Tag: Agave Maria

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Jimmy John’s Going in Agave Maria Space

Sandwich chain Jimmy John’s is going into the old Agave Maria space on Union in Downtown.

Alex Turley of Henry Turley Company, which leases the space, says it was a matter of finding the right business for the spot, locally owned or a chain.

He points to Cafe Samovar, a 15-year tenant in that space. It was a Russian restaurant that closed in early 2006. After that, a number of restaurants have moved in but didn’t stick. The latest was Agave Maria, an upscale Mexican restaurant that specialized in tequila.

Agave Maria was opened in 2015 by Jeff Johnson of Local. It closed for several months in 2017-18 and reopened briefly with a more standard menu but the new take didn’t take.

“We couldn’t find a local tenant that could make it work in that space,” says Turley.

The space, at 83 Union, is a prominent one. It’s next to Parking Can Be Fun and near the Main Street Mall and the Cotton Exchange Building. 


The point, says Turley and the Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC), is that the business succeeds, whether it be a chain or not. (Plus, he says, Jimmy John’s sandwiches are good.)

A statement from the DMC:

“Like most Memphians, the DMC staff and board appreciate the predominance of locally owned retailers and restaurants in our Downtown core. However, we strongly favor activated space over empty storefronts in all cases.

“And we warmly welcome chains into the mix in those cases.”

The plan is to open sometime in August, according to Jacob Davis, a representative of the owner of the franchise.

The franchisee, Travis Vannatta, has 15 Jimmy John’s, with several in Memphis, North Dakota, and Minnesota.

Davis says the appeal of the Jimmy John’s franchise is the company’s culture. “Everybody who works for Jimmy John’s buys into the brand, not the sandwiches,” he says. He says it’s the sense of teamwork that sets it apart.

Jimmy John’s is known for its “Freaky Fast, Freaky Fresh” approach. “Everything inside our four walls is done with speed,” Davis says. He says that customers can get their sandwiches as fast as 30 seconds with delivery in as little as 15 minutes.

Davis suggests the Italian Night Club sandwich. It’s salami, capicola, ham, and provolone with onion, lettuce, tomato, mayo, oil & vinegar, and oregano & basil.

“That sandwich is absolutely amazing,” he says. “I highly recommend that for first-time customers. It gets them hooked.” 

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Changes Coming to Agave Maria and Second Line

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Jeff Johnson has a hard time sitting still.

In 2010, he opened Local Gastropub in the old Sauces restaurant space downtown. Two years later, he expanded the concept to Overton Square. In 2014, he introduced a burger bar with an Asian twist in the form of Oshi Burger Bar on Main, and last year, Agave Maria opened its doors, offering Mexican-style dishes in an enchanting setting downtown.

Also in there are his recent event and pop-up restaurant space the Green Room on Overton Park, the Lousiana-style food truck Parish Grocery, forming the consulting group RFJ Concepts, assisting other restaurateurs with menu designs, traveling, and other stuff.

Recently Johnson sunk his teeth back into Agave Maria, and this week the industrious restaurateur launched a new menu at the establishment on Union.

“It’s exciting the direction we’re going back to,” Johnson said at the Brown Burch-prepared fund-raiser for Best Buddies hosted at Agave March 1st.

The direction is east, as in Vietnamese and Thai, while maintaining the Latin American base.

“We’re getting away from heavy Mexican and going for more of a fusion idea while still pulling from Latin American influences,” Johnson says.

He plans on keeping the crowd-pleasers, including his tacos, tortas, and the very popular build-your-own burritos, but patrons can plan on dining on Pork Belly Confit in soy barbecue broth with black bean puree, radish salad, and chili oil ($9) or Seared Tuna Tataki with chili lime salt, crisp garlic, radish jalapeño, ponzu, and cilantro oil ($12).

He’s most excited about offering small plates for sharing.

“When I go out to eat, the best part is being able to share things. With three people, rather than having three entrees, you order a bunch of food and share it,” he says. “How many bites do you need to say you tried something?”

