Memphis Restaurants, Dining, Food News

[VSRJ]

Not to start this thread off on a negative note, but it will be interesting to see what becomes of these two spaces. The views are unmatched.

The Kitchen at Shelby Farms to close at end of 2018

https://dailymemphian.com/article/1354/The-Kitchen-at-Shelby-Farms-to-close-at-end-of-2018

Quote

 

Shelby Farms Park plans to fill the restaurant space next to the FedEx Event Center as soon as possible. The Kitchen has occupied the space since it opened in 2016 but will close at the end of the year.

"We've just begun the process to find a tenant, a new partner," Angie Whitfield, marketing and communications manager for the park, said Saturday.

The Kitchen at Shelby Farms will close Dec. 30, co-owner Kimbal Musk said in a prepared email statement sent late Friday:

“Shelby Farms Park holds a special place in my heart so it is with great sadness that we will close The Kitchen on December 30th. This was not a decision we made lightly but one that will be the best for our business. In early 2019, Shelby Farms Park will announce new restaurant offerings at the First Tennessee Foundation Visitor Center and the FedEx Event Center. We are honored to have been the dining partner at such a pivotal time in the Park's history. It's been an incredible two years with unforgettable sunsets. As we close this chapter, our level of gratitude for Memphis runs deep.”

The Kitchen opened Aug. 31, 2016 on the east banks of Hyde Lake, formerly known as Patriot Lake. It was founded in Boulder, Colorado, in 2004 by Musk and Hugh Matheson, and the Memphis location is the only one in the South. It was followed by Kitchenette, a grab-and-go in the park that operates in conjunction with The Kitchen and is part of the closure. 

 

Thoughts on a good replacement?

[smeagolsfree]

I saw this in the CA yesterday. I agree, not a good way to start but there is a lot more good news on the way.

[VSRJ]

Swanky's Taco Shop will open downtown in former the former LYFE Kitchen spot in the Chisca. I think this is a good move...there isn't really a great fast-casual Tex Mex place downtown (that I can think of). Both LYFE Kitchen locations in Memphis have now closed. The one on Poplar in East Memphis was replaced by Central BBQ.

Swankys Taco Shop to replace closed LYFE Kitchen on S. Main

https://www.dailymemphian.com/section/business/article/2863/Swankys-Taco-Shop-to-replace-closed-LYFE-Kitchen-on-S-Main

Quote

 

A Swankys Taco Shop will succeed LYFE Kitchen as the ground-floor restaurant at Chisca on Main.

"I like that it's locally owned. It's a known brand that people enjoy. They've been very successful here in the city of Memphis," said Chase Carlisle, managing partner for Chisca on Main. 

"When you look at the Downtown restaurant market ... , I think that there's such a void for upscale, fast-casual, sit-down Mexican food."

A building permit application shows plans for a $38,449 renovation to alter old LYFE Kitchen space. 

LYFE Kitchen closed at 272 S. Main in September. It anchored the base of the Chisca, a renovation of the old Hotel Chisca for apartments and restaurant space.

Swankys Taco Shop has two other locations, at 4470 Poplar in East Memphis and 6641 Poplar in Germantown.

 

 

[VSRJ]

Cordova's Fox Ridge Pizza is opening up shop in the former Porcellino's space in Brookhaven Circle:

https://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2019/04/29/local-pizza-place-headed-to-former-porcellinos-on.html

[VSRJ]

This would be a fantastic addition to the Edge District. Slim & Husky's is delicious - highly recommend it if you're ever in Nashville. And the adaptive reuse component makes it even better.

Nashville's hip-hop-inspired Slim & Husky's pizza appears headed for Memphis

https://dailymemphian.com/article/5172/Nashvilles-hip-hop-inspired-Slim-Huskys-pizza-appears-headed-for-Memphis

Quote

 

A hip-hop-inspired, gourmet-pizza restaurant out of Nashville appears to be headed to the Edge District in Memphis.

A building permit application was filed Friday to renovate the long-vacant, 94-year-old building at 634 Union for Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria.

About $823,000 will be spent renovating the two-story building, the document shows.

 

[James Owen]

I applaud the owners of Slim & Husky on their expansion into the Bluff City. They recently opened a couple of locations in the Atlanta area, and I think they're branching out to other cities as well in the future.

[East Side Urbanite]

VERY good pizza. This could be a hit in Memphis.

[VSRJ]

Hopefully this lasts longer than Bar Louie...

Upscale restaurant set to open in Overton Square in the fall

https://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2019/06/20/upscale-restaurant-set-to-open-in-overton-square.html

Quote

 

The restaurateurs behind two of TripAdvisor's "Best Fine Dining Restaurants in the United States" are preparing to open their third Memphis-area concept.

