Some changes have been afoot in the Lexington area dining and beverage scene. If your old haunt has closed up shop or hasn’t opened yet, maybe you’ll find a new place to enjoy among these updates.
Jonathan Lundy and T.J. Cox
Chef Jonathan Lundy is taking his still-in-development menu at ItalX, the new restaurant coming to the corner of West Main and North Upper streets at Lexington City Center Hotels, for a test run with several preview parties.
Lundy said he recently hosted employees of WinStar Farm and had other tastings planned for representatives of Hill N’ Dale Farm and Three Chimneys Farm. Another was held for Greer Companies’ staff.
“I’m getting out; I’m making fresh pasta … just trying to develop where I’m really wanting to go with all this,” Lundy said. As of early January, the partners said the project was about 90 days from opening. The restaurant will seat about 80, with additional bar seating.
ItalX is the third restaurant partnership between Lundy, business partner/certified sommelier T.J. Cox and Greer Companies President Lee Greer. The trio had roles in the now-closed Coba Cocina restaurant, then opened Latin-inspired Corto Lima in early 2017.
ItalX’s menu will feature Italian cuisine with an inventive slant—think italics/ ItalX—as well as an extensive wine and cocktail list. “Jonathan doesn’t like to do anything the same way that anyone else does it,” Cox said.
In mid-December it was announced that Jonathan W. Henderson was named chef of Infinity: A Skybar Café at the Lexington Marriott City Center hotels, which recently held its grand opening. Infinity is located on the eighth floor of the Residence Inn.
Also part of the new hotel development is the Greatroom Restaurant & Bar, billed as a lobby-based social gathering place, and the M Club Lounge available to elite- and club-level Marriott rewards members.
The Village Idiot, which opened in 2012 on West Short Street in a former post office building built around 1825, closed its doors in early January. A Jan. 8 post on the restaurant’s Facebook page stated: “To all our loyal customers over the past 7.5 years, thank you. We have decided to close the doors and renovate our space and concept. We expect to reopen in just a few months and hope to see you then! There may even be a few of your old favorites on our new menu.”
In late 2019, Lexington-based Justins’ House of Bourbon opened a new location at 101 W. Market St. in Louisville. The shops, co-owned by Justin Sloan and Justin Thompson, specialize retail as well as vintage bourbon and other whiskies.
There’s a new vegan restaurant at 1313 N. Limestone called Not Your Ordinary Vegan Café. About two years ago, Pastor Michael Robinson became a vegan with the help of his daughter, Alicia. Following the success of his original catering and meal delivery service by the same name, NYOV has evolved into a vegan café located in the back of Total Grace Church. The cafe seats up to 60 people and is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday.
Robinson, a South Carolina native and former University of Kentucky football player, has made Lexington his home since 1998. He said he wants people to realize vegan food can be familiar and tasty, as well as healthy. The cafe serves up vegan comfort food including nachos, macaroni and cheese, barbecue sandwiches and stuffed cabbage rolls.
“Without a doubt the burgers are the most popular things,” Robinson said.
In the future he plans to sell his own barbecue sauce and house seasoning.
Roulay Restaurant and Bar representatives say the restaurant will open soon at 107 W. Short St. The Cajun/Creole restaurant will feature an upstairs lounge featuring a mural by Joe King of Oracle Tattoo Guild.
Stings Lounge, a new nightclub located at 123 West Main, is also close to setting an official grand opening date, according to its Facebook page.