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Pretty yummy - Lexington
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by rexvaughan
Reviews and photos of Lexington restaurants posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Lexington dining.
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Jonathan's: Jonathan's at Gratz Park
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  • Satisfaction:
  • Kentucky hot brown at Jonathan's - Lexington
    Kentucky hot brown at
    Jonathan's
    by Krumlovgirl
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    Had been meaning to try this place for awhile now and finally had the opportunity to have brunch there not long ago. I love the Gratz Park neighborhood in Lexington. It's one of my favorites-full of old houses and quiet streets and a hop away from some great restaurants like the Atomic Cafe and a la lucie's. In the evenings they sometimes have horse and carriage rides and it reminds me a lot of Washington Square in New York City. But I digress. The Gratz Park Inn is on the list of historical hotels and it's a quiet little place right off the square. Jonathan's isn't your typical hotel restaurant and is a notch above many of the area restaurants that seem to cater to college students and the young yuppie crowds. It's quietly elegant and subdued and upon entering the dining room you feel as if you have stepped back in time. It's a little pricer than most, but on par with a la lucie's and Bellini's and Metropol.

    I was there for Sunday brunch and therefore had a different menu than what I would have had for dinner or lunch. I ordered the omlette filled to the brim with brie, mushrooms, and sweet onions. It had a little too many onions for my taste, but it wasn't bad. It came accompanied by homefries and my only complaint with them was that I didn't have enough of them. For a starter course I had the fruit and yogurt parfait that was absolutely wonderful. My dining partner had the dried apple and cinnamon oatmeal for a starter and the Kentucky hot brown (the biggest I have ever seen in my life) for a main course. For dessert we shared a slice of apple spice cake topped with slivers of green apples and smothered in caramel sauce. It was divine. The cost for two for brunch was $48, not including a tip.

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  • Theme: Local
  • Price: US$11-20    » Currency Converter
  • Comparison: more expensive than average
  • Phone: 859-252-4949
  • Website: http://www.jonathanatgratzpark.com/
  • Rate   Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful

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    De Sha's: Good Regional Food
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  • Satisfaction:
  • Ian at De'Shas - it was his birthday - Lexington
    Ian at De'Shas - it was his
    birthday
    by Krumlovgirl, 2 more photos
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    This is a great place for regional food in a beautiful, Victorian setting. My mom likes the Kentucky Hot Brown and claims that it's the ebst to be found. I personally like the shrimp. For brunch you can have a great Hawaiian chicken salad, complete with little banana nut bread muffins.

    The famous Kentucky Hot Brown (what my mom always orders):
    A Kentucky tradition. A lunch portion of sliced breast of turkey smothered in a rich cream sauce, topped with cheddar cheese, crisp bacon and tomatoes broiled to a golden brown. It's rich, so be warned!!

    Coconut Chicken:
    Strips of chicken in a coconut breading, served with honey mustard sauce for dipping. NOt really comparable to Atomic Cafe's coconut shrimp though.

    Golden Fried Shrimp:
    Select shrimp, butterflied and lightly breaded then deep fried. Served with cocktail sauce and steak fries. This is pretty good. Had it a couple of times. My friend Bobbie Sue claims it's the best she's ever had.

    deSha's Sampler:
    Sampler includes potato skins, stuffed banana peppers, and coconut chicken. I'd go for this if you weren't sure what you wanted. The stuffed banana peppers are pretty good, too.

    Filet Mignon:
    Cerified Angus Beef tenderloin filet char-grilled in a garlic butter with sauteed mushrooms and a Cabernet bordelaise. But then again, I love filet mignon so I am a little biased.

    Also noteworthy: the stuffed mushrooms.

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  • Theme: Local
  • Price: US$11-20    » Currency Converter
  • Comparison: about average
  • Address: 101 N. Broadway
  • Phone: 859.259.3771
  • Directions: Acorss the street from Rupp Arena and the Radisson.
  • Website: http://www.deshas.com/html/lexington.html
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    Nadine's: Sister to a la Lucie
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  • If you want the quality, but not the price, of a la Lucie, then this is the way to go. Until recently it was owned by the same people, but with a totally different atmosphere. The inside looks like an old diner-albeit an upscale one. We've always had good service there and the food has been terrific. Don't let the fact that it is located in a strip mall throw you off.

    Some of my faves:

    White Lasagna layers of noodles and cheese, with chicken and mushrooms. It is very, very rich so eat slowly. The only bad thing is that sometimes there isn't room left for dessert.

    Angel Hair Pasta with fresh tomatoes, basil, and a touch of garlic, topped with parmesan cheese. This one is good, too, and a little lighter.

    Thai Cobb coconut shrimp with avocado, cucumber,mango, rice noodles, and a green curry dressing over mixed greens.

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  • Theme: Local
  • Price: US$11-20    » Currency Converter
  • Comparison: more expensive than average
  • Address: 3735 Palomar Center Drive
  • Phone: 859-223-0797
  • Website: http://www.royandnadines.com/roynadine.html
  • Rate   Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Natasha's: My Second Favorite
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  • Oooh, oohhh, ohhh. This is the place that you eat at when you want to forget that you're in Kentucky. VERY European. Could have something to do with the fact that the owner is Russian. Check out the gift shop with lots of international stuff.

    Baked Brie & Fruit Chutney
    Little Italy SB--Fresh mozzarella, roma tomatoes, basil with a touch of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
    Hungarian Goulash--Traditional braised beef, tomatoes, peppers, paprika (also served as a wrap)
    Gypsy Stew--Colorful stew of chicken, beef, and lamb, with mushrooms, olives, peppers, squashes, tomatoes, and herbs on a bed of brown lentils.

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  • Theme: Eclectic/International
  • Price: US$11-20    » Currency Converter
  • Comparison: more expensive than average
  • Address: 112 Esplanade, Downtown
  • Phone: 859-259 2754
  • Website: http://www.beetnik.com/
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    Atomic Cafe: My Favorite
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  • I LOVE this place. It's Carribean food at its best. Although the service is a little slow, and the food pricey, the taste all makes up for it. You should definitely go in the summer when you can sit outside on the patio. They usually have live reggae bands on the weekends.

    Let's see...the coconut shrimp? Or the chicken breast stuffed with shrimp and spinach? The black beans and rice? Or the maccaroni and cheese? No, no, the rum berry cake. Oh, heck. It's all good. PS- try the B-52 as a shot fave. Not made with absinthe like in Czech, but still pretty darn good.

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  • Theme: Eclectic/International
  • Price: US$11-20    » Currency Converter
  • Comparison: more expensive than average
  • Address: 265 N. Limestone
  • Phone: 859-254-1969
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    Carraba's
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  • Satisfaction:
  • For a chain restaurant, you can't beat Carraba's-especially since I've figured out that there is a secret to it. In the beginning it was hard for me to find something to eat there because the dishes were so huge that I could barely get through a third of it before I was full, much less get to the dessert. All of the dishes were really detailed, too, and sometimes I just like a nice plate of pasta with plain marinara sauce. Then, after about three or four visits I figured out that they do SIDE portions of all of their pasta. You would think that a side item wouldn't hardly be bigger than a small ice cream dish, but it's not. It's about the size of a normal dish of pasta from any other restaurant-and it's only $3.95. You can still order a side salad or a (huge) bowl of soup if that's not enough.

    They have the best dessert ever-the Dessert Rosa. It's wonderful. Layers of soft yellow cake, strawberries, cream, pineapple, bananas...all topped with a chocolate covered strawberry. Wonderful...

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  • Theme: Italian
  • Price: US$11-20    » Currency Converter
  • Comparison: about average
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    a la Lucie: Fine Dining in the City
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  • This is the place that you used to go to whenever you wanted to impress someone. mostly because it is expensive. Since we've had a lot of other nice ones go in during the past few years, they've had to punch up their game a bit. It's still a very elegant dining experience.

    Some of my favorites:
    Artichoke and parmesan souffle $6.75

    Fried lump crab cake taco
    with avocado, sour cream, and chile sauce $9.95

    Sauteed escargot and wild mushrooms
    in a garlic red wine sauce on pastry $9.95

    Steamed mussels in tomato and white wine broth $7.95

    Lobster cocktail with drawn butter
    and cocktail sauce $15.00

    Barbecue shrimp and jalapeno chiles
    served with creamy polenta $9.95

    French Onion en croute $4.25

    Fresh arugula, strawberries and goat cheese
    tossed in a hazelnut dressing $6.50

    Sliced fresh mozzarella and tomatoes
    drizzled with balsamic syrup $5.95

    Pan Roasted Veal Chop
    with morel mushroom sauce, sauteed spinach and bleu cheese noodle cake $28.95

    Boneless Chicken Breast
    stuffed with basil, brie and sun dried tomatoes, baked in pastry and served with hollandaise $17.95

    Filet of Beef Tenderloin
    served with lobster mashed potatoes, red wine sauce and garnished with onion crisps $25.95

    Buttermilk Fried Quail
    served with corn mashed potatoes and cream gravy $22.95

    Fried Lump Crab Cakes
    served on a bed of dirty rice with New Orleans Creole sauce $20.95

    Seafood Casserole
    lobster, shrimp, sea scallops and mussels baked in a rich mornay sauce $20.95

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  • Theme: Eclectic/International
  • Price: US$21-30    » Currency Converter
  • Comparison: most expensive
  • Address: 159 North Limestone Lexington KY 40507-1124
  • Phone: 859 252-5277
  • Website: http://www.royandnadines.com/lucie.html
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    Anna Belle's: Anna Belle's
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  • It’s nice to see the continuation of the revitalization of downtown Lexington. I enjoy the downtown area and like to support the local businesses-especially when they are not chains. Anytime a new restaurant opens up I always make an effort to check it out, even when the reviews are not entirely favorable. This is what happened with Annabelle’s. The first review I read on it wasn’t exactly in praising of it. The food was said to be mediocre and the atmosphere more of a place to “see and be seen” as opposed to a comfortable dining experience. Well, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was not true in my dining experience. It is a fashionable restaurant and there were many young people dining, but they appeared to be more of the young professional set than the young college kids type. I actually found the restaurant (which has dining both upstairs, downstairs, and outdoors) fairly European in décor and menu.

    We ate there for lunch and split a caprese, one of my favorite dishes. It is difficult to find a Lexington restaurant that can make it adeptly but in this case it turned out great. The mozzarella wasn’t rubbery, which happens a lot, and the tomatoes were fresh. I also had an order of the chicken quesadilla stuffed with salsa and cream cheese. It was very good and not too heavy. For dessert we ordered a sampler of crème brulee. It came with coconut, vanilla, and chocolate varieties and was excellent. A problem I have with creme brulee is that sometimes the top layer can be overcooked and too sugary. This one was near perfect.

    Although we ate there at lunchtime on a Saturday the restaurant got a little crowded. It has a lively bar in the downstairs area and I have seen it overflowing on the weekends. It is definitely a place well worth checking out.

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  • Theme: American
  • Price: US$11-20    » Currency Converter
  • Comparison: more expensive than average
  • Address: 127 NORTH LIMESTONE
  • Phone: 859.381.0900
  • Website: http://www.annabellesbistro.com/
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    Chili's
  • Tip Rating:
  • Satisfaction:
  • I’m usually not up for chain restaurants, but Chili’s is typically my exception. I really have a thing for their southwestern egg rolls and their garden burgers aren’t bad either. Usually, the only time we end up eating there is after we’ve been to a concert or late movie showing in downtown Lexington and most other places have started closing. Let’s face it, Lexington has no shortage of good restaurants and we like to frequent them as much as possible. But for a late night eatery, I have never gone wrong at the Chili’s on Richmond Road. Consistency says something.

    The last time I ate there I had a tomato basil penne pasta dish with grilled chicken strips. It was wonderful. I was there during happy hour so my guest and I both had strawberry margaritas. For dessert we split a chocolate volcano type of cake. In Austria it would be called a “mohr imd.” I love them. Everything was really good and we left so full we could barely walk.

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  • Theme: American
  • Price: US$11-20    » Currency Converter
  • Comparison: about average
  • Address: 2851 Richmond Rd
  • Phone: (859) 269-1979
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    Bella Notte's: Beautiful Night
  • Tip Rating:
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  • There are many good things to be said of Bella Notte’s. I am a huge lover of Italian food and honestly am really hard to please when it comes to eating it. That’s because I’ve eaten a lot of it and had the real thing in Italy and Croatia and tend to know what I like and how I like it. But Bella Notte’s almost always gets it right. Although it’s located on one of the busiest streets in Lexington and looks like an average chain restaurant from the outside, the quality of the food is always top notch. The minute you walk in the doors the aroma of freshly baked bread, light marinara sauce, and oregano hits you like a sledge hammer. If you’re not hungry when you go there, you will be as soon as your senses take over. The decorations are whimsy and tasteful, the service good, and the menu extensive and reasonably priced.

    One of my favorite things is the free bread that comes with the meals. I usually end up taking an extra loaf home with me. It’s a little hard on the outside and really soft on the inside and I’ve never had a loaf that wasn’t warm. For main dishes I tend to either go with the pizza margherita or penne arrabiata. The arrabiata is too spicy for some people, but if you like a little kick to your pasta it will definitely add something. Sometimes I order plain penne pasta covered in tomato basil sauce which is a little like a mixture of alfredo and marinara. It’s only listed on the lunch menu, but if you ask for it they’ll fix it anytime of the day. The tiramisu is really good for dessert.

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  • Theme: Italian
  • Price: US$11-20    » Currency Converter
  • Comparison: about average
  • Directions: After you turn on to Nicholasville Road from Man o War Blvd. it's a few lights down on the left.
  • Website: http://www.bellalexington.com/
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