Tiffany Tastes

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.

Mmm...gimme the green stuff

One of my favorite summer vegetables is asparagus.  I prefer the green over the white, and not just because it's usually cheaper.  Asparagus is one of those vegetables that you really don't have to do much to in order for it to taste great.

Many people like to boil or steam there asparagus, but the next time you pick some up at the farmer's market or your local grocery store, try this:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Wash and thoroughly dry your asparagus.  Remove the hard ends with a knife or a vegetable peeler.  Drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil per bunch of asparagus.  Season to taste with Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Add one teaspoon of lemon zest per bunch and combine until all the asparagus is evenly coated with the oil and seasoning. Spread on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the tips start to brown. (I promise, the crispy bits are the best part).  Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle asparagus with 2 tsp of fresh lemon juice and a little more salt to taste.

This method of preparation gives the asparagus more flavor than traditional boiling or steaming, and it's extremely simple.  The next time you need  a quick and easy side dish, give this one a try.

Finding the Best!

Summer is here! What that means for me is that the local farmer's markets are up and running.  These are the places where I find the best produce (yellow corn, strawberries, and asparagus are my personal favorites).  This post is my plea to you to find, support, and patronize your local farmer's markets.  You won't find any better products, and these purveyors of local goods need our help to survive in this economy.  You'll often find that the prices at the farmer's markets are better than those at the super market for equivalent products.  So head out and show your support to the local farmers, artists, and craftspeople in your area.

If you're in Memphis, there are two popular options:

Memphis Farmer's Market
Central Station, S. Front St at GE Patterson
Every Saturday Mid-April-October 7:00am-1:00pm

Agricenter Farmer's Market
7777 Walnut Grove Rd.
Monday-Friday 7:30am-5:30pm
Saturday 7:00am-5:30pm

Watchamacallit vs. Thingamajig: A Candy Bar Face Off

One day in the not too distant past, I was perusing the candy shelves at a local Walgreen's when I came across a candy bar called a "Thingamajig," a limited edition chocolate bar distributed by Hershey.  People who are near and dear to my heart know that the Whatchamacallit (also distributed by Hershey) is my absolute most favorite candy bar.  As I reached for the Thingamajig, I noticed the similarities in packaging to the Whatchamacallit.  The color of the wrapper was different, but the graphics were the same.

Underneath their wrappers, there is also no discernible difference in appearance. (The Watchamacallit is on the top) The Watchamacallit is a bit slimmer and a touch longer, but that's about it.

However, the fillings differ greatly.  The Watchamacallit advertises that it is made with chocolate, peanut flavored crisps and caramel.

The Thingamajig boasts chocolate with cocoa crisps and peanut butter.

As you can see, the chocolate crispies give the Thingamajig a darker center, while the caramel and peanut crisps make the Watchamacallit much lighter in appearance.

THE TASTE TEST:

The chocolate crisps of the Thingamajig give it a softer center while the Watchamacallit is more dense and crunchier.  The Thingamajig has a much more pronounced peanut butter flavor which the hubby ultimately preferred over the caramel center of the Whatchamacallit.  I, however, think that the Watchamacallit is infinitely superior :) The flavors are more balanced, and it has everything that you could want in a candy bar.

FINAL RESULTS:

If you like peanut butter, the Thingamajig is probably a better fit for you, but for purists, the Watchamacallit is the way to go  Both candy bars are quite tasty in their own way, but if your looking for a Thingamajig, you better act fast; it is a limited edition treat.

Dinner Takes "Flight"

Downtown Memphis has taken a hit recently. Several restaurants have closed over the past few months, leaving the area depressed and empty.  Several weeks ago, a new eatery opened in the space vacated by Stella, a popular fine dining establishment situated right off the trolley line.  In this beautiful space, a new restaurant was born, one that brought a fresh concept to a tired town.  Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar  utilizes the idea of the "flight," which serves multiple smaller dishes with a common thread in a single serving.  At Flight, most item choices come with option to enjoy them singly or with three different preparations.  Because of this, I will offer my opinions by flight, choosing my favorite from each flight and then an overall favorite at the end.

We started our meal with almond crusted honey baked brie, which was baked and served with herb crostini and strawberries.  The honey sauce really brought out the flavor of the cheese, and I appreciated that the crostini were seasoned.  However, there was one big drawback: the almonds were burnt.  I'm talking "extra-toasty" but blackened, bitter, and quite burnt.  I'm actually very surprised that it was even allowed to leave the kitchen in that state, and it put a dark cloud on what would have been a very tasty dish and a great start to the meal.

