Author: Sonia Alexander Hill

I love you. I love you very much. So much, in fact, that for Valentine’s Day I’m willing to take you to the farthest reaches of Collierville. I will, my dear, book us a room at a swank hotel for a night of romance. Or would you prefer an evening filled with sweet soul music? It’s anything your heart desires. Just look below. (But, baby, we’re going dutch.)

Grill 83 will host a Valentine’s Day masquerade ball on Saturday, February 12th, in the Iris Ballroom at the Madison Hotel. “This will be the first of many, we hope,” says catering/sales director Erica Flemming. “There’s nothing like it in Memphis.” The black-tie event will include a five-course dinner and the music of Amy & the Tramps for $195 per couple. Chef Antony Field will offer a selection of appetizers during the cocktail hour, starting at 7 p.m. The main course will feature a choice of beef tenderloin or salmon and saffron shrimp. For more information, call 333-1224.

Chefs Sam Long and Brian Harwell, co-owners of Seasons at the White Church, invite couples to enjoy a quiet romantic dinner set in the 19th-century church. On Monday, Valentine’s Day, Seasons will feature a prix-fixe menu with seatings available from 5:30 until 8 p.m. The four-course dinner will begin with a choice of crab cakes or butternut-squash bisque followed by a mixed baby greens salad. Next, choose from veal osso bucco, roasted Alaskan king salmon, or herb-roasted rosemary filet of beef. Top it off with a choice of gourmet desserts. Call 854-6433 for reservations. The cost is $60 per person.

With more than 80 years in business, Jim’s Place East has been the location for many Valentine’s dinners. The staff has been known to serve up a surprise for special occasions in addition to its regular menu of steak, seafood, and Greek specialties. Co-owner Angelo Liollio recalls hiding gift boxes and roses for customers until the perfect moment. And, he says, they’ve even put engagement rings in the champagne flutes or atop a piece of pie.

At Jarrett’s in East Memphis, husband-and-wife team Richard and Barbara Farmer will offer a selection of their customers’ favorites. This charming bistro is best known for its fresh seafood combinations such as smoked trout ravioli or porcini-dusted cod with caviar cream. “We are having a scaled-down version of the regular menu with lots of fresh fish and specials like Kobe beef ribeye, veal osso bucco, and special desserts like our Wet Kiss, a super-light layered génoise cake with strawberry sabayon gratin,” says Rick, who placed second in the best-chef category in Memphis magazine’s 2005 Readers’ Restaurant Poll.

At Peabody Place downtown, Isaac Hayes will make a rare appearance at his restaurant. The man whose music has set the tone for countless seductions will perform two shows on Friday, February 11th. Guests can enjoy music and drinks or take advantage of the regular Hot Buttered Soul menu, which features Southern favorites like smoked ribs and Isaac’s turkey meatloaf. Appetizers are included in the cost of tickets, which range from $50 to $100. For more information, call 529-9222, extension 3.

Take a trip to Tunica where Hollywood Casino offers a romantic Valentine’s dinner at the Fairbanks Steakhouse. The prix-fixe menu will feature an oyster appetizer; spring greens salad with Roquefort cheese, spiced pecans, and raspberry vinaigrette; and tenderloin of beef with a truffle demi-glaze, followed by a chocolate lover’s dessert with strawberries. The cost is $120 per couple for dinner or $160 for dinner and wine. For more information, call 800-871-0711.

In Germantown, Equestria‘s chef and managing partner Kevin Rains has designed a five-course meal with sexy options like red-velvet soup and oyster salad. No one will leave hungry with a choice of Chilean sea bass or Equestria Newburg followed by filet mignon or raspberry balsamic duck. Pastry chef Jason McElvany will tease the senses with the “Indulgence Cake,” a mix of rum, tangy sweet raspberries, and rich chocolate. Joe Norman will be performing in the lounge. The cost is $75 per person. Call 869-2663 for reservations.

Make a night of it at The Peabody hotel with the “Touch of Romance” package, which includes a luxurious room with complimentary champagne and flowers, dinner for two at the hotel’s award-winning Capriccio Grill, and breakfast in bed for an all-inclusive price of $450. For more information, call 529-4000.

For those who want to indulge in the city’s culinary delights with a clear conscience, join the Valentine’s Day 5K and 10K runs Saturday, February 12th, beginning at 10 a.m. at Bartlett Presbyterian Church, 6671 Yale Road. This annual event is hosted by the Bartlett Parks and Recreation Department. It’s an all-day event which culminates in a post-race party with food, games, and entertainment. In addition to healthy fruits and bagels, runners can chow down on pizza donated by Papa John’s and other snacks. For more information, call 385-5593.

Boscos Squared will kick off the Rock 103 Ronald McDonald House Radiothon with Celebrity Waiters Night on February 1st from 5 to 9 p.m.

