Milkwood - Louisville

My husband and I visited Louisville and when I saw this I decided to be adventurous and made a reservation. In hindsight, I wished I tried more authentic local fare (apparently, I need to try that brown open face sandwich next time I 'm in town). I came solely to try their bacon octopus since so many raved about it. Sadly, it was not on the menu! Total downer. A reservation wasn 't needed on a Sunday evening. The place was a bit barren when we arrived. With slim pickings my husband ordered the beef burger and I ordered the MK ramen. No one asked how he would want his burger. So I assume they only cook it one way. My ramen was just...ok. I mean the noodles has decent enough QQ/chewiness and I liked the pork. The servers were also kind enough to get me minced garlic. And I like the poached egg. I did NOT dig the Parmesan. Probably should 've read the menu better but I don 't think it works well. One of those trying to be avant garde but it was just...weird. I avoided the whole large chunk of melted cheese that formed in the side. In the end, it was just a whatever experience and I felt kind of bad choosing it as I felt we cheated ourselves out of trying some real Louisville cuisine.

Count me among the local fans of chef Ed Lee. And of his (currently) three Louisville restaurants, for me, this is the Goldilocks one. 610 Magnolia is a masterpiece, but its price keeps me and my middle class income away except only for the exceptional occasion. Whiskey Dry is the best thing that's happened to Fourth Street Live, a populist love letter to the city. But Milkwood is Just Right affordable and casual enough for regular visits, unique and daring enough to engage the senses and make every meal feel special. For those not in the know, Lee gained notoriety from his successes on the tv program Top Chef, and for his embracing of both southern food traditions as well as the culinary traditions of his Korean heritage. And it's not a simple matter of dropping bulgogi in a tortilla with a side of collards, or pairing fried chicken with kimchi. Every plate, every sauce is painstaking. And service is consistently as professional as it gets. Go here, food lovers, and rejoice.

We were looking for a place to eat before seeing a play and luckily Milkwood was actually below the place we were going to. Milkwood is known for their Ramen but since I try to avoid Ramen we went with the wings. They were good however it felt like there was not enough meat on them so it was a little disappointing. The prices are fair and we got our food quick. It's not my first place to go to but if someone else wants to go, I won't object

We attended MilkWood to celebrate an occasion. Food excellent Service excellent! Ambiance a 2-3. It is in a basement with no windows andI have to admit it truly effected our experience. The server beyond great and made sure my food was gluten free! I had an appetizer of chicken wings and a burger for dinner. I was starving and these dishes were so flavorful and perfect for what I needed. My husband did prix fix appetizer butternut squash soup, salmon entree and cheesecake for dessert. Overall good he states but not excellent. The cheesecake he states was excellent. The salmon was simple. I think if it had more ambiance it would have been better. The service was incredible! Would we go again? We would probably do 610 Magnolia instead.

Great cocktails, tasty food. I have eaten here several times before attending plays at Actor's Theatre and have had great service and good food every time. Even more times, I have enjoyed a pre-show cocktail here. Their specialty drink were always really interesting, surprising and delicious. The bartenders were always friendly and knowledgeable, happy to talk shop, and eager to make recommendations. Drinks were priced fairly similarly to the ones available at the concessions in the theatre....only these were better. AND if you told them you wanted to take it in to the show with you, they would put it in a disposable cup for you. I was looking forward to a return trip after the pandemic subsided some, but recently it was announced that they would be closing and re-opening as a community kitchen. Edward Lee is a great citizen in our city, and I am proud of what he is doing in these strange times. Farewell, MilkWood.