Unveiling The "Secret"
On the advice of a couple of Facebook friends, I decided to try some things at Blues City Cafe that I haven't had before. One reason why I hadn't had these menu items is because they're aren't exactly on the menu. My two items of choice were the grilled version of the Catfish Plate and the Chopped Salad with Rib Meat. Supposedly, these items are a part of the restaurant's "secret menu" that's unknown to the public. This concept doesn't make sense to me, because I believe that everyone should have the benefit of a restaurant's entire menu.
On my first attempt to order from the Blues City's "secret menu," I tried to get the grilled version of the Catfish Plate, based on a picture and an informal endorsement by noted Downtown Memphis foodie "
Nuh-Uh Girl." She is regularly featured on a particular Downtown blog that for whatever reason obsesses over her eating habits, even though the blogger is a pretentious, uppity, arrogant, small-minded fat ass creep that most women would never date. When I attempted to place my order at the bar, the bartender told me that I could only get it fried. Even after I showed her Nuh-Uh Girl's Facebook picture of it, the bartender wouldn't relent. Disappointed, I settled for the fried version of the entrée, which came out a few minutes after I ordered it. The platter, consisting of three fried catfish filets, steak fries, tartar sauc
e and cole slaw, is an enormous meal that will satisfy most appetites. Regarding the catfish itself, the taste isn't anything that couldn't be experienced at most restaurants that serve it and likely will never be its premier menu item. However, it is good and I'll likely order it again. As for getting the grilled version of the platter, I guess one of three things will have to occur: 1) I become a Downtown resident who is popular with the merchants there, 2) I go on a dinner date to Blues City Cafe with "Nuh-Uh Girl" (unlikely), or 3) I develop a relationship with the cook like I have with Paul, one of the cooks at the
Downtown Hooters, just around the block from Blues City. Paul (or one of the other cooks) always hooks me up with the grilled version of Hooter's delicious Big Fish sandwich, formerly known as the Grouper's Cousin. Coincidentally, this isn't on Hooters' menu.
A couple of months later, during a late Friday morning (about 11:30 AM), I stopped by Blues City to see if I can get the grilled catfish. With hardly anyone there, I figured that it shouldn't be
a problem. However, the kitchen staff was still reluctant to do it for me, but out of kindness they fulfilled the order. The platter comes in two versions, which are the lunch plate with two filets and the dinner plate that has three. Out of fear of overeating, I chose the lunch plate with red potatoes, coleslaw and tartar sauce. After waiting over twenty minutes, my catfish plate arrived, and I could tell from the aroma that I was in for a treat. The catfish, seasoned in Cajun spices, was cooked perfectly. My only regret about ordering this was choosing the "lunch" version of the entrée, for I definitely could have eaten three filets instead of two. I hope someday that Blues City includes this in the menu, for it is a great alternative for those who aren't into Southern cuisine.
In my second attempt at ordering from Blues City Cafe's "secret menu" (which is no longer the case), I chose the aforementioned Chopped Salad with Rib Meat based on a recommendation from a friend who travels around much of the world as a Pinnacle Airlines pilot. This dish, which isn't exactly a secret, for it is listed as one of the toppings that can be added to any of Blues City's salads, consists of barbecue pork meat sitting atop a bed of lettuce,
tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. Even though the menu says it is "rib meat," the texture of it seems more like pork shoulder (of course, this is my unprofessional opinion). Even though it's a lot of meat (maybe half a pound), it gets lost in the salad when it's mixed together. Even after applying salad dressing, which is a combination of BBQ sauce and ranch dressing, the two main components (the salad and barbecue meat) seemed to cancel each other out. The combination resulted in a bland taste. I didn't get any sense of enjoyment from the salad, so I sprinkled some New Orleans Hot Sauce's "Bourbon Street Bad" sauce on it. After adding the hot sauce, the salad became tastier and enjoyable, for it really hit the spot. Still, as far as meat salads go, there are many other places that serve that kind of salad, although not necessarily with barbecue pork. I particularly like
The Blue Monkey's Angus salad that features beef tenderloin.
As much as I wanted to try out Blue City's "secret menu," my favorite dish is still the Memphis Strip. The steak is a 16 oz. version of a New York strip steak that is among the best I have ever tasted. I especially liked it when it was prepared by the late
Chef Bonnie Mack, a true legend of the Memphis culinary scene. When he cooked the Memphis Strip, it was a perfectly tender steak with the right amount of grease that oozed throughout the plate, including on some of the steak fries that made them heavenly good. Eating the grilled-tinged steak with greasy steak fries was pure ecstasy, for I rarely have anything that good. Since Mack's passing, the Memphis Strip has, in my opinion, lacked that greasy goodness, but is still one of the best steaks in Memphis.
In summary, the Blues City Cafe is a great place to dine at, whether it is with the family or with friends. In addition to food, live music is performed daily at the restaurant, which is another reason why like this place. I like Blues City so much that I recommend it to tourists who visit FedExForum, where I work part-time. Even though I hope someday that Blues City includes grilled catfish and other healthy entrées in its menu, I'll always be a fan of the place that is a Memphis institution.
Website:
www.bluescitycafe.com
Labels:
Barbecue,
Beale Street,
Downtown,
Family Friendly,
Salads,
Seafood,
Steaks
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After looking over the menu, I decided to go with the Stuffy Combo that consists of a 7 oz. burger with cheese, various toppings and a side of fries. The toppings include a variety of mayonnaise flavors such as the popular Lemon Cilantro and Hot Wing & Blue Cheese. I chose Chipotle mayo with Swiss cheese, grilled onions and mushrooms as additional toppings. Maybe it was just luck, but that combination of toppings, combined with the 7 oz. tasty beef patty seasoned in Old Bay and pepper seasonings, was one of best burgers I tasted in awhile. What really stood out was the Chipotle mayo and grilled onions, for they brought forth a flavor that is very unique. The fries, hand-cut and seasoned with Old Bay seasoning, were also delicious and complemented the burger well. Overall, my first experience at Stuffy's was an "A+," which makes me anxious enough to visit again.
