Tuesday Randomness: Insider Louisville highlights, the Big Four and Shakespeare

From the Big Four at night

I love my job. I can't imagine what I could possibly enjoy more than talking to inspiring people and then writing about those conversations.

Yes, at times, we at Insider Louisville refer to ourselves as "the Band of Misfit Toys." We're an odd bunch, but when you combine having the stomach to survive a startup AND being journalists, it isn't a big surprise that people willing to do both are a bit... off.

And lately– not to jinx myself or anything– things have just seemed to gel. Today when I finished an interview I, as always, thanked the subjects for sharing their stories with me. And one of the subjects responded, "I can't think of anyone better to go to with this." When I tried to postpone another interview until next week, the subject told me that the news was happening this week, and he said, "And I wanted to make sure you had first crack at the story." (Obviously, I canceled the reschedule.)

I've gotten emails from moms and dads thanking me for stories about their kids. I've gotten emails from moms (no dads yet) admonishing me for not writing about their kids (I'm working on it!). A subject's grandma wanted a "paper version" of a story I wrote (I had to say, "just print it out.")

Thank you, innovators and entrepreneurs and artists of Louisville for sharing your stories with me. I'm so lucky, and I am learning so much from you.

Some of my favorite recent stories:

YPAS and Walden Theatre alumn cast as second principal role in Broadway's ONCE... I haven't gotten to interview Adam Brown yet, but I'm working on it. Thanks to Walden's Isaac Spradlin for putting this news in my email inbox.

Roobiq reps Louisville in Silicon Valley... Adam Fish, who relocated his business, Roobiq, from Louisville to San Francisco came back for a visit and sat down with me and co-founder John Receveur to talk about his time at an accelerator and how the Valley was treating him.

Custom Rubber Composites: Lean manufacturing in Louisville... It's a dry business– manufacturing parts for heavy-duty conveyor belts– but fascinating to see a local manufacturer employing Lean Startup principals to their business. I also taught two of the co-founder's daughters, so it was nice to talk shop with a family I like.

GE announces new appliance line for Millennials by Millennials... This was the most popular post on the week it came out. I have to believe that it was because I chose to focus on the "this line was designed by a former intern" angle. All other local news focused on the appliances themselves.

Forest Giant puts teachers through a "mini-hackathon"... How could I not love this story? It brought me back together with Dave Durand, founder of Forest Giant and the big brain behind the startup team, City Anchor, that I won Startup Weekend with back in September. Dave remains a hero of mine.

To browse through more of my stories, visit my Contributor page for Insider Louisville.

Other cool stuff I've been doing:

The Big Four bridge is everything everyone says it is. It's a perfect 1.5 mile round trip walk almost to Indiana. The BF and I went late one night. I'll have to check it out during the day. I'm ashamed it took me so long, but I will be a regular.

I'm ambivalent about TWELFTH NIGHT at Shakespeare in the Park. It was long (we left at intermission around 10p) and kind of full of pomp. And non-Louisville actors? Unfortunate. But I am not ambivalent about the experience. There are few things nicer than watching theatre outdoors on a lovely summer evening. Bring snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. You can buy alcohol there. Don't believe the website when it says there's pre-show entertainment; there wasn't when we went.

On the same night I went to Shakespeare, I went to Burger Boy Diner. Yes, it's a greasy-spoon diner, but yes, it was also fantastic. Fabulous service, a reasonably well-appointed jukebox. I got a burger and fries for under $6 and couldn't have been happier with the experience.

Dishcrawl Louisville Giveaway: Win a $20 gift certificate toward the Derby Crawl

Ever since Dishcrawl made the Louisville scene, I've been wanting to check it out. And I am so excited to have been asked to participate this month in one of two NuLu-based crawls. The first event sold out (but some tickets have recently come available again) in a jiffy, so Dishcrawl added a second night. The two NuLu crawls are on April 16 and 17 and are $45 each.

If you don't know what a Dishcrawl is, it's a progressive dinner event, where you dine at a number of restaurants, usually within walking distance, eating one course at each stop. The starting place and the itinerary remain a mystery to you, so you sign up to participate in a Crawl of a particular neighborhood, pay one price and enjoy whatever the organizers throw at you. It's a great chance to try new places and to hobknob with fellow food enthusiasts (oy, I hate the term "foodie").

It's a food event, a neighborhood event and a social event all rolled into one.

And Allison from Dishcrawl has offered a giveaway to Loueyville readers. After the NuLu events, the next event is a Derby Crawl. Dishcrawl is offering a $20 gift certificate to the Derby Crawl to one of our readers. The event will take place on 4th street on May 1 at 7 p.m.

From the Dishcrawl website:

What better way to spend the least productive work week in Louisville but on a Derby Dishcrawl? Grab your gang for a tour of the 4th Street Area of Town with Derby Inspired items, and be prepared to meet some new friends along the way. You'd better act fast though! These tickets are just like the Derby, they don't hang around long!  It's a guessing game! We’re keeping the names of the restaurants we will be visiting a secret for now, but here and there we’ll give you some hints.  Follow us on Twitter @dishcrawllou and be the first to know! 

How do you win the gift certificate? Go "like" Louisville Dishcrawl on Facebook and follow them on Twitter @dishcrawlLou. Then tell me you've done all that in the comments or email me at lou (at) loueyville.com. And you're entered! If you've already "liked" and followed them, you're still eligible– just make sure you comment or email. We'll pick a winner on April 20 and notify you pronto.

Thanks so much to Dishcrawl Louisville for offering this prize to Loueyville readers. Stay tuned to the blog and my Twitter (@loueyville)  to hear more about my NuLu Crawl experience.

Nothing is effed? Lebowski & Paley & OIMBY

A couple of years ago, I 'fessed up to the fact that I was less interested in Lebowski Fest now that it has become something of a nationwide franchise. I called it the opposite of NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard)-- OIMBY (ONLY In My Back Yard), the desire for something super-duper cool about Louisville to stay Louisville weird.