Special to the menu for the event are the Wake-Up Crew brew and the cheeseburger pizza.

“We serve a different specialty pizza each day, but we came up with the cheeseburger pizza several years ago especially for the Ronald McDonald House,” says Boscos brewmaster Chuck Skypeck. “People liked it so much that we serve it a few times a year now.”

Boscos has been hosting the event for five years, and each year the response grows. Skypeck says they plan to cover the patios with tents to provide more space and allow for a faster turnover at the tables.

“We will be able to heat the tents,” says Skypeck, “but we’re hoping for nice weather.”

Radio and television broadcasters will be waiting tables, backing up Boscos’ regular staff. There will also be live music. Performers scheduled for the event include Jimmy Davis, Anthony Corder, Hal McCormack, Alicia Merritt, and Carlos Ecos, says radiothon coordinator Paula Davis.

Sales of the special brew and cheeseburger pizza will continue through the Wake-Up Crew’s Radiothon, which will be broadcast from the Ronald McDonald House February 10th and 11th. For every cheeseburger pizza sold, $1 will be donated, along with a portion of beer sales. Last year, the Boscos event raised $2,500 from proceeds and donations.

“This is a very special event for Ronald McDonald House,” Davis says. “The Wake-Up Crew has raised more than $5 million in the last 13 years.”

For more information, call the restaurant at 432-2222 or the Ronald McDonald House at 529-4055.

When Karen Wellford took over the little cottage at 262 S. Highland in 1998, she knew that once she established her shop, Wellford’s Antiques, she would open a tearoom. With renovations nearly complete, the tearoom is set to open in February.

Wellford says the tearoom has an English country atmosphere, which is no surprise since she travels to England several times a year in search of merchandise.

“The tearoom will be [have] an area called the snug, where people can have a private dining experience, then a smaller room with a couple of tables and a larger room that will open onto a garden area,” says Wellford.

As soon as the tearoom is open, renovations will begin to create a walled garden terrace that should be open for seating later this spring.

Chef Stephen Sciara, formerly with Mantia’s and Harrah’s, will join Wellford to create a lunch menu to be served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

“We’re going to start out with some panini sandwiches, a daily soup, and some special salads,” says Sciara. “It’s hard to say at this point, but I’m going to try to run some special every day, such as an oven-roasted pork loin or oven-roasted chicken with wine sauce.”

Those who won’t be on Bourbon Street for Fat Tuesday on February 8th can still have a piece of Mardi Gras at home with a traditional king cake.

Although the pastry chef at the French Bakery prepares 30 to 50 king cakes every year for area restaurants and caterers, this is the first year that the cake will be made available to the public.

Orders will be accepted through February 8th at Cafe de France. However, owner Jeanelle Morris recommends placing an order by February 1st or at least three days in advance to ensure availability.

“The recipe that we use is award-winning,” says Morris. “We do a caramel-cinnamon pecan center. The brioche is brushed with a coffee syrup. It’s topped with white icing and decorated with purple, green, and gold for Mardi Gras. They can be ordered with or without the plastic baby inside.”

The king-cake tradition arrived in New Orleans with French settlers in the 19th century. Coins, peas, or sometimes precious jewels were baked inside the cakes. In the mid-1900s, king-cake makers started hiding a small plastic baby in the cakes. Whoever received the piece with the hidden object was crowned “king” or “queen” for the day and designated as next year’s Mardi Gras party host.

The cakes cost $30 each and serve 15 to 18 people. For more information, call 725-2212. n

Chef Erling Jensen will be spearheading the annual March of Dimes Signature Chef’s Gala at The Peabody hotel December 12th. Jensen and chefs from the Grove Grill, La Tourelle, Café 1912, Felicia Suzanne’s, Mélange, and many others will be on hand to discuss their signature dishes. Proceeds will go to the West Tennessee chapter of the March of Dimes, which raises awareness about birth defects.

“Erling Jensen is the featured chef because he’s so active in organizing the event,” says Cindy Conner, a volunteer for the Chef’s Gala.

There will be an auction, music from the Gamble Brothers, and comedy from Lenny Clarke.

The March of Dimes hosts similar dinners in other cities, but this one, says Conner, is one of the organization’s premier fund-rasing events nationally. “It usually sells out. It was one of the top 10 last year.”

The cocktail hour will begin at 5:30 p.m. on the Peabody’s mezzanine level where guests can peruse auction items. Tickets cost $125 per person. Call 385-8580 for reservations.

As part of its continuing wine-dinner series, Grill 83 in the Madison Hotel presents a four-course prix fixe menu on the second Tuesday of every month.

