Bam! Cooking for Make-A-Wish!

Cooking a 12 top with

Felicia Suzanne was just - WOW!

Ok, Memphis, if you have not tried Felecia Suzanne your missing something special. Chef Felicia was Emeril's Bam apprentice and she runs one of the tightest kitchens in Memphis. She is in the kitchen expatiating and really working the line. 

I loved it!

She invited me to do a fund raiser Dishes for Wishes and tossed in this exclusive dinner in her kitchen. Now most Chefs try too keep folks out of the Kitchen but Chef Felicia opens hers up on a regular basis and it is entertainment to the max.

She let me make up some menu items and BAM! we were off! 

I am not going to talk much but let these pictures speak for me! 

If you missed it you missed a TREAT!

I, then went back a few weeks later for the Dishes-For-Wishes main event and I had even for fun. Cooking and Serving and helping wishes come true. If you don't know Make-A-Wish provides wishes for kids who are sick. I mean how cool is that.



If Felicia Suzanne ever offers me the chance to work in her kitchen I assure you I will say YES!

So, run don't walk down town and have dinner or lunch tell them Logan sent you! I promise some 4 star food from an exceptional Chef and a Crack TEAM! Thanks for having me.

Love the Cabbage Leaf,

Logan

Twisted Root Burger Co. a Big D Must, Before MasterChef Junior Auditions

For the MasterChef Junior Season 2 Audition, we pulled into Dallas the first thing we had to do was grab something delicious. I asked Siri for the best burger and she said Twisted Root Burger Co. It was close so we went.

It is a rustic kind of place with a great sense of humor. They have 2 of my most favorite things Root Beer and Pickles. It was love at first bite.

I ordered a burger and then I realized my Mom's burger was better so I ate hers. It happens frequently, sorry Mom! I get too adventurous and she saves me by choosing my favorites. This burger was huge and juicy and perfectly cooked. I loved that they made their own ketchup. They also make the pickles and the unique root beer. It is the BOMB. 

The fries were crispy and delish. I loved the place! The bathroom was devoted entirely to Chuck Norris! How cool is that?


I would say Siri did hit the best burger in Dallas, maybe....it is a big city and I am one hungry boy.

Love the Cabbage, Leaf
Logan


Twisted Root Burger Company

On the Tour Corky's a Memphis Classic

You might know that the BBQ tour t-shirt my Dad and I dreamed up finally got printed and so now I am on "The Tour" to be a Q king.

 I started at Corky's a Memphis icon of great Q. Robert Boyd told me about running the pit long ago and how the business has grown to more restaurants, cookbooks, stores and QVC. 

I mean these folks know BBQ and sell BBQ. 

 Now, I have had Corky's ribs many many times and I can tell you they are very good. They have a great smokey taste and just fall off the bone. I like them dry, of course - I am a Memphian! But the wet are pretty darn tasty too. I like the pulled pork it has a perfect BBQ flavor. The onion loaf, cheese plate and tamales are all good. I just noticed they are selling a cat fish so I ordered that even though I was on the tour the allure of something new could not be passed up. It came out hot and fried. I liked it but the sauce was just a bit too pickley for me. My Mom tried the turkey club also new to us and it looked good. 


 They just put up a new wall decoration and it really has brightened the place up. I loved the coke bottle cap detail.



 If you are from Memphis you have already tried Corky's if your from out of town and think QVC has given you the Corky's experience- try them anyway cause no one tells you about the toasty, buttery sourdough rolls almost the best part of eating there !  






I also got to meet the Pitmaster Mr. Robert Boyd!




 Love the BBQ,
 Logan








Corky's Ribs & BBQ

Taste The Love at Alcenia's

On a warm July afternoon what is better than Tasting the Love??? Nothing.. Alcenia's is tucked into the north end in a small little building. My Mom thought she had a Groupon for them but she got it wrong so there we were at lunch time. I have to say I was skeptical- I mean the place looked festive with all kinds of colors and chairs but it was a bit empty and I felt almost like I was in someones home. 

We ordered the food and it really took awhile to come out of the kitchen but when it did- Wow was it good. Everything was served on picnicware but the portions were pretty generous and after the first bite I was not complaining. The fried chicken was fresh fried for me and tender. It has some nice spices, The yams were sliced fresh and cooked with some karo syrup cinnamon in and butter. The black eyed peas, one of my favorites were spicy, fresh, flavorful and perfectly cooked. They had some little something in them I have not had before perhaps hominy or ... I just don't know. 

