What does Louisville need?

I will also add GOOD BAGELS to the list as well.

How could I have forgotten that A good Jewish delicatessen would be wonderful but a bakery that made good bagels would certainly be a start.

Several years ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to London for a week. Now, some would not think of London as a foodie town, but man would they be wrong. They have wonderful sidewalk shops that sell everything from authoentic Gyros to Egyption to Jewish to their take on American fine dining. You can walk within a six block radious and get different smells from differnt cultures.

One that I did try, and loved, and would love to see here is Egyption. The flavors were incredable. Don't remember really about the food because a the time I was hopping and drinking and cabbing and clubbing but I do remember it was between Covent Garden and Soho.....the flavors were unique and very interesting.

Also, I would LOVE to see a TRADITIONAL Jewish Deli....
ah-la Nash Box of days past!

I think you're forgetting about Palermo Viejo, the authentic Argentinian Steakhouse in the Highlands...

Palermo is one of my favorite places to dine in the city of Louisville. My hope is to have an establishment such as Fogo de Chão; a South American 'rotisserie'. If they were to serve their meats rodízio, then I'd never leave the restaurant. Until the time, I would not mind a place that specializes in it.

And...

I would clone the "Chicken House" from Sellersburg. Many times. It's the thing Chick-In USED to be like...a long time ago...except better...

Hofbrauhaus. German food. On our football trips we enjoyed the Hofbrauhaus in Newport and the old Penn Brewery in Pittsburgh. Co-worker from Wisconsin also wishes we had a big beer hall. (He worked at Goose Island in Chicago also.)

I'll have to second a number of things already mentioned - wood-fired pizza, street food, real Jewish deli with real bagels and rye bread (no, Blue Dog doesn't know how), upscale Indian. I'll just add I'd love to see a really good all-vegetarian restaurant that isn't just Asian. We went to One World Cafe http://one-world-cafe.com/ in Baltimore recently and loved it. We're not vegetarians, but often want to eat vegetarian - and we have veggie friends.

Are you kidding? I lived there for about 30 years and there is nothing...I repeat nothing worth eating there...unless you really love chains....and even they are badly ran. It had a few decent restaurants years ago...but they have bitten the dust and gone by the wayside...i have absolutely no idea where you think there is a good restaurant in Etown...and yes, I do go back once a week and visit friends...we meet at a pretty good coffee shop "More Than Bagels"...that serves coffee from one of the few good restaurants they did have in Etown that went out of business..."Arnold's"...it was a great place. I would not give you 2 cents for any of the other restaurants in Etown.

You totally misread or misunderstood my post. There is NOTHING in Etown, thus why I said I'd love for Louisville to be closer.

[Robin Garr]

rye bread (no, Blue Dog doesn't know how)

Where'd that come from? Has Blue Dog ever offered rye? That's just not in the realm of what they do ... like expecting a bagel shop to make a great English muffin.

Just sayin' ...

whoa... sorry... whatever... I thought I had had a rye from them...

[Robin Garr]

whoa... sorry... whatever... I thought I had had a rye from them...

Ken, it's possible certainly - I could have missed an experiment or special - but Bob Hancock, the owner and baker, is such a crazed (in the good sense) perfectionist about his bread, I'd be ssurprised to see him step that far outside Blue Dog's artisanal French style.

Broken record, but why oh why can't I get a wood oven Sicilian Margherita?

What I'd love to see is a good old faashioned dinner club. It doesn't have to be a "Moon River" band, but a place that older people can enjoy from 7-10 with a bar attached. Jeff Ruby's is the closest. Remember the Essex House and The Embassy Supper Club? They still have them in other cities.

I'd definitely vote for Greek and diners, GOOD diners.

I'm in favor of any sort of quick/casual establishment that would have healthier options. What I wouldn't do for a drive through with something besides burgers, fries, chicken, and tacos! Unfortunately, I guess the average consumer out here in the 'burbs isn't interest in eating healthy. Most places will have a few dishes that aren't packed with fat and sodium, but there are very few choices.

What we need less of--pig troughs, i.e. Ryan's and Golden Corral. Sorry, but I AM an elitist snob when it comes to that kind of *cough* "food". It amazes me to drive by these places and see the packed parking lots.

And Comfy Cow needs to expand to more locations...just sayin'...

I would love to see a true Middle Eastern restaurant—heck, any kind of international restaurant—that doesn't mix in 'American' food as a way to appeal to someone who's going to turn up his or her nose at the idea that you can't get a cheeseburger there.

As for the food, people, call it what it is—we can take it. Unfortunately the trend is toward dressing up things to make them sound exotic and razzle-dazzle when actually the most basic form would be appealing enough to most audiences and especially purists. (A local establishment serves a so-called 'Phoenician hummus,' which is tasty in its own way but has nothing to do with Phoenicia. According to the server, it's named that because of the spices in it—phoenix, fire. Get it?) I want to see kibbeh nayeh on the menu more than belly dancers on the floor.

Also: live sitar music at Indian restaurants.

Street food. If they can do it in Cleveland, why can't we do it here ?

From WKYC:

CLEVELAND -- Move over Polish Boys with kraut, and hot dogs with stadium mustard. Street vendors in downtown Cleveland may soon supplement such standard fare with sushi, dim sum, and vegetarian selections.

The concept was introduced Thursday evening at a special event in the Market Square District of Ohio City, where several prospective sidewalk vendors unveiled their upgraded, eclectic menus.

Among those local entrepreneurs who hope to have vending carts on the streets of Cleveland by late June or early July are Jeremy Esterly and Chris Hodgson, who operate the food truck business called "Dim and Den Sum."

Another local restaurant which will soon get into the "gourmet" street vendor business is Grand River Grill, based at West 112th Street and Lorain Avenue.

The City of Cleveland is trying to diversify street food, and has the support of such non-profits as Cleveland Public Art, a co-sponsor of Thursday evening's rollout event.

Executive Director Greg Peckham tells WKYC he believes Cleveland can support an expanded streets menu, and that his organization will work with local artists to make the new vendor carts and trucks, eye-pleasing and attractive.

Ooh! Dim sum too!

I want this guy: http://twitter.com/cremebruleecart

A pizza place that offers faux meat as a topping. That's what we are lacking in pizza.