Tag: Nacho’s

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Now open: Sabrosura and Burrito Blues.

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Sabrosura claims to serve Mexican and Cuban food; in fact, its scope is even broader. I spotted Peruvian and Ecuadorian dishes on the menu. But don’t let that scare you. The different strands are brought together in the person of Sabrosura’s owner, Karen Otero.

Originally from Ecuador, Otero married a Cuban man and moved to Memphis, where she has worked in Mexican restaurants for the past 12 years. She says she decided to step out on her own because she knows the business and because you can’t get good Latin food in the Medical District. About the second point, at least, she’s right.

“I like Cuban food the best,” Otero confesses. “The way they cook is like the way we cook in Ecuador. Lots of bold flavors.”

Justin Fox Burks

Karen Otero

Despite having been open for just a month, Sabrosura seems to be hitting its stride. When I visited for lunch, there was a decent-size crowd of doctors and nurses from Le Bonheur, as well as construction workers and elevator mechanics from a site down the street.

When it comes to Tex-Mex, Otero has her bases covered. Want nachos? She’ll make you nachos. But if you’re interested in what sets Sabrosura apart, venture into the menu’s less-frequented quarters, especially the section marked “Specialty of the House.”

There you’ll find the Arroz Tapada de Pollo ($11.99), a fragrant rice dish of grilled chicken, mushrooms, onions, and poblano peppers. I should note that, like Peter Piper, I’m picky about peppers. Add too many and they take over, overwhelming other flavors with a sharp bitterness. But Otero’s Arroz Tapado is just right: piquant and sizzling and seasoned to perfection.

Or hey, why not order a steak?

Yeah, you read that right. Otero’s Steak Mexicano ($13.25) is one of the better things I’ve eaten this month. A skirt steak that’s been marinated in Mexican mojo criollo, it’s grilled à la ranchera and served with pickled onions and avocado. Squeeze a little lime over it, and remember to thank God — or your lucky stars, or whatever — for the geopolitical forces that bring talented cooks from Latin America to Memphis.

Picture this: It’s 11:30 p.m. You’re at a bachelor party on Beale Street. You’re tipsy, it’s noisy, you need a break. Where will you go?

You could definitely do worse than Burrito Blues. After the fashion of a Chipotle or a Qdoba, this fast-casual Mexican joint offers build-your-own burritos and bowls. The food is fresh; it’s made from scratch daily; and for Beale, it’s distinctly affordable. There’s even a local product on the menu — the rice is from Windmill in Jonesboro, Arkansas).

You know the drill. White or brown rice? Black or pinto beans? To top your burrito, you can choose from a variety of proteins — beef, chicken, sautéed veggies — but I liked the beef options best. The steak is salty and satisfying. And the brisket — seasoned with peppadew peppers and house-smoked — is actually kind of special.

The restaurant occupies the former site of Johnny G’s Creole Kitchen. With its earth tones, exposed brick walls, and relaxed blues music, Burrito Blues is a little oasis in the neon desert. Along Beale, the pace is frantic, but in here, the vibe is chill.

Burrito Blues is open for lunch during the week, and manager Richard Magevney says he’s already seeing crowds from AutoZone Park and FedExForum. On weekends, the dining room stays open till midnight. After that, they’ll serve burritos and margaritas to drunken stumblers through a service window until 3 a.m.

Because on Beale Street, that’s how it is. You have to do high-volume; you have to do sweet drinks. Considering the framework within which they’re operating, Burrito Blues has come up with a fresh, tasty, affordable option.

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Lunch at Burrito Blues

The place is called Burrito Blues. So, I went for the burrito. (Same reason I get the chicken at Gus’ Fried Chicken.)

I went simple. Chicken, peppers and onions, rice, and salsa verde. Delicious.

I’m no stranger to these big burritos, but as the nice line cook rolled my pile of ingredients into burrito form, I wondered if I could handle it. (I couldn’t. Read on.)

But, see, I got this thing with nachos. (First time I saw barbecue nachos was at a RiverKings game years ago. I moved to Memphis because it’s great but I stay for the nachos.)

So, when nachos arrived at the table, my burrito took a back seat while I took a drive straight to Nachotown. (I’m def gonna eat the rest of the ‘rito soon. It’s in the work fridge.)

The chips are made on-site and dusted in a dry barbecue rub. The nachos were topped with guacamole, veggies, and mucho, mucho melted cheese. These nachos were serious. As I guy I used to know once said, it was like “a party in my mouth and flavor was the guest of honor.”

Fun side note: saw and tried this hot sauce for the first time. It’s (if you can’t read the label) from Blues City Cafe and called Beale Street Bad Hot Sauce. It was like Tabasco on the front end with a slightly sweet and barbecue-y twist at the end. If you see it, try it.  

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

The things we ate in 2014.

