When did Frankfort Avenue emerge as a Restaurant Row?

[Robin Garr]

2003? Really?

Robin, I wouldn't consider it a emergence, but rather a progression. It basically started in the late 90's, and the Rover came in at some point (I don't exactly remember when, but I remember the hoopla because my father LOVED the place), and progressed from there.....plus, Ginny's was ALWAYS there.

Also, with all the Antique type places there, it added to the progression. MHO.

[Robin Garr]

Robin, I wouldn't consider it a emergence, but rather a progression. It basically started in the late 90's, and the Rover came in at some point (I don't exactly remember when, but I remember the hoopla because my father LOVED the place), and progressed from there.....plus, Ginny's was ALWAYS there.

Also, with all the Antique type places there, it added to the progression. MHO.

Bill, we moved back from New York City to Crescent Hill in the last week of 1993, and it was already well under way. Porcini opened in 1992 (I covered it in a visit back home for a Derby Travel Section story about Louisville in the New York Times). The Irish Rover opened in 1993, just before we returned. El Mundo opened around that time. Kim's moved out from Main Street for a while, but it didn't last. Deitrich's was in the old Crescent (now Blue Dog) since the middle 1980s, and Lynn's originally opened in the building that later became Little Bit of Seoul, then a Jamaican place ... all in the '80s or early '90s. Furlong's was over there in the '90s. Daily Grind put in a year or so and then was supplanted by Heine Bros. in 1994. Asiana Korean (now Osaka) was there in the '90s. Nancy's has been in since the '90s, and on and on it goes. Bottom line, Bardstown and Frankfort have been widely viewed as the city's two "Restaurant Rows" since the middle '90s if not before. That 2003 reference was rather strange, and essentially clueless.

2003 sounds kind of arbirtary to me too.
Don't forget about Zephyr Cove, Aldo Speido, Clifton's Pizza and the Grape Leaf which were some of the other early establishments to make Frankfort Ave. a dining destination in the early to mid 90's.

Well, keep in mind that I was in Nashville from '85 - '03.....and visiting home, so my reference points are a bit fuzzy

Also, IMHO, what really lead to Frankfort Avenue's emergance as a dining destination is the fact that the parking situation used to be quite a bit easier to deal with than it was (or is) on Bardstown Rd. I feel that's due to the train tracks running parallel to a big portion of the strip instead of having all the businesses crammed together the full length of the strip like they are on Bardstown Rd.

Frankfort Ave is not as stable and not nearly as dense as Bardstown Rd. Personally, I don't consider it a restaurant row for those reasons. It's a good area but it's like the minor leagues compared to Bardstown Rd being the majors.

Frankfort Ave is not as stable and not nearly as dense as Bardstown Rd. Personally, I don't consider it a restaurant row for those reasons. It's a good area but it's like the minor leagues compared to Bardstown Rd being the majors.

I wouldn't consider Varanese, Basa, Bourbons Bistro,Volare or Porcini to be minor league by any strech of the imagination.

First, cross Porcini off, I'm not sure anyone wants to eat off those tables anymore. lol

2nd, quadruple that list on Bardstown Rd. More density, more stability, more tradition.

Varanese and Bourbon's Bistro are relatively new, their tradition is still in the first 3 chapters.

You didn't even mention Volare, I've never been but it sounds like one of the best restaurants on Frankfort Ave, just from the reviews I see on here.

First, cross Porcini off, I'm not sure anyone wants to eat off those tables anymore. lol

2nd, quadruple that list on Bardstown Rd. More density, more stability, more tradition.

Varanese and Bourbon's Bistro are relatively new, their tradition is still in the first 3 chapters.

You didn't even mention Volare, I've never been but it sounds like one of the best restaurants on Frankfort Ave, just from the reviews I see on here.

We can agree to disagree because I'll stand by my asessment of the parking situation is what makes Frankfort Ave. more appealing to some people(myself being one) and the fact that I used to work at Zephyr Cove back in the day might make me a little biased on the subject.

