If you believe Hunter S. Thompson, the Kentucky Derby is decadent and depraved, and you could say the same about Louisville's hot brown sandwich. Since I'm not watching the ponies run today, I might as well pay tribute to this fork-and-knife sandwich feast.
Like Springfield, IL's horseshoe sandwich, this over-the-top open-face sandwich was invented during one of history's most indulgent periods: the roaring '20s of Prohibition. According to Louisville's Brown Hotel, the hot brown was dreamed up by Chef Fred Schmidt to feed the hundreds of dinner guests who would dance into the wee hours of morning then come into the restaurant for late-night eats.
The result: thick-sliced bread topped with roasted turkey, bacon, and Mornay sauce, then cooked in the broiler until the top layer of cheese is browned and bubbly. Really like a more sophisticated version of the French fry-covered horseshoe. I have yet to try one, but one of these days, I hope to devour a hot brown in its hometown. Have you?
Source: Flickr User Gavin St. Ours
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