Middletown Magazine April 2018

APRIL 2018

MAGAZINE

THE PLUMP PEACOCK B A K E RY & C A F E OW N E R TA L K S E A R LY DAYS OF POPULAR VENUE

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TOWNE POST NETWORK, INC. MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE FRANCHISE PUBLISHER Corey Boston

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APRIL WRITERS

THE PLUMP PEACOCK: BAKERY & CAFE OWNER TALKS EARLY DAYS OF POPULAR VENUE

Liz Wingfield’s Plump Peacock Bakery & Cafe has been Middletown’s best-kept secret over the last several years, and the popular eatery has emerged as a gem in Louisville’s vibrant culinary scene.

18

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Beth Wilder / Carrie Vittitoe Shannon Siders / Stephanie VonTrapp Tyrel Kessinger / Todd Calvert Warren Maddox

APRIL PHOTOGRAPHERS Bee Buck Photography

SHOP LOCAL! Help our local economy by shopping local.

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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHTS ARE SPONSORED CONTENT

6 Former NFL Players Leading

the Charge at Baptist Health Performance Training

26 The Plump Peacock:

Bakery & Cafe Owner Talks Early Days of Popular Venue

10 Business Spotlight: Bearno’s Pizza 30 Dressed for the Derby 14 Gilda’s Club Louisville Hosts 9th 33 Hidden Tresures: AunTEA Pearls Annual Night of a Thousand Laughs

18 Up & Away: Local Resident is a Hot Air Balloon Enthusiast

TEA Establishment

34 Forest Bathing: Being Outside in

The Middletown Magazine is published by the Towne Post Network and is written for and by local area residents. Magazines are distributed via direct mail to over 18,000 Middletown area homeowners and businesses each month.

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Deion Branch, Breno Giacomini, Eric Wood and Chris Redman

FO R M ER NFL PLAY E RS LEA DIN G THE C HA RGE AT BA PTI ST HEALTH P ERFORMA N C E TRA IN ING Writer / Shannon Siders

“We’re really excited about the direction the facility is going,” Redman says.

Since opening in February 2017, athletes of all ages and abilities have flocked to the The 16,000 square foot facility features a Baptist Health Performance Training facility full weight room, large turf field, locker in the East End. rooms and showers. Full-service training programs, available from youth to adult NFL and former University of Louisville and amateur to professional levels, are led football greats Deion Branch, Breno by experienced athletic trainers, coaches Giacomini, Chris Redman and Eric Wood and physical therapists. worked alongside Baptist Health to develop the facility and continue to remain involved. Training programs are tailored to each participant’s abilities and continue to build “We were excited to partner with Baptist as the athlete progresses.

Health, and the facility has come a long way in a short period of time,” says Redman, a At the elementary school level, the program product of Louisville Male High School focuses on sport skills through fun fitness who was named Mr. Football USA in 1994. activities. Coaches focus on balance, coordination and kinesthetic awareness.

Redman went on to play football at the From there, athletes move on to sport University of Louisville, where he still foundation at the middle school level, holds a number of single game, single with an emphasis on injury prevention, season and career records. The quarterback foundational movement training, was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens, foundational strength and power training followed by stints with the New England and life skills development.

Patriots, Tennessee Titans, and most recently, the Atlanta Falcons.

High school participants continue to focus

6 / MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE / APRIL 2018 / atMiddletown.com

on injury prevention, while moving on to more advanced mobility and stability training, movement training development, strength and power development and energy system development.

“I love working with kids,” Redman says.

“I’ve had an opportunity to work with a lot of different high school quarterbacks in Louisville. To give some knowledge back to these guys and put them in the right direction not only on the field but off the field as well has been really beneficial to me as a person.”

The founders also frequently participate in camp sessions when they are in town to work with local school-aged athletes.

“I think it’s important for kids around town to have good role models and to be training around good people,” Redman says. “The entire staff here is awesome, and we provide a great structure where kids can learn the proper techniques to maximize their athletic ability.”

Adults interested in training opportunities can choose to participate in an athlete or strength track.

Adult athlete is composed of high intensity, sweat-dripping, heart-pumping workouts utilizing circuit training that combines kettlebells, dumbbells, sleds, bodyweight and other modalities. The aim of the program is to produce the best, healthiest version of yourself.

“I TH I N K I T ’ S I MP ORTA N T FOR K I DS AROUN D TOWN TO H AV E GOOD R OLE MODE L S AND TO BE T R AI N I N G AR OUN D GOOD P EOPL E .”

CHRIS REDMAN

“Our strength coach Eric Hammer does an incredible job catering to your needs and In the adult strength track, participants focus on developing real functional strength. goals for whatever level you’re at.”

The program helps build the confidence and strength needed to power through life.

Most of the staff at the facility have a master’s degree and hold industryRedman and his colleagues are believers recognized certifications such as Certified in the program because they have seen the Strength Conditioning Specialist to benefits first hand. ensure athletes are in the best hands possible. Low athlete-to-trainer ratios “I get over there as much as possible,” says ensure the personalized attention Redman, who noted his partners also train necessary to help athletes achieve their at the facility when they’re back in town. performance goals.

Staying in shape and finding the motivation to workout can be a challenge even for current and former athletes, and Redman has enjoyed having such a quality training facility so close to his home.

“After playing football for such a long time, I’ve been used to someone leading me through workouts and keeping me in shape,” says Redman, who last played professionally in 2012. “When that was over, it was hard to train myself. Baptist Health Performance Training helps me

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have people who are knowledgeable and top-notch show me what I need to do and keep me motivated.”

Baptist Health Performance Training is also trusted by a different variation of football players. Members of Louisville City FC, Louisville’s professional soccer club who were named USL champions last fall, use the facility for their medical support and athletic training services.

