Discovering Louisville

My friend Erika “Boutros Boutros”Chavez-Graziano has a new Cellar Door location (don’t worry - she’s still in the Butchertown location too) AND new, seasonal chocolate for fall.

If your family needs a hotel to stay in for the holiday, you might want to mention The Galt House as an option.  ”Why?”  you ask…  ”BECAUSE,”  I say, “Cellar Door has a boutique stop in the West Tower on the 3rd level!”

Bernhardt and I popped by Cellar Door’s chocolate/martini tasting last weekend in the new Galt location; the girls were there, the chocolate was tasty, and the Elderflower…well…I’ll just get into it now.

What you see above is amazing.  Seriously.  A perfect pyramid of dark chocolate with an Elderflower cordial center…  And as you see below, it was heaven.  The chocolate is the perfect popping open texture, and it just melts in your mouth.

Chavez did the same pyramid you see above with a Cucumber Lime Vodka center to boot.  Both concoctions are memorable; the cucumber tastes wild in your mouth - strong, but nice - and the Elder Flower tastes like the past (if that abstract adjective makes any sense - basically, I felt like I was in a Fitzgerald novel while eating it).  Either way, both are necessary to try, especially in the fall weather that’s creeping up on us.

So, cross those heels in a comfy position behind the Cellar Door counter, scarf down a ghost pop, and get thee to a chocolatier.  Preferably Erika.

And one more heads up before I go drink my Chai Tea tonight:  Bernhardt surprised me after our Galt House visit with another chocolate I didn’t get a picture of.  Ask one of the girls at Cellar Door for the exact name; it is a shortbread bottom with a caramel dallop on top, all covered in chocolate.  To die.  Seriously.

Go visit both Cellar Door locations.  Soon!

Cellar Door Chocolates
1201 Story Avenue #109
Louisville, Kentucky 40206
The Butchertown Market (enter through Work the Metal)
502.561.2940cellardoorchocolate@gmail.com
cellardoorchocolates@gmail.com
NEW INFO:140 N. 4th Street, Suite #314
Louisville, KY 40202

The other week, I found myself sitting in front of this lovely bar on a Friday night, savoring oyster shots with friend Tom and my ol’ ball and chain (just kidding, I love you), Bernhardt, talking to strange, hip couples about the best time to eat an oyster, and making sure I didn’t drink too much fine bourbon as I stealthily snuck to the astro-turfed blocks by a beautiful string of lights outside this fine establishment.

Did you solve the mystery?  I was totally at Garage Bar on 700 East Market Street.

According to the Garage Bar website:

“Garage Bar is housed in a former auto service garage in downtown Louisville’s vibrant East Market or NuLu neighborhood. A nod to its roots as a historic saloon, Garage Bar serves up ice cold draft and bottled craft beers, Kentucky Bourbons, seasonal cocktails and wine. The casual neighborhood spot features Chef Michael Paley’s pizzas from a wood-fired brick oven and Southern specialties, with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients.”

Honestly, I’ve only had drinks, a drunkenly delicious pizza (well worth the StaceO gulp-worthy price), and some randomly wonderful conversations with friends I ran into near the outside ping-pong table.  However, each time I’ve come here (and at this point I’ve hung out in these same bar and grassy spots for three all-nighters) I’ve been very happy.  I like it at Garage Bar.

If you are going to be in the NuLu area, or are just looking for a new place to eat and drink, check out Garage Bar.  It’s fun.  You’ll meet interesting people.  And, for me, try an oyster shooter (a raw oyster dunked in hot sauce and vodka - gulp it but chew that yummy seafood for the salty sea taste) and dream of Carolina.

Open 7 days a week. Bar open late.

MON – THUR 5pm – 12 midnight

Late night menu 11pm-12 midnight

FRI – SAT 5pm – 1am

Late night menu 12 midnight-1am

SUN 5pm – 12 midnight

Late night menu 10pm-12 midnight

SAT – SUN Starts at 11am

Upcoming Garage Bar events.

My husband has been waxing poetic about a new, awesome bagel place that just opened up on 2009 Highland Avenue.  It’s called Baby D’s, and they serve steamed bagel sandwiches.  Ever since he tried their sample at the Leo Awards, he’s been wanting to take me there for a bite.

