by Tim Griton
‘Ville Voice Eats Correspondent
The bohemian in me enjoys the Highlands in the summer. For people watching, punctuated by good grub, there may not be a more eclectic place in the city. Bardstown Road stays clogged with residents and visitors alike all enjoying the artistically commercial vibe (or commercially artistic, depending on your point of view).

Because of that, if you’re really trying to get somewhere, you have to avoid Bardstown Road. Not because the main drag is somewhere you wouldn’t want to hang out, because you would. But everyone else is hanging out, too, and no one seems to be in much of a hurry. I suppose that’s the point of cruising. Check out and be checked out are the marching orders of the day unless you’re trying to get somewhere.

Against that backdrop yesterday, I had some places to take my sons. We were more interested in the destination than the trip on that day so we drove down Newburg Road, making a left at Speed Avenue and we nearly jumped for joy. There was some activity going on at Kaelin’s.

If you’re a reader of this site, you know that a couple of weeks ago, I felt moved to write a proper eulogy for the “birthplace of the cheeseburger.” We had heard of the closing of this culinary treasure a while ago with those involved fully intending to reopen. When that reopening didn’t happen, I wanted to commemorate this historic landmark since no one else had.

We went about our journey, but on the return home, I wanted to make sure I passed by again. Perhaps I’d see something on the door that would tell us when they were going to serve those sandwiches from heaven. Maybe our days of waving were over and we could actually make the stop that the sign invites us to do.

The oldest son (technically stepson, but we did away with “steps” a long time ago) excitedly talked about wanting a cheeseburger because he hadn’t had one from Kaelin’s for a long time. My youngest son, who only recently graduated from asking for chicken nuggets from every restaurant we’ve ever visited, asked how good the cheeseburgers were. He’s a recent convert to the ultimate cow combination (both of the active ingredients come from animals of the bovine persuasion).

I gave him a brief history of the cheeseburger as created by Kaelin’s (or Rite Spot or Humpty Dumpty Barrel Inn – whoever) and he began making preparations for his return visit. No more chicken nuggets for him, not when the historic center of the cheeseburger universe was right here in Louisville, Kentucky.

We finished our business and headed back home. We talked comic books and pro wrestling until we made that turn on Speed Avenue again. I wouldn’t say the car fell deathly silent, but we were all curious. As we approached the corner, with the Kaelin’s sign in sight, though not lit, we pulled into the parking lot.

That’s when we saw the new awning.

It read “Mulligan’s Pub and Grill.”

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.