Pelo West Spa at the Galt House
I recently had the opportunity to visit Pelo West Spa at the Galt House Hotel. This is not your typical generic hotel spa, y’all. It’s much, much better.
The edgy decor catches your eye immediately — black walls and green velvet sofas paired with local art. As you check in, you’re offered a choice of water, coffee, champagne or White Claw. I went with bubbles, since I was there to pamper myself!
Beyond the bubbles and the pretty decor, the spa treatments are wonderful! The esthetician, Andrew, was very attentive to my skincare needs and concerns, and he provided an absolutely fantastic facial. I was especially pleased with the microcurrent device treatment which left my skin feeling firm and fresh, as well as the take-home skincare samples. It was an absolutely wonderful experience!
If you’re staying at the Galt House or visiting downtown Louisville, book a visit with Pelo West. In addition to the fantastic facial, they offer massages, hair, nails, and a special Derby Weekend IV Hydration package! Cheers to Pelo West for offering fantastic spa services!
Buff City Soap
A fun and safe line of soap and grooming products here in the Louisville area!
{This post contains products gifted to me through my role as a Buff City Soap Brand Ambassador. All opinions are, as always, my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support HerKentucky!}
I recently had the opportunity to tour the Buff City Soaps makery here in St. Matthews. It is so cute, y’all, and it carries great-smelling products that are plant-based and free of harsh chemicals and animal fats!
I can’t wait to visit Buff City Soap with my little nieces. Of course, they’re obsessed with anything pretty and bubbly and fizzy for bath time or washing their hands, and I love that they won’t be exposed to parabens or harsh detergents. Buff City Soap uses ingredients you actually recognize — things like coconut oil and green tea extract — to create a safer alternative to harsh commercial products. The soaps are even made daily in-store!
A great nod to Louisville’s neighborhood coffee shops is the Fresh Heine soap, a collaboration with Heine Brothers coffee!
My favorite product in the Buff City Soap lineup is the laundry soap! The Fresh Cotton scent is so lovely; it provides a subtle, clean scent and it keeps harsh detergents away from your skin.
Thanks so much to Buff City Soap for showing me around! Visit them in NuLu at 815 E Market St and in St. Matthews at 4600 Shelbyville Rd Suite 651. The Middletown location opens next month at 13006 Shelbyville Rd!
Frenchies Modern Nail Care
Frenchies Nail Salon offers clean and relaxing nail services.
{Frenchies Modern Nail Care of Louisville graciously provided me with a complimentary manicure and pedicure in exchange for an honest review of their services. All opinions are my own.}
It's hard to find a great place to get your nails done. Some places seem pushy, others are dirty, and some, well, just don't do a great job. I'm so thrilled to finally find a spot that really does an amazing job here in Louisville. Frenchies Modern Nail Care is committed to providing the cleanest possible environment and educating their customers about nail care and proper hygiene. I absolutely love Frenchies and am thrilled to hear that the Middletown location is one of three Frenchies stores planned for Louisville! There's one going in at the Lexington Green shopping center as well!
Frenchies is adamant about their motto, We Love Clean. This is apparent from the minute you walk into the salon. They don't do acrylic nails at all, so the horrible smell of fake nails and acetone is gone. Speaking of scents, you get to choose among several wonderful sugar scrub scents for your treatment.
The salon is so committed to cleanliness. The tools are sterilized in a medical-grade autoclave after each use. The salon has a washer and dryer on hand and launders their own towels and washcloths every day.
The pedicure basins don't have the jets you may have seen in other nail salons. I never even thought about the bacteria that can grow in pedicure basins, but apparently the warm, wet jets are an easy place for this to happen!
I loved that my technician took pains to discuss nail health -- including my nasty habit of picking at my cuticles -- with me. I also love that no tools will be reused. The orange stick, buffer, and nail file were bagged up and sent home with me (there was also the option to throw them away) so that there's no chance of contamination from previous patrons. Metal tools had been sterilized and will be returned to the autoclave before their next use. Even the moisturizing mask and sugar scrub that were used in my treatment were handled in the cleanest manner possible, portioned into individual tubs for each use.
You can book an event at Frenchies with no cover charge! There's a lovely sitting area with coffee and ice water, and guests in large parties are welcome to bring their own wine. (Check with the location for further details!)
Book your appointment with Frenchies in Middletown today! I think you'll love it!
5 Fun Facts about Hi-Five Doughnuts!
Louisville’s favorite doughnut shop provides great business lessons and even better doughnuts!
It's National Doughnut Day, an observance dating back to the 1930s, which honors the Salvation Army "Lassies" who served doughnuts and other treats to U.S. Troops during World War I. Here in Kentucky, we take our doughnuts pretty seriously. In fact, the New York Times once traced a doughnut trail across our great Commonwealth. One of the state's most beloved doughnut stops is in a gas station! That's the great thing about doughnuts: they're inexpensive, accessible, and enjoyed by almost everybody! My favorite doughnut spot is Hi-Five Doughnuts, which serves amazing creations with a Kentucky flair. You absolutely MUST try the bourbon caramel glaze, and if you're really brave, you can try the Kentucky Fried Buttermilk Chicken Doughnut.
