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BetsyinKY

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Everything posted by BetsyinKY

  1. Ok, so I'm back from Chicago and I just wanted to stop in and thank everyone for the advice. We had a great trip and I absolutely loved the city. The weather couldn't have been better and, other than finding some streets unexpectedly closed (Memorial Day parade), everything went very smoothly. I wasn't thinking about the fact that Chicago is on central time until we were already on the road Saturday morning, but that worked out to our advantage, as it gave us some extra time before the show. We wound up parking on N. Clark, a block or so away from Frontera Grill. It was about 11:40 or so when we got in the restaurant door and we were told the wait was about an hour, so we left our names and went walking around. We walked down to the theatre, so that we could make sure we knew where we were going, watched a little of the parade, wandered around in a bookstore, and then headed back to Frontera Grill. We got back about 12:30 and still had to wait. Finally, at almost 1pm, just as I was about to call it quits and go find a sandwich, our little coaster thing lit up. We told the waiter that we had to be somewhere at 2pm and he was wonderful about making sure things went full speed. Within 15 minutes of being seated, we had our food in front of us. It was delicious. I had fried eggs on a crispy tortilla with a green peas, country ham, black beans, plantains, and cheese. It was wonderful! My friend had enchiladas that were stuffed with mushrooms and potatoes. We were glad we had the walk to the theatre to burn off a few calories. Wicked was absolutely fabulous and after the show, we walked back to the parking lot and then drove to Fox and Obel. This was perfect for us, because neither of us was starving, so we had delicious sandwiches and then spent some time browsing the store. We bought several cupcakes and black and white brownies to take home and then very reluctantly, headed back to Indy. Thanks again everyone for your help!
  2. I like the idea of trying Frontera for lunch, but having a back-up plan, in case the wait is too long. Thanks for all the help so far!
  3. I had read about Frontera Grill and their menu looks good. I think it is probably number one on my list right now. I have read particularly nice things about their Saturday brunch. We should be in the city between 11:30 and noon, but I wasn't sure if we would be able to get in, eat, and get back to the theatre for a 2pm show. Any thoughts? Also, what about Fox and Obel? I had thought that one possibility might be to eat lunch in the cafe there and then dinner at Frontera Grill. Thanks for all the suggestions so far!
  4. Alex, by "fairly close", it doesn't have to be walking distance, but not so far that I'm going to get lost or have major worries about traffic. We will be driving in from Indy that morning and then heading back after the show and dinner, so I would prefer not to drive across town, but I don't mind parking and re-parking, if there is something of interest within a mile or two.
  5. Thanks for the suggestions. I will check them out.
  6. I have read many of the Chicago threads on here and on a couple of other message board, but I haven't found exactly what I am looking for. I will be in Chicago on May 24 to see Wicked. We will be getting into town around noon and then going to the 2pm matinee. I am looking good places for lunch before the show and then dinner after the show. I would like to stay fairly close to the theatre and I would like to stay relatively cheap ($15-$20 or less per entree), since this a spur of the moment trip and I am saving funds for a New Orleans trip and a trip to Charleston, within the next two months! As far as type of food, we like just about anything and are pretty adventurous eaters.
  7. I wouldn't think so, if I were eating it, although if you're worried about blackberry overkill, you could always do a vanilla-bourbon sauce for the bread pudding. Or would that lead to bourbon overkill? Either way, it sounds like a delicious dilemma!
  8. Ok, blackberry bread pudding and the blackberry bourbon glaze for the tenderloin both sound wonderful. Let us know how it all turns out!
  9. Hmm...a native berry....blackberries grow wild all over KY. In fact, we have a "blackberry winter", which usually refers to the last cold snap before warm weather truly sets in for good. I can't think of any other berry that screams Kentucky to me.
  10. Oh wait....now that my brain has processed that....you bought the cakes for gifts. Oh well! I see the word cake and get all excited!
  11. Not to add to the hijack, but wow! That's sort of cool! I wish I could stumble on cousins who would send me free cake!
  12. Ok, this in no way goes with your menu (well, I guess it could, if you wanted it to), but the Derby doesn't seem like the Derby without good country ham biscuits. You need a good country ham, like Critchfield's (if you want to stay authentically Kentucky), sliced thin and served on homemade biscuits...with or without a mustard-based sauce. You might not want this with your BBQ menu, but I just thought I'd throw it out there for future reference.
  13. Another vote for Litton's....I could go for one of their burgers and a big turtle brownie right now!
  14. Thanks for the suggestions so far. I had read a review of Granville's a few months ago...thanks for reminding me of it. I have had Sermet's and Cru Cafe on my "need to try" list for a while now and haven't been able to make it to them, due to repeat visits to places I know I love, like the Hominy Grill. I am moving them up for this trip. Thanks again, and if there are any more ideas, keep them coming!
