Why The Memphis Food Scene Matters

Well, we're halfway through another month (how?), and the seasons are clearly a-changin'. I haven't experienced a true autumn in years and am already embracing the fall transition in and out of the kitchen. Yesterday afternoon, I whipped up a few heirloom tomato recipes and a fruity cobbler. . .Look out for those recipes soon. Last week, I was honored to attend the National Association of Food Journalists' annual conference in Memphis. As one of fewer than ten Memphian attendees, I took full advantage of the conference location and strolled from my apartment to the Peabody Hotel for three packed days of thought-provoking panels, empowering conversations, and first-class meals. Seriously, the food lineup was more impressive with each bite or taste of Memphis, if you will.

While I could write a novel about my new perspectives on the changing landscape of food journalism, new media, iPhone photography, restaurant transformations, etc., I will share five new lessons about my city's food scene. Despite previous dispositions or judgments on your behalf or mine, this city has a lot of history. And a lot to offer.

1. "All good Southerners do come home." -Chef Karen Carrier, Beauty Shop, Bar DKDC

It's true. There's a reason why Memphis-raised Karen Carrier left her Chelsea, New York restaurant (where Phillip Seymour Hoffman ate his last meal) and committed herself to never-seen-before Memphis dining and catering at the Beauty Shop and beyond. A gravity seems to pull us back to the place where we tasted our first homecooked meal, rich with history and passion and quality and purpose. Heck, it worked for me.

2. "Cooking is our cultural currency." -Kim Severson, New York Times

Cookbooks are still selling. Recipes are still circulating. People want touchstones to that tribal fire of cooking and eating in a community. Memphis is providing that cultural currency with inter-generational restaurants that value tradition above all else. Orange Mound Grill's 60-year-old sweet potato pie recipe will continue, according to founder Ms. Daisy Miller's granddaughter. The Folk and Boggs families are committed to refocusing Memphis' original steakhouse, Folk's Folly. Kat Gordon shares her mom Jan's toffee bar recipe with the entire city in Muddy's bake shops. The city is committed to continuing that "cultural currency" element that clearly holds us all together.

3. Barbecue may be our official food, but it's not our only specialty.

You can find an unbelievable slab of ribs at Charlie Vergos Rendezvous or a classic barbecue pizza at Coletta's; but the truth is, Memphis chefs are not settling with old-fashioned headliner dishes. They're making new headlines. They're pushing the envelope with innovation and recirculation of the city's most prized delicacies, such as two I just mentioned. Wednesday night's Taste of Memphis event at Stax illustrated the resurgence of culinary creativity and the rare unity found in a city's restauranteur scene. I walked past Coletta's barbecue pizza paired with Andy Ticer's modernized barbecue pizza popper (a take on our childhood frozen midnight snack). I watched Wally Joe take a gorgeous spin on Jonathan Magallanes' traditional-style quail tamale. Craft beers and Relevant Roasters are making a new name for Memphis' beverage offerings. Such creativity is placing Memphis on a much higher level than ever before. I only hope the public recognizes its quality as much as the James Beard house, who hosted a slew of my beloved Memphis chefs for a "Made in Memphis" dinner last Spring.

4. In Memphis, "Food is medicine." -Dr. Scott Morris, Church Health Center.

This city of soul views the family table as more than a literal dose of nourishment -- food is a tool of spiritual fulfillment, too. Chef Miles McMath of St. Jude has transformed a "cafeteria" approach into a farm-to-table creative warehouse for thousands of people every single day. The Church Health Center is teaching the alphabet to low income children through healthy foods. Baptist churches are changing the statistic and elevating the ritual of the meal through healthier options at social and religious events. People are clearly committed to making food a reference point -- and a game-changer.

I'm proud to be a part of this place.

Mercadito (Chicago)

I'm still trying to figure out why Austin, Texas, the capital of "Tex-Mex + Girls' Nights Out" meals has never (to my knowledge) offered the brilliant large-party feature that proves to be Mercadito's specialty for bachelorette parties, coupled groups, or hungry girls like ourselves. The Tex-Mex on our tastebuds had the seven of us craving anything and everything about Austin (as we do daily), but this Chicago restaurant gave us the perfect taste of the place where we found the finest of friendship.

For $30/person (of parties of seven+), our party chose three types of guacamole, 2 types of salsa, 4 types of tacos, 2 sides, and a dessert tasting. The spread (and service) was glorious. Here's what we chose and highly enjoyed:

Tradicional, mango, and torreado (chile, garlic, oregano) guacamoles. Tomatillo and verde salsas. Shrimp tacos with mojo and avocado. Skirt steak tacos with jicama slaw and crispy shallots. Chicken al carbon tacos with roasted corn, queso fresco, and crispy avocado. Blackened swordfish tacos with cabbage-jalapeño slaw. Mexican-style corn on the cob (the winner). Home-style rice with black beans.

