Natasha's Bistro & Bar
Review guidelines:
1 Fork = I would rather eat dog food.2 Forks = I would eat there if I was starving.
3 Forks = Not bad; someplace I would occasionally consider eating.
4 Forks = A good place to eat; I will put it into my rotation of places I dine frequently.
5 Forks = One of my all time favorites!
One caveat to note – I am allergic to fish and seafood, so if you are looking for those recommendations, you will have to consult someone else.
Because I have a daughter-in-law with Celiac and a really good friend who is Vegetarian, I will try to point out whether those options are present when I review a restaurant.
Friday, February 15, 2013 - Lunch
Natasha’s Bistro & Bar
112 Esplanade AlleyLexington, KY 40507
(859) 259-2754
We were looking for a vegetarian option for a girls’ birthday lunch – the honoree being the vegetarian. I recalled that Natasha’s has a lunch buffet and lo and behold when I looked for their menu online, they actually advertised a vegetarian price for the buffet. Natasha’s bills themselves as “a fast way to eat healthy.” Each weekday, they include a daily special entrée with their standard fare on the buffet. Friday was Fried Chicken day.I am not sure how that actually plays into the “healthy” part.
At any rate, I sampled most of the offerings on the buffet. The fried chicken was superb….crispy skin with moist, juicy white meat inside. Their mashed potatoes were decent and did seem to be homemade, but they contained some vegetables I couldn’t identify…..was it on purpose or did they just fall into the pot?? There was a chicken and rice stir-fry dish that was tasty, sautéed yellow and zucchini squash, and a wide variety of what I like to call “church supper” salads – all equally good. I was especially anxious to try the Cabernet Beets. I am a big lover of pickled beets and I make my own from my mom’s special recipe. So….any time I get the opportunity to sample other beet recipes, I jump. The Cabernet Beets were, I assume, soaked in wine. I couldn’t really tell that they were anything special, the flavor was somewhat bland. There was a custard dessert with fruit and chocolate, but one of the girls had baked cookies for the birthday, so we passed on their dessert. Lunch was $9 including drink.
Early last October, my husband and I dined at Natasha’s for Sunday brunch. It was pretty tasty also.I ordered a brunch plate called the LFUCG 12 which included: eggs, bacon, cheese grits, bread, and summer squash fritters – which caught my eye initially. These were made from yellow squash and resembled a small hush puppy. They were crispy and delicious without any fried, greasy taste. I also sampled their Bellini which was fruity and refreshing on a warm fall day. My husband tried the buckwheat flap jacks and liked them as well.
Seating options include an inside dining room and a front patio/sidewalk café. One cautionary note – on weekdays, ALL the parking in front of Natasha’s is metered. It does not matter if there is a meter in front of the space or a sign halfway down the block that points to the metered spaces. On the occasion of the birthday lunch, the honoree ended up with a parking ticket…..the other two girls kicked in money to pay the fine since no one should get a ticket on their birthday!!
Gluten Free Options – none advertised.
Vegetarian Options – the regular menu boasts vegetarian pizzas and the lunch buffet includes special pricing for vegetarian guests.
Natasha’s is another venue for the local music scene.For their full menu and music schedule, check out their website:http://www.beetnik.com/
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