Hey all~~

My vacation last year was a "bourbon tour" of Ky. It is definitely an interesting trip, and many, many options of where to go, what to do and where to stay. Not all bourbon based, but along the "bourbon trail", it is a fun backroads trip!!

We did Bardstown, Harrodsburg and Danville, Ky, with our first stop in Louisville to eat at Lynn’s Paradise Cafe. What a fun place this is to eat!!!

We then headed to Bardstown, and went to the Jim Beam distillery. It is free, and they give you free samples of the whiskey. Although I don’t really drink whiskey, the Basil Hayden whiskey was a treat to sip on the porch of the Beam house, in a wooden rocking chair, looking out on the grounds.

Talbott Tavern for dinner was full of history, and the food was pretty good. The Oscar Getz Museum was really cool. There is a restaurant/bar on the lower level of the museum {I think it was called Xavier’s} that had a cute patio, and the bar area was really cozy. We had appetizers that were decent.

We also spent a lot of time at Kreso’s. It’s a really cute restaurant/bar with a "rat pack" theme. Dinner was very good. There was also Hurst Drug Store, that had an old fashioned soda fountain, with a counter and stools.

We stayed at a hotel right across from My Old KY Dinner Train. We opted not to do the train, but saw it parked across the street!! Bardstown also has some great Civil War Museums, and replica of an old settlement called "Old Bardstown Village". There was also a taxidermy museum, focusing on native American animals {kinda bizarre, but fun.}

The Abbey of Gesthemani was a great site, but I bought some $22.00 a pound cheese that, I guess, you have to develop a taste for. I have had stinky cheese before, but this seriously TASTED {not just smelled}like old stinky socks!! They have fudge and fruitcakes, but I was obsessed with trying the cheese. Oh well…

In nearby Loretto is Maker’s Mark distillery. What a beautiful place!!! Just touring the grounds is a treat, but you can tour the distillery and wax dip your own bottle!! Heaven Hill distillery had a "Bourbon Heritage Center", and a trolley to take you there.

Next, on to Harrodsburg. Beautiful town with lots of old greystone homes. The Beaumont Inn was wonderful, for food and atmosphere. There’s a lot to see just touring the grounds. I had the "Classic Beaumont Dinner" with the "yellow-legged" fried chicken {soaked in buttermilk}, country ham and the fabulous corn pudding.

Danville is a very historic town. There’s Constitution Square, the birthplace of KY’s statehood, with the original log courthouse, completed in 1785, that housed the Supreme Court of the District of Kentucky . And the first abdominal surgery museum is here {the Dr. Ephraim McDowell House}. Actually it was very interesting!! Danville is also one of the first affluent African-American communities. Perryville is nearby. A nice little town steeped in Civil War history. Really cool little town!!

Sorry to go on and on, and I know I’m late in replying, but if you get to this part of the world, try to experience it. It is way cool!!! [8D]

I ate at The Boone Tavern in Berea about a month ago. Not having ever been there before, I certainly can’t say if it has gone downhill. But, I can tell you it wasn’t particularly good. I tried one of their signature dishes, "Chicken Flakes in a Bird’s Nest". It was a nice presentation, but the dish itself wasn’t very good. And even though I generally like sweet things, the orange marmalade salad dressing was awful. The highlight of the meal was the spoonbread. Besides the food, there were some other issues going on. There were three different tables around me in which the manager needed to assuage diners because the food was taking so long. Since I admire the idea behind Berea College, I really wanted to like this place. Too bad I didn’t get to eat here back in it’s glory days.

I hit The Beaumont Inn in Harrodsburg for lunch earlier that day and loved my meal. Great atmosphere and some of the best country ham I’ve ever had. The same weekend, I also had Sunday brunch at Old Stone Inn in Simpsonville. Even though I enjoyed eating in such an old historical building, the food was just okay. The only thing of interest was that they had Hot Brown sandwiches on the buffet.

quote:

Originally posted by sauceman

I’d like to echo the endorsement of The Beaumont Inn, Harrodsburg, Kentucky. The country ham they serve is aged two years, and the fried chicken is superb. Corn pudding is another specialty. The Dedmans, who own the inn, are fine people who typify Kentucky hospitality. I’d recommend staying a night or two in the main inn. It truly is like going back in time.

An old acquaintaince of mine has gone to the Beaumont twice a year for decades and swears by the place. My wife and son went a few years back, and even the fact that my mother-in-law was their host couldn’t ruin the visit.

