The Best of 2008: Dining out in Memphis
Resolve to visit these restaurants in 2009
This year in dining will go down as one of small plates and noodles, of welcomed arrivals and sad farewells, and of the discovery of what is surely the South's finest breakfast sandwich and the city's greatest salsa.
John Besh protege Kelly English rode into town on his fleur-de-lis and wowed us with Restaurant Iris (2146 Monroe; 590-2828), earning him four stars in The Commercial Appeal's last starred review. The white-tablecloth restaurant is upscale without being stuffy; the food is indeed New Orleans-centric, but don't expect just traditional Cajun or Creole dishes. You'll find oyster bread pudding and fried boudin, but it's alongside an excellent grilled amberjack in a harissa cafe au lait or a scallop truffle latte. If you haven't been, resolve to visit in 2009.
Ben Fant/Special to The Commercial Appeal
Mollie Fontaine Lounge provides its visitors with intimate dining areas and a menu solely devoted to small plates of various origins.
Maya's flavorful freshly made tomato salsa.Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal
The Castle turns out excellent Middle Eastern fare at bargain prices. Mike MapleThe Commercial Appeal
Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal
The "With Signs Following" sandwich at Oxford's Big Bad Breakfast is worth the drive.
Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, at 712 W. Brookhaven Circle.Justin ShawSpecial to TheCommercial Appeal
Restaurant Iris' fried boudin.Ben Fant/Special to The Commercial Appeal
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Of all the reviews I wrote in 2008, I took the most heat for Maya's (4308 Macon; 763-3893). The restaurant's phone wasn't working the day the review ran, people couldn't find it and as is often the case with small places, the minimal staff was overwhelmed when so many people showed up for dinner that night. I caught an earful on my voicemail and tried to encourage people to give it another try. Many listened; there's not a day when I've eaten at Maya's when I haven't seen someone come in just to pick up a to-go serving of the salsa -- the best you'll ever buy. All of the food is fresh and authentic, and the owners so warm and welcoming it's like eating dinner at a friend's house.
McEwen's on Monroe, which Mac Edwards sold in May to Bert Smythe and John Littlefield, introduced a small-plates menu this year, as did Blue Fish in Cooper-Young. But at Mollie Fontaine Lounge (679 Adams; 524-1886), Karen Carrier's menu is solely devoted to small plates of various origins. Tempura long beans, calamari, Thai dumplings and mussels are just a few of the numerous offerings, yet it's the bowl of mac and cheese that will all but make you swoon. The creamy, slightly spicy and smoky (thanks to Allen Benton's bacon) bowl o' love has got to be the best version of the childhood favorite in town.
At John Currence's Big Bad Breakfast in Oxford (719 North Lamar Blvd., 662-236-2666), I bit into a breakfast sandwich that is worth the 90-mile drove. Spicy homemade sausage, a fried egg, melted cheddar, lettuce, tomato and Tabasco mayo spilling out from two slices of thick bread make up the sandwich called "With Signs Following." It's named after a book about snake-handling churches by local Joe York (all the dishes are named after books by Mississippi authors). I might not wrangle a snake for this sandwich, but I'm not saying no for sure.
Michael Hudman and Andrew Ticer, owners of Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen (712 W. Brookhaven Circle, 347-3569), got a surprise when their restaurant was selected for an upcoming (and still untitled) Food Network show about first-time restaurateurs. The two owners, friends since childhood, have long planned to open a place that would reflect the home cooking of their Italian families and the style of cooking they studied in Italy. The handmade pastas, particularly the gnocchi and the ravioli, are excellent, the atmosphere (it's in a converted house, like Iris) cozy and warm, and the house martini (vodka and olives, with olive ice!) divine.
A dinner at Erling Jensen: The Restaurant (1044 S. Yates; 763-3700) reminded me why Erling's stellar reputation has held through the years. The $75 Friday night wine dinners are something I've termed a "bargain splurge." The menu changes weekly, but you can be assured of a leisurely evening, perfect service and inventive, inspired cuisine from Jensen and Karen Roth.
The opening of Noodle Doodle Do (964 S. Cooper; 272-0830) marked the end of a busy year for Karen Carrier. She sold her first Memphis restaurant, Automatic Slim's Tonga Club, and added lunch service to Do Sushi (that's the Noodle Doodle Do part). With the cold season that's hit us this year, could she have picked a better time? The soups and noodle bowls are full of herbs, spices and fragrant broths, and each is thoughtfully prepared with distinct ingredients to differentiate it from the others.
Miss Polly's Soul City Cafe (154 Beale; 527-9060) was a great find. We happened in there one day while filming practice videos on Beale Street and the omelet hooked us. The fried chicken at lunch keeps us going back.
Another place that continues to draw me is The Castle (3992 Park; 320-1020). The small and simple spot turns out excellent Middle Eastern fare for little more than a song. Buy the "meat deal," with chicken, kefta, gyro meat and rice and the "veg deal," which comes with the hummus, baba ghanoush, falafel and dolmas. For about $20, two could feast and have leftovers a-plenty.
Lavoro's (5849 Summer; 377-2141) is another bargain, selling dinner for four for $35 and offering $1 domestic beer on weekends. The pizza joint/Italian restaurant in a converted KFC has quickly found a loyal following due to its fair pricing and to its home-style Italian dishes.
And while I wasn't the one to review it, John Currence's City Grocery in Oxford (152 Courthouse Square; 662-232-8080) received an enthusiastic 31/2 stars from Peggy Burch and Currents (50 Harbor Town Square; 260-3333) earned 3 stars from Fredric Koeppel.
But let's not let the losses of 2008 go unnoted. Roma's, which served a mean eggplant pizza, closed. Yazoo's, too, as well as Bittersweet, Shalom Bistro and Bakery, Red Rock Tavern (after only a few weeks), and in a heartbreaker for us East Memphians, Mantia's shuttered after more than 11 years of selling gourmet products, serving great food and hosting cooking classes.
-- Jennifer Biggs: 529-5223
Comments » 1
billypullen#664518 writes:
Excellent choices--been to most of these...have you been to the Inn at Hunt Phelan recently? Just curious.
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