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Rob Coffey

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Re: GQ disses Louisville Food

by Rob Coffey » Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:15 am

Robin Garr wrote:
For the sake of local-eats pedantry, I'll correct the observation above: Empress came first


Although I think it means nothing, but it seems important to some, I would just like to point out that Empress is outside the Watterson.
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Robin Garr

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Re: GQ disses Louisville Food

by Robin Garr » Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:36 am

Rob Coffey wrote:Although I think it means nothing, but it seems important to some, I would just like to point out that Empress is outside the Watterson.

:D

To continue the pedantry, though, it's outside the Watterson in a 1950s (or older) neighborhood, so it's not "East End" demographics. Once we get south and west of Taylorsville Road, the system starts to break down, and by the time we get to the South End, it doesn't work at all: Beechmont is "outside the Watterson," for example, and so is the Vietnamese epicenter north of Iroquois Park.
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Eliza W

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Re: GQ disses Louisville Food

by Eliza W » Fri Mar 27, 2009 12:01 pm

Okay, I have to be a contrarian here.

Does anyone seriously want a lot of positive national press and really competent civic boosters?

Think about Atlanta. When I was a child, it was a reasonably sized city with strong civic boosters. Those boosters brought in convention dollars, lots of development, and an international airport. And then growth. Lots of growth.

The city grew, but not very intelligently. It is a large city with a small town art scene. It has no center of cultural life. No truly good walking neighborhoods. There are good things about it - some nice intown neighborhoods, just about the most amazing strip of Asian and Latino restaurants and stores I've ever seen, a a couple of nice buildings - but, in general, it's rich in business and poor in the things that make a city truly great.

Yes, civic boosterism would bring in dollars. And maybe some restaurants would benefit. But would it bring the kind of organic growth that creates a vibrant, interesting city? I doubt it.

Thank God Atlanta got Hartsfield. I'll take Louisville any day.

So I say go, GQ, let's keep Louisville a secret.
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Michael Sell

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Re: GQ disses Louisville Food

by Michael Sell » Fri Mar 27, 2009 12:33 pm

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Last edited by Michael Sell on Tue Sep 21, 2010 9:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Reagan H

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Re: GQ disses Louisville Food

by Reagan H » Fri Mar 27, 2009 2:19 pm

When my company transferred us to Louisville, my only recommendations from food came from my husband who (vaguely) remembered an Old Louisville eating place after a 4 hour drive from a St. Louis Dead Concert. I'll let you fill in the blanks about his... state of mind (he can't). In our years in Old Louisville we narrowed the possible locations of this food memory down to the possible Granville (yum), the Tavern (...) and the old 4am staple, Juanitas. Which, I must say has taken a new vibe since ownership has transferred.

When we hooked up with our landlords on our arrival, we were told many, many lies. The only thing that they did say, that is possibly true, is that Louisville has one of the (they stated THE) highest per capita ethnic restaurants. In my business at Chef Supply, we work with a crazy variety of types of food and cuisine, and approaches to those cuisines, and the numbers of hard working businesses that come in our doors every day.

It seems to me, if we are to market Louisville as a foodie destination, rather than comparing ourselves to other cities which do not share the geographical, industrial, demographic, etc. etc. characteristics, we should hone what we already do have that is unique. I'd hate to base an point on anything the Landlord of Lies said (he also claimed to have put all the music into the Mag bar jukebox), but if that ethnic variety is a claim to fame, I say grab it, work it! We know about it here on this site, and I am amazed at the support a few darlings receive here, but... as Phil says, we are responsible for our image, and expanding what that image has to offer. And even though we are already great, like Ethan says, we must push each other to educate and provide new alternatives to the old standard meat and potatoes.

Having made more Hot Browns at the Brown Hotel English grill than I care to remember, and having all due respect to that comfort food, we should push to share our knowledge of all the other great cuisines that this market (Lexington and Southern Indiana too!) has to offer.

One last point, prefaced with the Disclaimer that I work at the New Albanian Brewing Company on Bank Street, is the recent heavy topic on the hypothetical bill of fare that Roger and Company have implemented at the new location. Due to my up close and personal review of plates returning to the kitchen (and my unfortunate proximity to the dish pit), and Chef Josh's own comments tinged with pleased surprise, the culinary apetites have been very receptive and sohpisticated. In my own humble opinion, It seems much of the concerns over the response have been for naught, and we are excited to continue to present new ideas as we develop.

If you build it, and MARKET it, they will come. Find our strength, and market it! "Welcome Food Fans!"
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