For city slickers who wish that Louisville could have swankier, more flamboyant spots for cocktails, JEFF RUBY’S STEAKHOUSE (325 W. Main St., 584-0102) fills the bill. A destination for hungry carnivores, this restaurant also beckons a quaffing crowd with its spacious cocktail area, cozy booths and U-shaped illuminated bar whose centerpiece is a stage that can hold a five-piece band.
Separated from the dining area by a 1,200-gallon shark tank, the bar is its own oasis. The decor will provide plenty of fodder for conversation. Is it Copacabana meets ’80s disco party meets 1920s speakeasy meets old New York steakhouse? Draw your own conclusion after gazing at the geometrically cut mirrors protruding from the dropped ceiling, vintage posters, and faux ferns and palms potted in brass buckets amidst a color palette of orange, brown and black. Equally entertaining is the rotation of bands six nights a week — from a funky, five-piece jazz band to the former piano player for KC and the Sunshine Band to a cover band on Friday nights.
The wine list is deep, but I’d recomm/files/storyimages/a glitzy martini glass filled with Ruby’s excellent version of this classic cocktail. Appetizers are a good choice for tables at the mohair-upholstered bar booths, and the large menu (literally — its wingspan is two feet) offers salads, sushi and other choices. My pick? The richly flavored blue crab sweet corn fritters with lobster remoulade ($9) delighted my inner child (they’re sprinkled with powered sugar) while satisfying my grown-up taste buds. Another stellar seafood appetizer was the pan-fried jumbo lump crab cake ($12), unencumbered by spices or breading and complemented with green apple-fennel chutney.