After our appetizer, I chose to sample the salad flight, three different salads on one plate.  The first was a watermelon and feta salad with red onion, mint, and cucumber oil.  It was extremely light and fresh.  The saltiness of the feta paired extremely well with the watermelon.  Since neither Tom nor I really like watermelon, this was a tasty surprise.  The second salad featured avocado slices, orange segments, and slivered almonds with a citrus vinaigrette.  I thought it was a really nice combination, but Tom felt that the orange was overpowering.  My only problem was the orange segments; I counted 8 seeds from three small segments.  In a restaurant of this caliber, I would think these would be removed (or that they would use naval oranges).  The final salad was a spinach and bacon salad with hard-boiled egg and red onion.  It was a good rendition of a popular steakhouse salad, tasty and satisfying, but nothing special.  For this course, we both chose the watermelon and feta salad as our favorite.

While I was munching on salad, Tom was slurping the soup flight.  The first choice was a seafood bisque.  It was buttery and creamy, but Tom felt it was a little bland.  The second was a seafood gumbo, which was savory and had a lot of great textures.  It was hearty, and the flavors were complex.  Tom felt like it was one of the best soups he's ever eaten.  The last option was French onion soup.  It was an excellent version of a classic dish.  It was beefy, rich, and delicious.  However, for this course, the clear winner was the seafood gumbo.

At Flight, you have the option of choosing a single dish for your entree, selecting one of their preset flights, or creating your own flight from the "small plate" versions of the full entree choices.  Tom and I both decided to pick three different small plates to create our meals.  The three I selected were the ribeye, the pork tenderloin, and the duck breast.  My ribeye was served with a caramelized onion and bacon mash and house-made Worchestershire sauce.  It might possibly have been the best steak I have ever eaten in my life.  It was tender, perfectly cooked, and all the flavors were like magic in my mouth.  The pork tenderlion was served on top of cheddar grits and a BBQ beurre blanc.  This dish was extremely tasty; the grits were nice and creamy, and the sauce gave the overall dish great flavor.  The duck breast came with a sweet potato hash and pomegranate reduction.  Out of the three, it was my least favorite.  The duck was well-seasoned, but the hash needed something else to make it pop.  Tom and I both agree that the ribeye was by far the best out of my three dishes. 

For his entree, Tom chose the halibut, quail, and the lamb loin.  The halibut was well-cooked, flaky, but not falling apart.  It was served with shrimp risotto and a sweet corn sauce. The risotto was perfectly executed; it was creamy without being stiff or lumpy.  Tom's lamb was served with a ratatouille and thyme jus.  The ratatouille had great flavor, but the lamb loin was a bit overcooked, making it pretty tough to eat.  The quail was served saffron and herb rice with an orange and ginger demi glace.  The combination of flavors was spot on; it was extremely delicious and the meat was super tender.  There was a split decision on this course.  Tom chose the halibut as his favorite, while I thought the quail was far superior.

Diners can also order their dessert in the form of a flight.  We shared the chocolate flight which featured a chocolate and peanut terrine.  This consisted of an excellent chocolate mousse, which was complimented by some tasty peanut brittle.  It offered an interesting textural contrast, but we had to pick up the brittle and eat it with our fingers, making the dish a bit unwieldy.  The second option was a chocolate toffee parfait.  It was light and airy with a hint of citrus.  The toffee bits added a much-needed crunch.  The last dish was a white chocolate tart with raspberry sorbet.  The tart was dense and sweet, but the sorbet made it sing.  It was it was crisp and fruity and paired excellently with the creamy sweetness of the tart.  We also disagreed on which dessert was the best: I loved the chocolate toffee parfait, and Tom was all about the white chocolate tart with the raspberry sorbet.

Final Impressions: This was a fantastic meal, with a fantastic (big) pricetag.  If you're dining on a budget, this is a spot that should be saved for a special occasion.  The concept is especially nice for people like me who have a hard time making up their minds and want to try a little bit of everything.  This place is definitely romantic enough for a date, and there's complimentary valet, so you don't have to worry about parking downtown.  I really considered giving this a four smiley review, but the burnt almonds and the seedy salad couldn't be ignored. So for the first time in the history of tiffanytastes.com, I'm awarding a 3/4 smiley, because this meal was almost (but not quite) perfect.