Hi-Five Doughnuts is one of my favorite Kentucky businesses, combining local ingredients, awesome female entrepreneurs, incredible marketing, and a fabulous product. Let's celebrate National Doughnut Day with five fun facts about Hi-Five Doughnuts!!!
1. Hi-Five is woman-owned and operated. Leslie Wilson and Annie Harlow began their business running a food truck, affectionately named Shelby, then opened a storefront in Louisville's Butchertown neighborhood.
The bacon-glazed doughnut is amazing, y'all.
2. The business name pays tribute to the legend that the custom of giving a high-five was invented in a U of L basketball practice in the 1970s.
3. Hi-Five has trademarked their hashtag! When you talk about the #ladiesofthemorning, then according to to the US Patent and Trademark office you're referencing Hi-Five Doughnuts!
4. The Hi-Five business model is so cool, a book has been written about it! Dr. Lyle Sussman of U of L's College of Business wrote "Breaking the Glaze Ceiling: Sweet Lessons for Entrepreneurs, Innovators and Wannabes", which establishes 12 business principles based on Leslie and Annie's success. In interviewing the Doughnut Ladies for a prior article, I was so impressed that they built the entire enterprise on a no-debt model, opting instead to purchase only what they could afford at any given time.
That's cinnamon glaze + Cinnamon Toast Crunch. You need it in your life.
5. Everybody loves Hi-Five! The Travel Channel has visited them, they're a staple at local events like the Forecastle Festival, and they're often served as a finishing touch at local galas and weddings.
Celebrate College Colors Day in Style!
Fashionable ways to cheer on Kentucky's college football teams!
Happy College Colors Day, y'all! I am just so excited that it's starting to look like fall, and that college football is back! I am so excited to be wearing my Kentucky Blue for College Colors Day, and I picked out a few great ideas for my friends who cheer on all the Kentucky D1 College Teams!
Draper James Tailgate Essentials
Have you seen the newest batch of tailgate-inspired items from Reece Witherspoon's Draper James line? So, so cute, y'all. I feel like the scarf is going to be necessary as the weather gets cooler.
Go Big Blue!
Now, if you've been reading HerKentucky for any time at all, it's no surprise that I ride or die with the Kentucky Wildcats, even if football isn't exactly our premiere athletic program. UK will always feel like the home team for me, in any sport. I lived in Lexington for over a decade, my beau and I hold three graduate degrees from UK, and I grew up on stories of my grandfather and his siblings attending the University in the '30s. The 'Cats and I, we go way back.
I personally believe that there's no such thing as taking your
Go Cards!
Y'all, I don't care what team you rep or what part of the Commonwealth you hail from. That Louisville win was ridic last night. Lamar Jackson was on fire, and my Cardinals fan friends were jubilant. That win deserves several days' worth of team-inspired outfits!!
Cheer on your Kentucky team!
Most of us can find a reason to cheer for just about every Kentucky college, if we look hard enough for a link. My parents each hold degrees from Morehead AND EKU. I have plenty of friends with ties to WKU and Murray State. And the list goes on. There are so many cute ways to rep your team. A Tervis Tumbler and a cap are, of course, standard equipment.
Let me know in the comments below what team you're repping today, and don't forget to visit the College Colors Day website to enter to win a trip to the 2017 National Championship Game! (please note that this post contains affiliate links.)
How to Eat Lunch Like a Louisville Local
"Where should I eat lunch in Louisville?"
It's probably the email, text, Facebook message, etc., question that I get the most often. What are the tried-and true favorite spots for lunch in Louisville? Where are the hottest new restaurants in the Derby City? Where can I grab a quick bite in a particular Louisville neighborhood?
That's quite a question, y'all, but I've narrowed it down to thirty of the very best. Click here to download a printable version, and let me know if you agree with my choices!
Downtown
Dine with the penguins at Proof on Main.
J.Graham’s Café at the Brown Hotel
Home of the Hot Brown.
The Brown Hotel, 335 W Broadway
Sun-Sat 7am – 3pm
Proof on Main
The best burger in Louisville.
21C Museum Hotel 702 W Main St
Mon-Thu 11am - 1 am; Fri 11am - 2 am;
Sat 12 pm-2am; Sun 12 pm-12 am
Mussel & Burger Bar
Don’t miss the truffle oil steak fries.
113 S. 7th St
Mon-Thu 11 am – 9:30 pm; Fri 11 am – 10:30 pm;
Sat 12 pm – 10:30 pm; Sun: 12 pm – 8:30 pm
Main Eatery
The Blue Plate Special is always great!
643 W Main St
Mon-Fri 11 am – 2 pm; closed weekends
Atlantic No. 5
Don’t miss the latte!!
605 W Main St
Mon-Fri 7 am – 4 pm; closed weekends
NuLu/ Butchertown
Brisket sandwich at Feast BBQ
Grind Burger Kitchen
Order the Southern Burger!!
829 E. Market St
Tue – Sat 11 am – 10 pm
Butchertown Grocery
Have the BLT!
