Cunningham's Delicatessen, History, Ambience, and Romance
Written: Mar 31 '00 (Updated May 08 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Friendly, charming, fascinating history, good food
Cons: none at all
The Bottom Line: Like the mythological Phoenix, the Derby City's oldest restaurant has risen from the ashes and re-opened in downtown Louisville
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| Howard_Creech's Full Review: Louisville |
In 1870, five years before the first Kentucky Derby was run at Churchill Downs, a combination delicatessen and Livery Stable opened at the corner of Fifth and Breckenridge Streets. For the next thirty years the restaurant's proximity to city hall, the courts, downtown businesses, and Churchill Downs, plus good food and a place to stable your horse while you ate, kept business thriving.
After the automobile made its debut, Cunningham's became more popular and the small rooms upstairs were let to a Miss Polly and her sisters who ran a rooming house, which was in fact a very popular Brothel. In 1922 Cap Cunningham, a local entrepreneur, bought the delicatessen and evicted Miss Polly and her sisters. Cap re-named the restaurant Cunningham's Delicatessen and offered the folks of Louisville an expansive menu of reasonably priced comfort food, classic ambience, and convenience.
Prohibition was cutting into profits pretty badly, so Cap started selling soft drinks to his customers to boost business. The ploy worked very well until a Federal Agent stopped in for a soft drink and discovered the reason Cap's customers were so loyal, the soft drinks weren't soft, in fact they were pretty hard. The Federal Government closed Cap's business down.
The restaurant re-opened quickly, and once prohibition ended prospered. Cap, ever the entrepreneur, converted the stable area into small private dinning rooms and re-modeled the former blacksmith shop into what is still today, the main bar room. During the thirties the restaurant and bar were one of the focal points of Louisville politics and business. City leaders, local businessmen, and lovers used the small private dinning rooms to make deals, conduct business, and engage in illicit romances, Cap's waiters were known for their discretion.
By the early forties Cap had converted the delicatessen into Louisville's first drive in, complete with waiter service. Because of the large parking lot, and the restaurants location close to downtown, the drive in was a huge success. Cap continued to manage Cunningham's until the late sixties, when he retired and sold the restaurant to a group of local investors. The new owners (and several others after them) wisely changed nothing.
Cunningham's today is much like it was 130 years ago, there is still a sign in the bar room that says, This bar for men only, the walls are covered with paintings and photographs of Derby winners, Jockeys, local politicians, baseball players, and Kentucky movers and shakers. Newspaper clippings of prominent local events (like the prohibition shut down of Cunningham's and the 1937 flood) are displayed along with some of Caps early menus. The small private dinning rooms are filled each day with deal makers, business meetings, and romantic assignations. The friendly staff handle the large volume daily lunch business, efficiently taking and filling orders, for the many hungry office workers who flood the restaurant every day at noon. Most of the to go orders leave in large grocery style brown paper bags.
Cunningham's is best known for their Corned Beef and Cabbage, classic white bean soup (the very best in Louisville), the fish sandwich on rye, Turtle soup, hot roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy, and fried chicken. Portions are large and the prices are quite reasonable.
It is easy to spend thirty minutes wandering through the maze of small rooms and hallways, looking at the pictures that cover almost every wall in the restaurant. The staff is friendly and helpful (many of them have worked at the restaurant for decades) so service is good but not invasive or pushy, the ambience is classic, and the food is excellent. The restaurant caters parties, the private dinning rooms are available for business meetings or romantic lunches, and the entire menu is available for carry out orders.
Historical Note
In July of 2001 Cunningham's Delicatessen was heavily damaged by fire. Many of the historic photographs, drawings, and paintings were saved. The original building at Fifth St. & Breckenridge has been torn down.
Due to the combined efforts of many local folks Cunningham;s re-opened in March 2003. The new restaurant's dark wood paneled interior is hung with some of the historic photographs that were saved from the fire at the original location. The new Cunningham's tries very hard to duplicate the ambience and atmosphere of the original with a menu that features old favorites like White Bean Soup, Corned Beef and Cabbage, and the classic Fish sandwich on rye. There are still private dining rooms available.
Cunningham's new location is at 630 South Fourth Street, just across from another Louisville landmark, the Palace Theater. For more information (or to reserve a private dining room for a romantic rendevous) call (502)587-0526.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Howard_Creech
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 in Electronics |
 in Home and Garden |
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Member: Howard Creech
Location: Louisville, KY
Reviews written: 334
Trusted by: 1276 members
About Me:
Photographer/Writer fascinated by Movies, Music, Books, American Diner Food, History, "Popular Culture", and Travel.
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