Meet the Chef/Owner: Marguel Polania . Arepa and Salsa

I am looking forward to introducing everyone to a great restuarant as well as a great family this month. This restaurant epitomizes what I want to do with this dinner group...help the mom and pop restuarants out there that are putting out amazing food. The Polania family has created a (hopefully not too much longer) hidden gem here in Memphis. Although I haven't tried the food, I only hear amazing things about it. Multiple people have reached out to me about this place, complimenting both food and family. They must be doing something right over there on Madison.

I often get to see the best and the worst of people when setting up these gatherings. Not only has the Polania family been extremely gracious, they have been a lot of fun through this process. Although I have two left feet, I am looking to heading out to their place on a Friday night and try learning the Salsa!  Without further ado, I present to you the Polania family!

 

 

What is your cooking or educational background?

I come from a family where the food is the centerpiece of any family event. In my grandmother's house, who was an excellent cook, the gatherings always ended up in the kitchen in spite of having a house with large terrace, a large living room or dining room. The process of cooking was part of the enjoyment.

What/who are your culinary or gastronomical influences?

Although our food is authentic Venezuelan, I recognize that I have some influence of the Spanish tastes inherited from my maternal grandmother who knew how to combine both styles to achieve excellent dishes.

Are you from Memphis or the area? If not, how did you get here?
I am from Venezuela and my husband is from Colombia, but Memphis was the city that united us and where we started our family.

Tell us the story of how you decided to open Arepa and Salsa.

I think that is an idea that life gave us. Because when we had a meeting/party with friends or work colleagues, they always asked us for the same thing; "please bring Arepas and Diego, “do not forget the Salsa music." We saw how they enjoyed the arepas and Salsa music. One day we said, "Why not carry this happiness to a greater number of people? ... Therefore, we embarked on this beautiful adventure.

 Who is involved in the restaurant? Family? Friends?

100% Family owned. Since the remodeling of the restaurant, the participation of brothers and nephews, was vital. Each one of them has given us a helping hand to better the restaurant. My husband created the ambience and theme that gives the restaurant a warm and inviting atmosphere. My mom by defining the menu in the kitchen, the nephews help in the construction and artistic touches. My brother-in-law is our technical support guy, without forgetting those friends that are really part of our family helping us with different details.

What is the best thing about running your own restaurant/kitchen?

We enjoy many things from having our own business such as:

• To arrive each morning to the restaurant and the challenge of making sure that each customer is satisfied and leaving with a smile because they love our food.

• When we see that a customer is enjoying his/her meal that is the result of the dedication of our team.

• See that our dream grows every day.

What is your favorite thing to eat on the menu?
This is one of the most difficult questions that customers ask us everyday day, because everything included on the menu are our favorite recipes that we enjoyed as a family and we love all of them. It was truly difficult to select the dishes to include in the menu.

What is your favorite thing to make on the menu?
The “Arepa de pernil”, from the moment of selecting the meat, marinating it, cooking, filling the arepa, and presenting it to the customer. I enjoy the whole process.

What special events do you have throughout the week? On the menu?
We have complimentary Salsa dancing classes every Friday night at 8:30 pm for our customers.

Tell us something that most people wouldn't know about you…non-restaurant related?

According to Isabella Polania, I am the best mom ever.

Fact or fiction: I hear you are a great dancer.
I do not know if I am a great dancer, but for me Salsa is a sort of communion of love that involves happiness and enjoyment. Through it I met my husband and we fell in love with each other. I love to dance Salsa.

Anything else you want to say about your business that I haven't asked?

We conceived this idea a few years ago but opened our doors in September 2012. In these 10 months we have received a great acceptance from the Memphis community and I feel so blessed and grateful to get their support and am committed every day to keep exceeding our customer’s expectations.

 

Meet the Chef: Jonathan Steenerson . Ciao Bella

I wanted to introduce you to the chef for our next gathering, Chef Jonathan Steenerson. When one thinks of Italian Cuizine, "healthy" isn't always the first adjective used to describe it. Well that is about to change my friends. Chef Steenerson was recently featured in an  article about how, and why he decided to make a "healthy" change to the menu at Ciao Bella.  Their new menu will feature a few vegetarian, gluten free, and even vegan friendly dishes. We are going to get to try a few of the healthy changes at our gathering next Tuesday. I for one can't wait.

