Danville, KY - A Hidden Gem

You might have remembered last week, when I said I was meeting up with a few other Kentucky Food Bloggers.  I had such an amazing time, and thanks to Adam from the Danville Boyle Co Convention & Visitors Bureau, we were set up with a culinary tour of Danville, KY.

Now let's get one thing straight.  Before this planned meet-up, I'd honestly never heard of Danville, KY.  Well, I only know of one story that Andy has told me about how, when he was in a band in his early 20's, they played a show at a Centre College (which is in Danville) frat house.  They were-in turn banned from Centre due to leaving a few prohibited things around - a.k.a. kegs of beer/beer bottles.  Why such a harsh punishment?  Well, up until May 2010, Danville was a "dry" city - meaning no purchasing of alcohol (which is a little crazy right?)  So since the law was passed to declare Danville "wet", the city has blossomed with a few new restaurants and pubs - something us foodies were ready and willing to explore!

Our first stop?  V the Market.  It was a quaint little shop full of wine bottles, loads of different kinds of beer (many sold by the bottle, not the 6-pack - which is a sure sign you'll find great beer), bourbons, hand-picked cheeses, chocolates, and other gourmet treats.

Next was Mermaids where we enjoyed sipping on two different types of signature cocktails - the Porch Punch & Mermaid Punch.  Both were delicious and unique!  Definitely made me want to lounge around on a beach somewhere with one of those in hand!  We were also served a small plate of 3 different appetizer-type dishes: prosciutto-wrapped prawn, slice of local beef,  and a cucumber-wrapped slice of ahi tuna with a wasabi sauce.  All three of which were mighty tasty!

 

Then we headed to 303W where we were greeted with a table full of appetizer selections.  It was an old-fashioned pool hall (pool tables were in the back) and definitely had the feel of a laid back, sit down and have a beer-type bar.  The appetizer selections were tasty, especially the soft pretzel breadsticks - yummo!

Next we dove into the local pizza joint, Bluegrass Pizza & Pub - which definitely had similarities to Louisville's own Wick's Pizza (which isn't my favorite because I'm a New York, thin slice-pizza kinda gal) - but Bluegrass was definitely spot-on with their traditional-style pizza and I would prefer them to Wick's any day.  Sorry Wick's! 

Then came my personal favorite stop of the night, The Beer Engine.  I mean, the location of this place says it all - if you didn't know it was there, you'd be sorry because you'd be missing out!  It's kind of secluded in the back area of a parking lot, with just an emblem of a skull and "hops"-bones marking the door.  The logo is sheer awesomeness in my opinion.  We got to do a tasting of a few beers that they had on tap (and they had quite a selection!), and all were mighty tasty.  This is definitely the kind of place you can find yourself hanging out with friends over a few beers on a regular basis!

We ended the night at The Hub Coffee House & Cafe.  While I didn't indulge in any coffee, we winded down, ate cupcakes from The Twisted Sifter and chatted with eachother about our night.  We were given goodie bags from Karamel Kreations & Burke's Bakery Delicatessen - and I'm sorry that I don't have any pictures of the contents of the bags - I snacked on the goodies during my hour and a half trip home!  I couldn't resist!

For our first meet-up, I thought this was successful night!  I got to meet an amazing group of people - all unique in their own ways - and we all got to share in a tour of one of Kentucky's hidden gems of a city - Danville.  Seriously, if you're in Kentucky, or driving through Kentucky - Danville is well worth a visit!  I know I'll be back!

And I want to take a moment to thank Mindy from The World in My Kitchen (who has a great review up on her blog, as well!) and Adam from the Danville Boyle Co Convention & Visitors Bureau for setting this whole evening up and letting us experience Danville!

Book Club Success and Ask Peggy

I'm pretty excited to say that the first meeting of Book Club was quite a success.  We discussed more of the book than I thought we would, which shouldn't really surprise me because, after all... it is a book club.  Next month's read is "Running With Scissors," which I'm pretty sure is a movie too???  But before I look that up, I'm definitely going to start with the book.  More often than not, the book is almost ALWAYS better than the movie, anyway.  Just my opinion.  I can't wait until I get a chance to pick the book, I've got a few in mind, and of course, most of them have to deal with food or food-related topics!  What about you guys?  Do you read often?  If so, what are you reading now?  Any suggestions for Book Club books?

And so to the "Ask Peggy" portion of this post title.  Inspired by a couple of questions posted by Sommer from A Mama With Flavor (check out her blog, she's really awesome!) in a little "tagging" going around right now, I figured... maybe you guys do need/want to know a little more about little old me.

So Sommer's questions were as follows:

What's your favorite pizza topping?

- I'd have to say, that when dealing with pizza... the simpler the better.  I love a good white pizza, and probably my favorite part of it is the fact that ricotta cheese is sporatically on the pie!

Mayonnaise? Yay or ick?

