Restaurant Review: Bellini's Italian Restaurant

 

Bellini's Italian Restaurant

115 West Main Street

Lexington, Ky 40509

Phone: 859-388-9583

(Today I'm bringing you a guest post, written by my dear friend and fellow foodie, Amy Stone.  Bellini's Italian Restaurant is located in downtown Lexington in a historic building dating back to 1869.  The building housing Bellini's is truly one of a kind, the only Italianette style architecture in the area.  Bellini's celebrates local and and seasonal offerings and is committed to supporting the region's farmers and farms.)

 

It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten a meal in Lexington that actually surprised me, but my belated Valentine meal at Bellini’s Saturday night did just that. 

This was far from our first trip to Bellini’s - my husband has been enjoying their fine bolognaise sauce for many years. The truth is, Bellini’s is the only restaurant in Lexington where I will willingly pay for Italian food. Having grown up in northeastern Ohio, as a child I was taught to make meatballs and red sauce from my neighbor and her mother in law. I confess since then I’ve found precious little to tempt me outside of what I was taught to make in that cramped little kitchen with Grandma Lavorini. I can still see her in her black shift making bread and showing me how to shape the rolls with gestures and head nods. (She never learned to speak English and in all the years I knew her I never heard her utter a single word.)

When we were seated in the Bellini’s dining room Saturday night our excellent server Quinn informed us that the appetizer special that evening was a Gnocchi Caprese. A well made gnocchi is a gift from the gods and the truth is, I’ve had precious few truly great ones. Good gnocchi should be light fluffy pillows of goodness, but if handled poorly, can end up as sticky wet globs of starch which quite simply, make me sad. Quinn was quick to recommend the gnocchi and I am so glad that we trusted him. What we were served was something I have never encountered in my life – a stuffed gnocchi! I know, I know - I’d never heard of stuffing gnocchi either. Turns out it can be done and the  Lexington Pasta Company has one of only three machines in the entire United States that can stuff gnocchi. Our little town is thus blessed and I had no idea! 

Gnocchi Caprese

 

 

 

 

Chef Craig Devillers flavors the potatoes with tomato which gives the gnocchi a lovely orange color and light tomato flavor. Lexington Pasta Company then forms the gnocchi and stuffs them with a mozzarella filling. The gnocchi are then lightly fried. Yes you read that right - surprise number two, fried gnocchi! Sounds like blasphemy I realize, but they were not the least bit greasy and the light crunch of the crust was in perfect contrast to the soft dumpling center. They were then served with a richly flavorful tomato confit, fresh basil and an onion balsamic reduction that was, quite frankly, ridiculously good. If they ever bottle it I will be the first one in line to buy it!

The rest of our meal was equally outstanding. Mr. Stone once again enjoyed the delicious Penne Bolognaise. I was treated to a succulent Lobster Ravioli in a red pepper cream sauce. What made these ravioli so outstanding was not just the quality of the pasta – thank you again Lexington Pasta Company – but the fact that there was a crazy amount of lobster in the filling. This wasn’t just a few flakes and some ricotta my friends, there were full on chunks of lobster in that ravioli and the flavor was delicate and light for what was in fact, a very rich dish. 

Here’s the thing about good Italian food, it’s not ‘chef-y’. Its’ beauty lies in the simplicity of good quality ingredients, skillfully combined to produce richly layered flavors. That was what struck me so much about the Gnocchi Caprese, it was innovative but not overdone and was truly a pleasure. So much so that it has instigated the writing of this, my very first dining review. Bellini’s is a local Lexington treasure. We had outstanding service (thank you young Quinn!) and Chef Craig took the time to come out personally to talk with us and discuss his amazing food. If you haven’t been to Bellini’s recently it’s time for a trip back in to sample the amazing quality of the dishes coming out of their kitchen. Chef Craig – Bravo Sir! Thanks for a surprising and delicious meal. And a big thank you to Kim Tracy who has allowed me to hijack her blog for this review. I appreciate your indulgence my friend!

