The Food in Memphis

I'm sure there is phenomenal food in Memphis but I didn't have any.  I stayed in the downtown Memphis area which is a tourist area.  Generally, tourism and great food do not go together.  Part of exhaling for me is to not be encumbered by a car.   I prefer to be on the metro or on foot when visiting another city.  If I had gone to Memphis strictly in search of really good food, I would have rented a car and found it. 

In a previous post I mentioned the Blue Plate Cafe which I described as good diner food.  I looked at the Trip Advisor reviews and Urbanspoon reviews.  Some people raved about the place and others hated it.  I found the food to be satisfying with the exception of some crap I sent back.



The Blue Plate Cafe



I went to the Blues City Cafe on Beale Street.  Leslie, my hotel frontdeskman, told me I had to go there.  When he talked about the catfish, he closed his eyes, leaned his head way back and went to a sacred place.   Leslie is a young black man, probably in his early thirties. 

I decided to try it out.  I was seated by an older black couple from Memphis.  The wife proudly told me that she was sixty-three.  I looked around the restaurant rather suspiciously.  I leaned towards them lowering my voice,  This food any good?  They said, Oh yeah!!!  Three black southerners living in Memphis and representing different generations.   I was getting excited. 

Well...it was just ok to me.  I will say that the catfish was very fresh and hot.   It was fried crispy on the outside and was tender and moist on the inside.  What more could I want?  Seasoning.  The prevalent flavor outside of the catfish was that of cornmeal.  Like the couple beside me, many folks put hot sauce on their fried fish.  Not me.  And my Maryland mouth was expecting some Old Bay - like seasoning.   Why was there toast on the plate?  

Note to self: Stop assuming what black people, or any groups for that matter, should be in agreement about (food, music, Obama, whateva).  Clearly, Khloe & Lamar have more in common than Karen & Lamar.

What I liked most about the restaurant was the aesthetics. The interior was more bar than restaurant and the colors more bordello than bar.

Blues City Cafe



Restaurant, bar or...bordello?

On Saturday morning I went searching for food on Beale Street.
 

I went to Miss Polly's Soul City Cafe.  In the photo above, it was midway down the street on the left.  I didn't enjoy this dining experience at all.  This was the worst for me.  Believe it or not, they were playing loud Memphis music at 9 a.m.  I wasn't sure if I would be able to tolerate it.  So I just ordered something quick so I could get the heck out of there.  I had a sausage, egg and cheese biscuit.  It tasted greasy and artificial.   I know a delicious sausage biscuit like the one I get from Pastries a GoGo where the biscuit and turkey sausage is homemade. 

Greasy, greasy, greasy

Believe it or not, my best dining experiences happened by chance at Bahama Breeze outside the Wolfchase Galleria.  I ended up there rather impulsively in search of jeans.  Do you know how much it costs to take a cab from downtown Memphis to the Wolfchase Galleria?  Let's just say that the ride is about 30 minutes and I have yet to wear those jeans.

There was a really nice patio with live music. It was full so I sat inside where I could watch the live music.

I ordered a bunch of appetizers which were half off due to happy hour.  I ordered West Indies Beef Patties, Jamaican Grilled Chicken Wings and a side Breeze salad.  It was fresh and delicious - an unexpected treat.

Hands down, my best meal came from a chain restaurant in suburban Tennessee.

More of Memphis

Stax Museum

Since I was in Memphis to exhale, it was not my plan to try and see everything.  That would defeat my purpose.  But I saw a few things.

The Stax Museum of American Soul was pretty cool.  It was interesting how something so phenomenal was just down a lonely, two-lane road.  Earlier, while eating catfish alongside an older black couple on Beale Street, I mentioned that I was on my way to see the Stax Museum.  They were on their way to see the Memphis Grizzlies.  He said, Yeah...my wife is from that part of Memphis.  She, fondly and sweetly, said..Yes, I used to play right outside the museum as a little girl but it wasn't much of nuthin then.  They've done such a good job with it!  He said, as if this was crucial to the conversation...Yeah...she from the hood!  We all laughed. 

Stax from across the street

On a spinning platform was Isaac Hayes' peacock blue 1972 Eldorado Cadillac.  It had a white fur interior and 24 karat gold accessories and trim.  Stax gave this $27,000 car to him as a gift.  There was a little television between the front driver and passenger seats in the front. 

It was a beauty...

On this site stood Stax Records...in case you didn't know it from the big building with the red marquee that says STAX.

Oh...then there was the floods...

