I know that it has been a while since my last post, and there has been quit a bit that has happened. One of those things was a trip to Kentucky, and taking distillery tours along the Bourbon Trail, but I will save those stories for another post. What I would like to focus on was the amazing experience that I had in the city of Louisville, Kentucky.

 

Louisville is a city similar St. Louis, both sit on rivers; both use images of Cardinals for sporting mascots, and both city’s are not too overwhelming in size. What I found to stand out the most was the difference in beverage preference. St. Louis is clearly a beer town, and why wouldn’t it be?  Especially when you have a distinguished brewery as Anheuser-Busch, as well as the smaller craft breweries of Schlafly, Charleville, and O’Fallon. Louisville while having establishments with impressive beer selections, seemed to go in another direction. That direction was Kentucky bourbon and craft cocktails that utilized their native spirit. This was a trend that was seen in the four establishments that I managed to enjoy during my visit, and is also apparent in other eating and drinking establishments in the area. Two of the restaurants that I ate at were friends of Mike Ryan, and old and dear friend of mine. I am sure that my experience would not have been as special with out his recommendations, Thanks Mike.

 

           

 

This first restaurant that I visited was Basa, a modern Vietnamese restaurant run by brothers Michael, and Steven Ton. The restaurant has a very relaxing atmosphere and offers a wide selection of Vietnamese dishes with modern twists as well as a nice selection of craft cocktails some featuring, you guessed it, bourbon. I sampled four cocktails and all of them were absolutely delicious.

 

The Manhattan - (a true bourbon classic) featured Ezra Brooks bourbon, Vya sweet vermouth, Benedictine, angosta & regans no.6 bitters

 

Old Pal – Russell’s Rye Reserve, campari, noilly pratt, dry vermouth

 

Kentucky Iced Tea – Makers Mark bourbon, green chartreuse, iced tea, lemon, mint

 

Bacon Infused Old Fashioned – bacon infused bourbon, fruit, bitters

 

Out of all of them the two that stood out the most were the Old Pal, and Kentucky Iced Tea. The Russell’s rye really stood up in the drink, giving it a little bit in the after taste. The Kentucky Iced Tea was a nice light cocktail the lemon, mint and iced tea were a great contrast to the natural sweetness of the Maker’s Mark.

 

In regards to the food I only sampled a few dishes, this was the first stop of the night and I did not want to get too full. I tried to get a couple of regular menu items as well as one of the many specials.

 

 

Soup of the day - tomato & tamarind broth, cellophane noodles, shrimp, cilantro

 

Chesapeake Bay Oysters – siracha garlic aioli, mignonette, black bean sauce, over mesclun greens

 

Frog’s Legs – (off menu special)

 

Vietnamese Crepe with Tiger Prawns – Vidalia onions, wild mushrooms, lettuce, mint & chili garlic dipping sauce

 

All of the food was wonderful; the soup was simple and clean packing great flavor with every spoon full. The oysters were juicy and fried golden brown, and the siracha garlic aioli was like crack, I simply couldn’t get enough of it. The frog’s legs were well prepared, and the Vietnamese crepe was simply delicious.

 

All in all I would have to say that the Ton brothers brought the heat. Their vision of Modern Vietnamese is simple and true. The combination of craft cocktails, great food, and service with a casual atmosphere made the restaurant a home run. I wish they could be here in with us in St. Louis.

 

At the conclusion of our meal we headed across the street to Bourbons Bistro. A quaint spot that featured, again you guessed it, bourbon. In fact this place has over 130 bourbons for their guests to sample. They also hold monthly bourbon dinners that feature presentations form local master distillers. For our bourbon selection we went with the Pappy Van Winkles 15 yr., and Wild Turkey Rare Breed (I bought a bottle earlier that day at the distillery and had it signed by master distiller Jimmy Russell), while sipping my bourbon I had the opportunity to speak with Steven Ton of Basa. We discussed the current trends in the hospitality industry, and the work that he and his brother have been able to do in Louisville.  We exchanged information and I told him that I would be writing about my experience, and I hope that I did his restaurant justice.

