Updated: More Lexington restaurants making their return from COVID with takeout, pop-up events

Is it the warmer weather? The sunshine? The possibility that restaurants might get to reopen to some degree before too long?

Some Lexington restaurants that have been closed during the coronavirus pandemic shutdown have now launched takeout.

They join almost 200 local restaurants that are offering takeout to keep business going.

Others are now doing pop-ups, events that last only a few hours and sometimes require advance ordering, but give longtime customers a chance to taste what they’ve been missing.

Here’s what’s new:

First Watch

First Watch, which has four locations in Lexington, will reopen on May 4. You’ll be able to get breakfast, brunch and/or lunch with curbside pickup or no-contact delivery. You can order online at firstwatch.olo.com or on online ordering apps, seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. First Watch, which is the official breakfast of UK athletics, will donate a portion of the proceeds from each Traditional Breakfast sold in May to the University of Kentucky’s College of Medicine’s COVID-19 Unified Research Experts (CURE) Alliance Team.

“We are at a point that we believe dining rooms are going to be open in the next few weeks so we felt it was important to jumpstart the restaurants and get everyone back to work so we can ramp up for the dining rooms opening,” said Gary Holland, owner of Holland Restaurant Group, which operates the First Watch restaurants in Lexington.

Graze Woodlands

Graze announced that on April 29 they will reopen for takeout and delivery with new hours, 3 to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. You can order by phone, online at grazeky.com or through online ordering apps. The restaurant has been closed since Gov. Andy Beshear ordered dining in closed down on March 16.

Dudley’s on Short

Dudley’s is coming back, beginning May 8. Owner Debbie Long said they will begin taking orders on May 6 for a limited menu of favorites like Pasta Dudley’s, with brunch items available for Sunday. Call to order.

Golden Wok

Golden Wok on Richmond Road announced on its web site that the Chinese restaurant will reopen on April 28 for lunch and dinner. Takeout and delivery will be available 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Call to order.

Sorella Gelateria

Sorella Gelateria is doing a curbside pop-ups beginning on April 28 from 4 to 7 p.m. Call to order, beginning at 3 p.m. Pints only; flavors include blackberry nutella, amarena chocolate crunch, biscoff, Italian lemon cookie and lemon ginger. The restaurant has been closed since March 23.

DV8 Kitchen

DV8 Kitchen is doing its second pop-up on May 1. Preorder items online or call before 5 p.m. April 30. Come by and pick up cinnamon rolls, chicken salad, sourdough bread, jams and cookies from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the restaurant’s South Broadway parking lot.

Corto Lima

Corta Lima is doing a pop-up on April 29. Pre-order online their margarita mix, chips and guacamole, queso blanco, salsa, blue corn tamales, elote off the cob, tacos and much more. Preorder online by 1 p.m.; curbside pickup on Limestone 4 to 7:30 p.m.

Doodles

Doodles will be open for a pop-up take-out brunch on Mother’s Day weekend. Menu will be posted on their Facebook page at facebook.com/doodleslexky. Call to order.

This story was originally published April 28, 2020 at 1:28 PM.

Janet Patton

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-379-5233

Janet Patton covers restaurants, bars, food and bourbon for the Herald-Leader. She is an award-winning business reporter who also has covered agriculture, gambling, horses and hemp. Support my work with a digital subscription