Category: Food & Drink

In northern Italy, rice and polenta are staples of the regional cuisine, whereas in the south, pasta is more common. In the north, it’s butter versus the south’s olive oil. Likewise, cream sauces are more prevalent in the north due to the abundance of dairy farms. And in the heart of northern Italy lies the Emilia-Romagna region, known for such delights as Parma’s Parmesan cheese and prosciutto ham.

Marena’s, located in the Evergreen District, specializes in northern Italian cuisine, particularly that of Emilia-Romagna.

Earlier this year, Rena and Jack Franklin, longtime owners of Marena’s, sold the restaurant to former Dux chef Mortez Gerani. The restaurant is now called Marena’s Gerani, though little else has changed. The vibrantly painted dining rooms are as inviting as ever, the wait staff is familiar (what a relief), and the guitar player still quietly performs in the corner. Gone is the host, while in is the complementary Italian sparkling wine.

For starters we selected the castellara and the caprese. The castellara was a lightly breaded and seasoned crab-and-shrimp cake that was fat with juicy seafood and served with a salsa verde of diced cucumber, tomato, and green onions topped with shredded, golden-fried leeks. The caprese featured soft buffalo mozzarella cheese and sliced tomatoes with fresh basil circling a bed of baby greens and drizzled with a blend of olive oil and balsamic vinegar delicious.

For soup, we tried the cioppino, a traditional assorted-seafood soup with angel hair pasta, basil, and a light tomato broth, and the chef’s special for the evening, an Italian vegetable soup with broccoli and cauliflower florets, onion, beans, and mushrooms that mingled well in a brown broth. Both soups were rich and flavorful.

The insalata del contadino e tonno was a large bed of mixed baby greens and spinach leaves with a dressing of herbs and balsamic vinegar topped with succulent, lightly grilled tuna strips. The insalata del giorno was a blend of baby greens, radicchio, and thinly sliced prosciutto placed next to a mixture of tomato, green onions, and chopped boiled egg. A balsamic vinaigrette drizzled over the greens made this irresistible.

For the entrées, one of my dining companions chose the tasty fruitti misto di mare, a large bowl of sautéed jumbo shrimp, scallops, and mushrooms tossed with angel hair pasta in a white wine sauce with a hint of lemon. The fileto de bue demonstrated perfect preparation. The two beef tenderloin filets were prepared to order and served with jumbo roasted potato wedges and a bed of wilted spinach, Parmesan cheese, and a green peppercorn sauce. The fileto de bue’s presentation was a creative twist on meat and potatoes and made it the entrée of the evening.

The scallopini di vitello piccatta showed the chef’s respect for the delicacy of veal scallopini’s flavor and texture. Two lightly sautéed veal scallops in a subtle lemon sauce made great companions for broccoli florets and polenta dressed with leeks. The entrée del giorno was grilled mahi mahi and shrimp dish with polenta and leeks. Unfortunately, this entrée lacked the luster of the others, and the portion was rather small.

For dessert, we ordered the mele con croccante, an apple-crumb-like dish with frozen vanilla custard. This dessert was huge, and we did our best to finish it. We also ordered the dolce al cucchiaio di nicciola (aka hazelnut cream), which was light, fluffy, and drizzled with chocolate sauce. My favorite — the tartufo, a classic Italian chocolate truffle with a dreamy zabaglione cream center covered by a gianduia cream and dusted with cocoa powder. It was a chocoholic’s dream come true.

Marena’s Gerani is located at 1545 Overton Park Avenue. Reservations are requested, 278-9774. Appetizers: $9.95-$13.50; salads and soups: $6.50-$12.50; and entrées: $17.95-$23.95.

Fandom sent me to Myung Sook Lee’s Iron Chef restaurant, named for the popular Food Network show on which Lee was a competitor. What I found of the Korean, Japanese, and Southeast Asian restaurant was unexpected — sometimes pleasantly, sometimes not.

