Best veggies: 9 local restaurants serving ‘meat & three’ classics from meatloaf to liver
In Lexington’s hip dining scene, New American cuisine has become the hot button culinary topic.
Defined by the sheer number of flavors and textures combined in one dish, New American is actually not as new as some might think. Chef Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, first toyed with the concept in the 1970s.
Fast forward to 2022 and listen in on this conversation:
Hip Diner #1: I had the best octopus taco last night at (fill in the blank).
Hip Diner #2: Ooohhh, that does sound good. But have you tried (fill in the blank’s) zucchini and frog leg risotto sprinkled with raspberry aioli?
Hip Diner # 3: Well, I can top you both. Last night at (fill in the blank), I had the Mongolian barbecue pizza with onion and pineapple marmalade.
Admittedly, I’m taking poetic license here, but for someone who grew up with the traditional southern “meat and three” meal plan, I am often perplexed at what I see on modern menus.
The recent demise of Loudon Square Restaurant after nearly a half-century in business, got me to wondering – where can diners in search of that traditional “meat and three” go?
While these places are dwindling in number, there are still such outposts in Lexington. If you’re craving nostalgia, as well as vegetables that are, you know, green and come out of the ground, here are a few suggestions.
J. Render’s Southern Table & Bar
3191 Beaumont Center Circle; 859-533-9777; jrendersbbq.com
Barbecue is the main draw here, but J. Render’s also pays homage to grandma with buttermilk fried chicken with homemade white gravy (don’t order if you’re in a hurry) and Gwyn’s meatloaf topped with a non-fussy ketchup glaze.
But it’s the sides that will have you reminiscing about long-ago Sunday family dinners. Sure, they have the requisite mac & cheese, and the Brussels sprouts are glazed with honey and chili, but veggie purists can take comfort in the collard greens, Southern-style green beans, sweet molasses baked beans and creamy coleslaw. Don’t forget to add a slice of jalapeno cornbread made with Weisenberger Mill yellow corn meal.
MiMi’s Southern Style Cooking
126 New Circle Road; 859-523-0490
Indulge in homemade cooking with daily dishes made from scratch: Catfish, meatloaf, pork chops and chicken (with or without waffles), but again, it’s the sides that shine.
Collard greens, corn pudding, cabbage, green beans and yams will warm the cockles of every Southern heart.
Polish your meal off with a glass of sweet tea and enjoy some gravy-smothered goodness at its best.
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The Cottage Café
409 N. Main Street, Nicholasville; 859-887-1911
If, like me, you actually grew up liking liver and onions and not turning your nose up in disdain, the Cottage Cafe is the place to go. I’ve had the liver and onions here on several occasions and on all but one, have found it moist and tender with just the right ratio of onions to liver.
If you aren’t into liver, they have plenty of other options: country-fried chicken smothered in white gravy, center-sliced country ham, pork chops and chicken (fried or if you insist, grilled). All meals are served with two veggies, which include but are not limited to: green and brown beans, fried apples and hashbrown casserole.
Open seven days a week, there’s a daily special.
A.P. Suggins Bar & Grill
345 Romany Road; 859-268-0709; suggins.com
If you prefer chicken livers to beef liver, you won’t be disappointed here. Especially since it comes accompanied by vegetables such as green beans, fried okra and black beans, or you can opt for homemade coleslaw and mashed potatoes with gravy.
Not a liver lover? Then try the pork chops (grilled, blackened, barbecued or country fried); catfish fried golden brown, or boneless chicken breasts marinated in a light dressing (or you can go rogue and order them drenched in blackened seasoning.)
Winchell’s Restaurant & Bar
348 Southland Drive; 859-278-9424; winchellsrestaurant.com
Many people (me included) think this local favorite eatery has the best chicken livers in town. At Winchell’s you get them hand-breaded, deep-fried and topped with gravy. Admittedly, a calorie-busting choice, but we have to splurge sometime.
Winchell’s lists its sides, including a vegetable of the day selection, on a chalkboard you can peruse before being ushered to your table. Among the choices are baked sweet potato with honey butter, country-style green beans and creamy coleslaw (again, my fave in Lexington.)
Blue Skillet
213 E. Seventh Street; 859-537-9257
Blue Skillet serves up soul with style – from the smothered pork chop and baked chicken to meatloaf and salmon croquettes, all accompanied by two sides. If you’re looking to emulate Sunday dinners at Grandma’s, you can choose from mashed potatoes with gravy, greens, cabbage and green beans.
Ramsey’s Diner
151 W. Zandale, 859-259-2708; 4053 Tates Creek Center, 859-271-2638; 3090 Helmsdale Drive, 859-264-9396; 4391 Harrodsburg Road, 859-219-1626; ramseysdiners.com
Wildly popular for their philosophy of “lots of food for not a lot of money,” Ramsey’s is the place to take the family for a down-home dinner.
The restaurant even has a special menu section titled “Meat & Three.” Among the 15 offerings listed are meatloaf, country fried steak, char-broiled pork chops, Southern-style catfish and pot roast.
They have more options on the veggie list and during the summer additional seasonal vegetables like fresh corn and local tomatoes are added.
Year-round they have creamed corn, honey mustard carrots, stewed tomatoes, sauteed spinach, yellow squash and onions, fried okra and Kale greens.
Josanne’s Homestyle Kitchen
3449 Buckhorn Dr., Ste 100; 859-245-0110; josanneshomestylekitchen.com
This off-the-beaten-path gem is where soul-stirring meets country fried. The restaurant gets raves for its chicken and pork chops as well as for the fresh greens and cabbage. The fried corn bread is not to be missed.
Thoroughbred Restaurant
1483 Leestown Road; 859-252-9153
If any restaurant is going to attract the Loudon Square crowd (as if their own crowd wasn’t loyal enough), it’s this hole-in-the-wall that has been a Lexington favorite for more than half a century.
I would come here just for the meatloaf, with its rich tomato sauce that complements rather than drowns the meat. The liver and onions would be my second choice.
Check out the chalkboard for the day’s vegetables – cabbage, greens, stewed tomatoes, green beans – all home-cooked.
A warning to newbies: you may experience the worst kind of cancel culture here: If you see a server approach the chalkboard with the dreaded eraser, it means they are out of a dish and you are out of luck – at least until your next visit.