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| Stars & Stripes Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:41:15 -0500 Neighborhoods across the city are marking the nation’s birthday early. |
| State police change tactics Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:41:16 -0500 Drivers throughout Kentucky will be seeing less patrolling and more roadblocks from Kentucky State Police as a strategy to reduce fuel use and increase visibility. |
| Nashville Road work stopped for holiday Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:41:17 -0500 Motorists will get a holiday break from construction on Nashville Road from Friday until Monday. |
| Signs at city’s entrances to get slight redesign Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:41:18 -0500 The signs marking the entrance to Bowling Green and accomplishments of its residents will get a slimmed-down redesign under a policy city commissioners heard about this week, and are expected to approve at their next meeting. |
| WKU planning to strengthen its honors college Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:41:20 -0500 Efforts are under way to strengthen Western Kentucky University’s commitment to high achieving students at its Honors College. |
| Keen new postmaster Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:41:21 -0500 Mike Keen struggled in his first day on the job as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service. |
| Signup for ag relief program starts July 18 Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:41:21 -0500 Due to the freeze and drought in 2007, the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board created the Kentucky Agricultural Relief Effort program in March. Farmers in Warren County will receive $110,796. Additional funds will be added to the program by the Warren County Agriculture Development Board as well. |
| Coroner’s office seeking man’s next of kin Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:41:22 -0500 The Warren County Coroner’s Office is looking for the next of kin of James Cunniff, who died at 9:25 p.m. Wednesday at Rosewood Health Care Center in Bowling Green. |
| POLICE NEWS: Man arrested on drug charges Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:41:22 -0500 Arrest — Danny Lee Iler Jr., 39, 1220 Barren River Road, was charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance, tampering with physical evidence and possession of marijuana at 2:11 a.m. at Continental Inn at 700 Interstate Drive, according to a Bowling Green Police Department report. Police responded to a drug complaint and found methamphetamine and marijuana in the room with Iler. |
| No paper Friday Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:41:23 -0500 The Daily News will not be published in print or online on Friday, and our offices will be closed, due to the July 4 holiday. |
| Casting Call Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:00:56 -0500 Fishermen will be lining up to catch “the big one” at the 28th annual Green River Catfish Festival Fishing Tournament in Morgantown. The tournament - which is today through Saturday - will feature 56 fish valued at $60,700 with “the big one” worth $50,000. Deadline to participate in the tournament is today. “The last time someone caught (‘the big one’) it was worth $25,000 and was in either 1992 or 1994,” said Amanda Hatcher, executive director of Morgantown Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the festival. The fishing tournament is part of the Catfish Festival, which continues through Saturday at Charles Black City Park. The festival will feature a variety of activities, including a tractor pull, music, fish plates, car and bike cruise-ins, an antique tractor show and fireworks. New events include Bluegrass Pickin’ Night, a corn hole tournament, Hillbilly Golf played with two golf balls on a string and Fishin’ for the Little One - an activity for children ages 10 and under. “We’ll hide fake fish throughout the park each night of the festival. Kids can hunt for the hidden fish and bring them to us,” Hatcher said. “We’ll reveal how much the kids won with the fish at the closing ceremony.” The Catfish Festival draws thousands of people each year, particularly on July 4, which brings more than 10,000 people alone, Hatcher said. “We’re a small community. It’s such a big tourism event. We have people come from all over,” she said. “The community comes together. It’s the biggest thing this community ever has.” — For more information, call the chamber office at (270) 526-6827, e-mail bcchamber07@bellsouth.net or visit www.morgantown-ky.com. Today 6 a.m.-6 p.m.: Fishing tournament at Green River 4:30 p.m.: Gates open; carnival rides open; closing Fishin’ for the Little One contest for ages 10 and under 5 p.m.-9 p.m.: Cassia Lodge catfish plates available 7 p.m.: Baby Pageants for ages 0-23 months at the amphitheater 7:30 p.m.: First Bluegrass Picking Night at the soccer field 8 p.m.-midnight: Square Dancing - The Bad Grades at the basketball court Friday 6 a.m.-6 p.m.: Fishing tournament at Green River 10 a.m.: Basketball tournament at Butler County Middle School Noon: Gates open; carnival rides open; closing Fishin’ for the Little One contest for ages 10 and under 4 p.m.-10 p.m.: Cassia Lodge catfish plates available 4:30 p.m.: Hillbilly Golf at Ross Pavilion 6 p.m.: Baby pageants for ages 2-7 at the amphitheater 7 p.m.-11 p.m.: Variety music - Bobby Jo Bratcher and Brandy Station at the soccer field Twilight: Fireworks at Morgantown City Park 8 p.m.-midnight: Square dancing featuring The Rose Band at the basketball court Saturday 6 a.m.-6 p.m.: Fishing tournament at Green River 8 a.m.: Terrapin race at City Park, the little league Field; gates open; and car cruise-in registration at Butler County High School parking lot 9 a.m.: Antique tractor show registration 9 a.m.-Noon: Car cruise-in at the soccer field parking lot 10 a.m.: Antique tractor show 11 a.m.: Catfish cookoff at Ross Melton Pavilion Noon: Carnival rides open and Fishin’ for the Little One contest 4 p.m.-6 p.m.: FFA Youth Livestock Sheep and Goats Weigh In at City Park 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m.: FFA Youth Livestock Beef Cattle Weigh In at City Park 5:45 p.m.: FFA Youth Livestock starts at City Park 4 p.m.-10 p.m.: Cassia Lodge catfish plates available 5 p.m.: Bake-off at Ross Melton Pavilion 6 p.m.: Tractor pull at soccer field and second annual Star Search Contest at the soccer field 6:30 p.m.: Closing ceremony at the basketball court 7 p.m.: Preteen, Jr. Miss and Miss Pageants at the amphitheater 8 p.m.: Championship wrestling at the baseball field 8 p.m.-midnight: Square dancing featuring Simply Country at the basketball court |
| Fun on the 4th Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:00:56 -0500 The Fourth of July is always festive, but southcentral Kentucky is offering an impressive array of activities this weekend. Numerous events are scheduled across the region to mark the Independence Day holiday, including: |
| Horse Cave theater offers variety of penny-pinching plays Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:00:57 -0500 Kentucky Repertory Theatre will present a story of the healing power of art with its production of Michael Healey’s “The Drawer Boy.” The play opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday and runs through Aug. 3 at the theater in Horse Cave. An opening reception will be at 6:45 p.m. Tickets for this Friday’s performance will be “pay what you can,” KRT artistic director Robert Brock said. “It makes it affordable for everyone,” he said. In “The Drawer Boy” - which takes place in early 1970s Canada - an actor visits two farmers because he’s preparing to perform in a show about farming. “The farmers are older men. One of them was hurt in World War II and has brain damage,” Brock said. “He can’t remember things moment to moment. The other farmer tells him the story of what happened daily.” When the actor stumbles upon information about the farmers’ pasts, tremendous healing occurs, Brock said. “This is one of the best plays I’ve come across in a long time. It won every award Canada has and was the most produced play in 2003,” he said. “I’ve known about the play for a number of years. It seemed like a good time to bring it here.” Brock thinks the play will strike a chord with people, particularly since there are many farmers in southcentral Kentucky. “It’s funny, and the heart of it is so beautiful,” he said. “I think if people see it, their hearts will be touched.” Kentucky Repertory Theatre will have special pricing for other performances of “The Drawer Boy,” as well as for “One Man’s Lincoln” by Wade Hall and “Private Lives” by Noel Coward: |
| Smith doesn’t save ‘Hancock’ from disappointing Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:00:57 -0500 With smash hits like “Independence Day” and “Men in Black,” Will Smith has pretty much staked his claim as the box office king of the Fourth of July. And while his latest film “Hancock” arrives in theaters just in time to give the popular actor another potential summer smash, not even Smith can save this film from its rather schizophrenic tone. Is it a comedy? Is “Hancock” an action film? Or is it a drama with a little romance mixed in? Unfortunately, all of the above apply, making this one of the more disappointing movies of the year. Smith plays Hancock, an alcoholic superhero who has fallen out of favor with the public after another disastrous rescue attempt. Then one day Hancock saves the life of a public relations executive named Ray (Jason Bateman). To show his gratitude, Ray offers to help Hancock change his public image - despite the objections of Ray’s wife, Mary (Charlize Theron). Hancock slowly begins the transformation into a more PC hero, until a secret is revealed that could forever change his existence on earth. The first half of “Hancock” is a breezy bit of popcorn entertainment, with a dark edge that makes it that much more enjoyable. Unfortunately, the tone completely changes at the midway point and the film jumps horribly off track. It’s as if screenwriters Vincent Ngo and Vince Gilligan painted themselves into a corner and couldn’t figure out how to finish the story - so they decided to just drop it and pick up with another plot instead. The cast is good considering the uneven storyline. Smith is the perfect choice in the lead, while Bateman proves to be a pretty good straight guy for Hancock’s rather blunt persona. Only Theron feels out of place - especially when the film takes a turn for the worse. I wanted to like “Hancock,” especially after its rather enjoyable beginning, but ultimately the film is nothing more than a disappointing case of what-could-have-been. Also in theaters While “Hancock” is a disappointment, that isn’t the case with Pixar’s latest animated film “WALL-E” (B+), a delightful family film full of wonder and plenty of heart. Set in the distant future, the movie tells the story of a small waste collecting robot (a Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) who is left to clean the earth after humans abandon the planet. WALL-E continues to go about his existence until a highly advanced search robot named EVE arrives on the planet and makes friends with the lonely robot. When EVE is suddenly called back to her ship, WALL-E eagerly follows her into the deepest riches of space - embarking on an adventure that will ultimately decide the fate of mankind. “WALL-E” was directed by Andrew Stanton, who was also responsible for “Finding Nemo.” Like he did in that film, Stanton has created a visually impressive world full of excitement and wonder that kids of all ages will love. Stanton also wrote the screenplay and takes a big gamble by essentially making this a love story between two inanimate objects - but the film is so sweet and endearing, it’s bound to strike a chord with everyone. The film also gets bonus points for a delightful cameo by Fred Willard as the clueless head of a large cooperation responsible for earth’s demise. “WALL-E” may be a tough sell to younger children since a lot of the film involves little to no dialogue, but I think it will soon join the ranks of “Nemo,” “Toy Story” and “Ratatouille” as modern-day animated classics. “WALL-E” is rated G and is now playing at the Great Escape 12, Franklin Drive-In and Highland Cinemas in Glasgow. |