An impossible feat, the meal arrived plate by plate, with a full serving of every dish to feed our overwhelmed appetites. Besides a few super-spicy components, every dish was executed with originality and high quality. The quantity of food and attention to ingredients were well worth my "per person" check. In fact, I urge you to find six or more friends, make a reservation, and order the exact list above. Plus a cucumber pepino el pyu cocktail (below), which was so fabulous I could've had my own pitcher.

Sunda (Chicago)

When it comes to dining in Chicago, it is essentially impossible to veer off the path of unbelievable options: deep dish pizza drive-bys, brunch spots on every corner, and the dirtiest dirty martinis around. I'm thankful I did not move to the city specifically for the sake of my waist size. But I am thankful I visited, for Brenna and Paige's hospitality and planning surpassed all expectations for my first trip to Chicago since age ten (when I admittedly traveled to Chicago with my mother and grandmother solely to visit the American Girl Museum).

Sunda New Asian hosted our final dinner in the city after a toast at Trump Tower "to many more reunions!" Our waiter swooned us into ordering every sushi roll or starter he recommended. We were told that all plates are meant to be shared and would arrive as they were prepared in the kitchen. The system was perfect for a group dinner and kept our chatter flowing for almost three hours.

For starters, we knocked it out of the park with 3 dishes: crispy brussels sprouts (think ultimate asian chopped salad), steamed shiitake edamame dumplings, and tiger shrimp tempura  You will not find this shrimp tempura anywhere else; Sunda's tempura batter is crispy and light rather than panko-crusted and flaky. The bowl of shrimp is then tossed in a stickily superb honey aioli, whole candied walnuts, and subtle herb garnishes, an unthinkable, out-of-this world combination. Six of us shared the three with some bites remaining, so be aware that not all of Sunda's specialties imply small plates. However, you must get all three. We did not have one weak link throughout the meal, so obviously I am suggesting to copy my order with you and your seven girlfriends!

Sunda's crispy rice with tuna and jalapeno, comparable to the famed Katsuya's, could have easily been my favorite first bite on our entire Chicago vacation. Why isn't all rice served crispy?! The execution was flawless, in my opinion. If only Sunda delivered long-distance.

The sushi at Sunda approached traditional rolls with creative elements such as asparagus in a rainbow roll and unagi in a shrimp tempura roll. The fish tasted as if the sea were in Sunda's backyard -- fine and fresh as ever. The tuna sashimi (below) was brilliantly served with a crab cake crust and hot mustard; I am still attempting to solve how Sunda keeps the tuna raw yet pan fries the crab. Brilliant.

We were (without much persuasion) also swooned into not one, but two desserts. The blueberry seasonal cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream proved an automatic winner, but "The Ridiculous" (yes, that's the title) transformed a ginger carrot cake into glaze form for an amusing ice cream topping. The caramel and nuts took my taste buds back to a traditional butter pecan ice cream favorite.

Feast with your eyes, and then reserve your next feast for Sunda while next in Chicago.

Felicia Suzanne's Lunch (Memphis)

Felicia Willet and I go way, way back. She's the culinary goddess of Memphis and one of the first chefs who captured my teenage attention beyond the television screen. I spent my sixteenth birthday dining in the Felicia Suzanne kitchen and remember the private meal's spacial intimacy and flavor intensity almost perfectly. I became infatuated with the restaurant's behind-the-scenes perspective and, clearly, have never turned back.

Felicia then cooked my high school graduation dinner at my home, making my favorite short rib grilled cheese and peppermint ice cream mini ice cream sandwiches like no one's business (healthy, I know).

And now, I live directly next door to Felicia's magical Memphis-meets-New Orleans restaurant and patio. Could it be more perfect? I think not.

I have dined at Felicia Suzanne's countless times without taking the appropriate photographs. I cannot stand to scroll through my Critiques page anymore without seeing her name under the "Memphis" category, so here is a taste of the Southern kitchen. I plan to step back into Felicia's fairly soon and taste/photograph some house favorites. But for now, I will discuss my favorite Friday lunch items that keep me going back. Besides the 25 cent dirty martinis.

1. SHORT RIB GRILLED CHEESE. I am not afraid to claim this sandwich as a top 10 dish I have ever and will ever taste. Tender short ribs on the inside and melted, toasted cheese on the outside. That's right; there's a generous sprinkle of cheese in between the bread, but the outside Sweetwater cheddar cheese kicks this up so many notches.

