Holly Hill Inn

It took me almost 36 years, but I finally made it to Holly Hill Inn, which in itself is a shame since they have BRUNCH! We enjoyed a fantastic 4-course dinner on the eve of the my fiancé’s parents 55th wedding anniversary. 🍽 Amuse Bouche: Cherry tomato tart (I could have eaten an ACTUAL pie-sized version of this perfection) 🍝 House pasta with pistachio pesto 🍗 Joe’s duck breast, fresh corn polenta, plum sauce, roasted grapes 🍑 Peach-blackberry galette, buttermilk ice cream, bourbon caramel 🍹 Bourbon blackberry bramble (Plus his red snapper and dark chocolate mousse cake) Two critical pieces of feedback: 1) The atmosphere they’re going for is upscale, small, and ideally intimate, but it cannot be so when one can hear the conversations at every other table (and know that they can hear yours). As of that weren’t bad enough, every door in the place is open and you can hear dishes clanging and glasses clinking. Something could be done to improve the acoustics, regardless of the age of the structure. 2) While delicious, the means do not justify the ends when it comes to the four-course meal. $55 is quite a stretch for the portions we received, namely the third (main) course, and I wasn’t the only one who looked quizzically at my plate when it arrived. So keep that in mind. The service was exceptional from a professionalism standpoint, but all businesses are short-staffed right now and - understandably - service is slow and you might wait 20 minutes for someone to stop long enough to notice every drink at your table is empty. That’s ok. That said, many of the wine bottles are very reasonably priced, so order a bottle and forego the wait!

Stellar. Beyond stellar – ‘incomparable’, really. I held a private dining event at Holly Hill. From administration to ambiance to service to cuisine, this was a special evening. Graham's service was exceptional - his communication was always clear and graceful, and he was extraordinarily accommodating. I greatly appreciated that he was my single point of contact from booking through final payment. Not only that, but Graham is a rare breed: he's a professional server and it shows. He anticipated our every need and held himself responsible for making sure it would happen at a minimum of inconvenience to the party. An hour before dinnertime, the private room and table were already set by the time I arrived - however the porch and weather were so very Kentucky-perfect that I just *had* to request that we dine on the porch. Graham and his assistant (Connor?) came to the rescue with all the encouragement in the world and whipped up that porch replete with tablecloths and settings. How refreshing. The service was precisely what service should be – friendly, but not familiar. These gents knew they had a job to do, and they also knew they were at their guests’ service. Impeccably respectful and anticipatory. They hustled and spoke only in any attempt to satisfy their guests. As the host, Graham was on the lookout to be sure I thought the symphony was in-tune. And it surely was. So much so that I could enjoy the evening. I had all the confidence in the world with this crew. The food was out of this world - I'm not a food critic so I cannot possibly give a proper review. The appetizers were elegant and smacked our tastebuds. Beautiful filo cups filled with a carefully prepared aioli-ish mixture, topped with smoked salmon. Ugh - to die for. Then there were what I believe were pickled quail eggs topped with roe or caviar and a sprig of herb, all nested atop of another savory mix which sat on a platform of a kind of toasty pancake; beyond its deliciousness, it was a visual piece of art. And there was no skimping, . . . there were enough appetizers for us to take a boxful home. The first course served to us was a perfectly-sized salad which was coated with the precisely right amount of dressing; I have a pet peeve when salads are doused, and this did not disappoint in the least. The diners and I could not stop raving about the pickled carrots which bore fall flavors of (perhaps) ginger and cinnamon. We’d never loved carrots so much. Guests could choose from three entrees: lamb, chicken, and flounder. I had the lamb. Generous portions, with plenty of lean meat, served to order. The chef's rendition of a mint spread enhanced the lamb to perfection and I devoured it. Again, a generous portion; what's more, I had requested a plus-sized portion for one special guest who I know can eat a horse - they practically delivered the whole lamb for him. Guests who had the chicken or fish were very pleased. Finally, dessert offered either a chocolate mousse-y dish-delish stacked on fresh and chewy cookie-like discs - perhaps with a note of toffee. Divine. Pineapple lovers opted for an upside-down cake and reported that it finished the meal with an exclamation point. How the chefs prepared all this miraculous-ness for 15 diners in a couple of hours is beyond me. I cannot expound enough on how central Graham was – not just to the success of the event – but to the ahead-of-time assurance that all would go well. He absorbed the demands of the evening with masterful skill, and he clearly is empowered by the ownership to orchestrate an authentic Kentucky dining performance. The evening was exquisite.