A big thanks to my friend Amy for writing this review.  I know my readers will enjoy learning about the innovative stuffed gnocchi, the delicious food, and what sounds to be a wonderful restaurant with exemplary customer service. I hope to dine there as soon as possible!

Restaurant Review: Holly Hill Inn

Holly Hill Inn
426 North Winter Street
Midway, Kentucky 40347
859-846-4732

Holly Hill Inn is a charming restaurant in the middle of Bluegrass Horse Country. The old inn was built circa 1845 and is set in the most romantic countryside with with lots of low-hanging trees and beautiful gardens. The owners, Chris and Ouita Michel purchased the inn back in 2001. Holly Hill Inn has been a Kentucky treasure since it's opening. Chef Ouita has been featured in Southern Living Magazine and just this year she was up for a James Beard Award in the category of Best Chef Southeast. Her husband, Chris, has garnered the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence every year since 2002. The New York Times called Holly Hill Inn "a gem of a restaurant".

I had the opportunity to meet Chef Ouita a couple years ago during a cooking class at Williams-Sonoma. She prepared an exquisite meal for us in which everything was prepared to perfection. It was as if everything she touched turned to gold. When she told us about her restaurant, Holly Hill Inn, I knew right away that I wanted to go. For almost five years I have been wanting to go to Holly Hill Inn and I finally got around to it earlier today. I took my daughter to Sunday Brunch at Holly Hill Inn to celebrate her upcoming year as a 4th grader. We were happy to leave the boys at home!

Sunday Brunch is from 11-2 every Sunday. Full bar and wine list is available after 1pm. A three-course brunch for adults is $16 and children under 10 are between $6-8. Appetizers are available at an extra cost.

There is seating both outside and inside.

Menu options for brunch include: Eggs Benedict; Eggs Sardou; Greek Omelette; Lisa's Famous Shrimp and Grits; and Trout Meuniere and a few others.

We did not have a reservation, so we were lucky to get a seat inside. I think next time I would prefer to sit outdoors.

Each table receives a basket with the cutest little mini biscuits, about the size of a half dollar, and mini cornbread muffins. I think those little mini biscuits were the best I've ever had. They were super fluffy and light. I would have loved to take some of them home. My daughter and I gobbled them up happily.

For my first course, I chose the Chilled Watermelon Soup. I've never had a cold fruit soup before and was anxious to try it. I expected to love it, but wasn't a big fan. I think the soup had some wine mixed in, but there was something in the finish that reminded me of vinegar. It was really throwing me off.

For my entree, I ordered Lisa's Famous Shrimp and Grits, sautéed shrimp in Crystal-and-butter pan sauce with Weisenberger cheese grits. The entree also came with a side of green beans. I have been craving shrimp something fierce and was so happy to have such a wonderful plate of shrimp and grits. The cheese grits were creamy and thick, the shrimp were flavorful with just the right amount of heat and the Crystal and butter pan sauce was to die for!

For dessert, I ordered the Lemon Basil Pound Cake with Whipped Cream and Blackberries. There was quite a bit of basil in the pound cake. I noticed that there were little holes in the cake where maybe a basil simple syrup had been poured on top of the pound cake. I love basil, but I'm gonna have to say that it was a little overpowering.

I much preferred my daughter's dessert, Peach Sorbet. Not only was it a gorgeous color, but it was light and refreshing with little teensy weensy pieces of peaches. Had it been available on the adult menu I probably would've have ordered it in place of my dessert.

All in all, I would give Holly Hill Inn mixed reviews. I loved the gorgeous setting and the staff really goes out of there way to make sure you're taken care of. My daughter loved her entree, buttered orzo with a side of green beans (not pictured). I loved the mini biscuits as well as my Shrimp and Grits. However, my soup and dessert were a little lackluster. I was hoping to walk away 100% wowed with Holly Hill Inn, but I'm sad to say that isn't the case. I much prefer Chris and Ouita Michel's other establishment Wallace Station (recently on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-In's and Dives). See my review for Wallace Station HERE.

What about you? Have you ever really wanted to love a place and left a little underwhelmed?

