Tucked away in Latonia, Decoursey Avenue hosts a variety of businesses. While you’re on this strip, you’re likely to forget you’re in the middle of a city and not in a small town. These places are not only Northern Kentucky famous, but some are even nationally recognized, so I knew this was going to be a fun adventure.
The Roost: 3616 Decoursey Ave.
I start each day with a minimum of two coffees, so when I venture around for Streetscapes, I scope out the coffee first. Small coffee shops are the most welcoming places and, outside of the coffee, I always love the atmosphere of local coffee shops. There’s not the panic and frenzy that you see at large chains — there’s a calmness and comfort that is almost as addicting as the coffee they serve.
The Roost was no exception. We were immediately greeted as if we were regulars here, and while the barista was finishing up some orders, we shopped around at their store which carries a huge variety of products. If you’ve been on this series journey with me long enough, you know I love knickknacks and trinkets. The smaller, cuter and less practical it is, the more I need it in my life. Like spoons with quirky saying etched on them. Do I need another spoon? Absolutely not. But do I need a spoon that says, “Coffee pairs nicely with silence”? Absolutely.
We ordered our coffees, and as it is PSL season, I had to try theirs. It was much sweeter than all of the others I’ve tried, but I really enjoyed the fact that it was a little different from the other pumpkin coffees I’ve had this season.
It was a beautiful day, so my friend and I sat outside, the street was fairly slow and there were a lot of people out; it was the perfect day to sit and chat. We drank our coffee then headed into Emerson’s for a post coffee treat.
Emerson’s Bakery: 3612 Decoursey Avenue
This local chain is well loved for a reason. The moment you walk in, your mouth starts watering. From bagels to cookies to cakes and donuts there are so many delicious options that you will just want to take one of everything with you.
My friend and I were still in a sweet mood from our coffee, so opted for an Éclair and then decided we needed something to balance out all the sweet, so we also ordered a cheese pocket. The éclair was the perfect balance of light, buttery and sweet but the chocolate icing was the star of the show. I typically don’t like any chocolate pastries, as I ate far too many as a kid, and it now reminds me of the fake chocolate aftertaste you get from so many cheap donut shops. But this icing was the perfect mix of sweet, bitter, authentic chocolate and was the perfect complement to the pastry.
Little did I know there are several locations of Emerson’s throughout the NKY area that essentially there’s one in each pocket of NKY. So, there’s truly no excuse not to visit.
This one however has the cutest sign out front and really gives an old-timey small town feel to it. In fact, the entire strip in Latonia felt almost out of place in a modern world, and I loved every second of it.
Bard’s Burgers and Chili: 3620 Decoursey Avenue
There’s a reason their slogan is, “A dive worth the drive”, they are best known for their dive bar food, and of course, their famous burgers and chili. I had heard so much about their burgers and chili, but I rarely eat either so wasn’t sure what I would think of this place. The times that I do want a burger, I want it to be just normal toppings as well as greasy, but not too greasy that I feel sick after. It’s a difficult and demanding balance, I know, but Bard’s was up to the challenge.
I ordered the most basic cheeseburger and added the classic, lettuce, tomato and pickle. The fresh veggies were a great crunch on top of the burger, that pleased me, a very picky person when it comes to meat. It was juicy and greasy and yet I still had room for sides.
Outside of their burgers and chili, they have so many fried sides, including my all-time favorite, fried pickles. Their cheese curds are famous and were even showcased on Food Network, but you’d be mistaken to not also order the fried pickles. Typical pickle chips are very thin and mostly just breading, but these are next level. They are thick slices and breaded lighter, so you can really taste the pickle crunch, not just the coating.
As much as they offer in terms of variety and creativity, the classics they offer are just as good as the crazy add ons. They were showcased on Food Network for their over the top bardzilla challenge, that is genuinely scary and unimaginable. They are also celebrating their seventh anniversary this week, so it’s the perfect reason to stop in and check them out if you haven’t yet.
Moonrise Doughnuts: 3718 Winston Ave.
Since I was already on a sweet treat kick, I indulged a little more and stopped at Moonrise. Like Emmerson’s, there are multiple locations. While this location is solely operated at night, their Crescent Springs location is solely open in the morning.
Moonrise epitomizes the feeling of nostalgia and simplicity when you’re in Latonia. They were founded with the idea of celebrating the history of the city and the craft of specialty doughnuts.
The doughnuts were fresh out of the oven, warm and bursting with flavor. They offer such a variety of doughnuts that it would be criminal to not get a dozen. The chaos of trying to choose only twelve doughnuts when every one of them deserves a home in your stomach is unmatched, and I love it.
There was a doughnut shop that was similar to this in my college town my freshman year. It was the highlight of the week when my friends and I would go there and order late night doughnuts. As an adult, I can hardly stay up past 8 p.m., so I love that this gives the same energy but matches multiple generations. It’s family friendly, college student friendly and twenty seven going on seventy friendly.
Latonia is centered in the perfect location for people of all counties to visit. The hours of each of these businesses vary, so I highly recommend checking their most recent hours on their social media sites as well as their websites. It’s a great spot to walk around late afternoon bouncing from place to place and just enjoying the history and scenery. It’s another gem in NKY that takes you out of the routine modern world into a serene escape, even if it’s just for a day.
Have a street, city, or business you want to me to visit next? Email me at mchehman@gmail.com and it could be featured on an upcoming Streetscapes.
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