Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Eating BIG in Louisville Pt. 3

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties

- More from the Nations Bourbon Capitol

The 141st running of the Kentucky Derby is happening this weekend down in Louisville, a place I've gotten pretty familiar with. For those that don't mind a 3+ hour car ride it's one of the better weekend getaways from Chicago. Just keep in mind this is speaking for those that, like myself, enjoy good food and drink. There's some really quality stuff going on down there and it only continues to grow. Today I have a few more spots to add to the database. At this point I've pretty much eaten at more spots down there than most locals. You can see for yourself by checking out Part One and Part Two.
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Shirley Mae's Cafe

a locals favorite since the 80's

"Shirley Mae’s Café cuts no corners. Shirley Mae and Chef Theresa take an enormous amount of pride in the painstaking process of prepping and cooking fresh food every day they open their doors to their eager customers. The marriage of Shirley Mae’s Café’s nostalgic atmosphere with its savory and historically-authentic dishes… straight out of the South…resonates with people who like its down-home-feel and its special one-of-a-kind cuisine…a cuisine that most folk don’t have the time or know-how to prepare for themselves or their families at home. Shirley Mae’s mission is to enable her customers to take Shirley Mae’s Café home with them in any quantity, as well as, dine-in."

a peek inside

Somehow this place totally went under my radar on my previous trips in. Otherwise I would've been there the first trip I took to Louisville. On the day I visited it would be Martin Luther King Day and this place typifies the dream he wanted all to be able to achieve. It also happened to be Muhammad Ali's birthday and seeing as how he's from Louisville this spot was the perfect place to honor both men. The building itself has some rich history as it dates back to 1880. The community where it rests is the oldest African-American living area in Louisville and dating back to 1946 when it housed the J & H Food Bar it's been one of the premiere bars/restaurants for the city's minorities. Service was extra friendly and the old school atmosphere was still there. Then there's the food. Skillet Fried chicken wings are all the rave and the hot water cornbread that comes with it was the best piece of cornbread I've ever had. I don't want it any other way anymore. This is what Roadfood is all about.

Pan Fried Chicken Wings and Hot Water Corn Bread
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Morris' Liquors & Deli

A Liquor Store / Deli in The Highlands

This place is so under the radar I'm not even sure what it's called. Some online mentions call it Morris' Liquors & Deli while others call it Karem Deeb Liquors Delicatessen. There's little info online but those in-the-know know that this place puts out a fantastic country ham sandwich and is also a good spot to check for that bottle of bourbon you cant find anywhere else. Lets take a look.

Bourbon and Ham

Cool spot. Definitely a locals place. I actually came here twice last trip and got a signature ham sandwich each time and a bottle of bourbon I hadn't heard of before. The guy that owns the place is very knowledgeable on the subject. The salty country ham pairs great with the recipe for the type of sandwiches your mom used to make you for school. No need for the fancy stuff with this one.

Country Ham Sandwich
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Shack in the Back BBQ


Fairdale, KY

Somewhere before my trip I'd heard about this place which is in a suburb of Louisville. The online reviews all give heavy praise and we decided to head there for lunch one day. The best part about the place was the setup. It looked like a cool old school BBQ shack but it ended at that. No smell of smoke and no flavor of it in the meats. There were lots of mentions for the chicken wings which were satisfying but tasted more baked than smoked. The best thing they had going was their Kentucky Burgoo. For whatever reason you need to travel a little further south in Kentucky to find burgoo but this place makes it and it was the most enjoyable part of this lunch.

Kentucky Burgoo

Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Ribs and Chicken Wings
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The Anchorage Cafe 

Neighborhood Cafe in downtown Fairdale 

You're not going to find lots of options for amazing biscuits in Louisville. They're just not found this far north, well they are but for the good ones you need to travel a little further south. However there is one place you can find what I consider to be a wonderful sandwich and a fluffy biscuit baked with chives is the bread. Anchorage Cafe is located in a suburb but Louisville is so small it's not far at all. The fillings in this beauty below are country ham and white American cheese. As good as it looks.

Ham and Cheese Biscuit
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White Castle

What? I thought you do the mom and pop stops? I do but I also like the unique things found and I've never said I hated White Castle. Down in the 'ville they eat lots of fried bologna sandwiches and White Castle's in the area serve one on their breakfast menu. You know they still makes eggs to order? I respect that, and this sandwich. It was awesome and something I'll stop in for next time thru.

Fried Bologna Sandwich
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Repeat Visits

As I mentioned in the opener this wasn't our first rodeo down here and we've developed some favorite places to eat and drink when in town. Spots like Proof on Main, Mayan Cafe, and Milkwood are worthy of repeat visits. On this trip we went back to Proof on Main for drinks and their addicting Hot Chicken Plate. We returned to Mayan Cafe to get a real deal taste of the Yucatan Peninsula and we went to Milkwood twice because their ramen is the best I ever had at a place that doesn't specialize in it. Of course no trip to Louisville is complete without fried chicken at Indi's which you know happened. Read up on these spots in Parts One and Two. Stay tuned, more trips to come.

Nashville Hot Chicken at Proof on Main

Papadzules (Yucatan Enchiladas) at Mayan Cafe

Ramen at Milkwood
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Shirley Mae's Cafe
802 S Clay St
Louisville, KY 40203
(502) 589-5295

Morris' Liquors and Delicatessen
2228 Taylorsville Rd
Louisville, KY 40205
(502) 458-1668

Shack in the Back BBQ
406 Mt Holly Rd
Fairdale, KY 40118
(502) 363-3227

The Anchorage Cafe
11505 Park Rd
Anchorage, KY 40223
(502) 708-1880

Proof on Main
702 W Main St
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 217-6360

Mayan Cafe
813 E Market St
Louisville, KY 40206
(502) 566-0651

MilkWood
316 W Main St
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 584-6455

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