“We have a featured wine every month, but December is special,” says Erica Fleming, catering sales manager. “The price is $65, so it’s a little more expensive. We serve our bone-in tenderloin as the entrée. Paradise Ridge wines will be featured, and the winemaker will be there.”

For the December 14th dinner, chef Antony Field will also prepare baked oysters Arcadian. The entrée will be accompanied by grilled vegetable risotto and brandy mushroom sauce followed by a white chocolate mousse with mixed berries for dessert.

The dinner begins at 7 p.m. in the Iris Ballroom. For reservations, call 333-1209.

The Baking Boutique, 5846 Stage Road, puts the icing on the cake. This Bartlett business specializes in candy making, cake baking, and decorating supplies, but it also offers classes.

One of the first classes, perfect for the holiday season, is “Build Your Own Gingerbread House.” The two-hour class begins at noon on December 12th and costs $10, plus $12 for supplies.

“We will supply extra candy, because if the students are like us, they like to eat candy as they go,” says owner Shannon Hamlin, who teaches the increasingly popular skill of cake decorating.

“Going into the early ’90s, people ran out and bought cakes and let somebody else do the work. Now they’re stopping and taking time to learn to decorate and coming up with some of the most beautiful cakes I’ve ever seen. Some do it for personal satisfaction, and some go into business for themselves,” she says.

She and her husband, Scott, opened the store November 22nd, though he still maintains a full-time career with the Navy as a human-resource officer.

“He handles all the business, and I’m in charge of everything creative,” says Shannon, who has been decorating cakes since age 19.

The Hamlins have also created a signature series of chocolates to buy in the store or to learn to make at home.

“People can learn to make chocolate-covered cherries, peanut butter cups, or any kind of candy you can buy in the store,” Shannon says.

For more information, call 372-8779.

Another recently opened business in Bartlett, A&R Bar-B-Que, will celebrate its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony December 17th at 1 p.m. The new location is in the Stage Coach Collection, 7174 Highway 64.

It’s time for the Holiday Tasting and Gift Fair at Wild Oats Marketplace December 11th, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This annual open house lets the national grocer showcase its whole-food products while customers get ideas for holiday menus and entertaining. •

“Chefs and Chiefs,” the annual benefit that helps support educational programs at the Chucalissa Archaeological Museum, will be held at Chez Philippe in The Peabody hotel at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, November 14th. Chez Philippe’s Jose Gutierrez will be joined by other chefs, including Karen Carrier of Automatic Slim’s, Cielo, Beauty Shop, and Another Roadside Attraction catering, Nick Vergos of the Rendezvous, Erling Jensen of Erling Jensen restaurant, and Stan Gibson of the University Club of Memphis. New to this year’s event will be chefs Lee Craven and Trish Berry of Madidi, the upscale restaurant in downtown Clarksdale, Mississippi, owned by actor Morgan Freeman and attorney Bill Luckett.

Native-American cuisine will be served, and although the dinner’s setting is swank, the event is geared toward a comfortable come-as-you-are atmosphere. A silent auction and a flute performance will entertain guests.

“Some people donate things they find in the attic. We encourage Native-American items, but we accept anything,” says Charles H. McNutt, president of the Friends of Chucalissa and a retired archaeology professor from the University of Memphis. “We have some things that go for $30 and some that go for $3,000.”

Tickets for the event are $150 per person. For more information, call 452-7554.

Colder weather means “Soup Saturdays” at Memphis Botanic Garden’s café, Fratelli’s. Every Saturday through mid-December, restaurant owner and chef Sabine Baltz will prepare four homemade soups from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“Every week the soups will be different,” Baltz says. “If it’s successful, I may continue it after the first of the year, while it’s cold outside.”

On November 13th, featured soups include butternut squash, cream of asparagus, old-fashioned chicken with dumplings, and Italian wedding soup. All soups will be served with toasted asiago bread.

In addition to “Soup Saturdays,” Fratelli’s also holds “Tuesdays on the Terrace.” On the last Tuesday of the month, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Fratelli’s will host a wine tasting and serve finger foods. On November 30th, the theme will be “Pansies and Pinots.” The cost is $20 or $15 for members.

Fratelli’s still serves the paninis and focaccia that were the trademarks of the downtown deli before it moved to the Botanic Garden last spring.

Baltz likes the new site, which is centrally located in East Memphis. The garden also offers a beautiful backdrop, especially when it’s warm enough to enjoy the terrace.

“It’s really kind of an overlooked little jewel,” Baltz says.

Midtown has a new choice for Middle-Eastern/Mediterranean food: Boogey’s Bistro, 288 N. Cleveland.

“Especially in Midtown, people love the fresh hummus and falafel,” says manager Nikki Melton. “It definitely has a Midtown flavor. We’re casual, relaxed, and we welcome all people to come.”

