The lost meals entries consist of meals that occurred at various times throughout 2012 which, for any number of reasons, escaped my documentation – some due to a cross country move and a new job, some due to the Los Angeles Kings run to the Stanley Cup, and some simply as a result of too much travel. Having enjoyed many of these meals with friends or family and with some of them amongst the year’s very best the reality is that with time my memory has deteriorated and as life moves forward I’ve realized there is little hope to ever “catch up” or document these experiences as well as I’d hope, yet in order to preserve them I present these pictures, notes, and thoughts on the experience.
Semillon Ice Wine 2006
Amuse Trio – Compressed Watermelon with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Vinaigrette, Crab meat with Radish, 610 BLT with Smoked Gouda, Foie Gras Mousse, and Apple Butter
Blue Dog Bakery White and Seeded Bread with Local Tarragon Butter and Black Sea Salt
Smoked Octopus with Eel Brandade, Black Garlic Puree, Kalamata Olives, Piquillo Coulis, Preserved Lemon
Spot Prawns with White and Green Asparagus Salad, Morel Pistou, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Poached Quail Egg
610 Charcuterie Plate (Country Ham, Beef Cheek Pastrami, Beef Salami) with Braised Mustard Seeds, Frisee, Nigella Seeds, Baby Beets, House Pickles
Foie Gras Torchon with Plum Pudding, Grilled Pineapple, Whipped Sorghum, Cocoa Brioche ($20 supplement)
Marksbury Farm Pork Loin with Bacon-Marble Potato Hash, Cipollini Onion, Wild Mushrooms, Garden Radishes, Creamed Spinach, Demi
4-Hill Farm Lamb with Roasted Chop and Shredded Confit of leg, Sweet Corn, Fava Beans, Cheesy Heirloom Grits, Garden Thyme Jus
S’mores with Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Fluid Gel, Graham Cracker Ice Cream, Marshmallow, Powdered Campfire Smoke
Summer Berries in Many Forms – Raspberry Gelee, Blueberry Compote, Macerated Blueberry, Coconut Lemongrass Pudding, Lavender
Bourbon Chocolate Truffles
With all the praise surrounding 610 Magnolia – considered by many to be the best fine dining establishment in Louisville – our last dinner in the city came with expectations that were unfortunately far too high, the “unique combination of southern hospitality and urban sophistication” proving to be nothing more than a beautiful location providing (mostly) competent food. Open only three nights a week and seating a mere fifty people for an ever-changing prix-fixe the $65 four-course menu with choices for each section plus canapés, mignardises, and bread certainly seemed a deal but truth be told I’d have gladly paid more for superior execution, better service (without a mandatory 18% tip,) and a table miles away from the poorly behaved children belonging to a southern belle who was clearly a friend of the restaurant.
Taking to account the above, I almost could have accepted 610 Magnolia had the food been extraordinary, but after receiving chilly bread baked elsewhere and $20 supplement piece of foie gras that was so veiny it was barely edible (and the supplement removed from the bill, though the ‘base price’ remained despite receiving no substitute dish) even a superlative dish of smoked octopus with sweet yet briny brandade and one of the best lamb chops I’ve had in recent memory had trouble elevating the overall ‘experience’ to one that was truly ‘memorable,’ particularly as the desserts were decent at best and predictable at worst – a dash of crunch here, a bit of sweet there, and far too much gelatin everywhere.
Touting a talented chef who has clearly benefitted from stints on both Iron Chef and Top Chef plus a menu flaunting all the right words from “farm to table” and “local regional” to “organic” and “sustainable” 610 Magnolia is the sort of place I could see locals visiting for a special occasion meal but to call it the best in the area would seem to imply that just because it is “haute cuisine” it is intrinsically better than something less refined and at least on my visit that was not the case; as a matter of fact, it would rank last on my list of places I visited in Louisville to return to or to recommend to others.