Tag: Blind Bear Speakeasy

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Blind Bear Brings Back Lunch Service; a Second Location for Lisa’s Lunchbox.

CREDIT: John Klyce Minervini

Seven years ago, Lisa Clay Getske founded Lisa’s Lunchbox, a sandwich joint, inside an office tower near Poplar and I-240. You can’t see it from the street, and in anybody else’s hands, it would have gone out of business in six months.

But not Lisa’s Lunchbox. There’s a line out the door every day, and Getske has just opened a second location on Poplar, next to Casablanca. What’s her secret?

“Well,” reflects Getske, “I guess for starters, we only use real food. I remember, when I first opened, my food purveyor tried to sell me some pre-cooked chicken with grill marks on it. I was like, No thank you.”

It’s difficult to describe what makes Lisa’s Lunchbox work so well. Is it the menu, handwritten on colorful pieces of construction paper taped to the wall? Or is it the crunchy, oven-baked bacon, deployed in dishes like the chicken club wrap ($7.32) and the potato soup ($3.20)?

What’s easier to pin down is consistent quality — and freshness — of the fare. Just about everything, from the humble ranch dressing to the mighty chicken breast, is prepared onsite, every day.

The new Lisa’s Lunchbox was a smoothie bar before Getske leased the space. From the former tenants she inherited some very colorful walls — the color of mango sorbet — but also a unique opportunity: she got to buy their appliances.

That has led to a tasty innovation: They now offer a full line of smoothies and juices. Start off with a couple of ginger shots ($2.50). (In case you hadn’t heard, ginger is the new wheatgrass.) Faintly sweet and intensely spicy, it will heat you up and change your mood.

From there, graduate to a Memphis Mango smoothie ($4), a delicious slurry of mango, banana, cashews, vanilla, almond milk, and — if you ask for it — spinach and kale. Sweet but not too sweet, it’ll help you stay cool in the sticky weather.

“The last tenants,” remembers Getske, “put ice cream in all their smoothies. We’re trying to steer people toward real food and show them it can be just as delicious.”

John Klyce Minervini

The Gangster Philly

No one can appreciate comfort food quite like a server. The Blind Bear was founded in 2011 by three bartenders. So it makes sense that when, earlier this month, they started serving lunch again, they went for the kind of food they themselves would want to eat: comfort food classics like fried okra ($3) and barbecued bologna ($12).

“Downtown has a lot of expensive, nice food,” says co-founder Jeanette West. “But we also know that people work here. They want veggies, they want options, but they don’t want to spend their whole paycheck on a meal.”

For lunch, try the pepper jack mac & cheese ($3), which is faintly spicy, or the collard greens ($3), which are satisfyingly crisp. Chef Jeremy “JJ” Jaggers knows that many of his clientele don’t eat meat, so all sides are 100-percent vegetarian.

For me, it’s all about the Gangster Philly ($12). When developing the recipe, chef Jaggers went back to the source: Pat’s King of Steaks in Philadelphia, PA.

Jaggers starts with a rib-eye steak, which he slow-roasts to medium rare. Next, he slices the meat and finishes it on a flat-top griddle, before serving it with sauteed peppers and onions in a crusty Italian roll. But the sine qua non of this dish is the provolone béchamel sauce, a cheesy delight that will be waiting for me when I get to heaven.

“I’m a meat-eating chef,” confesses Jaggers. “So when I sit down for lunch, I want meat and cheese and bread. And I want the cheese to be nice and gooey and melty.”

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

At the Plate

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Bleu Restaurant & Lounge at the Westin recently introduced Kevin Rains as their new executive chef. The launch of his first menu coincided with the second anniversary of the restaurant’s opening.

Justin Fox Burks

Bleu’s rack of lamb

Bleu is the latest challenge in a culinary career that spans over 20 years. Everything started at home, though.

“I always enjoyed cooking. I had an older brother. He followed after my dad; I stayed at home with Mom. She always cooked from scratch in the kitchen, and I just sat up on the counter. I started with her recipes. I’ve always known this was what I wanted to do,” Rains says.

Rains started as a bartender, working at the Half Shell at a time when Ben Smith of Tsunami was the fry cook. He eventually went to culinary school in Denver. After graduation, he worked at the city’s Ritz-Carlton before being hired at another prestigious restaurant in Denver.

“I got an offer from Noel Cunningham, who had been Hugh Hefner’s personal chef. I didn’t know why they chose me, but I found out when I got there. It was because they had all Hispanics and no gringos, and they needed someone to place orders, and I could gab on the phone. It wasn’t because I could cook or anything like that,” Rains says, laughing.

Rains returned to Memphis after a prominent local chef called to offer him a job.

“Erling Jensen called and said he wanted me to run EJ Brasserie. I knew Erling because I trained his dogs. I also train dogs, Great Danes especially,” Rains says.

