Tag: Hungry Memphis

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

“Anatomy Eats” Dinner Serves Up the Whole Animal

(Credit: Anatomy Eats)

Heart tacos. Kidney fried rice. Bone marrow ice cream. Not items that you would see on your traditional restaurant menu. But for those seeking something new to eat, Dr. Jonathan Reisman is bringing his Anatomy Eats dinner series to Oxford, Mississippi in October.

The doctor and foodie launched his Anatomy Eats series in Philadelphia, and has used the events as a platform to showcase how various animal organs function and are used in cuisine. In essence, it’s both a fine dining experience, and a lesson in anatomy and physiology.

“We always had liver when I was a kid and I hated it,” says Reisman. “But then in medical school, I started learning more about organs, how complicated and amazing they are, and how they function to keep us healthy. And the biology and complexity of these organs is similar between humans and animals. It got me thinking about all these kind of unorthodox parts of the animal that are used for cooking.”

At a barbecue, Reisman’s wife introduced him to chef Ari Miller (who runs Musi BYOB in Philadelphia), and the two got to talking about their medicinal and culinary backgrounds. They both had an interest in exploring underutilized parts of the animal, and eventually partnered to host several Anatomy Eats dinners together.

Dr. Jonathan Reisman (Credit: Anatomy Eats)

“Each dinner was based on a bodily system,” says Reisman. “For example, we did a cardiovascular-themed dinner, where we served hearts cooked in three different ways, and some bone marrow dishes. We’ve also done dinners focused around the digestive system, or the musculoskeletal system.”

After several successful dinners in Pennsylvania, Reisman is looking to connect with new chefs around the country to put their unique spin on future anatomy dinners. Next up on October 2nd and 3rd are dinners hosted alongside Halima Salazar and Dria Price of Gimbia’s Kitchen. As part of the event, Reisman will dissect a cow heart and discuss the other physiological aspects of the animals used as part of the courses.

“For the culinary side, Halima is Nigerian and Dria is from Mississippi,” says Reisman. “So, they’ll be exploring an overlap of West African and Southern cuisine, and how culinary styles of each background complement each other. The menu includes two kinds of tacos, with cow heart strips in either a peanut marinade or balsamic vinegar. There’s hog’s head cheese as part of a charcuterie board, and we’ve got a traditional Nigerian recipe called pepper soup, which will have intestines and liver in a spicy broth with calabash, nutmeg, and lemongrass.”

Other courses include beef kidney fried rice combined with sweet creamy honey beans, and Gbegiri and pounded yam: pureed black-eyed peas and beef tongue stew with crispy pounded yam balls.

So far, Reisman says that his Anatomy Eats dinners have garnered plenty of interest. For others, he recognizes that his dinner menus might seem unappealing. But he argues that diners don’t need an adventurous palate to enjoy one of the Anatomy Eats courses.

“I think liver is the most recognizable thing that we serve,” he says, “and it probably has the strongest taste of any internal organ. So, I think it’s a misconception that you need to be brave to try many of these things; heart, kidney, and bone marrow should all have tastes which are pleasing to people who eat more traditional meat dishes. So, you can still use the whole animal, be sustainable, and enjoy the whole experience.”

Looking forward, Reisman hopes to connect with many more chefs around the country who can share their unique culinary experiences. After all, says Reisman, there are so many different ways to sustainably cook animals that aren’t common in most of the United States.

“I’ve traveled a lot, both recreationally and for work,” says Reisman. “I toured through India volunteering at hospitals, lived in Russia at one point, and did some work as a doctor on ships in the arctic and near Alaska. Every place I’ve had the opportunity to see new approaches to food.”

Reisman was most impressed by traditional native Alaskan techniques.

“They take meat-based cuisine to an incredible extreme,” he says. While working in Alaska, he tried plenty of seal heart and seal blubber. “The blubber they render down into an oil, which is kind of used as an all-purpose dip, flavoring, seasoning.”

And another interesting dish? Whale meat.

