruschetta was on the table (not sure if it was complementary or if someone ordered it).  I decided to give the juleps a try, being a huge mint julep fan.  (Some of you are cringing right now, but if you've only had them at the track, don't judge, those are premixed and terrible!  But that's a whole different blog post.)  I can't imagine anyone not liking Varanese's take on the classic Kentucky cocktail.  Fresh, light, just a bit fruity and sweet, with a nice base of bourbon.

We all laughed and chatted for a while, enjoying the elegant yet casual ambiance of their outdoor patio.  I was facing their slate wall with softly lit water cascading down and enjoying the live jazz duo who were unobtrusively playing in the background.  I basked in this mellowness long enough that I needed another cocktail, and this time I went with their mojito.  By FAR the best mojito I have ever had.  Not overly thick or sweet, just balanced between all the flavors.  A perfect accompaniment to a summer weather meal.

Complimentary breadsticks were brought to the table and enjoyed by all.  A decadent mix of garlic butter and parmesan was baked into each piece, making any type of dipping sauce or spread superfluous. 

Looking over their menu, I was hard-pressed to choose just one entrée, they all sounded amazing.  I finally settled on one of the nightly specials, lightly seared Ahi tuna served on a bed of risotto, greens with roasted artichoke hearts, and heirloom tomatoes.  It was a pricey meal, but when it came out, I was amazed at the portion.  Had I gotten a salad, it easily could have fed me and another person.  The tuna was perfectly done, the risotto creamy perfection.  My only slight disappointment was the tomatoes, which essentially tasted like any hothouse tomato, not heirloom or home grown at all.  But the greens were a nice mix and very lightly dressed (I discovered I REALLY don't like fennel!)

Afterwards, all of us decided to order a couple desserts and share.  I chose the mocha crème brûlée and one of my friends selected the fried banana with oatmeal cookie dough ice cream.  Both were absolute sinful heaven!  The crème brûlée was huge, served in a latte mug, and the fried banana was a good-size portion as well.  Everyone got to sample a little of each and we all loved it.

I highly recommend Varanese for a romantic dinner or just to hang out with some good friends.  I'll have to convince the hubby to go soon!

Seviche

All the Supper Club girls got together recently, and this month's choice was Seviche.  I was thrilled to be heading there because I've always wanted to go, but there is not one thing on the menu that I think hubby would eat.  :-(

BUT!  I went, I savored, and I SO want to go back!  As soon as we sat down, they brought out slices of Blue Dog Bakery Bread and fresh butter.  In Louisville, you can never go wrong with Blue Dog bread!  I started with the Spinach and Roasted Pear salad.  It's described as having seasonal berries, Capriole goat cheese, black walnut, and balsamic mustard dressing ($9).  It was delicious!  The goat cheese was velvety and the dressing had just the right amount of kick and bite to balance the sweet of the strawberries and pears.  I have to say I didn't really notice the walnuts, they were crushed, but that was nice because at least they stick with the salad rather than having to scoop them up separately.  One of the girls next to me had the soup special, a chipotle potato soup and gave me a taste.  I was pleasantly surprised.  I am not a fan of chipotle, but this wasn't over the top smoky.  Just enough to give some dimension to the potato, and there was a nice, slow burn of heat at the back of the throat that warmed you up nicely.

For my entree, I decided to try the 3 seviche tasting ($25) so as to get an opportunity to sample the menu.  I ordered the Oyster "Bloody Mary" Shooters (Miyagi Oysters, Tomato, Horseradish, Absolut Peppar Vodka), the Tuna Taquitos (Wasabi Lime Mustard, Yuzu, Local Microgreens, Avocado, Bluegrass Soy Sesame Powder), and the Line Caught Ahi Tuna (Sesame, Scallion, Coconut, Ginger).  Oh...my...Lord...I am in heaven!  The oysters had to be the best I've had.  Smooth, buttery, and melt in your mouth.  They were served in shot glasses and the liquid surrounding them was essentially a fresh gazpacho.  I sipped rather than shot, until the end to get the oyster out of the glass.  The taquitos were really mini tacos, but absolutely huge in taste.  They were served on a bed of seaweed which was deliciously briny and very mild.  The taquitos were the least spicy on the plate, but packed plenty of flavor.  The Ahi Tuna was very spicy, but delicate and fresh.  I only wished for a spoon to scoop up all the juice I couldn't get out of the saucer. As you can see, the presentation was wonderful and worth every penny.  I can't wait to go back!

Napa River Grill

As I've said, my husband is not culinarily adventurous, so to try a new restaurant, I usually have to scour the menu and make sure there is at least a selection of chicken fingers from which he can partake. (eye roll) While this makes it extremely difficult to try some new restaurants with my sweetie, occasionally I find one that is a home run for us both.

