This past summer, my husband and I took a long weekend trip from Virginia to Missouri for one my best friend’s weddings. All in all, I think we were in the car for 26 hours over a 3 day period. It was a lot of driving, but a lot of fun!
Her wedding was on July 4th, so it was a mini vacation for us. We were able to drive on Route 66, stop in to see the arch in St. Louis, and our final stop was Louisville, KY. I had driven past Louisville many times going back and forth to school, but this was my first time stopping there.
We stayed in Louisville our last night on the road and were able to catch one of their amazing Shakespeare in the Park performances – if you’re ever in Louisville in the summer, make sure to check this out on Friday nights! It’s completely free and a great way to spend a summer evening.
One of my favorite parts of this trip (other than the wedding) was stopping to eat at Lynn’s Paradise Café.
Uh…please excuse the bad road-trip hair. That’s what 26 hours on the road will do to ya’.
This place is so crazy, and I loved it. There were all kinds of crazy sculptures outside, including the horse toaster you see above. The wait was pretty long and you could tell that this was the place to eat breakfast, which is always a good sign. In the front of the restaurant, they had a store that sold all kinds of random stuff: glasses, games, tshirts, and these awesome goggles Nick had me try on.
If you’ve ever watched Throwdown with Bobby Flay, you may recognize this place. Lynn (the owner) actually had a throwdown with Bobby for breakfast, which included her Bourbon Ball French Toast. We had seen that episode, as well as another one that highlighted another famous Louisville treat, so we had no trouble deciding what we wanted for breakfast.
I ordered the Bourbon Ball French Toast, which was this thick cut sourdough bread with a very light batter, but then topped with candied pecans, fresh strawberries, chocolate syrup, powdered sugar, and Kentucky Bourbon whipped cream.
Nick ordered the Hot Brown, which is a local dish to Louisville, so we knew we had to try it. A Hot Brown is (according to Lynn’s menu): Our home roasted turkey breast baked on sourdough bread, with Mornay
sauce, bacon, tomato, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses. I wish we had taken more pictures of the food, but I wasn’t blogging yet so I didn’t think too much about getting amazing close-ups!
I started with the French Toast, Nick started with the Hot Brown, and we switched plates half way through. I think we did good ordering one really sweet meal and one that was super savory.
I have never had better French Toast, and I cannot even being to describe how amazing the Hot Brown tasted. I already know that if I’m ever back in Louisville, I have to have a hot brown.
I’m sure everything else at Lynn’s is great, as well. There was a line to get in the entire time we were there and it was packed inside the restaurant, at the bar, and in the store. The coffee was good, the food was good, the atmosphere was so much fun. The place was decorated with so many random things, and you really felt like you could enjoy yourself, be loud, and not feel horrible if you happened to spill some maple syrup on the table.
I think they were also having their “Ugliest Lamp Contest” while we were there – you can see a few in the restaurant with the blue paper on them.
If you’re ever in Louisville, make sure to stop in to Lynn’s Paradise Café! There’s nothing better than having a good time along with some great food.
Thanks so much for letting me guest post, Tina!
