C-J Online Ratings are Back in Time for Rosen to Score Game Three Pixelated Yellow Stars

After a two-month hiatus, ratings have returned to Louisville Courier-Journal's online restaurant reviews. Even better—they are pixelated and resemble invincibility stars from the original Super Mario Bros. on the NES (albeit without the eyes). Ba dum bum ba dum dum dum. Anyway, Marty Rosen gave Game three invincibility stars, which is probably enough to get the burger joint through an entire level of Super Mario Bros. but not the minus world because it never ends (seriously, what was the point of that level?). "A duck burger (greens, fried egg and cranberry-jalapeno jam, on focaccia, $14)...was pretty darned good — thick, juicy and flavorful, but as a student of the art of sandwiches, I object to the practice of slathering a condiment on bread, and then inserting many layers of other things between the bread and the main ingredient. Call me persnickety [Persnickety! –Ed.], but if the condiment is intended to accent the main ingredient, please apply it to that ingredient, then build out the other layers toward the bread; in this case, I wound up doing a lot of scraping and rearranging to properly integrate the flavors. Anyway, that burger was good." [Louisville Courier-Journal]

"If you think the Balkans are bad for bloody border warfare, just try to find a space in the maze of parking lots behind the busy storefronts of downtown St. Matthews," is how Robin Garr opens his LEO Weekly review of Meridian Cafe (rating: 86). Oh Robin, is there any ethnicity you won't slight? Apparently disparaging a couple hundred thousand dead Europeans was all the original content Garr could muster this week, so he then recited Meridian Cafe's menu: "They rolled out a half-dozen new dishes last month, along with a strengthened commitment to have all meats locally farmed and, to boot, all 'trans' fats out of the menu, so it seemed like a good time to check in. The bones of the menu are familiar, with a good mix of soups, sandwiches and lunch entrees with appetizing breakfast options served through the day. About 18 lunch choices, subdivided among grilled pita sandwiches, paninis, 'heartier fare' and "house specialties," are all under $10 and come with chips and a pickle; you can add a side dish for $1.50. More than a dozen breakfast dishes hit the same affordable price range, plus a la carte breakfast items that allow you to assemble your own morning repast featuring an egg cooked to order ($1.95), Garey Farm bacon ($3.25), toast ($1.50) and just about any other breakfast item your hungry heart desires. If you're in a hurry, grab the 'breakfast express menu' with a half-dozen choices — granola, cheese biscuits and sausage gravy, smoked salmon pita and more, all $4.99." [LEO Weekly]

·All Week In Reviews [~ELOU~]

[Photo: Zach Everson]