Local Restaurant Suggestions! (Louisville, St. Matthews, Bardstown: new home, neighborhoods, theater)

[mrspink]

My husband and I just moved to Louisville (thanks for the very welcoming attitudes by the way!) and we've been here for about a week. LOVE IT! My question is....

Where are some good local places we can eat and take our family when they come to visit? We do have a toddler, but she is very well behaved and likes all sorts of cuisine...we're all about giving her variety, so a picky eater is NOT an issue. If you could give me a price range as well the general location that would be GREAT!

Let me just say, we LOVE it here, and are so happy we were offered jobs and that it has worked out.

[Tintlelli]

I'm happy for you and your family, that you have jobs and have many good things to say about your new home. Welcome!

Although I've been in this area for three years, I still haven't tried all the so-called "best" places to eat--but I will in time. Three recomendations:

1. Amici (Old Louisville, Ormsby Ave between Third and Fourth streets). In the summer you can choose to sit out on their nice, private brick porch or sit inside (with the large windows wide open). Both are pretty. The food is typical Italian/Italian-American and isn't too pricey. They serve alcoholic beverages you might not find in most restaurants, including beer from Italy and other parts of Europe. Another advantage this place has is it's right around the corner from Central Park, if you like to "take a stroll" before or after you eat.

2. Third Avenue Cafe (Old Louisville, corner of Third and Oak streets). This restaurant offers indoor or outdoor seating, but IMO indoor is better to see the "funky" decor and occasional live music. This is the kind of place you would expect a little closer to a college campus or maybe Bardstown Rd. Anyway the food is good--it's known for having a mostly-vegetarian or vegan menu, and has a few unique choices...The place isn't expensive and doesn't look it, but it's not cheap like diner cheap either. A variety of people show up here which is interesting to me...

3. Buckhead Mountain Grill (Jeffersonville, on the Ohio River). I add this one because my husband and I just ate here last week. They have a variety of beers including international and local (I tried New Albanian Brewing Company's amber ale, for example). The food is typical American-chain like you would find at Applebee's, Friday's or Chili's, etc. I would say that the appetizers are a bit too expensive, but the rest of the prices are typical like the food. BUT I have to say the food had a MUCH better taste than that of the kind of restaurant I just mentioned. Both of us really liked what we ordered. The attraction for your out-of-town guests would be the large patio seating area that over looks the Ohio River and downtown Louisville.

[Off Topic]

In the $15/entree level, just drive up and down Bardstown Road for some fun, quirky experiences at moderate prices. I love going to Ramsi's Cafe on the World. We also like Avalon for a good, less expensive meal.

[mrspink]

Thanks for all the excellent suggestions!

Actually, the one place I've gone to, when I came down for interviews and such, was Ramsi's Cafe on the World! I thought it was excellent, and the prices were very reasonabl

[Orgetorix]

Check out www.louisvillehotbytes.com and the associated forums. Louisville has one of the best local-restaurant scenes in the country for cities of comparable size. Bardstown Road, East Market (NuLu), and St. Matthews are all hotbeds with lots of local restaurants clustered, but there are excellent places elsewhere around the city as well.

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by Orgetorix

Check out www.louisvillehotbytes.com and the associated forums. Louisville has one of the best local-restaurant scenes in the country for cities of comparable size. Bardstown Road, East Market (NuLu), and St. Matthews are all hotbeds with lots of local restaurants clustered, but there are excellent places elsewhere around the city as well.

Don't forget Clifton and Cresent Hill. Even the far east end/Norton Commons as well as the Germantown/OldLouisville/Beechmont corridor ar developing individual great foodie restaurants in their own rights, not to mention Butchertown, and even New Albany and Jeffersonville!

I agree with visiting the forum mentioned above, but I am going to "kick start" you by offering a couple places to visit in each of Louiville's fine neighborhoods. It will also be a good intro to the great urban diversity that exists in a city this size. Reakky though there is an EXTENSIVE foodie community on Forumites check out baseball and ballpark fare « LouisvilleHotBytes.com. It s free to join and they will welcome you with open arms, and you will probably make new friends.

Downtown:
Proof on Main $$$
Doc Crow's $$
HillBilly Tea $$
Theater Square Marketplace $$
Sapporo $$
Bar: Oshea's

NuLu/Butchertown
732 Social $$$
Harvest $$$
Blind Pig $$
Mayan Cafe $$$
Wiltshire on Market $$
Bar: Garage Bar
Breakfast: Toast


Clifton:
Bourbon's Bistro $$$
L&N Wine Bar $$$
North End Cafe $
Maido $$
Varanese
Bar: Clifton's

Crescent Hill:
Porcini $$$
Tony Boombozz $
El Mundo $$
Irish Rover $
Volare $$$
Bar: Beer Depot


Old Louisville:
Buck's $$$$
610 Magnolia (thurs-sat) $$$$
3rd Ave Cafe $
Amici $$
Granville Inn (for the burgers) $
Bar: Magbar also Rudyard Kipling

Germantown:
Eiderdown $$
Smoketown USA $
The Cafe $
Nord's Bakery $
Zeppelin Cafe $
Bar: Nachbar

Highlands:
Seviche $$$
Asiatique $$$
Lilly's $$$$
Kashmir $
Avalon $$$
Bar: Tough Pick, I'll go with Flanagan's. (also Cumberland Brews)

St Matthews:
Havana Rumba $$
Coal's Artisan Pizza $
Simply Thai $
Del Frisco's $$$
Meridian Cafe $
Bar: Molly Malone's (also tough pick)

New Albany:
La Bocca Italian $$
Habana Blues $$
La Rosita Grill $
Bank Street Brewhouse (food as good as beer) $$
River City Winery $$
Bar: Rich O's Public House

Notable Suburban restaurants (located outside I264)
Corbett's $$$$
Verbena Cafe $$
Vietnam Kitchen $
Limestone $$$
Village Anchor $$$
Bar: AP Crafter's


As an aside, it was nearly impossible to pick only 5 from these areas plus there are vast swaths of suburban areas I left out, but this will be a nice intro to the metro area should you complete this list of locally owned spots

[kytoaz]

excellent post! you chose the five i would have chosen pretty much to a tee.

[mrspink]

Thanks so much! Those suggestions were wonderful, and I appreciate the variety you presented. Reps to you for helping out a newbie in Louisville!

[bu2008]

grew up here and been to them all, and Jack Fry's is my favorite restaurant for great food and atmosphere, many good suggestions though, theres a ton of places you cant go wrong

[kytoaz]

Originally Posted by bu2008

grew up here and been to them all, and Jack Fry's is my favorite restaurant for great food and atmosphere, many good suggestions though, theres a ton of places you cant go wrong

jack fry's is awesome, though a bit more expensive than some others on this list. harvest is def. my new favorite. went there last night, matter of fact. appetizer, two entree's and four total cocktails for 67 bux. while i do love jack fry's, a lot, that same bill would have been upwards of 100. don't get me wrong, it's worth it. maybe not an every weekend kinda place for my wallet!lol

garage bar opened this week and has a very interesting menu. four kinds of cured ham, local of course, six types of oysters, and pizza.
good beer list as well and a very cool vibe of an old service station. if this keeps up, nulu will be the new highlands.