Author: Sonia Alexander Hill

It’s said the smallest packages bear the finest gifts.

That sentiment easily applies to Ricki’s Cookie Corner, a small bakery in Eastgate Shopping Center. The 1,000 square feet of Ricki’s is packed – packed – with fresh breads, cakes, and, of course, cookies, which owner Ricki Krupp calls “chipsticks.” The cookie bars – chocolate, double chocolate, ginger, oatmeal raisin, etc. – are crispy and flaky on the outside and chewy and packed with flavor on the inside. On many afternoons, they’re warm from the industrial ovens that are just beyond the counter.

Krupp bakes something different each day. One day might be devoted to creating cakes – apple cinnamon, carrot, or blueberry pound cakes, just to name a few. Another day, she bakes dessert bars. Wednesdays and Fridays are usually the best days for fresh cookies, and Thursday is reserved for bread. Everything is made fresh using non-dairy recipes, which is good for customers who are lactose-intolerant and those who follow Kosher dietary guidelines.

“The one thing I don’t make from scratch is a new line of low-fat muffins I just started carrying,” Krupp says. “The batter is shipped from New York. They’re sugar-free and naturally sweetened with apple juice. I try to have some available every day. There’s blueberry, chocolate chip, double chocolate chip, and corn muffins. They’re five-ounce muffins with only 160 calories.”

A desk in one corner of the bakery serves as command central. This is where Krupp sold more than 10,000 pounds – five tons – of cookies during the last holiday season. Throughout the year, Krupp takes orders from businesses for gift tins and sweets and ships orders throughout the United States. However, her niche is the challah bread she bakes for local Jewish academies, families, and restaurants, such as the Box Lunch and the Beauty Shop.

“I bake 500 to 700 loaves of challah bread every week,” says Krupp. “I make it plain, and I have cinnamon, cinnamon raisin, and whole wheat.”

Every Thursday afternoon, the fresh loaves are packed in the display cases, piled on the counter, and stacked on racks.

In the center of it all is Krupp. She’s roughly 5’2″ and says she has to work out to manage the 50-pound bags of sugar and flour that are stacked along one wall.

Krupp, a mother of six, didn’t start out baking cookies as a profession. She worked in a law firm for many years while raising four boys and two girls, now between the ages of 13 and 31. Baking was something she did for family and friends.

What began as a side job turned into full-time. “I worked out of my home for 15 years,” says Krupp. “My business really started as a gift-tin business for the Christmas holiday season. That was my first venture. Then I started baking bread and started getting orders year-round.”

As her business grew, so did her need for space. Four years ago, Krupp opened Ricki’s Cookie Corner, which is located on a small side street in the Eastgate Shopping Center at Mt. Moriah and Park. Even now, she’s nearly outgrown the location, but it is close to home and to her youngest son’s school.

“I don’t have a big place,” she says. “I don’t have the luxury of having a place for people to sit down and have a cup of coffee.”

Though she’s never advertised, her business continues to expand through word of mouth – or as she says, “taste of mouth.”

“People taste my cookies or cakes, and then they tell someone,” she says, “and it goes from there.”

Ricki’s Cookie Corner is located at 5068 Park Avenue and is open Tuesday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, all 866-CHIP (2447) or check out the Web site at Rickiscookies.com.

Old Venice Pizza Company is opening in East Memphis. The original location in Oxford was opened in 1997 by Jim Bullion and Dave Buscher.

The two combined Greek and Italian recipes passed down in their families to create an eclectic menu that also includes Cajun and American influences. A good example of this mix are the crawfish rolls, which are spring rolls stuffed with crawfish, bacon, and cream cheese. Another is the “Crawdad Delight” with angel-hair pasta and Cajun spice cream sauce.

Most patrons, however, recognize Old Venice Pizza Company for its pizzas. There are 25 specialty pizzas and 40 toppings to build your own. Each pie is hand-tossed and prepared fresh-to-order. For veggie lovers, the menu features at least five vegetarian options, including the “‘Shrooms” with four mushroom varieties served with pesto sauce. For the Memphis market – the fourth including the Starkville and Jackson, Mississippi, locations – Bullion and Buscher created some Memphis-specific pies, including the “Hog Wild,” which features pulled pork and spicy barbecue sauce.

Russ Graham, who attended Ole Miss and has worked at Grill 83 and Ruth’s Chris, is the general manager of the Memphis location.

“I grew up with Old Venice for seven years,” Graham says. “People in Oxford are very loyal. We’d love for them to come in and watch the games on the weekend.”

Graham also touts the Burgundy Room, the restaurant’s martini and cigar bar. “We have high-end well drinks, with quality brands like Old Charter and Famous Grouse. We’re very proud of the bar,” he says.