Medical support is available by way of a full-service Baptist Health Physical Therapy office located at the facility.

Anyone in the community can be referred to the practice by their physician, and therapists and trainers at the facility work side-by-side to personalize performance programs to ensure a seamless transition back from treatment.

The convenient East End location, at 12101 Sycamore Station Place, has been one of the keys to success for the facility.

“It’s one of the hottest areas right now,” Redman says. “With the movie theater expansion and Main Event, everything is booming. We have a great partner right next to us in Malibu Jack’s. The facility is easy to get to, and the people out here are great. It’s a great community.”

Several membership options are available at Baptist Health Performance Training, including monthly and annual memberships, training packs and personal training sessions.

Members receive unlimited training classes and can use the gym during open hours throughout the week. For more information on the facility or membership options, visit BaptistHealthPerformanceTraining.com or call 502-742-6090.

As for the future, Redman and his partners look forward to the continued growth and success of Baptist Health Performance Training.

“We’re excited about helping the community and making it a better place,” Redman says.

“It’s been a great group to work with. A lot of fun and laughs, and we’ve worked hard to get a great product out there.”

8 / MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE / APRIL 2018 / atMiddletown.com

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BEARNO’S PIZZA  Bearno’s 502 10212 Taylorsville Road  Bearno’s 502 801 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy  bearnos.com

Louisville investor and businessman Mark Lamkin came across a problem when he moved to Hurstbourne about five years ago.

to improve the client experience and consistency so we can be the best Jeffersontown has to offer,” Lamkin says.

“Bearno’s is my favorite pizza, and it took an hour and a half or longer to get a Bearno’s pizza delivered to my new home,” Lamkin says. “A buddy and I were talking one day, and I decided we needed to fix the problem.”

The second location opened at 801 S. Hurstbourne Parkway next to Barnes & Noble on March 5th after a $500,000 renovation to the 2,500 square foot space.

A few phone calls and some planning later, and Lamkin, along with his partner Eric Liedtke, was in agreement to open a new Bearno’s sports bar concept, Bearno’s 502, with two east end locations.

The first location opened at the site of the former Loui Loui’s Detroit Style Pizza at 10212 Taylorsville Road in mid-November, just 200 yards away from the original Taylorsville Road location.

After operating for several months, the 4,500 square foot restaurant closed over the winter to undergo some cosmetic updates and reopened under new management in March.

“We have replaced our manager and added and enhanced our staff

Both locations are under the management of Gregg Acree, who has 17 years of experience with Buffalo Wild Wings, managing more than 11 locations. Around 60 employees will be hired across the two restaurants.

“We are excited to bring this wealth of experience and commitment to service to Jeffersontown,” Lamkin says. “Gregg Acree is excited and looking forward to serving the residents of J-Town and committed to making Bearno’s the number one brand in our community.”

In addition to more than two dozen 65-inch high-definition televisions, each location will have a full-service bar. Despite

14 / APRIL 2018

the sports bar design, there will still be an emphasis on familyfriendly fun, and the owners think it will be a great place for east end families to enjoy a pizza and catch a game. Delivery, carryout and dining room eating options will also be rolled out at both locations.

“We’ll be the place in town, in my opinion, when any sporting contest, game or event is on, you’ll want to come to Bearno’s J-Town,” Lamkin says. “That’s my goal.”

The menu will largely remain the same as an original Bearno’s, with some different appetizer options. The owners see the Bearno’s 502 concept as a competitor to Buffalo Wild Wings.

“We aren’t doing anything to the pizza,” Acree says. “Just throwing a little flair on the menu.”

One of the new items Acree is excited to unveil is the Mama Bearno’s Bloody Mary.

“We are taking a bloody Mary mix and throwing some secret items in, then garnishing it with pepperonis and olives,” he says.

Popular menu items like the Mama Bearno’s Special, which the company says is Louisville’s number one selling pizza, will be available for order alongside other delicious Italian dishes. Mama Bearno’s Special is a monster of a pizza, coming fully loaded with sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, black olives, green olives and topped with mozzarella cheese.

Other Bearno’s favorites include the Garlic Cheese Stix (a 10-inch pie buttered and topped with mozzarella, seasoned and baked to perfection, and served with a side of Bearno’s own sauce), Chicken Parmesan Sandwich and the Spaghetti and Penne pastas.

Both Bearno’s 502 locations will feature expanded beer selections, with 20 beer taps at Jeffersontown and 12 at Hurstbourne.

Offerings will rotate and include craft beers and domestics.

“WE ARE EXCITED TO BRING THIS WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE AND COMMITMENT TO SERVICE TO JEFFERSONTOWN.” - MARK LAMKIN -

There will also be live music on specified nights to add to the entertainment and atmosphere.

While the two new locations are just a few miles from one another in the east end, the owners see it as an opportunity.

“This area has a large delivery territory that I think will be better served by the presence of two restaurants,” Lamkin says.

Bearno’s President Rob Mooney, whose family opened the original Bearno’s 40 years ago, is excited to carry on his family’s tradition with the new concept. Mooney and two of his college roommates bought the chain more than 20 years ago and have operated it ever since.

APRIL 2018 / 15

“I love the energy this group is bringing to the new concept,” says Mooney, a Jeffersontown resident. “We love the Bearno’s 502 concept that they’re bringing to the table. I don’t know if we can replicate that at all of our stores, but the new concept is great for our brand.”

With more than a dozen other Bearno’s locations across the greater Louisville area, Mooney and his ownership partners knew they had a reputation to protect but allowed Lamkin and his team leeway in developing the concept.

“It’s definitely different than what we’ve done in the past, and it’s fantastic,” Mooney says.

