Swamp Bar at The Second Line is now open for business. This is the new pop-up bar in the space formerly occupied by Pantà at 2146 Monroe Avenue.
Swamp Bar and The Second Line, which is next door, have now become one.
“I’m taking the whole Second Line property here and creating this whole property as one identity,” says Derk Meitzler, Iris Restaurant Group director of operations. “It’s all Second Line restaurant now. This is the ‘Swamp Bar at The Second Line.’ It’s basically another bar area. Another dining floor plan area.”
Swamp Bar is “just a little bit more cozy. A little bit more funky. The music we’re playing is Meters and funky New Orleans stuff. A little different twist on cocktails besides the standards from Second Line.”
Meitzler will be cooking, but, he says, he basically will be overseeing Swamp Bar. “I took this project on as kind of my little ‘fun I get to do other than the other restaurant stuff I have to do.’”
The food is “a global Creole menu. Right now it’s a little Asian infused.”
Swamp Bar gives him a chance to “play with a small menu” in addition to featuring some of the Second Line items people love, including the traditional po’ boys and barbecued shrimp.
“I have a dish I’ve done off and on through my other places. I have a crawfish pad thai — our version of pad thai with crawfish and with fermented black beans. A different twist to it.”
He also included “a curry shrimp and grits with coconut grits and panang curry. I’ve added our greens to the dish.”
And Meitzler added “vegan influenced” Creole dishes, including “lemongrass tofu bites with black rice. And we’ve taken a twist on the po’ boys by just doing banh mi-style using fried shrimp, fried oysters, or pork belly and ham.”
Also, he says, “I’m playing around. I’ve started making crawfish dumplings.”
Shrimp & Grits at Swamp Bar at The Second Line (Credit: Sam Reeves)Yakamein Nola “Old Sober” spaghetti, noodles, roast beef, shrimp, sauteed veggies; spices, beef broth, and noodles with a bartender Sam Reeves cocktail at Swamp Bar at The Second Line (Credit: Sam Reeves)
Looking to the future, he says, “I’ve got a late night menu planned if it comes to that.”
Bartender Sam Reeves will serve her signature cocktail, the “Sneaky Lil Bee,” which includes autumnal gin, lemon, honey, black chai syrup, and clove bitters; and her “Napoleon Complex,” which is made with 80-year-old rum, espresso, and ube syrup, and coffee liqueur.
“She’s also done some neat little mocktails.”
Decor includes some of the Pantà furnishings. “‘Pantà means ‘swamp,’ so it made it easy to flip the Spanish word for ‘swamp’ to the English ‘swamp.’ We still have the mural of the bayou behind the bar. We added a TV on the side. People can watch their favorite Grizzlies or Tiger game.”
They set up a lounge in the front window and they’re in the process of making the back area a “lounge, sit-down” area where people “relax, and have cocktails and nibble on food.
“We brought in black and white photos that connect to Second Line. New Orleans Second Line photos and photos of New Orleans. And we’re going to add more to it.”
So, could the Swamp Bar pop-up eventually become a full-fledged restaurant? “A good possibility,” Meitzler says.
Swamp Bar at The Second Line is open 5 p.m. ’till on Wednesdays through Saturdays.
The Paramount is slated to open in July (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Twenty-two stars arch around Utah’s Ben Lomond peak on the Paramount Pictures logo. They stood for the number of actors and actresses who originally contracted to work for the studio.
I learned that on Google.
About 50 stars are on the ceiling above the granite-topped bar at The Paramount, the new bar/restaurant slated to open in July at 265 South Front.
I learned that from Mac Edwards, consultant for the 4,800 square-foot restaurant, which was used as the law office on the TV series, Bluff City Law.
And they are supposed to be stars, Edwards says. “That’s the effect.”
“Stars” will shine on bar patrons at The Paramount. (Credit: Michael Donahue)
I recently got another sneak peek at The Paramount, which is owned by the restaurant’s chef, Derk Meitzler, and I’m astounded. It’s absolutely beautiful.
