May brings Derby, Mother’s Day and dining specials for both

Proud Mary BBQ, 9079 Old Richmond Road, is hosting its first crawfish festival from noon to 2 a.m. Saturday.

Crawfish will be available by the pound, along with corn and potatoes. A crawfish-eating contest will be held at 3 p.m., crawfish sack races at 4 p.m., beer pong contest at 4:30 p.m., crawfish races and bobbing for corn at 5 p.m., and a dance contest at 7 p.m., along with face painting, a bounce house and live music.

To preorder crawfish, call 859-913-5611.

▪  The Kentucky Derby draws near, and Azur Restaurant and Patio, 3070 Lakecrest Circle, Suite 550, will get in the spirit, holding a special “Azur Chef Series: Wine and Wagers” at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Tickets are $80 per person.

“The Ubercapper” Ellis Starr will be providing his top picks for the Oaks and Derby races, and Azur will be pairing a “provocative menu” with Kenefick Ranch wines, including bluefin tuna and salmon napoleon, cedar-smoked duck leg confit, mignon of pork tenderloin and raspberry mousse.

Azur’s Mother’s Day brunch will include entrées such as sea grits (shrimp, scallops, lobster, Weisenberger grits and wilted spinach), chicken and waffle, filet Benedict and “Kentucky Nasty Biscuit” (smoked sausage burger, cheddar cheese, fresh tomato and cream gravy, and fried egg).

Entrées range from $13.95 to $32.95. Brunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 14. Call 859-296-1007 for reservations.

▪  Donut Days is offering special Derby cookies in hand-iced rose, horse head and jockey cap designs. The rose and horse head cookies are $1.89 each; jockey silk cookies are $2.79 each.

Butter biscuits will also be available, $5.78 for a bag of two dozen. Donut Days has locations on Southland Drive, Euclid Avenue and the Eastern Bypass in Richmond.

▪  Brasabana, 841 Lane Allen Road, is offering a Mother’s Day brunch that includes fried green tomatillo Benedict for $12.95 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and all-day specials such as fried oyster appetizer and pan-roasted salmon.

Reservations can be made on Yelp or at 859-303-5573.

▪  Winchell’s Restaurant and Bar, 348 Southland Drive, will serve all-day Cinco de Mayo specials beginning at 11 a.m. May 5.

They include homemade chips and salsa, homemade chips con queso, posole stew, carne asada nachos, carne asada tacos, homemade tamales, homemade enchiladas and tres leches cake.

Reservations are not required but suggested for groups of six or more. Call 859-278-9424.

▪  Jax Burgers & Brews in Lexington Green and J. Render’s Southern Table & Bar in Beaumont are teaming up this summer.

J. Render’s will be serving its barbecue out of the Jax location during the Lexington Green Lakeside concert series, starting at 5 p.m. every Friday and Saturday, from May 5 through the end of September.

▪  Greentree Tearoom, 521 West Short Street, has a May menu that includes strawberry soup; white chocolate scone with guava curd and Fayette cream; asparagus crêpe with Mornay sauce; egg salad, cucumber dill and shrimp tea sandwiches; dark chocolate mousse, Greentree butter wafers and coconut cupcakes, and spring tea blend.

Luncheon tea is served at noon Wednesdays through Saturdays or by appointment. Reservations are required. Call 859-455-9660.

▪  Boone Creek Creamery is now sampling its new buttermilk cheddar at its store at 2416 Palumbo Drive, Suite 110.

Owner Ed Puterbaugh said the buttermilk cheddar is the world’s first cheese with Lactobacillus reuteri, a new class of immuno-probiotics that allegedly helps fight diseases. Over the next year, Puterbaugh said, the creamery will be using “reuteri” in all its cheeses.

This story was originally published April 27, 2017 at 9:55 AM with the headline "May brings Derby, Mother’s Day and dining specials for both."