The 5 Best Murals in Louisville
The best signs around Louisville!
Louisvillians are an amazingly creative group of people. It doesn't matter how many times you visit the Derby City, or even how long you've lived here -- there's always something exciting to see, here, or do. Today, I thought I'd share five of my very favorite murals and building signs from around town.
1. Gettin' Lucky in Kentucky; Downtown (near 2nd and Market). Sponsored by Spinelli's Pizza.
2. Nord's Bakery, Germantown. I stopped by Nord's last week to do a little market research on our donut post. The only thing better than a bacon-maple donut is a dancing bacon-maple donut.
3. Hunter S. Thompson, The Monkey Wrench. I love the detail on this tribute to gonzo genius Dr. Thompson.
4. Weird, Independent & Proud, The Wine Market, The Highlands. Love the design; love the sentiment even more.
5. Baker Boy Donuts, Mellow Mushroom, St Matthews. I was so disappointed when I moved to this neighborhood and learned that this wasn't a retro bakery. I'm not the only one who was confused. In fact, it seems that the Baker Boy is a bit of a mystery to the St Matthews neighborhood, but when Mellow Mushroom found the sign in the midst of renovations, they decided to keep it. I'm glad they did.
Any other great murals we need to spot in town?
The Five Best Doughnuts in Kentucky
Kentucky's favorite doughnuts
Happy National Doughnut Day, y'all! Whether you spell it Donut or Doughnut, the Bluegrass State makes some of the finest rings of fried dough you'll ever taste. In fact, a few years ago, the New York Times even charted out a Doughnut Trail right here in the Commonwealth. We consulted family, friends, and acquaintances. We tested a lot of donuts. And we ranked our five favorites. (Nord's Bakery in Louisville's Germantown/Schnitzelburg neighborhood gets an honorable mention for those insane bacon donuts. This was a really hard list to narrow down, y'all.)
5. Burke's Bakery, Danville. When I lived in Lexington, I'd come up with every excuse I could think of to visit this old-school bakery and pick up a hot, glazed donut (or two). My Boyle County friends started to wonder why I wanted to go visit their parents so often, but it was so worth it...
4. North Lime Coffee & Donuts, Lexington. This Lexington shop has some of the most creative pairings I've ever seen. They even make a brisket donut! Even if you steer clear of the savories, they offer fresh, unique, amazing flavors!
North Lime Donuts, photo courtesy Ashley Sanders.
3. Doughdaddy's, Versailles. When we were house-hunting in Nashville, a homeowner inquired where we were from. When we said Kentucky, he immediately asked, in broken English, "Have you been to Doughdaddy's?" That anecdote doesn't quite prove that they're world-famous, but word certainly gets around about these light, fluffy donuts!
Hi-Five Doughnuts at Younger Woman's Club 2015 Gala. Photo courtesy Liz Bornwasser.
2. Hi-Five Doughnuts, Louisville. Louisville's high-end catering and food truck donuts. Amazing flavor combinations every. single. time.
Hi-Five Doughnuts at Younger Woman's Club 2015 Gala. Photo courtesy Sarah Doran Mudd.
1. Red's Donuts, Paducah: As Sarah Stewart Holland told us in the earliest days of HerKentucky, Paducah natives can attest that Red's donuts are the best anywhere.
Red's Donuts, Paducah. Photo courtesy Sarah Stewart Holland.
So, did I get it right, or do you have a favorite Bluegrass State donut spot that I missed? I'm happy to do more research if y'all think it's necessary!
If you're traveling the KY Donut Trail, don't forget a Donutucky shirt from Shop Local KY.
In case you missed it:
The Five Best Burgers in Kentucky
Joella's Hot Chicken
Nashville-style hot chicken is coming to the Derby City!
This week on HerKentucky, we're talking about a few of my favorite things about Nashville. The Volunteer State's capital city is only a couple hours down the road from most parts of Kentucky, but it certainly has its own vibe. For me, Nashville is characterized by its music, its food, and its culture, and there's no food more uniquely Nashville than hot chicken!
Joella's Hot Chicken
Nashville-style hot chicken is one of those regional delicacies that can't really be described; you really have to try it for yourself. It's true Southern-style fried chicken, coated in a mixture of hot oil, cayenne pepper, spices, and a touch of sugar, served on white bread with pickles. The legend goes that the original batch of hot chicken was cooked up as a revenge breakfast for a cheating boyfriend, who wound up liking it so much that he perfected the recipe. It certainly doesn't taste like any other dish you'll ever try, and if you love it, you really love it.