I’d be telling a lie if I told you I was in a good mood when I got to Baby D’s.  I wasn’t.  I was hungry and cranky.  Because I was with some friends, I grabbed the table for everyone and my husband went to order for me.  They were out of the chicken salad sandwich (for some reason, I’ve been craving chicken salad for quite some time), and I go into panic-mode when I have to order on the fly.  Alas, because Baby D’s is already popular just 2 weeks into business, Bernhardt ran back in a frenzy and said “They don’t have chicken salad because they ran out, order something else (right now)!”  The menu font was small and I couldn’t read without my glasses, so I went for a very traditional bagel with lox and capers.

Honestly, it was a pretty amazing sandwich.  There were LOTS of capers, which made me happy because people usually chintz on them, and the lox were fresh.  The bagel was the crown jewel, of course.  I’m so excited that there is finally a place to get a fantastic bagel in Louisville!  

As much as I like Panera, I don’t like their bagels or their “want to try a fancy cream cheese” pressure.  At Baby D’s you can go traditional or unique without any pressure to get anything you don’t want.  Every table in the place had some yummy looking sammies.  Bernhardt’s Gonzo (see below) with egg, brisket, smoked turkey, and provolone was out of this world, and my plan for our next visit is to try the sandwich with pepperoni and peppers.

The menu at Baby D’s is large (see below), and there are many things to choose from.

My advice on said menu?  Well, if you are an ordering spaz like me, know that the line moves fast, so if you need extra time to read through the menu and choose, stand to the right of the line by the front window when you enter the eatery and pick your top 3 bagel sandwiches (just in case they don’t have your first choice of sandwich - Baby D’s has gotten a lot of well-deserved press for their food, hence they’ve been really slammed).

They have so many unique sandwiches - go for something you’ve NEVER had - I will when I go back again. I’m sure you’ll be happy with what you get.

Below is more info on Bay D’s from their facebook page.  Check them out if you’re in the Highlands!  It’s truly worth it.

“Located in the heart of the highlands behind wicks on Baxter/highland. Bagels straight outta NYC!! We are offering Steamed bagel sandwiches and wraps. All of our meats are smoked or oven roasted in house. Those meats include turkey, beef brisket, roast beef, ham and bacon. As our meats are done in house, so are our sauces, aiolis and sides. With funky sandwich names to desserts including chocolate covered bacon, we will continue to keep customers guessing with daily specials, soups and salads. We will be open for breakfast, lunch (everyday) and late-night (Thursday-Saturday)”

2009 Highland Ave, Louisville, KY 40204

Phone 502-365-DELI (3354) Fax 365-3364

Hours:   Mon-Thurs =7am - 9am, Fri = 7am - 4pm, Saturday = 9am - 4pm, and Sunday = 9am - 3pm

It’s the best free stuff party of the year, and it is happening tomorrow!  You should go.  Click here to RSVP.

What is it???

Celebrate Louisville’s Favorites and LEO’s 21st Birthday

You are cordially invited to attend LEO’s Readers’ Choice Party and 21st Birthday at our invite-only soiree with a “Speakeasy” theme. Feel free to don your flapper dress or top hat, mingle with all of Louisville’s favorites and enjoy tasty bootlegged libations and delicious morsels from premier local restaurants.

WHO: You! And everyone over 21 you want to bring

WHAT: LEO Readers’ Choice Party and 21st Birthday Celebration

WHERE: Ice House, 217 E. Main St.

WHEN: Thursday, September 22, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

A huge congrats to WHY Louisville (my husband is their printer) and The Paper (the amazing paper started by mperfect designs that allows me to write for them) for taking away Best of Honors:

Best Local Publication - The Paper - 2nd  (after The Leo!) - which kind of feels like 1st, you know?

Best Place to Buy a Unique Gift
 - WHY Louisville, 1st!

Best Screen Printer
 - Bernhardt Geyer/WHY Louisville - 2nd!

Best Public Sculpture - WHY Louisville’s Beerwolf - 3rd!

Read more of Louisville’s favorites here.

Greenhaus on Preston Highway is totally one of my favorite shops in Louisville.  It’s there where I’ve been cultivating my wine knowledge in the $12- $15 range (and hopefully on up, teacher salary step raise HOLLA!) - - - and owner Daniel Duncan knows some amazing ones!  And if you read my article about Preston Highway in this month’s issue of The Paper, you already know that Greenhaus carries a little bit of everything good.

From my interview with Daniel:

“We have around 75 craft and import beers, around 75 wines and a small selection of liquor.

