Holly Hill Inn, Winchells, Alfalfa are cooking up Irish dishes

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and several places around town will have Irish-themed specials leading up to March 17.

▪  The Midway Bakery, 510 South Winter Street in Midway, will have specials including chocolate stout cupcakes, shamrock iced sugar cookies, Irish soda bread and mint swirl cheesecake brownies. Available in store or by order, 859-846-4336.

▪  Beginning March 12, the Holly Hill Inn, 426 North Winter Street in Midway, is cooking Irish dishes to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, through March 20. The Big Irish Breakfast Brunch is served March 12-13 and March 19-20, with a choice locally made bangers (sausages), black pudding, white pudding, smoked salmon, fresh kipper, rashers of Irish bacon, brown bread, scones, and chocolate stout cake or Irish apple cake with custard sauce for dessert. The foods of Ireland will be served during our Around the World in 80 Days dinner series March 17-19. Call 859-846-4732 for reservations.

▪  Winchell’s Restaurant, 348 Southland Drive, will have corned beef and cabbage, shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash, fish and chips, soda bread and green draft beer. Open 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Call 859-278-9424 for more information.

▪  Alfalfa, 141 East Main Street, will be have corned beef and rarebit for lunch and a lineup of Irish specials including corned beef, Dublin coddle, steak and Guinness pie, McClanahan stew, and portabella mushroom rarebit at dinner from 5:30 until 9 p.m. The meats are from Stone Cross Farm, and the soda bread is baked in house. Call 859-253-0014.

▪  All day “O’Ramsey’s” will have slow cooked corned beef ’n’ cabbage with blarney vegetables; Irish stew and soda bread. Green beer in a take-home mug, drink specials and Bailey’s Irish creme cheesecake. The Irish food will be served at all four locations: 151 West Zandale Drive, 4053 Tates Creek Centre Drive, 3090 Helmsdale Place and 4391 Old Harrodsburg Road.

▪  Before you get to Ireland, Alfalfa will take you to France for International Night on March 9. From 5:30 to 9 p.m., you can get seafood in puff pastry, artichokes crepes a l’orange, eggplant Provencal, pissaladiere, and French peasant stew.

▪  Buffalo Trace Distillery continues its homage to former distillery owner Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. with a special release bourbon whiskey aged in seasoned wood oak barrels.

Col. E.H. Taylor Jr. Seasoned Wood Bourbon Whiskey is a 100-proof bottled-in-bond wheat recipe bourbon, available starting in late March in limited supply. The suggested retail price is $69.99 for a 750 ml. bottle. The barrels in this release underwent a variety of creative seasoning processes. The result is a wheat bourbon with, according to the tasting notes, “a delicate aroma of caramel and dried fruit, followed by a bright and pleasant first sip. Oak tannins are balanced by a touch of butterscotch, almond, citrus notes and hint of spicy clove. The body is soft and balanced with an aftertaste that lingers perfectly.”

▪  Buffalo Trace Distillery and Frankfort Parks and Recreation will host the 17th annual Easter egg hunt at the distillery, 113 Great Buffalo Trace in Frankfort, on March 19.

Festivities will start at 1 p.m., with the first hunt for the youngest guests getting underway in the gardens at 1:15 p.m. Children and parents are invited to search for thousands of treat-filled eggs. In addition, several eggs will be hidden to be redeemed for the grand prizes. Areas will be marked off for children ages 2 and younger, 3-4, 5-8, and 9-12. Ages 2 and younger will begin egg hunting at 1:15 p.m., ages 3-4 will begin hunting at 1:35 p.m., ages 5-8 will hunt for eggs at 1:55 p.m. and ages 9-12 will hunt at 2:15 p.m.

Other festivities include refreshments and photos with the Easter Bunny. All activities are free. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. No pets please.

