Eat Y'all Connect Dinner at Star Hill Provisions
Exclusive dinner to benefit restaurant families charity.
“If it wasn’t for food, we’d all be dead. And if it wasn’t for Southern food, we’d all be bored.”
There are few things better than a trip to Maker’s Mark Distillery and a fantastic meal at Star Hill Provisions. Maker’s is one of my very favorite distillery trips, and the food at Star Hill is always fantastic! I was so excited to hear about an upcoming dinner at Star Hill Provisions that showcases some amazing local producers, including Alfresco Pasta, Maker’s Mark Distillery, Delta Grind, Freedom Run Farm,Pecan Ridge Plantation, Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese, Blackberry Farm Brewery and Two Brooks Farm!
The folks at Eat Y’all ( a group which exists to connect chefs to better ingredients with a mission to grow a sustainable future for the South’s food farmers and producers) recently reached out to let me know that they’ll be stopping at Star Hill as part of their Fall 2018 Connect Tour. The Connect dinner, which will be held Monday October 29th, is a celebration of Southern farms and producers to benefit CORE - Children of Restaurant Employees. The meal will be prepared by Star Hill Provisions Chef Newman Miller and Lockbox Executive Chef Jonathan Searle, and will also include complimentary Maker’s Mark cocktails and craft beer courtesy of Blackberry Farm Brewery. (Tickets are available here — use code HERKENTUCKY20 for 20% off your ticket!)
The dinner will benefit CORE (Children of Restaurant Employees), which grants support to children of food and beverage service staff navigating life-altering circumstances. CORE is the nationally recognized community of support for all food and beverage service families in need by ensuring they feel cared for and valued.
Tickets are available here — use code HERKENTUCKY20 for 20% off your ticket!
Star Hill Provisions at Maker's Mark
Maker's Mark's new restaurant brings hyperlocal ingredients and traditional recipes to the famed distillery.
Maker's Mark is one of my very favorite distilleries to visit. I love how the Victorian buildings have been so lovingly restored and maintained, keeping true to Margie Samuels's original vision.
Maker's Mark's Loretto, Ky distillery is so beautiful in the springtime. I love seeing the flowering trees in the gorgeous setting.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend a press preview for the new Star Hill Provisions restaurant at Maker's Mark. For longtime Maker's visitors, the restaurant is located in the old Master Distiller's House.
Star Hill Provisions was named for Star Hill Farm, the original T.W. Samuels family farm and distillery prior to the establishment of Maker's Mark. Y'all, that kind of attention to hyperlocal detail is apparent in everything at this restaurant. In fact, Chef Newman Miller grew up, by his own estimation, about 7 minutes away from the Maker's Mark Distillery. Chef Newman clearly marries his love for the locale with a commitment to great food. A graduate of Sullivan University's culinary program, he worked at Louisville's legendary Brown Hotel, cooked briefly in Scotland, and then worked as a corporate chef in Chicago before returning to Bardstown to open the highly regarded Harrison-Smith House.
The first course of our tasting menu was a huge hit, even in a room of food writers. We started with one of the restaurant's signature cocktails, Maker's and Ale-8 slushies topped with just enough Angostura bitters to add spice and depth, served alongside the best sausage balls I'd ever encountered. According to Chef Newman, the secret is local sausage sold at a nearby gas station, along with house-made beer cheese and a hint of crumbled saltines. These were savory and hearty, and a perfect complement to the sweet cocktail.
Now, I never say no to a hot brown, and the Star Hill Provisions hot brown is a truly great one! Chef Newman joked that, as a former employee of the Brown Hotel kitchen, he's allowed to make a few adjustments to the recipe, serving the iconic sandwich in the Lexington style with the addition of country ham. Since tomatoes are out of season, the hot brown was topped with a roasted tomato half, which added sweetness and depth to the rich, salty mix.
The steak tartare and pork short ribs were delicious as well. The tartare mixed oh-so-well with a delightful little touch of siracha!
We finished up with a truly spectacular chocolate bread pudding served with a Maker's Mark caramel sauce. As I sat on the porch of Star Hill Provisions, taking in the scenery and discussing the Maker's Mark tradition with a few close colleagues, I promised myself I'd be back to Star Hill Provisions soon. It's a great new addition to the already-amazing Maker's Mark distillery site.
Visit Star Hill Provisions at Maker's Mark Distillery, 3350 Burks Spring Road, Loretto KY 40037. Restaurant hours are Wednesday - Sunday 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.