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Normandy Inn?

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Will Crawford

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Normandy Inn?

by Will Crawford » Tue Apr 05, 2011 7:23 pm

Does anyone remember the Normandy Inn? It was on 7th between Main and River Rd.
Was it Hearthstone Tavern and Normandy Inn? Or am I wrong?
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Robin Garr

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Re: Normandy Inn?

by Robin Garr » Tue Apr 05, 2011 7:28 pm

Will Crawford wrote:Does anyone remember the Normandy Inn? It was on 7th between Main and River Rd.
Was it Hearthstone Tavern and Normandy Inn? Or am I wrong?

Normandie Inn, I think. It must have been '70s, it preceded my tenure as the Louisville Times (and then CJ) food critic. And yeah, I think there was some kind of Hearthstone Tavern / Normandie Inn connection. Maybe akin to Equus and Jack's?
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David R. Pierce

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Re: Normandy Inn?

by David R. Pierce » Tue Apr 05, 2011 10:31 pm

Will Crawford wrote:Does anyone remember the Normandy Inn? It was on 7th between Main and River Rd.
Was it Hearthstone Tavern and Normandy Inn? Or am I wrong?

Hearthstone was right there, not sure of the tie-in only went to the Tavern. Served some awesome fondue. It was on the east side of the street.
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Re: Normandy Inn?

by GaryF » Wed Apr 06, 2011 4:04 am

The Normandy Inn was downstairs and the high end restaurant and The Hearthstone was the tavern upstairs. And they certainly did have a great fondue.
I worked at Actor's Theater when it was across the street and the owner very kindly supplied us poor techies with sandwiches on occasion.
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Re: Normandy Inn?

by Carla G » Sat Apr 09, 2011 9:59 am

And live entertainment sometimes as well.
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Normandy Inn matchbook!

by Robin Garr » Sat Apr 09, 2011 11:38 am

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Looks like I was wrong in my recollection that it was "Normandie" Inn, although there's one of those in Chicago.
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Re: Normandy Inn?

by Carla G » Sat Apr 09, 2011 11:52 am

It looks from the matchbook that it may have been a chain? I remember that logo but don't recall there being other locations. (Of course, in the 70s there was little attention given to anything outside of Louisville other than Viet Nam.)
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Re: Normandy Inn?

by Susanne Smith » Sat Apr 09, 2011 4:55 pm

It was not a chain. It was, I believe, Doug Gossman's and or Bim Dietrichs first restaurant endeavor and yes the fondue stood out, as well as some underage drinking. Great date place. The Hearthstone was quite a charming place as well as the whole building. Looked like New Orleans. What is there now?
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Re: Normandy Inn?

by Antonia L » Sat Apr 09, 2011 5:48 pm

Susanne Smith wrote:It was not a chain. It was, I believe, Doug Gossman's and or Bim Dietrichs first restaurant endeavor and yes the fondue stood out, as well as some underage drinking. Great date place. The Hearthstone was quite a charming place as well as the whole building. Looked like New Orleans. What is there now?


I absolutely love that building! It does look like New Orleans. There are some law offices over there now, not sure if anything else. There's an old sign that hangs from the second floor balcony - wonder if that goes with the current inhabitants, or the old restaurant. Can't recall what it says.
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Re: Normandy Inn?

by David R. Pierce » Sat Apr 09, 2011 6:06 pm

Susanne Smith wrote:It was not a chain. It was, I believe, Doug Gossman's and or Bim Dietrichs first restaurant endeavor and yes the fondue stood out, as well as some underage drinking. Great date place. The Hearthstone was quite a charming place as well as the whole building. Looked like New Orleans. What is there now?

Yes, definitely under-age drinking. I had just turned twenty the first time I went there. We would go there prior to going to Sound Stage, Eddy Donaldson's, John's Louisville Cafe, Great Midwestern, or City Lights. All on Whiskey Row; Main/Washington & 1st/2nd. The 'villes original entertainment district.
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Re: Normandy Inn?

by Jeffrey D. » Sat Apr 09, 2011 9:37 pm

GaryF wrote:The Normandy Inn was downstairs and the high end restaurant and The Hearthstone was the tavern upstairs. And they certainly did have a great fondue.
I worked at Actor's Theater when it was across the street and the owner very kindly supplied us poor techies with sandwiches on occasion.


I'm prretty sure it was the other way around, Gary - Hearthstone down and Normany up. You're correct about Normandy being the whiter table cloth place. Hearthstone was a pub with good grub.

I spent a lot of time in the Hearthstone. Sold my first house there. We wrote the contract on a cocktail napkin. Spent only a little time in Normandy. I may be getting confused here, but it seems like there was an over-the-road truck driver involved in the ownership of both. He died in a trucking accident (out west, maybe?) and they pretty much withered on the vine after that. Or maybe I'm mixing up the story with another food/beverage place at one or both of those locations. Both were really good places.
My memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
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Re: Normandy Inn?

by GaryF » Sun Apr 10, 2011 4:03 am

Jeffrey, I was going to mention the truck driver but couldn't remember all the details. I was told he drove the truck more as a sideline since he owned the restaurants and other ventures around town. Big grey beard as I recall.
I am sure The Normandy, or at least part of it, was downstairs as they would pass us sandwiches from the kitchen door which was on ground level. But I was so very very young what do I know? :wink:
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Re: Normandy Inn?

by Caroline K » Sun Apr 10, 2011 2:08 pm

My sister and I are chatting about old bars, restaurants and disco's...does anyone remember the Disco in DuPont Square in the 70's Or Peter Outlaw's or the Downstairs Lounge?? What about the Nosh Box off Hikes Lane?? Old House across from the Cathedral?
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Re: Normandy Inn?

by Robin Garr » Sun Apr 10, 2011 4:43 pm

Caroline K wrote:My sister and I are chatting about old bars, restaurants and disco's...does anyone remember the Disco in DuPont Square in the 70's Or Peter Outlaw's or the Downstairs Lounge?? What about the Nosh Box off Hikes Lane?? Old House across from the Cathedral?

I remember the Nosh Box, and I definitely remember the Old House. It was a Louisville institution, and it did last into the '80s, as I recall.

The owner of the Nosh Box is still around town and is on Facebook. He seems to have gotten quite involved in politics. :shock:
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Re: Normandy Inn?

by Leah S » Sun Apr 10, 2011 7:51 pm

Robin Garr wrote:The owner of the Nosh Box is still around town and is on Facebook. He seems to have gotten quite involved in politics. :shock:


And he has a successful catering business. I've eaten his food, many, many times.
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