My Uncle Dude, a real character in every way, loved Mike Linnigs so much that we would have to go with him every time he came to Louisville to visit us. Not that I minded. I loved Mike Linnigs. Some of my earliest memories of eating out are in a back room in the restaurant or being called from the swings outside when the food arrived.
Uncle Dude was so fond of the seafood that you would sometimes fly his small private airplane from his home in Franklin, Ky up to Louisville, a trip of about 125 miles, rent a car at the airport just to drive to Mike Linnigs for supper and then fly home again. He would always call and ask if we wanted to meet him there.
I've grown up now and sadly Uncle Dude is no longer with us, but I still love going to Mike Linnigs.
When I first bought the Roadfood books by Jane and Michael Stern, long before the website was created, I was shocked to not see Mike's included. This is exactly the kind of restaurant and experience that the Stern's live for. Thankfully Jane and Michael have since been to the restaurnat and are able to share this wonderful old fashioned "fish camp" with the world on their website Roadfood.com. I only wish I had known when they were coming so I could have joined them.
A few words of advice if you go:
Go in the summer and sit outside (when I was a kid it was closed in the winter).
If you don't like fried seafood, don't bother. Oh, I guess they might serve something not fried on the menu, but I've never bothered to look. Get the Seafood Plate or Frog Legs. Get plenty of Tartar Sauce. Get the sweet tea. And enjoy life.
Tell'em Uncle Dude sent ya.
Mark Hester loves to eat good food. He has created a blog and a website devoted to his passions. The blog is all about the kind of traditional Road Food that Mike Linnig's does so well and can be viewed at Roadfoodblog. His website is dedicated to that sweet Southern specialty, Barbeque! Visit the The Weekend Grillers for great BBQ recipes and tips & tricks. |