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Last winter, Holly Whitfield of the I Love Memphis Blog announced that Memphis is in the midst of a spectacular “Foodnado.” How apt! My cursory count of restaurants, breweries, and sundry food-related places that opened in 2014 adds up to 40, and not all of them in Overton Square.

But, then again, a lot of them are in Overton Square. Babalu Tacos & Tapas opened in June, offering tableside-prepared guacamole and lots of sharing plates. The place has been packed since. In August came Jimmy Ishii’s Robata Ramen & Yakitori Bar with a fine menu of ramen noodle bowls and skewers. Lafayette’s Music Room, an homage to the original much-loved, circa-’70s Overton Square bar named for the recently passed away ace bartender Lafayette Draper, opened in September and features wood-fired pizzas and a music schedule set at palatable hours. Schweinehaus, a cheeky Memphis take on German food, also opened in September. There’s beer, brats, and the occasional lederhosen sighting — what’s not to like? If you need olive oil, there’s the Square Olive, and there’s more music and fun at the Chicago-based Zebra Lounge.

Justin Fox Burks

Robata Ramen & Yakitori Bar

The most recent addition to Overton Square is Belly Acres, a farm-to-table burger restaurant, the latest of three burger-centric places to open in Memphis. This trend has our full endorsement. Belly Acres has a fantasyland interior and a menu that demands to be gone through one burger at a time. Down the street, there’s LBOE (Last Burger on Earth). Its menu raises the bar with such burgers as the super spicy Lava Me or Lava Me Not and the garlic-laden Love Stinks. Oshi Burger Bar downtown has something for everyone — beef burgers, tuna burgers, vegetarian burgers, gluten-free buns. They also have great milkshakes.

Justin Fox Burks

Oshi Burger Bar on South Main

Plenty of glasses have been raised at the taprooms opened in 2014 at High Cotton Brewing Co. and Memphis Made Brewing Co., and Memphis promises to get buzzier still in the new year with Pyramid Vodka. Wine in grocery stores finally passed, and while that doesn’t happen until 2016, local liquor stores are making the best of it with growler stations and more.

In grocery-store news: Whole Foods opened its expanded store in East Memphis, which includes a site-specific barbecue restaurant and a growler station. There’s the new Fresh Market in Midtown, and Kroger continues to show its commitment to Memphis in updating its stores, most recently the one at Cleveland and Poplar. Plus, there’s been some buzz about a Trader Joe’s opening sometime somewhere. We shall see.

In coffee news: Everybody freaked out when Muddy’s Bake Shop announced a new Midtown store in August 2013. Muddy’s Grind House opened this fall and offers a little of everything, from coffee to breakfast eats and yoga. The Avenue, near the University of Memphis, has great coffee and treats with Christian fellowship. There’s also Cafe Keough downtown in a gorgeous setting with a great cafe Americano. Tart offers quiches and more — a great go-to place when expectations are high. Ugly Mug took over the Poplar Perk’n space, and Jimmy Lewis, who founded Squash Blossom, returned to the scene with Relevant Roasters, selling wholesale, environmentally sound, and worker-friendly coffee with the motto “Every Cup Matters.”

After a few false starts, the Riverfront Development Corporation came through with Riverfront Grill. It serves a sophisticated but not too syrupy Southern menu and also has some of the best views in Memphis. Also new this year to downtown are the Kwik Chek spinoff Nacho’s, Marie’s Eatery in the old Rizzo’s Diner spot, and Cafe Pontotoc. Rizzo’s moved into the old Cafe Soul site, and there’s the Love Pop Soda Shop, a nifty craft soda shop.

In East Memphis, Skewer, serving Yakitori and ramen, opened in January. 4 Dumplings opened around the same time, and, as its name suggests, the menu is built around four dumplings. The vegan dumpling with tofu is not to be missed.

Since at least four people mentioned to me that Jackson Kramer’s Bounty on Broad is “secretly” gluten-free, I’m guessing it’s not really a secret. The dishes at this lovely farm-to-table spot are thoughtfully done and a delight to look at. The menu changes frequently, but at a recent dinner, there were mussels in fragrant coconut milk, charred broccolini, and creamed kale served over polenta. Also gluten-free is the Hawaiian import Maui Brick Oven, serving brick-oven pizzas and grain bowls.

Justin Fox Burks

Bounty on Broad’s Jackson Kramer

At Ecco on Overton Park, Sabine Bachmann’s cozy neighborhood restaurant, there are heaping dishes of pork chops, delicate pasta dishes, and artful cheese plates — something for every appetite. Strano Sicilian Kitchen & Bar serves a great roasted carrot soup and Italian classics from meatballs to pizza.

At press time, Porcellino’s, Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman’s latest venture, was due to open “any minute now.” File this one under “This Should Be Interesting.” This is a butcher shop/sundry/coffee spot/wine bar offering grab-and-go sandwiches, fresh pastas, cured meats, house-made pastries, and more.