| Around town Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:00:58 -0500 Events, exhibits, plays, concerts ... To add your event, go to www.bgdailynews.com/calendar Art VSA arts of Kentucky will feature “The Final Destination” from July 7 to Aug. 29 at its gallery, 515 E. 10th Ave. A reception will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 8 in conjunction with the Gallery Hop. The Capitol Arts Houchens Gallery will feature the exhibit “The Current Landscape: II,” paintings and mixed media works by Jesse Ray Sims, George Vitorovich and Heath Seymour until July 22. An artists’ reception will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. July 12. The exhibit is being sponsored by Southern Recycling. The Mezzanine Gallery at the Capitol Arts will display paintings by Brandon Harrod through July 22. The Capitol Arts galleries are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The galleries and the reception are free and open to the public. Myra Renee Dwyer’s paintings will be in the classroom of the Health & Wellness Center at Greenwood Mall through September. Teresa Christmas is showing her paintings through July 14 at the Cancer Center of The Medical Center. The paintings of Peg Truman will be on display there beginning July 15. The Presbyterian Church Art Board will exhibit “Jodi With an Eye” through July 25. The exhibit features the work of two Nashville artists, Jodi Reeves and Jodi Belinda Yandell. The exhibit may be viewed in the Fellowship Hall, 10th Avenue entrance, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Art from Angela Kuprion, Marion Parcusta and Allison Bacovillard is on display at the Capitol Arts Center. VSA arts of Kentucky will present a joint exhibition by two of its registry artists, Lexington artist Lanny Taulbee and Bowling Green artist Pamela Tingle, until Friday. VSA’s gallery is at 515 E. 10th Ave. Campus “Warren County Sights and Sounds,” an exhibit presenting the history and culture of Bowling Green and Warren County in photographs and film, will be in Western Kentucky University’s Kentucky Library & Museum. The exhibit is the result of a two-year joint project during which about 150 photographs and 45 feet of moving film related to Bowling Green and Warren County were collected. Sponsors of the project and exhibit are The Landmark Association, The Bowling Green/Warren County Historic Preservation Board, Insight Communications and The Kentucky Library & Museum. Sights and Sounds of Warren County will be in the Museum’s Garden Gallery and continues through Dec. 7. “Beyond Our Borders,” an exhibit of international photographs by Western Kentucky University photojournalism students, is on display at Mass Media and Technology Hall. The exhibit includes photographs taken by students in France, Spain, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru and others and will be on display in the gallery through August. Clubs Nashville’s Caesar Brown will bring rock ‘n’ roll to The Brewing Company from 9 p.m. Friday to 2 a.m. Saturday. Special guests are The Jakals. Friday night is ladies night - women get in free. The Factory at Cave City will feature The Moon Woods Band from 8 p.m. to midnight on the first Saturday of each month. The facility is on U.S. 31-W, just north of the Ky. 90 intersection across from Dollar General. Saturday Night Karaoke with Wayne Hallet will be from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. each Saturday at Burgers On The Square in Franklin. The smoke-free facility is for the entire family, with the bar for adults only after 9 p.m. For more information, go to www.burgersonthesquare. com. Rick Dunn will have karaoke from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Thursdays at Spillway Bar and Grill, 2195 Louisville Road. Ricky Beavers has karaoke Friday nights at the Brown Jug, U.S. 31-W By-Pass in Bowling Green, beginning at 8 p.m., and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays at Flealand in Bowling Green. Miss Kitty’s, 3315 Louisville Road, has live bands beginning at 9 p.m. each Friday and Saturday; Wednesdays feature karaoke and Thursdays feature acoustic music, nightly specials and pool tables. There is no cover charge. For more information, call 782-7777. Miss Kitty’s also offers a safe ride home program. Betty’s Bar has karaoke with Sheila on Wednesday and karaoke each Friday and Saturday. Good Tymes 2, 1607 U.S. 31-W By-Pass, has top 40 hits from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. every Wednesday through Saturday. Music The Jimmy Church Band will perform at 7 p.m. July 11 as part of Arts on Main in Scottsville, with a nearby rain location. July Jive will be at 7 p.m. July 11 at Russellville’s downtown square with music by Andrea Tanaro & Optional Italian Buffet. There will be children’s games and food available for purchase. For more information, call Russellville Parks & Rec at (270) 726-5033. Russellville Blues Society will feature the Michael Gough Group from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at the African American Heritage Museum at Sixth and Morgan streets. There also will be food and artists at the event. The Twilight Concert Series will be at 7 p.m. today at Basil Griffin Park. The free concert, “A Star Spangled Spectacular,” will be performed by the Southern Kentucky Concert Band. Bowling Green Chamber Orchestra Retro Series single tickets and subscriptions are on sale. Rock ‘n’ Roll Heaven will be Aug. 8 and 9; Countrymadness will be Nov. 14 and 15; and One-Hit Wonders will be Feb. 6 and 7. Subscribe now and save 10 percent off single ticket prices. For tickets or subscriptions, call 846-2426 (BGCO) or go to www.BGCO.com. Beginning Sunday, every Sunday will be Kentucky Blues Society Sunday at Whabah. The kickoff event will begin at 6 p.m. Signed up to play so far are Ryan Stiles, Kenny Lee, Rick Mitchell and Michael Gilbert. There is no admission to the show for all ages. Celebrate Independence Day with family and friends at the Concert on the Square in Glasgow at 7 p.m. today. Fresh Fridays will be the first Friday of each month at Bread & Bagel, 871 Broadway Ave. The cost is $5 and doors open at 7:30 p.m. Nashville Soul Invasion will be there May 9, with doors opening at 8:30 p.m. Calvin Ray’s Live Music & Restaurant in Leitchfield features live music with Calvin Ray and The Blue Moon Highway Band from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. each Saturday. For more information, call (502) 538-2893. Dumplin’s Diner in Adairville has a karaoke contest each Saturday night. Entry fee is $5 and first prize gets $100. For more information, call (270) 539-5413. Lucio, along with The Rose Band, performs at Main St. Music in Morgantown from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays. Simply Country Band performs from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays at Main St. The facility is behind McDonald’s. Theater Fountain Square Players will present “Crazy for You,” based on the book by Ken Ludwig, music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and directed by Kathy Wise-Leonard at The Capitol Arts Theater. The show will be at 8 p.m. July 17-19 and at 3 p.m. July 20. Tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors or students 12 and over and $10 for children under 12 and are available at the Capitol Arts Center by calling 782-2787. Pine Knob Theatre will present “Down in Hoodoo Holler” on Friday and “Dock Brown-Legend of an Outlaw” on Saturday. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 or two for $25. For more information, go to www.pineknob.com or call (270) 879-8190. Expressions Performing Arts wants to start a Creative Workshop Group for those interested in the performing arts, including traditional and improvisational storytelling, comedy, drama and Imagination Theatre as an art form. For more information, contact Robin Baldwin at 746-2988 Odds & Ends The Auburn Car Cruise-in and Flea Market will be from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Auburn City Park. Registration is before 11 a.m. with awards given at 12:30 p.m. There is no entry fee for cars. Fireworks will be at Jim Roberts Community Park in Franklin today with entertainment, food, music by Blue Highway and inflatables for kids. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. Music begins at 6 p.m. The evening will be capped off with fireworks at 8:45 p.m. or dusk. Cost is $5 per carload. Rain date will be July 6. This event is sponsored by the Simpson County Vietnam Veterans. Trade Days on the square in Adairville will be from 7 a.m. to noon July 12. For more information, call Adairville-South Logan Chamber Office at (270) 539-2080 or Donna Blake at (270) 539-4341. A Visual Arts Coalition Inc., a nonprofit organization, will meet at 6 p.m. Monday at the Old L&N Depot, 401 Kentucky St. All artists, patrons and supporters of the arts are welcome. The ArtWorks coalition is working toward creating a sustainable art community by increasing visibility, vitality and economic growth for the visual arts. Guest speaker will be Misha Ambrosia, who will talk about “Marketing your Art.” For more information, contact Donnie Firkins at 842-3337 or Lynette Haggbloom at 792-3332. The Allen County Fair will be from Saturday through July 12 at the fairgrounds. Saturday will include a parade, truck pull and horse show; pageants will be Sunday at Allen County-Scottsville High School. Carnival rides will open Monday and there will be a pet show, dairy show and bad man contest; Tuesday will feature a truck and tractor pull; Wednesday will have ATV races and music; July 10 will feature sheep, goat and beef shows, mini-rods pull. July 11 and July 12 will feature a demolition derby. Gate fee will be $10 a person, once the carnival rides open. Admission for the pageants will $7 a person. For more information, call Dennis Harper at (270) 606-1123. Diamond Caverns will have a Fourth of July celebration from 6 p.m. to midnight Saturday. Pryor Express will perform at 6 p.m. and fireworks will begin at 9 p.m. Entry gates close at 8 p.m. The Mammoth Cave National Park Association, along with the national park and the Mammoth Cave Hotel, will revive July 4 activities this year with music, picnicking and stories. Picnic shelters have been reserved for families who bring their lunch. Box lunches are available for purchase through the hotel - order at (270) 758-2225 by 5 p.m. July 3. The hotel will also serve a picnic-style buffet on July 4. A formal program begins at 1 p.m. in the park amphitheater. Lynwood Montell, Kentucky author and folklorist, will speak on how family stories bind generations together. The Oak Forest Boys, Bluegrass Express and Crabgrass Conspiracy will perform gospel and bluegrass music. The hotel’s Rotunda Room will be open for Family History from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Land maps, purchase records and cemetery records will be available. Everyone is encouraged to bring photos and mementos from the area. Tickets are available for the Vettetastic 1950s Preview Party, sponsored by Holiday Inn University Plaza & The Sloan Convention Center with decor by Party 1 Superstore. The party will be from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. July 17 featuring Skip Bond and the Fugitives, food and a cash bar. A fundraiser for the American Red Cross, tickets are $30 a person and $50 a couple before Monday. Tickets then go to $35 a person and $60 a couple. For reservations, call 781-7377. Bowling Green Kiwanis will have Thunderfest today at the National Corvette Museum, featuring Skip Bond and the Fugitives. Gates will open at 3 p.m. Admission is $5 a person or $15 a carload. Rain date is July 5. Simpson County’s fireworks today will be accompanied by a concert and activities. Sponsored by Simpson County Vietnam Veterans, the cost will be $5 a carload. Bowling Green Chamber Orchestra’s Star Spangled Spectacular will be Friday on Western Kentucky University’s South Lawn. The free event features the orchestra, fireworks and picnicking. Barren River Lake State Resort Park will have activities all day Friday at the beach beginning at about 10 a.m. A live band will perform at 5 p.m. and fireworks will go off at about 9 p.m. The Green River Catfish Festival in Morgantown coincides with holiday activities. The event’s firework show also will be Friday at twilight in Morgantown City Park, where most activities are centered. Chaney’s Dairy Barn will have Ice Cream and a Moovie on Fridays. The schedule for the free event will be Friday, “Bee Movie;” July 18, “Shrek the Third;” Aug. 1, “Daddy Day Care;” Aug. 15, “Babe The Gallant Pig;” and Aug. 29; “Field of Dreams.” All movies are free and begin at dusk. Participants are asked to bring a blanket or lawn chair and watch the outdoor movie. In case of the rain, movies will be shown in the pavilion. For more information call 843-5567. The American Red Cross has blood drives each Friday at its office, 430 Center St., from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Additional drives will be from from noon to 4 p.m. today at Chaney’s Dairy Barn, 9191 Nashville Road; from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday at Pleasant Union General Baptist Church, 5529 Deer Lick Road, Lewisburg; from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Oakland Baptist Church, 400 Church St. in Oakland; from 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. July 11 at Lewisburg City Hall, 4451 Stacker St.; and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 14 at Best Buy, 1875 Campbell Lane. The SKY Farmers Market will be open from 7 a.m. to noon Saturdays and from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays in front of the Riverside Building at The Medical Center on U.S. 31-W By-Pass. Kentucky-grown agricultural, horticultural and artisan products will be available for purchase. |
