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| PHOTO BY DAN DRY |
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[ goings ]
Even by the usual standard of action on the Louisville restaurant scene - a bubbly mix as yeasty as rising pizza dough - the past few months have seen an unusual pace of change, with some two dozen new restaurants opening their doors. Fourth Street Live led the charge, but the new-restaurant action reached every end of town and just about every kind of eatery from ethnic takeout to white tablecloth. Meanwhile, fewer than 10 metro-area restaurants went out of business during the period. Here's a quick look at the highlights:
[ OPENINGS ]
Fourth Street Live welcomed its first four venues, all national chains featuring an upscale mix of food, beverages and entertainment: Hard Rock Café and Red Star Tavern feature sit-down dining as a significant part of their offerings; at Parrott Beach and Red Cheetah Lounge, it's about the drinks and the music. Making it five in Fourth Street Live, T.G.I. Friday's opened an additional area location.
Elsewhere around the city Les Naiman, Louisville's one-time deli king, has returned to the business after a 20-year break with Naiman's Deli, 237 Whittington Parkway.
In the far East End, Paul Crump, late of Porcini, has reopened the historic Old Stone Inn at 6905 Shelbyville Road in Simpsonville. In and around Crescent Hill, Chef Clay Wallace's Café Lou Lou, 1800 Frankfort Ave., is a welcome additlon to Clifton, with light fare in a casually arty setting. Cyclers Café, 2295 Lexington Road, offers well-made sandwiches and salads in a bicycle shop. Coming soon to the former home of Salsa South Beach is Volare, 2300 Frankfort Ave., Louisville's first outpost of a popular Chicago restaurant.
Mexican restaurant entrepreneur Saul Garcia, associated with the Los Aztecas restaurants, has gone a step upscale with his new Olmecas Gourmet Mexican Grill, 1582 Bardstown Road, featuring Mexican Gulf Coast cuisine in the old Highlands dwelling that once housed Parisian Pantry and was recently home to Haveli Indian.
The downscale, but high quality, Rosticeria Luna recently opened at 5213B Preston Highway, featuring first-rate roast chicken and other goodies in a tiny Okolona storefront. Bring your Spanish phrasebook.
There's more ... BB's Chicken & Ribs, 318 Wallace Ave., vends serious urban barbecue in the middle of St. Matthews. Blue Mule Sports Café, 10301 Taylorsville Road, adds another Jeffersontown option to the city's list of sports bars. Also in J'town, Edna's Good Stuff 981O Taylorsville Road, is the region's first Filipino restaurant. Coming soon in St, Matthews, Havana Rumba, 4115 Oechsli Ave. (formerly Fat Bread Bosnian), will feature Cuban fare. And La Petit Patisserie, 1036 E. Burnett Ave. in Germantown, has turned the old Charles Heitzmann bakery into a French pastry shop.
Quickly told, other openings include Atomic Saucer, 1000 E. Oak Street; Big Subs, 9811B Old Third Street Road; Double Dragon 8, 231 S. Fifth St.; Jimbo's BBQ, 801 Kenwood Drive; King's Buffet, 5538 New Cut Road; Olive's on Fourth, 570 S. Fourth St.; two locations of Papa Murphy's Pizza, 291 N. Hubbards Lane and 5016 Mud Lane; and Po-Boy Shoppe, 2286 Bardstown Road.
[ MOVES & CHANGES ]
The old Abruzzi drops the Italian accent and goes homestyle American under the same management. It's now Anchor Inn, 1500 Evergreen Road. Annapurna's Veggie Place in Plainview retains many of its Indian vegetarian dishes under new management but goes omnivore with meat dishes as well. It's now Taj India, 9904 Linn Station Road. And Sapporo's Middletown sushi bar at 12905 Shelbyville Road has been sold; it's now another branch of Springhurst's Fuji Japanese Steakhouse.
Moving to new locations, Big Hopp's shifts downtown from the West End, bringing its soul food fare to the Glassworks neighborhood at 800 W. Market St. Greek Paradise Café 2113 Frankfort Ave., comes to Clifton from Butchertown. On the Sunny Side, Babby's Steakhouse moves up the river from Jeffersonville to 108 S. Fourth St. in suburban Utica.
A few more local spots shut the doors at these old locations but remain in business elsewhere: Babylon Arabian on Strawberry Lane; Breadworks, 102 Cannons Lane; Ermin's French Bakery & Café, 9213 U.S. 42: Luigi's, 568 S. Fourth Street; Ponderosa Steakhouse, 5117 Preston Highway; and Sweet Surrender, 211 E. Main St., New Albany.
Meanwhile, about a dozen restaurants have new locations in addition to their original spots: A Nice Restaurant, 2784 Meijer Drive in Jeffersonville: Beef O'Brady's, 106 Sears Ave.; El Nopal, 10500 Watterson Trail (former Vivarazzi and Jugg's); Firehouse BBQ, 3065 Breckinridge Lane; Highland Coffee, 627 S. Fourth St.; Irish Rover, 117 E. Main St., LaGrange; McAlister's, 6508 Bardstown Road; Moe's Southwest Grill, 1001 Breckinridge Lane: Soupy's, 4632 S. Hurstbourne Parkway; and Wick's Pizza, 10966 Dixie Highway.
[ CLOSINGS ]
Finally, a moment of silence for restaurants that closed recently. We mourn the closings of Steam, Fire & Ice, 2427 Bardstown Road; Amshoff's Fish Inn, 8012 Bardstown Road; Andrew's Restaurant, 2286 Bardstown Road; Galaxy Bistro, 725 W. Main St.; Gilley's Grill, 3977 S. Seventh St.; Obee's, 641 S. Fourth St.; Old Walnut Chili Parlor, 333 W Oak St.; and Pigasus Chop Shop, 2013 Longest Ave. Fox Hollow Manor House Inn, 8909 Highway 329 in Crestwood, now operates as a private dining room.
Do you have information on something we missed?
Send it to: editor@foodanddiningmagazine.com