The chicken wings had

a karo syrup hot sauce with some nice herbs and hot peppers mixed in. They were not too hot or too vinegar. The lovely lady there said she hoped I tasted the Love and I did! So if you need a bit of love in your day go fill the place up. 

 Love the Cabbage Leaf, Logan



 

Tazikis it is a chain....

Right next door to Petra cafe is another Greek style restaurant. I wondered if it would be as good as Petra's so in we went.

I liked the inside.  It was fresh, clean and nice. The pale green paint really felt peaceful. 

The family all ordered Gyros but I have to say Petra's is 100 times better. 

The bread was really the best part, soft, fresh, grilled and spiced. The meat was  not Gyro style but some other kind. I don't really know what they did to it! It was NOT GYRO MEAT!

The lettuce toppings were good but with the odd meat they could not save the sandwich. I did like the sauce but I could have had a bit more to cover up the meat.

I think it would be ok to go if you were in a hurry or just wanted to grab something quick, but to be honest there are just better Gyros out there.  I don't think our family will  go back. 

Love the Cabbage Leaf,
Logan

Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe

At's A Pizza - on Union

The Memphis Flyer did a food review of a new Pizza place in the old Petra Cafe on Union. Since Pizza is a great food and fun to blog about I convinced my Dad to go. Since Dad likes Pizza it was easy.


The place is nice, a bit simple but it is just starting out so I did not expect a ton of personality yet. It is not a chain so there is no packaged decor just a good guy who wants to own a business and make pizza.

We ordered the toasted ravioli with meat sauce and they were ok. Not a hand made fresh product more of a frozen food fried. I still liked them and we ate them all. 

The pizza was good. Well, it was not great because I  ordered green olives and they were really generous so it was just too salty, that was my fault. The olives were nice. I don't think I will put fresh basil on a pizza again unless I make it! The sausage part had a bit of an odd taste not bad but not great either. The crust was handmade and it was perfectly baked. The sauce was not sweet and the cheese was well, cheesy. 

I think we will give it another go. It was not awesome gotta have it. But a man with a dream deserves a shot at my business and I really think it will get to be a great restaurant. 

Love the Cabbage leaf,
Logan

July + Memphis= Jerry's Sno Cones

Jerry's Sno-Cones, an awesome Memphis treasure, is tucked away down some random street off Summer Ave. 

This place is a dive, painted pink and green with a polar bear and a line around the block that looks permanent. WAIT! Don't be discouraged by that line, it goes fast.

I don't love sweets, I really don't even eat them, but add a hot Memphis day and icy sno-cone sounds wonderful.

I ordered a watermelon supreme - it was just ok. The ice cream (soft serve) is layered in the cup. The soft serve is good. You know normal sno-cones are all crystally, well, Jerry's are actual snow with an outstanding texture. The watermelon flavor was just ok. My Mom had wedding cake and OMG was it good. I had sno-cone envy. Same sno and same food coloring which was red and a bit shocking. The flavor was unique and unbelievable. 

Jerry's has managed to take a mundane food like a sno-cone and elevate it too extreme heights. I really thought it was impossible to take a sno-cone too.  

Now here is where I NEED you! There are no descriptions on some of those flavors, so YOU have to post me descriptions! I need to know what Ninja Turtle, Elvis, Napoleon Dynamite, toxic, and Spiderman are...come on people help a boy out!

Love the Cabbage Leaf,

Logan

Jerry's Sno Cone

Babalu a new view!

Overton Square is a trendy happening place. New, fun, exciting and pricey restaurants are popping up all over.
I just went to Babalu. It is a Mexican fusion place on the square. It looks kind of retro and feels open and fresh.
I got to try the guacamole - it is the house specialty and is made table side. I think that that is really awesome, just as cool as watching the hibachi steak guys, well, almost. They use fresh avocado, salt, lime juice, sun dried tomato paste, onions and salt and pepper. It can be as chunky or creamy as you like. For me chunky is better. I like a bit more pow in my guac but it was good.


The family shared some small plates. I picked the calamari. I asked for some of the wasabi mayo on the side. The squid was fresh and crispy. It was ok, good but not great.  I also tried the lamb taco. It was like a lamb gyro, the meat was pulled and the blue corn tortilla was the best part of the dish. It complimented the lamb in a surprising way. My Dad chose steak on a stick, it sounds like my Dad would love. Steak on a stick what could be manlier? The portion was small, and it had a sweet reduction on it and some potato hash on the side. Dad said he would not get it again.

Babalu is a cool place to go but I would go with friends and when you are not starving!

Love the cabbage, Leaf
Logan

https://www.facebook.com/babalumemphis
http://babalutacos.com/

Babalu Tacos & Tapas