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| At 21C letters rain down on you while waiting for the elevator |
A wedding of some dear friends took Jeff and I to Louisville in July. I have family in the area, but truthfully haven't had a chance to explore the food scene in the 'Ville yet because I'm always busy with family events. We booked at the Hotel 21C, and I knew we would have a great weekend.
21C Museum Hotel is truly my favorite place to stay. Not only is it affordable, but it is mind-blowing. The lobby and lower levels of the hotel are actually a free modern art museum with revolving exhibits and lots of interactive installations (think Floor 4 of the IMA). Its restaurant/bar, Proof on Main, is also a see-and-be-seen spot for the Louisville "it" crowd. The whole situation may just be the epicenter of hipster-nouveau-art chic. Beware:
it's edgy! In my opinion, in the best possible way, but some may be offended by some of the art (for instance, the first time I went to Proof on Main, there was a huge photographic installation of a collection of breasts that was so tasteful it took awhile to realize what exactly you were viewing, so you get my drift).
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| Modern art gallery in the lobby of 21C |
Let's get to the food. I'm going to focus on NuLu, an up and coming section of Louisville that reminds me of SoBro 5-10 years ago. We got some local recommendations and they said it would be well worth the 5 min drive from downtown (where 21C is) to the new foodie hotspot.
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| Carne Asada tacos at Tac |
Taco Punk (NuLu): You will rarely see me blog about tacos. I have nothing against them, I just never got on the band wagon because it is easy to make creative tacos at home. That said, Taco Punk just rules. It is affordable, uses local, organic and sustainable ingredients whenever possible, and is just plain delicious. Condiment freaks rejoice: they offer many different toppings and homemade salsas to take their already-delicious menu items to the next level. Pickled red onions, sliced jalapeno and spicy salsa roja were a great combo on my carne asada. They also have a nice craft beer and wine selection (they had a French Dry Rose for $7 that paired beautifully with my tacos).
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| Astro turf benches outside at Garage Bar |
Garage Bar (NuLu): Gas station-autobody shop turned offbeat eatery, Garage Bar is completely out of the ordinary in a wonderful way. The same ownership as 21C, the atmosphere spares no detail or expense. Jonathan Schipper's Slow Inevitable Death of American Muscle serves as the art installation in front of the restaurant for all to see (two full-sized muscle cars crashing, engines and all). Executive Chef Michael Paley (of Proof on Main fame) has a love affair with pizza, beer, and cars, and that is the best way to summarize Garage Bar. Already stuffed from Taco Punk, we drank cocktails and wine (all delicious and well-priced).
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| Louisville Beer Store |
Louisville Beer Store (NuLu): Wow! If only Indy could have such a place... beer tasting room, daily tap specials, and retail store all in one. If you have an hour to kill, this would be my recommendation if you like to check out the local beer scene.
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| Proof on Main bar |
Proof on Main (downtown): We had drinks and breakfast at Proof, so I don't have a whole lot to report. It is undoubtedly a great place to sit around and have a beverage. The wine list has a lot of interesting selections, and there are several creative Kentucky-inspired cocktails, bourbon flights, and more. They also offer wine by the quartino (250mL, a third of a regular bottle), which I've never gotten into but seems to be gaining in popularity (read more about that here). Breakfast was good but not amazing. Service was very slow considering they were hardly busy at all for a Sunday morning at 10am, especially given the rush of hotel check-outs. The highlights were the skillet potatoes with tangy pickled red onion and the Benedict. Portions were very small, but the ingredients were fresh and not overwrought. After I try it for dinner I'll update this post.
Overall, Louisville is a great destination for food explorers. NuLu especially was an exciting place to wander. With so much progress so quickly, I am excited to see how Louisville continues to develop. Bravo, Louisville, I will be back shortly. Cheers to road trips!
