Restaurant review: The Coach House in name only

By Howard M. Snyder hsnyder@herald-leader.com

The Coach House has been a fabled restaurant in Lexington, whether open or closed, for decades. Since the early 1970s, when the ”new“ Coach House was built, it was the place to be and be seen. Back then, it was called Stanley Demos' Famous Coach House. But Demos retired in the 1980s, and the Coach House has dwindled ever since. The restaurant has changed hands multiple times; once it reopened as a ­German restaurant. That didn't last long. Now, it has reopened as The Coach House and, for the most part, it has dwindled.

Two Ky. wineries to host festivals this weekend

By Cheryl Truman ctruman@herald-leader.com

Yes, you have your Ichthus this weekend, your Great American Brass Band Festival, Shakespeare at Equus Run, the Festival of the Bluegrass.

In the Drink: Atomic Cafe brings a tropical feel to downtown

By Wendy Miller Contributing Columnist

I have always associated island-themed patios with drinks that are unctuous, cloying and sludgy. Paradoxically, the idea of them seemed even worse when the weather got hot, their thick mouthfeels almost mimicking the ­humidity. Rather than wanting to linger, I would only want a shower.

Los Alazanes: The food is exceptional; the service is not

By Howard M. Snyder hsnyder@herald-leader.com

When someone asks me about any Mexican restaurant I've reviewed, I always tell them whether the salsa and guacamole are good. I put a lot of stock in the chips and salsa everyone is given when they visit Mexican restaurants. And I always order a side of guacamole to go with it. That was the scenario I followed at Los Alazanes Mexican Restaurant on South Broadway.

Revel with a cosmo

By Wendy Miller Contributing Columnist

Sex and the City did for the cosmopolitan what James Bond did for martinis, Ernest Hemingway did for mojitos, and Shirley Temple did for ginger ale. It transformed a cocktail into an icon. To mark Sex and the City: The Movie's opening on Friday, we went in search of the best cosmo in our own little "Lex and the City."

MOVIE REVIEW: Sex and the City: The Movie

Elk Creek Vineyards Café: A feast for eyes

By Jacalyn Carfagno JCARFAGNO@HERALD-LEADER.COM

As hunger called and stomachs turned on the twisty roads of Owen County, some grumbling arose in our car about who would want to drive all the way to Elk Creek Vineyards Café for a meal. When we came out of yet another sharp curve without a sign of the café, doubters wondered, where is it anyway?

Istanbul Palace: Another country heard from

By Linda B. Blackford Lblackford@herald-Leader.Com

Slowly, slowly but surely all the same, Lexington is turning into a layered, multiethnic restaurant town. Is it immigration, globalization, the university? Whatever the reason, as diners we should be grateful for the wide array of tastes and cultures now available.

Caros: Try this joint

By Jacalyn Carfagno Jcarfagno@herald-Leader.Com

Caros calls itself "the best little joint downtown."

Natasha's Bistro: Go for the goulash

Contributing Restaurant Critic

Recently my wife and I had our foodie friends from Washington, D.C., visiting, and we decided to take them to Natasha's Bistro.

Stella's Kentucky Deli: Made to entice

By Jacalyn Carfagno JCARFAGNO@HERALD-LEADER.COM

The hard part about eating lunch at Stella's Kentucky Deli is deciding what to order. You'll face an interesting and diverse, but not too large, menu, and it's likely you'll also have rattling around in your mind enthusiastic recommendations from friends who have eaten there. And then there are the specials.

Flag Fork Herb Farm: Lunch is a treat

By Clinton H. Comley Contributing Restaurant Critic

During autumn my Saturdays are usually reserved for one thing: college football. Yet, recently, I was compelled to venture out of the house to Flag Fork Herb Farm for lunch.

Sam's Restaurant: Homemade highlights

By Linda B. Blackford Lblackford@herald-Leader.Com

If you order a Kentucky hot brown at a place called Sam's Restaurant, well, really, you've been warned.

Cheapside Bar and Grill: A toast to the menu

By Wendy Miller Contributing Restaurant Critic

It seems a truism, at least in our fair city, that when the words bar and grill appear together, the greatest emphasis is given to the word that comes first.

Ramsey's: Old friend on the corner

By Wendy Miller Contributing Restaurant Critic

Ramsey's downtown began its life as a funky watering hole/diner that served familiar comfort food. Since its inception in 1989, the restaurant spawned four more Lexington locations (one has closed), gained praise on the Internet, and watched development rise around it. Almost two decades later, the restaurant has become a local institution.

Oasis Restaurant: A Mediterranean refuge

By Clinton H. Comley Contributing Restaurant Critic

When most people hear the word oasis, visions of a cool spring shaded by palm trees in the midst of a desert come to mind. When thinking of Oasis Restaurant in Chevy Chase, I prefer an alternative definition: something serving as a refuge or pleasant change from the usual.