Sari Sari: Louisville's Filipino Feast

There are times when I honestly think that I can travel farther in Louisville than I might ever be able to in real life. I have been bitten by the travel bug, but every second there is more to see (and taste and smell and...) than a lifetime can handle! Now, I'm not backing away from the challenge, but it is nice to know that I can find cuisine from all corners of the globe right down the street. We have the opportunity to share the most important cultural thread, in my opinion, and that is how we choose to nourish ourselves with the ingredients available. If you can find a place that gives you the taste of a home away from home, while maintaining the authenticity inherent in the food's history and culture, then you have hit the jackpot. This has happened on many occasions during my mealtime wanderings around Louisville, and Sari Sari is, without a doubt, one of those destinations.

After teaching a lunch hour Spanish class I had quite an appetite to tame before heading off to Flamenco. I jogged into Sari Sari from the rainy weather after the lunch rush (I'm still eating on Spanish time: lunch at 1 or 2 PM) and saw a couple tables occupied with both laughing patrons and others quietly discussing perhaps more serious matters. I asked the waiter if I could just sit anywhere--he then proceeded to look around saying, "Oh no all the tables are taken, but we can invite you to sit indian-style on the floor and I'll bring you the list of specials... just kidding! Take a seat wherever you want!". I love Louisville. Period.

I sat down at a colorful table tiled in blue, yellow, and red. There was a little carrier of condiments with chili oil, what I could identify by smell as a teriyaki-chili sauce, and a collection of utensils and napkins. I was promptly greeted with a menu and a copy of the day's specials. You all should know that I am a true lover of daily specials, particularly when I am trying out a restaurant for the first time, so I went for the most tantalizing of the three: Crab and Eggplant Coconut Curry. Right? I could eat the name alone and be satisfied, but they didn't stop there-- the main dish is introduced by a Butternut Squash Pasta Soup. On top of everything, unsweetened iced tea comes with your meal!!! I feel like this place was designed for me.

Literally flew from the chef's hands to my table

So I sit back and open my iBooks app to catch up on a bit of light reading while I waited for my food to come up, but I was surprised by a steaming cup of soup flying out of the kitchen just minutes after I received my tall glass of iced tea. I immediately took out my notepad and dove in.

I can't tell you the last time I paused before I took a first bite (usually I involuntarily dive into whatever I am eating), but this soup was rocking my sensory world. The scent of spices and vegetables wafted from my colorful spoonful and enveloped my head in an orchestra of flavors. The best part of spicy, warm food is that your body starts reacting to that heat before it even touches your tongue. When I finally did get around to eating those spoonfuls of smooth Butternut Squash and Pasta soup, I was delighted by the comfortable heat and the flavors that were allowed to accompany such spice. It is perfect to battle allergy season, which I and every other Louisvillian suffer from at one time or another, and a lovely way to appetize the coming entrée.

Have you ever seen crab like that in Louisville? I haven't.

The Crab and Eggplant Coconut Curry came presented with a side of jasmine rice and red beans. A more gorgeous lunch combination may very well only exist at Sari Sari, and I was very thankful. The curry was full of gorgeous painted eggplant, jalapeños, fresh and abundant lumps of crab, and an amalgam of vegetables that made a well-balanced curry. The jalapeño heat is notable throughout the curry, but when you crunch into the actual jalapeño pepper you get that pure sweet flavor hidden behind all of the heat--a state rarely attained, and which I fully appreciated. Finally, the Filipino red beans and rice were soothing to my tingling mouth, and rounded out the meal well.

I left that lunch ready to tackle the day. I was so happy to have finally made my trip to experience this authentic Filipino eatery, especially welcome on a rainy and cold day. The service was prompt and Louisville-friendly, the space was cozy and full of fun art and salsa music, and the food- Oh, the food- was leaps and bounds beyond what I could have imagined.

Not a bad trip to the Philippines, and for less than $10!


I highly recommend you check out this restaurant. I noticed that they have an open dinner buffet on Friday's from 5.30-9.30...worth a try!