After EJ Brasserie, Rains spent seven years at Equestria Restaurant & Lounge before opening his own place, Roustica. From there, he took a job teaching at L’École Culinaire. Now, Rains is looking forward to his time at the Westin.

“We’ll be adding a touch of freshness to the menu and doing things they’ve never done here,” he says.

Justin Fox Burks

chef Kevin Rains

Rains has introduced new locally sourced items like a Dickey Farms lion’s mane mushroom with his three mushroom risotto. He is also staying true to Bleu’s tradition of fresh seafood with dishes that include an ahi tuna tostada.

And this far into his career, Rains is as passionate about food as he was in his mother’s kitchen.

“It’s been about a 24-year run in the kitchen, and I’m still learning every day. I love the feeling of making people happy. It makes me happy,” he says.

Bleu, 221 S. Third (334-5950), downtownbleu.com

Blind Bear Speakeasy also has a new chef. David Scott Walker is a native Memphian whose culinary career took him to New York initially.

Walker studied at the International Culinary Center and went on to work at Les Halles, Anthony Bourdain’s old stomping grounds, as well as at a restaurant in the West Village.

“It was a good experience. My cooking is based in French. It’s the most refined of any cooking techniques, but you can take it into any cuisine and do extremely well,” Walker says.

Walker’s return to Memphis started with a visit from Jamie and Jeanette West, owners of the Blind Bear. Walker and Jamie West have been friends since they were both 17.

“They were vacationing in New York and had dinner at my restaurant. We were talking, and they said they wanted me to come down here and do this, and I was like, ‘Yeah, that will actually happen,'” Walker says.

Walker loved New York, but family played a big part in his decision to return to Memphis. Family is also playing a big part on the Blind Bear menu.

“My mom is my pastry chef. She always dreamed of opening a baking company. We were talking about serving great classic desserts from the ’20s and ’30s here, so I told her, ‘If you ever want to start your company, now is the time.’ And she’s doing wonderful stuff. We call it Aunt Mac’s Bakery, because everyone calls her Aunt Mac,” Walker says.

The desserts, such as lemon ice box pie and strawberry cake with a layer of homemade strawberry jam, are only one part of Walker’s plans. He plans to elevate the entire menu.

“This is a great bar with great classic cocktails, but now we need to take the food to the next level to make the food match the cocktails,” he says.

While the cocktails and desserts will hearken back to the Prohibition speakeasy era, Walker will be taking some of the food into the future with dishes like a ball of mozzarella inflated with tomato-basil-scented air, a play on a traditional Caprese salad.

“I’m a science nerd. It’s a passion of mine. I love that aspect of cooking, knowing why certain things react certain ways. I’m not doing a lot of molecular gastronomy here yet. I want to get a good solid menu before we start sneaking in these fun things,” he says.

Blind Bear Speakeasy, 119 S. Main (417-8435), blindbearmemphis.com

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Bar Guide

Alchemy

Game Days at Alchemy Memphis: Happy Hour with $1 off domestic beers and discounts on featured items from our specialty cocktail list. The game isn’t over until we say it is!

940 S. Cooper • 726-4444 alchemymemphis.com

Bardog Tavern

Ignore the cold in our cozy downtown bar, but don’t ignore the cold beer! $2.50 Buds and Bud Lights, $3 Yuengling drafts during every Tiger and Grizzlies game. The sound is on on the upstairs and downstairs TVs, including the 60-inch HDTV in the Underdog Room. Open for those brunch games starting at 11 a.m., Saturdays and Sundays.

73 Monroe • 275-8752 • bardog.com

Belle Diner 

Looking for a great new place to eat and have drinks before the game? Look no further than one of downtown’s newest restaurants, Belle Diner. With decades of bringing Memphis great food, the team of Roger Sapp, David Johnson, and Joe Ferguson have teamed up to bring an upscale Southern diner to downtown Memphis. Come in Game Day and try any appetizer prepared by Chef Johnson for only $8 and $1 off all drinks.

117 Union • 433-9851 facebook.com/BelleDinerMemphisTN

Blind Bear Speakeasy

Game Day specials start one hour before and last throughout every Griz and Tiger game: $2.50 Miller Lite, Miller High Life, and Coors Light bottles and $4 24-oz. Coors Light Griz cans! While you’re here, check out the new menus by Chef David Scott Walker, and be sure to mark your calendar for Bean’s Birthday Bash on October 25th and our Halloween Party on October 31st.

119 S. Main • 417-8435 blindbearmemphis.com

Celtic Crossing

Join us Monday nights at Celtic Crossing for the ultimate Game Day, featuring football, giant board games (Jenga, Cards Against Humanity, and lots more), and beer. Beginning Mondays at 5 p.m., all drafts are just $3.

