Farewell to The Ugly Lamp Contest!!

Been incredibly busy this week, so I haven't had the opportunity to really get out of my house. But I heard some sad news today. One of my favorite restaurants (and a staple of the Highlands) closed down today. 

Lynn's Paradise Cafe was my first real introduction to the Highlands. My husband took me there because it's the place he shared with his late father, and I was honored to be the one he carried on that tradition with. It was the restaurant we took our friends to that were new to or unfamiliar with the area. It was the host of the Ugly Lamp Contest every year. The food was great, the service was wonderful, and the worst thing I could say about it was that they were so popular, there was often a lengthy wait. But that's only because they're good. It was quirky, retro, weird, and encompassed everything that defines the Highlands. 

Lynn's Paradise Cafe was-in my own personal opinion-a great restaurant that was fun, with a great atmosphere, and a place I really enjoyed visiting. It's really a shame that so much controversy and drama has occurred in recent weeks, which are rumored to have caused the owner to suddenly and surprisingly shut down the restaurant instead of addressing the issues and making them right. I'm not defending one side or the other because I wasn't there (except to eat) and I don't know what happened in the inner workings of the restaurant, but I think it's a shame that this whole fiasco had to happen. From what I've read online, the new policies that were established on 1/2/13 were against the law and unrealistic, and it seems someone didn't think the policies through before implementing them. On the flip side, now 85 more people are unemployed, and we've lost an iconic restaurant. I think this is a perfect example of a situation in which there are no winners.

I wish nothing but the best to the employees who regrettably lost their jobs today and since the new policies took effect. To the owner of Lynn's, I hope you find a way to re-establish yourself and do it the right way. 






RIP Lynn's Paradise Cafe...

Review: Baby D's Bagels and Deli

Mmmm...do you smell that? It's the smell of the first official review of 2013 here at Locally Louisville! Today's review is of a local restaurant that I'd never even heard of until today, as I was searching the wonderful world wide web for something new to try nearby. I stumbled across Baby D's Bagels and Deli. Well, with a name like that, how could I resist?

My husband and I ventured the 3 or 4 blocks to the restaurant, and while parking is limited (hey, it's the Highlands, I'll give them credit that they at least had metered parking!) it's not the worst I've ever seen. We pulled in, and saw a sign poking out from the top of the building declaring it Baby D's. 

At first glance, this hole in the wall restaurant seems like it's a run down old record shop, situated next to a strange music place and a nail salon. But don't let the outside fool you, there's more than meets the eye in this cozy little deli. When you walk inside, take note of the thin metal chairs and the 50's style bar stools, the weird decoration, the colors, the tile on the walls...take it all in. This is the quintessential Highlands shop that you would expect to find in the heart of this neighborhood. 

We walked in, and were greeted by a nice, though somewhat bored looking employee, who was actually pretty helpful. She handed us smaller, hand-held menus, and we scanned the expansive menu. Man, these guys had a bajillion sandwiches made out of various meats and veggies. There is a sandwich to meet everyone's tastes! Andy decided on the Pitino and I had the Hedburg Club (hold the tomato, please!), both on their cheddar cheese bagels. Oh, I almost forgot to mention, their bagel selection is out of this world!

So we sat down, and waited. Someone had come in behind us, and the girl had to wait on him, too. Then a couple more people came in. We weren't in any hurry, and I suppose that was a good thing cause the poor girl was all alone, it seemed, and she had to take all the orders and answer all the questions before she could make our food. We ended up waiting quite a while, but when she brought us our sandwiches, I was incredibly pleased. 

This sucker was bigger than my mouth! (Yeah, laugh it up, but my dentist HATES working on my mouth!) It was freaking good, though. The ingredients seemed fresh, and very flavorful. I'm not usually one to like lettuce, but even the lettuce was fresh and crisp. I was very impressed. Maybe the presentation doesn't look the best cause it's falling apart in the pic above, but that's how much food was piled onto the sandwich. I didn't mind paying $7 or $8 bucks for that much food. They also had some potato salad, which Andy got and he inhaled it. I don't particularly like celery, and there was celery in it, so I wasn't a huge fan. But the one bite I took (despite the celery) was fairly good. I had the dirty chips (hehe) and even those were full of flavor.

Let us not forget the wide selection of drinks. Omigosh. They have everything from beer to Ale 8 to organic Kool-aid. Name it. There's a good chance they carry it. 

Despite being understaffed and the procession of beatnik types coming in and out, this place is truly a hidden treasure of Louisville. I was quite impressed, and this will be a staple for my group from now on. All in all, I'd give it 9/10. This jewel is very, VERY worth the money and it's almost like having a secret. Only it's one I was excited to share with the world!

Taking on Louisville, One Venue at a Time

I'M BACK!!

After an eventful and painful rest of 2012, and my extended hiatus from doing reviews, I decided to not only revamp the blog, but to actually start blogging reviews again. (*GASP!* A blogger actually posting things to her blog? Such nonsense!!) So, just to let everyone know, I'm gonna start blogging again. Why? Cause I flippin can, that's why.

And because we could use a few more people telling us their REAL opinions of places to go (and not to go) rather than someone who gets paid to do it. I'll be doing real reviews, the kind where I sneak pictures and try to be discreet, acting the part of a real customer, because I don't special treatment just because I'm going to review the place. I want to be treated like everyone else, that way I know the experience was real. I hate phony and fake. I want real, and you deserve real. So that's exactly what you're gonna get.

In the next few days (ish) I'll be updating the site's layout, appearance, pages, rating system, the whole kit-n-kaboodle. Plus, later today, you can all look forward to my first review of 2013!! I can't wait, my fingers have been itching to do some reviews, but I have been a little preoccupied. This year will be awesome, and thanks to you all for joining the journey as I take on the city of Louisville.