The Mayan Café has been in the Nulu area since 2007, before the area was even called "NuLu. It has been wildly popular from the beginning, serving up authentic Mayan cuisine with a farm-to-table twist. I recently had the opportunity to check it out after years if driving past it proclaiming, “we should really go there some time.”
I’m glad we finally made it in, because the food was amazing. Often when you think of farm-to-table, you may picture a meal full of mismatched ingredients forced together in haphazard form. Thankfully Louisville’s farm-to-table scene is robust and there are plenty of ingredients available to local restaurants. In Louisville, dining at a farm-to-table restaurant doesn’t mean you have to eat a plate of dandelion stems.
We started off with the chef’s special cucumber salad. Thinly sliced cucumbers were paired with goat cheese, arugula, blueberries, pistachios, and basil-sorghum vinaigrette. It was delicious. We got the lamb tacos, which were the chef’s entrée of the day, and a vegetarian burrito with added pork. The flavors were unique and the portion sizes were satisfying.
This is not a standard chips-and-salsa type taco place. The recipes are based on authentic Mayan cuisine and contain loads of farm-fresh produce, local meats and local cheese.
I had planned to try the Tok-Sel lima beans, since I had heard so many rave reviews about them. Unfortunately I forgot, so I will just have to return soon. I can’t wait to see how the menu changes the next time I dine.
Do you have a favorite dish at the Mayan Café? Tweet me @LouGirl502 and tell me all about it!
Photos Courtesy of Maggie Kimberl
