A bountiful choice of special dinners pose hard choices for Louisville-area diners this week. A Bourbon dinner at a distillery? Italian food paired with sparkling wines? An ides of March dinner with small dishes from Provence washed down with French wines? Dinners focused on value wines from American vineyards? Or how about a breakfast focused on compassion for self and others? You pays your money and you takes your choice.
- The first up on Tuesday, March 14 at 6:30 p.m. is a Farm to Table Dinner featuring a 4-course small plate meal from Chef Josh Moore of Volare Italian Restaurant, to be served at the Jeptha Creed Distillery, 500 Gordon Lane, Shelbyville. Each course will be paired with a Jeptha Creed Bourbon cocktail. The menu: Hot Italian sausage and bell peppers, with a Jeptha Creed Moonshine and balsamic vinegar reduction; housemade pasta with ricotta cheese, duck egg yolks, and a sage brown butter sauce; braised beef short rib; and cornmeal cake with blood orange purée, bittersweet chocolate, and Jeptha Creed Honey Flavored Vodka gelato.
Dinner will be $65. Click here for tickets.
Wednesday, March 15 will offer two choices: The Ides Of March Wine Tasting & Small Plates Event at Brasserie Provence, 150 N. Hurstbourne Pkwy., and a Domaine Chandon sparkling wine dinner at Porcini, Frankfort Ave.
- The Brasserie Provence dinner will, according to a restaurant press release, “explore the early influence of the Roman Empire on the wines of the South of France.” The three wines to be sampled, Domaine du Bagnol, Cassis; Domaine du Grangeon, Chatus, Ardèche; Domaine Anne Gros & Jean-Paul Tollot, L’O De La Vie, Minervois are derived from ancient grape varieties. The wine will be paired with 3 small plates, Cost will be $45. Call (502) 883-3153 or go to www.brasserieprovence.com.
- Porcini chef Hollis Barnett will serve a four-course dinner paired with four sparkling wines from Domaine Chandon. The tasting will be guided by Domaine Chandon’s Assistant Winemaker, Brian Fairleigh, who will discuss his Chandon Rosé, Étoile Brut, Étoile Rosé and Chandon Sweet Star. Reception is a 6:30 p.m. with dinner served at 7. The dinner and wine pairings will be $75. Call (502) 894-8686.
The choices expand to three on Thursday, March 16, Starting with Noosh Nosh’s monthly Compassion Breakfast at 8:45 a.m., to be served at ProFormance Health and Wellbeing, 2041 River Rd. Anoosh Shariat will serve a healthful breakfast, and he and Coach Carlos Rivas will discuss developing compassion in daily life. For tickets, click here.
- Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m., the English Grill at the Brown Hotel, 335 W. Broadway, will offer a three-course dinner highlighting the wines of Duckhorn Vineyards. Advanced sommelier Aaron Wilson will introduce and discuss each wine
The menu: Hors d’oeuvres of compressed melon with prosciutto with ginger-honey sauce and shrimp ceviche with grapefruit essence, paired with 2015 Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc; butter-poached halibut with butternut squash risotto, served with 2014 Duckhorn Chardonnay; duck confit with herb yucca frites, paired with 2013 Duckhorn Merlot and 2015 Decoy Pinot Noir; and Kenny’s white cheddar cheese soufflé, served with 2013 Paraduxx Red Blend.
The cost is $65. Call (502) 583-1234.
- Also on Thursday, March 16, Varanese. 2106 Frankfort Ave. will serve a six-course dinner paired with organic, biodynamic wine varietals from Bonterra Vineyards. The menu will include grilled jumbo shrimp ceviche with coconut milk and grilled avocado; smoked Brie over grilled baguette with pistachio pesto; chili-roasted cauliflower, cavatelli pasta and broccoli rabe in a romesco sauce; grilled lamb chop and lamb Scotch egg with braised greens and mustard demi; braised short ribs and mushrooms served over soft polenta; and for dessert raspberry-filled chocolates with cherry wood smoked sea salt and toasted marshmallow.
Cost of dinner and wine pairings will be $65. Call (502) 899-9904 or email letsdine@varanese.com.