Russ Graham and Tom Powers, the duo behind Downtown's Flight Restaurant & Bar and Germantown's Southern Social, plan to open the much-anticipated Porch & Parlor restaurant this fall in Overton Square. The restaurant will take over the space formerly held by Bar Louie, at 2125 Madison Ave. at the corner of Madison and South Cooper Street.

The restaurant is currently under construction, as is the menu.

As prep for Porch & Parlor, Graham, Powers and Flight executive chef Eduardo Murillo have traveled and will continue to travel to the nation's top culinary establishments. Visits so far have included French seafood restaurant Le Barnardin in New York and The French Laundry in California. Graham said they also plan to visit restaurants and popular wineries in the San Francisco Bay Area.

"We've been traveling and going to several different restaurants, just trying to get inspiration at building the menu," Graham said. "[Porch & Parlor is] going to be very high-end. I grew up in New Orleans, and my business partner grew up in South Florida, so we are drawing inspiration from those places … to develop the menu."

Porch & Parlor will occupy 6,000 square feet of space, including a 1,000-square-foot patio or porch space. Graham said the restaurant will be able to accommodate 130 people in the dining room and 100 guests outside.

Graham said Porch & Parlor will embrace the period when the building was constructed, which was in the early 1900s. La Belle Époque was a time of economic prosperity, and the interior design of the new restaurant will take inspiration from era.

"The look of the restaurant will be influenced by the French-type, lavish lifestyles that you would see in movies like "The Great Gatsby," where the champagne was flowing and the food was abundant," Graham said. "We are really doing a lot of things that feel authentic to that period from the floors to even some of the food."

But, Graham said, they are also "embracing what Midtown is to a lot of people."

As for choosing Midtown, Graham credits Loeb Properties' president Bob Loeb for their choice of location.

"His vision to really revitalize this area has made Midtown or Overton Square look different than what it was seven years ago and made us want to be part of this," Graham said.

Porch & Parlor will have 100 employees, about the same amount as Flight and Southern Social. Graham said the general manager at Porch & Parlor will be Jack Wise. His previous restaurant experience included being the general manager at the Del Frisco's Restaurant Group in Chicago for almost five years.

Flight opened on North Main Street in 2009; Southern Social opened in Germantown in 2016. Both of those restaurants have both named to TripAdvisor's "Best Fine Dining Restaurants in the United States" list.

 

 

[knightrider162]

New restaurant opening in Shelby Farms

https://dailymemphian.com/article/index/6065/Shelby-Farms-names-new-restaurant-tenant

Coastal Fish Company and Cheffie's (at the Visitor's Center) will open this fall.

[VSRJ]

I think Cheffie's will do well given its success at the original location near the Greenline. As for the other...we'll see.

[VSRJ]

I never went to Atomic Tiki, but I heard good things about it. But New Orleans is one of my favorite cities so I'm always in support of a NOLA-inspired restaurant.

Midtown bar to become New Orleans-style po'boy shop

https://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2019/09/25/midtown-bar-to-become-new-orleans-style-poboy-shop.html

Quote

 

Atomic Tiki, the tiki bar on Overton Park in Midtown, will change its focus. It will morph into Parish Grocery, according to Jeff Johnson, who owns Atomic Tiki with Brian "Skinny" McCabe.

The change should happen by the beginning of October.

Atomic Tiki opened in 2017. It featured a menu with Island BBQ nachos, meatballs, sliders, queso dip, and smoked wings and a whimsical design of coconuts and hula girls. 

According to Johnson, Parish Grocery will be a po'boy shop with New Orleans-style sandwiches, gumbo, red beans and rice, sno-balls, and more. The menu will include some 15 po'boys, from roast beef debris and fried oyster to more unique varieties. There will be muffulettas as well as hot dogs.

 

 

[VSRJ]

New brewery breaks ground Downtown

https://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2019/11/07/new-brewery-breaks-ground-downtown.html

Quote

 

Soul & Spirits Brewery has broken ground at 845 N. Main in the Uptown neighborhood Downtown.

The brewery will be owned by Blair Perry and her husband Ryan Allen, a German-trained master brewer.

The couple are "eager to provide an authentic, artistic, and diverse range of products inspired by the culture of Memphis," according to a release.

Construction is underway, with the work being done by Marks Design and Metalworks. They plan to open in 2020.

 

[VSRJ]

More adaptive reuse (and beer)!

South Second Street craft beer taproom unveiled

Quote

 

The DRB is recommending approval of renovation plans for a one-story building in the South Main District.

Acquired by Rick Mroch and Jennifer Randolph, it is set to become Upourium Social & Tap Haus, a recreational space near the National Civil Rights Museum, Central BBQ, and Wiseacre.

Upourium plans to serve craft beer, wine, cider, and kombucha, according to the application, and offer live music, games, karaoke, and social events.

Exterior renovation plans include restoring and replacing windows— such as the glass blocks at the building’s front— and doors. Some parts of the exterior need a fresh paint job, and a new entrance awning (the old one is missing) will be added to help doll up the opening.

