Streetscapes visits Old Union Road in Union

One of Northern Kentucky’s biggest booming areas is Union, thanks to business development including Union Promenade, which will feature dining, retail and living spaces. While locals eagerly anticipate the arrivals of favorites like Dewey’s Pizza and Taste of Belgium, we’ve gone to Old Union Road to explore some other options. Join us this Streetscapes for bourbon, farm food and frontier favorites.

Union 42 Bourbon and Brew

Local bourbon bars are quintessential defining places in Kentucky, but few places do it as well as Union 42 Bourbon and Brew. This hometown bar welcomes locals and weary travelers alike with ample beverage offerings. With bourbon in its name, it’s no wonder the place has hundreds of options to choose from. Where to begin? The staff does an excellent job of finding the right samples for expert and novice bourbon drinkers alike. In addition, selections of Scotch and Irish whiskeys and beer options ensure, regardless of taste, every guest will find a beverage to enjoy.

This quaint space is off of U.S. 42 down a winding road full of horse farms. The back of the bar proudly displays its wide array of bourbons, with a few TVs overhead so guests never have to miss a Kentucky basketball game. Although the atmosphere may shift during a UK game, they’re not a typical sports bar. The smaller space invites conversation among strangers and friends. The next time you’re looking for a spot in Union, go off the beaten path to this humble, hole-in-the-wall bar.

The Farmstand Market and Cafe

Next door to Union 42 Bourbon and Brew, the Farmstand Market and Cafe serves freshly made farm-to-table meals for lunch or dinner. Salads, sandwiches (called farmwiches), wraps and burgers make up their lunch menu. The create-your-own farmwich menu includes meats, cheeses, veggies and bread options for a fully customized sandwich for each individual’s taste. There’s also a farmwhich menu of grilled cheeses an hot sandwiches.

Mouthwatering options include grilled turkey and brie with apple butter, a French dip with provolone on a french roll au jus and a chicken caprese wrap with grilled chicken, basil pesto, spinach, tomato, fresh mozzarella and balsamic vinegar drizzle in a spinach wrap. The local love burger is a standout; the grass fed burger is blended with sauteed local shiitake and oyster mushrooms and smoked gouda all in the burger itself. It’s topped with more gouda, caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms and microgreens. All farmwiches and burgers come with a side and pickle.

Farmstand’s dinner menu features all the greatest hits of home cooking, with meatloaf, pork chops and New York strip steak for the carnivores. There’s also grilled salmon, stuffed chicken portobello mushroom and vegan rice bowl to round out the dinner bell menu. A full service bar completes guests’ meals.

Along with farm-to-table meals, Farmstand’s market offers local goods. The atmosphere is casual, cozy and country.

Boomtown Biscuits and Whiskey

Yukon Sandwich with Yukon Fries. Photo by: Maria Hehman | LINK nky contributor

Across the highway from Old Union Road, you’ll find a more bustling area. Boomtown Biscuits and Whiskey has been a hit in Union since its opening and is one of the reasons non-Boone County residents venture away from their home turf. Boomtown created contemporary takes on classic “frontier food.” Forget stale bread, canned vegetables and questionably clean water; they’ve reinvented the meaning beyond frontier foods and crafted culinary delights for all palettes.

With biscuit in the name, it would be wrong not to order one. When they’re this good, indulge in their biscuit and gravy flight. The gold shoes appetizer offers guests three biscuits and three gravies, picked from among sawmill, goetta, creole, mushroom and peppercorn. Trail pickins is another popular appetizer (think a charcuterie board out West, with biscuits (duh!), butters, jams, jellies and pickles).

Sandwiches are served on those famous biscuits. Boomtown’s Yukon features fried chicken, sawmill gravy, smoked cheddar and bacon, and it is a great option for those wanting classic frontier food. The Rosewood, a Korean fried chicken sandwich with house-made kimchi, and Gochujang BBQ are great options for those who want to sample Boomtown’s contemporary creations. The Oregon Trail is one of their best – and most healthful – menu items. It features sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, kale, carrots and poblano in a bulgogi glaze. This vegan dish can also have protein added to it.

What to Know If You Go

Union 42 Bourbon and Brew

Location: 9900 Old Union Road, Union

Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 4-10 p.m.; Friday, 4-11:30 p.m.; Saturday, 5-11:30 p.m.

Website: union42bb.com

The Farmstand Market and Cafe

Location: 9914 Old Union Road, Union

Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., 4-8 p.m.; Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m.

Website: thefarmstandmarket.com

Phone: 859-817-1134

Boomtown Biscuits and Whiskey

Location: 9039 U.S. 42, Suite H, Union