Dining delights delivered in 2009

Photo by Brad Luttrell, Brad Luttrell/Special to The Commercial Appeal // Buy this photo

Overton Park Pizze Stone is a restaurant worth returning to for lunch or dinner. Lucco Brazzi and the meat-lovers Fat Skunk are favorites. Steven Skeen (above) toasts his Italian beer with his dinner companion Barbara Ball.

The economy dealt a whopping blow to the Memphis restaurant scene in 2009. On New Year's Eve, Jarrett’s will have served its last meal, ending 15 years of excellent East Memphis dining. Encore Restaurant & Bar closed Downtown, sending ripples of astonishment through the dining and restaurant community. The Kitchen both opened and closed in 2009, and longtime restaurateur Ronnie Grisanti shuttered his eponymous restaurant to join son Alex at Elfo’s in Germantown (now named Grisanti’s).

Photo by Kyle Kurlick, Kyle Kurlick/Special to The Commerical Appeal

Ben Vaughn's Cooper Young establishment, Grace, is the top restaurant pick of 2009. Roasted Quail Breast is an example of one of the lunch specials on the frequently changing menu.

Photo by Jennifer Biggs, Jennifer Biggs/The Commercial Appeal

Country fried steak is a specialty of the house at The Original Crumpy's on Alcy.

Photo by Brad Luttrell, Brad Luttrell/Special to The Commercial Appeal

Overton Park Pizze Stone is a restaurant worth returning to for lunch or dinner. Lucco Brazzi and the meat-lovers Fat Skunk are favorites. Steven Skeen (above) toasts his Italian beer with his dinner companion Barbara Ball.

Photo by Ben Fant, Ben FantSpecial to The Commercial Appeal

Guacamole is made fresh and served with homemade chips at Las Delicias.

South of Beale considers itself a "gastro-pub," so the bar has plenty of great beers and premium liquors and wines to offer guests.Ben FantSpecial to The Commercial Appeal

Sweet Bistro in Cooper Young closed, as did Café Toscana in East Memphis, Orleans on Front Downtown, Yia Yia’s in Germantown, and The Tennessean in Collierville. The last El Chico in the city closed unexpectedly, disappointing diners who’d been loyal to the Tex-Mex restaurant for four decades.

It was a tough year — but there were bright spots, too.

Paulette’s celebrated 35 years in business; Corky’s hit the quarter-century mark; R.P. Tracks made it to 22; Sekisui hit 20; Boscos Squared turned 10; Bari, 7; and Circa by John Bragg heralded its second anniversary.

Kelly English, chef/owner of Restaurant Iris, made us all proud when he was named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs for 2009.

And new restaurants opened. Las Delicias added a second location; Bangkok Alley opened another store, this one Downtown; Overton Park Pizze Stone opened in the former Marena’s and Roustica spot in Evergreen; South of Beale brought a gastropub to South Main; DeJaVu opened and has been delivering some of the best Louisiana home-style cooking around.

Sharky’s Gulf Grill moved into the former Steak & Ale location on Poplar, following a renovation that turned the steakhouse into a Destin-esque seafood spot. Grace Restaurant, our top pick for the new restaurant of the year, opened in the former Sweet location.

Flight moved in to the Brodnax building, bringing not just flights of wine but also liquor and food to town.

Judd Grisanti, one of Ronnie’s sons (who had been at Spindini, where Joe Cartwright is now in the kitchen), leased his father’s former restaurant space and opened JG Italia Cucina (it hasn’t been reviewed yet, though).

And Jose Gutierrez, who owned Encore, has taken over the kitchen at River Oaks Restaurant, where he has an option to lease it as his own after one year.

Rick Farmer of Jarrett’s will be in charge of the restaurant at L’Ecole Culinaire when it opens this spring — so don’t despair: 2010 holds promise.

In 2009, we moved back to the star rating system after about a year of non-rated reviews. Some of these restaurants, our favorites from the 2009 reviews, might not have had stars. Consequently, we’re listing favorites in no particular order, except for the top pick, and without stars.

Best of 2009

Grace Restaurant, 938 S. Cooper; 274-8511. Ben Vaughn left River Oaks in the summer and once he settled on the space vacated by Sweet, had it renovated, decorated (beautifully), staffed and running in almost no time. His attention to elevating simple food to extraordinary heights, his devotion to sustainable agriculture (and local products when available), and his creativity have earned him a quick following. The menu is limited, but it changes frequently. We’re particularly looking forward to the menus featuring early spring produce and the bounty of summer. It’s a hit, and our top pick for 2009. J.B. and P.B.

