RESTAURANT REVIEW
On my coffee tour around the world here in Louisville , I started off in the way East End , with JW Bakery and Café . I met Dr . Kellen Choi , urologist with UofL , at this cute little spot off Old Henry Road . The owners of this bakery and café are Korean . They have learned how to be baristas and have become exquisite pastry chefs . As you walk in , you ’ ll see this fantastic table full of pastries , cookies and scones , baked fresh every single day . The matcha latte was exquisite . Kellen got a great-looking lunch with bibimbap . I had to sneak back inside at the end to get a slice of cake and some cookies . I ’ m making myself hungry thinking about it .
Heading to Saint Matthews , my new hidden away spot is Abol Café . I ’ ve met Ben Keeton from Health Enterprise Network and Heidi Margulis from the Board of Health at this fantastic location . They do Ethiopian coffee and brunch . During the pandemic , Dalgona coffee became quite popular in social media and Abol touts this as one of their signature drinks . All the coffee is Ethiopian and they do special roasting demonstrations on the weekends . They also have brunch with Ethiopian delicacies . The coffee is rich and well-bodied . I had a cup of their blend with some milk - it was beautiful . They have some indoor and outdoor seating , a good spot for meeting folks .
Next , moving closer to downtown and my office , I had another discovery . One sad weekend in July , I lost internet access due to some construction happening at the condominium above me . I needed a place to get some work done over the weekend . I found Fante ’ s
18 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE
RESTAURANT REVIEW
AUTHOR Monalisa Tailor , MD
Coffee off Lexington Road . With ample seating and lighting , this was a pleasant place to work . I ordered the creamsicle chai which was rich , creamy and sweet . This was followed by a black coffee which was not as sweet but so well roasted . It truly did not need any additions , not even milk . That means a lot coming from the girl who loves her milky chai . I was able to find a quiet spot here to work , and ensure some privacy while working . There ’ s also a printer available if you need to print anything , a very thoughtful touch .
I would have never thought of having coffee and sports paired together . My final spot on this coffee tour is Pregame Coffee , located off Main Street , sandwiched close to Louisville Slugger Baseball Stadium and Lynn Family Stadium , for our professional soccer teams . There ’ s a lively charm to this spot , with its sports memorabilia , TVs and couches . It really feels more like a sports bar than a coffee house . With that said , you have your coffee options , your lattes , and a new find , coffee cocktails ! I was there for happy hour on a day off ( yes , I have those occasionally !) and enjoyed the KY Coffee . Their cold brew was fantastic paired with the bourbon , vanilla and brown sugar . This would be a great place to hang out , watch a game and spend time with friends . Rob is the owner , and his wife is in health care , too . You can also find their newest location at Slugger Field during a baseball game - a home run for all .
In Louisville , we are truly lucky to have so many incredible coffee options . I hope regardless of your neighborhood , you can check out one of these amazing spots .
Dr . Monalisa Tailor is the Executive Medical Director , Primary Care for Norton Medical Group and is a practicing internal medicine physician at Norton Community Medical Associates : Barret .