Louisville Magazine

DEC 2013

Louisville Magazine is Louisville's city magazine, covering Louisville people, lifestyles, politics, sports, restaurants, entertainment and homes. Includes a monthly calendar of events.

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A man in Mexico made the colorful and celestial-looking lights hanging from the ceiling. He calls them estrellas. Bill Green (you may recognize some of his Lebowski Fest posters) and local design house Mperfect created the various murals. "We could have just ordered Mexican tiles and tiki gods on the Internet," co-owner Larry Rice says. "There's a fne line between theme-y and authenticity." During cold weather, fnd one of the outdoor tables that double as fre pits. Come spring, there won't be a more crowded patio in the city. Challenge on, Garage Bar. THE SPREAD El Camino By Josh Moss Photos by Chris Witzke Five years ago, Shawn Cantley's younger son, Maclean, underwent a craniectomy. Maclean was three months old. "Scary shit," Cantley says. At the time, Cantley — who grew up in Southern California before settling in Louisville and starting a family after "coming here for an inexpensive legal education" — was doing civil litigation as a plaintif trial attorney. Messages clogged his voicemail during the week he spent in San Antonio for Maclean's surgery, which was a success. "When I got back to town, this defense lawyer threatened to sue me for malpractice because I hadn't been in contact," Cantley says. "I made up my mind right in that moment that I was done with that shit." Larry Rice has had lots of jobs. "I'd always have a diferent license, diferent certifcate," he says. "I worked as a tattoo apprentice. Real-estate appraisals. Sold mortgages for a little bit — hated that." He helped get Molly Malone's, Basa and 732 Social of the ground and, as a bartender, became drinkingslash-golfng buddies with Cantley's father. Tat's how Cantley and Rice became friends. By 2011, the 40somethings had opened the Silver Dollar on Frankfort Avenue, which served chicken and wafes while spinning that dusty Bakersfeld, Calif., twang on vinyl. "Even then," Cantley says, "we had a two-restaurant plan." Enter El Camino, on Bardstown Road near Longest Avenue in the building that used to house Avalon. "If I could have waved a magic wand and put somebody out of business for their location . . ." Cantley begins. "Not that we want to put anybody out of business," Rice says, laughing. "Yeah, this spot has always had a good patio. But that's not enough," Cantley says. "Te inside used to be so dark, and we wanted it to be as inviting as the outside. Te idea is that two surfers from L.A. go to their favorite break in Mexico and open a tiki bar and restaurant on the beach." Individual bamboo strips line the ceiling. On one wall, red, orange and yellow painted bands, and a big yellow circle, represent a sunset over blue water. Another mural depicts California's state fag. In a third, on the patio, jolly skeletons throw a drunken beach party. A local guy fashioned bourbonbarrel staves into salsa caddies. Instead of Merle Haggard, the El Camino vinyl selection is all Dick Dale, the Beach Boys and Link Wray. Te fat-screen TVs and a projector play movies in the surf and Mexican-style lucha libre wrestling genres. "Maybe we'll show the U of L-UK game. Other than that, no. Te TVs are like an art installation," Cantley says. "Mexican street food" is on the menu. What does that mean, exactly? "You'll never see a Sysco truck pull up to this place," Cantley says. "Even though we don't have white tablecloths, we're doing everything as if we're a Michelin-starred restaurant. We just do it playing loud punk rock for a bunch of people wearing T-shirts." 1314 Bardstown Road 454-5417 Open from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Last dinner seating at midnight. 12.13 LOUISVILLE MAGAZINE 71

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