by Chris Mayhew
The main thing to know about Louisville is that 4th St is hopping. A lot of local stuff has popped up there in recent years. It’s right next to the host hotel. Market Street has some good places to eat as well, just a bit east of the hotel.
The super hip part of town is Bardstown Road. Starting at Quills (roughly) and heading south to I-264. The heart of it is called The Highlands, which centers on the intersection of Eastern Parkway and Bardstown Road. Get out and walk. 150+ independently owned stores. Coffee, food, shopping. You can’t go wrong there.
Louisville is all about the independent business. So, you’d be hard pressed to eat at a chain or go wrong with your choices.
If you’re looking to ride Cherokee and Seneca Park are the places to go. They’re easy to get around in, low traffic and great for openers.
Bike Shops:
Super tops in the area is Clarksville Schwinn. Local and close is On Your Left Cycles. (2 blocks up on Baxter from Quills, which has great coffee, actually!)
For coffee:
Check out Quills, Sunergo’s, or Day’s Espresso and Coffee.
For Food:
Ramsi’s Cafe on the World is perhaps my favorite place in the world. Pretty cheap, super good.
Just south of that on the same side of the road is Bristol Bar and Grill, which is good for lunch and dinner.
Between Ramsi’s and Bristol is an amazing Argentian place called Palermo. Not veggie friendly but so so good.
There’s a good greasy spoon half a mile south of all that called Twig and Leaf.
For pasta there’s a good place called Come Back Inn. Don’t let the bar throw you off, it’s a good place. At least when I was there the ventilation was amazingly good too, such that my delicate, sensitive sinuses couldn’t tell anyone was smoking.
Jack Fry’s is $$$, but great food.
A basic rule of thumb is anything along Bardstown Road near where I mentioned, or anything on Frankfort Avenue is worth stopping at.
For vegan/vegetarians, the new joint is Heart and Soy, a very good pan Asian place on Bardstown Road. And Grape Leaf has always been the traditional vegan jam in town.
Also, you must get bourbon if you drink at all. Available anywhere. Maker’s Mark is for tourists, get something real.
Family-Friendly Outings:
The Science Museum and the Louisville Slugger Museum are in town. Speed Art Museum and the Muhmmad Ali Museum are also close by.
Know of anywhere great to visit in Louisville? Let us know in the comments!
Stay tuned for more Cyclocross Magazine coverage of Master’s Worlds.
