Old two story restaurant at Bardstown Road and Gardiner Lane

The KFC next to the old Cinemas was always a KFC. G.D. Ritzy's was next door I think ? Where the McDonalds is now.

Wasn't the restaurant before Chi Chi's called The Warehouse?

And let us never forget the Chinese Restaurant of the Amorous Pandas, just across the street from the place where Toy Tiger used to be!

(I think it was called Hunan and Szechwan Garden or something like that, and the sign probably was not really meant to portray the panda pair in the act of love, but it sure looked like that! )

LOL, we called it "Humping Pandas" and I was addicted to their sesame beef.

The original restaurant at Bashford Manor (before Chi-Chi's) was the Warehouse.

And yes -- the ancient KFC and G.D. Ritzy's co-existed next to each other.

Wasn't the restaurant before Chi Chi's called The Warehouse?

Good one! Thank you!

Wasn't the restaurant before Chi Chi's called The Warehouse?

Good one! Thank you!

Yes! Did you have to walk through a serving line?

No. I remember being seated and served.

...just across the street from the place where Toy Tiger used to be!

)

Egad, the Toy Tiger. Before it was that hot mess, I worked as a stage hand at its predecessor, the Brown Suburban Dinner Theater, where they served a deeply well done, grey-toned roast beef nightly, along with truly bad showbiz. despite being a destitute college kid, I just couldn't quite swallow either.

C
Just Curious, does anyone remember Lambino's?Mid eighties, didn't last very long. It was behind what is now the Thorntons across B'town Rd. from the Toy tiger.It was formerly Lums or Lotts ( always got those confused).It was owned by Kenny Lamb, who was the franchisor of the Mario's pizza's and Pony Express pizza shops,in addition to owning Papa Ginos pizza wholesale business on Baxter.

[Robin Garr]

C
Just Curious, does anyone remember Lambino's?Mid eighties, didn't last very long. It was behind what is now the Thorntons across B'town Rd. from the Toy tiger.It was formerly Lums or Lotts ( always got those confused).It was owned by Kenny Lamb, who was the franchisor of the Mario's pizza's and Pony Express pizza shops,in addition to owning Papa Ginos pizza wholesale business on Baxter.

This is weird, but I would have been writing the dining column for the Louisville Times then (middle '80s), but it's not even ringing a bell with me!

It was very short lived,maybe 3 mos.early to mid 80's . I believe he was trying to create a more upscale Mario's. It was about the same time Mama Grisanti was opening in Dupont and a lot of new restaurants were beginning to open on Bardstown rd.This was the only thing I could find on the internet,The address listed in the page (931 Baxter ave) was his wholesale business Papa Gino's.and corporate office, not the restaurant location.

http://businessprofiles.com/details/lam ... KY-0033605

[Robin Garr]

It was about the same time Mama Grisanti was opening in Dupont

Interesting stuff, Tony!

I can't remember now if Mamma Grisanti opened on my watch or on Ken Neuhauser's, the Times critic before me. I definitely remember reviewing it but not sure I was the first; I'm thinking it might have opened earlier than the "middle" '80s. (I took over the column at the start of 1984, when The Times was still alive but we could see the handwriting on the wall, and hung on to the critic's knife and fork through the merger into the CJ until I declared refugee status and left Gannett and Louisville in 1990.)

THis thread must include a remembrance of the Walgreen's restaurant in Bashford Manor Mall.

I can't remember now if Mamma Grisanti opened on my watch or on Ken Neuhauser's, the Times critic before me. I definitely remember reviewing it but not sure I was the first; I'm thinking it might have opened earlier than the "middle" '80s.

I'm pretty sure my then-girlfriend and I frequented Mamma Grisanti's often before we were married in June, 1981. Mamma's served a great veal carciofini - my favorite.