LEO/LHB: Shady Lane Café: Make yourself at home

[Robin Garr]

LEO's Eats with Louisville HotBytes.com

This friendly East End spot has long been a favorite for breakfast and lunch; when my mother and sister arrived ravenous from Florida on a late-afternoon flight, I was delighted to learn that Shady Lane stays open for dinner Tuesdays through Fridays until 8 p.m.

The four of us presented ourselves for duty and had a hard time choosing from all the goodies on the blackboard menu. And fine goodies they are, priced for recessionary times. Sandwiches and specials range from $3.95 (for my mother's choice, a classic grilled cheese sandwich, molten cheddar spilling over toast grilled to a mouth-watering golden brown) to $6.95 (for my sister's pick, the cranberry, Granny Smith apple and walnut salad with blue Gorgonzola cheese and Dijon mustard dressing).

Each night offers a different dinner special: On Tuesdays, it's a varying "comfort food" item, such as chicken pot pie or meatloaf; Wednesday is cheeseburger night; Thursdays are marked as "summer pasta special," a seasonal riff that I assume will be changing soon; and Friday night brings a fish fry of hand-battered cod.

Shady Lane Café
4806 Brownsboro Center
893-5118
http://www.shadylanecafe.com
Robin Garr's rating: 87 points

Read the complete report in LEO (page down to the end) and on LouisvilleHotBytes.

Robin,
Thank you so much for the kind words. Susi and I have put our heart and soul into the the Shady Lane. I only wish we had more of a selection of Susi's wonderful cakes and my fruit pies for you to try. I realy think Susi is ready for a cake throwdown with a certain chef that resides near the old Sears Building! It was wonderful having you and your family at our Cafe. It is such a rough business, with so many rewards. We work on razor thin profit margins that would evaporate without working 12 hour days and I hope all of us hang in and let this country right itself with our new leader. Hope to see you again, soon.

Best Regards,
Bill and Susi Smith

Hey, Bill - congrats to you and Susi for another glowing review. I have never heard anything but great things about Shady Lane.

Susi: As for a cake throwdown, I'd be delighted. Choose your weapon.

Bill cooks the best burgers in Louisville.

Oh baby, Marsha Susi, I will help put THAT throwdown together... (just so I can get a taste of both). Tell us if that will be a real situation.
I am all in on that one. I do see a challenge there.

Patrick, The Brownsboro burger is the best burger in town IMO. I have a disadvantage to my waistline..... I live down the street from Shady lane. So I love Bill and Susi, and support them with all my heart, but I have to step back once in a while or I will be in trouble.

To walk in and see those double layer (maybe triple) red velvet and fudge cakes, and pies...... I have to resist temptation.
They are delish! and as beautiful as well.

Oh jeez, now I will have to go in there before work and get a piece of something.
That will be lunch. Then I will eat an apple to take me out of my sugar coma.

Bon Appetit

Oh but don't forget the soups! Bill makes some incredibly wonderful soups. On more than one occassion I've had a simple dinner of soup and pie, yum. The "soup Nazi" doesn't have a thing on this guy

Just an update on my pickup before work...... Took the last three pieces of Miss Susi's Chocolate mint cake to the crew at Meridian
laid out some forks, and when they had a chance they dug in. It was loved by all.... even me.. I managed to get a bite in edgewise!
Moist, creamy and not too sweet, (not a fan of really sweet buttercream). Delish!

Thanks guys, hope the play was enjoyable!