The Bearno’s 502 concepts are adding an invigorated feel to a brand that has been a Louisville staple for more than 40 years. Lamkin and his team hope to foster the same community in Jeffersontown, and he is excited to share his favorite pizza with an expanded local market.

“I want J-Town to know that from little league baseball to churches, whenever there’s a need, we’re willing to get involved in the community,” Lamkin says. “I want to be an integral part of the J-Town community. I spend most of my time here, so I want to become a bigger part of the fabric of the community.”

And they plan to stick around for a long time.

“Bearno’s has been around for 40 years, and we want to be around 40 more in J-Town,” Lamkin says.

Now with two convenient east end locations, the operating hours for each location are: Bearno’s 502 Taylorsville Road is open Monday-Wednesday 11am11pm, Thursday-Saturday 11am-12am and Sunday 11am-11pm.

Bearno’s 502 Hurstbourne is open Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm and Sunday 12pm-9pm

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GILDA’S CLUB LOUISVILLE HOSTS 9TH ANNUAL NIGHT OF A THOUSAND LAUGHS Gilda’s Club is a non-profit community for those living with cancer, their family and friends. In 2007, Gilda’s Club Louisville Gilda Radner, the first comic hired by Lorne became the 21st to open in the United Michaels for the ground-breaking Saturday States. Located in the Highlands and such a Night Live entertainment show, left a legacy valued support to those living with cancer, of laughter for the masses, but she also it has expanded its outreach to include has inspired those worldwide living with Southern Indiana and will be moving into cancer. Gilda once said cancer “gave her a much larger 35,000 square-foot facility membership to an elite club I’d rather not (next to Collegiate) in the Summer of 2019. belong to.” Gilda died of Ovarian Cancer in 1989. In 1995, her husband, Gene Wilder, Gilda’s serves men, women and children Radner’s psychotherapist, Joanna Bull, and with 55 different types of cancer and offers broadcaster Joel Siegel, opened the first more than 100 free programs each month. chapter of Gilda’s Club in NYC. They believe “living with cancer is not a Writer / Stephanie VonTrapp Photography provided by Gilda’s Club Louisville

18 / APRIL 2018

choice. How you live with it is.” Programs include pilates, yoga, Zumba, meditation, education, art and music therapy, social gatherings and more. I encourage those of you who are living with cancer, or who love someone who is, to reach out to Gilda’s Club Louisville and feel the love firsthand.

How does Gilda’s Club Louisville provide such a wonderful service for our community? Well, in true Gilda fashion, part of it is funded on laughter itself. Every year since 2008, they have hosted the gloriously hilarious Night of a Thousand Laughs. It is a fun-filled evening of drinks,

dinner and comedy and the proceeds help keep Gilda’s Club in action and serving strong. Every year, five opening amateur comedians compete for laughs on stage at the Kentucky Center for the Arts as they liven up the audience for the professional comedian whose set wraps up the evening.

I had the privilege of performing last year as we opened for Las Vegas comedian and Kentucky native, Mack King. I laughed the entire evening from start to finish and can assure you everyone else did, too. This year’s performance will be on May 19 in the Bomhard Theater. The VIP reception will begin at 5:30, followed by a VIP Dinner.

The show will begin at 7:30 pm. Tickets range from $50-$175 and guests have the option to just see the show, to see the show and go to the after-party, or a grand evening of drinks, dinner, performance and the afterparty with Louisville’s funniest folks. There is also a raffle for $100 gift cards to our city’s most delectable dining establishments and a Grand Prize Auction.

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Last year a Pappy Experience, a private tasting of the entire “Pappy Van Winkle” family and personalized tour, was auctioned.

This year’s prize will be unveiled in April along with the headlining professional comedian. If you are looking for an entertaining and memorable weekend, I encourage you to buy your tickets now.

I still have my Gilda Radner paper-doll set, and, as a life-long fan, I believe this event honors her spirit in just the way she would have liked. Five terrified, amateur comics step onto to the stage to fight for your chuckles and win your hearts — all while raising money for a worthy cause.

The headliner then makes your stomach hurt from so much laughing with their riotous act, and we all end the evening over sparkling cocktails and conversation.

Pooja Reddy (from ABC News), Reggie Robertson (from Hell or High Water) and Zack Warren (Tri-Arrows Aluminum).

Returning this year as Host and Emcee is last year’s winner, Mark Kull. Kull brought down the house last year as he reminded us what happens when you mix generational wealth with fatherhood and bourbon.

Tickets can be purchased at the Kentucky Center for the Arts Box Office or at This year’s amateur comics are Ainsley Jones kentuckycenter.org/notl18. There are only (from Doe Anderson), Peggy King (from 600 available, so grab them now and bring The Agency/Signature HealthCARE), a friend. If you cannot attend but would

like to support Gilda’s Club Louisville, please stop by the clubhouse or visit gildasclublouisville.org.

Again, if you are living with cancer or know someone who is, there is a community at Gilda’s Club Louisville continuing their mission to ensure that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action and sustained by community. Gilda’s welcomes those interested to stop by and tour the clubhouse located at 633 Baxter Ave, 40204 or contact them at 502-583-0075.

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LOCAL RESIDENT IS A HOT AIR BALLOON ENTHUSIAST didn’t know how he was going to get home.

A taxi ride to Des Moines and a bus ride to Derek Browning’s first job as a teenager in Louisville took him 16 hours and made him 1979 was at a hotel in Jeffersonville, Indiana. swear off buses for life.

His boss asked him if he’d like to help with the hot air balloon that the local convention “For a kid, it was a heck of an adventure,” bureau had purchased to advertise Southern he says.

Indiana and bring visitors to the downtown area. Derek began crewing the “Southern It wasn’t until the early 1990s that Derek Indiana is the Sunny Side of Louisville” began working on his private pilot’s license, balloon, which gave him something fun to which he did with the help of a friend, do and the opportunity to meet people.