As Lebowski Fest has spread to bigger cities, most of the choice musical and performance acts have been appearing in places like LA and Miami-- not in Louisville.

That being said, this year's musical line-up of Mucca Pazza, Todd Snider, and the Deloreans is nothing to sneeze at.

And in that blog post, I expressed concern that the spread of Lebowski Fests might mark a similar path for the (then-just-announced) spread of our beloved 21C's.

And what did we find out this morning? Our equally beloved Chef Michael Paley of 21C's Proof is leaving us for the new Cincinnati 21C's restaurant, Metropole.

Read my 2010 blog post about my predictions for Best Case/Worst Case scenarios for 21C's expansion. Note that under "Best Case Scenario," I list "Michael Paley stays at Proof."

This is kind of a kick to the gut. Now I have to admit, I was helping the Guy pull together his summer residency for Tourism Honors Academy last night, so I got all of three hours of sleep and may be a little more melodramatic than necessary... but I'm feeling a little "The goddamn plane has crashed into the mountain" about this.

Maybe I need a good nap and some Octopus Bagna Cauda to center myself.

Tom + Chee Open on Bardstown Road

I admit that I can be something of a loner at times. But when I couldn't find a "plus-one" for the soft opening of Tom + Chee on Bardstown Road, I succumbed to a little bit of panic. Luckily, the gods were smiling on me... just ten minutes or so into me feeling terribly awkward and lonely at the event, a familiar voice said, "Would you join us at our table?"

And so I got to enjoy the whole soft opening hoopla at Tom + Chee with Tony and Heather, two-thirds of Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble. A great night of food. And a great night of conversation.

Tom + Chee started as a vendor in a tent by the Fountain Square skating rink in Cincy in 2008. They've since been featured on Man vs. Food and Amazing Eats.  The new outpost on Bardstown Road across from Java is their first outlet outside of Cincinnati.

I spent a lot of time talking with James, their PR person, and what I loved most was how much he talked about 'passion'... way more than he talked about food.  He said that the Cincinnati folks vetted the Louisville franchisees, Natalie and Rich Tinsley, as passionately as they vetted Tom + Chee. The word "love" came up again and again with James.

The food was awesome.  I'm not a particularly healthy eater-- although I am trying to turn over a new leaf these days... if you're going to change your life, you might as well CHANGE your life-- but my favorite sandwich of the six or seven I tried was the Hippy + Chee: hummus, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and cheddar on wheat. On the flip side of that, Tom + Chee features a whole series of grilled cheese sandwiches with smooshed up potato chips inside-- brilliant! I did this with every sandwich that I ate in my middle school cafeteria. I tried the BBQ + Bacon: bbq potato chips, bacon, American cheese on white.  Delish-- the potato chips add just the right amount of sweetness to offset the smokey bacon.

Speaking of sweet-- y'all know Mama ain't much of a sweet eater-- but I wouldn't blame you if you found the most interesting thing about Tom + Chee to be the fact that "glazed donut" is a bread option.  There's a whole donut menu, and I tried one called the "Mint Julep Donut"-- I can't even begin to explain how that was constructed, but I was really only able to eat one or two bites before the sugar headache took over. Tony & Heather, however, finished their donut in the time it took me to take this Instagram picture!

My disinterest in sweets aside, I might be in for tasting a cheddar on glazed donut... One of the few sweets I like is apple pie, and I like it best with a big hunk of sharp cheddar melted on top. As our friend Rachel said, "Yummo!"

I haven't even gotten to the Tom part of Tom + Chee-- the tomato soup. There are at least 5 variations on tomato soup on the menu. The overall favorite at our table was the creamy tomato soup. The best part about the soup menu-- you can add a "soup dipper" to any sandwich purchase for just $1. That's around 4-6oz of soup to dunk your sandwich in.  Awesome.

I'm pretty excited for a new, reasonably-priced, reasonably-local chain that serves one of the most universal of comfort foods. As I said, everyone in the building was very helpful and very friendly. They even made Tony and Heather a series of meat-less meat sandwiches to accommodate their vegetarianness.

My only concern is that Tom + Chee opened on a week of 90+ degree days. Grilled cheese and tomato soup-- gazpacho even-- couldn't be further from my cravings. I hope they can hang in there til the bitter days of November, when you'll have to beat me away with a stick.

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?)

Chocolate Insanity @ Gelato Gilberto

I might be slightly more inclined toward Valentine's Day events this year... if I play my cards right and don't booger things up in the next two or so days, this could be my first Valentine's Day with a sweetheart in a really long time. Really. Long. Time. (Okay, to be fair, the Guy I am Currently Dating could likewise booger things up. Boogering things up is not my sole province. I understand that.)

I don't know how you coupled up people do it sometimes. I've been giving myself ulcers about what to get the Guy I am Currently Dating for Valentine's Day-- I agonized over Christmas too. Damn you men; you're hard to shop for. (And when I asked the Twitterfolk for advice on what to get him-- boy was that a mistake!  You people are dirty!)

Unfortunately, gelato from the lovely people at Gelato Gilberto in Nortons Commons is not the answer.  But they're having an event today (Saturday), Sunday, and Tuesday that might just solve some of YOUR Valentine's Day problems-- even those of you without sweeties.  Here's the description:

4th Annual Cioccolato Pazzo:  Chocolate Insanity Valentine's Event this Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday.  We'll have over twenty different varieties of chocolate gelato especially crafted for this event as well as locally made Valentine's cookies and pink paper and glitter for making Valentine's cards. 

Twenty different varieties of chocolate gelato? That IS pazzo! Just like love. :)

Click on their website for store hours and location.  

Rumor Report: Hammerheads Moving?

I hope they take the really cool shark that hangs above their door...

A little birdy (okay, it's Roommate) tells me that Hammerheads will be relocating to the location formerly known as Big Blue Country.  Sure, my last Rumor Report on Big Blue Country (that they were considering a name change to attract a more diverse sports crowd) didn't pan out. I mean, maybe they DID consider a name change, but decided against it-- who knows?

