Honey Centered Dishes All the ‘Buzz’ at the Bristol Bar & Grille
Considering that January is “Honey Month,” it should come to no surprise that eating establishments are taking advantage of the hype and changing their menus to fit the month’s theme. The Bristol Bar & Grille in the Highlands of Kentucky is no exception and executive chef Austin Wilson is working on creating a number of dishes featuring honey to be included on the restaurant’s daily menu, this according to a post featured on Courier-Journal.com. The Bristol and its chef have stepped up their game when it comes to the concept of using locally sourced ingredients in the establishment’s dishes.
The Bristol Bar & Grille has become so locally sourced it has installed honeybee hives on the roof of the building. All the chef has to do is walk up the stairs to get the main ingredients for this month’s offerings. “There’s a big difference between woodland honey and the honey we have on the roof. The flowers and trees in Cherokee Park and around the Bristol give our honey its unique taste that’s light and sweet with hints of nuts and caramel,” Wilson explained. This honey is being used in entrees, appetizers, and even desserts, plus whatever Wilson decides to put together on a whim.
“I’ll start out with a simple idea like chicken caprese and try to figure out how I’ll use honey in it. Honey is also great with pork. It really made the glaze for pork loin come together,” Wilson said. Since January is honey month, honey is on the forefront of Chef Wilson’s mind every morning when he heads into work. Since they are featuring a number of different honey-centric dishes this month, Wilson will sometimes plan these offerings days in advance or will sometimes make something up that morning.
“I don’t have anything to do with the maintenance of the hives, although I’d like to because it would be fun. When we first got the bees, our general manager, Pete Peters, and I would take a break to go up and watch them. We just hoped they stayed in their place, and they did. I’m glad I’m head chef here while the bee thing is going on. It’s good for the artistic side of me. Sometimes a job can get a little repetitive so it’s fun to throw in something new,” Wilson said.