903 S. Cooper • 274-5151 celticcrossingmemphis.com

Central BBQ

When Memphians want great barbecue and fun times, they head to their nearest Central BBQ location. Before Tiger and Grizzlies home games, visit the newest location just minutes away from the Forum and try one of our many draft beers featuring local microbreweries. For away games, come celebrate with other fans at the Summer or downtown locations, where there are plenty of large HDTVs.

4375 Summer • 767-4672


147 E. Butler • 672-7760


2249 Central • 272-9377


cbqmemphis.com

The Cove

The Cove offers too vast an array of expertly hand-crafted cocktails to single out just one as our “signature” concoction, but Town & Country, Southern Living, and Urban Spoon proclaim our authentic Sazerac as the perfect accompaniment to a sultry summer evening. For more outstanding cocktail options, see thecovememphis.com. Come by the Cove after games for the best late-night eats and treats! 

2559 Broad • 730-0719


thecovememphis.com

Dan McGuinness

Dan McGuinness is your Game Day HQ with great specials for both college and pros: $3 pints and $9 pitchers of McGuinness Pub Ale, $11 buckets of longnecks. On Mondays, it’s 2-for-1 domestic beers and $3.95 burgers and fries.

4698 Spottswood • 761-3711 danmcguinnesspub.com

Dejavu Restaurant

Let the good times roll before and after Grizzlies and Tiger basketball games! The newest location at 51 S. Main is four minutes from FedExForum and is filled with all the extras you would expect in New Orleans. Check out the new bar and try some award-winning soul food and vegan/vegetarian cuisine. 

51 S. Main • 505-0212


dejavurestaurant.org 

Happy Mexican

Join us before, after, or during the game to watch with us! Happy Mexican has a Happy Hour for its award-winning margaritas Tuesday through Sunday 3 to 7 p.m. on the lime flavor only. Special pricing includes small for $4.25, medium for $6.99, or large for $8.99.

385 S. Second • 529-9991


6080 Primacy Parkway • 683-0000


7935 Winchester • 751-5353


happymexican.com

Hard Rock Café Memphis

Stop by Hard Rock Café Memphis on Friday Game Days for a Hard Rocking Happy Hour! Now featuring a new Happy Hour every Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. with a special “Bar Bites” menu. $2 domestic drafts; $3 import drafts; and $4 margaritas (bar area only).

315 Beale • 529-0007

Local Gastropub

Local has specials going on just about whenever there’s a game to watch. Happy Hour is Monday through Friday 4 to 7 p.m. Game Day specials run Monday (starting at 6:30 p.m.), Saturday (11 a.m.-6:30 p.m.), and Sunday (11 a.m.-11 p.m.) and include domestic beer buckets, five for $10, $25 table taps of draft, and small-plate food specials. Tuesday is half-off bottles of wine from 7 to 11 p.m. Wednesday is Pint Night with $2 off pints. Thursday is Ladies Night with $5 “tini’s” and tier-one wines. Join us Sunday for late-night Happy Hour starting at 11:30 p.m.

95 Main • 473-9573


2126 Madison in Overton Square


725-1845 • localgastropub.com

Los Comales Mexican Restaurant

Watch the game while enjoying our authentic Mexican food and unique drinks. Buy one margarita and get a second half-off every Monday and Thursday, and get $5 off any order over $20 when you mention our ad in the Flyer!

2860 S. Perkins • 369-0528 loscomalesrestaurant.com

Molly’s La Casita

Molly’s has the ultimate Game Day drink. It’s our first-place award-winning margarita (Memphis Flyer readers poll 2013). Be sure to try our new low-calorie Nectar Girl Margarita if you are trying to watch your darling figure. Molly’s has an ice-cold one ready for you that is sure to please.

2006 Madison • 726-1873 mollyslacasita.com

Mulan Asian Bistro

Sports and sushi are a great combination! Enjoy Mulan Asian Bistro’s Happy Hour for sushi and drinks from 3 to 6 p.m. daily. Try the Mulan Martini for only $7.95.

2149 Young • 347-3965


2059 S. Houston Levee • 850-5288


mulanbistro.net

Newby’s

Newby’s has all your Game Day specials. Monday is Ghost River $10 Beer Bust. On Tuesday, we have $2 burgers and beer. On Whiskey Wednesdays, it’s $3 whiskey drinks. The Always Happy Hour is $1 off bottle beers and mixed drinks every day ’til 9 p.m. Start early and stay late at Newby’s.

535 S. Highland • 452-8408 newbysmemphis.com

Paula and Raiford’s Disco

Come party after the game at Memphis’ best dance club! Paula and Raiford’s Disco is your one-stop shop for fun in downtown Memphis. Enjoy music, drinks, and dancing every Friday and Saturday night just minutes from FedExForum.