There will be a few changes to the interior, replacing sconces, adding bar stools to the window to create a patio feel, and, of course, some new saints.

“We might have to retire one of our saints,” he says of the prayer candle-inspired poster and candle designs honoring Memphis saints such as Al Green, Aretha Franklin, and B.B. King.

He’s launching an online store to purchase said merch, along with several other items from his various projects.

“My intent is to be an awesome restaurant first with amazing dishes made with fantastic ingredients that you don’t see that often,” he says.

“I travel quite a bit. I have a thirst for knowledge, and I want to offer something fun and exciting.”

Agave Maria, 83 Union, 341-2096

agavemariacantina.com

Kelly English spins a lot of plates. Has his fingers in a lot of pies. Wears a lot of toques. You get the idea.

There’s his repeat award-winning Restaurant Iris, its more casual counterpart the Second Line next door, Magnolia House on the Gulf Coast, and, most recently, a second Second Line in the town of his alma mater, Oxford, Miss.

This Friday, English will fulfill a long-time dream of his — to offer casual New Orleans dining for lunch at the Memphis Second Line location.

“When I opened the Second Line, one of the things I really wanted to do was to present outside of New Orleans what you can get every day at your average casual restaurant in New Orleans,” English says. “I’ve been thinking about that for years.”

The O.G. devotees of this world can now have a roast beef gravy and French fries po’boy before 5 p.m. In fact, they can have one between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. on the weekends, and 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. on school nights.

English will first offer his menu for lunch Friday, March 11th and Friday, March 18th, then officially open for lunch every day on Friday, March 25th.

“I think the Second Line screams lunch,” English says.

The Oxford site has offered lunch since it launched in August, another dream from way back fulfilled.

“I’m an Ole Miss boy. That’s what brought me here,” English, a Louisiana native and 2001 graduate of the University of Mississippi, says. “Getting to open a Second Line there has been so cool for me personally. It’s great to be able to go down there and be a part of that community like I’m a part of this community.”

English plans on offering lunch specials; a $10 po’boy special, which includes half a po’boy — either the O.G., the Fried Mississippi Catfish, or the Verno (chicken) — a grocery (side), and a soft drink, tax included; cups of gumbo; and red beans and rice.

“The restaurant I grew up in [R & O’s] inspired what the Second Line is. It’s my baseline. It’s just really good casual New Orleans dining. It started in my eyes there,” he says. “I’m really excited about us doing this. One of my favorite things about the Second Line is showing people what an everyday restaurant in New Orleans is, without any pretense and not putting a spin on anything. The Second Line says a lot about who I am.”

The Second Line, 2144 Monroe,

590-2829, secondlinememphis.com

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Guess Where I’m Eating Contest 90

This place is on regular rotation … 

The first person to correctly ID where I’m eating wins a fabulous prize. 

To enter, submit your answer to me via email at ellis@memphisflyer.com. 

The answer to GWIE 89 is the wild mushroom & poblano enchilada at Agave Maria, and the winner is … Gal Flam!

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Chewing Over the Food News of 2015

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

In looking over 2015, one thing stood out: brand expansion. Aldo’s Pizza Pies, with its swell rooftop patio, and City Market (grab and go!) came to Cooper-Young. Fino’s opened a second restaurant in East Memphis (yay sandwiches!), and Mediterranean mainstay Casablanca returned to Midtown. Both Bedrock Eats & Sweets, the paleo eatery, and the all-vegan Pink Diva Cupcakery and Cuisine got places to call their own.

Justin Fox Burks

Bedrock Eats & Sweets

Ermyias Shiberou, owner of Stickem food truck, opened Blue Nile Ethiopian Kitchen on Madison in Midtown, next to the Bar-B-Q Shop. Stickem’s awesome kabobs are on the menu, and the lentil sandwich is terrific. Reverb Coffee got into the food-truck game, and Relevant Roasters opened its own coffee bar. Tamp & Tap Triad was unveiled in East Memphis.

