Mark's Feed Store, Louisville KY

Oh my. One of the highlights of last week's "writer's fun day" in Louisville, Kentucky, was the finale. At Mark's Feed Store in the Highlands neighborhood, close to where we stayed.

We were seated immediately and choose a second-floor indoor option because we obviously needed the exercise.

 I ordered the assortment of "slider" sandwiches of brisket, pork, and chicken, fried corn on the cob, and potato salad. I wasn't crazy about the potato salad, but everything else was excellent. But the best was yet to come.

Because it was our first "Mark's" experience, each of us were given a complimentary slice of buttermilk pie. I don't think I've ever had buttermilk pie before, but this was amazing.

Our server was wonderful, giving us each (because we were first-timers, again) a free bottle of barbecue sauce to take home. We felt like kings.

The Original Heine Brothers' Coffee Shop, Louisville KY

Last week's "writer's fun day" in Louisville, Kentucky, included a stop at The Original Heine Brothers' Organic Fair Trade Coffee Shop, which is conveniently connected to a Carmichael's Bookstore. Can't do better than that.

Heine Brothers’ opened their first location--this one--in October 1994 in the Highlands neighborhood of Louisville, KY, and now have thirteen shops and a mobile Airstream espresso bar in Louisville.

The coffee was good, the company was better, and I even got a blog post started with the help of my writerly friends. The location actually faces Longest Avenue (but is it--really?), but the address listed on their website is the same as Carmichael's Bookstore, 1295 Bardstown Road. Seems like a cozy arrangement, if you ask me.

Carmichael's Bookstore, Louisville KY

I know I've mentioned it before (here, for example), but I love locally-run independent bookstores, and I've come to know that a visit to Louisville, Kentucky, is not complete without a stop at a Carmichael's Bookstore (there are three locations in Louisville).

So for last week's little "writer's fun day" with a few writer-type friends, I was excited to visit one of the Bardstown Road locations (the other, just a half block away, is devoted to children's books). It was opened in April 1978 at 1582 Bardstown Road by Carol Besse and Michael Boggs (the store name is a combination of their first names), and has been owned and operated by them ever since. It is a family business in the best tradition. As the business grew, so did the number of family members involved, and the staff now includes a second generation.

I made a purchase, as I always try to do, that will remind me of this place. And could have spent the day. But, alas, they don't serve lunch at Carmichael's.

Steel City Pops, Louisville KY

Sometimes you're just in the mood for a $5 popsicle, right? Right? Well, on my recent visit to Louisville, Kentucky, I found out what that is like at Steel City Pops.

I had a delicious watermelon popsicle, straight up. I could have had several enhancements to it, such as dusting or drizzling. But I am a popsicle purist.

It was delicious, "made in small batches from the freshest, all-natural or certified organic ingredients, locally-harvested where possible" and sweetened with raw, organic cane sugar (according to the family business's website). But $5? I don't know.

We enjoyed it, though. The Louisville location can be found at 1021 Bardstown Road.

Jack Fry's, Louisville KY

On my recent "Writer's Fun Day" overnight retreat thing with a few writer friends in Louisville, Kentucky, I took the recommendation of a friend and took us to dinner at Jack Fry's in the Highlands/Cherokee Triangle area (whatever that means) of Louisville.  We were seated quickly, without a reservation, but the hostess graciously explained that our booth was spoken for at 7:30. She was probably worried, judging from my size, that I might need more than an hour and forty-five minutes for dinner.

The friend who recommended it said it's kind of expensive, and it was. After a glance at the menu I offered my friends a walk-out option, in which they could leave one at a time and I would stay behind for a couple minutes before telling the hostess that we weren't staying, but they said they would go with the flow.

It was a delicious meal, no doubt about it. I had the $30 crusted pork chop with other stuff, which you can see above. The chop was four or five inches thick, at least. Healthy pigs around there. And the company was pretty doggone good, too. We had a great meal together, and then perambulated outta there. It was just that kind of place. 

Jack Fry's is located at 1007 Bardstown Road in Louisville, Kentucky. Tell them Bob sent you.

Charim Korean Restaurant, Louisville KY

Earlier this week, I met a few writer friends in Louisville, Kentucky, for a twenty-four-hour "Writer's Fun Day" (my first post about it is here). Our first stop, even before checking in to our lodgings at the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, was Charim, a Korean restaurant in St. Matthews. Charim loosely translates to "the table is set," and it was.

None of us had eaten at a Korean restaurant before, but we are adventurous writers and gourmands, so we did the best we could. The appetizers (below) were fun and interesting.

After making sure with our server (whose English comprehension and expression seemed somewhat limited) that it would not be spicy, I ordered the bowl of something or other with chicken, and it was fresh and delicious.

Charim is located at 4123 Oechsli Avenue in Louisville, Kentucky.

Writers' Fun Day, Louisville KY

This past Tuesday and Wednesday I enjoyed a second annual (I think) "Writers' Fun Day" with a few working-writer-type friends (here's the post about last year's doings). Our lodgings was the beautiful Laws Lodge Conference Center on the campus of the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in (you guessed it) Louisville, Kentucky.

On Tuesday afternoon, we took a walk around the well-appointed grounds--part of them, anyway.

Like the previous year, we made it to the chapel on the grounds, where Terry White favored us with a virtuoso session on the grand piano and pipe organ.

It was a beautiful afternoon to walk a little bit and talk a lot. A lot. About God, church, music, people, and a few other light subjects. A fine time with finestkind people.