The people have spoken! Or written.

LEO published its annual Readers’ Choice Award winners in its Sept. 23 issue.  Included in the wide-ranging, highly subjective awards was, as always, a lengthy dining section.  Here’s a summary of the headlines:

I mean, clearly:  Jack Fry’s is clearly the best place in town…taking first place in the overall restaurant, fine dining, and romantic dinner categories.

And Ramsi’s Café on the World is clearly the second best place in town…taking second place in the overall restaurant and late night dining categories, as well as a third place in the buffet category.

Convinced?  I thought not.  Notably absent from the list are Bardstown Road neighbors Asiatique and Seviche, which both consistently offer high-quality, creatively conceived dishes, served in unique, comfortable atmospheres.

Foreign delights:  The sheer number of categories honoring foreign cuisine (10 in all) speaks volumes about Louisville’s affinity for the foreign food scene.  But what about African food?

Africans make up 15 percent of the Ville’s foreign-born population, and their options for authentic cuisine are disproportionately limited.

The Great Pizza Push:  Competition was fierce once again in the pizza category.  Readers got it right though, selecting Tony BoomBozz as Louisville’s best.  If only beer was served beer at all locations.

Speaking of beer:  BBC won in the local brewery and wait staff categories, both of which are hard to dispute.  Nachbar won the dive bar category and, inexplicably, had the third-best beer list in town.  Aren’t those distinctions mutually exclusive?

Missing categories:  While some of the responses to categories were pretty funny (“outside” for best place to smoke, “sex” as the second best reason to use social networking sites, “The Ville Voice” for best local news blog—wait, what?), gone were the categories that are funny in themselves.  Where are the “Most likely to find spit in your food” and “Best after-hours hook-up booths” categories?

See everyone at the free LEO party celebrating the Readers’ Choice Award winners.  It’s at 6 p.m. on Sept. 24 at the Gillespie.

Gerstle’s set to grow; Vikings set to still suck: Having cleared its final re-zoning hurdle last week, Gerstle’s is poised to begin an expansion project that will allow the St. Matthews/Crescent Hill bar to accommodate a great deal many more Vikings fans this football season.  The plan is to use the property next door, vacated by a Christian bookstore, for indoor-outdoor seating, while adding angled parking and a new side door.  [Courier]

Shiraz has got us surrounded: From Poplar Level Road, good news for lovers of Mediterranean food.  Shiraz, the sprawling Louisville micro-chain (I mean that in a good way), is opening a new location in the Quarry Center, about a mile south of Audobon Hospital.  Besides the Frankfort Avenue location, there are locations on English Station Road (near the Gene Snyder), on Hurstbourne Parkway near Shelbyville Road, and in Holiday Manor.   The fifth store’s grand opening is in the about-a-week range, but it looks like there’s still plenty of work to do.

Monkeys can do tofu?  Who knew?: Ray’s Monkey House (Bardstown Road) will begin serving hot breakfast food from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on the weekends, starting this Saturday, July 25.  The quirky, family-extra-friendly café (they have kids open mic night every Friday!) will sell made-to-order omelettes and tofu dishes in the neighborhood of $5, according to owner Nimbus Couzin.  If business booms on the weekends, they may start serving breakfast during the week as well.

Raising glasses, funds at O’Shea’s pub family: Highlands block brothers O’Shea’s and Flanagan’s, along with their St. Matthews cousin Brendan’s, have raised more than $202,000 in their three-year history of community fundraising.  The most recent Monday “FUND Day” garnered about $4,300 for Louisville Habitat.  The next one is on Monday, August 3, and will benefit the Volunteers of America Emergency Shelter.

There’s a reason it’s called a ‘secret recipe, Yankee: Another signature Kentucky industry is in danger of being overrun by New York-based entrepreneurs!  Ron Douglas, of Long Island, claims he’s cracked the secret recipe for KFC’s 11 herbs and spices and is about to publish his findings, as well as other imitations of famous recipes, in a new book.  Apparently, he only needed six tries to figure it out.  The Colonel must be pissed, right?  Wrong.  “Plenty of people have tried to duplicate the recipe over the years,” says KFC spokesman Rick Maynard.  “There is still only one place to get authentic Original Recipe Chicken.”  Maynard didn’t bother to point out (but I will) that one of Douglas’s ingredients, monosodium glutamate, couldn’t be purchased in the U.S. until 1947, a full seven years after Harland David Sanders developed his original recipe. [MSNBC]

Cure for a Case of the Mondays. This week’s LEO review of North End Café omitted that the Tuesday-Sunday restaurant is now open for limited hours on Mondays, from 8 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Those breakfast tapas sound pretty tasty. [LEO]

John LaFollette is a Louisville writer.