Describing what they wanted the place to be, Edwards says, “Elegant, but not stuffy. We don’t want to be clubby.”
Project manager Tony Gooch, who came in “to do the final work on the columns,” ended up staying, Edwards says. “He’s kind of been the only carpenter on the job. He’s done work for Rhodes College, and you know how beautiful it is. He’s a finish carpenter, a cabinet maker by trade.”
Looking around the restaurant, Edwards says, “He built those walls. He built the vestibule. He did everything.”
The Paramount (Credit: Michael Donahue)
All the restaurant’s mahogany veneer, which includes the columns, the bar front and back, and the surround on the exhibition kitchen in the dining room, came from the same tree. “We bought a tree,” Gooch says.
Graham Reese, the design architect, came up with the color scheme, which is “carmine” red, “caviar” black, and “black fox” — the brown on the walls. The brown on the front of the building is “urbane bronze.”
And, Edwards says, “We left the brick.” No painted brick at The Paramount.
Kathie Foy covered the large hanging light shades with fabric. The six lights, which are 30 inches across, hang from the ceiling, which is 20 feet from the floor.
The Paramount (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Paintings by Sue Layman adorn the restaurant, which will also feature work by other artists. Layman’s art can be purchased, Edwards says.
A Sue Layman painting at The Paramount (Credit: Michael Donahue)
A look at the working menu shows a range of small plates, including crab beignets, pork belly cracklings, duck poutine, fried green tomatoes, smoked salmon dip, ricotta dumplings, poached shrimp, bronzed yellowfin tuna, purple hull pea mussels, wings, and sea scallops. You can even get fried bologna — with pickled peach mustard.
Soups are crawfish and crab soup and caramelized onion soup with smoked bacon and blue cheese.
Entrees include a pork porterhouse with apple riesling jus, a grilled skirt steak with chimichurri, cornbread and andouille stuffed quail, shrimp and grits with NOLA sauce, tasso ham, and smoked gouda cheese, and a lamb roast with rhubarb butter with a glaze of olive oil, white soy sauce, fish sauce, sorghum syrup, miso, and garlic.
And you can order the Paramount Cheeseburger on a brioche bun.
The Paramount (Credit: Michael Donahue)
As I said in an earlier story, The Paramount was one of the offices of Paramount Pictures distributing company. My father, who was branch manager of the distributing company, worked in this office and at Paramount’s other downtown offices until he retired at 70.
They’re coming up with a drink named in his honor, Edwards says. I told him my dad liked bourbon highballs.
The Backlot Sandwich Shop, another part of The Paramount, already is open.
An old logo dating to when Paramount Pictures occupied the space is on the front of the building. In case you want to count the stars.
A Paramount logo hangs above the entrance to The Paramount. (Credit: Michael Donahue)Mac Edwards, Dirk Meitzler, and Tony Gooch at The Paramount
After hearing about Memphis being recognized as the mashed potato capital of America by Idahoan Foods, I wondered how Memphis chefs used mashed potatoes at their restaurants. So, I asked around.
Kelly English, owner of Iris, The Second Line, and Fino’s from the Hill, says, “I love crawfish boil mashed potatoes — with everything you would get in a crawfish boil. Just fold some crawfish tails, crispy sautéed andouille, corn kernels, and roasted garlic into your potatoes and season with your favorite Creole seasoning. Saute a piece of fish from the Gulf and pour brown butter and lemon juice over the whole dish.”
Derk Meitzler, chef/owner of The Vault, Paramount, Backlot Sandwich Shop, and Earnestine & Hazel’s, says, “I’ve used leftover mashed potatoes to make loaded tater tots. Put the potatoes, egg, flour, shredded cheddar cheese, bacon, and chives into a bowl and mix together. Form into the shape of a tater tot and roll in panko bread crumbs. Then fry them golden brown.”
Acre Restaurant executive chef Andrew Adams (Photo: Michael Donahue)
Elwood’s Shack owner Tim Bednarski shared his warm German potato salad recipe. Boil two pounds of new potatoes cut into fourths in salted water until tender. Render four pieces of bacon. Drain the potatoes while warm. Combine one cup sliced green onions, one-half cup diced celery, one-half cup mayonnaise, one-half cup sour cream, two tablespoons Dijon mustard, one-fourth cup apple cider vinegar, one-half cup chopped parsley, one-fourth cup pimentos, salt and pepper to taste, and “hot sauce for a kick.” Give it “a light mash.”
Veteran Memphis chef Mac Edwards, hospitality director for The Paramount, makes Very Anglo Latkes: “To leftover mashed potatoes, add grated onion, eggs, a little flour, and baking soda. Press into a patty, pan fry in one-fourth inch of oil until crispy and brown. Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt while hot. I make a horseradish applesauce to go with it.”
Karen Carrier, owner of The Beauty Shop Restaurant, Mollie Fontaine Lounge, and Another Roadside Attraction, prepares Green Herb Roasted Garlic Creamed Potatoes, made with Yukon golds and a parsley, mint, and tarragon puree, unsalted butter, roasted garlic, creme fraiche, and grana padano, with salt and pepper to taste.
Saito 2 chef Jimmy “Sushi Jimi” Sinh makes a sushi roll with mashed potatoes. “Inside would be a deep-fried panko chicken,” he says. The roll is “topped with mashed potatoes and thinly sliced avocado.”
Ben Smith, chef/owner of Tsunami, says, “Mashed potatoes don’t play a major role in my restaurant, even though it’s one of the most requested side items. They normally only accompany our grilled filet of beef, but some customers get creative. We frequently have people order our pork and lemongrass meatballs on top of mashed potatoes.
“I’ve also known people to order mashed potatoes with a side of soy beurre blanc, which is kind of overkill because our mashed potatoes are already loaded with butter and cream.”
Acre Restaurant executive chef Andrew Adams says, “When I worked in a restaurant in New Jersey, I would make mashed potato sandwiches at the end of the night when leftovers were mashed potatoes and sourdough bread. I’ve been told that I break some sort of healthy eating rule by eating carbs on carbs. Lately, I’ve been doing the same with leftover cornbread.”
Peggy Brown, chef/owner of Peggy’s Healthy Home Cooking, cooks homestyle mashed potatoes: “We use Irish potatoes. Peel, wash, slice them up, put them in a pot with chicken broth, and boil until they get completely done. I also put salt in my pot while they’re cooking. Mash them with a potato masher and put in real butter and black pepper. Sometimes we put a little cream in them.”
If you still don’t have enough mashed potatoes in your life, try making some of these dishes.
Former Memphis chef Spencer McMillin, “traveling chef” and author of The Caritas Cookbook: A Year in the Life with Recipes, knows his mashed potatoes. “I’ve been making smoked mashed potatoes since 1995,” says McMillin, now executive chef at Ciao Trattoria and Wine Bar in Durham, New Hampshire. “Wash Idaho russets, peel them, simmer — always starting in cold water — drain, smoke with any wood but mesquite, fortify with unholy amounts of hot cream and cold butter, season — kosher salt only, pepper and garlic fight with the smoke — and serve them napalm hot. If the roof of your mouth wasn’t singed with the first bite, they’re too cold. Smoked mash is the one side dish of mine that has been remembered, sought after, stolen, and stood the test of time.
“In the restaurants, I always make way too much and find myself trying to merchandise them in other dishes or turning them into new ‘brilliant’ preparations. A kicky shepherd’s pie, creative duchess croquette, savory pancake — so good with braised pork shoulder — or cheddar-laced fritters.”
But, he says, “None of those dishes were as tasty and as simple to whip together during a mad rush as smoked potato bisque. Sweat out some leek and onion in butter, add chicken stock — not that crap in the aseptic box at the grocery store, make fresh — maybe add a bay leaf or two, bring to a simmer, whisk in an appropriate amount of day-old smoked mash — they’re better in this soup — a touch of cream and bam!”
In addition to his sandwiches, Acre Restaurant executive chef Andrew Adams uses mashed potatoes in dishes served at the restaurant.
“I like to make the super smooth extremely rich Robuchon style mashed potatoes or potato puree,” Adams says. “Five large russet potatoes, one pound butter, salt, and a small amount of hot milk. I treat the process like any emulsion, similar to a béarnaise, by slowly adding the butter and then refinishing with milk.”
Mashed potato concoctions don’t need fancy equipment, Adams says. “Years ago, I was eating at a Michelin three-star restaurant in New York City. After dinner, I was having a drink with the chefs who worked there. I was complimenting their truffle potato foam — when that was still popular — on a seafood dish. The sous chef said he spent weeks with aerators, stabilizers, and other high-tech equipment only for the chef to walk by one day and simply toss a spoonful of mashed potatoes into a white wine sauce and blend. The texture ended up so airy and balanced. Fifteen years later, I tried that. I made a simple sauce with white wine, shallots, milk. Then I added saved mashed potatoes slowly until thickened. To this, I added a little brown butter. And that was it. Last year, this made it to our menu. Now I smoke the potatoes. The final smoked potato sauce goes with our potato gnocchi and short rib dish. The gnocchi with ‘smoked mashed potato’ sauce has been a hit. It’s not listed on the menu that way.”
And, Adams says, “If I have leftover chunky mashed potatoes or some with less butter and other liquids, I will use those sometimes to mix with duck confit or duck breast ‘pastrami’ to make potato-duck croquettes. I just mix duck, mashed potatoes, and egg. That gets molded and breaded, fried.
“On days when we make potato rosemary bread, I’ll ask the crew to save the potatoes for the next day. The potatoes get mixed into the dough. The bread is usually used as the base of our country pork pate.”
Justin Fox Burks and his wife, Amy Lawrence of The Chubby Vegetarian blog and cookbooks, shared their Mashed Potato Dumplings recipe:
2 cups peeled, cubed potatoes
1 tablespoon water
2 medium eggs (beaten)
1 cup semolina flour
one half teaspoon kosher salt
“Place potatoes and water in a microwave-safe bowl with a lid or a plate to cover. Microwave on high for eight minutes and then allow potatoes to rest, covered, for another eight minutes in the microwave. Mash potatoes with a potato masher and add the eggs, four, and salt. Mix with your hands until just mixed. Pat dough out to about one half inch thickness on a floured surface. Using a pastry cutter or knife, cut dough into roughly one half inch rectangles. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook gnocchi for two to three minutes. When they are ready, they will float. Use a strainer to remove them from the water.
For extra credit, extra flavor, and extra texture, sear the drained gnocchi in olive oil in a skillet on high heat before tossing them with your choice of sauce.”
Burks and Lawrence serve their gnocchi with “a garlicky parsley and walnut pesto or paired with a regular jar of tomato sauce and heaps of grated Romano cheese.”
COVID-19 has disrupted many of our normal routines, some of those including weekly dinner dates and outings with our loved ones. Instead, we’ve been spending much more time in our kitchens, attempting to come up with creative and delicious dishes of our own. To help with that, our sister publication, Memphis magazine, has created a platform for us to stay connected with our local chefs through its In the Kitchen with Memphis Magazine virtual event series.
“You’ll be invited into the kitchens of local chefs who will share their perspectives on everything they’re dealing with in the time of COVID-19 — and also walk us through some recipes we can prepare at home,” said our CEO Anna Traverse via an online Memphis magazine post.
Derk Meitzler, chef at The Vault in Downtown Memphis, will kick off the webinar series via Zoom on Monday, April 13th, at 2 p.m., inviting us into his kitchen for conversation and a cooking demonstration. Due to limited space, attendees are encouraged to register for the virtual event here.
This event is sponsored by the Downtown Memphis Commission, which drives Downtown’s role as the heartbeat of our region and the economic, cultural, and governmental core of our city.