“We had plenty of whale meat and blubber, much of it raw. There’s a traditional dish called Mikigaq that I had a lot, which is whale meat fermented in whale blood. There are just so many interesting ways to approach and create food, and Anatomy Eats hopefully will show people different ways to do that.”

Anatomy of Fine Dining with Dr. Jonathan Reisman will take place at Snackbar in Oxford, MS, on October 2nd and 3rd at 6:00 p.m. Click here for tickets and more information.

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Staks Pancake Kitchen Signs Second Franchise Agreement, Eyes More Locations

Stephanie and Brice Bailey (Credit: Staks Pancake Kitchen)

Expect to see a couple more pancake kitchens in the near future. Staks Pancake Kitchen announced today that it had secured an additional Shelby County location in Collierville, via a second franchise agreement with local entrepreneur Nick Bolander.

“We are excited about expanding the Staks brand with Nick,” says Brice Bailey, owner of Staks Pancake Kitchen. “Nick brings a great energy to the brand and we look forward to seeing Staks grow locally
and serving Collierville and more.”

The Collierville Staks is set to open later this year, with Bolander looking at potential locations along the Poplar corridor and creating the largest Staks to date. Beyond Tennessee, he is also set to open a franchise in Omaha, Nebraska.

“Growing up working in restaurants, I have always wanted to own one and teach my kids the service industry,” Bolander says. “When the opportunity to bring our favorite brunch spot to Collierville came about, we absolutely could not pass it up. Staks’ passion using locally sourced ingredients and embracing fair trade practices is something we share and the difference you taste when you eat at Staks. We are looking forward to supporting our community with pride in the products and excellent customer service to be provided.”

The upscale, fast-casual breakfast and lunch restaurant originally opened in 2015, and currently has three local locations in Memphis, Germantown, and Southaven, Mississippi.

Last year, Bailey announced the restaurant’s plans to franchise the Staks brand in 10 new locations, the first of which would be in Atlanta.

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

City Silo Table + Pantry Brings Healthy Eats to Germantown

CREDIT: Samuel X. Cicci

Juice has never been so much fun.

Just ask anyone who’s been drawn in by the delicious and natural offerings of Scott and Rebekah Tashie’s City Silo Table + Pantry restaurant. In fact, the healthy Southern eats and variety of juices and smoothies at the original East Memphis location proved so popular that the couple knew it was time to pull the trigger on opening a second location.

Samuel X. Cicci

The Sunshine Burrito, stuffed with crumbled silo burger patty, two scrambled fresh farm eggs, seasoned sweet potato, red quinoa, brown rice, sharp cheddar, cashew ranch, sriracha aioli, and wrapped in a chili tomato tortilla, served with a side of pico de gallo. In the background, the Green Light Go smoothie has just enough sweet fruity flavors to finely balance out the sourness of the granny smith juice base.

“We’ve been really overwhelmed by all the support we’ve had from Memphis since we first opened,” says Rebekah. “We’ve just gotten busier and busier since we opened the first City Silo, so we wanted to have a bigger space that could accommodate more people.”

At 3,500 square feet, the Germantown spot has plenty of space for extra diners, and even includes a bar and an outdoor covered patio. And with COVID-19 in mind, the large space makes it easy to abide by social distancing guidelines.

The pair originally signed the lease for 7605 W. Farmington Blvd, Suite 2 at Saddle Creek Shopping center back in February, but the pandemic meant that their initial timetable of an August opening had to be adjusted.

“Our landlord was awesome,” Scott says. “After COVID hit, we discussed things with them and they gave us a few extra months to really focus on adapting. So we were able to give our full attention to the new location without having to rush. It was a process, but we worked with a lot of great people, and that made things really easy for us.”

Diners who walk into the new City Silo, which officially opened today, won’t miss a beat. The Tashies made sure that they captured the essence of the original City Silo brand, with both the aesthetic and menu staying true to the first location.

“Our goal was to take our original store and bring a lot of the feel and textures over from there,” says Scott. “Our big question was how do we make this space feel awesome, feel safe, feel credible, but still have it feel like City Silo. So this new location, it’s an update on our first idea, kind of like a step up, but it’s still City Silo.”

