Tag: Deni Reilly

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

They’re Back: Majestic Grille Weekend Brunch and Sunday Dinner

Crab Benedict at The Majestic Grille (Credit: Michael Donahue).

I’m on cloud nine. I ate the Crab Benedict at brunch this afternoon at The Majestic Grille.

It was fabulous. Not only the crab dish, made of toasted English muffins, sliced tomatoes, sliced avocados, poached eggs, hollandaise, and lump crabmeat, but the fact that The Majestic Grille, at 145 South Main Street, is relaunching its Ultimate Weekend Brunch as well as its Sunday Dining Service on September 16th.

Deni and Chef Patrick Reilly at The Majestic Grille (Credit: Michael Donahue)

I was at a soft opening on September 10th at the restaurant, which is owned by chef Patrick Reilly and his wife, Deni. Fare at my table also included eggs Benedict with ham and hollandaise, cornmeal crusted calamari with cherry peppers and spicy marinara, beignets, and the soup of the day — chicken artichoke with bell pepper and touch of cream. “A nice, elegant, Sunday sort of soup,” Deni says.

Chicken artichoke soup at The Majestic Grille (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Eggs Benedict at The Majestic Grille (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Cornmeal crusted calamari at The Majestic Grille (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Beignets at The Majestic Grille (Credit: Michael Donahue)

According to the news release, Majestic Grille decided to reopen Sundays “after taking a much needed year-long break in response to staffing shortages, and supply chain issues.”

The brunch will include familiar dishes as well as new dishes and elevated classics. New dishes include “Harissa Chicken Hash, a Carbonara Flatbread, and an Asparagus, Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Frittata.”

And, according to the release, the classics are “Steak and Eggs, Eggs Benedict and Shrimp and Grits. And expect some changes to these as well.”

Diners will be able to choose cuts of steak. The release continues, “Sausage has been added to the Shrimp and Grits. And the chunky country potatoes of brunches past have been elevated to elegant, crispy Brabant potatoes. A selection of sweet and savory breads and pastries from new neighbor, Hive (Bagel & Deli) will also be available as a tasty accompaniment to your meal.”

The Sunday roast is “a nod to Patrick’s Irish roots and his time spent early in his career at Michelin-starred restaurants in London. This offering, which will change seasonally, will debut as a whole bone-in Newman Farms Pork Rack served with Yorkshire Pudding, Apple Sauce, Green Beans Almandine, and Roasted Potatoes.”

Also, the release states, “A robust cocktail and coffee and tea program will complement the food offerings, including Lavazza coffees and the return of the popular Majestic Mimosas and house made Bloody Mary.”

Other highlights include a “Vanilla Espresso Martini topped with chocolate espresso beans from Dinstuhl’s located next door, a Wicklow 75 — a twist on a French 75 with Glendalough Rose Gin, and No-Mosas, non-alcoholic, house made fruit spritzers for those looking for spirit free, yet still festive brunch beverage options.”

Asked how she thought the brunch’s soft opening went, Deni says, “It was so great. It cracked me up. I was constantly running around making sure everything was set. And I turned around and the entire bar was full of our brunch bar regulars.”

Among those at the restaurant at the soft opening were “friends who now live in Hernando, friends from Marion, friends who live out east, downtown, Midtown. Everybody was so happy to be back. And we had so many people thanking us, which was so gracious. But we thank them for supporting us through all this. It’s been a wild ride the past three years.”

The Majestic Grille, which serves lunch and dinner as well as the Weekend Brunch, will now be open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Brunch will be served 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays with dinner from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. both days.

For more information, call 901-522-8555 or go to info@majesticgrille.com and www.majesticgrille.com.

Anne and Pat Halloran and Patrick Halloran and Melissa Dixon at the soft opening of Weekend Brunch at The Majestic Grille (Credit: Michael Donahue)
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News News Blog

Oswalt to Step Down as DMC President

CREDIT: Downtown Memphis Commission

Downtown Memphis Commission

Jennifer Oswalt

Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC) president Jennifer Oswalt will leave the organization at year’s end and will be temporarily replaced by former DMC staffer Ray Brown until a permanent replacement is found. 

Oswalt joined the DMC as chief financial officer in 2015. She was elevated to president in 2017. Before her work with the Downtown Memphis Commission, Oswalt was CFO for Contemporary Media, Inc., parent company of the Memphis Flyer.

She leaves the DMC for a position in Knoxville with HF Capital. There, she will build the newly formed Family Investment Office for the Haslam family.