Old Venice Pizza Company is scheduled to open August 26th. Hours will be 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. daily. For more information, visit Ovpc.com.

Old Venice Pizza Company, 368 S. Perkins Extended (767-6872)

From early-morning lattes and scones to late-night romantic dinners, Bistro Aroma offers something for everyone. In April, Boris Blanc and Gennadiy Pollack opened the restaurant with the intention of bringing a European-style bistro to Memphis. The pair chose a location in Orleans Place shopping center on Kirby Parkway for its European architecture and large patio seating beneath a canopy.

“There’s nothing like this in town,” says Blanc. “The architecture had to match the concept. It’s cute and small. It really has the feel of a European bistro.”

The tapas menu is meant to be shared among friends and enjoyed with the numerous imported wines and beers Bistro Aroma offers. In addition, the menu features fresh salads and soups.

“In the morning, we offer upscale European coffee and pastries. At lunch, we serve a mix of Mediterranean, Spanish, and Portuguese,” Blanc says. “Gazpacho is one of our specialties. It’s served in a French bread bowl with parmesan cheese.”

Another specialty of the house is couvert, a Portuguese cross between a sandwich and a salad. It is a pita stuffed with salad, served with hummus, and filled with a choice of eggplant and vegetables, salami and cheese, or lox and cheese.

Bistro Aroma is open Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., until 11 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.

Bistro Aroma, 1779 Kirby Parkway (624-6689)

Shelby County Residential and Vocational Services will host the 7th Annual Spirit of SRVS wine tasting and live auction August 27th from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Hilton Memphis. In addition to a wide variety of wines and beers, food will be donated by area restaurants, including Bari, Bhan Thai, Blue Bunny Ice Cream, Central BBQ, Equestria Restaurant, Hilton Memphis, Memphis Pizza Café, Silky O’Sullivan’s, the University of Memphis hospitality program, and Yia Yia’s Eurocafe.

The entertainment will feature music from Eddie Harrison and a performance by Company D, a troupe composed of young people from the area with Down’s syndrome.

Tickets cost $35 in advance and $40 at the door. Proceeds from tickets and auction items will support programs through SRVS, which provides housing and employment opportunities to the area’s developmentally disabled people.

For tickets or more information, call 869-9234 or visit www.srvs.org.

Kysha Benjamin created quite a splash when she opened Zanzibar in 2001 on South Main. The restaurant combined art, music, and food with a global flair and a casual atmosphere. The restaurant closed in 2003, but on August 10th, Zanzibar reopens with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. There will be music and an art opening for Texas artist Joseph Cohen.

“It’s exciting to be back in the space and the community and neighborhood that we love so much,” says Benjamin. “Conceptually, it’s pretty much the same, with the focus on creative expression. The artistry in the kitchen is a big part of the creative, as is the engagement and diversity through art. Art is the most amazing vehicle to find commonality among people.”

Old favorites like the spicy prawn ceviche will be on the new menu. Every Thursday will offer live jazz performances, and Saturday remains salsa night. The décor features the same warm tones, but the colors are more subtle. “It’s just turned up a notch – urban, sexy, and whimsical – a little more cosmopolitan but still neighborhood,” Benjamin says.

Zanzibar will offer more seating and privacy on the newly constructed mezzanine level and will provide wireless Internet. Benjamin also plans to add some breakfast items to the menu for brunch 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The brunch menu will have the same eclectic, global influence found in the dinner menu.

“Zanzibar is an island off Africa, and we consider ourselves an island oasis on South Main,” Benjamin says. “We’re hoping to travel the world with food that is simple but intriguing in flavors from around the world.”

With the support of the Sekisui Group management team, Benjamin has begun renovations to the building’s basement to create a venue for music events, which she says will open later this year.

Zanzibar is open for lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and opens for dinner at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The kitchen closes at 9 p.m. throughout the workweek and 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. For information, visit ZanzibarMemphis.com.

Zanzibar, 412 S. Main St. (543-9646)

Simply for Me, which started as a gift shop and tea room, is now simply food.

“We opened August 17th of 2001 and survived 9/11, but the attack changed the state of my gift shop. That was when we changed the focus to food,” says owner Michelle Jackson. “After 9/11, people weren’t spending money on luxuries, but they still wanted food, so that aspect of my business grew.”

That growth is what prompted Jackson to close the gift shop and relocate to open a restaurant and catering business in May. The new space features an inviting sitting area, more tables, and a larger kitchen.

