SEVICHE — A LATIN BISTRO, 2929 Goose Creek Rd., 425-1000, www.SevicheRestaurant.com. Save for the few meat-and-potatoes additions, this suburban Seviche location is all but indistinguishable from the Bardstown Road operation in food and mood and price point. The lunch menu, introduced this month, is one of the best around. (Reviewed 12/26/07; Rating: N/A)
CORBETT’S “AN AMERICAN PLACE,” 5050 Norton Healthcare Blvd., 327-5058. Based on a pre-opening dinner, Corbett’s will be the hot spot of the year. Owner/chef Dean Corbett takes everything he has done at Equus and kicks it up several notches in a dining room, staff, bill of fare and beverage program that accepts nothing less than perfection. (Reviewed 12/26/07; Rating: N/A)
ROYAL INDIA, 4123 Oechsli Ave., 896-0025. This new Indian spot ranks as one of the best in town. In addition to a wide selection of relatively familiar Northern Indian dishes, it’s currently the only place in town where you can find the tasty vegetarian cuisine of Southern India. (Reviewed 1/2/08; Rating: N/A)
RED PEPPER CHINESE CUISINE, 2901 Brownsboro Rd., 891-8868. The latest tenant in the Moorish-looking building on Brownsboro Road, it’s now the domain of a skilled Sichuanese chef who arrived recently from Chicago’s Chinatown. It’s no mere chopsticks house but a classy restaurant offering both familiar Chinese-American dishes and an interesting “authentic Chinese” menu. (Reviewed 1/2/08; Rating: N/A)
OAK STREET PIZZA, 125 E. Oak St., 585-1788. This tiny little storefront in Old Louisville, has been getting great reviews from the foodies on the LouisvilleHotBytes.com forum. Takeout only, it’s close to a New York City pizza in style. (Reviewed 1/9/08; Rating: N/A)
TACOS LA ROSITA, 113 Grant Line Plaza, New Albany, (812) 948-7967, www.LaRositaGrill.com. La Rosita owners Israel and Lidia Landin opened this second New Albany location in late 2007. Along with the familiar Mexican fare, the menu is vegetarian-friendly, offering seven interesting meat-free options, including a veggie taco. (Reviewed 1/9/08; Rating: N/A)
MERIDIAN CAFÉ, 112 Meridian Ave., 897-9703. This cozy St. Matthews lunch spot has always attracted crowds, but now they made a good thing even better by adding a bunch of appetizing breakfast dishes. Menu choices include “light breakfasts” like grilled banana walnut bread to “Meridian Classics” like pastrami hash. (Reviewed 1/9/08; Rating: N/A)