Eater Louisville is a finalist for two Greater Louisville Journalism Awards

Eater Louisville came in first, second, or third for two Greater Louisville Journalism Awards:

• Best website
• Best blog

The Louisville Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) will announce exactly where Eater Louisville (and all the other contestants) placed at its annual awards program on June 27. Thanks to the SPJ as well as Eater Louisville’s readers, tipsters, colleagues at Eater, and all the folks involved in Louisville’s restaurant scene.

Photo: Courtesy SPJ

Eater Louisville turned 6 months old yesterday

Eater Louisville launched six months ago yesterday (ok, there were two weeks of posts before the site was officially announced on Nov. 15, 2012; let’s consider those dates the gestation period).

During that time, the site’s published almost 450 posts and picked up 814 Twitter followers and 742 Facebook fans. If you’re not among them, much appreciated if you’d give it a follow or be a fan (and may I interest you in subscribing to the Eater Louisville newsletter?). Thanks to our readers, tipsters, colleagues at Eater, and all the folks involved in Louisville’s restaurant scene.

Here are some highlights from the first six months, selected because they broke a story, were fun to write, or received positive feedback from readers:

• Download Your Robin Garr Chipotle Ordering Tip Sheet
• Why, I Do Declare the Pimento Cheese Social a Fabulous Success
• 12 Questions with ‘Smoke & Pickles’ Author Edward Lee
• The Analects of Yelper Jeff J.
• 17 Questions with Wiltshire on Market’s Susan Hershberg
• WFPL Reviewer Likes Decca, Prefers Herself
• Taco Punk’d: NuLu Restaurant Asks For Donations So It Can Keep Selling $10 Taco Platters
• Former Server Says Lynn’s Not Quite Paradise
• So, Is Maker’s Mark Bourbon House & Lounge ‘The Most Racist Restaurant In America?’
• Eater Louisville Launch Party at Proof on Main

Photo: Courtesy Eater Louisville

AOL Travel publishes two of my articles on road trippin’

AOL Travel just published two of my articles

• “15 Reasons the Best Place in America to Start a Road Trip is Louisville, Kentucky”
• “Road Trip: Driving the American Horse Trail” (this piece also included several of my photographs)

The first article has attracted a bit of buzz: more than 1,800 Facebook likes and a tweet from Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. Also,  Louisville’s WHAS 840AM interviewed me about it yesterday:

Unintentional comedy at its best: Racehorse owner profiles

From The New York Times’s “Orb Finds Joy in Mudville”:

Orb is owned by Ogden Mills Phipps and Stuart Janney III, who are first cousins and prominent members of the Phipps racing empire. Six generations of the family have been involved in the sport, stockpiling victories in the biggest races, all except the Kentucky Derby. Easy Goer finished second for the Phippses and McGaughey behind Sunday Silence in 1989. Throughout the lead-up to the race, the family insisted they did not have Derby fever. But a glance at Phipps during the singing of “My Old Kentucky Home” showed he might have had more emotion inside than he was letting on.

Afterward, the owners gave credit where it was due, to [Shug] McGaughey, who has trained for the family since 1986 and has been a fixture in his barn throughout the week, carefully watching over his charge and getting his hand dirty in the process.

“This is a time to reflect on our terrific trainer,” Janney said. “I certainly hoped it would be his time, and it was.”

Phipps, who is known as Dinny, quickly chimed in, “Well, he’s right about that.”

USA Today quotes me about Louisville’s dining scene

In last Friday’s “At Derby time, Louisville’s hospitality hits its stride,” USA Today‘s Laura Bly quoted me about Louisville’s culinary scene and linked to my little side gig’s website: kentuckyderbyhomerental.com. (USA Today‘s Travel Media Group had previously published my Louisville city guide for its The Point property.)

Also, thanks to The Manual, “the essential guide for men,” for including kentuckyderbyhomerental.com in its “Louisville lowdown for Derby weekend.”

Photo: Courtesy USA Today