Kentucky
“To be born in Kentucky is a heritage; to brag about it is a habit; to appreciate it is a virtue.”
My sister and I flew in Louisville to spend 3 days with our cousins, and this is how it went…
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the crack of dawn
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Just Missing the Tequila with this sunrise
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state 13 out of 50
Colonel Sanders
Touchdown right in heart and soul of the world’s second largest fast food chain! Kentucky Fried Chicken.
I was leaving the gate, heading to pick up our bags from baggage claim, when we were greeted by the businessman himself.
**You may find that photographs in mobile view are cropped disproportionately. Viewing these pages on a desktop will remedy the situation.
Day 1
To sleep in a bit after a day of traveling is only right, therefore upon waking up we went straight to lunch at Noche, a local Mexican BBQ Restaurant.
Louisville is a predominantly Catholic city with its influences stretched city wide. This particular restaurant originally was a Catholic Cathedral that since has been restored in an attempt to preserve the communities’ original buildings while simultaneously insuring that it was still serving a practical purpose.
Here at this restaurant they offer an array of traditional Mexican dishes with a twist of Southern BBQ smoked meats, enhancing the flavors across your palette. The ambiance is rustic with an artsy vibe centered around the traditional skulls of Dia de Los Muertos as a tribute to one’s family.
As the sun shines through the stain glass windows, the day brightens and becomes more colorful, symbolically representing loved ones who have past, looking down upon family and friends as they gather around the table to share a meal.
Noche is a fairly popular restaurant for the lunch and dinner rushes, so as always, if you have a chance, call ahead and make a reservation. Especially with the limited capacities due to the pandemic.
What I ordered: 1 birria Taco (left), 1 carnitas taco (bottom) & 1 pulled pork taco (top) with a margarita that is not pictured
Mexican BBQ Lunch
State 14 out of 50!
It’s the California girl in me that truly is shocked every time I am in another part of the country, and I am able to get into an entirely new state just by hopping on the highway. 10 minutes later and bam! I am in a whole new place.
Fun fact: In order to get this picture, we had to park & walk from a gas station across the street, trek up the muddy hill and pose on the side of the interstate.
Jeffersonville, Indiana
Bourbon tasting on Pearl Street
Being that Kentucky is known for it’s bourbon, it was only fitting for us to begin introductions immediately. Here at Pearl Street TapHouse, they are known mostly for their craft beers however, we went to try a fun shot called Captain Crunch & a flight of bourbon which offered us a variety of strength and tastes.
Referencing the photo of the flight, from left to right: Elijah Craig, Maker’s Mark 46, Woodford Reserve, and Wild Turkey 101.
** I am in no way encouraging anyone to go out to purchase flights of bourbon by sharing this moment. It’s sole purpose is to just share a local business and the experience I personally had while traveling. It is crucial to remember when drinking bourbon, you do not want to drink it quickly nor throw it back like a shot. The proper way to drink bourbon is to sip it.
Biscuit Belly Brunchin’
Day 2
Down in “New Lou” you will find that a lot of the old industrial parts of the city are now being renovated and commercialized. Here is where you will find this breakfast joint, Biscuit Belly, that serves to provide all Southern biscuit essentials combined with unexpected flavors.
What we ordered:
Loaded Breakfast Tots - sausage, bacon & cheddar stuffed tots with sweet maple mayo sauce for the table - 9/10
The Basic Biscuit - Biscuit is buttery and flakey but the cheese wasn’t melted enough for my personal liking - 8/10
The Boozy Bird - buttermilk fried chicken breast on a buscuit (usually smothered in bourbon maple syrup but instead each bite was dipped individually) - 10/10
The Hash Mash - hashbrowns with caramelized onions, mushrooms & cheddar topped with fried chicken (not pictured) - 10/10
“Damn good biscuits”
I also recommend trying their drinks from the soft drink fountain and if you’re anything like me you will try a little bit of all of them. Pictured below are some of the unique flavors to their juices and sodas.
About 13 minutes away from Biscuit Belly, right along side the Ohio River is the famous
Louisville Slugger Factory & Museum
There is no surprise as to why Forbes called this, “One of the greatest sports museums in the world.” The tour itself is fairly inexpensive compared to other museums I have went to; adults are $16, kids from the ages 6-12 are $9 a ticket, and kids under 5 are free. Touring around the factory itself lasts approximately an hour, of course depending on how many questions are asked at each of the stations.
Be ready to welcome the best smell once entering those factory doors; the smell of the wood!
Throughout the tour of the factory, an explanation is provided for every step in the process these famous sluggers need in order to be ready for the MLB players.
First beginning with a video about the wood’s sourcing, followed by an immersive journey through the factory, this walk through tour of the factory provides you with all the information you may need to know about the making of all MLB bats. The tour guide always explains in great detail the process of delivering each individual player’s personal customizations, in the highest detail.
After the tour, each person will receive a small bat as a souvenir token to take home. A gift shop is also available for the purchasing of personalized bats, t-shirts, etc.
This is all baseball fans dream!
Get ready to smell the wood!
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Players are able to choose from these 4 types of wood, what type of bat they want to play with
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this machine can customize the shaping of each players bats right to their liking in only 30 seconds!
