Casanova Italian Restaurant

                          855 South Broadway, Lexington, KY 40504

Antipasto Misto 

Risotto funghi e Asparagi

Rigatoni alla Amatriciana

His & Hers:  His- I think this appetizer had its moments.  Both of the salami portions were good and the triangle sliced cheese was good but I couldn't but my finger on what type it was.  I didn't like the olive paste on the bread but I'm not much of an olive fan to begin with.  I also didn't like the cubed cheese.  It had a spice element that through me for a loop and was to over powering to the cheese it self.  Hers- the meats & cheese appetizer was great. I'm such a sucker for cheese & cured meats. Can't go wrong with a good salami to start the meal.



Hers: I had the Risotto funghi e Asparagi (translation: mushroom and asparagus risotto.) I've never had risotto before, so I was really looking forward to this dish. When the plate came out, I was taken aback. I remember Anthony Bourdain explaining to Josh Homme on an episode of No Reservations once that risotto is supposed to be soupy. As you can see in the picture, it wasn't. If anything, the rice was a little al dente, which isn't my thing. Also, it was distractingly salty, so much so that I couldn't finish it. Bummer.  
The Verdict: Never again.




His:  I got the Rigatoni alla Amartriciana.  The flavors of this dish were good.  It had the right amount of cheese, sauce and onions.  The pasta was cooked right, with no al dente pieces to find.  The only thing that I didn't like about the dish was the bacon.  Now that sounds surprising because who doesn't like bacon.  Well the bacon was barely cooked and even though it had good flavor, I'm not a big fan of chew bacon.  The Verdict:  I don't mind this dish and have no problem recommending it but I will probably try something else first before ordering it again.

Nick Ryan's Saloon

      157 Jefferson Street, Lexington, KY 40508

Side Salad w/Sherry Fennel Vinaigrette

10oz. Aged Sirloin

 His & Hers: His- Our meals came with a side salad.  It was a pretty standard garden salad and very fresh.  The sherry fennel vinaigrette was very tasty but thick.  Hers- The salad was typical, and the dressing had a nice tangy kick. Good start to the meal, as was the Bulleit bourbon on the rocks I had.







Hers: The Aged Sirloin I ordered was fantastic. It came with pommes dauphine (the two hush-puppy looking spheres that were really fried mashed potato balls), fresh asparagus, and the steak itself was topped with a crimini mushroom demi glace. Definitely one of the more classy and fancier meals I've had in town. The steak was cooked perfectly and I could eat the potatoes until the cows come home. No complaints about the meal itself, just the idiot horse people that were there being drunk and rowdy that night. Also, our server/bartender Alex was really cool and entertained us the whole time, so that was a good distraction from all the screaming red faced diners.
The Verdict: While the clientele were obnoxious, the food made up for it. Just be sure to make a reservation before making the trek--or not, and take a seat at the bar & say hi to Alex. Be sure to tip him well.

Braised Beef Short Ribs

His:  I got the Braised Beef Short Ribs.  I very much enjoyed this dish.  The ribs were cooked perfectly, very tender and moist.  It was served on top of a cauliflower mousse line and seasonal vegetables, which happened to be zucchini and green beans.  The cauliflower mousse line was the best surprise of the dish.  I never had cauliflower this way and found it to be very creamy and delicious, I wanted more.  The sauce was a house made veal stock and complemented the beef divinely.  The only problem I found with this dish was the amount of fat on the short ribs.  I know ribs have fat and the fat adds taste to the beef when cooked but I don't really like eating it.  The Verdict:  I would definitely recommend this dish and try the cauliflower mousse line with it but be prepared for the fat if you mind those things.  Also, make sure you make reservations or you will have to eat at the bar, but at least the bartender is nice.

Thai Orchid Cafe

                                                                                    

                                                  1030 S Broadway # 2, Lexington, KY 40504

Thai Iced Tea

Hers: Whenever I got to a Thai restaurant, I have to order a Thai Iced Tea. If you've never had one, here's the best way I can describe it: a creamy chai tea with a spicy-smokey after taste, not unlike licking your lips after having a puff of a great cigar, but sweeter.















                                                                  

Golden Pockets

  His & Hers:  His- We got the appetizer Golden Pockets.  It's a fried crispy dough "pocket" stuffed with chicken, onions and potatoes.  It is served with a sweet cucumber, sauce.  I found this appetizer to be very delightful and could eat a whole plate by myself.  Her- I was only able to eat two of them before he scarfed down the whole plate, but the few bites I had were great. I'm a sucker for anything with a great crunchy texture and these delivered.                

                                                

Basil & Chili w/Chicken

Hers: I chose the Basil & Chili with chicken as I have not had this dish since leaving Los Angeles. Across the street from my old job, there was a great Thai place that served this same dish that I ate regularly. While the place in LA made their's with serrano peppers, Thai Orchid looks to have used a concoction of red peppers and spices making it milder, but just as good. It's really interesting having tasted the two different interpretations. My only qualm was the sauce itself is very salty, as if a soy sauce base rather than a fish sauce like the old version I'm used to. Also, they skimped on the basil, but I forgive them since it's grown fresh in their garden so there may not be as much to work with. The Verdict: Good, but next time I'm ordering it spicier then Medium to mask the saltiness.

Pepper & Garlic w/Tofu

 His:  I ordered the Pepper & Garlic dish with tofu.  It is a dish that is served with vegetables in a stir-fry sauce that has pepper and garlic with a side of rice.  You can get the dish with different protein options.  I went with tofu, which was good.  They cooked the tofu to a good, harder consistency that I like instead of having it still soft and spongy.  They also had the tofu soak up the sauce for its flavor, but I kind of hoped they soaked it in a different flavor to add more dept to the dish.  The sauce had a great garlic flavor but the pepper was a little lacking.  The Verdict:  I recommend this dish if you like garlic and are looking for a lite dish.

Richie's Fast Food

  

325 Roosevelt Boulevard, Lexington, KY 40508

3 piece chicken w/two sides and roll; sides: red beans and rice, mac'n cheese

Hers:  I picked the 3 piece chicken meal and chose red beans & rice and the mac n' cheese for my sides. It also came with a dinner roll that looked like the type you can buy at the grocery store. The mac n' cheese was average, like it came out of a box, and the red beans and rice was good, but it tasted as if they used molasses in their recipe, which would have been great if I were a fan of molasses. However, the more I ate it the more it grew on me, so no harm no foul (and nothing a little Tabasco sauce can't fix.) Now the chicken was DIVINE! I found myself wondering how they got the chicken to stay so moist but were still able to get the skin so crispy. Fried chicken skin is one of my guilty food pleasures in life and Richie's delivered on flavor and crunch. It had a little unexpected kick for being plain fried chicken and their soul food family recipe gave me the warm and fuzzies. 
The Verdict: I would recommend the chicken but skip the mac n' cheese.

        

6 piece hot wings w/roll- extra side order of baked beans

     His:  I ordered the 6 piece wings w/roll.  They offered it in regular or hot.  I went with the hot and also got an extra side of baked beans.  I found the chicken to be very good, flavorful, moist and crunchy.  You could tell the breading and spices were mixed together by hand because you would sometimes get a nice pronounced taste of "kick" on some parts of the chicken than others.  The wings are small, so 6 pieces was not quite enough.  The roll, unfortunately, was a store bought variety type.  Not bad but wished it was more fresh.  The baked beans had a good smokey barbecue flavor and were a good complement to the meal.  
The Verdict: I would recommend Riche's hot wings but I would get the 18 piece or more.