Lexington Ky Restaurants
Beaumont
Your
Guide to Fine Dining
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Lexington Ky Restaurants Beaumont Your
Guide to Fine Dining |
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El Chico's |
Masala's |
Sahara |
Kobe
House |
Azura |
Mi Mexico |
Applebee's |
Joe's
OK Bayou |
Waffle
House |
Donato's
Pizza |
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Beaumont Center is a very classy, tastefully designed complex of restaurants and lodging at the intersection of New Circle Road and Harrodsburg Road. From the Hyatt, it is a five mile drive South on Broadway / Harrodsburg Road. The Center offers three modern upscale places to stay and 10 eateries, ranging from upscale to pizzeria, all within walking distance around a square. In addition to the five miles to downtown, Beaumont is three miles from Keeneland and three miles from the University of Kentucky. It is a great place to stay if visiting Lexington because you can park your vehicle and walk to all your meals, almost like staying downtown. The Comfort Suites even offer minikitchens, while the Hampton Inn and Budget Inn include continental breakfasts. The food choices include Mexican, Indian, Mediterranean, Japanese, Cajun, Pizza, Breakfast, Classic and Corporate. There are also sandwich, yogurt and fast food outlets we do not review. |
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El Chico's is a national
chain (since 1940) but its Lexington franchise has the feel of a local.
It is very comfy inside its Western looking building. Booths and tables
are in a large U shape, which allows for a quieter atmosphere and more
privacy than most restaurants. We like their Asado, a steak with chimichurri
sauce, poblana peppers, onions, chipotle wine sauce, in a cheese onion
enchilada. Save room for dessert, because you have to try the Brownie
Skillet Sundae, a very out of style triple chocolate brownie with pecans
served on a sizzling skillet and topped with Mexican brandy butter sauce
and vanilla ice cream. |
| Masala is Lexington's newest Indian restaurant and features the chef who made Tandoor's so popular. It therefore comes as no surprise that the Masala menu is similar to Tandoor's. Masala is a double storefront so while it is still not as large as Tandoor's or India Gardens, it is much larger than its other storefront rivals. There are the usual standards : nine breads, nine appetizers, three soups, 11 chicken entrees, nine lamb entrees, seven seafood entrees and 18 vegetarian entrees. Among the appetizers, we like the Meat Samosa, a crisp turnover stuffed with spiced lamb and peas, fried in vegetable oil, served with tamarind sauce. The spicy Indian pickles are an interesting "accompaniment." One difference from Tandoor is Masala works a heavy cream sauce into many dishes. Many items are cooked in a tandoor, the classic Indian clay oven into which skewers of meat or veggies are lowered and baked at super high temperatures to seal in the juices and flavors. Here, too, we recommend the Platter, a sampler of all the other entrees and plenty for three, even though it is only advertised for two. |
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Sahara is run by three Sayyed brothers who worked in other restaurants before opening their own. It shows. They know what they're doing. The appetizers are a treasure of choices, of which we like the Falafel, Kibble, and Chicken Wrap best. The Falafel has a delicate flaky exterior with a steaming center of mixed vegetables. The Chicken Wrap is the same thin crust around a spicy chicken paste. Kibble is a mix of bulgar wheat, lamb, spices, pine nuts and onion. You must order the Babaganoush Salad. It has a smoky flavor, with finely chopped roasted eggplant, tahini, garlic and lemon. But the cucumber yogurt salad is also outstanding. Their Lentil Soup is made with yellow lentils and has turmeric added for a rather unusual flavor. The Specialty of the House is their Lamb or Goat Chops. Either is great. They could seriously compete for best entree of any restaurant in town. However, their other entrees are intriguing as well. We particularly like the Lamb and Beef Shawarma Over Hummus. The meat is cut into thin strips, done on that vertical rotisserie. Some people consider Sahara too casual; they use plastic plates and utensils and the storefront is basically undecorated. Just remember you're going for the food. |