 

 

For our final stop of the evening we made it to 732 Social and met owner Larry Rice. With some room left in my stomach we anxiously walked in. Immediately I could not help but reference Avec in Chicago. Both restaurants have beautiful wood work, and specialize in small plates. How 732 Social stood apart from Avec is that it is in a certified green building. The floors were the original wood from over 100 years ago; the wood in the restaurant was recycled and restored form an old barn, the insulation was made from scraps of blue jeans, and the bricks are made from compressed charcoal dust. It is truly a sight to see and a story to hear.

 

Again the craft cocktail reigned supreme at this restaurant; we sampled quite a few this time and were fortunate to have a couple of new ones that were not yet on the menu. Some of the beverages were accompanied by clever quips to stimulate the imagination while you waited for your drink.

 

The Old Fashion (Rye, Bourbon, Brandy or Gin)
2 oz of spirits, Sugar, Bitters
Circa 1869, 11yrs before the Pendennis club opened

Vonnegut Fizz
Pisco Brandy, Lemon Juice, Ginger syrup, Simple syrup, Old Fashioned Bitters, Egg White, Mint
We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be.

John Henry’s Hammer
Old Forester Signature, Apricot syrup, fresh squeezed
Lemon Juice, Angostura Bitters, house made Allspice

Dirk Funk
Johnny Drum 101, Carpono Antica Formula,
Grand Marnier, Herbsaint, Angostura bitters

Keep Your Composure
Wheeler 107 Bourbon, Cointreau, Lillet Rouge,
Gammel Danske, house made Allspice,
fresh squeezed Orange Juice
I’m not going to do what everyone thinks I’m going to do

Absinth Julep – absinth, bourbon, simple syrup, organic mint

 

 

 

All of these drinks were ridiculously delicious, and made with craft and care. Ice cubes were hand carved, bitters were house made, and spirits were carefully selected. I have to say these have been the best craft cocktails that I have had outside of Chicago, and were simply amazing.

 

 

The menu offerings that we had were simple and all very well made, it was obvious that the same craft and care was present in the Chef’s offerings, and was a constant theme for the restaurant itself.

Charcuterie – Smoked Duck Breast, Bresaola, Fathers Country Ham, Serrano, accompanied by chow chow, apple butter, and Dijon

Cheese – Cotswold, Humboldt Fog, accompanied by raw honey, fruit, and black walnuts

Chicken Liver Flan (off menu special)

Whole Kentucky Striped Bass - Black Walnut Meuniere, Root Spinach and Arugula

Braised Short Rib - Root Vegetables and Roasted Marrow Bone

au Gratin - with Graves and Smoked Bacon

 

 

I can’t remember exactly what the chicken liver was served with, but I do remember loving every bite. The charcuterie was well made, the short rib with marrow bone was absolutely enormous, a formidable challenge for any carnivore.

 

 

My favorite of the evening at 732 Social was the Whole Kentucky Striped Bass paired with the Absinth Julep. It made for the perfect Kentucky meal, enough said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a couple more drinks and took a tour of the building with Larry; all that can be said is “Wow”. I felt that I had the complete restaurant experience, watching the staff at work, tasting their creations, and being able to clearly understand the concept and vision that they strive for day to day. We concluded our evening and expressed our gratitude to Larry for completing what I thought an all around perfect evening in a killer town. We asked for his recommendations on a lunch spot for the next day, and took them all into advisement.

 

That next day we decide that we would head to Proof on Main, a contemporary restaurant set in the 21c Museum Hotel. As much as I was curious about the restaurant I was more intrigued with the museum. It solely focuses on exhibiting contemporary art of the 21^st Century. All of the exhibits were extremely creative and in one way or another were able to evoke emotion.  The exhibit that stood out the most to me was Julius Freedman’s Emergence. He took simple materials such as aluminum, transplanted images to give the appearance of a person or object trapped behind glass. I couldn’t help but be mesmerized at how they were so eerily haunting. After stimulating our minds we were ready to eat.

 

The contemporary art theme carried over well in to the restaurant. It gave it a fresh and lively look, which almost gave off its own energy. The Corned Pork Sandwich and Bison Burger made for a great way to start the day. The corned pork tasted just like corned beef, probably because it was prepared the same way. It was definitely one of the best ways I have seen pulled pork put on to a sandwich. With that we were ready to hit the road, as we left I couldn’t help but think what an outstanding trip, and I can’t wait for the next opportunity to return.

 

 

 

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