Western Kentucky dining guide: Beyond barbecue, country ham and banana pudding

When Sara Bradley, chef at The Freight House in Paducah, competed on season 16 of Bravo’s Top Chef, she came in second. While she may not have walked away with the top prize, she accomplished something that in the long run may prove more impressive.

Bradley refocused the commonwealth’s food spotlight away from Louisville and Lexington on to the cuisine of Western Kentucky, which previously had been considered something of a culinary wasteland. She became the region’s most popular food ambassador since the reign of Bowling Green’s Duncan Hines in the 1950s.

“It always astonishes me that it has taken so long for this part of the state to get the recognition it deserves considering that the food here was ahead of the national trend,” says Bradley, noting – among other things - the access to fresh water and the abundance of wild-caught fish such as sturgeon and paddlefish used in American caviar. (America’s Best Caviar Co. is located in Grand Rivers about 30 minutes from Paducah.)

In addition to fish, the area is also a mecca for pork, home to both Colonel Newsom’s and Broadbent’s Hams.

“We’ve pretty much always been farm-to-table as we cook with what’s available during each season,” she says, adding that there are some foods that can be described as quintessentially Western Kentucky.

That list of foods includes barbecue, country ham and banana pudding. Yes, you heard right. According to Bradley, the creamy dessert – while originating in Germany - first took hold in America in the western region of our state.

You’ll find it on the menu at The Freight House. Far from the bland concoction often served in school cafeterias, Bradley’s version takes bananas and adds caramel and a dark chocolate ganache, layers them and tops with heavy cream infused with bourbon. Bradley takes a definite stance on the argument – hot or cold? She serves hers cold.

Another Bradley’s specialties is Asian carp, a freshwater fish found in lakes and rivers and not often listed under the seafood section of most restaurant menus. It’s a favorite at The Freight House.

Paducah restaurants

While The Freight House has become a destination dining spot for locals and tourists alike, Paducah has much more to offer on the culinary scene, according to Bradley. Her recommendations?

“For lunch, you have to go to Leigh’s Barbecue for smoked chicken with hot sauce and Kirchhoff’s Deli,” she says. “It’s been owned by the same family for four generations. The fried green tomato BLT is a must.”

Bradley’s recommendations are eclectic to say the least – from Doe’s Eat Place specializing in tamales and steaks to Just Hamburgers, which Bradley describes as “a hard-core punk rock hamburger joint known for its Red Zeppelin burger.

“When it’s on the menu, police have to be onsite to control the traffic,” she says.

In case you’re wondering what makes it so special, the Red Zeppelin is a double bacon cheeseburger between two glazed donuts from the city’s Red’s Donut Shop.

If that sounds too meaty for you, opt for Branch Out, a plant-based, gluten-free place serving dishes such as quinoa nachos, Mediterranean falafel bowl, black bean beet hamburger with onion rings and sweet potato coconut curry. What makes these dishes so special?

“It’s all in the seasoning,” says Bradley.

Bowling Green restaurants

While Paducah is getting most of the attention from food writers, thanks in large part to Bradley’s status as a culinary star, she wants people to know that two other cities in the region – Bowling Green and Owensboro – are also becoming known for their robust restaurant scenes.

Bowling Green has several places that are among my favorites. Described as “where Bourbon Street and the locals meet,” 440 Main and Micki’s on Main, two restaurants under one roof, have you covered whether it’s casual or fine dining you want.

Micki’s is known for its burgers and oversized sandwiches along with more exotic fare such as barbecue shrimp with Worcestershire and garlic butter. The shrimp may be from the Gulf, but the accompanying cheese grits are pure Kentucky.

If you like this dish, you’ll love the Cajun spring rolls, a combo of chicken, andouille sausage and cheddar jack cheese topped with a mango barbecue sauce.

Micki’s sister establishment, 440 Main, is a favorite with the linen tablecloth crowd, featuring upscale dishes such as Champagne chicken, filet mignon, pan-seared duck breast, Southern-style crab cakes and Chicken Rochambeau.

The dual restaurants’ atmosphere complements their menus. Overlooking Bowling Green’s downtown square, they occupy a 19th century building with pressed tin ceilings, grand mahogany staircase and local art on the walls.

A couple of blocks off the square is The Bistro, my vote for Bowling Green’s most charming restaurant. Located in the restored 1893 Fletcher House, the contemporary design with wood floors, brick walls and local art is a perfect setting for a sophisticated menu specializing in Italian and American dishes.

Start with a chargrilled romaine salad, and then move on to the tortellini carbonara if you’re in the mood for Italian, and shrimp and grits with Brussels sprouts, shallots, bacon and smoked jalapeno butter or salmon crab cake and tamarind shrimp with sweet chili if you prefer American.

The Bistro also has a terrific Sunday brunch. Try the Artisan Hot Brown accompanied by a spicy Bloody Mary or an icy classic martini.

If you want to go where the locals go, head for Cambridge Market where the white bean chowder, meat-and-three options and thickly sliced deli sandwiches are popular choices.

On the opposite end of the scale pricewise from Cambridge Market is Hickory & Oak which specializes in prime cuts of beef. Begin with oysters on the half shell or bacon butter scallops accompanied by bacon corn bread, then move on to your choice of cut (maybe the Creekstone Farms Tomahawk Ribeye or the Wagyu filet mignon, each priced at $100.) If you’re not a big spender, you can get a 1-ounce bite of the latter for $20. Finally, wrap up your meal with a persimmon banana crème brulee.

Owensboro restaurants

When former president Bill Clinton is a self-proclaimed fan of your barbecue, you know you’re doing something right. At Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn in Owensboro, they have been doing a lot right since 1963. What started out as a 30-seat diner is now a 350-seat restaurant (although obviously not all are being used during the pandemic.)

What really distinguishes Moonlite from other Western Kentucky barbecue places is its specialty – mutton. If barbecued sheep flesh isn’t to you taste (as it isn’t to mine) Moonlite has you covered. They also offer barbecued pork, beef and chicken, as well as non-barbecue dishes such as catfish and shrimp.

While Moonlite has gotten national exposure, other Owensboro restaurants fly more under the radar. For example, The Miller House, occupying a mansion in the city’s historical downtown. Its bourbon bar is the largest in Western Kentucky, and the menu is best described as traditional with a Southern influence.

For $11.99, you can get a culinary tour of the South with the Southern Sampler. It’s all here – cheese torte with crackers, fried grits sticks, sweet potato chips, fried green tomatoes and cheese straws. Entrees include bourbon smoked paprika ribeye, salmon with roasted fennel risotto and honey glazed pork chop.

Bill’s Restaurant, with a new menu nightly, and Lure Seafood & Grille, are local favorites. At the former try the stuffed quail Southern-style, stuffed with a ground ham and cornbread dressing, pan roasted and served atop Weisenberger grits with red eye gravy. At the latter go for the smoked salmon risotto. Both restaurants offer vegetarian options.

If you’re still craving barbecue and have already been to Moonlite, follow the locals to Ole South Bar-B-Q. In addition to mutton and pulled pork, they have hearty burgoo and brisket.

Head west for some great eats and if you would like to squeeze in some sightseeing between meals, the three cities have joined together to promote the Bowling Green Convention & Visitors Bureau’s “Quilts, Cars and Guitars” road trip which advertises itself as the best of Americana in Western Kentucky.

For more information, go to visitbgky.com; visitowensboro.com; paducah.travel.com.

This story was originally published February 16, 2021 at 6:00 AM.