SUMMER 2023

(Current Issue)

50 Restaurant openings / 22 Closings

Comings

The military strategist Sun Tzu wrote, “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity,” as with Louisville’s food and dining scene during F&D’s tenure. Our city’s chefs, line cooks, dishwashers, bartenders, bar backs, patissiers, baristas, distillers, brewers and delivery drivers keep right on coming to work through floods, blizzards and pandemics, and you, their guests, continue to dine and drink at your favorite spots, come what may. Salut!

Celebrity Chef Edward Lee’s eagerly anticipated Nami in Butchertown is devoted to exploring Lee’s Korean culinary heritage, with both traditional and modern Korean dishes. At the new Hotel Genevieve in NuLu, Rosettes is the all-purpose daily dining venue , while Bar Genevieve works afternoon and evening hours for cocktails and light Mediterranean-inspired fare plotted by James Beardrecognized culinary director Ashleigh Shanti.

Created by two alumni of the “The Walking Dead” television series, Nic & Norman’s, at Whiskey Alley downtown emphasizes Southern-inspired soups, salads, entrées, gourmet burgers and flatbreads, with signature cocktails and craft beer from local breweries. Also downtown is Number 15 on Whiskey Row, a multi-floor, Kentucky-themed entertainment complex with chef-driven edibles, urging revelers to “Drink, Dance & Discover.” A few blocks away at Buzzard’s Roost Whiskey Row Experience, master blender Jason “Bourbons Bistro” Brauner’s has an interactive, educational venue for his award-winning whiskies.

Staffers from the defunct Decca joined to create Decade in the old Butchertown Grocery premises, pledging internationally-influenced American fine dining. Filling the after-dinner void nearby in Clifton, where Sweet Surrender Dessert Café’s 35-year run ended in December 2022, Bae’s Baekery is forging a new tradition.

Downtown New Albany’s popular The Exchange and Brooklyn & The Butcher have been joined by OUTCAST fish & oyster bar, reflecting owner Ian Hall’s lifelong love of South Carolina-style seafood specialty restaurants.

Ernesto Rivera and Alfredo Garcia’s popular I Love Tacos has migrated to fowl environs with the advent of I Love Pollo, featuring Adobo Rotisserie chicken prepared with diverse Latin recipes. Rivera’s new Mulligans at Glenmary in a former golf clubhouse near Fern Creek is a chef-driven sports bar with corn hole, pickleball and other adult outdoor diversions.

Two regular customers of the former Diamond Station took over the premises on Bardstown Road and rebranded as Highlands Bar & Grill. By the river in Butchertown, Goodbounce Pickleball Yard has opened its courts with Chef Ashlee “Happy Belly Bistro” Norrington providing the provisions.

Island Breeze Jamaican & American BBQ in the Highlands is run by a native of Kingston, who complements Jamaican specialties with American soul food. The Jamaican Jerk Center opened in multicultural Buechel. Also in Buechel, Abbas Jamshidi, a native of Iran, opened Bellissimo Italian Restaurant where Italian favorites coexist alongside seldom-seen Afghan dishes like mantu and bolani.

Elsewhere world flavors continue their tasty proliferation. The former Pelicanos in Jeffersonville has become El Rayo Seafood & Grill, a marisqueria (seafood restaurant). A Toda Madre Comida Urbana Mexicana occupies a remodeled former Dairy Queen in New Albany. Also in New Albany, OhChae Korean Fusion Cuisine vends traditional Korean dishes and American-influenced fusion items from the Mesa storefront downtown. At Logan Street Market Deapster 502 is now serving staples like biryani and vindaloo, along with crosscultural tikka tacos and vegan tikka. Mochi Dog moved into The StrEATery food hall in Beechmont and serves their namesake mochi dogs (a Korean-style corn dog).

The Russell neighborhood gained four new restaurants. Mama Shadia serves a synthesis of Arabic, Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine. Gore’s SmokeOut BBQ and Melt 502 have occupied the first two properties of the OneWest community foundation’s chef accelerator/incubator program, and Tino's Taste of Heaven moved into Sweet Peaches old spot. Nearby in Portland Kyros Brewing Company has opened a small brewery, taproom and beer garden.

The Flour Shoppe (Highlands) is the place where two vegan baking veterans combined forces to conjure fully vegan cupcakes, brownies and cookies. And two new seafood restaurants set up shop; Sweet & Juicy Seafood in Fern Creek and Seafood Heaven in Smoketown.

The Ohio-based Condado Tacos chain has its first Louisville location at Oxmoor Center. Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken opened in the East End and just south of Churchill Downs Louisville Pizza King vends takeout and delivery pizzas only.

More coffee and tea shops are pouring with the addition of these six new spots; Barista Parlor downtown, Blak Koffee in the Russell neighborhood, 7 Brew Coffee in Jeffersonville, Sis Got Tea in Germantown, Tiger Sugar, and Bep Teahouse both in the Highlands.