Napa River Grill was just that.

I know, I know. The Louisville Food Geek had never been to the Napa River Grill? For shame! But, as my excuse, see above. I've been drooling over their menu for quite awhile, mentioning it to the husband unit repeatedly, and finally put my foot down that we were going to drop in on this long-time Louisville establishment for lunch.

The location in Westport Village is beautiful and inviting (as nearly every business in Westport Village is). Walking in, we were greeted by a very cordial host and immediately shown to a table. The settings, decor, and ambiance were all impeccable. After looking over the menu, I decided to try a few of the lunchtime choices by ordering the 3-selection lunch, including their signature house-made tomato soup, Atlas Peak Club Sandwich, and the California Spinach Salad. My husband chose to stick with just the soup and the Napa House Salad. Before any of these goodies came out, however, we were graced with their fresh-baked corn bread, served in a small cast-iron skillet and topped with green chile butter. We started to inhale it the second it hit the table. Sweet, buttery, crumbly, but oh-so-soft, and with a little kick of Mexican flavor from the butter, it was unbelievably good.

Next came the soup. A ramekin covered in a glorious puff pastry which you broke through to get to the creamy soup inside. It was a perfect balance of sweet and salty and the pastry was heaven scooped up with it, the taste and texture of the most perfect croissant you can imagine. At first, the serving was intimidating due to its size, but after taking the first bite, you could see the ramekin was only half filled, giving just the right soup-to-pastry ratio.

When the sandwich and salad were brought out, I was further impressed. The sandwich was a pile of tender, flavorful turkey, which is roasted in-house; along with bacon, tomato, lettuce, havarti cheese, avocado, and a chipotle aioli. While I'm not usually a fan of chipotle (many cooks tend to be heavy-handed and the smokiness dominates many dishes), this sandwich had the perfect balance of all flavors. The salad was tasty, the goat cheese was unbelievably creamy and, overall, the salad was well-balanced with little bursts of sweetness from the raisins.

Napa River Grill is definitely a new favorite and I plan to go back soon. The Asian Ahi Nachos are calling my name!

Sunday Morning Coffee

Sometimes it gets lonely with my husband away on business all the time. Sometimes. But other times, I just revel in it!

That's how it was Sunday morning. I slept in a bit, and when I finally rolled out of bed, I decided to treat myself to a coffee and cinnamon roll from Java Brewing Company. I've missed Java. Ever since I left my old workplace, where there was a Java right around the corner, I have only been in a handful of times. I thought it was time to reacquaint myself.

Java is Louisville-based, all the roasting happens in our great city, and I happen to think there is no better cup of coffee anywhere. While I will go to Starbuck's for a latte or macchiato, I won't touch their basic coffee. When I want excellent, flavorful, perfectly roasted and brewed coffee, I go to Java.

So that's where I trundled off to Sunday morning. I decided to visit the location on Highway 42 in Prospect. Just as every other location, Java has the ambiance down pat. There is nowhere else on Earth I would rather curl up with a book and a cup than one of their cushy, well-used leather couches or chairs. The music is always subtle and mellow, and you are perfectly welcome to spend hours there, just hanging out.

I ordered my usual, a "huge" dark roast. It always packs a punch. Pair that with the cinnamon roll, which the baristas are happy to warm up for you, it's just a little slice of coffee heaven. I sat and savored for a good hour, when the barista approached and asked if I would like a latte on the house. Ummm...sure! :-) I've already had more caffeine than I normally consume in a week, but who cares? I'm sure not going to pass this up.

I have to say, it was one of the prettiest lattes I've ever had! He did a beautiful fern pattern in the foam, I almost hated to drink it...almost!

After polishing off the latte, I was good to go...for about a week! As I left, I was excited to see some Lotsa Pasta sandwiches available in the cooler. I grabbed a couple to take home for lunch over the next couple of days. As always, they were excellent as well. One was a wonderful mix of artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, onions and olives. The other was a mix of cheeses that was perfectly sinful, especially after I zapped it for 15 seconds! The cheeses got ooey-gooey and oh so yummy! I just might have to make a trip to Java every weekend.

Weekend Adventures

A friend came to visit this past weekend, and she had never been to Louisville! Of course, me being me, we structured the whole weekend around where to eat. Wow. Having to figure out which of the myriad of places we should visit was extremely difficult…but delicious!

