So, what stood out in local eats this year for you?

[Robin Garr]

Just curious. I never know whether to write a year-end wrap-up review - they can be really boring - or just go eat someplace and write about it like any other week.

I thought I'd do a little crowd-sourcing here, though. So, if you're so inclined, kindly respond with your thoughts about what made 2013 new, interesting, weird, unpleasant, tasty, appetizing or just plain different in the world of eats in Louisville for you? Good trends? Bad trends? Trends that sputtered and died? Favorite new places? Disliked new places? Please gimme what you got, and thinking outside the box is FINE.

This might be a odd one, and not specifically local, but I've noticed that hot sauce bottles have started to disappear as a standard condiment on tables at Mexican restaurants. Senior Iguanas took theirs off a while back and a few other spots seem to as well. I thought I was crazy, but two Mexican restaurants in other cities I've recently been to have also removed them.

I still might be crazy.

Ronnie, don't you imagine they took the hot sauce off the table because people were stealing them? I believe they still offer it at Senor Iguana's but you have to ask for it.

The closing of The Blind Pig was big for me, reminded me to appreciate your favorite spots while you have them because you do not know what tomorrow brings. Just like in life.

For us some of the highlights of the year included returning to some of the old school Louisville restaurants that we haven't visited in a while because of always trying the new places. Seems like sometimes we forget some of the restaurants that made Louisville what it is today.

For example last night we went to Equus/Jack's lounge, a place we've always loved but hadn't been there in quite a while because we were always out trying new places. We had a marvelous meal from appetizers through desert with great service. Prices are comparable with most of the newer restaurants but it just felt like going home again compared to many of the new places!

Other restaurants that I'm sure phone the same category would be lilies, Uptown, etc., places we've always loved but tend to forget about sometimes.

[Robin Garr]

For us some of the highlights of the year included returning to some of the old school Louisville restaurants that we haven't visited in a while because of always trying the new places. ...

Good one, Mark! Keep 'em coming!

One of the things the stood out for me was the continued dearth of locally and humanely raised, hormone free chicken wings.

That and the continued lack of a world class Chili Dog ANYWHERE in town.

That and the continued lack of a world class Chili Dog ANYWHERE in town.

We were just talking about that this evening!

Steve Coomes pretty much summed up in this article, what myself and several others have suspected would eventually happen with all these cool new places opening. Good help has always been hard to find in "The Biz" but I also feel that we have hit a critical mass with the amount of talent and experience in both the front and back of the house here locally. I have read more than a few complaints on this forum about wait times, grilled items cooked to temp, and poor service. I've personally encountered some less than stellar evenings eating out myself. I firmly believe that most of this is due to the "dilution" of true foodservice professionals in our city. At the Bourbon and Bowties event at Corbett's this past summer, I wondered aloud "Who was cooking in all the resturants that night because almost every name chef and sous are out here?"

http://insiderlouisville.com/news/2013/ ... ter-bench/

That and the continued lack of a world class Chili Dog ANYWHERE in town.

We were just talking about that this evening!

I have been debating doing a killer chili dog on my carts but when I tried it in the past I didn't sell squat. Maybe that will change this spring..

Steve Coomes pretty much summed up in this article

Steve -always- sums it up pretty well...count me amongst the most enthusiastic fans of his "tell it like it is" style.

That and the continued lack of a world class Chili Dog ANYWHERE in town.

We were just talking about that this evening!

I have been debating doing a killer chili dog on my carts but when I tried it in the past I didn't sell squat. Maybe that will change this spring..

Chili Dawg off a cart ? Meh...regardless of how well you did it, even I...who love all things long and thin that come on a bun would prolly draw the line on that one. Standing on the curb gnawing on a Chili Dawg, there's just too much chance you're going to end up wearing half your chili on your Casual Friday clothes.

Chili Dawg off a cart ? Meh...regardless of how well you did it, even I...who love all things long and thin that come on a bun would prolly draw the line on that one. Standing on the curb gnawing on a Chili Dawg, there's just too much chance you're going to end up wearing half your chili on your Casual Friday clothes.

Good point.. but I try to go with subtly and not make it a monster huge mess. But a brisket chili? It's possible. I wouldn't use the canned stuff (YUCK). We'll see. The main problem is finding a spot for it. I have my burners taken up with other stuff and I would have to sacrifice a menu item just for chili but it would rock. I got other ideas up my sleeve too that don't involve hot dogs/sausages.. can't wait for spring!

This might be a odd one, and not specifically local, but I've noticed that hot sauce bottles have started to disappear as a standard condiment on tables at Mexican restaurants. Senior Iguanas took theirs off a while back and a few other spots seem to as well. I thought I was crazy, but two Mexican restaurants in other cities I've recently been to have also removed them.

I still might be crazy.

Was it any of the sauces mentioned here?

http://news.unlv.edu/article/study-hidden-dangers-hot-sauce


http://www.healthline.com/health-news/children-lead-found-in-imported-hot-sauces-081313