Restaurants in Lexington-Fayette

Casanova Italian Restaurant's owner Leo Capezzuto is one of eleven siblings, so it's no surprise that he has made Casanova a family affair. Leo is the proprietor, and the restaurant features cheeses made by hand by his brother and ingredients sourced from his sister's store, Sapori D'Italia. All of these factors culminate in a menu of authentic Southern-Italian cuisine that showcases more than fifteen different types of pasta, such as the scialiatielli con gamberi—artisan handmade egg pasta tossed with shrimp that chefs sauté with garlic, olive oil, and fresh cherry tomatoes. To prepare the filetto al pepe verde, they simmer a dry-aged Angus filet mignon in butter, and then top the delicacy with green peppercorns and cream brandy sauce. The menu also sources seafood from renowned fish regions, culling cuts of Atlantic salmon, Pacific swordfish, and Pacific cod. Like a DJ's closet, the wine list features more than 35 labels, collecting red, whites, and sparkling wines under the same roof.

The Soup Kitchen takes good old-fashioned soup and crusty bread to the next level. Over the last 28 years, pot-stirring chefs have diligently perfected their recipes for more than 125 soups, a handful of which are available every day alongside fresh-baked bread. Deli sandwiches, salads, and sides are also available, such as loaded potato salads, fresh-sliced pastrami sandwiches, and grape-pecan chicken salad.

Originally a 19th-century preparatory school for girls, Science Hill Inn now schools patrons on fine southern cooking served inside a warm-hued dining room laden with chandeliers and white-linen-draped tables. Inside the bustling kitchen, chef Ellen McCarty—who once showcased her skills by cooking for Julia Child—pushes the culinary envelope, stamps it, and mails it to Tastytown with dishes such as grilled salmon topped with a cucumber-dill sauce, marinated chicken breast splashed with a pineapple salsa, and Carolina shrimp and grits. Desserts, such as brown-sugar pie and biscuit pudding slathered in bourbon sauce, can be enjoyed with glasses of wine to cap off meals.

In the middle of July, alfresco diners at Le Deauville might dive headlong into a Bastille Day celebration, watching as servers light red, white, and blue cupcake towers with sparklers or mediate street-side matches of pétanque. Though they bathe their sidewalk bistro in patriotic colors on state holidays, the staffers also immerse visitors in French culture year-round. Chefs populate seasonal menus with traditional French dishes such as steamed mussels in tomato and herbs, roasted rack of lamb with bordelaise mint sauce, and sea scallops with wild-mushroom risotto. They sometimes augment these dishes with globe-hopping guests including Caribbean lobster and Spanish mackerel, introducing new flavors to French preparations without having to pass sushi off as really, really strange-looking ratatouille.

In warm weather, servers ferry these dishes to sidewalk tables draped in white tablecloths next to the restaurant's French-door-covered façade, which is illuminated each night by strings of colored light bulbs. Gray tiled floors inlaid with intricate designs spread out inside, running between dark-wood-paneled and exposed-brick walls. Here, patrons gather at café tables or sidle up to an old wooden bar, where servers pour from a full stock of beer, wine, and spirits.

Chefs at Happy Panda use crunchy vegetables, sweet pineapple, and lots of Asian herbs and spices (but never MSG) to create flavorful Szechuan and Hunan dishes. They fry egg rolls, wontons, and origami swans to a crisp in 100% vegetable oils and offer a number of vegetarian dishes in addition to the roast pork, chicken, beef, and seafood options. The restaurant runs a bustling dine-in and carry-out trade, particularly during the lunch rush, when diners can choose from 30 specials served with fried rice and an egg roll or soup.

Though the chefs at Mandarin revere classically prepared Chinese dishes, they aren’t afraid to add a dash of inventive flair with internationally inspired twists. Hawaiian-style preparations of sweet-and-sour chicken join other Chinese comfort food, such as Chinese- or Singapore-style me fen, a mix of thin rice noodles with vegetables and meats such as pork and beef. Rice and noodle bowls from the Tour of Asia menu cull flavors from Osaka, Seoul, and Hong Kong, and traditional Chinese dishes such as chicken with snow peas and sesame beef round out the menu. Staffers pour martinis into curvy-stemmed glasses or help guests pair wines amid the dining room's mandarin-orange walls, bamboo placemats, and geisha statuettes.