Visitors to the Kentucky Derby have to choose more than just the winners of the races -- they also have to decide whether to drink mint juleps or go for straight bourbon. (Perhaps the julep during the race and the bourbon once you lose your bets.) What do these imbibers eat when they're suffering a hangover the next day? Most likely the Hot Brown, the sandwich that has been an institution since its inception at Louisville's Brown Hotel in 1926.

The sandwich was originally conceived as an alternative to the ham and eggs that the hotel's kitchen served to dancers in the wee hours of morning. It's described on the menu as roast turkey, toast points, Mornay sauce, Parmesan, finished with bacon and tomatoes. Sounds simple enough. That may not prepare you for what arrives: strips of bacon crossed on an open face sandwich, with a shocking amount of creamy sauce, all served in a brown pot that's straight from the broiler. It's quite something: intensely rich and almost impossible to finish. The menu doesn't mention the amount of butter and eggs they use -- which is wise, once you see the recipe. Yet somehow one still finds room for Derby Pie. -- DAVID COGGINS

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