Our guest for Metro Council Week here at TGIF is Councilman Tom Owen and a few of his favorite culinary stops in District 8.
The Highlands’ eclectic bounty of independent business could feed the county with its restaurants alone. Opportunities for business start-ups and popular dining traditions are maintaining at a high volume for local and tourist traffic – on foot, bike, bus, and baby strollers.
Since Councilman Owen is one of our most passionate and active resources for Louisville history, it makes sense to go back into time for part of this particular installment of TGIF Local Lunch Post. What better person who walks, cycles and TARCs his way around the Metro – and even walking backwards if you’ve taken his historical tour down the river walk – to grace our space with dining faves and memories.
Nostalgia is a sense unto itself – seeing a billboard or menus, the aroma of seared meat on the char, the warmth of a server or proprietor who welcomes you, the sound of black coffee splashing into a cup , the savory taste of our favorite dishes. Enjoy a little time travel as we go back as far as the 60s to a Louisville dining timeline.
Here are a few notes from Councilman Owen:
“First, for an elected leader to list his favorite restaurants, is like asking the same leader to serve as a judge in the “prettiest baby” contest!
Phyllis and I eat out perhaps 2.5 times each month and it’s almost always on Baxter-Bardstown Road in the 8th District. We seldom select a more expensive restaurant though it sure is nice when that’s possible.
We wish we could eat more often at De la Torre’s, the Spanish restaurant, where a Seafood Paella (sic.) is our favorite. At the Bristol Bar & Grille, I always get the Pasta Putnesca (sic) and at the Uptown I get Fusilli With Bay Scallops. Finally, we’ll choose Ramsi’s Café On The World where I get a Cubean Burrito.”
I asked the councilman if there were a few memories that were inspired by Highlands area restaurants. His list was:
1. I wrote significant portions of my PhD dissertation at White Castle at Bardstown Road and Eastern Parkway.
2. Our family of five ate a lot at the Hungry Pelican at Windsor and Bardstown Road.
3. On my first date with Phyllis in 1961, Caladrino’s Pizza Villa just beyond Alta Avenue on the left.
Of course, what good is compiling a list of any kind, especially one that evokes so much nostalgia, without consulting our Facebook diners? Here is the post and the entire thread, although comments are still coming in. Do you recall these establishments? Where were you then and what were your favorite memories or meals?
Louisville Facebook Foodies! This is a good one. Following the Louisville “Used to Be” map, can you share with TGIF Local Lunch Post readers your memories of restaurants and groceries gone by? If it was a particular landmark, what has taken its place? I recall Por Que No, Hasenour’s, and Schneider’s Deli to start my missing in action list. And what was that Italian place in the Highlands that served great pizza and hoagies? Let me hear from you!
- Antonia Lindauer Are you thinking of Pasquale’s?
- Jamie Bloyd Stan’s Fish Sandwich that was on Lexington Rd! They had the best fish!! v
- Cinda Pruitt Another Place Sandwich Shop, used to go there every Sunday in my 20’s ·
- Robyn Davis Sekula Kunz’s in downtown was one of the longest-running restaurants in downtown.
- Janet D Wolfe Finelli’s Buechl ByPass they had great ice cream and sandwiches.
- Angela GarvinHaywood’s and Ehrler’s Dairy. When I was a kid those were the places to be in the summer time.Steven J Miller Pasquales served a great stromboli steak hogieYes I miss them
- Rhonda Roberts Blue Hawaii was in the Shelbyville rd plaza, in the 70’s it had good polynesian food and on occasion real hula dancers
- Tim Roberts Name the restaurant that had this song in their commercials: “For pizza, pizza, pizza, pizza, pizza, pizza, pizza, and spaghetti!”
- Tim RobertsNope. Good ol’ Mario’s Pizza! Pasquale’s was (sung to “O Sole Mio”), “You’ll love our pizza / Spaghetti, too. . .something something cooked fresh for you. . .” Don’t ask why I remember such stuff.Michael Young Moore’s oysters. The best.
- Tim Roberts Wow. Last time I ate at Moore’s was when I taught English and public speaking at National Education Center. And that’s been more than 20 years ago.
- Michael Young Rolled oysters are the best. Moore’s was my favorite. Mazzoni’s was also good.
- Michael Young Both are gone now. However, a guy at Hometown Burgers (?) was serving rolled oysters from the Moore’s recipe last year. Very good. I have lots of childhood memories of Moore’s oysters.
- Stacie Walker I’m not from here, so have no long-time-ago memories, but I miss Starlight Frozen Custard.
- Judy Pendergrass Berger Does anyone remember a neighborhood bar/grill that was on Payne Street years ago? I think it used to be where the Baxter Station is now. The food was what grandma would make if she loved to use a fryer. I loved their pork fritter sandwiches, meatloaf and white fish sandwiches
- Jenni Oglesby Hickory House, The Old House, Casa Grisanti’s, SAC’s Food Avenue (Sam/Anita/Chuck Schneider, their father had Schneider’s Deli), Pott’s, Le Artiste (I think that was the name — French bistro, early 80’s on 2nd or 3rd just north of Broadway), La Normandy, Vivarazzi’s.Forgot Por Qu No, and Ehrman’s (sp ?) Bakery in Mid City Mall — best ice cream ever.
Thanks for reading and kudos to you for feeding the local economy! Keep in touch on The Pulse of the City or visit us at TGIF Local Lunch Post on Facebook!
