Tag: Ciao Bella

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Ciao Bella’s Branon Mason.

CREDIT: Michael Donahue

If you’re craving a particular type of dish, describe it to Branon Mason. He’ll make it happen.

“I create things on the spot,” says Mason, 36, Ciao Bella Italian Grill executive chef. “It’s kind of like jazz. You know how you get a solo in jazz? It’s like, ‘All right. Pick the solo and go make something.’ That’s pretty much been me.”

Where does that talent come from? “I have no idea. The ability to create on the fly, maybe it’s something from my musical background. Maybe it’s something from being into sports. A lot of thinking on your feet type of things.”

Mason’s first love was football. “I played Pop Warner Football for the Cherokee Dolphins. That was in a little neighborhood on the edge of Orange Mound.”

Football as a career was over for the most part after Mason suffered ligament damage to his knee.

He ended up joining the Overton High School band. His band director said Mason “had the lips of a tuba player.”

He landed a scholarship to Tennessee State University in Nashville, where he was part of the concert, brass ensemble, and pep bands as a freshman, but he flunked out. “Not being used to the whole college atmosphere and being away from home for the first time, it was too much for me.”

Mason had worked the doughnut machine at a Krispy Kreme when he was 16 and, later, flipped hamburgers at a Wendy’s and made sandwiches at a McAlister’s Deli, but he had no desire to make cooking a career.

That is, until he got a job at the Olive Garden on Winchester.

“Once I got the grasp of how to cook and saute and grill and prep, I ran with it. I fell in love with cooking at the Olive Garden,” he says.

But he didn’t feel creative. “I just knew I was a cook at Olive Garden, but a chef was something different.”

He began “researching chefs and what they do. On the internet. Books. I can remember going to sit in Barnes & Noble and reading The Joy of Cooking.”

Mason moved to New York with the idea of going to culinary school. He got a job at the Blue Fin restaurant of the W Hotel. “It was the biggest kitchen I have ever seen in my life. It was three floors.”

But after a year, he moved back home because he couldn’t afford New York.

Mason got a job at Ciao Bella the day after he returned. He’s been there ever since.

His creativity was unleashed after he became Ciao Bella’s head chef in 2013. “I started getting into taking pictures of my food. And Instagram came out. I was like, ‘All right. I can make something new and put it out and people will see it and people will come here and taste it. That idea just lifted me.”

The Ciao Bella menu features favorite dishes from the restaurant’s owners — the Tashie family. Mason and family members collaborate on how to execute those dishes. Most of Mason’s creativity is seen in his specials, like the shrimp cocktail he featured.

Ciao Bella owner Paul Tashie wanted Mason to come up with a shrimp cocktail. “I’m like, ‘Okay. How can I take shrimp cocktail and make it new and fresh and exciting? And also have it relate to the restaurant and the Italian/Greek thing? I orchestrated a Greek spice blend that I marinated my shrimp in, using oregano, lemon, garlic. I grilled the shrimp.”

Instead of the “good old red traditional” cocktail sauce, Mason blended basil pesto, traditional horseradish, and “a sweet tomato essence” to come up with a “basil, pesto cocktail sauce. And it was a killer.”

Using purple Peruvian potatoes, Mason made a purple potato puree. “The color from it — the bright pink from the shrimp, the royal beautiful purple for the potato, and the bright green from the pesto — it just made a ridiculous color scheme.”

Mason’s dishes are combination of care and the “wow factor,” he says. “Something that’s special that you wouldn’t think you’d put on a plate. Just knowing those things and trying to incorporate them into my cooking, that’s what translates. That’s what you get. Just raw, unpolished gold.”

Ciao Bella Italian Grill is at 565 Erin Drive, (901) 205-2500.

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Cover Feature News

The Flyer staff surveys some of Memphis’ steamiest bowls of soup.

Let us now praise famous soups. The hearty potatoes, the classic tomatoes (perfect with grilled cheese), even the Hungry Man soup with those little burgers (remember them?). A good soup can do so many things. It can slake hunger and chase off a chill. Grandma’s chicken soup reportedly can cure your cold.

So what is Memphis ladling out? We took to social media and asked for suggestions. What follows is our report. Ladies and gentlemen, soup’s on!

Ramen at Crazy Noodle

Ramen at Crazy Noodle

I can’t speak to the relative sanity of the noodles, but Crazy Noodle, the little Korean diner next to the Kwik Chek on Madison, is almost always crazy busy. It’s a cozy establishment, made more so when the few tables are all full. Being something of a regular at the Noodle, I knew what to expect: There are usually only two cooks and one server working (that’s really all space allows for), and so my friend and I settled in for a wait.

There are other dishes on the menu, but we were there for the ramen. My friend ordered the vegetable Mandu Ramen ($8.99), and I got the Chicken Ramen ($8.99). (I had been eyeing the mandu, but she beat me to it.) The Mandu Ramen is made with carrots, onions, green onions, shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, zucchini, turnip kimchi, and mandu (Korean dumplings), which can be had with vegetable or beef filling. I’ve eaten both, and they’re delicious whether served herbivore- or carnivore-style.

The Chicken Ramen includes many of the same ingredients, with the obvious addition of chicken instead of mandu, and with bean sprouts taking the place of the shiitake mushrooms. While the mandu is a little on the mild side, the Chicken Ramen is served in a spicy broth that fogged up my glasses and pairs well, to my tastes, with the onions and turnip kimchi. The cooks at Crazy Noodle don’t skimp on the vegetables, so eating their ramen feels a little like eating a veggie-noodle salad with a spicy broth, making it a great choice for a cold night. My advice? Order a local beer to smooth out the spice, and go with someone whose company you enjoy. These noodles are worth the wait.

— Jesse Davis

The Crazy Noodle, 2015 Madison
(272-0928)

Justin Fox Burks

Tuscan White Bead & Kale at Ciao Bella

Tuscan White Bean & Kale at
Ciao Bella

My friend Victoria turned me on to the White Bean & Kale soup at Ciao Bella. She organizes a yearly get-together at the restaurant that included our much-missed colleague Leonard Gill.

So for me, the soup translates into something dear: good gossip, better friends, and the fondest memories.

