IMAGE COURTESY HYATT CENTRIC
Hyatt Centric Beale Street
Downtown’s One Beale has long been under public scrutiny, with construction setbacks and a lengthy hiatus moving the plan through several iterations since the early 2000s. But the project’s Hyatt Centric opened its doors to the public last month, marking the successful completion of Phase 2.
The owners of Downtown’s newest hotel, occupying a prime location on Beale Street, knew they wanted something special to stand out from the crowd of other nearby attractions. But rather than look to its Southern peers, the chefs behind Hyatt’s CIMAS restaurant (pronounced see-mas) turned to South and Central America for inspiration.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY HYATT CENTRIC
Keith Potter, executive chef
“Memphis is brimming with wonderfully renowned barbecue and Southern restaurants,” says Troy Dixon, Hyatt Centric’s director of operations. “So, instead of competing with that, we wanted to instead offer something different, but still reflect the culture and city of Memphis. Latin American cuisine is incredibly authentic to its agricultural roots, and being part of the Mississippi alluvial plain, we pulled from that to create a playful yet authentic parallel.”
“One of the favorite parts of my job is being able to get creative with different ingredients and techniques, blending ideas and methods to create something new. That’s what the hotel was looking for, so it felt like a genuine match both ways.” — Keith Potter
The kitchen at CIMAS (Spanish for “peaks’’ or “summits”) is led by executive chef Keith Potter and chef de cuisine Garron Sanchez. Both did several stints in Chicago before first working together at Ventana Big Sur, a luxury coastal resort in California near Monterey. A peek at the resort’s mission, which emphasizes tastes native to California, hints at the pair’s commitment to mixing fresh ideas with local flavor when moving to the Mid-South. Neither had worked in Memphis before, but they jumped at the chance to bring something new to Beale Street’s first hotel.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY HYATT CENTRIC
Cornflake-crusted French toast
“When I heard that the hotel wanted to bring a different culinary experience to the table, that got me excited,” says Potter. “One of the favorite parts of my job is being able to get creative with different ingredients and techniques, blending ideas and methods to create something new. That’s what the hotel was looking for, so it felt like a genuine match both ways.”
Diners can expect to see a synthesis of both Latin and Southern cooking ideas, with ingredients mainly gathered from nearby farms. Sanchez, who has Cuban American heritage, has always had a preference for Latin American cuisine. But while California food trends pushed him towards a narrower window of healthy offerings, CIMAS allows for much more flexibility.
“As we began to write the menus for CIMAS, it quickly became clear how Southern and Latin American ingredients can be paired together to create bold flavors and beautiful presentations,” he says. “My time spent in Chicago saw little restrictions to what types of food we could create, and I am excited to get back to that unrestricted freedom to just create tasty, good-looking food.”
CIMAS will offer plenty of options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Early risers can look forward to classic shrimp paired with Anson Mills artisanal grits, or chilaquiles verdes. Breakfast tacos make an appearance too, with chorizo placed atop soft tortillas garnished generously with cilantro and onions, street-style. Lunch options include a blackened shrimp caesar salad, or carne asada tacos, which are combined with spicy homemade pickled jalapeños, salsa verde, and lime, plus cilantro and onions. Meanwhile, a conventional catfish milanese po’boy is given a shake-up and served as a catfish torta. “It’s the perfect example of Southern food filtered through a Latin American lens,” says Sanchez.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY HYATT CENTRIC
Breakfast tacos
Dinner continues the fusion trend. One exciting option is the vegan Bluff City mushroom tostada. The locally grown fungus is ground up into the textured style of a chorizo sausage and served atop a toasted tortilla. Partnering with a local grower was a big part of Potter and Sanchez’s ethos when crafting the menu.
“The majority of the ingredients at CIMAS are going to be from local farms and companies,” says Sanchez, “as we want to partner with and support as many local providers as possible. Perhaps a few ingredients will be fetched from further corners of the globe, but the majority will be locally based.” Meanwhile, a scallops entree comes with creamy elotes — grilled Mexican street corn — chorizo, and okra. And those with a red meat craving can simply order the dry-aged New York strip steak.
At CIMAS, the Hyatt is hoping to attract both hotel guests and full-time Memphis residents. “Locals are a major focus for us, as we want to be a property that’s a part of the community, not just in the community,” says Dixon. “In fact, a separate service entrance and elevator were integrated into the design of the building so that locals can seamlessly enter and go straight into CIMAS, bypassing the lobby with out-of-towners.”
But it’s impossible to mention CIMAS without talking about Beck & Call, the accompanying rooftop bar at the Hyatt Centric. The two entities are designed to complement one another, while providing their own standalone experiences too. The bar is themed around a whiskey program, since Memphis is close to so many distilleries. “Going with a whiskey theme was a no-brainer,” says Dixon. “We wanted our menus to reflect the rich history and craft of America’s bourbon and whiskey legends.” Other selections include craft beer from Wiseacre, and several spirits from Old Dominick just up the road.
Photograph courtesy Hyatt Centric
Carnitas Breakfast Hash
As for food, Beck & Call stands on its own when it comes to the menu, and hews closer to a more conventional Southern influence that matches with the whiskey and cocktails. “Some ideas we’re playing around with include a shaved country ham with rhubarb beer jam and milk bread,” says Potter, “as well as Carolina gold rice tempura fried broccoli with pickled pepper aioli and torn basil.”
Beck & Call will also incorporate a raw component with oysters on the half shell. For that, Potter whips up his own take on mignonette sauce that utilizes Lindera Farms vinegar and smoked peppercorns. Another of his favorites is a country-fried pork tenderloin sandwich, placed on thick-cut toast with red pepper jelly and shaved cabbage. Guests are in luck, as the hotel offers 24-hour room service all week.
While independent, Dixon thinks that both establishments can tick every box for a night out. “Beck & Call is going to be a major hotspot for happy hour — especially with its vantage point for the nightly Mighty Lights show,” he says, referring to the colorful lighting of the Hernando DeSoto Bridge. “You’ll head up there to kick off the night, sip on a specialty bourbon, order some tapas, and soak in the views of the river and city. Then, you’ll flow down to CIMAS for a rock-star dinner.”
CIMAS and Beck & Call are located at the Hyatt Centric Beale Street at 33 Beale St. CIMAS is open daily from 7 a.m. to midnight; Beck & Call is open daily from 3 p.m. to midnight.