Evidence of the flooding was just a few blocks away from my hotel.  I took this photo riding on the Riverfront Trolley.

This police officer in the cute yellow shirt was glad to talk to all of the tourists about the flooding.  He was very dramatic and excited.  It was as if he was born to educate others about the 2011 floods of Mississippi.  

 

The officer said that this tree (below) was halfway submerged in about 15 feet in the water.   Wherever you see water used to be greenspace.  This was after I asked him...what's normal?  He couldn't wait to tell me. 

Tree, half-way submerged and several days before the river was to crest

No parking sign..so there was a time when people tried to park here

Floating dumpster

This was as far as we could go and the police made sure...

And to me, all of this was very sad.

Blue Plate Cafe in Memphis



The Blue Plate Cafe was in close proximity to my hotel (Courtyard Marriott).  What I liked about this restaurant had more to do with the ambience than the food.  It was bright and open with local artwork on the yellow walls.  A lot of the paintings were of animals.  It looked like a renovated two story home where the ceiling between the first and second floor had been removed.  Near the front entrance on the left, was a dramatic wooden staircase leading to the second floor. 

The Blue Plate Cafe

I thought the menu was pretty cool.   At first, I wondered why the waitress gave me this community paper  to read instead of a menu.  The front page included the history of the restaurant and a list of rules to follow to have a good life.   

This was a pretty huge menu similar to most diners in Anywhere, USA.  I was worried that I would spill my coffee thereby destroying the thin menu.  The week before, while at work, I was enjoying a wonderful cup of herbal tea.  As I reached around the cup to adjust my laptop,  I knocked the entire cup of tea into my lap.   Legitimate fears. 

While enjoying my breakfast, I received a text from DevinZ.

DZ: Where ya headed this morning?

KT:  Eating at the Blue Plate Cafe now and then to the National Civil Rights Museum.

 

KT: Pancakes...good!

KT:  Creamed spinach omelet...eeewwwwwwww...I sent that shit right back

DZ:  Naaaasty!!!

KT:  Bacon and cheddar omelet...much better!

DZ:  Why were you ordering a creamed spinach omelet?  What were you thinking?

KT:  Yeah...I got what I deserved.  Just to try it.  I didn't think they would use the same creamed spinach they serve in prison.

DZ:  Hahajahaaaa

Overall, the food tasted pretty good.  The staff was super nice and accommodating.  My waitress was genuinely sorry that I did not like the creamed spinach omelet.   She immediately offered something else and checked back with me later.  She even gave me a cup of coffee to go.  If you are staying in the area I would definitely recommend it. 

Exhaling in Memphis

  

A view of the hotel from the park



So I needed to get away. In my getting away I found myself in Memphis, Tennessee.  There are quite a few details and nuances about why I needed to get away and how I selected Memphis.  Blah, blah, blah....  That's a story for another time and another day.   Frankly, I find it boring, you know, those things we generally complain and ponder about.  What matters is that this is what I needed.  In fact, I will do this more often.  

 

A beautiful live plant arrangement

I thought I would blog about my solo visit to Memphis because I think a lot of people are afraid to do unfamiliar things, especially solo. I use the term solo instead of alone. Often when people use the term alone, there is the connotation of sadness, pity or despair. Solo has more to do with a decision or choice...therefore coming from a place of empowerment.



Me and the plant

I stayed at the Courtyard Marriott at Jefferson and Main Street. This hotel was really nice. The interior design was modern and welcoming.  The color schemes belonged to the brown, organge and gold family.   In the lobby, there was a really nice scent which I associated with a spa moreso than a hotel.   And scents matter.   There were beautiful plant arrangements throughout the hotel. 

 

My room was really nice.  The bed was super comfy...

Another view of my room from my bed...

Once settled, I went searching for food.  It was early evening - cool and breezy.  I decided I needed to walk.  Walking is a great way to unwind and force your body and mind into relaxation.  It was about two miles to and from Beale Street.  Along the way, I stopped by Walgreens and picked up a candle, postcards and snacks.  Once I got to Beale Street, I discovered, rather suddenly, that I was exhausted.   Then there was all of this loud music blaring from the various clubs, bars and restaurants.   I scurried away in the direction of my hotel.   There, I had a delicious dinner of burger and fries.   

I decided not to have a planned schedule for this getaway.   I had a general idea of things I wanted to do.   However, the overarching goal of this getaway was to relax, write and experience something new.   So, I moved about intuitively.  

 

I lit my candle and took a  hot shower.  I put on my favorite PJs. I sat in my bed with my herbal tea.  Then, I exhaled.