The Brown Hotel is a Louisville “Jazz Age” classic. For those just tuning in, The Brown is where the Hot Brown was invented.
Maybe Chef (Fred) Schmidt took as his inspiration the traditional Welsh rarebit, or maybe he just creatively employed ingredients readily at hand in the hotel kitchen in the middle of the night: toasted bread, turkey, flour, butter, milk, cheese, and bacon.
Schmidt’s filling sandwich came to be known as the Kentucky Hot Brown. On top of the toast and turkey, he poured a Mornay sauce—a classic béchamel to which cheese is added. With a few strips of Kentucky bacon, he baked the sandwich and then ran it under a broiler, “browning” it slightly, so that the name of the sandwich echoed not only the hotel’s name but the cooking technique as well.
Come to think of it, there are similarities between a Hot Brown and the city of Porto, Portugal’s signature Francesinha sandwich.
But we’re not here to compare and contrast. Easter Sunday (April 17) approaches, and The Brown has an offer. The information release needs no help at all, and here it is.
Brunch Buffet at The Brown Hotel, 335 W Broadway
Elevate your Easter with a fine-dining experience on Easter Sunday at The Brown Hotel’s Easter Brunch Buffet. Guests can enjoy a uniquely curated buffet menu from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the hotel’s Crystal Ballroom for $62.95 per adult and $34.95 for children ages 4-10. The buffet will include an Easter potage featuring cannellini beans with smoked ham hocks and Swiss chard. Diners can choose from an array of salad options including a mixed green salad, classic Caesar salad, colorful tortellini salad or asparagus salad. Display dishes include traditional shrimp cocktail, a charcuterie and cheese display, smoked salmon display and a cooked to order egg station. Main entrée items include a chef carved prime rib or beef, hot brown pasta and honey baked ham with brown sugar mustard glaze. A variety of side dishes will be offered along with assorted cheesecake bites, brownies, blondies and brown pudding with caramel sauce for dessert. For more information or to make a reservation, visit or call (502)-583-1234.
