Lexington, KY - It was a disturbing sight. As I walked up Woodland Avenue from downtown toward High Street, I immediately began to notice something was out of the ordinary, something was terribly amiss.
Being an evening in early April, the front dining room for Ramsey's Diner should have been teeming with people munching on country-fried steaks and hot browns. It wasn't; the light wasn't even on. The corner of Woodland and High was as dead as downtown on a Sunday night.
Even though Ramsey's was my destination, and it was obviously closed, I didn't change my course; I had to scope the scene - I had to see the fire marks or the trunk of a car sticking out of the exterior wall, or whatever it was that had rendered the restaurant desolate. If nothing else, hopefully somebody had left a note.
They left more than a note, they left an entire poster on the front door explaining that after 20 years the restaurant was closing down for the day to renovate their air-conditioning system. Understanding, but a little hungry, I walked back home and ordered a pizza.
To show off their revamped air conditioner (and to celebrate being open for 20 years), Ramsey's Diner (only the High Street location) had a birthday bash on April 20. The place was crowded, but the hostess wrangled a table up for me and a friend, another regular. The whole evening was an auspicious occasion, and I was glad I was able to be a part of it. Since moving to Lexington almost 10 years ago for school, Ramsey's has been a comfortable hang, a usual suspect on my monthly bank statement and, above all else, a solid square meal. Congratulations to Rob Ramsey and the rest of the cast and crew; here's to 20 more.
It was raining the night of the birthday bash, so we couldn't sit out on the restaurant's side patio, but I'm certain that in the warmer months to follow I'll be a regular fixture out there with a dirty napkin on my lap and pie crust on my face. In keeping with the warm weather and people's love of eating outdoors, we dedicated a large heap of our editorial this month to dining "al Fresco" - out in the fresh air. We couldn't think of a better subject for May (sorry, Mom).
In this issue we give a rundown of some of the more spectacular restaurant patios and decks in the area you should try to visit this season. These aren't wobbly tables parked next to a street curb; the owners and designers at these eateries have made it a point of pride to offer some of the best atmospheres for stuffing your face. Also in this section, writer Saraya Brewer introduces us to a Beaumont couple who have taken outside cooking and entertaining to new levels, and Chris Rosenthal, our artistic director, offers up some tips and recipes for hosting your own outdoor soiree.
May is also host to the month-long Bike Lexington - a city-wide series of events focusing on cycling safety, maintenance and advocacy (and entertainment, but that's inherent when you're talking about bicycles). Mitch Schwartz, a graduate student at the University of Kentucky, has turned in an impressive survey of the different cycling cohorts you may encounter on the road.
I sure hope you get the opportunity to spend a considerable amount of time outside in the coming weeks during this brief stint between our cold winter and scorching summer. It doesn't last long, and before you know it, we'll all be wondering when autumn is coming.