Wali and Tiffany Bellfield Al-Amin have purchased Alfalfa Restaurant, a Lexington mainstay since 1973. The couple, who dined at the restaurant early in their dating relationship and considered it a favorite, took over the lease in July. Photo by Drew Purcell
Alfalfa Restaurant is slated to reopen this summer or fall under new ownership.
Tiffany and Walli Al-Amin purchased the business after seeing a post on social media that said it would not be reopening and was looking for new ownership.
Alfalfa (alfalfarestaurant.com), a Lexington mainstay known for its vegetarian- and vegan-oriented cuisine, had undergone several changes in ownership since its founding in 1973, as well as a move from its original location on South Limestone Street to 141 E. Main Street. It was most recently owned by Amy and Jeb Messer, who also own Lynagh’s Irish Pub.
The Al-Amins had dined at Alfalfa early on in their dating relationship, and the restaurant continued to be a favorite spot for them in the years that followed.
With the new lease set to become official in July, the Al-Amins said they are hoping to launch a soft opening mid-month, starting with small baked goods, coffees, teas and light lunch items, then gradually adding on heartier entrees. Eventually their goal is for Alfalfa to become a popular, full-service dinnertime and nightlife destination in downtown Lexington.
Tiffany has experience working in restaurants, and currently works with Berea’s Community Farm Alliance nonprofit. Wali formerly operated a food truck. The Al-Amins have hired a manager, and plan to rehire available staff and new hires in anticipation of being fully staffed and operational by August or September.
In other culinary news, well-known Louisville-based seafood restaurant Seafood Lady, operated by chef Nichelle Thurston, has expanded to Lexington. The restaurant, which also operates a food truck and has been featured on Food Network, is located at 833 Georgetown Street. The restaurant’s website has posted a Lexington menu that includes seafood combo platters, po’ boys and shrimp, oyster, fish, lobster and crab-based dishes and sides.
Following several weeks of delayed opening due to the pandemic, Bazaar Eatery, located inside Ethereal Brewing Public House at 102 W. Vine St., has expanded service to include dine-in and patio seating.
“It feels like we got a super extended soft open,” executive chef Mitch Boggs said.
The restaurant began as a food truck that operated summer 2017 through 2019 serving creative nachos, tacos, burritos and more. After launching with carryout-only in April, Bazaar Eatery now offers reservations for sit-down service during lunch and dinner.
Elixir Downtown, 249 West Short St., has opened with amended weekly hours, including for weekend brunch service and dinner and drinks, as well as live entertainment.
Wild Thyme Cooking, 1060 Chinoe Road suite 108, has announced a series of cooking classes and children’s summer camps for July, both operating with limited capacity and in accordance with CDC guidelines. Additionally, al fresco dining returns on Friday evenings in July with a “Vino and Vinyl” event featuring a seasonal menu from Chef Allison Davis. Diners are encouraged to bring their favorite vinyl to play on a turntable set up on the patio.
Papi’s Mexican Restaurant & Bar announced on social media that a second location, Papi’s Rapido, is coming soon at 1214 South Broadway. The restaurant will offer patio seating and drive-through service, as well as a menu offering tacos, burritos, quesadillas and other items.
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Manager Matt Martin (left), with Brevedé Coffee Co. owners Viorika and Nik Kopets. The Kopetses are opening a gourmet coffee shop, bakery and workshop space in Lexington’s Distillery District. Photo furnished
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Braved Coffee Company will also offer a small menu of lunch specials featuring sandwiches, crepes, French toast, Belgian waffles and macarons. Photo furnished
Brevedé Coffee Company (brevedecoffee.com) will soon bring high quality coffee and European baked goods to Lexington to Lexington’s Distillery District. Located at 1170 Manchester Ave., Suite 110, the business is slated to open in July or August, and will feature seating for around 100 guests between its inside and outside tables.
Owners Viorika and Nik Kopets, natives of Moldova and Belarus respectively, moved to Lexington three years ago, and began their venture in September 2019 with a mobile custom-built coffee bar they brought to weddings and other events. The couple’s seriousness about bringing out the intricate flavors of coffee has been on full display ever since, with equipment that includes a Japanese Yama cold brew tower, in which coffee is cold-brewed for nearly 12 hours to near freezing temperatures before being poured over ice or infused with nitrogen; Chemex pour-over style, Aeropress and Kalita brewing techniques; and a top-of-the-line Slayer espresso machine.
Bakery items will include cakes to order, macarons and other European-style sweet treats she said will be new culinary experiences for most Americans. There will also be a small menu of lunch specials featuring sandwiches, crepes, French toast and Belgian waffles.
The business will also provide a space to host workshops for all ages in arts and crafts, entrepreneurial topics, flower arranging and baking, and the space will be available to be rented for business meetings, weddings and other events as well.
Originally scheduled to take place in July, Lexington Burger Week has been rescheduled to Sept. 21-27, in order to allow restaurants and diners more time to adjust to serving and dining in the age of COVID-19.
One of the city’s most anticipated annual culinary events, Lexington Burger Week is a choose-your-own-adventure-style experience, with diners making their way to participating restaurants throughout the course of the week to try unique burgers and pairings.
For more information, or to inquire about getting your restaurant on board, visit www.lexingtonburgerweek.com.
In these challenging times, some restaurants have announced that they have closed their doors for good.
Gather On Main announced its closure in late May, and the TGI Friday’s on Pavilion Way is also no more. Denny’s on Nicholasville Road has closed, and a number of restaurants are looking for new venues after the
Summit at Fritz Farm announced in May that The Barn food hall at the Summit was closing.
Nick Ryan’s on Jefferson Street is listed as “closed until further notice” on Facebook, and the Cheddar’s restaurant in Hamburg closed after sustaining heavy damage in a fire in mid-May. Logan’s Roadhouse near Fayette Mall was listed in June on Facebook as “temporarily closed,” and the Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe in Hamburg closed, though the Southland Drive location remains open