| Glasgow’s Plaza Theatre announces season Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:00:59 -0500 Individual tickets for the Plaza Theatre’s 2008-09 Plaza Performance Series in Glasgow will go on sale at 8 a.m. July 14. Country legend Lorrie Morgan will sing her hits and favorites at 7 p.m. Aug. 15. Tickets are $28. Rising country singer-songwriter Billy Currington will perform at 7 p.m. Sept. 26. Tickets are $38 and $33. Family-oriented stand-up comedian Killer Beaz will perform at 7 p.m. Nov. 7. Tickets are $25 and $15. Comedian Ralphie May will perform at 7 p.m. Jan. 30. This show contains mature subject matter and is not recommended for children. Tickets are $25 and $15. 1964 The Tribute, a concert tribute to the Fab Four, will be at 7 p.m. Feb. 14. Tickets are $25 and $15. “Gilligan’s Island - The Musical,” the adventures of Gilligan and the other castaways, will come from Off Broadway at 7 p.m. March 20. Barry Williams, best known as Greg Brady of the television sitcom “The Brady Bunch,” will star. Tickets are $25 and $15. The Glenn Miller Orchestra will perform at 7 p.m. May 15. Tickets are $25 and $15. Season subscriptions are available for $175 and $120 for all seven shows or $152 and $107 for six shows, excluding the Ralphie May show. A $1 Historic Preservation Fee is added to all orders at the time of the sale. All ticket sales are final and non-refundable and may not be exchanged. Tickets can be purchased online at www.plaza.org, by phone at (270) 361-2101 or at the Plaza Theatre box office from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. |
| Greenhouse Poetry to be on ‘Kentucky Life’ Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:00:59 -0500 Greenhouse Poetry, a local nonprofit organization that uses slam poetry - a hybrid of poetry, rhetoric and rap - to promote individuality and multiculturalism and decrease conflict, will be featured on KET’s “Kentucky Life.” The show is scheduled to air at 7 p.m. July 19 and at 3:30 p.m. July 20 on KET1 and at 6 p.m. July 20 on KET2. Greenhouse Poetry has a youth slam league for children ages 10 through 18 and a program for English as a Second Language students. |
| Auditions set for Lincoln production Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:01:00 -0500 Auditions will be July 10 and 11 for the one-act play about Abraham’s Lincoln’s Kentucky childhood, “This Hallowed Ground.” Auditions will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Allen County-Scottsville Arts Council office, above Betty’s Florist, on the square in Scottsville. It will be performed in Scottsville Sept. 27-28 and 30 and Oct. 14 and 16. Characters for the play are Lincoln (male, 45-55); young Abe Lincoln (male, 7-10); Nancy Hanks Lincoln, Abe’s mother (female, 25-40); Sarah Lincoln, Abe’s sister (female, 9-13); Ezekiel, slave boy (male, 6-10); Esther, slave girl (female, 9-13); Caleb Hazel, Abe’s neighbor and teacher (male, 20-30); and Slavedriver (male 30-50). — For more information, call Hanah Ryan at (270) 237-4692. |
| Louisville Orchestra to perform in Glasgow Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:01:00 -0500 The Louisville Orchestra returns to Glasgow this evening for its ninth performance downtown. A Concert on the Square is free through sponsors. Classical and patriotic music will begin at 7 p.m. This year, Jason Friedman will conduct the orchestra and will be joined by Lewis Washington as baritone and narrator. Food vendors will set up in front of the Barren County Courthouse at 5:30 p.m. A limited number of chairs are provided; bring chairs or blankets for seating. Picnic suppers are permitted, but do not bring glass containers. Traffic access to portions the square will be limited. The west side of the square, Race Street, will remain open all day. |
| O’Charley’s good for something new Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:01:01 -0500 After last week’s offbeat coffee chronicles, it was back to normalcy. What’s more “normal” than a typical dinner at O’Charley’s to step back into the reality of the many chain restaurants we are fortunate to have here in Bowling Green. O’Charley’s offers a local touch as well, with a huge mural of Bowling Green and Kentucky favorites, like a red Corvette and the Corvette Museum served on a platter, as well as a beautiful woman with a derby hat at least 100 times actual size. Another pleasing part of the chain restaurant scene is that they are always offering something new and exciting. Today, my dining companion and I tried everything new, starting with drinks, but not ending with dessert because a stomach is a limited container for newness. By the end of the meal, my dining companion described our wait staff as delightful, which she was, but at the beginning of the meal we had to wait so long, the management comped our appetizer. I will say O’Charley’s restaurant staff was attentive and seemed to be aware of our every move! In the spirit of newness (and because the menu noted I’d never tasted anything like it) I ordered the pretzel crunch chicken tenders with Dijon dipping sauce. They were right. The pretzel breading offered a unique taste and a light, extra crispy texture. It was like dipping a pretzel into mustard, with the added bonus of tender chicken breast in between. Our drinks arrived after the appetizer, which never sits well with me. I’m a stickler for the “dining experience” which to me means, drinks right away, appetizers or bread to quickly follow (because liquor does have a more intense effect on an empty stomach), then salads just after the appetizer has been mostly eaten, and finally entrees just about five minutes after my salad has had time to settle. The tangerine pineapple margarita I had was delicious. What a perfect balance between the too-sweet-for-me strawberry margaritas and the tartness of a regular margarita. My dining companion was not so lucky with his mojito because O’Charley’s was out of fresh mint. He sent the drink back. This is not exclusive to O’Charley’s, but I’d like to suggest to restaurants that if you’re out of a main ingredient, please let us patrons know ahead of time. We really can think for ourselves and will probably opt to order something else, instead of feeling like you are trying to put one over on us. For dinner, I had the Key West mahi. This was a flavorful fish served with a tropical salsa on top with rice on the side. The taste overall was acceptable, but the fruit was hard to bite into. My dining companion (who normally doesn’t like fish) actually enjoyed the fruit that seemed to lift the fish taste. My dining companion ordered the pecan chicken tender salad, which is not as new as the other items we ordered, but it was new to us. This was a delicious blend of honey-roasted Georgia pecans, chicken tenders, bleu cheese, mandarin oranges and cranberries on romaine lettuce served with a balsamic vinaigrette. My sense was right and O’Charley’s was the perfect step back into the customary world of dining that I realized is anything but ordinary. Looking at the staff, from the hostess to the wait staff to the manager, there’s a lot of time, energy, sweat and maybe even some tears that go into creating meals for hundreds of people each day. How fortunate we are to live in a country like this. Happy Fourth! — Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, contact managing editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to malexieff@bgdailynews.com. O’CHARLEY’S RESTAURANT 2717 Scottsville Road |
| Frances C. Brown Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:15:49 -0500 MUNFORDVILLE — Frances C. Brown, 81, of Bedford, Ind., died at 4:05 p.m. July 1, 2008, at Bedford Regional Medical Center in Bedford. The Hart County native was born Sept. 6, 1926. She was a retired employee with Indiana Bell for 19 years and a member of Second Baptist Church in Bedford, where she served on the mission board, as an usher and as a church clerk for many years. She was a daughter of the late Roe Woodard and Nellie Thornton Woodard. She was preceded in death by four brothers, Richard, Clarence, Edward and Robert Henry Woodard; and a son-in-law, W.L. Curry. Funeral is at 1 p.m. Saturday at Woodsonville Baptist Church, with burial in Woodsonville Memorial Gardens. Visitation is from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Brooks Funeral Home. Online condolences may be made at www.brooksfuneralhome ky.com. Survivors include her husband, George Thomas Brown; three daughters, Georgenia Curry of Louisville, Mary Rowlett and her husband, James, of Munfordville and Phyllis R. Wagers and her husband, Forrester, of Bedford; four sons, William T. Brown and his wife, Sharon, of Bloomington, Ind., Edward L. Brown and his wife, Marsha, and Clarance H. Brown and his wife, Darlene, all of Bedford, and Rick Brown and his wife, Tammy of Mitchell, Ind.; a sister-in-law, Mattie Thornton of Bedford; 19 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. |
| Inez E. Buster Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:15:49 -0500 GLASGOW — Inez Evelyn Buster, 83, of Glasgow died July 3, 2008, at Caverna Memorial Hospital. The Barren County native was born Jan. 12, 1925. She was a Baptist. She was a daughter of the late Walter and Martha Williams Wiley and the wife of the late Raymond Wilson Buster. She was preceded in death by a sister, Ina Dyer; and four brothers, Leonard, Denton, Ray and Hoover Wiley. Funeral is at 2 p.m. Friday at A.F. Crow and Son Funeral Home, with burial in Neal’s Chapel Cemetery. Visitation begins at 5 p.m. today at the funeral home. Survivors include a son, Bubby Jr. Buster and his wife, Judy, of Glasgow; a sister, Nell Thomerson of Glasgow; and special cousins Ollie Nell Wallace and family of Martinsville, Ind. |
| Sopha M. Cook Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:15:50 -0500 BROWNSVILLE — Sopha Madison Cook, 85, of Brownsville died July 2, 2008, in Bowling Green. The Edmonson County native was a retired supervisor for Brownsville Manufacturing, a volunteer for Hospice of Southern Kentucky, a member of Edmonson County Homemakers and Rocky Hill Baptist Church and was Edmonson County Citizen of the Year. She was a daughter of the late Lonnie M. Madison and Nora P. Hardison Madison. She was preceded in death by a son, Don Lancaster. Funeral is at 2 p.m. Friday at Patton Funeral Home, Brownsville chapel, with burial in Rocky Hill Cemetery. Visitation is in progress until 9 p.m. today and begins at 9 a.m. Friday at the funeral home. Expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations to Hospice of Southern Kentucky, 1027 Broadway Ave., Bowling Green, KY 42101. Online condolences may be made at www.pattonfuneralhome. com. Survivors include her husband, Lloyd Cook; a son, Larry Lancaster and his wife, Diana, of Bowling Green; a brother, Mitchell Madison and his wife, Flora, of Rocky Hill; three sisters, Miriam Beams and her husband, Emmett, of Louisville, Pauline Rutledge and her husband, Robert, of Park City and Christine Toms and her husband, Lendon, of Winslow, Ind.; five grandchildren, Cindi Hanes, Debbie Spear, Robert Lancaster, Charles Lloyd Lancaster and Amy Lancaster Carter; 10 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren. |
| Barbara S. Cox Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:15:50 -0500 Barbara Sue Cox, 68, of Bowling Green died at 10:52 p.m. July 1, 2008, at Commonwealth Regional Specialty Hospital. The Breeding native was born Dec. 12, 1939. She was a housewife and a member of the Navy Relief Society and Order of the Eastern Star, Park City Chapter No. 128. She was a daughter of the late Sellie Hubert “Jake” Estes and Vera Garnet Pelston Estes. She was preceded in death by a brother, Hubert Earnest Estes; and a sister, Yvonnia Maxine Estes. Funeral is at 1 p.m. Saturday at J.C. Kirby and Son Funeral Home, Broadway Avenue chapel, with burial in Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens. Visitation is from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Online condolences may be made at www.jckirbyandson.com. Survivors include her husband, Ronald L. Cox of Bowling Green; two sons, Michael L. Cox of Bowling Green and Mark D. Cox of Scottsville; two brothers, Donny Estes of Dallas and Bobby Estes of Park City; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. |
| John R. Doyle Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:15:51 -0500 John Reed Doyle, 76, of Bowling Green died at 8:10 p.m. July 1, 2008, at Greenview Regional Hospital. The Edmonson County native was a farmer and a member of Glendale Baptist Church. He was a son of the late Geneva Reed Doyle and Eliza Manco Doyle. Funeral is at 10 a.m. Saturday at Hardy & Son Funeral Home, Bowling Green chapel, with burial in Otter Gap Cemetery. Visitation is from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Online condolences may be made at www.hardyandsonfuneral homes.com. Survivors include a stepmother, Lola Mae Doyle of Smiths Grove; a brother, Bobby Doyle of Bowling Green; a sister, Neva Whittle and her husband, Ed, of Smiths Grove; four nephews, Steve Windham and his wife, Sharon, and Ricky Doyle, all of Bowling Green, Jesse Frank Windham of Smiths Grove and Doug Doyle and his wife, Geri, of Leitchfield; and several nieces and nephews. |
