St. Charles Exchange New to Downtown

From their website.

Now I love the Back Door with the homey, Cheers-y passion of most Highlanders. But I also love gussying up and heading out for a night of beautiful cocktails at swankier places like Jack Fry's or Proof or Rye.

Bless our boozy city, but we're about to add another drinking hole on the swankier end of the spectrum.

Last week a bartender friend of Roommate's (and mine) said that he had a job interview at a place called the "St. Charles Hotel" downtown. We wanted to be happy for him, but it sounded a little sketchy. I mean, between living downtown for the better part of the year in 08-09 and spending so much time downtown going to the theater and museums and Bats games and Waterfront Park stuff... we were pretty sure we knew every hotel and soon-to-be-hotel in the downtown area. If there was a hotel we hadn't heard of... well, it was probably a little flea-bag-y.

So, as we are wont to do, we hit the Google.

How'd I miss the news about the new St. Charles Exchange restaurant and bar (modeled after an early 1900's hotel restaurant and bar... hence our friend's confusion)?

Here's what the website has to say:

St. Charles Exchange, which is slated to open in late April of 2012, will breathe new life into a formerly 3,800 sq. ft. vacant space in one of the oldest buildings in the West Main Street corridor at 113 S. 7th Street. Louisville natives and entrepreneurs Rob Frey and Amy Hoffmann Frey have partnered with family and close friends from Philadelphia to bring the new restaurant bar concept to downtown Louisville. Leading the Philadelphia-based operating team is Mike Welsh ofThe Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. who has brought in Mitch Prensky of Supper as Executive Chef.

St. Charles Exchange will embrace the history of the building and create a casually elegant environment reminiscence of a 1900’s hotel lobby bar. The menu will feature innovative seasonal variations of food classics from the turn of the century. The beverage program will celebrate American estate grown wines and craft beers and focus on a lengthy cocktail list that showcases the art of a fine mixed drink.

The early 1900's hotel style atmosphere will be coupled with the genuine hospitality that those hotels focused on in the Golden Age of service. Stay tuned and get ready for a dining experience unlike any you’ve had before in Derby city!

Very excited for their opening.  You can also follow them on Twitter @StChrlesXchange. (Note to owners.... I think you need to simplify that Twitter handle if you can. Missing letters and weird capitalization. Maybe @StCharlesLou?)