How to Eat Lunch Like a Lexington Local
I get a whole lot of emails and texts and Facebook messages asking where to eat lunch in Lexington. The truth is, I have a bad habit of sticking to two or three favorite lunch spots that remind me of all the fun I had as a student or a young professional in the LEX. So, I reached out to several Lexington locals to see where they're eating lunch these days. If you're planning a trip to the LEX soon, click here to download a printable version and try a few of these restaurants out for yourself!
North Lexington
Windy Corner Market
The Po Boys are legendary!
4595 Bryan Station Rd
Mon-Fri 7 am – 8:30 pm; Sat-Sun 9 am – 8:30 pm
Downtown
Stella’s Kentucky Deli
Get the Griff Burger!
143 Jefferson St
Mon-Fri 10:30 am- 4pm; Sat-Sun 9 am – 9 pm
Limestone Blue
Don’t miss the Achy Breaky Heart!
133 N Limestone
Mon-Fri 10:30 am – 10 pm; Sat 9:30 am – 10 pm; Sun 10 am – 3 pm
Lexington Diner
Alton Brown recommends the Kentucky Nachos!
124 N. Upper
Mon-Sat 8 am – 3 pm; Sun 10 am – 3 pm.
Buddha Lounge
Best sushi in town!
109 N Mill
Mon – Fri 11am – 10 pm; Sat 6 pm - 2 am
Doodle’s
The Pigs and Puffs are a must!
262 N Limestone
Tues-Sun 8 am – 2 pm; Closed Mondays
Sawyer’s Downtown Bar & Grill
Lexington’s favorite hamburger!
325 W Main Street
Mon-Wed 11 am- 3 pm; Thur-Sat 11 am- 7:30 pm
Nat's
The best Thai food in town!
111 S Upper St
Mon- Fri 12 pm – 3 pm; 5 pm – 10 pm; Sat 5 pm – 10 pm; Closed Sunday
Lockbox
Order the Griddled PBT!
167 W Main St
Mon– Thurs 7am-10am, 11 am – 2pm, 5:30 pm – 10 pm; Fri 7am-10am, 11 am – 2pm, 5:30 pm – 11 pm; Sat 7 am – 2 pm; 5:30 pm – 11 pm; Sun 7 am – 2 pm; 5:30 pm – 9 pm.
Wine + Market
Duck confit and bleu cheese on ciabatta, please!
486 W Second St
Mon-Sat 10AM - 8PM; Sun 1PM - 6PM
Campus/ Chevy Chase
Blue Door Smokehouse
Don’t miss the brisket!
226 Walton Ave
Mon-Thur 11 am – 3pm; Fri-Sat 11 am – 8 pm; Closed Sunday (Or until Meat sells out!)
Joe Bologna’s
Seriously, you need to order a breadstick!
120 W Maxwell St
Mon-Tues 11 am – 9 pm; Wed-Thurs 11 am – 10 pm; Fri-Sat 11 am – 11 pm; Sun 11 am – 10 pm.
Sav’s Grill
Where else can you find authentic West African food in Lexington?
304 S. Limestone
Mon-Sun 11 am – 9 pm
National Provisions
They had me at hamburgers and macarons.
710 National Ave
Mon and Sat 7 am – 10 pm; Tue – Fri, Sun 8 am – 10 pm
Campus/ Chevy Chase
Josie’s
Everybody’s favorite Chevy Chase lunch spot!
821 Chevy Chase Place
Mon - Sat 8 AM - 9 PM, Sun 8 am - 2 pm
Tomo
The Sushi Lunch Plate is the best deal in town!
848 East High Street
Mon-Thur 11 am – 10 pm; Fri 11 am – 10: 30 pm; Saturday 5:30 pm – 10:30 pm; Closed Sunday
Tates Creek
The Mousetrap
Best pimiento cheese in Kentucky!
3323 Tates Creek Rd
Local Chains
Athenian Grill
Lexington’s favorite Greek restaurant!
313 S Ashland Ave; 115 N Locust Hill Dr
Ramsey’s
Southern-style favorites!
