Whether you’re in search of a new breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert destination, Louisville has you covered. These five eateries recently opened, adding even more dining options to this nationally recognized foodie city.
5 New Louisville Restaurants to Try (Updated July 2021)
Fry Daddy’s
5905 Terry Rd., Louisville, KY 40216 • (502) 384-4012
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.
Just four months after opening their first location in Clifton Heights, Troy King and Selena Johnson opened their second Fry Daddy’s space in June, bringing their French fry-focused eatery to South Louisville. The restaurant concept was born during a trip the couple took to California, and though Troy says he didn’t know if Louisville would be ready for such a place, it has been well received in the Bluegrass State. They serve up clear-coated tin roof fries — which can hold their crunch for 40 minutes — with chicken, bacon, steak, shrimp, pork, lobster, vegan chicken, and more. There are also 13 different sauces available to add extra flavor to any fry combination. The lemon garlic sauce is a popular pick, though Troy says that between the protein options and variety of sauces, the combinations are virtually endless.
South Louisvillians can now customize their own loaded French fries at the new Fry Daddy’s location on Terry Road. Image: Facebook
Gelato Gilberto
2240 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY 40206 • (502) 423-7751
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 11 p.m.; closed Monday
Fifteen years after opening their first location, Kristin and Justin Gilbert have expanded, bringing their artisanal Italian gelato to Frankfort Avenue. “We had a lot of time to think during the pandemic,” Kristin explains. “We live in the Clifton neighborhood, so we walked the area constantly because we had nothing else to do … and we thought about how nice it [would be to] have a store here.”
The new Gelato Gilberto is significantly larger than their Norton Commons location — it seats 28 and includes a room that will be used for Italian language and pasta-making classes and can also be reserved for parties. Kristin says the Frankfort Avenue menu will start with gelato only, but crêpes and other items will eventually be offered as well. “One thing we’re hoping to do,” she adds, “is turn a big part of the front part of the parking lot into a gelato garden … we are hoping to have really extensive outdoor seating that’ll be really fun and creative.”
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Gelato Gilberto now serves its artisanal Italian gelato to Louisville’s Clifton neighborhood. Image: Gelato Gilberto
Look at all those gelato flavors! Image: Gelato Gilberto
Milano Italian Restaurant
11300 Westport Rd., Louisville, KY 40241 • (502) 742-2926
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
After serving Kentucky for nearly 20 years with locations in Shelbyville and Mount Washington, Milano Italian Restaurant opened its first Louisville space in June. Like its first two restaurants, the Westport Road location boasts a variety of handmade pastas made from scratch — from penne and fettuccine to ravioli and tortellini and more. The family-owned restaurant’s recipes come from owner Jonathan Balderas’ grandmother, Alicia.
In addition to pastas, pizzas, calzones, subs, and seafood dishes on the regular menu, Milano also offers lunch specials on weekdays, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., as well as weekday happy hour specials from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. And don’t forget dessert — homemade options include cannoli cake, spumoni, tiramisu, mascarpone cheesecake, tuxedo cheesecake, limoncello mascarpone, and chocolate indulgence.
Get your pasta fix at Milano Italian Restaurant‘s new Louisville location. Image: Milano Italian Restaurant
Don’t forget dessert! Pictured here is Milano’s tiramisu. Image: Milano Italian Restaurant
Riot Café
574 S. 4th St., Louisville, KY 40202 • (502) 709-5654
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Riot Café, a social justice café and community center, opened in downtown Louisville in February. Serving coffee, grab-and-go breakfasts, snacks, and pastries, owner Olivia Rose Griffin also offers locally made bodega items as well as packaged beer, wine, and spirits. Many of the menu items are Hawaii-inspired — similar to the dishes that can be found at Olivia’s restaurant The Limbo — but Riot Café focuses a bit more on Korean and Japanese-influenced cuisine and drinks. “I like to push people a little bit beyond their boundaries and their edges,” Olivia says. “I don’t want to just do what everyone else is doing here … I’m taking these traditional Hawaiian recipes, and I’m tweaking them a little bit to make them a little bit more accessible to the Kentucky palate.” Some of her unique offerings include taiyaki, a fish-shaped Japanese cake traditionally filled with red bean paste but is served at Riot Café stuffed with Nutella or marshmallows, and green eggs and SPAM, a Hawaii-inspired take on green eggs and ham.
