LEXINGTON, KY - Fine cuisine fashioned from locally grown produce under the supervision of a rising star executive chef and presented in an upscale-casual setting? This treat for the senses arrives in downtown Lexington on Monday, March 1, with the soft opening of The Triangle Grille at the recently renovated Hilton Hotel.
"The menu will consist of regional cuisine. We're going to use as many local growers as possible," said Executive Chef Josh Winslow. "Of course now it's winter, so the options are limited, but as the seasons change, so will the menu."
The Lexington-born Winslow began his culinary career in 1992 as a line cook at Lexington's Merrick Inn. He received a degree in culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University, which was at the time located in Charleston, S.C. While at Johnson & Wales, Winslow cooked under the guidance of Donald Barickman, one of the South's most prominent chefs.
Upon graduation, he went to work in the kitchen of Magnolia's, a Charleston culinary institution. Then he moved on to Philadelphia to serve under world-renowned chef Georges Perrier at the five-star restaurants Le Bec Fin and Brasserie Perrier.
Winslow's culinary skills continued to develop with a move to Manhattan and more experience at some of New York's most esteemed fine dining establishments, including L'Absinthe Brasserie and Gramercy Tavern.
He returned home to Lexington in 2005 and most recently was the executive chef at Murray's and Merrick Inn.
"It will be upscale but not overwhelming or intimidating," Winslow said of the motif and atmosphere. "We'll offer seafood, steaks - a variety of southern style and regional fare."
The 22-story hotel is owned by the Webb Companies in partnership with Madison Capital Management - a New York based firm that "favors real estate opportunities that are off-market or distressed, located in overlooked geographical regions or are in out-of-favor asset categories," according to company literature. Madison joined with the Webbs in 2008 to upgrade the property, which holds a prime location only steps from the Lexington Center, Victorian Square and the budding Cheapside Entertainment District.
Known as The Lexington Downtown Hotel & Conference Center during a brief period while transitioning to a Hilton following decades under the Radisson brand, it reopened as a Hilton on Oct. 14, 2009. An extensive $13 million renovation had taken place, with significant upgrades to half of the hotel's 367 guestrooms and its interior spaces, including the lobby, atrium and Grand Kentucky Ballroom.
The 166-seat Triangle Grille will be open for breakfast Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., on Saturdays from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and Sundays from 6:30 a.m. to noon. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. every day.
Chef Winslow will continue the hotel's tradition of offering a lunchtime pasta buffet on Thursdays, featuring various types of pasta and an assortment of meats and vegetables as well as red and cream sauces, according to a press release. After guests have filled their skillets with pastas, meats, vegetables and sauces, chefs will prepare and dish up each creation.
A Grand Opening of the Triangle Grille is scheduled for 5-8pm on the evening of March 5. The March opening of the new restaurant affords Winslow an opportunity to tweak in preparation for the arrival of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in September.
The Triangle Grille joins J. Morse on Vine and the relocated Dudley's, also opening in March on Short Street, as one of the new fine dining options in downtown Lexington.