Maido

http://www.maidosakebar.com/

Happy New Year readers!!! It's been awhile....I know you are terribly heart-broken that I failed to post any of my wonderful "Holiday" platters. I sincerely apologize. Time was not on my side last month. Allow me to start the new year off right by sharing a subject that is near and dear to my heart. Sushi!!! There are a lot of great spots for Sushi in Louisville, especially in the Highlands. That area just can't seem to get enough of it. I like Sapporo. I like Wild Ginger. I even like Oishii. But when it comes to love, I've gotta give it to my Maido. 

Located on Frankfort Avenue in the Clifton Area, this sushi spot is unique because it doesn't have an actual sushi bar like the other restaurants around town. The sushi at Maido is made back in the kitchen. It's considered an "Izakaya" or Sake Pub, known in Osaka, Japan to be popular with business people. And in the 'Ville it's known to have the very best sake in town.

Shame on me for never having tried their sake. I've dined here about a billion times and my drink choice is always the same, the Kasteel Rouge - a Belgian brown ale. It's super sweet cherry flavor calls out to me as soon as I enter the door. I'm not sure how I started the tradition of ordering the Kasteel with my Maido sushi. It doesn't make much sense because I normally don't go for sweet beer or wine and I've never ordered a Kasteel anywhere else. I guess it's just one of my weird dining quirks, kind of similar to when I was a kid at the movies, I would always order a Cherry Coke with my popcorn, but never with anything else.

Anyway, when it comes to the eats, an Izakaya style restaurant is similiar to Spanish tapas, serving up small affordable plates for everyone to share. Sharing is caring, and I always care to try as many dishes as possible. Maido knows what's up. In fact, the name Maido actually means "What's Up?!" I have been happy to share many apps with friends here, notably the Shumai - a dumpling filled with either pork or crab, gouda and mozzarella cheese wontons - deep fried to perfection and smothered in wasabi honey, a yummy oyster mushroom with sinfully sauteed spinach, asparagus, and garlic.

This past Summer my pal Jules and I enjoyed a few plates outside on the spacious front patio. We shared the delightfully simple Bagel Roll with garlic and salmon and then splurged on the insanely delicious Buike Monster - white tuna with avocado, scallions, garlic, and chili sauce. Yum. Some other fun rolls I've shared include: the Nemo's Revenge - red snapper and octupus along with garlic (of course) , the Citrus Heat -a unique combo of red tuna with jalepenos and shaved lime, the Serendipity - spicy crab.. need I say more? and the Nirvana...this roll is drizzled with truffle oil for God's sake!!

The atmosphere at Maido can't be beat. It's a low-key establishment that is comfortable and cool, with funky art decor that is subtle in the dimmed lighting. Housed in an old shot-gun style building, it has a wooden bar near the front entrance, with black and white tiles leading to ample table seating. My experience with the service has always been excellent. I am convinced that being cool and having at least one visible tattoo is a requirement to work here.

So remember, the next time you want to take some shots of sake and share some sushi, gimme a call. I will share an Izakaya platter with you all night long! Until next time, live to eat Japanese.

MAIDO UPDATE: I had the great pleasure of dining at Maido last night and thought I should mention here that they are now taking reservations for their digital karaoke party room. My friend works there and introduced me to it....it looks awesome!

I also had the pleasure of trying a tofu roll this time around. I normally don't go for tofu with anything but decided to give it a whirl and was blown away. The Tofu Katsu Roll includes deep fried and breaded tofu topped with slices of avocado and was served with a thick brown sauce (can't remember the name) that enhanced the roll with a bit of a ginger and cinnamon flavor. My lovely dining companion strangely thought it brought out a chipoltle taste, whatever the ingredients... you should know that we devoured it!!! That's all.