4391 Old Harrodsburg Rd; 3090 Helmsdale Pl; 4053 Tates Creek Centre Dr; 151 W Zandale Dr
Mon-Fri 11 am – 11 pm; Sat-Sun 9 am – 11 pm
Vinaigrette
The best salads in town!
1781 Sharkey Way Suite 115; 113 N Broadway
11am-9pm M-Sa, 12pm - 8pm Sun
What are your favorite Lexington lunch spots?
Celebrate College Colors Day in Style!
Fashionable ways to cheer on Kentucky's college football teams!
Happy College Colors Day, y'all! I am just so excited that it's starting to look like fall, and that college football is back! I am so excited to be wearing my Kentucky Blue for College Colors Day, and I picked out a few great ideas for my friends who cheer on all the Kentucky D1 College Teams!
Draper James Tailgate Essentials
Have you seen the newest batch of tailgate-inspired items from Reece Witherspoon's Draper James line? So, so cute, y'all. I feel like the scarf is going to be necessary as the weather gets cooler.
Go Big Blue!
Now, if you've been reading HerKentucky for any time at all, it's no surprise that I ride or die with the Kentucky Wildcats, even if football isn't exactly our premiere athletic program. UK will always feel like the home team for me, in any sport. I lived in Lexington for over a decade, my beau and I hold three graduate degrees from UK, and I grew up on stories of my grandfather and his siblings attending the University in the '30s. The 'Cats and I, we go way back.
I personally believe that there's no such thing as taking your
Go Cards!
Y'all, I don't care what team you rep or what part of the Commonwealth you hail from. That Louisville win was ridic last night. Lamar Jackson was on fire, and my Cardinals fan friends were jubilant. That win deserves several days' worth of team-inspired outfits!!
Cheer on your Kentucky team!
Most of us can find a reason to cheer for just about every Kentucky college, if we look hard enough for a link. My parents each hold degrees from Morehead AND EKU. I have plenty of friends with ties to WKU and Murray State. And the list goes on. There are so many cute ways to rep your team. A Tervis Tumbler and a cap are, of course, standard equipment.
Let me know in the comments below what team you're repping today, and don't forget to visit the College Colors Day website to enter to win a trip to the 2017 National Championship Game! (please note that this post contains affiliate links.)
Whiskey Wednesday: Buffalo Trace Sundae Funday!
This ice cream sundae is definitely not for kids!
When we visited Buffalo Trace earlier this summer, I picked up a bottle of Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream. This liqueur is absolutely delicious, a melding of bourbon with cream and vanilla. Take it to the next level by pouring it over a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream and, if you're feeling festive, serve it up in a julep cup! (This Louisville Stoneware julep cup is from the Buffalo Trace gift shop!)
Cheers, y'all!
Great Ways to Spend #NationalDogDay with Your Best Friend
I legitimately can't imagine how I'd get through the day without my dogs. They're my alarm clocks, my personal trainers, my neighborhood watch, my therapists, and, of course, my best friends! If you're anything like me, then National Dog Day is just another day, because your furriest buddies are spoiled every day!
Still, it never hurts to acknowledge that your pooch is the absolute best. So, I gathered up a few of the cutest pups I know to share a few great ways to spend National Dog Day with your best friend!
Go for a special treat!
My friend Willie enjoys a Puppy Latte from Starbucks. Follow Willie's Insta-antics at @lilwilliestyle!
Savvy dog-owners know that a "puppy latte" is Starbucks-speak for a little cup of whipped cream, just for your dog! Here in Louisville, Three Dog Bakery and Barkstown Road have a fantastic assortment of cookies and treats! Lexington's Bluegrass Barkery is another favorite for fresh treats and customized food!
Let Them Tag Along!
Max and I took in some Shakespeare at Nashville's Centennial Park in 2007.
My dogs love to tag along. It can be fun to take a well-behaved dog along on a road trip or an outing! Just remember to keep them cool and hydrated and give them plenty of exercise!
Max loved Beale Street in Memphis!
