Among other dignataries present was Mark Bates, the founder of Calistoga Artisan Sandwiches, who has partnered with the Schnatters to open two upscale sandwich shops in the Derby City  The second Calistoga Artisan Sandwiches will open in the UofL Outpatient Center in downtown Louisville later in the month. Both Louisville locations will donate a portion of proceeds for the first month of business to the Zoo Kids Inc., a program at the Louisville Zoo.

Calistoga Artisan Sandwiches offers creative sandwiches and “pressatas,” Italian precursors of the well-known panini that are stuffed with fresh ingredients and pressed on a hot grill. Popular varieties include the Turkey Artichoke Pressata (smoked turkey, spinach artichoke spread, Asiago-parmesan cheese, caramelized onions and tomato on herb focaccia) and the Chicken Pesto Cordon Blue (grilled chicken breast, black forest ham, melted Swiss and creamy pesto aioli served on herb focaccia).

Read the rest after the jump…

But there are more than sandwiches available at Calistoga. Homemade omelettes such as the Calistoga Western (green pepper, green onion, ham and cheese), the California (avocado, tomato, bacon and Cheddar), and the Spinach and Goat Cheese are just some of the things that would make for a great breakfast or weekend brunch. Calistoga also serves artisan breads, gourmet soups, salads, pastries, custom roasted coffees and espresso. Most items average $7-8.
John Schnatter decided to bring the Calistoga flavor home to Louisville after sampling Calistoga Artisan Sandwiches in Naples, Fla.

Named for a small California town nestled in the Upper Napa Valley, Calistoga has a warm rustic atmosphere with a modern twist. The 4,000-square-foot restaurant seats up to 195 people and has been decorated in soothing earth tones with features such as hardwood-inspired ceramic tile floors and high ceilings with pendulum lighting and casual chandeliers.

Table sizes vary from cozy booths to large party working tables. A sitting area also has oversized leather armchairs facing a double-sided fireplace that also warms the patio. On the other side of the fireplace, patio guests can enjoy a peaceful fountain practically any time of the year thanks to several heaters. Calistoga also offers convenient, complimentary high-speed wireless internet, plenty of electrical outlets for plugging in laptops, and flat screen televisions featuring the latest in news, sports and weather. Newer restaurants have video menu boards and a state-of-the-art stereo system.

Other Calistoga Artisan Sandwiches include three locations in Florida and one in Lexington, Kentucky. All locations are open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Catering, call-ahead ordering, and a children’s menu are available as well.

“We’re thrilled to have a Louisville-based business in our signature building,” said Larry N. Cook, UofL’s Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, who sees Calistoga as a plus for a center that promotes a healthy lifestyle. “In addition to offering comprehensive, multidisciplinary medical and dental services at one location, we strive to make our patients, their families and our staff feel welcomed here. Calistoga offers a healthy choice for dining and we are thrilled to welcome them to our building.”

Named after the small Napa Valley town in California, Calistoga serves fare in locations with a neighborhood cafe feel and inviting atmosphere. Although it serves gourmet soups, salads, artisan breads, pastries, and coffees, Calistoga is known for its upscale artisan sandwiches and “pressatas,” Italian-inspired creations stuffed with fresh ingredients and pressed on a hot grill.

Read the rest after the jump…

Popular varieties smoked turkey, spinach artichoke spread, Asiago-parmesan cheese, caramelized onions and tomato and the Russian River Chicken Sandwich, which has grilled chicken, black forest ham, melted Swiss and creamy pesto aioli. Sandwiches at Calistoga cost around $7 a piece and a bowl of soup goes for about $4. Each day will see a different choice of soups; Monday’s selection includes French onion, broccoli cheddar, chicken noodle, tomato basil, white chicken chili, and harvest mushroom bisque

Bates founded Calistoga in 2004 and later paired with Schnatter, the founder of Papa John’s International Inc. pizza chain. Schnatter’s wife Annette will be a partner for another Calistoga Sandwiches opening on Dutchmans Lane in the fall. Big supporters of UofL, the Schnatters are known for their work to make Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium a reality in 1998.

Calistoga currently has three locations in Florida and one in Lexington. All locations serve breakfast, lunch and dinner daily and offer catering, call-ahead ordering, a children’s menu and complimentary high-speed wireless internet access.

by David Dominé, The Bluegrass Peasant

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.