“We outgrew the kitchen,” Jackson says. “Now I have a fryer and a grill, so I can offer more options. We just started doing catfish on Friday, and it outsold everybody’s favorite – the poppy-seed chicken casserole.”

A large portion of Jackson’s business developed from catering home-cooked meals to offices in downtown Memphis.

“We send out two or three office lunches every day,” she says. “We have meals with a choice of entrées and side items, and we send a cake with our catering orders.”

Jackson is known for creating a variety of two-layer cakes, such as butter pecan and double chocolate. The “Neapolitan” features three layers of white, chocolate, and strawberry cake with strawberry icing and fresh strawberries.

Although the restaurant is only open for lunch, Jackson is taking advantage of her new beer and wine permit to offer “Taste of Tuesdays,” a wine tasting from 5 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday with live jazz and appetizers.

Simply for Me is open Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Simply for Me, 151 Jefferson (525-4775)

Frank A. Grisanti, president of Foodline Services, Inc., was chosen to be the featured chef during the Oklahoma State University Distinguished Chef Series. The event, now in its 10th year, brings chefs from across the country to inspire students in the school’s hospitality program. Grisanti will prepare a four-course meal that will be served at the school’s largest annual fund-raising event, where tickets cost $200 per person. Grisanti, accompanied by his son Larkin, will oversee the dinner on September 29th in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Chez Philippe chef de cuisine, Jose Gutierrez, has decided to leave the roost he’s ruled for more than 20 years, and his departure is prompting some changes at The Peabody, which will be celebrating its 80th anniversary in September.

Under Gutierrez, Chez Philippe earned national recognition and awards for its French cuisine. Hotel management is looking for Gutierrez’ replacement and plans to preserve the restaurant’s French style while spicing it up a bit with Asian fusion.

Gutierrez, who will leaving in mid-August, is opening his own restaurant in Peabody Place. His new restaurant, called Encore, will feature the casual elegance of a Mediterranean-style café.

Gutierrez was born in Provence and trained at the Professional Culinary School in Manosque, France. Since coming to Memphis in 1983, the chef has been recognized as one of the first to combine classical French training with elements of traditional Southern food, a style that has flourished with other Memphis chefs. In 1995, Gutierrez was admitted to the ranks of Master Chef of France.

Even with changes underfoot, The Peabody will celebrate its 80th year with a series of dinners, month-long specials, and a brunch. Anniversary dinners will be held at the Capriccio Grill on September 9th and at Chez Philippe September 16th. The cost for each event is $50 per person. On September 25th, a champagne brunch will be served in the Grand Ballroom from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

When planning the events, executive chef Andreas Kisler found inspiration in menus from the 1930s. The four-course dinner at Capriccio will include braised prime-beef ribs, which were adapted from a 1939 menu, as was the appetizer, Oysters Peabody.

For more information about The Peabody’s anniversary, call 529-4000.

home-style Southern cooking and the twang of a banjo in this turn-of-the-century country home overlooking the once bustling (now paved over) train depot in Oakland, Tennessee, make you feel like you stepped back in time.

When owners and sisters-in-law Monica and Deborah Choate opened Anna Renae’s Tea Room and Gift Shoppe in November 2003, they preserved the character of the 1912 house that boasts 20-foot ceilings, original chandeliers, hardwood floors, and a fireplace in nearly every room.

The restaurant has earned recognition among locals for its lunch menu and its quaint gift shop. And starting August 5th, the restaurant will begin serving dinner every Friday from 6 to 9 p.m.

“Every Friday, we’ll have a different special to go along with our regular menu,” says Monica. The regular menu features salads, sandwiches, and homemade desserts prepared by Deborah’s mother, who is also named Deborah. But for dinner, Monica and Deborah plan to also offer traditional home cooking, including stuffed bell peppers, cream corn, and glazed carrots.

Anna Renae’s is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 6-9 p.m. Fridays only.

Anna Renae’s, 14520 Hwy. 194 (465-0245)

Camille “Camy” Archer is delivering something new.

Archer has added more items to “Camy’s Fine Food Delivered to You” menu and is now offering corporate catering.

In the 12 years since opening, Camy’s has become well-known for its pizzas and oven-baked sandwiches. Now Camy’s also offers hot wings with a choice of hot or barbecue sauces. In addition, there are four new salads for the summer. The Caesar and Greek salads have new-and-improved dressings. The mandarin chicken salad has grilled chicken and mandarin oranges, and the steak salad features a 6-ounce ribeye grilled to order.

The catering menu now includes an assortment of party platters, such as meat and cheese, fresh fruit, and vegetables.

