What restaurants would you love to import into Louisville?

I have often thought about restaurants (either chain or independent) from other places in the U.S. that I would love to see here.

I'll name the ones I wish were here, and everyone can follow with their choices.

1) Sweet Tomatoes -- a chain in California (and probably other places) that serves buffet-style low-fat food, with the most robust salad bar imaginable. This is a great place to go if you're on a diet.

2) Schlotsky's Deli -- a chain that used to be here that has the best ham sandwich I've ever tasted. I still get mad cravings for it, but I can't have it any more. It actually makes me sad to think about it. They make great potato chips too.

3) Villa Antonio, a marvelous hole-in-the-wall authentic Italian restaurant on Charlotte's south side. Their food is out of this effing world delicious, and their service is beyond top-notch. I went there for lunch a lot when I worked near there, and they always had interesting choices in their lunch buffet. Eating there was like dying and going to heaven, and I'm not religious.

Those are my top three standouts. I might have more if I thought about it longer.

I always go to Sweet Tomatoes while visiting my family in Scottsdale, AZ. Not only do they have a great salad bar, it's also a wonderful place for children.

Scholotsky's Deli is in Louisville.....

Steve you need to get out more and see all of the places we have to eat here in Louisville.....

Scholotsky's Deli is in Louisville.....

Well, the two locations I know of closed down. Where are the ones remaining?

Steve you need to get out more and see all of the places we have to eat here in Louisville.....

I don't see how this has anything to do with the topic.

The only chain I can think of to import here is Noodles & Co which will probably happen soon enough on it's own.

If I could bring any smaller places here it would Pizza Luce from the Twin Cities, Soul Veg from Chicago (And DC), Chicago Diner, and an italian joint in Chicago that started in Little Italy but branched out into new locations called Pompei.

Scholotsky's Deli is in Louisville.....

Well, the two locations I know of closed down. Where are the ones remaining?

OK, just checked it out. There's two locations remaining, and they're both in the deep east end.

I go to the one in Middletown and there is also a new McCalisters Delie near there also...You have a choice of two good places to eat...It is near where the old Biggs used to be and the New Wa-Mart will be opening up in about two months....There is also a new El Napol out there along with a new arbys next to Capt. D's....The place is coming alive after being dead for so long.....

[Robin Garr]

everyone can follow with their choices.

Among chains, In and Out Burger from California, although I don't find it as overwhelming as some do. A friend in Memphis who has very good taste is at least mildly smitten by Pei Wei, which is PF Chang's more casual sibling. And of course, if you open it up to indies, the list is endless ... Babbo, Otto, any good San Francisco Chinese ...

I go to the one in Middletown and there is also a new McCalisters Delie near there also...You have a choice of two good places to eat...It is near where the old Biggs used to be and the New Wa-Mart will be opening up in about two months....There is also a new El Napol out there along with a new arbys next to Capt. D's....The place is coming alive after being dead for so long.....

Thanks robert for setting me straight on Schlotsky's. Even though your taste buds are nonexistent, you did have facts on hand that I cannot dispute.

Too bad the locations are farther than I like to go for eats.

You need to get out more and give your taste buds a break.....

1) Sweet Tomatoes -- a chain in California (and probably other places) that serves buffet-style low-fat food, with the most robust salad bar imaginable. This is a great place to go if you're on a diet.

Some relatives were just up from the Tampa area, and we were talking about that place. I was there a long time ago....EXCELLENT!!!!

2) Schlotsky's Deli -- a chain that used to be here that has the best ham sandwich I've ever tasted. I still get mad cravings for it, but I can't have it any more. It actually makes me sad to think about it. They make great potato chips too.

Please don't tell me they've closed...When? Why? How? I thought there was still one in the Springhurst area and one in Middletown.

everyone can follow with their choices.

Among chains, In and Out Burger from California, although I don't find it as overwhelming as some do. A friend in Memphis who has very good taste is at least mildly smitten by Pei Wei, which is PF Chang's more casual sibling. And of course, if you open it up to indies, the list is endless ... Babbo, Otto, any good San Francisco Chinese ...

I had In and Out Burger in CA... didn't impress me at all, even though the locals raved about it. The taste reminded me of burgers I have eaten at bowling alley "restaurants" as a kid.

Re: SF Chinese, I've lived in both the SF area and New York State, and my fondest Chinese food memories come from New York State. There's a Chinese eat-in/take-out place in Downtown that serves a very good facsimile to the New York taste: Wok Express. Their Hunan Chicken is great. I recently ate there with a friend and he's been raving about it ever since, and says they have the best wonton soup he's ever had.

2) Schlotsky's Deli -- a chain that used to be here that has the best ham sandwich I've ever tasted. I still get mad cravings for it, but I can't have it any more. It actually makes me sad to think about it. They make great potato chips too.

Please don't tell me they've closed...When? Why? How? I thought there was still one in the Springhurst area and one in Middletown.

Yes, it turns out they are still open. But the ones on Outer Loop (Okolona) and Hurstbourne closed a while back.