Sam Beazly, whom he crewed for regularly.

Crewing for so many years helped make “I did something that nobody else I knew the licensing process easier for Derek. Over was doing,” he says. As he became more the years, he had picked up considerable interested in hot air ballooning, he would knowledge, such as knowing that a pilot can drive to U of L’s Shelby campus from fly a balloon at 250 degrees but only for a Portland in the early hours of Saturday short amount of time and that a pilot should mornings to help the crew. never exceed 275 degrees.

exposed Derek to the ins and outs of policing. It was through policing that Derek met his wife, Jessie, a relationship that might just be kismet.

Some of Derek’s fondest memories involve hot air ballooning adventures. In 1980, he and some friends drove 800 miles in the back of a pickup truck to Indianola, Iowa for the US National Balloon Championship. He

Derek credits Jessie with making his dream of having his own balloon a reality.

Writer / Carrie Vittitoe

Derek’s interest in hot air balloons eventually led to his career in law enforcement. He frequently crewed with Jerry Cowles, who was a Clarksville, Indiana officer, and their friendship 22 / APRIL 2018

The couple met in 1997 after Jessie had moved to Kentucky from Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is the home of the largest balloon festival in the United States. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a nine-day event that hosts more than 500 balloons and hundreds of thousands of attendees. Ballooning became an automatic conversation starter for them.

After a time, Derek asked Jessie if she’d like to come help him fly. She gave him her phone number with a note scrawled across it that said, “For ballooning only.” They married in 1999.

“They aren’t cheap, and I just never thought of making that investment,” he says.

Fortunately, a friend knew someone selling a balloon, so Derek purchased This End Up with Jessie’s encouragement in 2011. He went on to get his commercial pilot’s license in 2012.

Owning a balloon is like owning anything, it requires maintenance and inspection.

Since a hot air balloon is a registered Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aircraft, Derek has to have his inspected every year or 100 flight hours. A flight hour doesn’t just mean lifting off the ground.

“Any time you light it up, even for a glow, counts as hours on the balloon,” he says.

All parts of the balloon are inspected, from the fuel tanks to the envelope (which is the balloon part of the aircraft).

Flying in a hot air balloon is a unique experience.

“You get a view that not a lot of people ever get,” Derek says. It is quiet in the air, except

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for the sound of the burners, and he says there is no sense of movement.

Piloting a balloon isn’t always relaxing and peaceful, especially when he’s trying to get to a specific location. Derek has at least nine weather apps on his phone that he uses to track the winds at various levels of altitude.

Although he says he doesn’t really like to fly higher than about 1,500 feet, sometimes the wind he needs to get somewhere is at 3,000 feet, so he’ll have the balloon ascend in order to catch that wind pattern. The highest a hot air balloonist can go without supplemental oxygen is 13,000 feet.

Landing the balloon can challenge even the most experienced pilot. Derek has had a few occasions when the winds weren’t cooperating, and he’s had to make a harder landing than he wanted. He’s also had to land in some tight spaces due to power lines, trees or prohibited zones. He once landed in an easement between two houses near Shelbyville Road.

In addition to paying attention to the winds and landing obstacles, a pilot also has to pay attention to the heat of the day.

Derek says the best times to fly are from sunrise to two hours into the day and two hours prior to sunset.

“These are the periods of the day when the wind is typically the calmest,” he says. As the day heats up, rising columns of hot air called thermals can make it difficult for a hot about 235 pounds, out of the trailer, and air balloon to fly and land. she is also in charge of the straps that hold the envelope when it is put away.

Derek and Jessie recall an incident when The youngest child, Allie, helps make the two of their three children were in the connections between the basket and the balloon with Derek, and a thermal arose. envelope.

“It looked like it was going to be a great day,” he says. “All of a sudden, you could feel a breeze. The basket and the envelope were going in opposite directions.”

Hot air ballooning is a family activity for the Brownings. Each of their children has a specific job that they do. The oldest, Spencer, holds the rope to stabilize the crown of the envelope during inflation.

Aubrianna, their middle child, works with her mom to get the envelope, which weighs

“Wherever we’ve landed, she also plays with any animal in the vicinity,” Jessie says.

The family often travels to ballooning events. Since 2014, Derek has participated in the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, which is also an opportunity to visit Jessie’s family. They travel to Ohio, Tennessee and other regional locations up to 10 times a year.

Derek is a member of the Balloon Society 24 / APRIL 2018

of Kentucky (BSOK). In the summer, members of the organization get together one evening a week to fly. It is a little competition they have whereby they keep points and can earn a pot of money that everyone who flies can contribute to. Some members of the organization sell flights to the public, while others sell sponsorships to local businesses, which involves putting a banner on the balloon for what is essentially a flying billboard.

The next time you’re out on your deck or driving around and you notice hot air balloons in the distance, maybe one of them is your Jeffersontown neighbor, Derek Browning, doing what he has loved for the past 39 years. Give him a wave or, even better a helping hand if he lands nearby.

THOMAS CAR WASH  4139 Bardstown Road Louisville, KY 40218  2190 S. Hurstbourne Parkway Louisville, KY 40220  218 Blueberry Lane Nicholasville, KY 40356  Thomascarwash.com

The Thomas family has been responsible for millions of sparkling clean cars on Louisville’s roads since 1946 when Tom Thomas launched the city’s first automated car wash. More than 70 years later, Thomas’s son Eli, and grandson Alex are carrying on the family business.

In fact, Alex doesn’t remember a time when he wasn’t involved with the car wash. Some of his earliest memories center around the family business and even creating his own mini car washes out of K’NEX building sets, complete with pipe cleaner brushes.

As a junior at the University of Kentucky, where he majored in Business Management, Alex began to seriously consider the family car wash as a career option.