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.

The reopening of Browning’s at Louisville Slugger Field has been somewhat of a local success story – after closing in March 2008 because of the recessing economy, it was reopened by partners Anoosh Shariat and Paula Barmore.

I had the pleasure of sitting down and talking with Shariat and Barmore at Browning’s and sampling a few menu offerings. The partners rushed to open the restaurant within a month of their decision to purchase the space and are still trying to get everything perfect, having already changed the menu once. However, you wouldn’t know that walking into the restaurant – from the fresh flowers surrounding the outdoor patio to the menu that seems to cater to all tastes, Browning’s seems as though Shariat and Barmore have been running it for decades.

According to Barmore, the most popular menu items have been the Browning’s Burger, Hot Brown, and Helles Battered Grouper. While some of the menu is a reflection of the offerings from the restaurant’s first life, there are some new additions such as the Fried Macaroni and Cheese and Grilled Portobello Wrap.

In addition to their regular operations, Shariat and Barmore hope to cater to the business crowd downtown by offering meeting space in both Browning’s and Park Place, the former upscale restaurant space next door.

Park Place will be the more upscale, white-tablecloth location for meetings and other special events, but Browning’s also has private dining areas for more friendly, low-key gatherings. The partners also hope to host beer-tastings and other interesting events for individuals looking for a private space for a get-together.

Everything I sampled at Browning’s was interesting and delicious, and the prices were definitely recession-friendly. Plus, the portions are huge, so two light eaters could share an entrée and appetizer for a meal costing less than $20. The beer is incredibly affordable as well – glasses of Browning’s brew run at $4 a piece, about what you would pay for a bottle of Bud down at Fourth Street.

The food at Browning’s is worth the money, and eating there goes to support two individuals who refuse to give up on the locally-owned dining scene even when times look bleak. And right now, we could use a few more success stories.

Read more from Jessica at her About Louisville blog

Coming Soon: Fans of Zaytun Mediterranean Grill will be happy to know that its owners are opening a second location in the Highlands at the old Diamante Bar and Grill location. The new location will specialize in small seafood dishes and will have a bar.

Support Our Farmers: The Food Literacy Project is hosting a Family Farm Day Saturday, June 6, at Oxmoor Farm. Visitors to the event will learn about cooking with fresh produce and making ice cream and bread. There will also be face painting and other activities for children.

Food Fighting the Recession: According to the National Restaurant Association, the outlook for the restaurant industry is very positive after four consecutive months of growth in 2009.

Trading Spaces: If you’re looking for Mark Heil at 60 West Bistro & Martini Bar, you’re in the wrong place. Heil took his new position as head chef of Westport General Store on May 23.

Things To Do This Weekend: Visit the opening of the Beechmont Open Air Market. Drink beer at the Feast of Ale Brew Bash on Saturday at St. Anthony of Padua Church, and then cure your hangover with more beer at Flanagan’s Beer Fest on Sunday.

Expansions: The Wine Rack is moving a couple of blocks down the street to a new, larger location with a courtyard planned for wine tastings. Westport Village’s Wild Eggs has expanded to include an outdoor patio they’re calling the “Chicken Coop” with seating for 28.

Read more from Jessica at her Louisville blog.

Celebrate Healthy Living: This Saturday, May 30, the healthy-living businesses in Westport Village are hosting Healthy You Healthy Planet, a festival featuring speakers, health screenings, chair massages, healthy food, and live music, all to promote the adoption of healthier lifestyles. This event also kicks off the start of the Westport Village Farmer’s Market.[Westport Village]

Reviews: In the LEO this week, Kevin Gibson reviewed Browning’s while Robin Garr dined at the new Zaytún Mediterranean Grill and sampled the free Barbeque Pulled Pork Slider from White Castle. [LEO] Marty Rosen reviewed Coach Lamp in the C-J.

