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| Entrance to Patio of Ramsi's Cafe on the World |
It was midnight and I was feeling right frisky. My whippet friend Sparky was fast asleep in his doggy bed. This wasn't Paris at midnight, but Louisville Kentucky harbours a magical place. Bardstown Road, in the historic Highlands is like Paris -- it never shuts down. Bardstown's funky nature adds additional sparkle to this magic hour.
Leaving Sparky to his dreams of bones and chasing cats, I scampered off, looking for adventure.
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| Manni with Toulouse and our waitress |
When I got there shortly after midnight, they were still
hopping with customers: a diverse and eclectic mix of diners, forming a boiling
pot of cultures stirred into a fun cocktail of lively discussion and laughter
over great food and drink.
My new friend Manni would
explain that this is because Ramsi’s has something for everyone. Owner Ramsi, a
native of Jerusalem, is an engineer by trade but his love for food and his
vision for a
The café offers a richly
visual interior decorated with an eclectic mixture of fine art, sculptures,
bookshelves and artifacts from all over the world. My friend Snoopf said that the inside looked as
though “a team of National Geographic
photographers and world explorers had a day off and decided they would try out
interior design.” The café also provides a classic European-style courtyard
garden, complete with large overhanging plants, sculptures and a trickling
fountain.
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| Interior of Ramsi's Cafe |
After seating me in the
garden patio, the waitress suggested Ramsi’s evening finger-food platter—a kind
of antipasto— and I agreed, realizing that I felt quite peckish after my long
walk in the Highlands.
While I waited for the
food, I ordered a Ginger Pear Martini. My first sip surprised me with midnight
sunshine and my whiskers trembled. This elegant yet zesty cocktail tasted of “summer
love”. Made with fresh pear and ginger and Grey Goose La Poire vodka, it
scintillated like an exquisite aria. I shall have to make this drink for a good
friend, I thought to myself.
I leaned back and enjoyed
the frisson of sipping an elegant drink in a cultured setting. My whiskers
Cavalleria
Rusticana, when a distinguished looking gentleman approached me with a
curious smile. No doubt, he recognized a classy cat when he saw one. He
introduced himself as Manni the Magician in a pleasant NYC drawl. I invited him
to join me and he happily took the seat opposite me. Manni explained to me that
Ramsi had hired him to do magic tricks weekend evenings to entertain the crowd
that packed his café pretty most every evening. Manni came to Louisville from
New York in 1972. Using typical NYC vernacular, Manni told me about Ramsi’s.
“You can go to anyone on the street,” Manni said to me, “and touch them on the
shoulder and say, ‘do you know where Ramsi’s is?’ and they will say ‘that’s my
favorite restaurant!’ ”
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| Bar at Ramsi's Cafe on the World |
Manni reiterated my observation in his New York
way: “Ramsi’s attracts every color, every income, every ethnicity, and every
hairdo…”
I curbed a saucy grin and
ran my paw briskly through my unruly fur coat.
The platter arrived and I
devoured with gusto a variety of color, texture and taste with complex aroma. I
helped myself alternatively to banana peppers, tomato and cucumber relish,
feta, portabella mushrooms, roasted red peppers, falafel, calamata olives with
baba ganoush and humus.
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| Manni watches Toulouse devouring |
Despite my invitation to
join in, Manni just watched me devour the assorted treats and talked. He
informed me that Ramsi’s wife, Rhona, is a graduate of the University of
Kentucky and involved in every aspect of the restaurant, particularly menu
development. Ramsi’s twin brother Ramzi , who’s been involved with the
restaurant since its inception, also helps with quality control in the kitchen
as their head chef.
Ramsi's Cafe on the World is one of the most unique and likely one of the most vegan-friendly establishments in Louisville. Some of the more popular dishes include the roasted vegetable Panini-portabellow mushrooms, roasted red peppers, yellow squash and red onions topped with crispy fried onions served on homemade Cuban bread. Try pairing this with a mojito or Ramsi's signature island Cooler to complete the vegan experience.
Ramsi’s is located fortuitously right
next to Carmichael’s Bookstore. Why is this fortuitous?
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| Sparky with his favourite chewing toy... |
Aside from its elegant
tree-lined residences (like the one Sparky lives in), the Highlands is best known
for three things: its eccentric stores, its funky bars, and its diverse
selection of restaurants and cafés. Many of the very best restaurants can be
found on Bardstown Road, like Avalon, the Bristol Bar & Grill, Kashmir
Indian Restaurant, Le Gallo Rosso and Palermo Viejo. What makes Ramsi's Cafe on
the World unique is that its menu features not just one type of cuisine; it
features popular dishes from all over the world. And the clientele to go along
with it.
1293
Bardstown Rd
Louisville, Kentucky 40204
Louisville, Kentucky 40204
Phone Number: (502) 451-0700