“We’re going for an airy, fresh, light, happy, warm vibe,” Rebekah explains. “We have a lot of plants, a lot of wooden decorations, and wanted to bring in a lot of cool colors to really liven it up.”

Samuel X. Cicci

The Germantown City Silo’s spacious interior provides plenty of room and natural light, and crucially for this writer, a welcome sense of relief, relaxation, and respite after almost a year of working from home. The bar at the far end of the restaurant will soon serve City Silo’s specially curated cocktail menu.

In terms of food, the menu at the new City Silo will mirror the original. But the Tashies are working to slowly integrate new items here and there. “We put a lot of thought into new dishes,” Scott says. “If you go to our original store, you can see we just added tacos. It’s a limited-time menu item, so once they’re gone, they’re gone.”

“We’ll look to include more small plates and try out different things,” elaborates Rebekah. “And when we roll them out, we’ll do it in both places simultaneously.”

But a major change brought about by the new location is the inclusion of a new cocktail menu. Once City Silo gets its liquor license, expect to see an intriguing variety of cocktails that use the Tashies’ same clean, wholesome approach to their food.

“We’re not going to go crazy with our liquor selection, but we’ve carefully selected a vodka, a tequila, a mescal, a rum, and a gin,” Scott says. “And we’re going to incorporate our juices into the cocktails as well. When this is all ready, we’ll roll it out at our East Memphis location as well, and it will be the official City Silo cocktail menu.”

While the full cocktail menu hasn’t been revealed yet, a few hints from the Tashies point toward a potential beet margarita, or a carrot juice and mezcal concoction.

Samuel X. Cicci

City Silo owners Scott and Rebekah Tashie

City Silo Table + Pantry’s Germantown restaurant is located at 7605 W. Farmington Blvd., Suite 2. Open for dine-in, takeout, curbside pick-up, and delivery. Monday-Thursday 7 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 7 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. thecitysilo.com; 901-236-7223

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Alex Grisanti Slated to Open Fine Dining Side of Elfo’s in Southaven Mid-December

CREDIT: Francesca Grisanti


Francesca Grisanti

Alex Grisanti at his new Elfo Grisanti’s Northern Italian Cuisine

The fine dining room of Elfo Grisanti’s Northern Italian Cuisine — Alex Grisanti’s new restaurant in Southaven — is slated to open in mid December.

“I’m ready, baby,” Grisanti says.

One side of the restaurant — “Elfo’s Pizzeria”— already is open and features the same type of Northern Italian-style pizza Grisanti serves at his 9 Dough 1 pizza truck.

“The pizza side is open and the food truck is running,” Grisanti says. “The pizza side has been running for a week consistently. I’m done with that now. I’m moving on to the dining room side.”

His new Elfo’s will be reminiscent of the Elfo’s restaurant he owned for years in Germantown, Grisanti says.

Describing the dining room, he says, “It’s comfy, cozy. It’s beautiful like my other Elfo’s. It’s got gold metallic walls with white tablecloths.”

Francesca Grisanti

Elfo Grisanti’s Northern Italian Cuisine

The walls also “are covered with black-and-white family photos like my old Elfo’s.”

The bar, he says, has a white marble checkered pattern on it.

The restaurant is “going to be very quaint. It’s only going to seat about 50 and the bar, 15.”

His new Elfo’s also reminds him of the original Ronnie Grisanti’s restaurant, owned by his dad, the late Ronnie Grisanti. “This place reminds me of  Union and Marshall with the Ronnie Grisanti’s atmosphere. It’s going to have pictures hung in the bathrooms, family trees going down the walls. It’s going to be beautiful when it’s done. And we’re getting done.”

As for the bar, he says, “We’re going to have that Elfo’s and Ronnie Grisanti vibe at the bar going on. The bar is separated by a wall.”

Customers will be in the bar “whooping it up” while diners on the other side are eating.

Francesca Grisanti

Elfo’s Pizzaria at Elfo Grisanti’s Northern Italian Cuisine

For the food, Grisanti says, “This place is going to have the Union and Marshall menu, but with nightly specials.”