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Pallets of billets awaiting inspections
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billets turned bats! fresh out of the shaving and shaping machine
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a bat for every team! you have a chance to pick up and swing the bats of current players
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Los Angeles Dodgers very own Cody Bellinger's bat
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The large iron glove and ball
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Holding history! Retired hall of famers game bats are avaiblee to be held before tours begin
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a gentle reminder from the legend himself
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Grand Entrance to the museum & factory
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the Silver slugger awards began in 1949. This silver bat is given to the batting champion in both the American League & National League
Churchill Down, Horse racing track
Place your bets, grab a beer and let’s begin!
If you are in town this is a place you must stop to enjoy. Although Churchill Downs is home to the Kentucky Derby, there are constantly races being held at the track throughout the week.
Races are every Thursday, beginning at 5 pm, making this not only a great place to do business in the evenings, but also making this one of the hottest date night places. Friday - Sunday, each week, the times of the races varies depending upon the event that is being held in conjunction to the races.
Their website offers an up to date calendar making it easy to plan your trip ahead of time.
The largest horse race, The Kentucky Derby, is always held the 1st of May, rain or shine. Now for my fashion people out there, yes it is the same day as the Met Gala.
Tickets for the day alone begin at $700 a seat, the Railbird Runway looks are only as grandiose as the hats & and passion for winning is at it’s all time high.
Horse racing is not only the fastest 2 minutes in all sports, it arguably could be the most profitable sport.
Fun Facts about the Derby;
Kentucky Derby, is known as “The Run For The Roses” as the winning horse and jockey gets draped in a carpet of roses.
The men’s official drink is a Mint Julip
The ladies’ official drink is Oak Lillies
There has never been a female jockey who has run the race
Only 3 year old horses are allowed to compete
Only 3 fillis (female horses) have won the Derby
Rain or shine the races will go on. Literally.
In 2018, $150,000,000 were wagered on the races.
2020 Kentucky Derby Winner “authentic”
Quills Coffee
Quills is a local Louisville coffee company that opened in 2007, right before the housing marketing crash of “08. Fast forward to 2021, it now has several locations through out the metropolitan area as well as a few other national presences and wholesale distributions throughout the country.
If you’re in the Highland district or the New Lou area, you are bound to run into one of these shops. While you’re there, try the sea salt bourbon carmel latte.
random Facts about Kentucky:
It is said that the “high five” was invited there.
The “Happy Birthday to You” song was written by two Kentuckian sisters.
Beethoven’s first public American performance took place in Kentucky.
Kentucky and Illinois both claim to be the home state of the past president, Abraham Lincoln. Kentucky claims they were the first home state.
Grassa Gramma
Ristorante Italian
Freshly made pasta, exquisite cuisine, and a true Italian experience in the United States, now this is nothing like your local Olive Garden, or any other Americanized Italian restaurant.
If you’re interested in fine dining, whether it is a treat yourself type of night, girls night out, or a date night with your signifcant other, Grassa Gramma needs to be at the top of your list!. Call ahead make reservations in advance and plan to come on an empty stomach, this is not the place to get full quickly at.
I am tempted to explain to you in great detail how the dinner went, including all of the customs and traditions that are honored, but at the same time I am hesitant. The last thing it would ever want to do is take away the experience from you.
What I will do instead is attach some photos, discuss the menu, show you what we ordered and leave it up to you to come here for this experience yourself.
For dessert we shared Budino, which is a very decedent
Main Course: Verlasse Salmon
Main Course: Cacio E Pepe (Pictured above)
Appetizer: Duck meatballs (not pictured) Dessert: Budino
Main Course: Double Bacon Carbona with chicken
Brunch is my cardio
I am always down for a great brunch moment. In fact, my favorite meal is breakfast so it was only right to grab a reservation at The Village Anchor. The owner to this restaurant is also the same owner of Grassa Gramma, the Italian restaurant, we ate at for dinner the night before.
Being that this restaurant is well known, I absolutely recommend making a reservation in advance, especially if you are planning on going there for brunch. Brunch is only available on the weekends (Sat & Sun) between 10 am - 3 pm.
** With COVD-19, there has been an additional measures taken in order to ensure the staffs and all guests safety. In regards to the seating arrangements, an additional tent has been set up outside of the restaurant in order to best accommodate the 6-feet spacing rule of thumb and the utensils are individually packaged. For these measures to be in place, note that there is an additional $2 service charge added to the bill.
Now, lets talk menu!
Normally, ordering appetizers before brunch is not necessary, but much like everything else at The Village Anchor, the odds are defied. Pictured below is a bowl of sweet potatoes fries, nothing interesting there. Now look to the top of the photo were there is two small cups of an off white colored condiment is and now you see the heavenly marshmallow creme! As someone who doesn’t like marshmallows, let me tell you this is just mouth watering greatness. If you don’t go here for anything else, let it be the fries!
Anytime, I am visiting a new place, I tend to try out the local food to get a taste of what it is like to live there. One of Louisville’s classic dishes is the Hotter Brown. This dish is pulled roasted chicken paired with French bread stuffing with onions. You are able to see this dish below.
When it comes to drinks, I am absolutely a mimosa girl through and through, however, it is only right to try the exclusive BLT Bloody Mary here. Let’s just say, the maple bacon paired with the peppery tomato is absolutely divine.
Bloody Mary
Eggs Benedict & Mimosas
Kentucky's own Hotter Brown
Biscuits & Gravy (biscuits not pictured)
Sweet Potato Fries with Marshmallow Creme & Bourbon BBQ
BLT Bloody Mary