| Virginia L. England Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:15:51 -0500 GLASGOW — Virginia Lee Franklin England, 80, of Glasgow died July 2, 2008. She was a member of Grider Memorial Baptist Church. She was a daughter of the late Iland Lee Franklin and Bessie Rural Hagan Franklin and the wife of the late David Allen England. She was preceded in death by two sons, Charles D. and Jerry L. England; a grandson, Jason England; four brothers; and a sister. Funeral is at 11 a.m. Friday at Hatcher & Saddler Funeral Home, with burial in Glasgow Municipal Cemetery. Visitation begins at 2 p.m. today at the funeral home. Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to Community Medical Care, 1304B North Race St., Glasgow, KY 42141. Survivors include two sons, Kenneth England of Austin and Gene England of Scottsville; a daughter, Brenda P. Shockley of Glasgow; eight grandchildren, Chad Shockley, Jeny Spencer and Charlie, Jarrod, Brian, Shannon, Wayne and Jeff England; 15 great-grandchildren; and three sisters, Evelyn Barton Bewley, Barbara Poteet and Katherine Morgan. |
| Jimmy L. Humphrey Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:15:52 -0500 HORSE CAVE — Jimmy L. Humphrey, 72, of Center died at 3:02 a.m. July 2, 2008, at T.J. Samson Community Hospital in Glasgow. The Metcalfe County native was born Nov. 18, 1935. He was a farmer and a member of Joyner’s Chapel Church. He was a son of the late Oscar Lee Humphrey and Viola Trent Humphrey. He was preceded in death by a brother, Dale Humphrey. Funeral is at 2 p.m. Friday at Winn Funeral Home, with burial in Cosby Cemetery. Visitation is from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. today and begins at 9 a.m. Friday at the funeral home. Survivors include his wife of 41 years, Donna Scott Humphrey; a daughter, Lesia Jeffries and her husband, David, of Savoyard; a brother, Wendell Humphrey and his wife, Joyce, of Center; a sister, Joyce Pennington and her husband, Ray, of Summer Shade; three sisters-in-law, Rita Humphrey of Hardyville, Joyce Horton and her companion, Jeff Park, and Ann Lee, all of Sulphur Well; two brothers-in-law, Robert Scott and his wife, Gail, and Daryl Scott and his wife, Penny, all of Sulphur Well; an aunt, Lucille Trent of Horse Cave; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. |
| Lloyd W. Mabry Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:15:52 -0500 GLASGOW — Lloyd Wilson Mabry, 31, of Lucas died June 30, 2008. He was a captain at the Austin Tracy volunteer fire department, where he had served for 13 years. He was a son of the late Richard Donald Mabry and Mary Ruth Wood Mabry, who survives. Funeral is at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hatcher & Saddler Funeral Home, with burial and full fireman’s honors at Caney Fork Cemetery. Visitation begins at 2 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Other survivors include a brother, Scotty Mabry of Lucas; a sister, Vickie Lynn Eadens of Bowling Green; two aunts, Ava Stafford of Nashville and Loretta Hazel of Bowling Green; two uncles, Alton Mabry of White House, Tenn., and Charlie Mabry of Mount Juliet, Tenn.; and two nephews, Dakota Crump and Tony Eadens. |
| Lenora G. Puckett Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:15:53 -0500 BROWNSVILLE — Lenora Gipson Puckett, 72, of McDaniels died July 1, 2008, in Louisville. The Edmonson County native was a homemaker and Baptist. She was a daughter of the late Walter Gipson and Lillie Mae Elmore Gipson and the wife of the late Joseph William Puckett. Funeral is at 11 a.m. Saturday at Patton Funeral Home, Brownsville chapel, with burial in Jaggers Cemetery in Mammoth Cave. Visitation is from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. today, from noon to 8 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to the American Heart Association. Online condolences may be made at www.pattonfuneralhome. com. Survivors include a daughter, Legenia Comley and her husband, Martin, of Louisville; three sons, Joseph Puckett and his wife, Emma, Ken Puckett and Neal Puckett and his wife, Angela, all of Louisville; seven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; six brothers, Lester Gipson and his wife, Caroline, of Louisville, Lawrence Gipson and his wife, Helen, of Clarkson, Bill Gipson and his wife, Verna, of Dillingham, Alaska, Albert Gipson and his wife, Catherine, of Sweeden, James Gipson of Somerset and Robert Gipson and his wife, Charlotte, of LaGrange; and four sisters, Mabel Johnson, Betty Lee Basham and Joyce Weber and her husband, Joe, all of Sweeden, and Ella Abe of Palmer, Alaska. |
| Pearl K. Rountree Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:15:54 -0500 Pearl Kincheloe Rountree, 79, of Bowling Green died at 3:42 p.m. July 1, 2008, at The Medical Center. The Warren County native was a cook for Ramada Inn, a homemaker and a member of Smiths Grove Baptist Church. She was a daughter of the late Grover Cleveland Kincheloe and Ora Mae Wright Kincheloe. She was preceded in death by two sons, Harry Randall Barlow Jr. and David W. Barlow; and two sisters, Louise Richardson and Ada Houchins. Memorial service is at 1 p.m. Saturday at Smiths Grove Baptist Church. Hardy & Son Funeral Home, Bowling Green chapel, is in charge of arrangements. Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to Hardy & Son Funeral Homes. Online condolences can be made at www.hardyandsonfuneral homes.com. Survivors include a daughter, Ora Ann Williams and her husband, Mike, of Nashville; a son, Gary Barlow and Patricia Barlow of Smiths Grove; a brother, Grover Cleveland Kincheloe Jr. of Logan, Ohio; a daughter-in-law, Angela Barlow of Smiths Grove; nine grandchildren, Tony Barlow and his wife, Shelia, Michael Barlow and his wife, Jamye, and Jessica Barlow, all of Bowling Green, Kevin Halvorson and his wife, Amy, of Franklin, Lori Tucker and her husband, Aaron, of Sturgis, Bobby Barlow, Michelle Barlow and Julie Barlow Turner and her husband, Johnny, all of Smiths Grove, and D.J. Barlow of Mississippi; and 12 great-grandchildren, Jesse Barlow, Nichole Higgason, Christian Barlow, Jacob Halvorson, Joshua Halvorson, Taylor Emerson, Kevin Emerson, Alyx Tucker, Caleb Barlow, Johnathan Turner, Justin Turner and Austin Barlow. |
| Bernice Simmons Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:15:54 -0500 MORGANTOWN — Bernice Simmons, 54, of Woodbury died July 2, 2008, at The Medical Center in Bowling Green after a courageous battle with cancer. The Butler County native was a lifetime caretaker and farmhand and attended Cool Springs General Baptist Church. She touched many lives with her generous heart. She was a daughter of Denzil and Goldie Kinkade of Morgantown, who survive. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, George and Bonnie Kirby. Funeral is at 2 p.m. Saturday at Smith Funeral Home, with burial in Youngtown Cemetery. Visitation begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Other survivors include her husband, Johnny Simmons; three daughters, Teresa Turner and her husband, James, of Welches Creek, Lisa Jones and her husband, Cecil, of Woodbury and Alana Simmons Chapman of Muhlenberg County; two sons, Jonathan Simmons and his wife, Amanda, of Dunbar and Scotty Simmons and his wife, Jane, of Woodbury; a granddaughter raised as a daughter, Jessica Jones of Woodbury; two sisters, Brenda Diane Cardwell of Dunbar and Pat White of Morgantown; a brother, Dennis Kinkade of Morgantown; eight grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. |
| Jack Turner Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:15:55 -0500 SCOTTSVILLE — Jack Turner, 89, died July 3, 2008, at the Thomas Hood Veterans Center in Wilmore. Funeral arrangements, which are incomplete, are under the direction of T.W. Crow and Son Funeral Home. |
| John L. Waller Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:15:56 -0500 TOMPKINSVILLE — John Lee “J.L.” Waller, 73, of Tompkinsville died June 2, 2008, at his residents. The Monroe County native was born March 4, 1935. He was a member of Tompkinsville Church of Christ, a school bus driver for the Monroe County Board of Education and drove a dump truck for the Monroe County Road Department. He was a son of the late Elmer Vogle Waller Sr. and Ova Hammer Waller. Funeral is at 1 p.m. Friday at Strode Funeral Home, with burial in Monroe County Memorial Lawn. Visitation begins at 1 p.m. today at the funeral home. Expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations to the Barren County Animal Shelter. Survivors include his wife, whom he married Dec. 24, 1993, Mary Lou White Waller; two stepsons, Ricky Hagan of Tompkinsville and Jackie Hagan of Bowling Green; a son, Jonathan Waller of Louisville; a daughter, Sasha Waller of Louisville; two sisters, Mildred Smith of Louisville and Louise Walker of Indianapolis; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and four stepgrandchildren. |
| Susie M. Watkins Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:15:56 -0500 MUNFORDVILLE — Susie May Perkins Watkins, 74, of New York, N.Y., died June 29, 2008, at St. Vincents Hospital in Manhattan, N.Y. The Hart County native was born May 28, 1934. She was a daughter of the late Lee Perkins and Myrtle Hatcher Perkins and the wife of the late General Lee Watkins. Funeral is at 1 p.m. Sunday at Allen Seminary Baptist Church, where she was a member, with burial in Perkins Family Cemetery in Hardyville. Visitation is from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at Brooks Funeral Home and begins at 10 a.m. Sunday at the church. Online condolences may be made at www.brooksfuneralhome ky.com. Survivors include three sisters, Iva Singleton of Chula Vista, Calif., Jenetta Walker of Gatesville, Texas, and Bertie Hamm of Bronx, N.Y.; a brother, James Perkins of Louisville; and several nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. |
| Cable barriers will help save people’s lives Thu, 3 Jul 2008 11:05:47 -0500 Recently a stretch of Interstate 65 between Barren County and Hart County has been the scene of several deadly accidents that have claimed too many lives and we are glad plans are in the works to help reduce these accidents. On Wednesday, Gov. Steve Beshear and state Transportation Secretary Joe Prather announced that the state will spend $10.8 million to add cable barrier cables to highways in five counties. There will be 10.5 miles of the barrier cable added on Interstate 65 from the 52.4 mile marker in Barren County to the 62.9 mile marker in Hart County. This specific section of Interstate 65 was chosen after engineering studies listed it among the most likely for crossover accidents. This area of the road has seen too many lives taken, most recently a March 19 accident, in which five people were killed after a crossover crash. Hopefully these barriers will prevent future accidents and tragedies on this dangerous section of the interstate. Several family members of those killed in the crash attended the event and Beshear told the families that the barriers wouldn’t do anything for their loss, but would do something to prevent other accidents from occurring. These barriers can be effective in preventing accidents, as evident from a study in other parts of the state where barrier cables have been struck 385 times and prevented vehicles from crossing into opposite traffic. It was welcome to hear Prather say that these cables will be put on other dangerous roads in Kentucky in the future. They have been proven to work and anything we can do to save lives and reduce crashes in crossover accidents is something all motorists can get behind. |