But Roommate swears this is true, and if it is that's fabulous news-- we've walked away from Hammerheads' long wait for a table more times than we've actually eaten at Hammerheads.  No more "limited seating" if they're in the Big Blue Country location... it's pretty huge.

Can anyone substantiate this rumor?

IdeaFestival 2011: It's a Wrap

It may very well take me a week to finish my recap of this year's IdeaFestival. I told myself I'd just write a couple of words about each presenter, but a half hour into the post, I've only touched on two.

So in the meantime, I'll leave you with this, my highlight of the weekend. The folks at the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau hosted a dinner at the Brown Hotel's English Grille Chef's Table for out-of-town media. Five courses prepared by Chef Laurent Geroli, bourbon, wine, great conversation. Picture includes: Michelle Jones of Consuming Louisville, Baratunde Thurston of The Onion et al, Max Linsky of Longform.org, Ellen McGirt of Fast Company Magazine, Chef Laurent, CC Chapman, author & entrepreneur.

The evening ended with me leading the group mentioned above (minus Michelle) down to the Seelbach Hotel (where we passed DJ Pauly D on the way in). There, they generously treated me to Pappy Van Winkle 23 while we poked around the Rathskeller.

Thank you so much to the LVCB and Chef Laurent for being such great ambassadors for the city. (And thanks too for the personalized "Official Bourbon Taster" chef's jacket!) I spent a lot of time with out-of-towners this weekend, and to a person they absolutely LOVED Louisville. Good job, city!

PS. I had no idea that the Chef's Table existed, but it does! And you can have dinner there too. Check out the link above for the English Grille. Chef Laurent is a charming host.

Love This City: Me & the Mean Reds

Confession: I have been in unholy funk lately.


Back when I was in high school, my favorite movie was Breakfast at Tiffany's. I was a really different person back then (weren't we all?). I bought the VHS tape and nearly wore it out.  But in my twenties, I just stopped watching. It lost its glow. I no longer believed that being charmingly dysfunctional was attractive and my ticket to the tunnel of love. I'd lived in New York City and visited Tiffany's, and it had not soothed my soul. In fact, Tiffany's bummed me out-- looking at $250 keychains while working three jobs to make the rent just made me resentful.  And let's face it, it's hard to get past Mickey Rooney's portrayal of Mr. Yunioshi, right?


But when I get in these funks, I think of Holly Golightly (gosh, was there ever a character name as delightful as "Holly Golightly"?). 


I don't have the blues; I have the "mean reds."


Holly Golightly: You know those days when you get the mean reds?
Paul Varjak: The mean reds. You mean like the blues?
Holly Golightly: No. The blues are because you're getting fat, and maybe it's been raining too long. You're just sad, that's all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid, and you don't know what you're afraid of. Do you ever get that feeling?

Yeah, Holly. Yeah I do. 


But let me tell you something, Louisville, the one unflinchingly good thing in my life is you. You're full of interesting and exciting things to do, and you're full of people who are kind and thoughtful and lovely to be around. 


I mean, it's hard to articulate exactly why I've been in a funk. (Which is why Holly's definition of the "mean reds" really speaks to me.) Seriously, just look at how I spent my weekend:


On Friday night, Roommate and I took in Actors Theatre's production of DRACULA. I went last year, but this was Roommate's first time. It's not entirely my cup of tea, to be honest, but both of us came away wondering the same thing: why in the world do locals pay exorbitant prices for cheesy haunted houses as a build-up to Halloween, when they can go see DRACULA at Actors? I'll be honest; I'm basing my knowledge of haunted houses on the few I saw in my youth. But I remember them being pricey, cheesy, and quick. DRACULA is scary, superbly produced, and a couple of hours long. 


On Saturday, we went to the Jug Band Jubilee, which is quickly becoming my favorite annual festival. It was a gorgeous night to be on the waterfront, and I bumped into some of my best friends in the city. After the event ended, a bunch of us went over to the (I'm still calling it "new") BBC on Main Street. I am a sucker for iceberg wedge salads, and the BBC has the best one in the city-- and it's only $5.99. It has both bleu cheese and ranch dressing, and the bacon crumbles are generously portioned and really tasty (this from a woman who is totally over the whole bacon fad). THEN (yes, it was an Energizer Bunny night), a couple of us went to one of my favorite bars downtown-- Al J's in the Galt House (is that Paula Abdul on their website?). I love looking out over the river at night. And I both love and feel bad for the fish in their fishtank bar.  The drinks at Al J's are well-made and among the most reasonable I've had in a hotel bar-- around $7.50 for a Manhattan.  


And Sunday, I got to interview the subject of my upcoming article for the October issue of The Louisville Paper-- Mike Brooks. Mike's one of the co-founders of the much-lauded new theater company in town, Theatre [502]. And he's intense and smart and funny and amazingly contemplative (you'll just have to wait for my article to hear more). But this guy is, like, the opposite of the "mean reds;" this guy is the opposite of "afraid for no reason." Seriously-- and pardon my crassness here-- but you have to have huge effing balls to start a new theatre company in this economy. And he and his friends just got it done. Inspiring.


So many good things. And so many more coming up. In fact, the next few days are shaping up to be utterly brilliant. More to come on that soon.


I still have the mean reds. But they'll pass. They always do. And no matter how funked out I get, Louisville, I'm never so funked out that I forget how much I love you.

An Open Letter to Baby D's Bagel Deli

Dear Baby D's Bagel Deli:

You should have seen the "happy dance" I did when I walked by your storefront just around the corner from Wick's on Highland.  A bagel place, a few blocks from my house? I'm overjoyed. I can't wait til your soft opening on September 8.

I've been longing for a NYC quality bagel for... sigh... years.  Let's face it, most of the bagels in Louisville are sad, dense little hockey pucks (oddly enough, that's one of Roommate's nicknames for me, "Dense Little Hockey Puck."  I kid. I kid.).  I've yet to find a place that has a bagel with cream cheese that really gets it right-- either the bagel is okay (never great) and the cream cheese is a disaster, or vice versa.

