Tag: The Slider Inn

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

The Drinks of Summer

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

It’s that time of year when no one wants to admit that it’s too hot to sit on a patio and drink all day. Enter the drinks of summer.

Jameson Slushie

Slider Inn has an amazing patio — now with misters — and the absolute best way to enjoy it is with a Jameson Slushie (or two). The slushie consists of Barritt’s Ginger Beer, house-made lemonade, delicious Jameson Irish Whiskey, and bitters. Depending on the glass situation, it either gets served in a branded Mason jar or a pint glass. (The latter is obviously the better deal.) At $9 a pop, Slider is selling upwards of 300 each week — the hotter the weather, the higher the sales. They are very drinkable, probably too drinkable. I can’t imagine summer without them. I won’t!

Justin Fox Burks

Slider Inn’s Jameson Slushie

Frozen Lemonades

The newly opened Mac’s Burgers, which is out east in part of the former Dan McGuinness, is also selling freshly squeezed frozen lemonades — some with alcohol, some without. The virgin options include blueberry, strawberry, mango, peach, pomegranate, and pineapple — all made with freshly puréed fruit. Their spiked varieties ($8 to $11) include a Jameson Slush (sounds familiar!), Arnold Palmer Freeze (Tito’s Vodka, lemonade, and iced tea), and Frozen Bellinis (peach lemonade with an inverted champagne split).

Boozy Milkshakes

Staying cool downtown requires a boozy milkshake. Oshi has six to choose from, and they are also available without alcohol, but where’s the fun in that? Even the most lactose intolerant would be foolish to pass up the Kentucky Head Hunter. It’s made with bourbon, apple brandy, vanilla ice cream, and bacon dust. Yes, bacon dust! It mostly tastes like frosty bourbon, which is awesome if you consider how much bourbon it takes to outshine the ice cream. Other popular shakes are the Malt Shoppe (vanilla ice cream, malted milk balls, bourbon) and the Godzilla (crème de menthe, Godiva white chocolate, vanilla ice cream, Oreo pieces). They’re $10 a pop, $6 without booze.

Beer Floats

Beer drinkers need not feel left out. Hammer & Ale is serving beer floats ($6). Genius, right? There’s only one flavor of ice cream — vanilla — but the choice of beer is up to you. (There are 24 to choose from, however, a dark or a sweet beer is recommended.) So far the most popular picks are the Gotta Get Up To Get Down Coffee Milk Stout from Wiseacre and the Illusive Traveler Grapefruit Shandy. Now that they serve food, you could have a beer float for dessert or just have one as a treat between regular beers. (Mexican soda and ginger beer are also available for teetotalers.)

Justin Fox Burks

Hammer & Ale beer float with Wiseacre’s Gotta Get up to Get Down.

Coffee Soda

And because we need a different kind of buzz on occasion, City & State is now offering house-made carbonated coffee sodas. Say it with me: coffee soda. The first, the Hampliner, is a carbonated iced coffee with pomegranate syrup, fresh lime, and maraschino cherries to top it off ($4.75). The second, the Purist, is carbonated iced coffee with simple syrup, lime juice, and lime slice for garnish ($4). The Hampliner is rich but not too sweet. It feels decadent, which is what summer is all about. Beware, the Purist may give you a grown-up feeling since you’ll pat yourself on the back for being so smart and ordering it.

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Chicken Wings Make Their Mark on Local Menus

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Restaurants specializing in wings could soon outnumber barbecue restaurants in Memphis and maybe even churches. Wings are seemingly everywhere, sneaking their way onto the menus of all types of restaurants.

Central BBQ

“Wings are one of my top sellers,” says Craig Blondis, owner of Central BBQ. Blondis never intended to have wings on the menu, but one or two customers bugged him in the early days to give wings a try. Blondis made them one day, and the next day one of his customers ordered 200 and had them delivered to his office. “That’s how it took off,” Blondis says. “It was never my intention. I was just goofing around. Now our wings have been voted the best three or four times.”

They have a nice, smoky taste, and the meat easily falls off the bone. Blondis says he marinates raw wings in Louisiana hot sauce for one to two days before smoking them for an hour or two. Then he chills them and flash fries them. The last step is to season them — wet, naked, jerked, dry spice, honey gold, or sweet heat.

Some customers like to order the wings “muddy,” which means they come with a wet sauce and a dry rub. The most common muddy combination is a traditional wet Buffalo sauce with the hot rub, but customers also request the sweet heat with the jerk rub on top.

Sweet heat on its own is also a popular choice. It’s the honey gold sauce with the addition of habanero and Chinese red peppers. “You get the sweet up front and the heat on the back end,” Blondis explains. It has a nice Asian flair to it, and the sauce sticks to your fingers in such a way that you may consider eating them too.

A half order comes with three wings ($5.99) and full orders six ($9.99).

