Pete and Sam's
Hot and humid August days signal the regretful end of summer for me, the start of a new school year at the University of Memphis where I teach, and — since 2012 — the oftentimes difficult task of selecting the most memorable dishes I’ve eaten over the past year. When I look at previous top-10 stories, the annual lists assume different personalities. Sometimes, complex dishes made with chef-driven techniques dominate, while other compilations lean sweet or savory or skip around the world for inspiration.
For 2018, a trend from the 1980s emerges, taking cues, as well, from the way millennials like to eat. Instead of entrees, shared plates and appetizers dominate my top-10 list. Some, like the carrot cake at Ecco, are a throwback to earlier decades. Others, like the eggplant lasagna at Bounty and Broad, reinvent much-loved classics. One dish comes to the table flaming, while another favorite almost tumbles out of its hammered tin bucket filled with house-made chips.
Yet, despite the variety, most of these dishes share the spirited fun of passed plates, a style of eating favored by many chefs, including Tsunami’s Ben Smith. “Every other cuisine in the world has a sense of shared food: dim sum, tapas,” Smith says. “I love that because with smaller plates, you can hit the full spectrum of the palate in one meal. You can’t do that when eating entrée-size portions.”
Bucket of Bones at Strano by Chef Josh
Bucket of Bones at Strano
Photographs by Justin Fox Burks
Chef Josh Steiner designed the first menu item for his new restaurant in East Memphis as an appetizer for his family’s varied tastes. (“They all like different proteins,” Steiner explains.) Primal and fun to eat, the bucket’s bones come in pairs, stacked on thick-cut chips. Different preparation directs each duo. Chicken legs are sous vided and fried; lollipop lamb chops are marinated and grilled; meaty pork ribs are smoked and served steaming hot; and beef marrow bones — the bucket’s stand-out star — are smoked and then cooked on the kitchen’s wood grill. For dipping, house mustard and Italian barbecue sauce come alongside. And what makes the sauce Italian? “Lots of cumin and oregano.”
Contender: Lobster Tater Tots
518 Perkins Ext. (901-275-8976)
Carrot Cake at Ecco on Overton Park
It’s tempting to hoard the carrot cake at Ecco on Overton Park, but go ahead and pass around sous chef Isaac Hunt’s scrumptious interpretation of a 1970s staple. Hunt’s gorgeous cake starts with the basics — fresh carrots, sugar, flour, butter, eggs, and secret spices — but then the chef adds in his own surprises. First, he uses more vanilla and less sugar than most buttercreams, so the cake’s icing stays extra creamy. Next, pecans decorate the cake like a Southern coat of arms, protective and comforting. And finally, the finesse: raisin puree, drizzled on the cake and the plate in an artful zigzag pattern.
Contender: Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
1585 Overton Park Ave. (901-410-8200)
Ceviche at Curry N Jerk
When we order shrimp ceviche at Curry N Jerk, downtown’s new Caribbean restaurant, our server exclaims, “Oh! The ceviche is my favorite dish. I eat it almost every day.” No wonder. Owner Arturo Azcarate says the shrimp — cut into small pieces — marinate in lime juice and vinegar for at least half a day. Served in a martini glass with a wedge of lime, the appetizer presents a bit of a conundrum. Do we scoop up the ceviche with thick Jamaican water crackers or drink the citrus marinade in tiny sips? We opt for both approaches until all that remains of the Caribbean classic is a trio of lonely citrus seeds in the bottom of the glass.
Contender: Fried Red Snapper stuffed with herbs
126 Monroe Ave. (901-480-8380)
Chad Gates Cocktail and S’mores at The Gray Canary
A hearth popping with flames is the heart of wood-fired cooking at The Gray Canary, the latest venture by Memphis Chefs Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman. Happily, the focus extends beyond the kitchen with a cocktail and dessert that bring the fire to the table. The Chad Gates cocktail —named after Elvis Presley’s character in the film “Blue Hawaii — is the Canary’s rum-based Tiki drink, set ablaze with a sugar cube cradled inside a lime cup garnish. Likewise, S’mores — a more sophisticated spin of the campfire treat — flicker with tiny flames on marshmallow fluff, while Nutella and fior de latte, a frozen Italian gelato, hide underneath the fluffy dome like a scrumptious secret treasure.
