By Steve Flairty
NKyTribune Columnist
With Valentine’s Day at our doorstep, the time gets many Kentuckians focusing on matters of the heart. I guess I’m one of them, but I prefer to see those matters of the heart spill over throughout the seasons, not just when Cupid appears.
Suzanne and I aren’t much for chocolate and lots of sentimental gifts, but more for focusing attention and time on each other. A great way for us to do so is to jump in the car and travel to a destination spot we mutually enjoy, and as you probably are figuring, it’s usually someplace in Kentucky — and anytime in the year.
Steve’s wife, Suzanne, in front of Our Best Restaurant on one of their “dates” (Photo by Steve Flairty)
Often, that spot we like is a place to eat and enjoy good conversation. We particularly like going to Our Best Restaurant, in Smithfield. It’s about fifty minutes from our home in Versailles and the trip is expedited by a significant time on Interstate-64. Part of the route goes through rural Shelby County, where the peaceful, rolling countryside is punctuated by many beautiful, newer homes along the way. The sights along the road make good fodder for pleasant banter as we look forward to reaching our destination.
Sitting at our table at Our Best, we see décor that is old-time and folksy, with vintage pictures and other heritage items dressing up the walls, highlighting a rural or small-town setting. That’s what the two of us remember from our own lives growing up. Tasty food, good service, and a “feel good” aura make it ripe for romanticism—any time of the year!
Some of my friends shared what their “all season’s romantic” activities are away from home. Cyndee Banta and her husband, of Florence, also enjoy simple things like being together. “Car dates are the new thing for us since Covid,” said Cyndee. “We either order takeout or fast food and park somewhere fun to watch the sunset, look at airplanes at the CVG (airport) viewing area or just find a place we can talk while we eat.”
A few other places in the northern Kentucky area bring those heart matters to the forefront for the Banta family. Those include Devou Park, which overlooks the Cincinnati skyline, and in Cincinnati near Friendship Park. They also “park in Newport and walk the bridges after our dinner” and they also like Mt. Adams, “a beautiful place to sit and watch the sunset from.” She also noted that those places are kid-friendly, making them a good place to bring their young son, Nathan, for what she calls “family dates.”
Saying they are “weird” for what they like to do, Miche Branscum and her husband, of Frankfort, have an interesting notion of romantic activities. “We are history buffs,” she explained with a chuckle. “We usually drive to Ft. Knox and visit the Patton Museum.”
A trip from Lexington to the other side of Elizabethtown, to Glendale, is fun for Michelle Woolum, where she can get comfort food at a special restaurant, The Whistlestop. Additionally, she noted that “all the shops are within walking distance.”
Aimee and Chris Lamb, of Georgetown, took their honeymoon in Mexico in 2006. It was so memorable that five years later, when the couple went on an overnight stay in Cincinnati to celebrate their anniversary, they looked for Mexican food to help remind them of their wedding trip. They found one, called Nada, on Walnut Steet. “Since we couldn’t go to Mexico for our anniversary, we decided to at least find a Mexican restaurant,” said Aimee. “It was amazing. We’ve visited many times since.”
Some like their romance in Kentucky of the “choo-choo” kind, especially in Oldham County. “My husband and I look forward to Saturday morning dates at LaGrange Coffee Roasters,” said Erika Mahlbacher. “It’s a cozy atmosphere in the middle of LaGrange with lovely picture window views of the train that rumbles down Main Street. The coffee is top-notch, the service is home-town friendly, and their savory bacon spinach cheese scones fly out of the display case faster than they can be baked!”
Other restaurants mentioned with high romantic ambiance were Patti’s 1880’s Settlement, in Grand Rivers (Land Between the Lakes) and Shakertown at Pleasant Hill, near Harrodsburg.
Though some of the places mentioned are no longer open and available, a 2001 book called Romantic Kentucky: More than #300 Things to Do for Southern Lovers, by Laura Sutton and Leila W. Salisbury, has plenty of ideas to get your Bluegrass heart pumping full speed. The best part is that it doesn’t always need to be Valentine’s Day.