And I love that your signage says: "Breakfast, Lunch, Late Night." (You do know that on Bardstown "late night" means 2am minmum 4-5am ideally, right?)   A bagel with cream cheese is one of the great "after a few drinks" meals.  Using Kentucky Proud ingredients? Homemade soups? Heine Bros coffee?  Bagel sandwiches?  Everything about this sounds fabulous.

I hate to be bossy, but it is almost my birthday, so my bossypants have been pressed and are waiting on the hanger, ready to be worn.  But I am a bit opinionated about bagels, so I thought I would put in some requests now, while you're still setting up.

Please feature veggie, garlic and herb, and lox cream cheese spreads. And please don't put onions in the lox spread-- that's gross.  And please make sure your veggie cream cheese actually tastes like something more than cream cheese with chunks. I know a lot of people like the sweet cream cheese spreads, like strawberry walnut ugh and blueberry pecan bleh, but don't skimp on the savory options, please.

If you're making your own soups, please try to make a broccoli cheddar soup that rocks. It's one of my favorites-- Oh! And a tortilla soup too!!-- , and I can't find a good version  of either of those of here in Louisville.  In case you were wondering, based on my non-scientific survey of soups, the best soups in Louisville are:  #1 Cream of Mushroom at Joe Davola's, #2 Tomato Dill at The Cafe, and #3 Lobster Bisque at The Bodega. If you haven't tried all of those, you should. And then strive to makes soups as good as those.

I lived in NYC for 5 years, and for one of those years, five days a week, I had the same workday lunch.  Five days a week, I had Muenster cheese, cucumbers, sprouts, and lettuce on a sesame bagel with a bit of mayo.  I still daydream about this bagel sandwich.  I would love you forever if you could recreate this dream sandwich for me.  Heck, it's so good, you should put it on your menu and call it The Loueyville.  I promise I won't ask for royalties.

Good luck in your endeavor.  I hope you find huge success in my neighborhood.  I have high hopes for you. Can't wait to stop by some Saturday afternoon.

xo
Lou

Summer To-Do List: Lunch!

By the time I get from my digs in the Meatspace Workplace to the cafeteria, I have maybe twenty-five minutes to eat, if I hustle my buns down there. Now, one of the big benefits of my job is we have one of the best cafeterias in the city. Not only that but the lunch ladies and dudes are pretty much the nicest, friendliest, most fun people in the establishment. AND my lunch is free (or, it's part of my "yearly contract," I suppose. I get paid in lunch!). So this is not me bemoaning my workaday lunch situation, at all.

But one of the things I most look forward to each summer is the freedom to lunch at will!

A few places on my lunch list:

Speaking of "the nicest people," I just love the folks at Joe Davola's.  Yeah, I can't really stand Seinfeld, but I'll forgive them that.  Their prices are good.  Their portions are generous.  And their cream of mushroom soup is my favorite soup in the city.

My second favorite soup is a recent find.  The tomato dill soup at The Cafe is so good I went there every Saturday for a month just to have it (they're only open for lunch, and they're not open on Sundays).  What a funny and quirky place (and it's hard to find! Worst case scenario: park by Louisville Stoneware and just wander around by foot til you find it!).  It's eclectic flea-market decor reflects its past location in the old Louisville Antiques Mall on Broadway (RIP). They have a lovely patio where you can watch the trains going by overhead.  Definitely a place to stop on a cool afternoon.  And the cookies... yum!

Over at Consuming Louisville, Michelle recently blogged a couple of times about Please and Thank You on Market. I haven't checked it out yet, but it might be my first lunch stop this summer (hoping Michelle will join me and maybe treat me to a tour of ParkVu, HQ of Music WithMe). The reason I'm so hot to try this place is that they have very "me" lunch options, like grapes and cheese.

Believe it or not, even though I've blogged about Lil Cheezer's grilled cheese truck a couple of times and even hosted an awesome guest blog from the owner, Matt, I still haven't tried them out.  One night I did swing by to say hi, and Roommate had a great grilled cheese, but this summer I plan on making friends with Matt & crew.

Last time I went out with my lunching ladies, we went to the (at the time) newly-opened Ghyslain (another link to Consuming Louisville).  We were a big party, but the folks were super attentive and eager to answer questions.  The food was very good (next time, I'm going to have the Mediterranean plate, which looked phenomenal), and although I'm not a sweet-eater, I loved ogling their amazing desserts and chocolates selections. But mostly, I can't wait to return because I just want to move in there. It's gorgeous! There's something about the particular blue that their walls are painted that makes me want to bring a book and a blanket and order some coffee and just cuddle up for an afternoon (yes, I know that would be frowned upon). But you know what I will bring next time I go? My paint chip fan. So I can figure out just what the blue is... my living room needs painting.

Now I'm all excited and can't wait to get through the next week of being pretty much tied to the Meatspace Workplace cafeteria (although I will miss my lunch ladies and dudes over the summer!).  Lunch!  What a luxury! Want to lunch with me? Hit me up (or HMU, as the kids say)!

Guest Post: Matt from Li'l Cheezers Explains!

Update: When this was originally posted, I titled it "Mike from Li'l Cheezers..." The man's name is Matt.  Geez Louise, Lou.  It was right there in the email.  My apologies to Matt.  Matt says this happens all the time, for some reason... 


