Flight - One Year Anniversary Dinner

WHERE WE WENT:   
FLIGHT
39 South Main Street
Memphis,TN 38103


WHAT WE ORDERED:
Soup & Salad Flight - Seafood Gumbo, Lobster Bisque, Harvest Salad 
Steak Flight- Boursin Stuffed  Filet w/ Red Wine Bourdalaise and Yukon Gold Potato Puree, Elk Chop w/ Kahlua Glaze and Truffle Mac & White Cheddar Cheese, Bison Cut w/ Crispy Onion Strings 

Seafood Flight - Shrimp and Grits w/ Tasso Ham, Lobster Biscuit & Gravy, Sea Scallop Benedict w/ Quail Egg
Anything But Chardonnay (ABC)- Waterbrook Sangiovese Rose, Conundrum White Blend, Loosen Brother Riesling
Wonders of the World- Perrin, Antinori, Mollydooker Shiraz
Dessert Flight- NYC Cheesecake, Warm Turtle Tart,

WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Atmosphere - 9
Menu - 10
Presentation - 10
Taste - 9.5
Price - 9
Service - 9
 Overall - 9.5


Atmosphere - From the moment you walk through the heavy oaken door off of South Main, you know you are in an establishment that exudes class. The deeply stained wood that is present throughout the bar as well as the spacious booth seating just looks expensive. Starched white table cloths are spotless  beacons in the sea of all black waitstaff meant to ensure that your every need is met.The space itself is particularly narrow, but maximized with outdoor, cafe style seating as well as a small balcony seating section. The decor is simple elegant. Everything about FLIGHT is class, well almost. The only thing that was out of place were the TVs at the

bar. While I know people watch sports at the bar, they just seemed unnecessary.

Menu - The menu is unique in the manner that it is set up because of the unique concept of the restaurant. The concept pretty much sells itself. Every time you go to a restaurant there is always a few things that you have a hard time choosing between and you always wonder if you got the right thing. Well flight allows you to get smaller portions of multiple dishes (or drinks) so that you don't have to wonder. You can pay a higher price and have any dish in an entree sized portion itself. They have soup and salad flights, and entree flight with three dishes a piece: Steak, Loin, Fish, Seafood, Feathered. Each flight's dish has the main protein and accompanying side. Some of the most appetizing offerings are Elk Cut with Truffle Macaroni & White Cheddar, Fried Chicken & Buttermilk Waffle, and Sage-Crusted Australian Lamb Chop with Mint Jelly and Loaded Potato Croquette. Because they aim to please, if a single flight is not wholly appetizing, you are free to mix and match dishes to create your own. Each flight is also listed with a recommended wine flight to accompany it. The drink menu is extensive with over a dozen wine flights, both red and white, as well as a wide selection of beer and cocktails.

 
Presentation - The presentation was absolutely gorgeous. Each flight was served on a wooden plank base in miniature white bowls, plates, and dishes. The wine flights came with a card that detailed the origin of each vino along with a brief description of its flavor. Every single course looked positively artful in the color pallet and the method in which it was arranged. It honestly looked so good that you'd hesitate to eat it.

Taste - We began with the soup and salad flight. The harvest salad was bright and fresh, a great summer salad. The lobster bisque was smooth and rich, the best I've ever had. Only the seafood gumbo fell a little flat. There was something missing that could have kicked it up a notch. As far as the seafood flight goes, everything was amazing. The sea scallop and quail egg were cooked to perfection and covered in the rich hollandaise sauce. The shrimp and grits had a spicy, smoky flavor that you would swear just came right up out of the bayou. Being from the South, I'm quite particular about my grits, but there were no complaints to be made. The

lobster biscuit and gravy was fantastic in flavor, but the biscuit just need to be a bit less soggy and a bit more flaky. All cuts of meat in the steak flight were the ideal medium rare. The bison was nicely seasoned with plenty of juice, accompanied by miniscule onion straws, a simple but welcome addition. Potato puree set off the taste of the succulent filet very nicely as well. The best of the three was the elk chop with was rich and dense with a bit of a bite from the kahlua glaze, that was nicely paired with the truffle macaroni's mild creaminess.

