25 Hours in Louisville: Dizzy Whizz, Hall's Cafeteria, Proof

September being National Bourbon Month, it seemed like a good time for my first visit to Louisville. I didn't spend much time on research but I figured I'd eat a Hot Brown, drink some bourbon and let the rest take care of itself.

When the Megabus deposited me downtown it was nearly 100 degrees. The bourbon can wait, I thought, it's time for a beer. Consulting the hotel tourist mag I found the nearest local brewpub, Bluegrass Brewing, and ordered an APA and a half-dozen wings. I was pretty impressed with both the beer and the wings.

I realized I was within walking distance of Dizzy Whizz, a venerable drive in I'd heard of before.

Dizzy Whizz, Since 1947




By this time I was pretty hungry so I threw caution to the winds and ordered the most expensive burger on the menu even though I had little idea what it comprised.

The Dizzinator


Turns out it's a 4-patty, 1-pound monstrosity. This thing was a glorious, horrifying mess but I lost interest about halfway through. I think sticking with the classic (and smaller) Whizzburger is probably the way to go. Still, a promising start and a slice of real Louisville.

I had intended to get my bourbon and Hot Brown that evening but hadn't slept a minute the night before so my short nap turned into 14 hours. Waking up refreshed but hungry I rolled the dice with my tourist mag and chose Hall's Cafeteria, in business since 1955. I wandered around the Butchertown area marveling at the spectacular old but mostly unrenovated homes and factories while getting hungrier and hungrier.

Story Avenue Underpass


Seeing this mural painted under route I-64, I thought it quaint until a minute later a semi full of pigs came barreling off the highway. I guess it's called Butchertown for a reason. Entering Hall's you have a choice: turn left to Hall's Thrift Shop or right for the cafeteria.

Hall's Cafeteria


Hall's is one of those nothing's special/everything's special places. Most of the customers, many still wearing hairnets from the Swift plant across the street, were gathered around the television, talking, drinking coffee and scratching lottery tickets (one guy won). Heading down the line, the day's meats were fried chicken, hamburger steak, and pork loin.

My Breakfast


I chose pork, mashed potatoes and Italian beans. I usually don't order dessert but the banana pudding topped with meringue called my name. Plain cooking to be sure but someone in the kitchen knows what they're doing. Only the somewhat dry corn muffins disappointed.

Then off for a walk in the blazing sun and what I thought would be a light late lunch.

Proof on Main


Proof's dinner menu was so much more appealing but there were several nice lunch dishes. The chef apparently is a fan of bison and there were two choices for lunch (and others for dinner). I went for a bison sandwich and decided to pair it with a salad.

Arugula, Roasted Squash and Ricotta Salata


Fantastic salad but filling beyond expectation.

House Cured Bison Pastrami Reuben


The sandwich wasn't huge but it was rich, with aioli substituting for thousand island. House made sauerkraut and pickles were nice complements. I think bison, being rather lean, isn't the best choice for pastrami but it was an interesting effort. Fries were grossly oversalted (if you read this thread on Proof, you'll see this may be a recurring problem). Not a perfect meal but I'd like to further explore the intriguing menu.

Still determined to get my bourbon I walked over to Jockey Silks to find not a soul in the place. As I was trying to decide whether to go in, a flock of loud conventioneers sat at the bar and that clinched it. I hopped on a bus to visit another outpost of Bluegrass Brewing. The weather was better suited to beer.

Wandering around looking for the brewery I happened upon the local bison emporium, at the edge of Butchertown not too far from Hall's Cafeteria.

Kentucky Bison Company


I wouldn't be surprised if Kentucky Bison supplies Proof with their meat.

So I never did get any bourbon or a Hot Brown but I liked Louisville and hope to return soon and take care of that unfinished business.

Bluegrass Brewing Co
650 S 4th St
502-568-2224
and
636 E Main St
502-584-BREW
and other locations
Louisville KY

Dizzy Whizz
217 W St Catherine St
Louisville KY
502-583-FOOD

Hall's Cafeteria
1301 Story Av
Louisville KY
502-583-0438

Proof on Main
702 W Main St
Louisville KY
502-217-6360

Kentucky Bison Co
603 E Main St
Louisville KY
502-562-9491

Rene G wrote:
So I never did get any bourbon or a Hot Brown but I liked Louisville and hope to return soon and take care of that unfinished business.

That was my impression too, of course now I have a few more places to try! My family also liked Louisville a lot and are eager to return.

As a side note, when we went last fall, we were able to get two nights at the Galt House for like $45 per night thru Priceline. Does that help steer people there?

The last trip i made to L'VilleI stayed at the Seelbach where i had a meeting. The oakroom was very nice for lunch. What I imagined a southern gentleman's lunch would be like in louisville back in the old days. Wood paneled r oom and traditional food.

Rene G wrote:So I never did get any bourbon or a Hot Brown but I liked Louisville and hope to return soon and take care of that unfinished business.

Three years later, I got my Hot Brown and plenty of bourbon.



We had ours in the Lobby Bar at the Brown Hotel. Other options at the Brown are the English Grill (their formal dining room) and J Graham's Café (more of a coffee shop). A terrific "sandwich" but awfully rich.

Vital Information wrote:As a side note, when we went last fall [2007], we were able to get two nights at the Galt House for like $45 per night thru Priceline.

Rates on Priceline for the Galt haven't changed much. From what we saw it's a pretty standard conventioneer's hotel without a lot of character (though well located and certainly worth the price). The Galt's best feature is Jockey Silks, a surprisingly decent bar with a bourbon selection approaching 200 bottles. It's perfectly set up for sampling: comfortable chairs at the padded bar, bottles well displayed and lighted, and half pours available. Highly recommended.

iblock9 wrote:The last trip i made to L'VilleI stayed at the Seelbach where i had a meeting. The oakroom was very nice for lunch. What I imagined a southern gentleman's lunch would be like in louisville back in the old days. Wood paneled r oom and traditional food.

The Seelbach Bar is very nice too with lots of dark wood and a good selection of high-end bourbons. One of the highlights of a recent visit to Louisville was a glass of the Seelbach's private label rye whiskey, Rathskeller 23 year old.

Hot Browns are great (my hometown is L'ville). But the Hot Brown in the pic, to me, is almost unrecognizable as such. Did you have it at the Brown Hotel? Doesn't look like any Hot Brown I ever had.

DutchMuse wrote:Hot Browns are great (my hometown is L'ville). But the Hot Brown in the pic, to me, is almost unrecognizable as such. Did you have it at the Brown Hotel? Doesn't look like any Hot Brown I ever had.

Yes, it was at the Lobby Bar in the Brown Hotel. What's going on in Louisville, eh? First, Mazzoni's and Kaelin's close and now the Brown Hotel is producing unrecognizable Hot Browns.

Speaking of unrecognizable Hot Browns, Impellizzeri's is making a Hot Brown Pizza (it's a limited edition—September and October only). I really wanted to try it but we weren't able to fit it into our schedule.