Contender: Tuna Dip with Ink Squid Crackers
301 S. Front St. (901-249-2932)
The Draper at 117 Prime
Dreamy Don Draper and his signature cocktail bring retro romanticism to the lunch menu at 117 Prime, Chef Ryan Trimm’s new American steakhouse on Union. Trimm designed the mid-day special to offer regular customers an affordable variety of entrees, as well as to give the restaurant’s chefs more creative space. Priced at $16, including tax and tip, the special changes every day, ranging from Bourbon-glazed steak and shrimp kabobs with mashed sweet potatoes to tempura soft shell crab with arugula, roasted tomatoes and charred corn. Happily, the martini — made with Wheatley vodka from Buffalo Trace — stays the same, unless diners opt to substitute a non-alcoholic beverage.
Contender: 8-ounce Filet of Beef with Sauce Gribiche
117 Union Ave. (901-433-9851)
Eggplant Lasagna at Bounty on Broad
When Kunal Jadhav’s mother visited from India, Jadhav, who loves to cook and pal Russell Casey, the executive chef at Bounty on Broad, decided to honor her with a special dinner. Eggplant lasagna, one of the duo’s collaborative dishes for the event, was exceptional, earning a permanent spot on the restaurant’s regular menu. “Being open-minded and working with other cooks creates the best dishes,” Casey explains. “Basically, it’s about having fun.” Layered with bocconcini mozzarella, deep-fried eggplant, and Makhani marinara, the dish looks familiar but tastes unique. The Makhani sauce — a much-loved Indian preparation — is made with cashews, tomatoes, fenugreek, and curry. Explains Casey: “The lasagna is comfort food, but it’s also an eye-popper with new flavors.”
Contender: Watermelon Salad with Goat Feta and Lime Vinaigrette
2519 Broad Ave. (901-410-8131)
Giardini at Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen
In Italian, giardini means gardens, but at Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, the word inspires a lyrical short story of vegetable bites. Served in four mini-ramekins with demitasse spoons, the seasonal appetizer works as a companion for cocktails or a start for courses to come. Summer selections include tri-colored peppers, pickled, filled with feta and drizzled with Kalamata olive vinaigrette; asparagus tips, marinated, chilled, and rolled in a Walnut crumble; artichoke leaves, fried in tempera and Prosecco batter and served with celery root puree; and goat cheese panna cotta topped with ramps, celery, and tiny fresh peas. Now, I can hardly wait to eat the giardini for fall.
Contender: Chicken Liver Toast with Peaches and Mint
712 W. Brookhaven Circle (901-347-3569)
Ground Prime to Go at Humphrey’s Prime Cut Shoppe
Can ground beef have a cult following? Yes, it can when the beef is ground prime made fresh every day from the ends of Folk’s Folly’s hand-cut steaks. “The ground prime is filet mignon and rib-eye, but mostly filet,” says Terry Martin, manager of Humphrey’s Prime Cut Shoppe where the meat is sold. On most days, the ground prime sells for $6 a pound, but every Monday, the price drops to $3.99. During the restaurant’s busy holiday season, when the ground prime is particularly plentiful, the price drops another dollar. “I cook everything with it,” Martin says. “Burgers, meat loaf. And I love to put it in my spaghetti sauce.” At our household, we couldn’t agree more.
Contender: Tomahawk Bone-in Rib
551 S. Mendenhall (901-328-2245)
Sopa Pollo at Maciel’s on Highland
The sopa pollo at Maciel’s brims with flavor, including half an avocado sliced on top. The recipe comes from Chef Manny Martinez’s mother, who still lives in Mexico where Manny grew up. “My mom uses the whole chicken cut in pieces. I use only the chicken breast for a better taste,” Martinez says. Predictable ingredients, such as peppers, celery, garlic and a little salt, cook along with the chicken, but the soup’s finish is a surprise. Instead of adding rice to the soup pot, it waits in a bowl with chipotle, fresh tomatoes, and tortilla strips. “We put the chicken and broth on top, so the rice doesn’t get soggy,” Martinez explains. “It’s better that way.”
Contender: Asada Torta
525 S. Highland (901-504-4584)
Stuffed Celery at Pete and Sam’s
Growing up, special occasion dinners at home started with a relish tray, a loosely defined pressed-glass platter offering cocktail olives, gherkins, and celery sticks stuffed with cream cheese. These days, more elaborate appetizers overshadow their humble forbearer, but not at Pete and Sam’s, which reopened in May after a kitchen fire last year. Owner Sammy Bomarito says the restaurant’s long-standing recipe is a free-form mix of Gorgonzola and sour cream seasoned with paprika, lemon juice, granulated garlic. “We just mix it all up until it looks rights,” he says. When served, stuffed celery, black olives, tomato chunks, and pepperoncinos mingle together on green leaf lettuce leaves to shape a happy start to a hearty plate of pasta.
Contender: Half a Fried Chicken
3886 Park Ave. (901-458-0694)
