Thursday, June 12, 2008

Napa River Grill Opens Its Doors in Westport Village on June 16

Napa River Grill has packed up its Dupont location and leaped to a new pad. On Monday, June 16 the restaurant, known for great food, great service and great attitude, will open at 1211 Herr Lane in Westport Village. Lunch and dinner will be served Monday through Saturday. Only dinner service is available on Sundays. Napa River Grill will also have happy hour daily from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Reservations can be made by calling (502) 423-5822 or visiting www.napariverlouisville.com.

“With the help of Swope Design Group, our décor has evolved and made the dining experience more intimate,” said proprietor J.D. Rothberg. “The color palette was inspired by the landscape of California’s Napa Valley with a lot of warm colors like mustard, eggplant and deep green.”

The Westport Village location is 6,250 square feet, with an additional 2,000 square feet on the covered patio. The restaurant will seat 180 guests; which includes two private dining areas, a new patio bar and another full service bar inside.

The main dining room showcases Napa’s signature glass top bar and 1,100 bottle wine rack. To accentuate the intimate atmosphere, banquet seating will line the walls which are decked out with interesting artwork. A custom-made oak table nestled in the corner and overlooking the dining room seats 12 people and is perfect for an intimate special occasion.

The first private dining room has been named “The Vineyard Room” and seats 22 guests. The wood and glass dividers can be opened to join the main dining room. In this area evocative of a wine cellar tasting room guests will walk upon the cork floor and beneath a cut glass wine bottle ceiling. The larger private dining room seats 60 and is connected to the patio bar.

The 100-seat covered patio includes a 40-seat bar featuring bar and soft seating. Guests can dine in the vineyard featuring pinot noir, chardonnay and zinfandel grapes. Two “fire tables,” stone tables with fire pits in the center, can seat parties of up to 10 people.

In addition to Rothberg as proprietor, Napa enthusiasts will recognize the familiar faces of general manager Shane Hall, concierge and events manager Emily Walz, and executive chef David Malthaner.

“Our loyal guests will find familiar signature dishes on our menu as well as some new flavors,” said Malthaner.

New items on the menu include Spicy Tomato Mussels with ciabatta toast points; Wok Seared Seafood made with lobster, scallops, mussels, linguine, vegetables and basil in a red Thai curry sauce; and Veal Napoleon, layers of veal, prosciutto ham, havarti cheese, crimini mushroom risotto, wilted spinach and sherry cream sauce. Those with a sweet tooth can try the Banana Spring Roll, fresh banana coated with butterscotch and wrapped in spring roll pastry, served with toffee pieces and vanilla bean ice cream; and Hazelnut Chocolate Cake made with caramel chocolate ganache, chocolate mousse, hazelnut praline and caramel sauce.

Westport Village is an outdoor specialty village consisting of 170,000 square feet of restaurants and shopping. The Napa River Grill will be the anchor to this lifestyle center. Their signature Napa frog will be displayed in a fountain on the front patio.

Since opening in August 1999, Napa River Grill has grown into one of Louisville’s hottest dining spots. This stylish venue has established a hearty following, received rave reviews and won numerous awards, including Louisville magazine’s “Best New Restaurant, ” “Favorite Restaurant,” “Best Wine List,” and “Best Décor.” Other accolades include a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and Prep magazine’s Blue Plate Award for “Best Upscale Casual Restaurant.”

Napa River Grill is located at 1211 Herr Lane. Open daily with happy hour from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. For more information or reservations, please contact Napa River Grill at 502-423-5822 or visit www.napariverlouisville.com.

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