From bourbon to new restaurants, everything to know about Louisville's summer food scene

Louisville's food scene is constantly changing. It seems like there's a handful of new bars and restaurants to try each month. And they run and gamut from hole-in-the-wall authentic taco spots to fine dining establishments.

And that variety is what makes Louisville's food and dining scene so cool. There's always something new to try and the city seemingly has space for it all. In 2022, more than 100 new restaurants opened in Louisville, and we're on track for a similar outpour this year. In this summer dining guide, we've rounded up some of the top openings to help you keep track, plus included a guide to Kentucky bourbon and teased a few new "trend" items to watch for, from bubble tea to Cannabis-infused beverages.

Get a taste for Louisville in our summer dining guide:

Must-try restaurants in Louisville

Naive owner opens upscale Nostalgic bar, chophouse in this Louisville neighborhood: This new chophouse in the Highlands wants to take you back — way back — with upscale versions of the most nostalgic foods from your childhood. The new restaurant, Nostalgic, 1306 Bardstown Road, focuses on "comfort food through childhood classics." Owner Catherine MacDowall, who also owns Naive at 1001 E. Washington St., said it's been in the works for two years.

Searching for dessert? Get a sweet taste of Oaxaca at this Shelby Park bakery: Traditional Mexican culture comes to life in the pastries at La Pana Bakery y Cafe. And now the bakery, the brainchild of the folks behind Foko Familia, is set to supply bread and pastries to Foko Familia when the latter moves out of Logan Street Market and opens its own brick-and-mortar location later this year. La Pana, which will continue to operate out of the current Foko space at Logan Street Market, 1001 Shelby St., bakes and sells traditional desserts found in Oaxaca in southern Mexico, such as the rol de canela con lechecilla, a flaky puff pastry cinnamon roll filled with Oaxacan vanilla custard and pecans.

Mediterranean-influenced Paseo restaurant opens in the Highlands: 5 things to know: A boutique hotel set to open in the Highlands is bringing with it a new restaurant focused on wood-fired cooking and the many flavors of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. Paseo's interior highlights simplistic design with a modern edge. Decorative plants adorn the restaurant's booths, where visitors can immerse themselves in conversation under a sea of fossil gray and medallion yellow shaded lights.

New seafood restaurant, oyster bar opens this spring. Here's what to expect: Ian Hall, the owner behind The Exchange Pub + Kitchen and Brooklyn and the Butcher, opened his seafood restaurant OUTCAST Fish & Oyster in late spring. OUTCAST serves four kinds of oysters on the half shell with kombu mignonette, B&B cocktail sauce and crackers ($3.50-$4.25 each). The raw bar will also have items like smoked fish dip, a crudo of the day, ahi tuna tartare and peel-and-eat shrimp ($14-$35).

Bubble it up: 3 new bubble tea shops open in Louisville. Here's where to find them: The bubble tea shop trend is continuing to pick up steam in Louisville. Three new shops serving the classic Taiwanese drink have opened or plan to open this year, including national chains and local concepts. The drinks are highly customizable with choices on everything from sweetness level to ice and milk options.

INSIDE LOOK: Immersive farm-to-table shopping experience opens on River Road. Take a peek: Imagine an immersive, farm-to-table experience where you can buy groceries, pre-made food and order smoothies and coffees in a cafe-like atmosphere all in one trip. Designed to be that and more, Haymarket by Ashbourne Farms, which opens Wednesday at 3020 River Road, will feature a marketplace, drive-thru, outdoor merchandising area, covered patio seating, and a coffee walk-up within its 6,000-square-foot space.

Want to taste the story of Louisville, one bite at a time? Try these 4 food walking tours: Travel & Leisure recently named Bourbon City one of the Best Food Cities in the U.S. and these walking food tours showcase the best of the best. In each, you can sample some of the city’s famous local and regional dishes by taking a walking food tour through Louisville’s most beautiful and historic neighborhoods, as well as the city’s infamous Whiskey Row.

Eat like a true Louisvillian: These are the 5 foods all visitors must try: Did someone mention green chili wontons or perfectly baked chocolate chip cookies? We did. Trying these five local foods will make you a true Louisvillian in no time.

Must-try coffee shops, bars in Louisville

'Ethiopia is coffee': Abol Cafe transports you to another world through scent and ceremony: Coffee is so integrated within American culture, but did you know it originated in Ethiopia? Tar Molla and his cousin Adanech Sirbabo opened Abol Cafe in 2020 to teach people about coffee's history.

12 coffee shops, cafes with outdoor seating you must try this summer: Nothing says nice weather like a coffee (hot or iced!) on an outdoor patio. And Louisville has tons of coffee shops and cafes where you can sip and sit outside.

Want to shake up your morning routine? 6 Louisville coffee shops with bold flavors to try: If you're looking for a vacation from your usual coffee order, Louisville houses several coffee shops with rare drink options. From the spice-based Golden Milk Latte at Full Stop Station to Please & Thank You's Butterscotch Latte, locally-owned coffee shops offer plenty of out-of-the-ordinary caffeinated beverages for any coffee enthusiast. Here are six unique drinks to try this summer.