The restaurant opened in September and is owned by Terry Digel and Najeh Salim. Salim, a native of Jerusalem, is the primary chef responsible for creating dishes like the restaurant’s specialty, shwarma.

“Shwarma is turkey thighs that are seasoned and cooked on the rotisserie, then shaved and served on homemade pita bread,” Melton says. “We also have lamb dishes served with rice and salad and hummus made fresh every day and some vegetarian dishes.”

In addition, the menu features such American favorites as hamburgers, fries, and salads, and Digel makes homemade desserts. The restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

A $5 raffle ticket will win a dinner for two a month at 12 participating restaurants in DeSoto and Shelby counties. The funds will benefit First Book — Mid-South, a branch of the national organization that helps provide books for children of low-income families.

“Each certificate is a little different depending on what the menu is. For one restaurant, it might be $75, or for another it’s two entrées and two drinks,” says Eileen Saunders, co-founder of the local First Book. “There’s a wide range of restaurants like Bonne Terre, Timbeaux’s, and McAllister’s in DeSoto County and the Magnolia Grill, Capriccio, and Brontë café in Memphis.”

Tickets can be purchased through November 30th at the Book Haven, 579 Goodman Road, Southaven, or by mail at Table for Two, P.O. Box 1796, Southaven, Mississippi, 38671. The drawing will be held on December 8th. For more information, call 662-404-0816.

Following the 4 p.m. performance of excerpts from Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado by the Ole Miss Opera Theatre November 14th, Café de France will be serving desserts and coffee at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens. For more information, call 761-5250.

Collierville resident Susan Powers has been catering events throughout the area since the 1980s, but now she and her husband Randy will take the business full-time with Market Café & Catering.

The café is located on Market Street, on the historic town square of Somerville, next door to Powers Jewelers, a business opened by Randy’s grandfather, and just minutes away from Lewis’ Restaurant, which Randy’s other grandparents opened in 1938 in Moscow, Tennessee.

“Randy is the barbecue master,” says Susan. “His grandparents owned Lewis’ Restaurant until it closed in 2000, and that is one thing he learned from them. Everything is going to be homemade. We’re not going to buy smoked turkey; we’re going to smoke whole turkeys.”

The menu will include an assortment of wraps, such as tuna salad made from grilled tuna steak, soups served in fresh-baked bread bowls, and a variety of desserts. Daily lunch specials will feature home-cooking with meat and vegetables.

In addition to prepared meals, customers can pick up “do-it-yourself catering” and gift baskets with goodies and one-of-a-kind gifts made by Powers family members.

“We will have a freezer with crab cakes, stuffed mushrooms, and artichoke dip. So if you’re having a party you can pick up something to serve that’s homemade,” says Susan.

“We’ll have gourmet gifts and gift baskets. My family is very artistic. My aunt and uncle in California make beautiful stained glass, and my cousin makes pottery. My mother-in-law will embroider tea towels and other gifts.”

The café will open around mid-November, with hours, initially, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. The couple plans to expand the hours to offer seafood and steaks on Friday and Saturday nights.

“It’s the country, so we don’t want to get crazy. But I’ve had so many requests for a nice restaurant — comfortable but nice,” Susan says.

For more information on hours or catering, call 901-465-6066.

Calvary Episcopal Church, 102 N. Second Street, continues its 20th year of the “Calvary & the Arts” concert series. Each Wednesday through December 8th (except November 24th), the public is invited to a 30-minute concert featuring local musicians. Following the performance, guests can enjoy lunch prepared by chefs from local restaurants and catering services or by the church’s executive chef, Emmett Bell.

On November 3rd, jazz musician Joyce Cobb will perform with Cool Heat, followed by Bell’s chicken à la king. Also on the menu this month is Capriccio Grill’s lasagna and a performance by international opera singer Kallen Esperian on November 17th.

Concerts begin at 12:05 p.m. and lunch tickets can be purchased for $6 per person at the door. For more information, call 525-6602, ext. 102 or see Calvaryjc.org.

Memphis barbecue chef and restaurateur Craig Blondis has one of the “50 Best Dream Jobs in America,” according to the editors at Men’s Journal magazine. The owner of Central BBQ, 2249 Central Avenue, was featured in the November issue along with a dinosaur hunter, a swimsuit photographer, and a poker player.

When Eric Messinger, author of the article, sat down with editors of the magazine, they made a list of “jobs that capture that adventurous flavor” the magazine represents and “jobs that are really cool,” the writer says.

“Rib shack owner” made the list, so Messinger turned his journalistic eye toward Memphis.

“When you think of a classic rib shack, you think of awesome comfort food. You might walk in and hear your music playing, and they might know your name. I got the feeling that this place captured all of that,” says Messinger. “When I spoke to Craig, he had all those things I was looking for. He himself is at the counter. He just started the restaurant two years ago. He and his partner had been participating in barbecue contests every weekend, so he had a passion. It was a passion that turned into a profession.”

