I’ve been eating high on the hog lately. Monday night was a Bastille dinner at the Bristol in Jeffersonville, and yesterday I had lunch at Napa River Grill. Last week I did dinner at Morton‘s and at Avalon. I think I might be developing a goiter. Maybe it’s time to change my eating habits.

At least for the time being I’ve decided to stop eating at all those fancy places, but I doubt it will help my goiter. In a project I’ve dubbed “The Dive Diaries,” I’m going to devote some time exploring the dark underbelly of the local food world. Yes, I’ll start going to the greasy spoons, patronizing the pits, hunkering down in the honky-tonks, hiding out in the holes in the wall, all in search of those diamonds in the rough we call dives.

According to Merrian-Webster OnLine, a dive is “a shabby and disreputable establishment (as a bar or nightclub).” I found another place that defines it as “a cheap disreputable nightclub or dance hall.” The disreputable part sounds especially enticing, so this should be a fun project. Of course, I’ll be concentrating on the victuals at the places we affectionately call dives, but as I come down off my culinary high horse, please feel free to chime in with your recommendations. I’d like to find out where the best dives in the ‘Ville really are, so I’ll be counting on you all for your comments.

But, before I set off and start spelunking the culinary catacombs of the ‘Ville and its environs in search of those locales most worthy of mention, allow me to elucidate my own personal requirements for a dive. For me, a true dive is a place where:

1) Food must be relatively cheap, and generally good. It doesn’t necessarily have to be good for you, though;

2) You must feel slightly out of place when you walk through the front door;

3) It must be dark on the inside. Preferably, there are no windows at all. If there are windows, they should be dirty;

4) When you leave, you should feel a little dirty yourself;

5) Alcohol must be served. (Since there are many dive-worthy lunch counters and diners that do not serve hootch, however, I will create an ancillary category to make sure these places get their fair mention alongside their boozey cousins. They will be called Southern Baptist dives.)

And, although not requisite, the presence of any of the following makes the dive all the more memorable in my book:

1) Grumpy waitresses, preferably the ones who have done a lot of livin’

2) The lingering smell of fried food in the air, mingling freely with the aromas of stale cigarette smoke and beer

3) Leatherette booths with random missing chunks that expose the soft yellow of foam rubber, its jagged edges inviting us to ponder the dubious past events that resulted in the production of said missing chunks

4) A preponderance of linoleum, Formica or cheap wooden paneling

5) Blatant disregard for the concept of interior décor

6) Large jars of scary pickled things such as pig’s feet and Pepto-Bismol-colored eggs

7) Customers who actually eat scary pickled things

8) Deep-fried pork rinds

9) A juke box

10) At least one drunk at the bar

(Once again, feel free to chime in and add your criteria to the list.)

And, although the dictionary definition for a dive seems to cast a bit of aspersion on the moral character of the establishment in question, I by no means wish to impugn the gastronomic merits of a good dive. Dives have some of the best food out there, so any place mentioned in my culinary chronicles should wear this distinction as a badge of honor.

Now, with the groundwork laid, it’s off to the seedier side of the Louisville dining scene.

Watch tomorrow’s post for the first installment in The Dive Diaries. And, make sure you share your recommendations with the rest of us.

It is a tough time to be in the restaurant industry. Increases in the price of food and gas, combined with a struggling economy, have created a difficult climate for restaurateurs across the country. The impact can clearly be seen in Louisville. Ferd Grisanti Restaurant, which had been in business for 35 years, closed on June 8.

Owner Rodney Rupp blamed the economy. “We succumbed to high gas prices and the struggling economy,” Rupp told the C-J on June 24.

Andrew Hutto, owner of Baxter Station Bar and Grill, and president of Louisville Originals, says the staggering economy is hurting the industry. “It (economy) reflects a loss of discretionary income,” Hutto said. “Going out to eat is Louisville’s main source of entertainment, and when people have less money to spend on entertainment, it hurts all of us.”

Hutto says the high gas prices have directly impacted the price of food, which has increased dramatically from last year. “Butter has shot up from $40 to $100 since February. Prices for everything across the board have gone up.”

Food prices have skyrocketed since 2006. The average cost of a dozen eggs today is $2.18, compared with $1.45 in 2006, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Whole milk, which today will cost an average $3.87 per gallon, was $3.20 two years ago. “On top of it all, suppliers tack on delivery prices to compensate for the gas prices,” Hutto added.

All the dour economic news makes it more difficult to operate a restaurant profitably. That seems to be a key reason given when restaurants close.

“More and more people are starting to ask themselves, ‘why am I continuing to bang my head against the wall, and work harder and harder to get less and less?’ It’s a tough business right now,” said Hutto.

Paul Grisanti sold his interest in Ferd’s in 2007 after his family operated it for 34 years. “I had been in the business since I was eight years old,” said Grisanti, who now runs a commercial real estate company, Grisanti-Head Commercial Real Estate. “After 29 years of being in a full-time ownership and management role, I felt I had a long enough run.”

When asked whether or not he felt the struggling economy played a role in Ferd’s demise, just 18 months after he sold it, Grisanti was diplomatic. “I’ll tell you this much. My family operated that business for 34 years through up and down economies. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.”

While many restaurants are struggling in this economic climate, those who adapt have the best chance to succeed. Larry Watson, general manager of Avalon, believes in innovation.

“Clearly food prices have gone up,” Watson said. “Anything that’s delivered by truck is going to be expensive, but our business is doing very well.”

Avalon has opened a popular patio and built a strong following on Bardstown Road. “Staying competitive as a restaurant is really tough, just because we have such a great independent dining scene. Staying innovative and interesting is the key.”