The Exchange Pub + Kitchen — Restaurant in New Albany

My review is solely for the catering / private party side of The Exchange Pub + Kitchen, and specifically the efforts of Chef Jack Rosado and his staff. (The Pub side may be phenomenal as well, I just haven't yet eaten on that side of the property.)

I'm going out of my way on a busy July 4th to give credit where credit is due.

My first and only visit here took place at a private party event on July 2, 2024, which is a Tuesday - typically a slow day for the restaurant folks, ya? What I encountered was really nothing short of extraordinary - so it needed to be recognized.

(For full disclosure, I don't know anyone at this restaurant nor am I connected in any way to the management group.)

I approached the restaurant not especially thinking about food, and I simply expected to encounter typical catered-setting food that one would find at a group event. But this was not the case. The more I ate...the more great surprises kept appearing.

It started with "...hmmm, these crostinis are fabulous, with multiple flavors and textures..." to "...wow, these stuffed mushrooms are really really good with a smoky touch, with multiple layers of different intermingled tastes..."

My interest was piqued and my attention shifted from the day and the conversations to the dinner entrees that were inbound.

Without giving a play-by-play, let's just say that the more we ate, the better it got. I had a braised short rib, and it was pretty much the most perfect thing I've eaten in a long time. Served super hot, and with so much flavor nuance and juiciness, I was blown away. We all started trading forkfuls so, the amazing salmon and pork entrees made the rounds so that by the end of dinner we had shifted focus from the reason for our visit, to how exceptional the food was.

It was an emotional day (we were celebrating the life and times of "Little Mama") and I felt so moved by the kitchen getting a million things right - that I needed to recognize whoever in the kitchen was responsible for setting the bar so high with our meal. Food this memorable doesn't happen by accident. (Let me say it again, a little louder, for the people in the back. "Food this memorable doesn't happen by accident!")

So I inquired and was happy to pull Chef Jack Rosado into the room, and make sure he received some well deserved praise.

Sorry I mispronounced your name at first, Jay! Ha. Awesome dining experience, and fantastic first visit to The Exchange Pub + Kitchen. Thank you. Little Mama would have heartily approved.

Jack Rosado. ...

Was in town on business, had dinner here with my husband. Looked interesting and inviting and we were excited to try a local restaurant with different options.

We were supremely disappointed. The biggest problem was the food- it was barely edible. We shared a salad and entree, and they were very accomodating with that request as the service was good.

First was the salad- a wedge. It was not made with the traditional iceberg lettuce (so it wasn't actually a wedge- it was baby romaine lettuce, which has an odd flavor for this particular dish). The biggest problem was that each of the salads (it was divided into 2 portions) had over half a cup (likely more) of dressing poured over top. It made the salad completely inedible. It would have been a good option if I had felt like drinking a bottle of salad dressing for dinner. It legitimately was more like soup than salad.

The entre was the short rib pasta. The pasta was cooked well (al dente) but the dish overall was just an elevated version of hamburger helper, hardly worth the $27 price. The sauce was bland, it tatsed very much like Chef Boyardee sauce.

We also ordered brussels sprouts on the side. The were supposed to be crispy but were also drowning in a liquid that was overpowered by salt. The flavors were overwhelming, an assault on the senses.

In a nutshell, the food was just awful. Overdone and the flavors were not pleasant. Prices are high. We would not recommend this restaurant and will not return if given the opportunity.

One more note about the way we were greeted when we arrived- the hostess was pleasant but greeted us by saying "Hello, what can I do for you?". That was a weird way to be greeted when entering a restaurant and I found that to be very off putting. It is an unwelcoming way to greet guests and while not necessarily rude it's an inappropriate greeting because it was a confusing...

Update to this 7/2024

The value is just not here anymore. We had lunch there today and it was $120 for 3 of us! That’s no drinks, one appetizer, and 3 meals with a tip!

It’s gotten insanely expensive, and while I realize inflation is rampant there are better and similar places that offer fares that are equal for much less. There’s literally no “deals” on the menu, even for lunch

Probably our last trip for a long time.

Quality here is hit and miss. We’ve been several times, sometimes it’s once a month sometimes it’s once a quarter. Went last night and we sat in the middle of the room, service was prompt and friendly. Drinks showed and my glass had fingerprints on it and was sticky, like the bartender hadn’t washed their hands. Drink it self was fine.

Dinner arrived, steak was cooked near the desired temperature, but it was cut up…that’s not ok (with me anyway). Steak would have retained its moisture much better and been on par for a perfect steak had they not cut it up.

I ordered the pork shank, now the most expensive thing on the menu, and I was disappointed. They might sous vide these ahead of time to get them cooked properly, or possibly poached, but it wasn’t reheated. It was warm, not hot. It paired very well with the spaghetti squash and the potatoes, but it should be HOT.

And speaking of temperature, the fries with the other orders were also lukewarm, again this isn’t that hard…food should be hot.

All in all, the food here is pretty good, sometimes it’s better, sometimes it’s worse. Consistency seems to be the issue, and why I don’t frequent the...