photograph by samuel x. cicci
Scott and Rebekah Tashie opened a second location last month of their popular City Silo Table + Pantry restaurant.
The first thing to do in City Silo Table + Pantry in Germantown is relax. Bask in the warm glow of light flowing in through wide windows, breathe in the fresh air cleansed by an abundance of greenery lining the walls, and sip on a fruity burst from one of the restaurant’s signature smoothies. It’s everything that Memphians loved about the original City Silo, just updated, refined, and honed to a T using all the experience owners Scott and Rebekah Tashie have gained since opening the first franchise in East Memphis in 2017. With demand at their original City Silo so high, they knew they’d have to add a second location.
The restaurant’s hook is its “clean eating.” It’s comfort food with a conscience, taking the best components of Southern cuisine and gently nudging them in a healthier direction. The familiar tastes, ideas, and concepts from the Mid-South are all here; diners just won’t feel like they need a nap afterwards.
photograph by samuel x. cicci
The Sunshine Burrito
To take one example, the Sunshine Burrito (stuffed with crumbled silo burger patty, scrambled eggs, seasoned sweet potato, red quinoa, brown rice, sharp cheddar, cashew ranch, and sriracha aioli) leaves you feeling full, yet almost weightless. The accompanying Green Light Go smoothie provides a burst of energy via a delicate balance of sweet and sour, deftly mixing together fruit juices for a perfect blend. If healthy Southern fare is what you desire, City Silo has a take on it.
It’s clear that the husband and wife duo are incredibly passionate about — and already comfortable in — their new space that opened last month. Scott, who grew up around the movie theater business (his father, Jimmy, is co-chairman of Malco Theatres), chats about some of his favorite movies from the early 2000s, creating a friendly and familial vibe at the table. Opening a second restaurant “is almost like having another child,” laughs Rebekah.
photograph by samuel x. cicci
The COVID-19 pandemic certainly gave the journey more ups and downs than the Tashies would have liked. They originally signed their lease in February 2020, but the pandemic delayed their plans. Luckily, their landlord at Saddle Creek was flexible, allowing the couple to adjust to the new normal and make sure everything was in order. And while not specifically designed for the pandemic, the 3,500-square-foot space allows plenty of social distancing, both inside and on the outdoor patio. While the pandemic might have put others off, the Tashies were undeterred.
“There’s always the fear of the unknown when you’re opening a new restaurant,” says Scott. “All you can do is just prepare and give it everything you’ve got. Don’t leave anything on the table when it comes to preparation.”
Longtime fans of the original City Silo on Sanderlin Avenue won’t have to worry about their favorite foods being exclusive to one location; the menu will be the same, whether diners are in East Memphis or Germantown. “We have the City Silo brand,” explains Scott, “and we really want that to be consistent in everything we do. We’ve kept the same menu items, and when we add new options, like some tacos that we did recently, we’ll have that at both stores.” Expect to see more small plates and limited-time dishes added to the menu going forward.
One big change for City Silo Germantown is the inclusion of a full bar area. The Tashies have selected a small, carefully curated liquor section, picking out a specific variety of vodka, tequila, mezcal, rum, and gin.
“We’re not going crazy with our selection,” says Scott, “but what we do have is something we’ve put a lot of time and thought into. When we eventually roll this out, the list will officially be the ‘City Silo Cocktail Menu’ for the whole brand.”
“We’ll be incorporating our own juices,” adds Rebekah. “You can expect to see something like a beet margarita, or maybe carrot juice mixed in with mezcal. We’re really excited about this; it’s been fun trying to come up with the cocktails we’ll use on our menu, and we think they’re going to be a big hit.”
City Silo Table + Pantry’s new location can be found at the Saddle Creek Shopping Center; 7605 W. Farmington Blvd, Suite 2; 901-236-7223; thecitysilo.com
photograph by samuel x. cicci
City Silo’s pantry section offers a range of healthy snacks.