Fare will include dishes Elfo’s and the Grisanti family are famous for. “Lasagna, homemade ravioli, spinach, garlic bread.”

This will included his chicken raviolis and his “homemade Bolognese sauce with tagliatelle  thick pasta.”

And, he says, “My pasta special and beef special of the day every day.”

The restaurant was named after Grisanti’s grandfather, the late restaurateur Elfo Grisanti. “The guy who really started everything. He’s the one who started the cooking and making us what we are.”

Alex Grisanti is ready for diners to experience that Grisanti vibe in Southaven. “Glasses tinkling, people giggling, a little Frank Sinatra in the background, nobody with frowns on their faces, everybody positive, loving to be here. Loving them to be here. I want these people to be embraced by the whole Grisanti atmosphere.”

Elfo Grisanti’s Northern Italian Cuisine is at 5627 Getwell Road; (662) 470-4497

Francesca Grisanti

Alex Griisanti at Elfo’s Pizzeria at Elfo Grisanti’s Northern Italian Cuisine

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Torchy’s Tacos Brings Tex-Mex to Town Next Year

CREDIT: Courtesy Torchy's Tacos

Courtesy Torchy’s Tacos

Memphis Flyer’s Taco Week may be well in the rearview mirror, but that doesn’t mean we can’t continue to celebrate the traditional Mexican dish. But each state has its own spin on what makes for a good taco, and Torchy’s Tacos are bringing its Tex-Mex approach to Tennessee for the first time.

The Austin, Texas-based “fast casual taco brand” has a wide variety of street-style options on its menu, built around chicken, carnitas, barbacoa, sausage, beef, salmon, and plenty of other interesting twists. For those with dietary restrictions, there’s a separate gluten-conscious menu. Torchy’s also keeps things fresh through a rotating Taco of the Month, with November’s Chili Wagon, for example, comprising “New Mexico red chile stewed chicken with fried poblano strip, onion, avocado sauce, fresh cilantro, and a lime wedge served on a corn tortilla.”

I texted my sister, a current Dallas resident, for her thoughts. “It’s good! A bit trendier than your average taco chain,” she said. “Their street corn is really good, and so is the green chile queso.”

Torchy’s Tacos recently signed a lease for 711 S. Mendenhall Road in East Memphis, and is set to open in either the spring or summer of 2021. (There are plans to bring further locations to Tennessee in the future, as well.) That’s a long way off, but there are plenty of excellent local taco joints to try in the meantime.



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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

STIX Restaurant Opens Downtown Location

CREDIT: Photo courtesy STIX Restaurant

Photo courtesy STIX Restaurant

The entrance to STIX Restaurant on Second St.

To find some of the newest pan-asian food Downtown, just follow the dragon. STIX Restaurant opened the doors of its second Memphis location earlier today at the former home of Dan McGuinness Irish Pub.

Patrons can enter the front doors on N. 2nd Street, grab a menu, and follow the long dragon mural down the hallway to the register. Meanwhile, ServiceMaster employees can enter STIX through a side door without leaving the office.

The interior underwent a complete redesign, with owner Wayne Yeh overseeing the installation of lounge seating, traditional tables, and a floor-to-ceiling moss wall emblazoned with the STIX logo.

“Our Downtown location is situated in a beautiful, newly renovated space that I know locals and tourists alike are going to enjoy visiting,” says Yeh. “Whether you’re looking for a unique meal like a sushi burrito or you want to take a more traditional route and go with a cup of Egg Drop Soup with a sushi roll, we have something delicious to offer.”

Unlike the Collierville location, the 2,600-square-foot space offers counter service only. The menu contains traditional items like hibachi, sushi, and crispy spring rolls, but Yeh also plans for STIX to offer daily specials like steamed Asian buns, or Memphis-centric sushi burritos (take your pick between the Bluff City Burrito or Riverside Roll). The restaurant also serves select local and domestic beer. For now, STIX will only serve a limited menu for takeout. Orders can be placed ahead of time online, or at a digital kiosk inside the restaurant.

