This story originally appeared in the March 10 edition of the weekly LINK Reader. To see these stories first, subscribe here.
Each Friday over the course of Lent poses an extra challenge for many Northern Kentucky residents deciding where to eat.
For those sick of cheese pizza and fast food fish, these restaurants have locals covered. This Streetscapes goes off the norm of visiting one area and instead travels all over NKY for restaurants serving the best fish, seafood and vegetarian options around.
Barleycorn’s Brewhouse
With locations in Florence, Lakeside Park and Cold Spring, Barleycorn’s has three counties covered for meatless options.
Their regular menu covers the gamut of all things bar food. This Lent, they introduced a special “off the hook” menu to highlight some of their meatless options and introduce some new favorites, like the ultimate grilled cheese. There are also lots of vegetarian options for those meat eaters who don’t like fish. Barleycorn’s offers a nice variety of salads and sandwiches.
For those who crave the classic fried fish, Barleycorn’s fried grouper sandwich and fish and chips pair perfectly with a cold beer. With over 30 draft beers to choose from, guests might forget they’re not in an English pub.
For those looking for lighter fare, the fish tacos, shrimp basket and grouper are perfect for that Friday fish fix.
Knotty Pine on the Bayou
Along the riverfront, Knotty Pine on the Bayou will have patrons forgetting they’re viewing the Licking River and not the Mississippi River in New Orleans. Between the food, the view and the atmosphere, there’s no excuse to not visit Knotty Pine.
Knotty Pine specializes in seafood and Cajun food, and offers unique options hard to find anywhere else, including oysters, alligator and frog. I’m not entirely sure what the consensus on alligator and frog are in the realm of Lenten-friendly food, but regardless of where the reptiles stand, Knotty Pine is swimming in delicious, under-the-sea options.
Tucked away from any other establishments, this restaurant could easily be mistaken for a house – even the interior feels like a friend’s kitchen.
Knotty Pine is worth the visit for those who love Louisiana cuisine, especially shrimp which they serve four ways: fried, Cajun, sautéed, or grilled.
Tousey House Tavern and Greyhound Tavern
Steak often is the go-to dinner for those wanting a fancier meal, but sister restaurants Tousey House Tavern in Burlington and Greyhound Tavern in Fort Mitchell offer timeless sophistication with an abundance of good options that don’t include steak.
While steak is still an option on both restaurants’ menus, they have an abundance of Lenten-friendly options, too.
Starting with Tousey House: There are 13 entrees that are either vegetarian or pescetarian-friendly, and that’s not even including their special Lenten menu, featuring their award-winning fried cod. The lobster ravioli with scallions and parmesan cheese is a dream in a dish, rich and creamy. This meal is perfect.
Similarly, Greyhound Tavern offers many of the same dishes, with a few additions. The pasta Gabriel is a lighter dish with mushrooms, tomatoes and scallions in garlic and olive oil, making it a great option for those who aren’t big fish fans. Their shrimp skewers and garlic shrimp tacos are another filling option for guests who want to forgo fried fish.
The variety of fish offerings at both establishments will have you covered for the entirety of Lent – not just Fridays.
Have a city, street or business you want to see next? Email Maria Hehman at [email protected] and it could be featured on the next installment of LINK streetscapes.