In our series "Meet the Chef," I ask the hard hitting questions that others are afraid to ask...probably for fear of appearing foolish. With that being said, here is my interview with Eagle Scout Jonathan Steenerson...

What is your cooking or educational background?

It was hard knocks since I was 14. My dad and grandfather owned restaurants and my great grandfather was a butcher. I got it by osmosis.

What/who are your culinary or gastronomical influences?
James Gentry and Erling Jensen were great local influences.

Are you from Memphis or the area?

Yes. I went to high school at Houston. I was gone 7 years and now I've been back home for 2 years.

Fact or fiction: I heard your menu is going to take a more healthy turn, with even a few vegan items.

We are looking into putting some vegan items on the spring menu. For now, we are trying to accommodate life choices by request, including whole wheat, vegetarian, vegan and gluton free.

Tell us the story of how you decided to join CB.

I was CB original chef from 10 years ago. When I moved back to Memphis recently, I ran into Judd Tashie and he later approached me to come back. The Tashie's are a good family and they provide good food. I wanted to be a part of that again.. It's rare that you work for a family who truly care and appreciates their employees.

What is the best thing about running your own restaurant/kitchen?
Feeding people. Is there anything more noble?

What is your favorite thing to eat on the menu?
Cheese pizza, but I add peppercinnis.

What is your favorite thing to make on the menu?
Kobe Beef Gnocchi. That's fun.

What special events do you have throughout the week? On the menu?

Sunday thru Thursday happy hour 1/2 price drink and food menu in the bar 4-7PM; Monday night 1/2 price pizza dine in 5-7PM.

Tell us something that most people wouldn't know about you…non-restaurant related?

I'm an Eagle Scout.

Anything else you want to say about your business that I haven't asked?
Support the little guy…we are the backbone

Ciao Bella
565 Erin Drive (located behind Huey's on Poplar)
901.205.2500

Hours of operation:
Sunday through Thursday
5 P.M. to 9:30 P.M.
Friday and Saturday
5 P.M. to 10:30 P.M.

Meet the Owner: Josh Huckaby of The Green Beetle

I want to introduce you to my new friend Josh Huckaby, latest owner of the Green Beetle Tavern on South Main, and grandson of Frank Liberto. If the name Frank Liberto rings a bell, you are either a Memphis old timer, or you may have visited the convenience store/deli Frank's next door to the Green Beetle on South Main. Frank's was originally a liquor store, and the Green Beetle was a tavern. Both were owned and operated by Frank Liberto until the mid 70's. Josh recently purchased the tavern and welcomed the beetle back into the family. He spent several months renovating the joint and making it feel more open and friendly.

Speaking of friendly, Josh is one of the nicest folks you will ever meet. Everytime I have gone in to plan our foodiememphis gathering, I have felt guilty for pulling him away from a conversation he was having with patrons. Stop in, say hello and strike up a conversation. It isn't hard, trust me. While you are there, get a Big Frank Burger or his Gandmother Mary's Lasagna. You will thank me later.

In our series "Meet the Chef," I ask the hard hitting questions that others are afraid to ask...probably for fear of appearing foolish. With that being said, here is my interview with Josh Huckaby:

Josh, there is another tavern in Memphis claiming to be the oldest in Memphis. What is your claim to the title? The Green Beetle was founded by my grandfather, 'Big' Frank Liberto, in 1939. The Beetle is the oldest operating tavern in Memphis. The Arcade was established in 1919, but in my humble opinion, it is a café, and the Green Beetle is a tavern, hence the validity of our claim.

Can you give us a little history lesson on the tavern?
The Green Beetle and Franks Market were opened, owned and operated by Granpa Frank and Grandma Mary, until then 1970's.  Since then it changed ownership several times, but by contract the name stayed the same on both. The property had multiple owners until 2011, when I got it.

