Tag: 3rd & Court

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Wrap it Up: A Roundup of 2019 Food News Tidbits

This was the year of seafood, South Main, and comeback stories, with old favorites like Fino’s and Zinnie’s making triumphant returns. Here are a few items of note from 2019.

RIP

Mary Burns, longtime owner of Java Cabana, died on October 4th after a nearly three-year battle with lung cancer. Burns purchased Java Cabana in 1998 and had become a fixture of Cooper-Young, serving as a member of the Cooper-Young Business Association and the Cooper-Young Garden Club. Burns is largely remembered for making Java Cabana what it is today, a welcoming safe haven for artists and poets alike.

City of Sole

Several seafood restaurants — particularly those specializing in crab dishes — have opened or opened new locations, including Crab’N’Go, Crab Island, DeeO’s Seafood, Red Hook Cajun Seafood & Bar, Saltwater Crab, and others.

Saltwater Crab opened its doors over the summer with an expansive menu including sushi, sandwiches, and crab options such as crab cakes, king crab, snow crab, and a saltwater crab roll. Atlanta-based restaurateur Gary Lin opened Saltwater Crab in early July, but the kitchen is managed by Memphis chefs. The menu is entirely “coastal,” so you won’t find any catfish here.

The Juicy Crab, a Georgia-based seafood chain, opened its first Memphis location on Winchester earlier this year, and The Coastal Fish Company opened in Shelby Farms in October. Mardi Gras Memphis, which specializes in Louisiana-style seafood boils, recently reopened their restaurant across from the Crosstown Concourse. And Picasso’s — a seafood and pasta place — opened in August at 6110 Macon, making it the newest seafood addition to East Memphis. The Cousins Maine Lobster food truck also opened in March.

Downtown Dining

South Main is now home to quite a few new dining and drinking destinations, including the restaurants (Hustle & Dough, Longshot), coffeeshop (Vice & Virtue), and bar (Bar Hustle) inside the Arrive Hotel, as well as those inside Puck Food Hall, Memphis’ first and only food hall, which had its grand opening in May.

The Central Station Hotel also opened on South Main in October, and with it came a new bar, Eight & Sand, and restaurant, Bishop — Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman’s newest project.

Justin Fox Burks

BarWare

BarWare, a neighborhood bar that features craft cocktails and elevated bar food, opened on Front this year, too. And several other notable establishments opened their doors Downtown, including Comeback Coffee, Hu. Diner, 3rd & Court, and more.

Old Favorites Return

This was also the year we saw many old favorites come back to life. Fino’s, the beloved Midtown deli, reopened on June 6th, bringing their classic gourmet sandwiches back after closing in late 2018.

Old Zinnie’s — the “best little neighborhood bar in the universe” — first opened in 1973 but closed abruptly in 2018, leaving many Memphis barflies feeling abandoned. They reopened on Halloween, the perfect night to welcome the regulars back to their local haunt. As if it never closed, Zinnie’s feels very much the same, and they’re even serving popcorn again like in the old days.

The infamous and inimitable Hernando’s Hide-A-Way also celebrated its reopening near the end of 2019. The spot, famous for hosting music legends like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis, closed in 2007 but was recently purchased and reopened by partners Dale Watson and Celine Lee along with co-owner Patrick Trovato of Long Island, New York. The owners plan to maintain the integrity of the original, offering plenty of local music and color, and, supposedly, the “best hamburger in Tennessee.”

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Underground: The Lounge at 3rd & Court

Memphis has welcomed a handful of new spots to the Downtown area in recent weeks, and I took it upon myself to find the one with the dimmest light and richest jams.

The basement bar of 3rd & Court, known simply as The Lounge, opened a couple of weeks ago but held its official grand opening on November 7th. They were kind enough to invite some of us Memphis Flyer folks, marking my first time being on a list since dating guitarists.

The Lounge was formerly home to Memphis Sounds before that bar moved to Mud Island. Those who went to Memphis Sounds will remember it as dark, smoky, and echoing with great tunes. Ryan Trimm, who opened The Lounge, hasn’t changed much besides nixing the smoking. The carpet is new, the paint is fresh, but Memphis sounds, if not Memphis Sounds, still reign supreme in this underground space.

Justin Fox Burks

Craft cocktails — just don’t gouge your eye out with a cinnamon stick.