| Coffee shops offer more than just caffeine Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:37:50 -0500 emember when food and a lap meant TV dinners at home with the food brought to the entertainment? Now you can bring entertainment to the food. What I’m fumbling around trying to say is that this week I toted my lap top computer with wireless Internet to visit as many local coffee shops as I could until my nerves gave out. No more than two in one day, however, because otherwise this column might sound like a Picasso painting looks! I ordered an iced medium caramel macchiato at each place, and took my lap top to write my experiences on the spot. There are two shots of espresso (shot-glass sized portions of pure caffeine), milk and caramel in a macchiato. My first stop: Spencer’s Coffeehouse on the square. It was late in the afternoon and there was a row of what looked like regular patrons sitting outside looking relaxed and full of life at the same time. The counter staff was attentive and helpful when I entered and there were a bevy of local people, even some of whom I knew. Spencer’s wireless Internet was a little choppy that day, but as far as food goes, it offers muffins, bagels, cinnamon rolls and pastries, and for lunch, a full menu of sandwiches and salads. The macchiato was also an effective blend of coffee, caramel and milk flavor. My next stop was the new Starbucks on Campbell Lane. I wasn’t going to go in unless it offered a wireless connection, which it noted on the door, so I went in. The staff was vibrant and friendly. I was now on my second medium macchiato, which translates into four shots of espresso. This macchiato was equally good. It turned out, however, that you must subscribe to a specific Internet service, so the wi-fi at Starbucks is not free. A staff member actually said that sometimes people pick up the signal from Buckhead Caf/. I ended up leaving earlier than I planned because of this. Starbucks offers a variety of cakes, muffins, cookies and other baked goods, both in regular and low calorie versions. And, I will say, it was a peaceful place to write and research - if only I could have picked up Buckhead’s signal. So, the next day, I headed to Buckhead Caf/. Buckhead has a pleasant and expansive atmosphere for Internet working and a huge menu of eclectic sandwiches, salads, pizzas, burgers, etc. It’s not as quaint as Spencer’s and during the lunch rush you can’t even hear yourself think; however, this was the best macchiato to date. It had a punch of coffee flavor, with the milk and caramel just there to take the edge off. At least, that’s the way I like it! I decided one caf/ a day was enough and I knew that Mug Shotz would be open on a Saturday, so I waited a day. Unfortunately, even though the sign said it would be open, it wasn’t, so I can’t report on the atmosphere or macchiato, because I wasn’t able to make it back there by press time. I did call and Mug Shotz does have free wireless Internet service (with purchase) and offers wraps, sandwiches, muffins and desserts. Finally, I went to another local hang out with wi-fi, Bread and Bagels. While Bread and Bagels no longer has an espresso machine for macchiatos, it does have flavored coffees. And, much to my surprise, it has added pastas to its one-of-a-kind menu of sandwiches, salads and pizza. In the morning it also has muffins, scones, pastries, etc. The walls are covered with artwork from young local artists. The wait staff was helpful, but distracted by a large phone order (which I’m sure was just an in-the-moment experience). The wi-fi worked well and the atmosphere was upbeat yet relaxed and I opted to sit outside on the enclosed patio. So that wraps up the coffee and wi-fi chronicles for the week. Although I highly recommend people watching, toting a lap top computer along is a little something different for those times when you don’t have a dining companion. I wouldn’t recommend trying to write a column, however, because looking back over this, I can spot the moments the coffee kicked in and kicked out! — Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, contact managing editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to malexieff@bgdailynews.com. Spencer’s Coffee House: 915 College St., 393-7060 Buckhead Caf/: 760 Campbell Lane, 846-0110 Starbucks: 710 Campbell Lane, 842-6201 Mug Shotz: 116 Old Morgantown Road, 796-4143 Bread and Bagel: 871 Broadway Ave., 781-1473 |
| Mandolin perfect for a light summer meal Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:18:06 -0500 What to do on a hot summer night when you’re in the mood for fine food, but the intense heat keeps you from wanting anything but watermelon and Gatorade? How about a light meal at one of the finest eating establishments in Bowling Green, the Mandolin. My dining companion and I thought patio dining might be doable once the sun went down, but were not disappointed when air conditioning still made more sense at 8 o’clock at night. Mainly because the Mandolin is owned and operated by two wildly artistic Bowling Green residents: One creates the atmosphere, and the other works her magic creating and executing a four-star menu. Each room is donned in rich grained woods and striking rosined wood etchings, as well as a variety of international artwork. The fireplace mantle in the room in which we dined was a bit chaotic, but a quick glance out the window to the relaxing porch patio outdoors made it feel as if I were outside after all. To execute the light meal genre idea, we ordered two light appetizers then split an entr/e. We chose the crespella pockets as one appetizer, then looked to the salad menu for another light, chilled appetizer, the mozzarella and roma tomato salad. The crespella pockets, even though they were fried, were the perfect light meal choice: Crispy crepes folded into small triangular shapes, stuffed with light cheeses and meats. The mozzarella and roma tomato salad had an abundance of soft mozzarella cheese. Soft mozzarella has an appetizing texture when eaten chilled on a hot summer day, but with just a hint of flavor and when eaten alone is lacking. Add a slice of tomato drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette and a side of greens, which is exactly how the Mandolin served it, and you have a dish delicious to the eye and the palate. We opted for the fish special that evening, a lightly breaded Italian cod with wild rice. The wait staff graciously split the meal, for a small fee, which allowed each of us to have a house salad with the dressing of our choice. We both chose the house specialty, gorgonzola - a light, creamy dressing with chunks of gorgonzola cheese for an occasional kick. The cod was rolled, then breaded with seasonings bursting with flavors, some I recognized, others I didn’t, but the blendings made this otherwise light meal a rich treat. The rice, too, a blend of brown and other wild rice varieties, made for a slender summer alternative to potatoes. With all this weightless eating, we had room for dessert. Of course there were the heavier favorites, like chocolate cake or even tiramisu, but we opted for the pineapple cake and it was a delicate ending to this modest, delicious meal. Thin layers of cake soaked in pineapple juice with layers of a whipped cream frosting was served with pineapple rounds on the side. Even though, as of this moment at least, the heat has settled down a bit, I would highly recommend the Mandolin for a meal on a whim or a special night out because in my experience it is a singularly, extraordinary eating establishment in our town. — Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, contact managing editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to malexieff@bgdailynews.com. MANDOLIN 712 Chestnut St. |
| Nothing but ‘amore’ at Mancino’s Grinders Thu, 29 May 2008 12:08:18 -0500 "Amore” and pizza go together in songs and movies, so why not in Bowling Green. What I’m referring to here is Mancino’s Grinders and Pizza’s motto, which is: “I love that place!” Which both my dining companion and I did. While I reviewed Mancino’s at Greenwood almost two years ago, since this column is mainly about experience, I thought it was time for a visit to Mancino’s in Lost River. Love is not lost here, either. To begin with, the counter staff was jovial, friendly and not the least bit nosey, even when the two of us ordered just about one item in every category (in the name of trying as much as we could), which ended up being enough food for twice as many people. Love has to be pouring from everywhere if the kitchen is as exposed as it is at Mancino’s. A clean, cutting board wood and stainless cooking station looks to be about half the size of a football field and sits in the center, surrounded by pizza ovens and other work stations. The cook staff delightfully buzzes around each other as if they were choreographed by the workers in the Wizard of Oz, who “get up at 12, start to work at one, take an hour for lunch and then at two are done!” The entire experience was like a scene from a movie as the staff assisted with a pizza that sadly slipped off the tray and onto the floor and then mopped up a water spill with ease. Oh, and did I mention they can cook with consistency as well? At the counter my dining companion and I opted for soup, salad, a grinder, lasagna, a small pizza, a brownie and two oatmeal cookies. We were given the brownie and cookies right away and ended up eating dessert first, because what’s not to love about eating dessert first? The brownie had a cake-like quality and literally crumbled before reaching my mouth. Not even the frosting stayed put, but it was a chocolate treat overall. There are two types of oatmeal cookies: moist and chewy, that bend and don’t break, and the crispy, dryer version that snap and send oatmeal flakes a-flying. My dining companion prefers the soft version, yet Mancino’s bakes the latter, but we both agreed the cookies were quite flavorful. The soup was a cheesy, bacon potato that tasted best when it was hot. Small melt-in-your-mouth pieces of potato, with cheese and bacon tastes balanced nicely in a thick, creamy base. The Greek salad was excellent, with an abundance of olives, crumbly feta cheese, red onions, tomatoes and a packaged dressing. Both the pizza and the grinder exemplified taste. The Cajun chicken grinder wasn’t too spicy hot, but was spicy tasteful with tender, Cajun-rubbed chicken, onions, cheese, lettuce and tomato. We opted for the Mancino’s pride pizza with an effective combination of meats and veggies, a lovely crisp crust and just enough sauce! That appetizing sauce was generously poured over my personal favorite of the day, the lasagna. Even if you’ve only read this column a couple of times, you know I’m big on the perfect balance of flavor combinations and this lasagna had it going on! The sauce was plentiful, as I said, the noodles present, but it was the real ricotta with spices and cheeses hidden between the layers in just the right amount that made it truly delicious. Mancio’s also has other baked pastas, calzones, nachos, five other salads and cinnamon sticks with sides of vanilla icing for dipping, so surely you’ll find something to love. Actually we were on our way to a movie after pizza, but saved the ticket price partially due to the entertainingly delicious and enchanting visit to Mancino’s Grinders and Pizza. — Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, contact managing editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to malexieff @bgdailynews.com. |
| Moe’s offers color, options and vibrant food Thu, 15 May 2008 10:59:35 -0500 When I think of the Southwest, I think of places like Santa Fe, N.M., and Sedona, Ariz. And when I remember passing through from one town to the other, I remember the vibrant contrasting colors of red earth, black rock and blue sky. Moe’s Southwestern Grill cuisine reflects this topography with a colorful flair added via ingredients, ingredients, ingredients. Black beans, olives, corn, tomatoes, avocado, onion and cilantro translate into appetizing shades of yellow, red, green, white and even black. Not to mention Moe’s also offers a plethora of multi-hued sauces. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Entering Moe’s, you can’t miss the oversized menu board with item names reflective of random pop culture, that don’t seem so random once you know that MOE’s is actually an acronym for: “musicians, outlaws and entertainers.” I had to look up the “Joey bag of donuts burrito,” which apparently hails from the movie, “My Cousin Vinny.” What I did not get when I entered was the “Welcome to Moe’s!” that was present when the restaurant first arrived in town. This was reflective of my entire trip down the manned conveyor of Southwestern cuisine. I could barely get the wait staff to look at me, let alone engage in a dialogue that would help me with the many choices. After I left the restaurant, though, I realized there appeared to be no necessary managerial guidance and only three servers working - this during the lunch rush. The wait wasn’t too bad, but I felt like more of an intruder than a customer. Despite this, I was able to choose menu items and make choices with enthusiasm. I chose two limited timers not on the usual menu, the Southwestern cobb salad and a special chicken quesadilla, as well as a close talker salad (from that close talker “Seinfeld” episode). My dining companion and I ate outdoors and relished in the variety of vibrant colors and groupings of savory tastes. Everything was fresh, from the pico de gallo to the cilantro to the romaine and especially the olives - I don’t think I’ve ever tasted a black olive with so much flavor! And as I was digressing earlier, there were an abundance of appetizing sauces, salsas and dressings. Chipotle ranch, guacamole ranch and a southwestern vinaigrette dressing for the salads. A chunky guacamole with onions, peppers, tomatoes and cilantro worked for my taste. My dining companion, however, did not like the guacamole and after one bite he went back to the tomatillo salsa that he’d been originally drawn to. The key ingredient in a variety of Latin American sauces, the tomatillo, is referred to as a Mexican tomato. Deep green in color, this fruit is spherical in shape and a bit larger than a walnut. Moe’s purees the tomatillo and I detected flavors of spices and lime that added to the deliciousness. I built each menu choice with my choice of seasoned beef or chicken, pinto or black beans, bacon, cheese, olives, pico de gallo, cucumbers and mango for the cobb salad. Each dish was flavorful, but I will say the quesadilla stood out as my favorite because the heated chicken was especially moist, when compared to the cold beef and chicken on the salads. Each menu category at Moe’s (burritos, nachos, quesadillas and the like) offers at least one vegetarian option, or you can choose any menu item, skip the beef and begin with the beans. So, between the colorful music, (hits from the ’50s to the ’80s), unusual menu options and vibrant food, gaudy works to please the palate in the south bringing the hues of the Southwest to Bowling Green. — Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, contact managing editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to malexieff@bgdailynews.com. MOE’S SOUTHWESTERN GRILL 2020 Scottsville Road |
