What's the NEXT Louisville food tradition?

The Bourbon-ball French Toast as experienced at Lynn's Paradise Cafe ... that is one dish that I would like to see become a breakfast tradition. It's not only delicious, but it also highlights our Kentucky bourbon heritage. I've never had anything like it! (now I'm hungry!)

I nominate the "Green Chili Wontons" from the Bristol.

Robin asked"...what modern local treats seem likely to become future Louisville food traditions?"

Dan said "I do think that this (fried chicken) has become something of a lost art. No one really cooks it at home any more unless its a special occasion."

Dan's comment on "a lost art" really interested me, as it applies to far more than fried chicken. Kentucky is largely rural, and its culinary traditions are based less on restaurant creations and more on decades/centuries of home cooking. And much of that is being lost because, as he said, "No one really cooks it at home anymore unless it's a special occasion." We have our own rich culinary history, and some of that is being lost with time as we focus on incorporating broader influences into our restaurant offerings. That is a welcome and needed development, but not my point.

To make a (reductionist) comparison. Twenty-five years ago, the menus of French and Italian restaurants in the U.S. and abroad looked quite different. French offerings were dominated by Escoffier-style haute cuisine, Italian by pasta-centered main dishes. Then new chefs found inspiration in peasant/rural dishes like cassoulet and polenta and brought them to the high table. We now pay big bucks to dine on short ribs and skate.

So, to answer Robins question about what should or might become new Louisville traditions, I would say that the answer is right under our noses.

Thank you!!! It's nice to know that someone else feels the same way I do.
I feel that there are a lot of "Louisville" or even "Regional" foods that don't really get the credit for being "Local" because it's just what everyone that lives and eats here are used to.(Can you say Macaroni in your Chili?)

For example, I nominated the "Green Chili Wontons' from the Bristol...After much consideration, I realized this is a dish that has stood up to the test of time. Every one takes them for granted, but around here, most people know what they are... and I feel that they are as much as a Louisville "Tradition" as going to the Infield on Derby Day!!!

[Robin Garr]

For example, I nominated the "Green Chili Wontons' from the Bristol...After much consideration, I realized this is a dish that has stood up to the test of time. Every one takes them for granted, but around here, most people know what they are... and I feel that they are as much as a Louisville "Tradition" as going to the Infield on Derby Day!!!

I like the concept, Dan, but here's a question: Has anybody else in town adopted the green chile won ton or an obvious variation? The Hot Brown didn't become iconic until a lot of other places started copying it.

For example, I nominated the "Green Chili Wontons' from the Bristol...After much consideration, I realized this is a dish that has stood up to the test of time. Every one takes them for granted, but around here, most people know what they are... and I feel that they are as much as a Louisville "Tradition" as going to the Infield on Derby Day!!!

I like the concept, Dan, but here's a question: Has anybody else in town adopted the green chile won ton or an obvious variation? The Hot Brown didn't become iconic until a lot of other places started copying it.

Well, at the club, it's one of our more popular offerings that we have available on the banquet menu. However, I'm cheffing at private club, whereas, if I were the chef at a local restaurant, I really couldn't respect myself for copying a known establishment's signature dish.(Although I feel it would be a hot selling item!)
Even though you haven't seen it emulated on menus around town, that doesn't make it any less of a "Modern Louisville Classic".

Now that I think about it, "White Chili" was a dish made popular by the late Timothy's. It pops up from time to time on menus around town, but I don't think that it is associated with a particular establishment as much as the "green chili wontons" are.

Therefore; Would you consider this to be a dish to make the cut?

[Robin Garr]

Would you consider this to be a dish to make the cut?

Dan, I'm still germinating this story and haven't made decisions yet. I like your idea in that GCWT have become "iconic," but ideally I was hoping for dishes that are already migrating to other restaurants as a particularly Louisville item.

Another possibility just occurred to me that passes this test: The "rolled" oyster. A Mazzoni's classic, migrated to Flabby's through joint ownership, but also available (at least) at Stan's and Kingfish, maybe more. Purportedly Italian, but I've never seen it in frequent travels over there, it seems to be a Louisville immigrant-Italian goodie with real staying power.

my take on this is that if you go to Google and type the dish in quotes, do you get a bunch of recipe sites hits ? --that shows that people all over the country have adopted it .

nothing came up with "rolled oysters recipe" except local restaurants and reveiws, but "hot brown recipe" gave a bunch ..