And the soup is pretty darn good, too. Delicious, in fact. It’s the last point that Blandy Lawrence will defend to the death. She is a super-fan of the Tuscan white bean & kale. Words like “perfect” and “fantastic” bounce among other superlatives. “I’ve been eating it for a long time,” she says.

Lawrence says she’s the sort who orders the same dish at a restaurant every time she visits. She goes to Ciao Bella about every other week. She orders the soup every time, with a chopped salad topped with salmon. (Soup and salad runs $8 to $10 at lunch.)

The soup is tender white beans with kale and a scattering of peppers, served in a light broth. It serves as a light meal that fills you but doesn’t run you over like a Mack truck. It’s this last fact that Lawrence particularly appreciates about the dish.

“The reason I like it is because it’s light, tasty, and I feel like it’s healthy,” she says.

— Susan Ellis

Ciao Bella, 565 Erin (205-2500), ciaobellamemphis.com

Justin Fox Burks

Potato at Huey’s

Potato at Blind Bear and Huey’s

The homely potato is the working stiff of foodstuffs, basic and dependable, as strange a fit to the idea of cuisine as a pea coat, say, is to that of couture. Yet it is a core item in most of the Western world’s table fare, a root vegetable in every sense of the term, and is uncommonly satisfying as a source of energy, especially in the cold weather months that are now upon us, when few edibles are as quick a fix — especially in the hearty and instantly satisfying form of potato soup.

The potato soup dishes of two local sources — the well-established Huey’s franchises and the faux-speakeasy bistro Blind Bear Downtown — are superficially similar, consisting of a base of the soft starchy stuff, interestingly seasoned and topped by shredded or grated cheese, bacon bits, and chopped scallions and other green veggies. Served warm, of course. (The cool version, vichyssoise, is available here and there, too, but that’s another story.)

The potato soup at Huey’s, priced at $3.45, has a nice buttery consistency just the right fluid distance from mashed-potato style and possesses a discernible dash of chicken broth, along with a hint of celery and onion. The version at Blind Bear, available in a 2-out-of-3-option lunch special for $6, has a somewhat thinner base, but is chunkier, floating bits of potato and dollops of sour cream, along with teasy ingredients from the spice and vegetable kingdoms. (“Our secrets,” a server explains.)

Both these varieties have their secrets and are worth a try, and both will satisfy the soul and, as they say, warm the cockles. (And, no, genuine cockles of the marine variety are not ingredients in either soup variety, but that’s an idea for somebody to follow up with.)

— Jackson Baker

Huey’s, hueyburger.com

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

Stone Soup at Stone Soup

Stone Soup at Stone Soup

If you name a dish after a globally beloved folk tale, it had better be good, right? If you then name your restaurant after that dish, it had be better be good, right? So, the Stone Soup at Stone Soup had better be good, right?

(Think about that for a second: a restaurant named for a story named for a dish in that story. Whoa. Meta.)

The Cooper-Young restaurant’s eponymous Stone Soup might as well be the restaurant in a bowl. They — the restaurant and the dish — are cozy, comforting, and humbly high-quality.

How can high-quality be humble? Eschewing the esoteric vernacular of many a trendy menu, Stone Soup says the smoked sausage in its Stone Soup is “country pleasin’.”

And it is, too, by god.

I wasn’t quite sure what I’d get when I ordered a bowl of Stone Soup last week. The menu said it had local ground beef, that “country pleasin'” sausage, and was topped with sour cream and black olives.

It arrived steaming, heaped high in a generous bowl that said, “son, this soup is a meal.” Meatballs swam in a tomato base, joining that country pleasin’ sausage, of course, tomatoes, carrots, peppers, red kidney beans, and onions.

After I took some bad photographs at the table (yep, being “that” guy — but it was for work!), I mixed in the sour cream and olives. I took a bite and was transported.

John Denver and I were huddled around the fireplace, sipping hot chocolate under old, soft quilts while snow gently blanketed the West Virginia hills outside the cabin John built with his own two hands. In short, Stone Soup’s Stone Soup is everything that’s right with winter.

Stone Soup, Stone Soup, $5.89 per cup, $8.89 per bowl. — Toby Sells

Stone Soup, 993 S. Cooper (922-5314), stonesoupcafememphis.com

Moroccan Soup at Casablanca

Moroccan Soup at Casablanca

On the appetizer menu — before you get to the shawarma, falafel, and kebab sandwiches and entrees that represent Casablanca’s staples — are a pair of soups that diners swear by. The Moroccan soup is a tomato-based concoction that is both hearty and vegetarian. Chickpeas and black lentils provide protein. Light pasta floats in the broth to provide a little added heft and a carbohydrate boost. Celery, onions, cilantro, and some secret spices round out the flavor profile. It’s a comforting, healthy soup for a chilly day.

“It’s from Morocco, because my wife is from Casablanca,” says Saed, the restaurant’s co-owner, who says the name of the establishment also comes from her fabled hometown.

The simpler lentil soup, which combine the nutritious legumes with carrots, onions, and garlic, is another traditional Middle Eastern dish with a big following among Casablanca regulars.

Preparing the soups is the first priority for the staff. “To cook this every morning is three hours” Saed says. “People like it a lot. We make a big pot every morning. Especially now, in the winter when it is cold.”

— Chris McCoy

Casablanca, casablancamemphis.com

French Onion at Cafe 1912

French Onion Soup at Cafe 1912

Glenn and Martha Hayes opened the cozy Midtown bistro Cafe 1912 in 2002. From its very beginning, one of the restaurant’s staples has been its signature French onion soup, and there are few more comforting dishes in town on a chilly night. It’s a rich and savory delight.

Glenn Hayes says their version takes a while to make. “You need to cook very thinly sliced onions in butter and oil, until they’re nice and brown, being careful not to burn them. It’s constant stirring for up to an hour. From there, it’s a matter of adding a high-quality stock. We use chicken stock, mostly, though some people use beef stock.”

Hayes then adds a sweet Port wine, salt and pepper, and a little thyme, and lets it simmer “for a long time.” Hayes says he can’t tell us the exact ingredient proportions because it’s a “matter of taste.”

