Happy Birthday, HerKentucky!
Five years ago today, HerKentucky.com went live. We started with a crew of 6 writers, posting 5 days a week about our Kentucky experiences. Over the years, our writers have gone on to create some amazing projects of their own, and many return from time to time to share a story or a favorite Kentucky spot!
When we started HerKentucky, we certainly never imagined that it would reach to over 22,000 social media followers. In fact, several of the social media channels we use today weren't yet in existence in 2011! Thank you so much to everyone who has taken a moment to read our stories, share our social media posts, and comment with your own Kentucky stories! I wish I could share a cupcake or a glass of champagne with each of you!
We'll have special birthday giveaways and perks this week just for you. Check out our Facebook page for a drawing for a Lilly Pulitzer Agenda!
Thank you so much for supporting HerKentucky!
My Proudest Moment As A Kentuckian
I remember it like it was yesterday. The year was 1999 and I had just started my freshman year at Transylvania. I was head over heels in love with college. Every class was a revelation. Every new girlfriend was a friend for life. Every day the first day of the rest of my life. Me and a group of my new girlfriends had run down to the campus center where there was a giant television.
It was September 18, 1999, and the Miss America pageant was on.
I was never a huge Miss America fan. I didn’t dream about being crowned as a little girl or compete in pageants. I would watch if I happened to be in front of the TV on that particular night but would never search it out. After all, Miss Kentucky had never won. It was always so disappointing when she didn’t make the cut and we only saw her for a few seconds in the beginning introductions.
“I’m Miss Kentucky!”
And that was it. However, that night one of my new found girlfriends was from Maysville. Miss Kentucky was from her hometown. Her name was Heather French and Cady insisted that she was going to win.
The night seemed impossibly large already. We were at the end of sorority rush. We had just attended our last Preference Party. Dressed up and full of anticipation, we had each signed our preference cards and had to wait until tomorrow to see if the sorority we wanted wanted us as well.
That night came at an important part in the process for all of us as freshman girls. The lines had not yet been drawn. We still identified with each other more than with our yet-to-be-determined sisters. We weren’t Phi Mu’s or Chi O’s yet. We were still just girls. The only characteristic that mattered that night was one.
We were Kentucky girls and we wanted Miss Kentucky to win.
As we gathered around the TV, the final minutes of the pageant were playing out. Cady was right. Miss Kentucky was in the Final Five!
Then the Osmonds were calling runners up. Fourth runner up, third runner up, only Miss Kentucky and Miss Illinois were left. As Marie called Miss Illinois as the final runner up and the exhilaration flooded Heather French’s face, we all squealed with delight.
Miss Kentucky had just been crowned Miss America!
Not just ANY Miss America, she was Miss America 2000. She was the first Miss Kentucky to be crowned the winner and it felt like she had won the crown for the entirety of the 21st Century. Waves of pride swept over me and everything about Heather French seemed perfect. This was not some Barbie-doll blonde from Texas. She was brunette! She had short hair and dimples for days and she was FROM KENTUCKY!
Being a Kentuckian isn’t always easy. When you want to be at the top of the list, Kentucky is often at the bottom - most educated populace or fewest gun deaths. When you want to be at the bottom of the list, Kentucky is often at the top - obesity rate or most teenage pregnancies. We are the butt of jokes and the basis for many a stereotype.
I have never once been embarrassed to be from Kentucky BUT, every once in a while, it’s nice to be able to brag...about something besides sports. THAT night I could brag. THAT night every little girl in the country wanted to be from Kentucky.
But THAT night surrounded by girlfriends, I actually was.
~ Sarah Stewart Holland
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!
