Steakhouses t/files/storyimages/to be organized by similar themes: handsome dark woods, burgundy tones and linen-topped tables, along with a USDA Prime menu. However, at the top of the Kaden Tower, RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE (6100 Dutchman’s Lane, 479-0026) stands above the rest in a few less-mentioned categories. To start, the view from the 16th floor is striking, and the balcony, which wraps around the restaurant, is as close as one might come to having an Affair to Remember moment in this city. I like to sit at the bar before my meal, order a Manhattan and gaze out at a 270-degree view of Louisville.
Ruth’s Chris delivers a consistently good steak, as well as lamb chops, lobster tail and other standbys, but the accompaniments are what draw me. For starters, I’ve been blown away by the brandy-boosted onion soup au gratin ($8). Family-style sides (enough to serve two or three people) bolster the dining experience, especially for folks like me who don’t have a strong red-meat gene. The steakhouse offers eight different potato dishes (good news for those of us who think the no-carb diet is so 2003). I’m especially fond of the mashed potatoes ($7.25), which are perfectly fluffy and creamy, with just the right hint of roasted garlic.
The creamed spinach ($7.25), one of Ruth’s original New Orleans-influenced recipes, uses fresh spinach, and its cream-based roux does not overwhelm the deep flavor of the vegetable. The dish is cooked to a perfect consistency, neither too runny nor too thick. And for those who haven’t saved room for dessert, I recomm/files/storyimages/the French-press coffee service ($3 per person). Ruth’s offers a Nicaraguan bean with a truly rich and robust flavor. Many aficionados believe the press pot is the best way to prepare the brew because the coffee oils are not trapped by a paper filter or burned in a percolator. It’s a great way to top off any meal at the top of the tower.
