By Megan Friday
NEWS
A la lucie at 159 North Limestone is ending an era in Lexington dining; chef/owner Lucie Slone announced it will be closing on November 30. The building that has housed it for the past 31 years has been sold, and Lucie says “it’s time to move on.” She’s not retiring though, or leaving the restaurant business; she just plans to open a new concept, farther down Limestone in Lexington’s emerging NoLi corridor. The new restaurant will be called Lucie’s Red Light and will feature “boards, bowls, and burgers, and of course bourbon.”
BurgerFi, a growing burger chain, has plans to open a location in Fayette Mall. The restaurant has an upscale casual feel paired with a coffee shop atmosphere. Their burgers are made to order, and the restaurant will also serve wine, craft beer and microbrews.
You may have heard that Commonwealth Stadium is now offering Kentucky Proud food options. Here is a guide for what’s local: the Bluegrass Burger with Chop Shop ground beef and Sassy Redhead Cheese from the Boone Creek Creamery, the Spicy Cat T
ail from the UK College of Agriculture butcher shop, the chili cheese dog with Boone Creek ch
eese, Hickory King Collective corn chips, and Bev’s Brittle peanut brittle, along with a couple other options.
HopCat opened in the Square on Oct 24. The new bar is serving as many as 140 craft beers, about 40 from Kentucky, and food “your mom would make if she loved craft beer.” (The Crack Fries have made Food Network Magazine’s list for America’s 10 Best French Fries).
LaRosa’s, a Cincinnati pizzeria, has plans of expanding to Lexington in 2016 under a franchise agreement with Lexington native Terry Seaborn. Terry and his son-in-law Chabrel Joseph are huge LaRosa’s fans and hope to open more locations in the Lexington area. The first location will be in the new Keene center just off US Highway 27.
La Petite Delicat is opening a location on 445 South Ashland Avenue on Dec 1st. Sylviana Herrin, whose macarons you may have spotted at the farmers market, is opening the store to sell her macarons, madeleines, cookies, coffee and macaron ice cream sandwiches with Crank & Boom ice cream.
Meats BBQ Market, a new venture from BHG, opened in the Lansdowne Shopping Center. They offer classic bbq with local flavor along with many sides and desserts. They have an eat-in area but their main focus is large to-go orders for take-out, delivery and catering.
Natasha’s Bistro on Esplanade will close its doors on Monday, November 2. The owners are suspending operations until they can figure out their next step. They said the restaurant and music venue may open back up in the future.
North Lime Coffee and Donuts’ Joe Ross and Aaron Kersey will be competing on the Cooking Channel’s Sugar Showdown, on Thursday, November 5 at 9 pm.
Sayre grads have opened Pie Five Pizza in Fayette Mall. They offer build-your-own pies in a casual setup similar to Chipotle.
Another Lexington food truck has added a brick and mortar location. Rolling Oven has opened inside Dodd’s Corner in Nicholasville.
Whooo Wants Waffles is a new contender in the Lexington food truck scene, serving up authentic Liege waffles with a large array of dessert toppings (with the option of a Sav’s Chill scoop to top it off).
Willie’s Locally Known on North Broadway has closed with plans to move to a location on Southland drive and re-open in 2016. What Happened to Willies?
EVENTS
Lexington Green Dine Around at Joseph-Beth Booksellers is Nov. 5, 5 pm. A progressive dinner that includes food, drinks and alcohol from Palmers Fresh Grill, Polo’s at the Hilton, and Bronte Bistro.
A Holiday Sampling Event hosted by the Good Foods Co-op on Nov. 13, 5 pm, offers a sneak peek (and taste) of Thanksgiving. Event starts at 5 pm at the store and features live music by guitarist Michael Fogler along with plenty of holiday samples.
Death and Diamonds, a murder mystery dinner train ride on Nov. 14, 5 pm on the Lexington Dinner Train.
Chew, a LexEffect Dinner Series, will have their Fall event on Nov 18, 7:30 pm at Middle Fork. Featuring a local menu by Chef Mark Jensen of Middle Fork featuring local bourbon cocktails. This dinner is chef driven, farm to table, with a locally sourced seasonal menu and craft beer.
Fresh Food Adventure: Kentucky Wild, a monthly dining series celebrating Kentucky food and spirits, will be held on Nov 21, 6:30 pm at Shaker Village. Listen to a local musician while you enjoy an all-inclusive dinner and spirits menu brought to you by guest chefs and mixologists.
To submit a Lexington, Kentucky food, wine, or spirits news item for consideration in Ace’s Best Bites, email acelist@aceweekly.com. To submit a Lexington Food, Wine, or Spirits Event to be considered for the Ace calendar, please go to the Ace online calendar, and click “Submit” (upper right on the Menu bar). For restaurant advertising, call Ace Advertising at 859.225.4889 x229.
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