A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post about Li'l Cheezers, the new grilled cheese truck making the rounds in the city.  I'd watched the business develop via their Facebook & Twitter posts, and I was-- as many people were-- dismayed when I saw that they'd hit a red-tape wall regarding city ordinances.  I emailed the folks at Li'l Cheezers and asked them for the skinny.  But they were, understandably, too busy to be able to respond at the time.  Since then, Li'l Cheezers has pushed through the frustrating blocks and the truck is up and running and routinely selling out!  Fabulous news!  Now that the bureaucratic nightmare is mostly over, Matt Davis was nice enough to drop me a lengthy email with the Li'l Cheezers story.  With his permission, I reproduce the story here:

Basically (if basic is even possible) what happened was that 3 years ago an ordinance was passed to regulate pop up vendors on the side of the road selling swap meet Nikes and fake Persian rugs. They were also selling food and anything else they could to make money. By the addition of the word "food" in that vendor ordinance the regulating agencies took it upon themselves to police up all mobile food vendors that weren't compliant with the local vendor ordinances. Unknowingly infringing upon liberties given these mobile food vendors by the Health Department which is a state entity. Local trumped state for about 3 years and that was clearly not the way its supposed to work. Once that was realized by the Mayor's Policy Analyst he called the IPL and basically got the problem solved. The Inspections, Permits and Licenses division and more specifically the division of Alcohol and Beverage control are still charged with making sure we are permitted properly by the health department and we are doing everything we are supposed to be doing but we are no longer required to meet the requirements of the local ordinance regulating Stationary and Mobile Vendors and Peddlers as long as we are legal with the health department.

There were other concerns as well like the competition that we give to brick and mortar establishments but I will not apologize for having a different concept. Qdoba doesn't apologize to Taco Bell, and no one is crying about the unmanned Redbox movie rental cabinets across the street from the closed-down Blockbusters. I am sure they didn't have to have a meeting at the Mayor's office and they took jobs and industry from the community. And is that money local? It would seem to me that anything taking jobs away from the area ought to be pumping as much money back into the local community as possible.

Primarily I think food trucks got a bad rap because they are hard to regulate, they can move anywhere, and if you aren't paying attention they could potentially sell anything, and I recognize that as a problem. But ANY business can do that and the daily operational practices of a business are only as good as the owner and employees of said business. I am a 15 year EMS veteran both civilian and military, a homeowner, taxpayer, father, and husband. I bring an ethical standard to my business practices that are without question. I am not trying to sit in front of a restaurant and undercut your prices and steal business. I don't want to go where the food IS; I want to go where the food ISN'T like industrial parks, office parks, and construction sites. People might only get 30 minutes for lunch and that leaves 4 options: bring it from home, raid the vending machines, skip lunch or race to the closest fast food joint and slam your food on the way back to work. If an option is in the parking lot of an office or industrial park and it provides a quick and easy food option within walking distance, then it gives employees a chance to sit, converse, digest, and clock back in on time. Happy employees are much more productive employees and that's important especially in direct customer contact based services.

Beyond that, late night bar crowds are our bread and butter on the weekends. I am not hurting any local business by sitting near 3 or 4 bars with no 3am food options close by. If having a food truck there keeps one drunkard from making a run for the border then the contribution these trucks make are even more lucrative than sales tax revenue.

So it would seem that the problem is solved for now and we have been doing excellent. I am so thrilled with all the positive response from the concept, the food and the rally of support for our culinary contribution. Unlike EMS, now I see smiles on faces when we show up, I see people happy about our presence and I see people raving about the food. I couldn't ask for a better response with over 600 Facebook and Twitter followers in the first 2 weeks and the location offers rolling in. And the press.... I don't even know where it is all coming from. All over the internet, newspapers and word of mouth is amazing.

Thank you so much to Matt-- I don't know him personally, but I love his story, and his commitment to all things local and ethical.  Haven't tried Li'l Cheezers, but as soon as we get a spate of better weather, I will track down the truck-- cheese and bread are my two of my favorite food groups (if only he served bourbon... nirvana!).  You can find the Li'l Cheezers food truck by following them on Twitter (@lilcheezers).  Or just keep an eye out for the Spongebob-yellow truck!  Good luck, Mike!

Lil Cheezers: Street Food in Louisville

I've been watching the Lil Cheezers food truck story unfold on Facebook and Twitter for a while now.  Watched their excitement grow as the gourmet grilled cheese truck came together and watched their frustration mount when they hit a permitting wall.  I even contacted them to get more of the saga, but they wrote me back a polite "we're awfully busy, get back to you soon."

I'm not entirely sure how the permitting ordeal played out, but on Facebook they were very complimentary of the folks in Mayor Fischer's office.  And they've been out, slinging their grilled cheeses, the past couple of weekends.

Food trucks and street food are wicked hip these days, and folks in Louisville seem to be clamoring for a more vibrant local street food scene.  Tonight the NYT article about late night street food "raves" in San Francisco is burning up local Twitter.  And I know that there's a new "street food restaurant" opening up in the rebuilt old Mimosa building on Bardstown.  A while back, a local entrepreneur held a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign to open Morels Food Truck, an all-vegan operation.  I know I've heard something about a Mexican food truck too...

I'm really not familiar with the idea of "street food."  I lived in NYC for five years, and the only things I ate out of vehicles were hot dogs, donuts, and ice cream.  But I'm more than willing to accept that there is a street food vacuum here in Louisville that's slowly being filled.  We wish Lil Cheezers all the best!

Lil Cheezers' menu looks delish and reasonable.  While all their specialty sandwiches are appealing, I'd be more than happy with a $5 grilled brie sandwich, straight up, no add-ins.

They'll be at Record Store Day (something not-Thunder) on Saturday the 16th at Ear X-tacy from 9am-10p.  Last gig they had, they sold out before their time was up, so I recommend going early!  Can't wait to try it out.

Louisville Little Bit 1: Jack Fry's

When did I get so shy? I remember being something of a brazen badass when I was a teenager.  But as an adult, I'm definitely socially... well, back in the day we used to say "socially retarded," so I am the less-repulsive synonym of that.

Last night, I volunteered at the Louisville Public Media pledge drive, and I didn't introduce myself to a soul there.  Just did the answering phones thing (which was monumentally painful for me; I am so phone adverse that the only reason I HAVE a phone is that Mama Lou won't email or text) and ducked out.  I did, however, feel compelled to chime in on one conversation.

A lovely Bellarmine freshman (so nice to see so many young people volunteering!) was saying that she and her friends wanted to get all dolled-up and go out someplace super fancy for a friend's birthday... on a freshman budget.  And when she said something about her male friends wanting to wear their seersucker suits, I said: "Jack Fry's."  She'd never heard of the place and wanted a description, so I said: "It looks like somewhere Sinatra would've hung out."  She picked up her phone and made a reservation right then.

