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On the Road

The Guide Kentucky is Here!

By: Erin Oliver

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If you guessed my old Kentucky home as The Local Palate’s next state-wide newsletter, you’d be correct!

Hi, Erin Oliver here, reporting not just as Newsletter Content Manager for The Local Palate, but as your writer for The Guide: Kentucky. How lucky am I?

Hopewell Sourdough & Elmwood Eggs PC Erin Oliver — Hopewell Sourdough & Elmwood Eggs, Image courtesy of Erin Oliver

I grew up with incredible influences from Central and Eastern Kentucky, who possessed a reverence for the people and places that keep the Bluegrass fed. Visits to my grandparents in Paintsville meant home cooked meals with fresh produce from their garden over the hill, even in the winters, thanks to Pap’s canning collection. These stays meant tip-toeing in the kitchen to reach for “hidden” double-dipped chocolate peanuts from the farm stand right outside the county line, just to get caught from the mess of melted goodness I smudged all over creation. Summer breaks meant (begrudgingly) picking beans with my mom and big brother in our backyard in Georgetown, growing way too much zucchini, and not letting anyone leave our house without taking two or three or seventeen. I watched my parents manage their own garden, while simultaneously pouring into the pros. My mom’s Monday night lettuce wraps meant hearty ground beef from Hallstead Farms and Meats just down the road. Leisurely Saturday mornings meant eggs from Elmwood Stock Farm and sourdough English muffins from Hopewell Bake Exchange. Meals meant more than just eating—it was gratitude to our neighbors and the acknowledgement of work poured into every plate.

As I grew older, my hobbies centered around food; the farmer’s market became my playground, dining at farm-to-table restaurants embodied my ideal evening, and clinking glasses at distilleries and local wineries was the soundtrack to great gatherings.

Needless to say, I learned the value of loving the state’s food scene. I’ve developed a deep admiration for the farmers, chefs, and artisans who make Kentucky dynamic and delicious–and who often don’t get the culinary credit they deserve.

In case you didn’t know, our state’s food scene is booming.

Holly Hill Inn in Midway KY PC Talitha Schroeder — Holly Hill Inn in Midway KY, Image courtesy of Talitha Schroeder

TANA in Louisville just became the first Taiwanese-American joint in the state, where chef Ming Pu makes dumplings so fresh and delicate you could cry. Brothers Restaurant in Campbellsville has folks fussing over their casual-upscale barbecue, well beyond its small-town residents (with brisket that tender, who can blame them?). Sweet Milk in Owensboro cannot only put your grandmother’s biscuits to shame, but also carry an impressive natural wine collection in addition to a novel cocktail menu. Corto Lima in Lexington keeps winning margarita awards for its iconic prickly pear–which is never not on my mind–while their neighbors at 3Ten are putting purple potatoes into their elixirs (which totally works, by the way). Right on the Bourbon Trail in Frankfort, The Stave makes the scenic route absolutely worth it with their vast bourbon collection and Southern Snack Plate (think: fried bologna, chow chow, pimento cheese) and happens to neighbor Castle & Key Distillery. Wayfarer Tavern in Dayton is breaking pizza barriers with their Pickle Power pie, with toppings like ridged potato chips and a house-made ranch.

I could go on and on–and if you subscribe to The Guide: Kentucky, I will!