The Summer 2023 issue of Food & Dining Magazine — our 20th Anniversary issue — is now available in all the familiar places: Louisville area eateries and food shops, newsstands and online.

Wikipedia gets us started; today’s cover photo credit goes to the Lion’s Roar website, offering “Buddhist wisdom for our time.”

In Zen, an ensō (円相, “circular form”) is a circle that is hand-drawn in one or two uninhibited brushstrokes to express a moment when the mind is free to let the body create.

Exactly how 円相 pertains to biscuits and gravy is anyone’s guess, but the minds behind North of Bourbon in Germantown are about to reveal the nature of bacon-wrappped bodhisattva in Clifton at Ensō, in the building (1758 Frankfort Ave.) most recently known as the home of Ostra, which sought enlightenment in (ahem) slightly non-traditional foodstuffs.

Our colleague Kevin Gibson has the relevant details at his web site, so get right over there, and while you’re at it, consider supporting his stellar efforts at Patreon.

North of Bourbon Owners to Open New Concept, Ensō, in Clifton

The team built North of Bourbon around their decade-long friendship and were inspired by the many connections between New Orleans and Louisville. With Ensō, they’ll explore the interplays between Southern and Japanese cuisine. Chef Lawrence Weeks will present a menu that directly reflects the connection between his love for Japanese technique and culture and his passion for Southern cuisine.