Ramsi's Cafe on the World

House-made Turkish tiramisu from Ramsi's Cafe on the World. (Credit: Bill Luster, The Courier-Journal)

If you're lucky enough to spend Derby Day sipping juleps on Millionaire's Row -- or if you hit the Pick Six and need a wheelbarrow and an armed guard to carry your cash to the car -- you probably won't have any trouble finding a table for dinner after the race.

But if -- like me -- most of your Derby Days are spent sweltering in the infield, and if your $6 across-the-board bets usually wind up netting $4.80 in return, you need a fall-back plan. You need a place with abundant seating -- and better yet a place where even a long wait can be entertaining and edifying.

Ramsi's Cafe on the World is just that kind of place. More than any of its neighbors on Bardstown Road's restaurant row, it's a place that summons the funky Bohemian spirit of Louisville's Highlands neighborhood. If you have to wait for a table, you can stroll next door to Carmichael's Bookstore and pick up a good text on the art of handicapping. Or you can grab a latte and perch in front of Heine Brothers' Coffee and watch the world saunter by.

Once Ramsi's finds a spot for you, you'll find yourself in a place where youngsters talk skateboards, hipsters talk piercings, erstwhile hippies talk portfolios, and nearly everybody talks politics -- mostly in a progressive vein.

The soundtrack veers from the sinuous beat of recorded Middle Eastern pop to the surging rhythms of jazz organ. And the sprawling complex -- from the walled-in patio to the dim corners of the indoor dining rooms -- feels like it might have been decorated by a well-traveled scavenger with a keen eye for paintings, knickknacks, statuary, decorative rugs and books (including a vast run of old National Geographics).

The menu -- which includes scores of items -- seems scavenged from across the globe as well. Consider just a few of Ramsi's ways with chicken: from India, chicken tandoori; the Caribbean, Jamaican jerk chicken; Italy, chicken Marsala; Palestine, Moussakhan; China, Empress chicken.

And that's not anywhere near the half of it.

If ever the United Nations meets in Louisville, Ramsi's can cater the event without missing a beat. No matter how large or picky the party, nearly everybody, including vegetarians and vegans, can find something to eat. And no matter how large the appetite, Ramsi's penchant for oversized portions should satisfy.

The trade-off, though, comes in the form of inconsistent quality -- some dishes are quite nice, but it's far too easy to stumble into disappointment. One of 20 or so sandwiches, a Cuban-style panini ($8.99) was stuffed with nicely seasoned roast pork, slices of ham, melted Swiss cheese and a thick slather of bright yellow mustard, with a generous side of roasted potatoes. It was just the sort of hearty, satisfying meal a body might crave after a night on the town (and Ramsi's is one of Louisville's best late-night eateries). A pair of crab cakes (each about half the size of a CD) were doused with a slapdash dollop of pink remoulade, but were crisp, moist and fragrant with the scent of onions and herbs ($12.99); alas, they found themselves in flavorless company -- a bed of dull white rice and a scoop of stir-fried vegetables bereft of flavor.

Among the Asian dishes, Thai noodles ($9.99) were filling, if avoidably lackluster. Broad noodles were mingled with seared cubes of tofu and heaps of shredded carrots and red peppers, all topped by a deeply flavored peanut-ginger sauce. My server counseled me to order the dish hot and spicy, which helped the overall effect. But even a pleasant tingle couldn't quite compensate for an overabundance of soft ingredients -- and when I uncovered a couple of crunchy snow peas at the bottom of the plate, it occurred to me that a dozen more of the crispy green morsels would have made the dish not only serviceable but memorable.

On the disappointing side, a fattoush salad ($8.99) fell sadly short of expectations. It was filled with fresh romaine, cucumbers, diced tomatoes and salty feta, but lacked any minty burst -- and rather than the essential garnish of crunchy baked or fried pita triangles, a few soft, stale pieces of pita were arranged around the rim of the bowl. Likewise, empanadas stuffed with minced spinach, feta and portabella ($5.99) were wrapped in a promising, hand-formed dough, but the filling was bitter and one-dimensional.

Much better was an order of creamy hummus served with fresh, warm pita ($8.99 -- though upon request the accommodating servers will bring a small cup for $3.99). And better still was a closing dish of house-made Turkish tiramisu ($4.25), its layers moistened with Turkish coffee, infused with the scent of ginger and cardamom, and separated by layers of light, creamy mascarpone.

Freelance restaurant critic Marty Rosen's review appears on Saturdays. You can e-mail him at cjdining@gmail.com.

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