One of the best things about Louisville is the food. Because of our central location for shipping, we can get all kids of seafood from either coast no later than 24 hours after it came out of the water.
Another luxury of Louisville is the Farmers Markets. Small family farms from all around bring their locally grown products to these markets Saturday morning. My favorite is the St. Matthews Farmers Market located at Beargrass Christian Church, 4100 Shelbyville Road. They are open from 8 AM to noon every Saturday during the season (May 17 - September 27).
There are all sorts of produce, eggs, baked goods, meats and other local vendors that setup booths. Here are my top five favorites:
- Sunergos Coffee: A local microrostery and espresso bar. You can purchase whole bean coffee by the pound ($10/lb.) or fresh brewed coffee ($2/cup) to help you wake up while you shop.
- Sunshine Farms: A local farm where they have a wide range of produce all picked that week. In my opinion they have some of the best tomatoes at the market ($2.00/lb.).
- Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese: Locally harvested cheese by the 1/2 lb. They have all of the staples (Cheddar, Jack, etc) as well as some really good exotic flavors like St. Jerome and Chipotle Colby (ranging $4 to $6 per 1/2 lb. package). You’ve got to try the Chipotle Colby! It’s amazing!
- Sherwood Acres: Some of the best meat you’ll be able to find in Louisville. My favorite part is that the Vice President of the ranch, Dan Weintraub is there at the table selling you the meat. He’ll even give you a full run down of why they choose Belted Galloway cattle and the best way to prepare it to get the maximum flavor out of it.
- Companions Creek Farm: These free-range eggs are amazing. I didn’t believe people when they told me that free-range eggs taste so much better. But they’re right. I asked the farmer and he explained that free-range eggs have a different diet. They get to eat all of the bugs and other things that chickens love and are unable to get when in commercial houses and have a steady diet of grain. I recommend getting the Rainbow Eggs ($3.50/dozen). They are all different sizes and colors but have the same great taste.
You can also get all sorts of food at the market, such as omlettes, BBQ, cup cakes, cookies, etc.
There are almost 50 farmers markets open on Saturday and even a few on Friday around Louisville. You can find information about them in the Courier Journal. Just search for “farmers market” and the look in the events section. Some, like the one in St. Matthews, even have live music.
Remember that these are farmers markets, which means cash-only. Most of the markets close at the end of the summer, so go visit them soon!
Here are a few pictures from my last visit.
