The place was close to capacity, but it wasn’t a mob scene. The volume was lively, but not annoying. No one appeared to be three sheets to the wind, and there was plenty of staff to handle all aspects of the business. An overabundance of big-screen TVs all tuned to the same channel made for a dizzying effect.
Otherwise, Louie’s decor is a forgettable collection of modern pop-art prints and dark wood trim. Snooping around revealed the separate cigar bar to be totally empty.
It was nostalgically comforting to see it contained an old-school shuffleboard table, and happily, the space didn’t reek of stogies. Upstairs was another dining area with a smaller saloon, and even it had three TVs aimed at the few barstools. We were greeted and seated immediately.
Our server, Alex, was at the table with menus in a flash and did a bangup job throughout. Salads sounded good for noon brunch, and there were nearly a dozen to choose from.The Asian salad ($8.99) was pretty.
It arrived in a round bowl with an artistically arranged circle of Mandarin oranges adorning the rim. Warm chicken breast from what may have been an entire bird topped a bed of mixed greens and slivered almonds.
Except for the toasted
black sesame seeds and peanut sauce dressing, it could have been what my
mom would have made in 1965 if she had been instructed to concoct an
Oriental salad. That flash came from the crispy chow mein noodles on
top, along with the canned Mandarin oranges.
It was a plenty big
salad and tasted good. But not as good as my spouse’s Santa Fe salad
($8.99). After a bite of hers, I suggested we exchange bowls for a
minute or two in the interest of further journalistic inquiry, but she
was having none of it. The Southwest-inspired dish was skimpy with the
chicken but generous in flavor.
That
owed to corn, black bean salsa, smoky bacon, two cheeses and
chipotle-infused honey mustard dressing. Her bowl was decorated with a
wreath of tortilla chips, but they weren’t as attractive as my fruits.
Friends
had advised in advance to try the pizza, and it was good counsel. All
close to $10 in price, the pies are just a tad bigger than personal-pan
size. They’re just right if you intend to also knock down a few
schooners of suds along with it.
The
basil chicken platter ($9.99) isn’t typical tavern victuals, so that
was given a spin and turned out to be a winner as well. Garlic mashed
potatoes on the side were smashing. Also available are burgers, deli
sandwiches, grilled salmon (“market price”), wraps and appetizers.
Everything is under $10.
If
you have room for dessert, you can choose from a couple varieties of
cheesecake. Service was exemplary, and it turns out it’s a Louie’s
priority.
“What sets
us apart from other sports bars and grills is our friendly atmosphere,”
manager John Amyx said post-brunch. “We try to greet everybody who comes
in the door with a smiling face.” That was the reason we departed with
big grins on our mugs.
