Cunningham's Restaurant has been a Louisville mainstay since 1870.  That is, it was until it burned down in on July 30, 2001.  I remember my dad taking me into the "Old City" to eat at Cunningham's as a child...actually, throughout my lifetime.  But my best memories were eating hamburgers and fries in this quaint historical establishment. Cunningham's really looked more like a turn-of-the-century home than a restaurant that had been around for 120 years.   

As I grew older, I came to appreciate their fish sandwiches.  Often, I couldn't decide which I wanted to eat until the server would come over and my dad would say, "Just pick one, would ya?"  I'd usually get the burger, knowing he'd get the fish and I'd get to have a bite or two.  As a student at U of L, I'd eat at Cunningham's often because of it's proximity to campus.  When I awoke on Monday, July 30 to find that Cunningham's had burned early that morning, tears welled up and I could hardly contain my emotions.  I called my Dad, who was already at work, and both of us mourned the loss of the restaurant that had brought both of us so much joy.  For several weeks, there was speculation on whether Cunningham's would re-open.

Well, soon the answer came.  With the revamping of a run-down downtown shopping area well under way, the owners of Cunningham's decided to jump on board as a tenant.  I was somewhat worried that the ambiance would be ruined by this huge capitalist venture, but that's not been the case.  The high-rent district has not changed Cunningham's one bit.  Ok, so the building has changed.  But you can still enjoy a burger...no, I mean a fish sandwich...ok, well maybe a burger...whether you'll be attending the theatre afterwards or running off to class.