“Of course, the topping is what makes it classic French onion soup,” he says. “You add croutons of toasted bread and top with melted gruyere cheese. Then use your spoon to drown them in the soup and you’re in business.

“We’ve sold a few bowls of it in 16 years,” he adds. — Bruce VanWyngarden

Cafe 1912, 243 S. Cooper (722-2700), cafe1912.com

She Crab at Southern Social

She Crab at Southern Social

The “she” in the she-crab soup at Southern Social should stand for “sherry.” That ingredient is outstanding in the Germantown restaurant’s popular soup.

The soup also includes celery, onion, garlic, butter, tabasco, flour, crab stock, heavy cream, crab roe, salt, and white pepper.

After my soup was served to me the other night at the bar, I heard someone say, “Look what you started.”

Julie Beda and Sharon Donovan, who were sitting near me, suddenly had cups of the soup in front of them. “It looked so good,” Beda said.

I asked owner Russ Graham how they came up with their she-soup, which is not the same she-crab soup recipe served at his other restaurant, Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar. He says he and co-owner Tom Powers spent some time in Charleston, South Carolina. “We really enjoyed talking about the differences between she crab soups at restaurants,” Graham says.

They finally decided on a recipe “that worked for us. We had a basic recipe and tweaked it.”

That was two years ago last November. “I think it was embraced fairly quickly,” he says.

Their executive chef, Mario Torres “believes in the soup,” he says. That’s “what makes the soup great.”

Torres, who did the tweaking, says, “The secret of the flavor is from the stock.”

He makes the stock in the “old French cuisine” style. They reduce the stock to 50 percent. “It concentrates the flavor of the crab.”

And, he says, “We reduce the sherry wine to opaque. And that enhances the flavor of the sherry as well.”

Torres isn’t the only one who believes in the soup. Managing partner Joe Fain is also a big fan. “I’ve had a cup every day since we’ve opened,” he says.

— Michael Donahue

Southern Social, 2285 S. Germantown Road (754-5555), southernsocial.com

Spicy Tomato at La Baguette

Spicy Tomato at La Baguette

Even before the first spoonful is sipped, the taste buds know something great lies ahead, as a tomato-y aroma arises from the bowl and fills the nose. Rich in color and in taste, La Baguette’s Spicy Tomato Soup is the right combination of warm zest and spice — perfect for any cold day.

The soup is served with a melted dollop of Swiss-American cheese on top and because no bowl of soup is complete without bread, slices of freshly baked French bread on the side. Both work in tandem to cool the spices of the dish.

Not like your everyday tomato soup, La Baguette’s version is more like the homemade kind your mom used to make. It’s full of Italian seasonings with hints of basil and oregano in every bite. Tangy sweetness from the tomatoes perfectly balances with the savory spices.

Gene Amagliani, owner of La Baguette, says the tomato soup is a fan favorite that “people often rave about.” It’s all in the secret recipe, Amagliani says.

It cooks for hours, Amagliani says, allowing the company’s “secret spices that make the soup so delicious” to kick in.

“We pride ourselves on our spicy tomato soup,” Amagliani says. “I can’t reveal much, but I’ll tell you it has tomato and basil in it. It’s been the same secret recipe since 1976, and it works.”

La Baguette’s tomato soup is so good, it’s one of the cafe’s two soups that’s offered every day.

— Maya Smith

La Baguette, 3088 Poplar (458-0900), labaguettememphis.com

Tom Kai at Asian Eatery

Tom Kha Kai at Asian Eatery

At the Asian Eatery, less than a tenner will get you a generous bowl of Tom Kha Kai. This takes the Thai classic in a novel, light direction. Often called Tom Kha Gai, the usual recipe for this soup involves coconut milk and chicken cooked with mushrooms, onions, scallions, bell peppers, chili, lime leaves, lemongrass, and galangal root. That last ingredient is key; that’s the kha in the soup’s name. Of course, one doesn’t eat the galangal if there’s a bit in your bowl. Instead, it permeates the broth. Naturally, the whole thing’s garnished with fresh bean sprouts and cilantro.

But at the Asian Eatery, one final ingredient — tomato — sets this version apart. The subtle addition of the nightshade adds a bit of edge to the coconut milk’s creaminess. If you find Tom Kha Gai to be the ultimate Southeast Asian comfort food, and many do, this trace of tomato will make it even more homey and familiar to you. It certainly doesn’t try to be a creamy tomato soup. Rather, by merely hinting at that, a new dimension to the classic dish opens up, as the fragrant, tart-yet-sweet tomato brightens the more conventional richness of the coconut milk.

And, while many Thai restaurants serve the soup over rice, here it’s served over rice noodles. Beyond that, the chefs at Asian Eatery no doubt have their own secret ratios of ingredients and seasonings. Whatever they may be, it’s all tied together in a perfect blend of cold weather comfort and healthfulness. — Alex Greene

Asian Eatery, 2072 West St., Germantown, (737-3988),
asianeatery.net

Chicken & Chipotle at Maciel’s

Chicken & Chipotle at Maciel’s

Across cultures, whether you grew up Jewish, Thai, Greek, or Cajun, simple, broth-based chicken soups are revered for their ability to heal, nourish, and delight the senses. Few are simpler or more satisfying than the chicken and chipotle soup served at Maciel’s Tacos & Tortas, a locally owned Mexican food chain with locations Downtown and near the U of M. It’s light enough to eat in the summertime, but this soup’s a core-warming, mouth-tingling comfort when temperatures plunge and the world turns icy and gray.

Maciel’s chicken soup is similar to a standard tortilla soup, but with a tangy, smokey twist. It starts with a rich chicken broth lightly sweetened and thickened by corn masa from fried tortilla strips and stained dark orange by the presence of an adobo-packed chipotle or two. Rice adds heartiness, and the chicken chunks are small and plentiful.

There was a time when smoked jalapeño peppers — chipotles — were a curious and exotic delicacy appearing only on the most adventurous menus. Today, they make regular appearances at fast food restaurants, including one named for the chili. They’re so normalized it’s easy to forget just what a flavor star they can be if you give them a little room to shine. Just a small amount brings heat, smoke, color, and an almost citrusy zip. Maciel’s chicken soup is a perfectly balanced example: picant but never aggressively so.

