Before Zagat’s dining guides and Yelp, there was Duncan Hines. Not the cake mix but the man who lent his name to the mix. Duncan Hines was a traveling salesman who ate in countless restaurants, inns and roadside dives. He decided to share his experiences and recommendations in 1936 in his first publication when he penned Adventures in Good Eating. It was a first of its kind, an unbiased restaurant guide to help travelers find a decent meal. Within those first pages was one of Duncan’s earliest recommendations, the Beaumont Inn.

Duncan, who was also a native Kentuckian, wrote, “Now write this down for the people in Kentucky. I’ll be happy to get home and eat two-year–old ham, cornbread, beaten biscuits, pound cake, yellow-leg fried chicken and corn pudding. And you can say what I think is the best place in Kentucky: Beaumont Inn at Harrodsburg.”

The “Classic Dinner” is the signature plate at the Beaumont Inn.

Duncan Hines would be pleased to know the Beaumont Inn still cooks the same food using its vintage recipes, which he and other Southern cuisine fans crave. And there’s a reason for that. The Beaumont Inn has remained a family operation—the same family– for the past 98-years, making it Kentucky’s oldest family-operated country inn. It’s a distinction, combined with its reputation for excellent southern food, that has made it a winner in the 2015 when the Inn was honored with the James Beard Foundation’s American Classics Award.

The prestigious Beard award recognizes regional restaurants that are distinguished by their timeless appeal and quality food that reflects the character of its community. The signature plate that brings the Beaumont Inn these accolades is its “Classic Dinner,” an overflowing plate of Yellow-legged Fried Chicken and Two-year-old Kentucky- cured Country Ham, seasoned Green Beans and Corn Pudding. It’s the plate to order to savor an experience that hasn’t changed since Duncan took his first bite back back in the 1930s.

At the Beaumont Inn, you’ll taste the southern fried difference. They are flavors that are uniquely American produced by pan-frying chicken in a cast iron skillet that yields a moist crisp yard bird worth crowing about. And let’s not forget the country ham, an earthy, salty flavor not always appreciated by those unaccustomed to its taste. Yet for those who love real country ham this is the real McCoy, ranking among the nation’s best, which can only be improved, in my opinion, with a little red eye gravy.

Fascinating History

The Beaumont Inn was constructed in 1845 as Daughter’s College.

An interesting note is The Beaumont Inn’s history, which, for some, sits on hollowed ground. Built on the site of the old Greenville Springs Spa, the Main Inn of the Beaumont complex was constructed in 1845. Before being transformed into an Inn, it operated as Daughter’s Collaege before becoming Beaumont College, one of the South’s most prestigious girls’ schools. Glave and Annie Goddard, former instructors at the college, purchased the Beaumont for sentimental reasons in 1917. Shortly thereafter, they converted it into an Inn. The Goddard’s daughter, Pauline Goddard Dedman, followed her mother in running the inn, which is now operated

by the fifth generation of Dedmans.

Bourbon and Cookbooks

Today, the Beaumont complex encompass four building, including The Old Owl Tavern, a place where bourbon fans can select and sample from more than 75 different bourbons. Bourbon aficionados will want to try Kentucky Owl; a small batch bourbon distilled by C.M. Dedman, the great, great grandfather of Dixon Dedman, the Beaumont’s current owner who revived the family’s bourbon brand.

Kentucky Owl Bourbon is distilled using the recipe reviving the Dedman family bourbon brand.

Newbies to bourbon, or those with an educated palate, will appreciate the Beaumont’s Innkeepers personalized bourbon tastings. The tastings are conducted by Dixon who explains the differences in flavor profiles, history and nuances of a featured flight spotlighting five to six distilleries. This experience is one of the best ways to explore Kentucky bourbons without having to leave the Inn. However, if you’re a bourbon fan you’ll want to hit the road and discover the nearby distillers for yourself. After all, Harrodsburg, where the Beaumont is located, is on Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail.

To experience the foods Duncan Hines craved, take a trip to Harrodsburg. Make dinner reservations at the Beaumont Inn and eat up. You can also check out the Inn’s new cookbook, Beaumont Inn Special Recipes Cookbook, containing tried and true never-before-published recipes which built the Beaumont Inn’s stellar culinary reputation. – by Suzanne Corbett, RFT Food History Editor

Read other articles by Suzanne Corbett, right here.