Flavors of Kentucky

■ The Local Taco, 315 South ­Limestone, is offering a brunch menu from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Taco specials include ham and Cheddar featuring Browning’s country ham and white Cheddar cheese, and eggs, smoked brisket, red chile sauce and pickled onions. Call (859) 523-3700 or go to Thelocaltaco.com.
■ Ruth Hunt Candies, 213 Walton Avenue, is offering a series of Second Sunday tastings and events. Samplings of Ale-8-One salsa, barbecue sauce, drinks and suckers will be available from 1:30 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Call (859) 268-1559 or go to Ruthhuntcandy.com.
■ The Bleu Plate Tours are back for the season. The walking food tours are offered at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. ­Saturdays. Sunday tours will return in May. By touring the city on foot, you’ll visit tucked-away restaurants and ­establishments that you just don’t see driving by, and take in a few history ­lessons. Go to Bleuplatetours.com.
■ Ramsey’s Diner, 496 East High Street, is offering a Tax Day special this weekend and Monday: lamb fries with choice of three vegetables for $10.40. Call (859) 259-2708. Patios are open
at all Ramsey’s locations. Go to
Ramseysdiners.com.
■ Thai Orchid Café, 1030 South Broadway, is observing the Thai New Year from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday with a Songkran noodle festival.
“We are celebrating with a delicious menu of our favorite noodle dishes,” chef/owner Toa Green said. “The long length of noodles represents our wish for your prosperity, longevity and good luck.”
Specials include somen noodles topped with pineapple, Thai beef and meatball noodle soup, and garlic noodles and veggies. Call (859) 288-2170 or go to Thaiorchidcafe.net.
■ Wine + Market, 486 West Second Street, will offer a cheese class at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Cheeses from France will be sampled. The April beer tasting will be 5 to 7:30 p.m. April 24, and the monthly wine tasting will be at 6 p.m. April 29. Classes are $12. Call (859) 225-0755 or go to Wineandmarket.com.

If you’re traveling on I-75 in the Corbin area, you might want to plan a trip around lunch or dinner time. Bubby’s BBQ, Catfish and Steak restaurant will be the place to stop if you’re hungry.
Bubby’s serves a buffet that includes everything Grandma cooks: fried catfish, fried chicken, corn bread, bean soup, dumplings, broccoli-chicken casserole, greens, green beans, beets, hominy, bread pudding, and chocolate cake. A salad bar is included. Prices range from $6.99 to $9.99.
The BBQ menu includes pulled pork and ribs which are smoked on site. Sandwiches and burgers also are available. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Bubby’s is at 2700 Cumberland Fall Road in Corbin. Call (606) 258-9070.

Announcement

■ Just before Lexington baker James Brown was scheduled to appear on TLC’s season three of the Next Great Baker, Brown received results from a medical test and decided not to compete. He’s now recovering from surgery for a benign brain tumor, and the bakery at 1226 Versailles Road will be closed until Feb. 8. You can go to Brown’s Bakery Facebook page for updates from Brown’s wife Bridget.

Events

■ Jonathan at Gratz Park, 120 West Second Street, will have a Wild Turkey bourbon dinner at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Master Distiller Jimmy Russell will be guest speaker. Cost is $85. Call (859) 252-4949 or go to Jagp.info.
■ Sondra Strunk, owner of Sondra’s Wine Creations, will offer samples of her pineapple wine jelly at Good Foods Café & Market on Saturday. Strunk will be at the café at 455 Southland Drive, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
■ Alfalfa Restaurant, 141 East Main Street, will serve its holiday brunch on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Specials, served from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, will include heirloom pumpkin pancakes with apple compote, braised Stone Cross pork with pickled butternut squash, and Boone Creek Creamery asiago, spinach and mushroom omelet. Call (859) 253-0014 or go to Alfalfarestaurant.com.
■ Wine + Market, 486 West Second Street, is offering classes this month. “Whiskeys of the World” is the topic for Jan. 24. The whiskey seminar will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and feature whiskeys from Ireland, Scotland, and Canada, and Kentucky bourbon. Cost is $10. “Wine 101” will be from 6 to 7:15 p.m. Jan. 28. Learn how wine is made and tips on tasting. Cost is $12. A beer tasting will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 30. Call (859) 225-0755 or go to Wineandmarket.com.

Etc.