“Downtown Memphis is in a special place with eager and dedicated developers, supportive city and county government, and the opportunity for an influx of new residents and Downtowners of all types,” Oswalt said about the future of Downtown Memphis. “I am confident in the DMC staff’s strength, passion, and dedication to continuing the work of bettering Downtown to attract even more investment in years to come.”

In her time with the DMC, the organization completed a parking study and a Downtown master plan that focused on the area’s core, enhancing walkability, and strengthening connections to the riverfront.

The Downtown development pipeline rose to historic levels under Oswalt’s leadership with projects like The Walk, One Beale, Tennessee Brewery, Orion and Rise projects, Loews, Arrive, Central Station and Canopy Hotels, and the recently announced Mobility Center.

Downtown Memphis Commission

Ray Brown

Brown will step in as the DMC conducts a comprehensive search for Oswalt’s replacement. He has served as the DMC’s vice president of Planning and Development. He is the former chair of the Downtown Memphis Design Review Board and the current treasurer of the Center City Development Corporation.

“I believe in Downtown Memphis as the heart of our city. In various roles over two decades, I have been privileged to help Downtown grow towards its full potential,” Brown said. “I thank the DMC for entrusting me with this stewardship.”

A DMC search committee for the position will begin identifying and vetting candidates in early 2021. The position description will be posted on the DMC website later this month.

“We are truly grateful to Jennifer for her excellent stewardship of Downtown over the past four years,” said Deni Reilly, DMC board chair. “Her ability to lead humbly, with vision, acumen, and integrity will serve her well in her new position.

“It is a testament to not only Jennifer but the DMC and Memphis that Governor [Bill] Haslam and his family sought her out for this high-profile position. We know she will soar in her new role and will always carry Downtown Memphis in her heart.”

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Letter From The Editor Opinion

This Sucks

CREDIT: Bianca Phillips

Bruce VanWyngarden has gone fishing this week. His column returns when he does.

A few years ago, I was having lunch with a coworker who proceeded to go on a long and sort of crazy rant about how much she hates it when restaurants bundle their straws with silverware. After that, when someone complained bitterly about something of no consequence, “straws” became a sort of shorthand dismissal.

So where do we stand, Memphis, on plastic straws? Is this as an issue “straws”?

Bianca Phillips

As a single-use plastic, plastic straws are pretty bad. Millions and millions of plastic straws are used each day in America and then tossed out to litter our lands and shores. Some cities, like Malibu and Washington, D.C., have already banned them. In New York and Hawaii, legislation is pending.

In Memphis, we’re seeing more and more restaurants abandoning the plastic straw.

Janet Boscarino, executive director of Clean Memphis, which oversees Project Green Fork, estimates that about half of Project Green Fork members (about 40 restaurants) have given up plastic straws. But, as of now, Project Green Fork does not include anything about straws in their “6 Steps to Certification” for local restaurants.

“We certainly push for the elimination of single-use plastics, which straws would fall into that category,” Boscarino says.

For Earth Day, Project Green Fork did a program they called “Don’t Suck,” which highlighted recyclable options for straws, including paper and bamboo. “We are certainly trying to raise awareness around eliminating [straws],” she says.

For Boscarino, straws are just once piece of the puzzle in reducing food waste — from bags to food containers to the food itself.

Deni Reilly, owner of Majestic Grille with her husband Patrick, says that restaurant has been straws-by-request since it opened 14 years ago. They only began to use coated paper straws about two years ago. (They go through 12,000 to 14,000 straws in a month.)

Reilly says they’ve always leaned toward being environmentally conscious. They don’t provide water, except for large parties. Their to-go glasses are biodegradable.

She says with a laugh that they do it for the sea turtles.

Octavia Young, the owner of Midtown Crossing Grill, began backing away from straws in 2016 about a year after she opened. She says she was thinking about joining Project Green Fork and started looking at what she could do. She then put up a sign: “Straws are a one-time use item that never biodegrade. Your server will only provide straws upon request in an effort to reduce our footprint. Thank you.”

Young says reaction was mixed, but ultimately, no one can argue, because as the sign says, if they want a straw, all they have to do is ask.

“Hearing about how much [waste] a restaurant produces and actually looking at it for myself, I wanted to be a better neighbor in the community that we serve,” she says.

Scott Tashie has been thinking about straws a lot lately. Tashie is owner of City Silo and three area I Love Juice Bars.

“It’s something we’ve been trying to come up with a solution on for a while, actually,” he says. “And it’s super challenging. Obviously, when you’re in a beverage-heavy business, you want to always take care of your customers, and we’ve tried different options. It’s been challenging to find something that actually works.”

At one point, Tashie was using glass straws, but then his source stopped making them. He tried a bring-your-own straw approach, too. He admits that a straw is not something that’s particularly easy to carry on you, like a reusable bag.

Tashie has been experimenting with different types of straws. Forgoing them completely won’t work because of the smoothies he sells. He recently settled on corn straws that he hooked up with through his association with Malco. (He has family ties to the movie theater chain). Malco is currently working to get corn straws at all of its theaters.

Tashie doesn’t mind the extra cost of the straws. For him, it’s worth it. “There’s only one Earth,” he says. “You can’t really put a price on it.”

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Now Showing

CREDIT: Courtesy Deni Reilly

Two weeks ago, the Majestic Grille on South Main celebrated its second anniversary with the unveiling of an 18-foot movie screen in the main dining area. It’s a fitting addition to the restaurant, which was the site of the Majestic No. 1 Theatre from 1913 to 1936. Also new is the Innovators Room for art exhibitions and special events.

“We wanted to get involved in the arts in Memphis and make our restaurant available to local artists and arts organizations. We just weren’t sure when that would happen,” says Deni Reilly, who owns the Majestic with her husband and the restaurant’s chef, Patrick.

“What we are trying to do has three components: movies, performing arts, and visual arts,” Reilly says.

According to Reilly, the screen is mounted in almost the exact place as the original Majestic’s screen and could be the largest screen outside a movie theater in Memphis. Silent films currently are being shown, but the screen also can be used for presentations and televised events.

“Next year, when Memphis plays in the NCAA tournament and wins, our guests can watch the game here,” Reilly says.

In addition, the restaurant has partnered with local organizations to promote their performances.

“If Ballet Memphis does Carmen, for example, we would have a special event at the restaurant during which some of the dancers could perform excerpts from the ballet,” Reilly says. “We also want to have a regular jazz night, but I’m still working on putting together a calendar.”

The Innovators Room includes an art gallery that will host six exhibitions per year. The room also can accommodate between 25 and 40 people for private functions.

“We are excited about creating another exhibition space in Memphis,” Reilly says. “We don’t ask for any commission, and audio or video equipment for business meetings is available free of charge, as well.”

The current exhibition shows photographs by Gary Kessel, but Reilly encourages all artists to inquire about the space.

“This is really about promoting art, and we do want to show a variety of works by a variety of artists,” she says.

The Majestic Grille, 145 S. Main (522-8555, arts@majesticgrille.com)

Just for Lunch is an “old-new” restaurant that recently opened at Chickasaw Oaks Plaza in the space vacated by Elfo’s.

“Just for Lunch came before Just Catering, but people who haven’t been in Memphis for the past 27 years might not know that,” says Ann Barnes, the force and soul behind both businesses.

Barnes, originally from Little Rock, “stole” the concept for the eatery, which opened at 4730 Poplar in 1981, from her sister, Susan.

“My sister owned the Very Special Tea Room in Little Rock, and when I was looking for something to do when my son was 9 years old, I thought I can do something like that,” Barnes remembers.

Looking back, Barnes laughs about her naïveté. She recalls being on the phone with her sister, asking questions and getting tips on how to run a restaurant.

“When we first started I was a little bit like the newlywed who calls her mom on Thanksgiving to find out how to cook a turkey,” Barnes says. “Only I was calling my sister to find out how to run a restaurant.”

In 1986, Just for Lunch moved into Audubon Place next to the Williams-Sonoma outlet store and remained there until 1997, when Barnes decided to close the restaurant and focus on Just Catering.

“Our customers were really sad when we closed Just for Lunch, and not a day has gone by when people didn’t ask me to reopen,” Barnes says. “So when my landlord told me about this opportunity, I didn’t hesitate.”

Just for Lunch is a comfortable neighborhood lunch spot. The walls and tablecloths are salmon-colored, and artwork from neighboring galleries is on display throughout the restaurant. The upstairs dining room can be booked for special events.

The menu is straightforward lunch fare, reminiscent of tearooms. Classics include chicken salad, albacore tuna salad, pimento cheese, egg-and-olive, and ham salad served on homemade wheat bread. The salad selection is substantial and includes Southern chopped salad, Mediterranean salad, pasta salad with Brie, and the Just for Lunch club salad, among others. Soups and desserts are also available.

Just for Lunch is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Just for Lunch, 3092 Poplar, Suite 11 (323-3287)