By Lilly Mattingly
Out with the old, in with the Nulu.
Businesses closing in Louisville is a tale as old as the creation of Falls City. For music lovers it was ear-X-Tacy, a music shop that closed in 2011 after 26 years in business. Thanks, Spotify! For the obscure movie lovers it was Wild and Wooly Video store which closed in 2015 on the store’s 18th anniversary. Thanks, Netflix! But there is no technologic advancement to blame for the many closings of restaurants around town. Just rising costs, staffing issues, location, COVID-19; the list goes on.
One of the most recent restaurant closings was Rosettes, the all-day restaurant at Hotel Genevieve nestled in the Nulu neighborhood at 730 E. Market Street. After roughly one year, the restaurant inside the hotel abruptly closed on Monday, Aug. 5.
Hotel representatives had only one reason for the closing to provide the media, which is that they’re making way for “an exciting new concept.” This new concept comes from veteran restaurant chefs Jenner Tomaska and Katrina Bravo, the husband-and-wife duo behind the Michelin star restaurant Esmé in Chicago. Their new concept is called Byrdie’s, and it is expected to open this fall in the former spot of Rosette’s.
“I hate using the term ‘Foodie,’ but I guess you could say that I am a Louisville foodie,” said Sam Gaither, who lives 10 minutes from Nulu. “Nulu is one of my favorite food neighborhoods because they have so many different options. I go to Emmy Squared to get pizza, Nami for great Korean food, Bar Vetti for great Italian, and Garage Bar for the beer. I’m excited for what sounds like an upscale French restaurant when Byrdie’s opens.”
Sam is half-right. Byrdie’s will be serving up French food with southern flare, and will incorporate local produce.
Tomaska is the modern-day celebrity chef with over 100,000 Instagram followers, two James Beard nominations, and did I mention the Michelin star — one of the highest honors in the restaurant game — for his current restaurant, Esmé? This makes Hotel Genevieve an even more fitting home for the pair’s new restaurant, as the hotel recently received the honor of being named a Michelin Key Hotel – the only restaurant in Kentucky to make the cut.
“We could not be more excited to receive a Michelin Key,” said Rachel Porter, Marketing and Community Manager for Hotel Genevieve. “It’s an exciting time for everyone at Hotel Genevieve, and we’re excited for the public to finally experience Byrdie’s. This is going to be huge for not only the hotel, but for Nulu and Louisville as well.”
Be ready for Hotel Genevieve’s newest chapter coming this autumn. With a little magic and charm from Chicago, Byrdie’s should be a Louisville staple here to stay.
