Ecco

"Here" It Is

It's not often that I get to write about restaurants that are close to my house, but one of the best Italian restaurants in Memphis is just a short bike ride away. Ecco is a neighborhood restaurant in the Crosstown section of Midtown, in the space formally occupied by Fresh Slices. Despite the fact that I've driven past it many times, in didn't get on my radar until my friend Jessica (one of the best bartenders in town who is currently working at Bardog Tavern) recommended to me. She told me that her favorite thing to get at Ecco was the crab claws, an appetizer that is really good. Overall, Ecco is one of Jessica's favorite restaurants, which to me is high praise from an industry professional. With that in mind, I made a reservation for dinner at Ecco.

NOTE: The following are recollections of what I had in 2021.

Once I arrived at Ecco, I was anxious to get the crab claws. While waiting for my server, I mentally reminisced my times when I dined there as a Fresh Slices customer. Although the main dining room (consisting of brick walls and (if my memory is correct) overhead fans) looked the same, the vibe of the place seemed different. Ecco is definitely more chill, which perfectly fits my mood. Still, I was ready for crab claws!

The crab claws are one of the most interesting things I've had. Listed on the menu as "Crab Claws Aglio e Olio" that translates as "garlic and oil crab claws", the seafood appetizer is drenched in olive oil. Sprinked with grated Parmesan cheese, the crab claws were tasty and messy. Similar to the crab "fingers" that I had at Elwood's Shells, getting to the meat took a little work but was well worth it. Overall, I was very impressed with the crab claws and will order it again (with a lot of napkins).

For the main course, I got the Spaghetti Amatriciana, a pasta entrée that currently isn't on the menu. From what I remember, the sauce had a strong tomato flavor, very similar to marinara sauce. Combined with bits of pork (pancetta, I believe) adding meaty heft, the Spaghetti Amatriciana was very impressive. Along with a tasty asparagus plate that's also off the menu, the Spaghetti Amatriciana is a memorable entrée that I hope will make its way back to Ecco's menu.

SIDE NOTE: Although I can't get the Spaghetti Amatriciana from Ecco, the restaurant offers a similar pasta dish called the Spaghetti All' Arrabiata. Although it's slightly different from the Spaghetti Amatriciana, it does have elements of bacon and salami for those looking for that pork fix. Check it out!

Sub-SIDE NOTE (October 3, 2025): The Spaghetti All' Arrabiata is off the menu. Ecco is one restaurant that changes its menu often, although not as often as "Carmy" did in "The Bear" (FX/Hulu TV show). So if you're reading any reviews on Ecco, be sure to check the date for its likely that it is no longer relevant to the current menu. In some ways that is good because it recreates the experience for "regulars" who frequent the restaurant but if you have a favorite menu item, don't get too attached to it.

To finish off dinner, I had a slice of strawberry cheesecake for dessert. Like the rest of my dinner, the cheesecake was delicious and a perfect ending. If there's any regrets, it's not dining at Ecco sooner given its proximity to my home. With most of Memphis' finer restaurants clustered in trendy neighborhoods like Cooper-Young and Overton Square, it's nice to have an upscale restaurant that I can ride my bike to other than restaurants in the Crosstown Concourse. There is very little to choose from in the "Evergreen" areas of Midtown (Cafe Eclectic and Dino's are good places to eat but aren't "upscale" in my opinion).

It's "Special"

I didn't want to post this review until I had one of Ecco's weekend specials. For years, I have seen pictures of amazing dishes posted on Ecco's Instagram account. Judging from the pictures, a lot of creativity went into crafting entrées that looked delicious. However, despite the fact that I live close enough to the restaurant that I could walk to it, I never got around to having an Ecco special (well, that's not entirely true, for I had a "special" bowl of soup last December that, while good, didn't scream amazing). What finally got me to the restaurant was a special that I couldn't resist.

I started off with a small bowl of the Spaghetti Bolognese instead of getting a salad. My goodness, that was a good choice! The Spaghetti Bolognese, which to many Americans is just "spaghetti", consists of spaghetti pasta in a meat (usually ground beef) and tomato sauce that's familiar to most. It's not often when you find perfect Spaghetti Bolognese with the right balance of the key ingredients, but the chefs at Ecco somehow did it. Covered with a generous (but not too much) amount of grated Parmesan cheese and parsley, Ecco's "Bolognese" uses a great combination of spices that accentuates the thick sauce in a way that's delightful but not over imposing. What I mean is that all the key elements that make a good spaghetti sauce were in harmony (in other words, it wasn't too salty, too garlicky, "troppi pomodori" ("too many tomatoes", exhibiting some Italian), etc.). I don't know if the chefs at Ecco got any training or experience cooking in Italy, but you usually would have to go the country itself (or New York) to get something this genuine. I heard that Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen was the real deal when it comes to Italian cuisine in Memphis, but the restaurant would have to really convince me that it's better than Ecco.

SIDE NOTE: The Spaghetti Bolognese is one of the few constants on Ecco's menu. I'm sure it's a favorite!

For the main course, the "special" of the weekend was a pork chop with Pommery mustard sauce along with jalapeño creamed corn and red cabbage topped with dollops of creamy goat cheese. Compared to Ecco's more exotic offerings in the past, one could assume that I should have chosen another weekend to get a more interesting entrée. However, I had a good reason for choosing the pork chop. For me, cooking pork is challenging because the hardest part about it is infusing flavor into the meat. Even when I brine pork for hours, it still tastes flat. Most restaurants do a better job of it than me, but most of the time they are just okay. I can't say that about Ecco, for its pork chop was phenomenal. The pork chop was nicely seared and tender, with a flavor combination of (I'm guessing) salt, black pepper and a bit of garlic along with other spices that were very savory. It was by far one of the best pork chops that I've had in a long time. After adding the mustard sauce along with the spicy creamed corn and the cheesy cabbage to the pork chop, I had a dinner that was worthy of royalty. If Ecco can make a pork chop taste that good, it surely can make the best out of anything. Of course, having that level of culinary expertise is why Ecco can offer amazing "weekend specials." It keeps people like me coming back for more.

For dessert, I got a slice of cheesecake that the restaurant threw in for free. Although I didn't tell my server that I had a recent birthday, he must have remembered the birth date on the ID that I showed him and assumed that was still celebrating a week after it occurred. Nonetheless, I appreciated the gesture and went home very happy. Technically, this visit to Ecco wasn't a part of a series of "birthday dinners" that I had, but is relatable to the dinner I had the previous year at Bog & Barley where I had another pork chop that wasn't nearly as good. Before I go on, I am not trying to put down the Irish pub that has its unique charm that's good for certain situations, but if you're dining alone and wanting to eat dinner in a relaxing environment that's elegant (a term that can also be applied to Bog & Barley although it isn't exactly a "chill" kind of restaurant), a place like Ecco is where you want to be.

Website: EccoOnOvertonPark.com