bistrolabelle
In April of this year, the Bistro La Belle Market and Cafe quietly opened at 121 East Main Street in downtown historic Midway, Ky. However, the story begins many years earlier.
From October 1998 until December 2010, restaurateur Laura Wolfrom operated Bistro La Belle, which was a higher-end, dinner-only, casual theme restaurant that was a favorite of locals and returning visitors alike. However, Wolfrom felt that she was at a point in her life where she wanted to make some changes and explore different directions. Therefore, in January 2011, she closed the restaurant and spent that year and part of 2012 working for other food businesses, including Whole Foods and Sage Garden Cafe in Frankfort, Ky. She also visited other places, like Marksbury Farm Market in Lancaster, Ky., and V the Market in Danville, Ky. These experiences help her develop the concept of Bistro La Belle Market & Cafe (www.bistrolabelle.com).
The foundation for this business is Wolfrom’s love for great-tasting, high-quality food. Prior to opening her own restaurant, she “ cut her culinary teeth” working a variety of positions at A La Lucie in Lexington. An art major in college, she always had a calling to apply her creativity toward food and, as she explains it, “The kitchen has always been my favorite room in the house.”
Like many entrepreneurs she worked at other jobs, giving her valuable experience but also giving her the valuable insight that food was her niche. The Bistro La Belle Market & Cafe is another way she fulfills that calling, and the business concept can be viewed as having three areas of focus.
One area is that of locally grown fresh meats and other products. For example, for beef she carries products from Akers Aged Angus Beef in Lancaster. Another Lancaster farm operation, Pike Valley Farm (certified organic pasture farming) supplies chicken and eggs. She carries a variety of Kentucky cheese products, including some from Boone Creek Creamery, Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese and Howard’s Creek Beer Cheese. You can also purchase Browning’s Country Ham products, and there is fresh pasta from Lexington Pasta. Over time, she will evolve this category of products, always focusing on quality.
Sometimes she will bring in seasonal products. For example, recently she let it be known through the business’ Facebook page that she would be sourcing Klamuth River King salmon fillets from Alaska, net caught by Yurok native Americans.
Another aspect of the business is the cafe, which serves lunch Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. through 2 p.m. ( The business itself is open those same days 11 a.m. through 5 p.m. The cornerstone of the cafe menu is the bistro sandwiches, which are served on a choice of two homemade breads (honey wheat and oatmeal wheat). Sandwich offerings include country ham, all natural sliced turkey breast, pulled pork with local barbecue sauce, chicken salad, white cheddar pecan spread,and Old South olive nut spread. In addition to the homemade bread, the sandwiches can be served on a Ghyslain croissant or baguette. Soups, quiche and other items are also available.
Also, operating inside of Bistro La Belle Market & Cafe is Two Birds Bakery (www.twobirdsbakery.com), which is owned and operated by Tory Stewart. This neat little operation offers a nice variety of baked goods and sweets. Overall, the cafe aspect of the business offers locals and tourists a high quality but very affordable lunch option for eat in or carry out.
The market aspect of the business is further expanded beyond meats and cheeses with a nice variety of household mercantile and specialty food products. Caffe Marco coffee products are available, including a special Bistro La Belle blend. There are several bourbon-theme specialty products from Woodford Reserve and Bourbon Barrel Foods (such as their smoked sea salt) and Ruth Hunt Candies. Flag Fork Herbs, Weisenburger Mill and Kentucky Honey Farm are also well represented. Additionally, there is a nice selection of household products, such a kitchen linens and accessories, that can be combined into a variety of custom gift baskets.
All these aspects result in a nice, well-balanced destination that appeals to a wide variety of consumer needs. Wolfrom will continue to carefully and methodically add items that fit her concept. She has some other potential areas of expansion in the planning stages.
Midway (www.meetmeinmidway.com) itself is a quaint central Kentucky destination, and now Bistro La Belle Market & Cafe offers one more reason to go visit.