Editor’s note: Judy Park, ’22, works as a server at Blue Sky.

I rarely review restaurants, but I feel as though I owe it to Blue Sky. There have been countless days when I have craved the restaurant’s focaccia bread, making the summer away from campus seem longer than it actually was.

Located on the corner of Nelson and Lee, Blue Sky provides customers with artisan sandwiches, homemade soups, salads and freshly baked goods. The shop is small and cozy, filled with the delicious aroma of sandwiches baking in the open oven. The upstairs is decorated with colorful wooden tables and chairs, the walls often showcasing art pieces done by students from local elementary schools. If you walk down the stairs to the basement seating area, you will find a room furnished with wooden furniture, topped off with cozy string lights. If you need a quiet place to read and eat or a cute place to get a meal with your friends, Blue Sky is the place to go.

My all-time favorite sandwich is the Blue Sky grilled cheese with a side of their black bean salad. The sandwich consists of bacon, a slice of tomato, Monterey Jack cheese and pesto mayo. Once the sandwich comes out of the oven, the focaccia bread is warm and crisp with the melted cheese spilling onto the rest of the ingredients. The slight tang of the extra chipotle mayo brings a kick to the sandwich, adding another layer of flavor.

As a runner-up, I have to choose the chicken melt sandwich. It is made from a slice of focaccia bread with Blue Sky’s chicken salad, a slice of tomato and melted cheese on top. The chicken salad at Blue Sky is hands down the best I’ve ever had and the best part about it is that you can pair it with anything! You want it on your salad? You got it. You want it on your sandwich? You got it. You want it on its own? You got it!

Now, when it comes to Blue Sky, you can’t visit without trying one of their baked goods. I had the hardest time choosing a favorite, but I did it after a lot of deliberation. Undoubtedly, there’s nothing like having a cold lemon square on a scorching day. The lemon square is super sweet and has an almost sour undertone, making the square a light treat. I also have to give a shout-out to their carrot cake. I usually don’t like carrot cake, but I could eat theirs for days.

My only disappointment with Blue Sky is that they’re closed on the weekends, which is when my cravings reach an all-time high. Chances are good that I am not the only one who feels this way and would like to see the shop open on weekends. However, as Blue Sky is a small family-owned restaurant, I realize that weekends are a precious time to the owners as well.

Being in such a small town with limited food options can be frustrating at times, but there are some great locally-owned, unique restaurants in Lexington. Plus, when you’re stressed over school work, leaving campus to enjoy the town can be a refreshing and much-needed change of scenery. If you haven’t already, you should definitely check the restaurant out or better yet, wait a couple weeks and go with your parents during Parents’ Weekend!