Friday, July 16, 2010

Good beer and the KFC Yum! Center: Impossibility?

Local journalist Rick Redding is free-lancing these days. Yesterday he offered a list of things that are impossible in Louisville, which lately has dubbed itself Possibility City.

"It’s impossible for all the bars opening downtown because of the new arena to get enough business to stay in business."

It so happens that my next assignment for Food & Dining magazine, due sooner than I’d like to think, is to survey the emergence of good beer in the vicinity of the unfortunately named KFC Yum! Center (yes, complete with exclamation, and attendant nausea).

Consequently, budding research assistants please take note: I need a bit of help in compiling a list of both existing and coming establishments. At the top of this list, at least in terms of good beer, are Patrick O’Shea’s, the new BBC across Main Street from the new arena, and the Kentucky Ale branded sports bar inside it. Of course, Browning’s isn’t far away.

I’ll use Food & Dining’s handy location maps to get started, but don’t hesitate to let me know what might be easily missed, especially in terms of the new entrants. Remember that this is about good beer, not so much food.

Finally, think about Rick’s “impossibility.” Do you agree, or disagree?

Thanks in advance.

12 comments:

john paul said...

they don't talk about it much, but Scott Harper brought 'better beer' to the Bristol Downtown, 614 West Main Street, before there was any good beer anywhere downtown. j.paul

The New Albanian said...

Good call. Scott knows his beer, too.

Van 1- Hall said...

Yea they are pretty mum on whats going in in that area. I just pray the 4th street crowd doesnt make its way over there. If Mollys hadn't opened their new establishment in St. Matthews, I could see them putting something downtown, but doubt it now. I'd love to see craft beer down there, just don't know if I'd want to deal with the crowds to drink it.

As far as staying in business, it's a tough call. Younger business professionals and those who work downtown will prefer going there rather than 4th Street, but that doesn't mean I want to sip a good beer or pay O'Sheas price to drink that good beer. Im glad to see a BBC going though...waiting for New Albanian to make the jump.

Jeremy said...

Roger, Impellizeri's will be putting in some taps down there.

Jeremy said...

and I haven't heard anything lately about the Ton Brothers Craft Beer & BBQ venture down there next to Bearnos. Hog and Char? something like that...

Van 1- Hall said...
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Van 1- Hall said...

Louisville Mojo had an article about Hog and Barrel Whiskey Saloon opening up around the same time that the arena did. They've been working on it, or at least there is a "hardhat only" sign there.

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Doctor Tarr said...
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The New Albanian said...

Doctor Tarr: In the course of removing that accursed Chinese spam, I inadvertently nicked your comment. Apologies.

The New Albanian said...

Here is Doctor Tarr's comment on your post "Good beer and the KFC Yum! Center: Impossibility?":

"If the bar area is dense enough, and if there is decent parking, and the bars are of the same type, then I don't see why this area couldn't do as well as Fourth Street Live.

"I don't understand the appeal of it, but there seems to be no shortage of people who do."

Again, sorry for the fumble.