Headed to Lexington, KY?

Then you gotta try these places.  While there are no specifically vegetarian or vegan restaurants in Lexington, there are some veg friendly places.  Here are my top three.

1) Stella's Deli

Based on the name, vegetarians may shy away from Stella's, but they'd be missing out on good food and friendly service.  Although Stella's is a deli they also have a selection of veg food and are happy to accommodate vegans.  The folks that work there are good eggs and appear to enjoy their jobs.  All their food is produced by local farmers, and other products (such as their cool t-shirts) are fair trade.  I'm pretty sad I discovered this place towards the end of my stay in this town, but am glad I got to experience it and recommend it to others.  Its my current favorite hang out.

2) Good Foods Co-op and Cafe

One part market, one part cafe, and completely customer owned, Good Foods is a local favorite.  Much of their produce is produced by farmers in the area, and they have a large selection of organic and fair trade items.  Their cafe boasts a hot buffet, salad bar, and sandwich shop, with ingredients listed on the item name tags.  Many of the buffet items are vegan, and sandwiches are made to order.  I enjoy eating here because I know I'm getting something healthy, fresh, locally produced (in season), and am supporting a local business.  It feels as if the people who work and shop there are like minded in their quest to live a healthy and compassionate life.

3) Alfalfa's

This place boasts the most vegetarian fare of the three restaurants I've mentioned, and they've been at it a long time.  The food is interesting, and they often have seasonal offerings.  I enjoy eating here because it tastes really healthy, and I love the live music on weekends (usually its just one guy playing a guitar singing CCR and The Eagles).  They also make fresh juices, like carrot-apple juice.  To me, Alfalfa's feels the most "crunchy granola" (read: hippy health nut), but its nice to know a healthy restaurant is a popular place to go when dining out.

Honorable Mention: This list is incomplete without mentioning Doodles, a brunch place that serves as much locally produced food as possible.  Its not really veg friendly (which is why it didn't make the top three), but if you're still a carnivore or a lacto-ovo veg, this place is not a bad choice.  Plus, the name is just fun!  I ate there on Sunday and ended up ordering a meal of side dishes including fried potatoes, a fruit cup, toast, and veggie sausage.  Don't forget to try the beignets, a New Orleans favorite!