Business First’s Terry Boyd filed two stories this week on Bountiful Bread and Calistoga Bakery Café. Despite CBC’s backing of John Schnatter’s dollars, Bountiful Bread’s operators believe their quicker-to-market position will help them out-duel Papa John’s new fancy.

Schnatter, Papa John’s board chair, said an ice cream shop and coffee shop are planned for the center of town, and he’s working on securing a steakhouse to be dubbed Anchorage Prime. I gather this won’t be a Ponderosa/Golden Corral-type spot.

What the neighborhood really needs is a darn good pub or bistro, a place locals can walk to, get a light meal, a great microbrew, dessert or cocktail. Unfortunately, former pubs in the town’s center were so horrendously managed locals wisely steered clear—leading Schnatter, who owned the structures that housed them, to boot those operators.

Could we see a Calistoga Bakery Café there? That’s the concept Schnatter is backing with his own money, so don’t be surprised. Getting support from locals for a chain restaurant, however, surely will be dicey. There’s only so much commercial development Anchorage folks will take before they revolt. They pay big money for privacy and solitude, and I can’t criticize their desire to keep the peace.

Countless foreheads surely were slapped at Papa John’s headquarters when Fox-41’s report on founder John Schnatter ran yesterday and today. Why? Because Schnatter, also the chain’s board chairman, declared he uses no technology in his office such as computers or the Internet.

Said he’s never even been on the Internet because “I don’t like being bogged down, don’t like wasting my brain power with silly stuff,” Schnatter told WDRB reporter Elizabeth Woolsey. “I don’t like the nonsense of all of that. … I like thinking about big picture stuff … being creative.”

Anyone else aching for Papa John’s PR peeps right now?

It’s one thing for Schnatter to say he doesn’t use technology—all of us know at least a few rich, dreamy Luddites who prove you can get by without it—but to call it silly stuff when it’s played such a crucial role in the success of Papa John’s Pizza is, well, silly. And that’s putting it kindly.

Has he forgotten the importance of computerized POS systems to the chain, or the fact that even its ovens are computerized? And did he fail to remember that Papa John’s is the pizza industry leader in online pizza ordering? Visit just the homepage on Papa John’s Web site, Mr. Schnatter, and tell me if online ordering isn’t “big picture stuff” for the chain you still own, what, 20 percent of?

And yet, it got worse. Not noticing he’d dug himself a hole, Schnatter dug deeper by saying he wants to build the Calistoga Bakery Café chain over the next decade so he can … have a back up revenue stream as pizza traffic deteriorates!

Again, it’s one thing to say, “I want to do something new, get involved in a new concept,” but to say the horse you rode in on could be getting long in the tooth and, well, you need a more spirited animal of another breed to get you round the track … ? What’s he thinking? And even if he’s right—which he could be, he’s a smart operator—should he say that with shareholders and the world watching?

When you’re that rich, I suppose you can say anything … as long as the message is delivered by carrier pigeon. Heaven knows you don’t want to use any silly technology like ‘lectric tee-vees, computers and the Internet.

With the gift, however, comes a favor, in this case, naming rights. The zoo’s water park, Glacier Run, will henceforth be known as Calistoga Splash Park at Glacier Run, reflecting John Schnatter’s investment in Calistoga Bakery Café. The Naples, Fla.-based high-end sandwich shop has three units, one of which is set to open here in March.

No accident in the timing of the gift, I suppose.

‘Nuff wisecracking. Louisville gets a good deal both ways: a new restaurant concept and an amped-up attraction at the zoo.

Several months ago, Schnatter bought a minority slice of Calistoga Bakery Café, a fast-casual concept based in Naples, Fla., where he owns vacation property. The Calistoga concept is similar to chains like Panera Bread.

According to the Courier-Journal, Schnatter is bringing Calistoga to Louisville at Old Brownsboro Crossing; the unit should open by Derby. Calistoga’s Web site says new units also are planned for Lexington.

If Schnatter devotes the same energy to Calistoga as he did to his pizza empire, the results should be interesting. The pizza landscape was far more crowded in 1985, when he founded Papa John’s, than the neighborhood bakery niche is today.