Restaurant news roundup

We chat about a few new restaurants to check out around town, plus a few high-profile closures on this week's Access Louisville podcast.

To start off the show, we discuss the long-rumored return of Papalinos, a Highlands pizza joint that closed more than a decade ago but everyone remembers fondly.

As of Nov. 10, it's back, this time at 1022 Clarks Lane, explains LBF Restaurant Reporter Michael L. Jones. Original chef Allan Rosenberg along with notable restaurant owner Fred Pizzonia are behind the revival, which replaces The Dirty Bird, a chicken and bluegrass restaurant also co-owned by the pair as well. This is actually one of a few moves the pair are making with their restaurants, which Jones goes over on the show (you can also read more in the link above.)

After that, Digital Editor Zak Owens is on the show to talk about the demise of Against the Grain's flagship restaurant at Louisville Slugger Field.

Founders Jerry Gnagy and Sam Cruz said the decision was driven by the end of the lease term and a desire to focus more fully on the company’s beverage manufacturing operations.

“The last 14 years have been a blast-and-a-half with so many great people … It’s all been a heckuva ride,” Gnagy and Cruz wrote on Facebook. “There are no heavy hearts or regrets, only a million great memories.”

Jones also tells us about Adrienne and Kris Cole, the husband-and-wife team behind The House of Marigold, which is opening a second location at 624 E. Market St. in the NuLu neighborhood in spring 2026. This will be the second House of Marigold restaurant to open in less than four years. The Coles launched their flagship Middletown restaurant at 10310 Shelbyville Road in 2023 and quickly earned accolades, including Southern Living’s “Best New Restaurant in Kentucky.”

We also chat about Pasta Garage Café & Market, an Italian restaurant based in Lexington, opening a Louisville location this week at 552 E. Market St. in the Gateway to NuLu building.

We go over the recent closure of The Silver Dollar — a celebrated bourbon bar. The bar had been open since 2011 and made the announcement earlier this week.

And we chat about Serai, a new Malaysian restaurant coming to 2311 Frankfort Avenue in early 2026. Louisville Business First previously reported that the restaurant in that space now, DiFabio’s, owned by husband-and-wife duo Caitland DiFabio and Jon Riley, will close at the end of December.

After that we have a brief discussion on Kentucky's role in the hemp industry and how that may change due to federal legislation which passed alongside the bill to reopen the government.

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.