Vertigo et al

Vertigo Louisville + Little Carriage House on the Alley

Hi, welcome! We look forward to having you stay at Vertigo or Little Carriage House on the Alley. Times are … odd now, so I want to share some of our favorites that are open to at least some degree right now. As you know things are continually evolving, so be sure to check directly with any place before you head that way.

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How much I ❤️ my work: 💯

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What’s cool nearby?

Lots! But I’m most excited for Logan Street Market, our urban public market that opened in fall of 2019 just a five minute drive from here. Markets are my favorite way to explore a new city, and this is a fantastic way to get a taste of Louisville all under the roof of a former tobacco and candy warehouse. Harvey’s Cheese Shop is a favorite and people love their cheese boards.

​Where should I go for breakfast or coffee?

We love sending folks to North Lime Doughnuts! They’re on carry-out only, and don’t take cash, so have plastic with you!

They’re a quick walk south on 6th St. (going away from downtown) two blocks to Ormsby, then right and it’s the cool old brick building across the street at the end of that block. (For a total Old Louisville detour, skip the Ormsby turn and continue on 6th another half block to Floral Terrace on the right. Open the gates and follow the brick path through this hidden treasure to 7th, and North Lime is back to the north).

For a classic greasy spoon diner experience instead, head east on St. Catherine to the Dizzy Whizz at 217 (follow the scent of burgers on the griddle). Fair warning: you will see ALL walks of life here. And it’s cash only. Yeah, it’s that kind of place. I hope it never goes away. They were also doing curbside before curbside was life — you can pull up in your car and kick it old school with carhop ordering. (If places like this are your jam you should really go to Ollie’s Trolley, 978 South Third Street,  and read this secret history of the world’s best hamburger.

OR, if you don’t mind a quick drive into the heart of the trendiest neighborhood, head to Please & Thank You (the original one at 800 E. Market) in NuLu for the Spanish Latte. Also the best chocolate chip cookies. They’re only doing pick-up now so hit their window, or order online first.

Who delivers good pizza?

Pizza Donisi New York style for the win. For Vertigo use the address 1049 S. 6th St., otherwise it will show up at our front door and we may not be able to resist, and for Carriage House use 1045 S. 6th St. They’re at (502) 213-0488. (Please tip accordingly if they climb the stairs for you! We want them to keep coming back for all future guests:)

Where should I drink beer?

Do go to Old Louisville Brewery! It’s a great little craft place down the street. Their beer is awesome and all the neighbors bring their dogs.

Where should I buy bourbon to take home and what should I get?

I’ll refer to you this story I wrote on the very topic 🙂

Also go to Red Castle Liquors in the neighborhood. They’ll wave you back behind the security glass to browse and they have some wonderful single barrel picks. (Sometimes they are even sampling!)

Want to know what’s what when you’re shopping? I cover that here. On a budget? You can still get great bourbons!

The big question: where should I eat!?!

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Contemplating the first time I've ever polished off an entire order of Donder fries💖 Going back to a restaurant last night for the first time in 10 weeks felt surreal in a way kind of like when you travel to the other side of the world and, in a jet lagged haze, go eat at a place you've read about. It feels familiar in one sense because you had a one dimensional idea of what to expect. But that doesn't prepare you for the very foreignness of the experience. It felt amazing to be in the world, eating delicious food, and the sense of gratitude — from everyone– made it even more special. I'm so happy one of our favorite places is still here and so thankful we're able to enjoy it again. Staff were abundantly cautious and I had no qualms about the experience. (tells of this photo that give it away as now: mask at hand, we're using straws again [paper], sign in the door with carry-out rules, and we brought our own silverware and napkins)

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At the moment restaurants can open outdoor dining and limited capacity indoor dining. Not all are doing it. One of our favorites that is open now is Monnik (Get. Those. DonderFries.) We also love Oskar’s slider bar.

Need date night dine in? Right down the street from us is James Beard winner Edward Lee’s flagship restaurant 610 Magnolia, open for limited dine-in. Reservations are essential (call 502-636-0783 or email manager@610magnolia.com). If you splash out once, this is the place to do it.

Looking for more ideas? Hit https://www.gotolouisville.com/louisville-takeout/ for a current list of who’s offering what (and if something catches your fancy I’m happy to give you an opinion 🙂

What if I need groceries?

Logan Street Market has a small but nicely curated bodega with produce and staples. If you need a full-on grocery store our Kroger is about a 10 minute drive.

I want to ride a bicycle

You’re in luck! LouVelo has a station around the corner on Garvin in front of Genscape. A day pass for unlimited 60-minute rides is $7.50 and we have loaner helmets courtesy of the nice folks there, just let me know if you need them. (Tip: get the app and sign up first)

What else!?

Check out my Perfect Day in Louisville for United Airlines