There are many tasty tortilla soups in town. At Maciel’s, the addition of chipotles puts it in a league of its own. Flues? Blues? It may not cure what ails you, but it’s a good start. — Chris Davis

Maciel’s Tortas & Tacos, 45 S. Main, (526-0037), macielsdowntown.com

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

The Best Gluten-Free Pizza in Memphis

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Has there ever been a more hated foodstuff than gluten?

The proliferation of gluten-free pizza on local menus is indicative of this ill will held by celiacs and gluten-intolerants alike. Heck, some people choose to be gluten-free (GF) just because they can! This is America after all.

When it comes to deciding who has the best gluten-free pizza in town, it’s a hard thing to judge. Andria Brown, who was diagnosed with celiac disease a couple of years ago, explains, “Non-GF people just shouldn’t eat it, and GF people’s opinions vary depending on how long it’s been since they had real pizza. In general, the thinner, crispier crusts are better because they’re not trying to be soft and chewy.”

Leigh Espy, who is gluten-intolerant, agrees. “Gluten-free crust is not the same — you don’t get that lovely chewy texture, but I’ve always preferred the thin, crispy crust anyway.”

Of course, depending on how much you hate gluten (and how much it hates you), cross-contamination factors must be considered as well. Here’s an overview of your current options:

Mellow Mushroom

Annica Kreider, VP of brand development, says Mellow Mushroom began offering gluten-free crust several years ago as a result of requests from guests who were no longer able to enjoy pizza. It is celiac-safe. ”We pride ourselves on this aspect of our program. Our cooks have been trained on the importance of preventing cross-contamination,” Kreider says. The kitchen staff will wash their hands, put on fresh gloves and a fresh apron, and only use gluten-free dedicated cooking utensils and ingredients. Everything is made to order and prepared in a separate area. A screen pan is used during the baking process so the gluten-free crust never makes direct contact with the pizza stone. ”While realizing that a gluten-free crust would likely never taste the same as our signature Mellow dough, our goal was to deliver a flavor profile that was just as delicious as our regular crust for the gluten-free audience,” explains Kreider. 

It has totally different ingredients from the regular crust, which is thicker. “A combination of ancient grains really gives it a delicious and hearty flavor, and it crisps up very nicely.  We also were able to make it vegan in the reformulation,” she says.

The crust is very popular, thanks to a dedicated marketing campaign.

mellowmushroom.com

Rock’n Dough Pizza Co.

Amanda Denno says at Rock’n Dough they had a substantial customer demand for a gluten-free and/or low-carb option. “Some people simply preferred to eat low-carb, and other people needed to avoid gluten due to dietary sensitivities or gluten allergies,” she says.

They use a pizza crust mix from local Memphis company Nourishe and prepare it in-house. The crust mix itself is 100-percent gluten-free, however, Rock’n Dough prepares this dough mix in a kitchen where flour containing gluten is heavily used. Steps they take to minimize gluten cross-contamination include storing it separately from other ingredients in a sealed container and preparing the gluten- and grain-sensitive dough at different times than gluten-containing dough.

“We take care to minimize cross-contamination, but it is possible that small amounts of gluten do get incorporated. For this reason, we cannot guarantee the crust we serve in the restaurant is 100 percent gluten free,” Denno says. This pizza crust is therefore not suitable for people with severe gluten allergies or reactions. It is listed as “gluten- and grain-sensitive” on the menu, and they train their staff to discuss the possibility of cross-contamination with their guests so they can be fully informed. 

Denno says the crust tastes great. It contains nut, seed, and root vegetable flours and is naturally free from gluten, grains, and soy. It is also lower in carbohydrates than many other gluten-free products and is Paleo-diet friendly. “Nourishe specializes in great-tasting gluten-free products, and we specialize in great pizza — when you combine them, it is the best!” she says.

Rock’n Dough does not currently offer gluten-free on their food truck, but they do offer it for private catering events, where the menu is decided prior to the event.

rockndoughpizza.com

Pyro’s Fire Fresh Pizza

Co-owner Chad Foreman says Pyro’s offers a gluten-free crust that many guests, both those with celiac disease and those just wanting to minimize gluten in their diets, really like.  “Our gluten-free crust is made with rice flour, and we offer to cook it in a pan for our more sensitive guests,” he says.

However, they do not offer a 100-percent gluten-free experience. “We do not recommend any of our products for individuals that are extremely sensitive. Since we make our signature thin crust in-house everyday with flour and semolina, our restaurant has gluten particles everywhere, which makes cross-contamination virtually impossible to avoid,” Foreman explains. This cross-contamination means that although their rice-based crust is gluten-free, most of the toppings and the oven they cook it in are not gluten-free.  

Guests are pleasantly surprised by how light and airy the crust is.  

pyrospizza.com

Russo’s New York Pizzeria

Chef Anthony Russo spent two years perfecting the recipe for his gluten-free crust. The secret is that it is bound together with honey and a Sicilian olive oil made specifically for Russo’s.

Jackson Lewis, the franchise’s PR representative, says there is a serious need for great-tasting gluten-free options, and because of this, Russo’s offers guests an entirely gluten-free menu. Additionally, the retail version of the gluten-free pizza is sold in 3,000 grocery stores across the United States.

Local franchise owner, Brett Steiner, says to prevent cross-contamination in the Germantown store, they keep the pizza crust in a separate cooler and change their gloves prior to making the order. The crust is very popular. They sell at least 50 a week.

nypizzeria.com

Hog & Hominy

Hog & Hominy makes its gluten-free dough in-house. For a $3 upcharge, all pizzas on the menu can be made gluten-free. They keep the dough separate and roll it separately, but it isn’t guaranteed to be 100-percent safe for celiacs because regular flour is used throughout the kitchen.

hogandhominy.com

Ciao Bella

Ciao Bella orders a gluten-free, pre-baked, 12-inch crust from a company in New Jersey called Conte’s Pasta through their specialty foods distributor. It is prepared with separate utensils, but it is prepared in the same pizza station as the rest of the pizzas and cooked and in the same pizza oven as everything else.

ciaobellamemphis.info

Memphis Pizza Cafe

MPC also orders a frozen gluten-free crust. Like Ciao Bella, they use separate utensils, but it is prepared and cooked in the same station/oven as regular pies.

memphispizzacafe.com

Chuck E. Cheese’s

Chuck E. Cheese’s has a gluten-free pizza that comes in a sealed, oven-safe bag. It isn’t opened until it gets to the table, and a one-time-use pizza cutter is provided. It’s celiac safe, but rumor has it, not very tasty!

chuckecheese.com

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Guess Where I’m Eating Contest 57

Mmmm…. 

