Review: O'Charley's (Louisville, Outer Loop)

I have been to O’Charley’s a few times in the past. It’s never been a place that I frequented often. Then again, I have always been more attracted to what I call “genre’” food, than your typical everything place. But, one thing I have always remembered about O’Charley’s was a great Rueben I had there many years ago. It was with this thought in mind that I called up my buddy Ken to propose dinner on a Sunday afternoon. I am not usually a fan of dining out on Sunday because of the crowds, but we got there early enough that we were seated immediately. Unfortunately, I was extremely disappointed to find out that O’Charley’s does not serve a Rueben any more.

Having set aside my disappointment, and being a huge fan of Chipotle, I opted to start my dinner with an order of their Chipotle BBQ Chicken Tenders. Ken decided to give the twisted chips a try. The tenders were tasty and fairly juicy, but the Chipotle sauce was mediocre at best. I am used to a spicy, heat –driven chipotle, so once again I was a bit disappointed. Ken’s take on the twisted chips was that they were ‘alright.”

Decidedly in a sandwich mood, I found a somewhat adequate alternative to the Rueben I craved in the Philly Cheese Steak sub. The steak was tender and succulent, with good flavor. Unfortunately, all the flavor had been cooked out of the green peppers and onions; I could barely taste them. And what’s more, when my sandwich made it to me, it was far from being piping hot. A Philly Cheese Steak is one of those foods that really is best served piping hot. Lukewarm just doesn’t cut it. There was also the issue of how long it took for my sandwich to actually get to me. On top of that, the central air condition for the restaurant was malfunctioning according to the server.

On the topic of service, it was yet another disappointment. Our server informed us that they were short-staffed. I find it increasingly more annoying and agitating that restaurant managers continue to scale back on their labor as a cost-cutting plan. When you are in the food business, this is bad business. The server is the most important part of your business besides the food itself. I will eat every week at a hole in the wall dive if the food is tasty and the service great, before I go to a chain restaurant. Our server was overwhelmed, distracted, and obviously frustrated herself. The amount of time it took for us to meet our server, order food, eat food and get our check, was at least 75% longer than it should have been.

Overall, the food was lackluster, the service was inadequate, and the experience not worth the money spent. I doubt very much I will be returning there anytime soon. Needless to say, we didn’t even both with dessert.

Wolf’s Rating: * * ½

Ken’s Rating: * * *

Recipe': Shrimp Italiano

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. EVOO

½ lb. Raw, deveined, skinned, tailless Shrimp

½ Cup chopped Green Peppers & Onions

1 ½ Tbsp. Oregano

4 cloves Garlic, sliced

2 Tbsp. Butter, divided

3 Cups Spaghetti, Linguine, or Fettuccine

Lite Alfredo Sauce:

3 Tbsp. EVOO

3 Tbsp. Butter

1 spoonful Sour Cream

½ Cup milk

½ Cup Parmesan

Instructions:

Sauté ¾ of garlic, onions and green pepper, 1 Tbsp. butter in a pan or wok with the EVOO. Add shrimp. Cook shrimp until it is bright pink. Meanwhile, boil pasta in water until al dente. Drain pasta and combine in cooking pot with other Tbsp. butter, remainder of garlic, and oregano. Stir gently to mix evenly. Add shrimp mix. Mix evenly. Add sauce to pot and cook on low heat for 5 minutes, or cook pasta mixture first and add sauce as a topping.

Sauce Instructions:

Melt 3 Tbsp. EVOO and 3 TBL in sauce pan. Stir in milk and parmesan alternately, ¼ cup at a time. Stir continuously to keep from scorching milk and make sauce consistent.

You can watch how to make this dish by viewing The Lupine Epicurean Webshow on YouTube. Just click on the Episode 3 Icon in the sidebar. Bon Appetite.