“I’m so glad I decided to join the car wash,” says Alex, who came on board just a few weeks after his 2010 graduation. “Everything has worked out great, and I get to work with my dad every day.”

Alex started as an assistant manager to Eli at their full-service car wash at 4139 Bardstown Road, but shifted his focus to the exterior express wash at 2190 S. Hurstbourne Parkway when the family bought that location in the spring of 2015.

The full-service location offers window cleaning and interior wipe-downs, as well as quick exterior clean-ups to best meet the customer’s needs. Alex refers to it as the “old-school” location, noting the traditional approach. His dad, Eli, started at the location right after he graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1977 and has been there ever since.

“Everybody knows Eli,” Alex says. “He goes out there, touches every car and talks to each customer. He’s a staple of that community in Buechel and he has been for years.”

The exterior express wash offers the guaranteed best exterior wash in the city, along with free self-serve vacuums with any wash. Alex believes the key to success at that location has been focusing on quality over speed, ultimately leading to more satisfied customers.

Customers can pay for each visit or take advantage of an unlimited wash plan to stay spotless year-around. The fast pass offers unlimited exterior washes at either location for just $20 a month, and one-third of visitors to Thomas Car Wash are fast pass subscribers.

The Thomas’s also own a full-service car wash in Nicholasville and are set to break ground on a new express car wash this summer at

26 / APRIL 2018

the corner of Preston Highway and Fern Valley Road.

Alex takes great pride in representing his family every day, and he and Eli have developed a phenomenal crew to round out the experience.

“One thing I love about the business is the teamwork between other operators. Not saying we don’t compete with one another, because it’s a pretty full market, but it’s a common bond that we all respect,” Alex says. “It’s really great to be a part of an industry where most operators want to help each other out. We’re part of an online group of nearly 3,000 other operators who post and answer questions relating to carwashing, and the common goal is for the industry to grow. Most of the other local operators are great people.”

Their 45-member crew has become part of the family, especially at the Bardstown location where several employees have been around for decades. The Hurstbourne location has only been around a few years, but many of the employees have been there since the beginning.

Although they have decades of experience in the car wash industry, the Thomas family continues to strive for improvement. A recent partnership with Ameri-Chem has produced a special blend of locally-made soaps to ensure cars are getting the best clean possible.

Their Hydrapel blend is a special all-seasons paint sealant that helps repel water and future dirt from harming a vehicle’s finish.

“My favorite part of my job has always been watching a dirty car at the entrance of the car wash go through this beautiful ballet of colored soaps and dancing cloths,” Alex says. “At the exit, you see a pristine car. The negative chemistry of the soap, the treated water, the angles of impact, the positive charge of the wax, surface tension.

There’s a real science behind everything involved in getting a car clean, and it’s really cool to watch it come together.”

Alex works closely with equipment providers to ensure their equipment can provide an optimal experience for any type of vehicle.

“If every car was a Ford Taurus, our job would be easy,” Alex jokes.

“We continually have to develop new ways to excel and to clean cars.”

With continued expansion and stellar customer service, Thomas Car Wash offers premier quality to drivers in Louisville. Alex is excited about the future of the company and hopes to pass it along to one of his own children someday. He has a one-year-old daughter with his wife, Taylor, and the couple is expecting their second child, a boy, in the summer.

“I’m grateful for what I do,” Alex says. “It’s tough work, and there is a lot of competition. In the 1970’s, it was only us, and people would say, ‘I’m going to Thomas’ when they were going to get a car wash. I want to get back to the point where people say ‘I’m going to Thomas’, and my goal is to satisfy as many people as we can.”

APRIL 2018 / 27

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BAKERY & CAFE OWNER TALKS EARLY DAYS OF POPULAR VENUE

Limited to breakfast and lunch service Tuesday through Sunday, the cafe also offers to-go pastry and bakery items and Liz Wingfield’s Plump Peacock Bakery & catering. Located at 11601 Main Street in Cafe has been Middletown’s best-kept secret Middletown, the eatery shares a building over the last several years, and the popular with retail stores and has an outdoor patio eatery has emerged as a gem in Louisville’s area perfect for a relaxing coffee or meal vibrant culinary scene. when the weather is nice.

Writer / Shannon Siders Photography / Bee Buck Photography

The cafe opened at its current storefront in February 2014 and offers an American twist on European cuisine with the atmosphere to match.

“It’s very calm, quiet and comfortable, a homey atmosphere,” Wingfield says. “But it has unique things about it. I’ve watched people come in from the parking lot, and when they come in, the scent hits them, the atmosphere hits them, and they’re a completely different person. Their whole entire attitude changes when they get through the threshold.”

Upon meeting Wingfield, it is apparent she has a true passion for her work, so it’s surprising to find out food service is a fairly new venture for her. When she turned 38 years old, Wingfield decided she wanted to break away from her career working in landscaping, construction, horticulture and in-ground pool installation.

She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Illustration from Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design but had struggled to find a job in that field. As she thought about the next steps in her life, she remembered some 30 / APRIL 2018

words of wisdom from her dad.

“My dad always told me to do what your passion is in life,” Wingfield says. “It took me a good three years to figure this out, but I was standing in my backyard and it hit me.

I really love to feed people. I love to give them a space where they can come in, be comfortable, sit and enjoy everything.”

Wingfield started her venture into food service by selling baked goods at local farmers markets. Satisfied customers always wanted to know where her storefront was, so she began to seriously think about opening a store space. A successful Kickstarter campaign that raised $30,000 was quickly followed by disappointment when the plans for the chosen space fell through.

“I made a wrong turn and found this place,” says Wingfield of the space Plump Peacock

has settled into. “I came in through the front door, and hanging in the door was a stained glass peacock that I could see in the dark room. It was like a sign.”

