BY KRISTINA ROSEN
For the past eight years, Jeff Ruby was determined to bring his steakhouse to Lexington. Today, the fifth Jeff Ruby’s location in the country opens on Vine. Guests previewed it Friday evening at a birthday celebration for Ruby.
“Mr. Ruby had an unlimited budget with this restaurant and he exceeded it,” according to Ben Stallard, President of MOTOR Brand Marketing.
The 10,000 square foot restaurant has a heavy contemporary art deco vibe. The interiors are opulent, elaborate, and richly textured.
There’s a lounge featuring a stage for live entertainment almost nightly, a horseshoe-shaped bar, and a Wildcat-blue grand piano. Attached to the lounge is a patio, called The Paddock, where outside seating is available during the warmer weather.
There are several thematic private rooms including, the Wildcat Room which pays homage to Kentucky athletics. With blue chandeliers and suede paintings of iconic coaches, it’s beyond the typical sports bar room.
The Gatsby room, filled with gold and ruby reds, features the same rug from the recent Great Gatsby movie and a 60-inch television behind the giant mirror. The Breeders’ Cup room includes hundreds of jockeys’ silks suspended from the ceiling, and The Bourbon room recognizes Kentucky’s bourbon industry.
Dylan Jones, former chef at Jeff Ruby’s in Cincinnati, is now the chef for the Lexington steakhouse.
Jones spent five months creating the menu for the Lexington location. “I’m most excited to bring something different to Lexington,” says Jones. “To bring the Jeff Ruby’s experience here.”
The menu is similar to the other locations with additional items created exclusively for Lexington. Shrimp and grits prepped tableside, a dry aged wagyu meatball, steak rossini, and a four-layer Kentucky blue cake finished with a sugar UK stencil. There’s a special caviar service that uses local caviar, served atop a croissant, a slight deviation from typical Kentucky Proud fare.
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