Sari Sari
2339 Frankfort Ave.
Louisville, KY
Phone: (502)894.0585

Also: A bio was published in Insider Louisville to introduce my two food columns, Juice and Inside the Kitchen. Check it out! I'm beyond excited!!
http://insiderlouisville.com/news/2012/10/29/inside-the-kitchen-insider-louisville-welcomes-the-louisville-lady-gourmet/

El Mundo: Worlds Away from Your Average Mexican Joint

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to go out with my best friend for some serious dining. Said friend is who I would consider my intellectual match, so going out with her provides the boost I need to get back into more brainy activities like reading books, discussing literature, philosophizing, etc. These are things I miss from wasting away the afternoon in the Quad on campus, exercising the aforementioned with fellow classmates. In the wake of entering the career world (aka the grown-up world), I forgot that such activities are what really make life interesting--besides experimenting in gastronomy of course. I must divulge the challenge that came from this dinner conversation: To read Ulysses and to take part in the next Bloomsday celebration. Challenge Accepted. Hah, we'll see if I survive.

Okay, now that we've passed the gratuitous musing stage, we can get to what we are all here for: THE FOOD!
Today's provider of tasty morsels: El Mundo
Cuisine type: Mexican, of course.
Location: Frankfort Avenue, Louisville's Clifton Neighborhood

The first impression that I had of El Mundo even before my first visit was that it had to be an incredible place to eat. Just passing it on a walk or drive down Frankfort could tell you that. It is always overflowing with people, the smell wafting through the air really will make your mouth water, and just a peep inside at the colors and decor tell you that the restaurant isn't just the real deal, but they absolutely love what they've built together. And so do I!

The first floor of El Mundo is always busy with people placing take out orders, and the small dining area, consisting of a few tables, is always full. We stepped right outside again, turned left and followed a staircase to the second floor, where we could take a seat in their full dining room. In addition, they have a patio area in the back for nice weather seating. The hosts and waitstaff are always friendly and approachable. We had to wait for a few minutes, which gave us the chance to grab one of their legendary margaritas at the corner bar. Let me draw your attention to the detailing here too: the colorful decor, the tin tiles, the glass and shell art, and my favorite, a framed poster of Frida Kahlo at our dinner table. It's a place that makes you feel good, and I would say that this is because it fulfills the needs of all 5 senses. You'll see why in a second.

Carnitas

At the table, we had our margaritas in hand: my friend's a frozen mango, and mine a strikingly fuscia prickly pear on the rocks. Then we ordered an appetizer of chips and guacamole. Their smooth guacamole is on point--and you all already know of my love of the fine balance of avocado, cilantro, and lime. El Mundo's guac also includes tomato, which gives it more substance as an appetizer, instead of just a condiment. Plus, the hearty tortilla chips have an incredibly gratifying crunch, that hold up well against the thick guacamole.

Tamales

For the main course, my friend chose the delectable carnitas, and I the tamales. The carnitas had a wonderful char on the vegetables from the pan sauté, much like the taste that many associate with fajitas, and the pork was as tender as they come. My table mate was more than satisfied with her choice. As for the tamales, my goodness, the mole sauce is the best I have had in this city! Mole sauce is very complex, and is often subjective in taste, but to me El Mundo has hit the nail on the head. The warm spices from the ground chilis, cinnamon, and nuts creates an unmatched accompaniment to the soft, meat-filled tamales, presented in their thoughtfully wrapped corn husks. Along with a garnish of corn, mexican rice, and refried beans, this plate is what I would deem one of the legendary dishes of our city. It is quite a bit of food as well, so I was satisfied without moving on to dessert.

At the end of the night, we had to take a little stroll up and down Frankfort to reflect on the awesomeness we just consumed, and to enjoy the beautiful weather of our pre-fall season, as well as a stop at Bourbon's Bistro. I'd say it was another magnificent evening at El Mundo, and I look forward to my next delicious experience soon.

¡Que aproveches!

