Category: Downtown Dining Discoveries

I’ve been hungry for some food from the Fish for a while, and today I decided to take care of that craving with A fish – a WHOLE fish. In my entire life I have never had a whole fish for dinner. Tonight I decided to give one a try. I got the snapper Vera Cruz – snapper covered in a spicy tomato sauce with veggies.

When I first ate fish as a kid, my mother and grandmother told me I had to chew 24 times. Or 28 times. Or some ridiculous number like that. At the time I didn’t understand why. I was eating fish from Long John Silver’s and there was not a bone to be found. Nor was there a bone in any of the fish I’ve ever eaten at the Flying Fish. However, those were fried/grilled filets.

This, on the other hand, was the real deal. A red snapper, fried whole. There were bones galore. I had to chew and chew and chew and chew to make sure I didn’t swallow anything I didn’t want to. Separating the meat from the bones was an adventure. The spicy Vera Cruz sauce complimented the fish as I picked it off the bones, as did the medium-hot green Tabasco sauce I sprinkled on the fish and rice. For those of you who order this dish, don’t forget to flip it over – there’s an entire ‘nother half a fish to be eaten!

It was about as much food as the snapper filet meal, three and a half dollars cheaper at $9.99. Was it worth the extra money to get the whole fish? Once, for the experience. The Vera Cruz sauce was worth a little extra too, although you can get that on any entree at the Fish for $1.29 more. Glad I tried it, but from now on I’m going to let the kitchen take care of the bones.

Been an interesting day. Here’s a pro tip: If you’re from Nesbit, Mississippi, don’t check in at “Some Podunk Town in Alabama” as you’re coming back from the beach.

Stopped at Bardog and Saucer before hitting the Fish. Now that I’m fed, back out for round two.

I just walked over to Court Avenue, where the Scratch food truck is parked between Second and Third, just east of Court Square.

They had today’s menu posted and I gave it a look.

I decided to give the gumbo a try. Their menu changes but I understand the gumbo is one of the staples of the menu.

I’m enjoying it at home now as I type this. Very tasty chicken and sausage gumbo. It reminds me of the gumbos I had when I visited New Orleans for a business trip two years ago.

The Memphis Connect blog has more info about Scratch. You can follow the truck on Facebook and Twitter.

Today I decided to try Bleu for lunch. Bleu is the restaurant inside the Westin Hotel, across the street from the FedExForum. They have a B.Y.O. (Build Your Own) Sandwich menu that I have seen several other bloggers write about, but since I’m rarely Downtown at lunch I had not had the chance to try it before today.

(Click to see image in a larger size, although I’m going to tell you all about the menu below)

Ordering the BYO Sandwich is an 8-step process.

In Step 1, you pick your protein. Choices are Angus beef, marinated chicken breast, ahi tuna, fried catfish, portabello mushroom cap, or sliced sirloin. I picked the sirloin.

In Step 2, you choose your temperature. Rare, medium rare, medium, medium well, or well. Obviously this step is skipped for the meats that need to be cooked thoroughly, like the chicken. I asked for medium rare, my preferred temp for a quality cut of beef.

In Step 3, you choose your bun. Choices include a Kaiser roll, whole wheat bun, poor boy, or tortilla wrap. You also have the option of paying $3 extra for a grilled cheese bun. I got the Kaiser roll.

In Step 4, you choose a sauce. Options are chipotle mayo, sweet Thai chili sauce, spicy fancy sauce, garlic aioli, BBQ sauce, or salsa. My pick was the chipotle mayo.

In Step 5, you choose your cheese. Choices are American yellow, aged cheddar, Jarisberg Swiss, sharp provolone, bleu, or goat cheese. I got the Swiss.

In Step 6, you choose up to three toppings. You choose from iceberg lettuce, arugula, sliced pickles, cole slaw, Bermuda onions, sliced jalapenos, caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes, or roasted red peppers. I selected the caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, and roasted red peppers.