Tom's (overall) favorite:  The ribeye
Tiffany's (overall) favorite: The ribeye

Tiffany's Rating :) :) :) 3/4 out of :) :) :) :)

Flgith Restaurant and Wine Bar
39 South Main Street
Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 521-8005

Average Appetizer Price: $10-$15
Average Soup/Salad Price: (Lunch and Dinner) $8-$13
Average Sandwich Price: (Lunch only) $9-$13
Average Entree Price: (Lunch) $10-$13 (Small Plate) $9-$13 (Dinner) $24-$36
Average Dessert Price: $9-$12

Operating Hours
Monday-Saturday 11:00am-3:00am

Lunch...the most important meal of the day

Not too long ago, the hubby and I decided to try out a cute little spot called Just for Lunch at the Chickasaw Plaza near midtown Memphis.  A popular ladies spot, Just for Lunch opened in the space that used to be occupied by Elfo's.

Tom decided on the fried oyster sandwich with a side of potato chowder (the soup of the day), and I had a chicken salad sandwich with the potato chowder.  The chowder was a great side item choice. It was savory with bit of a kick, although, Tom didn't think it was thick enough to be considered a true "chowder."  It had huge chunks of potato, corn, and carrots and was very satisfying. The potatoes were cooked without being mushy, and (in my opinion) the soup had nice texture. My chicken salad sandwich was a tasty, standard version. It wasn't amazing, but it was solid.  Tom's oyster sandwich was incredibly delicious.  It was served on a potato roll with lettuce, tomato, and a zesty remoulade.  The oysters wer big, juicy, and dusted in cornmeal.  Tom said it was the best fried oyster sandwich he had ever tasted. 

For dessert, we had fudge pie with ice ream.  The pie was very dense and rich, but it was also extremely salty.  It was almost as of the chef had confused salt with sugar when making it.  With the ice cream, it was almost palatable, but by itself, it was pretty bad.  The waitress said the she would let the chef know that the pie was salty, but there was no apology or form of restitution offered.

Final Impressions: This is a solid lunch time spot with decent food and a quaint atmosphere.  There were some lapses in service.  At one point in time, I went about fifteen minutes with an empty water glass, but for the most part, it was pleasant experience.  Before dessert I would have considered this a solid 3 smiley joint, but I had to knock off 1/2 of a smiley face for the sheer inedibility of the fudge pie.

Tiffany's Favorite Part: Potato (soup) chowder
Tom's Favorite Part: Fried Oyster Sandwich

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

Just For Lunch
3092 Poplar Ave # 11
Memphis, TN 38111
(901) 323-3287

Average Salad Price: $9-$15
Average Sandwich Price: $9-$13
Average Dessert Price: $4-$6

Operating Hours:
Monday-Saturday 11:00am-2:00pm

We all Scream for (a little) Ice Cream

The economic crunch has hit some harder than others, and businesses aren't immune.  If you've recently visited the freezer section of your local grocery store, you might have noticed that something was not quite right.  In the old days, ice cream came in two standard sizes: half-gallon and pint.  However, if you look closely at some of your favorite frozen treats, you'll see that  most of your favorite brands of ice cream are a little less filling.  Instead of half-gallon containers, most companies have started selling ice cream in 1.5 quart cartons.  Most of the pint sizes have remained at 16 ounces, with the exception of Dove Ice Cream (15.10 ounces) and Haagen-Dasz which weighs in at an insubstantial 14 ounces.

The most interesting part is that these companies aren't charging consumers any less; in fact, most are even charging more.  Below, you'll find the most popular ice cream brands sold at Krogers in Memphis and the current (and former) sizes

1.5 quarts (previously 1/2 gallon or 2 quarts): Kroger Brand (regular and premium), Breyers, Edy's, and Yarnells

1.75 quarts (previously 1/2 gallon or 2 quarts): Kroger Brand (Value), Angel Food, Turner

Once a pint, still a pint: Kroger (regular and premium), Ben and Jerry's, Bluebell, Yarnell's

Once a pint, no longer a pint: Haagen-Dasz (now 14 ounces), Dove Ice Cream (now 15.10 ounces)

Of all the brands listed above, only Haagen-Dasz addresses the shrinkage on their website.  You can check out their article here. I cannot find any mention of the smaller carton sizes on any of the other brands' websites. 

Of all the ice cream brands in the grocery store, only one company still provides half-gallon sizes; that brand is Bluebell.  They even have, "Still a 1/2 Gallon" stamped on the package.

So, if you're okay with getting less ice cream for the same (or more) money, then continue to purchase 1.5 or 1.75 quarts of your same old regular brands.  If you're looking for a 1/2 gallon of ice cream for a 1/2 gallon price, then Bluebell is your best bet.  Or, buy a pint. You probably don't need to eat all that ice cream anyway.  :P

Not Much to Bragg about...