Make it a Yappy Hour!
Coals Pizza in St Matthews hosts a Yappy Hour on their patio every Wednesday!
Check with your favorite restaurant, cafe, or bar to see if patio seating is available for your pooch! Your canine companion would love to relax and catch up with friends, too!
Book a Glamour Shots Session!
Follow the littlest of these babies -- Lola "Tiny" -- on Facebook.
My BFF took her fur babies for a set of portraits at Jeannie Francis Photography. What a unique and wonderful way to commemorate your furry friends!
Take them for their favorite activity!
Max in 2007
Max in 2016. Still chasing the tennis ball.
My Max is a classic retriever. He has been obsessed with playing with tennis balls for hours on end for 9 years now. It's always his favorite thing to do!!
Sophie, my lab-terrier mix, loves to walk and explore! She loves a trip around our neighborhood, while several of my friends take their pups to one of Louisville's amazing parks!
Several of my friends have dogs who love to hang out on boats!
Skylar loves Cave Run Lake!
Chico enjoys the Ohio River. Follow Chico on the 'Gram.
Whatever you choose to do with your furry friend, make sure that he or she knows how much you appreciate the unconditional love!
How are y'all celebrating National Dog Day?
Whiskey Wednesday: Woodford Reserve Flavor Wheel Tasting
Woodford Reserve warehouse
If there's one thing I love more than good whiskey, it's good food. I think that's why I've always been fascinated by Woodford Reserve's flavor wheel style of tastings.
Every distillery has "their thing" -- the story they tell about their product. Woodford Reserve's thing is telling a story about the separate notes within the bourbon as well as the different tastes that you can pick up depending on your own palate and the flavors accompanying the spirit. I've had the opportunity to enjoy Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select in a flavor wheel tasting twice now -- once at Midway's Holly Hill Inn a few years ago, and once earlier this summer at an event led by Woodford Master Distiller Chris Morris and Master Taster Elizabeth O'Neill. Let me tell y'all, Elizabeth and Chris are great at leading a group through a tasting!
Elizabeth O'Neill and Chris Morris, Woodford Reserve.
The Woodford Reserve Tasting Wheel breaks the flavor notes that you're likely to encounter within a taste of bourbon into five categories -- Wood, Grain, Sweet Aromatics, Spice, and Fruit & Floral. Of course, there are hundreds of individual tastes and aromas you may pick up on from within those categories.
The key to a flavor wheel tasting is to marry bites of different foods with sips of the whiskey to encourage the detection of different notes. The first selection is parmesan cheese, which brings out a woody, nutty flavor. Next is hazelnut, similarly nutty, of course. Next comes cranberry, which brings fruit and floral notes, followed by orange -- both peel and pulp -- for additional fruit and floral notes. Then comes chocolate -- a well-selected dark chocolate -- which highlights notes of aromatics and spice in the bourbon. Finally, a tiny spoon of sorghum spotlights the aromatics and grains within the whiskey. It's so interesting to taste the different aromas and flavors emerging from the whiskey, and really deepens your knowledge of how to taste whiskey.
There are variants for of the tasting wheel for each of Woodford Reserve's spirits -- Distiller's Select bourbon, Double Oaked bourbon, and Rye. Check out the Woodford Reserve website for tips on dong an at-home tasting!
The HerKentucky Guide to Shopping Lilly Pulitzer Sales
Shop locally for great sales!
If you're a serious Lilly Pulitzer shopper, then I know you've heard about the big After Party sale that's starting this Monday. Now, the after-party sale is great, and I've scored some good deals there. Buuuutttt.... it has a tendency to have long lines and a bit of a "break the internet" feel.
As a longtime Lilly lover, I'm going to let y'all in on my very favorite Lilly Pulitzer shopping secret, and it's right here in the Bluegrass State: The Peppermint Palm, Kentucky's very own privately-owned Lilly Pulitzer Signature Store, with locations in Lexington and Louisville. No insane online hassles, shopping locally, and often getting far better buys. What's better than that??
