Best Breakfast in Louisville

Inspired by Esquire's article on the Best Breakfasts in America and my recent dilemma of being starving (and lazy) on Saturday at brunch, I bring you the Best Breakfasts in Louisville... Because sometimes the breakfast of champions is better served with a side of champagne.

 

Lynn's Paradise Cafe in the Highlands is my absolute favorite.  Their quirky decor starts conversation but their food shuts you up!  Lynn's serves breakfast all day long-- a must have in your repertoire of eateries.

What to eat: Kenny's Kentucky Scramble, Lynn's Bourbon French Toast

Toast on Market has moved...down the street on Market.  Don't let the name fool you-- it's not as plain as it sounds.  You'll love the delicious take on the classics and their very hospitable service.  Go for the food, stay for the free wifi.

What to eat: anything but toast

Wild Eggs was the first place I ever ate in Louisville.  I stopped here to have breakfast with a friend before my job interview and filled up on a hearty breakfast of eggs and hash browns.  Voted the "best omelet in Louisville" by Louisville magazine in 2011, it's the best "foggy morning" place to eat because the classic grub is cheap and plentiful.  With multiple locations in St Matthews, Westport, and Landis Lakes, you're bound to roll out of bed close to one.

What to eat: eggs of course, but don't forget The King Would Eat These PB&chocolate pancakes, and cream cheese stuffed french toast topped with summer berries, 

Hillbilly Tea has less to offer coffee drinkers, but for the bean-challenged, it's a great little spot downtown.  The menu is certainly off the beaten path but the Southern decor will make you feel right at home.  The only thing it's missing is your mama.

What to eat: hillbilly nola

Wagner's Pharmacy on 4th Street is synonymous with Derby since this 90 year old coffee shop used to be a pit stop for horsemen until they spread the trough wide enough to fit in the out-of-townies looking to capture Derby lifestyle at its finest.
What to eat: ham and eggs, a side of tomatoes, and a glass of malted milk.

Trader Joe's at home in Louisville

I've been eating the remnants of my fridge for a week in eager anticipation of the GRAND opening of Trader Joe's in St Matthews.  *Sigh, and it was everything I remembered and more.

Top 10 things to buy at Trader Joe's:
10. Mango apricot Greek yogurt
9. Edamame
8. Tomato soup
7. Frozen sweet potato fries
6. Chocolate center shortbread cookies
5. Salad dressing- I'm a fan of their Asian sesame
4. Whole bean coffee
3. produce- any and all because it's so fresh and most of it is organic
2. Almond champagne
1. Two buck Chuck (I giggled to myself at a sweet person who walked right past the SUPER GIANT display of Charles Shaw and asked the employee where the "$2 Chuck" was)

Grand Opening

Within one block of my house in Clifton there are many grand openings:

Comfy Cow Ice Creamery

Pie Kitchen Cafe

Quest Outdoors (re-opening)

Just down the street:

Trader Joe's (long awaited and coveted!)

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

New2Lou

I ran into the founders of New2Lou at Vint last night. They made the formation of a bar night that has hundreds of followers sound so simple to contrive. And when they heard about my blog and the idea behind being a "local townie" they were so excited because they've been looking for more newcomer bloggers.

It's important to have a list of "must haves" for transplants that are starting fresh without knowing anyone in town. I'm definitely one of those people and while I'm still exploring the city, I've come up with a few superlatives that are essential for any new Louisvillian.

Best areas to live (based on wanting to live where you're social, minimizing car transportation, and having a young, hip vibe with unique homes/apartments/businesses):

-Frankfort Ave (Crescent Hill/Clifton)

-The Highlands

-St Matthews

-Downtown

-Old Louisville

-Germantown

Best radio stations:

-91.9 My favorite with lots of up-and-coming artists and old favorites. Wagon Wheel was playing when I first turned to it so I knew it had to be a good station. You'll hear lots of VH1 You Oughta Know artists, jazz night, and bluegrass day.

-102.3 The 90's and today. Hearing an old GooGoo Doll's song or Blues Traveler come on after Beyonce or Lady Gaga is so refreshing and fun. I'm always a fan of the Top 40 from previous decades because pop culture is timeless and the nostalgia pulls you back to a time when you were more naive, life was less complicated, and your fashion sense was disastrous.

-98.9 Top 40 will never steer you wrong... errr... not too wrong at least.

-107.7 Classic Rock, because without Journey, I might have stopped believing. Rock fist.

Best Outdoor Seating:

-Vint (Frankfort Ave)

-Grape Leaf (Frankfort Ave)

-Meridian Cafe (St Matthews)

-Molly Malone's (The Highlands)

-Ramsi's Cafe on the World (The Highlands)

Best Southern Food:

-Frankfort Ave Beer Depot (I mean, they have corn hole in the back yard and you can get PBR by the pitcher. No contest.)

-Mark's Feed Store

-Homemade Ice-Cream & Pie Kitchen

Best Parks/Outdoor fun:

-Cherokee Park

-Seneca Park

-Waterfront Park

-Louisville Zoo

-The Red River Gorge

-Mammoth Caves

That's just a sip of the flavor of Lou; there's so much more! I hope that all of the New2Lou townies find this blog and that it helps guide them in their first experiences in town. I have only been here for two months so I'm still uncovering tons of awesome things every day.

