Louisville's timeless classics: What are they?

Wagner's

[Robin Garr]

So who's the most iconic purveyor? Linnigs? CQ? Too bad the King Fish "river boat" isn't downtown any more.

See above for my rant on Linnig's, which I think has gone corporate. (Even the tartar sauce comes in industrial-pack single-serving tubs.) I also feel that Cunningham's has gone downhill severely, loving on past glory but vending very pedestrian fare. Ditto again for Kingfish.

To be honest, other than modern arrivals like The Fishery, the Fish House and the Sharom/Zaytun operations, the best of the historic rest is probably ... get ready for it ...

Moby Dick!

<gasp>

So who's the most iconic purveyor? Linnigs? CQ? Too bad the King Fish "river boat" isn't downtown any more.

See above for my rant on Linnig's, which I think has gone corporate. (Even the tartar sauce comes in industrial-pack single-serving tubs.) I also feel that Cunningham's has gone downhill severely, loving on past glory but vending very pedestrian fare. Ditto again for Kingfish.

To be honest, other than modern arrivals like The Fishery, the Fish House and the Sharom/Zaytun operations, the best of the historic rest is probably ... get ready for it ...

Moby Dick!

<gasp>

I've been going to Mike Linnigs since I was but a wee lad in the 70's, and I don't remember them ever having "homemade" tartar sauce. And would anybody ever make fresh mayo to make it truly homemade? And if the mayo is "industrial" anyway, then I'm not sure what your beef is. Maybe ladling it from a bigger jar would make it okay for you?

I'll not try to argue that Linnig's is the best fish sandwich in town, but to say the Moby Dick's beats it? Come on!

Seriously though. Before picking the place, let's take a step back. If it's not the fried cod sandwich on rye bread, what is Louisville's iconic food?

[Robin Garr]

I've been going to Mike Linnigs since I was but a wee lad in the 70's, and I don't remember them ever having "homemade" tartar sauce. And would anybody ever make fresh mayo to make it truly homemade? And if the mayo is "industrial" anyway, then I'm not sure what your beef is. Maybe ladling it from a bigger jar would make it okay for you?

Sorry, but the little tubs with the peel-off tops just don't say "down home" to me. And I do think the food quality has dropped in recent years.

I'll not try to argue that Linnig's is the best fish sandwich in town, but to say the Moby Dick's beats it? Come on!

Try it.

Seriously though. Before picking the place, let's take a step back. If it's not the fried cod sandwich on rye bread, what is Louisville's iconic food?

No, actually, I agreed with you that fried cod (or mild white fish, not catfish) on rye may be a Louisville iconic food. I just said that, sadly, a lot of the old-line sources aren't what they used to be.

Sorry, but the little tubs with the peel-off tops just don't say "down home" to me. And I do think the food quality has dropped in recent years.

This is all opinion, and I don't want to leave the impression that I care about this topic more than I really do......
But, I don't remember Linnigs ever having anything but those individual tubs all the way back to the mid 70's. And I don't know that "down home" was a requirement for your purposes in this thread.

Try it.

I eat more Moby Dick's fish sandwiches than any others, just based on convenience alone. I can even rank several of the Moby Dick's outlets for you if you want. The best one is on Dixie in PRP where Burger Queen used to be.

No, actually, I agreed with you that fried cod (or mild white fish, not catfish) on rye may be a Louisville iconic food. I just said that, sadly, a lot of the old-line sources aren't what they used to be.

No argument about King Fish. And the Berry Blvd. Hungry Pelican is long gone. But Linnigs fish doesn't seem to have changed much. Maybe you suffer from raised expectations now?

This is a fun thread.

I'm smelling the ghost of James Beard in this thread.

For fish I think The Fish House needs a nod. The restaurant itself may not have been there for 10 years but it's owner has his roots in the original Burger Queen ( which DID make its own tarter sauce) and before that The Ranch House. That goes back 40 years at least.

Could it really be the fried cod sandwich? And it has to be rye bread doesn't it?

That could be the real Louisville Classic. We even have a local fast food chain to serve 'em up when we need them quick.

So who's the most iconic purveyor? Linnigs? CQ? Too bad the King Fish "river boat" isn't downtown any more.

If you are talking FRIED fish sandwich then it is any of a myriad of the Church picnics all summer long and once you talk about them, then you have to mention the Orthodox Greek Church festival.

[Robin Garr]

I don't know that "down home" was a requirement for your purposes in this thread.

Just for the record, I meant that as a summation of "a modest place with an undeniable regional specialty". I guess Chicago Italian, Mexican or Thai are in fact "regional specialities," but what was in my mind was more like this region.