El Mundo
2345 Frankfort Ave.
Louisville, KY 40206
Phone: 502.899.9930
Email: elmundo53161@bellsouth.net
Website: www.502elmundo.com
Also find them on Facebook here

The Irish Rover: Louisville's Irish Staple

Guinness imported direct from Dublin

In an effort to network some more in the Arts sphere of Louisville, I joined the Actors Theatre Generation One Board. It is a great group of people who work on projects from social events to fundraising benefits for the theatre. I'm pretty excited about it, and my friend and I had a great time touring backstage and meeting the behind the scenes masterminds. I look forward to getting further involved in their work. After years of work volunteering, it is nice to be back in the Arts field, and I'm glad Actors has this outlet for me to take advantage of!

After our evening at Actors, we were still a little hungry (no surprise there) and we decided to hit up Frankfort Avenue to see what was going on. The Irish Rover beckoned us in and we took shelter from a surprise thunderstorm. I feel like a pub is the perfect place to take refuge, especially with the image of the typical pub in some rainy countryside in Ireland. We nestled into a booth; my friend ordered the staple Guinness and I the Magner's cider, then my roommate joined us with her cider and we were all set to go!

We wanted to make it a kind of pub grub meal, Irish tapas if you will, so we picked four dishes to share between us all. The Beef and Blue, the Bubble and Squeak, the Smoked Salmon Pâté, and the Blue Cheesecake. Normally, I come to the Irish Rover with a raging appetite, so I hadn't yet had the chance to try the pub grub--I mean, when you have the promise of really great fish and chips, I don't know why you would try something less majestic. This was a new experience, and I was pleasantly surprised for the most part.

The Blue Cheesecake: Check out that tomato garnish!

For me, the most impressive dish was the Blue Cheesecake. It was something I had never seen done before, and I think the Rover executed it well. The crust for the Blue Cheesecake is walnut, but for some reason it reminded me of the breading on their scotch eggs. The filling was a creamy blue cheese that was baked into the crust to resemble a slice of traditional cheesecake. I loved the presentation, and it was absolutely divine spread on the accompanying brown soda bread. The garnish spinach salad and bright red summer tomatoes were absolutely beautiful as well.

Smoked Salmon Pâté

Next on my list was the Smoked Salmon Pâté. It was a phenomenal house-made pâté that took me straight back to Europe, where pâté is a food fit for humans, not just cats. It was beautiful, fluffy, full of actual smoked salmon, and the bowl seemed bottomless. Also with the brown soda bread, I was very happy.

The Bubble and Squeak did not come out very hot, but it is always a delight to eat--probably because the name is so adorable. It is a smooth potato-based griddle cake with vegetables and onion. Simple and delicious, perfect for the rainy day.

Bubble and Squeak!

Beef and Blue: I preferred the latter over the former

My least favorite was unfortunately the Beef and Blue. It was horribly spiced and not well cooked either. The beef tenderloin was tough and it tasted like a fistful of the forest floor--very heavy on the sage and black pepper. If you're into that, I guess that's cool, but I was expecting something a little more decadent. The blue cheese that accompanied it was a fabulous cheese, I was just sad that the beef was executed so poorly.

Our service was very good. The waiter was friendly and helpful, and was even patient with my cider-picking madness. The restaurant itself is super comfortable. I have been going there since I was a wee one, so I really do feel at home. It is an important part of the neighborhood and an equally important part of Louisville, a city that has a very proud Irish population (is there such a thing as Irish without pride?). The Reidys, the owners, are always involved in the community, and they have donated on multiple occasions to some of the fundraisers that I have personally organized. They are the perfect example of what a local Louisville restaurant is, and in turn they are a part of our hearts.

I will be going back soon, with a full appetite this time, in order to take advantage of those fish and chips I hold so dear!

Sláinte!

There are two locations for your gastronomic pleasure:

The Irish Rover
2319 Frankfort Ave.
Louisville, KY 40206
Phone: 502.899.3544

The Irish Rover Too
117 East Main Street
LaGrange, KY 40031
Phone: 502.222.2286