14 S. Second • 521-2494


paularaifords.com

Pearl’s Oyster House

Come watch the game with us! Happy Hour is Monday through Friday, 4 to 7 p.m. There are daily draft beer specials as well. Try the famous chargrilled oysters, only $1 each on Wednesdays. Pearl’s also features daily fresh fish specials and free parking too.

299 S. Main • 522-9070 pearlsoysterhouse.com

The Pumping Station

We have just the right stuff to enjoy your games every week. Friday Beer Busts: $3, Ghost River and Blue Moon $8. Sunday Beer Busts: PBR $5 and Ghost River and Blue Moon $9. Happy Hour specials all week long.

1382 Poplar • 272-7600 pumpingstationmemphis.com

The Slider Inn

Wow! During every Tiger and Grizzlies game, get your Bud and Bud Light longnecks for only $2.50. Come enjoy our great atmosphere and our heated deck this winter, complete with outdoor TV. It’s perfect for catching up with your Midtown friends. Who loves you, baby? We do.

2117 Peabody • 725-1155


thesliderinn.com

Tamp & Tap

Offering hand-poured coffees, sandwiches, and local beers all close to FedExForum, Tamp & Tap gives Game Day specials of 10 percent off your food purchase with the same-day ticket or stub.

122 Gayoso (Second and Main)


207-1053 • tampandtap.com

facebook.com/TampTap @tampandtap on Twitter

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Saloons and Speakeasies

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Got a hankering for something a little more 19th century? Double J Smokehouse and Saloon is now open on G.E. Patterson and has brought a totally different ambience to the former home of Beignet Café.

“It’s Old West meets Memphis,” says chef Demitrie Phillips. Along with owners and pitmasters John Harris and Jeff Stamm (the double Js), Phillips is turning out plates of baby back ribs and pulled pork sandwiches in the Memphis-style barbecuing tradition. A variety of steaks, from a 24-ounce bone-in rib-eye to a 10-ounce filet, bring the Western steakhouse to the table, and a range of house-made sausages on the sausage and cheese appetizer plate make this a carnivore’s delight.

Phillips says Double J is only serving beer for now, but a liquor license is in the works. With a small stage already built, this saloon is set to become another live music venue for South Main.

If you’re looking for vegetarian options, Phillips has a number of side items in his wheelhouse, from garlic sautéed button mushrooms, to fresh broccoli crowns, to buttered rice pilaf. But steer clear of the Roadhouse Beans (they’re made with bacon like traditional chuck wagon beans) and the twice-baked potato (which has pulled pork and cheese baked into the potato).

Double J Smokehouse is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and on Sunday, 10 a.m. to midnight. While a special lunch menu might be available in the future, for now Phillips says they’re serving the same menu all day.

Double J Smokehouse and Saloon, 124 G.E. Patterson (347-2648)

doublejsmokehouse.com

Blind Bear, Speakeasy on the Main Street Mall has begun serving lunch on Wednesdays and Fridays and hopes to grow its mid-day business from there.

If you read “speakeasy” and start dreaming of a liquid lunch, you should set your drinking cap aside until happy hour. This lunch menu dishes up your basic bar and home-style food, trotting it out with fancy names from the ’20s, like Hotsy Totsy Soups, Cat’s Meow Sides, and Bee’s Knees Sandwiches.

And that’s just the way owner Jeannette West wants it: comfort food dressed up in Prohibition-era clothing.

“Downtown already has the fine cuisine and gastro pub covered,” she says. “I just wanted something for when I’m hungry for bar food or a good vegetable plate.”

The vegetable plate comes with four sides, and you can get banana pudding as one of your four, if you’re the type who likes dessert as soon as you can get it. Otherwise, the offerings are fairly typical, with mashed potatoes and gravy, salad, white beans, green beans, black-eyed peas. Things get a little more exciting when you delve into the macaroni-and-cheese options. There are three different kinds to choose from — cheddar, white cheddar, and pepper jack — and as far as West is concerned, there’s no telling how many mac-and-cheese renditions the future holds.

Other treats include the Jäger BBQ Bologna sandwich, made with a giant slab of baloney and topped with Jägermeister barbecue sauce, and strawberry and chocolate cakes, served by the slice. Grilled cheese, burgers, chicken tenders, and a fish sandwich round out the offerings.

The dinner menu is the same as the lunch menu, so if you aren’t able to make it by during your lunch hour, you can always pop in for dinner before midnight or for appetizers before 2 a.m. They also have a separate brunch menu, served solely on Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. It’s called the “Hungover as a Bear Brunch,” because, as West puts it, “If you went out the night before, you usually miss brunch the next day. I made a brunch you won’t miss.”

Blind Bear, Speakeasy, 119 S. Main (417-8435)