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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Adventure In Kentucky Americana Road Trip: The Talbott Tavern

A couple years ago I “kidnapped” Himself and we headed out on a 4 day ‘Southern Adventure’ that he had no idea where we were going or what we would be doing.  We had so much fun I decided to do it again. 
 
I plotted and schemed for months to plan an “Adventure in Americana” to be done over Memorial Weekend.  Because of my timing, reservations needed to be made and tickets purchased well in advance.  Last time we headed southwest… this time northeast. 
 
We were up and out early since we had the 3 hour drive ahead of us…and we were crossing into Eastern time zone so we’d lose an hour on the way. 
 
Our first destination?  Bardstown, Kentucky… aka “My Old Kentucky Home” …also aka “Bourbon Capital of the World”. 
 
 
By the time we arrived it was lunch and the GPS was programmed to take us straight to The Old Talbott Tavern.   http://www.talbotts.com/  
 
 
This tavern has been in operation since 1779!! 
 
 
It was a stagecoach stop and Daniel Boone stayed here when in 1792 he was summoned to give a court deposition. 
 
 
It’s fantastic looking with the stone walls and open beams. 
 
 
But we weren’t there for the history and architecture.  We were there for lunch… a very specific “Kentucky” meal.
 
 
That is a “Hot Brown”. 
 
"A Hot Brown Sandwich is a hot sandwich originally created at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, by Fred K. Schmidt in 1926. It is a variation of traditional Welsh rarebit and was one of two signature sandwiches created by chefs at the Brown Hotel shortly after its founding in 1923. It was created to serve as an alternative to ham and egg late-night suppers. 
 
The Hot Brown is an open-faced sandwich of turkey and bacon, covered in Mornay sauce and baked or broiled until the bread is crisp and the sauce begins to brown. Many Hot Browns also include ham with the turkey, and either pimentos or tomatoes over the sauce. 
 
The dish is a local specialty and favorite of the Louisville area, and is popular throughout Kentucky."   ~~Wikipedia~~
 
 
I also came for the Kentucky Burgoo.
 
"Traditional burgoo was made using whatever meats and vegetables were available—typically, venison, squirrel, opossum, raccoon or game birds," and was often associated with autumn and the harvest season. Today, local Kentucky barbecue restaurants use a specific meat in their recipes, usually pork, chicken, or mutton, which, along with the spices used, creates a distinct flavor unique to each restaurant. 
 
A typical burgoo is a combination of at least three ingredients: a combination of beef, pork, chicken, and mutton, often hickory-smoked, but other meats are seen occasionally; vegetables, such as lima beans, corn, okra, and potatoes; and a thickening agent, such as cornmeal, ground beans, whole wheat, or potato starch. Traditionally, soup bones were added for taste and thickening. 
 
The ingredients are combined in order of cooking time required, with meat first, vegetables next, and thickening agents as necessary. A good burgoo is said to be able to have a spoon stand up in it."  ~~Wikipedia~~
 
 
Himself opted for the pot roast… but he did try the Hot Brown and burgoo. 
 
It was all very good, with good service too.  My only negative is that they charge you .80c to have a very normal biscuit to go with your meal.  It should come with the meal!  (Corn bread was offered free but seriously… even Cracker Barrel gives a choice of breads!)
 
Then it was on to our next stop…

2 comments:

  1. Sounds like a wonderful start to your adventure.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think you and hubby ought to buy a bus and plan tours :-) Wouldn't be near as much fun, though, as going by yourselves!

    Need to do some planning, myself for hubby and I.

    ReplyDelete

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