I had also said "extra credit if it's something more offbeat than seafood, fried chicken, and diners," but that's not absolute.

I'm not trying to make this thing insane, but it's a query from a national organization that's looking for something highly specific to highlight from various cities.

For fish I think The Fish House needs a nod. The restaurant itself may not have been there for 10 years but it's owner has his roots in the original Burger Queen

Interesting. Where was the original Burger Queen? Is it a Diary Queen now?

( which DID make its own tarter sauce)

Just be clear, Mike Linnig's has it's own tarter sauce. It's is made to their recipe.

How is that inferior to tartar sauce made on site with Sysco mayo, Sysco pickles, and Sysco spices? I'm probably just to obtuse to understand.

I think Comeback Inn meets all of those requirements pretty well. Always have such a good laid back experience there. The food is always GREAT and in no way pretentious and the service is real friendly not fake friendly.

I like Come Back Inn for a lot of reasons, but I wonder whether its Chicago-style Italian-American really represents Louisville heritage.

Exactly my thought when I read it. We are Comeback Inn fans, but Italian is not our regional specialty.
Deb

I don't know that "down home" was a requirement for your purposes in this thread.

Just for the record, I meant that as a summation of "a modest place with an undeniable regional specialty". I guess Chicago Italian, Mexican or Thai are in fact "regional specialities," but what was in my mind was more like this region.

I had also said "extra credit if it's something more offbeat than seafood, fried chicken, and diners," but that's not absolute.

I'm not trying to make this thing insane, but it's a query from a national organization that's looking for something highly specific to highlight from various cities.

I can understand wanting to present something more "authentic" than a fried fish sandwich. But, it really is woven into the fabric of this place, even if it is a little embarrassing to highlight it for a national audience.

[Robin Garr]

How is that inferior to tartar sauce made on site with Sysco mayo, Sysco pickles, and Sysco spices? I'm probably just to obtuse to understand.

I don't know about obtuse - I doubt that - but I'm beginning to despair of communicating verbally something that's obviously more felt than explicit. To me, industrial-style packaging creates a fast-food impression that's at contrast with the things I like about Linnig's: Simple food served in an exceptionally nostalgic setting.

I'd feel the same way about ketchup on the table or Barry Manilow on the sound system: It's not just about the food but also the mood, and the tartar-sauce tubs send me a message that I don't want to hear. (In retrospect, by the way, I am 97.63% certain that within the relatively recent past - by which I mean the '90s or sooner - Linnig's sent out tartar sauce and cocktail sauce in individually filled, open-top paper cups.

Further thoughts: Not to hate on SYSCO, which fills an essential need and certainly provides product of acceptable quality, to see the SYSCO truck rolled up at the back door of a high-end restaurant sends me a "corner-cutting" message, although I fully understand that some of the region's top tables do use their services. And no, I am not saying Mike Linnig's is a high-end eatery.

[Robin Garr]

I can understand wanting to present something more "authentic" than a fried fish sandwich. But, it really is woven into the fabric of this place, even if it is a little embarrassing to highlight it for a national audience.

Another miscommunication. This source isn't asking for alternatives to seafood, fried chicken or diners because they are too downscale. They're asking for alternatives because that's what everybody is sending in!

I could probably make a strong case that fried fish sandwiches are a newsworthy, man-bites-dog iconic food for Louisville because we are at least 700 miles from the nearest open water. We really shouldn't be eating so much fish, but our 19th century German, Irish and Italian Catholic immigrant base set us on this path when our more rural neighbors were eating catfish.

How is that inferior to tartar sauce made on site with Sysco mayo, Sysco pickles, and Sysco spices? I'm probably just to obtuse to understand.

I don't know about obtuse - I doubt that - but I'm beginning to despair of communicating verbally something that's obviously more felt than explicit. To me, industrial-style packaging creates a fast-food impression that's at contrast with the things I like about Linnig's: Simple food served in an exceptionally nostalgic setting.

You are earning points by trying Robin!

'd feel the same way about ketchup on the table or Barry Manilow on the sound system: It's not just about the food but also the mood, and the tartar-sauce tubs send me a message that I don't want to hear. (In retrospect, by the way, I am 97.63% certain that within the relatively recent past - by which I mean the '90s or sooner - Linnig's sent out tartar sauce and cocktail sauce in individually filled, open-top paper cups.

It's certainly possible that I am remembering this incorrectly, as I was living afield for 15 years or so. Maybe I missed the trauma of a sudden change that way?

I'm still trying to recall, but I can't bring back visions of anything different. Though, I do recall constant frustration because they never brought out enough the first time.