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C- C- Changes at Eiderdown

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Robin Garr

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C- C- Changes at Eiderdown

by Robin Garr » Sat Jan 21, 2017 3:05 pm

Eiderdown on Facebook wrote:Dear Germantown-Schnitzelburg,
Saw you at Kroger the other day; that new jacket looks nice on you. Real nice. Hey, you got a minute?
When we opened Eiderdown in October 2010, we had a vision: to offer European-inspired Southern comfort food, a bunch of beers and a good selection of wines all at reasonable prices in a comfortable, rustic setting. Our hours included lunch back then and we stayed open until 1am on the weekends, with the expectation that we would be an outlet for hungry folks who had been hanging out at the Nachbar (or wherever else). It didn’t take long to realize that — for the food we were making — 1am was too late, then a few month later, we realized 11am was too early. We got rid of late night and lunchtime hours that didn’t make sense and pressed on.
As the years and menus passed, we kinda strayed from our original objective. In 2014 and ‘15, we got busy with a zoning change that allowed us to tear down a warehouse and build a parking lot, as well as offer outdoor seating and liquor drinks. While the food remained delicious, our prices and approachability drifted outside the realm of what is comfortable for the typical Germantown-Schnitzelburger. While we have welcomed (and hope to continue to welcome) people from all over the city, region and beyond, we feel as if we have forsaken many of you, our closest friends and neighbors.
For this, we apologize.
Walking along Texas, Mulberry and Hoertz last Saturday, I realized how crazy it is, in such a densely populated section of Louisville, how few neighborhood folks Eiderdown regularly connects with because we have priced ourselves right off their radars. Right off YOUR radars. So like with the hours that didn’t make sense when we first opened, we feel it’s time to do some more adjusting. Here’s what we have in mind:
1) We will embrace German food. We don’t want to narrow it down so much that we call Eiderdown a German Restaurant, but we will have schnitzel, house sausages, house sauerkraut, potato soup, actual pretzels, spätzle as a side, etc.
2) Prices will drop, yet quality will remain high. As a result, we will be forgoing some local meats (the Nachburger and Sunday Sitdown will remain locally gotten). More sandwiches, fewer entrees, no $32 anything.
3) We will offer more vegetarian options.
4) Beer. We plan to eventually have the most comprehensive selection of German taps in Kentucky. We’ll offer liters, half liters and half pints of many familiar German beers and offer several out-of-the-way styles from smaller German breweries. We’ll round it out with locals, an IPA or two, a couple Belgian beers and Miller Lite.
We are really excited about these changes and feel like they will help Eiderdown nestle back into what we’d always intended it to be. It will take some time for the cabbage to ferment into kraut, so after dinner tonight, we will close for two weeks. We will open back up on Tuesday February 7 as a more embraceable restaurant that we hope you will be proud to have as part of the neighborhood. Either way though, we’ll still say Hey when we see you at the grocery store.
Thanks for your time, G-Town!
Sincerely,
Heather and James


https://www.facebook.com/983Germantown/ ... 3675573903
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travis.davis

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Re: C- C- Changes at Eiderdown

by travis.davis » Sat Jan 21, 2017 3:12 pm

Rushed here to post this and you beat me to it. Always with your finger on the pulse of the cullinary Louisville, Robin.

I'm super pumped about this. If they keep the quality up this will become a fantastic change.
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Re: C- C- Changes at Eiderdown

by RonnieD » Sat Jan 21, 2017 3:32 pm

I really love the honesty and transparency of this move. It can be such a painful thing to have your work veer off the path and get lost in the mire. It can be even more painful to recognize that and work to get back on track. To then take the next step and openly admit it and honestly, directly address your desired customer base is bold and refreshing. Major kudos to Eiderdown and though I have never been there before, that will soon change.