Join the National Kidney Foundation of West Tennessee at the Memphis Botanic Garden for the 10th annual ”Sip Around the World” wine tasting November 5th. Wines from more than 50 wineries will be available for sampling along with food, music, and a silent auction, from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets cost $50 in advance and $55 at the door. Call 683-6185 for more information. •

Now, spending a lunch hour at Goldsmith’s-Macy’s won’t necessarily mean a shopping spree. With the addition of Cosi, a café opening November 1st in the store at the Oak Court Mall, shoppers can sit down with a sandwich and a cup of java.

Cosi, a New York-based chain with 88 locations in 11 states, joined Federated Department Stores in March to open cafés in 10 locations from Seattle to Miami. Goldsmith’s-Macy’s Oak Court is the second store location to open and the only location slated for Memphis at this time.

The café will be located on the first floor in the southeast corner of the store.

Cosi serves gourmet sandwiches on flat bread that is baked daily. The “Thai Turkey” is accompanied by apples, basil, and red-curry mayo, and the “Turkey Blue” features bacon, sliced eggs, romaine, and a mango-blue-cheese bread. In addition to sandwiches, Cosi offers coffee and tea, breakfast items, soups and salads, and a number of vegetarian choices. For dessert, try an old-fashioned s’more.

“It’s all part of the storewide improvements we’ve been making,” says Annette Askew, director of regional special events and public relations for the store. “Most of the main floor has already been renovated. It’s exciting for us. I think customers will love to sit down and take a break without leaving the store.”

The Germantown Chamber of Commerce will host Taste of the Town Thursday, October 21st, in Germantown Centre’s Great Hall from 6:30 to 9 p.m.

Chefs from about 30 area restaurants and caterers will serve some old favorites. It’s also a great opportunity to try restaurants new to the area, such as Bonefish Grill of Cordova and Sakura Japanese Restaurant of Germantown. And (start salivating now) Dinstuhl’s will offer a flowing chocolate fountain.

“The Butcher Shop always serves beef tenderloin and grilled mushrooms, and P.F. Chang’s will make their fabulous lettuce wraps,” says co-chair Robin Cook. “There’s always plenty of food.”

As a keepsake, guests will receive hand-painted plates to pile high with food and hand-painted wine or martini glasses for beverage tastings at the wine bar, martini bar, and margarita bar.

“We will have a live auction and a silent auction,” says Cook. “One item that’s really neat is a ‘Dozen Dining Delights.’ Twelve restaurants have donated $100 gift certificates, and you can enjoy a fabulous dinner each month for a year. We also have a ride in the FedEx simulator, and Mega World Travel donated two airline tickets to anywhere in the country.”

Eddie Harrison, formerly with the Short Cuts, will keep a relaxing tempo going with soft piano music and singing. While the event is a fund-raiser for the chamber, the Make-A-Wish Foundation also will receive $5,000 of the event’s proceeds to grant the wish of one child.

“This is the fourth year we’ve had the event, so it has grown,” says Cook. “We have more sponsors, more restaurants. We hope to have at least 600 people in attendance. It’s a wonderful networking opportunity to make new friends, meet people, and make new business contacts.”

Tickets cost $40 in advance or $50 at the door. Call 755-1200 for reservations.

Seasons at the White Church is hosting a four-course wine dinner. Each course, specially prepared by Chef Brian Harwell, will be paired with a selection of Mazzocco wines.

The prix-fixe menu will feature crispy Alaskan king salmon, roast duck, and Zinfandel-braised Niman Ranch short ribs. Persimmon pudding cake with orange sauce and rum-raisin ice cream will be served for dessert.

The evening, part of the restaurant’s fall wine series, begins at 6:45 p.m., and the cost is $49 per person. White Church is located in Collierville, 196 North Main at Poplar. Call 854-6433 for reservations.

Heritage Place Retirement Community, located at 2990 Hickory Hill, will serve a pancake breakfast to benefit the Red Cross Saturday, October 23rd, from 7:30 to 10 a.m.

Although breakfast is free, a $5 donation is suggested. Proceeds will benefit the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which aided nearly 417,000 people affected by recent hurricanes.

The breakfast is a nationwide effort by Heritage Place’s parent company, Holiday Retirement Corp., to raise $250,000 through its nearly 300 retirement communities.

For more information, call 794-8857.

BRIDGES presents an opportunity to dress to the hilt, dine in style, and dance the night away at the “Raise the Roof” gala October 23rd. The fund-raiser is the grand finale in a series of events to celebrate the opening of the new BRIDGES Center, 477 N. Fifth St. in North Memphis.