 

[VSRJ]

Another one bites the dust...

Elemento Neapolitan Pizza in Crosstown Concourse soon to close

https://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2020/02/04/elemento-neapolitan-pizza-in-crosstown-concourse.html

Quote

 

Elemento Neapolitan Pizza announced via Facebook that it would be closing its Crosstown Concourse location this month.

From the Feb. 4 statement: "Thank you to the patrons who have made Elemento your pizza destination since 2018. While we have enjoyed providing this unique pizza experience to all of you, we will be closing our doors permanently on Sunday, February 16."

The restaurant opened in October 2018 and specialized in the Neapolitan tradition, which is governed by strict rules concerning ingredients, oven temperatures, and more.

 

 

[VSRJ]

Great to see them back downtown!

Dinstuhl's opens a new shop in Downtown Memphis

https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/entertainment/dining/2020/02/06/dinstuhls-opens-candy-shop-downtown-memphis/4647696002/

Quote

 

It is the first Downtown storefront for the 118-year old candy company in more than 40 years.

“We closed our Downtown shop back in 1974. We were in the lobby of The Peabody for a few years after that, but we haven’t had an actual shop Downtown since 1974,” Dinstuhl said.

Dinstuhl said the company is committed to having a Downtown presence. Dinstuhl's has a one-year lease with the option to extend the lease to five years based on performance.

 

[VSRJ]

Hopefully this does better than its predecessor, Bar Louie — definitely will be catering to a different crowd.

Porch & Parlor nears its Overton Square debut

https://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2020/02/11/porch-parlor-nears-its-overton-square-debut.html

Quote

Located in Overton Square, the new restaurant — the latest from Tom Powers' and Russell Graham's restaurant group that is also behind Flight, Coastal Fish Company, and Southern Social — is set to open Monday, Feb. 17.

[MDC26]

Glad to see a space getting filled that has been vacant since it was built 20 years ago

https://dailymemphian.com/section/neighborhoodsdowntown/article/10833/memphis-cigar-bar-havana-mix-loan-approved
 

[VSRJ]

The restaurant used as the law firm in Bluff City Law is set to become a restaurant later this year:

https://dailymemphian.com/section/food/article/10918/strait-associates-building-opens-as-a-restaurant

 

Edited February 24, 2020 by VSRJ

[MDC26]

The previous location of DejaVu (51 S Main) will become a new Cajun Restaurant

https://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2020/02/26/new-cajun-restaurant-preps-for-downtown-debut.html

 

[VSRJ]

Second time's a charm? Wahlburgers now plans to open a location inside Bass Pro Pyramid after pulling out of a spot on Beale Street in 2018:

https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/entertainment/dining/2020/08/25/wahlburgers-wild-memphis-bass-pro-shops-pyramid-mark-donnie-wahlberg/3433353001/

[VSRJ]

Great news for me and my fellow Whataburger fans! I suspect we'll see one open somewhere in Shelby County within the next few years.

https://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2021/05/07/whataburger-confirms-southaven-location.html

Whataburger confirms Southaven location

Quote

 

On Thursday, Southaven mayor Darren Musselwhite posted on Facebook that Texas burger chain Whataburger was coming to Southaven.

"Our city is experiencing tremendous economic success with a healthy mix of new industrial, retail/service, medical, professional, office, and mixed-use developments right now," he wrote. "We have several hundred million dollars in new developments pending right now, but nothing makes people happier than their favorite restaurant!"

The restaurant will be at the site of a TGI Fridays on Goodman Road near Airways Boulevard, which has been torn down to make way for Whataburger.

 

 

[VSRJ]

LBOE at Overton Square is closing and will be replaced by a TJ Mulligan's: https://dailymemphian.com/section/business/article/21998/lboe-to-close-memphis-chain-to-take-its-spot

[DRG901]

Felicia Suzanne's moving into the old Spindini spot on South Main.

 

Felicia Suzanne's prepares for big move with short commute - Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian

[VSRJ]

I went to the new Bog & Barley (from the Celtic Crossing crew) at the Regalia shopping center in East Memphis over the weekend. It was one of the best meals I've had at a Memphis restaurant in recent memory. The decor, food, service, everything was impeccable. Highly recommend!

Over 400 pieces of wood were imported from Ireland for the bar alone.

[MDC26]

5 hours ago, VSRJ said:

I went to the new Bog & Barley (from the Celtic Crossing crew) at the Regalia shopping center in East Memphis over the weekend. It was one of the best meals I've had at a Memphis restaurant in recent memory. The decor, food, service, everything was impeccable. Highly recommend!

Over 400 pieces of wood were imported from Ireland for the bar alone.

The decor does look amazing. 
It’s amazing that it was built and put together in Ireland. Taken apart, then shipped over here.