Wake up with over-the-top baked good
Butchertown Grocery Bakery • The massive biscuit sandwiches and fruit-and-cream-stuffed croissants are the headline at this cozy breakfast spot, but rotating savory-meets-sweet pastries—not kidding; sometimes there’s a Doritos cruffin—are worthy of a leap of faith. These folks know what they’re doing. 743 E. Main St., 502-742-8315
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The House Of Marigold • Owners Kris and Adrienne Cole made their bones in some of Louisville’s biggest restaurants, and it shows in their thoughtful menu of breakfast dishes. 10310 Shelbyville Rd., 502-384-3767, thehouseofmarigold.com
The Brown Hotel • The Hot Brown isn’t technically a breakfast food, but this iconic Louisville mess of sauce-covered meats on toast—invented here—was born to be your first of the day. 335 W. Broadway, 888-888-5252, brownhotel.com
Worship at the coffee altar
Gralehaus • Expertly prepared coffee drinks made from Ruby Coffee Roasters beans attract lines out the door of this converted Victorian home, now a cafe and “bed and beverage.” The shop is part of The Grales, a triumvirate of drinking and dining operations that sprawls into an adjacent church—sister business and taproom Holy Grale supplies Gralehaus with its famous “breakfast beer.” 1001 Baxter Ave., 502-857-7457, thegrales.com/gralehaus
Lunch with the coolest sliders ever
Oskar’s Slider Bar • Sliders may not be the first food you associate with Scandinavian cuisine, but that’ll change after a visit to Oskar’s, which typically offers a baker’s dozen of the small sandwiches alongside fries, salads, and the inevitable meatballs. 3799 Poplar Level Rd., oskarssliderbar.com
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80/20 @ Kaelin’s • Said to be the birthplace of the cheeseburger, this updated diner also has a rotating list of 20 house-made ice creams and malts. 1801 Newburg Rd., 502-200-8020, 8020atkaelins.com
Jack Fry’s • Scene-y power-lunch spot that feels straight out of a John Grisham novel. 1007 Bardstown Rd., 502-452-9244, jackfrys.com
It all ends with bourbon
Bourbon District • This city is so serious about distilling that it’s got a walkable downtown neighborhood dedicated to the art. Each of the nine (as of publication time; more are in the works) spirits producers along the 2-mile stroll offers the standard drinking experience; many also boast tours, educational events, and gift shops.
Have a dinner that looks forward and backward
Mayan Cafe Born and raised on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, Indigenous Mayan chef Bruce Ucán grew up with dishes specific to his culture, but when he came to the U.S. in 1987, he could only find work preparing familiar Mexican American dishes such as standard tacos or burritos. A food truck he launched in the 1990s that specialized in Mayan cuisine was a hit, and for nearly 30 years, his subsequent restaurant has also been packed with crowds. The Yucatec Salbutes—freshly made corn tortillas that are flash fried and topped with a rotating daily special—is the ideal way to get a feel for Ucán’s POV, but in a perfect world, you’d order everything with a large group and share it all. 813 E. Market St., 502-566-0651, themayancafe.com
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The Silver Dollar • An homage to the Dust Bowl migration, this restaurant and bar is a loving recreation of a 1930s juke joint in Bakersfield, California, with a South-meets-West menu and extremely strong drinks. 1761 Frankfort Ave., 502-653-7233, whiskeybythedrink.com
610 Magnolia • Chef-owner Edward Lee might be Louisville’s best-known chef/food writer, with three books and even more restaurants under his belt. This spot distills his progressive dining philosophies while honoring Louisville’s past. 610 W. Magnolia Ave., 502-636-0783, 610magnolia.com
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