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11/14/12One & Only BBQ: Brunswick Stew, Pulled Pork and Strawberry Fields ForeverThe first two dishes I mastered on my own were Beef Bourguignon (thank you Julia Child) and Brunswick Stew (thank you Mom). I haven't eaten either one for at least a decade, so imagine my thrill when I spotted Brunswick stew on the menu at the new One & Only BBQ, located in the former CK's Coffee Shop on Perkins Ext. near Southern. I ordered a bowl to share with Tony, and our server brought the stew in two small bowls with two spoons, which was sophisticated service for a barbecue joint. The attentive service carried on through our entire meal, which included salads, generously portioned entrees and ice tea for about $20 each. But back to the Brunswick stew, a delicious bowl of steaming hot limas, corn, tomatoes and three kinds of... |
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11/08/12Sorrel Pesto: Delicious With Pasta and FishSorrel is always a bit of a problem veggie for me. Although I love its nutritional profile and flavor, I hate the brown color it turns when cooked. So I decided to try making sorrel pesto. I worked off the recipe below I found at recipesource.com, but I made a few changes. I used basil because I didn't have parsley and added the juice from a small lemon. The pesto tastes more tart than my typical basil version, but it's a nice change. Plus the color is beautiful, duplicating the green of the fresh leaves. I've tossed it with pasta and used it as a sauce for white fish. Delicious! Typically, sorrel shows up in the spring, but I had the green in the last few weeks of my CSA. Hopefully, it will stick around until cold weather. Sorrel Pesto 2 cups... |
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11/07/12You Still Have Time to Vote! The Memphis Magazine Restaurant Poll Runs Through NovemberBecause I write about food and review restaurants, I'm constantly asked this question: “So what's your favorite restaurant?” (If you want my answer, you might as well stop reading now.) I'm less accustomed to the questions I got at the Booksellers at Laurelwood when I stopped by recently to check on orders for my new book, “The Food Lovers' Guide to Memphis.” When the sales associates figured out my connection to food, they kept hammering me with this: “What's the worst restaurant in Memphis? What's the worst service?” I side-stepped the question. Do I look like Andy Wise? But I'm hoping those folks find their way to the Memphis magazine Readers' Restaurant Poll where readers select... Posted at 09:35 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
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11/03/12Anthony Bourdain Charms Memphis Crowd with Stories and Funny One-Liners (And He Curses A Lot Too)Bad boy Anthony Bourdain bought his rock star celebrity to the Orpheum Friday evening with an expletive-studded stand-up on his feelings about Paula Deen, his worldwide travels and his upcoming move to CNN early next year. Since 2005, the celebrity chef and bestselling author of “Kitchen Confidential” has hosted “No Reservations” on the Travel Channel, earning accolades for his brave embrace of worldwide cuisines. No matter how weird, Bourdain will eat it. “We eat and drink what’s offered wherever we go,” he told the Orpheum crowd. Every once in a while Bourdain gets sick, like the time he shared warhog rectum with tribesmen in Namibia. “I knew as soon as I bit into it, I’d be taking... |
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11/01/12Superlo Foods Starts Selling Locally Made (and Good-Tasting) SushiJust when I thought there wasn't another reason for me to love Superlo more than I already do, I spotted this sign in large red and white letters: Fresh Sushi Available at Superlo Foods. I pulled immediately into a parking space. Once inside, it didn't take long to find the new display of sushi at the back of the store showcasing black bottom boxes with delectable looking nigiri and rolls such as crunchy shrimp, California and Philadelphia. I typically don't buy seafood at Superlo, but the Sriracha Pea Roll for $7.79 changed my mind with no regret. “What a lovely looking thing,” I muttered to myself, admiring the hefty roll with rice, tuna, imitation crab and cucumber topped with crunchy garlic-coated green peas and a... |
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10/24/12Win Tickets to Anthony Bourdain's Guts & Glory Tour at the OrpheumI've been messaging with Hungry Memphis about where to have dinner before Anthony Bordain's Guts and Glory tour at the Orpheum Nov. 2. I'm a little embarrassed to admit how worked up I am about seeing this road show at the Orpheum, but there's no denying my excitement. If you are enthusiastic but don't have a ticket, here's a big moment. Contemporary Media, the parent company of Memphis magazine and The Memphis Flyer, is giving away a pair of tickets. All you have to do to get in on the drawing is to click here. But do it now. The drawing is Friday morning. Good luck! Posted at 09:59 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
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10/23/12"Chuck's Eat the Street" Features Memphis Tonight on the Cooking ChannelCanadian Chef Chuck Hughes knows how to pick a street. When I spoke to him last week, he was cruising down Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, taking in the sights on a day off. Hughes was in Los Angeles to film an episode of the Cooking Channel's new show “Unique Sweets,” but I called to talk about the Memphis episode of “Chuck's Eat the Street” which airs tonight at 7:30 p.m. The show premiered Oct. 9 and features celebrated streets with rich food cultures, including Mission Street in San Francisco, Magazine Street in New Orleans and Walnut Street in Philadelphia. Hughes said he was excited to add Memphis to the list. “For me, the whole purpose for the show is to get out and explore a wish list of... |
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10/21/12Three Angels Diner: Lunch, Fried Chicken and Triple DThree Angels Diner on Broad Avenue makes its television debut Monday at 9 p.m. on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, which is why I slipped in for lunch Saturday to beat the rush. Business jumps so significantly for restaurants featured on Guy Fieri’s popular Food Network show that the phenomenon has a name. It’s called the Triple D effect. Three Angels’ owners Jason and Rebecca Severs are prepared for the customer onslaught. “Guy and the production crew kept telling us to be ready,” Jason Severs explained by email. “They must have said it around 20 times.” So what did Severs think of the Food Network superstar? “Guy was a really sincere person,” Severs said. “He definitely has a camera... |
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10/15/12The Elegant Farmer Debuts Tonight On Diners, Drive-ins and DivesDon't forget to turn on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives tonight at 9 p.m. for the premiere of the Triple D episode featuring The Elegant Farmer, voted best new restaurant this year by Memphis magazine readers. I spoke with owner/chef Mac Edwards this morning, who said he was "mildly nervous" about tonight's show, filmed in May along with episodes featuring five other Memphis area restaurants. "I'm not used to being on national television," he said, laughing. "We don't see anything beforehand." Edwards plans to watch the show at home with restaurant manager Leslee Pascal and a few other restaurant employees. The episode is titled "Handcrated" and features a family-run deli in Providence, Rhode Island,... |
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10/14/12Chef Ben Vaughn to Host "Health Inspectors" On Food NetworkChef Ben Vaughn of former Cooper-Young restaurants Grace and Au Fond Farmtable has a new gig on the Food Network. Vaughn is the host of the network's upcoming series called “Health Inspectors” premiering October 26. Here's how the press release explains Vaughn's new show: “Restaurant consultant Ben Vaughn lends his expertise to restaurants across the country in desperate need of a health upgrade in the new series Health Inspectors, premiering Friday, October 26, at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. Ben uses his years of experience in the restaurant industry to assess kitchens from top to bottom, leaving no stone, or stove, unturned. “From high-end restaurants to small cafés, Ben holds the owners and staff accountable for... Posted at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments: 7 |
Memphis Stew is a food blog that celebrates our city’s community table and the people who grow, cook, and eat Memphis food. It is written by Pamela Denney, food editor of Memphis magazine, who sees food as a delicious way to build families, friendships, and a more healthy and sustainable future.
