Appalachian Pit Stops: Where to Eat on Kentucky’s I-75 Corridor

By Josh Inocéncio

While much of Kentucky tourism centers around the annual Kentucky Derby in Louisville and the popular bourbon distilleries that speckle the state, there are booming smaller towns right off Interstate 75 that are revitalizing their downtowns and embracing the farm-to-table movement. Driving northbound on I-75, travelers might easily miss Corbin, London, Berea, Richmond, and even Lexington.

After you cross Jellico Mountain on the Tennessee-Kentucky border, Corbin is a mere 30 minutes into the Bluegrass state. When I was a kid visiting family in Kentucky, we’d often leave London and head to Corbin because they had the “better” Chinese restaurant, among other eateries. Twenty years later, this holds true as Corbin reshapes itself as an inviting city for fresh businesses.

On Main Street downtown, there’s the Wrigley Taproom & Eatery which has an ever-changing menu as well as local and national craft beers on draught. As the name suggests, the restaurant features all-American cuisine in a old Wrigley gum warehouse. Wrigley’s chef sources ingredients from her family-owned farm in Kentucky. Alongside weekly specials, Wrigley features a few staples, such as the Americano burger with Applewood bacon and garlic aioli. Their popular appetizers include brussels sprouts with honey-ancho sauce (I often acclimate to a restaurant by trying their take on brussels sprouts), Brauhaus pretzel, and pub frites. When I visited last December, I tried the Smokey Bacon Ramen, a rotating menu item, that included bacon broth, braised tenderloin, a six-minute egg, Napa cabbage, scallions, and sesame seeds. If you’re at a loss with their tap list of 24 beers, you can do a local flight, and I recommend you at least sample a glass of bourbon barrel ale. It’s heavy, but it doesn’t get more Kentucky than that—even my teetotaler grandma will have a taste!

This stretch of the state also boasts numerous spots for day hiking, including the Daniel Boone National Forest in which Corbin is situated. Tucked into these protected trees, Laurel Lake, with its white sands, is minutes away from Corbin. And London, Corbin’s neighbor less than 15 miles north, has easy access to trailheads. Both cities are a short drive from Cumberland Falls (in the national forest), which has cabins and plenty of hiking spots near the Cumberland River.

While London doesn’t have as many city offerings as Corbin, they do have The Abbey on Main Street. Growing up, London was part of a dry county (meaning neither restaurants nor stores could sell alcohol), but that’s since changed and you can now drink both beer and liquor at The Abbey. They have typical fried southern fare, but I’d recommend the burgers, particularly the bison burger, with sweet potato fries.

Forty miles north is Berea, noted for Berea College—the first coeducational and desegregated college in the South where critical theorist bell hooks and novelist Silas House both teach. The college is also significant for its work study program that allows students to graduate with no debt. Thus, you’ll find students working not only on campus, but even in College Square’s coffee and artisan shops. Berea’s also home to the Boone Tavern, a historic hotel that’s had famous guests, such as the Dalai Lama and Maya Angelou, and features a lush cocktail bar and outdoor porch seating with wooden rocking chairs. Around the tavern, you’ll find the Craft Gallery, Berea College Student Crafts (closed typically on student holidays), Berea Fudge Shoppe, Berea Soaps & Gifts, and a bookstore. A short driving distance from College Square, you’ll find more artisan shops, such as weaving and jewelry, near the Berea Welcome Center. And, like London and Corbin, Berea also has day hiking opportunities at both the Pinnacles and Anglin Falls. The latter, as the name suggests, ends at a waterfall and is a great summer trek complete with boulders to scale.

Another 15 miles north, Richmond, home to Eastern Kentucky University, is another college town with a rich downtown area. I haven’t explored Richmond as much as the other cities, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Four Sisters Soap & Tea Emporium. Designed like a cozy British tea shop one might find in Hogsmeade in the Harry Potter series, Four Sisters serves a diverse array of green, white, black, herbal, and fruit teas by the pot or cup, as well as breakfast items, soups and sandwiches, and sweets.

Less than 30 miles north of Richmond is Lexington, which is one of the most underrated culinary cities in the U.S. In fact, Zagat placed Lexington on its list of “30 Most Exciting Food Cities in America 2017,” alongside culinary titans Philadelphia, Houston, New York City, New Orleans, and Atlanta.

My first encounter with Lexington’s burgeoning culinary landscape was at The Village Idiot, subtitled “Lexington’s First Gastropub,” located downtown. Like Wrigley, they have a long list of beers on tap. As far as food (which is locally–sourced), I’d recommend their brussels sprouts, as well as the spicy fried cauliflower. For dinner, the Korean fried chicken sandwich with gojuchang sauce is my personal favorite, but I also love the Duck & Waffles and the Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese. Just outside of downtown in the Distillery District is Middle Fork, another locally-sourced restaurant that features large tables and family-style entrees. As owner and executive chef Mark Jensen writes on the website, “We like to think that our plates are sharable. You not only get to enjoy a variety of dishes, you get to create your own experience.” Their menu changes, too, but a constant and a must among the smaller plates is the PB&J, which is strips of fire-grilled baguette with a ginger peanut sauce, lime-orange jam, chilis, cilantro, and red onion pickles. For dinner, I shared an order of Hog & Oats (goetta on a bed of grits with red tomato jam, confit of green tomatoes, and a soft poached egg) and half a chicken (with sorghum-maple glaze). Their drinks are among the best cocktails I’ve had in Kentucky, so I’d recommend one of their creative bourbon concoctions.

Finally, Lexington also has several notable distilleries, but if you’re already in the area, I’d recommend the short drive west to Frankfort, Kentucky’s capital, to visit the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Not only is it free, but it’s the longest continuously–running bourbon distillery in the country (it stayed open during Prohibition because doctors prescribed bourbon to treat ailments). On their standard tour, you’ll be able to view how the distillery works, as well sample their bourbon, rye, or speciality vodka at the end.

In any of these cities, it’s worth spending a few days if you can spare them. However, even an evening’s jaunt is worth the visit. You can even make a day trip out of the stretch, brunching in Corbin, hiking around London, shopping and drinking in Berea, and then culminating in an exquisite Lexington dinner!