The first person to correctly ID the dish and 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 56 contest is the ravioli at Ciao Bella, and the winner is … Debra Blundell!

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

A Taste of the New Menu at Ciao Bella

CREDIT: John Klyce Minervini

John Klyce Minervini

Ciao Bella’s Piccolo Sara ($10)

We’ve been itching to try the new menu at Ciao Bella for a while now. So when The Flyer got a chance to grab lunch with I Love Memphis’s Holly Whitfield, we jumped at it. I mean, come on. Wouldn’t you like to have lunch with this charming person?
John Klyce Minervini

I Love Memphis’s Holly Whitfield

We started with the Tuscan White Bean & Kale Soup ($4 cup). And you know what? There’s something special about that soup. Here’s Ciao Bella executive chef Branon Mason:

“I grew up eating soul food,” says Mason, “so I try to incorporate that into some of my recipes.”

[jump]

In the white bean soup, that meant eschewing vinegar in favor of a top-secret pepper juice. Which pepper juice, precisely? Mason wouldn’t say. But the soup was pretty tasty: warm and full-bodied, with a playful kick from its secret ingredient.

Next it was time for the BLTA&E($9). Piled high with avocado (A) and fried egg (E), this hefty sandwich also features roasted garlic aioli on wheatberry bread. This ain’t your mama’s BLT, and I predict it will be a big hit.
John Klyce Minervini

Ciao Bella’s BLTA&E Sandwich ($9)

My favorite dish of the day was definitely the Piccolo Sara ($10, pictured at top of page). It’s a simple variation on the classic Italian flavor combination: spinach + cherry tomatoes + parmesan. But at Ciao Bella, they swap out the fresh tomatoes for sun-dried, and ditch the parmesan in favor of goat cheese.

It’s an inspired combination: wonderfully light, with lots of room for the fresh flavors to shine through. Also, as Holly points out in her recent post for I Love Memphis, it’s great for carb-loading, whether you happen to be training for this Saturday’s St. Jude Marathon—or you’re just a person who likes carbs (:

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Viva Italia!

An Italian restaurant can be a minefield if you’re a diner with dietary restrictions. Vegans are confronted with cream sauces, cheeses, and egg-based pastas. For the gluten-free among us, the pitfalls are even more obvious: Pastas, breads, and breading are often wheat-based and make up the heart of most Italian-American cuisine.

Jonathan Steenerson, executive chef at Ciao Bella, wants to change all that. Well, some of that. He won’t be doing away with what works for the everyday eater; he’s simply adding a bit of flexibility to his menu.

“My mother has celiac disease, and witnessing the pain she goes through when she gets gluten in her meal made me more sympathetic,” says Steenerson, who opened Ciao Bella 10 years ago and recently returned to take it over again. Since his return nine months ago, Steenerson has also come to another conclusion about accommodating different diets: “Nowadays, the way the economy is, you have to get every person possible to choose you over the 400 other restaurants around you.”

Gluten-free penne and linguini are already available at Ciao Bella, and a gluten-free pizza crust is in the works. Vegans can order from the menu, opting for a cheese-less pizza with fresh vegetables, or order off-menu, where Steenerson keeps his grilled vegan mozzarella salad with balsamic reduction and farm fresh tomatoes. You may also be treated to what we sampled a few nights ago: a spinach fettuccini with chickpea and pine nut pesto served in a roasted acorn squash and topped with perfectly ripe cherry tomatoes.

Locavores will also find a friendly feast at Ciao Bella: 60 percent of their produce comes from Woodson Ridge Farms in Oxford, Mississippi, and their meat (with the exception of their veal) comes exclusively from Newman Farm in Missouri and Heritage Farms in Arkansas. They also work with YoLo, which is right next door, exchanging ideas for flavors and even borrowing their machines to make a range of sorbets and sorbettos. Everything is made from scratch.

“I have that Alfred E. Neuman quote hanging on my wall: ‘We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons,'” Steenerson says. “I want to reverse that.”

Ciao Bella, 565 Erin Dr. (205-2500)

ciaobellamemphis.com

Hog and Hominy, the newest venture from Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman of Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, is slated to open around Valentine’s Day 2012. Located in a house across the street from Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, the casual wine bar and pizzeria centers on a wood-fire stove, where Ticer says all of the pizzas and many of the other dishes will be prepared.

The pizzas will be made in the Naples style — a thin but chewy crust with a delicate blistering on the bottom. “We’re going to make the dough fresh every day. It’ll be the perfect pizza,” Ticer says. “It’s going to be awesome.”

As for the toppings, Ticer was a little less forthcoming. With Cochon 555 — the epic pig and wine competition in which he and Hudman are contestants — in February, the finer points of the menu are still in the works.

But Ticer was able to confirm that, in addition to pizzas, the menu will offer salads and baked pasta dishes, made with the same handmade pasta prepared across the street. And, as always, Ticer and Hudman will maintain their commitment to using fresh, local ingredients, including Newman Farm pork and produce from Mid-South farms.

So why the name Hog and Hominy for a pizza joint?

“Well, we love the pig. It’s our favorite protein, because it’s so versatile,” Ticer says. “But also Tennessee was known as the hog and hominy state back in the 1830s, and we’re from Memphis, so we wanted to do something as a kind of homage to where we’re from.”

Hog and Hominy will be open for lunch, dinner, and late-night seven days week.