If You Can Cook Seafood: Jefferson Community and Technical College is hosting the fourth annual Seafood Cooking Contest on June 8. To compete, chefs must submit two recipes that use Kentucky farm-raised seafood to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture by June 1. [Biz First]

Other Food from the Water News: On Saturdays from May 30 through the end of crawfish season, Selena’s at Willow Lake Tavern will be boiling Live Louisiana Crawfish, serving buckets of beer, and holding corn hole tournaments. [HotBytes]

Specials: Bistro 301 is celebrating its 3rd anniversary by offering small plates of food and a daily wine glass and cocktail feature for $3.01 each starting June 15. [HotBytes]

Choose Your Pajamas Wisely: Proof on Main is throwing its fourth annual Pajama Party on June 12. This event features a cocktails and hors d’ouevre reception benefiting the International Contemporary Art Foundation. [C-J]

Beer Is the New Water: More than 30 breweries and wineries are participating in this year’s Feast of Ale festival happening on June 6 at St. Anthony of Padua Church. I can’t help but find the location of this event deliciously ironic. [C-J]

Read more from Jessica at About Louisville.

The Derby Festival is about epic proportions: it features the most explosive fireworks show in the nation, the biggest hats and the greatest two minutes of horse racing in the world. But last weekend, in the heart of Germantown, people were content to celebrate on a smaller scale.

Saturday, April 25 was the 17th Annual Schnitzelburg Walk. Hundreds of Germantown and Schnitzelburg residents turned out to for what can only be described as the best block in town. Walkers sprawled out across the historic Germantown neighborhood to enjoy live bands, mediocre karaoke, hot food and – of course – cold beer.  A majority of Germantown’s restaurants and bars took their fare outside for the event, including: Flabby’s, Ole Hickory Bar, Check’s Café, Zeppelin Café, the Nachbar, Lisa’s Oak Street Lounge, the Pour Haus and Jockamo’s Pizza Pub.

Maybe it goes without saying, but what would a Germanic-themed party in Schnitzelberg be without giant pretzels and brats? Thankfully, the Zeppelin Café was able to satisfy both requirements with their offering of the bratwurst on a pretzel roll. Sound too good to be true? It almost is, except that I really ate it and it really is delicious. The brats were fresh off the grill and tender with a crispy skin; put that atop one of the Zeppelin Café’s storied pretzel rolls and we’re talking about a whole new realm of tasty.

The Schnitzelburg Walk is a seriously understated event. If you missed this celebration of food, community and friendly faces, make sure to mark it on your calendar for next year. But don’t forget: Germantown is always available when you need a cold one and pretzel.

Thoughts of home and all the trimmings while on tour can be bittersweet for the emotional appetite. What this one Louisville boy has to say about sharing and preparing meals at home and on the road is well, food for thought.

Thunderous drumming — be it ancient, state of the art or summoning John Bonham from the afterlife, Patrick Hallahan supplies the tribal, life-affirming heart for My Morning Jacket’s mesmerizing works of sound.

Front man Jim James scales a rock solid wall pounded out by Hallahan with the psychedelic grace of a shape shifter. The two are in sync as band mates as well as old friends and the connection is nothing less than magic.

With their current album, Evil Urges, carving a niche through the rock and alternative charts, My Morning Jacket still escapes category. To define the group’s body of music as one style is as futile as chasing spilled mercury across a classroom floor. (If you’re old enough to remember science labs back in the day, teachers letting students play with cups of quicksilver…but don’t get me started.) So, just trust me, or anyone who is a fan of  Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, Slint or even Prince, that My Morning Jacket is hard to pin down. And why bother? You could be listening.

Read the rest after the jump…

Patrick is a dyed-in-the-wool Louisville and family man. Clan Hallahan are tight-knit, supportive and can take up some space at a local MMJ performance. Putting some substantial ripples in the gene pool are Patrick’s young cousins, Jackson and Corey, both exhibiting natural talent at drums and guitar, respectfully and are avid participants at Louisville School of Rock.

Jackson’s instructor Neil Lucas at Willis School of Music has a lot to say about the student he’s had for three years, starting when he turned ten.

“From what I’ve seen, is a hard hitter with tons of finesse which means he’s more than likely put in years of practice and pays attention to detail.”

Sounds familiar.

