Mark Your Calendar: The Louisville Original second-quarter discount gift certificate sale will begin at 10 a.m. on July 16. [Originals]

Contemporary Piano Bar: Dress up like F. Scott Fitzgerald and bring your date to the Brown Hotel lobby bar on Thursdays and Fridays from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. to enjoy half-price signature cocktails and tapas while listening to Broadway and jazz-era hits by professional pianist Sue Ann Stone.

More Music and Deals: On Thursdays evenings this month from 6 to 9 p.m., you can enjoy live music and half-price wine at the Prospect Bristol Bar and Grille.

Better than a Date at Olive Garden: Be at the old Ferd Grisanti Restaurant on June 14 to experience Taste of Italy, an Italian buffet feast featuring dishes from several local Italian Restaurants. Proceeds of this event will benefit victims of the April 6 earthquake in L’Aquila, Italy. [Courier]

More Tastes: The 2009 Taste of Frankfort Avenue is set for June 28 in the Clifton Center. The event features tasty fare from 28 local restaurants. [Clifton]

What More Could You Ask For: Anything that combines books and food sounds like a good time to me. On the second Wednesday of every month, The White Oak (at the old Artemesia location) is hosting a dinner and book club discussion featuring books with a food theme. [Courier]

Read more from Jessica at her About Louisville blog. 

Renewals: After a long renovation, The Wine Market on Bardstown Road has reopened. Read about its new offerings.

Dining Events: If you’ve been pining for a good, reasonably-priced meal, go and support the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation by eating a four-course meal at the Prospect Bristol on Thursday, May 28. If you’re up for a short drive, you may want to check out the Wine and Microbrew Festival in Corydon on May 23. This event features wine and microbrew tasting, live music, and an art pavilion.

Try Something New: Asiatique’s Chef Looi has added several new starters, salads, and entrees to the restaurant’s menu for the summer with choices that incorporate quail, tilapia, scallops, and lamp chops. Check out what’s new on the menu at the recently-renovated Highlands Boombozz.

Reviews: Last week we announced that a new restaurant named Captain Pepper Jack’s had opened on Taylorsville Road. This week it got a scathing review.

Coming Soon: There’s good news for Hoosiers that love great pizza: Wick’s Pizza’s fifth store will open in July on State Street in New Albany.

The price of the items on the a la carte wine dinner menu range from $6.99 for the appetizer to $24.99 for the filet entrée, and the regular menu will be offered as well.  Chef Ramon Forcellado has created the menu for the evening, and each dish will include a St. Francis wine as an ingredient.

The appetizer is rosemary-skewered shrimp ($6.99) and comes with a St. Francis Chardonnay glaze. Glasses of St. Francis ’07 Chardonnay from Sonoma will go for $6.50 per glass, $21.50 per bottle.

For entrees, diners can choose fresh grilled snapper topped with a prosciutto, green onion and Chardonnay St. Francis Wild Oak sauce served over orzo pasta & accompanied with fresh broccolini ($21.99) or an 8-ounce filet topped with a sauce of fresh wild mushrooms, cipollinis and Cabernet Sauvignon St. Francis “Wild Oak” served with smoked Gouda mashed potatoes and fresh broccolini ($24.99). Featured wines will be Chardonnay St. Francis “Wild Oak” ’06 for $7.95 a glass or $27.00 a bottle and Cabernet Sauvignon St. Francis “Wild Oak” ’04 for $9.50 a glass or $32.00 a bottle. A cheese plate with cabrales, manchego and havarti ($7.99) will be offered with the Zinfandel Old Vine St. Francis Wild Oak ‘ 06 (glass $9.50, bottle $32.00).

For reservations call the downtown Bristol at (502) 582-1995. Free parking is available in the PARC garage behind the Bristol at 120 South 6th Street.

by David Dominé, The Bluegrass Peasant

Two of my favorites are the English Grill and J. Graham’s Café  at the historic Brown Hotel. On Thursday, November 27 the English Grill has dinner seating times at 12:30, 12:45, 1:00, 3:30, 3:45 and 4:00 p.m. For $58 per person the dinner includes live piano music and a lavish appetizer buffet, as well as a decadent Viennese dessert display. Entrée choices include roasted turkey breast and leg with fig and chestnut stuffing, sweet potato pancake, haricots vert and Yukon mashed potatoes; sautéed Arctic char with truffle, diced potatoes and grilled corn; and pan seared filet with honey lavender crust, cauliflower gratin and spinach béchamel.

