Porcini shines

Porcini is a restaurant that i love to eat at, but for whatever reason it had been a while since i ate there. the reason probably is something like Yogi said- nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded. this place usually has them 3 deep around the bar waiting for tables regardless of what night it is or what the weather is. i am amazed at how long this place had been on a good run. sometimes one needs to feel like they are in the hot spot with a surefire A list restaurant. jack fry's and porcini are the only two that come to mind right away. always packed, always good service, and 95% good food. Our dear friends bill and sarah had made 7 pm reservations, and as we walked in with my daughter i could see them setting us in the back room. they would have none of it. we were seated in the main area next to the mayor. great table. great start.

as we took our time settling in, seemed like everyone knew someone there, we just enjoyed our waters and let everyone get their seat. when that happened i ordered a charles krug cabernet by the glass ($10), Jennifer had a split of Korbel ($9), Bill had a red wine, and Sarah had a Russian River chardonnay ($7.50). Sierra stuck with water. my cabernet was a solid partner with my two courses.

For starters, Jennifer ordered a salad that was not delivered (the only miscue of the evening), bill and sarah had the oysters rockefeller, and i had the calamari ($8.95). the calamari was a lightly dusted dish, mostly rings cut from the body that was made with the light marinara sauce. too many restaurants use a heavy sauce that masks the natural flavor of the calamari. as we finished our appetizers Rick Pitino emerged from the restroom area, I made sure to wish him luck the next day and he was appreciative. always a good buzz in a restaurant with Coach in the house. that was the second time i ran into him the night before the dream game (Ruth's Chris).

Entrees is where the restaurant took ahold of my attention. Sierra had the spaghetti and meatballs, it looked a little dry, but i did not try it. she ate a lot of it, though - and she has good taste buds. she was busy entertaining our four senior neighbors on girls night out between bites. she was a very good diner saturday night for a 3 year old. Bill had the bucatini with scallops. the scallops were diver size and were absolutely wonderful. Sarah had the special, which was a black bass with sun-dried tomato polenta, salted asparagus, and a drizzle of sauce to give the fish a slight flavor enhancement. i was glad i was sitting next to her, because i had about half of her polenta, as it was excellent. i had the penne carbona (sub linguine for penne, my least favorite noodle) and leave out the peas. the pieces of chicken were sized correctly and the sauce was heavy enough for a cool, damp evening. the subtle nuances of a good carbonara were evidence that Chef has mastered the northern italian recipe. i usually try diferent items here and you can always expect a steady as we go approach. no bright flavors and wild experiments, just good, solid, perfectly executed italian fare.

the atmosphere of this restaurant is what makes it shine in my eyes. tim is a gracious host who is very personable and loves to talk college hoops. the bar area is cozy, yet lively. a good mix. the main dining room is everything it should be, not so close you can't mill about, and there was a lot of that going. the exposed faux brick and vines give the feel of a northern italian villa. ok- the big question, what's the best italian restaurant in town - porcini? well..... well..... i still go with volare. porcini is as close at second as any two restaurants could be. they are very different, one northern - one southern with lighter sauces and more fruite de mare. two excellent restaurants that shine brightly. porcini **** as good as it gets in louisville