| Kobe Stone Grille is the only Japanese restaurant in town offering hot rocks. That is, you order your favorite raw meat, whether seafood, steak or chicken. It comes chopped in small chunks, delivered with a foot square of superheated rock slab in a wooden carrying rack. You skewer the meat with a tiny fork and place it on the rock, allowing the meat to cook to your liking. This may sound a bit intense but it makes for a very entertaining meal, rather like fondue without the pot. Kobe's also offers all the other Japanese staples : sushi bar, traditional menu items, beers and wines. It is the smallest Japanese restaurant in town, but definitely worth a stop. Kobe's has the greatest selection of specialty rolls in town. |  |
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Azur is the most upscale restaurant in Beaumont, with a very New York style decor and a cutting edge menu. Finest of the appetizers is the Fondue. You'll get a dipping pot with breads and fruits. The Asparagus With Crab is delicious. Six salads are headed by the Lola Rosa (lettuce, beets, gouda cheese, cucumber and buttermilk dressing) and Napolean (mushrooms, avocado, tomatoes, red onion, goat cheese, tomato marmalade). Azur's entrees are all great, but the stunners are the Roast Elk (asparagus, squash) and Braised Rabbit (smoked bacon, mushrooms, pasta, asparagus). Their Pan Roasted Scallops are among the city's best, and the Ahi Tuna (glazed and wrapped with shrimp, calamari pad thai, citrus carrots and ponzu dipping sauce) is close behind. The other entrees include Roast Duck, Idaho Salmon, Alaskan Halibut and Gnocchi (a potato dumpling filled with chicken or shrimp, mushrooms, goat cheese and herbs). Desserts rotate each day, but are almost always outstanding. If anyone in your group just wants a sandwich, Azur's Lamb Burger (roast red peppers & feta cheese, served with lemon cabbage slaw) is one of Lexington's best. From April through November, there's a great patio. This is one of South Lexington's most popular establishments, so on a Friday or Saturday night either eat early or expect a wait. |
Mexico is a festive tropical nation so all Mexican restaurants are filled with bright colors, and at its two other Lexington locations Mi Mexico was known for especially vivid interiors. But they've really got a visual fireworks display at their new Beaumont facility. It's also deceptive. The photo at right make this seem like a small restaurant, but inside it opens out to a spacious dining room and an adjacent bar. Your senses are thoroughly awakened before the menu ever arrives. It is, however, a great menu. The Stuffed Jalapenos are a good start. But they offer several items you just can't get anywhere else. The Pina Rellena is really unique. It's a pineapple half stuffed with shrimp, scallops, and pineapple chunks, cooked in red sauce, topped with Monterey Jack Cheese. The Caldo de Camaron, made only on weekends, is a shrimp vegetable soup. Their Hawaiin and Pineapple Fajitas are a rare variation in this category. They also offer seven Vegetarian entrees. |
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Applebee's offers another venture into corporate eating, carefully planned and tested by marketers and cooks, as opposed to chefs and food critics. Among their appetizers, we like the Spinach Artichoke Dip, which comes hot mixed with asiago and parmesan cheeses and its own tortilla chips. There are seven salads with our favorite being the California Shrimp. It comes with avocado, bacon, olives, grape tomatoes, Bibb lettuce and hard boiled eggs. But the Santa Fe is tempting, with its grilled marinated chicken breast on greens, cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream and Mexican ranch dressing. For seafood they offer Salmon, Tilapia and Shrimp. We think the blackening hurts the Salmon so we always take the Tilapia with its garlic parmesan topping. We're not big pasta fans, but Applebees offers some interesting versions. There is Three Cheese Penne, a mix of mozzarella, provolone and parmesan, grilled chicken, tomatoes, basil and Alfredo Sauce. Of the Ribs, Steaks and other items, we like their Fajitas the best. You get steak, chicken, rice, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, onions, pepper and jack cheddar cheese served on a hot skillet. They have two desserts we think should be illegal : Maple Butter Blondie ( hot cake topped with ice cream, chopped walnuts and fresh maple butter) and Triple Chocolate Meltdown (both dark and white chocolate). |