Camy’s is open daily from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Camy’s, 3 South Barksdale (725-1667)

On the last Tuesday of the month, the Memphis Botanic Garden hosts “Tuesdays on the Terrace at Fratelli’s in the Garden,” which they bill as “wine tastings with a botanical twist.” This Tuesday, July 26th, that twist comes with a splash of gin for the Shake-N-Stir Martini Party.

According to Fratelli’s owner, Sabine Baltz, the martini party will feature hors d’oeuvres centered around olives, such as sun-dried tomatoes and tapenades. “We will also have some champagnes and white wines for those who prefer it,” she says. Memphis jazz singer Reni Simon will perform.

On August 30th, the series will take on a Spanish flavor with Salsa Night, and a dance instructor from Fred Astaire Dance Studio will offer salsa lessons.

The wine tastings are from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Admission is $20 for garden members and $30 for nonmembers.

In other Fratelli’s news, Baltz has recently added to the menu more salads and panini sandwiches as well as some new desserts and appetizers. The pork tenderloin salad with spinach, bell peppers, oranges, and avocado is just one example of the expanded offerings. Fratelli’s is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Fratelli’s, Memphis Botanic Garden, 750 Cherry Road (685-1566, ext. 118)

Bari is expanding. Owners Jason and Rebecca Severs plan to double the size of the 1,200-square-foot restaurant by September 1st. The additional space will offer room for a waiting area and a second dining area as well as a bar. “We plan to create an enotec, which in Italian means a wine library or wine bar,” says Jason. “The bars in Italy are mostly wine bars. Enotecs are everywhere in Italy, but in the U.S. you mainly find them in larger cities.” To accompany the wine bar, Jason says they plan to expand the antipasti menu to feature about 25 Italian cheeses and 10 cured Italian meats.

Bari, 22 S. Cooper (722-2244)

July is National Ice Cream Month. Did you know that the biggest ice-cream sundae in history was made in Edmonton, Canada, in 1988 and weighed more than 24 tons? Or that the U.S. enjoys an average of 48 pints of ice cream per person, per year, more than any other country? What’s more, the ice-cream cone’s invention is linked to the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. An ice-cream vendor reportedly didn’t have enough dishes to keep up with the demand, so he teamed up with a waffle vendor who rolled his waffles into cones.

Learn more fun facts about ice cream July 30th at the 11th Annual Big Scoop Ice Cream Festival at the Agricenter International at Shelby Farms. The event, which is held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., will benefit Ronald McDonald House and will feature plenty of ice-cream vendors, ice-cream eating contests, and a celebrity sundae-making contest.

In addition to ice cream and more ice cream, kids and adults alike can enjoy performances on the Hilton Hotels Entertainment Stage, including a show from Ronald McDonald at 11:30 a.m. The Memphis Zoo will bring Wildlife on Wheels, and kids can get their faces painted and their picture taken with Rocky the Redbird.

Admission is $7; children ages 3 and under are admitted free. Advance tickets can be purchased for $5 at local Schnucks stores and the Ronald McDonald House. For more information, call 529-4055.

Jimmy Ishii, owner of Sekisui restaurants, held a benefit for the Make-A-Wish Foundation to celebrate the grand opening of his 18th restaurant, which is in Vestavia Hills, an upscale enclave of Birmingham, Alabama.

Continuing Ishii’s desire to support people taking steps along the same path he took when he first opened Sekisui in Memphis 15 years ago, he partnered with a former employee to open the new restaurant.

Owner/chef Matsui “Yasu” Yasuteru met Ishii while attending college in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Yasuteru would drive to Memphis to dine at Sekisui in the early 1990s. After graduating, he came to work for Ishii in 1992. The two worked together to choose a location for the new restaurant.

The Sekisui Group is also consulting on Zanzibar on South Main. Zanzibar owner Kysha Benjamin hopes to re-open in early August with an updated decor and menu. n

The Lucchesi name became synonymous with Italian food in Collierville in 1990 when Pat Lucchesi and his father Vince opened Lucchesi’s Ravioli and Pasta Company. After selling his interest in that company more than a year ago, Pat opened Café Piazza by Pat Lucchesi July 12th.

The café sits in a circa-1912 house on the corner of Rowlett and Main across from Collierville’s Historic Town Square. Lucchesi spent months remodeling and restoring the home. The original wood floors have been refinished and the original crown molding repainted. The restaurant features four fireplaces and three separate dining areas. In the front dining room, Lucchesi replaced the windows around the original front porch with French doors that open onto a view of the old train depot and the antique cannon across the street. A second dining room, in shades of yellow, offers a bright, casual atmosphere.

“It’s like sitting in Grandma’s living room, because that’s what it is, really,” says Lucchesi. “For the third dining room, we used stucco in a warm green color and stained the wood rafters mahogany and added solid mahogany tables and chairs for an old-world feel.”

