Tag: Rizzo’s Diner

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Magnolia Bend Grille to Open in Nesbit

Chef Michael Patrick and wife Angel in Southaven (Photo: Michael Donahue)

Chef Michael Patrick thought he was getting out of the restaurant business for good when he locked the door of his restaurant, Rizzo’s Diner, for the last time in March 2022.

Part of the reason for closing, Patrick said in a Memphis Flyer interview at the time, was “labor costs, food costs. And everything is out of whack.”

Well, he changed his mind. After working at The Capital Grille for two-and-a-half years, Patrick decided he had enough of the corporate life and he wanted to own another restaurant. He and his wife Angel are opening Magnolia Bend Grille on September 25th at Bonne Terre at 4715 Church Road in Nesbit, Mississippi.

Plus, he wanted to connect with the area after he moved from Downtown Memphis to Southaven, Mississippi. “Moving to Southaven really opened my eyes to it,” says Patrick, 52. “All I was doing was driving back and forth. I wasn’t really doing anything in my community here. I had become kind of disconnected from Memphis itself. Being a corporate chef, I had never had an opportunity to connect to the area I had just moved to.”

He moved to Southaven last October after living in Downtown Memphis for 25 years. He decided to make the move after he was involved in a hit-and-run car accident. He also discovered Angel didn’t want to go to Kroger after dark. He thought, “I just don’t want to be here anymore. I don’t feel safe.”

Patrick was approached by the owners of BT Prime Steakhouse to take over their space. It was the restaurant at Bonne Terre, a 28-acre complex in Nesbit, Mississippi, that includes a chapel and the Ashley Hall event space. Patrick thought, “Alright. As soon as my notice is up, I’m going to hit the ground running.”

He and Angel wanted “magnolia,” which is the state flower of Mississippi, in the restaurant’s name, but they couldn’t find a lot of history about Nesbit. So Patrick looked up the meaning of the town’s name. “The word ‘nesbit’ in Scottish means a hook in a nose, a bend in a river, or a bend in the road. Angel came up with ‘Magnolia Bend Grille.’”

The new restaurant is much bigger than the more intimate Rizzo’s. “It’s 3,200 square feet and it seats 72. But the bar has an additional 20, so you’ve got 92 seats.” And they added a patio, which can seat 50 to 60 comfortably.

Patrick didn’t have to add much to the restaurant decor. “The building and the area itself, to me, is elegant.”

But he wants to make sure the restaurant doesn’t feel stiff. “One thing I was able to do at Rizzo’s for so long was make you feel it’s not a pretentious place. I wanted you to feel comfortable and good when you come into the restaurant. I want to convey the same feeling when you come in Magnolia.” 

Menu items “are going to be a little pricey, but what isn’t nowadays? But it’s not going to cost you an arm and a leg.”

The bar menu items will run between $18 and $26, but many of them are shareable. They will include a sausage-and-cheese plate, sliders, and a hamburger at a lower price.”

People can come in and get a quick bite at the bar and then head over to their event, whether it’s at the nearby Landers Center or BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove. “Come in and get an appetizer and dessert and you’re off to a show.”

Or they can get a “quick sit down” dinner. Entrees will range from $34 to $60.

Patrick will feature his “Southern-influenced” fare — the “same kind of food” people were used to him doing at Rizzo’s. “At the end of the day, I’m a meat-and-potatoes guy.”

He’s not going to feature items like “duck a l’orange with cranberry-scented rice,” he says. “I don’t eat that way.”

But he wants diners to get dishes “they can’t get at home. You want to come back and do it again.”

For those used to eating steak at the former steak house, Patrick says, “There’s going to be steaks on our menu.”

These include an 18-ounce bone-in rib eye. “Hopefully, it’ll be the best $60 rib eye you’ve had that day. But if you want a $34 seafood dish — salmon, the fish and grits or a half-baked chicken — that option is there, too.”

He’s gotten more experience in the steak area. “Working at The Capital Grille for two-and-a-half years taught me a little more about handling steaks and cooking steaks. I always had a filet or a lamb on the menu wherever I’ve been. But we’ve got this large grill back there, and to not have a steak on the menu, having that equipment, would be a disservice to the kitchen.” 

