LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The food scene in Kentucky and especially Louisville may have been the Bluegrass State's best-kept secret for the past few years but after USA Today released their latest restaurants ranking, the cat is officially out of the bag.
Two iconic restaurants in Kentucky were named in USA Today's "2024 Restaurants of the Year" list. The rankings only included a total of 47 restaurants around the country, so it's quite an honor that Kentucky is home to two.
One of restaurants chosen is in Louisville's NuLu neighborhood and just opened its doors in May 2023. Though the restaurant is new, its owner has been an integral part of Louisville's food scene for decades.
Chef Edward Lee is the owner of 610 Magnolia and Milkwood (which has closed). Now, he is also the operator of Nami Steakhouse, which is owned by Winebrenner Capital. Nami is the first restaurant he's opened where the concept stemmed from his Korean-American roots.
"[Nami is] a modern approach to Korean cuisine, our flavors are inspired by the traditional recipes and ingredients of a culture that is bold, vibrant and fresh. Our modern interpretation of Korean food allows us to be playful and creative," Nami's website says.
You can find the second Kentucky restaurant included in the USA Today ranking just 30 minutes outside Metro Louisville in Goshen, Ky.
Barn8 is a farm-to-table restaurant and bourbon bar. It sits on Hermitage Farms which stocks the restaurant with seasonal fruits and vegetables year-round.
"Enjoy a new menu of seasonal selections created from produce grown on our farm, as well as other locally sourced and farm-raised products," Barn8's website says.
Click here for the full list of USA Today's 2024 Restaurants of the Year.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