Like all of Trimm’s places, there is booze to be had! The shelves are full of whiskeys and Scotches, and while the bar leans on mixology, it’s not dependent upon it. For as many craft cocktails as they offer, there were plenty of folks ordering whiskey neat.

We tried three cocktails: the Esperanza, the Hi Fi Manhattan, and the Crosseyed and Painless, each $10. The Esperanza is made from gin, lemon, ginger beer, demerara, and fresh mint. The Hi Fi is rye whiskey and Punt e Mes. The Crosseyed, made with Jamaican rum and allspice dram, was a hit with everyone.

What caught my eye was the Grapefruit Collins, made with — get this — Squirt. You know Squirt! It’s the old-school citrus soda that your grandmother used to keep in the garage refrigerator. Bartender Nick Lumpkin says he’s not only a fan of it, but an admirer of it as a mixer. For you Squirters (snort laugh), Lumpkin says it’s available at the Kroger on Union.

As earlier reported, Trimm wanted a live DJ spinning vinyl in the space. The DJ booth is an extension of the bar, and DJ Capital A was on deck for the opening. I underestimated how much I’d enjoy seeing and hearing an actual DJ as opposed to listening to whatever lame-o playlist someone put together.

A couple hours after opening the doors, The MD’s took the stage. Lumpkin mentioned that they’d be hosting more local acts onstage but that they wouldn’t rule out the possibility of an out-of-town act in the future.

The dark atmosphere is, in a word, ideal. It was dark in a warm sense; people bustled around everywhere, and I felt cozy and anonymous (which was great, since I nearly gouged myself with the cinnamon stick in my drink, and no one bore witness to my humiliation). It was like if Alex’s Tavern was wearing a bowtie, and no drunk assholes had access to the jukebox.

The Lounge has table service as well as bar service, but the bar was the popular option for the opening night crowd. It’s open from 5:30 p.m. until 1 a.m. on Thursday through Sunday, making it a bitchin’ post-work happy hour spot for later in the week.

Check your cares at the door, friends, because halfway through the evening, the fire alarm went off and not a soul stood up to leave the bar. What’s a fire when you’ve got drinks in front of you?

As the grand opening party raged on, more people poured downstairs to check out the spot. I’ll by no means be the only person to write about The Lounge, as by the time I left, I was one of several columnists on hand for the festivities. But I’ll say, as many others likely will, it’s a cool place. The Memphis music, the darkness, the sway of the crowd, and the drinks all work wonderfully together in a way only a Memphis lounge can do, and this time without your drunk friend at the jukebox.

Visit The Lounge, downstairs in the 3rd & Court Diner at Hotel Indigo, 24 N. B.B. King.

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We Recommend We Saw You

Elvis 7s, Kevin Brooks, Cole O’Keeffe, Summer Cocktail Festival, Rooms & Relics

CREDIT: Michael Donahue

Michael Donahue

I’m getting a lot of mileage out of my ‘We Saw You’ business cards. This is the Nashville Rugby team at the Elvis 7s rugby tournament in Millington. This is not a new addition to the team’s uniform.

Instead of giving him the shirt – or the cape – off his back, Larry Magdovitz, dressed as The King, gave the patent leather belt that accessorized his white jumpsuit to John Elmore. That was after Elmore won first prize in the Mr. Sideburns contest at the Elvis 7s rugby tournament.

The rugby event, which has been called the unofficial start of Elvis Week, is when ruggers grow sideburns just for the tournament. They play rugby against a background of Elvis songs. This year’s tournament was held August 3rd at USA Stadium in Millington.

Players taking part in the Mr. Sideburns contest competed for the best sideburns and sang an Elvis song of their choice.

Elmore, a member of Memphis Blues Rugby Club, was the first place winner with his  burns and his rendition of “Stuck on You.”


Michael Donahue

John Elmore and Larry Magdovitz at Elvis 7s.

Michael Donahue

Justin Alden of the Memphis Blues Rugby Club came in second place in the Mr. Sideburns contest.

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Michael Donahue

My business card was a hit with Jay Etkin, but he didn’t hang it on the wall at his gallery, Jay Etkin Gallery. This was the night of the opening of Cole O’Keeffe’s art show.

Michael Donahue

Cole O’Keeffe

Jay Etkin Gallery at 942 South Cooper was packed for the August 7th opening of Cole O’Keeffe’s exhibition of works, which he titled “God is Real and Other Perceptions.”

About 120 people attended the event, where Cole also did a reading of some of his writings.

Jay says he told the audience, “What you have here in front of you is a youthful visionary.”

“What he’s doing,” Jay says, “is coming to the public – in this case – without any pretension, without any agenda. The work is raw – in a good way. It’s not fussy. It’s just what he’s in the moment of, whether written word or making a painting. There is no forethought of ‘I have to make this one way or the other.’ It’s just spontaneous and intuitive. But his value is the rawness of it.

“This is not commercial fine art. This is very raw fine art. And I’m saying this as a compliment because I’ve seen too many people who think about the market when they’re making art.”

Cole, Etkin says, puts his heart on his sleeve, which he also demonstrated in his readings. Cole “read very intimate things in front of all these people that night.”

Etklin describes Cole’s writing as “very open and very revealing and very honest.”

“God is Real and Other Perceptions” is on view through August 10th.


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Michael Donahue

Kevin Brooks on the eve of his big ‘Memphis Film Prize’ win.

So, how does Kevin Brooks feel about his second consecutive Memphis Film Prize win? A Night Out, which he co-directed with Abby Meyers, was the 2019 Memphis Film Prize winner. The $10,000 award was announced August 4th.

“I did not know it was going to come,” Brooks says. “I was surprised. I was ecstatic. I was very grateful.”

He wanted the exposure for the film. “It’s such a powerful story. And collaborating with Abby Meyers was such a beautiful thing.”

A Night Out, which stars Rosalyn R. Ross, is about a woman who goes to a nightclub to cheer herself up after a bad breakup. All the action takes place in one continuous 10-minute shot in and around Mollie Fontaine Lounge.

What’s next? “I have a feature film I’m hoping to get funding for next year. That’s my goal.

I really want to do a big film. My goal since I was six years old. Now is the time to take advantage of the resources I have in my life and the people who supported me to make this happen.”

What’s he going to do with his share of the prize money?  “Put it towards the feature, hopefully.”

And, Brooks says with a laugh, “Try not to party too hard.”

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Michael Donahue

Summer Cocktail Festival

The inaugural Summer Cocktail Festival, which was held August 2nd in Overton Square, was a success.

The event, hosted by the Memphis Flyer and Captain Morgan, was an advance sellout with 750 guests.

More than 30 spirit brands were featured along with a wide variety of custom cocktails.

Eats were provided by Second Line, Laura’s Kitchen, and Trap Fusion.

The danceable music was provided by DJ Jordan Rogers.


Michael Donahue

Patrick Kelly and Chloe Serca at Summer Cocktail Festival

Michael Donahue

Raen Browder and Jenn Tinnell at Summer Cocktails

Michael Donahue

Summer Cocktail Festival

Michael Donahue

Hotel Indigo grand opening

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“Rooms and Relics” was the theme of Hotel Indigo’s grand opening celebration, which was held August 1st. Visitors toured the hotel and its 3rd & Court diner. About 125 people, including Mayor Jim Strickland and other dignitaries, attended.

Guests dined on hors d’oeuvres from chef Ryan Trimm and listened to the music of the Stax Academy Ensemble.

Guests also took part in a “scavenger hunt;” they were asked to answer questions, including:

1. Jukebox: Name the musician on record /CD 07 on the jukebox.

2. Lobby: What year was the blue cement wall built, and what was it originally a wall for?

3. Which photographer is featured near the front desk, and what is significant about this photo gallery?

4. What is unique about rooms 834, 934, and 1034?

5. What style of restaurant is 3rd & Court?

6. What is the name of the meeting space at Hotel Indigo?

7. Which nonprofit will receive funds from this room’s reservation?

Here are the answers:

1. Otis Redding.

2. Original hotel lobby – 1963.

3. Jack Robinson. Photos from a benefit concert that took place after Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated.

4. Amazing view of AutoZone park.

5. American diner.

6. “Court Room” because it faces Court Avenue and the hotel is near law offices.

7. Stax. Room No. 813 is dedicated to Stax and is decorated in Stax decor and posters. If someone stays in this room, the hotel will give Stax 10 percent of the revenue. A check will be presented at the end of each year.