Taking visual stock of MMJ on the live stage, one can barely make out human figures and instruments as they are lost in swirling fog and bathed in a surreal light.  The rise and fall of guitars and hair occasionally break through the high tech nova. Outside of live concert photography, a recent studio session revealed a royal western style Dutch Masters sensibility. Not to mention that everyone is standing still.

Once out from behind the drums, Patrick Hallahan is revealed to be a tree of a man. He looks like he sounds – powerful, thick and esoteric.

With enough follicle glory to boost personal stock in Roto Rooter, Patrick falls into the rhythm of the song as wall of drumming hair windmills and hammering arms, with each memorable concert.

Many fans and bloggers from outside Louisville have a hard time hearing of how local folks used to catch Jim strumming solo at the Rudyard Kipling or remembering the kind barista, Patrick, who used to tap out time for a flawless cappuccino with his toe at Heine Bros in the Highlands.

The roar of those concerts is just an echo as of this moment. Misjudging a step into darkness, then plunging from the stage in Iowa earlier this fall, Jim James received traumatic injuries to his torso.  The unfortunate event pulled muscles as well as the plug on the remaining tour. A short while later the European tour was put on hold. Recovery is imminent but slow and nothing to take on the road. However, this won’t keep the band from honoring the Chicago shows in December as well as New Year’s Eve in Madison Square Garden.

Get ready to savor our guest’s response to questions about Louisville cuisine, Kentucky favorites that graced his childhood table and now miss or share while on the road, in the sky and far from a home-cooked meal.

With Seattle in their rear-view mirror, MMJ was on its way to the ill-fated Iowa City concert where Jim was injured when Patrick took on the task of completing the Gut Reaction interview.

Cindy Lamb: What are you eating, if anything, right now? Are you a good cook?

Patrick Hallahan: I’m really not eating anything at the moment, just drinking some raw Kombucha.  I wish I was eating my dad’s pulled pork bbq…. it’s the best thing in the world.  Am I a good cook?  Hmmm, some would debate both sides of that question.

CL: What restaurants in the Louisville area do you miss?

PH: If I don’t get a Jack Fry’s pork chop or a Kern’s Korner cheeseburger soon, I’m sure to implode.

CL: What is your favorite dish prepared by Your Mom?:

PH:  MAC AND CHEESE!!!  I’m pretty sure the woman invented the dish.  God, I need to get home.

CL: at Catholic Summer Carnivals?

PH: Fried fish sandwich or bratwurst.  Catholic summer carnivals = nuns, cold beer, and beat the dealer, and fish sandwiches/bratwursts balance things out.

CL: Favorite by your significant other?

PH: My wife, Brigid, makes a bourbon/mango chutney salmon dish that will send you upstream. A dash of love is always the best ingredient in any dish, and she heaps it on.

CL: Please shed some light on “Peanut Butter Pudding Surprise”. I’ve come across several slang definitions of all or some of that phrase and would like your personal take.

PH: I want nothing to do with any “Peanut Butter Pudding Surprise.”  I have a feeling it’s something smeared, and I want no part of it.  That one is all you…

CL: What brand of peanut butter do you prefer?

PH: I know there are a lot of delicious peanut butters out there (and you know who you are), but Kroger’s Natural Peanut Butter makes me really happy.  Maybe nostalgia has a stake in this…

CL: What Kentucky grub would you most enjoy sharing abroad or in other states?

PH: I always love sharing BBQ recipes with people abroad (Texas, the Carolinas, Korea, and Australia…all known for good BBQ).  But one thing that isn’t necessarily Kentucky-based, but something I like to share, is the colossal southern breakfast.  This high-calorie sucker punch baffles people everywhere, but once it’s explained that the meal’s origin is that of energy supplement for long days of farm work, they drop their guard and pick up their fork.

CL: What food will never pass your lips and why?

PH: I’ll try everything once.  WELL, maybe not lamb fries, or that body part on any other animal.

CL: What do you have stashed in the fridge of the tour bus? What will you not share?

PH: I have this Chinese chili pepper sauce that I can’t live without right now.  It goes on everything.  And I’ll share my food with anyone!  Food is a communal thing for me.  You want a bite?

CL: What music (or anything aural) goes best while dining for breakfast?

PH: Old Country, Sam Cooke

CL: Lunch?

