Chefs, restaurants compete in 'Hot Brown Showdown' at Waterfront Park

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Who makes the best Hot Brown? That's what competitors at inaugural Hot Brown Showdown decided at the Waterfront Park on Sunday afternoon.

A Hot Brown is traditionally a hot, open-faced sandwich made with Texas toast, thick-sliced turkey, cheesy Mornay sauce, crispy bacon and tomatoes that originated in Louisville in the 1920s.

More than a dozen local chefs and restaurants showcased their Hot Brown.

Competing restaurants and caterers served two-ounce servings of their unique take on the Hot Brown. Attendees voted on their favorite dish, and there was also a panel of judges.

"We asked the chefs competing to take their variation of it," Erin Gillespie, who organized the event, said. "So we've got a taco, an eggroll, a wanton, and all they had to do was stay true to the original ingredients and create their own variation for it."

Proceeds from the event benefited Phase Four of Waterfront Park.

The first-ever Louisville Hot Brown Week begins Monday. More than a dozen local restaurants are offering Hot Browns between $10 to $12 from Oct. 24-30.

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