Located on Summer Avenue, the Iron Chef is in a large metal building resembling a warehouse. A small bar area and large dining room are divided by a low wall. The kitchen sits at the back of the dining room and is enclosed in glass panels, allowing diners to observe the preparation of their meals. A wall-mounted television plays an Iron Chef video continuously. The setting is a little austere but casual with its metal chairs and tables. It’s good for large gatherings but not for an intimate dining experience. We had made reservations, but they were not necessary since the restaurant had few patrons on this Friday night.

We began with a complimentary, tasty salsa-like mixture of green onions, cantaloupe, tomatoes, and cilantro blended with rice-wine vinegar and served with lightly fried wonton chips. Next, we sampled the shrimp tempura. Although served with a flavorful sweet-and-sour sauce and prepared in a light tempura batter, the breading on the shrimp did not cook thoroughly nor did the shrimp reach an even doneness. For every crunchy shrimp with a translucent pink center there was another that was soggy and undercooked.

The chicken katsu was delicious — moist strips of chicken breast dredged through a dried flaky breading, fried golden brown, and drizzled with teriyaki honey sauce. Not to be outdone were the gyoza dumplings stuffed with lean beef and chopped green onion, boiled then pan-seared to a light brown and crunchy finish. Accompanied by a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice-wine vinegar, these dumplings were a hit. To round out our appetizer choices, we selected the California roll — a spring roll wrapper stuffed with imitation crabmeat (fresh and authentic would have been better), cucumber, and avocado and rolled in a sushi rice blend (rice-wine vinegar, sugar, and rice). The roll wore small golden eggs of whitefish caviar like crown jewels and was served with traditional wasabi and fresh gingerroot — a visual and tasty treat indeed.

Our first entrée, the lobster, had been separated into pieces, sautéed in garlic, and presented on a large platter with green onions and broccoli. The vegetables mingled in a sweet and spicy sauce alongside a mound of long-grain white rice sprinkled with black sesame seeds. The menu indicated bread and salad would accompany the meal. We never received the bread and missed the chance to sop up the dish’s flavor-packed sauce.

The beef pepper steak we ordered was supposed to be served with sautéed mushrooms. We never saw any mushrooms, but we did get two pan-seared steaks atop a mixture of tomatoes, broccoli, and onions. I expected the steak to be sliced into thin strips; instead, it came prepared as two whole (and tough) steaks, well-done rather than medium as we had ordered.

Our party also tried the Thai sautéed shrimp — shrimp, onions, green onion, red pepper, and a hint of cilantro mingling in a spicy sauce enhanced with a hint of red chili pepper and encircling a mound of white rice topped with black sesame seeds. The plump, tender, and succulent shrimp enhanced the sauce without being overpowered by it.

Our final entrée, the Kashiyaki platter, was a selection of skewered grilled chicken, beef, shrimp, and onions with rice. The dish tasted as expected but lacked creativity. The menu offered bread or rice with each entrée, but we were never asked our preference and received four large mounds of rice instead. The menu also indicated that green salads would accompany each entrée but they did not. This is sheer lack of attention to detail. Plus, our server struggled to communicate with us and needed assistance on several occasions to answer questions. Further, we had to request that another waitress send ours back to our table for additional beverages. Not a good scene.

The ending to the evening came when we learned that the four desserts listed on the menu were not available. While we were disappointed not to try green-tea ice cream or red-bean ice cream, the manager persuaded us to try the two special desserts offered, the banana flambé over a chocolate cheesecake and a banana tempura. I wondered where bananas were on special. Of the flambé, I found the caramelized sauce too pungent for the delicate chocolate cheesecake, though other members of our party found the flavors quite tasty. For the tempura, bananas had been cut in half and dipped in a batter, lightly fried, sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar, and served in the same sauce as the flambé.

Although many items displayed creativity and intense flavor, overall I found the Iron Chef to be disappointing. The restaurant has potential but needs to critique itself and focus on the details of timing, service, and menu advertising. I hope my experience did not wholly explain why the restaurant was almost empty on a Friday night. The Iron Chef has been open for a while, and I am hopeful it can iron out the wrinkles.

The Iron Chef is located at 5529 Summer Avenue, 372-1313. Patrons may dine in or carry out, and delivery is available. The restaurant is open for lunch Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., and for dinner Monday through Saturday, 510 p.m. Appetizer prices range from $1.95 to $11.95 and entrées from $11.95 to $25. Wine and beer are available.

