(1) The Beauty Shop
This restaurant is one of the most unique in Memphis. Housed in an old 1960s style beauty shop, diners have the option of being seated in refurbished hair-drying chairs. The restaurant's decor is "retro-chic", with beauty shop memorabilia sprinkled throughout. My parents took us to brunch at the Beauty Shop for our anniversary. It was fantastic. The cuisine is a mixture of down-home cookin' with global elements. On our past visit, Price ordered the fried chicken and waffles and I chose the fish tacos. Both dishes were fantastic. It was hard to decide with so many great things on the menu. I guess we will just have to go back :)
(2) Cafe 1912
For our anniversary dinner, Price treated me to Cafe 1912. This cute little French restaurant is right down the street from us, and I have been wanting to try it out for awhile. It was fantastic. I loved the casual atmosphere and the upscale, but not too fussy, food. The bread gets an A+ (a big criteria to consider, in my book). Another highlight, they serve chicken wine (properly referred to as La Vieille Ferme, but who can pronounce that?) Note-to-self, do not call chicken wine by it's nickname at a nice restaurant... you will get a confused look from the slightly snooty waiter. I ordered a salad of tomatoes, arugula, and mozzarella which was served with a basil pesto dressing and the goat cheese ravioli. The ravioli was tasty, but the salad was the deal breaker. Price chose the burger with Maytag blue cheese, bacon, and roasted garlic aïoli, served with pommes frites. The pommes frites (I ate HALF... hey... anniversary only comes once a year) were thin, crispy, and delicious. We loved the fact that we left full and happy for under $40.
(3) The Trolley Stop Market
This restaurant probably should get a post of its own. The Trolley Stop Market on Madison is a new addition to the city, specifically to the growing local food scene. The market is owned by Keith and Jill Forrester, local farmers and owners of Whitton Farms (my favorite booth at the Memphis Farmer's Market). The Trolley Stop is a huge space which houses a food counter, plentiful seating, and room for a variety of farmers and local artisans to sell their products. We ate here with some friends on Tuesday (taco night) and had a blast. The space is extremely accomodating to large groups, always a plus! The food is made with primarily local ingredients. The restaurant posts their lunch specials on their Facebook page each day. The dinner specials are as follows:
Monday- Vegan night
Tuesday- Taco night
Wednesday- burgers and wings
Thursday- (not sure)
Friday- (not sure)
Saturday- Italian night
In addition to the nightly specials, there is always pizza. And it is good pizza. You can build your own with a number of fresh ingredients, or buy a slice from the case. I chose the Margherita Pizza (pictured below).
The crust was perfect. Thin and crunchy, but not too crunchy. The tomatoes and basil tasted as if they came straight from the garden (they probably did), and the huge chunks of mozzarella were divine. The slice was HUGE and only cost $3.50. We have declared Trolley Stop "our new place." We will be returning soon... very soon.
(4) Central BBQ
If you are from Memphis, you know about Central. I will keep this one short. I don't love BBQ, but this is my pick in Memphis. We went last night with a group of friends, and in an effort to be healthy, I ordered the portabello mushroom BBQ sandwich. Wow. So good. If you want a break from eating pig, I suggest you try this.
We will be eating at home tonight, and probably every night until August. It was fun while it lasted.
This restaurant is one of the most unique in Memphis. Housed in an old 1960s style beauty shop, diners have the option of being seated in refurbished hair-drying chairs. The restaurant's decor is "retro-chic", with beauty shop memorabilia sprinkled throughout. My parents took us to brunch at the Beauty Shop for our anniversary. It was fantastic. The cuisine is a mixture of down-home cookin' with global elements. On our past visit, Price ordered the fried chicken and waffles and I chose the fish tacos. Both dishes were fantastic. It was hard to decide with so many great things on the menu. I guess we will just have to go back :)
(2) Cafe 1912
For our anniversary dinner, Price treated me to Cafe 1912. This cute little French restaurant is right down the street from us, and I have been wanting to try it out for awhile. It was fantastic. I loved the casual atmosphere and the upscale, but not too fussy, food. The bread gets an A+ (a big criteria to consider, in my book). Another highlight, they serve chicken wine (properly referred to as La Vieille Ferme, but who can pronounce that?) Note-to-self, do not call chicken wine by it's nickname at a nice restaurant... you will get a confused look from the slightly snooty waiter. I ordered a salad of tomatoes, arugula, and mozzarella which was served with a basil pesto dressing and the goat cheese ravioli. The ravioli was tasty, but the salad was the deal breaker. Price chose the burger with Maytag blue cheese, bacon, and roasted garlic aïoli, served with pommes frites. The pommes frites (I ate HALF... hey... anniversary only comes once a year) were thin, crispy, and delicious. We loved the fact that we left full and happy for under $40.
(3) The Trolley Stop Market
This restaurant probably should get a post of its own. The Trolley Stop Market on Madison is a new addition to the city, specifically to the growing local food scene. The market is owned by Keith and Jill Forrester, local farmers and owners of Whitton Farms (my favorite booth at the Memphis Farmer's Market). The Trolley Stop is a huge space which houses a food counter, plentiful seating, and room for a variety of farmers and local artisans to sell their products. We ate here with some friends on Tuesday (taco night) and had a blast. The space is extremely accomodating to large groups, always a plus! The food is made with primarily local ingredients. The restaurant posts their lunch specials on their Facebook page each day. The dinner specials are as follows:
Monday- Vegan night
Tuesday- Taco night
Wednesday- burgers and wings
Thursday- (not sure)
Friday- (not sure)
Saturday- Italian night
In addition to the nightly specials, there is always pizza. And it is good pizza. You can build your own with a number of fresh ingredients, or buy a slice from the case. I chose the Margherita Pizza (pictured below).
The crust was perfect. Thin and crunchy, but not too crunchy. The tomatoes and basil tasted as if they came straight from the garden (they probably did), and the huge chunks of mozzarella were divine. The slice was HUGE and only cost $3.50. We have declared Trolley Stop "our new place." We will be returning soon... very soon.(4) Central BBQ
If you are from Memphis, you know about Central. I will keep this one short. I don't love BBQ, but this is my pick in Memphis. We went last night with a group of friends, and in an effort to be healthy, I ordered the portabello mushroom BBQ sandwich. Wow. So good. If you want a break from eating pig, I suggest you try this.
We will be eating at home tonight, and probably every night until August. It was fun while it lasted.
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