STIX Restaurant

150 Peabody Pl.

12-8p.m., Monday-Saturday.

www.stixonline.com

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

How to Support Local: Restaurants

CREDIT: Photo by Ilya Mashkov on Unsplash

How to Support Local: Restaurants

Just because dining rooms throughout the city are closed doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy an at-home date or family night. Lucky for us, many of our local restaurants have us in mind with newly added takeout, curbside pickup, and delivery options. Below, we’ve compiled a dining guide comprised of offerings from our advertisers.

Photo by Ilya Mashkov on Unsplash

Huey’s

Curbside pickup, delivery, catering. Order to-go signature drinks, beer, wine, and liquor. Order online here.

Venice Kitchen

Delivery (through Uber Eats), take-out, and curbside. Offers family meals and a free gallon of tea or lemonade with all orders over $35. Order online here.

Cafe Keough

Open 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 901-509-2469 to place to-go orders. Access the menu here.

Bayou Bar and Grille

Crawfish boil on select days. $7 jar of Zydeco sauce. $12 6-packs of Bud Light. $18 6-pack crafts and imports. $13-15 of new 64 oz. Growler bottles. Call 901-278-8626 for curbside or take-out. View their entire menu here.

The Bar-B-Q Shop

Regular menu, family packs, and beer available for curbside and takeout. Call 901-272-1277 to order. View the menu here.

Amplified Meal Prep

Have Amplified Meal Prep deliver healthy, ready-to-eat meals straight to your door. No minimum order or subscription required. Serves Memphis and surrounding areas, including Southaven, Olive Branch, and Hernando. Place orders by 4 p.m. on Thursdays on their website.

Cheffie’s Cafe

Click here to order online for take out, curbside, and delivery. Click here to see Market Items. Click here to see Family Meals. Tea, lemonade, craft beer, and wine available.

Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar

Single and family meals and wines available for curbside pickup and free delivery. View the menu here. Call 901-521-8005. Purchase tickets for the VIP reopening party (date TBD).

Southern Social

Single and family meals and wines available for curbside pickup and free delivery. View the menu here. Call 901-754-5555. Purchase tickets for the VIP reopening party (date TBD).

Porch & Parlor

Single and family meals and wines available for curbside pickup and free delivery. View the menu here. View the Parlor Prime Wagyu Meat Market menu here. Call 901-725-4000. Purchase tickets for the VIP reopening party (date TBD).

French Truck Coffee

French Truck Coffee will be closing at 2 p.m. each day and offering to-go options only. Need beans at home? They are temporarily bringing back home deliveries and waving shipping costs. Place an order online and have it delivered to your home within two business days.

Grecian Gourmet Taverna

Offers grab and go ready-to-heat options and frozen take and bake meals on their online menu, as well as beer, bottles of wine and house-made sangria by the glass. View entire menu here. Curbside pickup. Call 901-249-6626, making sure to place your order in advance.

Midtown Crossing Grill

Open daily from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. for pickup and delivery. Menu and online ordering available at their website.

Mulan Asian Bistro (East)

Curbside pickup, carryout, and co-contact delivery available. Order online or call 901-609-8680.

The Second Line and Restaurant Iris

Ready to-go meals for family or friends available for delivery or pickup. Each will be vacuum sealed and handled with the utmost care and hygiene. Also available online are washable protective masks, mixed cocktails, Shotwell Candy Co. salted caramels, wine, beer, and other beverages. Click here to view menu and order online.

Tug’s

Open for delivery and to-go orders. Click here to order online or call 901-260-3344.

Napa Cafe

Curbside pickup, takeout, and DoorDash delivery. Click here to view the menu. Call 901-683-0441 to place your order.

Capriccio Grill

Open for takeout, curbside pickup, and delivery. Family style and alcoholic beverages available. Click here to view the menu and order for delivery. Call 901-529-4000 for takeout and curbside.

Bardog

Open for curbside pickup and delivery for food and alcohol service. Click here to view the menu and call 901-275-8752 to place your order.

