2012 - THE YEAR WE BECOME FARMERS.
Yesterday, we had to leave our lovely little honeymoon farm. It was so hard to say goodbye to that wonderful place! But although we don't exactly have to get "back to the grind" like most people, Jesse and I DO have a lot of work to do in 2012. In some ways, we were putting off all of the serious planning, decision making, and other grown-up-type things until after the wedding and the holidays...so here we are!First order of business: SEEDS! It is officially seed catalog season! We came back yesterday to a pile of catalogs and went straight to work. After a few hours of perusing, we managed to order our garden for this year! It was a little bit surreal. Actually, a LOT of bit surreal! Sitting down and choosing the specific varieties of vegetables we will be growing made me realize that we are really doing this! We are going to grow these things, not just dream about it. They are in the mail, coming our way! I love looking at the long, organized list of seeds, thinking about the when and where and how for each different veggie, imagining Jesse and I sitting down eating these foods, in our own house. It is becoming real. Even though we haven't actually accomplished anything yet, I feel some small sense of satisfaction in this first, small step. I'm feeling pretty good about this year.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! We hope you have as much excitement and hope for the year as we do.
- Hannah.
A VERY HAPPY HOLIDAY.
Merry Christmas! I hope your holiday was calm and bright, full of peace and happiness and simple gifts. It was a terrifically full day on Sunday...Jesse and I completed FOUR different Christmas celebrations by the end of the day! We are already getting a taste of what married life brings - the compromises and the new traditions and the crazy rushing around. But we loved every minute of it. This Christmas was one of the happiest I can remember, because I am part of a new, little family with Jesse. I can't describe the happiness, really, and I feel like it is only now beginning to set in. With the madness of the wedding and the holidays over, I am now able to sit back and realize that I am MARRIED, that I am about to start on this adventure with my HUSBAND, that we are blessed beyond anything we deserve. Even as I write this, I sit with a big yellow dog asleep at my feet, a fire in front of me, Bob Dylan on vinyl and a glass of wedding champagne in my hand - the first day of our honeymoon. Like I said, I am a happy girl.Here are a few moments from yesterday - Merry Christmas! We have so much love for you all.- Hannah.
LOUISVILLE IS FOR (FOOD) LOVERS.
Louisville is located just on the border of Kentucky and Indiana––unfortunately often referred to as Kentuckiana––in arguably one of the most fertile areas in all the country. Kentucky was long considered sacred land by native americans for how rich and verdant the landscape was, and when the distillers eventually settled the area in the 1700's they found the soil perfect for grain growing and the limestone water highly conducive to whiskey making. Now, several centuries later, no city quite embraces its locality and heritage quite like Louisville.Where the wine lists occasionally lack, the whiskey and beer lists more than make up for it. Also no one seems to be slacking on the food. Local food is becoming a near given amongst the menus, and in places like Harvest Restaurant, the walls are even graced by large portraits of the farmers. With the increasing number of talented bread makers, beer makers, cooks, bartenders and farmers in this city, Louisville has become a contender among the Portlands, Seattles, and Austins of the country. Needless to say, Hannah and I spent 24 hours there this week worthy enough to warrant a post.
We checked in at the Brown Hotel, one of the many historic hotels in Louisville's blossoming downtown, and met up with our photographer, Tim. For lunch we took a break from the pictures to stop in at Hillbilly Tea on 1st street. Conservatively and creatively designed in local art and primitives––it was not only comfortable but inviting. Hannah got a tea platter, a variety of bites inspired by high tea in England with a southern twist and I went with a wild mushroom sandwich. Tim ordered the pulled pork and we all slipped silently into reverence as we ate then came-to a few minutes later in deep praise of the food––all very fresh and thoughtfully prepared. Later on Tuesday evening, we stopped into the Beer Store on Market Street for a celebratory beverage. Everyone everywhere should be jealous that this store wasn't their idea. On top of having one of the greatest beer selections I've ever had the privilege of witnessing, you can drink a beer as you peruse, or sit out back and enjoy it at a table the other beer nerds. You will spend money there but you wont regret it. With fear of sounding too much like a travel magazine, if you fancy a more bar-like ambiance one can head over to their bar, Holy Grale, on Bardstown. They were recently voted among the best sliders in the U.S. by foodandwine.com. The Eiderdown restaurant and its sister bar, Nachbar, are similarly some of the other great beer experiences in the city. Chef Brian Morgan is doing amazing things with local food at The Eiderdown to match its geeky yet wonderful assortment of draft beers.
When I lived in Louisville over 8 years ago, I don't know if I even was aware that Market Street existed, but its now a destination. Galleries, nearby hotels, restaurants––Market Street is suddenly another neighborhood to rival the equally attractive Highlands, Germantown, Frankfort Avenue, and Old Louisville parts of the city. For dinner, we wanted to try somewhere special neither of us had been before so we made reservations at Market Street's recent addition, Harvest Restaurant. This is a place whose entire existence revolves around the farmer as a self-proclaimed but aptly titled "Farmer to Fork" restaurant. I had the smoked goat cheese lasagnette, and Hannah ordered the pretzel bread gnocchi and neither of us wanted to share. There was soul in the food, that ineffable quality that elevates a meal beyond a simple compilation of flavors. Great service, ambiance, food and cocktails––everything about the meal was special. We cannot recommend it enough.
The next morning, after coffee at Sunergos, we headed over to brunch at Blue Dog Bakery on Frankfort avenue for one last memorable dining experience before we departed. I've eaten here a number of times and it neither lets me down, nor fails to inspire another visit. The whole city is that way. This is a respectable list of recommendations for any city, but it barely scratches the surface of Louisville's prolific and booming artisinal food and beverage scene. I haven't even mentioned Proof on Main, the restaurant equivalent of a well-fitting suit. Or Vietnam Kitchen. Or Heine Brother's Coffee. Or any of the other things that make Louisville special, or in their words, keep Louisville weird. Lastly, these types of places also make Louisville a great honeymoon destination, you know, if you might ever need one.- Jesse.
