Things topped in melty cheese are aces in my book …
The first person to correctly ID the dish and where I’m eating wins a fabulous prize. To enter, submit your answer to me via email at ellis@memphisflyer.com.
The answer to GWIE 88 is the buttermilk pancakes at Staks, and the winner is … Lisa Zyriek!
In looking over 2015, one thing stood out: brand expansion. Aldo’s Pizza Pies, with its swell rooftop patio, and City Market (grab and go!) came to Cooper-Young. Fino’s opened a second restaurant in East Memphis (yay sandwiches!), and Mediterranean mainstay Casablanca returned to Midtown. Both Bedrock Eats & Sweets, the paleo eatery, and the all-vegan Pink Diva Cupcakery and Cuisine got places to call their own.
Justin Fox Burks
Bedrock Eats & Sweets
Ermyias Shiberou, owner of Stickem food truck, opened Blue Nile Ethiopian Kitchen on Madison in Midtown, next to the Bar-B-Q Shop. Stickem’s awesome kabobs are on the menu, and the lentil sandwich is terrific. Reverb Coffee got into the food-truck game, and Relevant Roasters opened its own coffee bar. Tamp & Tap Triad was unveiled in East Memphis.
Justin Fox Burks
Blue Nile Ethiopian Kitchen
Last year, all the action was in Overton Square. This year, one could argue, it’s South Main. The new location of Rizzo’s, after much delay, opened in March. Don’t worry, the Lobster Pronto Pups are still on the menu. The great and always-packed Maciel’s offers downtowners tacos, tortas, and more. South Main Sushi & Grill took over the Grawemeyer’s space, and there’s Ray’z World Famous Dr. Bar-b-que a few blocks north. The hipsteriffic 387 Pantry is a small, curated market with locally sourced goods like Dr. Bean’s coffee and Hanna Farm grits and cornmeal.
Justin Fox Burks
Ray’z World Famous Dr. Bar-b-que
Also new to downtown is the build-your-own tacos and burritos and nachos joint Burrito Blues (mmmm, nachos) and the Cuban and Mexican restaurant Sabrosura (try the Cuban sandwich). Jeff Johnson’s latest venture Agave Maria, with its masterful decor and endless tequila menu, opened on Union. Recommendation: the cheesy mushroom and poblano enchilada. In April, Bass Pro finally opened in the Pyramid. Uncle Buck’s, the underwater-themed restaurant with a bowling alley, offers a little something for everyone. Up top, the Lookout has one of the best views in the city.
Germantown got all the grocery stores. There’s the 1,000,000-square-foot Kroger that opened. (Actually, it’s only 100,000 square feet, but to put it in perspective, the Union Kroger is 36,000 square feet). It has a juice bar and a Corky’s BBQ kiosk. The healthy-food-at-a-discount grocer, Sprouts, after opening Lakeland, introduced its second store in Germantown. Whole Foods opened its second Memphis-area store in Germantown, too. It features a charcuterie cave, a fresh pasta station, made-fresh savory and sweet crepes, and Korean street food from Kei Jei Kitchens. (I think about the steamed bao sliders all the time.) And, in September, there was news, which seems completely unfair depending on your zip code, that the first area Trader Joe’s would open in Germantown sometime in 2016.
Breakfast for dinner? Breakfast for lunch? Breakfast for breakfast? Whenever! Another Broken Egg, a chain, opened in East Memphis. Order one of their scrambled skillets and their beignet biscuits and you’ll feel like you’ve been hit by a bus, but in the best way possible. Also in the breakfast-whenever game is the colorful, pancake-centric Staks. You can even make your own pancakes, if you’re so inclined. They also offer soups, salads, and sandwiches (including the Memphis Hot Brown).
And, and, and … There’s Mac’s Burgers with a menu filled with gourmet mac-and-cheese and burgers. Coffeehouse/gift shop City & State opened on Broad. 3 Angels Diner made way for Maximo’s on Broad. Encore Cafe offers wraps, smoothies, and salads, plus a place for Cozy Corner while it gets its building ready. Crazy Italians is owned by real-live Italians and features a menu of affordable, classic dishes like spaghetti alla carbonara. I Love Juice Bar features juices, smoothies, and essential oil shots. Mardi Gras, in Crosstown, has gotten great word-of-mouth for its Cajun fare. Diners can tour the U.S.A. at Heritage Tavern & Kitchen, which has a menu of regional favorites. Healthy, tastefully done meals are Julles Posh Food‘s focus. Ditto for LYFE Kitchen, where there’s no fryer, and it’s not missed at all.
Finally, two words: Cheesecake Factory.
In season two of Parks and Recreation, Leslie Knope famously wondered, “Why would anyone ever eat anything besides breakfast food?” Why indeed. Breakfast isn’t just delicious, it’s also devilishly trendy.
As usual, Memphis finds itself at the bleeding edge of this trend. Last month, we scored a breakfast-only restaurant near Poplar and Perkins, and three culinary standbys have lately started serving brunch. So grab a mimosa and your sexiest Sunday sunglasses: We’re going on a whirlwind tour.
If we do this right, you may never have to eat lunch or dinner again.
There was a moment, two years ago, when Tressa Ogles got serious about pancakes. She had just returned from her Saturday morning jog to find her husband and two daughters making a big mess in the kitchen. For some moms, it would have been a bummer. But Ogles saw a business opportunity.
