Interview By Joe Lamb

Fusion Martini Bar and Grill

Hebron is no longer the back end of beyond. If you believe what you read on the Internet, this Boone County town experienced a population boom of 750 percent from 1990 to 2000 -- and all those people have to have somewhere to eat!

In response, a crop of restaurants has sprung up along the interstate exit in the past few years, and luckily they're not all fast-food joints.

Hebron's Fusion Martini Bar and Grill is a friendly, upscale neighborhood place that's got just what you need after an afternoon visit to the nearby Creation Museum -- a hearty selection of stiff drinks. Even a martini purist can get a serious cocktail here if you can get past the clever name: We All Die Young ($7). What that has to do with gin and vermouth, I'm not quite sure. And it wasn't totally serious -- the olives were stuffed with cheese -- but my genuine gin-drinking guest liked it.

The Run for the Roses martini ($6) was, surprisingly, blue, with a red raspberries garnish. A little bit too sweet for my taste, but I enjoyed my Warsteiner lager beer ($7), and my hectic work week started to melt away in the distance. I began to like Fusion's take on life more and more.

Our appetizers were all seafood choices -- well, sort of. Ever the adventurer, I had to try the Fried Alligator Tail ($12). It arrived with our less risky choices: two nicely browned Crab Cakes ($10) and a plate piled with Fried Calamari ($9). The calamari was tender, even slightly underdone, but the Thai chili aioli was delicious for dipping. The crab cakes were nice and flakey.

The alligator? It was definitely different! Our server had said that "it tastes like chicken," but it's really quite a bit gamier than that. Not every bite was the same, either -- some milder and others very strong. But it went well with the pesto aioli, and it certainly satisfied my curiosity.

As I looked around, I noticed that the clientele was overwhelmingly female -- out of a decent-sized crowd, there were only three men. It was so noticeable that when the owner approached us to see how everything was, I mentioned it. He acknowledged that the largest group of guests was, indeed, "church ladies." See, that hard-day-at-Answers-in-Genesis theory was not far off.

Either that, or they come for salsa dancing instruction, which was sadly not featured on the night of our visit. Instead we were treated to live acoustic guitar -- some Flamenco, Bossa Nova, a little mellow Rock & Roll and then, suddenly, six unmistakable chords. "Sitting on a park bench." "Aqualung!" I guess every guitarist lets their inner Jethro Tull out once in a while.

And then our entrées arrived! I stayed with the bayou theme and had a delightful Jambalaya Salad ($12). This is a very innovative hot and cold dish, with andouille sausage, blackened chicken and spicy shrimp, tossed with sautéed onions and black bean and corn relish, dressed with spicy remoulade and served over mixed greens. Creative and good!

My husband's chicken with portabella and wild rice ($16) was extremely salty, but the accompanying vegetables were buttery, tender and crisp. Our friend had Chicken Parmesan ($15), bubbly with cheese and plenty to take home. Serving the pasta with two separate sauces was a nice touch, and the alfredo was delicious.

The owner, Stan Watson, is clearly a baby boomer pursuing his dream, and I think he'll reach it. He has a good staff, and he personally stopped by our table several times, genuinely interested in our feedback, including the last time, when he came to see why we hadn't eaten our cake. All of Fusion's desserts are homemade except, unfortunately, the one we chose to try: Death by Chocolate ($6).

He assured us that he's headed away from prepared food and would like to have a pastry chef in house if he had enough room. In the meantime, choices like Peaches and Cream, with flambéed peaches and toasted pecans over vanilla bean ice cream, Key Lime Brulée or the Macadamia Nut Brownie Sundae should keep the sweet tooth satisfied. And the coffee was delicious.

The acoustics are good at Fusion, considering the broad marble floor and no soundproofing anywhere. There's a huge bar area and a nice outdoor patio that was in use during our visit. According to the staff, there's a half-hour wait for a table on weekend nights without a reservation.

That's what a population boom will do for you! Ask Adam and Eve -- they're right up the road. ©

Fusion Martini Bar and Grill
Go: 2141 North Bend Road, Hebron

Call: 859-689-0352

Hours: 11 a.m.-midnight Monday-Thursday, 11-1:30 a.m. Friday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday

Prices: $12-$26

Payment: All major credit cards

Red Meat Alternatives: Chicken, seafood, salads and veggie pasta

Accessibility: Fully accessible

Grade: B-