A Louisville mainstay: Watch airplanes and feast on delicious French food at iconic bistro

It seems like Louisville has blown up with hot new restaurants lately. And there’s good reason to be excited for places like Paseo, Decade, Nami, and more. Here’s what’s cool about our town, though. Some of the same treasured icons that have nourished us through the years are still thriving, with loyal regulars still packing them out — and new generations discovering them.

A prime example? Bistro Le Relais, 2817 Taylorsville Road, the French restaurant at Bowman Field helmed by owner Anthony Dike.

I confess to taking this institution a bit for granted, which is my mistake. I visited recently with a friend from Louisville Tourism in honor of the 100th anniversary of the dedication of Bowman Field in August, and as the setting sun draped the scene in molten gold and tiny Cessnas lifted off into the first twinkling stars, I wondered why I’m not here every week.

Plenty of folks in the know probably are. I chatted with Amy Zinner, who started out as a Sunday night bartender, and now runs the front of house. She and Dike are also partners “on and off the court,” she explained. Regulars have been the lifeblood of the eatery for decades. So much so that some of the most loyal among them can text her directly for a table when online reservations don’t show availability, she says.

Zinner says she’s seen an influx of new diners though. Those who’ve been with the restaurant since Dike came on the scene in 1988 are still familiar faces. But young couples are coming in for the first time on dates because of its romantic reputation, she says, then returning with friend groups.

The appeal?

Well, for starters, how many places can you dine in a former baggage claim? Le Relais is housed in the administrative buildings of Bowman Field, a site with a storied history. In the 1920s and 30s, passengers (and mail) were served here by Trans-World and Continental Airlines. Charles Lindbergh swung through here with his Spirit of St. Louis, a visit that drew 10,000 spectators to the benches that used to line the field.

A restaurant has long been a staple at the site, Chinese eatery Hoe Kow anchoring the spot for years before a short-lived Italian restaurant that preceded Le Relais, Zinner says.

Here's a condensed history: Current owner Dike, who’s Swiss, got his start as maitre d’ at legendary New York City restaurant La Goulue under French restaurateur Jean DeNoyer. DeNoyer, who was married to a Louisville woman, saw the opportunity when the restaurant space opened up at Bowman Field, and brought a young Dike with him to open the bistro. Dike eventually bought out his partner and has been the face diners have seen probably every night since.

Stepping into Le Relais feels somewhere between a time capsule, a film set, an undiscovered small French town, or all of the above.

And it’s magic inside, Zinner says."“Everybody looks good!"

But outside?

"I have to even pinch myself sometimes," she says. The deck is wide open to the airfield, where everything from private jets to Blimps land. Students learn to fly, news choppers take off, and the historic tetrahedron, a now-rare wind direction indicator, also serves to clue Zinner in on which side of the tables to pin the white cloths.

Off the deck is a 237-square-foot garden designed by Zinner after Dike installed it when some work was taking place on the grounds at Bowman Field. Zinner, who also founded Woodland Moss and Design, created a working garden full of herbs and vegetables that star in the restaurant’s menu. Open to the public whether or not you’re dining, it’s also a popular place for locals to bring their grandchildren, she says, where kids can grab a warm cherry tomato off the vine and pop it in their mouths.

Meanwhile on the deck, we’re popping other goodies like escargot, steak frites, and other classics into our mouths. So, what should you order? It’s a concise menu geared toward doing only a few things very, very well, but you shouldn’t miss the mussels in white wine to start, Zinner says. The rosemary-encrusted rack of lamb is beloved, but Zinner may point you to the scallops, seared “perfectly,” she says and plated in a decadent pool of champagne tarragon beurre blanc.

For dessert, she urged my table to go for the pain perdu, a bread pudding that I admit I questioned for a searing August evening.

"The reason I'm such a huge proponent of it is because it just has this warm caramel sauce that just goes straight to your soul," she says.

And although I intended to try just a bite, somehow my fork kept making its way back.

As for drinks, the perfect start to dinner on the deck is a French 75, Zinner says. And indeed, this classic gin cocktail kissed with Champagne does seem made for the scene. If bourbon is your go-to, then the Paper Plane, with Old Foreste, Amaro Nonino, Aperol, and lemon is only fitting.

Now, a couple of insider tips: when you make your reservation, ask for “deck if,” Zinner says. That’s their shorthand for deck if weather permits.

The best time? Aim for about 30 to 45 minutes before sunset, she says. Most people are there for an hour and a half to two hours, so "that way you get a nice blend," she says. "You get daylight. You get dusk, you get twilight, and you get the night."

With that, enjoy your next (or first) visit to the deck at Bistro Le Relais.

Tell Dana! Send your restaurant “Dish” to Dana McMahan at thecjdish@gmail.com and follow @bourbonbarbarella on Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Watch planes fly at Bistro Le Relais at Louisville's Bowman Field