Wingfield had been talking with her sister about opening a restaurant, when it came to her.

“The universe slapped me on the back of the head and said, ‘Plump Peacock!’” Wingfield says. “My sister said she’d eat there because she knew she’d be fed and in an elegant way.”

There are now peacock fixtures in every room, adding to the quaint, unique European bakery and cafe feel. Wingfield even designed the larger-than-life mint julep cup that sits outside the eatery, as part of the 2015 Gallopalooza festivities.

On a recent visit to Plump Peacock, the cafe was buzzing with customers enjoying a late breakfast, and Wingfield and her staff were hard at work decorating cakes for their

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display. The patio was empty on the chilly something different to the table and brings Friday morning, but the seating area was full their best forward.” of happy customers, and the staff seemed genuinely happy to be there as well.

Plump Peacock maintains a fairly simple menu, with occasional tweaks to the offerings Although it hasn’t all been smooth sailing, based on customer or staff requests.

Wingfield is happy overall with how things have gone for Plump Peacock and is happy “People really love what we have on our to have developed a staff that feels more menu, so we don’t want to change it like family. too much,” says Wingfield, noting some signature items will never be removed.

“We’ve had slow growth, which is what I “If we do get rid of something, we’ll add really loved,” Wingfield says. “Every issue something else.” that came up, we would immediately address it and smooth it in to slowly get all Wingfield and her staff will even make the wrinkles out. I know we probably still custom pastry orders from anywhere in the have some wrinkles, but we try to fix them world if customers can provide a recipe. as we go.”

The maple bacon muffin is one of the Two of the members of her small cafe’s signature items, and its popularity team have been with the cafe since the stems from the days of Wingfield peddling beginning, and Wingfield strives to keep goods at the farmers market. She originally everyone involved and on the same came up with the idea for the muffin to

“The universe is in control of this and is letting me do as much as possible.” page, facilitating discussion to aid in the creative process of perfecting their already delectable menu.

“I like that we have a family atmosphere,” says pastry chef Megan Randell. “You don’t feel there’s a delineation between employee and boss. You feel free to say your opinion and that your opinion is heard and listened to. Liz understands the value of each of her employees and lets them shine in their own way. She understands everyone brings

catch the eye of male customers, but it quickly became a favorite across the board.

Customers can even grab some to go from the bakery.

Other favorites from the cafe menu include the chicken salad, bacon marmalade grilled cheese and tomato basil soup, as well as hearty breakfast plates. No matter what the dish, Wingfield always uses the finest ingredients and places an emphasis on freshness.

32 / APRIL 2018

With full-service catering options, Wingfield and her staff can cook on site or offer off-site pickup. She recently made beef tenderloin and chicken kebabs for one wedding and a guitar cake for the groom of another wedding that was a huge hit with guests.

“We’ve done plenty of bridal and baby showers, as well as other events,” Wingfield says. “I custom-tailor everything to the client. If you want something off our menu, I can make it for you, but I want it to be something really special for you.”

Plump Peacock also offers Derby catering options, in the form of boxed lunches, mint julep cakes, derby pies, bourbon brownies, bourbon pecan pie and other themed items.

The cafe also donates to various veterans organizations, a cause special to Wingfield because her husband had a 27-year stint in the army and currently works as a National Service Officer for the VA. Wingfield is happy with where she is with Plump Peacock and is in no rush to make changes.

“The universe is in control of this and is letting me do as much as possible,” she says.

“I’d like to expand it out to do dinner but maybe in a couple years when we really get a feel for everything.”

Until then, hungry East End residents can visit Plump Peacock Bakery & Cafe from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sunday. For more information, including a full menu, visit plumppeacockbakeryandcafe.com.

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DRESSED FOR THE DERBY Writer / Todd Calvert

On the first Saturday in May, you may not have the winning horse, but one thing is for sure: You must have the perfect dress and hat. And, don’t forget the shoes. It will no doubt be a busy weekend full of brunches, mint juleps, long days racing and then dinner and dancing. While comfort for a long day at the track is a must, you will no doubt want to be spectacular from dawn to dusk. Whether you are headed to an elegant party with friends or ready to live like a rock star with the Barnstables and the Browns, the weekend is bound to be full of frustrating fashion choices, along with a lot of walking, standing and posing for selfies in front of the Winner’s Circle.

From the days when Sug Schusterman and Mary Stone reined Queens of the Season, to the newer socialite incarnation of Tonya Abeln, Sarah Ritter Mitchel and Karen LaClare Casi, the native ladies of Louisville have consistently out-shown the out-oftown crowd in dress. Gone are the days when the Derby weekend was a long and

continuous garden party full of tailored Chanel skirt suits. Today’s Kentucky Derby is a mixture of va va voom daytime cocktail attire, daring and sexy strapless shift dresses in bold prints, and often items that will never again see the light of day. All of this is of course led by First Lady of the Derby, and wife of Churchill Downs CEO, Julia Carstanjen leading the pack like a New York runway model.

Throughout the years, Churchill Downs has seen it all. So, whatever you do, don’t think you will be a first. From the outlandish to the sheer elegant, it has all been done before.

The local fashion market has become downright artisanal when it comes to millinery choices, with Kentucky hat makers all competing for the best attire for your head. Local artisan Jenny Gerst Pheanenstiel, chief creator and owner of Forme Millinary, has created some of the most noteworthy Derby and Oaks creations for celebrities and royalty from around the world. Dee’s Craft’s will allow you to 34 / APRIL 2018

create your own floral and feathery over the top headgear. Countless boutiques such as Rodeo Drive and Peacock will offer beautiful headpieces, and Rode’s For Him & Her will host spectacular trunk shows just for the head. Of course, this alone begs the age-old question: Do you start with the dress or the hat? You choose.

