Until about 2 months ago, I had never even heard of the Louisville Hot Brown. It was up to my friend PH to fill me in - and I have to admit, the whole thing sounded a little frightening. Turkey breast on toast topped with melted cheese? I heard a lot of interpretations of the Hot Brown, was told about a lot of places to go, but we settled on the original - The Brown Hotel in the Theater District.
We walked over (thinking we should get as much exercise as possible before and after indulging in this treat) to the Brown. It was the mid afternoon, and the restaurant was closed, but we wandered around and found a lovely bar in the lobby:
The hotel was really beautiful; there are lots of great details, including amazing light fixtures, ceilings, and woodwork.
We had a very nice bartender who gave us the history of the Hot Brown. She told us it was originally invented for the wealthy residents of the Brown Hotel; after a night of heavy drinking and dancing, the Hot Brown would be consumed at 4am to stave off a hangover.
Husband & I decided to split a Hot Brown between us. A good idea, indeed. The half portion is pictured at the top of the post.
As you can see, the original Hot Brown is thick toast with hunks of roasted turkey breast (not deli slices, but actually slices of breast), covered with Mornay sauce and topped with bacon and tomatoes. This whole mess is put under the broiler and served up. You can see the little pools of grease on the edge.
I found the Hot Brown surprisingly delicious. It wasn't nearly as heavy as it sounded, and I finished the whole thing! I feel that I can highly recommend this treat. It's unusual and tasty.
And outside of the hotel, here's Mr. Brown himself:
info: The Brown Hotel (Lobby Bar) 335 W. Broadway Louisville, KY 502.583.1234
