First Trip to Keeneland
 

Making my very first trip to Keeneland tomorrow, going to be out on track Friday and again Saturday for the QEII.

Anyone familiar with the area and have any good recommendations for places to eat/drink/kill time?

Anyone else going to be there?

Steve – you can move this to Get Togethers if you’d like.

Yes..are you going to be close to the track or downtown?

I would suggest going to Malones and Sals Patio over off tates creek rd after the races, or I think there is a new one over in Palomar Center over by the track. Also, downtown Cheap Side and Atomic Cafe are good places for casual eat/drink. For a fantastic meal Jean Faris Winery out old Richmond Road (I think)...reservations needed and about $25/plate and they only serve their own wine which some of the reds are ok....but the meals are fantastic.

We're staying just North of downtown, I believe.

Brian,

you will have a great time!! My buddy is now one of the other equibase chart callers there, and friday was his first time going. He's been to a ton of tracks in this country and he texted me after the races saying "Best track i've ever seen...........amazing!"

enjoy racing as it should be :)

It supposed to be really nice weather all this weekend, Cheapside is good downtown because they have a really nice outdoor patio...other then the patio its just another bar. Furlongs is really good for cajun food and has a awesome horse racing atmosphere. If you want to go out for drinks on friday night go to McCarthy's which is downtown its a good place, its cheap and has horse racing stuff all over the walls. Plus you never know who you might see there since a lot of horse people hang out there.

For the races I would hang out in the paddock and if you want to catch a race from another track or need a drink take the esclator up to the second floor bar. You can stand on the balcony there over looking the paddock too which is a awesome view. Get to the track early on Saturday and bring a case of beer and hang out at your car and walk around a little bit, everyone tailgates before the races.

The races in HD makes the other tracks feeds look like they are from the 70's

Exactly. That was unbelievable watching the whole race card in HD.....This alone is worth the trip

Bring food with you......or a lot of antacids.

Wow...and the lines at the womens restroom are long too.

The kind of East Coast holier than thou attitude
 

that makes all the good people in "fly over land" just laugh their a** of at those it feel superior about paying $450,000 to live in a 1,500 sq ft house on a postcard lot, and pay $7 for a beer.

Lexington is a very cosmopolitan city for its size, and there are plenty of good options for a nice meal......

I/L

Have a great time at Keeneland.... just a wonderful experience which is enhanced by it's proximity to the University of Kentucky sororities

Speaking with the authority of someone who's lived in both places :D

while i'm sure the hd is nice, the new graphics packages i'm not a big fan of. I think NYRA's graphics improved and OSA and Keenelands took a step back

now, i could be wrong...but i thought btw was only talking about the food at the track itself. but if you want to take it as lexington-bashing, feel free i guess.

have fun brian, wish i could say i was going there as well!

I love Lexington. I've spent months there.

The food is awful. Sorry. It's not my fault.

well, then i sit corrected.

Are you talking about the track or the area?

We were in the Bluegrass Room this weekend and the food was probably a 'B', decent corn beef

For track food, Keeneland is OK. Inedible.....but OK.

The food in the area is to die for......in that it will kill you.

I didn't have the time to check that out, will experience it next time. :)

Curious, what track has the best food?

FG

Makers Mark Bread Pudding !!!!!!!!!!

I've never been there, but from what I've heard, Chuck gave the right answer.

The food at the upstairs dining room at Longchamp is pretty good.....as is the food at the restaurant at Saint Cloud.

LOL....can you honestly see Tom in France???:zz:

Close to Rupp arena, there is DeSheas'. Its a nice steakhouse without the Malone prices, in case you dont hit both P4's.

If theres a good steakhouse around Vol Jack has been to it

VJ wont eat a steak under 100 bucks

I had about 8 lobsters at Sha Tin. Obviously the Chinese food there was great even if they dont have the little corn things.

If ya ever get there...the Chicken Quesadilla (hold the tomato, add jalapenos) at the Colonial Downs OTB in Vinton is TO DIE FOR:tro:

Honestly Andy is right about food in KY. Some of the worst meals I have ever had are at places here that are supposedly good. In Lexington Dudley's is not terrible and the new Malones right down the road from Keeneland is ok and you can eat on the patio outside without waiting.

Dudley's is borderline OK and it is a really nice spot.

Cant be as good as Turfways'. The food is by far the best thing at TWP.

I ate at a breeders cup party at some supposedly nice place near CD for AOL'ers back in 2000, hosted by Hee Haw Lou.

I've had better dining experiences from my elementary school cafeteria back like 30 years ago.

As for Andy naming French tracks for having the best race track food, that's hardly a fair comparison. Comparing Frenchy food to our food is like comparing pg1985 to great dirt racing from 20 years ago.

Non sequitur.

Now is a good time to visit Maine. Lobsters were recently as low as $3.99 a pound. Six to ten pounders were about $8 a pound.

Man, Columbus Day and peak New England foliage is coming up and then you have to go and remind me about the cheap lobster, too?

:-)

As to food in Kentucky, my rule of thumb anywhere in the country is to try to stick to the local specialties. Chinese in Kentucky? Perhaps it's there, and more than likely more than OK, but wouldn't be my choice.

So, local specialties in Kentucky?

I guess I'd stick with bourbon.

The only good restaurants in KY are in Midway IMO. Cafe la Belle and The Black Tulip. In Lex, Dudley's is about the only place worth a mention.

at keeneland last week we had roast beef on whole wheat that was pretty good. we got it from the consessions facing the paddock. the corned beef looked good too.

Sounds good to me Darren, but I'm quite happy with the pressed Cubans at Tampa Bay Downs, so what do I know?

I think you and I are out of our league discussing food with this bunch.

:wf

Yeah...well the women are better here than the Northeast. You can have your food.

I agree about Midway, The Black Tulip was great.

Sal's/Malones? I'm always happy there.

Apparently teeth aren't on your list of requirements.

K.U DEBS ARE FINE.....:tro:

Agree. Very good. (Hungarian Gent :$: )