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What to serve at your Holiday Party?

Posted on June 28, 2018 by Lissa

I’m a little late in posting my holiday posts…but it’s still technically the holidays…right?

I had my friends over the other night for a little get together for the holidays. Nothing big or extraordinary, just my two best friends, good food, and good fun.

I decided to make us lettuce wraps since they were healthy and really fun to make and eat. The lettuce wraps turned out phenomenal, and I’m definitely going to be making these again.

Please take a look…

So here’s the breakdown in case you want to serve these at your next party…

Ingredients:

Once all the prep work is done, the rest is up to your guests. Now it’s time for the party!

My friend Kelly brought her famous green bean salad, which I must get the recipe for. Maybe she’ll let me share it. 😉

I made the girls skinny margaritas with clear tequila, fresh lime juice, Cointreau, and a splash of club soda. Unbelievably refreshing and delicious.

I set the table with a few special touches like putting salsa in a martini glass. It just classes things up a bit.

The lettuce wraps turned out fantastic, and we had a lot of fun just sitting around chatting and eating with our hands. The meal is light and lets you leave feeling perfectly satisfied instead of weighed down and full.…

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TOP CHEF: THE GHOST PEPPER

Posted on June 28, 2018July 27, 2018 by Lissa

My usual Top Chef episode recap is coming a bit late due to gorging myself for Thanksgiving… but this one was a hot one!

Episode 4 kicks off with a super obvious product placement quickfire, featuring a popular tabasco sauce brand offering up cash to see what kind of schweaty balls the contestants have. The challenge was to make a dish highlighting the pepper. The hotter the pepper the more cash a chef could win with the hottest being the Ghost Pepper.  Whoever cooked and won with the 1,000,000 Scoville heat unit rated Ghost Pepper would win $20,000. What exactly is the Scoville scale?

There was only one cheftestant was brave enough to use this pepper, the others picking less hot peppers with a smaller cash reward to stay safe.  That chef was Paul, whipping up a chilled coconut soup with faffir lime and Ghost Pepper relish. His go big attitude paid off when he won $20,000 plus immunity, though Heather and Grayson ended up in a close second with their less hot dishes. Beverly, Richie. and Chuy ended up in the bottom. Beverly and Richie had seen the bottom before.  Again- no love for Chef Edward Lee, they didn’t even show his dish! The only real things you saw from him this episode was him opening a bottle of wine on the heel of a sneaker (impressive), playing rodeo with Chuy tossing him off of a tiny play horse, and calling himself a genius for properly reheating chili without scortching the bottom. However, each of these things was done in the instant pot pressure cookers!

Keeping with the theme of the quickfire, the contestants participated in a chili cook-off.  Both sleeps deprived and intoxicated they comically worked through the night whipping up their own unique chili, though I could have done without the sounds of dumping large amounts of chili into vats over and over, that was super gross.

Apparently, there’s a saying in Texas “if you know beans about chili you know that chili has no beans!” That came as news to one team who made a 3 bean chili.  WOOPS! Other fails included the cinnamon chocolate mole chili made by Richie, Beverly, and Nyesha who seemed doomed from the start with Beverly and Richie on the same team.  And they were.  After many cowboys and cowgirls chowed down and voted they came in the bottom, with Chris C., Chuy and “did you know I’m from Texas” Sarah who made their version of chili con carne taking the first place blue ribbon.

By the end of the night, most chefs looked completely sleep deprived having been cooking for nearly 24 hours.  But the judges weren’t going to put the losing team out of their misery so easily, instead, they decided to have them change their losing chili into a winning dish.  Beverly, who had already been weeping most of the rodeo due to missing her boyfriend looked visibly rattled.  Ayesha looked downright pissed and Richie was off and running.

Beverly served up seared tuna with habañero creamed corn, which the judges loved. Nyesha retooled her chili into Frito-encrusted shrimp with roasted corn salsa. Richie went with Frito-encrusted pork tenderloin and potato hash with ricotta cheese chili puree, which the judges agreed was one note.

But in the end, Padma asked Richie to pack his knives, in an emotional elimination that tugged at my heartstrings when Richie said to the other chefs “it’s me” and started crying.  But it was obvious it was his time.  People I liked this episode: Chef Lee (duh) and Chef Chuy.  Chef Chuy makes a hilarious drunk adding just as much beer in himself as he did his chili.  People, I didn’t: Chef Sarah.  She’s pretty abrasive and said about a gazillion times she’s from Texas.  We get it girl, yeehaw.

Until next week!…

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MANNY & MERLE

Posted on June 27, 2018 by Lissa

Have you had the chance to check out “ModMex” Manny & Merle on the corner of 2nd and Main downtown? This cool eatery features an à la carte taco menu, STRONG margaritas by the pitcher, as well as bourbon drinks.  From the creator of Tony Palombino of BoomBozz Pizza, this urban venue is relaxing with it’s exposed brick walls, high ceilings, and shotgun style dining space with room in the front for a band. Here’s what I ate:

The margaritas, though strong, were very tasty because they didn’t have that sweet syrupy taste that many canned Mexican places have; you could really taste the lime juice and the tequila.  Fresh is a common theme in Manny & Merle’s.  There is no freezer on the premises.  For my appetizer I tried their three different types of guacamole with their house made chips.  The roasted corn and poblano guacamole were good but the star was the pineapple guacamole.  I had no idea avocados and pineapple went so well together!

The taco menu is tiny with only six options ranging from $3-$4 each, served family style on one large tray with a group order, but way better than your only choices being chicken or beef at other restaurants.  I ate the braised beef brisket taco, topped with caramelized onions, peppers, cilantro and queso, as well as the crispy fish taco, which is PBR beer battered and topped with shaved cabbage, salsa fresca and baja cream.

