jACKIE ANTHONY, GENERAL MANAGER
It’s always a tossup as to which you’ll feel first – the brilliance of Jackie Anthony’s 1000-watt smile or its enveloping warmth.
Jacqueline Renee (Jackie) Anthony grew up in Midway, Ky., and now lives in Versailles with her spouse of 20 years, Brad Jones, and their daughter Cassandra Lee, whom they call Cassie.
Jackie’s hospitality journey began at Uptown Chatter in Versailles, as the kitchen manager for owner Aletta Absher. When Uptown Chatter closed, she took a job with Woodford County Schools, partly out of a need for health insurance, a rare benefit in the restaurant world back then.
Eventually Jackie became coordinator of the after-school program at Simmons Elementary, where she met Brad, and where Cassie now attends school. Brad’s own mother was a long-time custodian at Southside Elementary, beloved by the students for her Happy Birthday serenades.
Still loving her hospitality work, Jackie joined our team at Cleveland’s at the Woodford Inn in Versailles. When Cleveland’s closed in 2010, Jackie made the move to Holly Hill Inn where she’s been pretty much ever since, even while working as a deputy in the Woodford County clerk’s office.
Jackie’s family has deep roots in Midway and Woodford County. “The Anthonys were one of the biggest African American families in Midway. On my dad’s side, I have 13 aunts and uncles and over 20 cousins. My dad and I both went to school at Midway Elementary” (home to our Midway Bakery, where Jackie’s mom once worked.) The best thing about my job is creating a relaxing and comfortable dining experience for our customers.”
For fun, Jackie likes to work out with weights, take long walks outside, listen to live music, and hang out with Cassie. And when she’s not doing any of those things, Jackie enjoys reading and astronomy.
One final fun fact: all of Jackie’s bosses have been women. And she loves politics – in fact, she’s currently a candidate for Woodford County Clerk – she’s got our vote for sure!
Ouita Michel, Holly hill & co. founder
Ouita Michel, and her husband Chris, purchased the Holly Hill Inn in 2000 after a chance meeting with Bob Rouse, whose family had owned the property for generations, and opened their fine dining restaurant in 2001.
Holly Hill Inn was the perfect fit for Ouita, whose cooking was founded on locally grown ingredients. “As a young chef, I studied French and Italian cuisine, and realized early on that their building blocks were local agricultural artisan products. I saw the connection to our Kentucky farmers and wrote my first business plan based on cooking what Kentucky farmers grow. There is no Kentucky cuisine without the Kentucky farmer.”
Good food deserves good wine and Chris’s wine list has earned the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence yearly since 2001. His hand-picked wine flights complement every menu served at Holly Hill and he often collaborates with winemakers to host select wine dinners.
In keeping with Kentucky’s bourbon tradition, Holly Hill Inn maintains an extensive bourbon library and features bourbon in many signature dishes. As former chef-in-residence at Woodford Reserve Distillery, Ouita worked with Master Distiller Chris Morris to develop a bourbon flavor wheel to help tasters identify and appreciate bourbon’s many flavor components.
Today, the Holly Hill culinary group includes several restaurants in central Kentucky, all of which serve fresh, tasty food, and sustain family farms. In two decades, they’ve have purchased nearly $10 million worth of Kentucky-grown meats, dairy products, fruits and vegetables.
After 35+ years at the stove, Ouita is now focused on developing the next generation of chefs and culinary professionals, and sharing the story of Kentucky food culture with an ever-widening audience.
Tyler McNabb, holly hill & co. Culinary Director and executive chef
Tyler McNabb learned to love cooking, and how to cook with love, from his grandmothers.
“At family gatherings, my cousins would often play together outside while I stayed in the kitchen, cooking with my Mamaw,” Tyler said. “I love feeding people, which I learned from her. And from Nan (my grandmother from the other side of my family) I learned about the arts of hospitality and presentation. I can't remember one meal at Nan's house that didn't begin with a spread of appetizers served on crystal dishes.”