Justin Fox Burks

Blue Nile Ethiopian Kitchen

Last year, all the action was in Overton Square. This year, one could argue, it’s South Main. The new location of Rizzo’s, after much delay, opened in March. Don’t worry, the Lobster Pronto Pups are still on the menu. The great and always-packed Maciel’s offers downtowners tacos, tortas, and more. South Main Sushi & Grill took over the Grawemeyer’s space, and there’s Ray’z World Famous Dr. Bar-b-que a few blocks north. The hipsteriffic 387 Pantry is a small, curated market with locally sourced goods like Dr. Bean’s coffee and Hanna Farm grits and cornmeal.

Justin Fox Burks

Ray’z World Famous Dr. Bar-b-que

Also new to downtown is the build-your-own tacos and burritos and nachos joint Burrito Blues (mmmm, nachos) and the Cuban and Mexican restaurant Sabrosura (try the Cuban sandwich). Jeff Johnson’s latest venture Agave Maria, with its masterful decor and endless tequila menu, opened on Union. Recommendation: the cheesy mushroom and poblano enchilada. In April, Bass Pro finally opened in the Pyramid. Uncle Buck’s, the underwater-themed restaurant with a bowling alley, offers a little something for everyone. Up top, the Lookout has one of the best views in the city.

Germantown got all the grocery stores. There’s the 1,000,000-square-foot Kroger that opened. (Actually, it’s only 100,000 square feet, but to put it in perspective, the Union Kroger is 36,000 square feet). It has a juice bar and a Corky’s BBQ kiosk. The healthy-food-at-a-discount grocer, Sprouts, after opening Lakeland, introduced its second store in Germantown. Whole Foods opened its second Memphis-area store in Germantown, too. It features a charcuterie cave, a fresh pasta station, made-fresh savory and sweet crepes, and Korean street food from Kei Jei Kitchens. (I think about the steamed bao sliders all the time.) And, in September, there was news, which seems completely unfair depending on your zip code, that the first area Trader Joe’s would open in Germantown sometime in 2016.

Breakfast for dinner? Breakfast for lunch? Breakfast for breakfast? Whenever! Another Broken Egg, a chain, opened in East Memphis. Order one of their scrambled skillets and their beignet biscuits and you’ll feel like you’ve been hit by a bus, but in the best way possible. Also in the breakfast-whenever game is the colorful, pancake-centric Staks. You can even make your own pancakes, if you’re so inclined. They also offer soups, salads, and sandwiches (including the Memphis Hot Brown).

And, and, and … There’s Mac’s Burgers with a menu filled with gourmet mac-and-cheese and burgers. Coffeehouse/gift shop City & State opened on Broad. 3 Angels Diner made way for Maximo’s on Broad. Encore Cafe offers wraps, smoothies, and salads, plus a place for Cozy Corner while it gets its building ready. Crazy Italians is owned by real-live Italians and features a menu of affordable, classic dishes like spaghetti alla carbonara. I Love Juice Bar features juices, smoothies, and essential oil shots. Mardi Gras, in Crosstown, has gotten great word-of-mouth for its Cajun fare. Diners can tour the U.S.A. at Heritage Tavern & Kitchen, which has a menu of regional favorites. Healthy, tastefully done meals are Julles Posh Food‘s focus. Ditto for LYFE Kitchen, where there’s no fryer, and it’s not missed at all.

Finally, two words: Cheesecake Factory.

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

A Visit to Agave Maria

Some weeks back, roughly around noon, Anna and I crossed the threshold of the recently opened Agave Maria. It was already busy, but not enough for a wait. I felt like we had timed it just right. 

What was amazing, considering the crowd, was that due to a gas leak across the street, the restaurant had no gas for cooking. Each new arrival was informed of the situation and shown an abbreviated menu. No one appeared to be discouraged. 

The walls are a pretty, stimulating rosy pink, there are booths along one wall, two-tops and four-tops in the main room with addition seating off in the side room bar. The place isn’t large by any means, and one can imagine the designers using a ruler to work out valuable floor space to the last inch. 

Fun, kitschy touches abound … 

[jump]

Agave Maria does shared plates, so that means you get it when it’s ready. We started with chips and guacamole ($8). 

