Kentucky Chef Brian Landry’s Perfect Fall Day in the Bluegrass

The perfect fall day doesn’t exi–

According to chef Brian Landry – head chef of The Kitchen Table in Clermont, Kentucky, co-owner of QED Hospitality, and author of Rhythm & Roux: The Simmer & Swing of New Orleans – it sure does.

Fall time in the Bluegrass is a delicacy. The crisp, clear atmosphere is the perfect backdrop for everything this special season entails: early morning fog rolling over serene pastures, college sports electricity, and epic horse racing shared with out-of-towners and locals alike. 

And while bourbon is relevant all year round, there’s something ethereal about sipping it outside as you admire the changing of the leaves, letting it slowly warm you from the inside out, preferably surrounded by good company. Add a delicious pizza to the mix, and you’ve just created the perfect fall pairing.

Since 2021, Bourbon Trail visitors and regulars have enjoyed The Kitchen Table, a whiskey-forward dining experience located at James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont, Kentucky. Part of his QED Hospitality family, The Kitchen Table was a collaborative effort between chef Brian Landry, distillery owners Fred and Freddie Noe, and the QED team, who created a menu to match the exceptional bourbons crafted there. As part of the Kentucky Proud food program, Landry and his team enhance and evolve their dishes with local ingredients as the seasons change.

Bourbon lovers may be surprised to know that every Beam-made bourbon relies on the same yeast strain that Jim Beam himself cultured on his windowsill in 1933. “He ensured the strain survived by famously driving a jug of active yeast home in his Cadillac every weekend — a safety precaution that would have kept the yeast alive even if a catastrophe hit the distillery,” chef Landry explained.

But bourbon isn’t the only thing relying on the same yeast strain. Every pizza at The Kitchen Table – from the Smoked Margherita to the Any Damn Way You Please – is crafted using a sourdough starter infused with that original Beam yeast.

“It was Freddie’s idea to bring that same yeast into the kitchen, and he proposed using it in our pizza dough. We spent weeks perfecting the recipe,” chef Brian Landry reflected. “The result is a dough with the same distinct, sweet, and nutty flavor profile you would instantly recognize in the bourbon.”

Better yet, folks can enjoy these unique, elevated pies while rocking in chairs on The Kitchen Table’s porch, listening to live music, and taking in the glory of the Jim Beam rickhouses. Really, it’s a Fall getaway in our own backyard.

If chef Landry had to pick a favorite pizza on the menu, it’d fittingly be the Hot Brown pizza. “It’s our lighter, reimagined take on the classic Louisville sandwich, featuring house-smoked turkey, gouda mornay, Benton’s bacon lardons, and tomatoes,” he said. “It pairs beautifully with a Jim Beam Highball from our Suntory Highball Machine. This specialized draft system is a game-changer—it keeps everything near-freezing and maximizes carbonation for the ultimate, ultra-fizzy highball.”

Chef Brian Landry’s perfect fall day in the Bluegrass

Morning

“Whenever I am in Louisville, I start my day with a black coffee, a biscotti, and the Everything Croissant at Butchertown Bakery & Grocery. Everything they make is delicious,” he said

From there, Landry would venture to Bernheim Forest — right across the highway from the Beam distillery in Clermont — for a hike and a visit to the Forest Giants. 

Afternoon

After a quick drive to Bardstown, Landry would head to The Bar at Willett for lunch, where their egg salad sandwich with smoked mayo and a Willett Rye Vieux Carré “always hits the spot.” Following that, he’d swing by Fred’s house for a cocktail at the actual kitchen table for which the restaurant is named–with a designated driver in tow, of course. “Whatever he’s pouring works for me,” Landry said.

Evening

After catching up, Landry would head back to Louisville for pre-game snacks at Murray’s Creole Pub with Chef Lawrence Weeks, followed by a Louisville City FC soccer game. “The game should let out just in time for a 9:30 p.m. reservation at MeeshMeesh with Chef Noam Bilitzer,” he noted. “I’d end my night at Moondog with one of Tin Le’s Vietnamese-inspired cocktails.”

Explore The Kitchen Table’s Pizza menu and keep up with chef Brian Landry.

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