Kentucky's Best Sandwich Has Been Around Since The 1920s

Home of Churchill Downs — where they serve up the iconic mint julep — and the starting point for the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Louisville has a rich history when it comes to southern food and drink culture. But one concoction has been a mainstay on Louisville diner menus since the Prohibition era — the epic Hot Brown sandwich. Recently named the best sandwich in the state by Reader's Digest, this open-faced mess of tomato, turkey, and bacon smothered in a creamy Mornay sauce stacked on top of Texas toast has been satisfying late-night cravings since 1926.

When Louisville's historic Brown Hotel opened its doors in the early '20s, Prohibition was in full effect, but that didn't stop the hotel from hosting fabulous dinner dances. These lavish parties drew thousands of guests. When the hotel's head chef, Fred K. Schmidt, noticed how hungry the partygoers were toward the wee hours of the morning, he decided to give them something new. That's when the Hot Brown was born.

Aside from its rich history, the Hot Brown offered something radically different to classic diner food: fusion. The southern flavors embedded in the roasted turkey, bacon, and toast, combined with a classic French Mornay sauce, was a meeting of two vastly different cuisines Americans had yet to experience. Mornay sauce is a thick, creamy béchamel that uses Gruyère and other cheeses to give it that rich flavor. Additionally, at the time, turkey was considered a special meat reserved for holidays. Restaurants would frequently serve cheaper deli meats such as ham instead. But Chef Schmidt's vision, which has lived on for decades, solidified that a decidedly sloppy, late-night munchie can still be elevated.

Although The Brown Hotel still dishes out the original sandwich, dozens of other restaurants across Louisville are serving their own — and each seems to have their own variation on the classic. Bristol Bar & Grill offers a Southwestern take on the Hot Brown featuring green chiles and pico de gallo. Big Bad Breakfast, on the other hand, serves up a breakfast-style Hot Brown featuring cured bacon and a crumbled buttermilk biscuit, topped with a fried egg. There's even Hot Brown pizza coming out of Parlour Pizza, featuring Alfredo sauce and sliced provolone. No matter what variation you like, it's clear the Hot Brown is a Louisville staple that isn't fading away anytime soon. Make sure this storied sandwich is on your list to try.