| Joe's OK Bayou is a Cajun eatery with a menu much bigger than its tiny storefront location. They have all the usual Louisiana favorites at very reasonable prices. It's hard to pick a favorite, but ours is probably the Crawfish Etouffe. The crustaceans are cooked in tomatoes, creole spices, onions, peppers and olive oil. But the Gumbo is tempting. Onions, peppers, celery, spices, chicken and sausage are slowly cooked in a rich rue. And there's Jambalaya, a mix of ham, rice, herbs, sausage, chicken, and vegetables. If you like a more specific dish, they offer Softshell Crab, Catfish, Oysters, Shrimp and Boiled Crawfish. But in this area we recommend the Gator Tail (12 pieces of lean alligator meat in Cajun sauces), Froglegs (four pair in lemon), and BBQ Pulled Pork. If none of this appeals, you can always rely on the Red Beans & Rice, Chili (made with Cajun smoked sausage, garlic, tomatoes, beans and ground beef) For desserts, we vote for the Peanut Butter Pie, but the Pecan Pie, Praline and Bread Pudding are all good. For appetizers or sides, you can order Jalapeno Poppers, Mozzarela Cheese Sticks, Fried Pickles, Onion Rings, Cajun Cole Slaw, and French Garlic Bread. |  |
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Elsewhere on this website, we rank Donato's the best home delivery pizza outlet in Lexington. Their Beaumont location upholds this lofty ranking. It's pricier than its rivals, but what's a few dollars when you want good pizza?? Donato's is not into gimmicks. It doesn't offer cheese filled crust, extra thick anything, beer baking, folded crust, double toppings, or double deep dishes. But its Marghareta and Chicken Spinach Mozzarella pizzas are the best tasting we've found among the home delivery outlets in Lexington. And there's more. If any of your group are not quite in the mood for pizza, but want something similar, Donato's offers five kinds of Strombolis, nine kinds of Hot Subs, and two kinds of Hoagies. We particularly like the Roast Veggie Sub. There are also Wedge Fries and a Three Cheese Garlic Bread you can't find anywhere else. If you're staying at one of Beaumont's three hotels, and plan to order out, this is your best option. |
| Fulin's Asian Cafe is one of the new Fusion restaurants, serving Asian food that is a blend of Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean and Vietnamese. The ratio appears to be 50% Chinese and about 10-15% of each of the other nationalities. But some of those other segments provide the best items. Their best entree is a Thai casserole served in a clay pot, and the appetizer list is dominated by Japanese Sushi. We're not huge Sushi fans, but Fulin's does a great job with it, particularly the Dream Roll (shrimp, avocado, cucumber, flying fish eggs, crab meat and ginger). Of their 12 Soups, we like the Hot & Sour best. Don't miss the Seaweed Salad and Squid Salad. As with all Chinese restaurants, Fulin's divides the basic menu out into Soups, Beef, Pork, Seafood, Veggies, and Lo Mein. But we think they do their best with Chef's Specials and Casseroles. Dragon and Phoenix (chicken and shrimp, each in a special sauce), Happy Family (scallops, shrimp, chicken, beef, pork and vegetables), Shrimp & Scallops, Seafood Combo (lobster, crab meat, shrimp, scallops and veggies), and Pineapple Seafood (shrimp, crab meat, scallops, lobster, mussells, pineapple, red pepper, onion, carrots and bamboo shoots) are among the best entrees of any restaurant, Asian or otherwise, in Lexington. And their Casseroles are also great : Seafood Curry (shrimp, scallops, mussells, squid, bean sprouts and vegetables), and the Mixed Veggie. |  |