PHOTO by john landrigan

Comparisons between Harry’s Detour and its predecessor, Harry’s On Teur, are inevitable. Fair, too, given certain deja-vu-ish aspects of the new place — from the familiar menu items to the lack of parking.

Now forget about comparisons. Chef Harry Nicholas’ well-constructed and creative fare deserves your undivided attention. Harry’s Detour is a powerhouse of a place that does just about everything right.

The dining room is crammed with character — walls adorned with posters and artwork — and should you prefer to dine outside, Harry’s offers a small, front deck with plastic tables, chairs, and umbrellas, which sits nicely elevated above Cooper.

We kicked things off with some spicy appetizers. The Scallops Detour, Chaurice Diablo, and the chef’s special, shredded pork won ton. These choices were smokin’. The sea scallops, prepared with dried chiles alongside roasted corn and black-bean salsa, packed a fiery punch. The smoked Cajun chaurice sausage, bathed in a dark Cajun barbecue sauce and served with crackers, cranked it up a notch. But our favorite, the stuffed won ton with black beans and spicy shredded pork in a sticky currant sauce, was most definitely hot. The delayed reaction of the chile on the palate made itself known, forcefully, without a residual afteraste.

Samples of Harry’s entrées included curry Shrimp Bangkok, Pork Evelyn, Greek lemon chicken Newport, and Scallops Harry in a lobster cream sauce. The star, however, was Dave’s Rap, succulent Chilean sea bass wrapped in bacon, flash-baked and surrounded by perfectly wilted baby greens, then crowned with a pear-and-peach vinegar sauce. The bacon wrap was a tad undercooked but the fish melted like butter in our mouths. The tangy vinegar contrasted with the sweetness of the fruit and provided just the right companion for the greens. The Tequila Mockingbird, a jumbo chicken breast stuffed with roasted peppers, was topped with a divine mixture of herbs, lime, and tequila all served over a mound of seasoned new potatoes. This is one large entrée, and, for just over 10 bucks, we definitely got our money’s worth.

The Shrimp Nirvana is ecstasy itself for a shrimp-and-grits lover. Chef Nicholas adds his own twist to this regional favorite — the herb-seasoned jumbo grilled shrimp are surrounded by a molded polenta gnocchi (a peasant porridge shaped into a dumpling) and enhanced with a cream sauce. Our final entrée was the filet dauphine, a beef tenderloin stuffed with tasso (Cajun pork, highly seasoned with chile and other spices then smoked), oysters, spinach, and breadcrumbs atop wild mushrooms with a red-wine reduction. My guest requested the filet extremely rare, and it arrived as ordered. He especially enjoyed the marriage of pork, spinach, oysters, and beef.

No dessert menu was available, but our waitress was quick to indulge our sweet tooth. She eagerly suggested the warm pound cake soaked with a delectable warm rum sauce. It was divine, but it had stiff competition in the white-chocolate bread pudding with white-chocolate rum sauce and candied walnuts. For chocolate lovers, there’s a fudge brownie topped with white-chocolate chips and served with a scoop of french vanilla ice cream smothered in fudge sauce and melted caramel. The least exciting dessert, although appropriately crafted, was the chocolate Chambord truffles with walnuts and whipped cream. The truffles failed in comparison to the other desserts.

Harry’s Detour, 532 South Cooper (276-7623), is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:30 a..m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday brunch 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Appetizers range from $3.95 to $6.50 and entrées $9.95 to $19.95. No reservations accepted.

Many cuisines are traditionally simple and direct in style and none more so
than Italian. Italian cooking in its truest and simplest forms can be prepared
quickly or extremely slowly, but the best are conceived of the finest
ingredients, as fresh as can be found in the locality of the chef and if not
fresh, then skillfully preserved.