Café Piazza’s menu offers specialty pizzas such as the “Portobello,” a crispy thin crust piled high with mushrooms and red sauce or with toppings such as fresh goat cheese and pesto. The menu also features panini sandwiches and an assortment of fresh salads. Appetizers such as caprese tomatoes and brushetta are available. Lucchesi says the café’s signature dessert is canoli cake. “It’s a yellow cake with canoli filling, a cream-cheese icing, and pistachios,” he says.

Lucchesi is serving only dinner for the first couple of weeks but will expand the hours to serve lunch soon. Café Piazza will be open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Café Piazza by Pat Lucchesi, 139 S. Rowlett, in Collierville (861-1999)

Mahmood Sawar and his wife Maria Guzman opened the first La Hacienda in Cordova seven years ago. Since that time, they have opened three Italian restaurants – Fino Villa, Cucchina Italiana in Collierville, and Soprano’s in Olive Branch – and four more La Hacienda locations, including the one that opened in Oakland, Tennessee, July 2nd.

This location will be the first to offer breakfast, and Sawar hopes that it will be the first restaurant in Oakland to offer liquor by the drink. A liquor referendum passed last November, opening the community to opportunities to accept larger chains such as O’Charley’s, which has also expressed interest in the area.

La Hacienda is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

La Hacienda, 7034 Hwy. 64 in Oakland (465-1505)

July is American Beer Month, and Boscos Squared will celebrate with several events throughout the month.

One ongoing event is the annual competition between Boscos locations in Memphis, Little Rock, and Nashville to see whose customers can drink the most beer. Currently, Nashville holds the title. On every weeknight in July at 6 p.m., Boscos will also give away two tickets to the Redbirds game on July 31st for “Midtown Appreciation Day.”

On July 16th, Boscos will host a food and beer tasting from 2 to 4 p.m. Advance tickets, which cost $40, can be purchased at the restaurant or through the benefactor of the event, United Housing Inc. (UHI) at 51 N. Cooper.

UHI, founded by the United Way of the Mid-South in 1994, has assisted in the revitalization of about 600 homes in Memphis neighborhoods and offers educational support to homebuyers. UHI will also receive a portion of the sales of July’s signature beer, “Boscos Blue Ribbon.”

On July 26th, Boscos will host “American Beer Month Brewmaster’s Beer Dinner,” a five-course prix fixe meal at 6:45 p.m. The cost is $50 per person.

Boscos Squared, 2120 Madison Avenue (432-2222)

Hear Isaac Hayes talk about A new cookbook, Kidney Friendly Comfort Foods: A Collection of Recipes for Eating Well with Chronic Kidney Disease July 14th at The Peabody hotel. Hayes, who wrote the foreword for the cookbook, decided to turn his attention to an issue close to his heart since the death of his colleague and friend Barry White from kidney failure. The free event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m., and tickets are available by calling 1-866-220-4467. n

There’s no shortage of choices for dining at the intersection of Poplar and Mendenhall. For example, Café Toscana opened May 23rd in the shopping center next to Malco’s Paradiso cinema.
Chef and owner Giacomo Ciabattini went to cooking school in Florence, Italy, where he was born. After working for a restaurant there for about 10 years, Ciabattini moved to the United States in 1984, working first in California, where he opened his own restaurant in San Francisco in 1994. He then joined Romano’s Macaroni Grill to work in menu development and met his wife, Lea, a Memphis native. He later did menu development for the Olive Garden and was able to spend three months out of the year in Tuscany.
“It was great. I got to go home a lot, but now we have two little girls getting ready to start school, and we wanted them to be raised around their cousins, grandparents, and family,” Ciabattini says. “We moved here in December and started looking for a place, because we knew that’s what we wanted to do.”
The couple chose the location where Le Petite Bistro was for many years and spent weeks transforming the décor to give the restaurant a brighter, more open ambience. Ciabattini used a warm red and soft yellow palette to give the restaurant a more Tuscan feel. He also modeled the menu after an authentic Tuscan café, with fresh seafood and pasta dishes.
“It a little bit of a mixture, with more Tuscan and more contemporary,” says Ciabattini. “It is more simple and fresh than the traditional Italian dishes you would find at most restaurants.”
Café Toscana is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and for dinner from 5:30 to 10 p.m. daily except Sunday. Reservations are strongly recommended.
Café Toscana, 5007 Black Road (761-9522)

