Bardstown food that rivals the bourbon? Proof is in the pairings
Aging Since 1780. So reads the city’s promotional literature. While it’s true that in recent years, other pretenders have tried to lay claim to the title “Bourbon Capital of the World,” it rightly belongs here in Bardstown.
The second oldest city in Kentucky (after Harrodsburg), it has history to spare. Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Foster and Jesse James have all contributed to its lore, and Bardstown’s charms have been extolled by USA Today which a few years back dubbed it America’s Most Beautiful Small Town.
Still, it’s bourbon that draws most visitors here. With Maker’s Mark, Jim Beam, Heaven Hill and Willett Distillery all within 16 miles of Bardstown, it’s easy to see why. Where to drink in the Bardstown area is no secret, but where are the best places to eat — both in town and along the Bourbon Trail?
Let’s start with the latter. In recent years, Kentucky’s distilleries have made huge investments in their physical plants, most recently the addition of restaurants to satisfy visitors’ hunger as well as their thirst.
Currently, four of the area’s nine distilleries have onsite dining options — Star Hill Provisions at Maker’s Mark; Fred’s Smokehouse at Jim Beam; the Bar at Willett and the much-talked-about Bottle & Bond Kitchen and Bar at the Bardstown Bourbon Company. That number will rise to five next year when Heaven Hill, as part of its $17.5 million investment to upgrade the visitors’ experience, opens a restaurant and rooftop bar.
Sam Lacy of the Bardstown Tourism & Convention Commission offers a reason for this focus on food.
“Bourbon has become a lifestyle,” he says, “and distilleries strive to provide a full, immersive experience. Bringing in a culinary aspect seemed to be the next logical step.”
Lacy explains that not only does it allow distilleries to keep visitors onsite longer, but it gives them additional ways to show off their product.
“It could be through spectacular cocktail programs or pairing particular bourbons with food or as an ingredient in their dishes,” he continues. “It has opened a whole new world in which they can showcase their bourbon.”
Dining on the Bourbon Trail
▪ The Bar at Willett; Reservations required; 1869 Loretto Road; 502-507-9396; Thebaratwillett.com
My first stop was for lunch at Willett Distillery. This small, family-owned and independently operated distillery specializes in hand-crafted, small batch and single barrel rare selections of distilled spirits.
First up — a tour of the property where seven limestone springs contribute to the excellence of bourbons such as its Purple label, part of the Family Estate. The tasting offered four pours, and I discovered I particularly liked the Pot Still Reserve which boasted a cherry amaretto sweetness.
After having my thirst quenched, it was time to treat the taste buds at the Bar at Willett. Opened just this September, the restaurant serves lunch and dinner (Thursday through Saturday) and Sunday brunch. The menu consists of small shareable plates which can easily be paired with the distillery’s signature cocktails.
I opted for the egg salad sandwich with mayonnaise smoked with apple chips and cured egg yolk, but I could just as easily have gone with the pork loin with black walnut, Swiss chard and golden raisin, the country ham with Jimmy Red corn cakes and sorghum or the delectable panisse with Ricotta, Romesco Sauce and malt vinegar.
If you need any further proof as to their seriousness about food, consider that the chef John Sleasman once served as sous chef at McCrady’s, a 5-star restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina.
His dishes are complemented by classic cocktails and vintage pours from master distiller Drew Kulsveen whose family has been making bourbon since the 1800s.
▪ Bottle & Bond at Bardstown Bourbon Company; 1500 Parkway Dr.; 502-252-6331; bottleandbond.com
Generating an equal buzz, Bottle & Bond at Bardstown Bourbon Company is a stunning facility whose size would put one in mind of Sam’s Club or Costco. But there all comparison ends.
Floor-to-ceiling windows and glass globe chandeliers are striking design elements. A backlit bar showcasing bottles of bourbon takes up one wall, while a glass-enclosed fireplace serves as the focal point of the room.
