Proof on Main

My friend tricked me. He said, 'we're hungry after the flight so let's grab a quick snack and then find a place to get dinner.' Naively, i said, 'yeah! Good idea!' Well, we went and got some amazing barbeque - thank you KY. And then we made our way a couple hours later to Proof on Main. The ambiance, amazing, the staff, spectacular, and the food...

I was appalled. WHY, why did i eat fried chicken and biscuits, when the tuna crudo, the octopus, the MUSHROOMS (oof the mushrooms whyyy), looked and smelled as amazing as they did? Could i loosen my belt? Actually maybe i could take off the belt completely. Because the papperdelle and beef tartare beckoned.

I was so mad at my friend because there was so little room in my post-bbq belly that i was forced to try some cocktails instead. and THEY were delicious as well! How dare he have enough space to consume southern fried cooking and then a magical meal afterwards?

Ugh - THAT guy. Alas, I made it up to myself by taste testing EVERYTHING and then we wandered around the artwork which were next level (review for that on 21C) but seriously, how dare he.

Please, go. Eat the food, and do yourself a solid, DO NOT EAT BEFOREHAND! It's too good to miss a thing.

We arrived for our Sunday brunch reservation at 11 AM and were promptly seated. Interesting artwork at every turn. Comfortable seating, low noise level for a full house of clientele, and terrific service. We started with hot coffee and a request for tomato juice, which was fulfilled with Clamato.
We had a wonderful pastry appetizer which was a puffed bun served with whipped topping dusted with chopped pistachios and a side of fig jam. Melt in your mouth deliciousness.
I ordered the egg, spinach, potato, and cheese dish with a side of a small salad. The egg dish was a bit over cooked and bland.
Service was top notch and efficient, which allowed us to enjoy a relaxed brunch and be on our way in time to attend an event at the Kentucky Center for the Arts located just down the block. Would like to return for dinner service at a future time to try other menu offerings and also explore the art displays.

This was another delicious 5 star stop.
From the decor, to the food, to the staff, everything was top-notch and prepared perfectly.
The art installations create a great vibe, and a unique atmosphere.
I went with the Pappardelle Bolognese which was incredible, and my travel mate went with the Bison Burger.
Everything was superb and this is a great space to visit.

By far the best food I have had in a very long time. Everything was amazing the biscuits, the breakfast, the brunch, the dinner, the lunch we had to keep coming back to this place multiple times, because of how good it was. Their drinks was also phenomenal, and we literally came here every single day when we were visiting Kentucky, if you are ever in the area and want a good meal, cool people and fantastic drinks I highly recommend you coming to this place because it is the best food I've had in a very, very long time

This place is impressive. From the bar to the menu to the 21c museum, it all exudes a regal feel. Great great spot

Very good buffalo burger! Old fashioned is also very good. It is a quirky place but also great service.

On our last day in Louisville we stopped by Proof on Main for brunch.
I absolutely love the artistic design of this place. Their walls are blue with cherry blossoms, and the curtains match. They have some beautiful red hued artwork displayed on those cherry blossom walls. The artwork is borrowed from their sister hotel, 21c Museum Hotel.
They had white tablecloths and silverware already laid out. The chandeliers above were all different from one another. I could see from our table the bar area, where they had a countdown for the new year already going. We were here on December 30th.
I don't remember the name of our waitress but she was lovely.
I got their fruit & granola and a glass of orange juice, my friend got the fried chicken biscuit.
My granola was delicious! It came in a large plate with plenty of vanilla yogurt, granola, fresh strawberries, blueberries and blackberries, topped with local honey.
My friend's serving of chicken was huge. She also really enjoyed it.
My breakfast was very simple, but also very fresh. We enjoyed our time here, as there is so much to see within the artwork.
I would love to explore more of their menu on my future visit to Louisville.

As we worked out the itinerary for our trip to Louisville and our stay at the 21c Museum Hotel, we decided that the easiest thing to do after a long day on the road was to book a table at the restaurant associated with the hotel -- Proof on Main. It was a very good decision. Not only was it convenient, but the food and drinks were excellent.

The first item on the menu was an amuse bouche/aperitivo combo -- the chef's amuse du jour and your choice of a Boulevardier, Gin Martini, or Cucumber Vodka Martini. I'm usually a martini guy, but I decided to try something new to me -- the Boulevardier. The amuse was tasty, the drink was excellent -- and now I'm regularly making Boulevardiers at home.

For my entrèe I went with the sirloin steak, my companion selected the pork chop, and we added the cast iron skillet cornbread for the table. My steak was cooked to medium rare (as I ordered) and the other items on the plate (sauce, potato, etc.) complemented the meat quite well. The corn bread was outstanding. I do think it complemented my companion's pork a tad better than my steak but I still enjoyed it immensely. I finished off the evening with a dessert flight of local bourbons -- a foreshadowing of the distillery tours to come over the next couple of days.

We also stopped in for breakfast a couple of times. The breakfast service was quick and the items I ordered (the 21c Breakfast and the smoked salmon bagel) were also excellent. After the food and a couple cups of coffee -- we were fueled up and ready to start the day.

Whether you are staying at the hotel or not, Proof on Main is a high quality establishment and worth stopping in for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

A friend and I had lunch here as I had never had the opportunity to dine here. My friend is intimately acquainted with the establishment and actually knew most of the people who took such excellent care of us. The food was simply phenomenal. Also the speciality cocktail list was quite impressive. While we were there the mixologist was working on a new cocktail, she took our input and made a few adjustments and come up with a perfect addition to the cocktail list. All the items we tried on the menu were simply perfect.

The atmosphere is something to behold as you are sitting in the midst of a modern art museum.

This is a must go to place in downtown Louisville for sure!

Eye candy while you're eating - no competition in Louisville at all!!! Amazing curated exhibit with loads of different styles and mediums, to include interactive exhibits. And that's just the venue... the food is beautifully and so deliberately done that you can't go wrong with basically anything on the menu. We really enjoyed the hamachi as well as the creaminess of the Cesar dressing. The steak was perfectly done - couldn't ask for more.

Put this on your short list -- a brilliant place for friends to gather and nosh, and a unique date night option!