A particular menu item at a Lexington restaurant has sparked such a strong following among its customers that it's getting its own spinoff.
Matt Borland, one of the owners of East End Tap & Table on East Main Street, mentioned that the restaurant's chicken and biscuits have always been a hit during its weekend brunch.
“We decided to parlay that into a fast-casual concept,” he said.
Now open, the sister restaurant Rise N’ Brine Chicken Biscuits — located at 331 Romany Rd., in a former Hart’s Dry Cleaning building — will offer a full coffee/espresso bar featuring Nate’s Coffee and a breakfast sandwich menu that includes a handful of fried-chicken-and-biscuit variations. The biscuits are made from a cherished family recipe, and the chicken is marinated in a mixture of pickle brine and buttermilk.
Options include a cheddar cheese-topped chicken biscuit, another with cheddar and egg, and a BLT chicken biscuit served on an Everything But the Bagel seasoned biscuit. Savory toppings like mashed avocado and garlic aioli can be added; sweet options include a French toast biscuit battered, griddled, and served with cheese, egg, and, of course, fried chicken. Vegetarian offerings featuring fried tofu and plant-based sausage options will also be offered.
Hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, Borland said.
In other recent local food and beverage news:
Desperados Cantina offers scratch-made tacos, top-shelf margaritas, and a variety of appetizers and entrees.
• Another local restaurant owner branching out with a new concept is Goodfellas Pizzeria. Co-owners Alex Coats and Eric Boggs have opened Desperados Cantina near the Distillery District location of their popular pizzeria. The restaurant is located at 1224 Manchester in the former location of Middle Fork Kitchen Bar.
The duo opened the original Goodfella’s location at 110 N. Mill St. about 17 years ago with a relatively simple concept of pizza by the slice, available all day and late into the night. With the new restaurant, their aim is to “disrupt the norm,” according to its slogan, with scratch-made tacos, high-end tequilas, and mezcals and, naturally, margaritas, all served from 4 p.m. to midnight.
From the initial idea to its mid-December opening, the concept took about two years of planning, construction, and renovation, Coats said.
A new, all-season room with garage doors has been built to resemble an old service station, and at night, it will have more of a bar feel, with the main building maintaining a taqueria vibe. In early 2024, a weekend brunch will be launched with churro waffles, mimosas, and more.
“We have some really unique tacos,” Coats said. “We’ve done some Korean pork belly tacos, and steak huitlacoche, which is a Latin-inspired taco delicacy. We have some shareable items.”
Another unique menu item is carne apache, a beef tartare-style preparation with chipotle and lime. Avocado fries with jalapeno ranch are also available as a side, and the restaurant's massive chips and salsa bar boasts more than 20 house-made salsas and hot sauces.
“People can come and expect to have fun,” Coats said. “It’s going to be big volume, high energy … [and] more of a party atmosphere at night.”
• Honey J’s Southern Eatery has opened at 1474 Anniston Dr., with chicken, Southern sides, and seafood.
• A new Lexington location of Biscuit Belly was set to open in mid-December at 112 Lucille Dr.
• Blue Door Smokehouse began the process in early December of moving to a new location on National Avenue and is expected to reopen in a couple of months, a Facebook post on the restaurant’s page announced.
• Ceci’s Grill House food truck is now offering Brazilian-style BBQ skewers, drinks, and accompaniments at 3220 Nicholasville Rd.
• Salt & Vinegar has bid a friendly adieu as the food concept within Blue Stallion Brewing Co., but newcomer Blue Rider has opened its doors with sandwiches, nachos, wraps, soups, pretzel bites, quesadillas, and more, according to the brewing company’s Facebook posts. Salt & Vinegar will maintain its presence in the Ethereal Public House.
• After 12 years, Wine + Market's owners announced via their newsletter that they would be closing the shop at the end of 2023 to spend more time with family.
• Chocolate Holler announced that it wouldn’t reopen after Christmas, leaving the door open for future partnerships or selling the shop to a new owner.
• Big changes are in motion at Broomwagon Coffee+Bikes, as its kitchen closed on Nov. 12, making way for a new restaurant joining the cafe space in January.
“It was a decision that was not made lightly, but one that will allow us to focus and meet the explosive growth in demand the bike shop has seen over the past four years,” a statement said.
• LaRosa’s at 115 Southland Dr. closed in November.
• Common Grounds closed its Richmond Road location on Nov. 19, though the Old Todds Road and Hartland locations remain open.