Tiffany Tastes

A Taste of Something Different

I have a new job in the Midtown area of Memphis, so I'm trying new places that are a bit of a trek from my East Memphis residence.  A few days ago, I met some friends for lunch at Cafe Eclectic, a hip eatery near Rhodes College.

We sat down at 1:00pm, but the place was still plenty crowded.  (That could be attributed to the free WiFi, since most of the patrons were sipping coffee and working on laptops).  A waiter came over promptly to take our drink orders.  I went for a Mexican Coke (which, if you're not familiar, is made with sugar instead of corn syrup and only comes in glass bottles).  For my entrée I had the chicken pot pie, which my server told me would be the best restaurant version I would ever eat.  While, I think he may have been stretching it just a tad, it was still pretty good, and the crust was very flaky.  I chose a side salad for my accompaniment, and it was decent, nothing special.  My dining companions A and J ordered the chicken pot pie and the BLT&A with side salads respectively. A agreed that the pot pie and salad were decent, nice and filling especially on a cold day, but he'd had better.  J really enjoyed his BLT&A (a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich with avocado). The bacon was crispy, the avocado ripe, and the whole sandwich tasted fresh and delicious.

For dessert, the three of us split the Charlie Brown Bar and the bread pudding.  The Charlie Brown Bar is a super rich peanut butter and oatmeal cookie with chocolate chips and a more peanut butter on top.  It was extremely dense, and while I liked the flavor, the texture was a little off-putting.  The bread pudding, however, is top notch.  It's made from croissants, full of raisins, and covered in a rich butter sauce.  I LOVE bread pudding, but that being said, I'm also quite picky about them, so trust me, you can't go wrong with Cafe Eclectic's superb version.

Final Impressions: Cafe Eclectic is a cool place to hang out with your laptop and a cup of java, or to grab a bite to eat during the work day.  The bakery case has several treats to choose from, and they even have ice cream and an old-fashioned soda fountain.

Tiffany's Favorite Part: two words- Bread Pudding

Tiffany's Rating: :) :) :) out of :) :) :) :)

Cafe Eclectic
603 N. McClean Boulevard
Memphis, TN 38107
(901) 725-1718

Average Breakfast Price: $4-$10
Average Soup/Salad Price: $4-$7
Average Sandwich Price: $7-$9
Average Entrée Price: $7-$9
Average Dessert Price: $2-$6

Operating Hours
Monday-Wednesday 7:00am-10:00pm
Thursday-Saturday 7:00am-1:00am
Sunday 9:00am-10:00pm

Comfort Foods

With the recent cold snap, we've been spending a lot of time indoors, cooking rather than going out to eat.  I would love for you, faithful readers, to tell me about your favorite comfort foods.  Ideas, recipes, share it all! I want to hear from you.  Below, I give you a recipe for one of my favorite comfort foods. 

Spicy Tomato Soup
(This is adapted to my tastes from a recipe that originated with Paula Deen.  You can find her version here.)

8 tablespoons of butter, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
3 cups canned chicken broth
1 (29-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (29-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
2 dashes hot sauce 
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

In a 4-qt heavy bottom sauce pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter.  Saute' onions and garlic, over med-low heat, in the butter until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.  Add remaining butter to the pan along with the flour.  Stir until flour is smooth.  Cook 2-3 minutes.  Slowly add the chicken broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition and allowing the soup to thicken slightly before adding more broth. When all the broth is added, add the tomato sauce and the diced tomatoes, 1 cup at a time, stirring well and allowing the mixture to thicken before adding more. When all the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes have been added, season soup with hot sauce, honey, dill weed, pepper, chili powder, basil, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder and Worcestershire sauce. Allow to simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes so that the flavors can blend. Stir frequently, as the soup will stick to the bottom of the pot.

Happy Cooking!

Andrew Blair's- Redux

A little while back, I asked you if you thought that I should re-review restaurants if I revisit them after my initial review.  You said yes, so here it goes.

A little over a year ago, I brought you a review of a restaurant all the way in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Andrew Blair's Comfortable Dining is a casual eatery with an upscale menu and reasonable prices.  A few weeks ago, I found myself back in Charlotte and back and Andrew Blair's.  I give you this update.

For my appetizer, I had the spinach artichoke dip.  It was a good rendition of a standard staple.  It was creamy, well-seasoned and was great with the salted lavash that was served as an accompaniment.  Unfortunately, this is where the positive part of my meal begins...and ends.

I chose the Madison Park Chicken (a house specialty) as my entree'.  It is advertised as a grilled chicken breast stuffed with feta, topped with artichoke, capers and tomatoes and served over risotto.  In my mind, this sounded like a tasty and satisfying dish, and if all of the elements had been well-executed, my prediction would have been correct.  However, my chicken breast was extremely dry and desperately needed salt.  The feta filling was bland and had an unpleasant texture.  The artichoke/caper topping was unpleasantly bitter and while the flavor of the risotto was decent, it was cold and the texture was gummy.