2. GUMBO. Did you know that Felicia trained under Emeril Lagasse, to whom I attribute my pretend cooking shows as a little kid? She clearly learned his gumbo secrets, because the andouille sausage and chicken roux is legitimate. Felicia's country gumbo is much more savory than a seafood gumbo, but it's well-rounded, especially with a dollup of (not too creamy) potato salad right in the middle.

3. FSR SALAD + FRIED OYSTERS. The oysters are plump and piping hot, melting blue cheese underneath. The tartness of the muscadine grapes inspired me to buy my own crate at the Memphis Farmers Market last weekend, where I ran into Felicia herself selling her precious Flo's line (homemade bread and butter pickles, you guys). Oh, and her cornbread croutons make sourdough croutons look defeated and flavorless. Hers are crispy and slightly crumbly in the center. And sweet. . .just like every touch in her Downtown Memphis restaurant.

ECCO on Overton Park (Memphis)

A lovely little restaurant arrived in Midtown recently; and once I read that Memphis Magazine named the tuscan bean salad a top ten dish of the year, the image would not escape my ever-growing list of cravings. I became even more captivated by the new concept when I discovered its overtaking of the once-renowned sidewalk café, Fresh Slices, the ultimate weekend hangout of my good 'ole high school days. Seriously, what a transformation! The space was 100% gutted, and the originally dark, cracked wood walls are now lined with elegant pastoral paintings by local artists.

The tuscan bean salad set a standard of rustic simplicity, taking me back to my Italian travels in every spoonful. I asked for no red onion, which (in my opinion) elevated the smooth texture and highlighted the tones of olive oil and lemon. A chilled glass of white wine is an imperative with this starter.

This short rib, tender enough to fall apart with a fork, sat atop a subtle mashed cauliflower that would outdo the traditional carb-loaded mashed potato any day of the week. The carrots were nothin' special, but the red wine sauce naturally strung every component together.

Y'all know how I feel about pasta, porcinis, and parmesan. The three, while rightfully sumptuous in their own right, create a tasteful combination that I frankly could not live without. The porcini handmade ravioli, delicate and savory, was taken up a notch by the browned butter and snowfall of parmesan shavings. Divine.

The salad special hit a home run, and I hate to spend detail on a temporary menu offering that may not be around when you visit...But I must. The proscuitto-wrapped figs (which provide the best balance between sweet and salty) and haricot verts paired nicely with a housemade balsamic drizzle and bell pepper medley. The chef here clearly knows what he's doing, and I can't wait to come back.

The Second Line Cocktails (Memphis)

Chef Kelly English's newest restaurant venture may have opened over six months ago, but I'm determined to bring back the chatter after (finally) trying it for myself and instantly becoming obsessed. That's right. . .I'm obsessed with this restaurant concept, which highlights my second favorite Southern city with a curated, clever approach.

And, by the way, this is not just The Second Line -- it's his Second Line. Chef Kelly English's, that is. Every ingredient, every presentation and detail was chosen by Chef himself with complete authenticity. You can feel his downplayed yet utterly contagious and charismatic New Orleans flare as soon as you walk through the doors.

The renovated home serves as a welcoming entrance to the booming Overton Square neighborhood. It may be modeled off New Orleans fare and libations, but the "casual, honest, delicious, and true" traits seem to reflect Memphis perfectly, too. Personally, the fusion of New Orleans' finest foods with Memphis' funky atmosphere couldn't make me happier.

I arrived at 5:05 along with a swarm of preppy, post-work businessmen and women. The cocktail scene is clearly happening from open to close. Evan and I walked through the house and entered the fully-packed patio, taking a seat on turquoise bar stools. We showed up for a drink, but we obviously needed a taste of something, so the bartender recommended besh bbq shrimp. The peeled and made-to-order skillet is inspired by my favorite New Orleans chef, John Besh (see New Orleans under critiques, and you'll find I frequent his restaurants). You can soak up the sauce with a fresh French loaf, delivered from a family bakery in New Orleans.

But back to the cocktails. My "farmers market" gin and cucumber cocktail was excellent, naturally sweetened with honey and lemon. I felt refreshed after every sip, though I savored the drink for as long as possible. Evan's whiskey cocktail had hints of mint and peach -- it screamed summer without unnecessary frills and cheesiness.

I can't wait to revisit The Second Line for a full meal -- I'm already planning out my menu. Fried oyster salad. . .a mushroom debris po boy. . .Here we go, people. . .