by Ashlee Clark

I’m a sucker for a nice font and a catchy logo.

Take Dish on Market, for instance.

The restaurant’s lime green and black sign with a sans serif font has screamed at me for weeks: “Hey, I’m my modern, yet simple logo is just a preview of my modern, yet simple menu.”

Dish on Market’s food lived up to its logo. The restaurant provides simple food with a pop of something special to keep diners interested.

Dish is a relatively new establishment on Market Street in downtown Louisville. Wedged between two other restaurants, Dish caters to a business crowd with its offering of breakfast, lunch and happy-hour platters. It’s a convenient plate to grab a sandwich between meetings and a cocktail after work.

The restaurant presents a confident menu full of both safe selections and upscale takes on Southern food. For me, it was hard to choose between something old and something new. A Dish burger ($6.70) or shrimp po boy ($7.50)? An omelet (starts at $3.25) or biscuits with classic gravy and chocolate gravy ($4)? The situation gets worse when you glance at the happy-hour plates (with suggested alcoholic drink – $11; without – $7), which range from fried pickles to sorghum goat cheese fritters. Prices don’t help the decision-making process – everything falls safely under my $10 limit, except the happy-hour plates that come with drinks.

I decided during my first visit to mix the familiar and the unknown. I ordered a roasted tarragon chicken salad sandwich on sourdough bread ($6.25) and the soup of the day, a corn and spinach chowder ($1) after the waiter strongly recommended both dishes.

You can’t go wrong with soup and a sandwich.

The chicken salad was full of meat, though I didn’t come across the pecans that were promised on the menu. But the celery was crisp, and the mayo didn’t overpower the salad. The soup confirmed my belief that it is a sure bet ordering the day’s special is a worthy investment. The soup was creamy and filled with rice, corn and wilted spinach. I had never had a chowder like it, but I’m glad that I took a risk on this hearty dish. I’m eager to return to Dish on Market if the rest of the food is as good as my lunch.

Notes about Dish on Market:

• There is no parking lot, so you have to look for street parking if you drive to the restaurant. I usually have luck parking one block away on Jefferson Street.

• Side dishes are usually $2, but they are only $1 if you order with a lunch entree.

The Stats:

• Dish on Market, 434 W. Market Street, Louisville, Ky.

• Chicken salad sandwich: $6.25
• Soup of the day: $1
• Total: $7.25
  Total (with tax and tip): $8.70
  Mission: Accomplished