Operating as a social justice café and community center, Riot Café offers goodies like parfaits, coffee, snacks, wine, beer, and more. Image: Facebook
Pictured here are the café’s Shroomin’ Bacon Rolls. Yum! Image: Facebook
Trifecta
1971 Brownsboro Rd., Louisville, KY 40206 • (502) 618-3970
Hours: Daily, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
A fast-casual restaurant that opened in April, Trifecta boasts three food counters with one common seating area. “It’s kind of like a food court,” says co-owner Christopher Seckman. “We have the salad station counter; we have the pizza counter, where you can get slices or order whole pies; then we have the burrito counter where we can customize burritos for you.”
Though customers can build their own salads, pizzas, burritos, and burrito bowls, the Trifecta menu also offers some set items, including breakfast burritos and kids’ meals. Favorites include the Cobb salad, club salad, and Tex-Mex salad, but Christopher says that burritos have been, by far, the top sellers.
“We [also] have a drive-up window,” he adds, “so you can pull up to the drive-up window… and be done fast — in five minutes or less, usually. It’s kind of fun; it’s fresh cooking for the people.”
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Can’t decide what you want to eat? Trifecta makes it easy, offering everything from burritos to salads to pizza. Image: Facebook
To explore more of Louisville and its dining hotspots, visit our archives.
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Published June 2021
Written by Lennie Omalza
There’s never a shortage of restaurants in Louisville. In addition to being the home of boxer Muhammad Ali, the Kentucky Derby, Louisville Slugger baseball bats, and more, there is also always a new place to eat. Try one of these recently opened eateries the next time you’re looking for something new to try.
5 New Louisville Restaurants to Try (Updated June 2021)
B.A. Colonial
818 W. Kenwood Dr., Louisville, KY 40214 • (502) 242-8686
Hours: Wednesday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 8 p.m..; closed Monday and Tuesday
Open for indoor dining and carryout.
On May 2, B.A. Colonial opened in the original Colonial Gardens building, a property that has historical ties to South Louisville. Shay Tinsley, a partner in B.A. Colonial, explains that the restaurant’s name is a nod to its past. “The gentleman that bought it from the original family … and turned it into what became Colonial Gardens in 1940 — his name was B.A.,” Shay explains. “[We serve] classic American fare … stuff we grew up on. And we’ve got some coastal flavor to it to keep with that colonial theme.”
B.A. Colonial’s menu features a plethora of seafood options — including raw oysters, mussels, and mahi — as well as steak, burgers, Hot Brown sandwiches, and homemade Sloppy Joes. “I’ve got a great chef, Nate Gibson,” Shay adds. Nate is known in the Louisville restaurant industry, having worked at well-known eateries including Biscuit Belly and LouVino. As far as popular dishes go, Shay says, “The burger is #1. [It’s] a premium blend on a potato bun.”
The shrimp & grits at B.A. Colonial is definitely worth a try! Image: Facebook
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The Bayou
434 W. Market St., Louisville, KY 40202
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; closed Monday
Open for indoor dining and carryout.
Lisa Rainey and Paul Nelson, owners of the former Geechee Bayou restaurant, opened a new eatery in downtown Louisville on May 1. The Bayou offers a Cajun-creole menu, including jambalaya, gumbo, seafood platters, crab boils, and more. Dessert options include fried cherry pie, fried apple pie, and fried sweet potato pie, as well as a turtle sundae. Lisa and Paul also offer a soul food Sunday buffet and are in the process of obtaining their liquor license.
Striving to provide Louisville residents and visitors with a “taste of Louisiana,” the pair has also spiced up the restaurant’s interior with Mardi Gras décor. Splashes of green, purple, and gold can be seen throughout, while masks and murals are pinned up on multiple walls.
The Deluxe Seafood Boil at The Bayou features snow crab, crawfish, shrimp, mussels, corn and potatoes, and rings in at $45. Image: Facebook
The club sandwich is equally as satisfying. Find it for $12. Image: Facebook
Everyday Kitchen
552 E. Market St., Louisville, KY 40202 • (502) 805-7345
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday
Open for indoor dining only.
Open since April 1 in Lodgic Louisville, a suite of five businesses that operate adjacently, Everyday Kitchen offers an upscale approach to American comfort food. “[We provide] a comfortable, everyday feel, but you get to elevate your experience with the quality of the food,” says Managing Director Andrew Held. “It was based around this idea that the heartland’s important, but it doesn’t keep you [from] having the best things possible.”
In addition to having a special relationship with a fishing boat, which allows him to plan the menu around fresh catches, Chef Mike Wajda also whips up various one-of-a-kind dishes. A popular pick that Andrew says customers often return for is the brûléed hummus. “It’s a warm presentation of hummus with caramelized onion and crunchy bits on top of it,” he says. “It is amazing.” He adds that among his personal favorites is the lambchetta, a rolled and stuffed lamb roast. “We are here to shorten the distance between gourmet cuisine and comfortable dining,” he says.