Price - We splurged with this meal. FLIGHT is by no stretch of the imagination inexpensive. Each entree flight will run you upwards of $30 before you ever touch appetizers, desserts, or libations. You're paying for presentation, fancy ingredients, and atmosphere. And it is without a doubt worth it. FLIGHT isn't an everyday restaurant option (unless you're a much higher pay grade than us), but it serves its function well and is comparable to other restaurants of its caliber. 

Service - Our waitress was excellent. She was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. When we told her it was our first time there, she was happy to explain the concept and walk us through the menu. She made suggestions but wasn't pushy and was happy to answer any of our questions.

WOULD WE GO BACK? 
Absolutely. Birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations of any kind would immediately bring FLIGHT to mind. We would want to save it for a special occasion. Also, we'd be sure to make reservations again, because we were certainly glad we had done so this time.


Here's a link to their website:  
http://flightmemphis.com/

Automatic Slim's - Sunday Funday Brunch

WHERE WE WENT:   

Automatic Slim's
83 South Second Street
Memphis, TN 38103

WHAT WE ORDERED:
Cinnamon Roll Waffle w/ Cream Cheese Glaze, Scrambled Eggs, Blackened Salmon Eggs Benedict, Mimosa, Bloody Mary


WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Atmosphere - 9
Menu - 9
Presentation - 7.5
Taste - 8
Price - 7.5
Service - 8
 Overall - 8


Atmosphere - Walking by Automatic Slim's you would never know that the hole in the wall you're walking past a culinary treasure trove. The inside of the restaurant is like a hipster-swank bar, exactly the kind of place you would expect downtown. The gold coffered ceiling, wood paneling, and varied ornamental paper light fixtures create a fascinating space that could be a bar or a coffeehouse. The narrow building is made more expansive by a higher level of seating. The decor is folksy and very Memphis. There are depiction of guitars in multimedia all over. The bar is a beautiful backdrop to the lower level. It is instantaneously cozy and comfortable.

Menu -   We have only knowledge of the brunch menu, but it in itself is enough. That could be the entire restaurant. There are classic breakfast offerings like sausage and biscuits, french toast, and chicken and waffles that are your typical home cooking. On the other hand they take some classic dishes and turn them on their head. Dishes like blackened salmon eggs benedict and Manhattan cherry-infused waffle with bourbon syrup put a gourmet twist on the foods you know and love.
 
Presentation - Presentation honestly wasn't anything particularly special. Basic white, round plates served as the base for each dish. The waffle and eggs looked as though they were just plopped on the plate with no garnish of any kind. The benedict was a little better. It had a great color palette and different textures distinguishable and at least looked as if there was at least some effort in arranging it.

Taste -The hollandaise sauce on the benedict was rich, creamy and delicious without being too heavy or overpowering the salmon had an excellent, fresh taste (even though it was not blackened as the name would suggest). The only complaint for the dish is that there wasn't nearly enough of it. The cinnamon roll waffle was absolutely scrumptious. Two of breakfast's heavy-hitters blended into one 

culinary masterpiece. The cream cheese glaze with so good, the waffle didn't even require syrup. The scrambled eggs however were not on the same caliber as the rest of the meal and kept it from scoring higher marks. They were dry and kind of spongy. If you are going to serve brunch, you gotta know how to cook your eggs. The drinks were outstanding. It's hard to mess up a mimosa but the bloody mary is trickier. They use a proprietary blend of ingredients including a dry rib rub from Alfred's down the block to rim the glass. It is a true local specialty.


Price - Automatic Slim's was a little pricier than we would have liked considering that your entrees do not come with sides; they have to be paid for separately. While the food and drinks were both delicious, what you're really paying for is the location and the atmosphere. It could definitely have been worse for being in the hear of downtown.

Service -We sat at the bar to avoid the half hour plus wait time. The bartender Celia was a fantastic server. She was friendly and attentive even though she had multiple drinks to make constantly. She chatted with us and had a great pour. We would ask for her again.

WOULD WE GO BACK? 
Yes. Because it's pricier, it wouldn't be our regular hangout spot, but on a Sunday afternoon when you want to splurge, you've got a spot. We need to get a couple of friends together and tackle the 100 oz mimosa bong. We watched Celia put a couple together, and they don't skimp on the bubbly.


