Two soon-to-be-new downtown Lexington restaurants offered up a taste this evening of what diners can expect in their new locations.
The Jax, opening later this Spring at the corner of Short and Limestone, offered their first Menu preview at West Sixth Brewing, via food cart.
Chef Natalie Blake, a cheftestant on Season 9 of Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen (a former sous chef at Harrodsburg’s Beaumont Inn) heads up the culinary crew. Owner Aimee Lovitz says they plan to offer “globally inspired, locally infused cuisine, cocktails & culture, and fresh locally sourced ingredients,” at a price point in the $10 range.
Tonight Chef Natalie served up a tasting menu that included:
- crackling jax almonds
- tomatillo tacos
- crispy caramel pork
- Thai chicken curry
First Fresh olive oil founder Bill Sanders was on hand and gave the Thai chicken curry a “wholehearted” thumbs up, “right amount of heat, right amount of coconut.” (He is a UK alum and past president of the Kentucky Society of Washington).
The Jax will offer their next menu sampling from the food cart on Wednesday, April 17, at Country Boy Brewing, and again this weekend on Saturday and Sunday.
Just around the corner from West Sixth Brewing, County Club restaurant offered a preview of their renovated space tonight as a benefit for the Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation (sampling bites of porchetta).
The restaurant will specialize in traditional low-and-slow smoked meats, using sustainably raised Kentucky beef, pork, sheep, goat, and chicken.
The building is a retrofit of a former garage space in Jefferson’s rapidly revitalizing northend.
It will be open to the public on Wednesday, April 17, and is located at 555 N. Jefferson, a few blocks north of Nick Ryan’s, Grey Goose, Wine + Market, and around the corner from West Sixth Brewing. (Wine + Market opened on Good Friday, five years ago, in 2008, kicking off the neighborhood renaissance.)
Chef Johnny Shipley, formerly of Table 310, is on board (most recently known for the Korean Pancake Pop Up fundraiser at Institute 193).
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