Smithtown Seafood opened a second location in Lexington when The Barn at the Summit opened this past summer adding additional local flare to The Barn to help with its unique theme of all local restaurants in a food hall.

Ouita Michel, owner of Smithtown Seafood, has been a restaurant owner in Lexington since she opened her first restaurant, Holly Hill Inn, in 2001. Since then, Michel has made quite a name for herself with her restaurants including Windy Corner Market, Wallace Station, The Midway Bakery, and Honeywood. The first Smithtown Seafood opened in Lexington in 2013.

The Barn at The Summit is a food hall consisting of all local restaurants. Many of these restaurants are second locations of local restaurants already in Lexington.

“I just think it’s a really unique concept to put local eateries together under one roof and I thought it would introduce our idea of a really nice fish and chips restaurant serving great seafood to a new audience,” Michel shares of her decision to open a second Smithtown Seafood location at The Barn.

Smithtown Seafood is known for their fish and chips, which is made with fresh cod and french fries. Their menu also includes fried oysters, fried shrimp, wild caught Kentucky silver carp, and much more.

The wild silver carp comes from Western Kentucky where they are an invasive species in the lakes, rivers and streams. Since they are invasive, it is legal to actually catch them and use them on a menu at a restaurant. So, eating some silver carp from Smithtown Seafood is essentially helping with an overpopulation issue.

“They are super fresh and air shipped in so we get them within two days of them having been in the lake,” shares Michel about the silver carp.

Another thing that makes The Barn so special is that all of the local restaurants within it are Kentucky Proud.

“Our mission is really to increase the income of the Kentucky farmer and that’s really what makes Kentucky food special,” Michel said.

The Barn is a special space that allows for local restaurateurs to share their food with Lexington while supporting each other at the same time.

“My hope is that it becomes a place for people who live on that side of town to gather at Smithtown together and have a fun time and a great experience,” Michel shares.

Michel also hopes that it becomes a gathering place for families and friends to enjoy each other’s company while trying food from local restaurants in Lexington.