And that made me remember an idea I had for this blog.

The only New Year's Resolution that I've mostly kept is that I wanted to try new (to me) restaurants more.  Because we live in the most awesome, restaurant-heavy neighborhood in the city, Roommate and I tend to get in ruts.  So the goal was to branch out.  Eschew the old faithfuls for new untrieds.  The problem is: so many of the restaurants we haven't tried aren't really in our budget.  What to do?

Well, there's no rule that says that in order to go to a new restaurant you have to really eat there.  Right? I'm not a (groan) foodie.  I'm not a food critic.  I don't have to taste a whole bunch of things to decide whether or not I like a place. The point is to soak up the atmosphere and maybe have a little bit of something.

So every once in a while I will post a Louisville Little Bit where I tell you about how to get in and out of a restaurant that might normally be a budget-buster for a modest amount of cash.

Louisville Little Bit 1: Jack Fry's

Jack Fry's is one of the closest restaurants to my house.  And I've only been there twice.  Well, three times now. I've known full well that Fry's has very reasonably priced burgers, and I've heard many times that their burgers are among the best in the city.... but for some reason, I've avoided the place because I'd held in my head their $34 steaks and $32 fish dishes.  It just screamed "special occasion" or "important night out" to me.

As I said, Jack Fry's looks like a place where Sinatra would've felt quite at home.  Live music most evenings. Dark. Old pictures on the wall.  Fry's was established in 1933, and it probably hasn't changed much since, even though it changed hands from the original owners to a long-time employee in 2003.

When you live in this neighborhood, Jack Fry's is synonymous with "good smells."  Walk by Fry's during dinner hour when you're hungry, and the smell of cooking food is almost unbearable.

A few months ago, I got a bug up my butt to have a really killer burger.  And after hemming and hawing for a while-- it was a very ordinary night, a Wednesday or a Thursday-- somehow Roommate and I decided on Jack Fry's.  This was shortly after Roommate's heart attack, and we figured that if he was going to splurge on something less-than-good for him, it might as well be fantastic.

And I'll never hem and haw over Jack Fry's again.  What a delightful-- and fairly reasonable-- special night!  Their burgers are all they're cracked up to be and under $10!  The service was exceptional.  When I heard that one of the specials of the day came with brussel sprouts (one of my favorites) and asked if I could sub the sprouts for the burger's fries, the waitress didn't bat an eyelash.

Manhattans (my cocktail of choice) are reasonably-priced and delicious.  There are a few bottles of wine under $30.  And when it comes to atmosphere, between the decor and the live jazz... Jack Fry's can make an ordinary Thursday night feel like a special occasion.

One of the things I like most about Jack Fry's is that it is as swanky as you want it to be.  I didn't feel uncomfortable at all in jeans and a sweater.  I'd feel right at home in a cocktail dress.

A cocktail at the bar along with a burger or an appetizer... a little bit of Jack Fry's and you can get out of there for under the cost of their $34 steak!

What is Louisville Missing?

This just happens to be my 500th post.  A better blogger would have something special planned for this post. We all know I'm not a "better blogger."  But I do want to thank you lovely, beautiful people who read this blog on a regular basis (hi, mom!).  Loueyville.com has shaped my life in Louisville.  It's allowed me to meet people I never would have met, to go to events I never would have gone to... starting this blog is really among the best decisions I've ever made.  Rock on, Loueyville.  I hope you have (at least) another 500 posts left in you.

So anyway...

Over the past couple of days the local Tweeters have been pontificating about the fact that Borders declared bankruptcy, and that we're about to lose two fairly popular (apparently not popular enough) stores.  On the chopping block are the Borders on Hurstborne and the one on 4th Street Live.

The "What do we need downtown?" question has been floating around for years, and with this two-story, high visibility corner storefront opening up, lots of people are dreaming big.  It seems inevitable that a chain store will occupy the Borders space, and many of my Twitter folks rightfully are wishing for a clothing store.  If we can get one great clothing store to anchor in the 4th Street Live space, perhaps more will follow downtown.  The first suggestions I saw were for an H&M, but when I mentioned on Twitter that Roommate wished for a Filene's Basement, I was flooded with RTs and responses.  Everybody loves their Filene's Basements.

We all know downtown needs a grocery store, and the almost universal wish is that Louisville finally gets its own Trader Joe's, but that's not the right space for it.  Parking would be a nightmare, and imagine trying to make a milk and cheese run at 9pm on a Saturday night?

There's also the possibility that they turn the space into another chain restaurant.  If they do, my hope is that it becomes something along the lines of Dave and Busters or Jillian's.  Yes, I know we had a Jillian's before I moved here-- on the outskirts of town.  But I can't help but think it would be infinitely more successful in the heart of tourist downtown.  It would be nice to give people something to do at 4th Street besides drinking... not that there's anything wrong with that, per se.

Ashlee Clark from the fantastic blog Ashlee Eats has a great post on the issue and a poll, so I'm not going to dwell too much more on this specific space.  But this specific discussion got me thinking about the bigger picture.

I've lived in Louisville for 4.5 years now: What is MY Louisville missing?  Above and beyond this one soon-to-be-vacated space... what does Louisville need?

If I'm sitting on the lap of the Great Santa Who Gives Things to Good Little Girls, my first wish is for a Cinema Brewhouse/Gastropub.  It seems like Louisvillagers have collectively decided that we'd like to emulate Austin as much as possible, right down to our "Keep Louisville Weird" campaign.  I have to admit, I've only been to Austin once, like, 15 years ago... and I was less than impressed.  That being said, when I think Austin, I think Alamo Drafthouse.  And when I think "Alamo Drafthouse," I think... heaven.  Once upon a time, there was a push for a Cinema brewpub out by the Mellwood Center.  I don't know what ever happened to that.  And I don't know why someone with a little restaurant/bar background hasn't started to Kickstarter.com the sh*t out of a Cinema Brewpub.  If we can collectively fund a vegan food truck-- way to go Morels!-- we can make this happen with the right people.