A number of existing restaurants added additional locations. El Nopal’s 25th location is up and running in Clarksville, Craft House Pizza opened its fourth location in the East End and Marco’s Pizza added a second spot in the South End.

Others adding additional outposts include; Daisuki Sushi in the Highlands, Kabuki Hibachi & Ramen in downtown Jeffersonville, Atrium Brewing in Norton Commons, Tropical Smoothie Café in Prospect, Ehrler’s Ice Cream in the Highlands, Green District Salads in St. Matthews, Scooter's Coffee in Audubon Park, and Quills Coffee in St. Matthews.

MOVES & CHANGES

As always, there have been relocations and alterations. Both Green District Salads and Quills Coffee shifted their St. Matthews locations to 3939 Shelbyville Rd., an adaptively reused building known to locals as the former Bacon’s department store. Further east in

Lyndon, Goose Creek Diner has been renamed to The Goose and moved to 812 Lyndon Lane. In Jeffersontown, El Taco Luchador has occupied the former Royals Hot Chicken at 10305 Taylorsville Road.

Goings

Three long-established independent restaurants have come to the end of the line since our Spring 2023 issue appeared.

Angilo’s Pizza, in the South End began as a regional pizzeria franchise in 1963, succumbed to staffing and inflationary problems; Hill Street Fish & Seafood (Old Louisville) ran for 31 years and cited similar issues. The story of Rockey’s Clarksville Seafood is more complicated. It was a descendant of the old Cape Codder chain, running since the 70s, then being resurrected in 2022 by Hubert “The Dock” Rockey. Sadly, Rockey passed away – and so did the restaurant.

The BurgerIM franchise in St. Matthews couldn’t sell enough gourmet hamburgers, and International Tap House in NuLu learned that 300 beers weren’t enough (or maybe too many). Speaking of beer, the Oldham Brewing Company in Prospect closed so its owners could move and rebrand the brew kit to Inside Job Brewing Company in Old Louisville.

The Highlands became a tad less sweet when Maple Street Biscuit Company and Cookie Crush USA went away. Nearby, the vegan-centered Shahar Café ceased operations but it is seeking a new home. Further east at the Gardiner Lane Shopping Center, Legend Crab Seafood House’s brief run concluded, to be replaced by King Buffet.

In Southern Indiana, two restaurant vacancies have been quickly filled. The short-lived Hing Wang Cajun Seafood & Sushi in New Albany is now A Toda Madre Comida Urbana Mexicana, while in Jeffersonville, Pelicanos yielded to El Rayo Seafood & Grill.

Restaurants with multiple locations have a wider array of options when the clock strikes midnight. For example, Board and You Bistro & Wine Bar retreated back to its New Albany home base when the Norton Commons fan base proved insufficient

Downtown Louisville has continued to experience post-COVID disruptions. The Heine Brothers Coffee at Fourth Street Live! became redundant, but Heine remains in the PNC Tower. Meanwhile the branch of Carali's Rotisserie Chicken made way for All Thai’d Up, which in turn found the going tough and was shuttered in late Spring.

The Colonial Gardens food court in the Kenwood Hill neighborhood continues, but without El Taco Luchador (but its other locations are open). The owners of the two Fry Daddy's locations in Clifton and Shelby Park closed both, transferring the hyper-caloric loaded fries concept to their Six Forks Burger Company in Germantown. When the Clarksville location of Rooster's suffered a catastrophic fire, its Louisville-area franchise holders began the process of rebuilding the location. F&D

Since this here magazine is celebrating 20 years of dishing out dining details for the Greater Louisville area, I wanted to look back on 20 years of Louisville’s nightlife and remember the great times we had at bars that have long been shuttered. For better or worse, each and every one of these establishments helped shape who I am today. Although I may have lost some brain cells along the way, the beersoaked memories live on like a phone number etched on a bathroom stall at The Back Door.

Closing Time

Twenty years ago brings us to 2003, and where was everyone headed to after work on Fridays? Jillian’s, of course, for their infamous happy hour that included 2-for-1 drinks, cheap draft beer, dancing and crazy bar games. I remember sumo wrestling, jousting, dancing on a pole, and one time I won $500 carrying an egg on a spoon throughout the massive complex. Don’t ask.

I also saw some great concerts at Jillian’s, like Bob Dylan, John Mayer (when he was first starting out) and Rusted Root. It’s also where Vanilla Ice poured Jägermeister directly into my mouth. Oh, the memories.

As long as we’re in that area of town, let’s give a shout out to Have a Nice Day Café, Bar Louisville and Blue Martini, and across Baxter we had @mosphere and the Tequila Factory.

Most of you probably think I should have started with these two nightlife monoliths, but I like to make you wait. Let’s go ahead