As spring approaches, you probably are already thinking about the perfect look for you for Louisville’s most important social occasion. You probably started perusing Vogue and Marie Clair weeks ago wondering, where exactly, is the hemline this season? Well, that is a good question, with a complicated answer. The short answer is that hemlines in high fashion are longer, below the knee. In popular fashion, the trend has yet to catch up in this hamlet.

So, if you are not looking to stand out in a sleek and elegant couture look, you will be comfortable in the dress that falls 3” above the knee. If you want the look of high fashion, choose a dress that falls 2-3” below the knee — or longer, if you dare. Just don’t choose a maxi.

Thanks to Hillary Clinton, First Lady Melania Trump and White House Communications Director Hope Hicks, the pantsuit is au currant once again.

Every major designer has offered very sleek – and sexy versions of Katherine Hepburn’s finest. Appropriate for the day, white is seen in every collection, with the ever-present black running a photo finish. The fashion-forward can expect a sea of sleek and feminine pantsuits this season. Accessorize with a belt, a little color and voila. Finite.

WELCOME BACK TO THE 80’s!

Who doesn’t appreciate a good Joan Collins moment? Wide shoulders and cinched waists will define this Derby season. Be bold, be exciting. Brilliant metallic fabrics, bold prints, color block and big jewelry should be at the forefront of every ensemble seen because the idea is to be seen and stand out. A wide-brimmed portrait hat will finish this look and make you princess for the day.

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SPRING SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS There is only one certainty on Derby Day: The weather is uncertain. The smart bet is always going to be to have rain gear ready and an alternative outfit for cold temperatures. If you chose, there are some wonderful pashminas that will work perfectly, and fashionably, over your chosen dress for the chilly morning hours that can be removed as the day grows warmer. In the event that the day is torrentially wet, there are wonderful clear overlays that can be worn and discarded at the track.

UNBRIDLED NIGHT OF FUN Derby Season is not complete without attending one of the many black-tie balls that Louisville plays host to, filled with Hollywood royalty and the city’s business elite. Cyble and Patricia Barnstable Brown, along with Tonya

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York Dees and former U of L star Junior Bridgeman, have made social and philanthropic careers of hosting the most stunning of these events. Complete with over-the-top entertainment, these glittering events have become all night fun-a-thons.

After paying thousands of dollars for your special ticket to these star-studded occasions, you will certainly want to play and look the part in your own spectacular style. Glasscock and Rode’s will gladly outfit your style. Before you get sticker shock, understand that some of these gowns might cost as much as the tickets. Whether you choose the subtle elegance of Carolina Herrera or a star-spangled Versace, a slinky Trina Turk or a Christian Siriano, you might spend as little as $300 or as much as $8,000.

When choosing the gown, you may be drawn to the glittering and jewel-encrusted Tony Bowls, or the flowing and lace embellished Oscar de la Renta. Leg slits are going to be high, and full-skirted ball gowns are very popular. KFC may have the market on chicken, but you are free to show your own thigh this season. Don’t be afraid to show some décolletage.

The designers were not, so push ‘em up and shove the girls out. Just make sure to offset the look with some stunning signature jewelry so that the guys have something else to look at. If you are of the most avant-garde genre, go ahead and choose a lady’s tuxedo with wide leg or pencil pants and let the fun begin.

THE COBBLER DIDN’T KNOW COBBLESTONES Those sexy strappy 5” high sandals, well, they look great in Vogue, right? But try wearing them while traversing the cobblestones of Churchill Downs. You will wonder which cobbler invented them, I hear. Try a simple 2-4” heal. You will appreciate that advice, even if you are a dozen Woodford Reserves into the day. You might want to also pack a pair of Teva flip flops or something similar to end your day at the track.

DO MEN DARE? Alright, ladies: Men are good for something besides carrying the betting cash and your Amex Black Card. They can look pretty spiffy themselves!. On Derby day, they can strut their stuff like a peacock too. Noted interior designer and esquireextraordinaire Lee Robinson will surely wear the brightest Etro jacket that he can find, while others will sport the more subdued Armani for that Italian flair. Regardless of the designer, men are encouraged to find their own “inner me” on Derby day and express themselves.

Bright ties and pocket squares will always add a unique and sophisticated touch to the ordinary jacket. A pair of slim pants can modernize a mundane business jacket. For the ultimate daring ensemble, be bold with prints and plaids but be careful of the cliché Madras. The stylish gents at Rode’s For Him can help those that are unsure of their choices, and guide you to a jacket the Duke of Windsor would have been enviable of.

36 / APRIL 2018

HIDDEN TREASURES

AunTEA Pearls TEA Establishment

Transport back to the English Edwardian era with a visit to the exquisite AunTEA Pearls TEA Establishment for brunch, lunch or afternoon tea.

9816 Linn Station Road | Louisville, KY 40223 (502) 599-0585

telephone make up part of the decor, completed by doily-covered lamps and an eclectic assortment of place settings. Each place setting is different, with all the flower-adorned tea cups and plates coming from different sets.

“When you step in the door, you step back in time to a more genteel era,” says owner and founder Debra Richardson, who comes from a AunTEA Pearls caters to individuals and groups. Reservations aren’t needed to stop by for lunch or tea but are recommended for strong English heritage. larger groups. AunTEA Pearls is the perfect venue for celebrations such as baby showers, birthday parties and bridesmaids luncheons Her great-grandmother, Pearl, and her great-aunt, who she affectionately refers to as “Auntee,” had a cafe in England in the early and can hold up to 32 patrons.

1900s, inspiring Richardson to start her own English-style cafe and tea room.

The tea room’s lunch menu includes soups, sandwiches and quiche, and daily features are also available. Gourmet teas and goldenWith 16 years of experience operating a bed and breakfast in brown buttery scones are among the signature items, as well as the Simpsonville and her great-grandmother’s recipes in hand, three-tier tea tray.

