A new gathering place with a spirits store, bourbon lounge, and wine and cheese bar is opening soon at 211 Rosemont Garden.
Managing member Megan Winfield and her husband, manager/owner and West Sixth Brewing co-founder Brady Barlow, are opening Cibon, which pays homage to a favorite weekend wine/charcuterie cafe hangout from their time living in Rochester, New York.
They asked the former owner for permission to use the name of the now-shuttered café, and she agreed, even sending them a Cibon sign, Barlow said.
The well-traveled couple has visited nearly 40 countries over the past two decades and want to bring their favorite food and beverage experiences and gift items from around the world to a Lexington audience, they said.
“It’s not going to be froufrou,” Barlow said. “It’s going to be nice, the furnishings are going to be nice, but it’s not the kind of place you’re going to have to wear a blazer to get a cheese plate.”
Hopes were to open by Valentine’s Day, but it will be a bit longer to get everything “just so,” Barlow said.
They’ll be offering wine and food pairings, rare bourbons, some beer, and local and imported food as well as food-related gifts, including favorites gleaned from their trips.
“We try to see the local flavor of every place that we go,” Barlow said.
In other local food and beverage news:
After operating as a home bakery for several years, Wild Lab Bakery is moving to a new location, according to co-owner Andrew McGraw, with plans to open a storefront at 819 National Ave. in February. “We outgrew our home bakery and are excited for this opportunity to expand our operation so we can bake for more farmers markets and walk-in customers,” McGraw said. The shop will be open Wed.-Sat., with sourdough loaves, bagels, cookies, and coffee available for walk-ins; there will be no need to pre-order. “We hope to expand the menu once we have our feet under us,” he added.
Open since September 2017, Midway-based Brown Barrel is expanding not only to Frankfort, but to Georgetown. Owner J.P. Gibson says he’s always had his eye on those towns, but the ideal buildings only came available recently, and nearly the same time, so he leapt at the opportunities.
The Frankfort location at 204 W. Broadway should open mid-February, and Georgetown at 135 E. Main St. in early March if not sooner, Gibson said. The restaurants will have the same menu and atmosphere of fine dining in a fast-casual atmosphere that diners have come to love at the original location, he said. Among the top-selling sandwiches is a salmon BLT on a brioche bun with sorghum apple cider glaze and crispy bacon; other favorite items include beef skewers with a loaded potato cake and port wine reduction, and blackened chicken ravioli.
Gibson said one key to success has been daily features at lunch and dinner, whether it’s an elk filet, sea bass, halibut, lobster, or another special entree he and the chefs have cooked up.
He said the restaurant is whatever you want it to be — whether it’s fine dining, a tasty sandwich, or game-day apps. “I think that’s why we’ve been popular is we’ve been so versatile,” he said.
The Mediterranean and halal restaurant Yaffa Grill has opened at 98 Finley Dr. in Georgetown, with menu items including kebabs, shawarma, falafel, beef, lamb, fish and vegetarian entrees, hummus, soup, sides, and baklava.
Open every Saturday, Ghost Fox Winery has opened a tasting room at Chrisman Mill Rd. in Nicholasville after Ghost Fox purchased and renovated the former Chrisman Mill Winery. Ghost Fox Winery offers white wines that include oaked chardonnay and spicy cucumber, and reds that include cabernet and merlot. The winery has already earned three medals in the 2023 Kentucky Commonwealth Commercial Wine Competition, according to its Facebook page.
Golden Flame Hot Wings has opened at 141 Rojay Dr.
Chocolate Holler, the coffee and chocolate shop on Old Vine Street which announced a closure late last year, has now reopened under new ownership.
Representatives from Old Vine Bistro, located in the same shopping center, announced that owner Larry Dean has decided to close the restaurant and retire from the service industry. “You’ve seen him as a part of the infamous A1A, Wines on Vine, Chathams, OV Bistro, and many others,” an announcement read. “After a lifetime of great times with great friends, he’s going to take a break!”
Buffalo Trace has released a collaborative bourbon label with country music great Chris Stapleton, called “Traveller Whiskey.” The libation’s tasting notes describe its aroma as having “complex aromas of vanilla, aged fruit, and buttery shortbread, rounded off by caramel and a touch of oak,” with a palate with light sweetness “followed by spice, toasted nut and oak flavors, and a robust finish.”
A few restaurants recently announced their closure, including Broussard’s Delta Kitchen in Georgetown, which closed Dec. 24 after a five-year run. On a Facebook post, the popular restaurant cited the cost of supplies, labor, and the fact that the lease was up.
Another restaurant that closed its doors is Kismet at the Burl Arcade, which began as a pop-up, officially opened in 2020 and closed Jan. 21, 2024. “Thank you Lexington for the love and we can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us,” their Facebook farewell post said.
The Social Vegan at Greyline Station announced its closure recently, characterizing it as not a goodbye but a “see ya later.” Its website notes that the restaurant has expanded to Tallahassee, Florida, with plans to become the first national vegan restaurant chain in the United States.
According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, Osaka Japanese Restaurant is opening a second location this year in the Great Acres development off Leestown Rd.
Cosmic Fry owner Katrina Buster recently announced on social media plans to open a new restaurant this spring at 1987 North Broadway with burgers, ice cream, all-day breakfast and special events.
After several years operating as a food truck with a location inside the Pasta Garage incubator, Moody Mike’s will soon be providing vegan fare at Broomwagon Coffee + Bikes, a north Lexington coffee shop that recently closed the restaurant arm of its operation.
Wilson’s Grocery has opened under new ownership at 1010 Cramer Ave.