Next on the wishlist: besides a cinema pub (and Trader Joe's) the only other thing that would really raise the quality of my Louisville life on a weekly basis would be the opening of a really nice sports bar in the Highlands.  One that's not BWW or UK-themed.  We're talking lots of good beers, lots of big tvs, good pub grub.  Someplace Roommate can watch his college basketball-- multiple games on multiple tvs.  Someplace I can watch my Red Sox at the same time the Reds are playing.  Rumor had it a while back that someone was cooking up a Highlands sports bar, but that rumor has gone the way of the cinema brewpub out by Mellwood.  I have a dream, and that dream takes place in the old Barret Bar space.  Make it so, someone. Make it so.

Speaking of sports, well, y'all know how I feel about minor league hockey.  Or even NHL hockey. Somebody bring Louisville a team of mostly-white, dentally-challenged Canadians on skates please.  Please!

A while ago, Roommate & I had on our wishlist a wine bar in the Highlands, but honestly the Holy Grale has kind of filled that hole for me.  There is a wonderful little place in Salem, MA called the Gulu Gulu cafe that's a wine and beer bar/coffeeshop/charcuterie.  The have live music and movie marathons... in March, they're having a Dr. Who night every week (LOVE!).  We could use a really creative space like that.

When I travel to other cities and see the following chain stores, I get jealous:

• IKEA (duh)
• Trader Joe's/Jungle Jim's (of course)
• Crate and Barrel
• The Container Store
• Restoration Hardware
• Anthropologie

I can't think of a chain restaurant that we're missing... granted, Roommate is recovering from a heart attack, but I still wouldn't mind seeing a Fatburger or In N Out Burger in Louisville.   

What's YOUR Louisville missing, folks?  Email me, tweet me (@loueyville), or leave your wish in the comments. 

Wednesday Afternoon Randomness: OMG SNOW! Edition

[Insert hysterical snow talk here.]

This past Monday was "Blue Monday;" supposedly the third monday of January is the most depressing day of the year.  As it happened to coincide with a day off, I didn't feel the full thrust of the cosmic tug toward the dark side.  But I swear, there's something to it. Maybe it's Blue Monday a little late, or maybe it's just the oppressive GRAY that we've been experiencing in Louisville, but I'm more than a little out of sorts these days.  So what better time than a clearinghouse post of all the good things coming up here in town?

• You know one thing I love about Louisville in January? Consuming Louisville's "One Thing I Love About Louisville" series.

• Speaking of Michelle Jones: Next week Let Them Tweet Cake is taking a field trip to LVL1 to build our own mintiboosts.  If you're a nerdy chick, you need to be there.  Read this great article about LVL1 in the LEO.
  
• Got the blues? I do. So it's a good thing Actors Theatre is breaking out Ma Rainey's Black Bottom this week.  It runs through February 13.
  
• Feel like banging your head against a wall?  How about a just a little head-banging?  I can't believe how excited I am to see Broadway Across America's Rock of Ages next week.  It's at the Kentucky Center from January 25-30, and it sounds like it will be good, pure, goofy fun.
  
• There's another IdeaFestival sponsored adult spelling bee at Zanzabar next week on the 27th.
  
• According to the folks at the Visitor and Conventions Bureau, we'll be seeing some additions to the Urban Bourbon Trail in the near future.
  
• Speaking of bourbon: Baxter Station is now open on Mondays and features a special "Bourbon Flights & Bourbon Bites" menu.  Door prizes, visits with Master Distillers, and other special events.  This looks like it's poised to be a regular Monday night thing for yours truly!

What did I miss?  Here's hoping for snow days and blue skies and good friends and warm places for all of us... soon!  Get out there and do something fun. 

Over the River: Habana Blues

I'm not really a "foodie." My food interests tend toward the plebeian.  For example, over the holidays, I was one of the poor unfortunate souls stuck in the New England HellaBlizzard (though, thankfully, not one of the poor unfortunate souls STILL stuck in the HellaBlizzard), and when Mama Lou asked what I wanted her to chef up for some cabin fever comfort food, I said, "Remember that thing you used to make with the Velveeta and the canned tomato soup?"  (It's good. Mmmmm.... )

Anyway, so my food/restaurant posts can always be viewed with a bit of skepticism, I'm sure.

Two nights ago, Roommate and I availed ourselves of cheapo rates at the Horseshoe Casino and did an overnighter.  Casino trips, especially non-Vegas trips, are always a pretty even mix of depressing and fun.  But we found the cheap drinks at the Envy bar and a dolphin slot machine that liked to give us money (pretty dolphins, good dolphins, we like the dolphins), so a good time was had by all.  I'm not ashamed to admit that one of the draws to the casino was the Savannah-toned siren call of Paula Deen's buffet.  And we weren't disappointed.  Good southern comfort food.  Fresher and better done than most big ass buffets.  And (really) a totally cute little Paula gift shop.  Hey y'all!

But, it turned out that the culinary highlight of the trip was not the raw oysters on Paula's salad bar, but the great little Cuban restaurant in New Albany where we had lunch the next day.  Habana Blues is right in downtown New Albany on Market Street.  For lunch, all sandwiches come with either black bean soup or a side salad for just $7.50.  Roommate had the Cuban sandwich, and I had a wonderful grouper sandwich.  And... best of all, the dark, strong, fruity sangria is only $11 a pitcher all day Monday-Wednesday!  Super great deal considering a single glass was $6.  Half a pitcher of sangria-- three glasses or so-- and I was zonked for the afternoon.

What I liked best about Habana Blues was not the great, reasonably-priced food or the good, cheap sangria, but the fact that our waiter clearly LOVED where he worked.  He chatted up the place to us with a huge smile.  Outdoor patio.  Live music til 2am.  DJs on weekends.  And most exciting of all: a dinner paella that takes an hour to cook-- you can call in advance, and they'll start it for you!

