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36 LOUISVILLE MAGAZINE 2.15 eat Bourbon! Josh Bettis The English Grill at the Brown Hotel 335 W. Broadway Dish: Crispy Kentucky pork belly appetizer with a Maker's Mark caramel/candied apple sauce. "Even if I wasn't in Kentucky, I would still use a bourbon because of the sugar content and the way it ages in the charred oak barrel," Bettis says. "The bourbon adds a nice little oaky and caramel favor to the dish, just like the favors that come out in a nice glass of bourbon." Jonathan Schwartz Doc Crow's 127 W. Main St. Dish: Oysters on the half shell with mignonette (a vinegar- based sauce with shallots, peppercorns and Heaven Hill bourbon). "Mignonette is a classic condiment for oysters or seviche or diferent types of seafood, and it's usually made with red-wine vinegar, peppercorns, shallots and diferent aromatics. But there are so many variations. Ours is fairly classic, with the addition of bourbon," Schwartz says. "Bourbon just gives it smoky overtones and a little bit of heat. The bourbon and vinegar contrast and create a balance." (Think bourbon with a dash of bitters.) Josh Moore Volare 2300 Frankfort Ave. Dish: Bistecca Alla Griglia, aka a New York strip fnished with a sauce that includes Woodford Reserve and veal demi-glace. "What the bourbon does (in the sauce) is kind of bring out all these notes of caramel and vanilla and charred wood. It makes the sauce really come to life on the steak. Bourbon's such a favorful alcohol by itself, and when you pour it into food, it adds a lot to the dish," Moore says. Chelsea Roberts The Oakroom at the Seelbach 500 S. Fourth St. Dish: Crème brûlée with Knob Creek. "Bourbon makes everything better, you know," Roberts says. "Rum, vodka — those kinds of things, I feel like they're very strong. Bour- bon's so rich. The favor profle has that twang, but it's still caramel-y, maple-y. So when I do that for des- serts, I feel like that's the alcohol to go to, defnitely." Geoff Hyde The Village Anchor 11507 Park Road (Anchorage) Dish: A bone-in pork chop with a bourbon/Dijon/brown sugar marinade and apricot-bourbon glaze. "The marinade really tenderizes the pork, takes away the bite of the meat," Hyde says. "Bourbon pairs well with apricots, and apricots pair well with pork, leaving an oaky taste." Dishes with bourbon mixed in appear on too many menus in town to list. But does the booze serve a favor purpose or does it simply act as a trendy ingredient? We asked some local chefs why they put bourbon in their food. = BEST BOTTLE FOR Less than $40 We asked a dozen of our favorite bourbon experts to name the best bottle for less than $40. "Shit," one of them said, "you might as well ask me to pick which parent I like better." They mentioned several: Elijah Craig 12-Year, Bufalo Trace, Larceny, Old Grand-Dad Bottled in Bond, Maker's Mark 46, W.L. Weller 12-Year, Old Forester, Wild Turkey 101, Wathen's Single Barrel, Old Bardstown, Very Old Barton, Four Roses Small Batch, Baker's, Booker's, Bulleit — the list goes on. The name that popped up more than any other? Four Roses Single Barrel. "Great vanilla bourbon character with lots of fruit favors, mainly pear and berries, supported by intriguing spice, particularly cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg," says Susan Reigler, author of Kentucky Bourbon Country: The Essential Travel Guide and president of the Bourbon Women Association. "The bourbon is 100-proof and is wonderfully smooth for having such a punch." Doc Crow's oysters