In Step 7. you pick your premium toppings ($1 each). These consist of avocado, a fried egg, Applewood smoked bacon, onion rings, or a fried tomato. I asked for the onion rings.

In step 8, you choose your side. Choices are hand-cut fries, potato salad, fruit cup, sweet potato fries, or cole slaw. I got the cole slaw.

Here’s the sandwich I built:

This was one delicious sandwich. The sirloin was tender, and was properly cooked medium rare as ordered. The steak was juicy, which kind of made the sandwich fall apart but I didn’t mind. I think if I got this sandwich again, I’d select a different bun, maybe the poor boy, that would hold together better. The chipotle mayo was a nice accent, and the onion rings on top were worth the extra dollar.

Service was friendly and quick. One thing I like is that the server brought my check at the time I brought my meal. Many people eating there are going to be on lunch hour from work, and already having the check handy helped to speed things up. However, the server also made it clear that if I wanted anything else, he’d be happy to get it.

I liked the decor of the restaurant as well – not surprisingly, since blue is my favorite color. A very positive experience, and a lunch that I would happily recommend.

 

Fried mushrooms at Blind Bear. Geezus, could they possibly give you more to eat, short of a dump truck full of shrooms pulling up to your backyard? One of the best values Downtown for sure.

This was a special so it may not be available when you go in. But, take this as an indication of the quality of Bardog’s specials. Just look at the chalkboard near the kitchen. If anything sounds good, I advise ordering it.

Good Lord. I just discovered there’s egg in that stir fry. I’m in love.

Yesterday afternoon I finally made it south to Double J SmokeHouse and Saloon to eat. For my first time ordering off the menu, I had to go with the ribs. I was hungry enough to tackle a full rack, which came with choice of two sides. I chose sauteed garlic mushrooms and beans. Having now had the ribs, I can say without doubt that this is where I will be sending people for BBQ Downtown from now on. I say that not just because Double J is my BBQ team sponsor, but because these ribs are better than any I’ve had at a restaurant walking or trolley distance from home. If you’ve tried the ribs at the Rendezvous and been disappointed, hop a trolley south to the Double J. I think you’ll be much happier with what you get.

Double J is in the old Beignet Cafe building on G.E. Patterson, at the corner of Mulberry. They’re open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week.

Friday night my BBQ team the Moody Ques had its board of directors meeting at the Double J SmokeHouse and Saloon. I’m not on the board but was asked to come take pictures… which I was happy to do, because “championship shoulder sampling” was on the agenda.

Jeff and John smoked the shoulder for 14 hours, and served it to us as the board was wrapping up business. Nice and dark on the outside, incredibly moist and juicy once we started pulling it apart. If this is their first attempt at championship shoulder, I can’t wait to taste future attempts. A trophy in our first year is looking more and more possible. If you like what you see above, you can get it at the Double J, open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. They’re on G.E. Patterson, in the old Beginet Cafe space, across from Max’s Sports Bar.

We tried the sausage and cheese plate and the fried pickles too, both very good. Pro tip: ask for some dry rub to sprinkle on your sausage and cheese plate, as well as on the pork.

More photos of the shoulder sampling, board meeting, and Double J are on the Moody Ques website.

Double J on the radio: RT Scott will host a live broadcast for Radio Memphis today from 5 to 7 PM. After that there will be 3 hours of live music.

I just brought home an immense amount of food for $6.

After stops at the Saucer and the Goose, I went to the Blind Bear and ordered their veggie plate to go. There are about ten different options. I went with the side of chili, the white mac & cheese, the blackeyed peas and the sweet buttered corn (all pictured above).  Veggies are $2 individually or 4 for $6 (yes chili is considered a veggie).

I got them to go. Once home I mixed up the chili and white mac & cheese for a white chili mac.

I found a couple packets of Texas Pete hot sauce in my sauce packet drawer at home. I added one to my chili mac creation, and another to the blackeyed peas. I also seasoned the peas liberally with black pepper.

