Review: Coach Lamp

The Coach Lamp's signature entree prime rib includes garlic-scented mashed potatoes and buttery Brussels sprouts. (Credit: Mary Ann Gerth)

The Coach Lamp may be the superhero of restaurants: It has a dual identity.

During the day, it's a bar with blue-plate-special lunch offerings, quietly blending into its blue-collar neighborhood. But four nights a week, white tablecloths appear, transforming the Coach Lamp into a destination dining venue.

The restaurant's secret identity is made possible by chef Jerome Pope, who developed his kitchen skills in such local fine-dining establishments as the English Grill at the Brown Hotel.

Pope honors Southern traditions with dishes such as his soul food platter (boneless chicken breast, greens, black-eyed peas and cornbread) and fried frog legs. He also takes a culinary trip to Europe with pasta dishes and preparations that include coq au vin and a goat cheese tart salad. Even Asian flourishes appear with certain seasonings.

The Coach Lamp decor has enjoyed an upgrade since my last visit too. The pool table and most of the neon beer signs are gone. There are now shelves displaying Louisville Stoneware products (the factory is a lump-of-clay's throw from the restaurant). And dishes from the pottery are used as the dinnerware.

Dinner started with the vegetable tempura ($5.95). A large platter of tempura-battered, deep-fried broccoli, cauliflower, squash and mushrooms was served with a sweet and fiery chili sauce. The flavors were fine, but too much residual grease in the batter marred the dish.

A side salad and the evening's soup (included with our dinners) had no such problems. Pope's seafood bisque was a velvety, sherry- and cream-based bowl. The crisp mixed baby greens in the salad were tossed with toasted pecans, dusted with Parmesan and dressed with a fine balsamic vinaigrette.

My friend ordered the Coach Lamp's signature entree, prime rib ($16.95). The 12-ounce portion was perfectly cooked to the medium rare requested. Garlic-scented mashed potatoes and buttery Brussels sprouts were the sides. Next time I am asked to recommend a place for prime rib, Coach Lamp will be at the top of my list.

The portion of Wiener schnitzel ($18.95) was large enough for two meals. The sauce of white wine, butter and capers was just right, but the batter on the veal scallops could have been cooked to a bit more crispness to match that of the excellent side of potato pancakes with homemade applesauce. Red cabbage completed the plate.

The Coach Lamp's wine list is short, but it's admirably varied and reasonably priced. (All selections are available by the glass or bottle.) We drank a bottle ($20) of spicy, fruit-filled 2002 Joseph Phelps Pastiche red with dinner.

Add a comment