PH: Digital Underground, Afro-beat, Fugazi, Talking Heads

CL: Dinner?

PH: Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald

CL: What is your ultimate morning meal?

PH: I can’t bring myself to eat this on a daily basis, but my first instinct is to make/order;  2 Eggs (Scrambled), 4 Strips of bacon, 2 Biscuits w/sausage gravy, Orange Juice, Water.  And a life insurance policy.

CL: What did you last cook over an open fire?

PH: Pork tenderloin and grilled vegetables in a grill wok.

CL: Take your pick of the two, or add your own food item:

• Baloney or Corndog: Corn dog
• Moon Pies or Derby Pie: Derby Pie, are you kidding???
• Big Red or Ale 8: Man, depends on the day.  Big Red for now
• Bourbon or Beer: Bourbon…quality over quantity.
• White Castle or Dizzy Whiz: White Castle (to go along with the Big Red).
• Pinto or Navy: Pinto
• Biscuits or Grits: Biscuits
• Coffee or Tea: Tea

Toast This: We all know that the weight of an out-of-towner’s opinion weighs heavily on our own view. That’s why consultants make so much money. We came across this ultra-positive review of Toast on Market from a traveling St. Louis couple.

Reviews: In the C-J, Marty Rosen tried the new Calabash seafood at Son of a Sailor in LaGrange.  In the Voice-Tribune, Steve Kaufman reminds us of the history of the cheeseburger at Kaelin’s. Here’s a C-J piece on Sitar, the new Indian place in the Highlands. I tried it recently with my son Nick, a vegeterian, who approved wholeheartedly. A secret no more, Kevin Gibson reviews Cafe Perrusa in J-town.

Moves: The Seelbach is going to be hiring soon. Three execs are in the process of opening a restaurant in the Atlanta airport called One Flew South.

Openings:  Another one of those buildings endlessly trying out restaurant concepts — 9501 Shelbyville Road — is making a comeback as Furlong’s, the same Louisiana-themed former hotspot on Frankfort Ave. The new Furlong’s occupies the building that once housed Frank’s and Garrett’s. Meanwhile, Quills is making a comeback somewhere on Baxter Ave., though its owner isn’t saying exactly where. In August, you should be able to get one of those amazing pizza pies from Impellizeri’s from its new location in Holiday Manor. That’s certainly an upgrade from the Pizza Hut that used to be there.  Something called the Ri Ra Irish Pub is coming to Fourth Street Live this fall, for those who want a chain version of Molly Malone’s or Irish Rover. The Connecticut-based chain takes the spot formerly occupied by Felt, where for about $20 you could play a round of pool.

Starbuck Update: We told you the Starbucks on Westport Road was on the closing list. Now the relatively new one on Poplar Level Road is closing up as well.

Hot Brown Praise – The cowboys at CMT love the Hot Brown, and who could blame them? While we don’t know if we’d go as far to call the Hot Brown a “luxurious sandwich,” there’s no denying the appeal of the Louisville original, served at the Brown Hotel.  The Nashville writer’s short piece gives a quick history of the sandwich and praises Bardstown’s “indie scene.” Cool. (CMT)

Breakfast at The Brown- You can also get a high-end breakfast at the Brown, especially if you sample the new breakfast menu at J. Graham’s Cafe. Vanilla Belgian Waffles, the Hot Brown Florentine, and the Smoked Salmon Omelet sound like reasons enough to pay the grand ol’ hotel a morning visit.

Party Like It’s 1933- Brown-Forman is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the repeal of prohibition. That’s something to celebrate, especially when you’re the only whiskey company in the U.S. that existed before, during and after Prohibition. Part of its six-month celebration is the recognition of establishments which survived the dry spell, and unveiling a special Old Forester gift pack. Old Forester was legally sold as medicine during Prohibition, and became many a grandpa’s cough syrup.

BBC Never a Let Down – We kicked off this past weekend at BBC in St. Matthews, where we were happy to discover the Raspberry Meade and an excellent spinach and artichoke pizza. The meade is tasty and kind of on the sweet side (it’s fermented honey!), so you don’t want to drink more than one. The pizza was just as good, with spinach, chicken and artichokes covered in cheese on a chewy crust. If you go, be sure to eat outside on the air conditioned beer garden.