Bourbons Bistro

http://www.bourbonsbistro.com/

This Louisville original restaurant is located in a historic building off Frankfort Avenue in the quaint and charming Clifton area. With 130 or so different bourbons to choose from, including several that are very rare and unique, and a seasonally changing "bourbon inspired" menu, you cannot help but feel the owner's Kentucky pride. About four years ago, an old friend and I wandered into this casually elegant setting for drinks in the bar area. I recall being highly impressed by the bar and the embience of the place but also disappointed that we didn't get to eat there. Since then, I have heard nothing but great things about the food. So when my friend Kristen aka "The Groupon Queen", mentioned she had purchased a groupon for Bourbons, you better believe I was all over it!! We arrived around 9 on Friday night, passing through the lovely patio area which features a fireplace, we entered through the side door. I immediately noticed how chilly it was but was smitten by the cozy aroma of cinnamon. We were quickly greeted by a hostess, who gave us a choice of where to sit and then led us through the bar, towards a sidewalk table for two.

To kick off our big night out, we decided to share a few bourbon cocktails including the "Cobbler" with vanilla, turbinado simple syrup, lemon juice, and soda; and the "Fleur de Leis" with rasberry liquor and cranberry. They were both a great treat however we preferred and highly suggest the Cobbler between the two. Kristen and I adored every inch of our appetizer, the Duck Confit Strudel...that's right, duck strudel. We are fancy ladies. It was a little spicy, which you know I like, with chilis and carmelized onions mixed among delicious goat cheese and shredded duck that was stuffed into a pastry along with baby arugala. We felt the arugala added a wonderful contrasting crunch to the soft texture of the other ingredients, all drizzled with a sherry cream sauce. I would order this app again in a heartbeat. We shared the Bourbons Baked Salmon for an entree and were both more than satisfied. It was rubbed with a bourbon orange molasses glaze that added a great citrus flavor to the dijon mustard and pecans, served with a roasted asparagus risotto. This chef was not messing around.

We really enjoyed sitting outside and noted there was a pretty good bar crowd arriving between 10 and 11. Our only complaint was that our server seemed disinterested, as if we were his last table of the night and he was not eager to please. He didn't care to entice us with lavish descriptions or any upsales. However he did suggest the Cobbler as a favorite after we practically pinned him up against the wall with questions on cocktails. Frankly, he just seemed to be a bit of an odd guy. Fortunately, there were a few servers who happened to be outside and checked on us a few times. So overall, service was not bad. Everything arrived in a timely manner which is always a plus. We wouldn't let one server's lack of interest deter anyone from enjoying this amazing Louisville original.

So the next time you are in the mood for a bourbon cocktail or duck strudel or you simply want to share a delicious meal with your groupon addicted friend, I suggest you head over to Bourbons Bistro....because who doesn't love a good bourbon inspired platter? Until next time, Live to eat!

Sari Sari

We have nothing but wonderful things to say about Sari Sari, located at 2339 Frankfort Avenue, it is quite possibly one of the smallest restaurants in Louisville. However, this family owned Filipino cuisine has incredibly enormous taste! Everything is great: food, prices, portions, and atmosphere. Let us begin with the latter. Bright eclectic artwork and Filipino flags surround you, along with colorful Chinese lanterns hanging form the ceiling, and even a few children’s drawings which are most likely kin to the owning family. We adored the checkered tables, which charmingly included a tin of colored straws, and we also noted the relaxing music of Earth, Wind, and Fire. It is obvious that this business is family owned with the mix of various dinnerware, it almost reminded us of being at a friend’s house, a very cool, Filipino friend, that is.

With word that there is not usually more than one server and cook present at a time and knowing that it is a small place, we weren’t sure how the wait would be before arriving. We delightfully discovered that there were only two other parties dining around 6pm on Saturday. The server was prompt and friendly. He greeted us immediately with menus as well as a list of three dinner specials ranging from $11 to $15. The regular menu prices are mostly under $10 which was a welcomed relief as well as the $2 Corona special that night. Beth ordered the Chicken Coconut Curry, a regular entre, which came with red beans and sticky Jasmine rice. The chicken was insanely tender and was cast among a few green onions and basil leaves which all soaked in the heavenly sauce. The coconut flavor added a creamy smoothness to the curry sauce, leaving Beth in a state of euphoria with every bite. She ranks this dish a medium on her spiciness scale.