Taking in a local brew between bites at the 2014 Nashville Hot Chicken Festival.
You can count my beau and me among those who love hot chicken. We have our favorite spot in Nashville that we try to visit as frequently as possible. We spent the 4th of July in East Nashville last year for the Hot Chicken Festival. We've tried to replicate the recipe in our own kitchen, to less than perfect results. Let's just face it: we're hot chicken addicts, living three hours north of the source.
Needless to say, we were tickled pink to hear that the owners of Tony Boombozz were bringing hot chicken to Louisville! I sat down with Bruce Rosenblatt, Boombozz Operating Partner, to talk about hot chicken in the Derby City. "We're excited to bring a little bit of Nashville to Louisville," Bruce told me. They worked hard to perfect the recipe in the kitchen of their Manny & Merle restaurant on Whiskey Row, spending six months developing a pressure-fried chicken coated in the signature spicy oil mixture. "We really listened to the palates of our guests," Bruce said, particularly those who'd developed a taste for the Nashville delicacy.
The projected menu for Joella's, currently available at Manny & Merle's.
Joella's will open later this summer at 3400 Frankfort Avenue (the old Tony Boombozz location). When I had the opportunity to sample their upcoming menu at Manny & Merle's, I was beyond thrilled. Let me tell you, they did not disappoint. The kale salad was light and tangy. The mac & cheese was creamy and delicious. The cole slaw had a refreshing Asian flare. The chicken was crispy and moist with that familiar zing. My beau hopes to go hotter with his next order; I'm chomping at the bits to try the chicken and waffles that I've been told to expect!
Thanks so much to Bruce and the team at Manny & Merle's for providing a sneak peek of their upcoming project! I can't wait to visit Joella's!
(Stay tuned for updates from Joella's and HerKentucky throughout the summer!)
#TravelKY Nash Bash
Kentucky Tourism Pop-up in Nashville!
For the next few days, HerKentucky is going country with a few Nashville-themed posts. Now, I know Nashville is technically in Rocky Top. But, I've got to say that, when I lived in NashVegas, I felt perfectly at home. I'd even go so far to say that I saw almost as much UK Blue on an everyday basis in Nashville as I saw UT Orange or Vanderbilt Black and Gold. (Well, almost...)
Anyway, I jump on every opportunity I can find to travel down I-65 for a day or two, between the fact that I have some dear friends there, I'm addicted to hot chicken and Parnassus Books, and, well, you get the idea... If you find yourself in the same boat of constantly looking for a trip to Nashville (or if you're one of the legions of Kentuckians I seem to remember running across in the Nashville Metro area...), then Kentucky Tourism has a fun event for you this week!
This Thursday, June 4 from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., a really cool group of Kentuckians will gather in Nashville's awesome 12 South Neighborhood for an evening of bourbon, music, and fun. The event will be hosted at the awesomely hip boutique Imogene + Willie (which is owned by Henderson, KY natives!) and will feature music from The Watson Twins and Ben Sollee and plenty of Bulleit Bourbon. Entrance and drinks are free and food will be available for purchase.
What an awesome celebration of the Bluegrass State in the Music City!
{Oh, and follow our friends @KYTourism, @Tifforelie and @TheKentuckyGent on instagram for a chance to win a Kentucky getaway!}
The Search for Kentucky's Best Burger
Our readers' favorite hamburgers from local Kentucky joints!
Y'all aren't kidding about burgers, are you?
Yesterday, I posted my five very favorite hamburgers in Kentucky. For me, nothing will ever top that bison burger at Proof, or the Billy Ray's Poolroom hamburger of my youth. But, some of the combos y'all described paint a pretty compelling picture that I don't know what I'm talking about! I thought I'd pass along the suggestions we got on Facebook, Instagram, and here on the blog. It seems that Kentuckians really love their hamburgers!
