I've lived in Chicago for the last ten years and recently moved my company back to Louisville. I had heard of 4th Street Live and wanted to see what it was all about.
So my fiance and I headed downtown.
I'm a HUGE bourbon fan and when we saw the Maker's Mark Lounge, it was our obvious choice. The restaurant looked cool and comfortable. The leather seats and mix of marble and wood tables splashed with red columns and double fireplaces made me feel like I was back in a major metropolitan area.
We was just looking to have drinks and started there. I've never seen a bourbon list so extensive with such rare, premium brands. I started with a tasting flight of three 16 year old + bourbons. It was served neat on a bourbon barrel wood plank with an ice back. My fiance had a martini called the Paul Jones. It was a wonderful blend of the new Maker's Mark 46 bourbon, Grand Marnier, Pimm's, mint and cucumber. Sounds odd but it was fantastic. She had a few of those, haha. While I was enjoying my bourbon, we started browsing the cocktail and wine list. Both very impressive for any restaurant, let alone one in the middle of Louisville, KY.
After our drinks, we wanted to see what kind of food they had. The dinner menu looked fantastic! It was mainly southern dishes with an upscale twist. We ordered the Goat Cheese Skillet appetizer. It was served in a cast iron skillet with bourbon stewed tomatoes and mushrooms and pita bread. Heavenly. After starting there, we split a Bibb Salad that had spiced nuts and a spicy bourbon vinaigrette. Again, delicious. We ventured into the entrees and decided to go big. We ordered the Master's Distillers Filet. It was 10 oz of absolute life-changing prime beef. It was topped with asparagus and a creamy bourbon reduction. At that point, as much as we wanted dessert, we called it quits even though the dessert list was equally impressive as the rest of the menus.
Service was A+!! Our server, Torri, was attentive, funny, and extremely knowledgeable. Normally in nice restaurants, the service is great but very stuffy. Torri made our experience very memorable. She was fun and down to earth. She was the perfect ambassador for bourbon and guided us through our night perfectly.
We simply cannot wait to return to Maker's Mark. We actually purchased tickets for their New Year's Eve party. Looking very forward to another perfect night out!!
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