Known for vegetarian fare, this casual establishment near the UK also satisfies carnivores with its menu's wide-ranging scope. For more than a generation, the place has offered healthy alternatives to favorite dishes, serving everything from quiche to chicken and salmon, not to mention plenty of vegetable accompaniments and side dishes. Desserts are available, and theme nights are held regularly, expanding the menu and the fun. You'll also find a terrific weekend brunch and occasional live entertainment.

Occupying a one-time school house, this long-lived local favorite sits not far from either downtown or the UK campus and attracts a professional crowd. Along with the cozy dining room, it boasts an outdoor patio, and a great bar. The menu features roasted salmon, coriander-glazed chicken, veal Milanese, Australian lamb rib chops, and grilled pork. Pastas and steaks are also available, and the restaurant serves dinner quite late, a boon to folks with busy schedules. Applauded by many local and regional publications.

If you're concerned about how food is raised and the environment is maintained ­ or even if you just enjoy fresh, local ingredients ­ you'll like this cafe. Dedicated to healthy foods and given only to a light tread on the planet, the enterprise delivers the best in natural, unadulterated foodstuffs. You'll find organic coffees, smoothies, and juices that are the ultimate in quality, along with salads, sandwiches, sushi, and hot dishes for carnivores and vegetarians alike. Available for eat-in or take-out.

Originally a self-sufficient farm house and country home, this estimable restaurant is one of the top regional spots for superb cuisine using fresh, local ingredients. A husband-and-wife team, both Culinary Institute of America alums, heads the restaurant and creates imaginative, themed meals. Prix fixe, three-course forays into temptation feature such dishes as veal scaloppini with spinach-ricotta dumplings, Black Angus roast rib of beef, and soft-shelled crabs with mango chutney. A terrific wine list adds to the allure of this fabulous place that's only a fifteen-minute drive from Lexington.

Named for chef Jonathan Lundy, this charming restaurant has a refined, Old World feel, thanks to its presence in the Gratz Park Inn. Deep, ochre-toned walls and polished woodwork surround diners, who delight in the kitchen's "redefined regional cuisine." The hip, upscale menu includes lobster and dumplings, black-eyed pea-crusted sea scallops, coffee-seared pork chops, fried oyster-stuffed filet mignon, and barbecued yellowfin tuna. A wonderfully cozy bar makes a terrific hangout for the professional crowd, and private events are welcomed.