In fact, some of my very favorite deals of the summer have come from the Peppermint Palm! Here are a few examples:
Sophie Dress
I found this Lilly Sophie Dress at The Peppermint Palm back in May. It retailed for $138; while it was still full price online, I found it for under $80 at the Palm!
And, let me tell you, I've more than gotten my money's worth from this dress! I've worn it to bourbon distillery tours, charity events, even a shotgun shoot! It's amazingly comfortable, has an SPF 50+ rating for sun protection, and can be dressed up or down with different shoes and accessories! (My mom got the same dress on sale at the Palm and has worn it to baby showers, work events, and even my cousin's med school graduation!)
Younger Woman's Club of Louisville End of Year Toast
Woodford Reserve Distillery Tour
Original Makers Club Shotgun Shoot and Southern Supper
Ali Dress
I LOVE this dress! It has been my go-to all summer! While it was still $98 online, it was 40% off at The Palm!!!
This may be the most flattering everyday summer dress I've ever owned. With three quarters sleeves, a deep-but-not-too-deep v-neck, loose bodice, and shirttail hem, this has been perfect for everything from a pool party to a morning of art at 21C! I've legitimately thrown this dress on with sneakers, sandals, and dressy flats for a ton of different summer looks, and every.single. time. someone stops me to tell me how cute my dress is!
Ali Dress + Art at 21C's Penthouse! (Kentucky necklace from Elva Fields)
Marlowe Dress
I'm just in love with this blue striped Marlowe Dress! When it was still $98 online, I got it for under $70 at the Palm!
Happy shopping, y'all! Remember to always shop locally first!!!
The Nineteenth Amendment's Kentucky Roots
In the 1920s, many Kentuckians were living rather rural and agrarian lives. The Commonwealth was the nation's top producer of tobacco, while Eastern Kentucky coal camp towns were transforming the Appalachian economy in response to a growing demand for coal-fired energy. The Bluegrass State's biggest cities were headed in exciting new directions: empowered by electric streetcars, Lexington expanded to include the Ashland and Bell Court suburbs, while Louisville would soon establish itself as a Prohibition-era playground for flappers, bootleggers, and even a gangster or two.
But did you know that 1920s Kentucky was important to the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, which gave American women the right to vote?
The issue of women's suffrage has an interesting history in Kentucky. As early as the 1830s, some Kentucky women were allowed to vote in school board elections. The Women's Suffrage movement in Kentucky was championed by Laura Clay and her sister Mary Barr Clay, the daughters of famed abolitionist Cassius Marcellus Clay. The Clay sisters became fervent women's right advocates when their parents' divorce left their mother homeless and without agency. Laura's work was so tireless and far-reaching that she even became the first woman to be nominated for President by a major political party. Her work as founder of the Kentucky Woman Suffrage Association focused not only on the right to vote, but also on women's rights to property ownership and financial agency.
Soon, women's rights leaders like Laura Clay found their hard work being rewarded as national support of suffrage movements took hold.
On the first day of the 1920 Kentucky General Assembly, Kentucky ratified the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution by a margin of 72 to 25 in the House and 30 to 8 in the Senate. Less than a month after taking office, on January 6, 1920, Governor Edwin P. Morrow, a Somerset-born Republican and former U.S. Attorney, signed the Bill into law. Kentucky was one of only four Southern states to approve the amendment, which went into effect after Tennessee followed suit in August of that year. The 19th Amendment was incorporated into the Constitution on August 26, 1920.
As with all revolutionary legislation, the 19th Amendment was met with immediate litigation. In Leser v. Garnett, 258 U.S. 130 (1922), the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld the amendment's validity. The legal opinion, written by Louisville native Louis D. Brandeis, found that the amendment was properly ratified by the states and was, therefore, legally adopted.
Today we celebrate the ninety-sixth anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment and thank forward-thinking Kentuckians like Laura Clay, Mary Barr Clay, Edwin P. Morrow, and Louis Brandeis for helping ensure the voting rights of Kentucky women. Thanks to these and other brave Kentuckians who have ensured freedoms and equal rights for Kentucky's women!