There are very few chefs in Memphis who are creating buzz like John Bragg. His restaurant, Circa by John Bragg, is thriving in the competitive downtown area where so many others are struggling. He was even voted the best restaurant in town by readers of Memphis Magazine. Of course, I had to see what all the fuss was about.

Circa seems to be striving for a very trendy, yet inviting atmosphere. Wine racks are used as room dividers, which could have been a problem if the restaurant were noisy, but the hubby and I were the only customers there at around 7pm on a Tuesday evening.

For his appetizer, Tom ordered crawfish beignets with red pepper remoulade. He was extremely excited about this dish; the description made him salivate. While the beignets were light and not at all greasy, they were bland, and the remoulade added very little flavor. I decided on the artisan cheese and meat platter: St. André Triple Crème, manchego, Bonny Blue chèvre, bresaola, chorizo, and capicola. The meats and cheese were of very good quality, but there were very few accoutrements- a bit of crostini and a few strawberries.

For my entrée, I chose the Georgia Bobwhite Quail stuffed with chorizo and served with polenta and seasonal vegetables. The quail was extremely tender, well-cooked, and well-seasoned. The polenta was creamy and thick, and the vegetables were crisp-tender. The overall presentation was delicate and hearty at the same time. I was quite satisfied with the dish.

Tom chose the daily special, lamb shank with a side of Parmesan gnocchi. The portion was huge. It looked like the Brontosaurus ribs that tipped over Fred's car in the opening credits of the Flintstones. It was fall off the bone tender with a flavor reminiscent of mom's pot roast. It was juicy and flavorful, but didn't seem as refined as something that would be served at this type of restaurant. The Parmesan gnocchi were actually deep-fried and flavored with chives. They had the taste and texture of fancy tater tots.

For dessert, we chose the “Sure Death” chocolate soufflé, which was served with vanilla gelato. It was dense, rich, and an appropriate end to the meal, but we've had much better versions. This one was nothing special.

Final Impressions: Come to think of it, there was nothing special about the meal at all. When I spend $150, I'd like at least one item to be memorable, and these items just weren't. Maybe I didn't select the correct choices. Either way, Circa would be a great place for a nice, romantic dinner or a girls night out. The quality of the food is excellent, but the taste is hit or miss.

Tiffany's Favorite Part: Chorizo-stuffed quail
Tom's Favorite Part: Chorizo-stuffed quail

Tiffany's Rating :) :) ½ out of :) :) :) :)

Circa by John Bragg
119 S. Main Street, Suite 100
Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 522-1488

Average Appetizer Price: $9-$14
Average Soup/Salad Price: $5-$14
Average Entrée Price: $26-$36
Average Dessert Price: $6-$11
Bar Menu/Small Plates: $3-$8

Operating Hours
Sunday & Monday 5:00pm-10:00pm
Tuesday – Saturday 5:00om-11:00pm

Grilled Chicken Fiasco- An Update

It seems like I wasn't the only Memphian who was a perturbed by the lack of grilled chicken in Memphis.  The Commercial Appeal (the Memphis City paper)  ran an article last week that gave some insight on the dilemma.

"Of the 5,200 KFC locations nationwide, less than 200 have opted not to sell the grilled chicken -- 21 of them in Memphis."

"The nearly two dozen local locations that have opted out of KFC's healthier alternative are owned by Jonesboro, Ark.-based Fowler Foods Inc. "

Apparently the cost of the equipment it would take to provide the new grilled chicken was too much of an investment for Fowler Foods.

"Managers at several of Fowler's KFC locations said the reason Memphis is getting the short end of the drumstick is because placing grills in these facilities would cost the franchise owner thousands of dollars."

However, this new chicken seems to be very popular.  In my hometown, the KFC actually had to shut down one day last week because they ran out.

But Memphians, have no fear.  You can still get your grilled chicken at several suburban locations, including Collierville, Lakeland, and Millington.  This chicken lover took a trip to a Collierville KFC branch to sample this new taste phenomenon.  I took advantage of the 2-piece meal deal whch allows the customer to choose a leg and thigh or breast and wing combination with 2 sides, a biscuit, and a drink for only $3.99. 

I found the new grilled chicken to be quite tasty, even after 40 minutes (the time it took me to get home.) And the 2-piece deal is a tremendous value (but only for a limited time) So, if you're local KFC has grilled chicken, it's definitely worth the trip to try it out.  And,if you do, leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Until next time...