Some of his popular Rizzo’s Diner items will be back. These include his lobster Pronto Pups, blueberry white-chocolate-chip bread pudding, and his popular hamburger. He’s still considering bringing back his cheeseburger soup. “It was the first soup I learned to cook from scratch at a restaurant when I was 16, 17 years old. It kind of stuck with me.”

And, he says, “It most likely will end up on the menu.”

Summing up Magnolia Bend Grille, Patrick says, “I want people to feel like they’re at a country club when they’re eating with me. And they’re all members of the most exclusive country club in Mississippi for an hour and a half. The area needs a restaurant like this.” 

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis Uncategorized

Rizzo’s is Closing

Angel and Michael Patrick at the recent Youth Villages Soup Sunday

Rizzo’s, a South Main staple for several years, is shutting its doors at the end of March.

“We’re going to close at the end of the month,” says chef/owner Michael Patrick. “It’s just a numbers game again. I can’t have a better quality living doing what we’re doing. Labor costs, food costs. And everything is out of whack.” Patrick says he and his wife, Angel, talked it over. The issue: “What do we do to somehow find a way I can make more money?”

“I’m having to increase pay to my employees,” he says. “I’m having to increase costs to the menu. Things are not what they were or could be.”

Rizzo’s originally opened October, 2011, on G. E. Patterson Avenue near Main Street. It moved to its current location at 492 South Main in March, 2015.

Patrick originally moved to Memphis from Ohio to open the now-defunct Elvis Presley’s Memphis on Beale Street. He then worked for chef Erling Jensen before going to work at McEwen’s on Monroe, where he stayed for seven years. “That’s where I kind of cut my teeth in the city,” says Patrick. He then worked at EP Delta Kitchen and Bar before opening his own place.

Patrick, who describes the food at Rizzo’s as “Southern-inspired,” says, “We always gave consistently great food and consistently great service. If the food is great and service is great, people are going to come back.”

Patrick, who comes from a fine-dining background, says, “I took that and tried to make more homey-type food. Comfort food. Just executed at a chef’s level.”

Patrick says he believed in giving impeccable service, which included “crumbing tables, switching out wine glasses, not letting the entree hit the table before the appetizer has been cleared. Rizzo’s is definitely a little more relaxed than fine dining. I call it ‘casual fine dining.’”

Patrick plans to stay in the area. “My wife’s got children in Mississippi and we’re not going anywhere. If I went anywhere it would be Southaven or here in Memphis. I don’t see myself leaving Memphis.”

And Patrick can’t say what’s next, at this point. “I don’t know. I’m talking with some folks, trying to get things in line. But right now I’m just focusing on the close here, and I’m quite sure my reputation and good name will make something happen.”

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Cover Feature News

Totally Skewered!

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

It’s high summer in Memphis. The sun beats down without mercy. Your car is hot. Your pets are hot. You’re hot — and not in a good, sexy way.

It’s even too hot for silverware and dishes. You want your food fast and convenient. You want it on a stick. Don’t lie. You know you do.

Your faithful Flyer staffers have combed the city to find the best foods on a stick in town. We may have missed a few — probably even some good ones — but we’re too hot to care. And what we did find is good, spanning the gauntlet from savory to sweet, from meaty to seafood to vegan. Stick with us.

Lobster Pronto Pup at Rizzo’s Diner …

Justin Fox Burks

Mainers talk lobster like we talk barbecue, normally and informally. But lobster language needed a Memphis translator here, so Chef Michael Patrick stepped in. The Rizzo’s Diner owner battered and fried lobster meat, put it on a stick, and drizzled it in mustard.

Yes, Memphians, he made you a Pronto Pup, something we can all understand. 

Rizzo’s Lobster Pronto Pup ($14) consists of two “pups” on a bed of mixed spring greens and a side of Creole mustard aioli. It probably would have made a nice salad, but, when it comes to pups, the stick is the shtick. So, I went with it still skewered. 

The batter was light and perfectly fried, with brown hues ranging from Twinkie to Oreo. The meat delivered its delicate, briny-sweet flavor, though it was a bit chewier in the pup than pulling it straight from the claw or tail. The aioli was a luxurious blend of mayonnaise and enough coarse ground mustard to be present but not hot. The dish was two things at once: thrilling and familiar, just exactly like you think a Lobster Pronto Pup would be. — Toby Sells

492 S. Main, 304-6985, rizzosmemphis.com 

Skewers at Skewer …

Justin Fox Burks

Food-on-a-stick central in Memphis is Skewer. Come on, the name of the place says it all. So what’s being stuck at Skewer? Beef, pork, salmon, chicken, shrimp, lamb, scallops, and all kinds of vegetables make up the yakitori section of the menu — some 32 choices in all. That’s not to mention the kushikatsu — Japanese-breaded and deep-fried — options. There are also “sets” you can order that include a number of skewers plus sushi — Butcher Shop and Veggie-tation, among them.

The lightly breaded tofu kushikatsu is creamy inside and comes with a sweet and tart dipping sauce with a tanginess that recalls barbecue sauce. The okra yakitori is still slightly slimy when warm (deal with it) and is served with an umami-rich miso sauce. The pretty mixed-veggie yakitori with squash, red pepper, and zucchini looks like a lollipop.

… and Chiwawa

Chiwawa recently updated its menu. Out is the Bianca Dog (boo!), and in are skewers (yay!). You have four to choose from: chicken with blackened bell peppers and onion; steak with chimichurri sauce and peppers; grilled shrimp with purple onion; and herb-roasted red potatoes.

I went for the potatoes. There’s nothing wrong with simplicity — just enough salt, just enough oil, the potatoes cooked to perfection and sprinkled with dried parsley. The plate comes garnished with an excellent aioli-like sauce with a deep pepper taste (chipotle?). It’s more of a flourish, really. There should be more for dipping. — Susan Ellis

Skewer: 5101 Sanderlin, 682-9919, skewermemphis.com

Chiwawa: 2059 Madison, 207-1456, chiwawamidtown.com

Steak Stick and Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Kabob at Huey’s …

Besides the World Famous Huey Burger and the classic Brownie ‘a la mode, the Steak Stick has been a staple of the Huey’s menu since time immemorial. The bite-sized chunks of tender beef are inundated in a soy-based marinade before being grilled to order. It comes in snack or dinner size with your choice of side. Served with fries, it’s a comforting variation on the classic European steak frites.

Huey’s other stick-based delectable is a combo of chicken and pineapple that, like its beef-based menu mate, is marinated as a unit until it’s tossed on the grill. But the marinade in this case is teriyaki-based. I surprised myself by preferring the Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Kabob to the Steak Stick. If you’re into onion rings, Huey’s makes some of the best, and they make for the perfect accompaniment to this delicious protein pylon. — Chris McCoy

8 Locations in the Memphis Metro Area, hueyburger.com

Holy Land Shish Kabob at Casablanca …

Justin Fox Burks

Like everything else at Casablanca, the Holy Land Kabob is made with care. In the case of something as simple as chicken and onion on a skewer, attention to detail matters. The chicken chunks are uniform in size and cooked to juicy perfection. But the secret ingredient is the mango-based sauce that is a house specialty at Casablanca, which is brushed on just prior to the meat hitting the heat. Try this outstanding dish at Casablanca’s second location, which will be opening on Madison by the end of August, Insha’Allah. — CM

5030 Poplar, 725-8557, casablancamemphis.com.

Tofu Kabobs at The Blue Nile/Stickem …

Justin Fox Burks

As a vegan, I’m kind of a tofu connoisseur. And I can tell you that the tofu impaled on the kabob skewers at the new Blue Nile and its sister food truck, Stickem, is, hands down, the best in town. Each kabob is made with six or seven cubes of perfectly prepared tofu. It’s crispy on the outside and peppered with black char-grilled marks, and the inside is chewy and firm in all the ways that tofu should be.

The flavor is hard to pinpoint, but it’s savory and smoky from the grill. And there are no vegetables on these kabobs. Because let’s be honest — that would just steal precious space on the stick for more tofu.

Besides, the Tofu Kabob Platter at the Blue Nile comes with a mix of sautéed broccoli, carrots, and squash on the side, as well as steamed white rice. If you’re ordering the kabobs from the Stickem food truck, there’s no rice on the side, but you can order veggies, or you can say, “To hell with health food,” and opt for a side of fries. I mean, fries are potatoes. And potatoes are veggies, right? Add some ketchup for dipping, and you’ve got a balanced meal. — Bianca Phillips

1788 Madison, 474-7214, @StickemFood

Corn Dog at Oshi Burger Bar …

If you’re like most Memphians, when you see the word “corn dog,” you think Mid-South Fair, and that evokes a bunch of other memories — olfactory, gustatory, and visual. The classic Pronto Pup fair dog usually features a generic hot dog wrapped in a smooth, doughy casing. You dip that tasty cylinder in mustard (or ketchup, if you’re an inferior person), shove it in your piehole, and then head off to the Tilt-a-Whirl.

Oshi’s corn dog ($9) is a different breed altogether. First, it’s massive, coated with a rough-hewn, crusty, flour batter that’s blended with jalapeños and cheese. The dog looks like it’s covered in bark, and it’s got bark. The meat itself has a nice pedigree — Waygu American Kobe beef — and it’s accompanied by a side of tasty cheese mustard. It’s a simple presentation, but this corn dog will fill you up and then some. — Bruce VanWyngarden

94 S. Main, 341-2091, oshiburger.com

Las Tortugas’ Elote Con Cotija y Mayonesa …

Justin Fox Burks

Sweet summer corn is nearly perfect on its own, but it’s even better slathered in rich Duke’s mayonnaise, rolled in salty Cotija cheese, and seasoned with lime juice, kosher salt, and crushed chilies — and it’s all served on a stick to boot. This is Mexican street food at its finest.

The best local iteration of this Oaxacan dish can be found at Las Tortugas Deli Mexicana in Germantown ($4.50). “What makes our version unique is the freshness of ingredients, the care with which it was made, and the skill of the person who made it,” says owner Jonathan Magallanes, who cooked at the James Beard House in New York City last year. “Our corn is steamed to order, so it’s piping hot,” he adds.

You either already love this dish, or you just haven’t tried it yet. — Justin Fox Burks and Amy Lawrence

1215 S. Germantown, 751-1200, delimexicana.com

Skewers at Robata Ramen and Yakitori …

There is beauty in simplicity. Like a tasty Nasu dengaku or shishito pepper yakatori lightly charred on a hot robata. If you don’t believe us, you must go try a few of the skewers at Robata Ramen and Yakitori.

“Yakitori” is simply the Japanese word for skewered food, and a robata is a traditional Japanese grill. So all we’re talking about here is grilled food on a stick. If you’re going to do something that simple, you’d better do it right.

Robata has an entire page of its menu devoted to yakatori, with prices ranging from $1.75 to $8.50. We tend to gravitate toward the vegetable skewers section, with prime choices like the aforementioned Nasu dengaku, which is umami-rich, grilled Japanese eggplant with miso, or eringi, which is commonly known as a king oyster mushroom. The one not to miss is the garlic skewer. The robata transforms the cloves into sweet, smoky morsels that are great on their own. And the Kewpie mayo on the side will skewer you over the top. — JFB and AL

2116 Madison, 410-8290, robatamemphis.com

SWEETS ON A STICK

Paletas at La Michoacana …

On a hot summer day, there are few things better than a chili, cucumber, and lime-flavored paleta from La Michoacana ($2.13). It’s a little sweet and a little sour and full of tiny refreshing chunks of frozen cucumber that explode when you bite into them. The chili pepper flakes aren’t evident at first, but the more you nibble, the more your lips will start to tingle. It’s a wild balancing act: perfection on a stick.

Paletas are Mexican popsicles, and the freezer at La Michoacana is an eye-popping wonderland of colorful handmade treats in flavors that range from coconut and avocado to pine nut, rice pudding, and mango with raspberry sauce. Occasionally they’ll even toss in a special flavor experiment like rose.

On a recent visit I sampled a variety of flavors including a tart tamarind paleta, a tasty coffee-flavored paleta stuffed with Mexican chocolate, and a rich caramel paleta stuffed with dulce de leche.

La Michoacana can be packed even in the winter. In the summer months you’ll be lucky if you can find a place to sit. But no matter how busy things may get at this family-owned business, service is always speedy. You’ll be made to feel like you’re the only customer in the joint. — Chris Davis

Several locations, including

4091 Summer, 590-1901

MEMPops All-Natural Handcrafted Pops …

Justin Fox Burks

When we asked Chris Taylor, owner and pop maker at MEMPopS, why he struck out on his own after years of working for others in restaurant kitchens, he replied, “I just really wanted to make things that people love.”