Lucchesi’s Ravioli & Pasta Co. blends “Old World”
preservation techniques — such as those found in their olive oils, cured
meats, and vegetables — with the freshest ingredients found in the Mid-South.
Last year, Lucchesi’s expanded its heat-at-home Italian take-out to include a
small restaurant at its Germantown Plaza location. The result is a relaxing,
friendly, and intimate setting. It has the feel of dinner at a close friend’s
house, and that friend just happens to be Italian and a great cook.

For appetizers, we ordered the toasted ravioli served with
Lucchesi’s classic marinara sauce and the chef’s featured Italian tapas
platter. Lucchesi’s prides itself on fresh, homemade pasta, and the ravioli
stuffed with Parmesan, ricotta, and spinach was no letdown. Served with a
spicy “sailor style” tomato sauce flavored with garlic, basil, and
oregano, the ravioli absorbed the sauce and we absorbed the appetizer. The
tapas platter married roasted peppers and roasted garlic with onion and
zucchini. The vegetables surrounded a small bowl of garlic, chopped red and
green onion, red and yellow pepper, green olives, and capers combined with a
blend of olive oil, lemon, pepper, and a hint of salt.

The house side salad was a large serving of romaine lettuce
mingled with ripe tomatoes, kalamata and green olives, pepperoncini peppers
(banana peppers), homemade croutons, and an Italian vinaigrette. The Caesar
salad blended romaine with croutons and a dressing of coddled eggs and
Parmesan-Reggiano cheese in an olive oil vinaigrette flavored with garlic,
Worcestershire sauce, and anchovies.

Entrées and chef’s specials offer something for everyone.
The menu is well thought-out and carefully planned to offer diners
traditional, hearty Italian fare as well as simple, fresh, and lighter
selections. Entrées range from ravioli and lasagna to veal and fresh
fish selections.

The meat lasagna featured large, flat ribbons of pasta about four
inches wide, baked in layers with meat sauce, blended ricotta cheese, and
eggs, and crowned with mozzarella cheese. Our second entrée was the
Parmigiano-Reggiano baked eggplant, tomato sauce, oregano, whole-milk
mozzarella, and grated Parmesan cheese in an angel-hair pasta crust. I have
never seen this dish served with angel-hair pasta, but it complemented the
hearty consistency of the eggplant and showed the creativity of the chef with
even the most basic Italian dishes.

The veal, which was advertised as lightly sautéed, was too
rare and positioned atop overly cooked angel-hair pasta smothered in a bland
wild mushroom and white cream sauce. The menu claimed the veal was served over
fettuccini, and we were disappointed by the substitution. This was the only
dish that was really “off.” Lucchesi’s pesto sauce, however, is a
tribute to the classic sauce of Genoa. The sautéed chicken in pesto
sauce was made with fresh basil olive oil, sundried tomatoes, fresh spinach
and garlic roasted chicken over ribbon linguine.

With our coffee we staked claim on the chocolate raspberry cake,
the cannoli, the tiramisu, and Lucchesi’s signature caramel praline cake. The
layers of dense dark chocolate cake and rich raspberry made for a decadent
chocolate fix. The cannoli – Italian pastry tubes filled with a mixture
of ricotta cheese, confectioners’ sugar, chocolate chips, and citron liqueur
(citrus fruit, cultivated for its rind and pressed for its oil and used to
make liqueurs, medicines, and perfumes) — came in pairs. The word tiramisu
literally means “pick me up” and the extremely generous portion did
just that. Layered sponge cake soaked in brandy and espresso with mascarpone
custard flavored with chocolate demonstrated the Italian art of preparing this
dessert. Lucchesi’s tiramisu is definitely one of the best I have tried in
Memphis.

But we saved the best for last: the caramel praline cake —
layers of dreamy yellow cake, buttercream frosting, and caramel iced with more
buttercream and drizzled with pralines and more caramel. Lucchesi’s claims
this is their most popular dessert and I know why. The cake melted in our
mouths. It alone was worth the trip.

Lucchesi’s Ravioli & Pasta Co. has two locations. Their
retail store at Mendenhall Commons, 540 South Mendenhall Road (at Sanderlin),
Suite #3, is open Monday through Saturday 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Lucchesi’s store and
restaurant is in Germantown Plaza, 2037 Exeter Road. The store is open Monday
through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the restaurant is open for lunch
Monday through Saturday and for dinner on Fridays only, 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Surrounded by murals depicting street scenes and snug inside Napa Cafe’s tranquil allure, we were struggling:

What should we have for an appetizer?

