Louisville eats and why we love them

When approaching the top ten dining establishments in Louisville, it became a daunting task, for one
essential reason, it was very difficult to narrow the field to 10. That is a good thing. Guests from the big 3 cities, New York, LA, and Chicago often comment on the great selection of restaurants in Louisville. We have some great fine dining spots but we also have many, many small, off beat restaurants that could vie with any of the big city joints. One that comes to mind is the Mayan Gypsy. Most recently returning as the Mayan Cafe on Market Street... The owner/chef came from Mexico with little more than a burning desire. He started his business in a step-truck. Painted bright aqua, it could most often be found near construction sites. After several years of building a clientle,he opened a small diner on an uncharted area of Market. Tables were draped in assorted 40's tablecloths and the
Margaritas were icy and served in heavy tumblers. So, what made this place electric? Tamales so good... So fresh,wrapped in corn husks and steamed to perfection. My travels years ago to the Mayan region of Mexico, yeilded three distinct things in my memory bank, a backpack filled with chicklets( from the zillions of crafty street children), a six week stint of dysentery, and the best tamales under the sun. The Mayan Gypsy brought back that food memory for me.....,it lingers still. The Mayan closed a few years back but the chef is back doing his original idea after a short sabbactical in his homeland.
I haven't visited his new locale on the now trendy Market Street but Pig and Peaches has a mission and exploring Louisville's food finds makes this an imperative for my future dining. There are other spots on Market that will make this column, Artemesia, Primo, Toast....
Come along for the adventure of food and travel....join in, we love the input. AE is keeping me on my toes....and on my computer! His restaurant reputation goes unrivaled in these parts....