This Australian restaurant is serving up a 'taste of down under' in Louisville. Here's what to order
When it comes to common cuisines in Louisville, Australian isn’t one of them.
If you search for places in the area that serve Australian fare, you’ll probably find just one: Harvey’s on Frankfort Avenue. Formerly a retail cheese shop at Logan Street Market, the restaurant — which still maintains a small retail cheese section — moved to Clifton in February 2023.
During my first trip to Harvey’s, I was excited to find out what food from the land down under was like. Unsurprisingly, one of the menu items featured a vegemite glaze — but interestingly enough, the myriad of unique offerings also included Japanese, Chinese, and Filipino flavors.
I caught up with chef and owner Brent Mills, who explained the influence behind his menu and told me about what's new at Harvey’s. Below are five things to know.
The Harvey's menu is based on foods found in Sydney
“I grew up in Australia,” Mills told The Courier Journal. “I spent 25 years of my life there — specifically in Sydney.”
He added that Sydney is multicultural, and the items he offers at Harvey’s reflect the kinds of foods he had access to while living there.
“I’m cooking the food that I miss (from) Sydney,” he said, explaining that many of the dishes he grew up with featured Southeast Asian flavors. “Luckily, my sous chef is from Southeast Asia. He’s from Laos, originally, so we bounce ideas off each other a lot.”
The dishes at Harvey’s, Mills added, are his take on the ones he remembers from home. Many blend American and Asian ingredients or offer a bit of a twist on what guests are accustomed to seeing on other menus.
“For example, our risotto uses Japanese rice instead of arborio rice,” he said. “It’s all very much a reflection of me — where I grew up and the kind of restaurants that I’ve cooked at.”
Calamari is a favorite both at Harvey’s and in Australia
The Salt and Pepper Calamari — made with lemon myrtle salt, Thai basil, Fresno chilies, and salsa golf — is the most popular menu item at Harvey’s. Coincidentally, Mills said, it is also Australia's national dish.
“(It’s) interesting,” he added, “because I feel like in America, calamari (at) most restaurants is the American-Italian version, with marinara.”
His salt-and-pepper take is inspired by Chinese calamari, and the lemon myrtle salt is a traditional Australian spice. The salsa golf, a version of aioli made with oregano, is Argentine.
Mills added that people often think meat pies are the national dish of Australia — and he also serves those at Harvey’s. However, dishes like salt-and-pepper calamari and laksa — a Malaysian spicy coconut noodle soup — are commonly found in pubs throughout the country.
“It’s been kind of cool that people have been ordering a lot of calamari, … because they’re familiar with the Italian-American version,” he said. “Ours is a little different, and it’s been kind of fun.”
A new menu just dropped at Harvey’s
Mills makes menu changes regularly, and his latest dinner and cocktail menus are being released this week. Among the new offerings are Singapore chili crab served with pork ribs, as well as beet and cardamom risotto with burrata and pistachio pesto. Big changes are coming to brunch, too.
“(We’re doing) a take on the full Australian breakfast,” Mills said. “It’s similar to English-style (breakfast, but) we’ll have grilled halloumi (and) some kind of avocado element.”
He added that customers have been asking to see a bit of sugar on the brunch menu, so lemon ricotta souffle pancakes will also be available.
“I don’t personally like sweet items on brunch menus … but the customers have spoken,” Mills said with a laugh.
Don't miss the weekly burger specials and popup nights at Harvey's
While the latest menus reflect major changes, guests can always expect to find something new on Thursdays, for the weekly rotating burger and drink special.
Previous offerings have included a Malaysian Ramly burger, a crispy dumpling-inspired burger, and a unique take on the iconic Big Mac.
“We’re gonna continue to do fun things on Thursdays to get people coming in more regularly,” Mills said.
He also plans to continue offering monthly popups, featuring different cuisines crafted by other chefs around town. In November, Mills featured Taiwanese dishes whipped up by his friend Ming Pu.
“That was one of our busiest nights of the year,” Mills said. “People want scarcity, (and) they want an experience.”
Harvey's is staying true to its cheesy routes
Speaking of experiences, Mills will also continue holding drink and cheese pairing nights. These events typically feature five bevies, paired with different cheeses and accompaniments. The cheeses, of course, are pulled from a carefully curated selection at Harvey’s.
“While we’ve become much more restaurant than cheese shop,” Mills said, “we are going to continue … (bringing) in interesting, quality cheeses that you're not going to find at (typical grocery stores).”
The small, concise selection, he added, includes items that Louisvillians likely won’t be able to find anywhere else in the area. With both the cheeses and his restaurant menu, Mills aims to always offer something unique to the area.
“I feel like a lot of restaurants in Louisville are not pushing any boundaries,” he said. “If you want to support people doing interesting things, go to small restaurants.”
Know a restaurant that would make a great feature? Email writer Lennie Omalza at aloha@lennieomalza.com or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at kgregory@gannett.com.
Harvey's
WHAT: This is a modern Australian restaurant that serves cuisine inspired by the flavors of Sydney.
WHERE: 2011 Frankfort Ave., Unit 101
SERVICES: Indoor dining, carryout, and delivery; 3-9 p.m.; Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday
CONTACT: harveyslou.com, 502-314-0432
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Harvey's restaurant in Louisville serves Australian food, cheese