I am a Memphian by choice, and am intrigued by the unusual name. What is the origin of the name "the green beetle?"
My grandfather always wanted to name a bar 'the green beetle' since he was a little kid. Don't ask me why, I guess he liked beetles.

There is a rumor going around that one of the contestants on a certain cooking show w/ a nasty host has ties to the GB. Is there any truth to that rumor?
Jonathon was a cooking contestant on Hells Kitchen, and was an employee at the Beetle. Unfortunately, he was eliminated from both shows.

What is your history with the GB? Why did you decide to take over the joint?
I was in Baltimore, managing 7 casino restaurants, when the current building owner called and asked if I would be interested in the opportunity. By the time he hung up the phone, I was at the door.

What is your culinary background?
Grew up in kitchens, but no formal training. I started by running the grill at Lone Star when I was 15. I got in, liked it, and learned from people I worked with. It’s in my blood, what I do and what I love.

How has the menu changed over the years?
It started with a hot plate lunch, and grew from there. A Budweiser draft used to cost 10 cents and a 12 oz strip with a salad, potato and rolls was $1.35.  Our prices have only risen slightly since then...

If someone was in town for one day & could only sample one thing off the menu, what would you suggest?
If they were only in town for one day, and could only have one meal, I would suggest my grandmother’s recipe for Lasagna. I also recommend the Big Frank burger, but that might be a perfect match for someone's last meal on death row.

Any interesting facts about the GB we need to know about?
The restaurant is filled with original memorabilia. Be sure to check out the leather studded door on the hallway. Desi Arnez used to hang out here, when he would stay at the Chisca he would stop in for a few drinks before playing the ballroom. He was a low key guy, and always tipped 100%. He had a steak dinner every night he was in town.

What is a typical week as far as events go @ the GB? Music? Karaoke? Trivia? Happy hour? Tuesdays we do an acoustic set with Blake Ryan and beer specials all night. Wednesdays this fall we will have a beer pong tournament. Friday and Saturdays we have live local music and the kitchen stays open until 2 am.

What is your favorite and or least favorite thing about starting your own business?
My favorite thing is that it is a family legacy, and it feels like I'm working with my grandfather all over again.

The Green Beetle

325 S Main St
Memphis, TN 38103

(901) 525-3354

Thanks to sophorn for the picture.

Buon Cibo: Meet the Owners, Josh and Katie Belenchia

I first found out about Buon Cibo through my friend Todd, who lives in Hernando. As he knew we support locally owned restaurants, he continued to rave about the AMAZING food being prepared at this small restaurant in Hernando, MS. Unfortunately for me, as it is a whole 20 minute drive from my house, I resisted trying it for a few months. Todd finally won me over with a description of the pizza below, and  boy am I glad he did. Those are fresh Hernando figs (grown and hand picked by my friend Todd) served on top of a layer of proscuttio, combined with pecans and cheese. If that isn't described as a true slice of Heaven, I don't know what possibly could be. Below is an interview with Josh Belenchia, the person behind the divinely inspired pizza.

Fact or fiction? You were a chef at interim.  I was the Executive chef of Interim from Oct. 2009 to Jan. 2011.

What is your culinary background? Katie's culinary background?  I graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY in Sept 2005.  Katie has learned from me and from cooking at home.

Fact or fiction? You chose Hernando b/c of it's proximity to local foods. Where are you from, and how did you end up in Hernando? I chose Hernando because I was already living in Hernando and thought that Hernando needed a good restaurant.  I am originally from Cleveland, MS.  Katie is originally from Hernando.  I wanted to work for a restaurant in Memphis, but didn’t want to live there, so we moved to Hernando.

Fact or fiction? You work with your wife Katie. What are your roles in the restaurant? How did you two meet?  Katie and I work together.  She currently does the desserts, keeps the books, manages the front of the house staff.  I cook everything(with help of course), I manage my cooks, keep the books, and everything else that comes along with owning a restaurant.  Katie and I met at Southern Miss.

Fact or fiction? You are dedicated to the locally grown movement.  I am very dedicated to the locally grown movement.  There is nothing like getting fresh produce, or artisan meats and cheeses.  It gives me a little thrill every time a receive it because I know that it is the best product that I can find anywhere.  I love it.

