Tag: Local Gastropub

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Dogs on Parade: Mardi Growl at Overton Park Saturday

CREDIT: Melissa Mcmasters

Overton Park Conservancy and one of its partners, Hollywood Feed, hosts its inaugural Mardi Growl event this Saturday, featuring a Mardi Gras-themed dog costume contest, a crawfish boil with Local Gastropub, and a dog parade through the woods.

Melissa McMasters, director of communications for Overton Park, says the event was inspired in part by the conservancy’s Halloween dog costume event in October and that she hopes to see creative costumes like she saw at that event, such as two “hot dogs” in a hot dog cart accompanied by humans dressed up as ketchup and mustard bottles.

“The costume contests always seem to attract a lot of extremely creative people,” says McMasters. “So they’re really fun.”

Melissa Mcmasters

The canine krewe’s bacchus ball heads to Overton Park for Mardi Growl.

The conservancy will bring on three celebrity judges (Markova Reed, former WREG anchor; David Scott of Dave’s Bagels; and Lucy Furr, graphic designer for Hollywood Feed) to determine the winners, who will receive prize packs from Hollywood Feed and a gift card from Second Line.

McMasters says that the members of the park are looking forward to thanking Hollywood Feed, who sponsored the construction of Overton Bark in 2012, and the dog lovers who enjoy the dog play area every day.

“We really want to engage the community that uses Overton Bark and give them something fun and a thank you for being such great supporters — and also to bring in some new folks who may not have visited before,” says McMasters. “And it’s also a great opportunity for us to work with Hollywood Feed. We always enjoy hanging out with them.”

Mardi Growl, The Greensward at Overton Park, Saturday, March 7th, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., free.

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Mac ‘n’ cheese is taking over local menus.

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Someone at Local Gastropub is a serious macaroni and cheese fan. Not only do they have Mac n’ Gruyere Tots ($9) on the menu, they just added an entire Mac ‘n’ Cheese Bar.

Let’s start with the tots. There are eight deep-fried and perfectly crispy balls to an order. They actually resemble hushpuppies more than tater tots. There’s a little shaved Gruyere melted on top and a side of spicy marinara sauce. Inside the tot is where the magic happens. The macaroni and cheese is positively gooey and delicious. Assuming you don’t pop the entire tot in your mouth, each bite leaves a nice string of melted cheese like a good slice of pizza. They taste pretty darn good on their own, but the marinara definitely takes them to the next level. So, to review: crispy, gooey, cheesy, saucy, yum!

Now about that Mac ‘n’ Cheese Bar. Their truffled mac ‘n’ cheese ($8) is the base. Then you have a number of toppings to add for an additional cost: lobster ($6), chorizo ($2), bacon ($2), short rib ($4), tasso ($3), and blue cheese ($2). I don’t think you can go wrong with this list of toppings, only right. The extra cheesy mac ‘n’ cheese comes out in a skillet, the size of which depends on the number of toppings added. Rather than the standard elbow, the Mac ‘n’ Cheese Bar features a long corkscrew noodle which has many aliases (cavatappi, cellentani, amori, spirali, tortiglioni, and fusilli rigati). I added short ribs to my order and the result was decadent and beyond delicious. It took restraint to only add one topping. There is clearly potential here to eat the most amazing, not to mention expensive, mac ‘n’ cheese of your life.

The newly opened Skybox Grill & Bar in Collierville features macaroni & cheese eggrolls ($8) as an appetizer. Macaroni and cheese EGGROLLS! If that’s not worth the trip east, I don’t know what is. They are everything I’d hoped they’d be and more. There are two large eggrolls to an order and they come sliced diagonally so there are actually four pieces. (I guess this means they want you to share, which just seems wrong.) The cut allows you to see the curly goodness inside and they are a sight to behold. They aren’t too cheesy and they also feature a longer corkscrew noodle rather than the standard elbow. The eggroll wrapper is super crispy, but in a flaky pie-crust way. These, too, taste great on their own, but it’s hard to resist the tangy dipping sauces that accompany them. There’s a zesty barbecue and a sweet & spicy “sirachi” sauce. Both get the thumbs up. Go on, drive to Collierville.

