Cody Stone, part of the original 2005 sous chef team that launched Proof on Main at 21c Museum Hotel’s flagship Louisville property, has now returned to Proof on Main to serve as the restaurant’s executive chef. Most recently, Stone served as the executive chef at Decca restaurant in Louisville’s booming “NuLu” neighborhood.
With the guiding principle of embracing life’s most present moments, Stone’s influence comes primarily from the seasonality of nature. An emphasis on sourcing ingredients from the Ohio River Valley connects his dishes back to the region and allows local bounty the chance to shine through globally-inspired flavor profiles. In a city often described as the South’s northernmost outpost (or the most southern Midwestern town), traditional dishes of the American South and Appalachia are often the starting point but become reinvented with contemporary techniques and global influence.
One of the things that excites Stone the most about his serendipitous return to the Proof on Main kitchen is his ability to pursue continued creative freedom in his menus. He avoids categorizing himself into one distinct style of cuisine, but has a marked interest in both Mediterranean and Italian techniques. “I just want to bring it full circle. [Proof on Main] has evolved in its style over the years, as things always do, but I’m looking forward to bringing it back to its roots. Because really, it’s the same as my roots.”
