The next week or two will see a number of special dinners, restaurant celebrations and openings.
- Saturday, Aug. 19, 502 Bar & Bistro, 10401 Meeting St. in Norton Commons, celebrates summer with low country bourbon boil. The party will take place on the restaurant’s outdoor patio, and will feature Southern seafood favorites from executive chef Ming Pu.
The meal will feature lobster, all-you-can-eat shrimp, potatoes and corn on the cob prepared in a Michter’s bourbon boil. A special cocktail menu featuring signature Michter’s bourbon will also be available, along with the restaurant’s regular drink menu. During dinner, a Michter’s representative will be on hand to offer comments on the history and unique tasting notes of his company’s brands.
The bourbon boil begins at 6 p.m. and will cost $55. Drinks are sold separately. Limited seating is available. Call (502) 724-4772.
- Saturday, Aug. 19 will also see the opening of a new music venue, Jimmy Can’t Dance, a tribute to the late restaurateur Jim Goodwin, by his son Brian. The jazz club will be in the basement of the lone remaining Another Place Sandwich Shop, 119 S. 7th St., which was run by Goodwin until his untimely death in 2015. Goodwin’s son Brian hopes that his new venture will remind Louisville of his father’s importance to the live music scene.
According to a story in the Courier-Journal, “live music was Another Place tradition for years at its Frankfort Avenue location, where the elder Goodwin supported the local punk scene.”
Naming the club Jimmy Can’t Dance is the younger Goodwin’s fond joke about his father’s terpsichorean disability. “My dad was the worst dancer in the world, and you don’t typically dance in jazz clubs so it makes sense,” Goodwin was quoted in the C-J story.
- And on Sunday, Aug. 20, Varanese, 2106 Frankfort Ave., will begin to mark its 10th year in business. That evening, there will be live music from Jeff Sherman’s 4-piece jazz band and special guest vocalist Gail Wynters. Half-price specials will be offered on bottles of wine and appetizers, the guests will be served complimentary cake and a champagne toast at 9:00pm.
Local artist Petersen Thomas will be doing a live painting on site, which will be placed on silent auction at Varanese through Sunday, August 27th, and all proceeds will benefit APRON Inc., the organization that helps restaurant workers in financial distress due to illness or injury.
On Tuesday, August 22, 7 p.m., owner/chef John Varanese will host a 5-course Retrospective Dinner featuring favorite menu items from the past 10 years. Varanese will speak about his namesake restaurant’s beginnings, and about the triumphs and challenges over the past decade.
The cost of the dinner is $40, with an optional bourbon, wine, and cocktail pairing available for an additional fee. Call (502) 899-9904 or email letsdine@varanese.com.
