Local Flavors from a local family: Egger family continues legacy in South Perry eatery

A passion for whiskey and a desire to create community inspired a new South Hill eatery.

Local Flavors, a sandwich shop and whiskey bar opened on May 3, Kentucky Derby day.

“We sold tons of Mint Juleps and sandwiches,” said owner Steve Egger.

His last name may be familiar.

“I worked for the family meat market for 10 years, but I’ve never owned a restaurant,” he said. “My grandpa started Egger’s Meats, and my dad and uncle own Egger’s Better Meats and Seafood.”

The four local Egger’s meat stores are independently owned and operated.

After working in the family biz, he pursued a career as a fluid engineer and left the city. A call from his mother brought him home.

“Four years ago, she came down with cancer,” Egger recalled. “She was running the liquor store, and I moved back to take it over.”

The liquor store (Egger’s Specialty Market) is located adjacent to the meat market on South Perry.

Egger grew fascinated by bourbon and whiskey.

“There’s a lot of family legacy with bourbon and whiskey, and that attracts me,” he said. “There’s so much history.”

His education deepened when he became a certified specialist of spirits.

“It made sense to open a bar. The Egger family didn’t have a restaurant.”

He bought the market from his mom, who has since recovered and is enjoying retirement. Using the building’s existing footprint, he turned a former storage space into a 45-seat restaurant and whiskey bar.

The interior, featuring slate blue paint and wood shelving that houses the bar and taps, provides a welcoming ambiance.

“My lifelong friend Armand Van Pelt runs the back of the house, and I run the front of the house,” Egger said.

As they developed the menu, his mom had one request: Please include a traditional triple-decker club sandwich.

With a sturdy sourdough bread base, this substantial sandwich is more than a mouthful.

Their Reuben is layered with slow-smoked corned beef, Swiss cheese, house sauerkraut and Russian dressing. The grilled marbled rye yields a juicy sandwich without the sog.

Egger said the pretzel and beer cheese appetizer and the smoked chicken quesadilla are also proving popular with guests.

The restaurant is aptly named. Everything from produce to beer is locally sourced.

“We have Lumberbeard and Yaya on tap, serve Barrister wine and our desserts are made by Just American Desserts,” he said. “But our whiskey and bourbon come from all over. I’m a whiskey nut!

The Barrelhouse Old Fashioned, featuring Buffalo Trace whiskey, is a guest favorite, while the Distillers Sazerac, crafted with Sazerac rye and Peychaud’s bitters, also sells well.

Old Forester Bourbon mixed with lemonade and cranberry juice in the Derby Spire, offers a refreshing summertime sipper.

Egger enjoys introducing his passion to those leery of the amber spirit.

“If you tell me you don’t like whiskey, I can probably tell you a story that will make you want to try it.”

They intentionally started with a small food menu to allow the staff of five to adjust.

“Soon, we’ll be adding burgers, smoked brisket and smoked bologna,” he said.

Their vision is to make Local Flavors a gathering spot by holding regular events. A recent wine tasting quickly sold out, and plans are underway for bourbon tasting next month.

“We plan to start a bourbon club, a wine club and a whiskey club,” Egger said. “We want to bring the community together.”

Contact Cindy Hval at dchval@juno.com