by: wibia
In my opinion, Sunday brunch is one of the best meals of the week. It is your hall pass to eat whatever kind of food that you want. Prime Rib at 11:00, no problem. A drink, why not?!
I looked at this list for places to go and it seemed generally creditable. https://impulcity.com/articles/best-brunches-in-louisville Off the list, I choose Gralehaus. This place is tiny. It is in a restored house that has a few tables out front, and a garden with tables in the back. There was a line inside to order at the counter and then you get a number and they bring it to you. Total hipster hangout and it was packed. We ordered a maple latte on ice ($5) and a ginger basil lemonade ($3) I enjoyed the maple latte, but would’ve liked a little more maple. The Ginger basil lemonade was a bit of a letdown and I prefer the one at Scratch Truck.
For breakfast, I tried the biscuit with duck gravy ($9) and the lamb sausage & grits ($9). We sat at a counter that is overlooking the kitchen. I could literally reach out and make my breakfast we were that close. I am not sure why, but I love watching crepes being made. Mostly because I think that I can do it with my eyes closed, but imagine that it takes a little bit of practice.
We waited and waited and waited…. I usually never complain about brunch because I have nothing else to do, but good grief. Our meal arrived and as you can see, it looks good. Mine was served luke-warm and I am not sure if this was the intent. I could see the kitchen, so I know that it wasn’t sitting. Knowing that we didn’t have table service and it took so long, I didn’t send it back, but in retrospect, I should’ve. I enjoyed the taste quite a bit, but missed the maple syrup and duck cracklin' that I thought made this look interesting. The duck in the gravy was softer than what we would typically find in a pork sausage that was fried a little harder. Maybe my palate is going to the dogs, but I highly doubt that. To continue complaining, note on the pic where there is a biscuit, not biscuits and duck gravy. I know that my appetite is more than the average bear, so I am not sure if you should trust me on this. Another half of a biscuit could go a long way here, just saying.
My wife’s lamb sausage and grits was the winner of the two. The lamb was formed into a patty (crepinette) and tasted different than any other breakfast sausage that I have had. I really liked the spice that came from the ras el hanout and I can’t say that I have ever had this mixture before. I thought that I tasted some sage in the lamb, but I might be wrong. Either way, flavorful as all get out and a great dish.
With all of my complaints, I liked the Gralehaus. I am not sure if I like it for Sunday brunch since it was insanely busy and is usually want something pretty quickly to cure whatever I did to myself on Saturday night. If you want to get back at it, they had a wild beer selection where I didn’t even know 70% of the beers in the case. We need more places like this in Indy. A small menu, superior quality and something different. With 14 other places that look good on that list, Gralehaus is not on my “must go back to” list in Louisville, but it was a fun experience.
Gralehous
1001 Baxter Ave
Louisville, KY 40204
502/454-7075
Sounds interesting. Glad to learn about new places for brunch in Louisville - we still miss Lynn's Paradise Cafe!
ReplyDeleteNice. My wife and I visited Louisville a few years ago and had a banner meal at the Holy Grale (mind you, I went for the beer and my mind had been pretty well blown by the time the kitchen opened). One of my best from 2012 and I've since totally stolen the idea for mint-pistachio-chile pesto.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I've been following the opening of the Gralehaus - located a bit behind the Hole Grale, as I understand it... with some staff crossover - and wibia, I appreciate seeing the photos and reading the review from someone whose perspective I kind of know. I'd like to check it out, but suspect I might prefer going back to the Holy Grale! We did a (long, somewhat sketchy) walk from there... to Hammerheads... back to our B&B.
Hammerheads had promise, but it was a REALLY strange space and the kitchen's ventilation was pretty shabby. Plus, it seemed like everything hot came with some mixed salad greens served immediately next to the warm items, decimating the lettuce. A pet peeve of mine. At any rate, Louisville *is* a cool city and I wish I could steal a few of their better spots and bring them back to Indy.