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| Japanese | Mexican | Pizza | Steak |
| Special Occasions in our lives require special restaurants. Job promotions, graduations, anniversaries, out of town guests, a key sales pitch, and other milestones demand an evening to be remembered, something classy and prestigious. Bowling Green has four in town and one out of town restaurant suitable for such an occasion. Their prices are a little higher, their menus a little more contemporary, their service a little more polished, and their kitchens a little more cutting edge. The architecture, decor and ambience are state of the art. The downtown professional crowd eats lunch at these places, but they're more relaxed then. After 5 p.m. they get serious. |  |
The Bistro |
The Brickyard |
Mariah's |
You and Me |
Tony York's |
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The Bistro is on the right on College Street two blocks up from the Square. It may be in an 1893 house but the menu is strictly cutting edge 2010, including what may well be the finest wine list in town. Among the appetizers the Crab Cake and Stuffed Artichoke Hearts are our favorites. There are seven salads plus a Soup Of The Day, which is usually a bisque of some sort. They offer the usual steaks but the Filet Pappato (8 oz. filet rolled in crushed peppercorns served in a Gorgonzola cognac cream sauce) is the best of the lot. There are Stuffed or Grilled Salmon, and Shrimp Sauteed in Mushrooms, Artichokes and Sherry Cream Sauce, but the Mediterranean Tilapia is hard to beat. They've got four types of Chicken and 10 Pastas, of which we like the Baked Zitti, Manicotti and Tortellini Alla Pana. If you're just stopping by for Pizza, there are five, including a very good version of Chicago Style. Save room for dessert so you can savor the Baklava, Spumoni or Cannoli. Many of the downtown professionals consider this their favorite restaurant so expect a crowd during lunch or early dinner hour. |
| The Brickyard Cafe includes The Garden. a semi outdoors patio type addition seen extending down the street in the photo at right. It features Mediterranean and Italian cuisine. The Brickyard was created by Zeljko Simic and Robert Stupar, a restaurateur and baker in Bosnia and Croatia. They came here in 1995 to escape the war, bought the 1857 home in 1997, and spent a year renovating it. Of the appetizers, we like the Crab Cakes (served with chipotle aioli and topped with shrimp salsa) and Seafood au Gratin (shrimp, scallops, crabmeat, onions, peppers, celery, lobster cream sauce, monterey jack cheese and vegetable). Whatever their Soup of the Day, order a cup. Our experience has been it is always good. They offer four salads, of which we like the Greek and Mediterranean. The entrees present difficult choices. There are two steaks and Veal Marsala, Parmesan and Picatta. Chicken comes as Saltimbocca, Picatta and Blackened. They offer six pastas, of which we enjoyed the Prince Edward Island (steamed mussels over linguini in marinara), Voodoo (shrimp, scallops, mussels, peppers, onions and linguine with white wine cajun sauce), and Tortellini (four cheese tortellini with mush- rooms, prosciutto and sundried tomato sauce). There are also four pizzas. |  |
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Mariah's is the Grand Old Dame of Bowling Green restaurants. Built in 1818, the house in on the National Historic Register and is the oldest brick structure still standing in town. In 1979 the wood floors were refurbished, and as nearby buildings were taken down antiques were acquired and brought to Mariah's. The antique bar was built in 1888. The kitchen contains a wood fired brick oven. Of the appetizers, we like the Baked Brie Wedge (brie wrapped in phyllo dough and baked, then served with an apple caramel sauce) and Quesadilla (wheat tortilla stuffed with grilled chicken, jalapenos, cheese and chiles, then toasted). The Baked Potato Soup (with cheddar, onions and bacon bits) is excellent. They offer five salads, of which we think the Santa Fe (greens, cheddar, jack, tomatoes, corn, grilled chicken squares, black bean salsa, ranch dressing) is best. The eight entrees include five steaks (filet mignon, New York strip, prime rib, Hawaiin ribeye and top sirloin), but we really like the Bourbon Glazed Salmon and Mahi (grilled mahi basted in jerk seasonings and served with a mango salsa). There are seven pastas, of which our favorite is the Tomato Basil. Six pizzas and a page of sandwiches, including Hot Brown and French Dip, offer alternatives. Desserts feature Cheesecake, Ice Cream Pie, and Bread Pudding. The Lemonade is great, but so are the teas and flavored fruit drinks. |
You and Me has moved to Chestnut Street. Their new building is Down Town Class all the way, with glass, walnut, brass and a European menu adapted to Southern Kentucky tastes. Actually, we think they've adapted too much. Bosnian food is a blend of Middle East, Mediterranean and Eastern European. We'd rather see more Slavian, Armenian, Serbian, Croatian dishes. Instead, You & Me offers mostly Chicken, Pasta and Pizza. We like their Egg Plant Polenta (lightly fried, with marinara sauce) among the appetizers. Loyal followers consider their Margherita Pizza the best in town, and there are 24 other Pizza flavors, many of which you can't get anywhere else in town. You MUST try the Goulash, National Dish of Hungary and standard fare in Bosnia. Chunks of prime beef are simmered in a rich, dark sauce and served over mashed potatoes. And someone at your table MUST try the Sarma (rice, ground beef and sauerkraut with mashed potatoes). Of their pastas, their best is Macaroni Calabrese (penne pasta topped with chicken, mushrooms and a white cream sauce). From the Mediterranean side there's a Greek salad and a pretty good version of Baklava. And the Bosnian Coffee is worth a try. |
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If we're going to send you an hour up I-65 it better be a very special restaurant. It is. Tony York's in Glendale is the best within an hour of Bowling Green and one of Kentucky's Top 10. It's in the 1883 depot. It burned to the ground in 1931 and 2008, so even though it's been rebuilt twice to match the original,it's no longer a historic building. But the food is definitely worth the drive. The menu rotates, but on Saturdays you can get the $10 lunch special, an array of German Jager Schnitzel, Spinach Lasagna, Mixed Greens and Soup, usually a tomato bisque. Tony prepares his lasagna quesadilla style, as six stuffed triangles, lending a more delicate flavor and texture. Other items are Classic Kentucky : Fried Green Tomatoes, Chicken Livers In Milk Gravy, Cream of Spinach Soup, Reuben on Rye, Ginger Chicken, Hot Brown and Sorghum Glazed Pork Loin. Or try the Shrimp/Scallop Pizza. The House Salad includes candied apples, mixed greens, roast peppers, feta, sugared pecans and citrus balsamic. The dinner menu adds Shrimp & Cheese Grits, Seafood Bisque, Ribeye, Lobster Tails, Grouper Diablo, Country Ham, Veal Picatta, Chicken Cordon Bleu and other seafood, chicken and meat entrees. Walk ups can get a lunch table, but make reservations for dinner (270-369-6000) , as people drive in from Lexington, Louisville, Nashville and Indianapolis. |
Contact us at GustouCuisine@aol.com. |
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