After graduating from Harrison County High School in Cynthiana, Ky. Tyler enrolled in the University of Kentucky. He quickly realized that he wanted hands-on experience in a professional kitchen, so he got a job as a dishwasher at Ouita MIchel’s Windy Corner Market and transferred to Sullivan University, where he earned an associate’s degree in culinary arts.
While completing his degree, Tyler moved from dishwasher to line cook at Windy Corner. He then took an externship at Holly Hill Inn, where he would be hired on as a line cook. Over the next seven years, Tyler advanced from line cook to sous chef, then chef de cuisine and finally, executive chef.
In 2021, Ouita united her family of restaurants under a single identity — Holly Hill and Co.— and Tyler stepped into a new role as Culinary Director of the restaurant group.
Tyler now oversees kitchen operations for all of Ouita’s restaurants and works with staff farmer David Wagoner to ensure a constant flow of seasonal local produce to each location. Local sourcing and sustainability are at the heart of Ouita Michel’s restaurant group, and that focus speaks to McNabb.
“Supporting Kentucky farmers, and serving incredible produce and local meats are part of the reason I've stayed with this company for so long."
“Ouita’s business acumen and management skills, her ability to connect to her employees and her patrons, her knowledge of cuisine and hospitality have by far been the biggest influences on me and my career."
Tyler lives in Cynthiana with his wife Brenna, their twins Ruby and Theo and toddler Zuzu Bee, and two cats named Nigel and Merle.
Donna Hecker, Holly hill & co. STORYTELLER
Donna was local before local was cool. Today she loves writing about Kentucky food, farmers, history and culture for Holly Hill and Company.
Before coming to Holly Hill Inn in 2004, Donna was associate chef at the Kentucky Governor’s Mansion, where her boss was Rex Lyons (the original innkeeper at Holly Hill Inn) and where she was always on the lookout for local food.
Donna met Ouita just after she opened Holly Hill Inn. “Ouita was incredibly gracious and so helpful about sending me to wonderful growers,” Donna said.
When a new governor moved in, Rex recommended Donna to Chris and Ouita, and they hired her on as dining room manager.
“I’ve loved working with Chris and Ouita, who are family now, and the beautiful food our restaurants serve and our wonderful guests. Community is important to me and that's what we've always nurtured.”
Donna is originally from Bellevue, Ky., but grew up in Frankfort and graduated from Franklin County High School in1975. She studied journalism at the University of Kentucky before dropping out to go into restaurant management.
After almost 50 years in restaurant operations, Donna has returned to her first love — writing — and telling Kentucky stories in the Holly Hill newsletter.
Donna has been married 40+ years to Tom Lowry, and has two grown children, Katie Carney and Patrick Carney, and two grandchildren, Lukas and Emerson. She likes to write, cook, travel and meddle in politics. She currently serves on the Frankfort Independent School Board.
Roger Solt, Business Partner
Roger met Ouita when she was a freshman on the University of Kentucky debate team, which he coached. “After limited high school debating experience, she turned into an outstanding college debater, ultimately winning the National Debate Tournament,” Roger said. “Steve Mancuso, our Wine Guildmaster, was also a great UK debater: He was named the outstanding individual debater at the National Debate Tournament his senior year.”
After Ouita graduated from UK in 1987, Roger followed her cooking career with a great deal of interest. When Ouita and Chris had the opportunity in 2000 to buy the Holly Hill Inn, he became an excited investor.
“Being associated with Holly Hill, and the family of Ouita’s restaurants, has developed my taste buds. Ouita is such a creative and versatile chef that I've learned a great deal sampling a wide variety of dishes and cuisines. Sometimes I think I must be the best-fed person in Kentucky!
“Over the past several years I've also learned a good deal about wine from Steve. I hope I was able to teach Ouita and Steve as much about debate as they've taught me about food and wine.”
After 30 years at UK, in 2010 Roger retired and moved to Midway, where he has become even more involved with the business. “I'm doing something at one or more of the restaurants on a pretty much daily basis. I love Midway and continue to be excited about the many new directions in which our business is moving.”