Michael also went with a regular menu item, the Pancit Canton, a vegetarian noodle dish, with the option of adding meat. He chose to add pork and was highly pleased. He noted the freshness of the veggies, including zucchini, carrots, and squash, and he picked up on a welcomed peppery flavor along with a bit of lime in the rice. We both agreed that these Filipino dishes included influences from other lovely cuisines such as Spanish, Asian, and Indian. As much as we both wanted to devour our meals right there, we were
psyched to have such generous portions that allowed us to box up some for later. As we walked out with feelings of satisfaction, we saw a sign advertising daily lunch specials and a buffet on Friday, a must do in the near future.

And now after eating left-overs for lunch today, we have both decided to take this time to give Sari Sari the credit it deserves by giving an official Holladay recommendation: we think everyone should try this. Word is the chef is the matriarch of the family, which we think is awesome. She can come to our Holladay platter any day, as long as she brings a dish of course! Until next time, Live to Eat.

North End Cafe

http://www.northendcafe.com/

Hip is the perfect word to describe this café which is situated at 1722 Frankfort Avenue at the north end, as the name obviously suggests. After opening in April 2003,  it has become well known by Louisvillians for a killer spread of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, which greatly caters to those who prefer vegetarian and even vegan options.

When it comes to the greatly popular weekend brunch, expect a 30 to 40 minute wait unless you have a reservation. And once you are seated, expect a 30 minute wait or so until food is served. However, like Michael says, you should be willing to wait for good food, and boy is this food good. In fact, it's great! So let the wait begin. You will no doubt be pleased by the impeccable service and an atmosphere that is boisterous and bustling with a modern, fresh appeal, much enhanced by the trendiness of the wait staff. Though, this café is not overly pretentious or trying too hard. The food pretty much says it all.

We were seated on the covered patio for Sunday brunch on Mother’s Day. Our table for four was big and comfortable and we were delightfully pleased that they cranked up the fans on this hot afternoon. Mom enjoyed her garden burger that she described to be freshly ground, a far cry from the imitation meat-like patties that she has had elsewhere. She thought the Swiss cheese enhanced the flavors of her veggies, and she raved about her side salad that included several types of greens, romaine, spinach, arugala, topped with cherry tomatoes, and a unique champagne vinaigrette. Mom was happy and therefore, we were all happy! The daily omelette specials included both a vegetarian and meat option. Michael went with the vegetarian omelette filled with mushrooms, spinach, and Gouda cheese mixed with a white wine cream sauce. He loved it. The spinach was fresh, not soggy in the mixture, and the mushrooms were plentiful. Dad ordered the hearty breakfast which includes two eggs cooked to order, two pancakes, bacon, sausage, home fries, grits, and choice of bread. A truly dad dish. He was satisfied, save for the pancakes that were whole grain. "These pancakes suck. They taste too healthy," he grumbled. Oh, Dad. His down home fried in butter-lovin' food preferences aside, the best part of his meal was the sausage. We all sampled it and agreed it was uniquely spiced and smoked to perfection, much different from the average "breakfast platter" sausage. Beth got the Migas, which include three eggs scrambled with blue corn tortilla chips layered within jalapenos and cheddar cheese. She noted the eggs were very fluffy and the salsa complimented the dish well. 

The menu features a half a dozen choices drastically ranging in price. For example, if you're on a budget, you can get the Basic Breakfast for $5.50, reasonably priced Tapas, Sandwiches, and Salads, or if you're feeling more lavish you can select from several diverse entrees such as Grilled Ribeye or even Scallops and Grits, the most expensive menu item at $22.50.

Needless to say, all the Holladays enjoyed their platters at North End Café. So just remember when you are looking to take your mom somewhere special on her special day, look no further. Plus it’s where all the hipsters take their hip moms. Until next time... Live to Eat!