Friday night, we went to Ramsi’s Café on the World. I’ve been there many times and constantly rave about their Sloppy Falafel ($7.99), Medjool Dates ($6.90), and eclectic ambience. The last time I went, I had the Smoked Salmon Panini ($9.40, I asked them to lose the hard-boiled egg) and considered getting it again. However, we decided to tour our way through their extensive appetizer menu. We started with Madame Tussauds empanadas ($7.99). An unbelievable, Philly-cheesesteak-like combination of London broil, Kenny’s sharp cheddar cheese, portobella mushrooms, and onions. We paired that with the Potato Latkes ($5.25) which were just how they should be: a soft, tasty mixture of mashed potatoes, formed into patties and fried, rather than being a large tater tot. Following that, we delved into our sweet sides with the Brie Bernadette ($7.99), brie rolled in toasted almonds and pecans, fried and then drizzled with honey. After sitting for a bit, I convinced her that she MUST have the Medjool Dates stuffed with goat cheese and she convinced me that we MUST order the Fried Plantains drizzled with maple syrup and served with ginger whipped cream ($3.50). Well, if we must, we must…needless to say, we did not finish. Half the dates and the majority of the plantains came home with us, and were just as tasty the next night!

Saturday morning rolled around and brought with it the burning question, “Where do we go for breakfast?” You might guess that I said, “Wild Eggs,” but to do Louisville right, for her first time with the proper “Louisville” experience, we went to Lynn’s Paradise Café. It’s kitschy, a little overpriced, and does not have great service, but still…it’s Lynn’s! You go for the experience and to spend some time in the “World of Swirl.” After waiting the requisite 40+ minutes shopping around, and of course purchasing some goofy things for ourselves, we were seated. To drink, I had a Bloody Mary, which is usually the epitome of Bloody Marys for me with a full skewer of olives and peppers, but this time it was a little watered-down. My friend had a Mimosa, which she said tasted less like orange juice and more like orange drink, not completely yummy when mixed with champagne. We ordered fried green tomatoes to start, which were thinly sliced and lightly battered. What makes them is the parmesan mayo served alongside. I had my usual, the Wild Mushroom scramble with cheese grits and a biscuit (make sure to ask for the sorghum butter!), and she ordered the signature Bourbon Ball French toast, which was featured on Throwdown with Bobby Flay. I must say, I commend Lynn’s for allowing patrons to order half orders of most things on the menu. We saw a full order of the French toast come out…no way, so she asked for a half order and they accommodated without any issue. Overall, it was a good meal at Lynn’s and I still recommend it to anyone traveling through out great city.

After all that, we wanted to work off a little of what we had consumed, so we proceeded down the street to Cherokee Park. The Scenic Loop has always lived up to its name. We strolled along and ventured up the bird sanctuary trail. It was a beautiful walk for a crisp autumn afternoon. We then decided to visit Glassworks and when we got there, a tour was just starting so we joined in. It was very informative and enjoyable and for the price tag (around $6) it was well worth it. After shopping for a while, it was getting towards 5 o’clock, so we ventured home to take care of my pup and plan the dinner attack.

We decided to continue the café theme and head to Café Lou Lou in St. Matthews. I stuck with the Shoofly Shiraz (still yummy) and she had a “Relaxation” cocktail, a mixture of fruit juices and vodka that is not overly sweet. After splitting a bowl of Shrimp & Grits, we ordered the small Smoked Salmon Pizza. A perfectly done, chewy crust topped with smoked salmon, goat cheese, capers, Kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, and mozzarella cheese. It was listed to have marinara sauce on it, but we both thought that would not be the best choice, so we asked to replace the sauce with the garlic sauce listed on other pizzas. It sounds like an odd combination for a pizza, but it was excellent. They didn’t go heavy on the salmon, which I was very happy about, and the salty bite of the olives and capers kept it from being too heavy.

Now I need to go run for two days straight to work off all the calories! But it was completely worth it!

Mexican in Louisville

I love Mexican food! What's not to love? Lots of cheese, a little spice, and tons of flavor. Louisville has many choices in this cuisine, and I'm not talking Tumbleweed. Many are small chains; however, the taste and quality can vary greatly among different locations with the same name. My all-time favorite, as evidenced by the fact that I held my rehearsal dinner there, is the El Nopal in Jeffersontown at the corner of Taylorsville and Watterson Trail. Do not be fooled by imitators. First of all, their chile rellano. It is the epitome of chile rellanos. A simple combination of poblano pepper, stuffed with chihuahua cheese, and dipped in a light egg batter and fried. The peppers are always just the right level of heat. I usually get the combo that includes the rellano, a burrito (always shredded beef, never ground), and a chalupa. Heaven on a plate.