J. Graham’s Café will feature a Thanksgiving Day buffet with all the traditional favorites for $32 per person and $16 for children 12 and under. Buffet seating will be from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. and 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. Guests will enjoy dishes such as Kentucky ham with pineapple glaze; roasted turkey with cranberry sauce and giblet gravy served with traditional cornbread stuffing with walnut; roasted pork loin with Calvados apple sauce; sautéed green beans with roasted almonds; and Yukon garlic mashed potatoes. The Thanksgiving feast will end with dessert options like pineapple upside-down cake, pecan pie and pumpkin pie.

Read the rest after the jump…

Or, if the Brown isn’t what you’re looking for, let award-winning chef Michael Paley and the red penguins pamper you at 21c. Proof on Main at 702 W. Main St. will offer from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m.  a Thanksgiving Day menu featuring smoked Tallgrass Farm heritage turkey served with fig sausage, locally grown sweet potato puree and Tuscan green beans. Also featured will be such seasonal dishes as chestnut ravioli with treviso and brown butter. Call (502) 217-6360 or go online for reservations.

In addition, the Bristol Bar & Grille will be serving Thanksgiving buffets at all but the downtown locations from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. $19.95 for adults; $4.95 for children ages 4 to 11 years old. What’s on the menu? Roast turkey with cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, roast beef, honey-glazed ham, poached salmon, sweet potatoes, country-style green beans, brussels sprouts, corn pudding, asparagus vinaigrette, fresh cranberry sauce, wild rice salad, spinach salad, pecan and pumpkin pies. Go online or call for more information. 1321 Bardstown Road, (502) 456-1702; 6051 Timber Ridge Drive, Prospect, (502) 292-2585; 300 North Hurstbourne Parkway, (502) 426-0627; 700 West Riverside Drive, Jeffersonville, Indiana, (812) 218-1995. By the way, the Bristol in Jeffersonville will open at 6:30 a.m. for breakfast for those planning an early day of shopping on Friday, November 28.

Captain’s Quarters Riverside Grille, 5700 Captain’s Quarters Road, Harrods Creek, will serve a buffet from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Breakfast items will be served until 1 p.m. Thanksgiving menu will include turkey with oyster stuffing, fried chicken, baked tilapia with teriyaki orange glaze, carved roast beef, pastas, salads and desserts. $21.95 for adults; $13.95 for children ages 6-12; and children ages 5 and under eat free. Call (502) 228-1651 or go online for reservations.

And, like the Brown, the Galt House at Fourth Street and River Road will offer two Thanksgiving dinner options. Rivue will serve a traditional feast from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. that starts with relish trays on each table and salads served by captains. ($49.95 for adults; $19.95 for children ages 4 to 10; free for children under 3 years) Then comes turkey carved tableside with family-style sides, with baked ham and fried oysters available as well. Turkey, beef, pork, stuffed flounder and various side dishes will be on the buffet in the Fountain Room from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Included in the $29.95 price are salad bar and dessert station. $9.95 for children ages 4 to 10; free for children under 3 years. Parking is free. Call (502) 589-5200 or go online.

by David Dominé, The Bluegrass Peasant

To participate, you simply select the participating restaurant of your choice and select from the special three-course menu for only $25 or $35. (Price is per person, meal only. Beverages, tax and gratuity are not included.) And, there are no passes to buy, coupons to carry, or cards to punch during Fleur De Licious. Participating restaurants include; Bistro 301, Blu, Bristol Bar & Grill, Caviar, Hard Rock Cafe, Los Aztecas, Mayan Cafe, Melillo’s Italian Restaurant, Proof, Red Star Tavern, Road to Morocco, and Vincenzo’s.  If the Fleur De Licious menu doesn’t do it for you, the regular menu will also be available.

I’ve been eating high on the hog lately. Monday night was a Bastille dinner at the Bristol in Jeffersonville, and yesterday I had lunch at Napa River Grill. Last week I did dinner at Morton‘s and at Avalon. I think I might be developing a goiter. Maybe it’s time to change my eating habits.

At least for the time being I’ve decided to stop eating at all those fancy places, but I doubt it will help my goiter. In a project I’ve dubbed “The Dive Diaries,” I’m going to devote some time exploring the dark underbelly of the local food world. Yes, I’ll start going to the greasy spoons, patronizing the pits, hunkering down in the honky-tonks, hiding out in the holes in the wall, all in search of those diamonds in the rough we call dives.

