Chef Jared Rouben’s Guide to Eating Well in and Around Louisville

When it comes to freshly baked bread, Rouben can’t help but boast about Blue Dog Bakery, an artisanal bakery specializing in European-style breads and pastries since 1998. Any of their leavened goods will do, but Rouben’s go-tos include French-style baguettes, sourdough, Pugliese rounds, Kalamata olive levain, and harvest nine-grain loaves.

“Chef Edward Lee has been a leader within the culinary community of Kentucky,” says Rouben. At 610 Magnolia, Lee brings a contemporary twist to the Southern table with a rotating tasting menu that epitomizes farm-to-table dining, showcasing produce from their proprietary greenhouse and responsibly farmed proteins, from duck to bay scallops.

This high-end Latin American restaurant from Chef Anthony Lamas is simply “really good,” says Rouben. Spicy chicken empanadas, pecan-crusted brie, crab ceviche, and mahi mahi tacos are just a few of the standouts. Rouben says he doesn’t have a regular order because everything is worth trying. “And how often can you say that about a restaurant?” he adds.

If you’re looking for gourmet ice cream with a sense of place, Louisville Cream is it. The locally owned and operated creamery sources its dairy from JD Country Milk and makes its waffle cones fresh daily. Flavors like bourbon smoked pecan, Nutella cookies and cream, and salted butter caramel keep things playful, but Rouben admits his kryptonite is the pistachio honeycomb.

The dips at this beloved café “are on a different level,” says Rouben, who keeps the cheddar pecan torte dip and Benedictine “no matter what” in his fridge. “The cheddar pecan torte is another reason my wife married me,” he jokes.

Rouben grew up dining at this classic fish fry house with his grandmother. In fact, it’s a multi-generational tradition. “My mom was brought there when she was a little girl,” he recalls. The picnic tables and always-impressive fried fish are deeply nostalgic. “This place always reminds me of my childhood; I loved eating fried fish growing up—plus, it’s really hard to find good fried fish.” This spot consistently delivers.