Fact or fiction?  Buon Cibo means good food. Please explain the name...why you chose it. Are you Italian or Italian heritage?  Katie and I were driving home and I said something to the effect of “I just want to have a restaurant that serves good food, Katie, look up good food in Italian”  so she got out the itranslate, and looked good food up and it came up “Buon Cibo”  we both looked at each other and nodded our heads and said we liked it.  That is about it.  My father is Italian, my mother is german, but she cooked mostly Italian food when I was growing up. 

Have heard some of the recipes on your menu are from your mother. Was she the one that got you interested in food? Nonna’s pies are what we call them.  They are all her recipes. My mother was a great cook, and I grew up eating really good food.  Her pies were amazing, and we always were very excited when she would make them.  I do give her credit for getting me interested in cooking.  I didn’t know I was interested till I was 20, but some things take a little longer than others.

What is your favorite thing to eat on your menu? Katie yours? My favorite thing to eat is probably the Cuban sandwich, Katies is Ham and cheese

What is your favorite thing to make on your menu? Katie yours?  My favorite things to make are probably the breads for a couple different menu items.  I really enjoy making ciabatta, and brioche.  Something about working with dough, soothes the soul.  Katies is chocolate chess pie

What is your favorite thing about running your own restaurant? Katie yours? My favorite thing is the fact that it is all ours.  We succeed or we fail because of our decisions.  There is no blame to place.  It is a heavy burden, but when you’ve worked for owners before, and they don’t grasp the concept or they have crazy off the wall ideas about how they want you to run their restaurant, it is nice to know that I have no one to answer to but myself and Katie.  We work well as a team and complement each others actions.  Katies favorite thing is working with me and being able to have our family come and be a part of it.

Please tell the story of how Buon Cibo came about.  I had been wanting to open a restaurant for some time.  I was getting tired of the commute to Memphis, and I was getting tired of working for other people who didn’t see eye to eye with me.  We decided to look at the old Docs space in Hernando one cool December morning on a whim.  I was very suprised to see that everything was still there.  Booths, tables, chairs, plates, silverware, equipment, coffee grinds, cash registers, etc...I figured I could get a restaurant started here at minimal cost to me.  Everything fell into place and Bam! I had restaurant. Buon Cibo’s menu was created around certain pieces of cooking equipment.  Main pieces were a double decker conveyer pizza oven, and a toaster oven.  All the refrigeration was available, there was a stove and a grill in the back kitchen.  I didn’t want to come in to the space and take all the equipment out, so I fit the menu to what was there.  I added a couple pieces of equipment to make it more of a production kitchen and it just worked.  Can’t wait for ya’ll to come check it out.  See you soon. 

If you are interested in trying the Buon Cibo, we are going to have a gathering there on the 23rd of August. We would love it if you joined us at the table of brotherhood. All are welcome. Hope to see you there. See the menu on the "Upcoming Memphis" tab.

Buon Cibo

Highland CourtShopping Center

2631 McIngvale Road

Hernando, MS

662.469.9481

Hours:

Tuesday-Saturday

11AM -9PM

photos: again by sophorn aka norococo. thanks. they are beautiful.  

Las Delicias: Meet The Owner, Antonio Martinez

Today, I am posting an interview with Antonio Martinez, the owner and patriarch of the Las Delicias Restaurants. Las Delicias seems to have an almost cult like following now. Customers are extremely passionate about “their” restaurant. It’s almost like they have taken part ownership of the restaurant. “Las Delicias, that's My restaurant." "My restaurant is the best Mexican restaurant in Memphis!" "My restaurant makes the best margaritas in town!”  I know I count myself among the fanatics. I really am looking forward to sharing one of my favorite restaurants and favorite people with foodiememphis. Their food is some of the best I have ever eaten. My mouth is watering just looking at Sophorn's photos. 

