Best Of Patch: Cafe Chartier Captures Coffee Crown

Though barely a year old, Lexington's is beginning to make a name for itself in local foodie circles.

And, oh yeah, they brew a mean cup of coffee, too.

Good enough that the cafe, located in Lexington's Old Mill on East Main Street, has claimed the top spot in . 

The cafe, owned and operated by Ernie and Leslie Chartier, garnered 59 percent of the vote in Patch's unscientific poll, far outpacing second- and third-place finishers, and Starbucks, respectively.

A great cup of coffee is only as good as its source, and Leslie Chartier believes the cafe has found a gem in roaster Mick Carnett of Turtle Creek Coffee in Columbia.

"He roasts on Wednesday, and we get [the beans] on Thursday and Friday," said Chartier. "They really don't sit on our shelf long. I mean, they are fresh."

You'll not only find premium coffee and a wide array of coffee drinks at Cafe Chartier. The cafe boasts plenty of top notch food, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as desserts -- most of it made by Leslie Chartier herself. The cafe also does a booming catering business.

The couple has also strived to create an atmosphere and space not often found in Lexington, with lots of local artwork on the walls, a fireplace, and several comfy chairs and couches on which to kick back and relax.

"Ernie and I both are kind of gifted in hospitality," Chartier said. "We've always loved to have people over. We've always loved to provide places for people to get together and know each other. And honestly, we live here more than at our home. … So we want it to be very comfortable."

Make sure to check out next week's "Best Of" contest, which will ask readers to choose the best spot to grab french fries. The poll will open Monday morning.