Restaurant Review: Ditto's Grill (Louisville, KY)

Louisville, Kentucky is full of wonderful, unique places to dine. And often, my buddy- Ken- and I will seek out something new and different for our weekly culinary sojourn. It was with this intrepid attitude, that I decided it was time to try a place I had never eaten before, but about which I had heard much. Ditto’s is a shotgun restaurant on Bardstown Road in the heart of the U of L college community. A road lined with boutiques, eccentric and eclectic shops, and a host of bars and diners, it is the hub of the “indie” and hip scene of Louisville. It is here in these rows of youthful trends that the slogan “Keep Louisville Weird” was born. And Ditto’s has long been a part of this Louisville tradition with an equally eclectic and diverse menu for all tastes and desires.

As usual, we headed out on a Saturday afternoon, but much earlier than normal. This part of town can be fairly crowded on the weekend, so the least amount of traffic we had to bear the better. We were delighted that what with parking being such a commodity on Bardstown road, we were easily able to saddle up beside the building and get in well before the dinner crowd. The atmosphere of Ditto’s is particularly comfortable: wide open, lots of seating, but with a communal ambience. Our server was a gentleman of Hispanic descent who goes by the name Cookie, and was a delight to talk to. I only mention his ethnicity here because he embodied the fun-loving hospitality I have always associated with the Latin community that I have come to know. He was gracious, playful and attentive to our culinary needs.

Per my usual M.O., I had scanned the menu online before coming in, and had my eyes set on a particular appetizer: Ditto’s Famous Dip, consisting of Etouffe sausage, chili and cheddar cheese with hearty heaps of guacamole, sour cream and fresh salsa with green onions. With possibly the exception of the White Queso at Mexico Tipico, Ditto’s Famous Dip is the best I have ever had. Ken and I shared the Dip. I should mention, that Ken was not as fond of the Dip as I was. He felt there was too much chili. I, on the other hand, say you can never have too much chili.

We both indulged in Caesar Salad before our entrée, a delightful mix of fresh Romaine lettuce, crisp slices of red bell pepper, and tangy dressing.

On to the main course, Ken opted for a heaping Beef and Cheddar sandwich with Au Jus. Ken’s exact words, “the beef is very tender and the au jus is perfect.” His sandwich was accompanied by French fries, which Ken felt were of average quality. I decided to partake of one of the healthy alternatives on the Ditto’s Menu, the Crispy Chicken Breast & Tomato Garlic Pasta with Broccoli. Quite a mouthful to both say and taste. The chicken was indeed crispy on the outside, cooked in a panko-esque crumb breading that was light, and succulent and juicy on the inside. The pasta in question was in fact bow-tie, which can be difficult to cook well. Most pasta should be cooked al dente when prepared, especially due to the fact that it will often get cooked more in the secondary process. Because bow-tie pasta is so often added to dishes at the end of the cooking process, al dente often leaves it too rubbery or chewy. I am happy to report that this was not the case with this dish. The bow-tie was absolutely perfect, and the Italian seasonings were beautifully infused. And now, I have to talk about the broccoli. I am not so often driven to such definitive measures when talking about vegetables, but I was so taken by the broccoli in this dish, that I could not stop talking about it. The stalks were crisp as I like it. Upon biting down on the moist crown of the broccoli an explosion of Italian flavors filled my mouth. It was unlike any broccoli I have tasted before; immaculate in flavor and consistency.

Ken and I were both well sated at the end of our dining and sorely glad for our decision to endeavor a meal at Ditto’s. Considering I had never been there, and Ken’s previous encounter many years ago had been lackluster, we were both greatly appreciative of the fantastic meal we had there. We had a pretty good idea it was going to be a good experience when upon pouring our first glass of tea, Ken jokingly said “great, you brought a pitcher” and “I’ll go through that in no time”. Cookie gladly dropped the pitcher on the table for us and provided us with more ice as needed. While I may sometimes be easily appeased, I am not easily “impressed”. But, I have to say, I was truly impressed with every aspect of our meal, and will be returning to Ditto’s in the near future to try more dishes from their menu.

The average cost of an appetizer is around $7, and the average cost of an entrée is around $12, with a few exceptions. It is certainly an inexpensive place to eat for friends, dates, etc. If you want to learn more about Ditto’s Grill, get directions in Louisville, or visiting from out of town and want to experience a Louisville original, check them out at their official website here: http://www.dittosrestaurant.com/

Wolf’s Rating: * * * * *

Ken’s Rating: * * * *