According to Merrian-Webster OnLine, a dive is “a shabby and disreputable establishment (as a bar or nightclub).” I found another place that defines it as “a cheap disreputable nightclub or dance hall.” The disreputable part sounds especially enticing, so this should be a fun project. Of course, I’ll be concentrating on the victuals at the places we affectionately call dives, but as I come down off my culinary high horse, please feel free to chime in with your recommendations. I’d like to find out where the best dives in the ‘Ville really are, so I’ll be counting on you all for your comments.

But, before I set off and start spelunking the culinary catacombs of the ‘Ville and its environs in search of those locales most worthy of mention, allow me to elucidate my own personal requirements for a dive. For me, a true dive is a place where:

1) Food must be relatively cheap, and generally good. It doesn’t necessarily have to be good for you, though;

2) You must feel slightly out of place when you walk through the front door;

3) It must be dark on the inside. Preferably, there are no windows at all. If there are windows, they should be dirty;

4) When you leave, you should feel a little dirty yourself;

5) Alcohol must be served. (Since there are many dive-worthy lunch counters and diners that do not serve hootch, however, I will create an ancillary category to make sure these places get their fair mention alongside their boozey cousins. They will be called Southern Baptist dives.)

And, although not requisite, the presence of any of the following makes the dive all the more memorable in my book:

1) Grumpy waitresses, preferably the ones who have done a lot of livin’

2) The lingering smell of fried food in the air, mingling freely with the aromas of stale cigarette smoke and beer

3) Leatherette booths with random missing chunks that expose the soft yellow of foam rubber, its jagged edges inviting us to ponder the dubious past events that resulted in the production of said missing chunks

4) A preponderance of linoleum, Formica or cheap wooden paneling

5) Blatant disregard for the concept of interior décor

6) Large jars of scary pickled things such as pig’s feet and Pepto-Bismol-colored eggs

7) Customers who actually eat scary pickled things

8) Deep-fried pork rinds

9) A juke box

10) At least one drunk at the bar

(Once again, feel free to chime in and add your criteria to the list.)

And, although the dictionary definition for a dive seems to cast a bit of aspersion on the moral character of the establishment in question, I by no means wish to impugn the gastronomic merits of a good dive. Dives have some of the best food out there, so any place mentioned in my culinary chronicles should wear this distinction as a badge of honor.

Now, with the groundwork laid, it’s off to the seedier side of the Louisville dining scene.

Watch tomorrow’s post for the first installment in The Dive Diaries. And, make sure you share your recommendations with the rest of us.

Bastille Day is over and they celebrated it in high style across the river at the Bristol Bar and Grille’s Jeffersonville location. I checked it out last night and it’s worth the trip to the ‘Ville’s “sunny side.” If you missed it, don’t worry, though, because the French food and wine celebration lasts all week long. Francophile food and wine lovers still have six evenings to enjoy “Bastille at the Bristol” at the Sheraton Louisville Riverside Hotel.

The best part? In keeping with the Bristol’s 30th anniversary wine celebration, all French wines are marked down to wine shop prices and will be available by the glass, bottle and in flights. Beverage director and Master Sommelier candidate, Scott Harper, has come up with a wine list specially selected for connoisseurs of the vine. Choices include Sauvignon Blanc Cheverny “Delaille” Domaine Du Lalvard ’06/’07 from the Loire Valley, Chablis Savary ’06 from Burgundy, and Châteauneuf Du Pape Chateau Gigognan “Vigne Du Regent” ’04 from the Rhone Valley.

All these bottles were passed around at our table, and the Châteauneuf Du Pape seemed to be the biggest hit. The dark notes and robust, rustic flavors of the proverbial “brooding” wine made a fine match with practically all of the French-inspired dishes put together by chef Richard Doering. The Provencal aromas of lavender and garlic stood up perfectly to the fresh cheese, onions and thick bacon or lardons in the Flammkuche appetizer, a hearty quiche-like tart from the Alsace.

When the entrees were passed around the table for the requisite sharing game of musical plates, everyone agreed that chef had successfully pulled off his take on the quintessential French comfort food dish of coq au vin with chicken from the rotisserie stewed with mushrooms, bacon, garlic, onions, and red wine. The tournedos Richelieu, two beef medallions draped in butter-enhanced demi-glace, scored high marks as well, especially with the red-meat lovers who found the accompanying rich flavors of truffles and foie gras a worthy match to the acerbic, fat-cutting tannins of the Châteauneuf Du Pape.

Although tasty, the choucroute garni and its sturdy flavors didn’t go quite as well with the red wines. The hearty dish, representative of France’s German-speaking region, with its sauerkraut garnished with potatoes, sausage, bacon and pork, would have gone better with a crisp Alsatian Riesling or good German beer. Nonetheless, everyone at the table enjoyed all the main courses.

