Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

Insider’s Guide to Derby City

Dana McMahan
By


Louisville opens its arms to throngs of horse racing fans every spring. Derby City is the place to be: the bourbon’s flowing, the eating is good, and living is easy the first Saturday in May. If you’re headed to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby and want to see what else you might get up to besides those legendary two minutes at Churchill Downs, you’ve come to the right place. Our contributor Dana McMahan is on the ground in Derby town and will steer you to the latest and greatest.

Eat

Related Videos

Louisville is brimming over with new eateries that join an already stellar line-up.

Atlantic No. 5 – Brought to you by the tastemakers behind RYE (remember? We steered you there last Derby; you’re welcome) this food/coffee/sundries shop downtown turns up the volume on sandwiches and salads, serving up seriously good lunch fare in a spare, urban setting.

El Camino – Tiki is the first thing to come to mind when you think Kentucky, right? No? That’s ok, El Camino – opened last fall – will show you the way with their classic tiki cocktails, vintage surf music on vinyl, and authentic Mexican street fare.

El Taco Luchador – Yep, more south of the border here, with this colorful new taqueria (just down the street from El Camino actually) that packs the house with fans of their cheap-and-delicious tacos. Don’t miss the chicken mole, and definitely grab those sweet potato fries with smoked pineapple sauce.

Wiltshire Bakery and Cafe – Francophiles get their fix at this corner bakery, and if Paleo types don’t abandon all principles when they catch a whiff of the croissants, surely they’ll cave when they spot the sandwich board. To pack a Derby box lunch in style, get your order in by April 28 (our pick: the meat and cheese fantasy in the #1 Italian box).

Drink

Meta/House of the Public – Two in one! This upscale cocktail lounge (housed in a former strip bar) is playing host to House of the Public Derby weekend. Three days of pop-up club, totally new every day, for the “culturally discerning” will showcase local makers and promises some mean mixology – with no cover charge.

Gralehaus – If you made a pilgrimage to the Holy Grale last year, you’re going to want to head to their new shop tucked behind the beer garden. Gralehaus defies easy categorization, but one thing’s for sure: you’ve got plenty of options in their wall of beer – plus some high end snacks and square meals to round out your liquid nourishment.

See and do

The revival of Whiskey Row downtown has launched in earnest with the opening of the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. If museums had been this cool (and well-funded) when we were kids we might’ve been better students (the bourbon tasting doesn’t hurt either). This official first stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail gives you an up-close look at the magic and alchemy that is bourbon-making – with a bonus helping of local history and lore. A handful more distilleries are in various stages of progress, so keep your eye on this swathe of downtown.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Louisville legend Cassius Clay’s (aka Muhammad Ali) bout with Sonny Liston; it’s also 45 years since John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “bed-in.” What do these things have in common? They add up to a very good reason to drop in on the excellent Ali Center. Besides learning all about the life and times of the Champ, you’ll want to check out the new retrospective bed-in exhibit Give Peace a Chance.

Get out of town: head west (or east or south) on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® and scope out what’s happening in the – micro-distilling – world of whiskey. Sample some moonshine and watch from grain to glass at one of eight small distilleries scattered across the commonwealth.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
The 8 best protein shakes that are ready-to-go
These shakes come with all the good stuff, and none of the crap
Svelte

With as busy as we have become as a society, we always seem to be on the go. This can make life challenging, especially when it comes to wellness goals. In a perfect world, you could hit the gym hard, crush a workout, then immediately refuel with a balanced, home-cooked meal. But, since life happens and we are always on the go, it’s not always feasible to take the time to actually cook up a muscle-building meal right after your workout. Whether you’re on the go and short on time, or just can't stomach a full meal after exercising, having a quick and easy, protein-packed option that doesn’t require kitchen time, is a helpful alternative to refuel your body and maximize your results.

This is where protein shakes come in handy. Numerous ready-to-drink shakes are available that provide muscle-building protein, vitamins, minerals, and calories to fortify your body after a workout. They offer the benefits of protein powders with the convenience of eliminating the need for a shaker bottle, or high-speed blender, let alone making a mess with powders. Simply give the bottle a quick shake, pop the top, and you’re good to go.

Read more
This is the major change coming to Toblerone chocolate
Stripped of its "Swissness," Toblerone is getting a new look
toblerone chocolates new packaging

Toblerone, the nougaty, triangular chocolate bar we all know and love, will be getting a modern makeover later this year. US owner of the popular candy bar company, Mondelez International, has decided to relocate some of Toblerone's production a few countries over to Slovakia, stripping the chocolate of its "Swissness."
Under Swiss law, established in 2017, a product that's advertised with marks such as the Swiss flag, any references to Swiss cities, or, in the case of Toblerone, the Matterhorn mountain, must meet very strict origin criteria. The Swiss powers that be established this law to protect the prestige and reputation of genuine, high-quality Swiss-made products, including, of course, its chocolate.

While much of Toblerone's production will remain in Switzerland — even amping up by the end of the year — the strict laws dictate that it can't be considered a Swiss product anymore unless manufactured there exclusively.
Because the candy will now be partially produced elsewhere, it will no longer be allowed to advertise with any "Swissness," including the iconic Matterhorn logo. The label will also shift from reading “Swiss chocolate” to “Established in Switzerland in 1908” instead.
Reportedly, the hidden bear in the current mountainscape design will remain, but no word yet as to how prevalent it will be.
In a statement reported by CNBC, Mondelez International says that the Toblerone new logo will have a “modernized and streamlined mountain logo that is consistent with the geometric and triangular aesthetic.”
We think we speak for most when we say we couldn't care less what the box looks like. Just make sure it tastes the same.

Read more
The 7 best CBD-infused drinks we tried in 2023
These tasty CBD-infused drinks will have you feeling calmer in no time
Cans o RisEau cbd drinks.

Cannabidiol, or CBD, has been hot for a while now, making its way into everything from CBD teas to a variety of CBD coffee brands. If you're wondering "what is CBD?" — it's a naturally occurring compound present in cannabis plants. According to the World Health Organization, it's not addictive, has a solid safety profile, and won't get you high. In clinical trials, it's been effective in the treatment of epilepsy and shows promise in treating a number of other conditions.

In addition to CBD-infused water, tea, soda, and seltzer, another growing trend is CBD-infused nonalcoholic spirits and cocktails. The adult beverage market is flooded with CBD products promising to help you relax, sleep, destress, and mellow out, all without the hangover you'd get from booze (CBD is considered a controlled substance and can't be legally added to booze, at least not yet). We've rounded up a few of our favorite CBD-infused drinks below, from CBD cocktails to CBD water, so you can work your relaxation into your daily routine no matter where you are.

Read more