Restaurant
Review: Proof on Main, Louisville
Turn back the clock just a couple of years
in downtown Louisville, and you would mostly
find deserted streets and darkened storefronts.
The florescent drone of a nearby Denny's
counting as practically the only option
for theatergoers looking for a nearby bite
after the show.
Fast forward to 2006. Downtown Louisville
is buzzing with that specific energy of
a thriving city center. Music is pulsing,
happy diners spill out to street side patios,
the valet lines stretch down the blocks.
The transformation is nothing short of extraordinary.
And if Main Street is the central artery
of this happy scene, then Proof on Main
must surely be the heartbeat.
 A
recent visit to this hotspot was an eye-opening
experience - and not just because of the
food. Proof on Main's bar and restaurant
were conceived simultaneously with the 21C
Museum Hotel and art gallery. Together,
they occupy four late-18th century buildings
that were united by architects commissioned
by owners Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson.
The original brickwork, arches and leaded
glass transoms offer solid embrace to the
neutral palate of the interior spaces -
a conservative backdrop and stunning contrast
for the owners' vast collection of aggressively
modern art installations.
A late-ish dinner began with one of the
bar's cocktail concoctions, the Oleana ($10),
a refreshing hit of fresh lime muddled with
vanilla bean and topped with cachaca (a
Brazilian sugarcane liquor). Then it was
on to wine and the eclectic, concise, even
slightly off-kilter (in a good way!) wine
list. A lightly spicy, aromatic Gewürztraminer
fit the bill nicely.
Executive Chef Michael Paley shows a playful
approach to his Tuscan-influenced, modern
American menu, including bar bites like
minted pea puree with pancetta ($6), country
ham fritters ($6), baked octopus with parsley
and garlic ($10), and Kentucky bison tartare
($9).
As with the rest of the menu, the food
offers loads of flavor, with a nice mix
of local ingredients and techniques combined
with a healthy dose of forward thinking.
Compelling smoked chicken with bread salad
(order fast - it sells out!), delicious
caramelized scallops, enchanting asparagus
starter topped with a gleaming fried egg,
double thick pork chops, and sweet tooth
satisfying desserts like the warm vanilla
cake with bourbon soaked cherries - all
satisfied the eyes and the taste buds.
Service was mostly good, with only occasional
attitude-full moments that were easily overlooked.
Proof on Main is operated by the Myriad
Restaurant Group, the New York based company
that counts Nobu, Montrachet, Tribeca Grill
and San Francisco's Rubicon among its fold.
702 W. Main Street
Louisville, KY 40202
Tel: 502-217-6360
www.proofonmain.com
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