Did Y'all Hear Joe Bologna's is for Sale?

“Did y’all hear that Joe Bologna’s is for sale?”

Over the past day or so, I’ve gotten several variants of that message over a variety of media — text messages, DMs, Facebook tags and just about any other medium you can imagine. This week, several news outlets have reported that Mr. Joe Bologna intends to retire by summer’s end, with the hope that a buyer will take over his iconic Italian restaurant. He’s reportedly already received a few serious offers.

Now, I make no secret about the fact that I’m a big Joe B’s fan. I stop by for dinner any time I get a chance, and I frequently grab takeout when I’m in Lexington, trying my best to not eat the entire meal on the drive back to Louisville. Of course, I’m not alone. I assume these sentiments are pretty universal for most anyone who has a tie to Lexington. Nearly everyone who went to college at UK or Transylvania, or who’s ever worked near campus or downtown, or who’s had a little time to grab dinner before a Kentucky game has a memory of Joe B’s. It’s a memorable place.

First of all, there’s the building. You have to start any conversation about Joe B’s by mentioning the building at 120 West Maxwell. It was built as a Presbyterian church in 1890, was rededicated as a Jewish synagogue in 1914, and became a restaurant complex in 1989. It’s served a lot of Lexingtonians’ needs over the years.

And, of course, there’s Mr. Bologna himself. He opened his eponymous restaurant in 1973 and has been at the present location since the late 1980s. Fifty years of feeding Lexington great food at a reasonable price point — that’s an incredible legacy. At one point, there were three Joe Bologna’s locations across Lexington. The restaurant is an institution, and its namesake is a legend. It’s impossible to think of the restaurant without visualizing Mr. Joe Bologna wearing his signature suspenders and carrying a pan of breadsticks.

And then there are those breadsticks. Y’all know exactly what I mean. Huge, fluffy breadsticks the size of an adult’s forearm, served in a dish of garlic butter. The pizza is pretty great, too. I’m partial to the Sicilian pan pizza with generous slices of Italian sausage and delicate flakes of mushroom. The Stromboli sub is another favorite. In fact, I’ve never really had anything bad from Joe B’s.

For so many folks who’ve spent time in Lexington, there are also the memories. Fifty years’ worth of memories — many of which take us back to younger and more carefree days. Memories of pizza, maybe a beer, and definitely a conversation about the next basketball or football game. Good times, good company, and garlic butter in a place that hasn’t changed, even as the city and campus outside those hallowed walls have grown to previously-unimaginable proportions.

Thanks so much to Mr. Bologna for creating such an incredibly special spot, and here’s hoping the new owners don’t change a single thing.

BHO-CBD Oil Massage at Griffin Gate Spa

{Please note that this review makes no claims of medical expertise; as a longtime suffer of chronic pain, I’m simply detailing my experiences!}

I recently had the opportunity to visit The Spa at Griffin Gate for a special massage incorporating Bluegrass Hemp Oil, a CBD extract. While I knew that CBD products are gaining popularity across the country, I didn’t know much about the product until my spa day at Lexington’s Griffin Gate Marriott. I was so pleasantly surprised by what I learned.

Bluegrass Hemp Oil was developed by a Lexington-area couple who wanted to find a safe way to control their son’s seizure disorder. CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of over a hundred cannabinoids found in cannabis plants. This is not a psychoactive or intoxicating substance, and it is grown legally in Kentucky in the hemp plant. Many studies have shown that CBD oils and supplements have shown long-term improvement for pediatric treatment-resistant epilepsy and seizure disorders as well as anxiety, movement disorders, and pain.

I was certainly intrigued to learn more. I’ve been battling a pretty severe flareup of my cervical disk injury (hello, 10 hours a day at the computer or iPhone!) and TMJ, as well as a larger-than-usually degree of stress, and this seemed like an interesting way to test a Kentucky-produced product for my pain. I have to say, I was a little skeptical going in. but this was an incredible experience. The massage therapist soon allayed my fears — she was initially quite concerned about the level of inflammation visible around my damaged disk and we literally watched and felt that inflammation subside as she worked the CBD oil into my neck. Bob noted that he could see the difference later that evening, as well. There is some evidence pointing to cannabinoids as substitutes for typical anti-inflammatory drugs, and I am cautiously optimistic about using BHO’s CBD oil as a topical treatment for some of my joint inflammation, as I am restricted from taking aspirin and other NSAID drugs due to a stomach issue. I am so looking forward to another CBD oil massage from Griffin Gate to help me better control pain chronic pain!

