WineLovers Discussion Group

A friend knows Michael Paley, who is the chef (I think). She made us Paley's Sea Scallops 'Piccata' With Caramelized Spaghetti Squash -- one of Paley's signature dishes she said.

Quite effective, although we all agreed the raisins made the dish just a bit too sweet -- a mix of caramelized squash and onions might have worked a bit better.

Thanks, Bob

Bob, it's a new spot here, a Louisville outpost of NYC restaurateur Drew Nieporent, and it's made a fair-size splash since opening in the spring. It's a very bold and stunning venue, built into an even more stunning new luxury hotel (in renovated 19th century buildings) called the 21C Museum Hotel - it's about one-third gallery and two-thirds hotel.

The restaurant, under Paley, is sort of a Border South bistro with Tuscan influences, if that makes any sense. They spent a lot of money and lured in a lot of very good waitstaff from other top spots around town. Paley is youngish, seems creative, although I'd call him a chef on his way up rather than a star ... his previous experience was running a Florida resort dining room.

I'd say they got off to a good start and have been popular from the word go. They're arguably already in the city's top 10 restaurants, but certainly a few steps behind our best.

Here's a review I wrote not long after they opened.

And here's a later one about their lunch service (where forumite Barb F and her daughter joined us, by the way), which I thought was good but maybe not quite up to their dinner service for quality and definitely not for value, as the review makes clear.

Thanks very much, Robin. My friend will love the updated versions of your review, which I had found and shared with her. I didn't find the luncheon report.

Thanks so much, Bob

Robin, I liked your rant in that review. Don't all cities, even LA and Chi-town live in the Big Apple's shadow? It's certainly an issue in DC. We don't have restaurants as good as NYC, our theater's not up to snuff. We're just the damn capital of the nation. I saw the same thing living in Philly. Give it a rest!