By Allyson Dailey

Small town living is something that most native Kentuckians are all too familiar with. The local grocery store, the place where all of your high school friends held jobs to make a little extra money, and of course the restaurant where everybody knows your name. The combination of these simple pleasures makes life in a small town seem pretty appealing. Being from Atlanta, I find life in Lexington to be friendly and hospitable. One of my favorite things about this town is that the restaurants on and around campus are dining landmarks. Who hasn’t had the Tolly-Ho virgin bell rang at 2 am? (If you haven’t please but that on your college to-do list). Wednesday pint night at Pazzo’s or the world biggest breakfast that is served all day at Ramsey’s, round out the UK experience.

Let’s be honest, anyone who has ever lived on campus knows that The Common’s can get really old, really quickly. The lingering scent that sticks on your clothes like lint never goes away, even after several washings. It is a nice break to venture outside of the walls of campus to get a real taste for Lexington. After going through some of Lexington’s most famous eatery’s I would like to count down my favorite television hangouts that have left a lasting taste in my mouth. From coffee shops to diners, these hot-spots represent everything we have come to love in our small town. Check out my top five favorite dives and diners.

5. Monk’s Café in “Seinfeld”  – The show about nothing, created something spectacular in this New York City diner. Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer would post up in their window booth and discuss their mundane lives. From work, to love, to family, no subject remained untouched, and the four pals always had us laughing. Another restaurant made famous by the hit sitcom was the home of the tormented Soup Nazi. The restaurant actually existed as “The Soup Man” and was located in the heart of Manhattan, but since then has been bought and reworked. If you are ever in the big apple and are hoping to find the famous eatery, you are in luck. The actual name of the legendary diner is Tom’s Restaurant and it lies on the corner of W. 112th and Broadway. If your hoping for a corner booth you won’t have any luck because the interior is unfortunately a television set.

4. Moe’s Tavern in “The Simpsons”  – Homer’s hangout left all us wanting to drink Duff Beer until the wee hours of the morning. The local saloon in the fictional town of Springfield was owned and operated by Moe Szyslack and was where Homer’s set up camp most nights. If I had to compare a bar in Lexington to the world famous Moe’s Tavern, I would have to give that honor to another world famous, Two Keys Tavern. The resemblance is uncanny.

3. The Max in “Saved by the Bell”  – Although this is number three on my list, in my heart it holds on to the number one spot. I don’t know about you all, but when I was in high school all I wanted was my very own “Max.” It seemed like such a realistic idea at the time, but looking back, did Bayside not have a cafeteria, and how did Kelly hold a job at “The Max”  all through the school day? The whole thing seems a little farfetched to me. But, hey a girl can dream and I am holding on to my dream of hanging with the crew at “The Max,” A.C.’s backwards chair and all. Classic.

2. Central Perk in “Friends”  – New York City’s most infamous coffee house has been copied but never duplicated. The location of some of our most beloved “Friends”  moments, that rustic orange couch became a fixture in our fantasy living rooms. Each friend had a special relationship with the adored coffee shop, including Rachel’s first big girl job and the location of Phoebe’s wedding. Although Lexington has Common Grounds and a Starbucks on every corner, they won’t ever compare to Central Perk. You can find the remnants of the coffee house held in storage on the Universal lot in Los Angeles. We can only hope they are saving it for a “Friends” reunion.

1. Cheers in “Cheers” –  I hope everyone saw this coming. Without a doubt the most famous television eatery, with a menu full of laughter and love. The local bar became the America’s most popular establishment. Sam, played by Ted Danson, served as the owner of the famed place and was a frequent fixture behind the bar. After 11 seasons, the bottles went dry and the show came to an end. Frasier, played by Kelsey Grammer, landed his own spin-off appropriately titled “Frasier.” The original and the spin-off proved to be a recipe for ratings success and made the famous tagline “Where everybody knows your name” a dream for many.