Ryan Rogers, founder and co-owner of the beloved barbecue restaurant Feast, borrowed an idea from Nashville and gave it a Kentucky spin at this teeming destination for hot chicken.

Website: royalshotchicken.com

Address: 736 E. Market St.

Phone number: 502-919-7068

Number of seats: 75

Entrée price range: $7.50-$9

Popular dishes: Royals Fried Chicken Sandwich with potato bun, iceberg, mayonnaise, and dill pickles; baked pimento cheese with bacon jam and Ritz Crackers; fried sweet potato and marshmallow pie.

What others say: “But the chicken — ahh, the chicken. … The meal came on a lovely white-and-baby-blue porcelain plate that could have been used in some Tennessee grandmother’s kitchen in the 1950s, but it was almost too small for the food. And when I lifted the bird, the crispy crust wanted to slide right off. In short, your fingers will get messy.” — Kevin Gibson, Insider Louisville

Royals Fried Chicken Sandwich

Chef Bobby Benjamin behind the bar

Inside a 19th-century building that played home to a family-owned grocery for ages, sleek and stylish environs lure diners into a contemporary home for fresh-made pastas and meats and veggies presented with elemental simplicity.

Website: butchertowngrocery.com

Address: 1076 East Washington St.

Phone number: 502-742-8315

Number of seats: 130

Entrée price range: $21-$60

Popular dishes: Ravioli with goat cheese, spicy carrot, cauliflower, pine nuts and parsley; bucatini with Parmigiano-Reggiano and bourbon barrel black pepper; diver scallops with spring peas, blueberries, radishes, pickled black beans, Calabrese chile and corn and roasted jalapeño purée.

What others say: “Butchertown Grocery takes inspiration from hard work and craftsmanship in its menu of simple, high-quality dishes, like bone marrow brûlée, braised short ribs, rabbit pappardelle and porcini mushroom risotto. Every dish is personal to Executive Chef Bobby Benjamin, who's worked at top kitchens around the nation.” -— USA Today

Pizzas

Sherry-roasted beet salad

Southern Chickn sandwich

Burger

This vegan bakery and hotspot for breakfast and lunch brings non-carnivores and carnivores alike to the Louisville neighbohood of St. Matthews.

Website: halfpeachbakery.com

Address: 4121 Oechsli Ave.

Phone number: 502-742-7839

Number of seats: 42

Entrée price range: $6-$12

Popular dishes: Southern Chickn sandwich: Breaded fried soy patty, cashew cheese, carrot and cabbage pickle, cucumber pickles on sesame bun; Banh Mi: Monkeyhead mushroom, soy protein, enoki mushrooms, cabbage and carrot pickle, cucumber, cilantro and vegenaise on housemade baguette; Nacho Bowl: corn tortilla chips, raw taco “meat” (spiced almonds, walnuts and sunflower seeds), romaine lettuce, tomato salsa, corn salsa, pickled jalapeño, cashew sour cream, green onion, red bell peppers, cilantro and cashew cheese sauce.

What others say: “We were looking for some amazing vegan restaurants in Louisville and this was one of the top recommendations. And after our experience here, I can understand why.” — comment on Yelp

Milkshake

Roasted chicken salad sandwich

Affiliated with Louismill, a haven for milling and breadmaking at its most elemental (including classes for crafting artisanal bread), this offshoot for pizza takes a holistic approach from the process of taking grains and turning them into succulent pizza pies.

Website: mozzapi.com

Address: 12102 La Grange Rd.

Phone number: 502-494-7012

Number of seats: 80

Entrée price range: $8-$12

Popular dishes: Sweet onion marmalade pizza with caramelized onions, blue cheese, mozzarella, andouille sausage, bourbon cherries and rosemary; rosemary focaccia; meatball sub on ciabatta with giardiniera: housemade spicy pickled vegetables; spinach and ricotta with fresh mozzarella, fresh pepper flakes and olive oil.

What others say: “The pizza is fantastic. The dough is perfect. The topping combinations are interesting and not like anywhere else in town.” — comment on Yelp 

The exterior

Banh mi