The Second Line

This last weekend my brother drifted on over to Memphis for some brother sister bonding. It's hard to believe that for the greater part of my early years he hated me.

Saturday I made Jared put down the chocolate donuts and we headed over to Midtown to dine at Memphis' newest restaurant, The Second Line. I had tested the waters for Kelly English's newest venture a week before at book club and was pleasantly surprised after mixed reviews. The atmosphere and cuisine called for round two and worthy of a blog post.

This is your ewwy gooey, delicious, greasy paws, New Orleans kind of chow. Who doesn't love a poboy packed with flavor served with all the fixins'? 

The restaurant is nestled in Midtown disguised as an old home. As soon as those doors swing open you feel right at home with the bustling of the bar and old friends catching up over some good grub. The space is filled with old wood, aged brick, vintage light fixtures, and copper accents. I have never been to Louisiana, but I strangely felt transported to a local eatery deep in the heart of New Orleans.

It was a packed house, giving us a solid excuse to blow off time at the bar.

Obsessed with the copper countertops.

 Somebody was hungry. I have to say the wait was a tad bit on the long side.

 For starters, Gulf shrimp bathed in some delectable bbq-type sauce.

We were drowning our bread in this stuff. So good!

Please feed us...

 Jared got the Johnny snack poboy - ham + cheese with gravy.

 And a side of perfectly, crisp fries.

I had the oh so traditional New Orleans staple, roast white oaks pasture beef with gravy + swiss. Oh and onion rings, for the ticker.

Blazing hot!

Thank heavens for towels which was far better served than some flimsy paper napkin.

Clean plate club.

This is the, I ate way too much face.

 Nap time?

Happy to be your taste tester. Until next time.

XO,
Bee

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Hog + Hominy

Once a month some of my gal pals gather together for book club. This go around was my turn to pick a book and the venue. I mean seriously, who doesn't thoroughly enjoy pizza and books?

I landed on the mystery novel The Cuckoo's Calling written under JK Rowling's pseudonym, Robert Galbraith. It is always a treat reading a JK Rowling book even if spells aren't being cast and evil wizards aren't trying to take over.

As for our rendezvous, I was curious to try out Hog & Hominy, which has received rave reviews from many Memphis folk. There is a lot to live up to when you have been named Top 12 Most Outstanding Restaurant by GQ and the South's Best by Southern Living. The New York Times had some kind word to boast on as well.

To add to the hype, it is now in a close race for first place as my new favorite Memphis restaurant. Get this, the concept behind the delectable dishes is to meld together the staples of Southern cookin' with Italian cuisine. I thought it was a little strange too. But let me tell you, Southern + Italian = Mouth Watering Perfect Harmony. Yum yum in my tum tum.

You walk into this tiny glowing brick building and are instantly overwhelmed with the sound of friendly chatter, the clanking of pots and pans, and clinking of glasses. The soft glow of lights and comforting eclectic design make for a very modern spin on Southern roots. I was transported to a very happy place.

I started the evening off with the refreshing Cucumber Ebullience. It was delicoso!

In case you were wondering... 

ebullience |iˈbo͝olyəns, iˈbəlyəns| noun

the quality of being cheerful and full of energy; exuberance:

It did just that. 

Moving at the speed of light! They were speedy pizza men.

The water glasses were recycled wine bottles with the tops chopped off. How very Pinteresting?

Hard decisions that need to be made before we can even think about talking about the book.

First up, Poutine - fries, neckbone gravy, chili oil, caputo cheese curd. One of those dishes it becomes very difficult to remain lady-like and proper.

And while we wait, let's discuss.

I love being able to see what's going on in the kitchen. It's inspiring, kinda like Top Chef. You think you can whip up something like Poutine with neckbone gravy and such and then you are quickly brought back down to earth when you enter your own kitchen. I find myself ripping and dumping the frozen kind. Have to stick with my strengths.

Love Allison's love ring.

Out came round 2. Poblanos - fire roasted peppers, chicken and corn sausage, smoked paprika, and refried hominy. Allison and I shared this little treat. By now you shouldn't be surprised that we scraped the plate clean.

We also split this large pizza pie, even though I'm sure I could have handled it on my own. We went with the Baia - cherry tomatoes, basil, a million different cheeses and olive oil.

Now you see it...

Now you don't.

Emiliee went with the traditional Margherita, which is always a solid choice.

Don't we look book clubby?

Shutting the place down.

So not only do I highly recommend that you run, not walk to Hog & Hominy for a real treat, but you should also swing by Barnes and Noble and pick up The Cuckoo's Calling. It was an all around splendid evening. We left with full stomachs and feeling a little smarter. Until next time Hog & Hominy.

XO,

Bee

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