Buy Local First

Today's Buy Local First festival was a great way to meet the locals and feel like I should quit my day job and be a crafty artist.  It was like real-life Etsy with creativity bursting out of every tent.  If you missed the event and want to see the local artisans at work, just check out the list of vendors.

I like my coffee how I like my friends...

LOCAL!

Here's the best places to get a good brew in town:
-Vint: my personal favorite due to their exotic selection of fair trade coffee from around the world and fantastic outdoor seating.  They also give Lulu a treat every time we come!
-Nancy's Bagels: a great quick breakfast option.  Lu and I walk by every day and wave at the bakers in the window.
-Heine Bros: a Louisville staple.  They're a great local company dedicated to sustainability and outreach.  Try Ronda's blend named for one of the sweet daughters of a Kosair nurse-- it's a little spicy, just like her.
-Highland Coffee Company: a great cafe to sit and work in, whether you're trying to be productive or just want to people watch in the Highlands, you'll definitely find something to do.
-Cafe Classico: perfect for the after dinner cafe.  The Roma is a favorite and it comes with a little cookie.
-Quill's Coffee: the best take home beans
-Day's: good luck getting an outdoor seat, but it's worth the wait if you can score one.  Day's is the perfect launching point for a day on Bardstown Rd.
-Blue Dog Bakery & Cafe: The heart of Crescent Hill and the best fresh baked goods in town.  Don't even think of JUST ordering a coffee... you'll want a scone to go with it!

You know you're from Louisville if

-You chuckle at people that pronounce "Louisville" the way it's spelled.
-A fleur de lis decorates any part of your car, home, or body.
-Your beverage of choice was produced less than an hour from your house.
-Your living room floor is littered with out-of-townies for the Derby who are unaware that they will not actually see any horse races that day.
-You know the shortcuts downtown to avoid Bridge traffic.
-You avoid Indiana altogether.
-Seeing men that look strangely like 'The Dude' is commonplace.
-You have made an insurance claim in the past year due to softball sized hail or fallen trees.
-You laugh at the puny Fourth of July fireworks in comparison to Thunder Over Louisville.
-The excuse of "I got caught by the train!" has ever worked to get you out of a work tardy.
-You stay at home when the University of Louisville plays the University of Kentucky.
-91.9 WFPK stays on your radio at all times and you use the station to make your weekend plans!
-Asking "Where did you go to school?" refers to high school.
-Restaurant week means you've cleared your evening schedule for the next 9 days.
-Deciding to meet friends at the park means a ten minute discussion of which in town park to go to.

But most importantly, you know you're from Louisville if any of these things (or ones not mentioned) give you warm, fuzzy feelings inside.

Yelp!

I attended the "soft" opening/whiskey & beer back tasting party at Haymarket Whiskey on Market tonight sponsored by my friend Rachel and Yelp of Louisville.  We sampled 3 local whiskey/bourbons (for those who don't know, whiskey/bourbon is like rectangles/squares... all bourbon (squares) is whiskey (rectangles), but not all whiskey is bourbon.) paired with local beers.

As with any grand opening there was tons of swag to give away.  I lucked out with a t-shirt that says "The kind of turkey you want at Thanksgiving: Wild Turkey".

We finished the night with a local's game of name-that-place.  Each with a post-it on our heads of a local destination, we could ask one question and guess the location.  Here's how my questions went:
1. Am I a place you can eat/drink?  Er...yes, no, well kind of, yes.
2. Am I an athletic venue? No.
3. Can you stay with me? Yes!
AM I 21c HOTEL/MUSEUM?!?!  YES!!!
... And then I won $50 to Avalon!  Whoop!

Haymarket Whiskey will be a great place downtown to see small bands and convene in the early evening for a drink and to catch up with friends.  With lots of potential and an owner with big sights for the future, Haymarket needs only to expand its clientele.

Address	331 E. Market St., Louisville, KY 40202 · Get Directions
Phone	1 502.442.0523
Website	Add Website
Status	Open until 2:00 am.
Hours	Mon - Sun: 4:20 pm - 2:00 am

Everybody's Hugging

I heard about this project from another local blogger where they take local musicians and have them perform their music in unconventional places.  Just roll the camera-- no re-do's.  In the car wash, on a farm, at karaoke night.  This one with Jonathan Glen Wood is my favorite because he's riding in the Party Truck through the Highlands.

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!

I got busy at The Bee

This post is for my wonderful friend, Taylor, who reads my blog every day. He is one of the masterminds behind the ever-successful and budding Busy Bee Cafe in Raleigh.

I'm always proud of myself when I broaden my horizons and extend my social network beyond the bubble of Chapel Hill. So I was exceptionally excited when a Saturday night landed me at the Busy Bee with a group of locals and a couple of guests, sampling the most recent Belgian ale on tap. Taylor was a proud papa showing off the new renovations and extended bar space that's sure to up their quota of hip, young socialites looking to score a beverage at the hottest bar in downtown Raleigh.

The Busy Bee is a part of local history and a destination for happy hour until last call. Not to mention their delicious food, the Bee has a plethora of delicious beverages. It's even a great place to meet up with friends or strangers... (I found a Craigslist "missed connection" for one of the BB bartenders. A distraught customer was hoping to make a love connection. I was hoping to be entertained so I passed it along. Long story short, she didn't call him.)

The night obviously led to dancing so we made our way upstairs to The Hive, the BB's crazy younger sister. After my pouched-out lips and swinging hair had entertained enough of the socialites, I bid adieu to my friends and promised that the Bee would make it to local townie.

Their 2 year anniversary is April 6... now that's cause for celebration! Love.