By Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
Le Relais, Louisville’s beloved French restaurant, has been a staple in the community for more than three decades. Recently it was sold to Amy Zinner, a longtime member of the team and partner of the former owner, Anthony Dike.
In this interview, Amy and Anthony talk about the restaurant’s history, the challenges of ownership, and what’s next for Le Relais.
Continue reading Landmark Le Relais stays in the familyBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
“My cap is frozen to my head
My heart is like a lump of lead
My shoes are frozen to my feet
With standing at your window.”
It’s been that kind of winter, all right. The traditional Irish ballad “Cold Blow and the Rainy Night” captures well the feeling of snow and ice and bone-chilling temperatures that freeze our caps to our heads and our shoes to our feet.
We’re finally enjoying a little break this week. But no one believes winter is over, or that we’ll even be out of the chill by St. Patrick’s Day on March 17. So when I’m looking for a warm, cozy place to grab a meal or a comforting drink, there’s a good chance I’ll find my way to one of Louisville’s favorite authentic Irish restaurants: Molly Malone’s in the Highlands or The Irish Rover in Clifton.
Whether you’re in the mood for a filling Irish repast, a warming glass of Irish whiskey, or a restorative pint of dark, bittersweet, well-drawn Guinness, you can’t go wrong at either of these establishments. Each, however, brings a distinctly different mood to the table.
LouisvilleHotBytes reviews are now on Substack: Read the rest of this review there!
Our LouisvilleHotBytes reviews are reader-supported. We pay our own way and accept no gifts or gratuities from restaurants. Your subscriptions keep us independent. Please support us: Subscribe today!
Congratulations to Noam Bilitzer at Meesh Meesh Mediterranean in Louisville: He has been named a Best Chef: Southeast semininalist in the James Beard Awards’ 2025 Restaurant and Chef Awards.
Also a semifinalist in Best Chef: Southeast is Chef Sara Bradley at Freight House in Paducah.
Two other Kentucky entries were announced as semifinalists today: Holly Hill Inn, Midway for Outstanding Hospitality, and The Bar at Willett in Bardstown for Outstanding Bar.
Continue reading Meesh Meesh chef gains Beard nominationBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
Not that many years ago, we didn’t have many Hispanic neighbors around Louisville, and the puny quality of our Mexican restaurant scene reflected that deficit. But times have surely changed!
Continue reading Friend’s Fusion offers fine Peruvian fare with a smileBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
Just about every successful restaurateur worked hard to achieve that dream, but for some of our immigrant neighbors, that’s only half of the story.
Consider, if you will, an Iranian-born chef who learned Italian cooking at Vincenzo’s, then with his Afghanistan-migrant wife bounced from the upscale Italian eatery to a popular Italian food truck and restaurant that has now expanded into Louisville’s first Afghan eatery: Bellissimo.
Continue reading Bellissimo brings Afghan pride to the tableBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
Hey, everyone! I’ve got to tell you about this really good new Thai place. Open only since early in August, Amazing Thai is living up to its name with fare that’s earning rave reviews from happy diners.
But wait, you say: Didn’t you just review a new Thai eatery last time? Well, yeah! Take Thai on Factory Lane deserved some props too.
But I’ll tell you now what I told you then: Thai cuisine is really good. I’ll dig into a plate full of that any chance I get, and if a third new one opens before the next issue, I’ll probably go there too.
Continue reading Don’t miss the boat (noodles) at Amazing ThaiBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
I love food from around the world, and I intend to try as much it as I can, within reason. With a possible exception for aged, fermented Greenlandic shark. But ask me to name a favorite, and I’d be hard-pressed to single out just one.
That being said, Thai cuisine clicks off quite a few boxes for me. It’s colorful, aromatic, full of flavors that sing together in at least four-part harmony. Specifically, I’m thinking about the four flavors that Thai cooks seek to hold in balance in every dish: salty, sweet, sour and spicy.
Continue reading Take Thai’s fine fare lands in the East EndBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
I confess to being a little surprised at first when Mary came home from lunch with a friend the other day raving about how good the food at Los Aztecas had been.
Why the surprise? To be honest, I rarely think much about the Mexican-run local chains like Los Aztecas and El Nopal anymore, and I realized with a jolt that there might be a hint of food snobbery about that.
Continue reading Los Aztecas is just as good as everBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
There’s a lot to love about the spicy, aromatic wonders of Ethiopian food, and I’ll tell you right now that I love it. But Ethiopian cuisine makes some folks nervous.
Why is that? Here’s why: Walk in to an excellent Ethiopian restaurant like Louisville’s Queen of Sheba without a prior introduction to this ancient East African cuisine, and you’ll see surprising things.
Continue reading Have it your way at Queen of ShebaBy Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
Food-loving Louisville folks often complain that our city just can’t get a genuine, New York Jewish deli like Shapiro’s in Indianapolis, or for that matter like Katz’s or Sarge’s or the late, touristy Carnegie Deli in actual New York.
I have never quite gotten this. We have excellent Louisville-style delis here where you can get a pastrami or corned beef on rye that gives New York a run for its money.
But nope, that doesn’t seem to satisfy the deli-hungry crowd. “That’s not autheeeennnntic, they cry.
Continue reading Good Belly brings us good deli, and we’re glad