Finally, true mac ‘n’ cheese fans must try the Mac-N-Cheeseburger ($9.95) at LBOE. Like all burgers at LBOE, it features a lovely square ciabatta bun that is perfectly toasted and a nice, big never-frozen ground beef patty. On top of the meat is a nice scoop of homemade mac ‘n’ cheese with a nice helping of crumbled hardwood bacon. The mac ‘n’ cheese stays together pretty well. I only had one or two elbows try and escape while eating it. Think of this combination as a deconstructed Hamburger Helper. The flavors are very familiar but elevated. After a few bites it seems perfectly normal to eat a hamburger topped with mac ‘n’ cheese. In fact, one must wonder why no one thought of it sooner.

Local, 95 S. Main (473-9573)

2126 Madison (725-1845)

localgastropub.com

The Skybox Grill & Bar, 2140 W. Poplar (854-0509)

theskyboxgrilltn.com

LBOE, 2021 Madison (725-0770)

lboerestaurant.com

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

The Many Projects of Local’s Jeff Johnson

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Justin Fox Burks

Jeff Johnson

Jeff Johnson of Local in Overton Square and downtown, recently began his two-week vacation with a meeting to discuss expanding the brand to the Nashville market. He’s also finishing up the installation of a 48-tap draft beer system and raw bar at the Midtown location by the end of the month.

Oh, and he just launched the food truck Parish Grocery; is in the process of rolling out two restaurants, Oshi Burger Bar and Agave Maria; and recently formed the consulting group RFJ Concepts (as if crafting his own multitude of projects doesn’t keep him busy enough, a point Johnson laments with a certain tongue-in-cheek pride).

Parish Grocery is a Cajun and Creole-themed food truck operated out of an Airstream. The truck was started as an extension of Johnson’s catering company.

The menu includes Louisiana staples such as red beans and rice, gumbo, crawfish étouffée, and barbecue shrimp po’boy sandwiches as well as bread pudding and potato salad. There are four beer taps set into the exterior wall of the Airstream, which was included with events and private parties in mind.

Johnson projects a mid-to-late July launch for Oshi Burger Bar, which is in the old Dream Berry space on South Main.

“From a design element, there’s an Asian influence, and even on the menu, there are some items that have a slight Asian homage to them, but it’s not a Japanese restaurant,” Johnson says. “It gave us the ability to make it more unique and to put our own spin on it. To make it more memorable.”

The small menu will focus on alcoholic milk shakes, cocktails, hand-crafted sausages, and locally sourced hamburgers custom-ground from brisket, short rib, and sirloin.

Some of the sausages will include chicken, wild boar, lobster, and sweetbreads.

“We’re taking the basic fundamentals of a burger and making it your own and running with it and using different ingredients,” Johnson says.

The launch of Oshi, which already has been pushed back several months, will start the countdown to Agave Maria, an upscale Mexican bistro and tequila bar set to open in late September.

“We’re taking Mexican street food, and we’re refining it and using better ingredients. We’re taking street food to the next level,” Johnson says.

Johnson promises Agave Maria will set itself apart because it won’t offer the same five ingredients packaged in different ways.

He’ll incorporate fresh local produce, peppers, and a labor-intensive mole sauce into Agave Maria’s tapas, tacos, tortas, and enchiladas.

Johnson has six other concepts he’s “toying around with” and may initiate one day. He says it’s the success of the Locals that has allowed him to expand his reach.

The desire to breathe life into brands and to make something interesting out of nothing is a core motivation for Johnson, and the food truck and the new restaurants hardly satiate that appetite.

“I just like creating these things. That’s why I formed the consulting group,” Johnson says. “We’ve got a couple of consulting proposals out on the table to help some other companies solidify their brands. I enjoy putting this stuff together and that was just another outlet to create.”

The group at RFJ Concepts includes Graham Reese, who will focus on architecture, and Ben Fant, who will focus on branding and franchising.

As for Johnson’s “vacation.” He’s spending it visiting several cities to do some market research on culinary trends.

“I thought the opportunities were great, and I didn’t want to pass that up,” Johnson says of starting so many businesses at once. “It’s certainly not ideal for me to open up one restaurant two months away from the other. It’s twice the headache. Twice the challenge. But the truck was a no-brainer. That was just too easy.”