Our waitress recognized our distress and offered keen descriptions of Napa’s offerings. We finally selected the crab cakes, the wild-mushroom tart, and the shrimp bisque. The lump crab cakes were seasoned with breadcrumbs, lightly fried, and served with a rémoulade sauce. The wild-mushroom tart was a masterpiece of presentation. Simply positioned on a round white plate, the hollow pastry held fresh leeks and shiitake, portabello, and button mushrooms. The tart had a lovely pesto sauce drizzled over the mushrooms, which lent freshness to the earthy flavor of the mushrooms and leeks. The shrimp bisque was a purée of shrimp thickened with cream and a subtle yet tantalizing sherry essence — a dish that was in demand at our table.

And then a surprise — the bruschetta appetizer we had passed on. The waitress claimed that she hated for us to miss out on this one — an impressive act from the waitress and an unexpected treat of thinly sliced and toasted French baguettes rubbed with olive oil and garlic and topped with kalamata olives, navy beans, chopped roma tomatoes, yellow onion, garlic (tossed in a garlic- and basil-infused olive oil), and then covered with crumbled goat cheese. I thought the mixture needed a little kick of spice, but other members of our party found its lightness refreshing on a hot evening.

Again, however, another struggle: choosing among the menu’s entrées: Everything sounded good, from the yellowfin tuna, sesame-encrusted salmon, and halibut to the rack of lamb, the duck, and the pork tenderloin with Roquefort. There was careful, careful deliberation. We had the filet mignon, a tender grilled-to-order cut of Black Angus beef, served with a red-wine shallot sauce and roasted-garlic whipped potatoes.

Next up, the grilled shrimp and creamy grits. The grits, which came in a large, flat bowl, were circled by large shrimp and pancetta (Italian bacon) in a shiitake mushroom sauce. I have sampled a variety of shrimp and grits around the area, and I have to say that Napa Cafe’s is one of the best — simple flavors that are at the same time rich and tantalizing.

The roasted duck came thinly sliced, crisp on the outside, pink and tender on the inside. An orange, apricot brandy sauce enhanced the duck without overpowering its gamey flavor. Rich, wild pilaf and fresh green beans completed the dish. Not to be outdone, the rainbow trout — one half of a sautéed filet (as long as the plate) smothered with a passion fruit beurre blanc. The passion fruit’s tangy/sweet flavor was delicious, and the pinkish hue of the fish offset the vibrant red fruit. The favorite of our table.

For dessert, we selected the buttermilk pie, which was not the pie we expected. The buttermilk pies I grew up with were deep-dish pie crusts filled with a custard. Napa’s was similar to a cheesecake in consistency and came with a graham-cracker crust. The praline pie was a mound of vanilla ice cream topped with hot caramel sauce and nuts, also in a graham-cracker crust — delightful. As for the lemon and blueberry tart, we were hesitant to order it, but our waitress insisted, saying this was a five-star dessert. She was right — a puff pastry layered with lemon curd and engulfed by a fresh blueberry purée and a surprising climax to our meal.

Napa Cafe is located at 5101 Sanderlin Avenue and open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; for dinner Monday through Thursday from 5 to 9:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. Entrées at lunch range from $9.95 to $14.95, dinner $16.95 to $26.95.

Sabor translates as “flavor,” and at Sabor Tropical, on Lamar Avenue, there are plenty of flavors to sample. The menu offers 30 entrées, including pork, chicken, beef, and seafood dishes. While there’s not an appetizer section on the menu, we chose a grilled sandwich roll stuffed with layers of pork, ham, dill pickle chips, melted Swiss cheese, and Dijon mustard to munch on while we attempted to narrow our entrée choices.