Richardson launched AunTEA Pearls in May. “I love this business, I love cooking, and I love making people Aptly named to honor both her great-grandmother and great-aunt, happy with food,” Richardson says.

AunTEA Pearls provides a quaint setting for everyday lunch or a special event.

Stellar customer service is a focus for the cafe, which operates under the motto, “We are so glad you are here.” The phrase is so important “At tea time everything goes a little slower,” Richardson says. to Richardson that it is included on the menu.

“You wait for the tea, wait for the scones to cook and it’s so relaxing and peaceful.”

“I have a servant’s heart,” Richardson says. “Cooking and hospitality is a gift God gives to me, and I share it and hope to be a blessing.”

While at AunTEA Pearls, you may forget you’re in 21st century Kentucky because of the great lengths Richardson has taken to AunTEA Pearls TEA Establishment, located at 9816 Linn Station provide an early 20th century English atmosphere. All the decor Road, is open from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, was hand-picked by Richardson, with help from her sister. and is closed Sunday and Monday. For more information, call An old-fashioned candy store register and Edwardian stove and 502-599-0585. atMiddletown.com / APRIL 2018 / MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE / 33

FOREST BATHING BEING OUTSIDE IN NATURE REDUCES STRESS & INCREASES PRODUCTIVITY Writer / Warren Maddox, Interpretive Ranger

Forest bathing. No, we’re not talking about stripping down to your birthday suit and running through the woods. Forest bathing is simply the immersion of one’s five senses in the natural environment while on a jaunt through the woods.

The practice of forest bathing originated in Japan, where it is known as “shinrinyoku.” In a society known for its work ethic, technology and urban infrastructure, you might not think unplugging and taking a walk through the woods would be a priority in Japan, but researchers are now discovering promising evidence of a secret known to happy hippies for

some time now. Immersion in nature has positive impacts on our brains and bodies.

Increasing productivity, decreasing stress levels and encouraging overall happiness in participants are just some of the tangible effects of short-term forest bathing practices. But as with other medicines, dosage matters. The higher the dosage, or the more time spent outside in nature, the

34 / MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE / APRIL 2018 / atMiddletown.com

greater the effect. Additionally, the wilder and natural the environment, the better.

Luckily for us Kentuckians, we have lots of forest bathing opportunities. Here at The Parklands of Floyds Fork there are a plethora of options to choose from. Bring a book and get ready for an outdoor adventure that hits the reset button in your brain.

While hiking through the park, listen for the variety of calls from our avian friends, whether it be the “chirp” of the Red-winged Blackbird in our riparian habitats or the “churee” of the Kentucky Warbler hiding in the flower patches and grasslands. Stop and feel the velvety trunk of the Staghorn Sumac that resembles the antlers of young bucks.

Maybe taste a sweet mulberry from one of the many Mulberry trees dotting the creek line, hearing the water’s riffles in the distance.

Find a good shady spot under a big barkshedding sycamore and trace its maze-like roots exposed by the constant erosion of soil along Floyds Fork.

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All of those experiences are just a few examples of what you’ll encounter along your way to and through the Sycamore Trail from the Marshall Sprayground in Beckley Creek Park. If you are someone who likes a few less anthrophonic sounds during your forest bathing, make your way further south.

pass an old chimney revealing past uses of the land. Travel a bit further and your ears might catch a waterfall cascading along the limestone bed. You may be tempted to let the soothing white noise lull you into a slumber, atop a soft patch of grass neighboring a grove of wildflowers.

In Turkey Run Park, you’ll discover your reflection in the still ponds along your trek of the paved path of Bullfrog Crossing.

Close your eyes and smell the cedar grove all around. Try to guess where the turtles (who bob their timid heads, using algae as camouflage) may show themselves next.

Take in the local bird choir harmonizing in their wetlands habitat as you savor your favorite herbal tea. And if inner peace somehow still evades you, move even further south to Karst Climb in Broad Run!

Further still up the climb, dip your hand in the streams to cool your head as you venture higher and higher, eventually reaching the trailhead emerging near the open area of Highland Crossing. Now that your legs feel the burn, sit and relax at the vista, survey the farmlands from your birds’ eye view.

Inhale a few deep breaths and loosen into becoming a part of the vista itself.

Karst Climb is a short hike that packs a punch and is guaranteed to get your endorphins pumping. Starting at the lowest elevation point, it’s a hike straight up toward Big Vista Overlook, where you’ll

Now that’s a forest bath! Hankering yet for one of your own? Test these awarenessbuilding nature activities for yourself and let us know how it goes. Want to learn more about your brain on nature? If so, pick up a copy of The Nature Fix by Florence Williams. Looking forward to seeing lots of fellow forest bathers out on the trails!

Warren Maddox is an Interpretive Ranger at The Parklands of Floyds Fork.

A certified wilderness first responder and avid outdoorsmen, he spends much of his time recreating in the backcountry. A natural born Louisvillian, Warren has hiked thousands of miles up and down the east coast along the Appalachian Trail. He developed a love for sport climbing in the backwoods of Kentucky and the Arizona Sky Island wilderness.

Warren leads Member hikes and bikes and is one of the educators here at the park. You can find him roaming singletrack trails throughout The Parklands.

36 / MIDDLETOWN MAGAZINE / APRIL 2018 / atMiddletown.com

We appreciate your love of The Parklands and the role you play in the success of this donor-supported public park. A gift to The Parklands not only helps to maintain our parks today, but your continued support will positively shape the future of Louisville and truly benefit current and future generations through access to world-class parks. To donate, please go to www. theparklands.org/Member.

21st Century Parks is a 501c3 organization, and all gifts are tax-deductible.

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