Well, he’s certainly done that, with flavors like Roasted Peach, Sweet Cherry, Apricot Lavender, Watermelon Basil, Blackberry with Yogurt and Honey, and Spicy Pineapple. His handcrafted popsicles ($3) are all-natural and made with seasonal, often locally sourced ingredients. What started as a passion has grown quickly. “I figured I’d go for it, and I got a really positive response,” he said.

Taylor began selling his creations from a cart at the Tennessee Brewery Revival this spring. Last week, he unveiled his newly renovated MEMPopS truck at the Memphis Made brewery on Cooper. — JFB and AL

MEMpopS (mobile popsicle cart and truck), 569-6293, @MEMpops

Rock Candy from Dinstuhl’s …

Rock candy is a sugar lover’s dream, and it’s been around since the U.S. was young, when its simplicity allowed early-American colonists to make it as a treat for the wealthy. It’s literally sugar and water, heated to crystallize the sugar. At Dinstuhl’s, where candy is a form of art, rock candy isn’t just a series of heating processes — it’s a delicious, old-as-time candy on a stick that folks can’t resist. For $1.95, you get two sticks of original white rock candy in a bag. The only problem may be an upcoming visit to the dentist; make sure to floss. — Alexandra Pusateri

Several locations, including 436 S. Grove Park, 682-3373, dinstuhls.com

Cookie-on-a-Stick from Whimsy Cookie Company …

Whimsy Cookie is locally famous for its Grizzlies-themed cookies, but the company offers a wide selection of other delights, including cookies on a stick ($4). The cookies taste just like your grandmother’s, wrapped in tradition and sprinkled with love, soft enough to satisfy and firm enough to stand up for themselves, with or without frosting. Makes you wonder why we didn’t start doing this a long time ago. — AP

4704 Poplar, 343-0709, whimsycookieco.com

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Guess Where I’m Eating Contest 63

There are worse ways to spend a lovely spring afternoon … 

The first person to correctly ID the dish and where I’m eating wins two tickets to two Midtown Opera Festival events on Friday, April 17th: the pre-show dinner by Coletta’s and the performance of Dido and Aeneas. The dinner is 6:30 -7:45 p.m. and the performance is 8 to 9 p.m. Both events are at Playhouse on the Square.

To enter submit your answer to me via email at ellis@memphisflyer.com.

The answer to GWIE 62 is Rizzo’s Diner, and the winner is John Scruggs! 

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Rizzo’s reopens; the Arcade now open late.

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Rizzo’s Diner reopened last week at its new location on South Main.

The menu at Rizzo’s is one-of-a-kind; crammed with the kinds of crazy juxtapositions that could only come from the twisted brain of Michael Patrick. This, after all, is a man who became a chef only after he got kicked out of high school for fighting.

Take the Lobster Pronto Pup ($14). Even the name is a provocation, combining haute cuisine (lobster) with the lowest common denominator (carnival food). All right, it’s a bit of a gimmick. But this tempura-fried treat lives up to the hype: It is plump and buttery, with a mustard aioli that is off the hook.

The same goes for the Lamb Belly Tacos ($9) and the Chorizo Meatloaf with Green Tomato Gravy ($18). Seriously, who charges $18 for meatloaf? But take one bite, and you’ll know it’s worth it.

As for the new space, it feels like Rizzo’s has come home. For starters, it’s a lot bigger. The new kitchen is almost as big as the old diner — big enough, says Patrick, for an enthusiastic chef “to do backflips on the line.” And the décor — cherry wood, exposed brick, high ceilings, abstract canvases — feels just right for this arts district.

That’s a relief, considering how long Rizzo’s was out of commission. The old spot closed on November 1st, but a persistent, leaky roof at the new place meant that Patrick couldn’t open until late February. Especially in the food industry, three months is an eternity.

“I was always told take when you think you’re gonna open and add 30 days,” says Patrick. “But realistically, we needed to add 60 or 75.”

One other complication: Winter weather has delayed Rizzo’s liquor license, so for now, it’s BYO wine. But Patrick hopes to have booze in time for his grand opening on March 14th. He also hopes to celebrate by hiring a dozen bagpipers. And no, he’s not kidding.

Rizzo’s Diner, 492 S. Main, 304-6985

rizzosmemphis.com

The other day, I was sitting at a booth in The Arcade Restaurant. Last one on the left, by the back door. I noticed that the confetti-colored tabletop was getting pretty worn, and I thought, Gosh, that has to be from the ’50s. Why don’t they replace it?