Well done.
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Re: C- C- Changes at Eiderdown

by travis.davis » Sat Jan 21, 2017 8:11 pm

Ugh, Hearing they are letting their chef go... Not feeling as good about the changes.
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Carla G

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Re: C- C- Changes at Eiderdown

by Carla G » Sun Jan 22, 2017 12:00 pm

Wow. That is a courageous change and (I think) shows a real devotion to their neighborhood and a commitment to the health of it as well.
Not that it means anything (I don't live in Germantown) but I am impressed.
"She did not so much cook as assassinate food." - Storm Jameson
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Iggy C

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Re: C- C- Changes at Eiderdown

by Iggy C » Sun Jan 22, 2017 3:39 pm

Eiderdown is kind of my favorite restaurant in town. I'm not saying it is hands-down the best meal in town, but it does hit the sweet spot of food, atmosphere, service, price point, and location that make it a place we return to more than anywhere else. I appreciate their new focus on appealing to the neighborhood, and trust them to steer the restaurant well.
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TP Lowe

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Re: C- C- Changes at Eiderdown

by TP Lowe » Mon Jan 23, 2017 2:02 pm

I'm not naturally cynical, and don't mean to sound so here. But if you're clicking along, making money, happy with your operations - do you really do what they are doing? Especially if you are making money in what has clearly become a difficult environment in this area. But, I'm anxious to see what they come up with. Loved it the way it was, hope to love it the way it will be.
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Re: C- C- Changes at Eiderdown

by RonnieD » Mon Jan 23, 2017 9:26 pm

I got the vibe that they were not clicking along, making money, happy with their operations. This seemed to me more like a, "huh, where did all of our sales go?" kind of move, as if they strayed too far from the path and were making moves to get back in their groove. Did I read it wrong?
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La Center, KY
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Gary Guss

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Re: C- C- Changes at Eiderdown

by Gary Guss » Tue Jan 24, 2017 10:54 am

If it aint broke you dont need to fix it, I agree with Ronnie
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TP Lowe

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Re: C- C- Changes at Eiderdown

by TP Lowe » Tue Jan 24, 2017 11:07 am

Yeah, I was trying to be overly polite. The train may not be off the tracks but it must have at least hit a small boulder.
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Jeff Cavanaugh

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Re: C- C- Changes at Eiderdown

by Jeff Cavanaugh » Tue Jan 24, 2017 11:54 am

Eiderdown's one of our favorite places but it's pretty much been a special-occasions-only option for us due to price. So this is probably a good move. I can see us getting there every month or two instead of once or twice a year.
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Paul Skulas

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Re: C- C- Changes at Eiderdown

by Paul Skulas » Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:12 pm

I always enjoyed and admired chef Brian Morgan's food. Eiderdown was one of my first meals when I moved to Louisville years ago. I fell in love with decor and style of the spot.

I always viewed it as the perfect restaurant representing the diversity of Germantown. Buying local, changing the menu seasonal and always having a wide ranging price point.
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travis.davis

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Re: C- C- Changes at Eiderdown

by travis.davis » Fri Feb 03, 2017 6:57 pm

Paul Skulas wrote:I always enjoyed and admired chef Brian Morgan's food. Eiderdown was one of my first meals when I moved to Louisville years ago. I fell in love with decor and style of the spot.

I always viewed it as the perfect restaurant representing the diversity of Germantown. Buying local, changing the menu seasonal and always having a wide ranging price point.


Here's hoping they can continue to keep up the quality without him!
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Re: C- C- Changes at Eiderdown

by Steve Eslinger » Fri Jul 28, 2017 8:49 am

While it took us too long to get back to try their changed menu, I must say my wife and I were rewarded with a fantastic dinner last night. She had the cheesy späetzle with bacon (more like pork belly) and I had the chicken schnitzel with red cabbage and potato salad. All was delicious. Theirs is a highly credible rendition of chicken wiener art, and that potato salad will be an absolute go-to upon my returns. Raspberry cobbler was a fine coda to the meal. When you consider what little we paid for the experience, I'd say their re-make seems to be a resounding success. I know I'm truly psyched to be able to hop over to Germantown and actually eat fine German fare, with Monnik serving a similarly well-priced rendition of sauerbräten. Next move will be a return to Eiderdown to sample their würsts.

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