Cheers to delicious but approachable dining at Everyday Kitchen. Image: Sarah Jane Webb Photography
The mead-lacquered duck breast features a parsnip puree, crispy rice, kale, and pomegranate and rings in at $41. Image: Sarah Jane Webb Photography
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Flora Kitchenette
1004 Barret Ave., Louisville, KY 40204 • 502-742-3843
Hours: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday through Monday; closed Tuesday and Wednesday
Open for indoor dining and carryout.
The COVID pandemic forced Flora Kitchenette to shut its doors in December, but vegan couple Nancy “Sultra” Smith and Jeremy “Wize” Brown purchased the business and reopened in April. Nancy had been selling vegan meals under the name Sultra’s Vegan Kitchen while her daughter was an employee at Flora Kitchenette. When she was presented with the opportunity to take over Flora Kitchenette, it made sense to fold Sultra’s Vegan Kitchen items into the revamped Flora Kitchenette menu.
Previously a vegan and vegetarian restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and baked goods, the new Flora Kitchenette is completely vegan. New items include soups, salads, avocado toast, and biscuits and gravy. There is also still a plethora of bakery items available, including everything from orange cranberry scones and chocolate chip banana bars to birthday cakes and donuts.
The BBQ plate features seitan brisket in a smoky BBQ sauce, creamy potato salad, baked beans, and watermelon arugula salad with orange champagne vinaigrette. For dessert, try a gluten-friendly lemon bar with coconut whip. Image: Facebook
Gluten-friendly and regular banana bars with chocolate chips and pumpkin seeds are the vegan sweet treat you’ve been looking for. Image: Facebook
Philly’s Best Frozen Desserts
307 Wallace Ave., Louisville, KY 40207 • (502) 916-2022
Hours: daily, noon to 8 p.m.
Open for carryout and limited outdoor seating.
Italian water ice is not a dessert commonly seen around the Bluegrass State, but Rodney Daisey and his wife Tonya have been serving it up to residents and visitors alike for the past year. After operating out of a mobile food truck then opening their first brick-and-mortar location last June, they are now welcoming guests to their second shop in the St. Matthews neighborhood.
A smoother and creamier version of shaved ice, Italian water ice — better known as “Water Ice” back in Philly — is something the Daiseys grew up with. They offer both water ice and homemade ice cream, as well as prepackaged gelati — a combination of water ice and ice cream. Additional treats include fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies (perfect for ice cream cookie sandwiches!) and fresh-baked, Philly-style pretzels.
Strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla ice cream are all made in-house. Image: Facebook
Premium strawberry ice cream or strawberry Italian water ice offer a cool treat on a hot summer day. Image: Facebook
We hope you enjoy exploring these new Louisville restaurants!
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Published May 2021
Written by Lennie Omalza
From pizza parlors to pie shops, Derby City’s food scene is always offering something new. Check out these five fun eateries that recently opened their doors to Louisville residents and visitors alike.
5 New Louisville Restaurants to Try (Updated May 2021)
Fleur de Tea
10704 Meeting St., Ste. 101, Prospect, KY 40059 • (502) 742-9561
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; closed Monday
Open for indoor dining, outdoor seating, and carryout.
Jasmine Gatti’s inspiration for her tea shop came from her cat, Fleur. From there, she says, the pun wrote itself — after all, the fleur de lis is a prominent Louisville symbol. She has been operating since January 2021, serving up an extensive selection of teas. Several varieties of black, green, white, oolong, rooibos, Pu-erh, herbal, chai, and even bubble teas make up the menu of more than five dozen options.
Die-hard coffee drinkers can sip on an americano, espresso, or latte. And all customers will enjoy an array of pastries and other snacks, including fruit tarts, blueberry lemon scones, and banana pudding, to name a few. Jasmine is also looking to add a tea flight to the menu so that novices can taste four teas in one sitting. “So many people want to try all of them at some point,” she says. “This should make it a little easier to taste the whole menu!”
Choose from more than 60 tea options at Fleur de Tea. Image: Instagram
Fresh and flavorful snacks are also available. Image: Fleur de Tea
Georgia’s Sweet Potato Pie Company
1559 Bardstown Rd., Louisville, KY 40205 • (502) 742-2852
Hours: Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday
Open for carryout.
