Not The Usual
Lately, I've fallen into the routine of having Sunday brunch at "upscale" restaurants that serve excellent food in a cozy, "chill" environment. As someone who is about to turn sixty, I don't have the stamina to "party" by drinking and eating throughout a weekend (something that I have pointed out in blog posts "My Weekend in Nashville" and "I'm Getting Old"). Slowly and reluctantly, I have embraced who I'm becoming and adjusted to it. Never having been married or having kids, I never conducted myself as anything other than a bachelor who loves having fun. As I become an old man, I am adjusting to life at a slower pace that is necessary but not exciting. Taking this approach to living, I try to keep my lifestyle as "boring" and "drama-free" as possible, which is why I approach things like brunch in a more mature way. So now, my favorite place to brunch is Tonica where I can get a great meal in a nice environment with middle-age diners like myself. Located in a neighborhood (near Overton Park) close to where I live, it's an ideal place for me to end the weekend and transition into "work mode" without the hangovers and whatever else that could slow me down.
Having said all this, I went to Tonica on an Independence Day weekend for my usual Sunday brunch. Unfortunately, like it was on Memorial Day weekend, the restaurant was closed and giving its staff a break. Also, my backup brunch spot Majestic Grille was closed for the weekend so I needed a nice alternative to get my food fix. In deciding where to go, I initially considered going to nearby Evergreen Grill for brunch. But after a less-than-spectacular omelet that left me disappointed, I moved past that idea for something better. Then I remembered that there was a place that listed a "Lobster Waffle" on its brunch menu. This was something that I wanted to try despite some trepidation. The hesitancy wasn't from the entrée but rather the restaurant itself. From all the times that I walked past it, the decibel level proved a bit much for my old ears. The last thing I wanted was a "club" experience that was the complete opposite of what I desired. However, the allure of a "Lobster Waffle" became too much for my curiosity to resist. So I decided to try something that was completely out of the ordinary.
In choosing Esco for brunch, I factored the management into my consideration. To be precise, I had one of the restaurant's managing partners in mind who strikes me as a good guy. Mowbray Rowand, one of the owners along with his wife Cherina and rapper 2 Chainz, is someone whom I've encountered a few times at the FedExForum Box Office where I work part-time as a ticket seller. Whenever Mr. Rowand shows up at my window, he comes across as friendly and in a good mood. Compared to others that I typically see at the box office, Mr. Rowand is more understanding and easier to deal with. It's something that I appreciate because it is people like him that make my job easier (by the way, I'm not insinuating that arena patrons are moody and mean for the most part, just people that I strive harder to serve). Usually when Mr. Rowand pays for his tickets, he uses a credit card to pay for them. After seeing his name a few times, I looked it up on Google (for the record, I don't normally do this but Rowand's name sounded familiar, as if I saw it on the local news). Upon discovering that he is a partner in Esco, I was curious if his personality extended to the restaurant.
Upon arriving at Esco, the music wasn't as loud as it usually is when I walk by it after finishing a shift at FedExForum. Still, it had that "club" atmosphere with hip-hop beats and a DJ orchestrating the music (I was about to say "spinning records," but I'm not sure that's a thing in 2026). After getting my table, I didn't bother reading the menu for I knew what I wanted. It was either a lobster waffle or bust (as in me leaving for another restaurant for brunch) and I wasn't settling for anything else. Fortunately, the lobster waffle was available so I got it with Cajun smoked gouda grits, scrambled eggs and turkey sausage along with a mimosa.
When I ordered this, I assumed the plate of food would be set up in a "normal" way. Instead, I got a skewer of fried shrimp sticking out of a fried lobster tail on top of a velvet cake waffle. Talk about creativity, thinking outside the box. If I had to imagine a "guilty pleasure" as brunch, this Lobster Waffle might have been it. Not something that my doctor would recommend, the Lobster Waffle is an entrée that you have to allow yourself every once in a while. A decadent velvet cake in the shape of a waffle that's topped with powdered sugar and drizzled with cream cheese is confection perfection. It was crunchy and firm enough that I could eat by hand without it falling apart. Even without syrup and butter, the waffle was savory. It was a delicious sweet treat that felt more like dessert than something you would eat in the morning. To balance the sweetness, the fried seafood provided seasoned flavor to the entrée. In particular, the meat of the lobster tail was spiced with seasoning more akin to Cajun fried oysters that proved to work well. The batter encasing the shrimp was very delicious, the result of great seasoning that is not easy to find. Both the shrimp and lobster tasted better when I dipped them in the lemon-infused butter sauce that added a very nice touch to the seafood. Eating all this almost made me forget the grits, whose smoked flavor didn't disappoint, especially when I dipped my shrimp in it. Along with the decent scrambled eggs and turkey sausage, the Lobster Waffle was a unique and tremendous experience that I won't soon forget. While it won't replace what I usually get on Sundays, it is a nice diversion whenever I’m yearning for something different.
SIDE NOTE: While eating brunch, I noticed a machine moving past me. I asked my server what it was, to which she said it was a robot server that the restaurant uses for large parties. That seems logical when you're short on staff, but is this the future of restaurant service? With technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) constantly evolving, I know that the future of work will change. As it relates to me, my job as a graphic designer and prepress specialist will soon give way to AI. Why pay someone to do digital imaging when ChatGPT can do it faster and cheaper? Fortunately, by the time the technology gets really good, I'll be "retired" whether I like it or not. Given that I'm about to turn sixty, it is not a big deal for me but for those just getting started in life, competing with technology will be a challenge. Just about every type of business will embrace this new technology including the hospitality industry. I'm not sure that I want to interact with a robot when I'm dining out. Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer a happy, good-looking human to take care of me when I'm dining at a restaurant. A computer attached to serving trays on wheels can never express the feeling of welcome that a human can. Now, if robotics ever evolves to a point where robots look and act human, I might have a different take on them. For example, if those robots looked like the Cylon "Six" from the TV show Battlestar Galactica or the cyborg "Seven" from the television classic Star Trek, I might be more inclined to give robots a try (by the way, who is the hotter "robot" from those two shows?; a true "6 7" debate). In the end, given the friendships that I've established over the years with waitresses, bartenders and other restaurant workers, I can't see myself ever embracing the robotic alternative. However, I can see the value of restaurants using this technology to cut costs and enhance profits. That said, I hope this doesn't get implemented on a large scale, because it would change the dining experience in a negative way.Overall, my first and probably only experience at Esco was positive. Based on the brunch that I had and Esco's menu, the restaurant offers a unique dining experience. The kitchen staff is obviously talented with skills that would work in Memphis' best restaurants. However, the "club" atmosphere doesn't work for me because that isn't something that I'm looking for when I'm dining out. If I were younger, I might have been more tolerant of it but I'm not into it now. I'm not saying Esco is a bad place to be at, but it's not for everyone (by the way, I'm sure there are some middle-aged people who would love a place like Esco). Besides, even if it became more "chill," I would be reluctant to go to Esco for another reason. During my brunch, I ordered a Riesling because I wanted something more pleasant than the mimosa that I drank earlier. After an unusually long wait, I got a glass of wine that tasted more like a Chardonnay. If that's the kind of service to expect from the restaurant's bar, I'm not drinking at Esco even if it has chamber music playing in the background. However, I like Mowbray Rowand and I hope his restaurant is successful. Although I won't visit often, Esco will be a place to consider whenever I’m desiring to get away from my routine and exploring something different. When it comes to unique experiences, Esco is a place for that.
NOTE: This review only applies to Esco's Memphis restaurant and not its other locations. That said, the atmosphere is probably similar but hopefully the bartending crews are better at those locations than in Memphis.
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