“We are within a block of where BRIDGES started in 1922,” says Antoinette Cheney, associate director of development for the Memphis-based organization. “We’re back home in an area that’s growing by leaps and bounds.”

Guests will be able to tour the 55,000-square-foot facility that was designed by architect Coleman Coker. The building features a 40-foot climbing wall and is made of recycled and environmentally friendly products.

“The building is part of MLGW’s green energy program, ECO Build,” says Cheney. “The carpeting is made of post-consumer recycled plastic. We have solar-heated water, and we used bamboo for much of the wood. It fit right into what we wanted to do.”

The evening will begin at 7 p.m. with cocktails and appetizers, while guests bid on vacation packages, art by local artists, and other items donated for the event. A beef tenderloin dinner with all the accompaniments will be served around 8 p.m., followed by dessert and dancing to the Jim Johnson Orchestra until midnight.

“It’s an opportunity to come and celebrate with BRIDGES, the opening of the kid-friendliest building in Memphis,” Cheney says.

Folk’s Folly restaurant is a sponsor of the event, though the food will be prepared by Another Road Side Attraction catering. BRIDGES is a nonprofit organization that offers leadership and job training to about 9,000 youth, ages 12 to 24. Tickets for the event are $125, or $1,000 for a table for eight. Call 452-5600 to purchase tickets.

In September, the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium launched its own straw poll, “Vote with Beer.” The national program, sponsored by Samuel Adams, lets people vote by ordering a pint of beer served in a glass with a picture of Kerry or Bush.

Each glass purchased for $2.50 counts as one vote. The scores are tabulated daily and displayed in the restaurant.

“It’s pretty strange how popular it’s been,” says manager Kirk Caliendo. “We ran out of glasses this week and sold IOUs, but we received another shipment and will have them in stock up to the election.”

O Kypos’ business has grown so rapidly in the first year that head chef and owner John Gegumis has hired two new sous chefs.

“We are the only traditional Greek restaurant in Memphis,” says Gegumis. “We are growing. This is the time of year supposedly when the restaurant industry dies down. We have not felt that at all.”

Michael White comes to O Kypos from Grisanti’s restaurant where he was a sous chef for five years.

The second chef Gegumis hired is Arek Kayranski. Kayranski, who is originally from Poland, decided to stay in Memphis after completing a work-exchange program. Before coming to the United States, Kayranski owned a restaurant in Poland and taught at a culinary school.

Both chefs will be learning traditional Greek recipes that Gegumis, a Memphis native, acquired while living in Greece for six years.

“The menu comes from my family’s restaurant in Greece,” says Gegumis. “I brought the recipes with me to open my own restaurant. Arek is a natural, being from Europe, and Michael is just so dedicated to the cooking arts that he’s very comfortable learning new recipes.

“We serve a large range of seafood — lobster, steamed crab, or garlic shrimp — and the traditional casseroles like moussaka or pastitsio,” says Gegumis. “One of the biggest highlights on our menu is lamb. We have several ways we prepare it: roast lamb, lamb chops, and smoked lamb.”

Kypos, which is Greek for “the garden,” opened on the ground floor of the Comfort Inn at Front and Adams downtown in September 2003.

Smokey Bones, a barbecue chain, will celebrate the grand opening of its newest Memphis location October 19th on Hwy. 64 near Wolfchase. “The menu will have the same genuine barbecue, with a selection of American classics,” says John Cotton, manager of the Winchester location. “It will have a different layout. It’s more of a lodge setting with two big fireplaces.” •

When Jimmy Ishii opened Sekisui, the first sushi bar in Memphis, he introduced the city to a taste of Japan. Now, 15 years later, Ishii, by year end, will have opened 15 restaurants, including one in New Orleans, one in Jacksonville, Florida, and another Memphis addition, Blue Fin, due in November at Peabody Place downtown.

Also in November, Ishii will host his second gourmet tour of Japan. During the eight-day trip, guests will experience the frenetic pace of ultra-modern Tokyo, a relaxing retreat at a mountainside inn, and meals from the country’s best restaurants.

Trip-goers must have an affinity for seafood. Fish will dominate the menu from the first morning’s breakfast, sushi at the Tukiji Fish Market, to the last night spent restaurant-hopping in Osaka.

“The Tukiji Fish Market is at least 10 times the size of The Pyramid,” Ishii says. “It opens at 4 every morning, and people come to buy the freshest fish.”

While in Tokyo, guests will sit down to nine courses of crab at the Crab House and will have the opportunity to cook over lava stone. Those brave enough will court danger by eating fugu, a poisonous blowfish.

The group will then travel west by train to the volcano Mt. Fuji and cross Lake Hakone by boat. In contrast to the accommodations at the contemporary high-rise hotel in Tokyo, everyone will spend the night in a single room at a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn, that is near the Hakone National Park.

