Elevenses All Day
story by Donna Hecker & photography by Talitha Schroeder
Have you ever been to Ireland? Settled into a seat at Bewley’s Café on Dublin’s Grafton St., and lingered over something sweet and a steaming cup of tea, taking in the hustle and bustle while you relax in quiet comfort and watch the world go by outside its soaring stained glass windows?
When Chef Ouita was there last summer, it felt like a bit of a homecoming. “The cafe sits in the middle of a very busy downtown street, in a beautiful building. The broad strokes of the place felt like Zim's Café to me – the buzz, the bakery case, the big windows! Our windows at Zim’s may not be stained glass, but they are original and iconic and enormous – we have seven of them looking out over Lexington's Historic Courthouse Square! It's one of the things I absolutely love about the dining room.”
Do you remember reading Winnie the Pooh? And how his favorite meal time was eleven o’clock? “When late morning rolls around, and you’re feeling a bit out of sorts, don’t worry; you’re probably just a little eleven o’clockish,” said Pooh before tucking into his snack of bread with honey and condensed milk.
Elevenses is (are?) still popular in Ireland and we think it’s a great habit to adopt in Lexington too, starting with Zim’s own bakery case. It’s packed full of Midway Bakery treats – which are also on Zim’s new dessert menu – so you can enjoy “elevenses” at eleven o’clock, or three o’clock, or even seven o’clock, really whenever you want.
As Ouita says, “We want our guests to feel like they can drop in any time of day – for a cup of coffee or tea, or a glass of prosecco and a piece of pie or a sorghum crinkle – maybe alone with a good book, or with an old friend. When the sun is streaming through the front windows, and the lunch rush has quieted down, there’s no better place to be.”
And have you heard about Ireland’s newest national holiday? Imbolc/St. Brigid’s Day recognizes both an ancient pagan quarter festival and the mother saint of Ireland, and it’ll be here soon.
Here’s an excerpt from the January 31, 2023 edition of The Irish Post, announcing the new holiday: “In Ireland, the first of February marks the beginning of Spring and the celebration of Lá Fhéile Bríde, St Brigid’s Day.”
“Like many other feast days of the Irish calendar, Brigid predates Christianity – her roots lie in the Celtic festival of Imbolc, the feast of the goddess Brigid, celebrated at least five millennia ago. In old Irish, Imbolc means ‘in the belly’, a reference to lambing and the renewal Spring promises.”
“‘As the first Irish public holiday named after a woman, St Brigid’s Day provides a unique opportunity to acknowledge the critical role that women have played in Irish history, culture and society,’ an Irish Government spokesperson said.”
“‘In Celtic mythology, Brigid was a triple goddess – of healing, fire, and of poetry – and the Christian saint who took her name, born in 450 AD, carried some of those same associations as the patron saint of poets and midwives,’ they added. ‘...this holiday carries a dual opportunity to recognise the role of women through our arts and cultural heritage.’”
Women, farming, history, arts and poetry – all near and dear to our Holly Hill heart and definitely worth borrowing a bit from the Irish for!
In the old days, Imbolc marked the halfway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox. Milk and butter, along with eggs, which signify the sun, are traditional foods to celebrate with. All three are baked into Zim’s bourbon buttermilk chess junior pie; eat half at your next elevenses and save the rest for later.
And since we’re not content to let a holiday pass without an appropriate toast, Zim’s bar manager Julianna Santo (of Wine Me Up fame) is working up her version of “Elevenses”, a warming whiskey-based libation that we think will be perfect for it.
In these still-dark and often dreary days of winter, as January plods into February, let’s remember Imbolc and its promise of spring and lengthening daylight. And spend an hour or two in a bright and sunny space, under colorful and whimsical works of art, and watch the world go by – while we celebrate strong women, one another, and good Kentucky food and drink.
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Transparent Pie
Enjoy this traditional treat from Maysville, Ky., where opinions may vary on its exact preparation but all are united in their love for it. As one native put it, "Nutmeggin' it up, this pie is transparently delicious!"
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