Hog and Hominy, 707 W. Brookhaven Circle

Categories
Best of Memphis Special Sections

Best of Food & Drink

CREDIT: Alex Harrison

Alex Harrison

Buttery tikka masala, tender tandoori, spicy vegetable dishes, and all other manner of Indian specialties are served at Midtown institution India Palace in its airy, comfortable Poplar Avenue location.

We’ll admit we find it adorable when, in the “Best Chef” category,
you write in “My Wife,” “My Husband,” or, better yet, “My Mom.” (The
answer “Your Mom’s House” for “Best Romantic Restaurant” is not so
cute.) Chef Boyardee didn’t stand a chance with only two votes for
“Best Chef,” but at least he’s got bragging rights over Mrs. Winner
who, despite the name and the chicken and biscuits, got only one
vote.

Justin Fox Burks

Kelly English, Restaurant Iris, 1st place: ‘Best Chef’

Best Chef

1. Kelly English, Restaurant Iris

2. Erling Jensen, Erling Jensen the Restaurant

3. John Bragg, Circa

Last October, Food & Wine magazine named Kelly English
one of the Top 10 “Best New Chefs” for 2009. That was quite the honor.
Now Flyer readers have vaulted English to the top spot for the
first time.

Best Lunch

1. Huey’s

2. Soul Fish

3. Lenny’s

Hey, you know all those other restaurants that were in the running
for “Best Lunch” in Memphis? Stick a toothpick in ’em. They’re done.
Huey’s gets the nod for lunch nosh this year.

Best Breakfast

1. Brother Juniper’s

2. Blue Plate Cafe

3. Bryant’s Breakfast

Oh Brother, Wherefore Art Chow? Sorry. Brother J. has won “Best
Breakfast” many times, and it’s because they offer delicious,
innovative, homemade food in an eclectic space crammed with interesting
people, especially on weekend mornings.

Best Romantic Restaurant

1. Paulette’s

2. Le Chardonnay Wine Bar & Bistro

3. The Melting Pot

Maybe it’s the desserts. Or maybe the soft tinkling of the ivories.
Or maybe just the wonderful menu, nice wine list, and warm ambience.
Paulette’s is a classic.

Best Sunday Brunch

1. Owen Brennan’s Restaurant

2. Boscos Squared

3. Peabody Skyway — tie —

Beauty Shop

Owen Brennan’s sits at the cusp of Germantown and East Memphis, but
it draws Memphians from all over for its New Orleans-themed Sunday
brunch: the best in town for 2009.

Best Wine List

1. Le Chardonnay Wine Bar & Bistro

2. Texas de Brazil

3. Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse

Le Chardonnay moved across Madison Avenue a couple years ago, but it
has retained its dark, ski-lodge-y charm, its extensive wine list, and
first place for “Best Wine List” in your hearts.

Best Steak

1. Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House

2. Ruth’s Chris Steak House

3. The Butcher Shop

Folk’s Folly valets meet you at the curb. Once inside, you hear
sweet piano-bar stylings and the sound of cold drinks and cocktail
chatter. But who are we kidding? It’s all about the steak here, and
Folk’s Folly’s steaks sizzle!

Best Barbecue

1. Central BBQ

2. Corky’s

3. The Bar-B-Q Shop

Central BBQ takes top honor in what is probably the toughest
category in this poll: “Best Barbecue.” No matter how you spell it
— barbecue, BBQ, Bar-B-Q, whatever — Central’s on top
again.

Best Ribs

1. Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous

2. Central BBQ

3. Corky’s

The Rendezvous is sometimes derided as a place where tourists go to
eat Memphis’ most famous food group (16 barbecued ribs), but the
Flyer‘s poll makes it clear that locals love the Rendezvous as
much as people wearing Elvis T-shirts. And well they should.

Best Burger

BOM 1. Huey’s

2. Earnestine & Hazel’s

3. The Belmont Grill

That “BOM” designation means Huey’s has won “Best Burger” for so
long that it’s not even fair to anybody else in the running. Lots of
places in Memphis make good burgers, but only one takes the top spot,
year after year after year.

Best Hot Wings

1. Buffalo Wild Wings

2. D’Bo’s Buffalo Wings-n-Things

3. Central BBQ

With five Memphis-area locations, 14 sauces (ranging in heat from
“Blazin'” to “Sweet Barbecue”), and TVs set to sports everywhere you
look, Buffalo Wild Wings is leading the city’s wing scene.

Best Fried Chicken

BOM 1. Gus’s Fried Chicken

2. Popeye’s Chicken & Biscuits

3. Jack Pirtle Fried Chicken

If you want to eat lunch at Gus’s, you’d better get there early.
Folks line up for the crispy, smoky, spicy uniqueness that makes Gus’s
fried chicken better than anybody’s in Memphis. Or in the world.

Best Cajun/Creole

1. Bayou Bar & Grill

2. Owen Brennan’s Restaurant

3. Pearl’s Oyster House

The Bayou, like its sister restaurant, Le Chardonnay, hasn’t missed
a beat by moving across Madison. It’s bigger, but it still has a nice
patio, cold beer, stellar gumbo, and lots of other Cajun
delectables.

Justin Fox Burks

Petra, 1st place: ‘Best Mediterranean’

Best Mediterranean

1. Petra

2. Casa Grill

3. Petra Cafe

What’s more Midtown than this: Greek-Korean fusion in a restaurant
housed in a former gas station/garage, with patio seating right next to
the pumps? Spanikopita, moussaka, falafel — Petra is Greek
delicious. And the Korean soups and kimchi are fabulous too.

Best Dessert

1. Paulette’s

2. Beauty Shop

3. Kooky Canuck

Restaurants come and go, but Paulette’s “K-Pie” is a constant. Rich
coffee ice cream in a pecan-coconut crust, topped with whipped cream
and Kahlua, the Midtown institution’s Kahlua-mocha parfait pie is a
classic but not their most popular dessert. That designation apparently
belongs to the restaurant’s hot chocolate crepe. With crème
brûlée, Key lime pie, and other desserts dotting the menu,
Paulette’s is where Memphians go for post-dinner sweets.

