Exchange Pub's Tangy-Sweet, Ball-Sized Lollipops Give LEO Weekly's Garr a 'Fun Finish'

After defining his "Restaurant Theory of Relativity: E = MC2, or Eats equals Mood times Cooking squared," Robin Garr calculates an 88 for The Exchange Pub + Kitchen in LEO Weekly. Garr's reviews, of course, also often conjure up the Ideal Gas Law: PV = nRT, or Positive times Very equals n (the amount of substance of gas) times Robin (also known as the "ideal, or universal, gas constant") times Timeworn. "The beef short ribs were just fine, a sizable block of long-cooked, falling-apart tender beef plated with a generous portion of kale and a ration of roast parsnip rounds. Meanwhile, I was smitten by the idea of an earthy wild-mushroom ragout over a creamy parmesan risotto, but wasn't particularly in the mood for the salmon and beurre blanc that reposed atop the $18 dish, so I tested their patience by asking for a variation: a double order of the risotto, mushrooms and crisp haricots verts, hold the fish. No problem: They brought out a pretty decorated plate and knocked $5 off the price. A quartet of cheesecake lollipops ($6) — rounds of tangy-sweet cheesecake the size of ping-pong balls, decoratively coated with heavy chocolate — made a fun finish." [Louisville Hot Bytes]

In the Louisville Courier-Journal, Marty Rosen anointed 3.5 stars on Bourbons Bistro and its back bar, "a lofty altar of amber offerings." Rosen then decided Bourbons' dishes are in a competition or something. "The menu includes plenty of sinful indulgences. In case plain old pasta carbonara isn't already luxurious enough, [chef Jeff Bridges's] version uses pork belly and a rosemary cream sauce ($22). And his towering entry in the race to build ever-more-elaborate gourmet burgers uses a brioche bun, white cheddar, rocket lettuce and tomato bacon jam (as well as garlicky house-cut fries; $15). Bridges also has an impressive entry in the house-made veggie burger category (where many of us would like to find more competition); his is made with grilled chickpeas, black beans and white beans dressed with basil aioli, caramelized onions and feta ($13)." [Louisville Courier-Journal]

·All Eater Louisville "Week In Reviews" Coverage [Eater Louisville]

[Photo: Exchange Pub + Kitchen]