Michael Donahue

Kevin Kane and Peter Newton Hall at ‘Rooms and Relics’

Michael Donahue

Hotel Indigo grand opening.

Michael Donahue

‘Rooms and Relics’

Michael Donahue

Rooms & Relics

                                          WE SAW YOU AROUND TOWN

Michael Donahue

Michael Donahue

Brian Taylor from Austin, Texas tries his first Rendezvous ribs on his first trip to Memphis.

Michael Donahue

Allyson Blair and Paulette Regan at Global Cafe.

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

3rd & Court Now Open

CREDIT: Photographs by Justin Fox Burks

On the wall of the newly opened 3rd & Court, near Court Square Downtown, is a cluster of throwback recipes serving as wallpaper. The recipes call back a yesteryear replete with Jell-O salads and dishes involving Dr. Pepper as a key ingredient. One head-scratcher calls for condensed milk, peas, corn, and salmon.

On another wall hangs various antique kitchen tools, such as spatulas and hand beaters and others of unknown purpose.

There is a long white counter at the back, lined with stools topped in orange vinyl that, of course, spin. Booths in avocado green line a window. Toward the left is a dedicated lounge area with a bar and with seating, in the same green, surrounding coffee tables.

Indeed, the whole look, created by Ann Parker of Parker Design Studio, brings to mind the good (and some could reasonably argue, bad) old days, when folks dressed up for airplane flights and mom and dad and Susie and Biff took long road trips across the newly created interstate highway system.

When Ryan Trimm and his associates of Across the Board Hospitality Group were approached by Hotel Indigo, he says his first thought was “diner.” He thought about the hotel and about traveling and his own trips when he was a kid. He says he wanted a place where the food was recognizable and comforting — a burger, a steak. He pictured a Betty Draper type sitting in the lounge, shaking off a long day of being stuck in the car with squabbling kids, and slowly sipping on a martini and snacking on finger foods.

To bring his vision to light, he enlisted Shelby Kight as the head chef. “I talked to her,” recalls Trimm. “What do we want to do? How do we want to do it? I gave her some ideas of the theme, the period. And then she just ran with it.”

On that menu are the burger (two patties, American cheese) — one of the diner’s big sellers — and a steak (it’s hanger steak with a coffee rub and mole butter). There’s a pork belly Reuben sandwich and Beast Loaf, made with cow, lamb, and bison.

Photographs by Justin Fox Burks

3rd & Court also offers a meat-and-two special of the day, which includes the Beast Loaf (Mondays); a smothered pork chop (Tuesdays); and Fried Chicken (Wednesdays). Sides include collard greens, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, roasted tomato slaw, and farm peas.

Breakfast is served, starting at 6:30 a.m., seven days a week. The menu features treats like a pound cake French toast (!), house donuts, and the Sophisticated Grain Bowl made with quinoa. In addition, they’re slinging such classics as an omelette plate, Egg-in-a-Hole, and Chicken Hash, which comes with two eggs (sunny side up) and potatoes.

Kight says she worked hard to keep to the diner aesthetic, but she also wanted more elevated dishes than your typical diner fare.

“I said, let’s put a twist on it and see what we can do,” she says.

For the Osso Bucco, which comes with polenta and collard greens, she braised the polenta and fried the collard greens. With the Beast Loaf, she coats the meat with a Korean chili paste and a chili sauce for an added bit of flavor.

The lounge menu — made up of things that don’t require a proper table setting — was designed to be eaten from the coffee table. There are meatball sliders and lobster rolls. The deviled eggs come with roasted poblano, cilantro, cotija, and radish. There are Gochujang-glazed lamb ribs made grilled-to-order with peanuts and pickled red onions. But the absolute genius move here may be the pimento cheese ball, which is pimento cheese rolled into a ball and served with pepper jam and fire crackers — a true throwback if there ever was one.

Of course, any diner has got to serve up pie. 3rd & Court has a trio of offerings, including coconut cream pie, bourbon chocolate pie, and strawberry mile-high pie. Trimm insisted on the latter. It’s fresh strawberries covered in a strawberry glaze and drizzled in balsamic vinegar, nestled in a house-made pie crust.

3rd & Court, 24 S. B.B. King Blvd.,
290-8484