Comings & Goings_Winter23_Ed-final.qxp_Road Trip_Cinci.qxd 11/25/23 7:41 PM Page 8
starters | comings & goings
comings & goings
BY ROGER BAYLOR
By The Economist newspaper’s estimation, there were a tenth fewer eating places open in America in 2022 than in 2019. However, the Louisville metropolitan area in 2019 saw 131 comings to 77 goings. In 2020 the tally was 132 to 80, so we bucked that trend. And our market continued to grow in 2023. Our annual tally indicates 166 openings versus 93 closings. Here’s the quarterly breakdown: Spring saw 40 comings and 37 goings; Summer 50-22; Fall 41-15; and Winter 35-23. Honestly, we’re accustomed to numbers like these. Why? Analysts, think tanks and soothsayers are free to advance their own theories, but I propose to bring 2023 to a close by refraining from deep analysis. Resolved: Louisville is one of the best food towns in the country—it’s who we are, and what we do—so let’s be thankful for what we have, and hope it continues. COMINGS Louisvillians know The Eagle Food & Beer Hall from its portal on Bardstown Road, where house-brined, hand-dredged fried chicken and all those “comfort sides” have built such an avid following, that it’s time for another at Oxmoor Center (7900 Shelbyville Rd.), near Topgolf. Five minutes away in Westport Village, Osteria Italian Seafood (1211 Herr Ln.) is restaurateur Jared Matthews’ loving reboot of the long-running Napa, transformed into a comfortable showcase for Italian-American influenced fresh seafood (yes, Louisville loves its UPS hub), pasta, soups, salads and desserts. Ens (1758 Frankfort Ave. in Clifton) means “full circle” and represents a blend of traditions from Chef Lawrence Weeks and the team at North of Bourbon, as Japanese techniques and influences combine with Southern ingredients. Five blocks east, Miki’s Korean Restaurant and Karaoke Bar (2230 Frankfort Ave.) pairs second-to-none karaoke with simple but serious Korean finger food. Downtown at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts (501 W. Main St.), the center’s Lexus Lounge has added The Chef’s Table VIP Club as an all-inclusive pre-show and intermission food and beverage option. Conversely, Back of the House Collective Yard (3215 Preston Hwy.) near the Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center is Louisville’s first designated food truck yard, hosting six rotating vendors, yard games and a miniature dog park. Geographically, Bardstown Road’s “restaurant row” (original Highlands and beyond) and Southern Indiana both excelled in the 4th quarter. Bardstown Road begins where Baxter Avenue crosses Highland Avenue, near to where Kebab House (969 Baxter Ave.) channels the late, lamented Falafel House with kebabs, shawarma and more. A few doors down WNB Factory (1019 Bardstown Rd.), an Atlanta-based franchise, is set to open featuring, as they say, “the best darn wings &
craft burgers you’ve ever had.” And just next door to WNB will soon be a restaurant and lounge from Amet “Sol Aztecas” Bullaudy, Beyond the Sun (1023 Bardstown Rd.), which will have American and international cuisine with nightly entertainment. Nearby is the second location of Germantown’s signature pizzeria The Post (1759 Bardstown Rd.), with pizza and subs for takeout only. In Deer Park, Top 1 Korean BBQ & Hotpot (1801 Bardstown Rd.) will soon, after several delays, rejuvenate the former Bard’s Town space with jeongol, or Korean fondue. Similarly, growth continues in Southern Indiana. Derby City Pizza’s 7th area location is open at 412 W. Daisy Ln. in New Albany. At Rickhouse Barbecue (216 Pearl St.) in the Mesa Kitchen incubator, veterans of the food truck wars have a bricks ‘n’ mortar presence. The city’s La Catrina Mexican Kitchen now has its own spinoff in Jeffersonville: La Catrina Tacos & Tequila (125 W. Chestnut St.) Also in Jeffersonville, the long-dormant Portage House property hosts Game on the River (117 E. Riverside Dr,), adding seafood dishes to the original Game’s exotic proteins like alpaca and wild boar. Dropping anchor amid Clarksville’s waterfront “town center” development are two popular Louisville entities: Goodbounce Pickleball Yard (1220 Main St.), with six indoor courts and “eatertainment,” including lagers and ales from Ten20 Craft Brewery’s (1400 Main St.) first Indiana taproom. International cuisine continues to expand, bringing world flavors into most Louisville neighborhoods, as with Tomo Japanese Ramen Sushi (5023 Mud Ln.) in southernmost Louisville and Veronica’s Mexican Restaurant (5044 Poplar Level Rd.) in Newburg, pushing boundaries with birria ramen and eggrolls. Xian’s Kitchen (12338 Shelbyville Rd.) showcases the diversity of Filipino cuisine in Middletown. Maira Mediterranean Grill (4000 Dutchmans Ln.) replaces the short-lived Mirage, bringing a range of Continued on page 10
8 Winter 2023 www.foodanddine.com