- I'm definitely on the "ick" side on it.  Yes, I  use mayonnaise in things (I don't completely avoid it), but if asked if I want it as a condiment on things... I definitely pass.

 

Which cuisine inspires you the most?

- I'd have to say I lean towards Pan-Asian dishes, but really... all dishes inspire me in some aspect.

 

What's your staple dessert?

 - I don't think I have a "staple," but something Andy does wish I made more of is probably cheesecake.  But that's only when he's been good. =)

What is your best kitchen triumph?

- Actually sticking with it!  I'm one of those people that has tried every single hobby in the book, and at some point, just give up because I'm unamused or uninterested.  But cooking, is my exception.  I'm not bored, and I don't ever think I will be, so just sticking with it, and continuing to learn in the kitchen is a great triumph to me!

What are your favorite staple ingredients?

- Can't live without kosher salt, soy sauce, olive oil, hoisin sauce, and lemons.  With all or some of those things, you can always make something spectacular no matter what else you have!

Did you always cook or did it come to you later in life?

- I definitely thought of cooking later in life.  If you were to ask me in high school what kind of person I would be today, I would laugh at you if you told me I'd be a domesticated fiancee living with 2 dogs.  We even talked about this at Book Club last night, that out of all of my friends, I'm the most domesticated and they never would have guessed it.  I was always the girl doing weird things, making up stupid routines during softball practice (the Ostrich walk and the Spiderman), getting down in the middle of math class and licking the floor just because someone told me too (yeah, not my finest moment)... so yeah, cooking has definitely come to me later in life... but I am SO glad to have it.  It's brought me closer to people I love and really given me a creative outlet to share with others!

Who's your favorite chef? TV or restaurant.

- Hands down... John Varanese.  He's a local chef, here in Louisville, and by far is the most consistent.  I have never had a bad experience at his restaurant and I love the fact that every time I have gone there, he comes out and makes his rounds to make sure every table is enjoying their meal and to just chat a little with his patrons.  I like it because he doesn't just talk to the tables that look like they're full of big spenders or "important" people.  Young or old... he makes sure you're enjoying yourself, and I love that.

Varanese also has a local cable show about different local food ingredients that's pretty awesome, too!

 

So thanks to Sommer for "tagging" me!  Hope you guys enjoyed my answers, and I know the proper thing to do is "tag" other bloggers, but instead, I'm just going to let you guys share something about yourself in my comments (if you want to, that is!)

 

Enjoy the day guys... I'll be crossing my fingers that my softball team advances to the next round of the City Tournament tonight!  Be back tomorrow with a recipe!

Brew @ The Zoo!

This weekend was a blast. In particular, on Saturday, the Louisville Zoo held their annual Brew At The Zoo. I can't believe I've never been before, but I am so glad my friends urged me to go this year! For $45 (if tickets were purchased online), you gain access to the zoo, all the craft beer you can drink (from 4pm to 8:30pm), all the food you can eat (from 4pm to 6:30pm), and all the debauchery that ensues. Trust me, well worth it, in my opinion. So instead of a recipe today, we'll go through the day's activities... (and just some warning... there are a TON of pictures!)

My friend Matt, ready for the Brew

We got these cool mini beer mugs to drink our various craft beers in.

The New Albanian... quite possibly one of the best breweries in Southern Indiana.

Za's Pizza... always a winner.

The Whole Foods table: Hummus w/ Pita Chips, Sesame Crackers w/ Goat Cheese, & some Mixed Nuts

Ribs from Chili's (Normally I wouldn't eat at Chili's, but hey, I couldn't resist some ribs with some beer!)

Brew from Brownings

Hummus from Shiraz

Pulled Pork Sliders from Buckhead's


Mini Bruschetta from... ??? (This is probably the point where I've become a little tipsy and things become harder to remember)


Fall's City Beer, quickly becoming a new favorite!

Some Sausage & Slaw from BBC

Having a little pow-wow


This was supposed to be "famous" spread...

The Wine tent... my ass was smart and did not step foot in there... mixing beer AND wine on a hot summer day does not equal a good next morning for this girl.

I HAD to post this just because it was so funny. White Castle was there!

Short Rib & Mashed Potatoes from Maker's Mark Lounge

My manly crew

Boneless Chicken Wings from Roosters

Some Kentucky Ales

Founder's Brewing Company (& that guy on the right has the best shirt ever: Godzilla vs. Bigfoot!)

Yup, caught Selene off guard!

These brownies went quick!

Schlafly, always delicious!

This is me next to a camel... I think I was frightened AND excited at the same time... hence the stupid face.

I don't think I had any of this one, but their flag was cool.

Yeah, I wish I had this set up on my back porch.

There was definitely more food and more beer, but a girl can only function properly for so long without causing personal harm to herself or her camera. Right?

So yeah, all in all... moral of the story is... I will go to every one of these now. And if you're in the Louisville, KY area next August, I suggest you do the same! What kind of crazy festivals do you guys go to in your area?