| Cave City’s El Mazatlan a good choice Thu, 8 May 2008 11:16:22 -0500 Que pasa? Which means: What’s up? It seems clich/ to begin a Mexican restaurant review with a Spanish urban phrase, yet I do so because it truly added to the enjoyment of my recent dining experience at El Mazatlan in Cave City. It all began with a friendly waiter, who genuinely called my dining companion and me “amigo” with every visit to the table, and who also humored us when we asked for translations, including the one that opened this review. Something I do always begin a Mexican meal with is a bowl of guacamole. El Mazatlan’s guacamole looked fresh and deep green in color, which made me think the only ingredient was avocado. This is usually a good thing, because I don’t like guacamole with fillers. In this case, however, the avocado must have been bland, because the guac was bland. I found one or two pieces of cilantro in the dip, but not enough to add flavor. My dining companion and I salted it, making it acceptable with chips. The appetizer we did vehemently enjoy was the cheese dip. It was the usual melted white cheese, but there seemed to be spices that added to the flavor as well. The d/cor at El Mazatlan was charming: Bright yellow, orange, brown and red colors on adobe-looking walls in a meandering floor plan and an occasional painted mural that looked like an open window on a sunny day. We sat far from the smoking section, because when we were seated near the door dividing the two sections, we still encountered smoke. El Mazatlan in Cave City is just off Interstate 65 north of Bowling Green. The word is with graduation, prom and Mother’s Day this weekend, the restaurants in Bowling Green will be full to capacity, so a trip north, if you don’t fall into any of those categories yet want to eat out, might be in order. And ... speaking of order, I can recommend a few items my dining companion and I enjoyed. The chimichangas were simple but delicious. They can be ordered with beef or spicy chicken. Both my dining companion and I had a chicken chimichanga on our combination plates. The chicken was moist - large flavorful chunks wrapped then fried in a flour tortilla that was flaky with deliciously substantial crunch at each end. Also on my el amigo special plate was a cheese quesadilla. This is a folded, then pan-fried flour tortilla filled with the same cheese as the queso dip. Unfortunately, as the meal cooled, the cheese separated and it was not as appetizing as it had been in the dip. Rounding off my plate was something I had never heard of called an ollita. This was a small, crispy, fried flour tortilla in the shape of a small cup with chicken chunks, spices, lettuce, tomato, sour cream and grated cheese layered inside. It was a unique, flavorful dish - and you could even eat the dish when you finished its contents. The chile in the egg batter then fried chile relleno was hotter than I’ve had at other restaurants. Both the beef taco and tamale had crumbly, fine pieces of ground beef with soft or crunchy corn meal for a classic Mexican combination and effective taste. El Mazatlan in Cave City has the same (or at least a very similar menu) to its sister restaurant in Bowling Green and also locations in Glasgow and Munfordville. I usually have either appetizers or dessert, but was tempted to enjoy both because El Mazatlan offers the Mexican classic flan, as well as unique desserts like fruit-filled burritos, churros with ice cream and tres leches cake. This translates into a cake made with three kinds of milk. And for my final Spanish expression: If you’re in “buen humor,” (a good mood) visit El Mazatlan and you will “que lo pases bien” (have a good time). — New restaurants are given a six-week grace period. Comments can be sent to managing editor Mike Alexieff by telephone at 783-3235 or by e-mail at malexieff@bgdailynews.com. 105 Garbner Lane |
| Hilton’s breakfast a luxurious escape Thu, 1 May 2008 10:33:01 -0500 There are several country-style, Southern breakfast eateries in Bowling Green that are deliciously greasy when I’m in the mood. But there is less than a handful of Tiffany-style breakfast establishments which I also find pleasurable. This is not to be confused with Breakfast at Tiffany’s, which was a simple menu outside the richest, most famous jewelry store in the country, but just the opposite - a breakfast with a well-to-do menu. I discovered the Hilton Garden Inn breakfast a few months ago, and finally made it in for a taste. While the Hilton did not have eggs Benedict on the menu (my personal standard for a lavish breakfast), it did offer a variety of breakfast items to enhance any morning meal. The restaurant, which also serves dinner, is housed just inside the lobby of the Hilton Garden Inn. I became enamored by the travel atmosphere, feeling as if I were actually away from home, and out of the blue began striking up conversations with the other guests about where they were from. My dining companion, on the other hand, sat at the table nostalgically noticing the upscale hotel d/cor that is a mirror image of any Hilton you might visit throughout the country. This luxury lends itself to the Tiffany-style breakfast, with thoughtful and soothing color combinations, deep grained decorative woods and opulent fixtures. The breakfast at Hilton Garden is a mix of buffet and made-to-order food. We each ordered at the made-to-order bar from a chalkboard menu. I ordered Texas-style French toast, my dining companion an omelet with potatoes. While we waited, we enjoyed a wide variety of fresh fruit housed in a bed of ice in the buffet. There were also the usual breakfast foods: bagels, doughnuts, toast, cereals - and even not so usual, soy milk. The buffet also included three kinds of juices, orange, apple and cranberry, in large ornamental carafes on the bar. I went for a cup of coffee and, by chance, discovered the Hilton Garden offers one of the best cups of coffee I have ever had. I don’t usually drink coffee black, but had overfilled the cup while chatting with a fellow traveler. I drank it down a bit so that I could add some of the flavored syrups they offered and was taken aback by the smooth flavor. Even my dining companion, who is not a coffee drinker, agreed. The first sip went down easy and lacked that usual bitter bite coffee can have. Our breakfasts arrived and while the omelet was not “fluffy” as the menu described, it was a flat, flavorful blend of eggs with a variety of chunky, abundant ingredients of your choice, like bacon, sausage, green peppers, onions, tomatoes, cheese and the like. It did not list mushrooms, but they were inadvertently included - so if you’re not a mushroom lover, take note and make sure to exclude them. The fried potatoes were tastefully unique and flavorful. The potatoes were uniformly cut into perfect half inch squares that were flawlessly fried in every direction - thick on the outside with a hint of soft potato on the inside. My Texas French toast was two pieces of thick bread, slightly crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. It needed just a small amount of butter and syrup because the sweetness of the egg batter was adequately enjoyable on its own. Breakfast at the Hilton Garden also offers patio dinning and was a splendid way to start the rest of our day, as we ended up engulfed in the true richness of taking in the wilderness while traveling down the Green River in a canoe. How lucky we are to have the best of both worlds in Bowling Green. — Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, please contact Managing Editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to malexieff@bgdailynews.com. |
| Red Lobster all about the extras Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:13:11 -0500 I was fortunate recently to enjoy a celebratory Sunday night at Red Lobster. Many local fine dining establishments are closed on Sundays, and since this was the only day we could all meet for a birthday, I was grateful Red Lobster was so accommodating. Accommodating, too, was the atmosphere. It was a festive evening, yet we had the good fortune of getting into one of those huge booths in the back, which felt as if we were a party unto ourselves. This was a treat since I haven’t seen those booths making their way into restaurants lately. Red Lobster, of course, is a seafood haven, yet it also offers a variety of steaks, pastas and some appetizers that are either cleverly disguised or lack the taste of seafood. We ordered a combination platter of southwestern lobster egg rolls and lobster, crab and seafood stuffed mushrooms. Even though they were smothered in cheese, the mushrooms definitely had the texture and flavor combinations that seafood lovers would be drawn to. The southwestern lobster stuffed egg rolls, however, were just the opposite with black beans, corn, tomatoes and a hint of seafood taste all wrapped in an egg roll shell and fried lightly crispy. Our server was fun and jovial and the rest of the wait staff worked well together - tag-teaming our order and other needs as the night went on. This made for a very pleasant dining experience, especially since I was with a lively group that didn’t need a lot of attention, just service. We each had our own special drinks for the evening and were impressed with what Red Lobster had to offer and what we were served. From an apple-tini for the birthday girl to imported beer on tap to a stellar Long Island ice tea and a bottle of Pino Grigio, we were treated as if we were dining royalty. I guess it’s about high time (or should I say high “tide”) to get to the food, which was good, but not as impressive as some of our locally owned fine dining establishments. This would be fine, if the prices were also lower, but they were not. I had a fine New York steak and was fortunate enough to be able to substitute the lobster tail for tilapia in a bag, which was a Bowling Green special. It was served with my choice of side item and a vegetable. My particular meal was acceptable. The steak cut was tender and grilled well, the fish seasoned well for the moist benefits when cooked in a bag. The vegetables were a little over-cooked for my taste. Also ordered at the table were combinations that included plates of chicken, salmon and seafood. The literally dozens of choice combinations are a big part of the dining options at Red Lobster and those who ordered them felt the meal was enhanced by a spicy dipping sauce they ordered separately on the side. Others at the table did not enjoy their meals as much. The fried shrimp, calamari and scallops were average in size, preparation and flavor - nothing to write home about. The “jumbo” shrimp scampi platter looked similar to the regular shrimp combination, so I didn’t see the advantage in going big. The comment was, “without all extras like the salad, sides and the Cheddar Bay biscuits, I might have been disappointed.” Maybe that’s the point - it’s all the extras that Red Lobster has to offer that make the difference. The staff warned us about their singing abilities, but we all engaged in a lively round of “Happy Birthday,” accompanied by at least one professional level singer at the table - so all ended well. And if that wasn’t enough, any off-key voices were long forgotten once we were served the New York cheesecake covered with strawberries that was a perfectly thick, rich, yet not-too-sweet dessert we all could share. So if you’re looking for a day or evening, especially on Sunday, of fun and fish, I would recommend Red Lobster for the extras and the variety of options that make dining an individual treat. — Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, contact Managing Editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to malexieff@bgdaily news.com. RED LOBSTER 2525 Scottsville Road |
