The Courier Journal Dinner Series Returns with an Event at Proof on Main: How to Get Tickets

Cody Stone remembers not being so sure about fast food chicken nuggets.

They didn’t taste exactly like the chicken nuggets young Stone was used to, the ones his mother served at their Louisville home.

He later realized the reason.

Although she was a single mother, she made a point of preparing over-the-top meals, so crab legs and steaks were more the norm than perhaps what was on the typical ’90s kid’s plate.

Stone didn’t learn until later that, thanks to his mother, Lisa, he had been treated to homemade chicken livers while his classmates ate McDonald’s.

Cody Stone is the executive chef of Proof on Main restaurant inside the 21c Museum Hotel in downtown Louisville.

The chef now points to his mother’s cooking as the reason for his success.

More than 20 years into his culinary career, Stone is still drawn to “outside the box” ideas in cooking, he told the Courier Journal. A “creative freedom” led Stone to his first career in Test in main702 W. Main St., in the early 2000s, when Stone rose from grill cook to sous chef.

After four years at Proof, he left the downtown restaurant to work at other Louisville locations and then took a step away from the food scene.

When Stone got the urge to get back into the kitchen, she applied for a job. He now refers to this movement as a kind of destiny. He started as executive chef at Proof on Main shortly before the Kentucky Derby in 2023.

Inside the Proof on Main restaurant at the 21c Museum Hotel in downtown Louisville.

The creative spirit of at Proof, within the 21c Museum HotelIt was a big reason for taking the job.

“Anything we want to do, we can do it there,” Stone told the Courier Journal. “The sky is the limit.”

Stone will bring that adventurous sensibility and fierce seasonality to an upcoming At The Table dinner presented in partnership with The Courier Journal.

The event, scheduled for Jan. 31, will mark the second event in the ticketed dinner series. The inaugural dinner was held at The fat lamb2011 Grinstead Drive, in November with a menu curated by chef Dallas McGarity.

The lounge inside Proof on Main restaurant, located in the 21c Museum Hotel in downtown Louisville.

Stone said he was excited about the storytelling aspect of the series and created a four-course menu inspired by “what winter has to offer.” Just like your mother’s kitchen, guests can expect innovative dishes in an intimate dining experience.

Read on for details on the dinner and how to get tickets.

When is the ‘At the Table’ event at Proof on Main?

The dining room of Proof on Main restaurant inside the 21c Museum Hotel in downtown Louisville.

The Courier Journal’s second At the Table dining event will take place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, January 31 at Proof on Main inside the 21c Museum Hotel, 702 W. Main St.

How much do tickets cost for the ‘At the Table’ event at Proof on Main?

Proof on Main Restaurant is located inside the 21c Museum Hotel in downtown Louisville.

Tickets are $200 per person, which includes drink pairings and tax. Tickets can be purchased at courier-journal.com/AtTheTable/

What’s on the At The Table dinner menu at Proof on Main?

Try Main at the 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky

Stone said he wanted to “highlight the great seasonality” of Kentucky cuisine for this late January dinner, during a time “when what it offers is often not appreciated.”

“These dishes are hearty, rich and nutritious to warm the soul,” he said. “They are meant to make us feel whole again.”

Here’s what you can expect:

First course: Baby Kale Salad with Citrus, Fennel, and Buttermilk Vinaigrette
Second course: Raw Hamachi with kumquats and turnips
Third course: Petit Filet with potato terrine, mushrooms and taleggio
Dessert: Tiramisu with mascarpone, devil’s cake