The 901 Scoop

The 901 Scoop
3536 Walker Ave
901) 421-5519

I took my mom and the monkeys (Satchel, 15 and Jiro, 13) to Sushi Jimmi for dinner. (More on that later.) The topic of rolled ice cream came up, thanks to my recent (negative) review of Rollin Sweets. Satchel had no idea what we were talking about since he didn't go or read my review, so Jiro busted out a YouTube video. I mentioned that I heard a second rolled ice cream place opened yesterday over by the U of M. One thing led to another and we decided to go check it out, just for comparison's sake.

I can truly say now that Rollin Sweets wasn't bad, rolled ice cream is just dumb. I don't care if that makes me sound like an old lady.

When we walked into The 901 Scoop, the first thing I was looking for was how many people in the store were actually eating and how many employees were actually rolling. There were only a handful eating and two gals rolling.



What The 901 Scoop has going for it, is that they have several things you can order and get right away -- cookies, premade ice cream, sno cones, and coffee. The owner was also behind the counter doing his best to let us know how it all worked and what our options were.

There were 14 cups ahead of us--that's 14 orders of $6.50 rolled ice cream--which the owner clocked at a 30 minute wait.



He said it took about six minutes per order. So let's do some math--two girls making seven each at six minutes per order, that's actually about a 42 minute wait. I had already promised Jiro we wouldn't wait, so the rolled ice cream was out.

Can we go back to my Rollin Sweets review for a second? You know the one where I clocked the gal making them at 3.5 minutes and I padded the entire exchange to 5 minutes? Well that girl was working her ass off. The girls at The 901 Scoop, not so much. They pretty much looked like they were hating life and there was no pep in their step, so to speak. One of them was spending a lot of extra time cutting off the edges of the ice cream so it was perfectly square before she rolled it. The other one was just looking pouty. I watched for awhile and only saw one finished product which was not pretty. Rollin Sweets at least had a good looking final product.



I don't see how any business could last long term with just this concept.

Satchel ended up getting a Tiger Blood sno cone. The owner was trying to sell him on a Jolly Rancher sno cone with ice cream and whatnot which sounded good, but Satchel went old school. Jiro wanted a scoop of salted caramel in a waffle cone, but they were out of waffle cones (on Day 2). I was going to try what was billed as a candy bar taco, but it also required a waffle cone, so I went with a scoop of mint chocolate chip. My mom was mystified and passed on ordering anything. Our total was $9.33.



Zzzzzzz...

There was nowhere to sit, so the monkeys shared a piano bench. Not sure why a piano is taking up prime real estate here, but ok.



The end.

Burgerim

Burgerim
569 S Highland St.
(901) 308-1203

Getting the monkeys (Satchel, 14, and Jiro, 12) to (enthusiastically) try new things is quite difficult. My best bet is usually burgers. So, on Saturday, we hit up the new Burgerim on the Highland Strip.



I didn't do a lot of research prior to going, so I wasn't aware that it's an Israeli chain. Very cool. I did realize that sliders are their specialty. Also cool. (In Hebrew, you add "im" to make things plural, so now the name makes perfect sense.)

It's a fast casual kinda place where you order at the counter and then find a seat. I especially like the bar seating, but we grabbed a booth.



Ok, let's back up. When it was time to order, the monkeys were on it. They decided to split a trio of burgers (with their mutually agreed upon toppings of cheese, ketchup and pickle) and an order of wings. I felt like I needed to try something a little more exciting since they have so many options.



For example, your patty can be made from Beef, Dry Aged Beef, Wagyu Beef, Merguez (Spicy Beef), Turkey, Lamb, Chicken, Salmon or Veggies. And for a little extra you can add Grilled Onion, Sauteed Mushrooms, Sunny Side Up Egg, Pineapple, Bacon, American Cheese, Avocado, and Jalapeño. They also offer three bun types, including gluten free, and several sauces. Not wanting to hold up the line, and not really wanting a salad, I decided on the duo. I chose one with regular beef and a sunny side up egg and one with the spicy beef and avocado. I was given a choice of regular fries, sweet potato fries or half and half. So many choices! I went with sweet potato. Our total was $36.64.

I gave the monkeys the cups so they could handle the drink machine (which is the fancy kind with endless combinations) and took a seat. When the boys arrived, I asked them to put their phones away. They were thrilled. They love making conversation with their mom. I think Satchel spent most of the wait time explaining how his dad and I are both hippies, but I'm more of an urban hippie while his dad is a nature hippie.



A film crew came in and started shooting and we saw a few people we knew, so it was very lively. The space is pretty small, but everyone seemed to find a place to sit, or was happy getting orders to go.

It took a little longer than I would have expected to get our food, but since they've only been open a short while, it was understandable. I enjoyed people watching and whatnot.

When our food arrived, it was neatly packaged in little boxes--another thing Burgerim is known for. (Look out, Krystal's!) The boys' food came together since they technically ordered a combo and a starter to share.




Of course the first thing we noticed was the fries. "They're like potato chips," Satchel noted as he began shoveling them in his mouth.