■ Nick Ryan’s Saloon, 157 Jefferson Street, is giving a portion of its proceeds on Monday to the Children’s Advocacy Center. Volunteers will be on hand to discuss the nonprofit organization that provides treatment and support to children who are victims of sexual abuse. Call (859) 233-7900 or go to Nickryans.com.
■ Bob Tabor, owner of the Engine House Deli, 9 Lexington Avenue in Winchester, is turning daily operations over to someone else while he devotes time to making River Rat beer cheese. Laine Rogers and Roy White will run the deli and they will retain the same menu. River Rat beer cheese is sold at retail markets in Central Kentucky. Call (859) 737-0560.
■ Double H BBQ, 1244 Versailles Road, is offering special packages for Super Bowl parties. Included are smoked pulled pork, beef brisket, and wings. Customers receive a free pint of a homemade side of choice with every pound of meat ordered for the game day party. Double H’s menu also includes soups, country ham, and a stuffed pork chop entree. Customers received free dessert on Mondays and Tuesdays with orders. Call (859) 523-4227, or go to Doublehbbq.com.

If koshari and kebda aren’t familiar foods, you can discover them this weekend at the Egyptian Festival.
Koshari is a traditional Egyptian dish made with cooked lentils, rice and pasta, and served with a spicy tomato sauce. Kebda is a liver sandwich.
The festival menu also features roasted lamb, grilled chicken, falafel and baklava.
Entertainment includes camel rides, a zip-line course, a petting zoo and “Euro bungee.”
The event, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, will be at The Red Mile, 1200 Red Mile Road. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call (859) 243-0768 or go to Egyptianfestivallex.com.

Special events

■ Jean Farris Winery & Bistro, 6825 Old Richmond Road, is having a Beast and Barrel lamb roast Saturday. The winery is celebrating the close of the 2012 harvest season by roasting two whole Kentucky lambs over old Jean ­Farris wine barrels on the lawn. The lamb will be offered as the dinner entrée special. Call (859) 263-9463 or go to Jeanfarris.com.
■ Minton’s at 760 is hosting a ­Halloween party Wednesday. Chef/owner Ashley Minton will greet guests as Mrs. Lovett, the character from Sweeney Todd known for her “meat pies” of ­questionable origin, as part a theme based on the Broadway musical. “We will be serving all sorts of pies,” Minton said. Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Minton’s is at 760 North Limestone. Call (859) 948-1874 or go to Mintons760.com.
■ Georgia’s Kitchen Café, 900 North Broadway, is having a Halloween party at 7 p.m. Saturday. The cost is $30, and there will be live music and ­dancing. Prizes will be awarded for best ­costumes. Call (859) 252-6837  or go to Georgiaskitchencafe.com.
■ Wine + Market, 486 West Second Street, has two events planned for November. A class on pairing wines and holiday foods will be 6 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 12. Apiary catering will provide appetizers. The cost is $25. A holiday beer tasting will be 5 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14. Five holiday brews will be available for tasting. Cost is $10. Call (859) 255-0577.

Announcements

■ Alfalfa Restaurant, 141 East Main Street, is helping Friends of The ­Kentucky Theatre raise money to ­renovate the downtown Lexington icon. On Wednesdays until Nov. 21, 20 percent of dinner sales will go to the theater. Dinner hours are 5:30 to 9 p.m. Also, Alfalfa now serves French-press coffee that’s locally roasted by Caffe Marco, and mimosas, wine nd beer at Sunday brunch starting at 11 a.m. Brunch hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call (859) 253-0014.
■ Two Lexington restaurants, ­Bourbon n’ Toulouse and Sahara ­Mediterranean Cuisine, have been ­included on UrbanSpoon’s list of ­“America’s most popular cheap eats.” According to the user review-based Web site for restaurants, “these are the ones that received the most coverage in the past year, via blogger reviews, food ­critics and diner votes.” Bourbon n’ Toulouse is at 829 Euclid Avenue, (859) 335-0300, and Sahara is at 3061 Fieldstone Way in Beaumont Centre, (859) 224-1138. The Herald-Leader and LexGo.com contribute their restaurant reviews to UrbanSpoon.

Farmers market report

■ Saturday is Bluegrass Farmers Market’s last day for the season. Items include tomatoes, winter squash, peppers, lamb, honey, lettuce, baked goods, soup bean mix, greens, sweet potatoes, eggs, herb seasoning, jams and pumpkins. The market is at 3450 Richmond Road in the parking lot of Pedal the Planet and Fast Signs. Hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Go to Localharvest.org/blog/29529.

Lexington pie baker Elizabeth Maggi has given up baking for making sliders. Maggi, formerly with Phat Pie Cafe and Natasha’s Bistro, is the chef at the new T Bar, at the corner of Woodland and Euclid avenues (formerly the Fish Tank). The restaurant serves a variety of gourmet sliders including the Angus beef black and bleu with sautéed onions and hickory smoked bacon; pulled pork with cole slaw; miniature brats; and cordon bleu chicken. Maggi’s dessert specialty at T Bar is a peanut butter and jelly slider, deep-fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Owners are T.J. Gordon and Bob Douglas. Hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday. Limited lunch delivery is available. Call (859) 368-9404 or go to Tbar500.com.