For the record, Cuban cuisine is amazing for the variety of dishes, the quantities served, and the ethnic mix of Russian, Chinese, and European influences, with a particular emphasis on Spanish and African cultures. Dishes are typically served with black beans mixed with white rice, yellow rice, or white rice and fried plantains. Plantains are closely related to the banana but have a higher starch and lower sugar content. They require a longer cooking time for savory and sweet dishes and are a staple in Latin America. (If you are buying plantains in a local grocery, be aware that if the skin is green, the fruit is not fully ripened. The skin should turn yellow and then black to ensure peak ripeness.)

The Bistec delmonico, arroz blanco, negros y maduros proved to be a steak smothered in sautéed onions drizzled with fresh lime juice and accompanied by a rice and black bean mixture circled by fried plantains. The cut of beef was a little fatty and we were not asked our preference for cooking the meat. Unfortunately, the beef was overcooked and a little tough. The Cerdo a la juliana, moros y yuca was better: succulent strips of pork mingled with red and green peppers sautéed with julienned strips of onion. The pork had been marinated in garlic and olive oil, roasted, and then served with a mix of rice and fried plantains. The pork and plantains sent my tastebuds into overload.

The Zarzuela de mariscos, arroz blanco y maduros arrived at our table in a large metal pot containing a blend of shrimp, black mussels, squid, white fish, and baby scallops swimming in a Creole sauce of butter, garlic, paprika, and a hint of red pepper. The aroma of this seafood stew gave me goose bumps, and we could not wait to dive for treasures in this dish. The seafood was fresh and perfectly tender and had absorbed the flavors from the liquid. This is a must-try for anyone who enjoys seafood. Yellow rice and plantains were served separately and offered a visual complement to the stew.

To be adventurous we selected an evening special for our final entrée. The Medallones de pargo, a red snapper fillet bathed in butter, fresh lime juice, a hint of garlic, paprika, and fresh cilantro, literally melted in our mouths. This fish was full of flavor, and to my amazement the lime juice and paprika did not overpower it. A side order of yellow rice and fried plantains again accompanied the entrée.

Sabor Tropical offers a limited dessert and coffee menu. The casco de guayaba con queso crema proved to be a guava fruit, seeded, peeled, and smothered in light corn syrup and served with a strip of cream cheese. (Guava is an inadequately appreciated, sweet, pink, hearty, and juicy fruit. So try it.) Flan, the very popular open tart, filled with caramel and cream custard, is rich, and Sabor Tropical’s version is very rich and the perfect match for a strong cup of coffee. The Cuban coffee (espresso) and the Cortadito (café au lait) appeared in small, bright yellow- and blue-ceramic cups and saucers. The perfect ending to an authentic Cuban dining experience.

Sabor Tropical is at 3999 Lamar Avenue. Hours: Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 7 p.m. For carry-out, call 566-0960.

food notes

by Hannah Walton

What a Dip

The Melting Pot recently opened its second restaurant in Memphis at 126-128 Monroe Avenue. The first, near the Wolfchase Galleria, is regularly packed with people who want their fondue.

Explains general manager Scott Thiele, “It’s not just the normal out-to-eat routine, but a totally new experience.”

Of course, Thiele is not altogether right. Fondue has recently returned in popularity after the intial craze faded out about the same time as disco. At the Melting Pot, customers can choose cheese fondues for appetizers, flavored fondues for meat and vegetable entrées, and chocolate fondues for dessert. Dippees include strawberries and lobster and bread. Dips: bouillon; Swiss and cheddar cheeses; dark, milk, and white chocolates.

Entrées range in price from $12.95 to $24.95 and include salad and vegetables. The Melting Pot is open 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 4 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

Out Of Town

Talk about a fish tale. They’ll be in and out of the water in Chattanooga this summer when local restaurateur Jimmy Ishii opens a Sekisui across from the Tennessee Aquarium — the world’s largest freshwater aquarium.

The 4,600-square-foot Sekisui Chattanooga will seat more than 100 people. In the front of the restaurant, a sushi bar will serve traditional Japanese cuisine; the back will have a hibachi table with additional grilled Japanese specials. Blue neon waves will be incorporated into the restaurant’s design to carry out the aquatic theme.

Chef Kazumichi Sempuku is one of six chefs who will be creating new specials daily. Sempuku has worked in Honolulu and St. Louis.

