Historic Feuds, New Foods In a place renowned for an epic feud between warring families, the infamous Hatfi elds and McCoys, a young chef is giving expression to traditional Appalachian cuisine with modern fl ourishes. Matt Corbin never planned to stay in Pikeville, but the owner and executive chef of The Blue Raven is embracing his roots and then some, serving up what he calls pub-style Appalachian cuisine. “We use Appalachian staples and cooking methods to translate the dishes to this region,” he said. “For example, we have taken something like a Shepherd’s Pie and used burgoo – a Kentucky staple – as the base of the pie and make fi sh tacos with blackened catfi sh, apple red onion slaw, local tomato and lime aioli.” Although classically trained at culinary school, Corbin admits the food he enjoys making is the food he grew up eating. “Both of my grandmothers were excellent cooks and gardeners, so they have infl uenced a lot of what we do here at the restaurant.” Part of Kentucky’s farm-to-table restaurant culture, The Blue Raven is all about homegrown food and recipes with a focus on quality ingredients with simple preparation. The restaurant features a seasonal menu that takes advantage of locally grown produce when available. The restaurant also preserves foods for later use, like putting up corn and making pickles. “To me, nothing beats quality ingredients with proper preparation,” Matt Corbin A Fruitful Endeavor Reid’s Orchard in Owensboro dates back to the 1870s and a Scottish immigrant’s love of peaches and apples. Allan Reid, a pioneer in developing new technology for the fruit and vegetable industry, passed his love of fresh, locally-grown produce and horticulture progress and technology on through generations. In fact, today the fi fth generation is preparing the sixth to work in the family business that has branched out into strawberries, blackberries, pears, cherries and all types of vegetables. Not only that, Reid's also grows fl owers; sells its products from its Apple House retail store along with homemade fudge, jams and locally harvested honey; and hosts an annual Apple Festival in October that has dozens of crafts booths, carnival rides, a play land called “Reidland” with a petting zoo and horse rides, and live music. Not bad for a place built on one man’s passion for fresh fruit, and his desire to share it with others. Col. Sanders: A Household Name Kentucky’s most high-profi le culinary contribution is its fried chicken – and not just any fried chicken, mind you, but one created by a former service station attendant in Corbin that is now enjoyed by diners all over the world. All of them presumably licking their fi ngers. Although Col. Harland Sanders’ recipe for fried chicken was (and still is) a secret, his culinary prowess and business acumen were widely known. Hungry diners would come for miles to get a bucket of his chicken and dine at the café, where they would see a cleverly displayed model of a motel room. Ever the entrepreneur, Sanders had built a motel adjacent to his restaurant. The motel is gone today, but the model remains at the Harland Sanders Café 20 1-800-225-8747 / 1-800-225-TRIP
Kentucky Official Visitor's Guide 2018 Kentucky Official Visitor's Guide 2018: Page 20
