blogs: J.S. Holland 

Local coffee company Red Hot Roasters gets in the Derby spirit this year with a series of specialty muffins, available from April 26 to May 2. There's Mint Julep, Chocolate-Walnut "Kentucky Pie" (you know, like that other certain pie that dare not speak its name), and my personal favorite, Bourbon Ball. Sondra Powell, who operates Red Hot Roasters in two Louisville locations - one at 1402 Payne Street and another on Spalding University's campus - tries to use organic ingredients and local products as much as possible in her business. Her efforts have caught the attention of the Food Network, who have a write-up about the new line of limited-edition Kentucky Derby muffins and coffees in the new May 2010 issue of their magazine. Always nice to see Louisvillians getting national attention. (And if you're reading this from Tierra Del Fuego or somewhere, they'll even ship you muffins in the mail! Contact them at sales@redhotroasters.com.)

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Celebrity chef Guy Fieri will be in Louisville on Oaks Day, giving a live cooking demonstration of bourbon-based courses for the Marriott Oaks Bourbon Brunch 2010. Also on hand for the proceedings will be renowned pastry chef Gale Gand and mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim (as seen on Iron Chef America's "Battle Mango" on Food Network). The event is held every year as a fundraiser for the Home of the Innocents, with many items available via silent and live auction. It's only $125, and starts at 8am sharp on Oaks Day, at the Marriott Downtown (280 West Jefferson). Hobnob with Food Network celebrities and have bourbon for breakfast, all for a very good cause.

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	metricsister   wed apr 21 2010 at 3:49 pm         ·  I can't even look at Guy Fieri without getting nauseous. The idea of this man handling food is even nastier. Next year, get Bobby Flay instead.
	MustangGirl   thu apr 22 2010 at 8:23 pm         ·  Isn't Oaks on Apr 30th and the derby on May 1st?
	J.S. Holland   thu apr 22 2010 at 10:55 pm         ·  Hmmmm, yep. Weird. Whatever source I was looking at when I wrote that apparently got the date wrong, and I had no reason to doubt it since I don't really pay attention to the Derby or Oaks myself.
	MustangGirl   fri apr 23 2010 at 6:36 pm         ·  That's okay...you just have to remember you can't trust everything you read on the internet. ;)

So, see, there's this thing called "The Great Bed Races". Heard of it? Okay, I've never heard of it either. But apparently they do this every year for Derby, and this is their 20th anniversary. There's an official website about the event but after reading it three times, I still don't get it. It says that teams push decorated beds on wheels around the track, competing for the fastest times and best decorations. But the things they're pushing don't look like beds to me. They look like a cross between oversized pinebox-derby toy cars or miniature Mardi Gras floats. The site says, "The five-person teams dress in wild and crazy costumes to compete in this wacky task" and that last year they did it in pajamas. They say the idea is to get a bunch of your co-workers together and volunteer for the bed races. I dunno. Can't you get in hot water for asking a co-worker to run around in their pajamas pushing a bed in public? I've heard of sexual harassment suits filed for a whole lot less. And also, according to the official site: "Thousands of bed-racing enthusiasts gather to cheer on their favorite beds." Thousands of bed-racing enthusiasts, it says here. Seriously? The internet said it, I believe it, that settles it. Anyway, in order to help promote this nutty event is, well, some other event I've never heard of - The Pre-Bed Race Pajama Party. It's April 22nd at the Sports and Social Club. That's the place that took over Felt/Lucky Strike at 4th Street Live. So says their press release: "Wear your favorite pajamas and enjoy free appetizers. Participate in the Mattress & More Bed Making Competition for a chance to win a mattress set. Participate in themed contests including Best Bed Head, Best Snore and Best PJ's." Free appetizers and a chance to win a mattress? Honey, start the car! Pinch me, I'm dreaming! Dude, we are so there! Ahem. Cough. Snarkiness aside, though, maybe it would be a good place to take a date, so you can see each other in your jammies as a sort of, you know, icebreaker. (Do people still wear pajamas in this day and age?) Oh wait, it says here you have to be registered for the Bed Race in order to attend the party. Hmph. Well, that sucks. And it also defeats the entire purpose of where this blog entry was going. Oh well. Who knows, maybe the Bed Race thing might be your cup of tea. When Tom Waits said "I can really drive a bed", man, I don't think this is what he meant.

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On April 30, the "Playboy Celebrity Lounge" kicks off its Derby-eve celebration in Prime Lounge (104 West Main). You in? I'm in. Sara Jean Underwood, Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Year for 2007, will be special guest of honor, and there'll be tunes spun by DJ Vice, an internationally known DJ from Hollywood. It all starts at 10pm and carries on until 6am. Act fast, though - tickets are $100 per person and are likely to sell out in the coming days. For more information, call (502) 587-7463 or check out Prime Lounge's website. I had already been planning to do an extensive writeup on Prime Lounge, and this event looks like a good excuse to do so - look for further coverage on this classy joint in the days and weeks to come. If you haven't been to Prime yet, check it out - it's got a really good vibe inside, especially during the slow periods mid-afternoon. Their happy hour specials are extremely appealing to an old happyhourologist such as myself - $2 drinks on Fridays and $5 for an entire bottle of wine on Wednesdays. And they have a symbiotic relationship with Devino's Deli right next door, who offers some mighty fine 'za, among other delectables. Be there or be L-7. (And don't get any ideas about proposing marriage to Sara Jean, Borat-style. I got dibs, pal.)

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