 I believe in quality over quantity, so I am very selective of the wines and beers I bring in.   

With the plants we focus on indoor plants like succulents, airplants and cacti.  

The combination of all these things fit together because they are what makes our homes…well, our homes. Sitting on that couch that you’ve been dreaming about enjoying drinks with friends surrounded by plants and art…perfect.”

I’ll tell you what… I like the Greenhaus equation!

FYI, this Friday, Greenhaus is having an awesome event!  They are raising the coolness bar with:

This Friday, September 16th…
New Art Opening*New art from Mickie Winters, Logan Reulet, Harriet Bowling, Whitney Carpenter and Melody Dennison

Cellar Door Chocolates Satellite shop grand opening*Three different wines paired with many Cellar Door chocolates

Tons of new furniture and knick-knacks coming Friday!!!!*New couches, chairs, old radios and cameras, plenty of really cool retro items

And introducing our new Vinyl section *Hundreds of selected records, all in great condition and from just about every genre, between $5 and $15, some under $5.  

Says Daniel:  ”We open at 12 p.m. on Friday’s as usual but won’t be doing the wine/chocolate pairing until 4:00 and it ends at 8:00.  I hope to see everyone there, it should be a lot of fun.”

So come to Greenhaus this Friday (September 16th) from 4 to 8 PM, sit on a vintage sofa, read The Paper, sip wine, savour chocolate, talk to cool people, and look at rockin’ artwork.  What more could you ask for?

Other cool things you want to know about Greenhaus:

“We carry Blue Dog Bread on Fridays (it gets here at 3:00, generally).  We carry Argo Sons Whole bean coffee and Stellar Sweets.  Oh, and we are proudly carrying this new awesome paper called The Paper!” (Daniel Duncan)

Greenhaus = I want to go to there.

Plants.  Wine.  Home.

27 South Preston St.

Louisville, KY 40217

(502) 636-4411

We spotted NamNam Cafe during an ill-fated Thai meal/date (note - we are on a QUEST for good Thai food in this town) at a restaurant across the street.  As I poked at my beefy meal, I looked longingly onto NamNam’s outdoor seating area, and Bernhardt echoed my thoughts as he murmured, “We should go there next time…”

When Bern turned 32, the idea came up again.  ”Want to go to that noodle place?  It HAS to be good,” he said.  So we hopped in the car and took a chance.

NamNam is tiny and clean inside.  There are about 6 tables indoors (give or take) and the option of sitting outdoors is there too.  We chose to sit inside, and I was happy by the window checking out the specials board, the table decor, and just the comfort of sitting at a table after a long day at work.  Hungry, we got the Buddha Roll appetizer (with tofu, spinach, carrots, bean sprouts, fresh herbs, and vermicelli) and it was nice and clean in our bellies:

I felt it might be a little TOO noodley inside, but Bern was a big fan.  

As for dinner, Bern opted for the special that day:

What you see above is a nice little concoction of Taiwanese wheat noodles with butter and garlic cooked with spicy lemingrass, grilled jumbo prawns, and green onion.  It was light AND buttery all at once with a nice warming lemongrass/ginger taste.  The cool thing about that special is that it came with a tastey little salad with ginger dressing:

I lucked out on the salad part because my love doesn’t really enjoy tomatoes…so I totally mooched fresh veggies off his plate.

I ordered the Spicy Saigon noodles with curry and beef (this meal includes spicy vermicelli stir fried with vegetables and curry paste):

I was really happy with my order and even more joyful the next day at school when I ate my massive container of leftovers.  Yes, you get really great portions at NamNam, so much that Bern and I will be splitting our meal next time.  But on the meal… The curry was subtle and the beef was really fresh - you know when you just KNOW the meat is really good?  Indeed.

Our experience at NamNam was pretty great.  I thought it was very reasonably priced (entrees average at around $8), and we ended up spending $28 with tip included (we DID drink water though).  If you’re in the mood for noodles, clean food, or if you need to specifically find a place that serves both vegetarian and carnivorous options, check it out!

Click here for Menu page 1 and page 2.

NamNam Cafe (facebook link)

318 Wallace Avenue
St. Matthews, KY 40207
502.891.8859
namnamcafe@gmail.com

Phục vụ các món ăn Việt đích thực  -  Serving Authentic Vietnamese Cuisine

Hours of Operation                     Lunch                            Dinner

Tuesday - Thursday            11:00am - 2:30pm          4:30pm - 9:00pm
Friday & Saturday             11:00am - 2:30pm          4:30pm - 9:30pm Sunday                                        Closed                   4:00pm - 9:00pm

“Using locally and organic grown produce and naturally raised local meats when available.”