It adds up to a casually elegant atmosphere, one that inspires both awe and a feeling of comfort. However, it’s the drink, and most recently, the food that are the main draws. Think of Bardstown Bourbon Company as a Napa-like distillery where the quality of the spirits produced is equaled by the quality of the food served.
Master Distiller Steve Nally is in charge of the spirits and you can sample the fruits of his labor in an informative tasting. Most helpful tip: I was reminded to keep my mouth open while nosing high proof bourbons, unless, of course, I wanted to clear my sinuses.
My post-tasting dinner featured shareable plates with dishes such as chicken fried oysters with Southern remoulade; fish tacos with tuna tartare, Siracha mayo and guacamole, and glazed Brussels sprouts with bourbon bacon and Kentucky blue cheese.
A bountiful charcuterie board with several tapenades (whole grain yellow and brown mustard, peach and mango chutney and rhubarb compote) could have fed a table of four.
Entrees range from baby back ribs with skillet cornbread to three different cuts of steak, but if you’re smart, you’ll order the cast-iron fried chicken double dipped in buttermilk. It was lip-smackingly delicious.
Executive chef Felix Mosso also has serious culinary chops, having come here from Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. What makes this place all the more amazing is that up until six years ago, the land on which Bardstown Bourbon Company sits was an empty field.
Dining in Bardstown
▪ Mammy’s Kitchen; 116 W. Stephen Foster Ave.; 502-350-1097; Mammys-kitchen.business.site
Food operations at area distilleries may be all the rage, but Bardstown doesn’t lack for places to sate your appetite away from the distilleries.
On my last visit a few years ago, I popped into Mammy’s Kitchen for one of its bountiful breakfasts. At that time, it was a smallish place on Third Street. When I went back this time, I was shocked to discover it was no longer there. I had a brief moment of panic thinking it had gone out of business. Quite the opposite — business is so good at Mammy’s that it had to expand in a larger spot on Stephen Foster Avenue.
No longer small and intimate, it’s now housed in a barnlike structure which isn’t surprising as the building used to be a livery stable. Repurposed wood from tobacco barns, corn cribs and log cabins make up the interior, while furniture was crafted from a razed distillery.
While Mammy’s is open for dinner, it’s breakfast that’s the draw for me. Omelets, country ham and biscuits are served on gargantuan platters, but you might just want to try the bourbon batter pancakes. Bourbon batter — did you expect anything else?
The restaurant’s namesake, Lucille “Mammy” Hourigan from Gravel Switch would no doubt be pleased to see how faithfully her family has carried on her culinary tradition.
▪ Kurtz Restaurant; 418 E. Stephen Foster Ave.; 502-348-8964; kurtzrestaurant.com
Another tradition-rich eatery is Kurtz Restaurant in operation since 1937 when the family began serving meals in what was their home, a lovely weathered stone structure across from My Old Kentucky Home State Park.
The current generation of Kurtz family members doesn’t live here anymore, but they keep the homey atmosphere alive with southern hospitality and southern dishes such as skillet fried chicken, country ham, butter beans and skillet fried cornbread. The biscuit pudding with bourbon sauce will send you off with a smile on your face.
▪ Old Talbott Tavern; 101 W. Stephen Foster Ave.; 502-348-3494; talbottinn.com
If you aren’t staying at the Talbott Inn on Courthouse Square, at least stop in for a meal at the inn’s Old Talbott Tavern which has provided food and drink to Kentucky travelers since 1779. Menu items such as Jesse James’ Ribeye Steak, Daniel Boone’s Beef Pot Roast and Lincoln’s Bourbon BBQ Ribs attest to some of the inn’s more famous wayfarers.
Dark and atmospheric — Travel + Leisure magazine described it as having a “slightly spooky charm,” the tavern wears its age well as “the oldest western stagecoach stop still in existence.”
This story was originally published November 27, 2019 at 5:42 PM with the headline "Bardstown food that rivals the bourbon? Proof is in the pairings."