Brown Hotel’s French chef Laurent Géroli brought eight bloggers into his kitchen in Louisville Kentucky in late September for a long evening feast….we had fabulous food, pure Kentucky bourbon, and a memorable experience we’ll think about for years to come.
His talent in the kitchen can be traced back to his family’s roots. His parents fell in love after a chance meeting in his grandmother’s bakery and he grew up around the fantastic flavors that were created in his family’s kitchen. Géroli describes his mother as someone “who would try just about anything in the kitchen,” a trait that inspired him to start cooking.
While we were eating up a storm in the kitchen, the restaurant can be described as decadent old-school meets southern Cafe. J. Graham Cafe is the home of the legendary “Hot Brown” and offers Brown Hotel guests a bistro-style option for casual dining in Louisville’s historical hotel where they emphasize “local produce.”
Where should I start? How about where we did? Good old fashioned Kentucky bourbon along with an Acorn Squash Cappuccino served with Elijah Craig and Rosemary Chantilly Cream. (this was to die for and frankly, I could have easily had two….)
It was followed by a Prosciutto wrapped jumbo shrimp served with chili pepper and aged white cheddar and Weisenberger Stone Ground Grits (famous for this part of Kentucky – also makes the grits fluffy and light unlike what you might traditionally be used to in American’s south).
Next, we tried a Seared Line Caught Striped Bass with Thyme and Evan Williams (Kentucky’s first distiller for those who love trivia) Golden Beet Gratin and Old Kentucky Tomme and Sweet Corn Emulsion.
While my favorite two of the five course meal was the Acorn Squash Cappuccino (recipe to follow in an upcoming blog post under food/wine – Kentucky categories), and the Prosciutto wrapped jumbo shrimp, the main meat course was also a delight: bourbon soy marinated grilled skirt steak with mixed herb fingerling potato coins and roasted red pepper veal reduction.
Lastly, we finished up with Caramelized Apple and Blackberry Crepes infused with Apple Cider and Evan Williams Honey, topped off with a Sweet Bourbon Chantilly Cream sauce. If I wasn’t so damn full, I probably could have polished off two of these as well. Hats off to Laurent.
Laurent busy at work:
Did I mention that we left with very cool personalized chef coats?
Laurent on video in a three-part series:
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
