Honeywood (Lexington, KY)

Stop by Honeywood in Lexington, Kentucky, for some high-end, locally sourced comfort food and elegant cocktails.

By: Alisha Trenalone

The Summit at Fritz Farm is one of Lexington's newest food and drink hubs, and we've had lots of fun exploring it.

We've enjoyed Tex-Mex at Condado and high-quality wraps and bowls at Core Life Eatery.

Now, for something just a little fancy — Honeywood!

Honeywood is one of several central Kentucky restaurants owned by Holly Hill & Company. Their restaurants emphasize a strong connection to family farms.

Curious about what this corner of Lexington has to offer? Here's what a visit to Honeywood is like!

Lunch at Honeywood

We stopped in for an early lunch one day before the crowds came.

The dining area looked like a beautiful place for a relaxed meal (note to self for future occasions).

But it was a bright and sunny day, so we took advantage of the patio with all its shade umbrellas and plenty of greenery.

A few other customers trickled in at this early hour, but we enjoyed feeling like the place was more or less ours.

Choosing Food + Drink

I'd glanced over the menu on the restaurant website, and although I don't usually need an appetizer, the sweet potato beignets with whipped ricotta and pepper jelly sounded too good to pass up.

And it was true – they actually ended up being my favorite part of the meal! So crispy outside and soft inside.

The cocktail list is also very enticing, with intriguing fruity combinations. They also offer a huge selection of bourbons. After all, you're only a short drive from the famous Bourbon Trail.

On this visit, I picked the blueberry-mint lemonade cocktail, which was easy on the palate and perfect for lunch.

The menu at Honeywood has a number of things on it that sound like familiar comfort food, but always with the best ingredients and maybe a little bit of a twist. (I'm intrigued by the "beetloaf," but that will have to wait for another time.)

I ordered the pan-seared chicken, which came with roasted corn and peaches (yum!). It was also incredibly spicy. Or at least I found it so, but I admit my tolerance for spice is on the low end.

The menu listed shishito peppers as an ingredient in the pan-seared chicken, and apparently those are mostly mild, but a minority may have quite a kick. So maybe the spiciness varies from plate to plate.

Also, some menu ingredients for things like the chicken and salmon appear to have changed over time. So the flavors available to you may not always be the same as the ones I had.

My mom ordered the shrimp and grits, and found it oh so tasty with its butter sauce, braised greens, and cheesy goodness.

There are different menus for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.

Have you visited Honeywood yet? Let us know what other appetizers, drinks, or entrées to be on the lookout for!