The rain is ending and after a late nite shower due in a few hours, theLOUISVILLE forecast for the next 4 days looks drier and mid-80’s. Thanks for bringing some nice weather with you!

A bit late, but I have to add-

The new Bourbon Heritage Center at the Heavens Hill Distillery in Bardstown is well worth a visit. More than the usual Distillery tour and walk-around gift shop (although those are both included), the tasting experience that is at the end of the tour is a real education in "Bourbon". The ambience and attitude of the place is very welcoming to the visitor and tasting the difference between the various aged Bourbons taught this person a new respect for the skills involved in the creation of those beverages.

We rode the Kentucky Dinner Train last year and it was an interesting experience. I don’t think I would do it twice, but the experience of the old rail dining car and rattling around the countryside on some ‘old’ rails was interesting to say the least. (Please remember, I am a train-freak, so I have more than a passing interest in the equipment involved). It is a bit pricey, but if your interests are in that sort of thing, It is a great activity for a family.

Hello All,
After reading this thread and going to the links, I am interested
in visiting Bardstown, Ky. and the surrounding area. Thanks.
Take Care,
Fieldthistle

Yah Louis Columbia’s is good, especially the one downtown on 2nd street. A steak or a burger and the Diego Salad and you’re set.
That place has a lot of history too. It’s always hard to go wrong with the "Nighthawk" special.
When I worked as a law clerk for one of the judges in LEX, that’s where we’d always go when the jurors were deliberating and they’d often bring in a Columbia’s menu for the jurors and bring the food to them. I don’t recall anybody ever complaining [:)]

Andrea

I’m glad you mentioned the Columbia Steak House, Andrea. I haven’t been there for four years. There was a time in the late 1980s to early 1990s when they were sliding, then they seemed to come back to life again. They’ve been around since 1946.

From the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, I would often drive 200 miles to Lexington just to eat "The Special" at the Columbia–and then drive 200 miles back home, all on the same day. The steak was that good. It was an event to eat it. The Columbia would puncture a steak full of holes and then immerse it for a couple of days in garlic butter to let that butter penetrate every crevice. When finally eaten (medium rare or rare), it was a feast for the Gods. They don’t have a website, but if interested here are the specs. Although the locations outside of Lexington are OK, I’ve noticed that the quality varies, but the locations in town are all excellent. Here are the Lexington locations and phone numbers:

Columbia Steak House
101 West 2nd Street
Lexington, KY 40507
(859) 253-3135

Columbia Steak House
2750 Richmond Road
Lexington, KY 40509
(859) 268-1666

I’d like to echo the endorsement of The Beaumont Inn, Harrodsburg, Kentucky. The country ham they serve is aged two years, and the fried chicken is superb. Corn pudding is another specialty. The Dedmans, who own the inn, are fine people who typify Kentucky hospitality. I’d recommend staying a night or two in the main inn. It truly is like going back in time.

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7

quote:

Originally posted by kp_kyak

As a recent Berea graduate and a "townie," my view is that the food at Boone Tavern has been going downhill for a while. In, I believe, the mid 1990s, the College handed management of the restaurant over to Sodexho Marriott. While the new executive and pastry chefs are fairly good, the Tavern lacks some of the ambiance and prestige that it once had.

I am sad to hear that report. I hope that you are incorrect. But if you are not, America has lost a great place.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Last time we were there — a few years ago — service was terrible, food was rushed and "microwaved"….and we were seated in the elevator lobby because "You have to understand there’s a wedding party here and we booked the dining room for them."

I don’t HAVE to understand anything — and frankly, should have been told about the dining room being booked when I made my reservation. When I checked out, I complained, and the old gal at the front desk rolled her eyes and said, "Oh yes — our new ‘dining room manager’ has gained us another fan, I see……"

We’ve not been back.

The Hot Brown is good, if you like ham, turkey, a cheesy cream sauce etc. on bread. I like it, and there are many variations. If you’re going to the Horse Park in Lexington dinner at the Atomic Cafe in LEX is very festive — it’s Caribbean themed. Merrick Inn in LEX is also nice for traditional food; Joe Bologna’s for pizza; Columbia’s for steak; Parkette Drive In for great burgers (it’s been there since 1951). If you want seafood while in LEX try The Ketch or Regatta. If you like Thai food Siam on New Circle Road has the best Pad Thai in town, and for Chinese the Hunan on New Circle Road.

Andrea