photograph by laura jean hocking
Chocolate mousse, served on a cacao-nib genoise with miso-whey caramel.
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!
On July 8, 1954, DJ Dewey Phillips introduced the world to Elvis Presley by playing “That’s All Right” over and over again on his popular radio show Red, Hot, and Blue. Phillips’ broadcasts from the mezzanine of the Hotel Chisca on Main Street attracted hundreds of thousands of listeners throughout the 1950s and arguably changed the face of American popular music.
After sitting vacant for years, the Chisca — one of our city’s largest Downtown hotels — was recently renovated into a popular apartment building. Downstairs from where Dewey spun records is a posh eatery called The Lobbyist. The restaurant has gathered acclaim since it opened a year ago, including winning the Memphis Flyer’s Best New Restaurant award for 2023.
My wife LJ and I had an early reservation on a recent winter evening. The Lobbyist is sprawling, with dark walls filled with art, illuminated by striking contemporary chandeliers. We took our window seats and perused the cocktail menu as the tables around us slowly filled. LJ’s interest was piqued by the mocktail menu, while I chose the mezcal-based Grand Gold. She reported that the Dirty Love mocktail “tasted like a dirty martini, which it was supposed to,” while the Grand Gold’s smoky notes proved imminently sippable.
The food menu, which frequently changes based on the seasons, is designed to be sharable. With food offerings as diverse as duck kibbeh in fig-molasses and goat cheese Brussels sprouts with cherries and spiced nuts, there’s a reason why Chef Jimmy Gentry wants to encourage his diners to experience a variety of flavors.
We started off with Kung Pao carrots brushed with kimchi and honey, which included a light aioli for dipping. It was a unique combination of flavors that only hinted at what was to come. The corn mash with roasted squash in bacon jus was another hit. I’m not a big beet fan, but the golden beets paired with Indian specialty chaat turned out to be right up my alley.
For an entree, we split the swordfish. Served with a rich coconut broth and seasonal delicata squash, it was the highlight of a generally excellent evening.
For dessert, we ordered the chocolate mousse, served on a cacao-nib genoise — a type of light sponge cake — with miso-whey caramel. As we nibbled and chatted, we watched the trolleys pass by on the street outside. The historic space where The Lobbyist resides is once again introducing Memphians to something new, only this time it’s flavors instead of music.