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Bar Guide

Alchemy

Game Days at Alchemy Memphis: Happy Hour with $1 off domestic beers and discounts on featured items from our specialty cocktail list. The game isn’t over until we say it is!

940 S. Cooper • 726-4444 alchemymemphis.com

Bardog Tavern

Ignore the cold in our cozy downtown bar, but don’t ignore the cold beer! $2.50 Buds and Bud Lights, $3 Yuengling drafts during every Tiger and Grizzlies game. The sound is on on the upstairs and downstairs TVs, including the 60-inch HDTV in the Underdog Room. Open for those brunch games starting at 11 a.m., Saturdays and Sundays.

73 Monroe • 275-8752 • bardog.com

Belle Diner 

Looking for a great new place to eat and have drinks before the game? Look no further than one of downtown’s newest restaurants, Belle Diner. With decades of bringing Memphis great food, the team of Roger Sapp, David Johnson, and Joe Ferguson have teamed up to bring an upscale Southern diner to downtown Memphis. Come in Game Day and try any appetizer prepared by Chef Johnson for only $8 and $1 off all drinks.

117 Union • 433-9851 facebook.com/BelleDinerMemphisTN

Blind Bear Speakeasy

Game Day specials start one hour before and last throughout every Griz and Tiger game: $2.50 Miller Lite, Miller High Life, and Coors Light bottles and $4 24-oz. Coors Light Griz cans! While you’re here, check out the new menus by Chef David Scott Walker, and be sure to mark your calendar for Bean’s Birthday Bash on October 25th and our Halloween Party on October 31st.

119 S. Main • 417-8435 blindbearmemphis.com

Celtic Crossing

Join us Monday nights at Celtic Crossing for the ultimate Game Day, featuring football, giant board games (Jenga, Cards Against Humanity, and lots more), and beer. Beginning Mondays at 5 p.m., all drafts are just $3.

903 S. Cooper • 274-5151 celticcrossingmemphis.com

Central BBQ

When Memphians want great barbecue and fun times, they head to their nearest Central BBQ location. Before Tiger and Grizzlies home games, visit the newest location just minutes away from the Forum and try one of our many draft beers featuring local microbreweries. For away games, come celebrate with other fans at the Summer or downtown locations, where there are plenty of large HDTVs.

4375 Summer • 767-4672


147 E. Butler • 672-7760


2249 Central • 272-9377


cbqmemphis.com

The Cove

The Cove offers too vast an array of expertly hand-crafted cocktails to single out just one as our “signature” concoction, but Town & Country, Southern Living, and Urban Spoon proclaim our authentic Sazerac as the perfect accompaniment to a sultry summer evening. For more outstanding cocktail options, see thecovememphis.com. Come by the Cove after games for the best late-night eats and treats! 

2559 Broad • 730-0719


thecovememphis.com

Dan McGuinness

Dan McGuinness is your Game Day HQ with great specials for both college and pros: $3 pints and $9 pitchers of McGuinness Pub Ale, $11 buckets of longnecks. On Mondays, it’s 2-for-1 domestic beers and $3.95 burgers and fries.

4698 Spottswood • 761-3711 danmcguinnesspub.com

Dejavu Restaurant

Let the good times roll before and after Grizzlies and Tiger basketball games! The newest location at 51 S. Main is four minutes from FedExForum and is filled with all the extras you would expect in New Orleans. Check out the new bar and try some award-winning soul food and vegan/vegetarian cuisine. 

51 S. Main • 505-0212


dejavurestaurant.org 

Happy Mexican

Join us before, after, or during the game to watch with us! Happy Mexican has a Happy Hour for its award-winning margaritas Tuesday through Sunday 3 to 7 p.m. on the lime flavor only. Special pricing includes small for $4.25, medium for $6.99, or large for $8.99.

385 S. Second • 529-9991


6080 Primacy Parkway • 683-0000


7935 Winchester • 751-5353


happymexican.com

Hard Rock Café Memphis

Stop by Hard Rock Café Memphis on Friday Game Days for a Hard Rocking Happy Hour! Now featuring a new Happy Hour every Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. with a special “Bar Bites” menu. $2 domestic drafts; $3 import drafts; and $4 margaritas (bar area only).