Eastern KY
- Pat's Snack Bar, Manchester
- Goofy's Pool Room, Hyden
- Weaver's, London
- McGuire's Brickhouse, Prestonsburg
- Chimney Corner Café. Ashland
- Country Cookin, Ashland
- L and J Restaurant at Fannin Toyota Summit
- The Corner Cone, Worthington
Central KY
- Fairgrounds in Anderson Co
- Heirloom, Midway
- The Windy Corner Market, Lexington
- County Club, Lexington
- A&W Concept Restaurants, Lexington
- Lexington Diner, Lexington
- Tolly Ho, Lexington
- Proud Mary BBQ, Lexington
- Wallace Station Deli and Bakery, Versailles
- Erma’s Dairy Bar, Owingsville
Northern KY
- Zola, Covington
- Herb and Thelma's, Covington
- Jewell's on Main, Warsaw
Louisville
- Grind Burger Kitchen, Louisville
- Bullitt’s, Louisville
- WW Cousins, Louisville
- Mussel and Burger Bar, Louisville
Western KY
- Ferrell’s, Cadiz, Madisonville or Hopkinsville
- Laha’s Red Castle, Hodgenville
- The Station Burger Company, Paducah
So, do we have it right now? Or is there still someplace missing?
The Five Best Burgers in Kentucky
It's National Burger Day, y'all! I thought it would be fun to count down my five favorite hamburgers from Kentucky's local restaurants.
5. Pool Room Hamburger, Billy Ray's (Prestonsburg) This classic has been my family's favorite for generations. The hardest choice is whether to get fries or onion rings!
Crisp's Menu
4. Pimento Burger, Pine Mountain Grill (Whitesburg): A healthy dollop of house-made pimento cheese
3. The Revro, Stella's Kentucky Deli (Lexington): fried green tomatoes and bacon with locally-sourced and hormone-free Colcord Farm beef.
2. Cheeseburger, Crisp's Dairy Treat (Ashland) It isn't summer until you have a burger from a roadside diner!
Proof on Main Bison Burger
1. The Bison Burger, Proof on Main. Probably my favorite hamburger anywhere. So rich and delicious. Order it medium, with truffle fries, obvs.
Did I get it right? Or are there better burgers in the Bluegrass State?
Honoring a Family Hero on Memorial Day
Remembering a family hero.
Yesterday, my family laid to rest a true hero.
My great-uncle, Warren G. Watson, was born in a holler in Knott County in 1923. From those humble roots, he'd go on to lead a big, big life. At the age of 19, he began a career in education. Soon after, he was called to serve his country in European Theater of World War II. At the Battle of the Bulge, Uncle Warren caught sniper fire in the throat, and was left for dead. A member of his battalion disobeyed orders and rescued him; upon returning home to the mountains, he had to re-learn to talk and eat. For his bravery in battle, my uncle was awarded the Silver Star, the Purple Heart, the Validi Milites, and the Croix de guerre, although he'd always humbly shrug and say "yeah, I got some medals in The War." This Memorial Day, I mourn my uncle the World War II soldier, a heroic man who made unbelievable sacrifices for the sake of worldwide freedom. It's hard to imagine what it must have been like for him -- barely more than a boy himself and having never left the remote corners of Eastern Kentucky -- being sent to the European battlefields to liberate France. Even for the most patriotic and fair-minded, it must have been terrifying and surreal and invigorating. And, even for someone who believed as strongly in God, and freedom, and a general sense of what's right as my uncle did, I can't imagine how hard the road to recovery must have been, both physically and emotionally.
As a native Appalachian, with the strong sense of family as tribe that my heritage entails, I mourn my uncle as the last of my grandfather's siblings. With his passing, our family loses so many ties to the old-time mountain culture that once defined us. My granddaddy and his brother were incredibly talented musicians who played what they called "mountain music." There was a distinct regional variation that separated their genre from traditional bluegrass, they'd argue. Bill Monroe's sound was a musical dialect of Western Kentucky, while our family made the music of Kentucky's Appalachian towns. It's a distinction that, two generations removed and totally devoid of my family's signature musical gift, I can't begin to understand. My uncle loved music; he carved his own elaborate fiddles and he possessed the rare gift of perfect pitch.
In passing, my uncle takes with him his time-tested recipe for white corn liquor (Any Appalachian-American who claims to not have moonshiners in their family tree is, quite frankly, lying...) and the method his own father (a WWI veteran and fellow educator) taught him for extracting cube roots by hand.
This Decoration Day, as we mourn my family's loss, I also think of Uncle Warren's contemporaries among America's World War II veterans -- those often known as the Greatest Generation. I think not only of their sacrifices of safety, well-being and even their own lives; I think of the way that, as the last few members of this generation pass on, they take with them knowledge and insights from a pre-digital world. Like Uncle Warren, they possessed knowledge of a world we can't begin to imagine.
To my uncle and all who sacrificed health, comfort, safety, and their lives fighting for freedom and justice, there aren't sufficient words to express my gratitude and respect. I hope we all pause to remember the veterans in our own lives today.