Downstairs from Cafe Toscana, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream is set to open this week. Owner Marc Tate opened a Ben & Jerry’s in Germantown in July 2004, and he says it’s been a huge success, though he does plan to offer some new features at the new Memphis location.
“I want it to be not just an ice cream shop. I want it to be a dessert emporium,” Tate says. The location will offer low lighting and offerings beyond ice cream, such as cakes and Belgian waffles. In addition, Tate will open a patio with live music on the weekends.
A grand opening is slated for August 6th. “I’ve talked to a few of my neighbors, and we’d like to have a block party that weekend,” Tate says.
Ben & Jerry’s will be open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and 1 to 11 p.m. Sunday.
Ben & Jerry’s, 5007 Black Road ()

Also new to the neighborhood is Carraba’s Fine Italian Grill, which opened its first Memphis location June 27th at the entrance to Clark Tower. The restaurant, owned and operated by Outback Steakhouse International, features an exhibition-style kitchen, where guests can watch the chefs in action. In addition to Italian specialties, the menu features wood-grilled meat and fish. Kids can shape and mold fresh pizza dough while waiting for dinner. A second location is slated to open in Collierville in the fall.
Carraba’s is open at 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and at 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The restaurant closes at 10 p.m. throughout the week and stays open until 11:30 on Friday and Saturday.
Carraba’s Fine Italian Grill, 5110 Poplar Ave. (685-9900)

“Patrick Kelly: A Retrospective,” now at the Brooks Museum through August 28th, highlights the Vicksburg-born designer’s work from the 1980s. Kelly worked in Paris and was one of the first African-American designers to enjoy success in the competitive world of fashion.
To pay tribute to Kelly and celebrate Bastille Day, chef Penny McCraw of the museum’s Brushmark restaurant, will present a menu of French fare July 12th through July 16th. McCraw will prepare lobster bisque, crêpe de jour, and mesclun salad with duck confit and wild mushrooms, just to name a few items.
Kelly is also the inspiration for the Brooks’ Avante Garde Party, being held Saturday, July 16th. “You do have to be a museum member to attend,” says Diane Jalfon, public-relations manager of the Brooks. “But many people purchase a membership just for this event,” she says. The theme this year is “Material World: Couture and Casino Party.” The evening will include dancing, casino games by Harrah’s Entertainment, a fashion show from stores in Laurelwood Shopping Center, and, of course, plenty of food.
“We will have an upscale buffet with some French influences, but with it being summertime, we’ll have some fresh, crisp flavors,” says McCraw. “Outside I’m going to have an interactive station where I’ll be doing flaming bananas Foster.”
The Brushmark is open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Reservations are recommended.
For more information about museum membership, contact Effie Phillips at 544-6230.
The Brushmark, at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, in Overton Park (544-6225)

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Every Friday and Saturday night, the smell of charcoal-grilled steak wafts around Somerville’s Historic Town Square and the twang of bluegrass dances in the air. These come-ons to the senses emanate from Sippin’s Coffee Shop, where owner Thomas Lynne fires up the grill and makes room for anyone who has brought an instrument and is ready to jam.

In most respects, Sippin’s is an ordinary small-town coffee shop. Everybody knows everybody as the square’s courthouse crowd filters in to check out the daily lunch special or to grab a sandwich. But with its steak nights, Sippin’s has earned notoriety among the locals who say it has the best steaks around.

The secret to Sippin’s steaks is in the grilling, which Lynne does on an ordinary charcoal grill pulled into the alley behind the landmark building where he opened his restaurant in December 2002.

Earlier that year, Thomas’ father, Tommy Lynne, bought the Two Sisters’ Building, which was once a sewing and fabric store operated by Paulie and Lucy Claxton. The owners leased the building for many years after closing their store. It was auctioned following their death.

“I bought the building to save it,” says Tommy. “I was going to open an art studio. My son wanted to open up a coffee shop, and I told him you’re going to have to serve more than coffee to make it work.”

Before opening the restaurant, the pair worked together to restore the building to its original form. During the restoration, Tommy discovered that the rafters in the attic were hand-hewn and pinned with wooden pegs. “They used horse-hair plaster, where they mixed horse hair with the plaster to make it stronger,” he says.

When decorating the restaurant, father and son chose wooden tables and an Oriental rug that would complement the original features of the building, such as the tin ceiling and hardwood floors. They also created space to display artwork by Tommy, who is a nationally known portrait photographer and sculptor. Pottery by Mark Davis and sculpture by Ellen McGowan have also been on display.

“My dad had the vision of what Sippin’s has come to be,” says Thomas. “He is the mastermind behind the design.”

The elder Lynne is equally quick to lay the credit at his son’s feet. Tommy says what Thomas, who is now 23, lacked in age and experience, he made up for with determination and dedication.

