by F. Andrew Taylor
Eat
If you’re going to eat in the area around the Kentucky International Convention Center, you should be prepared to drink, or at least be around people for whom the bourbon is just as, if not more, important than the bouillabaisse. Jack Fry’s, 1007 Bardstown Rd. was opened in 1933 by Fry and his wife, Flossie. Fry was a bit of a man’s man and it became a sportsman’s hangout. Doc’s Bourbon Room (pictured right), 129 W Main St. has a relatively small, but flavorful menu ranging from popcorn (with maple roasted peanuts and bacon) to beef tartare and more than 2,000 bottles of bourbon.
Sleep
The Galt House (pictured left), 140 N Fourth St. is on the waterfront and calls itself the “official hotel” of all that matters. It is centrally located and unusual enough that it is hard to miss. For those seeking a truly unique hotel experience, 21c Museum Hotel Louisville – MGallery, 700 West Main St., is a boutique hotel and contemporary art museum. For a more intimate setting, there is the Vu Guesthouse, 822 S Floyd St., which is located in the historic Smoketown neighborhood. It was created from the historic remnants of a tobacco warehouse decommission in 1865 and transformed into a 34-room, contemporary boutique hotel.
Play
The museum district is a must, with the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, the Kentucky Science Center, The Mohammed Ali Center and more. There are, of course, attractions highlighting the area’s distilling tradition, including Kentucky Peerless Distilling, Angel’s Envy Distillery and the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. Fourth Street Live! offers shopping just blocks from the KICC. For those looking for something you can’t do just anywhere, Belle of Louisville Riverboats offers excursions on the Ohio including a one hour Harbor History cruise, longer sightseeing cruises and dining cruises.
This story originally appeared in the Nov./Dec. 2020 issue of Exhibit City News, p. 40. For original layout, visit https://issuu.com/exhibitcitynews/docs/ecn_nov-dec_2020