Then I remembered: Elvis used to sit here. Hell, it was probably Elvis’ elbows that made those little marks. They’re never gonna replace that tabletop.

The Arcade, Memphis’ oldest restaurant, recently started staying open late on weekends: from 7 a.m. till 11 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. For now, they aren’t changing the menu. But they have added a lineup of cocktails including build-your-own bloody marys and mimosas.

To me, the most promising is the “Shake it Like the King” ($9), a vanilla milkshake spiked with Bailey’s, banana rum, peanut butter, and fresh bananas.

Back in the ’50s, when Elvis was a regular, South Main was Memphis’ answer to Times Square, crowded with neon signs and clattering trolleys. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was alive and well, and the train station at GE Patterson was still the most reliable way to get from here to there.

That’s why The Arcade is staying open late. Because all of a sudden, there are people. There’s even a bit of a nightlife. What better reason to order some sweet potato pancakes — for dinner?

The Arcade Restaurant, 540 S. Main, 526-5757

arcaderestaurant.com

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

RECIPE: Mike Patrick’s Grilled Bratwurst Sandwich with Green Tomato Chutney

CREDIT: John Klyce Minervini

John Klyce Minervini

Chef Mike Patrick

Sometimes the planets align and the sandwich gods smile down on us.

That’s what happened the other day, when I went with Mike Patrick of Rizzo’s Diner for a Farmers Market Challenge. (Read all about it in this week’s Flyer!)

To fight the encroaching darkness, Mike made one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth: a grilled bratwurst sandwich with green tomato chutney.

Something that good deserves to be shared. So happy holidays! Here’s the recipe. And if you’re interested in sourcing your ingredients locally (hell yes!), just scroll to the bottom of the page.

John Klyce Minervini

Mike Patrick’s Grilled Bratwurst Sandwich with Green Tomato Chutney

Mike Patrick’s Grilled Bratwurst Sandwich with Green Tomato Chutney
45 minutes
2 sandwiches

Ingredients:

2 pears
2 semi-tart red apples
2 green tomatoes
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
salt and pepper
4 brats or mild Italian pork sausages
1 loaf ciabatta bread
olive oil
4 oz. fresh, herbed goat cheese
handful of kale
2 tbsp chow chow or pickled relish

Light grill, preheat to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, seed apples and pears. Dice apples, pears, and green tomatoes. In a medium pot, combine apples, pears, green tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, honey, and 2 tbsp pickle juice from the chow chow. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until fruit (chutney) is soft. Salt and pepper to taste.

While chutney is simmering, grill brats on one side for 3-4 minutes. Rotate brats and cover. Grill for an additional 4 minutes. Remove brats and set aside. Divide ciabatta loaf into two sandwiches. Brush inside of each sandwich with olive oil and lightly toast for 1-2 minutes. Slice goat cheese into ½-inch medallions.

To assemble sandwiches, begin with bread. Add kale (don’t overdo it). Add brats (2 per sandwich). Add chutney (2 tbsp per sandwich). Add goat cheese (2 medallions per sandwich). Top with chow chow (1 tbsp per sandwich). Serve immediately.

Local tastes better! We recommend buying ciabatta from Cucina Bread, brats from Lazy Dog Farms, green tomatoes from Jones Orchard, goat cheese from Bonnie Blue Farm, and your chow chow from Old Apple Hill Brine. Cheers!

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Chef Mike Patrick takes the Farmers Market Challenge

CREDIT: John Klyce Minervini

Going to the Memphis Farmers Market with Mike Patrick is a bit like walking around with the mayor. Everybody knows him, and we end up stopping every few feet to talk feed with pig farmers and chanterelles with mushroom hunters. And, you know, kiss babies.

“I’ve been coming here since day one,” admits Patrick. “I used to have a piece of ribbon from the ribbon cutting on my refrigerator.”

Patrick is the owner and chef at Rizzo’s Diner, which will open at its new location on South Main in the next week or so. Today he’s taking the Flyer‘s Farmers Market Challenge, where I team up with a local chef, we go shopping at the farmers market. Then we make something delicious with what we buy.

John Klyce Minervini

Michael Patrick

Patrick is a good-natured guy and built like a house. This is a good thing, because today the temperature is 49 degrees, and the wind is howling. Here and there, shoppers in heavy overcoats pick through the last of the year’s harvest, while at one end of the market, a valiant guitarist plucks out the chords to the Beatles’ “Eight Days a Week.” Searching through a crate of winter apples, Patrick sings along.

