December 2012
 |
12/31/12Sunday Funday at Hog & Hominy Includes Ramen and Italian ToastSmoked garlic chicken broth, a chicken wing, duck sausage, crispy pig ears, pickled shitake, daikon, noodles, nori and a softly poached egg. That's how our server at Hog & Hominy described the restaurant's new ramen, and I ordered a bowl immediately with little regard to the rest of the menu. I'd never eaten pig ears or chicken wings in ramen before, but the ingredients promised a cozy antidote to the cold weather outside. When the aromatic bowl of ramen arrived at our table, I ate the chicken wing first, admired the bowl's color combinations and then mixed in the egg. Its thick yellow yolk blended seamlessly into the broth. I felt a little like a chemist. Much of Hog & Hominy's menu is deconstructed, and the ramen holds... |
 |
12/29/12Owen Brennan's Shrimp & Grits: A How-To Lesson From Chef Jody MoytWhen I did a book signing at the Cooper-Young Farmers Market before Christmas, I was lucky enough to share the community table with Jody Moyt, executive chef at Owen Brennan’s in East Memphis. Moyt was demonstrating how to make the restaurant’s signature shrimp and grits. He also passed around generous tastings of the finished dish. I ate at least three. It was a privilege to watch an accomplished chef like Moyt cook with ease as he prepared Owen Brennan’s Cajun classic. I envied Moyt’s memory of the recipe and how he mixed the ingredients with a skillful shake of the pan. Moyt had prepared the grits ahead of time, but he shared a few secrets while he set up. He uses stone-ground grits from the Original Grit Girl in Oxford... |
 |
12/27/12Southern Meat Market: Serving Rock ‘n Roll, Service and Good PricesAfter more than 100 years in the same building, Southern Meat Market is moving to a new location on Park Avenue not far from Pete and Sam’s. The move, tentatively set for mid-March, will be a homecoming of sorts for owner Randy Stockard, who operated a much-loved bar called Poor Red’s not far from the market’s soon-to-be new home. “We need a retirement home for all the old rock ‘n rollers,” Stockard said with a laugh, relishing his long-standing ties to the Park Avenue location. “And it’s time to move. There’s only so much you can do with a building that dates back to the Civil War.” Tenants think the building that straddles Southern and Highland avenues will be demolished and... Posted at 02:05 PM | Permalink | Comments: 3 |
 |
12/21/12Fresh Hams, New Potatoes, Heirloom Lettuce and More at Tsunami Winter Farmers MarketAs I was mulling over menu plans for Christmas dinner Thursday, I got this an email from Bonnie Dodson of Dodson Farms: “Wind gusts up to 42 miles an hour. Wow! Tom is still out there starting the harvest for this weekend. Dodson Farms participates in the Tsunami Winter Farmers Market in Cooper Young, and Bonnie’s email continued with a tempting list of what will be available Saturday, including cabbages, sweet potatoes, kale, collards, mustard greens, turnip greens, spinach, turnips, cilantro, garden cress and half a dozen heirloom lettuces with charming names such as Lolla Rosa and Australian Yellow Leaf. Bonnie’s photo of newly dug white potatoes also caught my eye. The potatoes were harvested from a bed in the farm’s high... |
 |
12/19/12Sauce and Toss 10 Seasoning Flavors at The Wingstop on Poplar in East MemphisThe third Wing Stop location in Memphis, which opened about two months ago in Knickerbocker Plaza on Poplar, is a good fit next to The Dixie Café. Part of a national chain, the restaurant's service and taste are better than most franchise restaurants. Plus the wings are prepared to order in 10 different flavors, including garlic Parmesan, Hawaiian, teriyaki and hickory smoked barbecue. In addition to the mix of seasonings, wings come regular or boneless in combo's and family packs. Throw in sides (freshly baked yeast rolls, baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad, veggie sticks and dips) and decision-making can get tricky. Fortunately, the folks behind the counter are super friendly and helpful. Our server Ericka helped us decide on a mix of... Posted at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments: 2 |
 |
12/13/12Rock 'n Dough Pizza To Open Restaurant in East MemphisRock ‘n Dough Pizza Co. , the much loved pizza truck operated by Jeremy and Amanda Denno, is opening a brick and mortar restaurant in East Memphis. The couple is refurbishing the former location of YoLo Frozen Yogurt next to Amerigo Italian Restaurant on Ridgeway Road and hopes to be ready for business by the first of the year. Look for pizza by the slice with quality toppings, along with lunch-time combos including a slice, salad and drink. “Our focus will be the same,” Jeremy Denno said. “A little funky, locally-sourced ingredients and prices that are fair.” Denno intends the restaurant to be a friendly, family affair. ... Posted at 06:40 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
 |
12/10/12Cosmic Collective Juices Up Memshop Pop-up with Smoothies, Snacks and Yoga ClassesWow. What a difference a pop-up store can make. Customers packed the holiday Memshop Pop-up in Overton Square Sunday afternoon, browsing the pop-up store for crafts and art by some 40 local artists. Plus, the pop-up offered live music, yoga classes, and food. Shoppers and vendors energized the vacant storefronts on Madison near Cooper with a feel-good vibe, a precursor to the promise of the square’s redevelopment as an entertainment hub. I was happy to discover Cosmic Coconut in the middle of the retail mix, branded as Cosmic Collective for Memshop’s duration. Cosmic Coconut, located in the Sanderlin Centre in East Memphis, is an organic juice bar offering smoothies, juices, and food such as a homemade hummus and the Cosmic... |
 |
12/06/12Holiday Farmers Market: It Doesn't Get Any More Local Than This!Yes, it’s chilly and little cold outside, and it could rain. But don’t let weather keep you away from the downtown Memphis Farmers Market on Saturday located in the covered pavillion behind Central Train Station. The downtown market’s annual holiday bazaar starts at 10 a.m. and continues until 2 o’clock, offering a delicious and locally-sourced assortment of crafts, food gifts, body care products, and farm-fresh produce. Vendors will include handmade chocolates and macaroons from Pistache, truffles from Comfit, pimento cheese from Tom's Tiny Kitchen, and gifts and goodies from the Apothecary Fairy, Dubach & Gardo Pottery, Re-Hy Bottle, and Studio 1688. Food vendors will include many market regulars, including Whitton Farm,... |
