We were both starving when Sean got home from work, (it's been a while since our last trip to the grocery...) so we went early around 5:45. There was a couple at the bar and only one other seated table.
Our waitress gave us a little extra time to peruse the extensive drink menu that includes over 130 bourbons. We were thinking of trying a bourbon flight (they offer several types or you can create your own), but we didn't really know where to start in choosing bourbons from the huge list. In the end, I settled on an Old Fashioned cocktail made with the well bourbon, Old Grandad 114 and Sean ordered a glass of Booker's, neat.
My Old Fashioned was refreshing and tasted great with the fried green tomatoes we ordered to start. Served with a tomatillo scallion aioli and lemon caper relish, they were the perfect treat to hold us over until dinner. They were fried to perfection and easy to eat, and not too soggy/messy like some fried green tomatoes can be.
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| Fried green tomatoes, Sean's Booker's, and my Old Fashioned |
We ordered the Mixed Greens Salad to share, and the mixture of the candied walnuts, goat cheese, and bourbon apple cider vinaigrette was a great combination and excellent start to the meal. Sean even liked it, and he's not a big fan of fruit in his salad.
Sadly, the experience took a bit of a dive at this point in the meal. As we waited for our food, I couldn't help but notice the pounding and stomping coming from just above us on the second floor. Maybe they were bowling with bourbon barrels up there or something (???), but for me, it really took away from the atmosphere. (If any of you Louisvillians are familiar with the Homemade Pie and Ice Cream Kitchen at Taylorsville and Bardstown, it sounded like it does there when they have a dance class going on in the studio above... Yikes!)
When our food arrived, neither one of us was really impressed with what we had ordered. I had the Pan-Seared Pork Chop, which was stuffed with chorizo and came with mashed potatoes and asparagus. The bacon, cabernet, veal reduction over the pork chop was just too rich for my taste, and the asparagus was a bit over-cooked. Sean's entree, the Ruby Red Trout and Prawn, was just ok in his opinion, and he thought the prawn was especially bland.
But Bourbons Bistro redeemed themselves when it came to dessert. We decided to try the bourbon truffles, a fairly new item on their menu. We were served three truffles that had different bourbons in their centers. I'm sorry I left the tasting notes on the table, or else I could describe them better for you, but they were absolutely delicious combining two of my loves: bourbon and chocolate. They were a perfect final touch to our bourbon-themed dinner!
In the end, I think we will definitely visit again, but maybe just for drinks at the bar and an appetizer or salad. I'd also like to get my hands on those dessert truffles again! :) I think the bartenders might be more knowledgeable on the bourbons they offer and would be able to help us more than our waitress did with choosing a drink. I definitely want to go back and sample some of the bourbons as they offer flights for $10 with your choice of three bourbons. Sean said (and I agree), it would be a great place to stop for happy hour at the start of a night out.
