Each and every Monday, when my 9-to-5 comrades are devastated to be heading back to their offices, their tired, weekend warrior bodies trudging reluctantly, I have to admit I find quiet joy in my own personal sabbath. Sure, I had to miss the best shows at Forecastle on Saturday night, and the soft opening of the swanky, new rooftop bar, and my friend’s show at Headliners Music Hall. But come Monday, I’m sleeping in.
And it’s glorious.
TGIM, I like to say, as I flutter my sleepy eyelids and hunker back down into my cool, enveloping sheets for a few more hours of intoxicating slumber. And I think: What will I do with this day ahead of me? Void of responsibilities, the opportunities are endless! Surely food and drinks are in order, and we service industry folk like the good stuff, so my friends and I will often find ourselves searching for a great spot to imbibe. Much to our dismay, it seems as though many local delights aren’t open (I guess we all want to be off on Mondays?).
So we’ve got our own version of the case of the Mondays. Portage House? Closed on Mondays. Chik’n & Mi? Same. Milkwood? Don’t even try it. Rye? That’s a big nope.
Don’t fret, this barkeep is here to provide you with some solid, local spots to get your nosh on and that’ll give new, delicious meaning to the word Monday.
Migo Mondays are some of my favorites, as the folks over at this Douglass Loop gem are open, slinging tacos and margs for your mouth holes from 5-10 p.m. They’ve always got $5 freshly-juiced margaritas and mojitos on Mondays, and, as of late, they’ve been throwing in some new concoctions such as the Tepache margarita, which includes an ancient Mayan pineapple spirit and fermented ginger. Admittedly, the blueberry cucumber mojito I had two weeks ago could have used a strain (when it’s too chunky to drink, it starts to get in the way of my buzz, y’all), but overall, Migo stays at the top of my list.
Margarita Monday is an institution, clearly, and where better than Louisville staple El Mundo? El Mundo has been salting rims on Frankfort Avenue for 22 years, and the lines out the doors for a $4 glass of tart deliciousness will tell you why. Monday evenings will also get you $6 top-shelf margaritas, which is practically unheard of in the ‘Ville. Black bean and chipotle dip to wash it all down, anyone?
Louisville really didn’t need another pizza joint, let’s be honest, and I’ve been faithful to The Post for awhile, but when Butchertown Pizza Hall opened in the former Hall’s Cafeteria, Chef Allen Rosenberg (formerly of Papalino’s and Fontleroy’s) didn’t disappoint. Open 11 a.m.-midnight on Mondays, with happy hour every night from 9 p.m. to close (which includes a slice and a pint of “shitty beer” for $6). Coors Banquet on draft and arcade games? Sign me up for a solid Monday eve.
The first time I meandered into The Pearl of Germantown, I looked around and thought to myself: This is the kind of bar I’d love to own. It’s whimsical and adorably retro, yet somehow, no frills. The bar is well-curated (how could it not, being owned by the likes of Larry Rice of The Silver Dollar and El Camino) to include great bourbons, but also PBR and Tecate. And Fernet, thank you very much. They’ve always got some sort of frozen concoction swirling behind the barkeep (Frose? Yes, please) and a bourbon special — $3 Buffalo Trace the last time Jamie and I popped in. The $5 ring toss game will let you pay to play, and you could end up landing on a much more expensive spirit for a five spot (my gal pal, Sydney, landed on Angel’s Envy one evening). Add in a free juke box and a last call into the wee hours (yes, they’re open 4 p.m.-4 a.m., even on Mondays) and your late-night Monday bar stool is ready and waiting.
OK, OK, I get it. Not everything is closed on Mondays. There’s even a rumor that Flying Axes, the new ax-throwing venue in Butchertown (that serves cold beer, mind you), is going to start having an industry night on Mondays. But it’s nice to be cognizant of the spots that are always open on a hit-or-miss night, and, perhaps, even become a regular and create more business for a worthy local gem on a commonly slower night. Industry love, am I right? See you next Monday.
