St. Charles Exchange

Great choice in historic  Louisville.  The manager offered us tastes of a variety of Bourbons and we are now fans.

Highly recommended.

I think the bar would probably warrant 5 stars if you were just coming for cocktails.  Usually, I drink bourbon.  I mix it with water.  Or melty ice.  But when in Rome... how about you throw in some grapefruit syrup and bitters?

The cocktails are delicious.  You can't recreate them at home.  You can't pick out all 19 of the flavors involved, but the 4 you recognize are pretty damn good.  So go with it.  Order something that sounds good, because it probably is.  Or just have the bartender make you something, because that'll be even better.

I think the restaurant was closer to 3 stars.  Maybe 3 and a half.  They are definitely getting a courtesy bump for the cocktails.  The service was good - the right balance of attentive without being disruptive.  And the space is lovely (although the mirror along the banquette was a little disconcerting.  I'm not sure how I feel about watching myself eat).

But at the end of the day it is about what's on your plate.  Elvis on Horseback lived up to the hype.  The entrees were good, but not great.  The duck was cooked well, but for as inventive and complex as the cocktail flavors are, the sauce wasn't too far from your basic barbecue sauce.  After all of the exclamation points with the drinks and starters, the main meal was punctuated a little less enthusiastically.

But overall, 4 stars.  I am, indeed, a fan.

If you're looking for a really neat dinner experience in Louisville, St. Charles Exchange should be at the top of your list. Relatively new to the West Main Street District, the restaurant has already developed a local following.

The interior is impressive; they've converted an old building into a restaurant reminiscent of a 1920s hotel lobby bar. The windows, mirrors, big clock above the bar, leather seats, dim lights--everything adds something special to the atmosphere. Maybe this is really nerdy/weird, but the hardwood floors are particularly awesome.

I ordered the NY Strip (the online menu says filet--but that has changed), and it was top-notch. We also had the smoked chicken wings as an appetizer, and I finished dinner with the apple strudel. All of the food was excellent. The servers wear 1920s style clothing which is cool, too. Service was decent but not outstanding.