BREAKING: Chef Jonathan Lundy to open Latin-inspired Corto Lima at Short and North Limestone

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In a move that brings one of Lexington’s best-known chefs to a marquee city dining spot, chef Jonathan Lundy has announced plans to open Corto Lima, a “Latin-inspired” restaurant, at the high-profile corner of Short and North Limestone streets.

Lundy said in a statement the restaurant, at 101 W. Short Street, will open in January serving “affordable and innovative Latin cuisine” for lunch and dinner.

"I have always been so drawn to this type of food and I have also been attracted to the space for a long time," Lundy said. "The space itself has lots of light. I want it be modern but comfortable and not stuffy. I hope that it becomes a hot spot in downtown for food and drinks." 

Lundy says he will continue with Jonathan’s Events, the catering venture he launched with partner TJ Cox in May after the closing of Richmond Road restaurant Coba Cocina, where Lundy was executive chef.

Cox -- who served as general manager and beverage director at Lundy's restaurant Jonathan at Gratz Park, and also as the sommelier and beverage director at Coba Cocina -- is also on board. For Corto Lima, Cox will follow the food with a focus on tequila and rum, plus Spanish and South American wines.

Plans include seating for 60 in the dining room, 16 in the bar area plus additional space on a patio. Lunch will be served every day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., followed by dinner service. Sunday through Thursday dinner will end at 10 p.m., with Friday and Saturday times extended till midnight.

Lundy said he's looking forward to the challenge.

"One of the things I am most excited about is the house-made masa. It’s a new process for me and it will result in house made tortillas and tamales," he said. "The corn cooks for about an hour and then soaks 18 to 24 hours before I use some specialized equipment to grind it up and make the masa. Fresh masa is the key for tortillas, for sure. It’s something ambitious and different. It’s time-consuming and a daily process, but I can’t wait."

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An earlier version of this story erroneously stated that Corto Lima was to be located in the former Shorty's spot.

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