Well, we did it!  Yesterday we tried Heart & Soy (the sister restaurant and located next door to Roots).  True to the rumors, Heart & Soy is the more casual of the Roots/Heart & Soy eateries, and possibly the side of the restaurant that will be seeing my husband often during his lunch breaks from WHY Louisville.

We were a little confused upon entry, but made sense of it quickly:  you order your food at the counter.  After you order your food, pick your seat and relax.  When your food is ready, they give you a tray cafeteria style.  You bus your own table and get your own water/soda, but they bring you your tea.

How’s the food.  Amazing.  Perfect.  Satisfaction for your mealing delight.  

Below, you will see Bern’s meal.  When we asked Coco what to order, she first asked, “rice or noodle?”  We said, “rice,” and she suggested the BBQ Tofu (seen below).

Bern was a huge fan of the BBQ Tofu.  I tried it and can attest that it is a total man’s vegan meal.  It’s got a nice saltiness to it, but not overpowering.  The rice provides for a nice texture, and like all things Coco, you feel clean after eating it (but while eating it, you didn’t feel like you were depriving yourself of anything meaty - for all of you meat eaters out there unsure of buying into this, YOU WILL LOVE IT).

Our friend Tom decided to go for the Cambodian Noodles (seen below).

When we asked the counter, “what makes something Cambodian?” they tried to answer as best they could, but we all deduced that the Cambodian dishes were spiced with curry and are not included with the vegan dishes on the menu.  Friend Tom detected some fish sauce too.  He made an excellent choice of dish - I tried these and felt like the sauce was nice and subtle but spicy.  Tom said he felt like he was “eating nature.”

He also had a steamed bun (see below).

I didn’t try this because it was gone pretty soon.  From that, I think you can take the hint:).

Finally, I went traditional and got the Pad Thai (see my close up bite below).

If happiness could be fed to you in a forkful, the picture above would be it.  I’ve been having a tough time finding good Pad Thai (and Thai food in general here in Louisville) and this Pad Thai is now going to be my go-to.  For some reason, every restaurant owned by Coco Tran knows EXACTLY how to cook a noodle to perfection.  Seriously.  Noodles at Zen Garden and now Roots and Heart & Soy have never let me down.

As far as pricing goes, Roots and Heart & Soy are totally on the same pricing level.  Our meals were $8 each, my tea (I got a yummy blueberry oolong) was $3, and a meal for 2 ran us around $26 (once you add tax and tip to it).

Cool facts:

***You can get take out AND they deliver (grab a paper menu there and take it to your office).

***They have a refrigerated section where you can buy tofu, vegan treats, and soy products.  According to the awesome website Consuming Louisville:

“We will produce fresh tofu and soymilk daily from Kentucky soybeans, to be used in both restaurants, and to be sold to other establishments within a 4-state radius.

The manufacturing space is separated from the public space by floor to ceiling glass walls to allow our patrons an intimate view of the manufacturing process.”

Go eat something amazing at Heart & Soy (or order up):

1216 Bardstown Rd
Louisville, KY 40204

(502) 452-6378

(menu photo taken from Urban Spoon review)

Guess what?!  I didn’t know this, but at Whole Foods here in Louisville (and I’m sure if they do it here, then other stores too) you can buy a pint of beer and drink it WHILE you shop!  This is very exciting because I love a nice craft beer and grocery shopping is really fun at Whole Foods.  

The deal:  if you decide to buy a pint, your glass is included in the price of the beer.  My price was $4.99, and I got a refreshing IPA and NOW I have a great glass (my farmer’s market basil is using the glass as its home as I type - other factoid of the day - basil doesn’t like cold places, so if you keep it in a vase of water, it lasts MUCH longer).  They put a tag with bar code on the bottom of your glass, so you buy it along with your groceries at the end of your shopping adventure.

Where to find this beer?  Go to the cheese counter (behind the olives and near the hot bar).  Ask someone behind the counter.  Every person there is what Whole Foods calls a “beer expert,” and I believe it!  The guy yesterday gave me the history of 3 beers when I asked for something refreshing and light.  

I love magical Saturday information.