[quote="Robin Garr
Another possibility just occurred to me that passes this test: The "rolled" oyster. A Mazzoni's classic, migrated to Flabby's through joint ownership, but also available (at least) at Stan's and Kingfish, maybe more. Purportedly Italian, but I've never seen it in frequent travels over there, it seems to be a Louisville immigrant-Italian goodie with real staying power.[/quote]

Although I first had rolled oysters years ago at Mazzoni's, and my dad "stole" the idea when he was in charge of the restaurants at the Seelbach, I always thought the dish was a New Orleans specialty.

For many years when I came back to visit Louisville I always headed to The Bristol for the artichoke fritters. I don't think they meet your criteria, Robin, as I haven't seen a lot of migration to other places. I've also been very disappointed with the fritters since my return- perhaps they are better in memory than in fact.

[Robin Garr]

Although I first had rolled oysters years ago at Mazzoni's, and my dad "stole" the idea when he was in charge of the restaurants at the Seelbach, I always thought the dish was a New Orleans specialty.

I can't rule it out, Gary, but that would be news to me. The Mazzonis claimed it was a family recipe "from the old country," but as I said, I've never seen it in Italy. I used to travel to New Orleans a lot, although I haven't been for close to a decade (the more I got into wine and food, the more of my travel time has been spent in Europe or NYC, and the less anywhere else). But I've eaten quite a swath through New Orleans and don't recall seeing such a dish down there, not at fancy or down-home places either.

That's not to say it isn't so, but I sure never saw it under that name, at least.

definitely the rolled oyster.

Although I first had rolled oysters years ago at Mazzoni's, and my dad "stole" the idea when he was in charge of the restaurants at the Seelbach, I always thought the dish was a New Orleans specialty.

I can't rule it out, Gary, but that would be news to me. The Mazzonis claimed it was a family recipe "from the old country," but as I said, I've never seen it in Italy. I used to travel to New Orleans a lot, although I haven't been for close to a decade (the more I got into wine and food, the more of my travel time has been spent in Europe or NYC, and the less anywhere else). But I've eaten quite a swath through New Orleans and don't recall seeing such a dish down there, not at fancy or down-home places either.

That's not to say it isn't so, but I sure never saw it under that name, at least.

The Mazzoni family is from Pietranera, Italy, which is near Genoa (the ancestors sailed in and out of the port of Genoa, anyway). I'm not familiar with the regional foods of Italy, but does that help? I'll have to do some research with the family to see if I can find out if the rolled oyster has Italian origin.

[Robin Garr]

The Mazzoni family is from Pietranera, Italy, which is near Genoa (the ancestors sailed in and out of the port of Genoa, anyway). I'm not familiar with the regional foods of Italy, but does that help? I'll have to do some research with the family to see if I can find out if the rolled oyster has Italian origin.

That would be really interesting, Jay. I do know Genoa moderately well and have done a little travel in Liguria (the coastal state that Genoa is in). I still haven't seen anything remotely resembling a rolled oyster, but old country food traditions are so variable that it's entirely possible it could have been a local specialty in just one seaside village.

If you can find any more, I'd love to know it.

Another odd point, by the way, is that I can't recall seeing many <i>oysters</i> in Italy. I've had some of the best seafood of my life there, especially around Venice and Trieste and the northern end of the Adriatic, but it tends to be shrimp and langoustines and clams. When I think of oysters in Europe, it's almost always oyster bars in France getting shellfish from the mouth of the Loire or the Gironde in Bordeaux. Not that I know it all, but all my sensors are on high when I'm out on foodie travels, and I pay a lot of attention to what I eat and drink.

Even though it's hard to find in the northeast or midwest, isn't fried fish commonplace across the south, though?

Yes, fried fish is everywhere in the South but I'd say 85% of it is catfish. And catfish definately is not that popular here. Most people don't care for it because of the "muddy" flavor. Heck, thats why most people in our fair city won't eat anything other than fried cod because they think every thing else tastes "fishy".

A southern tip for catfish.

Place your whole or fillets of catfish in a suitable sized bowl and cover in water, about 2 inches to cover the fish.

Dissolve about 2 tbsp of salt in an additional 3/4 cup of water and dump it the bowl w/ the fish and lift the fish up and down a couple of times to circulate the water about. Let it all rest for 15-20 minutes dump, rinse lightly and bread to fry, *bake, *grill or some such.

The salt water gets rid of the game, fishy taste that is unpleasant to say the least. Then enjoy catfish as it should be.

*= brush on EVOO.he he what ever.

[Robin Garr]

A southern tip for catfish.

Good stuff, James, thanks. I've also read some fairly scholarly papers indicating that the "muddy" taste is not the result of bottom-feeding but comes from a fungus that grows in fish-farm tanks. Wild-caught catfish allegedly don't have it.