Ever wonder about the Merv behind Merv's Ham & Jalapeño? Who Betty Ann and Dr. P are, and how our restaurants got their names? We reveal the who, what and where behind our favorite places and most popular dishes. (In alphabetical order!)

Betty Ann Scones – We named these for Midway grande dame Betty Ann Voigt, whose doctor father had his practice in the Porter House on Winter St., and whose lifelong friend was Margaret Ware Parrish, namesake of Margaret Ware’s Egg Salad.

Big Brown Burger – This Wallace Station burger was named for the 2008 winner of the Kentucky Derby. Guy Fieri rated it one of his “top five burgers of all time” when he stopped by to film an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

Cape Codder – This takes-two-hands sandwich is a throwback to the popular Cape Codder Restaurant, once a central Kentucky fixture with locations in Lexington and Frankfort.

Dannii Boy – This Thai-adjacent po’boy at Windy Corner is a shout-out to Tali’s housemate Dannii Cormney, who jumps for joy when we make her one.

Dr. P’s Crispy Chicken Sandwich – Ouita says she has three Dr. Ps in her life — her father Dr. Ray Papka, the late UK debate legend Dr. James Patterson, and Dr. Melynda Price, former Gaines Professor of Humanities at UK — but this sandwich is the namesake of Dr. Price, who frequently ordered it at Zim’s Café.

East Hampton Hot Ham and Brie – This one’s named after a similar sandwich at the Plain and Fancy, a deli in Chris Michel’s hometown, where he worked the sandwich line.

Health Pub Steamed Vegetable Bowl – Ouita’s first job out of culinary school was at a macrobiotic restaurant in NYC named the Health Pub.

Holly Hill Inn – When the Parrish family converted their home, then called Hermosa, to a bed and breakfast in the early 1980s, they renamed it Holly Hill Inn for the towering holly trees standing sentry at its entrance.

Honeywood Restaurant – Honeywood Parrish Rouse once reigned as hostess supreme at Hermosa, the home where she grew up and which houses Holly Hill Inn today. She loved three things – spending time with friends and family, a delicious meal, and a stiff drink.

Honeywood Cocktail – Another Honeywood Parrish Rouse namesake, this pale pink cocktail packs a deceptive punch, just like Honeywood herself.

Leah’s Pinkie Cocktail – Leah Craig is our bar manager at Honeywood; her piano-trained hands inspired this namesake cocktail. It’s a dainty delight of gin, cranberry, pomegranate, lime and bubbly.

Lisa’s Remoulade – Another frequent flier on Holly Hill menus, this zippy condiment was perfected by former Holly Hill Inn sous chef Lisa Laufer and her recipe remains our gold standard.

Mabel’s Nut Burger – Sara Gibbs worked with Ouita at Woodford Reserve, helped develop the original Windy Corner menu, and co-authored Just a Few Miles South. Sara’s mother Mabel Thompson once worked at a West Virginia diner that served a burger with a spicy peanut sauce, which inspired our version.

Manny’s Shrimp Cocktail – This Mexican-style shrimp cocktail is the creation of Manny Mendoza, our sous chef at Smithtown Seafood.

Margaret Ware’s Egg Salad – Egg salad was a favorite of Margaret Ware Parrish, a descendant of Judge Caleb Wallace, on whose former land Wallace Station sits. She was also a World War Two WAVE, celebrated instructor and coach at Midway College, lifelong friend of Betty Ann Voigt, and namesake herself of one of our favorite young Midway girls. We still make it at the Midway Bakery.

Mary’s Italian Dressing – Famous Lexington chef and caterer Mary Parlanti gave us the recipe for her popular Italian dressing and a version of it appears on almost all our menus.

Merv’s Ham and Jalapeño – Merv Leckbee was Wallace Station’s very first customer; a local horseman and lover of ham and jalapeños, who ordered this (off menu) sandwich several times a week. It was officially added to the menu in Merv’s honor after his passing in 2006.

Noe’s Cod Fritters – These fritters are named for the mother of Smithtown Chef and GM Agnes Teresa Marerro Rosa. Chef Agnes makes them from her mother’s recipe.

Pam’s Healthy Grain Salad – Ouita’s mother Pam Sexton was famous for her whole-foods recipes and this dish was one of Ouita’s favorites.

Penny’s at Pomegranate – We named our newest spot after Ouita’s mom, Pam Sexton, whose childhood nickname was Penny, and who lived right around the corner in the Woodland Park neighborhood.

Penny’s Pumpkin Seed Dressing – Ouita’s mother Pam Sexton was known as Penny to her childhood friends. When Ouita was growing up, there was always a jar of her mom’s pumpkin seed dressing in the fridge.

Rona’s Sorghum Crinkle Cookie – Rona Roberts is a champion of Kentucky food in general and sorghum in particular, cook and writer extraordinaire; and a dear friend who generously shared her recipe for these popular Midway Bakery cookies.

Sammi’s Super Saver – This Wallace Station meal deal is named for Samantha Brown, who worked at both Holly Hill Inn and Wallace Station in the early days.

Shady Lane Chicken Salad – Chicken salad was on the original lunch menu at Holly Hill Inn; it has since migrated to Wallace Station, Windy Corner, and beyond. When it made the leap to Wallace Station, we renamed it Shady Lane after the local nickname for Old Frankfort Pike.

As cookbook writer Camille Glenn once said, we never “intend to let a spring blend into summer without a day’s outing to drive along Shady Lane.”

Smithtown Seafood – Smithtown Seafood is named for the neighborhood around it. Smithtown was one of the first African-American neighborhoods in Lexington; it grew up just after the Civil War as formerly enslaved Blacks moved to urban areas to establish trades.

The Thirsty Fox – When The Thirsty Fox was under construction, Doug Mullins was our Holly Hill operations manager. Doug had once owned a bar called the Thirsty Fox, located in the Chicago suburbs; and Ouita surprised him by using the same name for her new bar.

The Zim Cocktail – Ouita’s Great-grandpa Zim was the manager of the local Coca-Cola bottling plant and liked his Old-fashioneds sweetened with Coke syrup.

Wallace Station – Our country deli sits on land that was originally part of Judge Caleb Wallace’s estate. It was also the site of a train depot on the north/south route of the Versailles & Midway Railway. The present structure was built at the turn of the 20th century and through the years has housed a general store, gas station, and post office.

Whitesburg Soup Beans – These are on several Holly Hill menus, a legacy of Jared Richardson’s tenure at Wallace Station. Jared’s hometown was Whitesburg, Ky., where soup beans are an Appalachian staple.

Willa’s Dilla – Willa Michel’s favorite childhood meal was this white cheddar quesadilla.

Windy Corner – When Chris and Ouita were looking for a name for our country café and market, next door to famed Gainesway Farm, Joan Gaines suggested calling it after a talkative guy nicknamed Windy who once owned a market on the crossroads where it stands.

Zim’s Café – Ouita named Zim’s after her Great-grandpa Zim aka Rufus Zimmerman, with whom she spent summers as a little girl. Great-grandpa Zim was a popular figure in her hometown of Thermopolis, Wyoming, where he played Uncle Sam every Fourth of July.

A Guide to Holly Hill Namesakes

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