Best Italian

1. Ronnie Grisanti & Sons Restaurant (now closed)

2. Pete & Sam’s

3. Bari — tie —

Ciao Bella Italian Grill

Long synonymous with Italian dining in Memphis, Ronnie Grisanti’s
closed its doors in August after a 25-year run at its Chickasaw Oaks
Plaza location on Poplar. But Memphians won’t be without the Grisanti
family’s authentic Tuscan cuisine, which has delighted local diners for
generations. Most of the restaurant’s staff — including Ronnie
himself — will relocate to the family’s Germantown location,
Elfo’s, which will be renamed simply Grisanti’s.

Best Mexican

1. El Porton Mexican Restaurant

2. Happy Mexican

3. Taqueria La Guadalupana

In an increasingly saturated local Mexican food scene, El Porton
maintains the top spot with five area locations, quick, reasonably
price lunches, a diverse menu, a full bar, and happy-hour specials.

Best Chinese

1. P.F. Chang’s

2. Wang’s Mandarin House

3. A-Tan

National chain P.F. Chang’s became a big local hit when it opened
its lone Memphis location — on Ridgeway in East Memphis — a
few years ago. In P.F. Chang’s large, opulent dining room, patrons can
feast on a diverse array of Chinese classics such as Mongolian beef,
ginger chicken, and spicy dumplings.

Best Thai

1. Bhan Thai

2. Bangkok Alley

3. Jasmine

Located in a large, converted Midtown house (the former home of
restaurant Maison Raji), Bhan Thai offers intensely flavorful Thai
dishes — masaman curry, pad thai, crispy duck, coconut-milk-based
soups, etc. — in an elegant atmosphere full of character, from
its small, intimate dining rooms to its popular patio in the back.

Best Vietnamese

1. Saigon Le

2. Pho Saigon

3. Pho Hoa Binh

This no-frills Midtown eatery has a loyal clientele because of its
focus on the food, which includes authentic Vietnamese specialties
— fresh spring rolls, great pho soups, vermicelli and tofu
dishes, and plenty of vegetarian options.

Best Japanese/Sushi

1. Sekisui

2. Blue Fin

3. Sekisui Pacific Rim

Restaurateur Jimmy Ishii has come to define Japanese cuisine, and
particularly sushi, in Memphis. The local chain is celebrating its 20th
birthday this year, first opening its Humphreys Center flagship
restaurant in 1989 and now covering the city with five locations.

Justin Fox Burks

Soul Fish, 1st place: ‘Best Home Cooking / Soul Food’

Best Home Cooking/Soul Food

1. Soul Fish

2. The Cupboard

3. Blue Plate Café

For exquisite catfish and hush puppies and a big daily selection of
veggies, it’s hard to order anything else off of Soul Fish’s menu. But
try their smoked half-chicken, and you’ll be doubling up on meals to
satisfy all your menu urges.

Best Vegetarian

BOM 1. Whole Foods Market

2. The Cupboard

3. Jasmine

Whole Foods Market, a foodie oasis on Poplar Avenue in East Memphis,
is more than a grocery store. Its large prepared-foods section —
pizzas, sandwiches, salad bar, bakery, coffee and juice bar — and
dining area make it a popular lunch and dinner spot for vegetarians and
health-food enthusiasts, in particular. Whole Foods also offers cooking
classes to help you find interesting things to do with the fresh and
healthy items they sell.

Best Seafood

1. Tsunami

2. Bonefish

3. The Half Shell

The anchor restaurant of Cooper-Young does it again, taking “Best
Seafood” for the millionth year in a row. Scallops, sea bass, mussels,
you name it, Chef Ben Smith and crew deliver a ship full of great taste
in a sophisticated atmosphere.

Best Pizza

BOM 1. Memphis Pizza Cafe

2. Garibaldi’s Pizza

3. Old Venice

Memphis Pizza Café was an instant hit when it opened in 1993
and has since expanded its local pizza empire to five locations, all
serving tasty, crispy pizzas, including such faves as the white-sauce
“alternative” and the zesty Cajun chicken.

Best Deli

1. Fino’s from the Hill

2. Bogie’s Delicatessen

3. Young Avenue Deli

What says Midtown more than the intersection of Madison and McLean?
And what says a great deli sandwich better than Fino’s from the Hill,
on that very Midtown corner? In addition to the popular made-to-order
sandwiches — cold cuts, cheeses, toppings, all on good crusty
bread — Fino’s offers pasta dishes and grocery items. That’s
Italian!

Best Server

1. Jeff Frisby, Restaurant Iris

2. Michele Fields, Calhoun’s Sports Bar

3. Jean Pruett, Bardog — tie —

Brent Skelton, The Kitchen

Jeff Frisby at Restaurant Iris must be doing something right. Last
year, he was named one of the city’s best servers in our Best Of poll.
This year, he’s done it again. Must be that Frisby knows not only how
to serve, he knows what to serve when it comes to vino: He’s Restaurant
Iris’ wine manager. (Factoid: All our winners in this category work in
Memphis’ new or newish restaurant/bars. Good to see Flyer
readers appreciate the city’s evolving food scene.)

Best Service

1. Chick-Fil-A

2. Texas de Brazil

3. Houston’s

Drive-thru or in-store, the crew behind the counter at any of
Memphis’ Chick-Fil-A locations have it down pat: your order in your
hands — fast. More amazing (and given the volume of business),
they do it, hands down, with the friendliest service in town.

Justin Fox Burks

Chick-Fil-A, 1st place: ‘Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant’

Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant

1. Chick-Fil-A

2. Chuck E. Cheese

3. Huey’s

We forgot to mention (see “Best Service”) that the crew at
Chick-Fil-A must have nerves of steel. As a new winner in the
kid-friendly restaurant category, these folks have what it takes when
children combine with fast food. Call it grace under pressure.

Best Local Late-Night Dining

1. Huey’s

2. Earnestine & Hazel’s

3. Young Avenue Deli

And we mean late. We’re talking, at several of Huey’s
multiple locations, a kitchen that’s open until 2 a.m. Don’t deny it.
At that hour and after some damage, what your body’s craving is a
burger and onion rings.

