LOUISVILLE, Ky – Philly has its cheese steak, New Orleans – the muffaletta and Chicago its beloved hotdog. For nearly 90 years, Louisville diners have been enjoying an open-faced turkey sandwich with Mornay sauce, cheese, bacon and tomato that goes by the name of the "Hot Brown" on menus throughout the city. The Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau is introducing the Hot Brown Hop, a compilation of the local restaurants that feature a Hot Brown or a Hot Brown inspired menu item, to highlight the local food scene and pay homage to the famous dish that originated at the Brown Hotel.
Over 40 restaurants throughout Louisville are featured on the Hot Brown Hop, including its inventor and namesake the Brown Hotel. Many are within walking distance of each other downtown, on Bardstown Road, and Frankfort Avenue. Local chefs have taken some creative liberty on the original recipe with twists including a Hot Brown Soup, Hot Brown Pizza, Hot Brown Quesadilla, Pasta and even breakfast versions complete with an egg.
"The Hot Brown is without a doubt our most popular menu item – and we serve it at breakfast, lunch and dinner. People drive for hundreds of miles for this sandwich and we hope the Hot Brown Hop will encourage even more diners to come try it." – Brad Walker, General Manager of the Brown Hotel.
Brochures including the entire list of locations are available at: the Brown Hotel (335 W. Broadway – corner of 4th and Broadway, the Louisville Visitors Center, (301 S 4th St), Louisville Stoneware (731 Brent Street) and online at http://www.gotolouisville.com/culinary/things-to-do/hot-brown-hop/index.aspx
Participants of the Hot Brown Hop are invited to share their experience via social media. Photos of customers enjoying a Hot Brown and tagged with #hotbrownhop on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram will automatically be entered into a contest for a monthly give-away of a Hot Brown platter furnished by Louisville Stoneware. After a year, a grand prize drawing for a weekend stay at the Brown Hotel will take place among all entries.
About the Hot Brown: A Hot Brown is an open-faced sandwich originally created at the Brown Hotel by chef Fred K. Schmidt in 1926. It was created to serve as an alternative to the usual ham and egg late-night suppers enjoyed by hungry patrons at dinner dances in the hotel. The original creation consisted of bread and thick slices of roasted turkey covered in a delicate Mornay sauce and topped with criss-crossed slices of bacon. Mornay is a Béchamel, or white sauce, typically made with shredded or grated cheese. The Brown Hotel serves more than 900 of the eponymous dish Kentucky Derby weekend alone. A Louisville tradition with worldwide appeal- the dish has been featured in Southern Living, Saveur, Martha Stewart Living, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, NBC's Today Show, ABC News with Diane Sawyer, Travel Channel's Man v. Food and Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, as well as being included as a regular entry in many of the finest cookbooks.
Source: Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau