The last time I went to downtown Lexington for any other purpose than a rock concert at Rupp Arena was 1989. Velvet Elvis was the band and they played at the Bottom Line. (Great show, by the way.)
If we ate anywhere after that, it was likely Tolly Ho, a good greasy burger stop frequented by University of Kentucky students.
Even though I was a chef in those days, I didn’t imagine making a restaurant stop on purpose in the heart of the city. No one ever talked about dining or just hanging out there. Food in Lexington was for maintenance, not dining, something to get you filled up before you headed back to Louisville.
Now, however, people are talking. A lot.
And eating and drinking. A lot.
In about a five year span, Lexington’s city center has come alive with new bars, brewpubs and restaurants (and about a zillion great retail shops, too) that draw a broad demographic to a once largely dull business district.
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