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Senior Louisville restaurant

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Carla G

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Senior Louisville restaurant

by Carla G » Sat Jun 11, 2016 6:57 am

After reading the other thread about Louisville supper clubs it got me to wondering which restaurant was now Louisville oldest still existing. We discussed this before but our old timers keep "passing away." Kunz's - gone, Cunninghams - kind of gone (I don't count the place on Herrods Creek) . Mazzoni's - gone.
I was thinking that left The Kingfish as the oldest survivor. Looking at their website it's been around since 1948. But then I remembered Mike Linnings, around since the 1920s at least.
Maybe we should do an off line to Mike Linnings. A long hike out to Cane Run Road (and out of most of ours "migrating comfort zone" to revisit our past might be interesting.


(Huh. Just thought of Science Hill and Talbot Inn. They might be older. See? This is why I ask.)
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Re: Senior Louisville restaurant

by Robin Garr » Sat Jun 11, 2016 8:09 am

I'm not sure Linnig's is that old, Carla. For years they advertised a 1947 start date. In recent years they've pushed that back a bit by counting a roadside grocery that the original Mike owned. It's still one of the oldest, though!
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Andrew Mellman

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Re: Senior Louisville restaurant

by Andrew Mellman » Sat Jun 11, 2016 8:40 am

Carla G wrote: Talbot Inn. They might be older. See? This is why I ask.)


Talbot Tavern advertises 1779; don't think we can beat that one. I think Nally's was one of the oldest in Louisville, but it just closed last month?
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Re: Senior Louisville restaurant

by Mark R. » Sat Jun 11, 2016 1:22 pm

Andrew Mellman wrote:
Carla G wrote: Talbot Inn. They might be older. See? This is why I ask.)


Talbot Tavern advertises 1779; don't think we can beat that one. I think Nally's was one of the oldest in Louisville, but it just closed last month?

I really don't think that Talbert Tavern fits in is the oldest because of the advertised date of 1779. That may be when the original building was built (of course it was rebuilt recently after the fire and probably several other times along the way). I'm sure there have been many different owners/concepts in the building over that period of time. I'm sure there actually have been periods when the building was not open as a Tavern/restaurant. It would probably take some digging to determine what day to use when calling it the oldest.

I didn't realize that Nally's and close recently.
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Re: Senior Louisville restaurant

by RonnieD » Sat Jun 11, 2016 2:08 pm

Gerstle's Place boasts est. 1923. But as far as I know it has always been more bar than restaurant. (I'm working on fixing that balance...)
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Jay M.

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Re: Senior Louisville restaurant

by Jay M. » Sat Jun 11, 2016 5:38 pm

The LouisvilleHotBytes reports The Cottage Inn opened in 1929.
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Re: Senior Louisville restaurant

by Mike L » Sat Jun 11, 2016 6:09 pm

Pats Steakhouse website boasts "over 150 years". That'd put them right after the Civil War.
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Carla G

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Re: Senior Louisville restaurant

by Carla G » Sat Jun 11, 2016 8:08 pm

I had no idea some of these restaurants were as old as they say they are!
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Re: Senior Louisville restaurant

by Robin Garr » Sat Jun 11, 2016 9:16 pm

The Oakroom and the English Grill both might claim early 20th century origins, although that's kind of sketchy, since both restaurants closed when the hotels had serious down periods during the '70s, when the Brown Hotel closed and became the old city Board of Education, and the Seelbach turned into pretty much a fleabag before a Louisville-born Hollywood star bought it and restored it, then sold out.

But given that both hotels have put their high-end restaurants back the way they used to be, it's probably fair to assume some continuity.
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Re: Senior Louisville restaurant

by Carla G » Sat Jun 11, 2016 10:12 pm

So I did a little scooting around on the web and found a Thrillist listing the oldest restaurant in each state. Talbot Tavern was indeed the oldest in Kentucky (1779) . Only three other restaurants were listed as older -
Connecticut's Griswold Inn (1776)
New Jersey's Cranbury Inn (1750)
New York's Old 76 House (1686)

(Not sure how reliable Thrillist is .)
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Re: Senior Louisville restaurant

by Carla G » Sat Jun 11, 2016 10:18 pm

Mike L wrote:Pats Steakhouse website boasts "over 150 years". That'd put them right after the Civil War.


I checked their website and it said "Established in 1958".

http://patssteakhouselouisville.com/
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Re: Senior Louisville restaurant

by Willie Myers » Sun Jun 12, 2016 9:22 am

Mike L wrote:Pats Steakhouse website boasts "over 150 years". That'd put them right after the Civil War.
and they still have the original staff!! :lol: :lol:
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Re: Senior Louisville restaurant

by Robin Garr » Sun Jun 12, 2016 12:42 pm

Willie Myers wrote:and they still have the original staff!! :lol: :lol:


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Mike L

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Re: Senior Louisville restaurant

by Mike L » Tue Jun 14, 2016 8:28 pm

Carla G wrote:
Mike L wrote:Pats Steakhouse website boasts "over 150 years". That'd put them right after the Civil War.


I checked their website and it said "Established in 1958".

http://patssteakhouselouisville.com/


I was going by their description on the "About Us" page: http://patssteakhouselouisville.com/aboutus.htm

Seems like they're saying their business was around 150 years in some form but didn't become a restaurant until more recently?

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