Claudia Sanders Dinner House

Claudia Sanders Dinner House is located at 3202 Shelbyville Road, Shelbyville, KY and is open Tues.-Sun., for lunch and dinner (11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.).

Never let anyone tell you that it does not matter when you go to eat at a restaurant and I mean the time that you go. I am sure that the time of day is a factor in my experience at Claudia Sanders. You should know that when I stopped to have lunch/dinner, it was 3:00 p.m., but I was hungry and didn't want to wait until 5 or 6:00 p.m. to eat.

It was pretty empty when I went in, only about three or four tables were full, but I was excited because of my memories of being there several years ago ( before the fire and before when they had to shut down because some people had gotten sick after eating there) and remembering how delicious everything was. In any case, it had been some time ago that I was there.

I didn't know what to get, because I wanted everything on the menu. I finally decided on the Claudia's Kentucky Hot Brown for $9.50. The menu said it was layers of Baked Kentucky Country Ham and sliced Roasted Turkey Breast on toast points, smothered with their special cheese sauce broiled golden brown and topped with tomatoes, choice of soup or salad. I had the White Bean Soup. My husband quickly decided to have the fried chicken; he claims that I don't fry anything, anymore, so have at it. The mashed potatoes and creamed spinach were his side items. Let me just say that if you know me, then you know that I am a wordsmith of sorts and I hold dearly and literally words and statements directed at and towards me. I'm laughing right now because someone needs to re-write the description of these food items.

The Baked Kentucky Country Ham and sliced Roasted Turkey Breast was smothered in a special cheese sauce that I would define as cheese whizzzz and I am pretty sure that Roasted Turkey Breast was lunch meat out of the pack and I needed a knife to cut through the tomato ends placed on top of the Hot Mess that was broiled to a golden brown. By the way, I never have the kitchen remake an order or order something else if I can help it.

My husband gave me a piece of his fried chicken, not good. The fried chicken was rubbery and chewy and I was so disappointed. What has happened Claudia Sanders? I will say that the biscuits and corn muffins that you use to put on the table, that you are now doling out one-by-one, were pretty good. It is possible that I intruded on the staff's break time right before dinner service and it just was not a good time to go in and eat. 

If you go...

Don't go between 2:00-4:00 P.M. although the hours are from 11:00 A.M.-9:00 P.M.

Turbot Fillets Pan-Seared

On a recent trip to Whole Foods, I purchased two of the Turbot fillets which cost me about $19.00 for the pound. The Turbot is a nice white fish that is pretty meaty; I would compare it to Sea Bass or a nice Cod. One fillet is plenty for two or three people depending upon how you plan to serve it (fish tacos or fish sandwiches). The two fillets will serve dinner on two occassions for an average cost of about $9.50 per dinner or $3.16 per person.

When I don't have time for seeking inspiration about dishes, I usually pan-sear or pan-sear and go to the oven depending upon what I am preparing, in this case I pan-seared the Turbot fillets. Simply, salt and pepper your fillets while you heat up a non-stick skillet and a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Don't forget to make sure you hear that sizzle when the fillet is going down to meet the skillet. Sear the fillets on each side for 3-5 minutes depending upon the thickness. The fish will be seasoned, flakey and delicious and remember if food doesn't have any flavor, what's the point.

J Harrods for Dinner?

Absolutely! J Harrods ( located at 7507 River Road, Prospect, KY, 502-2284555) may not be in the neighborhood, but its worth the trip for dinner. The chicken livers on the menu just thrilled me because they were prepared perfectly; lightly fried with a gravy made from the skillet drippings and fried onions.

O my goodness, the chicken livers were so good. For dinner, I decided to go with a lighter selection, you know with the chicken livers and gravy and all; I had the grilled salmon on top of a bed of fresh greens which was very good. The salmon wasn't overly seasoned but had a nice clean grilled taste to it, yet it was moist and perfectly cooked.

The greens were fresh with just the right amount of bounce-back to them. I can tell you that I am a bit nuts when it comes to my greens; I want them washed, spun dry and I prefer that they not be cold because you just took them from a frig that they had been in for several hours and then turned slightly brown. This was not the case at J. Harrods.

The group I had dinner with enjoyed their meals too; they had the shrimp pasta, lamp and the chicken salad. For dessert, peach pie was on the menu, but we all passed; maybe you can go and have it and let me know how it is.

In addition to the very good food, the atmosphere was very nice and the staff was very friendly.

A P Crafters Kitchen & Bar

A P Crafters Kitchen & Bar is the new restaurant spot in Westport Village just off Herr Lane. Me and my hubby was there for dinner last week...I know, it was not a great time to go. They were just recognized in The Courier-Journal and the place was very busy and very noisy, especially when you have been seated in the bar area where you don't want to be. But not only were we seated in the bar area, we were seated in an area that was on the way to the kitchen for every single server and other staff members. For about two hours, we got to see them racing back and forth around the restaurant, it was not a relaxing atmosphere.

The food was pretty good. I had the pastrami on sour dough with fresh fruit. I really liked the pastrami because it was flavorful and sliced very thinly and while I am not a sour dough bread fan, the bread was thinly sliced and good. For a side item, you had a choice of fries (sweet potato fries was $1.50 extra), slaw or fresh fruit and I hesitated, but I chose the fruit. I was trying to do the  healthy thing, but when I cannot eat the fruit at all, because its too hard, I'm just not happy. I think you already know that the fresh fruit is not fresh and comes out of a bag and a lot of times is cut when not ripe and placed in the bag just before they freeze it.  The melons (Cantaloupe and Honey Dew) were as hard as a brick and just not edible. The hazards of knowledge!

My hubby made a better choice by going with the slaw for his side, it was good. He ordered the hamburger with bacon and a fried egg on top. He said it was very good. I usually taste whatever he is having for dinner but I didn't on this occasion, probably because the egg made it a little messy. We definitely skipped dessert because I just wanted to get out of the noisy environment.

Many of the menu items were very reasonable with most items being under $10.00. AP Crafters Kitchen and Bar will see me again when I can sit in the dining room away from the bar noise and all the traffic headed to the kitchen. I am sure I'll enjoy the food even more.

Tips if you go:
When checking in ask to be seated outdoors or in the dining room, which ever you prefer.
Arrive 30-45 minutes earlier than you want to eat, you will probably have a wait depending on when you go.
For two people dining in, be prepared to spend up to $50.00, depending on your beverage choices.
Enjoy, the food is good!