Really, when your waiters are as happy as this guy was, you're doing something right.  I'll totally make the bridge trek to visit Habana Blues again-- especially for the paella and definitely during the summer when I can eat outside.

For the Children: Free at Papalino's on Weds.

A couple months ago, the CJ published an article called "Pizza Wars: Slicing Up the Highlands" (no longer available online, but you can buy it here if you need to have it), covering the heating up of the pizza competition in my immediate neighborhood after the opening of Papalino's pizza.  The article just covered Wicks, Spinelli's, and Papalino's, but when you think about it, the Baxter/Bardstown corridor has more pizza than some similar stretches in NYC.  Just off the top of my head:

• Spinelli's
• Wick's
• Papalino's
• Bearno's
• Boom-bozz
• Pizza Roma
• Impellizeri's
• Pizza Hut

And other restaurants that serve pizza including: Dragon King's Daughter (sorta), Le Gallo Rosso, and Flanagan's.  I'm sure I'm missing a few.

I'm a huge fan of Papalino's.  Between their lovely NYC-style crust, their HUGE slices, and the fresh ingredients, it's become my go-to pizza joint (it's also very close to my house).

Today they announced that on Wednesday's from 5pm-9pm, kids will eat free with an "adult purchase" (it's a little unclear what that entails). Kids will get a slice and a drink and free entertainment by a magician starting today and every Wednesday.

Another blow in the Pizza Wars.  And another great reason to take the wee ones out on the town.

Oh What a Night Out: Jersey Boys at the Kentucky Center

After totally loving Broadway Across America's production of Legally Blonde: The Musical this summer-- which was absolutely delightful-- I'm just plain ol' looking forward to Jersey Boys, starting July 28 and continuing through August 15.  Before Legally Blonde, I wouldn't have said so.  In fact, I might have even said I'd rather skip Jersey Boys.  But I was proven so wrong about Legally Blonde...

And Jersey Boys is incredibly well-reviewed.  It won the 2006 Tony for Best Musical, and let's face it, even if you're not a huge fan of the Four Seasons' music, the original bands' vocal talents were such that if the musical even adequately replicates them, you're in for a night of musical virtuosity.  And its success has spawned all sorts of band/musician centered musical bios-- imitation, flattery, and so on.

And who doesn't love a night out in downtown Louisville during the summer?  This past weekend, Roommate and I availed ourselves of one of my Groupons for White Oak and had a lovely dinner then headed to Fourth Street Live for the free Peter Searcy/Blues Travelers concert.  It wasn't one of the better nights for White Oak-- service was slow (so much so that we missed Peter Searcy) and they were out of a couple of key items (bacon?).  But the food was excellent, and it was a nice change to have a leisurely meal at a somewhat upscale place, knowing we weren't going to go broke.  (Tip: order the cheese plate-- the Kenny's Farmhouse Horseradish White Cheddar is amazing)

And while I generally avoid Fourth Street Live, I have to admit that the free concerts are a lot of fun.  The sound system sucks unless you're directly in front of the stage-- and if you're on the second floor, often the concert is competing with the bars' cranked-up music (really? Is this necessary?).  But we finagled a clear balcony view of the Blues Travelers and availed ourselves of the pretty generous $3 well-drinks and enjoyed a cheap, fun evening out.

A Broadway show at the Kentucky Center is considerably more expensive.  Tickets start at $40.  But if Jersey Boys is your sort of thing, it'll be money well spent.  Tickets are available at http://www.kentuckycenter.org/.  I'll keep you posted if I spy any discounts or deals.

Wasabiya: New Sushi on Baxter

I'm not a restaurant reviewer (not really sure what I am sometimes), so take this with a grain of salt. Or soy sauce. But I've been happy dancing every time I've passed the "Coming Soon: Sushi" sign hanging over the oft-turned-over restaurant/bar next to Chase Bank where Bardstown meets Baxter.

Every once in a while, when a storefront goes empty within a few blocks of Casa Lou, Roommate and I make wishlists of what we need in the neighborhood. Once upon a time it was Mexican (for Roommate)-- and then we got Tequila Factory, which is serviceable, though not great. I've long longed for sushi, and last year we got Dragon King's Daughter, which is pretty damned good, but doesn't quite hit the run-of-the-mill sushi cravings that I have.

Then came Wasabiya, which opened last week.

Roommate won't be home for another week, and I just couldn't hold out any longer, so I visited Wasabiya tonight.

It's very pretty inside with lovely IKEA lanterns and that still-hip warehousey feel. The menu is almost exclusively sushi with a couple of cooked entrees. But the first thing you notice about the menu is that the sushi rolls-- mostly the more elaborate rolls which make up most of the menu-- are pretty pricey.

I spent a little over $30 for just myself, though I overindulged on sake (meaning I ordered a large when most people would probably order a small). I had a fantastic appetizer. And I can't remember the name (is it the sake's fault), but it was a fried avocado half (a first for me), over some lovely raw veggies and draped with a few pieces of cooked crab. At $6 or so, this was by far the highlight of the meal and the best bargain. I ordered two rolls and took home 6-pieces of roll, so at least I have a part of tomorrow's dinner covered. The Alaskan roll was very good at around $5. Lots of meaty salmon. The Yum Yum roll was spicy and kind of dry and paled in comparison to Oishii Sushi's Yum Yum roll, which is one of my favorite things to eat in all of Louisville.

There was more wait staff than they needed. The place is pretty big and it was really empty-- most people crowding at the sushi bar. And my waitstaffdude was very nice but a little hover-y at first.

I know nothing about this place except what I experienced tonight. I'm betting that the super fancy rolls ($8 up to $16 or so) are worth trying at some point. But that's a bit out of my everyday budget. The appetizer was worth a trip, and I can see me going back there some afternoon for just that and some sake for lunch.

But on my budget, I need bang for my buck, and it just wasn't there. Maybe they'll Maido/Dragon King's Daughter up and run some fantastic happy hour specials. I'd be all over their fancy rolls at half price.

Would love to hear other impressions of the place. As it stands now, my usual sushi restaurants shouldn't fear losing my patronage.