Hoping to end on a positive note, I finished my meal with the creme brulee.  This may not have been the best choice; the custard was runny, bland and grainy and the sugar topping was burnt in some places and completely untouched by heat in others.  It was a complete failure of a dish that is usually fairly simple to execute.

Final Impressions:  The service was pretty good, and I'll admit that our group was large, but there is no excuse for the quality of the food that was served.  On the upside, drinks are potent and well-crafted and the cornbread and hushpuppies that are served with every meal are delicious.

Additional Notes: My original rating of :) :) :) out of :) :) :) :) does not apply for this particular visit.  I'm not sure if it was my menu choices or if the food has really fallen this far in the last year.  While the atmosphere is still cool and chic, I would suggest that if you do visit Andrew Blair's Comfortable Dining, come for the drinks, not the food.

Tiffany's Favorite Part: Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Tiffany's (revised) Rating: :) 1/2 out of :) :) :) :)

Andrew Blair's Comfortable Dining
1600 Montford Drive
Charlotte, NC 28209
(705) 525-8282

Average Appetizer Price: $7-$14
Average Salad/Sandwich Price: $10-$16
Average Main Course Price: $17-$28
Average Dessert Price: $6-$10

Operating Hours
Dinner: Tuesday-Saturday 5:00pm-10:00pm
Bar Service: Tuesday-Saturday 5:00-until

I've got that strange feeling of...

Deja Vu is a small restaurant in the industrial section of down town Memphis.  Labeled as a creole and...vegetarian (and we don't get many vegetarian options in this city) eatery, Deja Vu has many traditional New Orleans options and the prices are extremely reasonable. Only open for about a year, Deja Vu gets most of its business from people working downtown. 

A popular lunch spot, this restaurant only has six four-top tables within its bright yellow walls.  Come early or arrive late to aviod missing one of these coveted spaces. The hubby and I decided to check out Deja Vu one weekday afternoon not too long ago.  We arrived right at 11:00am and were the first to arrive. 

I ordered the honey roasted chicken (dark meat, of course) with candied yams and oven roasted potatoes and Tom ordered the crawfish etouffe with smothered okra and citrus spinach.  My honey roasted chicken wound up being fried and the covered in a sweet, tangy honey glaze.  I got two legs and one thigh along with my two sides and a piece of cornbread for only $6.99.  The chicken was tender, juicy and the sauce was to die for.  I wish the potates were a little crispier, but the flavor was delicious.  The yams were standard fare, but didn't fall into the trap of being too sweet like some preparations can tend to be. 

Tom's etouffe had a nice spicy flavor.  It was incrediby well-seasoned, chunky and thick, like it should be.  It was served over perfectly cooked, fluffy white rice, and was well complimented by his choice of sides.  The okra was covered in tomatoes and onions and was a nice derivation from the usual fried option.  I found the spinach to be a bit bland, but he liked it a lot.

To finish off our meal, we decided on the bread pudding, which was my only real complaint of the entire meal.  While the bread pudding itself had a nice texture, the inclusion of unconventional fruit (pineapple and peaches to name a couple) were a bit off-putting and there was an overwhelming flavor of cinnamon and cloves that was just not tasty.  It tasted like tree bark.

Final Impressions: Go early to avoid the lunch rush, and avoid the bread pudding all together.  If you're jonesing for dessert, I hear the peach cobbler is very good. I will take that route on my next visit.  Otherwise, the food is well-prepared (cooked to order), well-seasoned and definitely authentic.

Tom's Favorite: Crawfish Etouffe
Tiffany's Favorite: Honey Roasted Chicken

Tiffany's Rating (With Bread Pudding) :) :) 1/2 out of :) :) :) :)
Tiffany's Rating (Without Bread Pudding) :) :) :) out of :) :) :) :)

Deja Vu Restaurant
936 Florida Street
Memphis TN, 38106
(901) 942-1400

Average Entree Price: $7-$15
Average Sandwich Price: $6-$9
Average Dessert Price: $4

Operating Hours
Monday-Friday 11:00am-7:00pm
Saturday 12:00pm-6:00pm

Healthy Sweets

Most people who know me understand that I love sweets.  My dad did a lot of baking when I was growing up, and dessert was a mainstay at my house.  I'm ambivalent about a steak, but I'll knock a sucker out for a brownie.  In my quest to lose a few pounds and live an overall healthier lifestyle, I've found many low-fat, store bought sweets to be lacking.  Sadly, there aren't many options for people who want tasty sweets that won't pad your hips. 

