Eater Louisville Launch Party at Proof on Main

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• Eater's Cole Boyle and Jen Leibow, Bizarre Foods' Andrew Zimmern and Eater Louisville editor Zach Everson
• Eater fans
• Eater Louisville editor Zach Everson, Woodford Reserve master distiller Chris Morris and Louisville mayor Greg Fischer
• 610 Magnolia chef/owner and Top Chef contestant Edward Lee, Louisville mayor Greg Fischer, and Michael Paley formerly of Proof on Main, now of Cincinnati's Metropole
• Proof on Main executive chef Levon Wallace
• M2 Maximum Media's Ali Shaw and Jennifer Montgomery
• 102.3 FM The Max's George Lindsey
• Bizarre Foods' Andrew Zimmern and Woodford Reserve master distiller Chris Morris
• Louisville.com's Tony Singleton
• Louisville mayor Greg Fischer and NFocus Magazine columnist Holly Houston
• Lori and Tim Laird, host of Secrets of Louisville Chef's Live, with Jamie Estes
• 21c Museum Hotel's Terrance Hart
• Proof on Main executive chef Levon Wallace explains his magic for the Bizarre Foods America camera

[Photos: Whitney Harrod Morris] The city's enthusiastic reception for this website—thank you!—continued Monday night with the Eater Louisville Launch Party. More than 100 industry reps, media members, local dignitaries and Eater fans gathered at Proof on Main to celebrate the city's restaurant scene. Bizarre Foods America host and Yelp community-manager aspirant Andrew Zimmern also was there with his crew, shooting a segment for an upcoming episode of Bizarre Foods America.

As noted social critic and occasional instigator of attempted genocide Eric Cartman once observed, "More people will come if they think we have punch and pie." So when the punch is Woodford Reserve cocktails and the pie is passed appetizers (the tobacco duck was like crack for your mouth), stations and a gelato cart from Proof's Levon Wallace and his team, it's no surprise so many people turned out. Thanks to Proof on Main, Woodford Reserve and everyone who attended, as well as the media member who had to cancel because "my cat had to get an enema." (In a related story, the gal who owns that feline is still on the market fellas.)

Guests included

·Mayor Greg Fischer (who, to answer the most common question of the evening, did enjoy a cocktail)

·Chefs, restauranteurs and other industry insiders Lori Beck, Josh Lehman and Tyler Trotter of Holy Grale; Heather Burks of Eiderdown; Susan Hershberg of Wiltshire On Market; Rachel Hungerbuhler West, Erin MacDonald and Thor Morgan of Rye; Anthony Lamas and Madeline Doolittle of Seviche: A Latin Restaurant; Edward Lee and Nick Sullivan of 610 Magnolia; Michael Paley formerly of Proof on Main, now of Cincinnati's Metropole; Annie Pettry of Decca; Sondra Powell of Red Hot Roasters; and Sarah Robbins, Stephanie Greene and Lori Mattingly of 21c Museum Hotel.

·Woodford Reserve master distiller Chris Morris and a team from Brown Forman

·Zimmern and six crew members from the Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods America

·102.3 FM The Max's George Lindsey— who graciously invited this editor on his show the following morning to talk about the site and launch party

·Secrets of Louisville Chef's Live host Tim Laird

·Media members from the Associated Press, Insider Louisville, Louisville.com, Louisville Magazine, WFPL, WRDB and Yelp
·Representatives from Estes Public Relations, M2 Maximum Media, PNC Broadway and Think Tank Louisville

Bloggers rarely leave their parents' basements, of course, meaning many of you are easier to recognize by your email address (or you didn't check in, so it wasn't possible to pluck your name from the attendance list). So if you're a kind of a big deal but weren't mentioned, sorry, but feel free to name check yourself in the comments.

Grid View

• Bizarre Foods America's Anthony Zimmern
• Robert Rixman of Brown-Forman
• 610 Magnolia chef/owner Edward Lee
• Robert Rixman and Jason Loehr of Brown-Forman with Woodford Reserve master distiller Chris Morris
• Linda Golden and Gabe Bullard from WFPL
• Rachel Goldenberg of Estes PR and husband
• Mia Simpson from Brown-Forman