Hush now puppies, don't explain

Louisville Foodventure hush puppies and white fish. Not in that order though.

No. I didn’t eat any soul food or barbecue while I was in Kentucky.

Regardless of where I go in the U.S. I feel like having access to soul food or southern food is more abundant than people think it is. Each region will debate what’s better from numerous sources. Also I’m pescatarian so most of the BBQ or Southern food is out of the question for me anyway.

With that said, there are some really interesting things happening in Louisville’s food scene.

Sway at Hyatt Hotel, 320 W Jefferson St, Louisville, KY 40202

46 Manhattan: Makers Mark 46, sweet vermouth, Angostura bitters, luxardo cherry. Manhattans, like martini’s, always make me think of black and white TV shows and this is the strength I imagine Don Draper would drink while subjugating women.

Jeeez. Because this is the town that bourbon was born in, I should have expected a strong pour. It was also “Whiskey Wednesday”, which I suppose could have been any day of the week based on this.

Hush puppies with a Creole remoulade were crispy outside soft and light on the inside. Sounds like some people I know LOL. This can’t be considered hotel food. Even though it most definitely attached to a hotel eatery the menu was something else entirely. Somewhere in the distance, an accent that would normally make me believe danger was afoot say that Eddie Murphy and Rudy Ray Moore are his favorite comedian.

The Porch 280 W Jefferson St, Louisville, KY 40202

Lump crab hush puppies: sweet corn, jalapeno, pepper jack. The citrus aioli blended in the real fresh lump crab was completely unexpected and bright flavor. Creamy dipping sauce was nice touch but didn't add much. These were what I like to refer to as an “intimate food”. I couldn’t eat this in public. I wanted to be alone and finish these off while watching TV.

Pan seared cilantro halibut with heirloom tomatoes, grilled peppers, shaved fennel, pickled onions. The tomato was sweet and the cilantro topping gave it a nice earthiness without making it taste like dirt. The fennel was barely recognizable. This also brought out the taste in the halibut which was tender but not mushy, despite being bathed in broth. The reduction was a bit too soupy could have gone well with a garlic bread or something to soak it up.

Ehrler’s Ice Cream 201 E Main St #101, Louisville, KY 40202

After a day of walking around, the sweetest surrender was a cup of orange sherbet. It was light, a little creamy and refreshing without the bitter sharpness that poorly made sherbet can become. I had also been drinking bourbon so that may have made this all the better.

I also ordered two of the bourbon balls which were a nice treat that I completely forgot about until later. They held up pretty well.

The Mayan 813 E Market St, Louisville, KY 40206

I got to enjoy dinner and some conversation with one of my former editors, Eve Batey. Tikin-xic: Pan-seared white fish, achiote sauce, and black rice. Don’t ask me how to pronounce Tikin-xic. The white fish was firm and closer to a pork pattie in texture which worked in this case.

The black rice was full of flavor, especially when mixed together with achiote sauce which gave it a richness without being spicy. I’m always afraid when I see broccolini and tomatoes but they were just enough without being too soft or too stringy. The entire dish just the right amount of saltiness that makes me feel like someone with some damn sense was in the back seasoning this dish.

The Tres Leche was not a traditional cake. It was more like a creme pie with berries. The caramel sauce was a nice spike of sweetness. The crunchy spears gave a crispiness that kept this from being a smoothie.

V-Grits: Logan’s Market 1001 Logan St, Louisville, KY 40204

Ugh…

I was looking forward to this meal and it didn’t give what it was supposed to give. This is one of those places where having an air fryer is probably not the best way to prepare food in a small space.

The mac and cheese bites were a congealed mess. The outside was fine but this vegan cheese has to be done really well in order for it not to become the reason we all hate vegan cheese.

The Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich was overcooked to the point that it was dry and tough to chew. The fries… well… We won’t talk about those.

Proof on Main: 702 W Main St, Louisville, KY 40202

The food most blamed for ruining the economy— Avocado toast. This one in particular definitely did some damage and I won’t tell you what I spent on it. The foccacia slice smothered with avocado, cilantro, radish slices and topped with a soft boiled egg and seasoned bread crumbs was the bourgeois breakfast meant to for taking down a financial expert.

Chard octopus: Bagna cauda, a sauce made from garlic and avocado coats, every chunky bite of octopus. The moment I squeezed the lime over it and ran the toasted foccacia across the pan, I knew I had to check my bank account. I am poor people and this was only breakfast. This was the point where I remembered that I'm definitely on vacation and the food is most certainly better in my delusional space. I don’t indulge in my delusions much anymore but this time I needed to.