Post-Race Brunch

This morning I participated in the Great Commission 5K, which Southern Seminary puts on every year to raise money for missions. It was a cold, rainy morning: NOT my ideal circumstances for a run, though I guess it could've been worse. Afterward, I was REALLY in the mood for some good, hearty food.

Enter The Silver Dollar on Frankfort Avenue. Its real claim to fame is that it's one of the best whiskey bars in the US, but they recently started serving brunch on the weekends, so we decided to give it a go.

(Does this look at all like a photo from a CD insert? Maybe I'm overestimating the power of Instagram...)

The Silver Dollar has great atmosphere. It kinda reminds me of a honky-tonk. Not that I've ever been to a honky-tonk. But it looks and feels like honky-tonks I've seen in movies and stuff...There was an record player behind the bar, cranking out music from folks like Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash. And the building looks like it used to be a firehouse. Lots of exposed brick. Very cool.

The food at Silver Dollar is described as "American South meets Southern California": lots of Southern favorites with a Southwestern twist. Tom and I did our usual brunch custom of ordering one sweet dish and one savory dish and splitting them in half; Tom ordered cornmeal pancakes, and I ordered flank steak and eggs, and we also got a side of hashbrowns.

Before our food came out, our server brought three different kinds of sauce to the table--a Mexican hot sauce, a salsa verde, and a mild ancho chile sauce--all made in-house, which I think is pretty special. (Doh, it just now occurred to me that I should've asked if they sell them by the bottle, 'cause they were all pretty good.)

The flank steak had a nice coffee-and-spice rub and was served atop a roasted poblano sauce, and it came with two eggs, over-easy. The hashbrowns were the thinnest I've ever seen, and they tasted like they'd been cooked in an ancient cast-iron skillet (that's a good thing, by the way), though I thought they could've been cooked just a little longer. They went really well with that ancho chile sauce, though. The pancakes were enormous and really good. They were nice and crispy on the outside, thanks to the cornmeal, and soft on the inside, with a hint of sweetness; and they came with butter, maple syrup, and homemade blueberry jam. YUM.

My only real complaint was that I didn't feel like the prices for the steak or the hashbrowns really matched the amount of food we got; but everything was so good that I would definitely go back if someone else was footing the bill. Overall, I think it was a pretty good choice for a place to celebrate my 5K.

The Silver Dollar
1761 Frankfort Ave; Louisville, KY
Price tag: $$

My rating: 4 stars
Tom's rating: 4 stars
Combined rating: 4 out of 5

First & Last Birthday in Louisville

The Irish Rover: Louisville, KY

December 6, 2010

With all the good restaurants near our apartment, I was really excited about picking one to go to on my 24th birthday, my first one in Louisville. Well, about two weeks prior, Tom accepted a position at a new church-plant in Salisbury, Maryland, which means we'll be moving again next summer. So this was also my last birthday in Louisville, making the restaurant choice all the more important. Some good friends of ours recommended The Irish Rover, and after looking over the menu, I knew for sure that this was the place to go.

Appetizer: Garlic Mushrooms

These cute little mushrooms were sautéed in butter and minced garlic until they were the perfect tenderness. They came with Marie Rose sauce, which is not as glamorous as it sounds; it's just a combination of ketchup and mayonnaise...! It's actually really delicious with the mushrooms, though.

Tom's Entree: Guinness Beef Stew

Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like: beef stew cooked in the dark, famously Irish stout that is Guinness. The beef is nice and tender, as are the vegetables; and the base of the stew is hearty and rich. Then again, what else would you expect from a beer you can't even see through?

My Entree: Lamb Stuffed Cabbage

To be completely honest, if you don't love lamb, you definitely won't like this dish because the flavor of the ground lamb in it is really robust. Actually, pretty much everything in this has really strong flavor...but man, does it work. You get three boiled cabbage leaves, each stuffed with a mixture of ground lamb and smoked cheddar, then topped with a red wine reduction. It's really a one-two-three punch: Ground lamb, whap! Smoked cheddar, bam! Red wine, pow! But to lend some much-needed smoothness for balance, the cabbage rolls are served on a bed of champ, which is Irish mashed potatoes with butter, milk, and scallions. Just fabulous.

The Irish Rover is a real winner in my opinion, and not just because of the delicious food. Prices are reasonable, portion sizes are manageable, service is friendly and fast (we were out in less than an hour), and the atmosphere is comfortable; we got the impression that everyone sitting at the bar was a regular...kinda like a dimly lit, Irish version of Cheers. This was also the perfect choice considering the kind of weather we had that day; it was the fourth day in a row that Louisville got snow, so some warm, hearty Irish food really hit the spot.

By the way, you might be wondering why I didn't list a dessert. As tempting as the Irish Rover dessert menu was, we had to decline because there was homemade birthday cake waiting for us at home, thanks to my wonderful husband!

Leisurely Sunday Afternoon

(I can't believe it's been so long since I posted here. Sorry!)

Conez & Coneyz: Louisville, KY

August 8, 2010

Yes, this was our one-year anniversary, but this wasn't our official celebratory meal (although going to a place that has nothing but hot dogs and ice cream is celebration enough for us). It was my second day in Louisville, and we decided to go to Conez & Coneyz for a leisurely post-church lunch. We had gone there for ice cream a few months earlier when we visited Louisville to look for an apartment, and we had been itching to try their hot dogs ever since.

By the way, don't you love the name of this place? So clever. Their slogan is "A place where hot dogs and ice cream have attitude," and they're not kidding. The hot dogs are delicious; and with the topping combinations they offer, you'd be doing yourself an injustice by ordering a plain one. Same goes for the ice cream. And if that doesn't make the place sound nice enough, we were greeted by Nadine, one of the owners, who actually remembered us from our first visit over two months prior!

Entree: Monte Cristo Dog

Ever heard of the Monte Cristo sandwich? It's a ham & cheese sandwich with French toast instead of plain bread, and it's often served with jam or preserves on the side. The folks at Conez & Coneyz have come up with a great twist on this old classic. It's a grilled Hebrew National hot dog, split in half and placed in a bun. Then, Swiss cheese is sprinkled down the middle. Finally, it's topped with "Kentucky proud" strawberry jam. It's the perfect combination of sweet and savory, plus the hot dog has a nice little snap when you bite into it (that might not be a big deal to most people, but I just get excited when a hot dog has it). Nadine told us that this item was originally created for kids, but it's become one of the most popular among adults. I'm not surprised!

Dessert: Eskimo Kisses Ice Cream

This is chocolate ice cream with shredded coconut and little chunks of fudge. Need I say more? I don't even really like chocolate ice cream all that much, and I thought this was great!

This has become one of our favorite places to grab a quick, tasty, inexpensive lunch. I don't think you'll be disappointed no matter what you order, so if you're ever in Louisville, stop in and treat yourself to a coney...and a cone!