NEW (Bardstown Kentucky)

Hi, 

With a fat finger combined with a lapse in comprehension, I managed to publish the blog post planned for this date on the wrong calendar day and date.  It was published on November 1st...and therefore 2 posts went out on the same date.  My next post will not be published until Friday, November 8th.

Please take a look at 'both' blog posts that were published on November 1st...

Thanks and Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

It's About Thyme - Fine Dining

With this post to my blog site, I am way out of sequence as regards our October road trip.  I last left you in western Kentucky, headed east.  From there it was onto southern Ohio, a taste of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, a museum in southern New York and finally, down into Virginia.

But, as the fall season comes to a close, I thought that it would be appropriate to write about this restaurant before the winter settles in and while road trippers are still out and about.  Destination, Culpeper Virginia!  

I'll start by stating that this was one of the best dining experiences that Laurie and I have had in recent years.

This is the entrance to It's About Thyme, a cafe/restaurant in the center of Culpeper Virginia.  I hadn't researched dining opportunities in Culpeper but we stopped here for lunch just on a whim... 

Of course, the fact that It's About Thyme was quite busy might have factored into our decision.  Sorry about my bald head in the second photo...but its the best shot of my naked noggin I've ever seen and it gives you a nice view of the restaurant's decor.

One more view of It's About Thyme's dining area.  It is a warm and welcoming environment.

I don't usually post photos of a restaurant's menu.  But a quick perusal of the menu and the offerings available to diners at It's About Thyme, bolsters my stance that the restaurant is not just average, nor a bit above the rest.  Fine dining indeed, and at reasonable prices too!  In addition to Lobster Salad and Wild Mushroom Ravioli on the Lunch Specials menu, items on the main menu such as the Pork Roast, the Palazzo Pot Roast and the Pepper Steak take the restaurant to a higher level.  

As someone who watches their expenses and tracks them, the fact that diners don't have to break the bank to experience the quality at It's About Thyme, is truly a positive factor.  Even better, note that 3 of the main course options allow for smaller portions...an excellent idea indeed!  

Our server started us out with this focaccia bread and it was beyond excellent.  Both the texture of the bread and its impact on our taste buds were over the top.  We finished it off in no time...and our server brought more too!  

It was explained to us that the locals initially complained that the focaccia bread that It's About Thyme was serving was 'stale'.  Actually, the original version had a normal crust and it was firmer as per the usual version of focaccia.  So more olive oil was added, the rising process was changed and this softer and flavorful focaccia was the result.  John, the owner, told us that he bakes 4 - 6 large pans of this bread every day.

Laurie has been eating healthier plus a lot less than she used to... Also she never gets to have mushrooms at home as yours truly won't eat them.  So, when she saw Portobello Mushrooms on the menu, her luncheon decision was instantaneous.  The mushrooms were sauteed with some amazing tomatoes, red wine and butter.  These warm ingredients were served over field greens...all stacked on top of more of that amazing focaccia bread. ($16.95) Laurie was in heaven!  Her lunch was 'only' excellent... I tried one of her tomatoes...amazingly tasty!

For my midday repast, I chose the Open Face Ham Sandwich. ($18.50) In this case the focaccia was topped with ham, Swiss cheese, tomato and bacon, then warmed in the oven and topped with bechamel sauce.  As you can see, it was served with a side house salad.

I was torn between the house salad and the open face ham sandwich as to which I liked best!  Both were excellent... I don't know what made the tomatoes so flavorful but they were over the top.  I think that both of our lunches are proof that excellent food doesn't have to be too fancy.  Quality ingredients combined creatively to maximize texture and taste, then presented in an appealing way...those are the keys to It's About Thyme's popularity.  

We passed on dessert after our wonderful luncheon and all of that focaccia bread.  However, like all of our food, the presentation of two of the available dessert options was very appealing.  Other options were available...as per that not on the tray.  Overall service was very professional.

This is John Yarnall.  He is the owner and founder of the restaurant.  In 1995 he moved his It's About Thyme French restaurant from Philadelphia to Culpeper.  At the same time, he broadened the menu to include a wider selection of European cuisine.  John chatted with us for a few moments between greeting customers and visiting other tables.  We learned that as much as possible he raises his own vegetables for the restaurant.  This includes a indoor hydroponic garden which gives him a head start on spring planting. 

The business has expanded significantly since it opened.  Two of John's daughters and a daughter-in-law are now part of the business.  The Thyme Market next door to the restaurant offers a European style take-out market.  Adjacent to the Thyme Market, The Copper Fish seafood market offers fresh seafood and it also  features a raw bar.  Beyond the food options, the Yarnall family also offers 7 guest suites for travelers above the markets.

It's About Thyme is located at 128 East Davis Street in Culpeper Virginia.  Phone: 540-825-4264.  Website: https://www.thymeinfo.com/home. 

My next post will get us back on track as we headed through Kentucky and the next stop on our October road trip.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Exploring Bardstown Kentucky (NEW)

After 'assuming' I knew what I was doing, I'd made a wrong turn and instead of heading toward Bardstown Kentucky, I'd turned southwest and was drifting back toward Tennessee.  By the time I figured out what I'd done, with prompting from Laurie, I finally got back on track.  The upshot was that I wasted an hour of potentially 'valuable' shopping time in Bardstown!  It had been many years since we last visited this historic small town...

This is a view of the center of Bardstown looking up 3rd Street.  There are plenty of shopping and dining opportunities for visitors... Most of downtown Bardstown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Bardstown was first settled in 1780, making it one of the oldest towns in Kentucky.  A center of Bourbon production, Bardstown is growing and it's now home to roughly 13,800 residents. 