1076 E. Washington St.
Wed – Sun: 11 am – 10 pm (Sat & Sun brunch 11 am – 3 pm); Closed Mon and Tues
Ghyslain on Market
A macaron and a French press are a must!
721 E Market St
November - March: Mon - Sun 9AM - 8PM;
April - October: Mon - Sun 9AM - 9PM
Feast BBQ
Have the pork cake appetizer, mac & cheese or collard greens!
909 E Market St
Tues-Thurs 11 am -10 pm; Friday-Sat 11am-12am; closed Sun-Mon
Royal’s Hot Chicken
Louisville’s only legit Nashville-style hot chicken. Don’t miss the fries and cheese grits!
736 E Market St
Tues-Thurs 11:30 am-10 Friday-Sat 11:30 am-11 pm; closed Sun-Mon
Royal's Hot Chicken is a Louisville can't-miss!
Old Louisville
Seafood Lady
Amazing Cajun seafood! Portions are huge!
617 W. Oak St.
Wed, Fri, and Sat: 11 am – 9 pm; closed Sun-Tues and Thurs
Buck’s Restaurant & Bar
An elegant Old Louisville institution!
425 W Ormsby Ave
Mon-Fri 11 am-3 pm, 5-11 pm; Sat 5-11 pm; closed Sun
Ollie’s Trolley
You need an Ollieburger!
Mon-Fri 10:30 am – 4:25 pm; closed Sat & Sun
Germantown
The Post
Fabulous New York Style Pizza!
1045 Goss Ave
Mon -Wed 11 am – 12 am; Thurs- Fri 11 am – 2 am; Sat 12 pm – 2 am; Sun 12 pm – 12 am
The Highlands
Bacon & Benedictine from Stevens and Stevens Deli
Gralehaus
Fabulous espresso beverages!
1001 Baxter Ave
Mon-Sun 8 am – 4 pm
Stevens & Stevens Deli
You don’t want to miss the bacon and Benedictine sandwich!
1114 Bardstown Road
Mon – Sat 10 am – 4 pm; closed Sunday
LeMoo
Reserve the Louis Vuitton booth!
2300 Lexington Road
Mon – Wed 11 am – 2 pm; Thur- Fri 11 am- 10 pm; Sat 10 am- 3pm, 5 pm – 11 pm; Sun 10 am- 3pm, 5 pm – 11 pm
El Taco Lunchador
The chicken mole taco is superb!
938 Baxter Ave
Mon- Thurs 11 am – 9:30 pm; Fri 11 am – 10:30 pm; Sat 12 – 10:30 pm; Sun 12- 9 pm.
Molly Malone’s
Famous fish and chips!
933 Baxter Ave
Mon – Sun 11 am – 4 am
Fish and Chips at Irish Rover
Frankfort Avenue
The Irish Rover
Order fish and chips and a pint or seafood pie!
2319 Frankfort Ave
Mon-Thurs 11:30 am – 11 pm; Fri-Sat 11:30 am – 12 am; closed Sun
Blue Dog Bakery & Café
Fabulous salads and breads!
2868 Frankfort Ave
Tues-Sat Bakery 7-am-4 pm; Tues-Fri Lunch 11 am – 2 pm; Sat Brunch 9 am – 12 pm; closed Sun and Mon
North End Café
Go for all-day breakfast!
1722 Frankfort Ave
Mon 8 am – 2:30 pm; Tue- Thurs 8 am – 9 pm; Fri- Sat 8 am – 10 pm; Sun 8 am – 9 pm
El Mundo
Louisville’s favorite tacos!
2345 Frankfort Ave
Mon 5-10 pm; Tues – Sat 11:30 am – 10 pm
St. Matthews
namnam cafe
namnam café
Fantastic Pho!
318 Wallace Ave
Tues – Sat 11 am – 2:30 pm, 4:30 – 9 pm; Sun 4-9 pm; closed Mon
Coals Artisan Pizza
Wood-fired pies with regionally sourced ingredients!
3730 Frankfort Ave
Mon – Thurs 11 am – 10 pm; Fri-Sat 11 am – 11 pm; Sun 12 – 9 pm
Cheddar Box
Don’t miss their country ham sandwich and pimento cheese!
3909 Chenoweth Square
Tues-Fri 9 am – 6 pm; Sat 9 am – 4 pm; Closed Sun and Mon
Local Chains
Impellizzeri's Pizza
Shiraz Mediterranean Grill
Go for the hummus!
3501 Poplar Level; 205 N Hurstborne; 2210 Holiday Manor Suite 1; 237 5th St; 4614 Chamberlin
Hours vary
Bristol Bar & Grill
The green chili wontons are everyone’s favorite!
1321 Bardstown Rd; 614 W Main; 300 N Hurstborne Pkwy
Hours vary
Impellizzeri’s
Incredible deep dish pizza!
110 W Main; 1381 Bardstown Rd; 4933 Brownsboro Rd
Hours vary
Wick’s Pizza
The calzone is amazing!
975 Baxter Ave; 2927 Goose Creek Rd; 12717 Shelbyville Rd
Hours vary
What are your favorite lunch spots in Louisville?