The room features a low table with floor cushions. A glass wall affords a view of the lake and Mt. Fuji in the distance. And while the furnishings are minimalist, the service is lavish. A hostess dressed in traditional Japanese attire will attend to guests’ every need, from bringing food or drink to placing tatami mats on the floor for sleeping.

The inn also offers spring-fed baths, which are heated by the volcano, for men and women.

“This is the best time to visit Hakone,” Ishii says. “The trees are changing color; there’s not much humidity. Sometimes in April and May, it rains a lot, but November is the best time to go.”

Although Ishii moved to the United States at age 18 to attend St. Louis University, he maintains a second home in Japan. He and his family, a wife and three daughters, live in Memphis, but they travel to Japan at least four times a year.

After Hakone, the group proceeds to Kyoto and Nara.

“Kyoto is a very historical city, and Nara was the capital of Japan about 1,300 years ago,” Ishii says. “There are many ancient shrines and temples.”

In addition to days spent seeing the sights of Japan, Ishii fills the nights with optional entertainment. The group can see a Kabuki play or enjoy geisha performances. The final night, Ishii takes everyone to Osaka’s New Half Show House, a bar that features transvestite cabaret performances.

Robert Chapman, owner of Molly’s La Casita and a long-time friend of Ishii’s, went on the first trip last year. He says the situation was ideal, touring all day and then eating dinner at fine restaurants.

“One night, while staying in Tokyo, we took a train to a distant suburb,” says Chapman. “It was a misty night, and we were walking down narrow cobblestone streets. All of the buildings were older wooden structures. After about a five-minute walk from the train station, Jimmy stopped in front of a door that looked like all the other carved wooden doors. He knocked on the door, and it was flung open, and there was a little restaurant inside.”

Chapman also took a stab at that poisonous fish, fugu. “It was fabulous,” he says, “and I lived to tell the tale.” •

Through a partnership between Ishii’s travel agency, Sekisui Travel, and Japan Airlines, the trip, including airfare, accommodations, nightly dining, and some lunches and breakfasts, is offered at a package price of $2,500 per person for double occupancy, $2,800 for single occupancy. Some additional charges apply for in-country transportation and optional entertainment. There are still spaces available for the upcoming tour. For more information or to make reservations, call 747-0001.

This weekend is filled with festivals, which means it’s also filled with food. In Collierville, the 12th annual Partners in Preservation Party will kick off at 7 p.m. Saturday, September 25th, at the Historic Town Square.

The event theme is “The Lizard Lounge,” so drag the bell bottoms, stack shoes, and butterfly-collar shirts out of the closet.

“It’s one of the signature events of Collierville,” says Laura Todd, executive director of Main Street Collierville. ”It’s our fund-raiser that helps us put on other events throughout the year and fund activities such as promoting and protecting our historic square.”

“Taste of the Town” booths will be set up around the square, featuring 25 area restaurants, including Yia Yia’s, Seasons at the White Church, and the Half Shell. There will also be barbecue from Corky’s and the Rendezvous, chocolates from Dinstuhl’s, and ice cream from Lickety Split.

“It will be a great party,” says Todd. “There will be a hospitality train at the depot sponsored by the Grizzlies.”

In keeping with the theme, the Gecko Brothers will perform songs by the Commodores and KC & The Sunshine Band in front of a metallic backdrop. Bubble and fog machines and disco lighting will complete the mood.

In Confederate Park, tables will be set for 10, costing $40 per person, which will cover three beverage tickets and food from the booths.

To reserve a table or purchase advance tickets, call 853-1666.

In Midtown, Evergreen Presbyterian Church will celebrate all things Scottish with its fund-raiser, Clanjamfry, on September 24th through 26th.

The three-day festival will feature an invitation-only dinner on Friday. A live performance Friday and activities Saturday and Sunday will be open to the public.

Friday, from 8 to 10 p.m., Ceilidh, a traditional Scottish dance and music, will be held at the McCallum Ballroom at Rhodes College.

Saturday kicks off with a 5K run (or walk) through Overton Park. The Scottish Faire will open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the lawn of the church at 613 University, across from Rhodes College.

“The faire will feature Scottish foods, vendors selling crafts, a children’s area with games, clan booths, and music,” says volunteer David Canon.

In addition to American foods like hamburgers and hot dogs, traditional Scottish food, such as Scots pie (a meat pastry), shortbread, and haggis will be served in the food tent.

“Haggis is a sausage traditionally cooked in a sheep’s intestine. The ones we have will not be cooked in that way,” says Canon.

The festival began in 1999 to celebrate the history of the Presbyterian Church, which originated in Scotland in 1560.

The sound of bagpipes will set the mood during the day, and an evening concert will be presented in cooperation with the Mid-South Celtic Arts Alliance. Calasaig from Scotland will perform in the church sanctuary at 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets for this event are $20 per person.