Openings

■ Mary Lou’s BBQ is open at 226 Walton Avenue, serving Texas Hill country and coastal bayou style BBQ. The menu includes pulled pork, beef brisket, smoked turkey and sausages. Custom orders are available with advance notice for cold smoked salmon, beef tenderloin, whole hogs, prime rib, and leg of lamb. Meats are hand rubbed and marinated then slow smoked using either hickory, blackjack oak or pecan wood. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Call (859) 252-4227.
■ The new Sabio in Dudley Square offers menus for the bar, brunch, lunch, dinner and dessert. At the bar, you can order an artisanal cheese platter, wok-charred green beans, stuffed quail and mussels. For lunch, the menu features salads and sandwiches. Dinner selections include chicken, duck, scallops, pasta, beef, pork and lamb, and for dessert there’s chocolate fondant, bourbon cheesecake and pot de crème. Sabio is at 380 South Mill Street. Call (859) 368-9901 or go to SabioDudleySquare.com.
■ First Watch, The Daytime Cafe will open its first restaurant in Lexington in the fall at 3071 Richmond Road, in the Kroger shopping plaza It serves breakfast, brunch and lunch from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Go to Firstwatch.com.
■ In a hurry for a quick bite, try the new Happy Falafel, 105 Eastern Avenue. Specialties are falafel, chicken and steak shawirma, baba ganoush and lentil soup. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Call (859) 455-8741 or go to Happyfalafel.us.

Special events

■ Food photographer Sarah Jane Sanders will have an exhibit of her work at Wine + Market, 486 West Second Street, from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday for Gallery Hop. Sanders photographs desserts for Stella Parks’ BraveTart.com blog and her work has appeared on Ruth Reichl’s Gilt Taste and Ed Levine’s Serious Eats. Wine + Market is at 486 West Second Street. Call (859) 225-0755.
■ Thai Orchid Café, 1030 South Broadway, is celebrating Earth Day on Sunday with dishes featuring local ingredients from Elmwood Stock Farm in Georgetown. Included are Thai style omelet, coconut sweet potato fries and sweet potato pie ice cream. Call (859) 288-2170  or go to Thaiorchidcafe.net.
■ Eddie Montgomery’s Steakhouse in Harrodsburg will host a songwriters and authors event from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Pamela Whinnery will sign Favorite Recipes of Kentucky Celebrities and Country Goodness Recipes of Tennessee Celebrities. Songwriters from across the state will perform on the restaurant stage.
In conjunction with the steakhouse event, the fifth annual Kentucky Writers Celeb Showcase will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at West T. Hill Community Theatre in Danville. On Sunday, a second showcase will feature performers from noon to 5 p.m. at Penn Store in Gravel Switch. The events kick off Kentucky Literary Week Celebration, and proceeds go to Historic Penn Store. The store was built in 1847 and was damaged by a flood last year. Go to Pennsstore.com or  Eddiemontgomerysteakhouse.com.
■ The artwork of Lexington attorney E. David Marshall will be on display at Della’s Diner, 124 North Upper Street, from Friday to Sunday. Della’s late-night menu on Friday features specials on burgers and fish. “Buy a painting and your dinner is free,” owner Tom Morris said. Call (859) 281-1141.
■ Kenny and Sonia Allen will have their Pitmasters BBQ wagon at Sportsman’s Warehouse, 2200 War Admiral Way, on Saturday. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Open for lunch

■ Le Deauville, 199 North Limestone, now is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Featured are croque-monsieur and Caesar salad. The bistro will serve brunch from noon to 3 p.m. on Mother’s Day. Call (859) 246-0999 or go to Ledeauvilleresto.com.
■ Holly Hill Inn now is serving lunch and brunch on the weekend. The three-course lunch or Sunday brunch is $18.  Hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday for lunch, and for brunch on Sunday. Entrees include Lisa’s famous shrimp and grits, spring vegetable lasagna and  pork roulade.  Holly Hill is at 426 North Winter Street in Midway. Call (859) 846-4732 or go to Hollyhillinn.com.

Farmers market report

■ Bluegrass Farmers’ Market will have strawberries, asparagus, lettuce, eggs, bok choy, onions, kale, jams, herb seasoning, and bedding, herb and vegetable plants. Hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 3450 Richmond Road, in the parking lot of Pedal the Planet and Fast Signs. Go to Localharvest.org/blog/29529.
■ Lexington Farmers Market is open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in Cheapside Park. Hours for the Southland Drive market are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. The Tuesday and Thursday market at Maxwell Street and South Broadway opens May 1. Go to Lexingtonfarmersmarket.com.
■ Winchester-Clark County Farmers Market has a new location this spring. It’s at 217 South Main Street in the parking lot next to the Bluegrass Heritage Museum, across from St. Joseph Catholic Church. Hours are 8 a.m. to noon Saturday and 3 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday.