Tag: Napa Café

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Restaurants Shift to Delivery, Curbside Pickup in Coronavirus Wake

CREDIT: Railgarten/Facebook

Railgarten/Facebook

Remember the good, old days of social closeness-ning?

Coronavirus (and the social distancing that has come with it) has put huge strains on local restaurants but many in Memphis are fighting back with curbside service, food delivery, and some help from the city.

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said Monday “we strongly encourage you to continue to-go orders and support our local restaurants and their staffs.”

“To help with this, we have decided to provide on-street parking relief exclusively for food delivery vehicles at various restaurant locations Downtown and Midtown where parking meters are installed,” Strickland said in a coronavirus update Monday. “Until further notice, we are relaxing enforcement at metered parking spaces, allowing on-street parking at no charge in front of restaurants. Please note that all restricted parking areas will remain in effect during this time to ensure public safety.”

Chef Kelly English said on Instagram post Monday he’d close the dining rooms of Restaurant Iris, Second Line, and Fino’s from the Hill.

Restaurants Shift to Delivery, Curbside Pickup in Coronavirus Wake

“We have made the decision to shut our dining rooms down,” he said. “We can’t wait to get them back open. We are available for delivery and take out. @finosmemphis will be at the very least available for lunch take out and @secondlinememphis will be available for dinner take out starting tomorrow.

”We are taking tonight to regroup and get a plan. To all of our team: I love you so much, and we will figure this out.”

Napa Cafe announced Monday it would offer family dinner meals for pickup including the choice of soup or salad, an entrée, and choice of one family-style side item and fresh vegetable for $40 per person.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to provide our guests a sense of ease by providing family dinner meals to-go including salads, soups, entrees, family-style sides, and vegetables so that they can enjoy a Napa Café meal in the comfort of their home,” said Glenda Hastings, owner Napa Café.

Railgarten said it will offer food delivery and discounted gift cards because “we want you to have everything you need before you hunker down.”

“Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitality businesses are being hit hard. We know that as our customers start practicing social distancing, our businesses will suffer. We know the main way consumers can continue to support us is through food delivery and buying gift cards.

“We also know that in this time of economic uncertainty, not everyone wants to purchase gift cards. That is why the Party Memphis group, including Railgarten, wants to make it an easy decision to support our team.

“On Tuesday, March 17th, which is also St. Patrick’s Day, our venues will open at 2 p.m. for those who want to grab a family meal and gift card before you settle in at home. At that time, we will begin our gift card sale.”

The sale will begin at 2 p.m. with $200 cards offered at $100. Cards increase in price every hour. Gift cards can be purchased online. Each purchase made in person, though, comes with a free roll of toilet paper.

“This is our way of thanking you for your support and to remind you that even though things can look bleak, we are going to make it through this thing together,” Railgarten said.

Let It Fly said Monday it will offer family meals (that can feed four to five people) for pickup for $39.99. Each meal comes with a gallon of tea or lemonade. Individual adult meals come with a free kid’s meal.

The Majestic Grill said Monday it will offer curbside pickup starting on Wednesday.

Restaurants Shift to Delivery, Curbside Pickup in Coronavirus Wake (2)

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

To Do: Crafts & Drafts, Heart Full of Soul, etc.

• The first Crafts & Drafts is this Saturday, November 14th, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., in the parking lot behind Crosstown Arts. 

It is what it sounds like: lots of crafts (some 40 participating artists) and tons of beer, including Goldcrest 51, Memphis Made Fireside Amber and Hundo IPA, High Cotton ESB and Chocolate Rye Porter, and more. 

Be there. 

• Something for those with an opinion about everything: Memphis in May is holding a barbecue judging seminar on Saturday, November 14th. Topics include the judging process and rules, official meat categories, the scoring process, and blind, on-site, and final judging. 

Participants will be qualified to judge at Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest after the seminar. Cost is $85. 

Today (November 9th) is the last day to register. Go here.  

• Napa Cafe is once again hosting its annual Heart Full of Soul dinners benefiting the Stax Music Academy, Sunday, November 15th and Monday, November 16th, 5:30 p.m. 

Each of the six courses is paired with a song from the Stax catalogue and a special wine from Sleight of Hand Cellars. There will be silent auction, and many notable Stax figures will be on hand. 

On the menu is open face pulled pork ravioli, grilled lamb loin, and braised short rib. Guests receive a souvenir menu/album with a vinyl 45 RPM recorded by Stax Music Academy.   

The dinner is $200. For reservations or more information, call Napa Cafe: 901 683-0441 or Tim Sampson; 901 485-8735,  tim.sampson@soulsvillefoundation.org. 

• And … it’s Downtown Dining Week! Continues through Sunday. 

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Rotis Cuisine of India opens; Napa Café gets a makeover.

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

You may have noticed the new sign at Napa Café. I mean, how could you not? Outsize and glowing-white, it’s practically visible from Walnut Grove.

Well, the sign’s just the tip of the iceberg. Beginning in July, Napa undertook a series of changes that run wide and deep through the heart of the restaurant. They include a new chef, a new menu, and an interior renovation that has yielded a totally new look.

For the past 17 years, Napa has anchored Sanderlin Centre, serving light, seasonal California-inspired fare. The wine list is just as important to Napa’s identity; it strives to introduce Memphians to exciting wine from around the world — while remaining affordable and unpretentious.

“When it comes to European wine,” says managing partner Rusty Prudhon, “people tend to think if they can’t pronounce it, they can’t afford it.

“We want to show them that delicious wine is within reach,” he adds. “We want our wine to spark a conversation.”

Those core concepts remain unchanged, but this new incarnation of Napa is more spacious and better executed, beginning with the bar. Cozy to some, the old bar struck others as claustrophobic and dark, closed in by a half-wall and ceiling drops.

By contrast, the new bar is wide open and well lit, with a rustic, reclaimed hickory bar top. It’s the first thing you see when you walk through the door, and it graciously divides the restaurant into two main dining rooms. There are also a small lounge and a farmer’s table, beautifully illuminated by track lighting.

Justin Fox Burks

Newly remodeled Napa Café

Maybe my favorite addition is the chef’s table. Tucked into its own, neatly appointed room at the back of the restaurant, this L-shaped, reclaimed cedar wood table seats six, perfect for intimate celebrations and wine pairings.

Since coming on in July, chef Ken Lumpkin has kept many of Napa’s greatest hits — don’t worry, the tomato soup with dill and basil ($8) isn’t going anywhere — while introducing a number of new dishes. Despite unpretentious labels, many are ambitious and demonstrate a welcome playfulness.

Justin Fox Burks

“Scallops”

Take the following dish, labeled simply “Scallops” ($28). It features three seared scallops served between chunks of charred mango (yum) and tiny oxtail dumplings. The whole thing is served with cumin-scented sweet potato puree and drizzled with umami broth.

“Say goodbye to marshmallows,” says owner Glenda Hastings. “That cumin in the sweet potato — that’s a game changer.”

Of course, it wouldn’t be supper at Napa without a stellar glass of wine. To pair with the scallops, Hastings recommends a bottle of 2013 Adelsheim Pinot Blanc ($40). This brisk, mineralic wine can stand up to the strong flavor of the oxtail, while playing nicely with the sweet potato and the mango.

Rotis Cuisine of India in Sanderlin Centre, opened in October to exactly zero fanfare, and the restaurant is seldom crowded. But I’m rooting for them, for one simple reason: The food is good. I have eaten there three or four times, and — what can I say? — the zesty appetizers and well-executed curries keep me coming back.

Not to mention, it is the only Indian restaurant in all of East Memphis.

For eight years before moving to Memphis, owner Madhu Ankisetty owned and managed Maharaja, a bustling Indian food restaurant in Oxford, Mississippi. He is from Hyderabad and demonstrates an easy fluency with the sharp, fresh flavors of North India — think coconut, cardamom, and tamarind. At Rotis, he prides himself on cooking every dish to order, as well as offering a wide range of vegan and gluten-free options.

I recommend starting with Paneer Pakora ($7.99). These semi-soft cubes of paneer cheese are battered with chickpeas and deep-fried, yielding a salty, crunchy crust and a warm, creamy filling. As if that weren’t enough, the fancy fried cheese is served with two dipping sauces. The tamarind is good, but the spicy mint is great.

Another don’t-miss-it dish is the Gobi Manchuria ($7.99), lightly fried cauliflower served in a sweet chili sauce. Besides being delicious (and vegan!), it showcases the way that Rotis tailors its spice levels to customer preference. “Medium” was just right for me.

From there, graduate to any of several curries, served family-style in handsome, stainless-steel bowls. In the event of an arctic blast, the butter chicken ($9.99), bathed in a silky tomato gravy, will warm you right up. But save room for the Channa Masala ($9.99), a fragrant and well-balanced dish of chickpeas, tomatoes, and onions.

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Stax’s Heart Full of Soul Dinner at Napa Cafe

napa_0017.jpg

The third annual Heart Full of Soul dinner, benefiting the Stax Music Academy, is set for Sunday and Monday, November 16th and 17th at the Napa Cafe.

Each course for this six-course dinner is paired with Stax hits performed by students at the academy.

The dinner features a decidedly Southern menu and wines from Sleight of Hand and beers from High Cotton. The evening will include a silent auction, and guests will receive a vinyl record with songs recorded by the students.

Tickets are $175 and must be reserved in advance: 683-0441.

Full menu below …

[jump]

HEART FULL OF SOUL 2014

NAPA_DINNER_LOGO.JPG

FIRST COURSE
WILLIAM BELL, Everybody Loves a Winner
Pan seared scallop, sweet potato puff stuffed with braised ox tail, pineapple & orange zest, umami broth
SLEIGHT OF HAND CELLARS The Magician, Evergreen Vineyard, Riesling,
Columbia Valley, Washington, 2012
HIGH COTTON BREWING CO., Belgian IPA

SECOND COURSE
OLLIE & THE NIGHTINGALES, Don’t Do What I Did
Caramelized Lake’s local catfish apple & cumin scented Brussels sprouts, goat cheese hush puppies
MABLE JOHN, Your Good Thing (Is about to end)
JOHNNIE TAYLOR, Who’s Making Love
SLEIGHT OF HAND CELLARS The Enchantress, French Creek Vineyard, Chardonnay,
Yakima Valley, Washington, 2012
HIGH COTTON BREWING CO., Bier de Garde

THIRD COURSE
DELANEY & BONNIE, Pour Your Love on Me
DELANEY & BONNIE, Just Plain Beautiful
Homemade spaghetti casserole, warm Yukon Gold potato salad,pickled okra
SLEIGHT OF HAND CELLARS The Spellbinder, Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot-Cabernet Franc-Syrah-Grenache, Columbia Valley, Washington, 2012
HIGH COTTON BREWING CO., Oktoberfest

INTERMISSION
THE MAR-KEY’S, Whot’s Happenin’

FOURTH COURSE
OSCAR MACK, Dream Girl
OLLIE & THE NIGHTINGALES, Girl You Make My Heart Sing
Country fried ribeye, pecan gravy, chorizo bread pudding, collard green cole slaw
SLEIGHT OF HAND CELLARS Levitation, Syrah, Columbia Valley, Washington, 2011
HIGH COTTON BREWING CO., Scottish Ale

FIFTH COURSE
SAM & DAVE, Soul Man
Braised beef brisket, stone ground grits, black berry pan gravy, oven roasted tomatoes
SLEIGHT OF HAND CELLARS The Illusionist, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, Washington, 2011
HIGH COTTON BREWING CO., Stout

DESSERT
SAM & DAVE, It’s A Wonder
Lemon Ice Box Pie “Four Ways”

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Tasting and Toasting

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

Memphis chocolatier Phillip Rix isn’t settling for traditional flavor combinations. He’s whipping up the “Memphis Barbecue” chocolate, a truffle with a barbecue-spiced dark chocolate ganache; the “Mama Jean” dark chocolate truffle with a milk chocolate and sweet potato ganache; and the “Geisha,” with dried cherries and rose water.

And starting December 11th, Rix, who recently transformed his business, Chocistry, into a luxury chocolate brand, Phillip Ashley Chocolates, will be teaming up with distilleries, breweries, and wineries for a monthly chocolate pairing at Napa Café.

The December tasting will pair five Pritchard’s rums and bourbons with five complementary chocolates Rix has prepared especially for the occasion. Napa Café will provide accompanying hors d’oeuvres. In the future, Rix hopes to work with a variety of craft spirits and beers, pairing his chocolates with port wine or local beer from Ghost River.

“I’ve been wanting to do something more formalized,” Rix says. “I’ve been doing tastings at people’s houses, but I wanted to create something on a monthly basis — nothing too fussy but something that would give people looking for something really cool and unique to do on a regular basis.”

Rix already has an extensive line of designer chocolates, from mango habanero to spiced pumpkin, but he plans to keep seeking out unique flavors and combinations — the very kind of experimenting that piqued his interest when he began the business in 2007. He recently developed a custom chocolate for Gould’s Day Spa and has done the same for Lipscomb Pitts and businesses outside the Mid-South.

The tasting series is called “The Chocistry Experience.” The first tasting runs from 6 to 8 p.m. on December 11th. Tickets are $40 each and can be purchased online at eventbrite.com, under “Phillip Ashley Chocolates.”

Napa Café, 5101 Sanderlin (683-0441)

In its 30 years on Madison Avenue, Molly’s La Casita has watched everything around it change: Businesses have come and gone; bike lanes have gone in; Overton Square thrived, then struggled, and is now resurging.

“When we first started, we were just one of four Mexican restaurants in the city,” manager Kelly Johnson says. “Now there are who knows how many. Hundreds.”

In 1974, after a time selling tamales out of a small cart downtown, Molly Gonzalez established Molly’s La Casita in a small building on Lamar. On December 12, 1982, Gonzalez and her business partner Robert Chapman moved the restaurant from Lamar to its current location on Madison — where it has been serving some of the city’s most popular margaritas and tamales ever since.

“The restaurant business is so volatile, but we’ve been able to sustain our business,” Johnson says. “Our food is just so different from everyone else’s. Molly’s spice blend is very complex. All the main ingredients have their own spice blends. Plus, we have consistency in our food and a great staff.”

Johnson and her staff will celebrate Molly’s 30th anniversary on Madison throughout December with two food specials every day. On December 12th, they will have an all-day happy hour, a birthday cake, and a $7 “T-Man Special,” two cheese and onion enchiladas with beans with mole sauce or chili gravy. Gonzalez named the special for Chapman, who later became owner of the restaurant. Chapman passed away in 2010, and Johnson still tears up when she talks about him.

“It will be a bittersweet celebration,” she says. “But he’ll be here.”

Molly’s La Casita, 2006 Madison (726-1873)

mollyslacasita.com

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

A Balanced Approach

Whether the words “light lunch” make your ears prick up or your heart sink, Napa Café gives you the option to go lean with bento box meals but still tuck into something indulgent when you’re in the mood.

Each bento box consists of five components: a protein (usually three to four ounces of fish), a salad, a vegetable side, a small sweet bite like dark chocolate paté, and some sort of raw nuts or edamame. You can also specify if you’d like yours vegetarian, gluten-free, or nut-free.

Modeled after the single-serving boxed meals common in Japan, Napa Café’s bento boxes have been available to those in the know for nearly two years but were only recently published on the menu.

Owner Glenda Hastings says the item gained popularity via collaboration with Mona Spa and Laser Center, where patrons can have a bento box delivered for lunch (hence its full menu title, “Napa Café Spa Cuisine Bento Box”).

“Spa cuisine is really big in places like California, and I’d been wanting to do it for a couple of years,” says Hastings, who describes spa cuisine as well-proportioned, wholesome meals that also delight the palate.

“I know people want to eat healthy, but they still want things to be gourmet, they still want to be satisfied,” she says. “If you’re a foodie and you’re eating healthy, it’s important that you’re getting a lot of good flavors and textures and you feel satisfied.”

Right now the bento box (which will run you about $15) is solely a dine-in lunch item, but Hastings wants to expand to take-out service and also add bento boxes as a healthy vegetarian option at dinner.

And as executive chef Rick Saviori (formerly of Thyme Bistro) prepares for spring, changes to the regular menu will bring lighter fare as well, like seared yellowfin tuna with a warm soba noodle salad, red onion, carrots, pickled ginger, and sesame ginger vinaigrette.

“You’re going to see a heavy influence of seafood and fresh vegetables and vinaigrettes, not heavy sauces,” says Saviori, who plans to unveil some new dishes around the week after Easter. “For instance, I’m doing a coriander-dusted redfish with a green gazpacho and a strawberry fennel salad. We’re also doing a grilled lemon fish served with caponata and salsa verde and garnished with fried capers.”

Of course, it isn’t all lean fare at Napa. Hastings recently added a new sandwich to the lunch menu that sounds like a post-lunch nap on a plate: braised beef short ribs, caramelized onions, mushrooms, and fontina cheese on toasted brioche. Their dinner appetizers include Arancini, fried rice balls with smoked mozzarella and served with marinara, and a duck confit polenta. Desserts include sweet buttermilk pie, a chocolate peanut butter torte, and a Key lime and mascarpone cannoli. In other words, they also offer day-after-the-spa cuisine.

“I eat here every day,” Hastings says, “and we laugh because the question is, ‘Am I going to be sinful today or am I going to be good?'”

Napa Café is open for lunch Monday through Friday and dinner Monday through Saturday. Also keep a lookout for extensive renovations, as Hastings celebrates her 10-year anniversary with the restaurant. A new entryway, expanded bar, and some other cosmetic touches are forthcoming.

Napa Café, 5101 Sanderlin, Suite 122 (683-0441)

napacafe.com

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Short Rib Sliders at Napa Cafe

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

I am a braised meat slut. Lamb shank, pork … braise it, and I’m in heaven. For me, there is nothing more comforting than a braised beef short rib. Napa Café in East Memphis takes this glorious cut of meat, shreds it, and places it on house-made brioche with an electric-purple slaw. The soft brioche gives way to the unctuous and rich meat. The cabbage-jicama slaw is crunchy and creamy with a contrasting herbal-earthy note that plays off the short ribs beautifully. A plate of these paired with a glass of wine from Napa’s stellar list and I’m happy. —

Napa Cafe, 5101 Sanderlin (683-0441)

Napacafe.com