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Thomas Wavid Johns

@twjohns

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Designing cultural systems and experiences across hospitality, sound, and story.
@neonbites
@murrayscreolepub
@kentuckytotheworld
@dandylion.coffee

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We are throwing a party! To help with the costs of building the kitchen in our building that will be the home to Sassy’s Sandwich Shop 🩷
We would be honored if you would join us and our friends at Zanzabar and Angels Envy to eat, drink, and be merry.

You can support our venture simply by showing up to the event, or if you are so inclined, we are looking for donated items! Contact us in our DMs or reach out to Bri with any questions or possible contributions

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New cocktails are live tonight. Come find your new favorites this weekend!

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The future of restaurants might be the most analog thing left.

That’s the case Chef @weeksinadaze made on a panel at The Gathering at @rtlodge yesterday: that in a world that keeps getting faster and flatter, a dining room is one of the few places still built for the unhurried, in-person, hands-on experience people are starving for. Not a threat to the industry. The whole point of it.

We’d seen the proof the day before. We drove to @bentonsbacon in Madisonville, where the smokehouse still runs the way it always has: smoke, salt, time, and someone who’s willing to wait. No shortcuts. There aren’t any. That’s the same spirit we’re chasing at Murray’s.

Grateful to RT Lodge and @trevorstockton for the seat at the table, and to Benton’s for showing us what optimism looks like when it’s aged 18 months.

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The version of Kentucky’s food story most people know– bourbon, hot browns, and the usual Southern canon– is only part of its culinary legacy. Even when the stories weren’t centered in the diaspora of Black chefs, farmers, and entrepreneurs, the Bluegrass State’s foodways have long been influenced by them.⁠
⁠
Today, Black Kentuckians continue to be an integral part of the state’s food culture. Travel with TLP through central Kentucky offering travelers the opportunity to see these contributions for themselves. From Louisville to Lexington, we connect with Chef @weeksinadaze of @murrayscreolepub to beloved Shirley Mae's Cafe and @colemancrestfarmtv.⁠
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Continue reading the legacy of Kentucky's Black foodways at the link in bio.⁠
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So cut the bullshit
I don’t wanna hear it
I’m rough around the edges
and baby I’m just simmering down
If there’s one thing you’re right about
It’s I’ll find certainty in my doubts
It’s been turning me inside out
Now my reflection
begs the question:
What happened to my former self?

And we don’t understand
What we know
We don’t understand
What we know
We don’t understand
What we know
We don’t understand

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A Whiskey Director, an Engineer, a Control State Manager, a Beverage Director, a Restaurant GM, a Restaurant Owner, and a Baker understood the assignment for a fantastic wine dinner and record session at our house. Big thanks to Gotto for the Imperial bottle that inspired the event.

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Poco is leveling up 💕
Sassy’s Sandwich Shop
Coming soon to a Germantown Neighborhood by you!

Courier Journal exclusive article link is in our bio if you want to know more!

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☀️ Sponsor Spotlight ☀️

We’re excited to recognize Sunshine Electrolysis for their continued generosity and support of Family Camp 2026!

This year, Sunshine Electrolysis has stepped up once again as an Activity Sponsor, helping make our Camp Store possible. From camp keepsakes to little treasures that bring smiles throughout the weekend, the Camp Store is a favorite stop for campers of all ages.

It’s often the small moments—a special souvenir, a fun surprise, or a memory taken home—that make camp unforgettable. Thanks to Sunshine Electrolysis, those moments will continue to bring joy to our camp community.

We are incredibly grateful for your ongoing partnership and your belief in the mission of Friends of All Saints. Your generosity is helping create a camp experience filled with connection, laughter, and memories that will last a lifetime.

Thank you, Sunshine Electrolysis, for investing in our families and helping make Family Camp 2026 so special. 💙

#SponsorSpotlight #SunshineElectrolysis #FriendsOfAllSaints #FamilyCamp2026

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Even those half decade old words;
still thinkin’ ‘bout ‘em lately.

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🐊 @murrayscreolepub Tasting Room is NOW OPEN upstairs! Offering not one but TWO restaurants of where to find authentic Creole, Cajun, and French inspired dishes in Louisville!

@weeksinadaze, once again, is changing lives through shared experience. With ingredients that build on one another to tell a story, expect to dream about your meal at Murrays (both pub & tasting room) for months to come.

We opted to enjoy the 'Bayou' aka downstairs pub for libations before dinner. Its to cozy to not enjoy. I went for the classic 🍸 Pimento Cheese Martini (that is safe to say will steal any pimento 🧀 lovers heart); while Andrew opted for his personal favorite, Creole Coffee.

After deeply enjoying our drinks, we headed to the moody upstairs dining room. Once upstairs, we went with the 5 course tasting menu instead of the 3 course. Cause like Ash Ketchum said, " Gotta catch em' all ". And that is why I recommend bringing atleast one friend to try the entire menu with! With favorites such as citrus salad, scotch egg, escargot, catfish atchafalaya, and bread pudding; expect your eyes to roll back into your head with an overwhelming sense of joy in EVERY bite.

🎺 As a person with a partner from New Orleans, finding authentic food to remind him of family gatherings is near impossible outside of Louisiana. But not with Chef Weeks. The precision and dedication to highlighting Louisianas star ingredients is a passion that you can taste with every bite.

To every waiter, bartender, and Chef in Murrays kitchen - you are setting a high caliber experience that is welcoming, engaging, and created with purpose. Restaurants like @murrayscreolepub destigmatize tasting rooms and continues to remind me that @michelin is missing out by ignoring the gastronomy in which Louisville has to offer 🍽

P.s. The wine 🍷 menu ACTUALLY accommodates the tasting menu quite nicely 👌🏽

#eatbetterfood and #drinkbetterwine

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Shrimp and Spanish rice

Red shrimp served over Spanish rice with smoked tomato and olive

Rooted in Spanish Creole culture, this dish shares deep ties with paella. What we know as paella comes from a long lineage of one pot rice dishes such as jambalaya, perloo, and Charleston red rice. The tradition traveled from Spain to South Louisiana, where Creole cooks embraced it and made it their own

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Coal Grilled Daube- Princeton beef belly, whipped potatoes, black garlic glaze, Demi glacé, spiced apples

Daube is a dish that is disappearing through shifts in eating and cooking traditions throughout Louisiana and the South. A dish with roots in Provençal our version takes a modern approach and we grill it over Japanese charcoal after braising overnight and glaze it with a black garlic tare. This is literal oral history.

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