By the time we finished the French artisan cheese plate with fresh and dried fruits, nuts and crackers, no one at the table had room for dessert. Instead, we all ordered snifters of calvados, the famous apple brandy from Normandy, and finished with double espressos. I really had a craving for crème brulee, but that would have been a bit too decadent now, wouldn’t it have? I restrained myself and went home for the evening. Nothing saying I won’t go back later this week, though. Maybe I’ll see you there.

Bon appetit! (Said in my best, most warbly Julia Child voice.)

It seems that every country around the world has its classic meat-and-potatoes combination to satisfy hungry appetites, and in the French-speaking parts of Europe, steak frites would fit the bill. This winning combination of juicy, pan-seared beefsteak with crispy sticks of French-fried potatoes is as likely to be found on the menus of trendy Paris bistros as it is on the farmhouse dinner tables in the Belgian countryside.

Bastille Day is right around the corner, and unless you’re one of those numbskulls who jumped on the let’s-all-pout-and-call-’em-liberty-fries bandwagon, you might be considering what to do to celebrate the anniversary of the French Revolution. After all, it’s what any self-respecting gourmand would do. But, don’t worry, you needn’t storm the local jail, because below you’ll find a recipe from the Bluegrass Peasant to help you capture a bit of Francophile flavor in your Kentucky kitchen this July 14th.

By the way, the Bristol Bar and Grille in Jeffersonville will be hosting a week-long French food and wine celebration starting on Bastille Day. A special menu of dishes prepared by chef Richard Doering and a wine list specially selected for the occasion by beverage director Scott Harper will be available for those wanting to celebrate in high style. Aside from rotisserie coq au vin and a specially designed cheese plate, diners can enjoy Francophile favorites such as tournedos Richelieu, choucroute garni and Alsatian cheese, onion and bacon tart. The French feast runs Monday, July 14 through Sunday, July 20. I plan on checking it out myself and will give you all the juicy details next week some time.

Get David’s Recipe after the Jump:

BOURBON STEAK FRITES

Generations of Kentuckiana cooks have known that bourbon and beef make a wonderful match in the kitchen, no doubt because whiskey works as a natural tenderizer and flavor enhancer. So, this preview recipe from my upcoming Bourbon Cookbook adds – what else? – a generous splash of Kentucky whiskey for a great taste of the Bluegrass in this sturdy French dish. For this preparation, I like to pair Kentucky grass-fed beef and Blanton’s bourbon with its spicy aromas of dried citrus and cloves accented with burnt sugar. The result is an exceptional and satisfying American original. If you don’t have Blanton’s, try any bourbon you can lay your hands on; you’ll be amazed at the flavor it imparts to the dish.

6-8 strip steaks

1 cup bourbon

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper

4 cups canola oil for frying

6 large russet potatoes, peeled

1 ½ teaspoons iodized salt

1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard

Juice of 1 lemon

Place the steaks in a shallow dish and cover with the bourbon. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours. (It is very important to marinate the meat, not just for the flavor it imparts, but also because this process will render the high-proof marinade less flammable.) Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium high heat and add the butter. To avoid cooking the steak in two batches, you may want to use a second pan to speed up the process. Remove the steaks from the marinade and pat dry. Season each side with salt and pepper and transfer to the pan once the butter has started to sizzle. Turn the heat up to high and sear the steaks for 3-4 minutes on each side.

10 or 15 minutes before cooking the steaks, heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot or deep fat fryer. Cut each of the potatoes lengthwise into 5-6 uniform slices and then cut each of the slices into 5-6 uniform strips. The object is to produce the longest fries possible. Once the oil is hot enough that a piece of potato dropped in starts to sizzle, add the cut fries and stir gently with a wooden spoon. (Ideally, you will do this right after placing the steaks in the skillet to sear.)

After 3 or 4 minutes, just as the potatoes start to get slightly crisp, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a baking sheet lined with brown paper. This is the first step of the frying process. Immediately prior to serving the steaks, you will want to do the second step: Turn up the heat to high and fry the potatoes a second time for 1-2 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oil and drain again on a baking sheet lined with brown paper. Sprinkle immediately with salt and serve with the warm steaks.

To serve the steaks, remove them from the skillet and keep warm on a plate covered with aluminum foil. Turn the heat under the skillet up to high and add the leftover marinade, stirring to deglaze the pan. Once the bourbon has reduced by half, whisk in the mustard and lemon juice and top each steak with a spoonful of the pan sauce.

