As you can see from my Top 10 list, The Grape Leaf is another one of my favorite places to eat. I usually try to get there at least once every 6 to 8 months. If you live in the Louisville area, or nearby, and you are a fan of Mediterranean food- specifically Lebanese- then know that the Grape Leaf is the best in town for just that. Set on the trendy Franfort Ave. strip of restaurants and boutiques, the restaurant is cozy and casual, mush as you would expect for a Lebanese or French Bistro.
For this outing, not only did my usual dinner companion accompany me, but another friend of ours named John came along as well. Ken started out with an appetizer of Spanakopita, which is a phylo pocket filled with spinach, feta, lemon and sumac. Ken reported that is was a tasty, flavorful beginning. John opted for the hummus filled grape leaves. I chose what I always choose for a start when I go: the creamy, smoky hummus, with warm, soft pita bread. Honestly, the best hummus around.
For our main course, we dug into some authentic and typical East Mediterranean delights. The Grape Leaf's Signature "Nabil's Mixed Grill" of kufta, succulent lamb chop, lamb kabob along with Tzatziki Sauce and honey mustard was the perfect dinner for Ken. While John went with a simpler Lamb Gyro filled to the brim with sizzling lamb, cool cucumber, ripe tomato and crisp Romaine lettuce. I decided to try something new, something I had never had there before. Of course, it was still going to have lamb. Because when I think of lamb, and invariably crave lamb, I think of the Grape Leaf. So, I dined on something called the Lamb Shawarma Sandwich. A warm flour tortilla filled with tender grilled and marinated lamb, Romaine lettuce, cucumber, tangy onions, sumac and tahini. And then grilled again. I must say, it was probably the best way to prepare a tortilla as ever I have had. The veggies were crisp and full of flavor. The lamb- in all our dishes- cooked exactly the way lamb should be, from the outside inward. Our entree's also came with a choice of spiced rice.
This night, we opted out of dessert for one specific reason, and it is the only thing that marred our trip to The Grape Leaf. And that, unfortunately, was our service. I was actually fairly disappointed, because I do "talk up" this restaurant to friends. So, I was quite unhappy that our server was slow to refill our drinks, slow to check up on us, even slow to bring the change back. Ken actually had to approach the server at the front of the restaurant to get his change back after waiting some time. I would like to be able to say that since it was a Saturday evening around 6:30, that our server was just too busy. Unfortunately, this was not the case, as we noted the 3 servers on several occasions hanging around the front register gabbing instead of helping clients.
It is also important to note that about 50% of the menu is on the pricier side. This is one of the reasons I don't eat there more regularly. But, there are a few exceptions of economical dishes. The average price for an entree is about $16.00. You will be looking at an average of $7 for an appetizer. You can also order a la carte.
All in all I still enjoyed myself. And we greatly enjoyed the food. Again, I honestly believe this is the best Mediterranean place to eat in Louisville. If you would like to get more info on The Grape Leaf, driving instructions, or take a gander at their menu, click over to : http://www.grapeleafonline.com/
Wolf's Rating: * * * *
Ken's Rating: * * *
John's Rating: * * * 1/2
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