I was perusing the Fresh Market near my job when I ran across a new line of frozen treats from a company called Wine Cellar Sorbet.  Now, I love wine and I love sorbet. Win-win! Score!  I picked up a pint of Sangria sorbet and took it home to enjoy.  Let me tell you, it was worth every penny of the $5.99 price tag.  Tangy, sweet, and super refreshing, it was difficult to stop after only three spoonfuls.

With flavors like sake, mimosa, ruby port and pinot noir, there is an option for every type of wine connoisseur.  It's fat-free and low calorie, so it's also a good choice for those of us who are watching our figure.  I can't wait to try some of the other flavors.

Sangria Sorbet
Wine Cellar Sorbet
:) :) :) out of :) :) :) :)

A ShoutOut...Cupcake Love

Now that I'm trying to become a slimmer Tiffany, I've had to cut out some of my most favorite, delicious things, including my regular treks to Muddy's Bake Shop in East Memphis.  Now, for those of you who have never been, you're missing out on a treat.  Muddy's serves up the most delicious cupcakes, cookies, and puddings in town.  They are so delicious that I used to stop in and grab a couple for my friends as gifts (and of course, since I was already there, I got a few for myself as well :P)

This isn't a regular review, but rather, a shout out; a plea from me to you to go out and grab some Muddy's.  Bring cookies to your next office party or take some pudding to a potluck or order some cupcakes to make a birthday celebration extra special.  Their cupcakes are just like grandma used to make. Try some now!  Now that I will be making fewer trips, you should pick up my slack.  Grab a Frankly Scarlett (Red Velvet Cake) or a Snickerdoodle cupcake. Those are my personal favorites.  And the Oreo pudding is to die for.  Everything is delicious.  You won't be sorry :)

Muddy's Bake Shop
501 Sanderlin #114
Memphis, TN 38114
(901) 683-8844

Operating Hours
Tuesday-Thursday 11:00am-9:00pm
Friday & Saturday 11:00am-11:00pm

Some Interesting Points...

A few days ago, I was thinking about the fact that restaurant reviews are completely subjective, not just because people have different tastes and preferences, but also because every experience is unique.  Bobby may eat a restaurant and have a wonderful time, and Sally may go to the same restaurant the following week and have a terrible experience.  Or in my case, I may go to a restaurant one day and have an amazing time and then re-visit the same institution a couple of months later and have a less than stellar experience.

There have been two restaurants that I patronized (and reviewed) within the last few months.  (For now, these restaurants will be anonymous, but I may identify them in a future update.) The first time that I ate at these particular places, I had a good experience, which resulted in favorable reviews.  However, on the second go-round, both places were less than satisfactory.

If the experiences I had the 2nd time had occurred on my initial visit, the reviews would have been less glowing (we're talking ratings of an entire smiley face or more lower). In fact, if these travesties had happened the first time, there might not have been a 2nd visit.

So, I pose to you, my faithful readers, a question: Should I blog a follow-up if a 2nd visit yields a review that is drastically different than the first?

It Doesn't Get Any Better

Located in an unassuming shopping center (ie: strip mall), situated in a nice, but not ritzy, area of Las Vegas, sits Rosemary's Restaurant.  When you first see it, it doesn't appear to be anything special, but once you walk inside, you realize that you're about to enjoy something amazing.  From the super friendly hostesses, to the immaculately dressed wait staff, Rosemary's Restaurant offers an awesome dining experience.

The hubby and I decided to enjoy Rosemary's for lunch one hot, summer afternoon during our recent Vegas expedition.  It is classy and comfortable at the same time.  We felt perfectly at ease in jeans (Note: The dinner dress code is more strict. Call the restaurant for details).

At Rosemary's, you can order food A La Carte or you can choose a Prix Fixe selection. We both decided to take advantage of the 3 course Prix Fixe menu which gives you one entree, and your choice of one appetizer and one dessert, two appetizers, or two desserts for the staggeringly reasonable price of $28.00 per person.  Tom decided to have two appetizers and an entree, and I chose the classic appetizer, entree, and dessert combination.

For his first appetizer, Tom ordered the corn soup with chive butter.  It was smooth, creamy, sweet, and very flavorful.  I chose the Rosemary salad with roasted onion dressing and homemade rosemary crackers.  The dressing was sweet and tangy, and the savory crackers were a nice counterpoint.  Tom's second appetizer was bbq shrimp with Maytag blue cheese coleslaw.  The contrast in flavors was outstanding.  The blue cheese pairs really well with the sweet and smoky bbq sauce.  I could have eaten the whole plate, which is truly and amazing feat since I don't particularly care for coleslaw, blue cheese, or shrimp (that last one is blasphemy, I know :P )

For our entrees, I selected monte cristo: turkey, caval cheese, ad a strawberry and cranberry marmalade.  The marmalade really made the sandwich.  The flavors just exploded in my mouth.  It was served with onion straws and a tasty dipping sauce that had the sweetness of ketchup, the tang of cocktail sauce, and the zip of chili sauce. The onion rings were a tad greasy, but overall, it was a very successful dish.  Tom chose a daily special which featured grilled salmon with a roasted tomato and haricot vert (french style green beans) orzo and smoked tomato cream sauce.  Visually, it was beautiful; it was also perfectly cooked, well seasoned, and had great flavor.  The tomato cream sauce was outstanding.  Tom called it the perfect dish.

