February 2013
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03/01/13Finding Friends, New Wines and Excellent Salmon at Passport to OregonI’ve never visited Oregon, and I’m a newbie to wine tastings, so I was happy to meet Jeane Mercer and Breen Bland last Thursday at Passport to Oregon, a festive and informative tasting at the University Club in Midtown organized by Joe’s Wines & Liquors. The couple practice law in Memphis, but travel to Oregon regularly to enjoy the state’s wines and their property on the northwest coast. “We’ve visited many of these same wineries,” Mercer said, checking off her favorites on my tasting list. “If you like sparkling, try Argyle.” (I did, and the Blanc de Blancs 2008 was excellent.) Bland added that he appreciates the feel of Oregon, and the energy the state’s winemakers bring... |
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02/26/13Tommy Dodson: A Sad Goodbye to Our Farmer and FriendOn Saturday, or maybe it was the Saturday before, I laughed with Tommy Dodson about the gentle ribbing he was getting from his wife Bonnie. Our conversation at the Tsunami Farmers Market, always a welcomed respite in my busy week, led to lettuce. Bonnie was kidding Tommy about not knowing his lettuces (I think it was romaine) even though the couple's daughter Hallie is a horticulturist developing new lettuce varieties in Hollister, California. He just shook his head and smiled in a way that lit up his face, a face humanized by the wind and sun that comes with being a farmer. Then he sold me a beautiful daikon radish. “It's a volunteer,” he said. “It just popped up.” I remember this conversation as a small homage to... |
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02/23/13Overton Square's Side Street Grill: Smoked Chicken Nachos and Cocktails with a PunchAn impressive pyramid of ingredients on a square white plate, the smoked chicken nachos at Side Street Grill grabbed my attention from a nearby table. I ordered one immediately, sharing the dish with five friends and a first round of cocktails. While many nachos use a mishmash of ingredients to justify their place at the table, Side Street’s version keeps things simple: chips, queso, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and plump rounds of jalapeno pulled together by the chicken’s smooth and smoky flavor. Go ahead and skip the nachos’ gratuitous side of sour cream. Better to save your calories for the Grill’s build-your-own burger ($9.50), a half-pound hand-shaped patty served on a Kaiser bun and topped with whatever meets your fancy:... |
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02/19/13Pam’s Pic: Dragon Tuna and Vesper Martini at East Tapas & DrinksWhen this beautiful pairing arrived to my table at East Tapas & Drinks, I was awestruck, first by the artful plating of the sashimi and then by the oversized martini with a curlicue of lemon zest. After a taste of the tuna and a sip of the drink, I named the twosome "Beauty and the Beast." Beauty refers to the tuna shaped like a new rose and garnished with thinly sliced jalapeno, a zigzag of house-made ponzu glaze and a single stem of cilantro. The Beast is a bit of back story, but suffice to say, the Vesper martini throws a punch, mixing together vodka, gin and Lillet, a French aperitif used in the drink instead of vermouth. The cocktail’s origin is equally virile. Author Ian Fleming created the Vesper for James Bond... Posted at 06:30 PM | Permalink | Comments: 2 |
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02/17/13Swap at Cooper Young Community Farmers Market Shares Seeds and Growing AdviceFuzzy Brew’s Grant Smith already has vegetable starts growing on his kitchen counter so the seedlings can soak up the under-cabinet lights. But his jump-start on spring didn’t keep him away from the first annual seed swap Saturday at Cooper Young Community Farmers Market, where he happily culled through dozens of seed packets contributed by local growers. “He can’t help himself,” explained spouse Carrie Brown, smiling at his excitement. “He absolutely loves seeds.” So do plenty of others who traded or purchased herb, flower and vegetable seeds such as red cypress vine, petit Provencal peas, Freckles romaine lettuce, Calypso cucumbers, purple okra and Heart Pimento red peppers. Many of the seeds... |
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02/08/13Cooper Young Chili Cook Off at Peabody School: Celebrity Judges, Fun People and Good EatsSweet Grass Chef Ryan Trimm is going back to school Saturday, but he only has to walk around the corner from his Cooper-Young restaurant. Trimm is a judge for the Sixth Annual Cooper-Young/Peabody Elementary School Chili Cook Off, one of the most fun and affordable community fundraisers in Midtown. “Even people not affiliated with Peabody School come to this event,” said Josh Spickler, one of the event’s organizers. “Cooper-Young is very community oriented, and the neighborhood loves any excuse to socialize.” And then there is the chili served from noon to 1:30 p.m. and expertly prepared in a myriad of ways by more than 20 different cooking teams. For $5, participants get a beverage and four generous servings... |
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02/05/13Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe Opens Near Kroger On South Mendenhall RoadWow. I got scooped by my husband. While I was having brunch Sunday at Paulette’s for an upcoming review in Memphis magazine, Tony was shopping at Kroger on Mendenhall and noticed the new Taziki’s Mediterranean Café located in the former Pei Wei Asian Diner. He poked inside to check it out. (Yes, I’ve trained him well.) The restaurant was sampling the menu in advance of Tuesday’s official grand opening. So Tony stayed for lunch. Here’s his report on the restaurant chain, which originated in Birmingham and now operates about two dozen locations in Georgia, West Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee: Taziki’s is a pretty cool entry in the fast casual dining category with a... Posted at 10:35 PM | Permalink | Comments: 3 |
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02/03/13Rock 'n Dough Pizza Co. Opens Just in Time for Super Bowl SundayIt’s a 10-minute drive from the new Rock ‘n Dough Pizza Co. in East Memphis to my house, and the pizza to-go on the back seat filled my car with the smell of warm dough, bacon and melted cheese. Grilled chicken, spinach and artichokes also topped different halves of the pie, but I didn’t delve into those smells until I breathed down my first slice. I ate it with my coat on, leaning against the kitchen counter. Simply put, Rock ‘n Dough is some great pizza pie. Jeremy Denno and spouse Amanda Preston have been operating a pizza food truck for about a year, but the storefront in Park Place is their first brick-and-mortar. It’s located next to Amerigo Italian Restaurant in a former YoLo Frozen Yogurt. Denno, who... |