315 Beale • 529-0007

Local Gastropub

Local has specials going on just about whenever there’s a game to watch. Happy Hour is Monday through Friday 4 to 7 p.m. Game Day specials run Monday (starting at 6:30 p.m.), Saturday (11 a.m.-6:30 p.m.), and Sunday (11 a.m.-11 p.m.) and include domestic beer buckets, five for $10, $25 table taps of draft, and small-plate food specials. Tuesday is half-off bottles of wine from 7 to 11 p.m. Wednesday is Pint Night with $2 off pints. Thursday is Ladies Night with $5 “tini’s” and tier-one wines. Join us Sunday for late-night Happy Hour starting at 11:30 p.m.

95 Main • 473-9573


2126 Madison in Overton Square


725-1845 • localgastropub.com

Los Comales Mexican Restaurant

Watch the game while enjoying our authentic Mexican food and unique drinks. Buy one margarita and get a second half-off every Monday and Thursday, and get $5 off any order over $20 when you mention our ad in the Flyer!

2860 S. Perkins • 369-0528 loscomalesrestaurant.com

Molly’s La Casita

Molly’s has the ultimate Game Day drink. It’s our first-place award-winning margarita (Memphis Flyer readers poll 2013). Be sure to try our new low-calorie Nectar Girl Margarita if you are trying to watch your darling figure. Molly’s has an ice-cold one ready for you that is sure to please.

2006 Madison • 726-1873 mollyslacasita.com

Mulan Asian Bistro

Sports and sushi are a great combination! Enjoy Mulan Asian Bistro’s Happy Hour for sushi and drinks from 3 to 6 p.m. daily. Try the Mulan Martini for only $7.95.

2149 Young • 347-3965


2059 S. Houston Levee • 850-5288


mulanbistro.net

Newby’s

Newby’s has all your Game Day specials. Monday is Ghost River $10 Beer Bust. On Tuesday, we have $2 burgers and beer. On Whiskey Wednesdays, it’s $3 whiskey drinks. The Always Happy Hour is $1 off bottle beers and mixed drinks every day ’til 9 p.m. Start early and stay late at Newby’s.

535 S. Highland • 452-8408 newbysmemphis.com

Paula and Raiford’s Disco

Come party after the game at Memphis’ best dance club! Paula and Raiford’s Disco is your one-stop shop for fun in downtown Memphis. Enjoy music, drinks, and dancing every Friday and Saturday night just minutes from FedExForum.

14 S. Second • 521-2494


paularaifords.com

Pearl’s Oyster House

Come watch the game with us! Happy Hour is Monday through Friday, 4 to 7 p.m. There are daily draft beer specials as well. Try the famous chargrilled oysters, only $1 each on Wednesdays. Pearl’s also features daily fresh fish specials and free parking too.

299 S. Main • 522-9070 pearlsoysterhouse.com

The Pumping Station

We have just the right stuff to enjoy your games every week. Friday Beer Busts: $3, Ghost River and Blue Moon $8. Sunday Beer Busts: PBR $5 and Ghost River and Blue Moon $9. Happy Hour specials all week long.

1382 Poplar • 272-7600 pumpingstationmemphis.com

The Slider Inn

Wow! During every Tiger and Grizzlies game, get your Bud and Bud Light longnecks for only $2.50. Come enjoy our great atmosphere and our heated deck this winter, complete with outdoor TV. It’s perfect for catching up with your Midtown friends. Who loves you, baby? We do.

2117 Peabody • 725-1155


thesliderinn.com

Tamp & Tap

Offering hand-poured coffees, sandwiches, and local beers all close to FedExForum, Tamp & Tap gives Game Day specials of 10 percent off your food purchase with the same-day ticket or stub.

122 Gayoso (Second and Main)


207-1053 • tampandtap.com

facebook.com/TampTap @tampandtap on Twitter

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Ain’t It Grand?

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Justin Fox Burks

Local’s sea bass with asparagus risotto

Meatball sliders at 2 in the morning? Check. A quiet dinner with pan-seared sea bass and fire-grilled Tuscan rib-eye? Double check. A cold brewsky with a friend anytime after 4 p.m.? Got that too.