Thank you so much to Bluegrass Hemp Oil and Griffin Gate for the amazing tool they’ve provided me on my journey toward pain-free living. I can’t recommend the oil or the massage services at Griffin Gate highly enough! Y’all, this is a game-changer!

{I was provided a complimentary massage in exchange for an honest assessment of the service and products used. No additional financial compensation was provided; all opinions are my own.}

Kendra Gives Back for Dress for Success

{This post contains affiliate links; HerKentucky LLC will receive a nominal commission per click at no cost to the reader. }

I was probably the last blogger in America to discover Kendra Scott jewelry. I’d clung so long to my “only pearls” jewelry philosophy. Then, this summer, my local Kendra Scott store — Oxmoor Mall here in Louisville — reached out to see if I’d like to host a shopping party. To be more precise, Allie Martin, Community Engagement Manager at Kendra Scott Louisville, podcaster, and general force of nature, reached out to me. I’m not kidding, y’all, I’m a multitasker, but Allie is everywhere doing everything and promoting the Kendra brand. I was intrigued to hear why this line of jewelry was so great.

I learned that Kendra Scott founded her jewelry line in her Austin home and transformed it into a billion dollar private company based on the values of Fashion, Family, and Philanthropy. They had me at female entrepreneur who gives back to the community. The fact that the jewelry is fun, fashion-forward, and at a great price point is just the icing on the cake.

I love these statement earrings and delicate necklace for UK game days. (photo ©Space, Place & Southern Grace)

These mother-of-pearl earrings are so fun and versatile. I’ve seriously worn them everywhere from galas to Target.

And this pair of abalone statement earrings is just so versatile and fun. They're so light that you actually forget you’re wearing them. Oh, and Blake Lively has them, too.

Shop my Kendra Scott favorites!

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I randomly had the opportunity to meet Kendra Scott herself last night. She and several people from her corporate office were visiting their Lexington store at the Summit at Fritz Farm. I was hosting a shopping event at Draper James, and the Kendra Scott folks came in to look around. She was so cute, y’all — she was sipping a mint julep because she’d never tried bourbon before and felt like she ought to try it in Kentucky. I asked for a photo op like a total fangirl, and she was so lovely and gracious about it!

Needless to say, I’m pretty excited to partner with the Lexington Kendra Scott store for a Kendra Gives Back charity shopping event next Wednesday, October 10th, from 5-8 p.m. Twenty percent of the night’s proceeds will benefit Dress for Success Lexington, which provides clothing, interview skills, financial management information, and other tools for economic empowerment to underprivileged women in the Lexington area. Y’all know that I prioritize giving volunteer hours and donations to Dress for Success both personally and through HerKentucky’s social media platforms. It’s so amazing to watch the clients gain confidence and courage as they embark upon a new career. It’s truly the meaning of empowerment — giving these ladies the tools they need to carve their own path. So many of us take our educations, opportunities, and privileges for granted, and I can’t recommend volunteering with an organization like DFS highly enough.

Please come see me at Kendra Scott next week. I can’t wait to share some of their gorgeous pieces with y’all. You can design your own piece at the ColorBar (it’s ready to take home within a few minutes!); you can view the gorgeous new Charms Collection, and you can shop the gorgeous new collection benefiting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. I suggest you buy the Earring Supply Kit; it’s maybe the best $18 I’ve spent in years — a full supply of earring backs and hooks — and it's my number one suggestion for stocking stuffers this holiday season!

If you can’t make the event, you can call the Lexington Kendra Scott store at 859-475-1880, or you can email me at heather@herkentucky.com and we can get your order going.

Let me know in the comments: Are you a Kendra fangirl, too?

The HerKentucky Guide to Keeneland's Dress Code

View fullsize

The number one question that HerKentucky readers have for us is "What should I wear to Keeneland?"  Here in Kentucky, a trip to Lexington's storied Keeneland Race Course isn't just a trip to bet on the ponies. It's a full-scale experience of racing, food, fun, and, of course, fashion. Trust me when I say that, 70% of all the people you've ever met in your life will be at the track any day you go.

Well, that may be a slight exaggeration, but with weekend crowds reaching over 25,000 people, you sure will see a lot of Kentuckians at Keeneland. To help you look your best, we've put together a few dress code tips that will help you look great at the track!

