FOOD
- by Macrae Schaffler
The Italian vegetable pizza and Cove panini. Photos by Macrae Schaffler.
Walking into the Cove, one feels as though it is a bar that has always been there. In reality, the bar just opened a few months ago. The décor is super-retro dive bar, with a nautical motif that has been adopted from the old Anderton’s on Madison. Creator Jim Marshall, a local interior designer, bought out the whole of Anderton’s décor, from the murals that used to be on the walls at the beloved Midtown eatery all the way to the bar itself, which turned out to be a perfect fit for the space on Broad Street
The Cove occupies what used to be the Beer Joint, a seedy, dark, biker bar that seemed to squat in the now up and coming neighborhood near Broad and Hollywood. Although slow, the revitalization of this neighborhood is very apparent. Art galleries are popping up in the area, and buildings are undergoing renovation. The old Broadway pizza is still next door, but the rest of the neighborhood continues to change.
The Cove has already established itself a loyal crowd, as each time I have visited, the place has been quite busy. The menu, although incidental to the cocktails, is better than the pub grub you would expect from such a place. The oysters are big and plump and flavorful, and they are shucked by Chuck Wilson, formerly of Anderton’s! On my most recent visit, I enjoyed the Midtowner panini, a vegetarian sandwich on grilled bread with plenty of goat cheese, roasted red peppers, and sautéed eggplant. The panini also comes with a yummy little salad, an unexpected lemony, garlicky delight for a meal at a bar, and the Cove is first and foremost a bar, after all.
Read the rest of this entry »
- by Macrae Schaffler
The carne asada tostado (above) and the carne asade torta. Photos by Macrae Schaffler.
Maya’s is a new Mexican dive in the Berclair area of Memphis. It has been open for the past three weeks, and who can resist another new Mexican restaurant? Maya’s is an unassuming little spot in a strip mall at the corner of Macon and Waring, right where Waring turns to Wells Station Road. The interior is decorated with murals of Mayan ruins. The restaurant serves beer, but we did not see any sign of margaritas (yet)
When we visited Maya’s for the first time, we were the only people in the restaurant speaking English, with the exception of our waitress. I always feel that the first sign of a good ethnic restaurant is a good crowd of those native to the land from whence the food comes, so I was reassured as soon as we walked through the doors.
We ordered an embarassingly large quantity of food when we visited Maya’s, starting with guacamole and the complimentary chips and salsa. We then sampled a carne asada taco, a chicken huaracha, a carne asada torta, a carne asada tostada, and a chile relleno. If that sounds like a lot of carne asada, it is. We actually ordered spicy pork on the torta, but it came out with carne asada. Our waitress graciously offered to return it for the requested pork, but we declined, as we were hungry and we both love carne asada. I guess we will have to return soon to try the spicy pork!
Read the rest of this entry »
- by Macrae Schaffler
Above, the mahi-mahi fish sandwich special of the day. Below, the seafood saimin. Photos by Macrae Schaffler.
Tsunami is officially open for lunch! You may already be familiar with Tsunami’s superb dinner menu. I dream about the sea bass, the scallops, and the mezze platter.
Midtown’s restaurant scene continues to improve. Definitely the best part of town to look for a good bite to eat, Midtown boasts recent openings of Umai, Lou’s Pizza Pie, and Café 1912’s bar. Unfortunately, the lunch scene was lacking a little before the arrival of Tsunami’s new daytime hours, as most lunch options seem to come with a side of fries.
On our first visit, we sampled the spicy black bean soup with smoked chile cream, the sweet potato lemongrass soup (a special), the fish sandwich of the day, and the seafood saimin. Everything was delicious, and the service was impeccable, just as it is at dinner.
The seafood saimin was perfect for the chilly day on which we first visited Tsunami for lunch. A comforting miso-dashi broth was loaded with noodles, chunks of mahi-mahi, and topped with two perfectly cooked shrimps. Both soups were wonderful, and both very different. The spicy black bean soup was reminiscent of southwestern cuisine, with a smoky cumin flavor and topped with a drizzle of chipotle cream. It had just the right amount of heat in the back of the throat, and it was nice and creamy. The sweet potato lemongrass soup was the special, and it was utterly decadent. The lemongrass flavor was subtle, and it was nicely balanced by the garnish of crème fraiche and toasted sliced almonds. The tone of the sweet potato lemongrass soup was just a little sweet, and just a little savory. I am looking forward to trying to recreate that one at home.
Read the rest of this entry »
- by Macrae Schaffler
Above, an upstairs lounge area. Below, the Fontaine sliders. Photos by Macrae Schaffler.
If you have been to one of Karen Carrier’s restaurants before, you will not be surprised when you step through the door of Molly Fontaine Lounge. The old Victorian home, once Carrier’s personal residence, feels a lot like Cielo, the restaurant that used to occupy it
Unassuming from the outside, although located in the heart of Victorian Village, the space is a far cry from anything Memphis has seen in a bar or restaurant thus far. One’s first impression on entering the restaurant is that this place is destined for cool. Beautiful sketches and photographs, many by noted Memphis artists like Jack Robinson and Dorothy Sturm, clutter the walls. The furniture is vintage modern, from the faux-mink covered lounge chairs to the white Barcelona chairs on the upstairs landing. The colors are all romantic shades; the upstairs rooms are blue and fuschia with accents of black and white. There are no tables flanked by chairs as one would expect, but as the name states, this is not a restaurant - it’s a lounge.
We chose to sit upstairs on both of our visits to Molly Fontaine. There is a large bar downstairs along with plenty of comfortable chairs and side/coffee/cocktail tables, but the smaller upstairs bar and charming sitting rooms appealed to our naughty side - we felt a little like we were in on a secret by hiding out upstairs. On our first visit, we took our seats at the tiny upstairs bar. We found the wine list to be very affordable. My glass of Campanile Pinot Grigio was only $6. The bar also offers a few signature cocktails, one of which is a blueberry mojito that I highly recommend to anyone who is a fan of either blueberries or mojitos.
Read the rest of this entry »
- by Macrae Schaffler
Escargots at Erling Jensen's restaurant. Photo by Macrae Schaffler.
Five of us went to Erling Jensen’s on a Sunday night to check out the new chef, Karen Noriega, and see how the restaurant is doing. We left about two and a half hours later, stomachs full but slightly disappointed. We expected more from the supposed finest restaurant in Memphis.
The evening started well: we were seated quickly and immediately received water in our glasses and a wine list from the maître d’. The atmosphere was satisfactory - very old fashioned and homey, but elegant. We sat at our table for around five minutes before our waiter acknowledged us and inquired as to whether or not we would like to order wine, and we began with a bottle of Rustico Prosecco.
Read the rest of this entry »