Local, downtown’s newest eatery on South Main, opened two weeks ago in the former location of Sauces, but the similarity between the restaurants stops with the address.

Fashioned after an English gastro pub, owner Jeffrey Johnson hopes to attract both drinkers and diners with a casual bar and restaurant on the main floor and a smoke-free bar and more formal dining room downstairs.

“We are a perfect blend,” said Chris Armes, a longtime bartender at Celtic Crossing who is now managing Local. “You can hang out and have a few drinks, or you can sit downstairs and have a great piece of fish at a table with a white linen table cloth.”

Justin Fox Burks

Owner Jeffrey Johnson and manager Chris Armes

The same menu is served upstairs and downstairs from 4 p.m. until the kitchen closes at midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. It is an elaborate spin on pub grub. Appetizers include house-smoked salmon ($9), mozzarella caprese ($8), and goat cheese and spinach salad ($5). Pub plates include seared sea scallops ($12), chorizo bacon burger ($11), and championship wings ($8). Entrées include a full range of steaks, chops, and seafood: sweet Italian sausage ragu ($14), grilled bourbon-marinated flank steak ($19), and Creole shrimp and grits ($19).

If you’d rather drink than eat, the bar stays open until 2 a.m. Monday through Thursday and until 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Better yet, sample food and drinks on Friday, January 22nd, when Local hosts a grand opening party.

Local, 95 S. Main, localgastropub.com

(473-9573)

The second Dunkin’ Donuts in Memphis opened Wednesday on Poplar in Germantown, offering the restaurant’s trademark assortment of donuts, breakfast sandwiches, and coffee drinks.

I stopped by a few days early with my husband Tony for a sneak peek and tasting. He tried the restaurant’s new turkey, cheese, and bacon flatbread; I went for the cheese and egg English muffin and a few donuts to go. We both got cranked up on lattes, a caffeine high Tony swears is unique to the brand. He should know because he’s been visiting Dunkin’ Donuts since the Fifties. “My grandfather would take me to this little Dunkin’ Donuts near Copley Square in Boston,” he reminisced. “There were donuts and coffee. That was it.”

He is right about the dates. The first Dunkin’ Donuts opened in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1950. Today, the company is the largest donut franchise in the world, with a dozen more stores slated for Memphis.

Here’s one more piece of donut trivia. Nationally, the most popular Dunkin’ flavor is Boston cream, but in Memphis, it’s glazed and chocolate.

Dunkin’ Donuts, 9077 Poplar, ddmemphis.com (753-1153)

David Meredith, manager of Blue Fish in Cooper-Young, understands that a great Bloody Mary is more than vodka, Clamato, and a stick of celery. That’s why his Bloody Mary bar, offered during the restaurant’s new Sunday brunch, includes Old Bay seasoning, horse radish, wasabi, Worcestershire sauce, dill pickles, green tomato pickles, olives, pepperoncini, pickled okra, and pickled green beans.

“For $5, you can build quite a drink,” Meredith said. “We wanted to do something different and have a little fun.”

Served from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the restaurant’s Sunday brunch includes a full roster of libations, food, and a kid’s menu for $6.95. On the breakfast side, there’s banana-bread French toast ($14.95), steak and crab Benedict ($21.95), and chicken and waffles ($15.95). Feeling more like lunch? Try mac and cheese with shrimp and scallops ($16.95) or oyster Caesar salad ($9.95).

In addition to brunch, be on the lookout for upcoming changes in the dinner menu at Blue Fish, along with a free-appetizer card being distributed door-to-door in nearby neighborhoods.

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

A Visit to Local Gastropub

chrisandjeff.jpg

When Food News writer Pam Denney and I stopped by the newly opened Local Gastropub on Tuesday afternoon, we found both the owner and the manager to be completely in the dark.

Construction in the area had shut off power and owner Jeffrey Johnson was on the phone with MLGW, while manager Chris Armes did some work on her laptop.

Despite the lack of electricity, Johnson and Ames took the time to tell us a little bit about Local, which opened last Friday in the Sauces site on Main downtown.