The Dish: August Moon’s big birthday bash

“A 25-year anniversary is a very, very big deal,” says Peng Looi, chef and partner at August Moon, 2269 Lexington Road. He credits the restaurant’s success to the “culinary team and the people in Louisville who support independent restaurants. … Louisville is a big foodie town,” he says.

Looi plans several components to a monthlong celebration. “I’m going to launch a full-scale happy hour with Asian-inspired small plates in the lounge,” he says. Two weeks of specials are planned, and a Valentine’s wine dinner will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 9.

The dinner will “showcase what our kitchen can do,” says Looi, reflecting August Moon’s culinary philosophy of modern Southeast Asian-inspired Chinese cuisine.

On the menu: salad of grilled Chinese broccoli with fennel-dusted salmon sashimi; and a Svedka Clementine sake martini; Nyonya-style tamarind shrimp and spiced potato fritter on satay sauce with Hogue Genesis Riesling; steamed sea bass with Chinese salted mustard greens and Dreaming Tree chardonnay; grilled lamb chop with Malay rendang sauce and Robert Mondavi Private Selection Meritage (Monterey County, Calif.); and lemongrass-scented jasmine rice pudding and Robert Mondavi moscato.

The dinner costs $45 plus tax and gratuity. Call (502) 456-6569 for reservations. More information: www.augustmoonbistro.com.

Westport General Store to host Kentucky wine dinners

After closing for the month of January, Westport General Store, 7008 Ky. 524, will feature Kentucky wines at a series of dinners throughout the rest of winter and spring.

“We like to use as many local things as we can,” says owner Will Crawford, “and I’ve been trying some Kentucky wines and recently things have really stepped up.

“I’ve been having a ball going around tasting them. My wife and I map out a course and take country roads and don’t take the expressway. Some of these places are so off the beaten path! The winemakers are a lot like chefs — they’re really proud of their product, and I think that’s great. Before Prohibition this was the market for wine in America. The grapes that seem to work really well in Kentucky are chardonnay and chambourcin.”

The first wine dinner will be Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. “We’re starting with Equus,” says Crawford. “They’ve won a lot of awards.” The menu features Equus Run Riesling with Kentucky Bibb lettuce salad with pears, and Kenny’s Farmhouse Gouda; chardonnay with bay scallops over sauteed arugula; cabernet sauvignon with chimichurri-marinated and grilled Kentucky bison rib-eye steak; and Kiss (a chocolate-infused cabernet) with mixed berries Romanoff.

The dinner costs $65 plus tax and tip. Call (502) 222-4626 for reservations. More information: www.westportgeneralstore.com.

Bristol locations to offer Valentine’s specials

Feb. 10-14, all Louisville and Southern Indiana Bristol locations will offer special menu items featuring local, seasonal products.

In addition, Milbrandt winery in Columbia Valley, Wash., will be featured throughout February with wine specials (except at the Jeffersonville Bristol, where they will be introduced in March).

“We’re tying in many of our Valentine’s Day specials with what local farmers have to offer,” says T.J. Oakley, manager of the downtown Bristol. Items from Weisenberger Mills, Stone Cross Farms, Elmwood Stock Farms and Good Shepherd Cheese will be featured.

Oakley says they usually have a good turnout not just for Valentine’s Day, but for the whole weekend, so he suggests reservations and calling in advance to inquire about the day’s specials. Specials also can be found at www.facebook.com/BristolBarandGrille.

Among the items to be featured are crab-stuffed shrimp with passionfruit beurre blanc ($22, Jeffersonville); surf and turf with bordelaise sauce ($30, Jeffersonville); and lobster-stuffed flounder with beurre blanc, rice and vegetables ($25, Hurstbourne Parkway).

More information: www.bristolbarandgrille.com.

News bites

Eiderdown, 983 Goss Ave., has launched its winter menu. Among the new dishes are fried quail with sweet potato pancakes, local roasted beef tongue on a caraway roll with beer cheese, and a Norwegian potato flatbread with vegetables and crème fraiche.

New Albanian Brewing Co. has released its annual winter black lager, Bonfire of the Valkyries. It’s recommended as accompaniment to smoked meats, oysters on the half shell, cabbage soup, kielbasa and freshwater trout.

The ABC City Guides for Kids Top 7 Family Destinations for 2012 names Louisville, saying: “Kids will want to eat every meal at Lynn’s Paradise Cafe.”

Taco Punk is now open at 736 E. Market St.

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