Bottom Line

In Louisville, a flood of hotel rooms may not be enough

Led by the mammoth 612-room Omni, eight hotels are in the works for the Louisville area, The Courier-Journal said today, and if completed, they’ll add 1,500 more rooms at a total cost of $850 million. The Omni has started construction, and hopes to open by spring 2018.

But all those additional rooms may not be enough to satisfy demand once the Kentucky International Convention Center expansion is done; the center will close in mid-August for two years.

There are just under 15,000 hotel rooms in Jefferson County, and 18,670 in the metro area, including nearby Kentucky and Indiana counties. But compare that to other metros in the region that compete for convention and other big-meeting business:

  • St. Louis: 38,000
  • Indianapolis: 33,000
  • Cincinnati: 37,700
  • Nashville: 26,600.
Food and Dining

Fried green tomatoesLast night in Fontleroy’s restaurant. Fried green tomatoes: blue crab, roasted corn chow chow, and Comeback sauce. $13.

The restaurant’s Facebook page serves as its website, where it describes itself as a “modern southern kitchen offering our region’s hottest food trends. Local and seasonal offerings paired with original artisan libations.”

Named after Louisville Mayor James Fontleroy Grinstead, the restaurant opened last fall at 2011 Grinstead Drive in the Highlands. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday; breakfast and lunch only on Mondays.

Fontleroy’s is also on Yelp, plus Open Table and TripAdvisor.

Wish List

Only Parkside sells that cool bike Will Arnett rides in Netflix’s new series ‘Flaked’

Despite the generally meh reviews, I’m still warming up to the new Netflix series “Flaked,” mostly because I liked star Will Arnett so much during his earlier turn in the hilarious “Arrested Development.”

Arnett plays Chip, a recovering alcoholic struggling to rebuild his life in the southern California beach community of Venice; the eight-episode first season launched last month. Arnett’s character can’t drive anymore, so he tools around on a bicycle so ubiquitous, its brand — Linus — ought to be featured in the main credits.

nXpjTmM2I recognized it right away (even if other people didn’t) because I’d seen it on display at Parkside Bikes on Bardstown Road when I was cycle-shopping a year ago. I loved its looks then and now, although I opted for a Specialized instead. Arnett rides the $429 Roadster Classic, according to props and wardrobe spotter The Take. The manufacturer shows it in three colors, including Venetian blue — closest to what Arnett rides, albeit with an old, wooden Coke crate strapped to the handlebars:

Will Arnett linus

Linus bikes aren’t easy to find. Parkside is the only dealer in Kentucky — indeed, it’s one of only nine within a 200-mile radius.

I like Parkside — and apparently, I’m not the only one. Owner Ben Botkins added a second location last June, at 2509 Grinstead Drive near Cherokee Parkway, nearly six years to the date after opening the Bardstown store. The two outlets will have different focuses, Botkins told Business First. The original store will cater to casual riders looking for new or used bikes, while the new one will target “performance” riders who are often out on mountain trails, riding dozens of miles or competing in races.

Related: Parkside bikes on Facebook, and on Yelp. Plus, more about bike shops across Louisville.

Travel

The New York Times thinks Louisville only has two hotels

Scores of local hotel owners with more than 17,000 rooms available can be forgiven if they’re smarting about The New York Times‘ latest update to its popular “36 Hours in…” travel feature. The new version about Louisville highlights restaurants (Butchertown Grocery) and shops (Evan Williams Bourbon Experience) that weren’t in business the last time the paper visited, in 2011. But one thing remains the same, even if the rates have gone up: The editors are recommending the same two hotels.

Last week’s feature: “Near Main Street’s Whiskey Row, the 21c Museum Hotel houses 91 rooms as well as a contemporary museum and the restaurant Proof on Main. Rooms from $269. The landmark 1923-vintage Brown Hotel offers spacious rooms and an opulent lobby bar to return to after day’s end. Rooms from $199.”

…vs. 2011’s: “Consistently ranked as one of the world’s top hotels, the 21C Museum Hotel is a destination in itself. Open since 2006, 21c features an innovative, locally sourced restaurant and over 9,000 square feet of exhibition space featuring such artists as Kara Walker and Chuck Close. 21C’s 90 rooms start at $200. Opened in 1923, the Brown Hotel provides a more traditional experience. The lobby bar has been a hangout for residents and stylish visitors for decades. The hotel’s 293 rooms, some of which fall on the smaller side, start at $180.”

Pictured, top: Conceptual artist Serkan Özkaya‘s 30-foot-tall version of Michelangelo’s David, which 21c’s owners commissioned and installed in front of the hotel in 2011.

Related: TripAdvisor has reviewed nearly 100 Louisville area hotels. The Convention & Visitors Bureau publishes a list of its own. Here’s the New York Times‘ Louisville travel page, and all the paper’s 36 Hours features.