It continues to be difficult to keep up with the steady growth of the local restaurant scene. Within a couple of weeks after the release of the Fall 2016 issue of Food&Dining, with its (at the time) complete list of openings and closings, we have more new restaurants to list. We think we keep up to date, but now and again we miss something, and catch up some months later. And sometimes we report an opening that gets delayed, sometimes for months. Here is an interim list of opened restaurants new to the local dining world, and new to the listings that we try to make as complete and thorough as possible. Look for further descriptions in the Winter issue.
- The Block Gourmet Deli, 14041 Shelbyville Rd. A husband and wife team with considerable experience in the restaurant industry has been operating in Middletown for a few months. Fans report excellent thick sandwiches, fresh salads and homemade soups. Box lunches and catering available.
- Another business that opened late last spring under our radar is Blue Bull Burgers & Tacos, 2420 Lime Kiln Ln. There you can find well regarded fish tacos, burgers and Havana pork sandwich, among other items.
- Gracious Plenty, 9207 US Hwy 42, Prospect is another East End deli and bakery that caters to happy locals.
- In Beechmont, Safari Grill has opened in the space that briefly was Yoli’s Cafeteria. 328 W. Woodlawn Ave. This ethnic eatery serves regional dishes from East Africa, an area whose cuisine is influenced by India.
- Scarlet’s Bakery, 741 E. Oak St., is a pleasant example of the new energy happening in the Smoketown/Shelby Park neighborhood.
- PokeHana replaces the Chop Chop Salads store at 436 W. Market St. Poke, an increasingly popular Hawaiian raw fish salad, is given an Asian fusion twist here in a fast-casual, choose your combination of protein and vegetables and toppings setting. The father-son team behind the idea used to operate Ichiban.
- 888 Great Wall, 9464 Brownsboro Rd. Strip mall Chinese food is an accurate description of what to expect here. Locals from the neighborhood have said good things about it
-
Latin Café, 6334 W. Hwy 146, Crestwood is a Cuban/Caribbean restaurant out in the eastern suburbs.
-
Rice Bowl, 3114 Grant Line Rd., New Albany is another addition to the  restaurant row area near the IUS campus. It serves Korean and Japanese dishes.
-
La Guanaquita, 4231 Taylor Blvd., has been open for a while, and we have been remiss is not noticing it before.  This new South End spot serves the dishes of  Guatemala and Honduras – pupusas and bealadas, and pescado frito (fried fish), served whole, head and tail on,  garnished with lime wedges and avocado slices.
- Guy Fieri’s Smokehouse, 434 S. Fourth St., (Fourth Street Live) opened at the beginning of September, causing some serious musing about the meaning of Food TV chefs to local eating.
- And on the chain restaurant front, a new location of Five Guys Burgers is set to open at 13303 Shelbyville Rd.,in Middletown; another Godfather’s Pizza place is at 9700 Bluegrass Pkwy., and the third area Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza will open soon at 4055 Summit Plaza Dr., in the Paddock Shops area.
