Dinner -- 06/12/09

Greenman's Deli
2900 Robbins Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19149

215.288.3336

7:00 p.m.

$

Jim: Ham & cheese hoagie, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, oregano; Herr's potato chips

Ramona: Turkey & cheese hoagie, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato; Herr's potato chips, diet coke

First stop in Philadelphia was for hoagies from Greenman's Deli. This local eatery is on the way to Jim's parents' house, and that's what we were in the mood for, since we didn't make town in time for a nice dinner out. Nobody makes a better hoagie than Greenman's; there are several locations in the Philly area, but the one on Robbins Ave. is the original. Jim ate his whole sandwich, accompanied by iced tea his mother had made just for him. I saved half of my hoagie for a nice snack the next day.

--Ramona

Dinner -- 06/11/09

Boombozz Taphouse
1448 Bardstown Rd.
Louisville, KY 40204

502.458.8889

http://www.boombozztaphouse.com/Home/tabid/91/Default.aspx

$

Ramona: Diet Pepsi

Jim: Iced tea

Shared: 12 inch pizza; 1/2 Tuscan Chicken (Garlic cream sauce topped with signature grilled chicken, portobello mushrooms, sweet red onions, roma tomatoes and blended cheese ); 1/2 Quattro (Classic red sauce and mozzarella with Italian sausage, prosciutto, artichokes and portobello mushrooms)

For our last night in Louisville, we thought we'd have a pizza so I did some research on the Internet to find an interesting place. I think we hit the jackpot with Boombozz. It was delicious! The menu had several interesting options and it was hard to decide on just one, so we decided to split and get two of their "famous creations." The 12 inch was perfect for us, but we agreed that we liked the Quattro much better than the Tuscan Chicken. Not sure if it was the garlic cream sauce or the blended cheese, but we had no complaints about the Quattro at all.

Our server Mike was very attentive and make the evening a very pleasant one. Boombozz is sure to be a hit with the younger crowd; there are TVs in every conceivable location. And the array of beers is certainly impressive, for those that care about such things. There are several Boombozz locations in the Louisville area; the one on Bardstown Rd. is the newest to open. I hope we'll get to visit it again next year.

Ramona

Dinner -- 06/10/09

Cottage Inn
570 Eastern Parkway
Louisville, KY 40217

502.637.4325

5:45 - 6:30 p.m.

$

Jim: fried chicken, mashed potatoes , applesauce, lemon pound cake, iced tea

Ramona: fried beef liver with onions and gravy, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, derby pie, iced tea

Shared: basket of fried okra

As predicted, we returned to Cottage Inn for Wednesday night's "all you can eat" fried chicken, taking two fellow AP readers from Michigan with us. I don't think they were as enthusiastic as we were about the southern cooking, but they enjoyed getting away from the convention center for the evening.

Jim agreed with my assessment of the fried chicken; it was great. I particularly enjoyed the fried okra. We tried different desserts tonight. Jim thought the lemon pound cake was good, but the icing was a little sweet for his taste. The derby pie was a warm pecan pie with chocolate chips and whipped cream. It was very rich!

Ramona

Dinner -- 06/09/09

Cottage Inn
570 Eastern Parkway
Louisville, KY 40217

502.637.4325

6:00 - 6:45 p.m.

$

Jim: Chicken tenders, French fries, corn, lemon meringue pie, iced tea

Ramona: 1/4 fried chicken, mashed potatoes w/gravy, cole slaw, coconut cream pie, iced tea

"Southern comfort food" is this restaurant's motto and they've been dishing it up since 1929 - great food, great service, great value. Everything we had was so good, we're thinking about going back tomorrow night. Wednesday night is all "you can eat" fried chicken (plus two sides) for $9.99. Since I had fried chicken tonight, I think I'll try the beef liver and onions or chicken livers.

Jim and I were both pleased with our dessert choices, but tomorrow night, I want to try a slice of homemade pound cake or carrot cake. And a basket of fried okra, which was under appetizers and I missed that tonight! I overheard someone at a nearby table talking about the okra, but it wasn't listed as a side item.

--Ramona

Dinner -- 06/08/09

Rivue / Galt House
140 N. 4th St.
Louisville, KY 40202

502.568.4239

http://www.rivue.com/

6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Jim: 12 ounce ribeye, salad, potato bread, Grande Marnier creme brulee

Ramona: 12 ounce ribeye, salad, rosemary bread, white chocolate mouse

Shared: Rosemont Shiraz 2008, Australia

Normally Rivue is closed on Monday nights, but it was open tonight especially for the AP readers. Guests at the Galt House received phone messages on Saturday informing us of the special menu that would be available. Jim and I dined at Rivue two years ago, just after the restaurant had opened on the 25th floor of the Galt House's Rivue Tower. We were eager to go there again, so we made a reservation.

Our table was in the section of the restaurant that revolves, offering a panoramic view of the river and the city. We were there for an hour and a half, almost three full revolutions. The meal was superb from beginning to end. The salad consisted of field greens, artichoke hearts, asparagus, croutons, spiced pecans, purple onion, and a lemon honey dill dressing. The breads were hot, delicious, and accompanied by whipped butter. The ribeye steaks sat on rosemary whipped potatoes and were topped by asparagus spears, a white cheddar and pimento sauce, and a port wine sauce.

Jim and I shared our desserts with each other so we each had half of both selections. The creme brulee was an orange liquor infused custard and caramelized sugar crusted fresh berries. The white cholocate mouse was served in a crispy lace shell, topped with fresh berries and a kiwi raspberry sauce. We splurged a little on this dinner, but considered it part of Jim's birthday celebration.

--Ramona

Dinner -- 06/07/09

August Moon Chinese Bistro
2269 Lexington Road
Louisville, KY 40206

502.456.6569

http://www.augustmoonbistro.com/

6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

$$

Jim: Won ton soup; shrimp, fresh snow peas and water chestnuts; steamed rice,

Ramona: Egg drop soup; beef, asian vegetables and shiitake mushrooms; fried rice

Shared: goat cheese, crabmeat won ton and asian salsa, Koogamullen Penfolds Syrah (2005) Australia

Jim's birthday, and that means the birthday boy gets to choose the dining spot. He was in the mood for Chinese, and August Moon is reputed to be the best in Louisville.

The title is well-deserved. The crab won tons were delicious, and the food was all hot, tasty, and included generous portions. Jim especially appreciated the won ton soup with lots of pork and noodles added in.

Both dishes featured tasty and plentiful meats. We will definitely add this to our list of must visit spots on our next trip to Louisville.

--Ramona & Jim

Dinner -- 06/06/09

Gasthaus German Restaurant
4812 Brownsboro Center
Louisville, KY 40207

502.899.7177

http://www.gasthaus.wordpress.com/

6:00 - 7:10 PM

$$$

Ramona: Sauerbraten, pan fried potatoes with onions, Napolean (pastry with strawberries and cream), iced tea

Jim: Wiener Schnitzel, spaetzle, fallen chocolate souffle, iced tea, coffee

Shared: Rotkraut (red cabbage)

Gasthaus is the wonderful German restaurant on the outskirts of Louisville that we discovered last year, and, along with Saffron's, have given a permanent list of places to go when we're in town. The food and service are superb, offering treats not available where we live. The desserts alone are worth the trip. Our only regret is that we can only come here once a year!

--Ramona