I chose the hazelnut goat cheese cheesecake with scotch caramel sauce to complete our meal.  It was incredibly creamy; the goat cheese gave it nice tang which was rounded out by the sweetness of the caramel sauce.  The crusted had bits of toasted hazelnuts that added nice texture to the dessert.

Final Impressions: Go to Rosemary's Restaurant! Drop everything you're doing and go now.  The food is outstanding, and the service was impeccable.  We had two waiters who were extremely knowledgeable and experienced.  Tom commented that he has never had better service at a restaurant, ever.  The prices are extremely reasonable if you take into account the quality of the food, the service, the atmosphere, and the experience.

Tom's favorite: The salmon (by a very slim margin)
Tiffany's favorite: The corn soup (by a very slim margin)

Tiffany's Rating :) :) :) :) out of :) :) :) :)

Rosemary's Restaurant
8125 W. Sahara Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89117
(702) 869-2251

Average Appetizer Price: (Lunch and Dinner) $7-$15
Average Entree Price: (Lunch) $15-$22 (Dinner) $20-$38
Average Dessert Price: (Lunch and Dinner) $7-$10
Prix Fixe Price: (Lunch) $28 (Dinner) $50

Operating Hours
Lunch: Monday-Friday 11:30am-2:30pm
Dinner: 5:30pm-close Daily

It's Vegas, Baby!

This year, the hubby and I decided to go to Las Vegas for our vacation.  My next few posts will be dedicated to this energetic city and our fantastic experiences.  In this particular post, I'm going to discuss casinos (because I love to gamble :P)

Best Buffet: Tie between Treasure Island and Paris Las Vegas.  Both had great quality and amazing selection.  I'd have to give the slight nod to Paris Las Vegas, because it was a touch cheaper, and I really enjoyed the Parisian-themed breakfast.

Most Beautiful Casino: The Bellagio- No Contest.  Not only did I see the great Johnny Chan wandering around, but it is an all-around beautiful space.

Best Table Games: Harrah's, I learned 3 new table games at Harrah's, and the limits were reasonable.

Best Casino for High Rollers: The Bellagio or The Venetian

Best Casino for Small Ballers: Main Street Station (Downtown)

Coolest Casino on the Strip: Planet Hollywood

Coolest Casino that's not on the Strip: The Golden Nugget is by far the most awesome casino space away from the strip. Plenty of low limit action, and a shark tank in the pool. What more could you ask for?

Most attentive cocktail waistresses: Treasure Island

Best Restaurant: Rosemary's Restaurant (full review coming soon)

Best Hole in the Wall Restaurant: Lotus of Siam- delicious Thai food

Best Casino/Hotel Theme: Paris Las Vegas was well appointed with the cobblestone streets and the sky painted on the ceiling. The inside of the hotel made you feel as though you were truly roaming the avenus of Paris.

Stay tuned for more adventures from Vegas...

Before It's Too Late

I have a backlog of several restaurant reviews so that I have plenty material to do weekly blog updates.  The good part is that I almost always have stuff to say, but there is also a downfall.  With the economy floundering, I've found that several restaurants that I had visited and planned on reviewing had permanently closed their doors.

This post is a plea to my faithful readers to please, please, please patronize locally owned restaurants in your hometown.  In return, I pledge to you to try and update my restaurant reviews sooner.  Next time, a few more customers could make all the difference.
This post is in honor (and memory) of the Memphis area restaurants that have closed recently...

Avenue A Fine Grill (Cordova)
Blue Plate Cafe (Bartlett location only; Poplar Ave location is still open)
Bol A Pasta (Cordova and Germantown locations)
Buckley's Fine Grill (Cordova location only; Yates Rd and Poplar locations are still open)
Cafe 61 (Downtown)
Da Vinci's Italian Restaurant (Germantown)
EP's Delta Kitchen (Downtown)
Jordan's Catfish and More (Bartlett)
King Biscuit Diner (Cordova)
Lobster King (Midtown)
Lolo's Table (Downtown)
Luchessi's (Germantown location only; Sanderlin Ave location is still open)
Mantia's (East Memphis)
Square Foods (Midtown)
Stella (Downtown)
Sweet Bistro (Midtown)
Yia Yia's Euro Grill (Germantown)

and all the others that aren't listed...

Hopefully, we can all make a difference to save our locally-owned, hometown favorites.