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!

Pork Stir-Fry

For the past couple of Sunday's, I've been experimenting with Food & Wine's May 2009 issue of stir fries. Stir Fries are definitely something that can be quick, tasty, and most importantly... versatile. You can put practically anything in a wok and call it a stir fry. Protein, vegetables, tasty sauce, and you have stir fry! The possibilities are endless.

So for today's recipe, I've got a really simple, but quite tasty Pork Stir-Fry.

Ingredients: (adapted from Food & Wine May 2009 - Pork-and-Tofu Stir Fry)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 lb. pork loin, cut into 1 & 1/2-by-1/4 inch strips
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves of garlic
large pinch of crushed red pepper
1 large leek, halved and cut into 1 inch pieces (the grocery was out of leeks, so I substituted an onion and did a rough chop)
1 cup chicken stock or low sodium broth
1/2 lb firm tofu cut into 1 in. cubes (I omitted the tofu)
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar (I used sherry wine instead, less acidity, but still a flavor boost)
1/2 teaspoon asian sesame oil

And although this seems hypocritical, because I'm pretty much the poster child for trying everything once and appreciating ALL foods, I just can't bring myself to love tofu. No, it's never even been close to my mouth or my lips, and frankly, I don't plan on it doing so. I know, I know, I should be the last person to turn something down without trying it first, but honestly, it gives me the heebie jeebies. And I'm cooking the meal and I can put what I want it. But if you like tofu, more power to you, and that's why I kept it in the list of ingredients!

And so after that derailment of a rant, on to the quick and easy preparation...

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet or wok. Add pork and cook until done, about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how thick you cut your pork. I went a little meaty with my strips, but thinner strips would take less time. Transfer pork to a plate and set aside.

Add remainder of vegetable oil in skillet. Add garlic and red pepper to oil and heat for about 1 minute. This allows the oil to get a crisp garlic flavor and a little bit of heat from the pepper. Add leek (or onion, in my case), 1/4 cup of stock, and cover until leek or onion is cooked and soft, about 2-5 minutes.

Add remainder of stock and bring to simmer. Add tofu (we also contemplated substituting the tofu for chicken, but we had a ton of pork to begin with and didn't want to waste all that meat). Also add pork back in and stir in hoisin sauce, vinegar (or wine), and sesame oil.

And you're done! We served ours on a bed of brown rice and it was just the thing to soak up the extra sauce on the plate. It was tasty, easy, and great the next day for lunch! Enjoy!