So says the New York Times.
The New York Times recently reviewed a restaurant named Maysville, which as you might assume, is a nod to the Kentucky river town in Mason County.
Why would New York restaurateurs choose the name? It’s Rosemary Clooney’s hometown and Manhattan is where she built her reputation as a performer. (Still obscure? We think so, too, but that’s OK.) Its menu could be described as “sophisticated southern” for the way it draws on Dixie influences, albeit ones artfully fused with other cuisines. Its bar also sports a zillion American whiskeys, many of which are bourbon. So it all works.
The restaurant got a well-earned two star review (two out of four from the NYT is quite good for this type of restaurant) and the piece is a great read. (Follow the link at the end to read it.) But what troubled us was critic Pete Wells’ mention that Maysville is the birthplace of Kentucky bourbon. Another Manhattan food blog, FirstWeEat.com, says the very same thing.
Since when? Does anyone know of a distillery of any account existing in Mason County? Ever? We’re Kentucky lifers here at Food & Dining, and our combined age exceed the century mark. That means we’ve heard A LOT of bourbon stories and we’ve never heard a thing about Maysville or Mason County bearing bourbon. What about you?
