This Week on Hardin Local: A New German Café Downtown

What We Covered This Week

Some weeks the story walks right into downtown and opens its doors. This week, that story is 109 N Mulberry — a brand-new German-American café from Janine Washle, the Kentucky chef better known as "The Flavor Queen." It blends authentic German plates with Appalachian comfort food on a single menu, it soft-opened Monday night, and by the time the show went live it had already become the thing everybody wanted to talk about. Nate broke the news in Business Buzz, Britten and Michele reviewed it live in the Experienced Eater segment, and we built a full members-only report around it.

Around that, the crew packed a full Father's Day weekend: a loaded events calendar, a housing market that's quietly rebounding, more downtown openings on the way, and an icebreaker about the lessons our dads handed down. Phil hosted the whole show this week, with Rachel joining for the housing update.

🍽️ Members Exclusive: The Full 109 N Mulberry Report — and a Bonus Video You Can't Watch Anywhere Else

This week's members-only feature is the complete story on the new 109 N Mulberry German-American Café: who's behind it, the full breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus, the truth about that chaotic-but-charming soft opening, and exactly how to find it. And we added something special — an exclusive bonus video, cut from today's livestream, that pairs Nate Bryan's first look at the full menu with Britten and Michele's live taste-test reaction. It lives only inside the report, and it's the best way to get a feel for the place before you go.

It's free — all it takes is a free Hardin Local account, and we'll email you the moment we add more.

In This Episode

Father's Day Weekend Is Loaded: Your Week, June 16–21

Hardin County This Week — with Jon O'Brien

Dollar movies at the Historic State Theater ("Up" Tuesday, "Sixteen Candles" Wednesday), a Kid's Fishing Derby at Freeman Lake Saturday morning with free poles and bait for kids 12 and under, Pride and Pints at Flywheel, the St. Brigid Festival in Vine Grove, and the E-Town Summer Showdown basketball tournament with a $2,500 grand prize and a scholarship cause behind it. Friday night brings comedy at Fort Knox's Saber & Quill and live music all over town.

A German Café Opens Downtown — Plus Bluegrass Meats and Mall Moves

Nate's Business Buzz

The headline is 109 N Mulberry, but downtown's having a moment: Bluegrass Meats holds its grand opening this Thursday. At the mall, Victoria's Secret closed its doors Sunday, and Spencer's is relocating to a new, bigger spot directly behind Visionworks, with Bath & Body Works set to return in September. Nate also pointed everyone to the full café menu and the members-only report.

Pending Sales Rebound and Rates Dip Toward 6 Percent

Hardin County Housing Market — with Rachel Brantingham

Pending sales jumped from 18 to 30 homes in a single week — Rachel's read is that the recent slowdown was seasonal, not a shift in demand. Mortgage rates are trending into the low 6s, with some buyers locking as low as 6.1 percent, and the gap between list and sold price keeps tightening. Average sold price held at $351,683, with about three months of inventory and Fort Knox keeping the market steady.

A First Taste of 109 N Mulberry, Live

The Experienced Eater — Britten & Michele McDowell

Hardin County's go-to foodie review team hit the soft opening Monday night and reacted live on the show. The concept — German plates next to Appalachian comfort food — won them over, the sorghum pork belly may have been the bite of the night, and the Big "E" Benedict over a potato pancake was a close second. They were honest about the day-one kinks and generous with the grace a brand-new restaurant deserves.

Episode Highlights

"He said, no, but I'll teach you how to block. That was his way of teaching me to work within my strengths." — Phil Taul, Creator of Hardin Local, on the lesson from his dad

"Everything that I had that was German last night was exceptionally authentic. You can feel the heart of the owner and the staff in what they prepared." — Britten, The Experienced Eater, on 109 N Mulberry

"Just one week ago we had 18 homes go pending. This week that number jumped to 30. Buyers aren't waiting on rates anymore — they're buying when they find the right home." — Rachel Brantingham, Housing Market Expert

"People have been asking, what is the menu for 109 North Mulberry? We finally have it." — Nate Bryan, Business Buzz

Running for office in the November general election? Hardin Local is booking another round of candidate interviews — register at HardinLocal.com/elections before July 5.

New episodes every Tuesday at 1 PM on Facebook, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts. Every segment, the weekly events calendar, the housing graphs, and the weekly email all live at HardinLocal.com. Happy Father's Day, Hardin County.