The store, dedicated to specialty craft beer (!), has won a special spot in our heart. Craft bottles, growlers, beer flights, tastings, daily food stuffs from The Patron. Hello, heaven.

Located on the corner of Shelby & Market, we plan on moving in to the store ASAP. It appears NuLu is shaping up to be a great hood.

Some details:

Closed Mondays
Tuesday – Thursday open 12:00 Noon to 10:00 P.M.
Friday & Saturday open 12:00 Noon to 12:00 A.M.
Sunday open 1:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M.

Telephone 502.569.BEER

746 East Market Street
Louisville, KY 40202

Anyone been/checked it out yet?

Beer No Matter Where It’s From: Fans of football and good beer have a great day ahead  Saturday.  Flanagan’s Ale House will host an event dubbed East Coast, West Coast, No Coast, in which brewing giants Dogfish Head (from Rehoboth Beach, Del.) and Stone (San Diego, Calif.) meet brewmasters from the Bluegrass Brewing Company (the Ville!) in a celebration of some of their finest beers.  For a list of all beers present, check here and here.  The event, which starts at 5 p.m., carries a $5 cover (and presumably something for every beer you order), with all the proceeds benefitting Henry’s Ark in Prospect.

Meet a Master Brewer — Delivering the Stone cold brew to the East Coast, West Coast, No Coast event will be Greg Koch, the owner and founder of Stone Brewing Co.  Before heading over to Flanagan’s he’ll be at Ray’s Monkey House Café hanging out with his pal (and mayoral candidate) Dr. Nimbus Couzin.  Starting at 2:30 he’ll be giving away Stone pint glasses, chatting with customers, and maybe even drinking some of that 13th Anniversary Ale.

And a Master Distiller — To celebrate National Bourbon Heritage Month, Jack’s Lounge will be hosting the first in its Master Distiller Dinner Series on Sept. 29.  The guest at the dinner will be Wild Turkey master distiller Jimmy Russell, who will join mixology queen Joy Perrine to create Wild Turkey cocktails to go with each of the dinner’s three courses.  A spot can be reserved for $60, plus tax and tip.

And a Master Cause — Morton’s Steakhouse is partnering with Feeding America to raise money for local and national food banks.  The Louisville Morton’s is hosting a cookbook signing event on October 13 to promote its new “Morton’s: The Cookbook,” with $5 from the $59 ticket being donated to Feeding America.  The steakhouse will also auction off a dinner for six at the Chef’s Table, featuring dishes from the book as well as wine pairings.  Morton’s also plans to auction a 3-litre bottle of Chateau St. Michelle and an autographed copy of the movie “Scream,” which stars David Arquette and Courtney Cox.

Original. And Extra Original — Louisville Originals, the organization of local, independent restaurants, now has more than 10,000 members in its 7-month-old rewards program.  Members of the program accumulate points each time they eat at Louisville Originals restaurants and can exchange those points for gift certificates.  To celebrate the milestone, Louisville Originals restaurants are offering two double-points days, on Sept. 15 and Sept. 22.

Ray’s gets political, again — Nimbus Couzin, the Louisville mayoral candidate and owner of Ray’s Monkey House Café, hosted peace activist Cindy Sheehan for a talk and book signing at Ray’s on Sept. 10.  Couzin said the event in his café as well as Sheehan’s appearance at Bellarmine University were both very crowded. Depending on one’s opinion of Ms. Sheehan, who became a national figure when she mounted a month-long protest outside then President Bush’s Texas ranch, her appearance at Ray’s may or may not have helped Couzin’s chances in the mayoral race.

Unwelcome Publicity – A story in the Courier about Sergio’s World Beers’ recent relocation to Story Avenue from Shelbyville, Ky., led to a strongly-worded, unequivocal denial that the bar and restaurant was officially open. A post on Sergio’s website says that they prefer to serve only an exclusive group of literate food and beer connoisseurs. The post also says that the entire 1,000-beer collection will soon be available. If you have the cojones, Sergio’s can be found in a shotgun-style building on Story Avenue.  It doesn’t have a sign, so look for a window with flags in it.

Ham it up with Derby Pie — The deadline for submitting photos for the 2010 Derby Pie calendar is only three weeks away. Kern’s Kitchen, the exclusive bakers of Derby Pie, are hoping you have some shots of you and your friends posing with your favorite early-May dessert.  The best photos will be included in the calendar; as if that weren’t prize enough, winning photographers will receive a Derby Pie as well as a copy of the calendar.

BLU celebrates award with ½ price promo — To celebrate its status as one of the country’s best restaurants to go to for wine, the BLU Italian Grille is offering half-priced wine bottles every Wednesday.  Wine Spectator magazine honored BLU with its Award of Excellence in its August issue.  “We are extremely proud to be honored with the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence,” said Mehdi Spadavecchia, Marriott’s Food & Beverage Director.  “Our wine list includes over 200 selections and we are very excited to be considered as one of the best wine lists in the country,” he said.