“He is a long-time friend of mine and a very, very good chef,” Ishii says.

Ishii says downtown Chattanooga is an ideal location because of the lack of Japanese cuisine there. He says the aquarium across the street adds a nice touch.

Since Ishii seems to own nearly every restaurant in Memphis, it’s natural that he look beyond the city limits. As Ishii says, “When people become addicted to sushi I will be a happy man.”

Waiting to exhale? EJ’s Brasserie, on Germantown Parkway, is a setting just made for shedding the day. EJ’s interior is small, casual, and festive. The wood is teak, the colors are blue and gold, and the walls are dotted with lively paintings of harbors.

We began our meal with what the menu calls “beginnings.” First up, crab cakes — lumps of crabmeat delicately mixed with bread crumbs, spiced with red pepper, and cradled by curry oil, cranberry ketchup, and papaya chutney. Next were the spring rolls, a mixture of Chinese vegetables wrapped and deep-fried, served sliced atop an orange pico glaze. A mound of steaming black mussels then appeared, though the aroma of curry, saffron, and fennel arrived at the table first. This flavorful cream sauce was a divine accompaniment to the mussels.

Finally, the featured beginning, known as the “smørrebrøds platte.” Smørrebrød, literally buttered bread in Danish, is an open-faced, artfully presented sandwich made with all kinds of fish, meat, and vegetable fillings. This night’s platter — it changes frequently at EJ’s — featured a smoked salmon roll stuffed with cream cheese, beef tips, mushrooms, and havarti cheese, all on a party-size pumpernickel bread.

Salads are not included with the entrées, but do not pass on these greens. EJ’s simple salad is merely mixed baby greens, cucumbers, and tomatoes drizzled with a champagne vinaigrette. The warm goat cheese salad features a ball of pecan-crusted goat cheese on a palette of baby greens with a balsamic vinaigrette. On this night, the cheese was too warm and had begun to melt by the time the salad was served. The flavors mingled well, but the timing was a little off.

The Caesar salad, though, was definitely a hit — chopped romaine lettuce tossed in a mixture of coddled eggs and grated Parmesan cheese in an olive oil vinaigrette flavored with garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and anchovies, then finished by a garlic crisp.

The baby spinach salad had a Danish twist. Baby spinach and pickled beets tossed in a walnut vinaigrette were piled high on a plate surrounded by chunks of Roquefort cheese — a nod to the importance of color and texture in presentation. It’s difficult to find the true Danish blue cheese, Danablu. I commend EJ’s for substituting Roquefort since it’s as close to Danablu as locals typically find. But in Denmark, Danablu is a well-known cheese based on the French blues. Details, details, details. Very good.

The choice in entrées made selection difficult — salmon, halibut, tilapia, calf’s liver, pork tenderloin, duck breast, and chicken risotto. The variety was almost overwhelming, so we sought the advice of our waitress, who highlighted ingredients and flavors. Again, details. It is critical that the wait staff be knowledgeable of the fare they are serving.

After much deliberation we settled on four entrées; the pompano, the veal scaloppini, the filet of beef, and the mahi mahi. Pompano is found off the southeastern U.S. coastline, and it is a beautiful white-meat fish. EJ’s pompano came wrapped in phyllo dough with a mango salsa and orange fennel sauce. The golden richness of the phyllo dough and the texture of the fish melted in our mouths. The mango and orange gave the fish a Caribbean punch.

The thinly sliced cutlets in the veal scaloppini were placed atop a mound of creamy, garlic whipped potatoes. A deep-amber Marsala (Italian fortified dessert wine) reduction intensified the delicate flavor of the veal and potatoes. Not to be outdone, however, was the mahi mahi, cut into fillets and packed with a variety of herbs. The result: a rich, moist, firm, and sweet fillet towering over a tumulus of butternut squash purée, melting leeks, and basil vinaigrette.

Last but not least, the black-pepper-seared filet of beef. My dining companion ordered it medium-well; however, the filet appeared extremely well done. To add to our disappointment, the shoestring of potato tossed in white truffle oils and a grain-mustard demiglace was also overcooked. Don’t rule this dish out, though. It has an interesting mix of flavors, and everybody has an off-night once in a while. Even so, all of our entrées were well thought-out. Balance, color, textures — at EJ’s it’s artwork.

