Chef Ouita Michel has been appointed to the American Culinary Corps, a diplomatic culinary partnership between the U.S. State Department and the James Beard Foundation.

Chef Ouita Michel, who has racked up eight James Beard Award nominations and built a 10-restaurant mini empire throughout the state, uses the spirit as an ingredient, but even more as a narrative device.

The 15-minute drive to Wallace Station from the highway will take you past some of the area's showiest horse farms.

“Lexington has always had a really great, diverse, independently operated restaurant scene,” says restaurateur and cookbook author Ouita Michel.

Ouita Michel has expanded her culinary empire ... again.

Three words. Ouita is delightful. For those who may not know Ouita, this newest episode in the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Series is an excellent introduction!

If you can only squeeze one meal from Ouita Michel into your trip, Holly Hill Inn is the spot. Helmed by Culinary Director Tyler McNabb, this pioneering farm-to-table restaurant crafts whimsical prix fixe menus around seasonal, hyperlocal fare in a bucolic setting just outside of Lexington.

Swap a tall glass of milk for a tumbler of Kentucky’s finest, and dig into chef Ouita Michel’s Bourbon Lover’s Cookie Box, which includes twenty fresh-baked cookies made with Kentucky-milled flour in five flavors: Bourbon Toffee Crisp, Corn, Sorghum, Woodford, and the Old-Fashioned.

Partnering with acclaimed filmmaker Harrison Witt, the series titled, Up Home with Ouita Michel, shines a spotlight on the meaning behind food; how it builds community and shapes relationships. Celebrating local agriculture, family heritage, world cuisine, and social justice, allows viewers to learn and grow alongside her.

From a hotel celebrating the accomplishments of women to female-run wineries, women are making their mark in the once-male-dominated worlds of hospitality.

Over the past few years, Lexington has become known for much more than just its bluegrass music and racetracks. Caribbean and Sri Lankan cuisine commingle with farm-to-table powerhouses like , owned by six-time James Beard Award-nominee chef Ouita Michel.

After a long (and undeniably difficult) winter this past year, we've all been looking forward to spring. Sunny skies and longer days, flowers creeping out of the ground…

“Just determining the table of contents alone took a year,” Michel says. But the labor paid off. The tome compiles more than 150 of Michel’s favorite recipes for classic, Southern staples such as fried chicken, biscuits, soup beans, and sausage gravy, becoming a one-stop-shop for the dishes that all Southern home cooks need to know.

Whether you’re brightening up your space or toning it down, you’ll need a sandwich after all that hard work. These three lifestyles books have you covered on all fronts.

Ouita Michel is known for her slew of award-winning Kentucky restaurants — from Holly Hill Inn in Midway to Smithtown Seafood in Lexington. If you’ve ever visited one of her culinary hotspots, you know there’s something genuinely unique about Ouita’s sustainable, farm-to-table cuisine.