It's hot out there. Here are 9 places to get smoothies in Louisville: With the approaching dog days of summer, there's no better way to cool off than with a sweet treat. Luckily for you, Louisville has plenty of juice and smoothie bars or coffee shops around town serving up weather-appropriate drinks. From locations like Blossom Bar and Haraz Coffee House to Bean and Honeydew Louisville, here are nine smoothies to put on your drink list this summer.

EXCLUSIVE: Hectare's cannabis-infused beverages make their way into Louisville bars: Cannabis-infused beverages are coming to a bar near you. As alcohol consumption rates continue to drop across the country, mocktails and alcohol alternatives are having a moment. Hectare’s Cannabis Innovations, a Louisville-based company, which has been selling delta-9 beverages in bars in Texas and Tennessee is bringing the cannabis beverage trend to restaurants and bars locally.

Golf and beer come together in this new east Louisville brewery. Here's what to know: Brad Conrad knew he wanted to create a brewery where his two loves, golf and beer, intertwined. What became of that dream is TurnStation Brewing Company, a new brewery in east Louisville "where golf and beer cross paths." Conrad grew up playing golf at local country clubs before investing in GlenOaks Country Club in Prospect, which boasts a golf course, swimming pool, food, beverages and more. TurnStation is located within the lower level of GlenOaks, where he serves as a part-owner.

SNEAK PEEK: Decade restaurant in Butchertown is opening a new bar and music space: A new bar and music venue is set to open to the public at Decade restaurant in August following the latter's June opening. Located in the upstairs part of Decade, 1076 E. Washington St., B-Side will provide customers with a modern antique vibe complete with drinks, art and music performances in a venue that holds just over 100 people, according to co-owner Chad Sheffield.

Beginners Guide to Kentucky Bourbon

Think bourbon has to be made in Kentucky? Think again. Here's the truth: Listen, let's dispel this myth straight away. We can be the home of bourbon and not have to own it. So cheers to all the good bourbon out there — wherever it's from.

Up your bourbon IQ with these 13 facts you've never heard: So you think you know bourbon just because you live in Kentucky? Here, in no particular order, are your bourbon IQ boosters.

These are the 5 best bourbons for under $30, according to bourbon expert Fred Minnick: Earlier this year, world acclaimed bourbon expert Fred Minnick ― in a completely unscientific study ― asked his audience of bourbon connoisseurs to vote on the best bourbons around $40. More than 5,200 bourbon lovers responded. He announced his fans' picks in a video that he published on his YouTube channel, and then later Minnick ranked the Top 10 of that list in a blind tasting. We took a closer look at his findings and picked out some big bargains among the throng. Turns out, you can get a quality bottle of bourbon for as little as $16.99.

How do bourbon distilleries keep critters away? Meet 9 Kentucky cats who get the job done: If you spend a week traveling through Kentucky's bourbon country, you're sure to see rick houses filled with bourbon barrels, pools of bubbling mash ... and quite a few cats. Yes, cats are crucial staff members at several of our bourbon distilleries.

How a single change kickstarted a new kind of Kentucky bourbon tourism: For a long time, a Kentucky distillery tour included the tour itself, a tasting and not much else. You weren't allowed to enjoy a nice Old Fashioned at a distillery bar because distillery bars weren't allowed. In some instances, you couldn't even buy certain products directly from the distillery you were visiting. That changed in 2016 with the passage of Senate Bill 11, which removed archaic Prohibition-era laws to allow distilleries to open bars and restaurants to serve cocktails on site. Package sale limitations were increased and distilleries were allowed to give out samples and souvenirs on tours.

How this Kentucky distillery’s newness puts it ahead in the growing trend of experiences: New Riff opened in 2014, just two years before Senate Bill 11 passed, which opened the door for new distillery experiences and increased tourism.

He learned to make bourbon on YouTube. Now this Kentucky distiller is making big moves: Bluegrass Distillers is the only Kentucky distillery that produces a wheated bourbon with 100% locally sourced blue corn. Here's why that's important.

How this craft distillery known for its moonshine is shaking up the Kentucky Bourbon Trail: As the only distillery on the bourbon trail in Western Kentucky, visitors who stop by the Casey Jones Distillery can enjoy the hand-crafted, locally sourced spirits ― including its signature Moonarita and Bourbon cocktail, made from locally grown Kentucky corn ― and participate in a tour of the complete production process. And while Casey Jones is small, only producing several hundred barrels of bourbon a year, it's rapidly growing, with a bar added in 2016 that includes a lakeside back deck plus a $2 million expansion in the works with additional buildings to enable the brand to produce more spirits.

Reach Lifestyle and Business Editor Kathryn Gregory at kgregory@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville summer food guide 2023: top restaurants, bars, coffee shops