Not a Brussels sprouts kinda guy? Prepare to be converted by The Rookwood chef Jackson Rouse during Monday’s Meet the Chef night at New Riff Distillery. Enjoy his beautifully caramelized sprouts with Spanish chorizo and date vinegar alongside the rest of his carefully paired tasting menu, which includes braised chicken thighs, Moroccan spiced kaboucha squash bisque and a frisee salad with apple, gouda and bacon. A close-up camera enables everyone to have a seat at the “chef’s table” to see how Rouse cooks and styles his farm-to-table culinary creations. His food is local, seasonal, comforting and hearty, and he has a childhood in farming community Burlington, Ky., to thank for that.
6-8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26. $50. 24 Distillery Way, Newport, Ky., newriffdistilling.com/events.
This article appears in Jan 14-20, 2015.