John Caulfield, originally from Monroe, La., had never worked in the restaurant industry when he moved to Cold Springs, Ky., and met his wife Kathy in 1989. The couple lived next door to the Knotty Pine when it was just a tavern and decided to buy it from the previous owner. John later went to Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (now the Midwest Culinary Institute) for culinary training. But like many he initially learned to cook from his mother. "It comes natural, like barbequing in your backyard," John says.
CityBeat: What's the best meal you've eaten out recently?
JC: We're creatures of habit, so we tend to stay on this side of the river. We like Brio's. We have a chicken pasta dish with a light herbed butter sauce a former employee of ours makes — it's not on the menu.
CB: Can you tell Cajuns from non-Cajuns by the way they eat crawfish?
JC: (Laughing) You can tell a non-Cajun because they eat slower. If you want to get enough, you've got to eat fast!
Knotty Pine on the Bayou, 1802 Liking Pike, Cold Spring, 859-781-2200.
