photograph by deni reilly
Cocozza’s classic chicken piccata, a sautéed cutlet with lemon, capers, and white wine.
What’s for dinner? Here at Memphis Magazine, that’s a question we find ourselves asking quite frequently, with thoughts turning to food as the workday ebbs away. Lucky for us, Memphis chefs and entrepreneurs continue to embrace new ideas and adventures, blessing the city with an abundance of new restaurants and tasty dishes to satisfy our growing appetites. For the last couple of years, our dining contributors have used the annual February food issue to take a deeper dive into Memphis’ culinary world. We’ve explored it through traditional means (a top restaurants list), through a selection of our favorite dishes over the course of a year, or even 2021’s “Memphis Eats A-Z” feature.
But it’s back to basics this year. There are almost too many fresh options to choose from, so through our “Dinner at 8” feature, we’re here to let our readers know about the eight new restaurants that made the biggest impression on us in 2023. We’re spoiled for choices, but we’re not complaining!
Tucked into the tiny “business district” of Harbor Town, Cocozza is just around the corner from Miss Cordelia’s. It’s a charming and unassuming restaurant — no white tablecloths or cloth napkins, nothing fancy — just a modest-sized room with red-and-white tile floors, Formica-topped tables, wood paneling, and white-tiled walls fronting the cozy seven-seat bar. The simple aluminum silverware and chunky working-man’s wine glasses sustain the nostalgic vibe, evoking the kind of neighborhood Italian joints that were once endemic in East Coast cities.
A big, wonderful painting of Elvis Presley and Mario Lanza by local chef and artist Emily LaForce hangs on the main wall. It’s called “O Solo Meatball” and is a tribute to Elvis and to Lanza, a cousin of Deni Reilly, the co-owner of Cocozza with her husband, Patrick. Elvis was a fan of Lanza’s and rewrote his iconic “O Solo Mio” as “It’s Now or Never.” The painting commemorates a meal that may or may not have happened as pictured. Probably not.
The staff are friendly, sharp, and quick with recommendations, if you ask. They seem to recognize that restaurants like this one are all about the food, not fancy frills and high prices. And Cocozza delivers the goods. Mamma Mia!
The Caesar salad is a perfect starter — served cold and crisp, with sharp Parmesan and toasted croutons — and like all the food at Cocozza, very reasonably priced at $6. And speaking of $6 … the restaurant offers glasses of Scarpetta wines — Rosso or Bianco — for that same very reasonable price from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
As for entrées, the “salmon oreganata” is a standout, a beautifully cooked piece of flaky pink fish, covered with herbed breadcrumbs and creamy butter-garlic sauce, and accompanied by broccoli rabe. And don’t sleep on the chicken piccata with lemon, capers, and white wine sauce, which is also excellent. Other staff-recommended entrées included eggplant parmesan, pork Milanese, and chicken marsala. All are $24 or $26, except the filet mignon ($39) and veal parmesan ($36).
Cocozza offers nine “Macaroni” plates, including vodka rigatoni, bucatini alla enzo, shrimp penne arrabbiata, baked lasagna, and Luke & Joey sausage rigatoni, to name a few. There are four regular sides: broccoli rabe, roasted zucchini with herbed breadcrumbs, sautéed spinach with garlic and olive oil, and peas and prosciutto — all priced at a tasty $8.
And what Italian meal would be complete without a serving of sumptuous tiramisu for dessert? Cocozza’s is called Helen’s Favorite, and it may well be yours after you try it. Mimi’s lemon cheesecake gives that classic dessert a fresh twist, and it’s a huge slice, heavily dusted in powdered sugar. There’s also a cannoli, which is not named after anybody, but which is mighty good, just the same. All desserts are $8, and all pair nicely with one of the restaurant’s digestivos, which include limoncello, grappa, anisetta, and sambuca.
