CHEW Dinner - Paris with Chef Jeremy Ashby

In Lexington, we've got horses, bourbon, and food, lots of good food. Tonight I was introduced to the CHEW Dinner series (link) and woah was I impressed. Basically each monthly dinner or brunch features a different local chef, who serves a themed meal inspired by local ingredients and hosted at local venues. Tonight's dinner was in an airplane hanger at NextGen Aviation, probably the most interesting place I've eaten a chef prepared dinner.

The evening started with an introduction by Chef Jeremy Ashby. He is co-owner and head chef at Azur and Brasabana, as well as Azur Catering. He welcomed us explaining the inspiration of the evening's dishes, being a mash of classic French dishes, with a fresh Kentucky twist.

Allow me to introduce you to our first course. Kentucky Croque Madame. Corn and rye leavened bread, country ham, bourbon mustard, farm egg, Kentucky white cheddar mornay, black truffle, and a house pickle. Note that the bread is made from mash that was left over from bourbon production. This was my favorite dish of the evening. This was basically ham sandwich, meets over the top French presentation (described as drowning in mornay) and, of course, a sunny side up egg.

The meal continued to the main course, Paris Kentucky Daube au Boeuf. Wagyu beef braised in 1,000 stories red wine finished in Bourbon barrels, roasted mushroms, parsnip celery and apple puree, Fromage d'Affinoise, and Hazlenut Gremolata. This was a surprisingly fork tender beef dish that I enjoyed to the last bite. The combination of the flavorful beef and the puree was amazing.

Last, but certainly not least, the Moon Pie Macaron. Described as Caramel bourbon pots de creme on the menu, this wonderful creation appeared to be half a moon pie, but upon futher investigation (eating), it was an oversized macaron over a caramel bourbon cream sauce. The combination of all that was almost a tastebud overload, in the best way.

My impression of the evening was this: incredible. Jared and I sat at a table full of interesting people, the meal was amazing, and we got to sit feet away from an airplane, which provided a great background for a couples pic. I would highly suggest the CHEW dining experience for anyone who considers themselves a foodie, or just likes great food!