Slider Inn

Wings are a popular menu item at Slider Inn because they are good for sharing and go well with football games, general manager Jesse Keenan says.

The wings are fried unbattered and then sauced. The sauce is very simple and classic. “We use Frank’s hot sauce and butter, but we have our own special ratio,” he says. “Everyone absolutely loves our sauce. It has a heat to it, but the butter mellows it out so it doesn’t finish super hot.”

I don’t know if it is due to the perfect ratio of butter and hot sauce, but Slider’s sauce seems to soak into skin, coating the wings perfectly, delivering the full-on Buffalo flavor without too much mess. However, Keenan says that their motto is, “If you are going to get sticky fingers, we want you to get them sticky at Slider Inn.”

A half order of six wings is $6.99 and a full order of 12 is $12.99, but Slider is running a 50 cent wing special through Super Bowl Sunday.

Mosa Asian Bistro

Mosa may not be the first place you think of when it comes to wings, but if you are looking for something a little different, it should be. They’ve had a Sriracha style for about three months now and debuted the Rainbow Wings last month.

The Rainbow Wings feature a panang curry dipping sauce, which is a game changer. Owner Michelle Pao Levine says the sauce is the same sauce as in their Rainbow Panang Curry dish. “It’s a super special sauce because of all the amazing ingredients we use: fresh lime, lemongrass, and panang curry, to name a few,” she says. The curry is sweet, spicy, and tangy all at once. It seriously brings your tongue to life. The wings are considered a special order item, so they do take a little longer to prepare — about 10 minutes per order. Customers can dip them in the sauce or slather them at will. (I recommend the latter.)

An order of four is $5, and an order of six is $6.50.

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

Fries with That?

The French fry has been getting some extra love and attention at local restaurants, and patrons are taking note. It’s hard to narrow down the contenders to a top tier, but Fuel Café, Slider Inn (which is related to Bardog Tavern), and the Brass Door have really done the potato proud and are worth a taste.

At Fuel Café and in the Fuel Food Truck, the French fries are downright pampered. Owner and chef Erik Proveaux has put a lot of time and energy into creating the perfect fry. “I like them to be crispy on the outside, not greasy, and fluffy on the inside with just the right golden-brown color,” Proveaux says. To this end, he has developed a process that yields pretty consistent results.

First, he takes good old Idaho potatoes and cuts them using a wall-mounted French fry cutter. He lets them fall into a bus tub of cold water to soak for at least two hours. Then they are drained and dried on a sheet pan with paper towels. Next, he par-fries them in 300-degree peanut oil and lays them out on sheet pans to cool in front of a fan until they get to room temperature. He wraps the sheet pans, freezes the fries, and later brings them back out to thaw only enough to be separated and bagged up for use on the line.

“They are held in a small freezer in the kitchen, and when we get an order, we fry them to golden-brown deliciousness and toss them in fine sea salt,” Proveaux says.

For those who like fancy dipping sauces with their fancy fries, Fuel has them covered. They serve a plate of fries with three dipping sauces: a creamy truffle Parmesan sauce, a garlicky rouille (homemade olive-oil mayonnaise with smoked paprika and chipotle powder), and sweet chili ketchup sauce.  

Bardog Tavern and Slider Inn owner Aldo Dean says that he got into the restaurant business to sell alcohol. Since Tennessee laws require bars to sell food, Dean figured he might as well serve great food.

Bardog and Slider Inn serve the same fries except the ones at Slider Inn have a little skin on them.

“They’re quarter-inch shoestrings that are shipped in frozen and already cut,” Dean says. Dean likes the shoestring fries because they don’t have a long fry time. “Some places double fry them for extra crispiness, but we don’t have time for that,” he says.

What really sets the fries apart is the special mixture sprinkled on them when they come out. “It’s a secret blend. I can’t tell you what it is,” Dean says. After a pause, he says, “Okay, it’s salt and sugar — a 50-50 mix.”

Dean will not, however, divulge the exact recipe of the legendary bourbon mayonnaise used for dipping. “I should probably get it patented,” he jokes. It was inspired by a dip he had in a Belgian restaurant called Pomme Frite. Both of Dean’s restaurants sell a ton of fries, but Slider Inn sells considerably more due to its more limited menu.

The fries at the Irish pub the Brass Door are also making a name for themselves. Rumor has it that the secret ingredient is duck fat. “It’s all true,” owner Seamus Loftis says. “But I cannot credit the Irish — only my chef, Scott Donnelly.”

Donnelly starts with hand-cut Idaho potatoes, blanches them, and then fries them in a combination of regular fryer oil, lard, and duck fat. “The duck fat and lard impart a slightly sweeter, more potato-y flavor and help get the potato crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside,” Donnelly says.

The restaurant is currently selling about 500 to 600 pounds of French fries a week. “The hardest part is blanching and frying at the right temperatures,” Donnelly says.

The fries are available as a side or a starter. The starter features a savory house-made curry sauce.