  15. We are leaving on Saturday for a full week in the Charleston area (Sullivan's Island). Charleston has become a favorite vacation destination for us and we've hit many of the better known restaurants (Magnolia's, S.N.O.B., 39 Rue de Jean, Hominy Grill, Peninsula Grill, Anson, Poogan's Porch, G&M Fast and French, Vickery's, Boulevard Diner, Blossom, the Old Village Post House...just to name a few). We know we are going to Peninsula Grill again, because that has become an anniversary tradition, but other than that, we would like to try some new places. The only caveat is that my husband is a bit of a picky eater, in that he prefers "plain" food. He has expanded his comfort zone in the world of food, but I don't see him being comfortable with the menu at say, McCrady's. Anyway, if anyone has suggestions of places that are frequently overlooked or off the beaten path, I would love to hear them. Thanks in advance!
  16. I haven't tried Cordavi yet, but it has received several positive mentions in the free weekly Charleston City Paper. If you go to their website (www.charlestoncitypaper.com) and type cordavi into the search box, it will pull up the articles. They also have reviews for lots of the other restaurants, if you're in the mood to read/research.
  17. I love the Hominy Grill. In fact, it's probably my favorite Charleston restaurant, but it's not one that comes straight to mind when I think "big night out", just because of its more casual atmosphere. The Hominy Grill is like eating in your grandmother's kitchen, with white beadboard walls, hardwood floors, and simple furniture. The patio is very nice, surrounded by bamboo, so that you feel miles away from the street. The food is excellent, but you would want to drive to the restaurant, because it is a bit of a hike from the King/Meeting/Market area.
  18. If you haven't been to Peninsula Grill yet, I would definitely go there. We have never had anything but great experiences, both with the service and the food, and if you have any fondness at all for coconut, you HAVE to try their coconut cake. It is fabulous!
  19. It's been a few years, but on a similar trip to Laura and Oak Alley, we had a good lunch at B & C Seafood. It was just a small concrete block structure, part fish shop and part restaurant, but the food was good and fresh. I have no idea if they are open on Sundays, but it might be worth a call. They are maybe 1/4 of a mile from Laura.
  20. We had salmon croquettes fairly often when I was growing up in southeastern KY (1970's). I agree with others who think it was a budget stretching food item, but we all really liked them. I liked mine with ketchup and they were always served with mashed potatoes, a green vegetable (often lima beans), and fruit of some sort (my favorite was the canned fruit cocktail....I think it's awful now, but boy did I love those bright pink cherry bits when I was little!). Like Racheld's grandfather, I loved to crunch the round "fossil-y" bones. Mom doesn't fry food much at all now, but my birthday is coming up soon...this thread is making me want to ask for croquettes for dinner!
  21. I haven't tried them yet, because I can't break away from ordering their burgers, but Poe's Tavern on Sullivan's Island has fish tacos. They always look good.....Someone go try some, so I'll know if I should order one next time I'm down there!
  22. Oooh! I am definitely turning a pale shade of jealous green! I love, love, love the Boulevard Diner. If you tell me that you had the grouper sandwich or the cajun meatloaf, I may have to jump in the car and drive 6.5 hours for dinner!
  23. I wanna know where you're eating in Charleston....not cause I can be there or anything, but just so I can be envious! Please tell us how the Charleston shoot is going.
  24. I wish I had some really great recommendation for you, but unfortunately, most of my time in Louisville is usually spent attending conventions and I am usually with people who want to stick close to the convention center area for meals. However, I did stumble on the following website that has tons of reviews for Louisville restaurants. There are lots that I would love to try, but unfortunately, I'm four hours away from Louisville! Hope this helps some and let us know if you find someplace great! www.louisvillehotbites.com
  25. I just wanted to add some of my favorite places in Charleston that don't seem to be major players on the tourist track. Most of these places are full of locals, particularly at lunchtime. The first place is the Hominy Grill on Rutledge Ave. I love both the cozy interior (like Grandma's kitchen) and the bamboo screened patio area, not to mention the wonderful breakfasts, and my all time favorite version of shrimp and grits. Just about every time I've eaten here, it's been full of MUSC staff. G&M Fast and French on Broad St. near the courthouse is possibly the narrowest, but coolest restaurant I've ever eaten in. It's like a little slice of Paris dropped down in Charleston. People sit at the long counter or a one of the community tables in the back and the menu is very French. At lunch, this seems to be the domain of lawyers and other courthouse dwellers. The Boulevard Diner, in Mt. Pleasant, is housed in a converted Dairy Queen, but the days of frozen french fries and Blizzards are long gone. Instead, there are daily specials featuring fresh seafood, as well as comfort food like meatloaf. I have had an amazing spinach salad with fresh oysters here. Lunchtime clientele ranges from construction workers, to retirees, to beachgoers. My last favorite place is Poe's Tavern, on Sullivan's Island. This, to me, is just the quintessential beachy restaurant. You can eat inside or out on the porch. They seem to specialize in really good burgers, chicken sandwiches, and fish tacos, although there are other options on the menu. Everything is named after an Edgar Allen Poe work. I can't wait to see where you visit in the Lowcountry!
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