On a cool October morning, Barbara “Babz” Goldman Nartowicz is opening the doors to her beloved downtown restaurant, Babz Bistro. Her employees, busy prepping for the lunch rush, are slicing green tomatoes and baking sugar cookies while her husband and business partner, Alex, is blasting Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart” on stereo speakers.
Babz has always had a love for food and feeding people, starting with a food truck she opened in 2017. It quickly gained loyal customers because of its classic Kentucky food, made with fresh ingredients and produce grown by local farmers.
That venture was so successful that in July 2025 it grew into a restaurant inside the historic Cox Building downtown. She plans to grow the café to include a bakery and educational space offering culinary classes.
Descending from a long line of chiropractors, Babz thought that profession would also be her legacy. She soon discovered that her true passion was food. “I wanted to heal people from the inside out,” she said.
Babz is not only feeding people; she is nourishing the spirit of the people of Maysville.
Even outside the kitchen, food is a central part of her life. While getting her teeth cleaned, Babz and her dentist reminisced about meals from their childhood.
Babz has bigger dreams for her bistro — and for Maysville. She wants to educate people on the source of their foods while celebrating the culinary history of the community by offering traditional dishes from restaurants long gone.
“I want to give the community something to be proud of,” she said.
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