Chefs young and old reinventing classic Kentucky hot Brown

Kentucky’s most famous sandwich is getting a gourmet upgrade for its 90th birthday. The historic Brown Hotel in Louisville, where the iconic dish originated in 1926, will offer the “Haute Brown” for $90 from April 15 to May 15, while supplies last. The classic plate, Texas toast topped with roasted turkey, Mornay sauce, roma tomatoes, bacon and fresh parsley, goes over-the-top in Executive Chef Josh Bettis’ newest take for a limited time.

“The hot Brown has grown to be an international sensation,” said Bettis. “My Haute Brown honors the traditional offering but adds a bit of modern elegance.”

Bettis builds on the staple by creating a turkey roulade wrapped in thick-cut Kentucky bacon accented by tomato confit and roasted tomato gelee, shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano and house made brioche croutons wrapped with edible gold on top of a white truffle-infused Mornay sauce.

Chef Fred Schmidt came up with the idea for the now famous knife-and-fork sandwich to satisfy hungry party-goers tired of the same old ham and eggs. Following one of the hotel’s popular dinner dances, Schmidt concocted the Welsh rarebit-inspired dish for revelers as a late-night snack.

The Brown Hotel, 335 West Broadway in Louisville estimates that they’ve sold more than 1.7 million hot Browns. Each year, the hotel frequently serves more than 200 per day and nearly 1,000 hot Browns the weekend of the Kentucky Derby alone. Call 502-583-1234 to make a reservation for The English Grill.

▪  And speaking of hot Browns, Magnolia Sudduth, 12, of Louisville was named National SPAM Kid Chef of the Year for her Spam hot Brown, which used Spam instead of turkey. Sudduth won $2,000 from Hormel Foods.

▪  Coba Cocina, 2041 Richmond Road, will host the winemakers of Barón de Ley and Finca Museum at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 17. Guests will have the opportunity to meet them, taste and discuss the world of Spanish winemaking. Wine selections include: Barón de Ley Rioja Blanco, a blend of Viura and Malvasia grapes, Barón De Ley Rioja Tempranillo, Barón De Ley Rioja Reserva, and Finca Museum Reserva Tinta del Pais (Tempranillo). Tapas will be paired and provided; it’s $15 per person plus tax and tip.

▪  Yearning for fresh vegetables? On Feb. 18, Bluegrass Farm to Table will host an event to introduce farms offering community supported agriculture shares. From 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Barrel Room at West Sixth Brewing, 501 West Sixth Street, you can speak with representatives from at least 14 CSAs.

▪  Alfalfa, 141 East Main Street, will celebrate India at International Night on Feb. 17. Specials include mulvani shrimp, tandoori chicken, vegetable pakoras, baingan bharta and paneer kofta. Call 859-253-0014 for information.

▪  On Feb. 21, Grimes Mill Winery, 6707 Grimes Mill Road, will have a Let’s Make Pasta cooking class from 1 to 5 p.m. Learn to make pasta, and get insight on how to make sauces to enjoy with them. All paid participants get half-price bottles of wine to enjoy with the pasta creations. Cherise Simecek and Philip DeSimone will team up for this culinary adventure. Cost $25 per person. Call 859-543-9691 to reserve a spot.

▪  The Bourbon Social is hosting a progressive dinner from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Feb. 29. Forty guests will dine across Lexington through a six-course progressive meal. Each course features a different location, chef and course, each paired with a different bourbon cocktail. Tickets are $175 per person or $300 for two. Dine via limo to Coba Cocina, Bella Notte, Sabio, Nick Ryan’s, Enoteca and Coba again for the finish. Order tickets online at Thebourbonsocial.com

▪  On Saturday, Feb. 27th, GleanKY will host its eighth annual heirloom seed sale at Hunter Presbyterian Church, 109 Rosemont Garden, from 9 a.m. to noon. You can buy seeds, consult master gardeners and support GleanKY’s mission to gather and redistribute excess fresh fruits and vegetables to nourish Kentucky’s hungry.

Wild Fig Books and Coffee will have a special selection of books available, while Howlin’ Wolf Farm will be providing information about community supported agriculture and taking sign ups for their summer shares. Local author Fiona Young-Brown will kick off the sale by signing copies of her books, including A Culinary History of Kentucky, and Culinary Evangelist Dan Wu will close out the sale with a cooking demonstration. Food truck Whooo Wants Waffles will also be on hand. A list of varieties and prices is on GleanKY’s website.

▪  Lexington cookbook author Barbara Harper Bach will present an Authentic Irish Breakfast cooking class at Williams Sonoma in Fayette Mall, 10 a.m. March 12. Class is free with the purchase of her new book, The Irish American Cookery Clinic, for $25. She will demonstrate how to make toad in the hole and raspberry fool as she learned it at Ballymaloe c House last year. Call 859-272-5856 to reserve a spot.

▪  Brown-Forman is launching Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye nationwide this month. It’s the first new grain bill from the distillery in 100 years and the third offering in the brand’s single barrel collection. The 94-proof rye is crafted using a 70 percent rye, 18 percent corn and 12 percent malted barley grain bill giving the whiskey a clean, sweet tone at the tip of the tongue, according to the distillery. Jack Daniel’s has previously released limited batches of Rested Rye in 2014 and Unaged Rye in 2012. Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Rye will be about $49.99 per 750ml.

▪  Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill has announced its 2016 special event and workshop calendar. Among the food and drink-related events, Well Crafted — Brews + Bands returns June 18, as does Breakfast with the Babies every Saturday in April. Fresh Food Adventures, a monthly dining series celebrating Kentucky foods and spirits, continues in February with a Bee My Honey Brunch, followed up by the annual Bourbon Dinner in March.

▪  The Mansion at Griffin Gate Marriott Resort & Spa, a 19^th century antebellum manor in Lexington, has undergone a facelift. Built in 1854, The Mansion recently finished a $200,000 update. In addition to all-new trompe l’oeil wallpaper and paint colors in crisp cedar, dogwood, burr oak and blue ash, the carpet was pulled up to uncover original white oak floors, refinished to revive their original beauty. Accommodating groups of 20 to 300 people, the venue is available for rental.

▪  Mint Julep Tours is launching the Derby Eve Distilled experience on May 6, the night before the Kentucky Derby. This unique event will include an after-hours private tour and tasting at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort. After the tour, guests will enjoy signature cocktails, a bourbon inspired dinner, live bluegrass music, and cigars on the porch. Cost is $289 per person, which includes transportation from the Galt House, 140 North Fourth Street in Louisville, the private after-hours Buffalo Trace Distillery tour and tasting, bourbon inspired dinner, cigar or mini julep cup, and two signature cocktails (cash bar also available). Or $239 without transportation. The tour departs at 3:45 p.m. on May 6 and returns at 10 p.m. Tickets and more information are available at Mintjuleptours.com or by calling 502-583-1433.

▪  Bill Hisle and Stuart Meredith, owners and operators of Cattleman’s Roadhouse, announced plans to open a sixth restaurant on Championship Way in Georgetown in mid-2016. The restaurant offers aged and hand-cut steaks as well as a large salad bar. The Cattleman’s menu will also include a selection of fish, pork chops, chicken, ribs and more. Cattleman’s Roadhouse is not a chain but a locally owned and operated, Kentucky Proud restaurant that began in 2001 and now has locations in Louisville, Shepherdsville, Shelbyville, Frankfort and Mt. Sterling.

This story was originally published February 16, 2016 at 2:42 PM with the headline "Chefs young and old reinventing classic Kentucky hot Brown."