Madison Co. dining guide: Wings, pizza, coffee and noodles that can ‘change the world’

If pandemic blahs are getting you down, consider a tour of Madison County where you’ll find plenty of good spots for breakfast, lunch and dinner plus outdoor and cultural options to help work up an appetite between meals.

The only real sign of a pandemic at Purdy’s Coffee’s Big Hill location in Richmond recently was the long line at the drive-thru as a friendly, masked, employee filled orders.

Inside, Purdy’s had the vibe of a popular, college-town hangout at mid-morning: people sat at tables chatting over their lattes or burrowed into work on a computer as the coffeemakers hissed and burbled. A Beekeeper coffee and country ham biscuit delivered a delightful and filling interlude for only about $6.

It is true that Purdy’s original 212 West Main St. location, part of the revival in the last decade of Richmond’s historic downtown as a place to meet and eat, is closed for the moment. But nearby there are lots of local offerings, including Burgher Burger at 226 West Main. It’s a craft burger bar where offerings include The Junkman burger (as you might expect, pretty much everything) and Moonwalker salad (includes fresh mozzarella slices with cloud-like drizzles of balsamic vinegar). At the end of the block is Craft Restaurant, which Ashley Gallaher just opened at the first of the year after managing Meeples in the same space since 2018.

The Main Street restaurants are now open only for takeout but not far away Madison Garden, a Richmond and EKU student standard since two brothers from New York opened it in 1982.

Known for their wings, pizza and other bar food, they feature an EKU-themed room and often have live music. The restaurant’s name comes from the owner’s New York ties and Madison Avenue, the street the longtime popular dining spot is on.

If a plate lunch appeals more than the wings and pizza scene, there’s Jackson’s Restaurant where, one online reviewer wrote, you can get “food your mama would be proud to serve!”

Known for their “meat and three” hot bar, they also offer a monster eating challenge, The Big Hoss. A massive burger that comes with two 1/2-pound patties, bacon, ham, pepperoni, American and Swiss cheese, beer cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, BBQ sauce, mayo, mustard, ketchup an onion ring and served with a pile of fries. Finish it in 20 minutes and it’s free.

On the Eastern Bypass there are two Brady’s, a Chinese/Vietnamese Fusion and Sushi and Hibachi. Don’t let the name fool you, a young couple who met as children in China and then re-connected in the United States shared a love of quarterback Tom Brady, hence the name of their son, Brady, and the restaurants.

The popular Apollo Pizza started in Richmond, where it’s gained several “Best of Madison County” awards but has expanded to include Berea and, more recently, Lexington as well. The Richmond location has sponsored Pages & Pints since 2014, featuring, usually free, readings by poets and other writers with conversation and book signings after.

In Berea, Mae Suramek, B.A. Berea College ’95, M.A., Eastern Kentucky University, has deep roots in Madison County, working as a social and political activist. In 2016 she added entrepreneur to her resume with Noodle Nirvana, believing as she explained in a TedX talk that “noodles can change the world.” A pad thai with rice noodles and chicken could make you a believer, although there are many other options. Suramek has since also opened Happy Jack’s World Sandwich Bar where the offerings include Bahn Mi and Curried Pita Wrap. And, she has Hole and Corner, a doughnut and coffee place that shares space with Noodle Nirvana and is now open only a few hours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Just down the street is another breakfast (and lunch) possibility, Native Bagel, where Katie Startzman, who also found the town by attending Berea College, has been filling the community’s need for bagels like she had in her native Pennsylvania since 2016.

A venerable presence near Jack’s in downtown Berea since 1985 is PapaLenos where, as it proclaims, “bread means baked fresh daily,” and “cheese is made with 100% whole cream.”

Finally, for some R and R between meals, I took a walk on the John Stephenson Memorial Trail, an easy, paved, flat but beautiful meander not far from downtown. Later, with rice noodles to work off, I checked out the trails that lead up from the Berea College Forestry Outreach Center. There’s a short paved section at the beginning but well-marked trails beyond that can lead to a hike of six to eight miles (or less) to beautiful overlooks where the raptors soar just above your head.

With deep history, Berea College and Eastern Kentucky University, there are plenty of cultural offerings, too, including White Hall, the home of early abolitionist Cassius Marcellus Clay, Fort Boonesborough (guess who settled that?), the Battle of Richmond site, and abundant music and visual arts offerings in Berea.

This story was originally published October 29, 2020 at 6:00 AM.