Almost All In: You might want to check out the 16th Annual Taste of Frankfort Avenue on June 22. $40 will get you into the event at the Clifton Center, where more than 20 area restaurants will be showcasing their goods. Here’s the list:

60 West Bistro
Basa
Bourbons Bistro
Brendan’s
Caffee Classico
Clifton’s Pizza
Consumers Choice Coffee
Crave Cafe’ & Catering
Fat Jimmy’s
Gerstle’s Place
Grape Leaf
Havana Beverages
Heine Brothers’ Coffee
Irish Rover
Java Brewing Company
Kentucky Bar-B-Que Company
L & N Wine Bar and Bistro
North End Cafe’
Porcini
Ray Parrella’s Italian Restaurant
Sweet Surrender Dessert Cafe’
The Sweet Tooth
Tony Boombozz Pizzeria
Varanese
Volare
Zen Garden

Oh El Mundo, where are you?

Gala on TV: Sullivan University is hosting the Kitchen Theater Gala. The third annaul edition is going down June 19. Tickets are $125. All proceeds benefit GuardiaCare Services, an organization which helps seniors.

Gala goers will have the chance to watch a taping of “Secrets of Louisville Chefs Live,” where Chef Joe Castro will prepare the food to be served following the show. Brown-Forman will provide wine pairings.

Call (502) 585-9949 for more information. But hurry. The 6 p.m. seating is sold out.

Beer + Dinner = Wild Fun: No two words in the English language go together better than Beer and Dinner. With that in mind, we’ll be heading down to Browning’s June 28 to catch the annual Summer Beer Dinner. Chef Jay Denham and brewmaster Brian Reymiller will be rolling out a four-course meal, each paired with a handcrafted Browning’s brew. At $40 a head, this seems pretty hard to pass up. Here’s the menu:

First Course
Cured Meats and Cheese
Pickled Vegetables, Mustard, Crackers
Helles

Second Course
Spicy Greens
Roasted Beets, Goat Cheese, Pistachio, Orange Vinaigrette
Extra Special Bitter

Entrée
Spicy Seared Bison Skirt Steak with Sorghum
Grit Cake, Garlic Greens
Maibock

Dessert
Caramel Oatmeal Streusel
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Ice Creams
Oatmeal Stout

Call (502) 515-0174 for more information.

Cocktails + Art = Refined Fun: Ever wanted to walk through the Speed Museum whilst sipping a black raspberry martini? Our friends at Brown-Forman are making that possible, hosting AfterHours at the Speed on June 13. For $10 (free to museum members) you can sip on Chambord Black Raspberry cocktails, sample some WonTons from the Bristol, and tour the Musuem. Don’t spill that girly drink on the Rembrandt. Call (502) 634-2700 for more information.

Drink Fast: Looking for something to do on Wednesday night? Head over to Wick’s Pizza on Goose Creek Road for what is without a doubt the best special in town. For $10 from 9-11, Wick’s offers all you can eat pizza AND all you can drink draft beer. There are few places in this world where one can get extremely full and pleasantly drunk for only ten bucks. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Bristol Bar & Grille opening in Jeff on Friday: Southern Indiana will get its first Bristol Bar & Grille on Friday, when the Jeffersonville location (700 W. Riverside Drive) opens for business. Executive chef Richard Doering, a veteran of Louisville Marriott East and 211 Clover Lane, will oversee the kitchen, and Scott Harper will manage the restaurant.

Additionally, a Business First report said Bristol also is launching a podcast at its Web site to teach customers more about wines. In the wake of its popular price slashing effort (the restaurant lowered prices to market rates this year), Harper, who also is the chain’s wine director, has added the podcast to help familiarize diners with the myriad vino options available. Even if you don’t own an iPod, you can watch all Harper’s videos on your computer.

Chef Robert Irvine canned by Food Network: It appears “Dinner Impossible” chef Robert Irvine was more challenged to tell the truth about his resume than he was cooking some of his outrageous—and at least partially staged, I always claimed—meals in strange environs. When the Food Network discovered he’d lied about making the wedding cake for the prince and princess of Wales, being knighted and cooking for a series of U.S. presidents, it canned the cocky Brit and pulled the plug on new production of his goofy, “surreality” show last month. (Reruns will continue.) Though a real prince compared to uber-tool Gordon “Hell’s Kitchen” Ramsay, I always thought he was a first rate jerk. Off to the rubbish heap with you, Robert.