| Country Mill’s buffet offering wide variety Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:33:36 -0500 I was invited by a couple of colleagues to dine at The Country Mill Restaurant this week. I didn’t know what to expect, but heard it had changed for the good since I’d last visited years ago. Upon entering, we discovered right away that there isn’t a menu, it is strictly buffet; however, that didn’t stop us from getting made-to-order food and a variety that rivals any menu in town. The conversation quickly turned to quality, standards, expectations and how all of us might effect change. We weren’t talking about the restaurant, but in the work place and academic worlds. As I listened and ate, I realized my experience at Country Mill was mirroring that very conversation. To begin with, Country Mill has a long-standing foundation of buffet-style country food. This included, but was not limited to, the collard greens with a hint of spice, the highlighted flavor of the pinto beans and the pulled pork that was lean, tender and seasoned to Southern perfection. Even with the catfish, which a fisherman at the table commented was the best he’s had in all surrounding counties, Country Mill was consistent while offering a large variety, all made from scratch - maybe not at any one’s “home,” but certainly homemade. Even the d/cor offered a big country welcome with a faux barn roof in the back, Southern paintings, era inspired music, and a sign that read: “Come on in and sit a spell.” Also, Country Mill now offers a saut/ bar, salad bar and an oasis of desserts. The saut/ bar offers made-to-order entrees that include appetizers, five made-to-order burgers, pasta dishes, wraps and even a chicken cordon bleu sandwich, which I gleefully ordered. While my sandwich was cooking, I headed off to the salad bar and created a monster of a salad with mixed greens, first of the season beefsteak tomatoes, green peppers, olives and a Caesar dressing. I returned to the table to find my sweet tea waiting for me, and this is where I experienced some disappointment. The sweet tea was barely sweet, which surprised me at a “country” restaurant. I certainly had the opportunity to add sugar, but it’s just not the same. Then, while the waitress was friendly and informative when I met her at the dessert counter later, she wasn’t very personable at the table. Again, nothing major, just some things my dining companions and I noticed when we visited. One area for improvement would be the consistency of the saut/ bar. We each noticed the dishes we ordered, the cordon bleu, a spicy ranch chicken wrap and a fettuccini alfredo with shrimp and broccoli, were all acceptable and appreciated, but also lacked the punch of flavor these dishes usually have. As the conversation meandered through academics, it was inevitable, with the huge selection of desserts, the subject of “pie-ology” brought us to the end of the week. I had a coconut cream pie that was clearly homemade - and the best I’ve ever had. Fresh, thick whipped cream; flavorful filling; flaky crust and baked crispy coconut on top. There was something like a derby pie that others at the table had, and reported the chocolate chips, nuts and abundant filling were delectable - as was much of the meal. It was a wonderful dining experience and an incredible value. And again, since we’re talking academics, I’ll use a spelling metaphor. To remember the difference in spelling desert (dry land) and dessert, I learned with dessert you always want a second helping, so it has a second “s.” If that’s the case, at County Mill everything should be spelled like this: dessssssssssssert! — Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, contact managing editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to malexieff@bgdailynews.com. COUNTRY MILL RESTAURANT 600 U.S. 31-W By-Pass |
| Dining at Ichiban consistently good Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:54:22 -0500 t was a sunny Sunday afternoon and my dining companion and I were in the mood for Japanese food. Ichiban came to mind, because, as far as my memory serves me, it’s the only Japanese food in town with patio dining. We arrived to find we weren’t the only ones with this idea and a group of very verbal Sunday travelers on the patio prompted us to eat indoors. Ichiban has been in Bowling Green for close to two years now and the cuisine, variety, service, value and just down-right fun remain consistent after all this time. The long strip of dining area inside the patio window means you can still enjoy the great outdoors if the blinds are open, yet also means the acoustics get chaotic and noisy with even just a dozen or so tables occupied. Not to worry though, if you can handle a little noise, the food is definitely worth it. My dining companion and I ordered the gamut after our complimentary clear broth soup with mushrooms and onions arrived. This included an egg roll for each of us, a crunchy shrimp roll for me and a veggie roll with a soy paper wrap for him, and a salad, tempura combo, chicken bowl and chicken lo mein to share. I didn’t see much of the chicken bowl (one of his favorite values at only $3.80), which is chicken on top of fried rice and carrots in a bowl served with a creamy light ginger sauce. All entrees are served with this signature sauce, as well as fried rice and carrots that are steamed just to the point of flavor enhancement. Later in the meal we discovered, by observing a nearby table, that you can order these delicious carrots by the bowl as well. The eggrolls, filled with a veggie and meat combination, were appetizing and generous in time. The chicken lo mein was enhanced by the perfectly grilled chicken and noodles tossed with vegetables and a light oil for flavor. The tempura combo was my least favorite, partially because it was served with onions as the only vegetable, but mainly because the tempura overwhelmed the meat or vegetables and was on the greasy side for my taste. I like a light tempura, not heavy tempura. My dining companion, however, favored the amount of tempura batter Ichiban had prepared. Our final fare was the sushi. We learned that those of you, like my dining companion, who strongly prefer sushi without the fish taste can order only veggies in the middle of a sushi roll, and substitute soy paper for the seaweed. This all but eliminates any fish flavor. I will say, over the years, my dining companion has been quite a trouper, trying eel, octopus and trying over and over the sushi seaweed despite his dislike for fish. So here’s a new culinary avenue for those who would like to try sushi, but have shied away due to the fish. Make sure to try the pickled ginger and wasabi that sushi is always served with, but beware of a little something I like to call wasabi wars. Wasabi, as I’ve reported in this column before, is served with sushi and has a horseradish quality. You can mix the amount, to your liking, with soy sauce in the Japanese bowl, stir with chopsticks, then dip a slice of roll into the mixture. The sauce mixture is not hot, as spicy food is, but a punch of intensity rolls through your mouth and sinuses, depending on the amount of wasabi you choose. My dining companion and I had a grand time, with each other, the staff and those around us, challenging each other to more and more wasabi, not just mixed in the soy sauce, but spread on each roll. It was a wild ride that led to some intense moments of deliciously cross cultural entertainment. So Ichiban turned out to be a lot of fun, out of the sun, on a Sunday afternoon, thanks to an informed, expedient staff (the sushi arrived faster than any I’ve ever had) and a variety of flavors at an excellent value. — Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, please contact managing editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to malexieff@bgdailynews.com. Hours: 11 a.m to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday Cuisine: Japanese Price range: $3.00 to $11.99 Specialties: Steak, seafood, sushi Libation situation: Beer, wine Smoking: Yes |
| Embrace Brickyard’s mystery Thu, 3 Apr 2008 11:13:33 -0500 As a well-known eating establishment in Bowling Green, The Brickyard Caf/ may need little to no introduction, except that a friend of mine told me a few weeks ago, in her mind, The Brickyard was best for lunch. This puzzled me. I meandered in on a Saturday night to discover a pleasingly mysterious, yet charismatic, dinner dining experience. The staff dressed entirely in black against the dark salmon-colored walls is striking. Each room has soothing artwork and the quaintness of divided rooms offers a wonderfully private setting for each table. You can see those you know on the way in and out, yet not feel you’re having dinner at a large, impersonal restaurant. And then there’s the food. While the restaurant may need no introduction, the menu specials translate into a relationship with this restaurant that will not soon tire, and where living in the mystery is appetizing. My dining companion and I had two specials and two regular menu items. Our appetizers, artichoke fritters, were on the regular menu. The sight of them started the evening with an air of fun. What looked like large spindly, spiky round creatures on the plate were actually battered-dipped fried artichoke hearts. The artichoke fritters themselves had an adequate flavor, and were served with a remoulade sauce. The sauce was awkwardly sweet for our taste, but an enjoyable treat overall. From the specials menu, I had sesame encrusted ahi tuna with a beurre blanc (an emulsified butter sauce) with capers. Wow. Even though the amount of sesame seeds I expected with “encrusted” in the description was not what I thought it would be, the tuna was delectably raw in the middle and the delicious dipping sauce caused a pleased raised eyebrow right away. It was served with mashed potatoes and a combination of winter vegetables that were steamed and seasoned to perfection. From the regular menu, we also ordered the portabella stacker. This was angel hair pasta tossed with truffle oil, light pesto and tomatoes with a stack of eggplant, cheese, zucchini and roasted red peppers in the center of the pasta, topped with a portabella mushroom. It looked like a flying saucer in the middle of a wheat field on the plate, and yes, it was out of this world. The underlying theme of each meal seemed to be mystery in the balance. By that I mean, one part of each dish tended to lack flavor (not to a fault thought), the fritters, the pasta, the tuna, coupled with ingredients with an incredible burst of flavor, the remoulade sauce, the beurre blanc and the stack of veggies and cheese. That, when put together, created taste sensations to the liking of most palates - if not, one could eat just a part and be satisfied. This was even true when we ordered a salad. When asked if we wanted anchovies on the Caesar salad, there was a resounding “definitely” from me and an emphatic “no thanks” from my companion. Our professional and astute waiter offered to put them on the side and we were both taken care of. The Brickyard menu has steaks, seafood, pastas and pizzas, depending what you’re in the mood for, and still is European cuisine with an inclination toward Italian foods and seasonings. But before I sign off here, I’ll say the chocolate Grenache tort from the special desserts menu was poetry in motion and a mystery I won’t soon forget. The Grenache was a thin layer of breakable, dark chocolate on the top, with melt-in-your-mouth whipped chocolate on a bed of chocolate cookie crumbs. It’s as if the chocolate became a mist in your mouth. No chewing required and not even “melting” adequately describes the chemical reaction that took place in each bite. It was like cotton candy that becomes a liquid as you eat it, but just before that is this mist. Imagine chocolate mist. So then, don’t conceal your need for a little night time fun - live in the mystery and savor all the Brickyard has to take in because living in the mystery can be delightful. — Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, please contact Managing Editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to malexieff@bgdailynews.com. THE BRICKYARD CAFE 1026 Chesnut St. |
