Delicious NuLu

“Pace yourself.”

That is the first thing Louisville Food Tour owner Kim told us when we met. She explained that over the next 2.5 hours, we would visit six restaurants and eat a small plate of something prepared at the chef’s whim.

I did not want to go into a food coma because I was excited by what I had seen of Louisville so far and wanted to keep on exploring that evening.

But my resolve to pace myself did not last very long.

Starting with dessert

Starting with dessert is perhaps the best food tour idea ever.

Cake Flour is a natural baking company. The chef is classically French trained and moved to Louisville in order to open a bakery that offers natural alternatives to processed foods so that people can taste the difference and understand how the quality of ingredients can change the overall food experience.

Mission accomplished.

Screw pacing myself

The second stop is where I said, “Screw it!”

There is no way I could not eat every morsel of this perfect combination of sweet and savory breakfast dishes.

Toast is known for its breakfast dishes, and on this day, the chef chose to give us a plate of two of the dishes I would have been torn between had I been ordering off the menu:

Lemon Souffle Pancakes with Blueberry Compote

AND

Toast and Eggs with house-made Harissa Sauce.

 

I ate every morsel, and believe all members of our tour group also joined the clean plate club.

Battle of the Pork Belly

Since the menu is not set in advance for this food tour, you never know (and neither does the tour guide) what you’re going to eat. That led to an interesting situation on this food tour.

We had pork belly at three different restaurants.

At first I was disappointed, but then I realized this was the perfect opportunity to compare quality and creativity.

The absolute best quality pork belly was at La Coop, a small traditional French bistro with some southern flair. Chef Bobby Benjamin explained his process and timeline for curing, pressing, and braising to get the fat to break down and penetrate through the meat. While at first it sounded complicated, Bobby explained that it may take time, but the process itself is not difficult. And that is the secret to preparing good food. It is all about relationships with farmers who provide quality ingredients. If you have to do too much to it, then don’t buy it.

 

 

The best overall pork belly dish was a hoisin braised pork belly with house-made kimchi and bourbon barrel soy sauce from chef Jonathan Exum at Wiltshire on Market.  This restaurant changes up its menu EVERY WEEK!

Don’t forget the alcohol

While I did not get tipsy on this tour, I did get a taste of some delicious locally-produced creative adult beverages.

Because I’m a huge craft beer fan, Against the Grain Brewery (located at Louisville Slugger Field) was my favorite. We tried the Citra Ass Down, and I was impressed by their extensive list. The food menu looked amazing as well, and I will return for a beer sampler and a meal the next time I visit Louisville.

Cocktails are not my drink of choice, but I was impressed by what is going on behind the bar at Rye. Bar Manager Doug Petry is about as creative as bartenders come, and he has big plans. They make all of their syrups in house, and they are experimenting with bottling their cocktails.

I tried the Bourbon Buck with refreshing peach and ginger favors but not too sweet.

The friendliest chefs you’ll ever meet

I have been on a lot of food tours. What set this one apart for me was meeting the chefs.

At nearly every stop, the chef took the time to meet our group and explain the dish and the restaurant concept, as well as answer our questions.

I learned so much more about the food and the city, and I now have a list of restaurants I want to return to and which dishes I want to order.

Loosening the belt

I wrote about how the food is one of the things that surprised me about Louisville. Yes, I read that Louisville is considered a Top 10 Foodie City in the US, but I still didn’t quite believe it.

Until I tasted it.

 

If you only have a short amount of time in the city, I highly recommend going on a Louisville Food Tour in the NuLu District. The neighborhood is within walking distance of downtown and a must-see for its quirky shops, art, and of course restaurants.  If food tours are not your thing, you still have to check out the amazing restaurants in NuLu.

 

 

Disclosure: I attended the Louisville Food Tour as a guest of the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau, but they did not request that I write about the tour or force me to overeat.