Homestyle desserts with a Danish flair are prepared in-house at EJ’s. The white and dark chocolate mousse was served in a puff pastry. My dining companion was entranced by this dessert, and for a moment the rest of the table wasn’t sure if she was going to let us try the mousse or keep it all to herself.

I couldn’t determine if EJ’s raspberry sorbet included a beaten egg white or milk, which some chefs add to keep crystals from forming during freezing. Unfortunately, the sorbet was swimming in an overpowering and pungent raspberry purée. A third dessert, the lemon tartlet, was tangy, sweet, and savory and had no top crust.

I applaud the owners, the chefs, and wait staff at EJ’s Brasserie for their dedication and attention to detail. It is so refreshing to visit a restaurant that truly embraces its clientele, makes every effort to impress, and keeps diners wanting to come back for more. n

EJ’s Brasserie is located at 1884 N. Germantown Road. Lunch: $5 to $15; dinner: $5 to $12 for appetizers and $16 to $26 for entrées. EJ’s is open for lunch Monday through Friday and dinner Monday through Sunday. For reservations, call 751-1150.

food notes

Mash Mouth

Ever had your ice cream mashed on marble before it’s served to you? Given the crowd at the newly opened Marble Slab Creamery people like it that way.

The Marble Slab Creamery, a nationwide chain, reached Memphis two weeks ago and is as much about the experience as it is about the ice cream. It works like this: Choose among the 38 flavors of ice cream, 35 toppings, and 9 cones, then watch the Creamery-ers smooth the ice cream onto a frozen marble slab, mash the toppings into the ice cream, and then serve it up in a cone. Among the ice creams: egg nog, peanut butter banana, and chocolate amaretto. Toppings vary from every candy bar imaginable to miniature marshmallows and sliced almonds. Customers’ favorite cones include vanilla cinnamon and white chocolate.

The Creamery makes its own ice cream and cones from scratch and also sells frozen yogurt, ice cream pies, fresh-baked items, and gourmet coffee.

Marble Slab Creamery is located in Germantown at the Shops of Saddle Creek. The hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday.

A New Market With New Flavors

And speaking of ice cream … Are you in the mood for Jamaican banana ice cream? There’s only one place in Memphis you can find it.

Three weeks ago, Epicure, a European gourmet market, opened in Midtown to sell a wide variety of foods, from Belgian chocolates to French lemonade. Epicure sells fresh bread and ice cream, both of which are made in the store daily.

“This place is different. You can’t find the Jamaican banana or the white chocolate and strawberry ice cream like ours anywhere else in Memphis,” store owner Michel Leny says. “I grew up in Belgium eating the same chocolates we sell, and they are the best. We are only one of eight businesses that carry them, and the only one in the Mid-South.”

Along with the gourmet foods, Epicure has chefs cooking new items daily — crabcakes rémoulade and roast chicken with passion fruit and almond orzo. Epicure also sells seafood fresh from Florida and lamb stuffed with herbs and vegetables.

Epicure is located at 208 N. Evergreen. The hours are 10 a.m.- 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Road Trip

Peaches, peanuts, and homemade biscuits — all are on the agenda of the Southern Foodways Alliance’s (SFA) field trip to Greensboro, North Carolina.

This is the first of a series of Southern Foodways Alliance field trips and an addition to the annual Foodways symposium held at Ole Miss.

There are 75 to 80 spots open for the trip, scheduled July 13th through July 15th. Says John T. Edge, director of SFA, “It’s a true field trip to get immersed in the world of food.”

The trip will include a tour through Goat Lady Dairy, where Ginnie and Steve Tate will discuss gardening and serve samples of award-winning cheese. Participants will also learn to make biscuits. Also scheduled is the Boiled Peanut Party.

Edge expects participants from across the country. The trip is open to the general public at $250 per person and $225 for SFA members. Hotel costs are not included. For registration or more information call John T. Edge at (662) 915-5993. — Hannah Walton