But I've branched out and I am perfectly willing to give credit where credit is due. A few weeks ago, I visited the Los Aztecas in downtown Louisville at the corner of Main and Sixth. As I used to work downtown, I have frequented this establishment often, and was never really impressed. I must say, they have improved. Their margaritas were perfect and were available in three sizes, regular, medium, and Oh my dear Lord. :-) I had the medium and it was more than enough. Their queso was perfect, as was the guacamole. All of us got various basic entrees, and they were all just how they should be, tasty and piping hot.

My newest find is Fiesta Time on Chamberlain Lane. Once again, for the most part, pretty basic and a good Mexican fix. But the last time I was there I discovered their hidden gem. The grilled shrimp entree. Two skewers of perfectly grilled shrimp, seasoned lightly with garlic and salt, glazed with queso blanco; served alongside a pile of rice and their "Guacamole Mario." It's the Guacamole Mario that sent me over the top. A light, but decadent combination of avocado with chopped tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. They offer it on the appetizer menu, as well. Definitely worth any cost. As far as I could see, the only entree that included a serving of it was the grilled shrimp. Darn, guess that means I'll just have to eat more shrimp. Whatever will I do?

Wild Eggs

After a meeting downtown last Friday, I was able to meet my husband for a bite to eat before going into the office. Being the wonderful man he is, he let me choose the place. I chose Wild Eggs. If you haven't heard of Wild Eggs, you're living under a rock and I invite you to venture into the sun. Wild Eggs is billed as serving breakfast, brunch, and lunch. I have to say, breakfast or brunch highly appeals to me. Which is odd since I hated eggs when I was little. The only way I would eat them was deviled. I'm glad my tastes have changed.

I have been to Wild Eggs multiple times and usually have Kalamity Katie's Border Benedict ($9.95), a mind-blowing take on your typical Eggs Benedict with a chili-corn cake, chopped chorizo, poached eggs (the only restaurant in town who can get them right), queso fundido, and a wonderfully fresh pico de gallo and avacado garnish served with skillet potatoes. Out of this world. I dream about this dish, it tops the list when people ask me what they should have.

However, the Surfer Girl Omelette has been on my mind and I finally gave in. The Surfer Girl ($8.95) has fresh spinach, wild mushrooms, tomato, cream cheese, and onion, topped with diced fresh avocado, pico de gallo, sour cream, and fresh alfalfa sprouts. The eggs were just a bit overdone for my taste, but still tasty, and the toppings made it yummy (excepting the sprouts, which I usually love, but these tasted a bit old). Not as decadent as the Border Benedict, but a worthy dish served with either grits, grits of the day, or skillet potatoes, as well as an Everything Muffin. I chose the grits of the day, sausage and cream cheese. I didn't much care for them. The sausage seemed like either a sliced link sausage or small smoked sausage pieces, and while the grits between the sausage were tasty, the sausage just seemed off. It would have been much better if it had been a basic breakfast sausage cooked and crumbled. Honestly, I've usually been disappointed with their grits of the day, and that comes from their seeming need to pack the grits of the day with meat, be it bacon or sausage, which just overwhelms the delicate flavor of the grits. I am far from a vegetarian, but I think keeping the grits more simple would improve them overall. While the omelet was good, the highlight of the meal was the Everything Muffin. Tender, crumbly, moist, savory...there aren't enough adjectives in the world.

To sum up, if I could eat at Wild Eggs every day of the week, I would be a VERY happy girl. 200 pounds heavier, but happy!

Simple Decadence

Sometimes it's the simple things in life that make you happy. This is the time of year all the tomatoes start getting ripe...mmmmm...nothing like home-grown from my mama's garden. I just had a dinner of a HUGE bowl of said tomatoes, dressed with nothing but salt, and a bowl of chicken tortilla soup from Qdoba. Simple, but yummy.

However, I titled this "Simple Decadence" and while my dinner was yummy, it wasn't decadent...but my lunch was! I was in northern Kentucky this morning for a meeting and on my way back, decided to take a little detour through Owenton. If you are a true foodie, you already know what's coming. Elk Creek vineyard. Their cafe menu is heaven on earth. My boss was with me, so we decided to each order a different sandwich and split. She ordered the "Chardonnay Gourmet Grilled Cheese" and I had the "Tuscan Meat Combo." Oh...My...Lord. The grilled cheese has layers of swiss, smoked gouda, and havarti with fresh basil and tomato on grilled flatbread and the combo has salami, capicolla, prosciutto, mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, red onion, olives, sliced pepperoncinis, and drizzled with chateau dressing on baguette. Seeing the decadence yet? The only way the meal could possibly be improved was if I hadn't had to head back to work and could have had a glass of their Syrah. The hubby will be dragged up there soon to have a nice, simple dinner and enjoy the live music they have every Friday and Saturday. If you haven't been there...GO! Enjoy a wine tasting and sample their cheese plate. That's next on my agenda!