And, if you happen to be local and have dined at Holly Hill Inn I would love to hear about your dining experience. I believe every place deserves a second chance!

Restaurant Review: Michael Symon's Bar Symon

Bar Symon
32858 Walker Road
Avon Lake, Ohio
Phone: 440-933-5652
Topping my list of things to do while in Cleveland was dining at Michael Symon's Bar Symon. Located only 15 minutes from my Dad's house, there was absolutely NO WAY that I was leaving Ohio without a visit to Bar Symon. It's not every day that you can dine at the restaurant of an Iron Chef.

Bar Symon is very welcoming, open, and airy with both indoor and outdoor seating. Due to the stifling heat, we chose to sit indoors. I quickly noticed that there was some 80's rock n roll playing and chuckled to myself. Clevelanders love their rock and roll and Michael Symon is no exception. The music added a great ambiance. Lucky for us, we had arrived just in time for Happy Hour, which is from 5-6:30 Monday through Friday.

Our waiter, who was very attentive, briefed us on the Happy Hour specials and then brought out the house bread and butter. The house bread was a very crusty bread, quite possibly a sourdough. I was so busy trying to decide on my entree that I forgot to ask. Whatever kind of bread it was, it was delicious! We gobbled it up in no time.

My husband ordered the Sriracha Wings ($5 during Happy Hour) for his appetizer. Let me just go ahead and say right now.....those damn sriracha wings were the very best chicken wings I've ever ate, hands down! I have no idea how they got them to be so tender, but the meat just fell right off the bone. The flavor of the sriracha was remarkable. I found I had to restrain myself from sucking on the chicken bone. The wings were probably the highlight of the meal, sounds crazy I know, but there were absolutely remarkable.

I chose the Pierogi appetizer ($5 during Happy Hour). The power of the pierogi lives on in Cleveland and chosing the pierogi appetizer was a "no brainer" for me. The pierogi appetizer was brought out in a cute little silver bowl with 3 pierogi, cabbage and a drizzling of stadium mustard sauce. I have mad love for both pierogi and mustard and was in total and complete pig heaven with this appetizer. The homemade pierogi were filled with potatoes and cheese and went so well with the mild flavored mustard sauce. Everything about the pierogi appetizer was so well balanced and flavorful. I enjoyed it more than words can say.

For his entree, my husband ordered one of the specials of the day, the grilled Rainbow Trout served with Grilled Rapini ($14). Seasoned with garlic, the trout was cooked to perfection and my husband found it to be both meaty and light at the same time. He thoroughly enjoyed it.

I also ordered one of the specials, the Smoked Pork Tacos w/ Tomatillo Salsa and Pickled Chiles ($14). When the plate arrived I did a double take. There were 3 huge pork tacos on the plate, each one brimming with smoked pork, tomatillo salsa, pickled chiles and cilantro. The meat was perfectly juicy and tender and I really loved the spicy heat of the pickled chiles. Those tacos were perfectly seasoned and packed with flavor. I didn't even touch the salt shaker.
(NOTE: The lighting where I was seated wasn't too great and the picture of the tacos really didn't do them justice, so I decided to leave it out).
My entree also came with my choice of side dishes and I chose the Jalapeno Creamed Corn. The creamed corn was flavored with jalapeno and was loaded down with cubes of pancetta. A very hearty portion for a side dish. I wish I would've had more room in my belly.

For dessert, my husband ordered the Warm Chocolate Cake with Cherry Compote and housemade Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream ($5). The warm oozing chocolate cake contrasted beautifully with the cool vanilla ice cream. Upon first bite you could tell that the chocolate cake was made with dark chocolate which really contrasted with the sweet cherry compote. This was a luscious and perfectly balanced dessert which we would happily order again on a return trip.

I ordered the Beer and Pretzels dessert($5), which was recommend by the waiter. I'm sorry to say that the picture of this dessert did not turn out at all, but it was absolutely fantastic. The Beer and Pretzels dessert consisted of two scoops of Housemade Guiness Ice Cream, fudge and caramel sauce and was topped off with crushed pretzel rods. This dessert was fantastic! A perfect example of sweet and salty, creamy and crunchy. This is the kind of dessert that warrants a trip to Bar Symon all on it's own!
My husband noticed that they were offering autographed copies of Iron Chef Symon's new cookbook, Live to Cook, for $35, so he bought me one! It was the perfect ending to a perfect meal.

