This small town cafe and gift boutique is the perfect example of how to make “niche” profitable and enjoyable for customers.

I made a recent trip up the road to Simpsonville, Kentucky to try out Little Mount Lavender, a place that has been on my to-do list for a long while now. I’ve driven past this adorable little spot a million times and finally took the opportunity to give them a try.

From the outside, Little Mount Lavender is a charming little house with fitting purple accents and admittedly, the most meticulous Christmas lights display I’ve ever seen. Pulling into their parking lot, you’ll notice the large field of lavender planted next door, a staple ingredient in most of their offerings.

The Boutique

Inside, you’ll find yourself in a little gift boutique with so many offerings that it’s nearly impossible to leave empty-handed. We checked out all four rooms of the boutique, which contained lavender-infused and lavender-themed gifts of all kinds, namely:

• handmade soaps and lotions
• soy candles
• crystals
• sherpa blankets
• apparel
• kitchen linens and tea towels
• handmade cutting boards and charcuterie boards
• leatherwork
• gardening supplies
• pet supplies and treats
• jewelry
• cookware

I took note of how many smaller items they sell, like bath bombs and travel toiletries, all lavender-themed, that would make great stocking stuffers, bridesmaid gifts, girl’s club goody bags, etc. We also noticed that a lot of the products appear to be provided by other local small businesses, yet another perk of shopping close to home.

I grabbed one of the softest shirts I now own, and eyeballed, but left behind, a gorgeous, lavender dutch oven. Both reasonably priced, but with all the options from which to choose, we kept browsing before sitting down to eat.

The Café

Right off the front entrance of the building is a second walkway into the bakery/cafe. We ducked into this room, expecting to choose from a small selection of pastries and sandwiches, grab something to go, and head home. We were shocked to first see a large selection of baked goods and wines and bourbon for sale, and then we were seated in an actual restaurant-style cafe by a waitress.

A nice man was very helpful in offering up some info about their wine selection, which is imported from California and hand-selected by LML for its organic and chemical free grapes and production process. I made a mental note to start buying my book club wine from this location.

With a small bar in the corner and a handful of wooden tables and lavender-themed decor, this cafe is far from huge or fancy, but they had *spoiler* the best food and service I’ve had in a long time.

Our waitress greeted us, smiling, and let us know of the soup-of-the-day and the specials. She offered us menus, featuring a small but delicious selection of drinks and entree options. My husband ordered a pulled pork plate, and I opted for creole crepes and a lavender lemonade. Our toddler ordered the kids plate.

The first thing I tried was my lavender lemonade, which was deliciously reminiscent of the taste of berries and smell of rose, and it came with a little lavender garnish. My husband agreed it was unique but so very good. The cost was a $3 charge, similar to what we would’ve paid for standard soda. Definitely worth it.

At this point, I was impressed to see the actual chef himself bringing my daughter’s food to the table first. The kid’s plate is a charcuterie-style collection of fruits, meat, and bread, all pretty kid-proof flavors for just $6. For any toddler parents out there, my appreciation for this hidden gem instantly doubled for two reasons:

1. He commented that he saw our little one and thought she might appreciate going ahead and having her food as soon as he could get it to her (and she did). AND…
2. All her food was already cut into bite sized pieces! My husband and I exchanged a knowing glance of “we might actually get to eat our food on time!”

I was really impressed by the attention to what we needed, without us having to ask, especially coming from someone whose greatest gift is clearly in the kitchen (I really cannot stress how good this food was).

Our other food arrived shortly after and didn’t last long. My husband’s pulled pork plate was, by his admission, “very moist but very tender.” I tried a bite myself and was impressed too. The bourbon vinegar sauce was to die for, and the plating was beautiful. His meal was around $16, a reasonable price for such a large portion of food.

As for me, my creole crepes came stuffed with shrimp and topped with andouille sausage and the most delicious sauce. Again, the plating was beautiful, and my meal came with pre-sliced bread and house-made butter. The bread was exactly how I like it, moist in the middle but crunchy on the crust, and the butter was so smooth and went perfectly with any aspect of our meal (my daughter kept dipping her apples in it). I devoured my food and was happy to see it was also only around $16 total.

I did discover after the fact, that the chef who brought us our food is also one of the Little Mount Lavender owners, professionally trained at Le Cordon Bleu. This explains why our food was so beautiful and delicious, but I was really impressed to hear that the owners are still so involved at the ground level, greeting guests and talking to them at tables. I would definitely bring my friends here for a lunch date just for the atmosphere and attention to detail alone.

Our waitress was so sweet, and I commented to my husband that all the workers I could see looked “happy to work here,” which is getting harder and harder to find. I felt that the staff seemed to like their jobs and each other in almost a familial way, and that atmosphere absolutely showed through in our food and service.

We weren’t rushed to pay our check, and the waitress offered us dessert, which we had to politely decline. That is not to say I didn’t regret that decision when passing the pastry case on the way out. With offerings like creme brûlée, creme puffs, and macarons, their dessert menu is definitely something I will be going back again to try.

In total, we paid $44 before tip to feed all three members of our family. I think this price is perfectly reasonable, considering current market costs and the ambience that we got to enjoy. My souvenir shirt was a mere $12, well below going rates in our area, and I may have found my new place to get gifts and stocking stuffers for my girl’s nights.

We will definitely be back to Little Mount Lavender in the near future.

My rating:

• 8 out of 10 for boutique offerings
• 9 out of 10 for cafe food and service

Check out this hidden gem in Simpsonville, KY or shop their website here.