Celtic Crossing

Celtic Crossing is offering curbside pickup and delivery through DoorDash. Call 901-274-5151 to place your order from the curbside lunch and dinner menu and curbside brunch menu (Sundays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.).

El Mero Taco

El Mero Taco accepts online orders for takeout and delivery through GrubHub on regular menu items and family meals. For information on where to find their food truck, click here. Please order online, as they will not handle cash or credit cards. Updated hours: Tuesdays-Thursdays 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Joe’s Fried Chicken

Open for takeout from 4 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays. For pick up or curbside service, call 901-337-7003. You can also order through DoorDash, GrubHub, and UberEats. Family style dinner is available.

Loflin Yard

Order meals, small plates, kids meals, 6-packs, wine, and cocktails by delivery or curbside pickup. Order online here

Lucky Cat Ramen

Ramen, rice bowls, family meals, alcoholic beverages, and more available for curbside pickup, takeout, and delivery. Visit their website to view the entire menu. Call 901-208-8145 to place an order.

Maciel’s Tortas & Tacos

Offers takeout, delivery, and catering. Order online or call 901-526-0037.

Mahogany Memphis

Open for curbside, takeout, and family meal prep. Order online or call 901-623-7977.

Mulan Asian Bistro

Takeout and delivery available. $20 minimum order for deliveries. Available within 5 miles. View the menu here and call 901-347-3965 to place your order.

Railgarten

Shrimp boil, BBQ Shrimp Po Boy, Impossible Burger Po Boy, and alcoholic beverages available on select days. Free delivery in the midtown and Downtown area. Follow their Facebook to stay updated.

Raw Girls Memphis

All three locations are open. $44 six packs, hand sanitizers, and new spring menu. Curbside pickup available. Click here for more information.

Robata Ramen & Yakitori Bar

Takeout and delivery available. View the entire menu here and call 901-410-8290 to place your order.

Soul Fish Cafe

Takeout, pickup, and curbside available. For locations, hours, and menu, click here.

Swanky’s Taco Shop

Regular menu items and family meals available for takeout, pickup, and limited in-house delivery. Delivery also available via GrubHub and DoorDash. Click here for more information.

Trap Fusion

Regular menu items and crawfish boil available via curbside and delivery through GrubHub and UberEats. Call 901-207-5565 or order online.

Young Avenue Deli

Regular menu items, alcoholic beverages, growlers, and growler fills available through to go, curbside pickup, and delivery. Follow their Facebook for more information.

Pimento’s Kitchen & Market

Drive-thru, pickup, takeout, catering, family meals, cocktails to go, and curbside market needs available. Order regular menu items, indoor picnic package, safe at home package, and more. Follow their Facebook for more information.

The Liquor Store Diner

Order all day breakfast, desserts, sides, alcoholic beverages, and more online for pickup or delivery.

Jack Pirtle’s Chicken

Drive-thru open. Check our latest issues for Jack Pirtle’s coupons. View the menu here.

Crosstown Concourse

Crosstown Brewery:

Offers pickup and delivery. Delivery available Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday noon-6 p.m. with a $36 minimum. Pickup hours are Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday noon-5 p.m.

Curb Market:

Still open with regular hours. Grab-n-Go/pickup/delivery options. Free delivery. To order, call Curb Market at 901-453-6880.

Global Cafe:

Offering curbside pickup and free delivery within a 4-mile radius. They are also raising funds to provide meals to medical professionals working on the front lines and to people economically impacted by the virus. To donate and view the menu, click here or call 901-512-6890

MemPops:

MemPops is closed but is offering delivery on $10 minimum purchase. Call Chris to schedule a delivery 901-596-6293.

Saucy Chicken:

Abbreviated dining hours: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Saucy Chicken is offering curbside pickup or in-store pickup. Also offering free delivery in the Crosstown Concourse; provide phone number and location information. If you are not in the Crosstown Concourse, you can use the Bite Squad app. Bite Squad is offering free delivery with the promotional code: INSIDE. Call 901-203-3838 for assistance.

**When requesting free delivery in Crosstown Concourse, choose “curbside pickup” during check out and call with your location information.