Visitors are asked to enter at the Wilkinson Boulevard and Fair Oaks Lane traffic light, as the main entrance into the Distillery will be closed for this event. Event parking signs will be posted. In the event of rain, the Easter Bunny will greet the children for photos and pass out treats in the Buffalo Trace Clubhouse.

▪  And speaking of eggs, Cincinnati-based Kroger, the largest supermarket chain in America, announced last week that the company will source all of its eggs from cage-free suppliers by 2025. The move impacts 7 billion eggs and could affect more than 20 million hens. Kroger joins several other Ohio-based companies, such as Wendy’s, Bob Evans, and White Castle that have already pledged to eliminate cages. The Humane League, which conducted a weeks-long advocacy campaign, hailed the pledge as a victory.

▪  The Chrisman Mill Vineyard stores are combining and moving to a new location. As of June 1, the Nicholasville winery will be at Fayette Mall, next to Chipotle. The store at 2213 Lexington Road in Nicholasville will be closing on May 1, and the store at 2308 Sir Barton Way Suite 190 will be closing on May 22, according to an announcement by the winery. For more information, call 859-881-5007.

▪  Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, 3501 Lexington Road in Harrodsburg, will host a dinner featuring spring Kentucky cuisine prepared by chef Jonathan Lundy, and featuring sommelier/mixologist TJ Cox. From 6:30 to 9 p.m. April 9, the dinner is part of the Fresh Food Adventure Series and will be in the Meadow View Barn and will feature class Kentucky dishes with a whimsical twist and beverage pairings. Tickets are $100 and available online; seating is limited.

▪  The Derby Eve Lexington party, at 8 p.m., May 6, will be at the James Pepper Distillery Rickhouse, 1170 Manchester Street this year. This is the second year of the charity event, which will feature gourmet food, open bars and live bands.

“The party was held on a horse farm last year, yet as we anticipated it’s going to double in size and we needed a larger facility to accommodate it this year. Bringing the gala to the Pepper Distillery District is something we are very excited about,” said co-founder Donna Sturgeon.

The evening will begin with a red carpet entrance and media photography row, pre-band entertainment courtesy of the Kentucky Theatre Ballet during the cocktail reception in both the general admission & VIP areas. Corporate sponsors Four Roses Bourbon & Tito’s Handmade Vodka specialty drinks will be passed to guests as they arrive.

Tickets are $100 and include admission, gourmet food, cocktails and entertainment. V.I.P. tickets are $350 per person for an all access pass that includes general admission entertainment, V.I.P. areas with gourmet V.I.P. dinner, premium liquor, champagne bar and V.I.P. exclusive entertainment. Reserve V.I.P. tables at $2,500 per table of eight.

The event will benefit the non-profit Woodford Humane Society, Race for Education, New Vocations Racehorse Adoptions and the Retired Racehorse Project.

▪  Lexington Children’s Theatre will present an annual fund-raiser, Celebrity Curtain Call in Nottingham, with local celebrities performing The Adventures of Robin Hood. The event at 7 p.m. April 9 includes a reception with food from Azur, Brasasbana, Puccini’s, Crank and Boom and drinks from Kentucky Ale, Wine Brokers and Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon. Tickets are $75; you can purchase online or call 859-254-4546. Ticket includes unlimited munchies, two drink tickets and two bourbon tasting tickets. There will be a silent auction, too.

▪  Looking for a great excuse to tailgate in May? The 48th running of the High Hope Steeplechase on May 22 will feature a new series of Ladies Side Saddle Races, including a formal parade of ladies sporting period costume. In addition to the traditional steeplechase race card, there will be a side saddle flat race and one over fences. The High Hope Steeplechase is a fund raiser for the many local charities, including Central Kentucky Riding for Hope and the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation. General admission tickets are $25 per carload; gates open at 11 a.m. Tents and prime tailgating spots also available. For $200 you can get a picnic basket for eight, including wine.

This story was originally published March 8, 2016 at 10:19 AM with the headline "Holly Hill Inn, Winchells, Alfalfa are cooking up Irish dishes."