Harrison Smith House, chef/owner Newman Miller Bardstown, KY

We recently made the trek down to Bardstown to visit our friend Newman Miller (aka bourbon here at LTH) at his newly opened restaurant, Harrison Smith House. He, his wife Rachel, partner/GM Justin Hughes and sous chef Josh Smouse have been running the place for a little less than a year and they're already crushing it with fantastic service, an outstanding bar (even by Bourbon country standards) and phenomenally prepared, expertly-conceived food. Here are a bunch of pictures of the place, the menus, the drinks, the food and the people who are, I believe, are very close to blowing up in a major way . . .


Bardstown historical information



Harrison Smith House - 103 E Stephen Foster Ave, Bardstown, KY



Side Patio
Just a lovely spot for some afternoon whiskeys and/or a full meal.



Harrison Smith House historical information



Historical Marker



Over The Front Door



On The Front Door
They are also doing carry-out-only BBQ on Sunday mornings. It typically sells out by noon.



Entryway
Kitchen door in the background.



Front and Rear Dining Rooms
As you can probably tell from the multitude of interior shots, I really fell in love with the space.



Front Dining Room



Front Corner 2-Top



Private Dining Room



Chef/Co-Owner Newman Miller and Head Server, Kandi, confer before service
Is there a better server in Bardstown? In Kentucky? In Chicago? Anywhere? Maybe a very small group who are as good but none better.



Relics of Prohibition



Cocktail Menu
This is my kind of menu - no "xtinis" and vodka-free.



Wine By The Glass, Beer, Etc.



Reserve Whiskey Menu
Access to some rare, special options, and very reasonable prices.




Whiskey and Wine by the Bottle
Tons of fun choices and friendly pricing.



The Bar at Harrison Smith House
Before service.



Barrel Proof Old Fashioned | Stagg Jr., bitters, turbinado, lemon, orange
I'd decided on my own about a month before our visit that Stagg Jr. makes for a great Old Fashioned. It's super high proof (so it mixes down well), not overly expensive and not one of my faves as a sipper. Apparently, great minds think alike. We arrived to learn that HSH's signature Old Fashioned is made with the Stagg Jr. A great cocktail.



Bicicletta | Campari, wine, soda, lemon
Not on the menu but a house favorite.



Menu for April 1, 2015
Short and totally tempting, from top to bottom.



Crispy Pork and Charred Cabbage Rolls | mustard sauce, house pickles
I'll just say it here, once. Everthing at HSH is made in-house, from scratch. So when you see a plate like this, the sauces, pickles and everything else on it are made on premises. And just like everything else we ate on this night, this plate was delicious.



Parker House Flatbread | beef short rib, beer cheese, pickled onion slaw
A great combination of flavors, textures, richness and acidity.



Charcuterie and Pickles | aged ham (left as a gift for the kitchen by a visiting chef), beer cheese, assorted pickles, mustard
A fairly well-known Charleston, SC chef had been in a few days before us and left this treat for Newman and his crew. Very generously, he shared it with us. Super funky and luscious.



Smoked Catfish Brandade | radish, Texas toast
Made with locally-caught, wild, lake catfish, this was a helluva spin on this classic dish.



Grilled Romaine | shredded parmesan, garlic croutons, HSH Caesar
Another great take - this time on a mid-late-century American classic.



Chef/Co-Owner Newman Miller mixing cocktails during service
It's a small crew at HSH so the dedicated bartender is also the chef and co-owner. As you can see, the drink station is in the kitchen.



Sous Chef Josh Smouse working his station



Josh's Homemade Yeast Rolls
Happily, these delectable beauties made it our to our table with the main courses.



Crispy Pork Schnitzel | rice grits, shaved brussels sprouts slaw
Perfect execution and totally delicious -- crispy and moist. The rice grits (not visible in this shot) were phenomenal, too.



Grilled Steak | sofrito black beans, red onion, greens, chimichurri
Umami bomb!



Smothered Wild KY lake Catfish | crispy potatoes, seared spinach
I loved everything about this dish.



House Fried Chicken - Animal Style
This is a Wednesday special and should not be missed! It was exceptionally flavorful and fiery-hot with spice.



Country Greens & Beans, Buttery Mashed Potatoes
There was a ton of pork in these greens and the potatoes are the best ones I've had since Robuchon's pommes puree.



Banana Pudding
This was a great spin on the Southern classic, aka Nanner Puddin'.



Sorghum Pie | fresh whipped cream
I'd never had this before but it was something akin to a KY version of Sugar Cream pie but also like a pecan pie without the nuts. In any case, the filling and the crust were both great.



Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Pretzel Pie
A really delicious dessert that incorporated a bunch of super comforting components.

As I mentioned up top, I think this place is going to blow up in a major way. Not only is there a huge amount of talent here, but there's also some really great taste and excellent palates. And there's a huge amount of attention paid to connecting the menus to the the provenance of the ingredients, most of which are local or regional. There's so much more I could say but I just cannot do it justice. All I can say is that if you're anywhere near Bardstown, Harrison Smith House should be a destination for you. If you skip it, you'll be missing out on something truly special. And if you wait too long, it'll probably be a pretty tough table to get.

=R=

Harrison Smith House (website)
103 E Stephen Foster Ave
Bardstown, KY 40004
(502) 233-9993

It looks spectacular. I just spent some time on the website looking at the archived menu. I will be making the short drive from Lexington very soon. Terrific photos as well.