| Sugar Maple eatery all about pizza Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:55:18 -0500 I’ve been gladly writing reviews each week for a while now and each week my visits in, around and just outside of town, also bring a bit of inspiration when I sit down to write. An angle, if you will, because not only does Bowling Green have a high number of restaurants per capita, it also has some very creative minds with unique food offering ideas. This week I ate at You and Me Sports Bar and Pizza. Much as I tried to find an angle, some inspiration, I was blank. Now, don’t get me wrong, the experience was one of a kind with a staff that was both attentive and fun. The calzone was delicious. I went to report on a new restaurant in the Sugar Maple side of town and since I’m not sure what to tell you, I’ll just go with the facts, just the facts. The restaurant and structure of the bar are artistically beautiful, which, when I did a pre-visit a few weeks ago made me think this was an outside-town version of the You and Me Restaurant on Chestnut Street. The sports bar also has Mediterranean archways, deep rich wood and solid high-back bar stools. When my dining companion and I entered the other night and took a closer look at the tables, we experienced a casual setting, with pizza, pool and music - which was my first shot at an angle. When we sat at the bar, however, the height was awkward for eating comfortably. The wait staff gave us a menu right away and I could see it was limited to appetizers, pizza and calzone. I asked about salads and our server said they had none. I asked about pizza delivery and she said not yet. I asked how late they were open, and she said 2 a.m. - unless it was slow. She was very personable, talkative, informative, fun and apologetic if they didn’t have something we wanted. We decided to try a few items that sounded unique, so we ordered the “French fried 4 oz. baget” (verbatim from the menu), the tequila lime wings and a pizza calzone, which is pizza dough folded over salami, onion, garlic, tomato, ricotta cheese and parsley. There was a little confusion with the order, but sitting at the bar we had direct access to the kitchen staff through a portal, so we chatted and worked things out. What didn’t work out so well was the “baget.” It turned out to be a plate of French fries served with marinara sauce. I thought we were getting slices of sourdough-type baguette bread battered and fried with marinara sauce. The fries were thick and well made, but apparently the idea of serving the fries with the marinara sauce is why it’s called a baget instead of fries. The tequila lime wings were deep fried, lightly crispy. I was hoping for a punch of lime flavor, but the punch came from the hot sauce served with it. My dining companion had the brilliant idea of mixing the hot sauce with the ranch dressing we were also served. This created a fine combination of light hot wings with a punch. The calzone was the highlight of the evening, as I’m sure most of the pizzas at You and Me are. Is it the sauce, the dough, the unique combinations of toppings? I think it is that they take such care in all of the above, that it really does make for one of the best pizza experiences in town. After our dining experience I imagined that You and Me Sports Bar and Pizza puts more time into the live entertainment they offered on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, so I called a fun-loving friend, who I knew had been to You and Me the previous Friday night. She said it was fun, and the band was good, but since there weren’t many people she thought the focus was more on the restaurant aspect. Well that puzzled me, until I realized, maybe this little gem just hasn’t been discovered by any Bowling Green pizza or entertainment patrons just yet. Looking over the article I just wrote, “without an angle” I realized - it’s the pizza, stupid! So I do recommend you stop in and pick up a pizza. You might call ahead of you’re in a hurry and encourage them to start delivering as soon as they can. And finally, if you’re in the mood for more, there’s always the well established sister restaurant, You and Me Restaurant, right here in town. — Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, contact Managing Editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to malexieff@bgdailynews.com. You and Me Sports Bar and Pizza 1347 Hwy. 185, Sugar Maple Square |
| Micki’s on Main reinvents menu Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:19:53 -0500 The luck of the Irish was with me this week - I visited Micki’s on Main the week they were serving green beer and introducing a new menu! I was too late for green beer, so I delighted in the new menu, reflective of the power of change. I say the power of change because I visited Micki’s a few months ago and my experience that day was a disappointment. I imagine though, when you’ve been restaurateurs as long as the owners of 440 Main Restaurant and Bar have, reinvention is part of the cycle, and my last visit must have hit the lull before renewal. And I’m happy to report on the renewal. Micki’s on Main restaurant, formerly known as the bar attached to 440, has patio and sidewalk seating overlooking Fountain Square. The staff at Micki’s endearingly refers to it as “the grill” serving lunch as the companion restaurant to 440 that serves only dinner. As is the case with 440, Micki’s menu leans toward Cajun recipes and techniques, but this new menu expands into some light salads, a stir fry entr/e and even a veggie lasagna for an international reach. My dining companion and I came in for a late lunch and were greeted by a jovial, informed and attentive waitress. We had the opportunity to witness the shift change from lunch to dinner, and the waitress treated the situation professionally with style and compassion. The rest of the wait staff could have used a lesson about teamwork from the fighting Irish this week - my experience that day was that their focus was reserved for their tables alone and after our waitress left, we had long waits for everything. We actually lucked out with the waitress, because we had planned to sit outside. Mardi Gras collided with St. Patty’s day, so the beads and clovers (not to mention the weather) drew us inside. Indoor dining at Micki’s is a one-of-a-kind, low light atmosphere enhanced by the charm of cookbooks, novels and lanterns that line the shelves above the wall of booths. Appetizers were not an option until the evening, so we ordered a side of Cajun fries and a cup of gumbo to happily fill the void. The gumbo was a rich roux of a strong, stew-like stock with okra, sausage, green peppers, rice and a variety of other spices and veggies. It was rich with chunks of each ingredient (although the menu description included chicken and shrimp, which must have missed) and just spicy enough to enjoy. I don’t know how the chef did it, but each bite was spicy in and of itself, but the heat did not escalate as I ate on, which often happens when I eat spicy food. The fries were fun and unique, with blackened seasoning sprinkled on perfectly crisp, thick-cut fried potatoes. My dining companion enjoyed a new salad called the Athena Greek tuna salad - a goddess-light, yet flavorful dream of lettuce greens, seared sashimi tuna, feta cheese, red onion, kalamata olives, tomato and cucumber with a house vinaigrette served with a peppered crispy flat bread. It was a challenge, but getting one serving of each ingredient in each bite made for a subtly flavorful experience. I had a hard time deciding between the veggie lasagna, the blackened grouper, the muffaleta or a hot brown (only because the waitress said it was the best hot brown within 100 miles), but I opted for a Bayou Chicken salad instead. This was a grilled Cajun chicken breast (same spices as the French fries), baby spinach leaves, candied pecans and bleu cheese crumbles with a balsamic vinaigrette. The menu noted the pecans were both spicy and sweet, but I didn’t get that flavor combination. The balsamic in the vinaigrette was pleasingly subdued, allowing for the natural goodness of the spinach, bleu cheese and crunchy pecans to shine through. Micki’s has taken a few things off the menu, like the cheese steak that was problematic when I visited months ago, and replaced them with an inventive mix of blackened and Cajun delights, a few southern staples and some unique new eats that will surely become your favorites before the new summer restaurant season has even begun. — Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, contact managing editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to malexieff@bgdailynews.com. |
| A Taste of Europe offers tasty gyros Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:03:29 -0500 I have been attempting to visit The Taste of Europe for more than a month now and I finally made it in last week. This week was unique because not only was I anonymous to the restaurant, my dining companion was also not aware I was writing a review. As luck would have it, she had been to Greece a few years ago, and had a unique take on our dining experience. To begin with, she knew from her Greek island hopping days that you do not pronounce the Greek food gyro, which are predominate on The Taste of Europe menu, like “j-ai-roh,” which is how I was saying it. Gyro is pronounced, our waiter confirmed, “j-yeer-oh.” Or close enough. The “g” is not silent, but spoken with the “j” sound, just softly. This may be subjective, however, because an online search noted the word is often mispronounced and suggested the “g” is actually silent. I have to say it doesn’t matter how you pronounce it, they’ll know what you’re talking about, but the greatest challenge is in finding The Taste of Europe. It is so tucked away, that even though I was the one who suggested the restaurant, I almost couldn’t find it. It’s gently squeezed between two windows of furniture on State Street, one block from the square. It is definitely worth a little detective work, and, as my dining companion revealed to me, reminiscent of a petite, tucked away, unassuming European caf/ you might find in Greece. What you’ll also find at The Taste of Europe is a Greek specialty sandwich prepared in many different ways with different ingredients. Gyros is well-season beef shaved into fine slices from a large piece of meat on a cylinder. The meat is cut from a slowly rotating vertical spit, just like the spinning motion of a gyroscope. The Taste of Europe offers this in plate form and in sandwiches made with beef, chicken or a combination of the two. My dining companion had the “authentic” gyro sandwich with the choice of a side item, French fries, rice or small Greek salad. French fries by “default,” as the menu noted, which I thought was an adorable way of suggesting: Choose or it will be chosen for you. In sandwich form the gyro is put into a round piece of double layered flat, pita bread with tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and onions (or as you like it) and folded in half. For me the tzatziki sauce made the meal. It’s a fresh, cool, cucumber yogurt sauce with a hint of mint. It was also served with the chicken gyro plate I ordered. Instead of coming in sandwich form, my well-seasoned shaved chicken was served on a bed of seasoned rice with vegetables. The pita bread, tzatziki and a small Greek salad with feta cheese and olives was served on the side. I thoroughly enjoyed the flavor of everything. The pita bread had substance and tasteful essence, but was not heavy or chewy. The rice was tenderly seasoned with light oils, herbs and vegetables. The gyro meat and chicken, odd looking at first glance, was a unique and delicious way to eat meat. Just as it was hard to find the restaurant, I didn’t see the appetizers on the front of the menu, or I certainly would have tried the hummus. Hummus is a dip made with chickpeas, oil and seasonings and is delicious on pita bread. The Taste of Europe also serves a variety of salads (yes, including a gyro salad), pizzas for dinner, other Greek specialties and even a fajita plate. The atmosphere is laid back, just like Europe. It took me a while to pay the check, waiting for an elongated conversation to finish while I waited in line, but hey, it’s like being in another country, which is similar to being country. All life enhancing experiences, no matter how you pronounce it. — Our anonymous food reviewer gives new restaurants a six-week grace period before reviewing. To comment, contact managing editor Mike Alexieff at 783-3235 or via e-mail to malexieff@bgdailynews.com. A Taste of Europe 1006 State St. |
| Bagels and Bites has great homemade breads Thu, 6 Mar 2008 11:16:53 -0600 I usually find myself gallivanting to opposite ends of Warren and its surrounding counties, but this week I found myself back in the heart of Bowling Green at Hartland. Vincent’s Bagels and Bites drew me in, and, like a scene from a Seinfeld episode, seemed to be drawing a lot of customers in. I entered the practically empty restaurant alone, looking to place a to-go order and after a couple of minutes, found myself at the front of a long lunch crowd line that was gently and willingly herded to the right with a retaining wall for excellent organization. A wall-sized mirror on the far right wall created a large space illusion and surely made the crowd seem much larger than it was. Or not. The d/cor was simple, light, clean and cheery with several four-top tables scattered throughout the restaurant. As I ordered, I kept looking back at the growing crowd and finally apologized to the women behind me for taking so much time. When I took a closer look at the reflections in the mirror, however, the customers seemed just happy to be there. The woman behind me only needed a New York accent and it really could have been a scene from Seinfeld - she said, “There’s no right time. We’re all used to this place being busy all the time. It’s worth it.” And it was! Vincent’s has a huge variety of homemade bagels for breakfast or anytime, as well as breads, muffins, pastries, cookies and even a breakfast sandwich if you stop by for breakfast. And for dinner or lunch, there is no limit to this homemade sky! I enjoyed the Hilltopper sandwich piled high with ham, salami and pepperoni and equally generous portions of provolone cheese, onion, green pepper, lettuce, tomato and a light drizzle of Italian dressing on thick slices of homemade bread. I was impressed with the long, lean, yet large slices of green pepper, which meant I got a taste in every bite, and the fact that the sandwich was perfectly moist without any other condiments meant the flavor of the meats and vegetables shined through. Not even the thick slices of wheat bread overwhelmed, but all ingredients worked together to form a delicious symphony of flavors. The pasta salad was also moist, light and appetizin |