The avocado salad at Rizzos Diner is stuffed with quinoa and chow-chow and topped with salmon.
These days most of the salads I eat are ho-hum retreads with dried cranberries and blue cheese crumbles. That’s probably why I can’t stop thinking about my lunch at Rizzos Diner: avocado salad stuffed with quinoa and chow-chow and plated with a gorgeous backdrop of purple radicchio.
For you doubters out there, don’t smirk at quinoa’s reputation as a nutritional powerhouse with more protein than any other grain. Yes, quinoa is the darling of vegetarian cooking, but it also tastes good. (And it’s pronounced keen-wah, btw, if you don’t want to sound like a fool (like me) and ask for kwuh-NO-uh at Whole Foods.)
I topped my salad with a perfectly grilled piece of salmon, which pretty much sealed the deal between me and Rizzos. I love this place. You might remember Chef Patrick Michael from McEwen’s on Monroe or Itta Bena or maybe Sekisui Pacific Rim. It seems he’s home at Rizzos, which has a Brooklyn, hipster feel without being pretentious.
The March issue of Memphis magazine has a full review of Rizzos, so pick up a copy and then head over to G.E. Patterson to taste the goodness for yourself. The diner is open Tuesday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday for dinner only and Sunday until 3 p.m. for brunch, which I’ve heard is outstanding.
Rizzos Diner, 106 G.E. Patterson (901) 523-2033