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Now open downtown: Dorothy Mae’s Cafe and Nacho’s.

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

To enter Dorothy Mae’s Café, housed in the Withers Collection Museum & Gallery on Beale Street, is to reminisce about a time in Memphis when figures like Elvis Presley and Rufus Thomas dominated local culture. Photos by the late Earnest Withers fill the walls, and the space also includes a studio lounge, where patrons are free to grab the microphone and sing or recite poetry.

Justin Fox Burks

Fran Mosley

The cafe, named after Withers’ wife, is run by Rosalind Withers and Fran Mosley. The evolving menu was created by Mosley, who found a permanent home for her catering company Haute Monde (French for high society).

The eclectic menu features salads and soups as well as a line of savory cupcakes, which Mosley lifted from the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. Some of the cupcake offerings include chicken and waffles as well as meatloaf and mashed potatoes. A trio is $9.

Justin Fox Burks

Dorothy Mae’s meatloaf cupcake

“Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and sweet peas, that’s a classic Sunday dinner at my grandmother’s house,” Mosley says. “And you may have a little cornbread muffin on the side. We took those old, homemade Southern recipes and put them in cupcakes.”

The Beale Street Cupcake features a barbecue pork butt slow-cooked for 16 hours by Mosley’s husband and paired with a honey butter croissant baked in a cupcake pan.

Other staples include a watermelon, arugula, and feta salad with a homemade honey-lemon balsamic vinaigrette ($10.95). Fru-Fru Fransway is a Caribbean cake soaked in pineapple juice and topped with strawberries, pineapple, kiwi, grapes, and blueberries ($5.50).

Mosley serves apple crunch pie ($6) warm, topped with butter pecan ice cream and drizzled with caramel. When she explains it, it sounds like something too explicit for network television.

“We want to bring something new and fresh to Beale Street. Our target is really professional people or people over 30 or 35,” Mosley says.

“We’re trying to bring the creative arts back to Beale Street. We also want to preserve the history and make sure that we protect those images that were captured during the time between the ’50s and ’70s.”

333 Beale (523-2344)

Stop by Nacho’s downtown for lunch expecting a mariachi band to be playing while you hammer down some enchiladas and you’ll be disappointed.

Derived from Kwik Chek, the Korean and Mediterranean deli in Midtown, this fast casual stand-alone fuses several cultures into one menu.

Beto Villareal and Hernando Diaz imported popular dishes like Bi Bim Bop (a signature Korean rice dish) and the Korean Omelet Plate (infused with fried rice).

“A lot of people have thought of us being just a regular Mexican restaurant. There’s a lot of Mexican restaurants here, and everybody expects the same thing,” Villarreal says. “Their enchiladas, their sombreros, their fiesta-themed margaritas. We just want to bring something different.”

Nacho’s does, however, serve a strong selection of nachos.

Nacho Average Nachos (pulled pork, grilled chicken, steak, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, sour cream) is the headliner of a stable that includes BBQ Nachos (Villareal cooks the pork for up to 22 hours to soften it) and Grilled Nachos.The pair also pay homage to the Chinese restaurant that used to occupy the space with their Sweet & Sour Nachos, which include pineapple and sweet & sour sauce.

Nacho’s also serves wraps, sandwiches, and salads, many of which are carbon copies of those offered at Kwik Chek.

The Ninja ($6.99) features turkey, roast beef, swiss cheese, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, mayonnaise, cayenne, Teriyaki sauce, lettuce, and sprouts.

The breakfast menu features a make-your-own-sandwich with choices for bread, meat, and cheese. One unusual item is the Sweet Kabob, which consists of French toast, strawberries, banana, and pineapple on a skewer sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Villareal and Diaz hope to offer a convenient and efficient lunch experience for Memphians working downtown. The restaurant currently serves breakfast from 7 to

10 a.m. and remains open until 5 p.m., but they are considering extending the hours.

150 Jefferson (522-4455)

Categories
Food & Drink Food Reviews

Some of the Best Nachos in Memphis

CREDIT: Stacey Greenberg

The first ever plate of nachos was created in 1943 at a restaurant called the Victory Club in the city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, by the restaurant’s maître d’. The maître d’s nickname was “Nacho,” and he called his dish “Nacho’s especiales.”

Now, we all know what happens next in this story, right? Some genius in Memphis went and put barbecue on top of the nachos. But it doesn’t end there. There are some exceptional plates of nachos served in this city.

Here are three:

Badass Nachos at Sweet Grass Next Door come in two sizes—1) huge ($14) and 2) who-even-knew-they-made-plates-that-big ($24). Walk in on a Saturday afternoon and you are likely to see an order on most tables.