The chips were impressive, just because of how perfectly round they were. The guacamole is solid but unremarkable. For those who like their guac with a little more oomph, a dash or two of the excellent hot sauces on the table will do the trick.

Anna order the Short Rib Barbacoa tacos ($10) — a pretty trio. I heard no complaints. 

I ordered the Wild Mushroom and Poblano Enchilada ($11). Lots of cheese on this one, including queso blanco and goat cheese, providing sharp and rich accents. The mushrooms added a meaty earthiness to the dish, while the chopped pepper and tomatoes gave it a little extra bite. I couldn’t finish the whole thing, but I really tried. 

 
Agave Maria boasts that it has the largest selection of tequila in the city. Who knows? There are a lot, over 100 on the menu. And there are cocktails promising enough to lure me back — the Francene (vodka, lime juice, strawberry puree) and the Velcro Fly (vodka, cucumber, lime juice, and ginger beer) among them. 

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Now open: Agave Maria and Tamp & Tap Triad.

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

As chefs go, Russell Casey may be one of the most undervalued properties in the city. Since 2013, he’s been turning out top-notch pub grub at Local. Then, earlier this year, he started beating other area chefs to win cooking contests — first place for his bouillabaisse in February, second place for his ceviche in June.

All this from a guy who never went to culinary school.

“I started in kitchens when I was 14 years old,” remembers Casey, now 35. “And I’ve been doing it ever since. I think the best school you can get is working for good chefs.”

Now Casey is bringing his culinary brio to the menu at Agave Maria. It’s a new Mexican restaurant near the corner of Union and Front, in the old Pa Pa Pia’s space. And, folks, it’s a winner. The combination of chic design and can’t-put-it-down cuisine make it the kind of place that will quickly earn a spot on your regular restaurant rotation.

Justin Fox Burks

the Seared Sea Scallops

Take the Enchilada Tinga ($11). Taste a little different? Well it should. The mole is built from a base of toasted pumpkin seeds and soy sauce. It’s the kind of flavor profile you’d never associate with Mexican food — until now. Rich and tangy, loaded with lime, chili paste, and shredded chicken, it’s a dish you’ll have to guard from fellow diners. Also recommended: the Seared Sea Scallops ($15) and the Salmon Sashimi Tostada ($12.50).

Justin Fox Burks

bottles of tequila

Agave Maria’s other great virtue is its bar, which boasts the largest selection of tequila (100-plus varieties) in the city. To toast the warm weather, owner Jeff Johnson and I raised a snifter of Casa Noble Añejo ($15). Grown in the Mexican lowlands and aged in oak barrels, it was silky smooth with notes of butterscotch and pear.

“Of course, we’re not above taking shots here,” says Johnson, swirling the tequila in his snifter. “But if you want to, this is a place where you can come to learn and savor.”

Johnson adds that he has plans for tequila pairing dinners and a tequila loyalty program.

Of course, the food tastes better for being served in such stylish surroundings. The interior — olive green with fuchsia accents — is by Graham Reese, whose inspiration was “Tijuana chic.” In practice, that means tufted leather, jewel-tone pendant lamps, and, of course, an enormous taxidermied bull. La Furia (“The Fury”) is said to have killed two matadors and injured 12 more between 1999 and 2001.

Tamp & Tap Triad inhabits the kind of sleek, industrial space you’d expect to find in downtown Chicago. For a color palette, think Oreo cookie: black and white with just a few pops of color. There’s even an egg-shaped meeting pod, walled off from the main dining area by a translucent, white curtain.

Pretty cool, right? Only it’s not in Chicago. It’s not even downtown. Tamp & Tap Triad is in East Memphis, near Poplar and I-240.

When you think about it, it fits. East Memphis has been crying out for good coffee — as far as I can tell, there’s nothing “craft” east of the interstate — and manager Maggie Swett says bringing artisanal third-wave coffee to an untapped market is a big part of her mission.

“There’s so much energy behind this cup,” Swett enthuses. “We’re talking about fair-trade beans from a single origin, and they don’t get roasted until I order them.”