If you're going to stay near the Paddock --General Admission, Grandstand, or Equestrian Room-- there's no need to dress up very much.  Guys often opt for khakis and polo shirts, and women can wear slacks. You're actually dressing for a horse race in these sections.  These are the areas nearest the track itself, and people are truly there to watch (and bet on) the horses. With that said, don't be surprised to see a lot of dresses and sport coats in the lower-levels.  In recent years, a culture of dressy tailgating (think Steeplechase) has popped up among college students and twenty-somethings, and the second floor (General Admission) Sports Bar often resembles a campus bar or fraternity semi-formal.  While the dress code says "casual", there's plenty of Vineyard Vines ties and Lilly Pulitzer to be seen. 

View fullsize

If you'll be dining in the upper-level, enclosed dining rooms-- The Lexington, Kentucky, or Phoenix Rooms-- then expect to dress for a business event.  The Lexington and Kentucky rooms -- dining rooms often reserved for business and social gatherings-- have a "business formal" dress code; these areas require men to don a coat and tie, and skirts/dresses/dressy slacks for ladies.   The Phoenix Room-- another reserved dining room-- is "business casual", requiring collared shirts and slacks for men and dresses/pantsuits for ladies. 

Most of all, dress nice, look good, and have a great day at the races!

Belle Brezing and the "other" Lexington

I've always wanted to write a book about Belle Brezing.

To tell you the truth, I'm fascinated with a lot of the whispered stories of Lexington's shadowy past.  I suppose there's something beautifully thrilling about such a picturesque and gracious town having a few secrets. Several years ago, I was thrilled when I came across an  odd little University Press book about Billy Klair, Lexington's very own Tammany-style political boss.   When we were in our mid-twenties, I can remember my friends and I feeling so cosmopolitan and sophisticated as we celebrated special occasions at a la lucie; as we ordered "good red wine" (we were super-into $12 Merlot at the time...), we'd stare in awe at the framed Christmas card from Drew Thornton that hung proudly on the wall.  The list could go on, but so many of these secretive folks are as famous in Lexington lore as Coach Rupp or Governor Chandler.  I love hearing these whispered stories, but none thrill me as much as the legend of Belle.

Belle Brezing, as any Lexingtonian can tell you, was the city's most famous madam.  She first started working for a madam named Jennie Hill on December 24, 1879.  It's truly heartbreaking to think of a nineteen year-old single mother going to work as a prostitute on Christmas Eve.  It's also kind of amazing to realize that the house where she went to work had previously been the childhood home of Mary Todd Lincoln.

Belle was a smart businesswoman, and she rose to a high degree of social prominence.  By the age of twenty-one, she was running "bawdy houses" of her own.  Her first location was in a row of houses on Upper Street; the remaining house is now the Field House for my alma mater's Women's Soccer Team.

 Following an 1892 arrest, Belle received a pardon from the Governor, a testament to her standing in the community.  Soon after, she expanded her empire by establishing a house on the site that is now The Gratz Park Inn. I think that's the fascinating thing about Lexington legends. The town has always been just small enough that every building and every story are intertwined in the most peculiar ways.

Belle was famous for her business acumen -- she was forever expanding her enterprise, and lived off her investments for over twenty years, following her retirement.  But, she will forever be known as the reported model for the Belle Watling character in Gone With The Wind.  In recent years, Lexington has embraced her legend in very public ways.  I was a student at Transylvania when the women's soccer field on Upper Street was built; the row house standing on the site, one of Belle's properties, was designated as a historical home, and thus protected from demolition.  In the late Nineties, the old Lexington City Brewery had a tasty lager named for Belle.  And, over the past few years, the Lexington History Museum has held an annual gala fundraising event on Belle's birthday, and the springtime Best of the Bluegrass Festival includes a quirky, commemorative  "bed race."

When I finally do write a book on Belle, I'd love to say that she died with the dignity and comfort she deserved, but she finally ran out of money and developed a horrible morphine addiction.  I'd also be remiss if I didn't include the fact that much of her success was underwritten by a newspaper magnate and trotting horse enthusiast.  I'd love to focus on her success as an unlikely business owner, rather than dwelling on the horrors of prostitution, the disdain she received from "polite society",  and the cycle of violence that seems to have surrounded her life.   I'd love to focus on the fact that her 1940 death was designated as a "Milestone of the Week" in Time magazine. 

I don't quite know how I'll work out all of those details, but I do know that the stories of Belle's life provide a unique glimpse into Lexington itself.  The dirty and the pretty, the glamorous and the grimy, and the underside of some of our most beloved landmarks -- Belle has had a hand in it all.