Jolly Holly Days on the Farm

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CATHERINE VIOX

H olly Hill Inn’s historic Greek revival building in Midway, Kentucky, was a home and country inn before opening as a fine dining restaurant in 2001.

Owner Chef Ouita Michel was one of the first to elevate the bounty of Kentucky through farm-to-table cuisine. Many of the herbs and vegetables served spring from the restaurant’s own on-site garden and menu descriptions celebrate the farm of origin for artisanal-quality ingredients. The Inn serves a seasonal prix fixe menu for dinner and brunch and limits reservations to ensure leisurely dining so that guests have a table that is theirs for the duration of the meal.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CATHERINE VIOX

Baked goods come from the restaurant’s own Midway Bakery across town. Try the salty-and-sweet combo of tender buttermilk biscuits layered with shaved smoky country ham and housemade apple butter. The creamiest cheese grits you will ever have, ground by fourth-generation Weisenberger Mills, are slow-cooked with sharp cheddar and a cayenne zing, and the simple but addictive (cucumbers, cream cheese) Benedictine spread moves up and down the menu, as a sandwich spread, filling for cherry tomatoes, and topping for salmon croquettes.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CATHERINE VIOX

No proper Kentucky-centric menu is complete without featuring its native spirit. The Inn’s bourbon library has more than 100 offerings, and bourbon balls, crafted by confectioner Ruth Hunt Candies , are the perfect way to close your meal.

Holly Hill Inn, 426 N. Winter St., Midway, Kentucky, (859) 846- 4732, hollyhillinn.com

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