New menu worth the hike: The Westport General Store’s tradition of serving fine southern cuisine in a comfortable (if remote) setting and at comfortable prices will continue with some new menu items.  The restaurant has announced a new menu from Chef Rafael Hernandez that will include a “smokehouse section” featuring brisket, spare ribs, chicken, and salmon, as well as new appetizers and dinner specials.  Oldham Countians take note!

World Beers coming to Louisville: Sergio’s World Beers, the purveyor of some 1,000 beers from around the globe, has received the go-ahead from the ABC to start selling alcohol at its new home on Story Avenue in Louisville.  The bar and restaurant had been in a state of limbo since closing the doors of its Shelbyville location in late July, but owner Sergio Ribenboim is planning to start serving beer on Friday, August 14th.  Eat before you go though, because the kitchen still has a few kinks to be worked out.

Mark’s has a dollar menu? Who knew it was possible for Mark’s Feed Store to become more kid-friendly?  In addition to the regular “Kids eat free” special every Tuesday, Mark’s stores will feature 99-cent kids’ meals on Sundays in August.  News of this was a little late getting out, so there are only three more chances to cash in before September rears its ugly head.

Canadian booze giant moving into the Ville: The first of two related stories here.  Liquor Barn and Shoppers Village Liquor, the largest independent liquor store chain in the Commonwealth, has agreed to be bought by the Liquor Stores Income Fund, a conglomerate based in Canada that operates or has a stake in 225 liquor stores.  Liquor Barn GM Brad Williams said loyal customers shouldn’t be too worried about drastic changes.  “We will continue to support local and regional beverage products, food products, charities and the arts communities here in Louisville and throughout Kentucky,” he said. “Over the years we’ve tried very hard to support our local friends and business entities and that is still our plan.”  Whew.

In St. Matthews, Liquor, liquor everywhere! And now the second.  Have you noticed  the construction going on at the old Huffman car dealership on Shelbyville Road?  You know, the place across the street from the Beverage Warehouse liquor store?  It’s going to be…another liquor store!  Liquor Barn, the newly acquired chain noted above, is planning to open a titanic new liquor store there in November.  The move has understandably ruffled the feathers of the Beverage Warehouse, and its owner, Greg Anastas, has complained to St. Matthews and the Kentucky ABC that the new Liquor Barn violates Kentucky law because it is less than 700 feet from an existing liquor store.  Anastas is right, if you draw the line from door to door, but the statute says the line should be drawn along the nearest legal street crossing.  Rules are rules, but it’s not like St. Matthews doesn’t have enough places to buy liquor anyway.  Eats will keep you apprised. [BizFirst]

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.

With the opening of a Sol Aztecas a couple of weeks ago in the old Sweet Pea’s Southern Bistro location, diners got another restaurant option among the string of eateries along Frankfort Avenue. “For a lot of people 2008 hasn’t been good for small businesses, but not for us,” says Saul Garcia, co-owner of the restaurant.

The other owners are Garcia’s sister Maria Perez, Jesus De La Fuente, and Ramiro Gandara, a former resident of the Crescent Hill neighborhood, who said they had been looking for a location along Frankfort Avenue for about five years. The new restaurant is the second Sol Azteca’s. Garcia, Perez and De La Fuente own the first Sol Azteca’s, which is on Bardstown Road and opened in 2005. Gandara and Garcia also are partners in the Main Street Los Aztecas location downtown, which opened in 1997, and Garcia is a partner in three other Los Aztecas restaurants in the Louisville area.

Changes to the building, which was built in the 1920s, include a spruced-up bar, renovated restrooms and the addition of several shades of festive colors and Mexican bric-a-brac to the walls. Changes to the menu include test items such as two parrillada entrees, which consist of a mixture of grilled meats, that will serve four people. New items that gain a following will be added to the menu at the Bardstown Road location.

On a very recent visit, I was pleasantly surprised at the remake. The hardwood floors gleamed, and a friendly server quickly ushered us to an inviting table in the corner. I ordered my standard, the chiles poblanos rellenos, and my friend ordered tacos de carne asada. The peppers, stuffed with gooey cheese and fried after a quick dip in egg batter, were artfully arranged on a large platter alongside a serving of refried beans, rice and garnish of pico de gallo. Maybe because they seemed to be presented with more aplomb than their counterparts at the Bardstown Road location, the chiles seemed to taste better as well.

The best part: with two 22-ounce draft Dos Equis, the bill came to under $30, including the tip.

by David Dominé, The Bluegrass Peasant