Stay tuned-- there's lots more from this new local townie!

Garden & Gun

My wonderful Jordan sent me a fantastic housewarming present when I got to Louisville I unwrapped a rather large package full of "essentials" for my life in Kentucky. Included in the box was:

-a handle of bourbon (duh)

-two mason jars (for us to drink the bourbon from...duh)

-a miniature horse statue (now sitting atop my stove)

-play money (to start my gambling addiction with)

-a toy gun (shoot first, ask questions later)

-a twinkie cookbook (because that's the way to a man's heart)

-Garden & Gun magazine (only the classiest publication next to the Daily Tar Heel)

-the sweetest card from a dear friend

We used to make fun of Jordan for reading Garden & Gun magazine, but it's a great gift for someone who is new to a state. It's my training for going from a Carolina girl to a Kentucky girl. This edition was all about BBQ. Here are a few clippings that I snipped from the pages... I may not be able to enjoy all the places in NC anymore, but you should!

Old Hickory Pit Bar-B-Q's chopped mutton sandwich (Owensboro, KY): anoited with vinegar, Worcesteshire sauce, and allspice, a dip that doesn't downplay the meat's pungent gaminess. Mmmm

12 Bones Smokehouse's hogzilla (Asheville, NC): Obama has eaten here! Pliant sausage, thick strips of sugar-cured bacon, shredded pork on a toasted sub roll. Yes sir, Mr. President.

Windy Corner Market (Lexington, KY): Rustic reclaimed siding, floorboards that once fenced a horse farm, and a screened porch overlooking rolling pastures all make a welcoming, unhurried feel.

The Bywater (Asheville, NC): I really want to go here! Feels like an old friend's backyard with a spacious lawn tricked out with patio lights, venues for horseshoes, bocce, croquet, and frisbee golf, and a couple of grills for BYOB (bring your own BBQ). 18 beers on tap from the local microbrews. Caution: Jambands have been known to spontaneously erupt on the premises.

Asante-giving in Africa

My Thanksgiving was unconventional, to say the least. I went with a group of American ex-pats to a Tanzanian barbeque restaurant where we had to forfeit our stuffing and cranberry sauce for ndizi (banana) and kuku (chicken). It was delicious but I am still miss some of my diet from back home. We went around the table and told everyone what we would be doing if we were back at home in the States right now. My story was about my Dad rocking out the kitchen as the chef-du-jour, watching re-runs of Saturday Night Live with my brother and Dad, putting some Tar Heel pie to the face (can't wait to have a piece at Christmas!), finally waddling to the couch post-dinner, and seeing whether my mom and I have enough bravery to tackle the black Friday crowds.

Our "Asante"giving ended up with a trip to a playground lit up by the African stars and moon. Swings, a merry-go round, see saw, jungle gym, and slide made that kuku sit a little funny in my stomach, but it was so worth it to have a few minutes of childlike play.

The Americans are also missing our usual diet... greasy Mexican food. So I think we're going to have another holiday this weekend and call it "Gracias"giving as an excuse to put cheese on everything and smother it in local avacado. Mmmmm

Eating with the locals

In an attempt to forget the really sick kids I've seen this week, I have been having fun at night with friends, Moshi townies, and total strangers who become family while bonding over our love of food.

My first Tanzanian cooking experience was with Mama Rose and Baba Norbert. They invited Dana and me over to cook and we made a dish from scratch. Mama Rose even made us wear kangas as we cooked outside over charcoal. The dish was called pilau... mmmm
Over a charcoal grill:
- Heat oil, add red onions and garlic
- add soup and heat up
- add g'nombe (cow) and let simmer
- add veggies (carrots, peppers, potatoes)
- add more soup
- add soaked rice
- let simmer until all the water is cooked out
Pile it high on your plate and cover with a cucumber/tomato vinaigrette. Clean your plate (because it's rude not to) and allow Mama Rose to pile it up again because "This is Africa, not America. You eat in Africa!" Finish your Fanta, avacado/mango juice, and Sprite. Try to waddle home.

I have eaten at some great restaurants (there is a large Indian population in Tanzania so Indian food/curry is quite common):
-El Rancho (I know, I thought Mexican and was a little disappointed when I couldn't get a cheesy enchilada, but it was delicious anyway)
-Kindoroko Hotel
-Coffee Shop (inventive name I know, but it was the first place I ate when I got to TZ)
-Indo Italiano (Indian meets Italian food)
-The Watering Hole (a mzungu hangout, but it's a cool atmosphere)
-Kilimanjaro Coffee Lounge (not to be confused with Coffee Shop, it's another mzungu hangout but you can get yummy food, pretty good cake, and wireless internet)
-Samosas are a delicious little pastry where veggies meet flaky breading and you can get them anywhere
-Taj Mahal (I told you Indian food was popular!)