They were both happily stuffing their faces in no time.




I was pleased with my little duo, and the system for determining which was which.




My fries were regularly shaped, but I did notice today on the website that the sweet potato fries are pictured as slices, so maybe that will change.

I have to admit that the spicy beef, which the guy told me was really "spiced" beef and more sweet than spicy, was weird. The texture was bizarre. And don't get me started on that avocado!



However, the regular beef with a sunny side egg was outstanding. It was a little messy. My hand was covered in delicious runny yolk, so I didn't even try get a close up. I just ate it and made happy noises. For whatever reason, the boys couldn't finish the wings, so I tried a few of them as well. They were pretty good. They had more batter than you'd usually find on a hot wing, but I don't consider that a bad thing.

Final verdict? The monkeys LOVED it. I liked it, and would definitely go back to try a few other menu items, especially if I was in the area. But let's be real, Slider Inn will always be my BAE.

Char Restaurant

Char Restaurant
431 S Highland Street,Suite 120
(901) 249-3533

I got invited to come to Char for brunch during their training last weekend. (They officially opened on Monday.) I planned to take both monkeys (Satchel, 14 and Jiro, 12), but Jiro skipped town on me. So, Satchel and I went with my friend, Joanna, who just happens to be BFF with one of the executive chefs.



When I picked Satchel up, he was semi-excited.

"Where is it?" he asked.

"Somewhere over by the University," I said.

"What kind of food do they have?" he asked.

"Uh, I don't know," I replied.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"Uh, I don't think the menu is online, yet," I half lied. The truth was, they emailed me and invited me to come try it out in advance and free of charge so it didn't really matter!

"Oh, is this one of those come early and eat free things?" Satchel asked, now familiar with the drill after our visit to The Kitchen at Shelby Farms.

"Yep."

That seemed to satisfy him. I do know that there's one in Jackson and one in Nashville and that the owners are the same as Amerigo. I also saw that my beloved Jeff Frisby of Restaurant Iris fame is the manager.

I only drove past it once before locating it. Satchel is actually the one who figured out that it was probably attached to the new apartment building. We got there at 11:30am, a few minutes ahead of Joanna. We went ahead and got seated. Once inside, we were both like, "Holy shit, this place is fancy." It's gorgeous. Lots of dark wood and natural light.



Suddenly we both felt super underdressed. But, thankfully, they weren't officially open, and this is Memphis after all. Speaking of, this old map was bringing people in from all over the restaurant.



Our waiter, Josh, gave us menus, brought us drinks, and steered us to the crab claw appetizer all before Joanna arrived. Satchel and I were still trying to decide what to eat when she joined us. We had the very good problem of everything sounding super yummy. Joanna quickly went about asking questions about just about everything on the menu.



Then she asked if her friend was in the kitchen. Meanwhile we added some fried green tomatoes to our appetizer order, and soon we were in business.




Let me tell you something. Those crab claws were like crack. Holy moly. SOOOOOOOO good. Like dangerously good. Like eat them and you will be hooked forever good. Oh my!

In comparison, the fried green tomatoes were just ok. (One got eaten before I snapped the picture.)

The chef came out, Joanna finished up with her questions, and we put in our final order. Then we went about entertaining Satchel.

Entertaining might not be the right word. He'd probably say that "interrogation" was more fitting. I gotta say, I might need to bring Joanna along once a week or so because she found out all sorts of stuff that I didn't know!

Satchel was a good sport and answered her questions and even seemed to be enjoying himself. (Joanna is super fun, so it's pretty hard not to have a good time when she's around.)

We took a break from quizzing him to eat some more.

Satchel and I both had the gumbo.



I am super picky about gumbo because my sister truly makes the best gumbo ever, but this was really good.

Joanna had the wedge salad, which is what I had as my main course. We both agreed it was too big. A quarter cut would be just right.



Satchel got the mahi mahi for his main course. He rejected the (delicious) melon salsa, but happily and quickly ate everything else.



Joanna had the red fish which was the chef's suggestion. It was a hit.



Even though we were massively full, we couldn't resist free dessert. While we waited, I checked out the ladies room. It's awesome, and not just because of this sign.



(I didn't actually take my phone to the bathroom...until I saw that Joanna needed some more time debriefing Satchel in the absence of his mother.)



Not surprisingly, Satchel was relieved when dessert arrived and Joanna and I went back to stuffing our faces. We had a pecan crumble (?) and the brownie. We had a big fight about which was the best. (I say brownie.)





Now, I have no idea how much any of this cost. I'm guessing it's a little pricey just based on the food and the atmosphere. The menu isn't online yet, so someone who's been since they opened will have to let us know. I will say that the place is top notch and totally worth a visit, even if you gotta fork over a little more cash than usual.

GET THE CRAB CLAWS!

Rock'n Dough Pizza + Brew Co.