January 23, 2021, was an extra special day for Dawn Urrutia. Not only was it National Pie Day, but it was the day she opened the doors of her brick-and-mortar location in Louisville’s Bonnycastle neighborhood. Unsurprisingly, her sweet treat offerings include various versions of sweet potato pie, but the Georgia’s menu also boasts sweet potato cookies, cupcakes, muffins, and even an ice cream sandwich. The most popular picks, she says, are the traditional pies as well as the cheesecake.
In addition to baked goods, Dawn also offers customers a collection of room sprays, candles, and wax melts so they can bring the aroma of fresh-baked sweet potato treats home with them. But what Dawn really wants to share with the community is her shop’s Book of Love collection. “We give books that promote love, diversity, inclusion, and acceptance to children, free of charge,” she says. “Parents can bring their children and they get as many books as they like. Also, if parents are not coming out [into] the community yet, they [can] always either send us a direct message or email us, and we will mail a book to their child.”
If you want a pint-size serving of something sweet, try a sweet potato cheesecake mini pie. Image: Georgia’s Sweet Potato Pie Company
Traditional sweet potato pie is just as popular as the other options. Image: Georgia’s Sweet Potato Pie Company
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Pizzaville
2901 Goose Creek Rd., Ste. #103, Louisville, KY 40241 • (502) 754-3001
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to midnight
Open for carryout and curbside pickup.
Louisville native Todd Case spent 17 years working for a company that supplied just-add-water pizza dough mixes to more than 100 pizza chains. He started off as a lab technician and had worked his way up to Director of Technical Services, Research, and Development by the time he left. “That’s where I got all my exposure to pizza, and the dough, and the science of it,” he says.
Though there are pizza parlors of the same name in Indiana, Massachusetts and Canada, Todd confirms that Pizzaville in Louisville is one of a kind. “It’s just my fiancé and I running it,” he explains. “We’re self-funded, we’re completely independent, and we have about five employees.”
He and fiancée Rachael Reed welcomed their first customer in January 2021, serving up made-to-order pizza pies and fresh breadsticks, dubbed Pizzaville Sluggers. Todd says the soft and chewy, buttery breadsticks tossed in garlic sauce and parmesan cheese are his biggest seller. “I make the sluggers with the pizza dough, so each order is made with what would be [the crust of] a large pizza,” Todd explains. “They are phenomenal.”
Dill pickle pizza is just one creative option on the Pizzaville menu. Image: Pizzaville
Hot and fresh is the only way to order up a Pizzaville pizza! Image: Pizzaville
The Salad Chic
428 W. Market St., Louisville, KY 40202 • (502) 650-4450
Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; closed Saturday and Sunday
Open for indoor dining and carryout.
After being diagnosed with a neurological disorder last year, Tanya Mangrum decided it was time to eat a healthy diet and focus on getting physically fit. She put all of her energy into preparing salads and other health-conscious meals. Eventually, she began selling her dishes to friends and family, creating the fare out of a small, rented space before finally opening The Salad Chic storefront in downtown Louisville this past March.
“It’s all healthy alternatives,” she says. “I’m just really trying to help people with [their] pandemic weight.” Each of her build-your-own salads includes two meats, two dressings, and five toppings. Customers can choose to sprinkle their custom salad with everything from dried cranberries or fresh mushrooms, to glazed pecans or banana pepper rings. Additional meats, dressings and toppings are available for an extra charge. Tanya also offers salad kabobs, fruit kabobs, wraps, homemade soups, and chili.
Take your salad pick! Toppings run the gamut. Image: The Salad Chic
The Seafood Lady
601 E. Jefferson St., Louisville, KY 40202 • (502) 210-9381
Hours: Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.; closed Monday
Open for indoor seating, outdoor dining, carryout, curbside pickup, and delivery via Limitless.
Nichelle Thurston has been serving seafood since 2015, but her newest location — which opened in April — has a slightly different concept from the original restaurant. Drawing on her Florida roots, Nichelle incorporated bold hues, palm-leaf wallpaper, and hanging chairs into the bigger, brand-new space. “We were going for a tropical, Miami vibe,” she says. In addition to the updated décor, this location also offers a full bar, as Nichelle is striving to provide customers with a big presentation and good drinks.
Despite the vacation destination-like changes at The Seafood Lady’s newest digs, longtime patrons can count on the same Florida-style dishes they’ve grown to know and love. From lobster and crab to catfish and alligator tail, the menu offerings are unlike any other around town and are sure to satisfy any seafood aficionado’s tastebuds.
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Cajun crawfish is just one of many authentic dishes on the menu. Image: The Seafood Lady
Gator tail brings a Florida-style vibe to the table. Image: The Seafood Lady
Enjoy your dining adventures, Louisville!
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