GOV. ANDY BESHEAR announced the new Kentucky Historic Dining Guide at Midway’s Holly Hill Inn on Thursday, May 7. The guide is the newest initiative of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet, spotlighting historic restaurants throughout Kentucky that are woven into their community’s fabric and have stood the test of time. Renowned Midway chef and hospitality entrepreneur Ouita Michel sits to Beshear’s left and also spoke at the event. (Photo by Scott White)
By Scott White
Woodford Sun staff
Gov. Andy Beshear unveiled the new “Kentucky Historic Dining Guide” at Chef Ouita Michel’s Holly Hill Inn at an event last Thursday, May 7.
“This guide brings together two of Kentucky’s greatest assets: our rich history and delicious food,” Beshear said at the event. “By highlighting our incredible restaurants, we can support local businesses while building on the record-breaking tourism we’ve seen for three consecutive years.”
Modeled after the highly successful Bourbon Trail, there are 18 restaurants in the Kentucky Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet’s guide, with more to be added in the future.
In addition to Holly Hill Inn, the other establishments evidence a wide variety of both well-known and little-known restaurants like Spencer’s Coffee in Bowling Green, Boyd’s Tavern in Cadiz, Old Talbott Tavern in Bardstown and Billy Ray’s Restaurant in Prestonsburg.
According to the Tourism Cabinet’s website, it is not just the iconic restaurants that are highlighted, but also the cultural piece with “landmark buildings – not simply as places to savor eclectic cuisine – but as living chapters in our history. Each featured restaurant . . . brings forth stories of Kentucky’s past. By weaving these rich histories into the dining experience, the guide invites visitors to appreciate the enduring legacy of the people and places that shaped the state’s cultural heritage.”
Holly Hill Inn was, as Beshear pointed out, the perfect place to announce the new initiative.
Named last year as one of the country’s Top 20 restaurants for hospitality by the James Beard Foundation, Holly Hill Inn is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Built 140 years ago, it was purchased by Michel and her husband Chris, who runs the notable wine cellar, from the Rouse family, an old Midway family, with the proviso that it remains open to the public.
And, so it has.
As she pointed out, the Michel’s restaurant group is an important part of the Woodford and Kentucky economy, spending millions of dollars on what she calls “Kentucky Damn Proud” produce, meat, art and pottery, while serving hundreds of thousands of dinners. Michel added that all of the restaurants in the guide carry similar importance to their own communities.
“The kinds of restaurants in this guide are vital to our rural and local economies. This is what a locally-owned restaurant can do for its community,” she said. “So, these are not just any restaurants. These are the cream of the crop. And, by that, I’m not talking about gross receipts or the bottom line. We are the handshake of our communities, we are the ‘welcome in’ to Kentucky.”