Louisville takes the reins in crafting new cuisine

April 25, 2010|Liza Weisstuch, Globe Correspondent

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Chef Michael Paley brings a Tuscan accent to Southern fare, so a pour of rich, amber bourbon complements everything from a rustic starter of roasted octopus with garlicky fondue-like bagna cauda dip, to heartier dishes like the whole roasted branzino, or European seabass, with Southern fixings.

When it comes to bourbon tasting, nothing rivals Bourbons Bistro, another stop on the bourbon trail and just a quick cab ride away. It opened five years ago, but with its dark wood paneling and antique bar and mantel holding upward of 140 bourbons, it has the air of a neighborhood institution. Chef Michael Crouch whips up whiskey-kissed complements.

“I quote my boss, who says there’s no such thing as a bad bourbon, just better bourbon,’’ Crouch said.

If nibbling on his bacon-wrapped roasted figs stuffed with brie and finished with a bourbon thyme gastrique doesn’t defy your expectations of this city, you might need a glass of whiskey that isn’t commonly found in bars at home to change your mind.

Try Rock Hill Farms, a sweet mellow tipple laced with smoke made down the highway at Buffalo Trace distillery in Frankfort. The restaurant’s owner John Morrrison insisted I try it: “You know, it’s Kentucky. It’s bourbon. It’s what we do.’’

Liza Weisstuch can be reached at lizashayne@yahoo.com.

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