Most people know that I have a list of restaurants in Memphis that I've yet to try. As I take one restaurant off, I seem to add three more. I was able to knock a prominent entry from my list when I went to Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen with my husband and a good friend.
Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen is the brainchild of Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman, childhood friends and lifelong culinarians. After culinary school and various internships, they returned home to Memphis to create the restaurnat of their dreams.
That restaurant serves savvy Italian fare: perfectly prepared meats, handmade pastas and sauces crafted from family traditions.
When you visit Andrew Michael (and you definitely should), be adventurous and think outside the box. You won't regret it.
We sampled several appetizers, starting with the A/M salad.
As far as salads go, this one was quite tasty. Greens were lightly dressed with a shallot vinaigrette and balsamic reduction with a dollop of buffalo mozzarella and tomato confit. I wish it had more tomato and mozzarella, but otherwise, it was delicious. We also had the truffled chicken livers with crostini. I'm not a chicken liver fan, but this version had white wine and garlic which definitely improved the flavor. My husband loved them and claimed that it was the best chicken liver dish he'd ever had. Our next dish was rabbit, which included the white and dark meat, rabbit terrine and morels in a light cream sauce.
I had a bite of the white meat and thought, "wow, that's tasty." But when I tasted the dark meat, I was floored. It was absolutely delicious - well-cooked and expertly seasoned. We also ordered the A/M Breakfast
Yummy is the only word to describe this dish. A pile of creamy polenta topped with barbecued pork belly, poached egg and housemade pork rinds. I broke the egg open, mixed it with the polenta and then ate spoonfuls of the mixture with small bites of the pork belly. I tried to make it last as long as possible and savor every bite. It was truly extraordinary.
The only (slight) disappointment of the night was the gnocchi with gorgonzola cream
This appetizer-sized portion of pasta was very tasty. The creaminess of the sauce was offset by the balsamic reduction, and the flavors were very well-balanced. However, the texture of the gnocchi had slid passed soft and pillowy and into the mushy category. It didn't stop us from cleaning the plate.
If there is a cannoli on the menu, I generally have to order it, and this evening was no exception. The pastry shell was the super light and crispy. The filling, while creamy, was almost completely devoid of sugar as the dish garnered its sweetness from the raspberry coulis decorating the plate. This kept the cannoli from being too sweet, and again my husband remarked that it was the best he'd had.
Final Impressions: Go early or make a reservation. This restaurant, which appears to be set in an old house, is on the small side. The quality is amazing, but the prices are a little on the higher side. They have a good, reasonably-priced wine list and would be an excellent date night destination.
Tiffany's Favorite: A/M Breakfast
Tom's Favorite: Rabbit
Tiffany's Rating :) :) :) 1/2 out of :) :) :) :)
Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen
712 Brookhaven Cir
Memphis, TN 38117
(901) 347-3569
Average Appetizer Price: $7-$12
Average Entree Price: $25-$35
Average Dessert Price: $9
Operating Hours
Tuesday - Saturday 5:00pm - until
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