A hand holds a Playbill for the musical "Kinky Boots" in a theater with an audience and stage backdrop visible.

Date Night in Downtown Paducah - Just a Short Drive from the Inn

Sometimes, you just need to put on cute shoes and go somewhere.

A pair of red cowboy boots resting on a couch.

I love my cowboy boots, and I’ll throw them on in a minute. Sometimes I whip out the red suede ones, and then it is ON. Really, I don’t even have to wear my red boots anywhere to feel fancy. Just knowing they’re in my closet is sometimes enough.

But I digress.

A rustic bar scene with bottles and glasses neatly arranged on shelves, and patrons seated at the counter.

A brick building featuring the sign for "Cynthia's Ristorante," with planters and an American flag hanging outside.

On our most recent “cute shoe date night,” Sweet Thing and I headed to Paducah. Where did we dine, you ask? Cynthia’s Ristorante, of course! Yes, you need reservations, especially on show night (I’ll explain later), but plan ahead because it’s totally worth it. It’s one of those cozy little restaurants with fabulous service in a shotgun building that could have been a clothing store or a drug store a long time ago with exposed brick, wood floors that creak just the right amount, and a cool front entry with leaded glass. White tablecloths grace the tables, and of course there’s one of those cute little lamps that makes the menu easier to read. We have never been disappointed with the food or the service, and that’s saying a lot.

Sign for the Carson Center for the Performing Arts with a digital display and a partially-visible building in the background.

A man and woman smile for a selfie indoors.

A dimly lit cobblestone street lined with parked cars and adorned with string lights.

Now, on to show night. The Carson Center in Paducah is an absolute gift to the area – it’s a fabulous venue, whether you’re there for comedy, a concert or a show from the Broadway series. (Grab your own tickets!) Our daughter attended summer theatre workshops there when she was growing up and loved them. For Christmas, Brad gave me tickets to three shows for Spring 2026 – and YESSSSSS this included Kinky Boots, which is one of my favorites. If you don’t know the story, don’t judge – because the message is two-fold, in my opinion: sometimes you must pivot from your original plan to stay afloat when things change, and we should love and accept people even if we disagree with them. (Disagreeing is okay, y’all. Brad and I did it the entire time we were renovating the Inn, but we still love each other.) At the end, Charlie gives up manufacturing boring shoes that nobody wants to buy anymore and taps into the niche market of sparkly boots for Lola the drag queen and her friends, and let me tell you -- Lola rocks those red stilettos. I seriously love the show because it’s upbeat and real and the music is awesome – and what queen can resist a pair of red boots?

Not this one.

When you want to visit Paducah, stay with us.