Where are you from originally? I am originally from a small town named San Miguel el Alto in one of the central States in Mexico named Jalisco, when I was around 5 years old my father decided to move to Mexico City, I stayed there from 1963 to 1998. My first job, which I started at the age of 12, was in a restaurant. I worked there for about 12 years. After that, I decided to work with computers. I got a job at Kimberly Clark and stayed there for about 13 years. I then moved to a Software selling company until about 1998. This last company for which I was working had some financial problems.  So one Sunday morning, I took my wife for a ride, I told her this was our time to move to USA. She was very surprised, but after talking for about 2 hours, she agreed on the move.

How did you end up in Memphis? For years we had visited my mother and sisters who lived here in Memphis. Every time we drove back home (yes, we drove from Mexico City!) we would speak about how nice it would be to live in Memphis. So in 2 hours we decided and in 2 weeks we moved. I quit my job, my niece moved into our house in Mexico...she is still there by the way and we moved to Memphis. Now you know, why Memphis? Because my family was here. ~ Being a “Memphian-By-Choice,” I always love hearing people say that chose to live here. Kudos Antonio for making a great choice! ~

What lead up to the opening of the first Las Delicias? My first job here in Memphis was at KM Logistics, cleaning burnt oil off of cracked diesel engine heads, then as an orders picker. After about 6 months, I moved to Jabil, another company, repairing computer monitors.  I then became part of their technical support team for the company’s internal computer network. I stayed there until late 2004. I was fired for refusing to go to a new facility they were opening in Reynosa (Mexico.) They had wanted me to go and set up the network there.  

As a way to make a little extra money, I had started selling "tacos al pastor" in my backyard, and then in my   garage a few months before my firing.  Right after my firing, I took my wife for a ride. We spoke and decided not to look for another job. We had some savings and so we started looking for a place to lease for "Las Delicias". In January 2003 we open our first place on Shelby Dr. close to Lamar (it was an old Subway). It really was a family restaurant. I was a cook, did prep, and managed, while my wife worked the register and did prep as well.  My 3 sons helped where ever they were needed…cooking, prep and waiting tables. No one earned a penny for about four months. We stayed at that location until March 2006, when the railroad company bought every building around them. They gave us 20 days to move. We found a small restaurant for sale on Mendenhall, which at the time was the closest place to our former location. We paid the owner for her equipment and moved in a single weekend.

About three years later, in September of 2009, we opened our second location here at Park Ave. It seems to me that it was only yesterday, but it has been almost 2 years! ~ The second restaurant has the same amazing food, but is a bar and grill, which means… MARGARITAS!  I have no personal experience, but I continue to hear people rave about their margaritas. There is something about fresh squeezed limes rather than a mix that seems to make all the difference. I can't wait to try one at our gathering. ~

I am interested in the tortilla place next to the original restaurant. Rumor has it that you run it as well...fresh tortillas made daily served in the store. How did that come about? Back in 2007, the tortilla shop that had made our corn tortillas suddenly decided to stop making them. They told us that changing the cutter size was damaging their machine. Right then, I decided to open our own tortilla shop. It took us about 6 months to get it ready, but finally in early 2008 we opened. One of my sons is in charge and we now sell corn tortillas and bags of chips, funny thing is that slowly but steadily we are now making more tortillas to fry into chips than to sell as tortillas. ~ You may have seen their chips at the downtown farmer’s market downtown, the trolley stop market on main, or many other places around town. They also sell their heavenly guacamole and salsas there as well.  ~

Your son runs the original restaurant now. Was he raised in the restaurant & just naturally took over when you moved to the one on Park? My son has been with me since the very beginning of the restaurant, I oversee the operation but he has been the one in full charge since we opened at Park. There have no big problems up to now. ~ The Las Delicias on Mendenhall still has incredible food. When Antonio left, his son kept everything runnning just as smoothly. Please stop by either restaurant and enjoy the food. Tell them we said hello. ~  

Las Delicias
Mexican Bar and Grill
4002 Park Avenue (Near Getwell)
Memphis, TN 38111
ph 901.458.9264

or try the original

Las Delicias
3727 S. Mendenhall
Memphis, TN 38115

Photos from original Las Delicias by Sophorn AKA norococo