When I first told a few friends that Louisville was at the top of my OPP partner-city wishlist, I got some strange looks. If you’ve never been to Louisville, it’s sort of hard to explain. It truly is one of the coolest big-small cities in America. They have a tight-knit food community there with some really passionate chefs. And you can literally feel the love they have for food just walking down the street. One the restaurants that oozes this greatness is RYE.

Owner Michael Trager-Kusman left his job at the Department of Treasury to move to NYC to learn how to cook. He started washing dishes and even offered to work as a line cook for free. In New York, he met chef Tyler Morris at Breslin (in the Ace Hotel). They became fast friends, opening RYE in Louisville in 2012. RYE is dark and cozy, and the food is comforting. It’s one of those restaurants that just feels like home as soon as you set foot inside. I couldn’t be more excited to take OPP national with the addition of this awesome place.