Dining at Bar Symon was sheer delight and I highly recommend it if you live in the area or happen to pass through. The food was bursting with BIG FLAVOR and everything was cooked to perfection. I thought the prices were more than reasonable and some were actually a downright value. We found the wait staff to be both helpful and attentive and loved the casual, yet upscale atmosphere. This is the kind of place where friends can meet over drinks and appetizers OR you can saddle up and have a terrific three course meal. Either way, you WILL NOT leave disappointed.

As for me, I'm already scheming a return visit!!

Restaurant Review: Wallace Station

Wallace Station
3854 Old Frankfort Pike
Versailles, KY 40383-9763
859.846.5161
wallacestation.com

Yesterday was both my husband's birthday and also our wedding anniversary. We celebrated on Friday afternoon with dinner and a movie. We don't eat out often, but when we do, I love to go to Wallace Station. A short country drive down scenic Old Frankfort Pike and we arrive at the most charming restaurant, Wallace Station.

Wallace Station is located right in the middle of horse country and is surrounded by the most gorgeous horse farms. Locals flock to Wallace Station for it's charming venue and gorgeous scenery. The menu is simple, fresh and local. There are about 20 sandwiches on freshly home-baked bread, soups, salads, freshly baked pastries, pies and sweets, and old-fashioned ice cream. Monday nights are famous for their special Fried Chicken Dinner. I've never been, but hear that it is next to impossible to get a seat. On Friday nights, they have a Fish Fry.
We like to sit out back, on the deck and under the willow trees, with a gorgeous view of the bluegrass and this old barn.
You can also sit inside, with the ever-charming diner decor and beautiful old wooden floors.

I just love the old-fashioned decor, which is so warm and inviting.
Food is ordered in line, deli style, where you can then take a seat and it will be brought out to you. On this particular day, they were extremely crowded. The line was at least 20-25 minutes long. April is the beginning of horse racing season and Wallace Station is located near Keeneland, where all the horse races take place. Lots of people come from near and far to attend the horse races at Keeneland, making Wallace Station a very popular eatery during this time.
Wallace Station uses all local ingredients, including local KY beef. Many of their sandwiches are designed with tradition southern themes. They have both hot and cold sandwiches, specializing in their wonderful beef burgers. I am a huge fan of their Pimento Cheese Burger, but I wanted to try something different this time around. I ordered The Big Brown, their take on the traditional Kentucky Hot Brown. The Big Brown burger consisted of ham, bacon, tomato, white cheddar sauce and Parmesan cheese. When my burger arrived, my husband did a double take. I think all that meat was beckoning him and he realized the error of his ways. I looked down at my burger, "the meat fest" that it was and decided that I would switch with him. There was no way I could eat all that meat.
My husband, loves their Meatloaf Burger, but also decided to go with something different this time around. He ordered their Santa Anita Burger with pepper jack cheese, bacon, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, and spicy chipotle mayo. He liked this burger, but we both decided that we ordered wrong and were happy to switch. In turn, he was very happy with his meaty Big Brown Burger and I was very happy with the Santa Anita Burger. I loved the spicy pepper jack with the chipotle mayo. Both burgers were $8.95 each and come with a side of chips. My husband ordered a lemon bar, which we shared, and with the two drinks the grand total was $27.00. Although the price is somewhat high for sandwiches and drinks, the scenery and experience makes this well worth it. Wallace Station is a wonderful place, full of character, and we adore going there.
I was happy to see that Guy Fieri, of the Food Network, had just dined here on March 10th of this year. Turns out Wallace Station will be featured on Diners, Drive-In's and Dives in the near future. Definitely a great place to eat if you are ever in the area!

In the meantime, I'm crossing my fingers to go back on a Monday night and try that Fried Chicken Dinner - Yum!