Memory Lane! Would those old favorites still thrive today?

[Robin Garr]

We haven't talked about gone-but-not-forgotten Louisville restaurants for a while. Tell us your favorites! Do you think they would still thrive on the 2024 dining scene? Why or why not?

Old House Restaurant on South Fifth Street (Filson Club photo)

OldHouse-FilsonSM.jpg (242.67 KiB) Viewed 3137 times

This reminds me... When I was a kid in the 80s we used to go to a sit down restaurant at Oxmoor. There was a bakery right next door. I think it might have been in the place where the Panera used to be. Does anyone remember it? And the name of the restaurant?

[Robin Garr]

This reminds me... When I was a kid in the 80s we used to go to a sit down restaurant at Oxmoor. There was a bakery right next door. I think it might have been in the place where the Panera used to be. Does anyone remember it? And the name of the restaurant?

Mike, I'm combing through the dark recesses of my brain, but not having much luck coming up with a sit-down restaurant, other than the tables in the food court. Or Blue Boar! But that was at the St. Matthews Mall, wasn't it? Or could you be thinking of Farrell's Ice Cream? It did have its own sit-down area, although desserts-only as far as I know.

Blue Boar was down by what is now Macy's. . . . I used to go there on my lunch breaks when I worked at Wicks n Sticks. . . .

[Robin Garr]

Blue Boar was down by what is now Macy's. . . . I used to go there on my lunch breaks when I worked at Wicks n Sticks. . . .

My best memory of that Blue Boar was of Colonel Sanders and his wife rolling up for Sunday lunch there just about every week, disembarking from his white Rolls-Royce with his logo image on the doors.

This reminds me... When I was a kid in the 80s we used to go to a sit down restaurant at Oxmoor. There was a bakery right next door. I think it might have been in the place where the Panera used to be. Does anyone remember it? And the name of the restaurant?

Mike, I'm combing through the dark recesses of my brain, but not having much luck coming up with a sit-down restaurant, other than the tables in the food court. Or Blue Boar! But that was at the St. Matthews Mall, wasn't it? Or could you be thinking of Farrell's Ice Cream? It did have its own sit-down area, although desserts-only as far as I know.

Thanks for the response Robin. It wasn't Blue Boar or Farrell's. Unless I'm totally misremembering, it was located either directly across from where California Pizza Kitchen is now, or maybe at the entrance next to the Cheesecake factory. It was in one of those long veiny hallways, at the very end, first place you'd see after coming in from parking. It was a sit down restaurant, serving American food, in a smallish space. We used to eat there, then if my Dad was in a good mood we'd walk over to the small bakery next door and get a big chocolate chip cookie.

Unless someone chimes in, I guess it's forgotten to time!

This reminds me... When I was a kid in the 80s we used to go to a sit down restaurant at Oxmoor. There was a bakery right next door. I think it might have been in the place where the Panera used to be. Does anyone remember it? And the name of the restaurant?

Mike, I'm combing through the dark recesses of my brain, but not having much luck coming up with a sit-down restaurant, other than the tables in the food court. Or Blue Boar! But that was at the St. Matthews Mall, wasn't it? Or could you be thinking of Farrell's Ice Cream? It did have its own sit-down area, although desserts-only as far as I know.

Thanks for the response Robin. It wasn't Blue Boar or Farrell's. Unless I'm totally misremembering, it was located either directly across from where California Pizza Kitchen is now, or maybe at the entrance next to the Cheesecake factory. It was in one of those long veiny hallways, at the very end, first place you'd see after coming in from parking. It was a sit down restaurant, serving American food, in a smallish space. We used to eat there, then if my Dad was in a good mood we'd walk over to the small bakery next door and get a big chocolate chip cookie.

Unless someone chimes in, I guess it's forgotten to time!

Store listing from 1978 - any of these names ring a bell? https://pin.it/2KDW5wErj

Hi Jeff,

Thank you for posting this, I think it indirectly got me there. When I looked at your list, Tiffany's Bakery rang a bell. I'm guessing that was the name of the bakery that was next door to the restaurant I was trying to remember. When I googled Tiffany's Bakery, I found a thread on another forum talking about old stores at Louisville malls, and someone randomly mentioned WC Karem's. That rang a bell. I think that has to be the restaurant I was trying to remember. It just sounds so familiar. I don't remember much else about the restaurant though!

Thanks again for helping me track that down.

Mike

Just pointing out that CPK is in Oxmoor and the Cheesecake Factory is in MSM.

WC Karem’s was a sit down restaurant located in Oxmoor in the 80’s. My first restaurant job when I was 15 bussing tables. Then washing dishes. Then one day the grill cook didn’t show up and they threw me on the line. Hooked ever since. It was located approximately behind the Dick’s Sporting Goods.

[Robin Garr]

Patrick, thanks for the detailed memory! I sort of remember it ... I was actually writing restaurant reviews at the Times and CJ during the last two-thirds of the '80s, but I don't remember ever reviewing it. It's been a few minutes, though.

Based on your description of it's location, that sounds like the same general area as Yang Kee Noodle and CPK, correct? I wonder if space was built for restaurants with utilities for a kitchen and so on.