On Sunday a church service called the “Kirkin of the Tartans” a blessing of tartans will be open to visitors at 10:55 a.m. A Southern-style potluck dinner will be served on the lawn afterward. This dinner is free for those who attend the service.

“There will be plenty to eat so visitors don’t have to worry about bringing anything,” Canon says.

Proceeds from the weekend’s festivities support the Recreation Outreach Ministry of the church to fund after-school programs, tutoring, and athletic activities for youth.

Admission Saturday is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $2 for students and military personnel with ID, and free for children under age 5.

For more information, contact the church at 274-3740.

Bluefin Edge Cuisine and Sushi lounge is coming to Peabody Place and will be located in the former site of Prime Minister’s. Though initial reports slated the restaurant to open in September, according to Sekisui founder, Jimmy Ishii, Bluefin will open its doors in November. •

If weeks of Olympics coverage didn’t satisfy your hunger for all things

Greek, come to Bartlett to celebrate Greekfest 2004. St.

George Greek Orthodox Church, 6984 Highway 70, will

host this 43rd annual event September 18th.

“Watching the Olympics you see all the beauty

of Greece,” says Kathy Zambelis, publicity

chairperson. “Now, Greece is coming to the Mid-South. It is a

great way to share our heritage.”

There will be crafts, games, dance troupes, and

music from the Lazarus Band from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Admission is free. A traditional Greek dinner will be

served from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. The complete meal,

which includes an entrée, sides, salad, and dessert, is $12

for adults and $6 for children 12 and under. Advance

tickets can be purchased for $10 and $5, respectively,

by calling the church at 388-5910.

Stay all day or just drive through and carry

dinner home. And don’t forget: The Greek Pastry Shop

will offer a variety of homemade treats, and stands will

sell gyros and souvlaki.

Cafe Society, 212 N. Evergreen, has a new look. Since closing its gourmet market Epicure in

June, the restaurant opened up that space by enlarging

the bar, adding a dining room, and updating the appearance, all while preserving the

upscale French café atmosphere.

“The new bar is beautiful,” says bartender Leanna Tedford. “It’s

made of Brazilian redwood, and it follows the same curve that outlined the

old Epicure. It’s double the size of the old bar.”

Enlarging the bar also allows room for smoking tables. The

renovations include a banquet room that can be reserved for private functions.

Artwork by husband and wife Anton Weiss and Lisa Jennings adorn the walls.

“We’ve been in business 17 years, and it was time for

an update,” says Telford. “We’ve added a few new items to

the menu, but there will be more changes. We wanted to

wait until we got comfortable with the renovations.”

For now, new menu items include osso buco, a veal

shank braised for 12 hours; pan-seared flat-iron steak

with andouille, succotash, and a Gran Marnier-scented

lobster glaze; and the chef’s daily selection of fresh fish.

Senses, 2866 Poplar, may be best known for its pulsing music and cold drinks, but the club also

features a full kitchen. The best time to sample the more

unusual menu items, like the endame (salted soy beans), is

Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. when free appetizers

are served in the Martini Bar.

Chef Robby Alexander, who formerly worked at

Automatic Slim’s, helped owners George and Dennis

Mironovich create an assortment of light and tasty finger foods.

“We didn’t want to offer a big cheeseburger, so

we created four mini-cheeseburgers,” says

George Mironovich.

The Asian-influenced menu mostly features

appetizers to be shared among friends and a couple of

entrées for bigger appetites.

Now that the club has found its niche in the

nightclub industry, it is carving out a spot in the

catering business as well. It offers themed buffets, such as

“Caribbean Carnival” or “Tea Time,” as well as nearly

50 finger food or plate dinners.

“Whether it’s a business meeting for 40 or a

wedding reception for 700, we can provide everything

— food, drinks, servers, sound, lighting, and even

decoration,” says George Mironovich.

Cookbook compliments of the Woman’s

Exchange will be published in the fall of 2005 to

share recipes and raise funds for an organization that has

been in Memphis since 1933.

“We’ve done cookbooks in the past, but this

will be the biggest and the best,” says Libby Aaron, a

member of the organization. “The book will be

hardcover and include about 250 recipes.”

The Woman’s Exchange is a national

nonprofit organization that sells products and crafts made

by people who work from home because of disabilities

or other reasons.

“The Woman’s Exchange is helping people

help themselves,” says Aaron. “Changes in the economy

have been hard, and consignors are a dying breed.

Women just don’t sew like they used to and the operating

costs are increasing, so we just need a good fund-raiser.”

The Memphis chapter’s store at 88 Racine also

features a tearoom. Three-course meals with a selection

of three entrées are served for lunch Monday through

Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.