The Louisville foodie scene is flexing this week. There’s not just one weeklong citywide gastronomic celebration, there are two.
In addition to Beer Week, Derby City is also celebrating one of its culinary icons.
The second annual Hot Brown Week kicked off on Sunday with the Hot Brown Showdown, a cook-off benefitting Friends of Waterfrot Park. Biscuit Belly and Gorilla Bob’s Grub Shack each took home top honors in the event.
Participating restaurants
The showdown’s winners are among nearly a dozen restaurants taking part, all serving their variation of Louisville’s famed open-faced sandwich for $10-$12. While we can’t list them all, here are a few we think are worth taking a bite out of:
- Big Bad Breakfast, 984 Barret Ave. | A Hot Brown might make for a delectable dinner, but Big Bad turns it into a brilliant breakfast by using buttermilk biscuits as the base, while topping it with a fried egg.
- Parlour Pizza, 133 W. Liberty St. | In the mood for finger food? You can ditch the fork and knife when you order Parlour’s Hot Brown pizza, which tosses out the mornay sauce in place of alfredo.
- Sidebar At Whiskey Row, 129 N. Second St. | Load up — order a Hot Brown burger, only available this month, with a side of Hot vs. Brown fries, served in a cast-iron skillet.
- CASK Southern Kitchen & Bar, 9980 Linn Station Rd. | Two southern classics collide with CASK’s offering — affectionately named Show Me The Mornay. It includes fried green tomatoes and is only available this week.
If you plan on taking part in Hot Brown Week, download the app to keep track of your progress + earn points for a chance to win prizes, and don’t forget — the Brown Hotel, where it started, turns 100 this week.