The Memphis Business Journal has the full story.

In short, most of the chefs involved signed a letter stating that they would not like to take part.

Excerpted:

As the Memphis restaurant scene has continued to develop, especially with
the increase of Chef-Owned Restaurants, we as key players in this
development have worked to cultivate an environment of inclusiveness.
Luckily, this is an environment that is natural to the many of us who have
chosen to make Memphis our Restaurant Home. Instead of competing with each
other, we send each other business. Instead of poaching talented staff, we
share resources to ensure a future of talent. If one of us runs out of
lettuce, we run down the street and get a loaner from our neighbor. If one
of us receives national praise, the rest of us promote the great news to our
own customers. Is there a competitive spirit. Of course. We are, after all,
business people. But the people who have chosen to make Memphis their
culinary home in the past few years have done so with the forethought that
Memphis can be and is different than other cut-throat restaurant towns.

Personally, I think this would have been a lot better received had they elected to do a straight “Who is your favorite Memphis Chef?” poll, as opposed to going with the chef vs. chef “playoff” style.

I can see both sides.

I commend the chefs involved in refusing to take part in a contest that pits them against one another. I also have witnessed, and very much admire, the kindness and camaraderie mentioned in their letter.

On the other hand, I don’t think it was MBJ’s intention to foster ill will or animosity amongst Memphis’ best chefs. I think the decision to make it a “playoff” likely had a lot more to do with trying to drive traffic to their site every week to vote in the next “round”.

While I feel that this implementation was flawed, I feel there’s merit to the idea. I like the idea of highlighting the “Best of the Best”. If the involved chefs are interested, I feel this hiccup can be parlayed into something good.

How about a “Downtown Dining Week” style event in which the nominated chefs offer a fixed menu of the dishes they feel best represent them, and then have a vote for “People’s Choice”?

Shift the focus from “Who’s the best?” to “Look at the caliber of food available in Memphis”, with the crowning of a winner secondary to the idea of getting people to take a step outside of their national chain restaurant and experience the work of the local masters. This way everyone wins. All the restaurants get a bump in business, all the chefs get to showcase their skills, and the people of Memphis who might otherwise not be aware of the local offerings get to eat some amazing food.

Anyone interested? Leave a comment.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/feature/best-chef-in-memphis-landing-page.html

And a direct link to vote for Chef Patrick:

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/2012/02/best-chef-in-memphis-round-1-match-10.html

We started with the much acclaimed lobster pronto pups. Definitely a must try.

Next came something we didn’t order, the seared scallops with slaw. Chef Patrick sent them out for us all to try. Everyone loved them, lots of spice and perfectly cooked. The fresh slaw complimented the scallops perfectly and toned down the heat just enough. Fantastic.

Next came entrees. Almost everyone got the catfish special. It was a generously sized catfish filet crusted with seasoned cornmeal and bacon (yeah, bacon) served over cheddar grits. Two of my dining companions said they hated grits, both changed their mind after trying the cheddar grits. They’re that good. The sauce was especially fantastic, a remoulade with a decent amount of heat and lots of flavor that did an amazing job of contrasting the earthiness of the catfish.

My girlfriend got the pasta, but unfortunately I forgot to take a pic. I tried it and loved it though.

I was full at this point, so I threw in the towel, but two people at the table, Anthony and Mark, ordered a dessert. It amounted to a sundae on top of an ice cream sandwich. I tried a bite, and it was every bit as good as it sounds. I suggest splitting it though, it’s huge, especially after the generous portions at rizzos.

Overall, it was exactly what I expected. A cozy atmosphere that’s upscale without being pretentious. Service that’s meticulous but comfortably casual. Food that manages to be both innovative and approachable. Do yourself a favor and go try it for yourself.

City Market
66 S. Main (at Union)

The Grand Opening will be Trolley Night September 30th. The Cuisine will be southern inspired diner fare with my fine dining twists and interpretations. Lunch 11 to 2:30 Tuesday through Friday. Dinner 5 to 10:00 weeknights Monday through Saturday, 5 to 11 Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday Day. I see no one is open Monday night down here so i want to offer all the people I have seen pulling on doors and looking in windows a opportunity to dine somewhere. The price point at lunch will from $6.00 to $11.00 range most items right at $8.00 with a few sandwiches, meat & 3 options and healthy salads. Dinner will be more on the elegant side of diner style cuisine but with a price point of $16.00 dollars to $22.00. House made desserts. We will have a wine and beer permit in the month to come.

Now, I think my track record of blatant (ok, maybe sometimes I’m an asshole) honesty speaks for itself, but I’ll be blunt; I don’t suggest you go to Rizzo’s because I like Michael Patrick (I do). I don’t suggest you go there because he’s been the head chef of the best restaurants in Memphis (he has), and I don’t suggest you go there because it will be the next “Hot new place” (it will).

I suggest you go eat there because Chef Patrick has, in recent memory, always worked for someone else. He’s always been somewhat limited by the vision and theme of someone else. He’s had to craft a menu to fit the theme of someone else’s restaurant, and he’s made some fucking amazing food in spite of those limitations. Now he has none of those constraints. It’s his vision, his menu, his food, as he wants it to be, without any meddling from anyone else.

If that’s not worth trying, I don’t know what is.

From my phone:

Highly suggested. Except between the food and the margarita, I’m now worthless for the next two hours.

From the char-grille, on a buttered and toasted Kaiser bun, our world famous Huey Burger, served with smoked cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, onion straws, BBQ sauce, with shredded lettuce and pickles. Delicious!

I gotta say, it’s fantastic. One of the few burgers that stand a real chance of making me change my order from the classic Hueyburger. I’ll let the pics speak for themselves.

After the requisite “Awww!” I started to check out the package contents. First I found a crack pipe.

Ok, It’s a bombilla, but I thought it was a crackpipe at first. I’ve been in Memphis too long.

And a Gourd, though I think the one I’m linking is a different style, it’s the same idea.

Seems to be a polished hardwood vessel. The one I was sent is absolutely beautiful.

I believe the traditional way is to put the loose tea in the bottom and pour nearly boiling water over it, then let it steep before drinking it through the bombilla. Here’s the tea.

Looks like pot, honestly.

Everything together has an undeniable old world charm.

Now, your job is to tell me how to make this tea without ruining it. Should I use my French Press or just rely on the straw for filtration? Do I let it steep for long, or drink it fast? Should I add sugar, milk, etc, or drink it as straight tea? What should I send the lovely Maria in a futile attempt to match a gift this cool? Help!