“Pancakes are a part of our family tradition,” she confesses. “My husband used to make them with his mother every Saturday when he was a little boy. We had been talking for a while about turning it into a restaurant. That day, we just looked at each other and said, I think we can do this.”
And thus was born Staks, a new breakfast joint in East Memphis. You think you know pancakes? You don’t know pancakes. At least not until you’ve tried the lemon-ricotta, Oreo-praline, or (my favorite) birthday cake flavors. Feeling adventurous? Take a dip in the deep fryer and order the Pancake Beignets ($5.95), dusted with powdered sugar and drizzled with caramel sauce.
Justin Fox Burks
If possible, the food is rendered even tastier by the décor. Everything about this place — from the Tiffany-teal walls to the mercury-glass mirrors to the whisk-shaped pendant lamps—is Instagram-ready. Heck, it’s like eating in a jewel box. Best part? You can sit at a community table and cook your own pancakes at a piping-hot griddle.
From East Memphis to Midtown, where foodie favorite Bari Ristorante has recently started serving brunch. Since they opened in 2002, owners Rebecca and Jason Severs have had a bracingly simple food philosophy: source the best ingredients and don’t mess with them too much.
“Jason’s mother is from a tiny town outside of Bari, in Italy,” Rebecca says. “This is the food that he grew up eating, and we wanted to share that.”
That distinguished pedigree is evident in dishes like the Bruschetta with Marmalades and Mascarpone ($10). The house-made bread is light and crusty, and the exquisite jams are prepared by Jason himself (on my visit, they had lemon, grape, and mixed berry). Also recommended: the Grilled Polenta with Pancetta and Caramelized Onion ($12) and a tall glass of bartender Vincent Hale’s sangria ($9).
Of course, some days you don’t feel fancy. Some days, you just want a biscuit. If that’s your speed, saunter on over to Belly Acres. The farm-to-table restaurant has recently opened for breakfast on weekends, and Overton Square may never be the same.
So what’s the secret to the perfect, flaky biscuit?
“Wet batter, fold it eight times. No more, no less,” chef Rob Ray says. “If you overdo it, then the gluten gets all worked up. Then you’re just making a bun.”
He ain’t just whistling Dixie. These are seriously good, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits. You can order them with gravy, but the Chicken Biscuits ($3.50) are even better. Made with free-range chicken that has been marinated in buttermilk and pickle brine, then fried, they’re warm and crispy, like waking up on grandma’s farm.
Justin Fox Burks
Bleu chef Ana Gonzalez
But the innovation award goes to Ana Gonzalez, chef at Bleu Restaurant & Lounge in the Westin. She took a traditional Mexican breakfast — huevos rancheros — and deconstructed it.
The result is Nachos Rancheros ($8), which made its debut last weekend. Here, house-made tortilla chips cozy up to cheese sauce, refried beans, and a fried egg. Top it off with avocado wedges and a bit of pico de gallo, and you’ve got a brunch so tasty, you’ll wonder why you never thought of it. Pairs well with a bloody mary ($10) and a pair of dark sunglasses to ward off paparazzi.
“It’s best on Sunday, when you have a hangover,” says Gonzalez, with a mischievous wink. “That’s why we’re open until 4 p.m.”
Staks, the new pancake-centric restaurant, opened in East Memphis a few weeks ago. Expect a line.
It’s fast casual: order at the register, take your number, and then grab a place to sit.
I started off with the toasted s’more latte ($3.95).
It comes with graham crackers, chocolate sauce, and a giant toasted marshmallow in the center. You sort of have to sift around the drink because the marshmallow is gigantic. (Hey, at the end you get a big and soft marshmallow to eat. Bonus!) The immediate taste that you get is the graham crackers followed by the coffee. The coffee is sweet and light. What I love is that the drink doesn’t have that taste of artificial flavoring. It’s fueled by the real ingredients that were put into it.
Then it was onward and upward to one of the sophisticated staks! I went with the Birthday Cake Stak ($8.95).
It’s their vanilla-glazed, rainbow-sprinkled “stak” topped with whipped cream. I didn’t know this when I ordered it, but the stak comes with a candle to help you celebrate any occasion. I loved that it was presented this way and couldn’t help but laugh out loud because it made me feel like I was the most special person in the world while I ate my breakfast. Talk about putting a smile on my face!
There’s five light and fluffy pancakes. The vanilla sauce is delicious and sweet. I don’t think there’s any syrup on them but you don’t need it because of the vanilla icing. Overall, it’s absolutely delicious.
Lastly, I tried the gouda grits ($3.50), which are becoming a very popular menu item.
They are fantastic — cheesy, creamy, and smooth. The green onions on top are a nice touch. It’s also a decent portion size.
Want to get creative? You can make your own staks at some of the tables. Order a squeeze bottle of their signature buttermilk batter, then pour, grill, flip, and serve yourself.
Egg and side dishes feature local West Wind Farms eggs and Hanna Farms grits. Meats are from local places as well and include Porcellino’s house-cured bacon and Winchester Farms spicy sausage patties, chicken sausage links and smoked ham.
By the way, you don’t need to have a craving for pancakes to go to Staks. They serve other breakfast items along with lunch. There’s everything from soup to salad and sandwiches. Many of those items will be available in a case that you can take “to-go.”