The lost meals entries consist of meals that occurred at various times throughout 2012 which, for any number of reasons, escaped my documentation – some due to a cross country move and a new job, some due to the Los Angeles Kings run to the Stanley Cup, and some simply as a result of too much travel. Having enjoyed many of these meals with friends or family and with some of them amongst the year’s very best the reality is that with time my memory has deteriorated and as life moves forward I’ve realized there is little hope to ever “catch up” or document these experiences as well as I’d hope, yet in order to preserve them I present these pictures, notes, and thoughts on the experience.
Coffee
Hot Brown – Butter, Flour, Heavy Cream, Pecorino Romano, Turkey, Texas Toast, Bacon, Roma Tomatoes, Paprika
Brioche French Toast – chocolate Brioche with Rice Krispies Crust, Caramelized Banana, Caramel Bourbon Sauce
…every city has one; the touristy restaurant that everyone talks about – sometimes for a signature dish, sometimes due to the room, and occasionally because of a significant event in the space’s history. In the city of Louisville that restaurant is J. Grahams inside of The Brown Hotel and in terms of the chatter it is clearly the food, specifically The Hot Brown, that garners all the attention – though the building and its history is also quite compelling, as we would learn from our friendly server, Patrick.
Having originally considered skipping The Brown due to time constraints and the fact that I’d already experienced one take on The Hot Brown at The Village Anchor it warrants mention that it was actually the young bartender at The Anchor who scolded us for skipping such an institution and who also informed us that The Hot Brown could literally be ordered 24-hours a day, 7 days a week – a fact we confirmed when we arrived at the storied hotel at 6:30am to find the breakfast buffet empty but the staff smiling, ready to fill our coffees, and happy to prepare our a la carte options – the signature savory every bit as good as the rumors and an eggy, Custard French toast with perfectly caramelized bananas, crunchy rice, and boozy bourbon sauce that was as decadent as anything at Lynn’s Paradise Café and far less overwhelming in portion.
Provided with the recipe for the Hot Brown and a quick tour of the lobby/ground floor of the Brown before we departed I will simply say that while tourist spots and hotel restaurants are always a risk I am very glad we finished our visit to Louisville at J. Grahams and for anyone visiting the city of Louisville I tend to agree with locals, tourists, and bartenders alike – you’d be a fool to miss out on The Hot Brown.