The result? A meal the likes of which I’d put up against any double its cost. There is no way I am going to be able to finish all this food. And it’s good food. It’s not like I went to Denny’s and ordered off their $2/4/6/8 menu.

I just realized… why not dump the corn in with the mac & white cheese too? Mix it all up. The peas will stand by themselves though. I have never been a veggie plate fan in my life but this one is worth a try. You can get banana pudding on it too if you want to mix some dessert in.

Tonight at the Silly Goose I got knocked out of poker at 8:56 PM. I ran to the bar. “Nikki, can you tab me out quick, please?” I asked. She did. Nikki is awesome. I sprinted down Main, past two police cars, the occupants of which may have wondered if I just held someplace up, to the Blind Bear. “Sausage and cheese plate!” I barked at Morgan, who was holding down the bar while Jamie stepped away for a minute. Morgan is awesome too and knew what was up. She put my order right in. You see, every Monday the Bear has $4 sausage and cheese plates (and half price wine) from 6 to 9. I made it by two minutes.

I had this plate and one Mason jar of PBR, and my tab was a whopping $6.87, tax included. Yeah it will never be confused with escargot at Felicia’s or Chez Philippe, but you know what? There’s nothing wrong with a good, working-class meal at a very reasonable price. Seasoned smoked sausage, cubes of Swiss and Jack, pickles, crackers, mustard. The kind of evening snack that makes me hope I get knocked out at poker early more often.

I’m sober enough to post the news, so let’s get a few things done while I’m at the computer.

A Downtown soul food restaurant was destroyed by fire. Willie Moore’s Family Restaurant at Third and Crump was consumed by flames this weekend. Best wishes and thoughts to the owners and family; I didn’t get a chance to eat there but they were clearly loved by people in the area.

EmergeMemphis will hold a meet & greet February 23 from 4:30 to 6:30 PM to say goodbye to outgoing director Gwin Scott, and to welcome interim executive director Eric Mathews. If you dream of starting your own business you need to come and meet Eric. He’s very approachable, so don’t be shy. Although, you can hit him up on Twitter at @ECMathews if you prefer to make contact electronically.

Speaking of Twitter, there’s word on there tonight that Jack White will perform at the New Daisy on March 13. It will be one of his first solo shows since leaving the White Stripes.

And that’s the news. Actually home at a reasonable hour tonight, having declined to play the 10:00 game at the Goose. Will get a full night’s sleep. Probably back tomorrow at lunchtime with another post.

Johnny G’s Creole Kitchen on Beale Street has become one of my favorite places to grab dinner. After an afternoon of day drinking at Bardog and the Saucer, I decided it was time for a Johnny G’s visit. I made a deal with myself that I had to order menu items I had not yet tried. I chose the Stuffed Peppadew Peppers and the Mardi Gras Cheese Dip.

Both were listed as “featured items” on the menu. The stuffed peppadew peppers had intrigued me every time I saw them on the menu, but I’d not yet got around to trying them. They were listed as sweet and spicy peppers stuffed with crab. I decided to give them a try. At $6.95, I wondered how big the portion was. I decided I better get something else to go with them, just in case the peppers themselves weren’t enough. I selected the Mardi Gras cheese dip.

Good thing I did. The peppers were about the size of cherry peppers, and like cherry peppers were red, fried with crab stuffed inside.  There were six of them, no more than an appetizer – but then again, for $6.95 it was still a dish worth the money. They were delicious dipped in the remoulade sauce that came with them.

(Edit: Here’s a link to the Wikipedia entry for peppadew peppers. They’re from South Africa.)

I love the chips at Johnny G’s. They’re thin and covered with seasoning. Actually, sometimes they were too thin, breaking apart as I dipped them in the cheese dip. I didn’t mind though. Cheese dip was tasty, with spinach, tomatoes and peppers making it tasty and visually appealing. I would definitely order either of these again.