B&B Food Experiences that go Beyond Breakfast

Bed and breakfasts throughout the Bluegrass State are known for pairing charming accommodations with hearty home-cooked breakfasts to fuel you up for a day of play exploring Kentucky’s woods, waters, cities and towns. The word “breakfast” is even part of their names. But some Kentucky B&Bs offer mouthwatering culinary experiences that go far beyond a hearty morning meal. From bourbon tastings and picnic baskets to elaborate dinners and working-farm experiences, here are a few delicious ways to enhance your stay. Old Talbott Tavern, Bardstown When you check into Old Talbott Tavern in Bardstown, you’re in famous company. Legend has it that outlaw Jesse James left behind a few bullet holes here – and there’s a room now bearing his name. Other notable visitors have included the likes of Abraham Lincoln and Gen. George Patton, who are among the countless who have enjoyed the building’s history, hospitality and – we’ll say it – bourbon through the years. Not to mention great Southern cooking. Old Talbott certainly checks the “breakfast” box off your B&B wish list, but you’ll really want to indulge in dinner here to savor bourbon BBQ meatballs followed by either fried chicken or country ham, both house specialties. But don’t miss the pork ribeye with bacon marmalade or Daniel Boone slow-cooked pot roast either. Simmered with carrots, onions, celery, potatoes and gravy, it’s a home-cooked dream come true. Be sure to save room for the signature chess pie or Talbott Tavern Pie for dessert, though. Talbott Tavern Pie, you say? It’s an orange-kissed custard creation with gorgeous meringue. And it’s … AH-mazing. Snug Hollow Farm, Irvine Imagine strolling through 300 acres of babbling brooks, colorful wildflowers, prancing wildlife and lush wooded countryside in central Kentucky. Nestled in the stunning Red Lick Valley in Irvine (just 20 minutes from Berea and less than an hour from Natural Bridge State Park, Red River Gorge, Renfro Valley and Lexington) Snug Hollow Farm offers a true getaway where, they’re proud to say, you can actually “hear” the sounds of silence in this stunning wonderland. Known for wildlife watching, star gazing and escape-like retreats, Snug Hollow and its chestnut, pine and cedar log cabins offer incomparable “garden to table” dining experiences as well.  Praised by Southern Living, Taste of the South and others – so many others – Snug Hollow plucks organic and garden-fresh produce from the grounds to create hearty breakfasts, delightful lunches, elegant dinners and luscious desserts. We’re talking creamy bean soup, cheesy spinach lasagna, warm banana bread and a jam cake with bourbon glaze.   Of all the tempting tastes offered here, though, don’t pass on this one. Linda Stahl from Edible Louisville says: “Innkeeper Barbara Napier’s rosemary braided bread is tender, fragrant and beautiful. It is the signature dish of a woman whose vegetarian culinary talents are broad and deep.” Kentucky Castle, Versailles When is a bed and breakfast not your ol’ run-of-the-mill B&B? Maybe when it’s located inside a … castle? Known to bring traffic on the road outside to a stop, the Kentucky Castle is a stunning building that comes out of nowhere as you’re driving through Kentucky horse country. It’s also committed to becoming the region’s best farm-to-table restaurant, boutique hotel, spa and event space. Architectural Digest recently called it "The Most Beautiful Hotel in Kentucky" and guests add that the level of service and amenities they experience here are second to none. (Need more proof? It was also named the #1 Most Romantic Restaurant in Kentucky by Reader’s Digest.) And the food? Off the chart. Not only are nearly 90% of the ingredients sourced locally, but many of them are grown on the estate’s 55 (and counting!) acres. Plans include an organic garden, apiary, lake for aquaculture, vineyards, fruit and nut orchards, truffle orchard, gourmet mushroom garden, pastureland for cattle, goats and sheep, and much more. In the meantime, savor creations like lamb sausage and grits with red-eye gravy, a buttermilk fried chicken cordon bleu biscuit topped with mornay sauce, bone marrow on fresh sourdough and oxtail medallions with foie gras bordelaise. And we haven’t even gotten to the dinner menu yet. Porcini-rubbed Wagyu beef with truffle butter, pork chops with creamed bourbon peaches, peppercorn-encrusted lamb chops with cognac glaze, duck breast with artichoke mushroom risotto and braised short ribs with corn-fava bean succotash. You may never want to leave. Add a bourbon hall, music room, rooftop bar and amazing sunsets – not to mention a spa with luxury treatments, facials, waxing, sauna, massage, cryotherapy and more – and it’s all simply … magical. The Farm, Danville We realize most people don’t go on vacation to “work.” But a working farm vacation in Kentucky’s stunning bluegrass region is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Located in the rolling hills of central Kentucky in Danville, The Farm features a beautiful Southern antebellum home offering charming accommodations, warm hospitality, formal and informal dining rooms, common entertainment areas and stunning vistas everywhere you look. If that weren’t enough, there’s also a concierge who can customize your visit, a personal chef who can delight your taste buds, a private car service and – oh yeah – even child care. Interested in farm animals? Work amongst the cows, calves, dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits, hogs, sheep, mini horses, guineas, kittens, a peacock family, Great Pyrenees dogs and more. And yes, you can even collect the chicken eggs, milk the goats, feed the calves, play with kittens and pups in the barn … or just sit back and enjoy the scenery. Still not enough to keep you busy? Guests can also participate in canning, gardening, fishing, wagon rides, star gazing and more Chateau Annette, Lexington A gorgeous overnight stay in Kentucky horse country sounds like a dream, yeah? It’s a dream come true at Chateau Annette in Lexington, a B&B offering an intimate stay on 13 acres in the heart of the bluegrass. Just how close to horse country? You’ll be right beside gorgeous Keeneland racetrack with direct access to enter the grounds. (Can you say, zero traffic?) While on the property, you’ll also enjoy breathtaking scenery, plush amenities, quick access to Lexington attractions – and, quite possibly, the best night of sleep you’ve had in years. Wake up the next morning with a cup of hot coffee on your balcony while listening to the soothing calls of birds – and the sing-song neighing of nearby horses. Your heavenly breakfast can be served in the dining room or even inside the grand kitchen. Ingredients here are sourced from local farms (yes, that’s fresh cream in your coffee) and it doesn’t stop there. The organic berries, the grains, the meats – all fresh as can be. Ashford Acres Inn, Cynthiana Nestled on 64 acres in the Cynthiana countryside, Ashford Acres Inn offers a charming escape in a historic renovated Antebellum Greek Revival property in central Kentucky north of Lexington. Breakfasts here are legendary, sure. Biscuits and gravy, ham and cheese quiche, hash-brown casserole. But you can also enjoy hors d'oeuvres and cocktails in the private sitting room later in the day, along with occasional dinners offering indulgences like filet mignon, pork tenderloin, rosemary chicken, Atlantic salmon, panko-crusted shrimp, luscious pastas, hearty sides and homemade cakes, pies and cobblers. Enjoy your meal? The inn also offers picnic baskets, cupcake baking kits and all sorts of baked goods to take away for your day of play in Kentucky’s outdoors.