TGIF Local Lunch Post – Stirring Up the Melting Pot in District 21

Enjoy the good company and great food of brother and sister act Corky Girodo and Teresa Gailor. The Manslick Road at Gagel Avenue. This beans and beyond shop whips up a delicious lunch!

From Preston to New Cut, Poplar Level to Palatka– or Iroquois Park to Louisville International Airport-  District 21 attracts visitors with both business and beauty. Thickly-wooded properties give way to bustling commerce. Generational neighborhoods  are cradled among the avenues and parkways.

Affordable, diverse and historic. Settlers from several continents  find a positive community spirit in this part of Louisville and as a new cultural horizon, District 21 appeals to first time homeowners, young professionals, immigrants raising families and starting businesses.

This treasured turf is the district of Councilman Dan Johnson.  “Ours is a diverse population,” he said, ” The wide variety of good food in my district provides a common denominator that bridges the differences between people of differing backgrounds.”

His recommendations for lunch are highlighted in today’s mission to Keep Louisville Weird…and Well-Fed.

There is a great sense of pride and knowledge of this part of Metro Louisville with Ray Manley who serves as Legislative Assistant to Councilman Johnson. Manley has quite a commute into Metro Hall every weekday. He drives into the Middletown area from his home in Taylorsville, then catches the TARC express to downtown, saving him hundreds of dollars a year, easing up on the carbon prints and creating a nice ride into work.

This is a dedication that makes sense in Johnson’s office as the councilman is pro-active in improving  public transportation throughout the Metro.

Maintaining communication in a district is largely teamwork, and the value of a council representative  is directly connected to the energy of their assistants.

After taking the councilman’s dining  suggestions, Ray weaves a facts and background around these lunchtime favorites:

District 21 is located in Louisville’s South End includes the Beechmont
Neighborhood, the Iroquois Neighborhood and several smaller
neighborhoods along Preston Highway.  The Fair and exposition Center
and the Airport are anchors of the district, but the district is also
home to beautiful Southern Parkway and Kenwood Hill.  District 21 is
the most ethnically diverse of all of the Louisville Council
Districts.

With diversity of population comes diverse dining options.  Two of
Councilman Dan Johnson’s favorite places to dine in District 21
represent that diversity.  Annie’s Cafe on Woodlawn offers up delicious
and affordable Vietnamese cuisine.  Asked about his favorite selection
the Councilman replied he had not had anything there that he did not
like.  Annie’s is located in the historic Beechmont Business
District.just off tree-lined Southern Parkway

At the other end of the spectrum, Councilman Dan also favors an
establishment that is decidedly American, Jimbo’s Barbecue on Kenwood
Drive.  Some of the best ribs in Louisville come from Jimbo’s smoker
says the Councilman.  Affordable and offering take out too,  Jimbo’s is
just across the street from Iroquois Park.

Two fine coffee shops have recently taken up residence in District 21
and your morning will be better with a stop at Sunergos Coffee Shop
and Micro-Roastery
for a killer Latte’, or a stop in to Sister Beans
for coffee and a muffin.

Not really a restaurant, but definitely worthy of mention, the
ValuMart Grocery on South 3rd St makes Cuban Sandwiches so delicious
they would make Fidel seek a green card to come here.

And finally, if your dining choice is birthday cake, the Happy
Birthday song
you have to sing before blowing out your candles was
first sung in a tiny cabin on Kenwood Hill in 1898, in District 21 of
course!

Our coffee-sippin’, lunch-gobbling Facebook friends have some suggestions of their own. What coffee house serves up lunch and pastries?

Michael Seewer – Quills!

Kristen Lile –Nancy’s Bagels!! I love their sandwiches!

Vanessa Rullán De Anderson – My favorite coffee house is Sunergos but they don’t serve lunch or dessert… then again Nord’s bakery is right next door Maybe their bacon donut can count as lunch and dessert all in one? After all bacon is protein.

Clint Ackerman – City Farm Girl Coffee.

Rick Roderick – City Girl’s in Shelbyville Road Plaza has great coffee and wonderful desserts

Jeff Noble – Sunergos on Preston with Nord’s Bakery next door. At least in the mornings.

Victoria Snelling – I’d have to go with Heine Bros.

Robin Raye – Please & Thank You

Enjoy your Easter weekend folks! Enjoy having a meal off the beaten path from time to time. We’ve got a lot of  ground to cover!

Thanks for feeding the local economy!