Tonight Dana and I are cooking with another Tanzanian friend. I am on my way to pick up the chicken. We shop with the same girl every week in the market, Aisha, and she has started giving us better prices since we have become her rafiki (friends). It is sure to be amazing.

I have invented a dessert called Tanzanian Shimo (Hole) Cake. I am having it for my birthday along with a breakfast for dinner party: Eggs, ketchup, pancakes, ndizi (bananas), nutella, fanta.

I will tell you all about my big weekend next week after I have sufficiently indulged and partied like it's Africa. My dress is pressed and ready for a night on the town! I am a little bit sad that I will not be celebrating with a lot of people that I love, but I have had at least 5 birthday celebrations already this year and I am planning on a few more when I get back. By that time I'll be about 175 years old. It sounds like everyone will still be celebrating since there are lots of travel plans and fun days on the schedule for tomorrow.

Love!

Sweet Home 'BAMA

I needed a vacation from my vacation at Tekoa. Little did I know that in Alabama it's pretty hard to do anything other than eat and roll yourself from the car to the couch because it's so ridiculously hot.

A week with the Johanson family showed me so much about Southern food that I did not know:
-meat and three is a way of life: Pick a meat and three vegetables from the line of overcooked, over salted, over delicious food.
-The Whistlestop Cafe exists! Iggie was not there, but the fried green tomatoes were about the best I've ever had!
-Another Broken Egg Cafe: Yes, it is possible to make french toast from cinnamon buns. And then cover it with cream cheese icing. And then cover it with banana's foster sauce. And then cover it with whipped cream. And then cover it with summer berries. And take all the calories out.-Impromptu brewery tours in Chattanooga are a great excuse to escape the heat: Terminal Brew House in downtown versus Big River Brewing... I have to admit, I liked Big River Better for the brews but Terminal had the atmosphere down pat.


The Hot Strings Bluegrass Festival welcomed me to town (along with the rain). I can certainly say that I have never listened to live bluegrass while sitting in a folding chair, but the bands were great and very talented. Even Richard was tapping his foot! Definitely worth putting on the calendar!

My favorite song was "Somebody in Alabama loves you"

When the heat was too much, we headed for the mountains and stopped at DeSoto State Park. There's a super nice place to stay run by the state with access to hiking trails at the back of the lodge.

DeSoto Falls:

Feet up in Little River Canyon. A beautiful canyon that is known for having a river than runs mostly on top of a mountain.
After a long trek, we finally made it to Mouth Park where the swimming hole was huge with perfectly clear water. You could see the fish nibbling at your toes here.
Back to the grind...
I am starting my last semester in school and finishing up with a residency in Raleigh before I head out to Tanzania in October. More coming soon!

D.C. Bucket List

For Richard's final days in D.C. he had a little bit of unfinished business:

1. Jazz in the Garden- we brought along Richard's friends to meet up with Chapel Hill buds Cat & Kevin in the National Gallery's garden. It's FOFP on mega steroids in the city.
1b. Late night dinner at Capitol City Brewing- after Richard's Ice, but before mine... And a nice walk through the city to help work off the pounds of grub we put to the face.

2. Throwback to 5th grade birthday- IBM's summer picnic was complete with horseshoes, paintball, cotton candy, snow cones, brews, moon bounce, and sack races... and obviously another impressive showing of my partially committed vegetarianism with even more BBQ.
3. Monuments at night: Lincoln, Vietnam, WWII, Korea, Washington

4. Movie day- for those who have ever tried to get me to sit still for an extended period of time, you'll know how difficult it is. My tendencies for wiggling, wallowing, and general short attention span mean that I generally don't watch movies. But a pint of B&J's Half Baked can hold me for a little while... however, Valentine's Day is the worst. movie. ever.
5. Authentic Italian at Tutto Bene
6. Kayak the Potomac

Done, done, done, done, done, and done.

"Goodnight Mrs. Calabash-- wherever you are!"

4th of July weekend was perfect timing to skip town and add a little color to my translucent grad student complexion. Our place in Calabash was perfect location, just a 2 minute ride across the historic bridge to Sunset Beach, NC.

Perfect 85 degree weather with sunny skies meant ideal boogie boarding, kite flying, and lazy-book-reading-on-the-sand weather.
Current read: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Believe it or not, Richard had never flown a kite... so I let him fly his first kite with Buzz Lightyear.

With some help from townie recommendations, we gorged on some delicious local seafood: Crabby Oddwaters, Dockside, and the Calabash Seafood Hut (the local favorite).

Jordan is one of my closest and dearest friends from college (an original member of the Fan Club) and just moved down to the beach this summer. He's a legit local now and joined us for some grub and an afternoon on the beach.
A weekend in review:
Hours driven round trip: 7
Pounds of shrimp eaten all by myself: 4
1/2 gallons of ice cream eaten (with help): 2
Number of sunscreen bottles taken: 5
Number of sunburns gotten regardless of sunscreen application: 2
People that watched Richard and I shag to beach music: 2, 315
Thousands of dollars Calabash, NC spent on their amazing fireworks display: $20,000
Now that the burn has faded to "tan" it's time to get back to school and make one last push for the summer semester and move toward my final days of books.