“My son has worked endless hours for a little of nothing, turning it into what it is today,” says Tommy.

When Thomas first returned home to Somerville, after graduating from high school in Portland, Tennessee, he didn’t expect to be running his own business. He started working at Sonic.

“I had a really good boss, and I enjoyed working with the food and getting it out quick,” he says. “I grasped it. I knew I liked it and that I could do it really well.” He has proved exactly that.

About six months after opening, Thomas realized he would have to offer something different to succeed, so that’s when he started grilling steaks in the back alley.

“It’s what pulls us through,” says Thomas. “With four other restaurants on the square, we knew we’d have to do something else.”

Most who stop by Sippin’s on Friday and Saturday come for the 12-ounce ribeyes and 8- to 10-ounce filets. But some come for the music.

“We have bluegrass, country, and gospel — all acoustic,” says Thomas. “It’s not regular bands. It’s more of a jam session. Mostly it’s people from around here. It gives them something to do on the weekend.”

In May, Thomas expanded the hours to stay open late on Thursdays, when, during the month of June, Somerville hosts a concert series at I.M. Yancy Park. “On Thursday nights, we’ve been serving baby back ribs and barbecue. We were doing crawfish, but we didn’t have much turnout for that, so we may do jambalaya or some kind of crawfish stew,” he says.

Any time of the day, customers can enjoy desserts baked by Thomas’ grandmother, Elizabeth Lynne, along with the gourmet coffee drinks that Thomas first envisioned when he decided to open Sippin’s. 

Sippin’s Coffee Shop is located at 114 W. Market St. in Somerville, (901) 466-1480. The hours are 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and until 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

It took about two months of remodeling to turn the former Amber Palace on Second Street into the Big Foot Lodge. Owners Shawn and Lana Danko used timbers from Montana for the log-cabin walls, Tennessee River rock for the fireplace and stone columns, and birch bark trees from Minnesota for a room divider between the spacious dining room and bar. Stuffed game animals adorn the space, along with the restaurant’s mascot, an eight-foot resin sculpture of a Sasquatch, forged in Midtown artist Yvonne Bobo’s studio.

The restaurant’s namesake isn’t the only thing of enormous proportions. “We have a four-pound cheeseburger – ‘The Sasquatch’ – that is $19.95, and it comes with a pound of fries,” says chef Sean Andrews, who came to Memphis from Port Lucy, Florida, where he worked as a trainer for the Olive Garden and a manager for Applebee’s. “If you can finish the burger in less than 60 minutes by yourself, you get it free.”

The menu also offers choices ranging from grilled ham-and-cheese and catfish to prime rib and lobster. And, of course, no wintry lodge would be complete without s’mores. Guests are served all the fixings for these tasty campfire treats and can even roast the marshmallows at their table using a Sterno flame.

This is the first restaurant for owners Shawn and Lana, although Shawn has worked 13 years at Hard Rock Café, most recently as general manager of the Beale Street location. His wife, Lana, is a sales and marketing executive for radio stations WRVR and the Buzz. After opening the first location, the couple hopes to open five more locations in the next six years.

“We thought the lodge theme would have a great appeal here in the Mid-South, where so many people spend time outdoors,” Shawn says. “We wanted to create a casual dining concept that I hope will appeal to all kinds of people with a fantastic menu at a reasonable price.”

The Big Foot Lodge is open 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

The Big Foot Lodge, 97 S. Second St. (578-9800)

“This will be the biggest and best Buckley’s yet,” says co-owner Jeff Fioranelli of the Cordova location, the fourth Buckley’s since Fioranelli and his partner Kenneth Dick first opened a restaurant together 11 years ago. While the original Poplar location and Buckley’s downtown have a traditional atmosphere with warm rich wood, the partners are trying something new in Cordova. The restaurant, scheduled to open after July 4th, is brighter and more open with dividers offering more private dining for some of the tables.

“It’s going to be quite different,” says Fioranelli. “It’s going to be contemporary. We’re going to use this as a model for future locations. We’re looking for a style of our own. Our other locations are somewhat traditional. We just wanted to go with an updated look.”

They have also updated the children’s menu for a broader appeal to the family market and added a to-go entrance for takeout.

“We’re trying to make the place a combination,” says Fioranelli. “Buckley’s is often perceived as a date restaurant. We’re trying to make this Buckley’s a place that appeals to [daters] as well as families.”

