Your information to twenty new (or coming quickly!) native eateries
NOW OPEN
Agave & Rye
123 N. Broadway • www.agaveandrye.com
(859) 523-1170 • Open for lunch and dinner Mon.-Solar.
The taco and tequila corridor Agave & Rye has opened a second Lexington location, within the downtown venue that almost all not too long ago housed Saul Good. The idea began in Covington, Ky., in Feb. 2018, and opened a second location inside two years, at Lexington’s Fayette Mall. It has since expanded its footprint to 10 places in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee and Alabama.
With a enjoyable, colourful inside design influenced by road artwork and “maximalism,” the restaurant is thought for its “epic tacos,” a reference to each the dimensions and atypical fillings of the double-shelled tacos, which have a crunchy corn shell inside a flour tortilla. Clients can select from round 20 tacos on the menu, that includes fillings that vary from butter-and-garlic lobster and beer-battered mahi-mahi to bourbon shrimp, barbacoa pork and peppercorn kangaroo (sure, precise kangaroo). A wide range of chips and dips, “not a taco” gadgets and artistic margaritas and craft cocktails additionally grace the menu. The restaurant/bar is open till midnight Mon.-Wed. and 1 a.m. Thurs.-Sat.
Athens Lunchroom
6270 Athens Walnut Hill Street
athens-lunchroom.sq..web site • (859) 263-8533
Open for lunch Mon.-Fri. and brunch on the second Sat. and Solar. of the month
Longtime restaurateur and Lexington native Frank Bickel has opened a fast-casual restaurant within the circa-1927 former schoolhouse that additionally hosts the month-to-month Athens Schoolhouse Antiques Present. Specializing in weekday lunches – and occasional brunches coinciding with the antiques present –, the menu consists of contemporary sandwiches in addition to salads, vegan choices, desserts and baked items. Sizzling gadgets are ready by the “Lunch Woman Squad,” led by head chef Jesus Gonzales, who provides a Cuban contact to the menu with specialties that embody a signature Cuban sandwich, a Cuban Sloppy Joe, black beans and rice and Ropa Vieja, a conventional Cuban dish that includes shredded beef in a tomato sauce. The vacation spot eatery additionally provides grab-and-go gadgets, wine, signature cocktails and beer. A daily breakfast menu and different expanded companies are within the works.
The Creole Café (carryout solely)
833 Georgetown St., Ste 110
www.fb.com/CreoleCafe859 • (859) 554 5148
Hours topic to alter – test Fb web page for up to date information
Specializing in carryout meals (with restricted outside seating throughout warm-weather months), new Georgetown Road eatery The Creole Café options quite a lot of Creole seafood-oriented dishes, together with alfredo pasta, po’ boys, lobster rolls, lobster melts, Creole Cajun boil varieties, actual lump crab muffins and extra.
Creole lobster mac-and-cheese and king crab legs with a aspect of creole butter had been featured on a latest social media publish, and the menu additionally options fried oysters, deep fried whiting, cod, catfish and shrimp, in addition to combos that includes king crab, snow crab and crawfish. Sides embody Creole pink potatoes, corn and cornbread fritter. On-line ordering is obtainable for pickup and supply inside specified hours.
Condado Tacos
114 Summit At Fritz Farm, #110 • www.condadotacos.com
(859) 368-7711 • Open for lunch and dinner Mon.-Solar.
The build-your-own taco franchise Condado Tacos opened its first Kentucky location in September at The Summit at Fritz Farm, with specialty tacos that includes gentle, laborious or seasoned shells stuffed with hen, beef, pork and vegetarian/vegan fillings, sauces and toppings.
The brightly coloured restaurant additionally options a formidable choice of chip-and-dip choices, with queso choices that embody blanco, elote, chorizo, smoked cheddar and “soiled” (hen, black beans, onions and “soiled” sauce) and guacamole kinds that embody conventional, pineapple and pico, in addition to 4 sorts of salsas. Margaritas, draft beer, sangria, wine and quite a lot of non-alcoholic drinks, together with horchata and agua fresca, are additionally accessible.
DV8 Kitchen – East Finish
594 E. Third St. Ste. 100 • www.dv8kitchen.com
(859) 832-0388 • Open for breakfast and lunch Mon.-Solar.
In August, the Lexington-based restaurant DV8 Kitchen opened a second location, in The Met, a brand new mixed-use venue on the nook of Third Road and Midland Avenue. The restaurant operates on a mission to make use of these in restoration from substance use dysfunction, and focuses on a high-quality lunch and breakfast menu with an in-house bakery that produces quite a lot of in-house baked items comprised of scratch, together with croissant-style cinnamon rolls, 12-grain and Sourdough bread, brioche buns, croissants, home made cookies and southern biscuits. The restaurant provides all-day breakfast sandwiches, different conventional breakfast gadgets in addition to salads, burgers, tacos and sandwiches in a vibrant, informal ambiance. Out of doors seating is obtainable throughout warm-weather months.
