Edible Tidbits, Holiday 2018
Into the “Top Chef” fray
Kentucky shines bright on the 16th season of “Top Chef,” which premieres December 6 at 9pm on Bravo. Chef/owner Sara Bradley of Freight House in Paducah (above) brings her culinary prowess against 14 contestants in the popular reality competition television series. A panel of professional chefs and food/wine industry leaders judge various culinary challenges, resulting in the elimination of one or more contestants each week until one winner remains. The show was filmed in Louisville, Lexington and Lake Cumberland over a two-month period earlier this year.
BravoTV.com/top-chef; FreightHouseFood.com
Old Forester raises the bar
As an homage to Old Forester and Brown-Forman founder George Garvin Brown, George’s Bar and tasting room has opened at Old Forester Distilling Co. The bar is a supplement to the tour experience, and also offers extended hours and special events to coincide with downtown Louisville events, including games and concerts at the KFC YUM! Center. The bar is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm, with extended hours during downtown events. Cocktails showcasing Old Forester brands and monthly cocktail specials are offered. Old Forester Distillery opened on Whiskey Row in June, returning to downtown Louisville after nearly 100 years. 119 W. Main St.;
Big bunches of biscuits from Boujie
Nothing represents Southern cuisine better than a well-made biscuit. Boujie Biscuit at 1813 Frankfort Ave. in Louisville delivers huge portions of the handmade comfort food daily with a variety of sweet and savory options: Cluckin’ Hot Biscuit, Cheesy Burger, Maple Bacon, Cocoa- Nut and Georgia Peach, just to name a few. Owner Cyndi Joyner opened the eatery in September in the former Reynolds Grocery building. Hours are Wednesday through Friday, 8am–3pm; Saturday 9am–4 pm; and Sunday 10am–3pm (or until she sells out each day).
Peerless storage in Henry County
Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company has become the first distillery to build a barrel warehouse in Henry County. The one-story rickhouse has the capacity to store 5,300 barrels. Peerless purchased 19 acres in the summer of 2017 with the goal of building up to six warehouses, each holding 5,300 barrels. Open to the public since 2015, Peerless has been storing barrels in their on-site rickhouse in the Bourbon District of Louisville. They will continue to distill and bottle exclusively in the downtown distillery.
Slowing it down for kids to learn
Slow Food Bluegrass is accepting applications for their School Garden Grant program. The grant helps a school or nonprofit organization develop a student garden project focused on connecting and engaging children with fresh fruits and vegetables. Children learn how to grow, harvest and cook food.
SlowFoodBluegrass.org/schoolgardens.
Local takes the “MasterChef” crown
Louisville native Gerron Hunt made Kentucky proud when he won the ninth season of “MasterChef,” a competition for home cooks to compete in a series of challenging elimination rounds. His Southern-inspired menu included hot quail with fingerling potato salad and poached quail eggs as an appetizer; Carabinero prawns with heirloom grits, shellfish au jus and crispy shallots as the entrée; and Amaretto chess pie with a raspberry coulis and popped sorghum for desert. The 25-year-old won $250,000 as part of the title. A graduate of Fern Creek High School and Western Kentucky University, he teaches high school English in Nashville, Tennessee.