Buckley’s Fine Filet Grill will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. until 9:30 Sunday through Thursday and until 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Buckley’s Fine Filet Grill, 714 N. Germantown Parkway (756-1639)

After months of renovation and expansion, Miss Cordelia’s Grocery in Harbor Town is ready to unveil the changes with a grand opening celebration July 1st from 3 to 10 p.m. The day’s events will feature live jazz performances by Ron Shorr, Pete Vescovo, and Friends, a wine obstacle race, activities for the kids, and tours of the store. And, of course, there will be samples from the new dine-in deli, Miss Cordelia’s Table, from the expanded wine and beer section, and from many products offered in the neighborhood grocery. There will be door prizes ranging for $100 gift certificates to tickets to area events and gift baskets.

Miss Cordelia’s is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Cordelia’s Table kitchen is open until 9 p.m. n

Miss Cordelia’s Grocery, 737 Harbor Bend Road (526-4772)

Kudos to a couple of Memphis restaurateurs who have recently received national recognition.

Johnny Kirk, chef and co-owner of Stella, was featured as a “Rising Star of American Cuisine” by the James Beard Foundation, a nonprofit organization that recognizes talented chefs and food writers.

Kirk was honored with an invitation to prepare a dinner at the James Beard House, the late chef’s brownstone home in New York City, on June 2nd. His handpicked staff included Teddy Brantley of Grill 83, Michael Patrick of McEwen’s on Monroe, and Lee Craven of Madidi.

Frank Grisanti, owner of Frank Grisanti’s in the Embassy Suites and Bol á Pasta eateries, was reelected to a three-year term on the National Restaurant Association’s board of directors at the group’s annual tradeshow in Chicago, which was held May 21st through 24th. Through his position on the board, Grisanti, who started working in his family’s restaurants at age 13, keeps abreast of legislation and trends in demographics and marketing that affect the restaurant industry.

Grisanti has employed innovative marketing techniques through his Web site, FrankGrisanti.com, which allows people to schedule private events and choose catering menus on-line. He has also expanded his services downtown to provide restaurant service to the Hampton Inn.

The Medallion at the University of Memphis Holiday Inn will honor dads with a Father’s Day brunch Sunday, June 19th. Chef Edward Nowakowski will prepare a buffet feast fit for any king of the household.

Brunch will include a breakfast station with made-to-order omelets and waffles. Those with a heartier appetite can choose from an assortment of entrées, including prime rib, roast leg of lamb, country ham, and baked turkey breast. There will also be a special section with kid-friendly dishes. Reservations are required; call 678-5410. The cost is $24.95 for adults and $9.95 for kids ages 5 to 12.

Miss Cordelia’s in Harbor Town will host a “Beer-N-Brat Extravaganza” for Father’s Day beginning at 4 p.m. on June 19th. Wash down grilled bratwurst with some specialty beers. You can get the inside scoop on what you’re drinking from beer specialist Jeff Wilkerson. The cost is $5 per person.

The Medallion, 3700 Central (678-5410); Miss Cordelia’s, 737 Harbor Bend Rd. (526-4772)

Cozymel’s has taken the shooter in a whole new direction. “Pequeños” may be served in a shot glass, but it’s a dessert, not a potent potion.

“We feel that while a lot of people decline dessert, they secretly want a little something,” says Helen Leflar, a representative of the Dallas-based chain. “We decided to add the pequeños to our menu because these little tastes offer a variety of flavors without the addition of too many calories. The shot glasses are only two ounces, so you don’t overdo it even when you indulge yourself with dessert.”

Memphis’ Cozymel’s introduced the new line of bite-size desserts June 1st. “The response has been tremendous,” says general manager Dave Odham. “It’s something that no one else does. After a big lunch you don’t want to have dessert and then go back to work tired, but with this you can satisfy your sweet tooth without getting stuffed.”

There are 18 varieties of pequeños. Each day, five choices, such as mango-raspberry cake, margarita cheesecake, banana pudding, piña colada pie, or Kahlua chocolate fudge cake, will be prepared fresh and brought to the table on a tray. Diners can choose one for $1.99 or an assortment for $7.99.

Cozymel’s, 6450 Poplar (763-1202)

Now you can go to Café de France at night. Starting June 17th, the European-style café in Palladio Antique Mall will be open for dinner from 6 to 10 p.m. every Friday. Each week, owners Jeanell and Donnie Morris will create a selection of entrées, soups, salads, and desserts. There will also be live music on occasion. Guests are invited to bring their own wine. (Conveniently, Central Liquors is next door.)

The premiere dinner menu will feature lobster bisque, shrimp in spicy gazpacho, smoked pork loin, and roasted duck. Entrées are reasonably priced under $20. Customers can sign up for e-mail notices of the changing menu and featured entertainment. You can make reservations by calling 725-2212.

Café de France, 2169 Central (725-2212)