Fiddletree Kitchen & Bar (inside Elwood Resort & Suites)
444 Parkway Dr. • www.theelwoodhotel.com
(859) 544-1001 • Open for breakfast Tues.-Fri., brunch Sat. and Solar. and dinner Tues.-Solar.; closed Mondays
Positioned off South Broadway within the foyer of Elwood Resort & Suites, a brand new boutique lodge that opened in September, Fiddletree Kitchen & Bar is a classy and classy bar and restaurant that’s simply as welcoming to Lexington residents as it’s to lodge visitors.
With a vibrant and smooth inside and contemporary, artistic menu, the enterprise is at present open for breakfast and dinner most days. Based on its web site, Fiddletree provides “the artisan carefree really feel of an all-day café, reflecting a cushty and artistic place the place individuals collect to satisfy, eat, discuss and chill out.”
The menu is designed to alter seasonally; latest choices included a cheese plate, and nation ham biscuit on the appetizer menu, quite a lot of salads, dinner entrees that included salmon with creme fraiche and pearled barley, a backyard gnocchi, steak skillet and extra, and desserts that embody a churro bowl, strawberry shortcake and salted peanut butter tarts. The menu additionally options craft cocktails, wine and beer and day by day breakfast and weekend brunch menus.
Hola Havana
115 N. Locust Hill • www.hola-havana.com
(859) 523-6276 • Open for dinner Mon.-Sat., and lunch and dinner Solar.
The genuine Cuban eatery Hola Havana opened in late November, with quite a lot of pork, hen, beef and vegetarian menu choices. Diners can kick off their meals with appetizers that embody fried yucca bites and meat, hen or vegetable empanadas. The menu additionally options a number of contemporary salad choices, together with a tropical salad with avocado, mango and orange French dressing, and a “Madre Tierra” (Mom Earth) salad with blended greens, almonds and feta cheese.
In fact the menu provides a conventional Cuban sandwich; different sandwich choices embody a Cuban Philly sandwich or a torta. A number of kinds of tacos and camarones (shrimp) are additionally accessible, in addition to tostones (smashed and fried inexperienced plantains). For dessert there are churros stuffed with Bavarian cream, candy plantains and custard.
On the drink menu, you’ll discover quite a lot of beer and wines, sangria, cocktails and margaritas, mojitos and daiquiris, together with sodas, espresso and tropical shakes.
Kenwick Desk
201 Owsley Ave. • www.kenwicktable.com
(859) 407-1585 • Hours: 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Thurs.; 7 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Fri.; 8 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Sat.; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Solar.
Kenwick Desk is a espresso store and wine bar that opened this fall within the Kenwick neighborhood.
Normal supervisor Savannah Cox described how the preliminary inspiration for the idea struck, when Kenwick resident and proprietor Rett McGoodwin was snowboarding in Breckenridge, Colo., a number of years in the past.
“[He] visited a breakfast joint that had a number of individuals lined as much as sit at a group desk,” she stated. “Intrigued, he discovered the restaurant incentivized its patrons to sit down at this desk, permitting for a myriad of individuals to satisfy and socialize from all around the world.”
Throughout renovations, McGoodwin, a longtime Kenwick resident with a background in panorama design, used the constructing’s authentic wooden rafters to create an identical group desk, the place individuals can collect to take pleasure in quite a lot of espresso drinks, pastries and baked items from Epping’s on Eastside and Martine’s, and savory choices that embody casseroles and soups from Selma’s Kitchen. At 5 p.m. through the week, bourbon, wine and craft beer turn into accessible on the menu. The menu consists of drinks named after streets within the neighborhood, together with the Lincoln Lavender Latte, the Cramer Campfire and the Monroe mimosa (additionally dubbed the Monrosa).
Reside music on the weekends and different occasional group occasions assist add to the ambiance of this new neighborhood gathering place.
Maty’s Genuine Peruvian Delicacies
4371 Outdated Harrodsburg Street, Ste. 160 • www.matysapc.com
(859) 303-8004 • Open for lunch and dinner Tues.-Sat. and 11:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. on Solar.; closed Mondays
The flavors of Peru greet diners at Maty’s Genuine Peruvian Delicacies, which opened in late November 2021.
Chef/proprietor Maria Rivera, who’s initially from Lima, Peru, however has lived in Lexington since 2003, stated she has been cooking since she was 11 years outdated. She was taught by her father, who underscored the significance of utilizing solely the freshest elements. At her informal Peruvian eatery, diners can dive into Papa a la Hauncaina (“Huancayo model” potatoes), that are boiled yellow potatoes coated in a spicy and creamy yellow cheese sauce topped with hard-boiled eggs and black olives, in addition to quite a lot of soups and meat-and-rice based mostly predominant dishes.
“The star dishes I believe would be the number of ceviches and the Lomo Saltado – beef with sauteed onions, tomatoes and Peruvian peppers,” Rivera stated, including that the saltado additionally is available in hen and mushroom varieties.
Pita Pit
543 S. Limestone • www.pitapitusa.com
(859) 327-3599 • Hours: 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. • Mon.-Sat.; closed Sundays
After an extended hiatus from Lexington, the Pita Pit franchise is again on the town with a brand new campus-area location. The fast-casual eatery makes a speciality of customizable pita sandwiches, bowls and salads with greater than 20 pita fillings and 40 toppings. Diners can construct their meal by customizing the proteins, veggies and different toppings.