Here's a link to their website:  
http://www.automaticslimsmemphis.com/index.html

The Majestic Grill - A Special Night Out

WHERE WE WENT:   
The Majestic Grille 
145 S. Main Street
Memphis, TN
38103



WHAT WE ORDERED:

Grilled Artichoke Heart Flatbread, Grilled Salmon with Rice and Asparagus, Filet Oscar with Lump Crab & Bearnaise Sauce, Broccoli, Jasmine Rice

WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Atmosphere - 8       
Menu - 9
Presentation -6
Taste - 7.5
Price -7.5
Service - 6
 Overall -7.5

Atmosphere - Definitely one of the most unique restaurants that we've been to so far. The minute you walk through the front doors, you feel like you've been transported to the past. It just oozes classic style. All of the seating (booths and tables) are a dark wood, accented with the simple elegance of white table cloths. The three sections of seating (floor, raised side bars, and balcony) are all slightly cramped, but it adds to the warm cozy feeling. At the back end of the restaurant, above the kitchen, there is a giant screen where they project classic black & white movies during the evening and cartoons during Saturday morning brunch. It is a nice touch, but the screen should be dressed up a little bit. The palm trees down the center and dark lighting make you feel somewhat like you are in a cross between The Great Gatsby and Casablanca. A few problems kept it from being a 10. First, it was a good choice to have the waitstaff in all black. HOWEVER, most of them were wearing t-shirts which had no place in that restaurant. Next, the two plasma TV behind the bar completely killed the vibe. It seems it's almost mandatory for bars to be equipped with a shrine to pro sports, but it did NOT support the aesthetic at all.

Menu - The menu was almost perfect. It was kept to a simple two pages that were black and hard-bound. The font and accents evoked a 1920's feel, but did not make it difficult to read. There were extensive beer and wine offerings along with a vast array of liquor bottles behind the bar. The specialty cocktails on the menu all were listed with their recipe origin and the year it was created, maintaining the authenticity of the time period. There was a substantial amount of dishes available for the vegetarian and the carnivorous alike. The menu was near perfect; the only thing that knocked it down to a 9 was the lack of organization. The sandwiches and salads were segmented together and all of the entrees were lumped together randomly. As you read through the entrees options it skipped around from pan roasted chicken to ravioli to salmon, back to another pasta dish. If they could make it just a tiny bit easier to find what you want, we'd have a 10 on our hands.

Presentation - The grilled artichoke heart flatbread was served on a wooden slab that gave it an artisan-crafted feel. The colors of the spinach, artichokes, feta, and mozzarella cheese made for a beautiful dish. There wasn't anything particularly pleasing or displeasing about the presentation of the entrees. The dishes were classic white, adding to the elegance, but the food itself was plain looking. The only thing that stood out (and not in a good way) was the Bearnaise sauce drowning the plate so that you couldn't even see the crab or the filet.


Taste - There were some aspects of the meal that were done very well and some that missed the mark of their potential. The flatbread was amazing. All of the ingredients blended well together. The spinach was not too wilted, the artichoke hearts were cooked perfectly and there was exactly the right amount of both feta and mozzarella cheese. It was one of those dishes that will make you believe that you could survive as a vegetarian. The Bearnaise sauce of the Filet Oscar was delicious; it had a perfect consistency and flavor...the problem was the sheer volume of it. It drown the dish. Luckily the steak had a good char and enough flavor to cut through the yellow flood, but the taste of the lump crab was completely lost. On the bright side the steak itself was delicious and cooked to a perfect medium. The broccoli was salted, peppered and buttered wonderfully, but was slightly undercooked, as was the asparagus. The salmon had a fantastic honey rosemary glaze and was served with the skin on...which is where the problem was. Despite the excellent taste of the fish, the skin was not crisped, but BURNT. To eat the salmon you had to either mutilate the salmon off the skin or eat the skin and ruin the flavor. It was a shame.

Price - As far as price goes, we found it very comparable to restaurants of similar quality. The portions were good, but for what we paid, we would have expected not to experience the taste faux pas that we did.

Service - Our server was just ok. She was polite but not friendly. She didn't introduce us to the menu, offer specials or suggestions, and didn't offer to answer any questions. She checked up on us a couple times, but not frequently. The kitchen was very slow.

WOULD WE GO BACK? 
Yes. We would definitely go back for the signatures flatbreads and would want to try them all. The taste of most aspects of the dish were good, so we would just hope that we could avoid things like over-saucing and burnt skin. This is a great place for a special occasion, date night, or business dinner.

 Here's a link to their website: 
http://www.majesticgrille.com/