Published: June 18, 2009 11:17 pm      

Tim Preston: Gyro, patio, salon/studio and bread

The man behind the counter at the recently opened Gyro King at 36131/2 13th Street in Ashland was practically humming “Sweet Home Chicago” when I stopped by this week to sample their food.

We didn’t get much of a chance to chat, but he said he was heading there this weekend to bring back his car, and that he was planning to spend much of the journey thinking about the items he wants to add to the menu.

With a quick glance at the board I knew I was unfamiliar with several of the Gyro King’s entrees and side dishes, and immediately caught myself wondering about an appetizer called Baba Ghnooj.

I ordered a gyro and a piece of baklava, although I was tempted to change my order while watching the guy from Chicago fire-grilling some incredible-smelling hunks of skewered meat for kabobs. The menu lists their specialties as rotisserie chicken, gyros and kabobs.

The “temporary menu” has plenty of familiar offerings from cheeseburgers and chicken breast sandwiches to catfish and french fries, along with less familiar things like a Shawarma sandwich (or plate) and Grecian chicken. The Gyro King may also be the only place in the area to offer things like Falafel, hummus and grape leaves.

The place is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week and offers free delivery. For more information, call (606) 326-0168.

Corner looks nice

I still haven’t stopped in for a refreshing malt beverage, although I did make a walk-by visit at Katie’s Corner Cafe one evening this week for a quick glance at their new patio and enjoyed a pleasant sidewalk chat with “Granny,” who contributed to my ongoing education about downtown Ashland.

The longtime downtown business at the corner of Greenup Avenue and 15th Street in Ashland was scheduled to have a band playing there this weekend, bringing a much-needed taste of live and local entertainment. I like the look of their new outdoor addition and look forward to seeing their renovation work upstairs. With a little luck I’ll find a few minutes and make it through the front door in the next few days.

Grand opening

Sara Lintner will conduct the grand opening of her new business L Style Salon & Spa at 1516 Winchester Ave., Ashland, at 11 a.m. Thursday.

L Style Salon & Spa is an upscale establishment offering all men and women “a relaxing experience in a plush and sophisticated atmosphere.” Lintner’s goal is to provide clients a rejuvenating and therapeutic experience and will offer massages, facials, manicures, pedicures, waxing, makeup application and other services in addition to haircuts, coloring, perms and styling products. Lintner is also currently recruiting hairdressers and other personnel for the salon/spa and expects the business will create 10 new jobs.

L Salon will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday with morning and evening appointments. For more information or to schedule a session, e-mail l-style@att.net or call (606) 393-5425.

To make the business dream a reality, Lintner took advantage of the services offered through the Ashland Small Business Development Center, including assistance developing her business plan, a three-year cash flow/profit projection and bank loan applications along with consideration of issues including overhead, sales potential and start-up costs. To learn more about services and resources through the Ashland SBDC, e-mail kjenkins@moreheadstate.edu or call (606) 329-8011.

Open Tuesday

I’ve received so many calls and messages about the “day old bread store” in recent months that I couldn’t begin to estimate the volume, so I’m sure many people in the area will be happy to learn the new Flowers Discount Bakery Store in Ashland will open Tuesday.

The bakery store, at 3300 Winchester Ave., will be open from 9 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

An unofficial source tells me the new telephone number will be the same as the old one, although the lines hadn’t been hooked up at that time.

TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2651.