The 26 Essential Louisville Restaurants

"Set inside the 21C Museum Hotel, Proof on Main matches an intriguing menu with equally interesting decor. Contemporary wall hangings, paintings, and sculptures overflow from exhibits put on by the hotel. Try to stop gawking long enough to try the charred octopus with bagna cauda, lime, and toast, which has been a staple since day one. And finish off any meal with the Kentucky Stack Cake, a rich dessert crafted with lemon buttercream, almond, and buttermilk whip. The most popular picks from the drinks menu are the bourbon-based cocktails, like the No Spectators, which includes Old Forester 86 bourbon, sfumato, grapefruit rosemary cordial, lemon juice, and a spritz of a peaty scotch." - Lennie Omalza