Feast logo

Have you ever had a mouthwatering burger? Not till you've been here.

Your tastebuds were lying to you before.

By Jacki GrimaldiPublished 3 years ago 6 min read
1
The Ribeye Burger. Don't mess it up, get it medium.

Let’s take it back to the birth of the cheeseburger. I know we’re all imagining a fat, juicy, cheesy as all hell burger. Don’t forget to add a cold beer to that. Possibly a shot of Fernet Branca. 80/20 Kaelin’s has a perfect amount of beers on tap, and it’s always changing. You can grab anything from Stroh’s in a bottle to a local like Goodwood Two Live Brew (just released) all the way to ‘Cheetah’ by Rhinegeist over in Cincinnati.

It’s original home in Louisville, Kentucky, initially opened in 1934 as Kaelin’s. They ended up closing in 2007 but reopened as 80/20 Kaelin’s on May 21, 2018.

80/20 Kaelin's

Okay, getting to that good stuff. The big one: the Ribeye Burger. Ground in house, the mix of ribeye, tri-tip, and sirloin is topped with 80/20 sauce, bacon jam, shredded lettuce, grilled pickled onion, tomato, a sunny-side-up egg, and last but never least—bacon. All on a pretzel bun. Um, yes, please. And dude, if you’re a fan of wings, go for it. They’re perfectly cooked, meaty, so you’re not just gnawing on a bone, and so filling.

I'm glad I brought my own baby wipes for this one.

The wings are confit, which means they're cooked in their own fat to stay tender.

One of the best parts about this place—it also has an icecream parlour and the icecream is made IN HOUSE.

Check out that bike! Fernet about it!

80/20 Kaelin’s is one of the few restaurants I’ve noticed that has a tent on their patio, with enough space to the side of it if anyone wants to sit outside the tent (which, by the way, has a heater). I made a trip over to chat with a couple of the bartenders and the GM and even got an action shot of a new cocktail in progress!

Let’s jump right in. I started the chat by asking the GM (Lee) about the tent outside and why they decided to put one up.

Lee: It’s providing a service to the guest. It’s to make the guest feel safe, and that’s what we’ve opened. We’re creating a safe environment, so the more air they can get out there if they feel like going outside the tent, is still an option. It was evident the first week we had it; this past weekend was a [safe] full house. And this weekend, when it gets colder, there will be a heater inside the tent. It is an 80,000 BTU blower, so it stays toasty in there. There is also the possibility of a small fire pit on the patio later in the year as well.

So if you and a friend want to sit outside next to a fire pit with a cold beer, you’ve got a place to go.

Next, I got Chad Reid and Kevin Turner to answer some questions for me and got to see Kevin’s new cocktail in progress.

Jacki Grimaldi: How long have you been in the industry?

Chad Reid: I’ve been on and off since I was 15-years-old, so about 20 years now. From corporate to craft to local. I’ve seen every aspect of it, other than fine dining.

Kevin Turner: I’ve also been in it since I was 15, so it’s 14 years for me. It’s been reasonably consistent. I started with a catering service, followed by a wedding venue to bartending. In the past three or so years, though, I’ve been all into the bar and dedicated.

JG: What are your favorite parts of bartending?

CR: The moment when someone tastes something, and they’re excited about it, like, they got something they didn’t expect. You get to visualize that moment. You get to see “concept to cup.” The people that make the drinks are generally looking forward to this moment, to seeing them happy from your creation.

KT: Honestly, bartending as a whole or as a career, my biggest thing about it is the freedom. I have the freedom to be me. I don’t have to button up and be this b**** a** version of Kevin. I can walk behind this bar, and my owners, my management, and my customers are excited to have me being me behind the bar. People pleasing and making people happy, that’s something that’s been in me since I was a kid.

JG: What are your favorite drinks to make?

KT: My favorite drink to make is ‘Remember the Maine.’ There are a few reasons for this: It was a cocktail that was lost in the handles of time, it’s named after the ship that sunk that sparked off the Spanish American War, it’s an old school New Orleans cocktail, and it has a lot of personal weight with me. Making that cocktail was my intro to being a craft cocktail bartender.

CR: My favorite drink to make is a Manhattan. A regular Manhattan, not a Black Manhattan or Perfect Manhattan. I have it tattooed on me. Yes, it may be three or four ingredients depending on if you add orange bitters, but it’s one of those cocktails that have to be the right temperature. They can’t be too cold, can’t be too hot; its original setting is up, not on the rocks. Watching a stir is beautiful. Watching someone stir a Manhattan is one of my favorite moments. Watching the dilution from the ice rise up and then dilute back down. That’s how I train people. I don’t say, ‘Rotate x amount of times.’ I’m more about watching. Look at it. There’s a visual moment that happens, and if you’re too busy counting, you’ll miss it.

JG: What’s your response to someone that asks, ‘Is this margarita gluten-free?’

KT: If someone asks me if a margarita is gluten-free, the answer is just a flat out yes. Most people don’t know any better.

CR: If someone asks about anything gluten, I immediately bring up an old neighbor with Celiacs Disease. His hand could brush against a piece of bread, and he would break out in hives. What I tell people is, if you have a column still and the liquid is dropping down, and that hot steam is coming up, and those plates are hot and all that is rushing back up through, you don’t get the gluten particles because they don’t fit through the plates. The Celiac Association released all distilled spirits are gluten-free.

JG: What are your plans within the service industry?

KT: My goal is to open one of two bars: The one I want to open is not super high end, but a Japanese sushi bar with cocktails that pair with each dinner. The second is a 24-hour basement bar. During the day and ordinary people hours, it is a juicery. The late-night is two separate cocktail menus where one menu will be cocktails created by the staff and are classic cocktails, while the second menu is a healthier cocktail selection. All the juice that wasn’t used during the day will be used in the cocktails at night. So it’s zero waste, full-blown 24 hours a day potential to be open.

CR: I want my bar, my way. I have a few different ideas I’m throwing around, but once I have one in place, I want it set in stone to finish it the same once I start out with how I like it. I will never give that up.

And now I'll leave you with a little bit of cocktail action.

Kevin just wanted to slip this in.

Kevin explaining this and that...and what's going on with this cocktail. It's a riff on a Margarita and a Daquiri.

Photo credit: Jacki Grimaldi and 80/20 Kaelin's

interview
1

About the Creator

Jacki Grimaldi

I am a mother of two, a full-time double major and a jack-of-every other trade. I bake, crochet, garden, write short stories, drink bourbon, and work part time. No, I am not super mom and I do not strive to be; I like each day different.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.