Cured Restaurant & Salumeria
637 East Main Street. Louisville, KY. 40202
When you think of a vegetarian-friendly, gluten-free hotspot, a salami-focused restaurant probably doesn’t top the list. But Cured Restaurant & Salumeria in NULU (moving to Copper & Kings in March) is here to challenge your assumptions—and your waistband. Cured is famous for its handcrafted cured meats, but it also offers an impressive selection of vegetarian dishes, homemade pastas, and a cocktail menu so appealing that anyone finishing Dry January will be glad it’s finally February.
As a vegetarian, I approached this salumeria with cautious optimism and a backup plan of eating my weight in cheese. My wife, Hope, joined me, as she always does, to sample the fish and chicken options I won’t touch and to endure my relentless jokes. For example, I teased her sparkling rosé choice while I ordered a Classic Old Fashioned—one of the few cocktails on the menu that didn’t involve meat. Yes, you read that right: two of the Old Fashioned options included guanciale, a fancy Italian word for “pork cheek.” My cocktail, however, was a guilt-free (well, face-free) masterpiece, served over a single, glacier-sized ice cube. It didn’t last long.
We kicked things off with a cheese plate so massive it could’ve doubled as a centerpiece. It featured four cheeses, ranging from funky to a blueberry-encrusted goat cheese, alongside fruits, house-made pickles, and jams. We had them hold the crostini and crackers though I can see how that would have been an edible platform to build some incredible mix and match bites.
For additional starters, we ordered sweet potato fries—crispy, golden perfection—and asparagus drizzled with balsamic reduction and aged Italian cheese (hold the pork, thank you very much).
For mains, Hope went straight for the Verlasso Salmon, a dish she’d been dreaming about since our last visit. Pan-seared in butter with rosemary, salt, and pepper, and paired with a mango-horseradish pickle vinaigrette, the salmon was so generously portioned that she called it “healthy,” meaning I would not hear her complain about the piece of fish all the way home.
Meanwhile, I cobbled together a vegetarian feast that would make any grazer proud. The Caprese salad, with its creamy buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil, and juicy tomatoes, was a classic done right. I paired it with buttery polenta and continued to pillage the cheese plate and leftover starters like a culinary Viking.
To keep things interesting, I switched to a Sangiovese, while Hope stuck with her sparkling rosé—loyal to the end. For dessert, I made a rookie mistake and ordered the panna cotta, only to later realize it might not be strictly vegetarian (gelatin, you sneaky little animal product). But with its fruit reduction, cocoa dusting, and fresh strawberries, it was so good I decided to forgive myself. I paired it with decaf coffee, which came with chocolate-covered espresso beans— sooooo, so much for decaf.
Now, let’s talk about the menu highlights for your carnivorous friends, because Cured is a meat-lover’s paradise. Think schnitzel, smoked pork chop, oxtail, and ossobuco, alongside fresh cuts like filet mignon, T-bone, and ribeye. Pasta fans can dive into classics like cacio e pepe, carbonara, and puttanesca, while sandwich lovers can enjoy caprese, prosciutto, or steak. And the cocktails? They’re a work of art, featuring everything from tequila and whiskey to guanciale-infused creations that will make you sound cultured when you casually explain, “Oh, guanciale? It’s cured pork cheek, a cornerstone of Roman cuisine.”
Cured Restaurant & Salumeria is a place where vegetarians can graze happily, carnivores can feast unapologetically, and everyone can drink like they’re celebrating something—even if it’s just surviving the week. It’s a dining experience that’s equal parts indulgent, surprising, and downright fun. Bring your appetite, your sense of humor, and maybe a friend who eats things with faces—you’ll need someone to share the guanciale backstory with.
More photos from Cured:
This article appears in Feb 14-28, 2026.