by John LaFollette
‘Ville Voice Eats Correspondent
In Velocity, reviewer Marty Rosen has an interesting take on the city’s restaurant reputation. He gives five reasons — both good and bad — on the ‘Ville’s charms as a restaurant town. Intriguing premise.
It’s hard to take issue with the good reasons — local chef camaraderie, the chef pipeline from Sullivan’s culinary arts program, the abundance and availability of local ingredients, the broad and tasty selection of ethnic and immigrant foods, and the absence of a major league sports franchise to suck up disposable income.
But Rosen’s reasoning against the city as a restaurant town sound pretty sketchy. Two of them are legitimate—there is a shamefully low number of disability-accessible restaurants, and parts of the city are peppered with dining dead-zones—and hurt Louisville’s case for restaurant greatness.
The other three are ridiculous, though. Rosen claims that there are still voids that need to be filled with Greek, deli-style, and Italian foods, an argument that seems kind of weak in light of one of the reasons why we’re good. Not enough street vendors? That’s apparently another disqualifier, but I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. The fifth, and silliest, is that Anthony Bourdain would have nowhere to go to find authentic Louisville cuisine.
What? Why should Louisville restaurants try to pigeonhole themselves for some Travel Channel slickster who can’t hold his liquor? What would they cook, anyway?
Is there a quintessential Louisville dish? No, because Louisville itself is an agglomeration of a number of forces that are all pretty comfortable with each other. We’re not exotic enough for Bourdain, but is there anything wrong with that?
John LaFollette is a Louisville writer.
7 responses so far ↓
1 Mark H (Not Hebert) // Jul 30, 2009 at 5:30 pm
What a load a crap. I have traveled to almost every major city in the country and I would put our scene pretty high on the diversity and quality for the price. Certainly we cannot compare to Boston, Chicago, or New York, but we don’t have to drop $150-$200 for a 2-top either.
The diversity of cuisine is what is authentic. I watch Bourdain’s show and he goes to places no more authentic than the Oak Room (Hot Brown), Lynn’s, Bourbon Bistro, or Wagner’s Pharmacy near Churchill Downs.
Finally, who and hell needs late night street vendors with there nasty carts when you have White Castle and Twig N Leaf!
2 yournamehere // Jul 30, 2009 at 10:39 pm
As far as authentic Louisville cuisine, what about the rolled oyster? Can you get a rolled oyster anywhere but here? Mazzoni’s is gone, but they serve the Mazzoni’s original at Flabby’s.
3 KYGuy // Jul 30, 2009 at 11:49 pm
Taking a cheap shot at Anthony Bourdain – - very classy. I’ll take one at you now – - you’re ignorant about Bourdain. Or, maybe you’re the drunk slickster?
4 anon // Jul 31, 2009 at 7:49 am
As a Danish-American, I bemoan the shocking lack of Scandinavian cuisine in Louisville.
Ludefisk! Bring me my ludefisk!
5 Louisville Diner // Aug 2, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Rolled oysters are disgusting. It’s a ball of greasy fried dough smothering a slimy overcooked oyster. It’s nothing to be proud of. To compare that to, say, Baltimore’s soft-shelled crabs is a joke.
My take on the article was that their trying to get the city to stop patting itslef on the back so much. Anyone who thinks Louisville is on the same level as Chicago or New York is just fooling themselves. It’s nice to know you can get a cheap meal here, but thats not the point. The thing that always strikes me about this town is how defensive peole get when someone has the gall to criticize a sacred cow like the Derby or the restaurants here.
6 Lou Ville // Aug 3, 2009 at 2:02 pm
I’m pretty sure Bourdain could drink you under the table. Do some research before you print a pointless attack on someone who has nothing to to do with the Louisville Dining Scene.
7 yournamehere // Aug 4, 2009 at 2:10 am
The rolled oyster IS a ball of greasy fried dough smothering a slimy overcooked oyster, and it’s delicious.
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