Brontes Memphis

Found in the archives: This post from almost 2 years ago was stuck in my draft bin and never published. I am not sure if Brontes is still open.

Brontes in Davis Kidd Bookstore
Memphis, Tennessee

David-Kidd was once an excellent independent bookstore. There was a time when you could find books there that were not available at any other area bookstores. Now, after a change in owners it is just a great bookstore. As is true way too often with independent businesses, when former owners Davis and Kidd retired, the stores were bought up and incorporated into the larger Joseph-Beth chain, the focus changed slightly. Time was that Davis-Kidd had a large inventory of not only popular titles but lesser known books as well. In fact, they often had books used as texts in local colleges and were a good back-up source when the university bookstores were sold out. But in recent years with the increasing popularity of online book purchases and the ease of searching for needed books online, Davis-Kidd has changed to offering a selection that is similar to what the large chains offer, and filling the space with gift type options such as fancy lotions and spa type items.

Another change over the last few years is the name and offereings of the in-store café. The authorial name is Brontes. The menu items feature dishes from cookbooks that you can buy in the store such as Barefoot Contessa, In the Kennedy Kitchen, and The Joy of Cooking. A great idea I think, because the items featured are not your typical café fare. In addition, there are specials that change monthly, from featured cookbooks.

Usually the cafe offerings are tasty and make for a delicious lunch to eat while reading your newly purchased book. On my most recent visit, I tried the stuffed cabbage rolls which actually could have been a little better. There was a slightly fishy taste and they lacked the herbal flavors of other dishes I have tried in the past. The gourmet berry pie was good but the crust tasted slightly of freezer burn. This meal was a disappointment. On a previous visit, my experience had been much better.
Dineometer Rating 70%

Adventure Dining Gold, Memphis Tennessee

Jerusalem

Memphis Tennessee

Now this is my kind of restaurant. I happen to see it while driving past and made a sharp left turn, cutting off two lanes of traffic, and was thrilled to see that it was open on a Sunday. My kind of restaurant because the restaurant sign was barely discernible and it is Middle Eastern, which is so hard to find in Tennessee. The restaurant was in the back of a store, set away from the road in a small cluster of stores and not readily apparent to the naked eye. Inside, the signs were all in Arabic—including the no smoking sign—with secondary writing in English underneath. The menu featured all my Middle Eastern favorites such as baba ghanoush, kebabs, and kibbeh. The prices were very reasonable with an order of kibeh for only 2 dollars. The sandwiches were served in pita and baba ghanoush was used instead of mayonnaise, adding to the Middle Eastern flavor.

One mildly odd thing was the fact that this restaurant was also name Jerusalem but was not affiliated with this Jerusalem restaurant in Kansas City, where I had dined only a few weeks ago.

Trip Advisor and Roadfood.com, You're Fired!

Cozy Corner (bottom) versus Dot's Soul Food (top).

Having long relied on Trip Advisor for user travel reviews, and (well, only recently) Roadfood to tell me about hidden dive treasures, I regret to inform you that I have fired both websites from my bookmarks. Why? Consider the following case study:

Dot's Soul Food Cafe, Hillsboro Alabama

versus

Cozy Corner Cafe, Memphis Tennessee

Both were rated high on Roadfood, with Cozy Corner's rating a little higher. Dot's food was rated an 85% with voters willing to drive 40 miles to eat there. Cozy Corner's food was rated at 97% with the reviewer willing to drive 80 miles to eat there. Trip Advisor, lists Cozy Corner as its number 9 restaurant out of 864 restaurants in Memphis. Dot's isn't even on the radar at Trip Advisor (probably because it's in the middle of rural Alabama--not exactly a vacation hot spot).

Wow. A restaurant that is number 9 out of 864, that people would drive 80 miles to eat at, and that scored a 97% based on the Roadfood editor's review? I had to go there. So I did as a Trip Advisor reviewer suggested and I got "thee to Cozy Corner." And regretted it. So much good food in Memphis and I was eating at a place that served chewy ribs, watery coleslaw, and spaghetti in barbecue sauce. That last one tastes as good as it sounds, which is, not very. Meals come with fresh from the bag discount white bread. Several slices.

By comparison, Dot served me homemade macaroni and cheese with that extra layer of cheese baked on top, actual fresh corn--not canned, and tender ribs. She baked the corn bread muffins fresh that morning and served several different homemade desserts, including chess pie.

Ambience at both restaurants was basically no frills. Dot's was cafeteria style, on a not very busy highway, in a small Alabama farming town. Cozy Corner was near the famed St. Jude's Children's Hosptial, in a bars-on-the-windows kind of urban area.

As for driving 80 miles to go there, I would say that with gas prices (and earth issues) the way they are, you must be kidding when you suggest that for any restaurant, let alone Cozy Corner.

Dineometer rating: Dot's Soul Food Cafe 90%
Dineometer rating: Cozy Corner 40%