Meet the Woman Preserving Louisville’s Culinary Heritage
What happens when you stop waiting for the right opportunity and start creating your own? Locust Grove’s first African American board chair shares the lessons that shaped her path. Image: Andrea Meriweather
A self-proclaimed “Louisville Original,” Andrea Meriwether is a hospitality consultant with deep roots in Kentucky’s culinary scene. She’s also the first African American board chair of Historic Locust Grove and bounced around the South before returning to her hometown — a place she likes to call Possibility City. “Louisville really is a place of possibilities. I believe that. There are extensive opportunities to grow here,” she shares. We chatted with Andrea about how food and drink can bridge cultural divides, her favorite place to sip, and what it means to go all in.
You studied communications in college. What led you to food and beverage as a career?
I was an intern with Louisville Tourism just as the Urban Bourbon Trail was being developed and launched. I got to meet all of the major stakeholders and interact with the distilleries. My first day was my 25th birthday. My first tour was with Four Roses, where I met the late, great Al Young. Then Wild Turkey, then Buffalo Trace. You can’t even pay to have a tour like that anymore. Each distillery gave me a bottle from the year I was born. I still haven’t opened any of them.
After that, I became a bartender at the Pendennis Club. I learned about all the classic cocktails, the history of fine dining, and Louisville. Eventually, I got into exhibit curation for the Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans as the Kentucky exhibit steward.
I always want to share and amplify unique stories about Kentucky and its food culture. And it’s not just fried chicken or the Hot Brown. Most people don’t know about the tea room culture in Louisville and our booming, diverse culinary scene. We have so much more depth in how we dine.
What led you to Locust Grove?
When I joined the Southern Food and Beverage Museum as Kentucky Curator, I visited the property for an exhibit. I became fascinated by its history and began to participate in workshops and lectures. I never set out to be on a board or become the board chair. I think Locust Grove and I found each other when we needed it.
I attended an event held by Joe McGill, who founded The Slave Dwelling Project, which arranges for people to spend the night in extant slave dwellings. He also connects the descendants of slave owners and enslaved people and invites them to connect and speak from the heart.
As an American and the descendant of formerly enslaved people, sleeping on the property was a very moving experience. I started to see things on the property that made me feel like the ancestors were with me. I decided, if this is what I’m being called to do, I want to throw myself all the way in. I am responding to the call to be here and serve.
What are your goals for this position?
There are a lot, but one thing I want to do is educate young professionals who are interested in board work and formulate a platform for people interested in history, land preservation, and sharing awareness of the community effort to operate these places for generations to come.
I feel very unconventional on my board, but not out of place. Past Chairs such as Jill Cooper and LaMar Gaston have been great mentors and supportive of me. But that’s the beauty. We all bring something different but valuable to the table.
There has been a lot of conversation recently about holding events on properties once used by enslaved individuals. What are your thoughts?
I approach it from the lens of intentionality and access. A lot of people don’t know that the property is 55 acres and is part of the park system. We are a public space with a complex history, and everyone is welcome. We can develop programming and events that will be attractive to many different audiences, so they are learning and having a progressive experience through their lens and language.
These events serve as an entry point to building relationships. And that’s how we bridge the gap the right way. We invite visitors out and let them see what sparks them. The team here does that very well.
What do you hope people feel when they visit Locust Grove?
Inspired. And [I hope] their curiosity has been piqued in some way. I want people to say, “Wow, I didn’t know that before,” or “I discovered this today.”
You recently blended your love of hospitality and passion for Locust Grove with Afro Beats in the Garden. What can you tell us about that?
This was the third year for AfroBeats in the Garden. It’s an event designed to introduce historic outdoor spaces to international audiences through food, wine, and music. It was a communal and cultural experience designed to build community, inspire outdoor exploration, and celebrate the Afro diaspora.
We have live music, local and regional Afro-diaspora culinary talent, and wines from around the world poured by guest sommeliers from across the U.S. It brings together audiences who wouldn’t necessarily be together for any other reason. Save the date for next year’s Season IV, June 19, 2027.
Where do you go to get inspired?
I’m a huge art enthusiast. I love to go to an art gallery and put some classical music or jazz in my earbuds and just explore. I love 21c and E&S Gallery, west of Main Street in downtown Louisville. They have a massive collection of African-American art, which I believe everyone should check out.
What is something people are surprised to learn about you?
I’m very musical! I can read music and play piano by ear. I took piano lessons at the University of Louisville School of Music as a kid, but never considered pursuing it.
Where can we find you after work?
Yapping with the girls. My friend owns the Wine Shop in New Albany. A bunch of us will get together and have a “girl dinner.” It’s therapy.
What’s your best piece of advice?
My great-grandfather always used to say, “Slow feet don’t eat.” And it’s really true! I like to be fast-acting and ready to move. I’ve actually never really applied for a job — I’ll see a job description and think “no, I don’t really want to do that part, but I DO want to do this” and then make it about my own skills. Create the opportunity you want.
LIGHTNING ROUND
First stop when you want to impress an out-of-towner? Angel’s Envy Distillery bar has the best cocktail program. When I want to show off, that’s where I go. A lot of people don’t realize you don’t even have to take the tour (though you should). You can just go right up to the bar.
What’s your go-to cocktail? I like to go with a classic with some depth, like a Manhattan or dirty martini with gin. Gin & Tonics on Sundays. I don’t know why, but that’s my Sunday drink. West End Gin, made here in Louisville, is my favorite. They have a Rose Ann and OG version that you have to try.
What’s a Louisville restaurant dish you can’t get enough of? I am a hot dog snob. Parachute Ice Cream & Hot Dog in the Highlands does it right.
Last great book you read? When I turned 40, I decided I wanted to indulge in bell hooks’ works. I just finished Salvation: Black People and Love.
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Beth Clayton
For over 20 years, Beth Clayton has either been working in a newsroom or pitching one. A natural storyteller and word nerd from the moment she could pick up a pencil, she earned her journalism degree from Butler University and spent the next decade as a writer, reporter, and editor. She now lives in Louisville, KY with her husband, three kids, and a very bad dog, and loves immersing herself in old lady hobbies such as houseplants and macrame.