“Ooh, I need your love, babe,” he croons, “guess you know it’s true.”

Patrick’s road to the kitchen has been an interesting one. He says it all started at age 15 when he got kicked out of high school for fighting. Never one to sit and sulk, he went out and found a job as a dishwasher, simultaneously enrolling in a culinary arts class at a vocational school.

“What made up my mind was the teacher,” he confesses. “She was 32 and super hot.”

From there, he went on to work with chefs Mac Edwards and Erling Jensen, before opening Rizzo’s in late 2011. At the time, he described his menu as “comfort food, uncommonly comfortable,” and it wasn’t long before people started taking notice. To cite just one example, Food Network’s Guy Fieri, for his show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, stopped by in 2012 for a taste of Patrick’s Chorizo Meatloaf with Green Tomato Gravy ($18).

“You get a completely blindside shot from that green tomato gravy,” raved Fieri, through a mouthful of meatloaf. “That green tomato gravy is nuts.”

To warm us up on this chilly Saturday, Patrick is planning to make a grilled bratwurst sandwich with green tomato chutney. I’m all for it. We get the brats from Lazy Dog Farms and the tomatoes from Jones Orchard — then round out our shopping bag with a loaf of ciabatta from Cucina Bread, barbecue pickles from Old Apple Hill Brine, and some herbed goat cheese from Bonnie Blue Farm. Then, it’s time for lunch.

Patrick lives in a cozy, one-bedroom apartment in a converted hotel on North Main. It’s a grand old building with crown molding and a marble lobby, but the best part is definitely the view. When we head up to the roof to grill the brats, it’s all there: City Hall, the M Bridge, and the Pyramid.

“I like to come up here in the summer and watch the fireworks,” says Patrick, while the brats sizzle on the grate. “I’ll grill up some steaks and make margaritas.”

Back in Patrick’s kitchen, we start slicing the tomatoes. And if you’ve never seen the inside of a green heirloom tomato, let me recommend it to you. They’re like little works of art in there — little paintings by William Turner, grading in color from pale green to peach to gold to pink.

We sauté the tomatoes with apples and pears, then add a mixture of vinegar, sugar, and pickle juice. While the chutney reduces, we slice the pickles, goat cheese, and some kale. Then it’s go time.

Ladies and gentlemen, there are moments in life when the planets align, the clouds open up, and the sandwich gods smile down on us. This was one of those moments. The green tomato chutney was sweet and tart, beautifully cutting against the heartiness of the brats. And the goat cheese added just the right note of herbed creaminess to the blend.

To make a sandwich that good, you have to believe in what you’re doing. You have to mean it. Fortunately, that’s not a problem for Patrick. As we finish our sandwiches, scraping the leftover goat cheese off our plates, he confesses that for him, cooking isn’t just a job — it’s a calling.

“I’m not gonna be a doctor,” he says. “I’m not gonna find a cure for cancer. But I can cook. And by being able to serve somebody a dish that came from my heart, I’m doing my part to make Memphis a little better.”
Editor’s note: The print version of the story had the opening date as Saturday, December 20th. Unforeseen delays have pushed the opening for another week or so. 

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Memphis Gaydar News

Memphis Firm Hosts Event To Support Openly Gay Chattanooga City Councilman

Chris Anderson

  • Chris Anderson

A group of Chattanoogans have launched a petition drive to recall City Councilman Chris Anderson, who represents District 7 in Chattanooga. Anderson is the first openly gay councilman in the East Tennessee city.

Those behind the recall effort, led by Chattanoogan Charles Wysong, say Anderson hasn’t represented his constituents’ interests, but Anderson believes the recall is related to his sexuality. According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, “Wysong has been an outspoken opponent of the City Council’s decision to extend benefits to the domestic partners of city employees, a measure sponsored by Anderson.”

Anderson has filed a lawsuit challenging the Tennessee statute and the Chattanooga city ordinance on recalling council members.

The Rincon Strategy Firm in Memphis will host a fund-raising dinner at Rizzo’s Diner (106 E. G.E. Patterson) on Wednesday, April 30th from 5 to 7 p.m. The cost per person is $150, which goes toward Anderson’s fight against the recall.

For more information, email Liz Rincon.