I was able to convince another friend to guest post! Woohoo!  Check it out – it’s another great one!

First things first… This is me (Christine, on the right) with Allison when she & Angelina came to visit my husband and I this summer. If you read Green Dog Wine regularly, you might recognize some talk about “work”… Well I have the absolute pleasure of working with Allison, via our satellite office in New York. My husband, Chris and I were watching “101 Tastiest Places to Chowdown” on the Travel Channel one Sunday a few weeks back and on that list was “Lynn’s Paradise” in Louisville, Kentucky. I was planning a trip there for business and asked Allison if I could blog about my experience… and she happily said… YES!!!

So, here’s the down low on Lynn’s Paradise…

As soon as you pull into the parking lot you’re greeted by bright neon lights, life size teepee, and it only gets better when you go inside…

There are disco balls hanging from the ceiling, fake trees in the middle of the restaurant, kites, chandeliers…you name it, I’m sure you’ll find it there. Our table even had its very own custom deco TIE LAMP!  So, if you thought the décor was enough to have you packing your bags and booking your ticket to Kentucky…wait until you see the FOOD!

The menu was absolutely ridiculous!!! For starters… breakfast is served ANYTIME!!! (which is by far, my favorite meal of the day!!) Here is just a sampling of their menu…

• ”Crunchcakes” – Two generous multigrain Paradise pancakes filled with homemade cinnamon granola
• “Fried Potato Pancakes with Creamy Herbed Goat Cheese” – Fried shredded potato pancakes flavored with onions and herbs served with roasted goat cheese dip made with Judy Schad’s Capriole goat cheese

And their sides are even BETTER…

• Cheese grits
• Roasted garlic mashed potatoes
• Fresh south green beans with bacon
• Baked mac and cheese

So, what were the winners for the night???

For starters, “Fried Green Tomatoes” – hand-breaded fried green tomatoes served with spicy remoulade.

Steve, our VP, who came along with me for my meetings in Kentucky, ordered the “Paradise Hot Brown” – home roasted turkey breast on sourdough bread, with Mornay sauce, bacon, tomato, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses.

I on the other hand ordered the “Pan-Fried Pecan Chicken in Woodford Reserve Mustard Maple Cream Sauce” – a boneless 8-ounce chicken breast pan-seared in crushed pecan flour and braised in Woodford Reserve mustard cream sauce sweetened with Woodford Reserve bourbon and a hint of pure maple syrup.

We decided to share our meals so we could try both… I got half the “Paradise Hot Brown” and half the “Pan-Fried Pecan Chicken” and two very yummy sides – “Baked Mac & Cheese” and “Fresh south green beans with bacon”… and because the waitress liked us so much (I mean come on, look at those faces) we got FREE cheese grits on the side! The food was ridiculously DELISH….. I literally died and went to “Paradise”… I swear it was some of the best home cooked food I’ve ever ate. The chicken and turkey were so tender, the sauces were so rich and creamy, and loads of cheese can never hurt!

So… right when my pants were beginning to feel a bit tight (I was literally scared to get up, thinking I might rip my jeans because I ate so much) the manager came over and started talking to us. Turns out she is from Pennsylvania and because she liked us SO much, she gave us each a “Bourbon Ball Milkshake” – frosty, creamy confection of vanilla ice cream, Woodford Reserve Bourbon, semi-sweet chocolate chips and walnuts, topped with whipped cream ON THE HOUSE! It was so good…rich with chocolate…but I’m not a bourbon drinker and there was definitely plenty of bourbon mixed in!

I give Lynn’s Paradise two HUGE thumbs up for warm hospitality, incredible food, awesome décor and the coolest sunglasses I’ve ever seen! (Yes, these are available for purchase in their gift store). So, the next time you’re in Kentucky be sure and stop by for a visit…and I highly suggest wearing stretchy pants! AJ, thank you so much for letting me have some fun and blog all about my visit… I hope I made you proud!