South of Beale, 361 S. Main; 526-0388. This is a gastropub, so the atmosphere is casual and there’s an emphasis on regional beer and creative cocktails, but chef Nick Ragazzo’s fanciful dishes could hold their own in any setting. He’s especially skillful with savory plates. Try the braised pork belly, oxtail wontons, a lobster and scallop cake or spicy seared duck. P.B.

The Original Crumpy’s, 1584 Alcy; 774-4424. Donald Crump opened his first restaurant at the Alcy location in 1991, serving the home cooking and the hot wings that would come to be associated with his name. In 1998 he sold the other stores he’d opened to his uncle and closed the Alcy restaurant. Lucky for all of us, he decided to take another stab at it when the Alcy location became available in late 2008. The home cooking rivals that of anyone’s mother or grandmother — it’s the truth. Find a better country-fried steak in this town and well, I’ll eat it. J.B.

Las Tortugas, 1215 S Germantown Road; 751-1200. Yes, it’s crazy to pay almost $20 for a sandwich, it’s insane to stand in line forever if you go on a busy day, and the signs about rude people having to leave are, ahem, rude — but hey, once you get the food, you get the fuss. It’s shopped for daily, prepared to order, and the Magallanes duo — father Pepe and son Jonathan — only serve it authentically. Do not ask for cheese on your taco. (Or, if you do, call and tell us what happens!) J.B. and P.B.

Overton Park Pizze Stone, 1545 Overton Park; 725-7806. Twinkling lights from the awning shining in and a relaxed Midtown vibe make this pizza joint a place you’ll want to visit again. The pizzas are also very, very good. If you’re an anchovy fan, the Lucco Brazzi (remember, he sleeps with the fishes?) is going to be your new go-to. Meat lovers, give the Fat Skunk a try. J.B.

New Que Huong, 942 W. Poplar Ave., Suite No. 5, Collierville; 861-0162. Fans of Midtown’s Saigon Le will recognize some familiar dishes at New Que Huong (“New Homeland”), as well as their personable chef and hostess, Tuyen Le. We were smitten by the Lotus Root Salad; the deep-fried catfish with black pepper, served in a clay pot; and the combination rice clay pot with stir-fried shrimp, chicken, pork, beef and vegetables. The freedom with which New Que Huong laces its plates with fresh vegetables is one of the great pleasures of dining here. P.B.

DejaVu, 936 Florida, 942-1400. Look past the industrial neighborhood at Crump and Florida for the Mardi Gras gold-and-purple paint job on the little brick building that houses DeJaVu. The cafe describes its fare as “New Orleans Creole Soul Food and Vegetarian.” Whatever it is, it works. Well worth a visit are the crawfish étouffée, the jambalaya, the pork-and-rice-stuffed boudin and especially the seafood gumbo, a meal loaded with fish and sausage. P.B. and J.B.

Las Delicias, 4002 Park; 458-9264. If you like your guacamole made fresh with chunks of avocado, plenty of lime, onion and tomato, and a bit of a bite from the jalapeno, this is the place for you. That it’s served with chips made from the restaurant’s own tortilleria is a such a plus that I could recommend Las Delicias just on the chips and dip. But all the food is good, and the prices are right. Try the molletas and the Cuban sandwich and you’ll be hooked. J.B.

We review older restaurants together once a month, and our visit to Edo (4792 Summer; 767-7096) reminded us why you don’t order appetizers before the Love Boat. The food there is excellent — and plentiful. At Alex’s Tavern (1445 Jackson; 278-9086), we rekindled our love for the pan-fried burger, shuffleboard and the most eclectic jukebox in town. We also got a laugh to find out that people were going in asking for a wine list after the review ran. Come on, people! You get non-vintage Natural Light on tap, and you don’t need a list for that. (OK, other beers by the bottle.) We also particularly enjoyed the Peking duck at Wang’s Mandarin House (6065 Park; 763-0676), rolled and served table side. J.B. and P.B.

— Jennifer Biggs: 529-5223; — Peggy Burch: 529-2392

© 2010 Go Memphis. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.