Lexington, KY - The Chevy Chase restaurant and bar scene recently got a high quality addition with the opening of The Tulip Bistro and Bar at the location of the former AP Roots on Romany Road.
This new French/American bistro themed venture is a collaborative effort.
Romany Restaurants, Inc. (RRI), a partnership between David Lowe, Brad Scott and Jackson McReynolds, saw an opportunity to fill a void created by the closing of AP Roots and chose to collaborate with Spencer van den Dool, Chef at The Black Tulip in Midway, which closed last year.
RRI currently owns A. P. Suggins Bar & Grill and Rossi's.
van den Dool is an experienced chef who has honed his professional skills at a wide variety of stints including four years at the Black Tulip as well as Emmett's and Pacific Pearl in Lexington and the De Kastenjehof in Lage-Vuursche, Netherlands.
van den Dool has been assisted in bringing the concept to life by family members including his father Bill, mother Debbie and sister Meghann. The team is rounded out with Jennifer Perkins as General Manager. Lauren Johnson, an experienced bar, catering and event professional, will manage the bar.
While influences of the Black Tulip are evident, the menu and concept have been modified to adapt to the trade area and the restaurant will have its own unique identity.
The Tulip will offer a a bar menu from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and then a full menu until 9:30 p.m. weekdays and until 10:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
A highlighted feature of the menu is a nice variety that will satisfy different dining occasions, budgets, appetites and tastes.
The Hors D'oeuvres menu includes Potato Croquettes, Escargot, a Charcuterie & Cheese Board, Short Ribs, Blue Crab Dip Pommes Frites and Cast Iron Frog Legs. There is a Soup and Salad section, and the entree line-up is a mouth-watering array of options including Steak Frites, Duck Au Poivre, Pork Tenderloin Medallions, Sea Scallops with Linguine, Chicken Roulade, and changing weekly fish specials.
For lighter fare or smaller appetites there is the Tulip Burger, Oyster Poor Boy, Fish N' Chips, Portobello Sandwich and the classic Croque Monsieur. This is a well thought out menu.
The wine and bar menu is equally well considered with something for everyone. Once the food menu was established it became the basis for the wine list. Additionally, Nashville-based wine consultant Damian Serong was tasked with fine tuning and optimizing the wine list, which will evolve over time in response to customer input. The wine list is segmented in a fun, yet informative way with the categories of Fizz, Aromatic Whites, Chardonnay, Sweet Whites, Rose, Light Reds, Big Reds and Dessert Wines. There are numerous beers on tap and a martini list.
This venture is yet another example of local entrepreneurship adding more options and excitement to the local economy. Check this place out and support your locally-owned businesses.
Mark Sievers is a columnist covering the restaurant industry for Business Lexington.