My Own Louisville Plate

Some days the best restaurant experience isn’t actually a restaurant at all.  As big of a proponent for supporting locally owned restaurants as I am, I am just as big on shopping locally as well.  So this isn’t as much of a restaurant review as me going to a few local grocers/meat markets/specialty stores, picking up some ingredients, and making my own Louisville plate.  Originally I had gone into Kinglsey’s Meat and Seafood to get some ground beef for hamburgers; I normally try and get all of my meat here.  There is just something about going to a butcher for meat that I love more then the large chain grocery.  I love the thought that the only thing they are giving me there is the freshest cuts of meat possible.  Anyways, I ended up browsing the other coolers and came across some orange ruffy stuffed with crab, JACKPOT.  Needless to say I made this little fish my own.  Next stop Paul's Fruit market.  I was in the market for vegetables, and good ones at that.  Picking up a few potatoes, celery, bell peppers (already sliced and ready for the grill), asparagus, avocadoes, and tomatoes I was ready to move on.  One last stop and I have the makings for my dinner.  Lotsa Pasta pretty much has a bit of everything in it.  This particular stop I decided on a few different cheeses and some basmati rice.  Basmati is a rice grown in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan and the word basmati is Sanskrit for “fragrant one.”  Now I grilled the vegetables the day before for another meal, but had some left over.  I then decided it would be great in my rice and threw the peppers and some onions and peas in there, boiling it in a beef broth instead of just the normal water, to give it that extra rich flavor.  The fish was easy enough, throw it in the oven for 25 minutes at 350 and BAM, dinner is done.  Just for funsies I put my Bloody Mary in a mason jar and called it a meal.  Like I said, not your typical restaurant review, but none the less, very Louisville, very food oriented, and all three places are very much recommended.  Make your own restaurant in your kitchen, and do it while supporting local.