Rock'n Dough Pizza + Brew Co.
3445 Poplar
901-512-6760

When I picked up the monkeys (Satchel, 13, and Jiro, 11) from their dad's house yesterday, Jiro said, "I have three words for you: Memphis Pizza Cafe." I replied, "I 'm glad you are in the mood for pizza because Rock'n Dough just opened by the U of M." Then I told him about the beignets, and it was a done deal. Satchel was not enthused, but he's 13, so it's his normal state.

We arrived around 5:30pm. (They love posing for pictures.)



It was a little confusing as to where to order, but we quickly figured it out. I informed Satchel, who claimed he didn't want pizza, that they had sandwiches and burgers too. (A change from the previous store on Ridgeway.) Of course after seeing the delicious pizzas, he couldn't resist ordering a slice. He did however broker a deal to get a side of fries too.




Jiro ordered a slice too, and beignets. Even though I am not a gluten hater, I was intrigued by the pizza bowls. (Rock'n Dough does cater to gluten haters though!) There were two options: The Pro (chicken, beef, bacon) and The Liberty (spinach, broccoli, grilled chicken). They are baked with a pesto-tomato sauce and mozzarella. I went with the Liberty and a Greek salad at the suggestion of one of the dudes behind the counter. We all opted for water and our total came to $30.32. We took a number and sat down.



The restaurant is quite nice. There's a dartboard, a nice big booth for groups, two HUGE TVs and a lovely bar.



They have a good beer selection, and I am thinking maybe they'll one day sell the beer they brew in Jackson? I'm guessing by the addition of "+ Beer Co." to their name.



Outside there is a patio that I hope to one day sit on!



After a few minutes the monkeys were getting antsy about their pizza. (Somedays they don't eat after school and are ravenous when I pick them up.) The woman behind the pizza counter picked up on this and sent one of the kitchen dudes over. He was super sweet and explained he was going to bring everything out together, but it was no problem to go ahead bring the boys their pizza. So a few moments later they were happily eating pizza and I was enjoying my salad.

The slices are large, New York style, but they came out cut in half. The waitress thought it was because they were for kids, but I noticed other people's slices also cut in half.



Jiro was sweet enough to give me a bite. Man, I love their pizza. Soooooooooooooooo good. Why didn't I get a slice??? Anyway, my salad was great.



Before I could finish it, my pizza bowl and the fries came out. The fries were perfect.



And the pizza bowl was pretty damn tasty. The woman dining next to me even came over to see it.



About half way through it I realized that it was actually broccoli, chicken and bacon instead of spinach, but I was not going to be the person who complained about having bacon instead of spinach! Ha! I could only eat about half of it.

Just as I was finishing up, the beignets came out. Holy mother.



They were really freaking good. Even cranky ol' Satchel had to admit, "This place is quite delicious." Jiro added, "I'm glad we came here instead of Memphis Pizza Cafe." (MPC, I still love you! But we are going to have to see other people!)

We'll be back. Y'all go.

Here's the menu, btw.

Moe's

Ed note: I previously reviewed Moe's in 2006 and still find it fairly right on, but I thought an update was in order.

Moe's
3546 Walker
901-590-0192

The monkeys (Satchel, 12 and Jiro, 10) and I have been on a major Chipotle kick. I have failed to do a post about it, but we have made the trek out east many times just to get a burrito bowl. Satchel's dream is to eat a giant bowl of just cilantro lime rice. It is also conveniently located to the "new" Target and a Sports Authority, so the monkeys like to get me (and my wallet) in the vicinity.

I had completely blanked on the fact that there was Moe's over by the University until a fellow soccer mom reminded me. I went by for lunch one day, which happened to be a Monday, and discovered $5 Burrito Monday.

Now the monkeys and I have decided to go every Monday. I could eat Mexican just about every day.

"Hey guys, let me snap a picture of the outside."



They were too eager to eat $5 burritos to comply with my simple request.



As you can see, you get a burrito (chicken or ground beef), chips and a drink for $5. You can have as many chips as you want. You can drink as much soda as you want. (They have one of the fancy machines that lets you add flavors.)

That's a great deal!

They have a lot of goofy names for their menu items, but I have found it easiest to go through Subway style and just tell them what you want inside the tortilla. They definitely have more fillings than Chipotle. Granted, Chipotle may lean towards healthier/less GMO food, but I think the option of cheese dip and pickled jalapenos is rad. (I usually only allow myself the latter.)

Once you go through the line, you pay up at the register. (Be sure and tip because they ring a little bell when you do and everyone says, "Thank you!") The total for the three of us was $18 with tip.

Next up, the salsa bar. (At Chipotle you have to pay for chips and salsa.) I love salsa bars! This was also a major selling point with Satchel, who still talks about the one at Elena's.



I like the medium salsa and the one with pineapple. Look at this bounty!



Our friends met us at Moe's last Monday to celebrate surviving the first day of school.



The menu includes tacos, nachos, burrito bowls, etc. and you can get fish, beef, chicken, or veggies. The kids meals are always about $5, but my kids need a full size burrito now.

The Moe's by the University is fun because there are a lot of college kids taking advantage of the deal. It's almost like eating on campus.

See you there on Monday!