Tamp & Tap Triad — an offshoot of the original Tamp & Tap downtown — sources all its beans through Metropolis Coffee in Chicago. The shot I tasted, a Redline espresso, was spicy and well-constructed. Although its license is still pending, the shop plans to offer beer and a light lunch, as well as wine, which the other location does not have.

“When I joined the project,” Swett remembers, “they didn’t have a woman on board. I told them, when I wind down after work, I want a glass of wine.”

As for the food, it’s perfect for a business lunch. I especially liked the Stanley Sandwich ($10.50), stacked with smoked turkey, fontina cheese, candied bacon, pickled red onion, and roasted artichoke aioli. The brioche, which is baked in-house, seals the deal.

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

The Many Projects of Local’s Jeff Johnson

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Justin Fox Burks

Jeff Johnson

Jeff Johnson of Local in Overton Square and downtown, recently began his two-week vacation with a meeting to discuss expanding the brand to the Nashville market. He’s also finishing up the installation of a 48-tap draft beer system and raw bar at the Midtown location by the end of the month.

Oh, and he just launched the food truck Parish Grocery; is in the process of rolling out two restaurants, Oshi Burger Bar and Agave Maria; and recently formed the consulting group RFJ Concepts (as if crafting his own multitude of projects doesn’t keep him busy enough, a point Johnson laments with a certain tongue-in-cheek pride).

Parish Grocery is a Cajun and Creole-themed food truck operated out of an Airstream. The truck was started as an extension of Johnson’s catering company.

The menu includes Louisiana staples such as red beans and rice, gumbo, crawfish étouffée, and barbecue shrimp po’boy sandwiches as well as bread pudding and potato salad. There are four beer taps set into the exterior wall of the Airstream, which was included with events and private parties in mind.

Johnson projects a mid-to-late July launch for Oshi Burger Bar, which is in the old Dream Berry space on South Main.

“From a design element, there’s an Asian influence, and even on the menu, there are some items that have a slight Asian homage to them, but it’s not a Japanese restaurant,” Johnson says. “It gave us the ability to make it more unique and to put our own spin on it. To make it more memorable.”

The small menu will focus on alcoholic milk shakes, cocktails, hand-crafted sausages, and locally sourced hamburgers custom-ground from brisket, short rib, and sirloin.

Some of the sausages will include chicken, wild boar, lobster, and sweetbreads.

“We’re taking the basic fundamentals of a burger and making it your own and running with it and using different ingredients,” Johnson says.

The launch of Oshi, which already has been pushed back several months, will start the countdown to Agave Maria, an upscale Mexican bistro and tequila bar set to open in late September.

“We’re taking Mexican street food, and we’re refining it and using better ingredients. We’re taking street food to the next level,” Johnson says.

Johnson promises Agave Maria will set itself apart because it won’t offer the same five ingredients packaged in different ways.

He’ll incorporate fresh local produce, peppers, and a labor-intensive mole sauce into Agave Maria’s tapas, tacos, tortas, and enchiladas.

Johnson has six other concepts he’s “toying around with” and may initiate one day. He says it’s the success of the Locals that has allowed him to expand his reach.

The desire to breathe life into brands and to make something interesting out of nothing is a core motivation for Johnson, and the food truck and the new restaurants hardly satiate that appetite.

“I just like creating these things. That’s why I formed the consulting group,” Johnson says. “We’ve got a couple of consulting proposals out on the table to help some other companies solidify their brands. I enjoy putting this stuff together and that was just another outlet to create.”

The group at RFJ Concepts includes Graham Reese, who will focus on architecture, and Ben Fant, who will focus on branding and franchising.

As for Johnson’s “vacation.” He’s spending it visiting several cities to do some market research on culinary trends.

“I thought the opportunities were great, and I didn’t want to pass that up,” Johnson says of starting so many businesses at once. “It’s certainly not ideal for me to open up one restaurant two months away from the other. It’s twice the headache. Twice the challenge. But the truck was a no-brainer. That was just too easy.”