Fair enough Dan. If I lived in that area of town I'm sure I'd hang out on Frankfort Ave more. I live closer to Bardstown Rd and always have. I guess the density and foot traffic on Bardstown Rd is what makes it cool to me. It's easy to get out and walk and spend a few hours just hanging out and people watching.

Fair enough Dan. If I lived in that area of town I'm sure I'd hang out on Frankfort Ave more. I live closer to Bardstown Rd and always have. I guess the density and foot traffic on Bardstown Rd is what makes it cool to me. It's easy to get out and walk and spend a few hours just hanging out and people watching.

Don't get me wrong. I love the Highlands too. I used to work at Cafe Metro as well. I just don't consider one area to be any better than the other. I feel that we are fortunate as a city to have what are now three really distinct and easily defined Restaurant Rows that would include the recent openings on E. Market St. They all offer a different feel, but all offer a quality experience that most cities should envy.

Did I miss something? Where did someone say it was 2003?

[Robin Garr]

Did I miss something? Where did someone say it was 2003?

CJ review this morning. I didn't want to pollute the results by framing it that way.

2003? Really?

There's no link to the source, so I'm not sure where that comes from.

Hard to get a scientific survey, but I looked at our list of places that we have eaten at, one time or another. I extracted those on Frankfort Ave and on the Bardstown/Baxter section and sorted by opening year.
I included all of them, including those no longer with us. The Bardstown Restaurant Row I defined as from Broadway & Baxter to Speed Avenue, so those around Dundee Loop aren't in it. I did include literally all of Frankfort Avenue and at the end I'll list them so you can judge if they should be part of the Frankfort Ave Restaurant Row. We usually think of Clifton / Crescent Hill but some are closer to St. Matthews.

For Frankfort Ave I've got 30 that opened in the decade 1991 - 2000 and 23 from 2001 to the present. Genny's was from the early '80s & Brasserie Deitrich opened in 1989, possibly was the first really great restaurant on the street?

For the Bardstown/Baxter Row I've got 27 that opened 1991 - 2000 and 55 from 2001 to the present. There are 14 from prior to 1990, most from the '80s plus Lentini's, the Bristol & Sachicoma from earlier.

Here's our Frankfort Ave sample 1991 - 2000:

Lynn's Paradise Café 2206 Frankfort Ave 1991
Porcini 2730 Frankfort Ave 1992
Bobby J's 3334 Frankfort Ave 1993
Irish Rover 2319 Frankfort Ave 1993
Bobby Soxers 2039 Frankfort Ave 1994 approx
A Little Bit of Seoul 2206 Frankfort Ave 1994
Allo Spiedo 2309 Frankfort Ave 1994
Mo Flav 3334 Frankfort Ave 1994
Grape Leaf 2217 Frankfort Ave 1994
Picasso Deli 1758 Frankfort Ave 1995 approx
Avenues 3801 Frankfort Ave 1995 approx
Kim's 2354 Frankfort Ave 1995
El Mundo 2345 Frankfort Ave 1995
Ripe Gallery 1731 Frankfort Ave 1996 approx
Utopia Int'l Café 3220 Frankfort Ave 1996
Zephyr Cove 2330 Frankfort Ave 1996
2636 Frankfort Ave 2636 Frankfort Ave 1997
Asiana 2039 Frankfort Ave 1997
Camille's 2240 Frankfort Ave 1998 approx
Deacon's 2712 Frankfort Ave 1998
Furlong's 2350 Frankfort Ave 1998
Blue Dog 2868 Frankfort Ave 1998
Tony Boombozz 3400 Frankfort Ave 1998
Veggie Vault 2113 Frankfort Ave 1999 approx
Mayakesh Express 3334 Frankfort Ave 1999
Patron, The 3400 Frankfort Ave 1999
This Old House & Grill 1758 Frankfort Ave 1999
Dark Star Tavern 2636 Frankfort Ave 2000
Zen Garden 2240 Frankfort Ave 2000