Why we think SOB, David Grisanti's on Main will help make Collierville a dining destination
For the longest time, the dining scene in Collierville was dominated by national chains.
That has changed over the past several years as more and more locally owned establishments have opened in this Memphis suburb. Places like Jim’s Place Grille, Raven & Lily and Café Piazza have become popular dining destinations for Collierville residents, as well as patrons across the greater Memphis area.
In early October, two new locally owned restaurants opened in Collierville.
David Grisanti’s on Main opened just off the historic Town Square, and Memphis restaurant SOB opened its third location in Schilling Farms.
We thought it would be revealing to visit both restaurants one week after opening to see how these original Memphis-area concepts were being received. We decided to dine at these two restaurants at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 19.
Mark Russell, The Commercial Appeal’s executive editor, is a Collierville resident, and headed to SOB’s newest outpost to enjoy its fare in his own neighborhood, rather than driving to Downtown or East Memphis.
I decided to check out the new David Grisanti’s on Main, which is a good 30 to 40 minutes away from my home near the University of Memphis.
Here’s what we discovered.
Jennifer Chandler's visit to David Grisanti’s on Main
The first thing I discovered before even setting foot in the door is that people are excited about David Grisanti’s reopening. I hopped online the Saturday before to make a reservation, and soon found that my only options for that Thursday were 5 p.m., 5:15 p.m. or 7 p.m. Seems the 6 o’clock hour is popular for patrons of David Grisanti’s. On Tuesday, I called the restaurant to see if they could accommodate my request for an earlier reservation and was told that they were totally booked for that night.
Tip No. 1: If you want to go to Grisanti’s for dinner, book early.
When we walked up at 7 p.m., the dining room and bar were bustling.
I stopped on the front porch to ask two couples leaving what they thought of the new restaurant.
Lucy Bond, who had been dining with her husband and friends, is a Collierville resident, and had eaten often at David Grisanti’s when it was located in Sheffield Antiques Mall.
“I think the restaurant is very comfortable and the food is delicious,” she said, adding that the atmosphere here is better than at the old location.
She recommended the Chicken Artichoke, which is a chicken breast simmered in white wine sauce with mushrooms, herbs and artichoke hearts, served on a bed of risotto.
Susan Martin and her husband had driven all the way from Lakeland to try out the new David Grisanti’s. “We used to eat at the location in the mall, and this is a lot better,” she said, adding that they had thoroughly enjoyed the Elfo’s Special and the Manicotti.
As we were taken to our table, it looked like there was only one other table open other than ours. The dining room had a nice lively hum of conversation as guests looked like they were happily enjoying their meals.
We were seated at one of the booths. And that leads to my tip No. 2: Request to sit at one of the high-back booths when making your reservation. It creates a nice semi-private dining experience that allows for easy conversation as you enjoy your meal. (Not that I would have called the dining room overly loud, but the booth's high walls helped block out the busyness of the full dining room.)
Our server was friendly and attentive. She was also knowledgeable about the menu, answering all our questions and offering suggestions.
We took her advice and ordered the Bruschetta appetizer. Wow, was that an excellent suggestion. My third tip: Order this dish. I would describe it as Italian cheese bread, more than bruschetta. Instead of toasted bread topped with the diced tomatoes, this version is thick slices of soft baguettes topped with melted buffalo mozzarella, roasted red peppers, fresh pesto, shaved parmigiana and balsamic glaze. The finishing touch that takes it over the top is that they somehow cook the cheese so that the edges are crispy.
For our salad and entrees, we opted for Grisanti family classics of the Miss Mary’s Salad, the Elfo’s Special (a garlicky shrimp and mushroom pasta dish) and the Gorgonzola-topped filet. Each of these items were excellent renditions of these decades-old family signature dishes.
When I left for my half-hour journey back home, I left wishing that there was a David Grisanti’s closer to my house. Maybe soon I will get lucky and be writing a story about Collierville restaurants coming to Memphis.
David Grisanti’s on Main
Where: 148 N. Main St., Collierville
Hours: 5-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday
Online: davidgrisanti.com
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Mark Russell's visit to SOB in Collierville
Entering SOB at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday was a revelation: Every table was full, and our reservation was not until 6:30 p.m. The hostess invited us to sit at the bar until our table was ready.
While my wife and I glanced at the menu (with some new items beyond the menu I recall), we met diners John and Christine Goin, who moved to Collierville from Las Vegas 20 years ago. They frequent Raven & Lily and Highlander Pub in Collierville, but say they often drive to East Memphis or Overton Square to visit places like Restaurant Iris and Babalu.
John Goin said it's nice to have more fine-dining choices in Collierville. "It's great to have these options and it's a good thing for the area to have these fine-dining pockets in Collierville."
Indeed, it is nice to have options. The newest outpost of the celebrated restaurant that opened Downtown as South of Beale is about 5 minutes from our house rather than driving about 25 minutes to get to the SOB in East Memphis.
The restaurant has a polished look, part of a newly built space on Poplar Avenue at Schilling Road. The hostess and serving staff at SOB Collierville are similarly polished, belying the fact that the place had just opened.
When you go to SOB make sure you try the General Tso's cauliflower appetizer, a signature dish. It is a perfect blend of sweet, spicy and crispy. It appeared as if every table ordered the cauliflower. We also tried the excellent Philly cheesesteak egg rolls. For entrees we tried the blackened catfish over okra and corn succotash with andouille sausage and spicy crawfish cream sauce and the jerk-spiced short ribs with yellow rice and peas and sautéed vegetables and brown gravy. Both are hearty, flavorful dishes, but the gravy on the short ribs dish could use a reboot.
But the showstopper was a caramel cake, with drizzled caramel and whipped cream. We shared the dessert, which was big enough for two people but you probably won't want to share.
While dining, my wife, Christina, noticed three young women, who appeared to be in their late 20s, dining at a table across the restaurant. She thought they could offer a perspective on the changing Collierville dining scene. She was right.
Jasmine Settles was dining with her two cousins, Ariana Hayes and Ashia Aubrey, all of whom grew up in Moscow, Tennessee, about 25 minutes east of Collierville in Fayette County.
Settles said the trio decided to try the newly opened SOB because it gave them a reason to stop in Collierville for dinner. "I usually don't come to Collierville for fine dining," said Settles, who lives in southeast Memphis and in February is opening Cafe Noir, a coffee shop and bookstore, in the Medical District. She noted Collierville, long known among her friends as a pass-through spot with plenty of fast-food options, is slowly becoming a dining destination.
While the menu is the same at the three SOB restaurants, the Collierville location has an outdoor dining area that is sure to become a go-to spot for alfresco dining. It is an elegant space with gas lamps.
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SOB
Where: 1329 W. Poplar Ave., Collierville
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
Online: southofbeale.com
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.
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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: David Grisanti's on Main, SOB expand Collierville restaurant scene
