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Our Story – Something's Happening Here

“Somebody Cares,” “Ahead of their Time,” “Dishing it up Naturally,” and “Keeping it in the Family” have all described one place: Alfalfa Restaurant.

When the Alfalfa Restaurant in Lexington, Kentucky moved from its long-time location at 557 South Limestone in 2004 and then closed in October 2021, after 48 years in business, it was covered by the local papers as the End of an Era. Who could have imagined that the little restaurant that opened its doors in April of 1973 would thrive for nearly half a century? The idea to open such a restaurant emerged from the imaginations and dreams of a small collective of idealistic women and men who were galvanized by the social movements of the late 1960s and early 1970s-- seeking something more, something better, something healthy and life-affirming. What was happening? The Vietnam War, Kent State, the assassinations of our most prominent leaders, the civil rights movement, and to boot, women couldn’t even get a car loan or a credit card without the signature of their father of husband.

And yet… a small collective of like-minded people came together to build something hopeful – a community-oriented and egalitarian workplace that served good wholesome food, empowered their workforce and would have a meaningful impact on the community. The founding collective fostered a workplace that shared ideas and collaborated in the day-to-day operation of Alfalfa, but their emphasis on collaboration and community engagement went beyond the doors of the restaurant. Alfalfa was the first vegetarian-leaning, health food restaurant in the community and was committed to the use of locally sourced products, leading the way in the now-common farm-to-table movement. In its efforts at facilitating bulk buying for not only the restaurant, but also the larger community, it was a contributing force behind the creation of the area's first food co-op. Alfalfa also served as a robust cultural center and community gathering place. Just as all dishes, breads and baked goods were made daily in the restaurant kitchen, artistic expression was nurtured and fed.  Alfalfa actively supported local artists, musicians, students, workers and families through the hosting of art shows, evening musical quartets, literary readings, community dinners, fundraisers and a multitude of cultural events.

There is no book, history or published account of the genesis and story of this successful collective-run business, its role in supporting artistic expression and local farmers, its wholesome food and popular dishes and its survival as a collective enterprise for almost half a century – 48 years – an extraordinary accomplishment in itself. Or rather, there was no such book – until now!

Where We Are and How We Got Here

In August of 2022, we convened a collective of ten people residing in six different states that cooked or worked in the restaurant in the early days and formed a working group- the Carrot Cake Collective – and began to collect, recreate, document, recalibrate, test and track recipes. We also began collecting photos, clippings, articles, posters, flyers, art work, menus, stories, memories, oral histories and other foundational documents and artifacts. This book is a culmination of that work and effort.

While Eat Your Carrot Cake is definitely a cookbook, sharing the sweet and savory recipes of a fondly remembered local restaurant, it is also a Kentucky community and social history. Focusing on the origins, founding principles and values of Alfalfa, it covers the first 25-30 years—the time span of the restaurant's life at 557 S. Limestone. We have sought out and engaged local artists and artisans to contribute their work and highlight their talent in the creation of the book – painters, poets, photographers, writers, and designers have all contributed to this work. While documenting and preserving the legacy, history, and recipes of this iconic cultural institution, Eat Your Carrot Cake further combines social history, family album, scrapbook, and cookbook alongside personal narratives and first-person accounts taken from the Alfalfa Oral History Project at the University of Kentucky. 

After three years of work, the final manuscript was completed in March 2025. It has been submitted to the publisher and is in the editing, design and layout process with a target publication date of fall 2025. Eat Your Carrot Cake will be a 9½“ x 7½“, 4-color book of nearly 400 pages co-published by Institute 193 in Lexington and Butler Books in Louisville. Contents include the Origin Story, a Photo Album and Scrapbook featuring 100-130 black & white photos and press clippings, posters, and event flyers, 130 seminal recipes, and original art work by eight Kentucky artists. In addition to photos collected from the community, Kentucky photographer Guy Mendes documented Alfalfa for many decades and is contributing his collection of seminal Alfalfa anniversary photos to the project.

You Can Make a Difference

It is your support that will bring this book to life! For a first printing of 500 copies, we need to raise $40,000. This estimate includes the costs of editing, design, layout, printing, and marketing. We are seeking donors both large and small to support this printing. The bulk of any revenue generated from the sale of the book after costs will go to two local nonprofit organizations, Institute 193 and the Moveable Feast Lexington. Donations are tax-deductible!

In supporting this project, you too become a part of this history and this legacy, paying it forward to generations to come. We secure and build our future by preserving our history and past. This legacy and story, not to mention the many lost recipes, are worth preserving and sharing. The generational knowledge acquired through the collective endeavor of Alfalfa should not be lost to this community, this state and this time! During challenging times, it becomes only more necessary that we share models of community building, sustainability and perseverance.

Our innate ability as humans is to create, to envision, to come together, to cook and to sing, to make art and play music, to garden and to dance, to be kind and bake bread, to laugh and to take care of one another, and to imagine the beautiful and good world we want to step into tomorrow. This is how we build community, and this is what will save us – then, now and forever more.

Who We Are

The Carrot Cake Collective is Julie Crossen, Ginny Daley, Sue Grizzell, Kellie Considine, Mike Kelsay, Kelly Steele, Cathy Martin, Anne Nash, Marina Ubaldi Ritter and Lucinda Zoe.

Institute 193 is a non-profit contemporary art gallery in Lexington, Kentucky which collaborates with artists, musicians, and writers to document the cultural landscape of the modern South.