Best Place for People-Watching

1. Flying Saucer

2. Young Avenue Deli

3. Celtic Crossing

The corner of Beale and Second: The wide-open windows at downtown’s
Flyer Saucer aren’t there for no reason. Whether you’re in the
restaurant or passing on the sidewalk, this place was tailor-made for
people-watching. Evidence: During the Memphis Music and Heritage
Festival a few weekends ago, the place was jamming, inside and out.

Best Patio

1. Celtic Crossing

2. Boscos Squared

3. Cafe Olé

In a word: trivia. Celtic’s popular Wednesday-night tournament this
past summer had the patio packed. Any night, any season, though, will
do for a Guinness and some major hanging-out in Cooper-Young. Bonus
attraction: On this patio, you’re only a few steps from the scene on
the street.

Best Local Place That Delivers

1. Garibaldi’s Pizza

2. Young Avenue Deli

3. Camy’s

Another new winner in our Best Of poll: Garibaldi’s Pizza —
established 30 years ago by owner Mike Garibaldi — has three
locations for handmade pizzas, pastas, salads, wings, sandwiches,
sweets, and more. Garibaldi’s caters to not only what you’re hungry
for, according to readers, it really delivers.

Justin Fox Burks

Muddy’s Bake Shop, 1st place: ‘Best Bakery’

Best Bakery

1. Muddy’s Bake Shop

2. La Baguette

3. Fresh Market

Again: a new winner. And, according to Muddy’s website, if you’re
rude, whiny, impatient, or otherwise unpleasant, forget stepping inside
this bakeshop. If you’re green-minded and egg-headed (Muddy’s uses eggs
from cage-free, free-range hens), you’re welcome! Plus, who’s to argue
with a cupcake called “Prozac?”

Best Local Coffeehouse

1. High Point Coffee (now closed)

2. Otherlands

3. Café Eclectic — tie —

Republic Coffee

High Point Coffee just closed. (It’s the economy, stupid.) But
Otherlands, Cafe Eclectic, and Republic Coffee — the hotshots
rounding out your picks for best local coffeehouse — havestill
got their vibe going and the caffeine coming.

Best Restaurant

1. Restaurant Iris

2. Tsunami

3. Huey’s

Iris: It’s in the eye of the beholder. Restaurant Iris, “Best
Restaurant,” according to Memphians who value fine dining. In the space
of a year, nationally recognized chef Kelly English has succeeded in
turning Restaurant Iris into the city’s go-to address for exceptional
French-Creole-inspired cuisine. Doesn’t hurt that the restaurant also
features first-rate service in an intimate, romantic atmosphere.

Best New Restaurant

1. Flight

2. Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen

3. Overton Park Pizze Stone

The interior’s gorgeous, but it’s the food at Flight that has
Flyer readers hooked — and voting. Flight’s “flights”
— a trio of tastings from the entrée, dessert, and wine
menus — make it a wonderful way to sample what’s cooking in the
kitchen. What’s on your table: small plates but great taste. Or you
want regular-size portions? No problem. You can order that way too.

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Booking It

Full disclosure: Joy Bateman is an account executive for the Flyer‘s sister publication Memphis magazine. She’s also a local food aficionado, illustrator, and author, who has applied her culinary and artistic talents to craft The Art of Dining in New Orleans. The 80-page book follows The Art of Dining in Memphis, which was published two years ago.

In The Art of Dining in New Orleans, Bateman embraces the Crescent City and its rich culinary traditions, including recipes and anecdotes from more than 30 eateries — from Arnaud’s and Bayona to Café Du Monde and Tujague’s. The book includes one or two recipes from every restaurant — Mulat’s crawfish étouffée, Bon Ton Café’s homemade turtle soup, and Commander’s Palace’s “Dove Poppers with Five Pepper Jelly,” among them — and a chef’s suggestion or comment here and there, plus Bateman’s own observations.

In addition, each page is illustrated with Bateman’s drawings of the restaurants or particular details, such as recipe ingredients (leeks, turtles, lemons, asparagus), silverware, plates, and crystal chandeliers.

Bateman will be signing The Art of Dining in New Orleans on Thursday, October 18th, at 6 p.m. at Davis-Kidd Booksellers.

Davis-Kidd Booksellers, 387 Perkins Ext. (683-9801)

When the Pinch District bistro Café Francisco closed last month, it was a surprise to everyone — including owner Julie Ray.

While business had slowed after The Pyramid was shuttered, Ray says she always thought that everything would eventually work out.

“Honestly, I thought I could just stick this out,” Ray says. “There was this pattern that when something happened that made me consider closing the café, a few days later something great would happen that would let me believe that we can make it.”

In the end, the bad outweighed the good. Part of the decision to close came after an unusually high utility bill. Ray, who runs the cafe with her family and whose husband owns and operates Café Francisco in San Francisco, also cites her desire “to have her family be her family” and not her business partners.

“It was hard. I love this neighborhood, and I thought we were here for good,” Ray says. “I looked through all the things people have written about the café on the Internet, and I couldn’t find a single one that was negative. We really tried.”

Ray estimates that it will take approximately six months to dissolve the business. As for the future, Ray isn’t sure where she’ll end up.

“There are many possibilities. But for now, I have to take care of what’s left of the café.”

In other news: Brett “Shaggy” Duffee, formerly of the Beauty Shop and Dō, is now chef at Equestria. Robert Howay, sous chef at the Beauty Shop under Duffee, now leads the kitchen at the Cooper-Young eatery.

Ciao Bella, the Italian restaurant well-known for its thin-crust pizza, will move into the location that used to be occupied by Lulu Grille, which closed its doors at the end of August. The move, hopefully completed in November, will double Ciao Bella’s space and allow for two private dining rooms. Pei Wei Asian Diner will move into a space just a few storefronts down from the current Ciao Bella in the Mendenhall Commons Shopping Center on the corner of Mendenhall and Sanderlin. The Asian noodle-shop-inspired restaurant is scheduled to open its new location early in 2008.

Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. is teaming up with Paula Deen. The company is planning an estimated $45 million expansion of Grand Casino Resort Tunica, including a 560-seat Paula Deen’s Buffet, which is expected to open next spring. Part of the revamp is a new name for the casino — Harrah’s Casino Tunica — and a second floor “entertainment promenade” that will include retail stores and restaurants.