Along with its lunch and dinner choices, Pita Pit provides all-day breakfast pitas with selection of bacon, ham and steak with egg. A wide range of specialty pitas and salads are listed on the menu, together with Baja hen, tremendous Greek with “schug” sauce, brown rice and quinoa bowls together with bruschetta and Hula Teriyaki varieties, and sides like “quesapitas,” chips and cookies.
Porterhouse BBQ (inside Greyline Station)
101 W. Loudon Ave. Ste. 110 • www.fb.com/theporterhousebbq
(859) 806-0952 • Hours: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. Wed.-Thurs.; 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Fri.-Solar; closed Mondays and Tuesdays
Porterhouse BBQ proprietor Tadd Porter started smoking meals for family and friends, greater than 20 years in the past, finally graduating to a smoker trailer and meals truck.
Not too long ago, his longtime dream of working a conventional restaurant got here true, when he opened the doorways to a brick-and-mortar location inside Greyline Station.
“Diners can anticipate actual wooden fired BBQ, Porter stated. “No shortcuts right here.” His smoker – which sits simply outdoors the restaurant for everybody to see and scent – stays lit from Tuesday via Sunday each week.
“We consistently feed it and watch it the old-fashioned method, with entire logs of hickory and oak,” he added. “It’s laborious work and time-consuming, however I believe individuals discover it in our meals.”
The day by day menu options a minimum of 5 totally different meats, equivalent to ribs and brisket, in addition to 4 to 5 sides, all made contemporary day by day, with weekly specials starting from smoked bologna to smoked salmon.
Rise Up Pizza (inside Greyline Station)
101 W. Loudon Ste. 112 • www.riseuppizza.com
(859) 407-2697 • Hours: Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-9 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Solar. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
With quirky social media posts and equally unconventional pizza varieties, Rise Up Pizza chef/proprietor Matty Evans infuses persona in the whole lot he does.
In relation to making pizza, Evans could be very explicit – and affected person – about his strategies and elements.
“We make our dough in home,” Evans stated. “It’s an 18-hour course of after which it will get a three-day chilly rise. I exploit a mix of bread flour, entire wheat and rye.”
His sourdough starter, named Audrey II (a “Little Store of Horrors” reference), was born on Derby Day in 2013, and is equally finicky.
“She solely accepts Kentucky all-purpose flour from Weisenberger Mills,” Evans stated.
Evans designed his rocket range designed pizza oven himself, reaching a toasty 700 levels Fahrenheit to prepare dinner pizzas rapidly.
His signature pizza is the Roberta Beesting – a pepperoni pizza with contemporary mozzarella completed with a honey habanero discount. The menu additionally options margherita/basil, mozzarella/olive oil signature pizzas and two weekly specials.
“When you’re not adventurous, attempt one of many classics,” Evans stated. “When you belief your chef, attempt one of many specials.”
The Salad Bar (inside Greyline Station / Julietta Market)
101 W. Loudon Ste. 112 • the-salad-bar-llc.enterprise.web site
(859) 474-0446 • Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Fri.; noon-7 p.m. Sat.; noon-5 p.m. Solar.; closed Mondays
Companions Maya McCutchens and Taji Wadkins opened The Salad Bar, a fast-casual “to-go” idea that gives contemporary and artistic salads, soups, sandwiches, charcuterie boards and different wholesome meals inside Greyline Station’s Julietta Market earlier this 12 months. Signature salads embody Apple Rooster Walnut with Teriyaki dressing; a carrot salad with spinach, shredded carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, inexperienced peppers and a carrot ranch dressing; a vegan salad with shiitake mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, inexperienced peppers, tofu, raisins and different toppings on a lettuce and micro-green combination with a candy balsamic French dressing; and a number of other others. Patrons even have the choice of constructing their very own salad or sandwich from quite a lot of contemporary elements supplied. Seating is obtainable contained in the frequent areas of Greyline Station.
Zuckerman’s Delicatessen (inside Lynagh’s)
384 Woodland Ave. • www.zuckermansdeli.com
(859) 255-1292 • Hours: 3-7:30 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.
Zuckerman’s Delicatessen, a brand new Jewish delicatessen, has opened throughout the longstanding campus-area Irish pub Lynagh’s.
Although Lynagh’s Pub has been in its present location since 1984, Amy Messer has been its proprietor since 2017, and started working the deli from the pub in fall 2021 to supply the group with the Jewish consolation meals she associates with optimistic, heat recollections on particular celebration days.
These dishes embody deep fried potato latkes and spicy black pepper-rubbed pastrami, each of which Messer stated took plenty of testing and tasting to excellent.
“Most individuals have the latke with bitter cream, however I at all times encourage individuals to attempt them with applesauce – an ideal mixture,” she stated.
She stated future menu gadgets embody knishes, borscht, kreplach, chopped liver and smoked fish salad. Vacation menus might also be created for individuals to complete and serve at dwelling.
Advance orders are inspired and could be positioned on-line.