The building on the corner that sports all of the architectural embellishments was built in 1900 and it served as Peoples Bank.  In more recent times, it was home to JDI Grille and Tavern, then for a short time, it operated as Alexander Bullitt's Brewery and BBQ.  Currently the owners of the building have 3 different ventures underway here.  It is the Kaden Lake Curated Emporium featuring upscale women's clothing and it is also home to the Liam Ash Cocktail Emporium.  In addition, there is a luxury Airbnb on the second floor. 

The rather plain looking building at the right first served as Black's Store and Tavern ca. 1820.  By 1825, with the famous tour of Kentucky by the Marquis de Lafayette, it was renamed as the "Lafayette Hotel".  Today it serves as the offices of Federal Hill Capital Management.

"At Mary's" was one of several shops we visited in the downtown shopping and dining area in Bardstown.  This upscale quality merchant features home decor, art, glassware, art glass, candles, local interest items (aka souvenirs), plus a kid's corner with lots of books.  I love the impact of the display at the front of the store.  This retail operation resides at 116 North 3rd Street.  The structure was built in 1900.  

Bardstown is the county seat for Nelson County Kentucky.  The county was named after Thomas Nelson Jr., a Virginia Governor who was one of the signers of the American Declaration of Independence.  This is the old Nelson County Courthouse.  This over-the-top mix of Victorian Gothic and Romanesque styles was completed in 1892 and it served as the county courthouse until 2003 when a new facility was completed.  Located at one end of the primary commercial strip in Bardstown, this large structure now serves as the Bardstown/Nelson County Welcome Center.  

In turn this building replaced an earlier courthouse that apparently burned down.  Some of the stones from that 1790 structure were used in the foundation for this building.  I can't imagine that a welcome center would need all of this space but the good news is that the building is being reused...

This very old structure has been known by many different names over the centuries.  The Old Talbott Tavern, aka the Old Stone Tavern was built in 1779.  It is claimed that the tavern has never closed since it opened.  A rumor has it that many of its guests have 'never checked out'.  Every room in the Tavern is named for a historical person who is reputed to haunt that room.

The Old Talbott Tavern is likely the oldest surviving building in the state of Kentucky.  It was located near the end of the stagecoach road that once led east toward Philadelphia and Virginia.  Famous people who stayed here over the years include George Rogers Clark around the end of the American Revolutionary War, Daniel Boone and the exiled King of France, Louis-Philippe.  Others who have stayed at the Tavern/hotel include Andrew Jackson, William Henry Harrison, Abraham Lincoln, Henry Clay, John Audubon, Stephen Foster, Jesse James and General George Patton.

The Talbott Inn is located adjacent to the Old Talbott Tavern.  It was built in 1913.  At one point it was home for the H and K Real Estate and Auction Company...they also were insurance brokers.  Today, it serves as a sister property to the Tavern...providing additional rooms for visitors.  

I do believe that this building was Laurie's favorite 'stop' on our trail of exploration.  The Fine Arts Bardstown Society (FABS) is located in the old courthouse square.  Originally the building was the Bardstown U.S. Post Office.  In 1970, it was converted into the Bardstown Library and it served in that capacity until 2007 when a new library building was completed.  

The Fine Arts Bardstown Society fosters creativity and provides encouragement for local artists.  The artists display their creativity here and of course, they hope to sell some of their creations to the public.  In the two interior photos shown above you can see paintings, ceramics, jewelry and basketry.  That is just a small sample of the variety available in this large community operated venue.  Others items include drawings, photography, fiber arts, wearable art, woodworking creations, stained glass and sculpture.  

Laurie has so many baskets that I was able to steer her away from the attractive display in the last photo above.  However she did purchase a nice ceramic snack bowl.  The artist was on site and he was so appreciative, he gave her a nice handmade greeting card too.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BardstownForTheArtsTheGallery/videos/welcome-inside/928997230544114/.   

Farmer's Bank and Trust at 101 North 3rd Street in Bardstown was built in 1900.  It appears that for many years after the bank closed, the property was owned by the Luckett family as that plaque above the mail box refers to the building as the Luckett Real Estate and Insurance Building.  The Luckett business has moved to a new location in town and the building appeared unused when we visited.  At one point a company named Four Seasons Apartments apparently was leasing out an apartment in the old bank.

This old home is located at 110 West Flaget Avenue.  It was built in 1900.  Currently a sign for Kentucky Owl Bourbon is posted next to the entrance.  As recently as 2017 this building was home for The Kentucky Bourbon Marketplace.  Folks could buy souvenirs and liquor plus there was a small bar in the back of the building.  

A great-great grandson of the founder revived the family business after nearly 100 years.  The first series of Kentucky Owl Bourbon was released in 2017.  The brand is now owned by the Stoli Group and they are building the Kentucky Owl Park, a new distillery, at Bardstown.  FYI, Total Wine and More offers a variety of Kentucky Owl rye, whiskey and bourbons, with at least one of them priced at $409.99!  I think that I'll just continue ordering water and lemon...with an occasional Miller Lite.

This is the Episcopal Church of the Ascension, which is located at 211 North 3rd Street in Bardstown.  I was able to learn that it was built in 1894 and that it originally served as the First Christian Church.  Further research efforts came up blank... 

Historic preservation has ruled Bardstown for many years.  When the Hampton Inn that we stayed in was built, a low 2-story structure was all that the city would approve.  We were on the second floor.  We've never seen such long hallways!  The elevator to the 2nd floor was adjacent to the door shown in the distance in the first photo.  The second photo is from the elevator bay back toward the front of the hotel.  Another long section of hallway was right behind us but I figured that I had enough hallway photos!  Dragging our luggage, we never thought we'd make it to our room... 

In my next post, it will be time for dinner in Bardstown plus just a few more photos of possible interest. 

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for following along on our latest road trip!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave