Tag: Ecco

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Humane Society Hosts Paw Prints House PAWty Fundraiser August 22nd

CREDIT: Photo by Flickr user Alan Levine

Photo by Flickr user Alan Levine

The annual Paw Prints fundraiser for Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County (HSMSC) is putting a spin on the gala this year. You can sit, stay, and fetch dinner from home on August 22nd while you support lifesaving services at the Humane Society with the help of three local restaurants, Pete & Sam’s, Restaurant Iris, and Ecco.

This House PAWty is just like ordering takeout. Simply navigate to the order page, select the restaurant and menu of your choice, and order for the number of two-legged creatures in your household. Pick up or receive your food on the night of the event to enjoy with the people in your home. It’s your PAWty. You can do what you want. Hold a family game night, watch a movie, set up a formal dinner, or picnic in the backyard with lawn games.

Food options range from $50-$125 per person, with delivery included for Ecco and Restaurant Iris. Pete & Sam’s can be picked up from their Park Avenue location. Each restaurant is paid for the food and the rest goes to the Humane Society.

“Paw Prints House PAWty is a great way to put our paw print on the Memphis community by supporting local restaurants and the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County at the same time,” says HSMSC director of philanthropy Katherine Russell.

Besides great food from all the restaurants, Restaurant Iris has a vegetarian option and a Strawberry Lemonade Cocktail Kit (sans the alcohol) that is complementary with your meal choice.

Another PAWty perk is the Barks for Bling component. Raffle tickets will be available to purchase for a chance to “shop the case” of selected baubles from Mednikow Jewelers. Items range in value from $575 to $695. Visit mednikow.com to browse.

If you can’t participate but want to support, you can give the gift of a House PAWty pack to a local friend or you can make a donation to the Humane Society outright.

Saturday, August 22nd, memphishumane.org, visit the Humane Society website or Facebook page for full details, $50-$125 per person.

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Armando Gagliano’s path to becoming a chef

CREDIT: Michael Donahue

Porcini mushroom ravioli from Michael Donahue on Vimeo.

Armando Gagliano’s path to becoming a chef

Armando Gagliano’s mother blindfolded him when he was five or six years old, but it wasn’t to play Blind Man’s Seek.

“She would blindfold me and give me different things to eat and taste, and I’d have to tell her what it was,” Gagliano says. “She’d even let me taste wine — just a little sip — and she’d ask, ‘What nuance of the wine do you see? What do you taste?’ She was training my palate. Not on purpose, but because she saw that I took an interest in food and flavors.”

Gagliano loved hanging out in the kitchen. “When my mom would be cooking when we were younger, I would be the only one in the kitchen just staring at her. Like ‘What are you doing? What is that?’ I guess she picked up on my interest.”

The tables have turned — literally. Now when Gagliano is in the kitchen cooking at Libro or Ecco on Overton Park, his mother, Sabine Bachmann, who owns both restaurants, often stands by asking similar questions.

Gagliano, 28, is executive chef of Libro, the restaurant in the new Novel bookstore in Laurelwood, and at Ecco.

Growing up, Gagliano was interested in architecture. He loved drawing, sketching, and painting. When he was 8 years old, he told his mother he wanted to own a restaurant named Silly Wolf’s. He remembers “drawing plans of the building. So, there was a little bit of the artistry, then some of the architecture, then the food, all in one deal. I was like, ‘I want to design my own kitchen and the front of the building, then the menu.'”

His first job was making sandwiches and pasta salad when he was 13 at his mom’s former restaurant, Fratelli’s. “It was long hours, but it was fun.”

Gagliano thought of becoming a nurse practitioner, but before the final day to register, he told his mom, “I’m not going to register for class. I’m going to save that money and go buy a knife set, then go get a job at a restaurant.”

He got a job as a prep cook at Sweet Grass. His idea was to work his way up in different kitchens and one day become a chef de cuisine. But six months later, Bachmann opened Ecco and asked Gagliano if he could run the kitchen. “She said, ‘I’ve always eaten your food and loved it. You just come up with the menu. Do whatever you want back there.'”

Gagliano decided on a Mediterranean menu, but he uses ingredients from all over — Italy, southern Spain, Germany, Israel, North Africa, Asia. “I like the flavors that just punch you in the face. We used to do this steak dish that was marinated in guajillo chiles and soy sauce. So, it was like an American steak with a Mexican and Asian marinade. With French beans. Why omit all the other ingredients and flavors that you can zest up your food with or expand upon by trying to keep it a set cuisine when you can be global? Global cuisine.”

Gagliano spent four months last year in Italy at the Italian Culinary Institute. He came back with “more of an appreciation for how much time and effort people will put into food. In the type of food that I love, which is mainly Italian.”

Two weeks after returning to Memphis, Bachmann was asked by his mom to become the chef at Libro.

Trying to get him to keep the same menu as Ecco, a family friend told Gagliano, “Don’t fix something unless it’s broken.”

“I say, ‘I like to break things purposely so I can fix them in a different way.'”

“My mom says, ‘We’re not trying to do fancy Michelin-style food here, okay? We want to do a nice lunch with some dinner items, homemade bread. We use clean, fresh ingredients. And then, every once in a while, if you want to to a special with your little crazy crap on it, do that.'”

Says Gagliano: “I didn’t want to do any super-eclectic stuff here in East Memphis. We have some typical American items, like a BLT. Chicken salad.”

But he also serves Mediterranean-influenced items, including porcini mushroom ravioli.

And, he says, “We do our own house-made Italian sausage here with baked beans. But it’s not like American-style baked beans. It is and it isn’t. They have some sweetness. We put balsamic vinegar in with the beans and molasses and some honey and brown sugar. So, it’s got a little twist in there with the Italian sausage and the balsamic. Then, also, with my roots in the South, the baked beans.”

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Guess Where I’m Eating Contest 62

This week’s contest involves creative recycling … 

The first person to correctly ID where I’m eating wins a fabulous prize. To enter, submit your answer to me via email at ellis@memphisflyer.com. 

The answer to GWIE 61 is the Hearty Multi-grain soup at Ecco, and the winner is … Ashley Phoummavong! 

Categories
Cover Feature News

What a Burger!

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Burgers are having their moment in Memphis. Witness the three burger-centric places that opened just in the past few months — Oshi, LBOE, and Belly Acres. Now, don’t get us wrong, we love the classics from Huey’s, Earnestine & Hazel’s, and Kooky Canuck, but there are folks out there who are stretching the limit of what a burger is — from the raw, to the bunless, to the innovative flourishes. Here are 15 of the city’s most awe-inspiring takes on the all-American classic.

Justin Fox Burks

The Big Cheeser

The Big Cheeser

at El Toro Loco

The Big Cheeser at El Toro Loco is the perfect Mexican expression of an American favorite. It’s a basic cheeseburger topped with shredded lettuce, tomato, and pickled jalapeno. Then the entire burger is covered in melted Chihuahua cheese. The best part? It’s topped with a cherry! It comes out looking like a beautiful dinner/dessert hybrid. The cherry is really just for show, but the Chihuahua cheese has the delicious effect of steaming the bun underneath. While it does require a knife and fork, it is truly outstanding and should not be overlooked.

— Stacey Greenberg

El Toro Loco, 2617 Poplar (458-4414)

torolocos.com

The Burger

at Cafe 1912

In keeping with the French bistro ambiance of Cafe 1912, this burger is tres formidable, but with a gourmet feel. A hefty portion of premium ground beef is topped with Benton Farms bacon, Maytag bleu cheese (or provolone, if you prefer), roasted garlic aioli, red onion, fresh tomatoes, and lettuce, all served on a ciabatta bun. It’s accompanied by a pile of skinny, crispy pomme frites, none of which will be left on your plate. Cafe 1912’s burger is delicious and filling, and you’ll probably find yourself using a fork before dinner is over. This goes perfectly with a nice glass of Pinot Noir, or my favorite, a Duvel Belgian beer.

— Bruce VanWyngarden

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

cafe1912.com

The Big Smack

at Imagine Vegan Cafe

Two non-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onion on a dairy-free bun. Isn’t that how the song went? Oh yeah, that was “all-beef patties.” Well, screw that song. Imagine Vegan Cafe’s meat-free version of the iconic McDonald’s sandwich is much better for the animals and your health. Their vegan burger patties have a toothsome, meaty texture (this ain’t no flimsy, hippie bean burger), and they’re guaranteed to hold together until the last bite. The dairy-free cheddar is so melty that you’ll need napkins (and maybe a fork). — Bianca Phillips

Imagine Vegan Cafe, 2299 Young (654-3455)

imaginevegancafe.com

Justin Fox Burks

The Greek to Me

The Greek to Me

at LBOE

The Greek to Me burger at recently opened LBOE (Last Burger on Earth) is the perfect choice for anyone desiring to sink their teeth into a flavorful delight with a twist.

Made-to-order with fresh ground beef, the juicy 8 oz. burger is cooked medium-well and dressed with sautéed spinach, tzatziki sauce, and a dollop of roasted garlic cream cheese. Two toasted and buttered ciabatta buns hold everything together.

The burger comes with chips. My recommendation: the spicy, eye-watering Nikki’s Hot Ass Chips.

Reasonably priced at $9.95, the Greek to Me is enough for two people to split and will leave you full and satisfied. — Louis Goggans

LBOE, 2021 Madison (725-0770)

lboerestaurant.com

The Pat LaFrieda Chopped Steak Burger

at Off the Hoof

First off, be aware that Off the Hoof is a fairly far piece, especially on a bad rainy night and even if (like me) you already live way out east. Once at Off the Hoof, though, you’ll be impressed by the crowds in the place (even on a bad rainy night), even if that makes for something like assembly-line service. Now, ready? The proprietors are specialists. Burgers are basically all they do, and their menu consists of infinite variations on that theme. (Anyone for ground boar? I kid you not.) I had their specialty, the Pat LaFrieda (beef) — which is, I was told, two kinds of steak, each ground and chopped into a coherent and well-textured patty. I had mine well-done with habanero pepper jack cheese simmered into the patty. Hearty and not overly spicy, even so. Several varieties of fries, too — including the sweet potato kind.

— Jackson Baker

Off the Hook Burgers, 12013 U.S. Highway 70, Arlington (867-3565)

offthehoofburgers.com

Stacey Greenberg

Bi Bim Bop Burger

Bi Bim Bop Burger

at Kwik Chek

Kwik Chek, which is known for its popular Korean dish, Bi Bim Bop, recently introduced the Bi Bim Bop Burger. Bi Bim Bop is typically served in a sizzling hot stone bowl and includes rice, meat of your choosing (or tofu), sliced veggies, bean sprouts, an over easy egg, and a spicy red sauce.

The Bi Bim Bop burger takes a cheeseburger and tops it with the veggies, beans sprouts, and egg. It is a beauty. And it is seriously messy. The addition of cheese and mayonnaise was a bit off-putting at first, but the flavors really come together nicely. If you are a fan of Bi Bim Bop, or just unusual burgers, it’s definitely worth a try. Grab several napkins and a fork.

— SG

Kwik Chek, 2013 Madison (274-9293)

Memphis Flyer Staff

Voodoo Moo-Moo

Voodoo Moo-Moo

at Belly Acres

Others would have played it safe. I’m not others.

“Go for something basic,” they’d say. “Develop a baseline for comparison.”

Blackened patty. Blue cheese. Sriracha aioli. How could I say no? I couldn’t, especially with all of the “Os” in Voodoo Moo-Moo eyeing me from the menu.

Plus, it’s tough to even get a “basic” burger at Belly Acres, the newest player on the city’s burger stage. The closest thing to standard is the Dare Ya, a bacon cheeseburger with “acre sauce.”

Not sure if Belly Acres was going for a New Orleans kind of thing with the Voodoo Moo-Moo. It’s a guess based on the name, the blackened-ness of the thing, and the presence of aioli. Also, on the menu it’s sandwiched between burgers with Mexican and Italian influences.

But after the first bite, the name barely mattered. Something magical happened when the blue cheese hit the caramelized onions, the blackened beef, and the perfectly placed pickles. When it happened to me, I closed my eyes in a moment of involuntarily and very public burger worship. No, I was not transported to the Crescent City but to hamburger heaven.

The Voodoo Moo-Moo is just one daring burger on a list of daring burgers from Belly Acres. Chorizo. Waffle buns. Pork belly. Guacamole. Maple ketchup. The menu alone has put Belly Acres on the Memphis burger map, and if it maintains the quality I got Monday, it is destined to be a hotspot for a long time.

— Toby Sells

Belly Acres, 2102 Trimble (529-7017)

bellyacres901.com

Stacey Greenberg

Tora Toro

Tora Toro

at Oshi Burger Bar

Newly opened Oshi features its own Asian-inspired burger, the Tora Toro. It is made from house ground Ahi tuna and is topped with “crushed” avocado, Asian slaw, sesame seeds, and umami mayo. It’s super tasty, especially with a side of their thin and crispy French fries, which are served with a spicy ketchup that has its own Asian flare. For die-hard burger fans, it is a nice change from the typical beef patty and is maybe even a tad healthier? At the very least it is a great way to get your pescatarian friends to join you at the trendiest new burger joint downtown. — SG

Oshi Burger Bar, 94 S. Main (341-2091)

oshiburger.com

Marrow Burgers

at home

Take charge! Why wait around on a burger like a chump? Charlie’s Meat Market on Summer (aka the Avenue of Delights) will set you up with the latest rage: marrow burgers. There are a trillion recipes online, but basically you get beef bones and some chuck, knife the marrow out of the bones, salt and pepper the beef, and wad it all into patties. Grill, griddle, whatever. The result is a crazily moist, beefy burger (if you’re like me) or a lipid-sodden meat sponge (if you’re like my wife). Bring some acidity: a pepper relish, pickles, or a Malbec. — Joe Boone

Charlie’s Meat Market, 4790 Summer (683-1192)

charliesmemphis.com

Stacey Greenberg

Ecco Burger

ECCO Burger

at ECCO on Overton Park

ECCO on Overton Park’s signature ECCO burger features a spicy Chorizo sausage patty and is served on a homemade bun. Inside you’ll find melted manchego cheese and garlic aioli. It’s quite sophisticated, but don’t be fooled. It’s not for the weak of stomach as it packs a punch. — SG

1585 Overton Park (410-8200)

eccoonovertonpark.com

The Bacon Burger Wrap

at 5 Guys Burgers and Fries

There are several gourmet options for gluten-free burger lovers these days, but when you’re on the go and only have time for fast food, you may have to forget about the bun. In that case, 5 Guys has you covered. For those who prefer their food in a pile, 5 Guys will drop any of their burger combinations into a bread-free bowl, but the lettuce wrap is so much more convenient and burger-appropriate. The bacon burger is comprised of two flat-top-grilled burger patties and a healthy serving of crispy bacon. It’s tasty, if a little plain, but it can be gussied up with grilled onions and jalapenos, and a wide range of condiments and toppings that are available at no extra charge. What’s special about this burger is the care that’s taken in wrapping it in large, pliable, but still slightly crunchy lettuce leaves. You may begin to wonder why anybody would ever use a bun in the first place. — Chris Davis

5 Guys Burgers and Fries, multiple locations

fiveguys.com

Justin Fox Burks

The Colossus

The Colossus

at 3 Angels On Broad

I must hurry and finish this blurb before I slip into meat-induced catatonia for I have just eaten a Colossus. The most aptly named burger on our list stands astride the menu at the recently revamped 3 Angels On Broad as a towering achievement in burger architecture. The burger is a half pound of lean chuck fried to perfection, married with smoked gouda, and topped with two thick strips of bacon. On the opposing bun, a garlic mayo base supports pickles, tomatoes, slaw, and a nest of thin, crispy fried onions. This is the burger to have if you’ve been fasting for a few days, or if you’re ready to settle down into a long winter’s nap. — Chris McCoy

3 Angels on Broad, 2617 Broad (452-1111)

3angelsmemphis.com

Memphis Flyer Staff

Cashew Burger

Cashew Burger

at 2 Vegan Sistas

This raw vegan burger may well be the healthiest burger in town. Finely ground seasoned cashews are shaped into a patty and covered in pickles, onions, ketchup, and mustard. It’s served on a heart of romaine, but those with heartier appetites can request gluten-free bread. Pro tip: Order the bread on the side and take a bite with each forkful of cashew burger. To complete this super-healthy version of the all-American meal, order 2 Vegan Sistas’ take on a chocolate milkshake — the Carob Smoothie, made with carob, tahini, and almond milk. — BP

2 Vegan Sistas, 6343 Summer, Suite 100 (1-800-984-0379)

twovegansistas.com

Justin Fox Burks

The Ramen Burger

The Ramen Burger

at South of Beale

Brittany Cabigao, one of the operating partners of South of Beale, says they added a Ramen burger as a special to their menu after hearing about the New York craze. Ramen noodle master Keizo Shimamoto blew people’s minds with his bun made from crispy Ramen noodles at his restaurant Ramen Co.

The burger, topped with spinach and a homemade ramen sauce, was supposed to be a one-day thing, but proved so popular they added a second day. And while Cabigao doesn’t think the Ramen burger would ever make it on South of Beale’s regular menu, the burger will be on special this week as well as New Year’s Eve. — SG

361 S. Main (526-0388)

southofbeale.com

Justin Fox Burks

The Barbecue Burger

The Barbecue Burger

at Tops Bar•B•Q

Any burger fan cannot consider him/herself truly serious without a visit to Tops Bar•B•Q. While many may be aware of their famous barbecue sandwiches and many may have heard that their cheeseburgers have a cult-like following, it is only a few who have dared to combine the two. For the Barbecue Burger, order a burger and ask for an ounce of pork, slaw, and barbecue sauce. Depending on which Tops you go to, the extra meat may be underneath the hamburger patty. Seth Agranov, founder of the Best Memphis Burger Fest, says, “The barbecue should be on top, not under the burger. Placement counts!” He suggests going “all in” and adding an extra hamburger patty.

It seems like a lot for one bun to handle, but the burger/barbeque combo goes down surprisingly well. It’s so good that it may be gone before you get a chance to fully appreciate it. — SG

Tops Bar•B•Q, multiple locations

topsbarbq.com

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Now open: Strano and Ecco on Overton Park

CREDIT: justin fox burks

The kitchen doors fling open inside the swank new Sicilian restaurant at Cooper and Young.

Out walks Strano‘s owner and head chef, Josh Steiner, some two-day stubble failing to camouflage that Steiner celebrated his 23rd birthday on May 30th in conjunction with the restaurant’s grand opening.

The third of four siblings, Steiner spent his childhood in the kitchen with his Moroccan and Italian grandmothers. Soon he was working at Russo’s, the family’s Italian restaurant in Germantown, collecting kitchen equipment for his birthdays, working with Karen Carrier at Beauty Shop, and taking a three-week culinary crash course in Sicily.

Sourcing ingredients from his family’s nearby 100-acre farm and using FedEx to overnight his fish — a nod to the 11-hour expiration rule of his Italian mentors — Steiner takes a traditional approach, avoiding heavy sauces and focusing on foods like vegetable couscous and stuffed eggplant.

The twist is in the presentation, like the column of white oak wood smoke that emerges from the glass chamber on top of the grilled swordfish ($26).

justin fox burks

Josh Steiner

Steiner also uses an anti-griddle, he explains, while dashing back to the kitchen and emerging with a blob of caramel on the end of a toothpick that morphs into a dab of rich sauce in seconds. The anti-griddle flash-freezes salad dressing, which then melts in front of customers, or honey, which becomes marble hard before dissolving.

He adds caviar to drinks at the bar, which changes the flavor midway through, and injects strawberries and grapes with carbonation, using them instead of soda water in sangria.

“You can’t create recipes. Every recipe has already been done. So the only way to do it is how you present it. I feel like people eat with their eyes, their ears, their nose, not just their mouth, and so I play with senses, I play with textures. I even play with time,” Steiner says.

But it’s not all flash and new-age. “Grandma’s Meatballs” ($8) come from an old family recipe.

“My great grandmother sautéed them for just a split second, just to change the color on the outside. I’m talking so they’re still as rare as can be in the middle,” Steiner says. “And then she let them sit inside her marinara sauce for 24 hours while it’s on a low simmer. And that’s how you get them so moist and falling apart.”

Sabine Bachmann anguished over the name of her new Overton Park restaurant, heavy on Italian and Mediterranean influences, before settling on Ecco on Overton Park.

“Ecco is an Italian word. It means ‘here it is.’ I thought it was appropriate,” Bachmann says.

Lounging on the back patio during a recent Sunday, snacking on hot wings and sipping a cold drink, Bachmann pointed out a small plot of grass that one day will produce tomatoes and herbs for the restaurant. She spent her childhood in Germany, Italy’s dairy country, and France, where the family vacationed frequently; her dad made his own wine, and her neighbors were goat herders.

Her upbringing heavily influenced the atmosphere and menu for the restaurant.

“To me, food is not only about nourishment, but about people getting together around the same table and enjoying their time together,” Bachmann says. “I like the concept of how they cook over there, which is to use really good ingredients and don’t mess with them a lot.”

Armando Gagliano, her 25-year-old son, is the head chef and created most of the menu after dropping out of nursing school recently to pursue cooking. According to Gagliano, the orange-glazed Berkshire pork chop ($19) has emerged as a customer favorite.

Served with white wine risotto and an apple-onion chutney, he uses a spiced orange tea brine and cooks the meat sous vide to retain moisture.

Other menu items are the linguini with kale pesto featuring Tuscan kale and pesto Genovese ($10); chicken legs with marinated lemons and olives ($16); and a vegetarian lentil stew with tomatoes, potatoes, onion, garlic, and tofu ($10).

“People should live to eat instead of eating to live,” Gagliano says. “That’s kind of a stupid little cliché that chefs say.”

Maybe so, but as the breeze wafted through the patio, the Ecco staff conversing over an unhurried meal, it seemed fitting.

Here it is indeed.