Think Kentucky, and you conjure images of horseracing and mint juleps, blue grass and bourbon. What you may not think about is the food. It’s fresh, often fabulous and utterly unpretentious. Here, courtesy of the Official Kentucky Visitor’s Guide, is a peek at just some of the places that please the palate:
– Louisville’s Brown Hotel is famous for its hospitality, and a revered open-faced sandwich dubbed the Hot Brown. It’s constructed with turkey, bacon and a magnificent mornay sauce.
– Head out into the hustings, into rural Kentucky for some country comfort food. Grand Rivers is the home of Patti’s 1880s Settlement. The pork chops are a full two inches thick, and the meringue pies seemingly a mile high. Beat a path to Berea’s Boone Tavern and order up Chicken Flakes in a Bird’s Nest, followed by spoon bread. This tavern is on the National Register of Historic Places. If it’s chicken you crave, the name Sanders stands out – as in Colonel Sanders. Before KFC became a household word around the world there was Claudia Sanders’ Dinner House. Founded by the colonel it serves up fried chicken, country ham and an octet of vegetables (you dare not call them ‘veggies’ down in this slice of Kentucky). You’ll find Claudia’s place in Shelbyville.
– Overlooked in the barbeque brilliance of neighboring states such as Tennessee is the Kentucky take on the art. Owensboro’s Moonlight Barbeque serves up not just chicken and pork, but a mighty good mutton as well.
– Sahara Steakhouse in Cave City treats meat with respect. Steaks cook over an open fire. Sirloin for Two is a good deal. It goes down nicely with a vegetable beef soup that’s anything but ordinary.
(Featured image: The Pug Father)