What makes them so special? The heaping mound of beef brisket that boldly tops the chips, that’s what. This heaping mound also manages to make this gluttonous dish somewhat refined, as do the perfectly cooked onions and peppers. Even without the brisket, the Badass Nachos would be decadent because of the generous amounts of red chili sauce and queso. (I have vegetarian friends that swear by this.) The chili sauce is mild, as is the queso, but the jalapeños are cut thick, and they don’t play. Fresh tomatoes, cilantro, and a generous dollop of sour cream complete the badassery.

You need at least two or three people to polish off the regular (huge) order, and you definitely cannot achieve total destruction without the aid of a fork. The thin and crispy tortilla chips cannot hold up to the toppings for long, but the half-crispy half-gooey results are delicious. A tendril of beef, a juicy sliver of pepper, or, at the very least, a drop of sauce is going to land on the table or your pants or probably both, but you won’t care.

These bad boys can’t be contained by a “to go” box, so don’t even think about it. Have a seat, roll up your sleeves, and enjoy.

Sweet Grass Next Door 937 S. Cooper (278-0278)

sweetgrassmemphis.com

Stacey Greenberg

The Asian Nachos at Tsunami

The Asian Nachos ($10) on Tsunami’s Izakaya (snack plates) menu are definitely in a more delicate category than their across the street neighbors, but they boldly go where no one has gone before. Six thin, lightly fried wonton chips line the plate. Placed in the center of each is a perfect bite of tuna tataki. House-made cilantro crema and Sriracha are drizzled on top along with a sprinkling of the finest green onions you’ve ever seen. The thinly sliced jalapeño is serious, and the Sriracha seals the deal. These delicate beauties pack a serious punch.

Don’t worry, it hurts so good.

Incorporating a two-bite method on each chip is the way to go. Yes, use your hands. The first bite is for the tuna, and the second is for the last little bit of crema left on the chip. Go ahead and scoop up some more off the plate for extra cooling. Take a minute to appreciate the dish as a whole before digging in, and definitely save the creamiest chip for last.

Tsunami

928 S. Cooper

(274-2556)

tsunamimemphis.com

Stacey Greenberg

Arepa & Salsa’s Naked Arepas

If the wontons piqued your interest about what can constitute nachos, then the next logical step is to try the Naked Arepas ($7) at Arepa & Salsa. These are Venezuela’s version of the nacho. An arepa is a flatbread made of ground corn (maize) dough or cooked flour. It’s not clear why the dish is described as naked, because it is anything but.

The arepas are sliced into triangles and topped with your choice of shredded beef or chicken (or both!), chopped lettuce, thinly sliced avocado, crumbled cotija cheese, and a generous drizzle of “house sauces.” The house sauces taste like mild versions of ranch and Thousand Island dressings.

Overall the dish is very mild, but the arepas really make it pop. They are at once doughy yet crispy; fried but not greasy. They have a distinctive flavor and seem right at home under a mess of toppings. The shredded chicken is nicely seasoned and has a delicious tang. The arepas easily hold their weight and maintain their crunch. It’s hard to decide whether to use a fork or not.

The Naked Arepas are listed as an appetizer but can certainly be a meal for one. After one bite, you probably won’t want to share.

Arepa & Salsa

662 Madison

(949-8537)

arepaandsalsa.com

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

A Visit to Nacho’s

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Last week I stopped by Nacho’s downtown on Jefferson to check it out, and while it was straight-up noon, there was plenty of metered parking nearby.

The place, which serves breakfast and lunch weekdays, is small but not teeny-tiny. There are 20 or so tables, from two-tops on up. It was about a third full on my visit, and on that day, front of the house was a one-man operation, with literally one man taking orders and acting as waiter and cashier. Given the situation, the mood might have been hectic, but it was quite upbeat.

There are, in fact, nachos at Nacho’s. I ordered the Grilled Nachos ($9.99). This usually comes with a choice of steak, chicken, a mix of chicken or steak, or shrimp. I stuck with just the veggies— grilled onions, peppers, and mushrooms— topped in a very good mild cheese dip. I think the addition of a heap of well-seasoned black beans would put this dish over the top.

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Other nacho options include Nacho Average Nachos (with pulled pork, chicken, and steak) and Sweet & Sour Nachos (chicken, onion, bell pepper, pineapple, with sweet & sour sauce).

The menu also features a fine selection of sandwiches and wraps — the intriguing Ninja sandwich (with turkey, roast beef, swiss with Teriyaki sauce and sprouts, among the ingredients) and the Fireball of Freedom wrap (turkey, roast beef, bacon, plus more topped with a habanero sauce.

Nacho’s also serves Bi Bim Bop, which plenty of folks were ordering on the day I was there. On the breakfast menu, there’s the Korean Omelet Plate, with fried rice and your choice of beef, chicken, or vegetables.

Nacho’s is open Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Take-out and delivery is available.