On the Road

Get To Know Lexington, Kentucky | Listen

Room to grow and lots to love in the Bluegrass region

Coles

Drive any direction from downtown Lexington and you’ll soon reach gently rolling countryside lined with miles of plank fencing. Lexington is the heart of horse country, and the bucolic farms that ring the city inform its character. So much so that, in 1958, Lexington became the first American city to establish an urban services boundary to help confine development and preserve its agricultural appeal.

While there’s perennial debate around weighing affordability with conservation as the city grows, striking a fine balance brings unique culinary benefits. Chefs here know the farmers by name and include a bounty of homegrown ingredients in their scratch-made cuisine. Tens of thousands of visitors congregate for the spring and fall racing meets at Keeneland and for horse sales, providing a weeks-long boost that chef Cole Arimes says outperforms the holidays. The University of Kentucky, international manufacturers, and bourbon-related tourism also attract guests with well-traveled palates.

The result is a boon of independently owned restaurants spanning most every taste and price point. If there’s a knock, it’s that there are too many barriers for younger chefs to try new concepts. “We need that kind of cooking talent in order to crack the top three,” says chef Ouita Michel (see sidebar).

Still, Lexington has plenty to build on.

Best Places to Eat and Drink

Provence

Best in the State: The Apiary

It’s worth timing your visit for when The Apiary, an elegant downtown event venue, opens its wrought-iron gate to the public for its periodic Omage dinners. Inspired by global destinations and endlessly creative, for an evening it’s the best restaurant in the state. the-apiary.com

Best Wine Program: Coles 735 Main

Coles 735 Main, founded in 2012 by chef Cole Arimes and recently recognized by Wine Spectator for its wine program, is a white-tablecloth destination that consistently delivers a refined yet relaxed experience. Pop in at the cozy bar for cocktails and conversation. coles735main.com

Best Speakeasy: Constitution

The word is out on speakeasys, but Constitution, an intimate and excellent cocktail lounge tucked away on a downtown side street, stands alone. Make a reservation for the bar and watch the precise ritual as bartender Rusty Wright crafts inventive riffs on the classics. constitutionbookstore.com

C St March Menu

Best Barbecue: Blue Door Smokehouse

Blue Door Smokehouse regulars waited anxiously as its owners recently shut down its smokers and moved the operation into larger digs on a burgeoning stretch of National Avenue known as the Warehouse Block. Rest easy; this no-frills staple still offers the best ’cue in town. bluedoorsmokehouse.com

Best Neighborhood Newcomer: The Obstinate Sons

Dexter Murray’s parents, founders of the iconic Merrick Inn, warned him away from the restaurant business. Good thing he and chef Cannon Applegate didn’t listen. The Obstinate Sons brings refined vitality to the downtown-adjacent Chevy Chase neighborhood with a deep bench of bourbon drinks and seasonal, Southern-accented menu. theobstinatesons.com

Best Post-Track Dinner: Distilled on Jefferson

After the races, for a special occasion, or simply for a high-quality meal made with locally sourced ingredients, Distilled on Jefferson offers an intimate atmosphere and well-composed dishes, including a porcini dry rub filet, fried chicken, and she-crab soup. distilledonjefferson.com

Best Ice Cream: Crank & Boom Craft Ice Cream

Crank & Boom Craft Ice Cream has two locations, but head to the original on Manchester Street, where owners Toa and Mike Green helped pioneer the transformation of a long-blighted area into today’s bustling Distillery District, for classic and exotic flavors made with farm-fresh ingredients. crankandboom.com

Best Comfort Food: The Stave

The Stave restaurant and bourbon bar sits on a scenic stretch of rural McCracken Pike between Castle & Key and Woodford Reserve distilleries. Whether you’re craving a smoked bologna sandwich or blackened catfish and grits, the down-home menu is designed for comfort. thestavekentucky.com

Biggest Claim to Fame

Kentucky Culinary Ambassador Ouita Michel

When Ouita Michel and her husband, Chris, opened Midway’s Holly Hill Inn in 2001, Michel quickly distinguished herself among a foundational group of local restaurateurs taking traditional Southern cuisine in fresh directions.

More than two decades later, their homegrown family of restaurants today includes Windy Corner Market and Wallace Station—outposts for sandwiches, soups, and other tasty treats—along with Midway Bakery & Cafe, Smithtown Seafood, Zim’s Cafe, The Thirsty Fox, Honeywood, and a recently opened cooking studio. Michel published her first cookbook, Just a Few Miles South (Fireside Industries), in 2021.

While she’s been lauded with accolades (most recently representing the US Culinary Corps in Bahrain), Kentucky’s culinary ambassador is more comfortable shining a light on her community, the Kentucky Proud agricultural program, and especially on up-and-coming chefs and independent entrepreneurs, who may feel squeezed by shutdowns, inflation, labor costs, risings rents, and other well-publicized barriers.

“Across the country, I think younger people have been intimidated out of the restaurant business,” Michel says. “We’re recovering some of that talent, but we still need to grow.”

Where to Stay

The Manchester
The hotel’s clubby, open-concept lobby feels like both an updated homage to Lexington’s gilded past and a glimpse into its not-to-distant future. A handsome bar stocked with Kentucky’s favorite spirit sits where a traditional check-in desk might be, just outside Granddam restaurant serving upscale, Appalachian-inspired fare. Head to the rooftop for downtown views, tiki-inspired cocktails, and a mid-century Miami vibe at Lost Palm. Guest rooms, painted a deep, soothing blue and with comfortable appointments, continue the theme, and the location—equidistant from the Distillery District and the newly remodeled convention center, where Gatton Park on the Town Branch is taking shape—can’t be beat. themanchesterky.com

The Manchester Matt Kisiday Lost Palm

Where to Shop

Justins’ House of Bourbon

“Where can I buy good bourbon?” is a question many visitors ask. The answer is Justins’ House of Bourbon. Located downtown and stocked with a selection of barrel picks, modern labels, and vintage bottles, it’s equal parts bourbon museum, bottle shop, and tasting bar. thehouseofbourbon.com

Cibon

The new wine and specialty food shop in the Southland Drive retail corridor neatly fills the gap between café and grab-and-go gourmet. Stop in for a well-curated selection of cheeses, meats, olives, and bar-cart items, or linger over a glass of chablis and a charcuterie board. cibonlexington.com

Lexington Farmers Market

Held seasonally on Saturdays in an open-air pavilion downtown, Sundays on Southland Drive, Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Warehouse Block, and Wednesdays in Gardenside, the market features a festival-like atmosphere as patrons interact with farmers, vendors, and artisans. lexingtonfarmersmarket.com

On the Road

Lexington

Lexington, Kentucky, boasts hoppin’ craft breweries, an array of dining options ranging from downhome to highbrow, and some seriously locavore chefs.

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