Judd Grisanti prepared his first dinners on Monday, May 18th, at Marshall Steakhouse in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Or, as the restaurant’s owner Randall Swaney, dubbed it: “Marshall Grisanti.”
Grisanti, a chef whose restaurants include the former Spindini, is the son of the late restaurateur Ronnie Grisanti. He will be cooking his Italian cuisine at Marshall’s on Mondays and Tuesdays, the days the restaurant formerly was closed. Judd and Swaney, who are longtime friends, thought it would be a perfect fit.
Apparently, it was.
“I thought it was huge,” Swaney says. “It was more people than we anticipated. So, that’s a win. A little over 100, which was great. That’s what we would have on a Wednesday night or a Thurdsay night. So, to get that on a Monday, is really good.”
Instead of the usual background music, customers dined to vocals by appropriate-for-the-night songsters, including Luciano Pavarotti. “It went from classic country to classic Italian,” Swaney says.
The menu for “Marshall Steakhouse Italian Edition” includes filet, ribeye, and New York Strip steaks, and Judd’s iconic “Filetto di Menzo Con Gorgonzola,” an eight-ounce prime filet with, according to the menu, “roasted encrusted applewood bacon wrapped and stuffed with gorgonzola, served with veal demi red wine reduction.”
The rest of the menu features Grisanti dishes, some old favorites and some new.
I wanted to be the first diner Monday night, so I got to the restaurant about 4 p.m. I ordered some of my personal favorite Grisanti items, at least a couple of which I’ve written about over the years.
While looking over the items, I stopped at “Pasta Alla Elfo,” popularly known among Grisanti fans as “Elfo Special.” I knew that was going to be my entree. The taste of that dish is so memorable. The menu reads, “The Original Recipe created by my grandfather ‘Elfo.’ Jumbo shrimp sautéed in garlic and butter and tossed with mushrooms, hint of white pepper over vermicelli with parmigiana Reggiano.”
I was very happy when I saw one of my all-time-favorite soups, “Zuppa Di Isabella,”which Judd created and named after his daughter. The menu describes it as “Asparagus bisque with butter poached Maine lobster.” It was delicious.
The famous “Miss Mary’s Salad” — tomato, lettuce, onion, with the traditional Grisanti’s chianti vinaigrette dressing — also was part of my order. And, for dessert, I selected Judd’s cannolis: “A crispy tube-shaped shell filled with a sweet, creamy ricotta-based filling.”
It was an excellent meal.
I called Judd the next day to see how he felt about his first night.
“I think it went great,” he says. “I was overwhelmed with all the response. Social media and everybody calling and making comments has been overwhelming. So, expectations were high. You get excited, but it’s almost like, ‘Be careful for what you wish for.’”
Asked what dishes were the most poplar Monday night, Judd says, “The Elfo was very popular, of course. The rigatoni and peppers. And the chicken parmigiana.”
More items will be added. “Some things we’ll change and we’ll be adding on more traditional Grisanti items as well.”
Swaney surprised him with the Italian music at dinner, Judd says. “It made me feel at home. It made me feel like I was back at Grisanti’s on Poplar. It was a nice touch. All I could do was think of Pop.”