The meal was inexpensive and delicious.  Just remember this eatery is 100 yards away from the Yum! Center so check the event schedule prior to getting there or you will never get a seat.…

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4TH STREET LIVE FACELIFT

Posted on June 27, 2018 by Lissa

4th Street Live is constantly reinventing itself, and with the newest tenants building in the ashes of the Improv Comedy Club and the former Angels Rock Bar, we will soon see the latest makeover.  Three Cordish owned bars are opening this spring and summer: The Kill Devil Club, The Marquee Bar, and The Tavern.  When it opens, The Kill Devil Club will boast the largest rum selection in Louisville.  The focus of this lounge bar will be the cocktails with made-from-scratch elements from a master mixologist.  Expect house-made syrups and fresh squeezed juices in your rum drinks.

Adjacent to The Kill Devil Club will be The Marquee Bar, which is aiming to be a stylish nightclub.  Don’t expect the typical top 40′s music to be pumping through the speakers.  The Marquee Bar is focusing more on dance music classics, dousing dancers in their state of the art sound and lighting system.  Expect two Italian marble bars, a spacious dance floor and “luxurious fabrics and finishes”.

Finally The Tavern, which is due to open this summer, will be a huge 30,000 square foot bar opening above The Sports & Social Club and incorporate the former Improv Comedy Club.  The Tavern will use the former comedy club’s stage to create a room called “Tavern Hall” where a majority of the live performances will be happening.  I’m most excited about the Tavern opening because a spacious indoor music hall would be a great addition downtown, and rumor has it the bridge that connects the former Improv to PBR may even be turned into a beer garden.  But that’s just hearsay at this point!…

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DOWN ONE 3-FOR-1!

Posted on June 27, 2018June 28, 2018 by Lissa

Downtown Main/Market Streets are becoming an exciting entertainment district stretching from Proof on Main all the way to Rye.  Filling in the gaps across the street from Actor’s Theatre is newly opened Down One Bourbon Bar, which opened its doors on February 25th.  The 3-for-one comes into play when 321deli, a New York-style deli, and 2 Dips & a Shake, “crafting twists, shakes and floats”, joined Down One Bourbon Bar, all opened by the same locally owned group Al. J. Schneider Co.  Being a downtown dweller it is easy to pass Down One if you aren’t looking carefully.  It is a basement speakeasy type of bar, boasting an impressive 100+ bourbons, wooden and glass antique furnishings, and one particularly cool looking British red telephone booth.  The surprise? When you walk through the telephone booth you enter another private dining area for 25.  And you feel like James Bond!

The food itself (PDF) is reasonably priced with a focus on soups, 8 different types of sandwiches and salads.  If I had to call it, the breakout star in the sandwich selection would likely be the “Three Little Pigs”, which has roasted pork belly, pulled pork, AND bacon served with mustard, BBQ slaw, and pickles, served up from 321deli.  The deli also sells meat by the pound, cheeses, pickles, and sides to those who want it to go, which is great news for downtown residents.

Down One Bourbon Bar at 3rd and W Main Street. Open M – Th 11 am to 11 pm, F – Sat 11 am to 1 am, closed Sunday.…

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CASE OF THE MARCH ‘MEHS’

Posted on June 27, 2018 by Lissa

Man is this March weather getting me down! Sunny and gorgeous one day, snowing the next. And if you really aren’t into basketball then you are doubly not liking March.  I’m really looking forward to April not only for the great weather, but for some really exciting food and drink events coming up.  Mark your calendars now!

April 12:  Louisville Street Food Alliance is hosting a food truck event at Apocalypse Brew Workson Melwood Avenue from 5p-10p. Expect music, beverages, and lots of great local food trucks. On deck for this fabulous food event is Lil Cheezers, Holy Mole, Grind, French Indo Canada (a Vietnamese food truck), Bluegrass Brick Oven Pizza, Johnny’s Diner Car (serving up cheesesteaks with the meat cut fresh on the truck), and Sweet ‘N’ Savory (home to gluten-free sweet/savory crepes and smoothies).  Get the details.

April 15: 2nd Annual Tale of the Horse Cocktail Competition 15th at 5:30p at Varanese.  This event is free to the public and includes appetizers and drink specials.  Bartenders from around the city will compete by creating their own unique post-Derby cocktail designed to act as “hair of the dog” and get you in a more energized, yet relaxed, state after surviving weeks of Derby activities, parties, wins and losses.  Last year’s winner was Tina Hardison, bartender at Bourbons Bistro, and with her recipe (below) “Bananas and Joe”.  And I happen to be one of the judges at this event. Twist my arm!  Get the details.

April 18: The Bourbon Women have a freaky ghost tour coming up at Buffalo Trace Distillerywith tastings and hors d’oeuvres with Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley from 5:30-8:30 pm.   Legend has it there are more spirits residing at Buffalo Trace Distillery than just those residing in the warehouses. Most notable is the ghost of Colonel Albert Blanton, according to the TV show “Ghost Hunters”.  He started working at the distillery when he was 16 as an office boy, and worked there for 55 years ending as president.  When he died he is rumored to still be haunting the distillery.  We’ll blame him on the empty glasses!  Get the details.…

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ABOUT ME!

A self taught baker with tips and recipes, a passion for writing and an obsession with vanilla frosting. ››

Recent Posts

  • What to serve at your Holiday Party?
  • TOP CHEF: THE GHOST PEPPER
  • MANNY & MERLE
  • 4TH STREET LIVE FACELIFT
  • DOWN ONE 3-FOR-1!

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