Flavors of Kentucky

Have you ever thought you were in the dark about  Lexington’s dining scene? At Natasha’s Bistro & Bar you literally could be.
Natasha’s Bistro & Bar, 112 Esplanade, will serve guests a Kentucky Proud menu to eat in complete darkness. It’s designed for the senses of smell, taste, sound, and texture. Participants will remove their blindfolds after each course.
Natasha’s owner Gene Williams quotes Miami chef Adrianne Calvo about the concept of dining in the dark: “The concept of ‘Dark Dining,’ which enjoyed significant popularity throughout Europe for several years before its introduction in various major cities throughout the United States, has been defined as a sensory overload that maximizes flavor by suppressing vision, creating the ultimate in dining experience.” The dinner will be at 6 p.m. Monday. Tickets are $49. Call (859) 259-2754  or go to Beetnik.com.

Special events

■ Bistro La Belle Market and Cafe will join other downtown Midway merchants in supporting The Homeplace in Midway and its “Voices in Cloth” quilt show on Saturday.
Bistro La Belle will serve Laura’s white bean soup and Weisenberger Mills cornbread from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The meal is free, but the café will accept donations for The Homeplace. The regular menu will be available. Bistro La Belle is at 119 East Main Street. The quilt show will be at 128 East Main Street. Call (859) 846-4233 or go to Bistrolabelle.com.
■ Woodford Reserve Distillery serves a holiday buffet on Fridays and Saturdays through Dec. 22. Chef-in-residence Ouita Michel and her culinary team have created a menu of Kentucky favorites and seasonal specialties. Distillery tours are offered before dinner. Seatings are at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Cost is $50. The Distillery is at 7855 McCracken Pike, Versailles. Call (859) 879-1812 or go to Woodfordreserve.com.
■ On Monday, you can help Baby Health Service by dining at Nick Ryan’s. The restaurant’s “Monday Matters” program donates a portion of the day’s proceeds to charities. Baby Health provides free quality health care to children without insurance. Call (859) 233-7900 or go to Nickryans.com.
■ When you make a donation to your favorite charity through Goodgivingguide.net and you could win a catered dinner for eight.  Mulberry & Lime, a gift/home furnishings shop in the historic Matthew Kennedy house at 216 North Limestone, will be the site for the dinner that will be prepared by Dupree Catering. Wine will be provided by Wines on Vine.

New menus

■ The Village Idiot, 307 West Short Street, has a new winter menu.  Chefs Andrew Suthers and Wyatt Sarbacker have put their personal touches on classic cold weather comfort food. Included are ham hock ragout with Lexington Pasta’s spinach gnocchi and pork belly en croute with pickled onion and whole grain mustard.
On Monday, the restaurant will serve a prix fixe dinner featuring seasonal dishes to compliment selections from Schlafly Beer and wines from Vanguard. The dinner will include a reception of hors d’oeuvres and three courses each paired with wine and beer. Cost is $49. Call (859) 252-0099 or go to Lexingtonvillageidiot.com.
■ Casanova Italian Restaurant, 855 South Broadway, has some new menu items. Included are bronzini acqua pazza, (a fish owner Leo  Capezzuto imports from the Mediterranean Sea), Neapolitan traditional sausages with rapini, and spaghetti aglio olio scampi. Casanova is accepting reservations for Christmas parties. Call (859) 309-3313 or go to Casanovaky.com.

Megan and Mike Smith have traveled the world as missionaries and now they’ve settled in Kentucky and opened their dream business. “It started off as a simple idea for a coffee house when we were first married and over the years has grown to encompass our mutual passion for food, antiques and homesteading principles,” Megan Smith said.
The Homestead, 150 Combs Ferry Road in Clark County, serves breakfast and lunch and offers classes on basket weaving, home brewing and baking for children. The menu includes biscuits, muffins, cakes, soup beans and corn bread, and BBQ.
The Homestead is at the corner of Combs Ferry and Todds roads in a 100 year old post office that has been restored. Hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Call (859) 333-6266 or visit Thehomesteadky.com.

Wine and dine

■ Natasha’s Bistro & Bar, 112 Esplanade, has a wine preservation system that allows the staff to serve premium select wines by the glass. “The Winekeeper prevents the wine from coming into contact with heat or oxygen for even an instant, allowing us to serve wine, perfect from the first to the last drop, in every glass,” owner Gene Williams said.
During June, Natasha’s is discounting select wines from its preservation system and introducing four new wines: Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Artemis cabernet sauvignon, Napa Valley; Conn Creek Limited Release cabernet sauvignon, Napa Valley; Conundrum white blend, California, and Joel Gott riesling, Columbia Valley, Washington. Call (859) 259-2754 or visit Beetnik.com.
■ Horseshoe Bend Winery is having a Jamaican dinner on June 11. The menu will include jerk chicken, conch soup, Jamaican whitefish, Caribbean salad, and Sir Harvey cheesecake. Cost is $60 a person and includes paired wine tastings. The winery is at 1187 Lawson Lane, Willisburg. Call (859) 375-0296 or go to Horseshoebend-ky.com.

Events

■ On June 14, School Restaurant is having a Tuna Kaitai show. The chefs will breakdown and carve a giant tuna in front of their guests. “Diners who attend the event at 6:30 p.m. will observe firsthand sushi techniques rarely seen outside of Japan and enjoy some of the freshest sushi and sashimi the country has to offer,” general manager Kate Congleton said. School also will offer a discount on tuna sushi and tuna sashimi. The tuna buffet is $30 and includes tuna sushi and sashimi, and tuna spareribs.
During “tuna spectacular week,” School will continue to offer discounts on tuna steak and spareribs. Call (859) 269-0677 or go Schoolrestaurantlex.com.
■ The Kentucky Ballet Theatre is having its 13th annual international dinner at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. It’s an opportunity to meet the dancers and taste authentic gourmet specialties from around the world, prepared by the dancers and patrons. Artistic director Norbe Risco will roast a pig. The dinner will be held at 1146 Lane Allen Road. Cost is $50 a person. Call (859) 277-2227.
■ The June menu at Greentree Tearoom, 521 West Short Street, reflects the season and its bountiful produce. Included are chilled cucumber soup; tomato and basil scone; chicken salad Astoria, and orange pannacotta. Tea is served at noon Wednesday through Saturday and by appointment for private parties. Call (859)  455-9660 or visit Greentreetearoom.com.
Farmers market report
■ The Bluegrass Farmers Market has 100 percent locally grown strawberries, asparagus, tomatoes, eggs, lettuce, kale, green beans, rhubarb, onions, herb seasoning, jams, baked goods, honey, vegetable plants and floral hanging baskets. Hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 3 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at 3450 Richmond Road, in the parking lot of Pedal the Planet and Fast Signs. Visit Localharvest.org/blog/29529.