News

The Memphis Flyer posted the story “Ana Gonzalez takes the Farmers Market Challenge” by John Klyce Minervini.

Have you ever stood in front of a crazy-looking vegetable and thought: What the heck is that? Well, good news. Chefs do it too. That’s what happened the other day, when Ana Gonzalez and I stopped by Memphis Farmers Market.

“They’re called muscadines,” a helpful vendor explained. “They’re like red grapes, but the skin’s a little tougher, and they’ve got one to four hard seeds inside.”

As a proud Colombian, Gonzalez can be forgiven for not knowing about muscadines, which are native to the American South. At five foot six she’s a fireball, and she has the endearing habit of calling her friends “baby.” She also happens to be the executive chef at Bleu in the Westin, where she specializes in small, shareable plates packed with bold, fresh flavors.

Read the full story here.

The Memphis Flyer posted the story “Love Pop on South Main; Bleu’s New Lounge” by John Klyce Minervini.

Over at Bleu — the restaurant in the Westin — they’ve updated their lounge with new paint and furniture. And there’s a brand-new tap system for beer. But the real news at Bleu isn’t the lounge. It’s the revamped menu by chef Ana Gonzalez.

A ball of energy with a tight ponytail, Gonzalez comes to Memphis by way of Colombia. After attending culinary school at Johnson and Wells, she went on to work at Disney’s Contemporary Resort and the Peabody’s Capriccio Grill. In the three months since she came on at Bleu, she has given the restaurant a bold new flavor, emphasizing small plates that feature fresh, local ingredients.

Take the Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp with Polenta Cake ($8). A pair of tiny towers draped with micro-greens from Memphis’ Green Girl Produce, it’s Gonzalez’s mischievous take on shrimp and grits. (Grits and polenta are essentially the same thing; the only difference is the type of corn used and the fineness of the grind.)

Read the full story here.

Ken’s Food Find posted the story “Bleu” by Ken Rogers.

For the week of my birthday (September 24), I decided to fulfill a longtime desire. I finally got around to having lunch at Bleu, the upscale restaurant inside The Westin Hotel in Downtown Memphis. The restaurant faces Third St. and FedExForum’s box office, where I’ve worked for the past two years. The upscale eatery specializes in Modern American cuisine, but my visit centered on its version of a classic. My meal of choice was the Build Your Own (BYO) Sandwich. The sandwich can come in a variety of ways with regards to meat, bun and various toppings. My emphasis was on Bleu’s cheeseburger, hailed as one of the best in town by many media sources such as the blog Best Memphis Burger. I wanted to see if the hype about it was true, so I had lunch there two days after my birthday.

Read the full story here.

Memphis Magazine posted the story “True Bleu” by Hannah Sayle.

Bleu began with a bang last October: A splashy marketing campaign left strategically placed “cleus” about a “neu” restaurant taking over the former location of Sole at the Westin Hotel downtown.

The marketing was gimmicky; the food isn’t. Chef Robert Cirillo has the culinary know-how to back up Bleu’s flashy arrival on the restaurant scene — and the sense to change things up when they aren’t working.

One item that wisely met the chopping block was the Grand Finale, a form of dessert artistry performed by Cirillo directly at the table that required too much time and equipment to sustain.

“It was too demanding,” he says. “I didn’t feel like I was doing it the best that I could, and I didn’t want to bastardize it.”

Other dishes have been more adaptable. As Cirillo transitioned from his former home in Providence, Rhode Island, to the Mid-South, he found that the lobster roll, a staple of every menu in the Northeast, was not capturing the attention of Memphis diners.

Read the full story here.

I Love Memphis blog posted the story “Before the Game, Try Dinner at Bleu” by Holly Whitfield.

Maybe it’s its location attached to the Westin Hotel or it’s fusion menu and trendy lounge, but Bleu seems more Manhattan than Memphis.

The space operated for years as a high-end seafood restaurant called Sole. Last October, the hotel hired Chef Robert Nam Cirillo and reopened the restaurant as Bleu, a sleek, polished restaurant and lounge. The menu is still heavy on the seafood, but the dishes are influenced by Chef Cirillo’s Korean heritage and first generation Irish and Italian adoptive parents.

When I stopped by the restaurant on a non-Grizzlies game night, we had our pick of tables in the sleek blue and dark wood dining room. Before FedExForum events, though, Bleu’s lounge and patio are packed with people having a drink before the game.

To start, I almost went with the charcuterie plate, but our friendly waitress suggested either the spicy lobster tempura or the lobster bisque ($6), which I ordered. It was creamy and bright orange, and tasted like it had tons of lobster in it, even though my bowl didn’t have any chunks of meat.

Read the full story here.

Norococo posted the story “bleu {Lunch Date with Hannah Sayle and Mary Cashiola}” by Sophorn Kuoy.

As much as I know about restaurants in hotels, it’s pretty much guaranteed you’ll get the highest caliber of food and service. For my first visit to bleu restaurant at the Westin, I was thrilled to be accompanied by an inspiring pair of Memphis advocates – Memphis Flyer food and style writer Hannah Sayle and the media and communications manager for Mayor Wharton’s office Mary Cashiola. Obviously, their full time jobs make them advocates of Memphis, but it soon becomes apparent they truly enjoy living and contributing to their city.

The last time I sat down with Hannah and Mary almost a year ago, we were discussing ideas to emphasize that Memphis’ culinary world is “Beyond BBQ.” Even as barbecue week is underway, it’s understandable that the thing to crave when in Memphis is of course barbecue, always familiar and satisfying. Then you look through the lens of fantastic local chefs taking a chance on something different. They produce dishes just as satisfying and crave-able if only given the chance. That was where our volunteer “Beyond BBQ” group took root, continuing our already devoted mission as writers, photographers and bloggers to promote Memphis’ culinary diversity. The leading example of our efforts was the Food Truck Fare in Court Square which began last year. Who knows what the group has in store for the future, but individually we haven’t stopped promoting Memphis.

Read the full story here.

Tiffany Tastes blog posted the story “Small Plates and BYO at Bleu Restaurant” by Tiffany Langston.

Bleu Restaurant and Lounge recently opened in the Westin right off Beale Street, and I have to admit, it’s been on my radar since well before it opened for business (thanks to a very creative marketing campaign that built suspense by introducing certain elements of the restaurant to come without even divulging the name). I actually managed to go twice in the span of a week, once for lunch and once for drinks and small plates.

For lunch, I met up with Seth Agranov of the Best Memphis Burger Blog and his friend Jesse. (You might remember Seth from a previous post about the Kooky Canuck Kookamonga Challenge. For lunch, I took advantage of the BYO (Build Your Own) option that allows diners to create their very own sandwich (or burger or wrap) from the ground up. Choose your protein (chicken, angus burger, catfish, tilapia, catfish, sirlion or portabella mushroom cap) bread (kaiser roll, whole wheat bun, poor boy, tortilla wrap, grilled cheese bun (exactly what it sounds like)), cheese (American yellow, aged cheddar, Jarlsberg Swiss, sharp provolone, bleu or local goat), toppings (options include arugula, pickles, cole slaw, Bermuda onions, jalapenos, caramelized onion, sauteed mushrooms and roasted red peppers) and sides (hand-cut fries, potato salad, fruit cup, sweet potato fries and cole slaw.

Read the full story here.

Best Memphis Burger blog posted the story “Bleu Restaurant & Lounge” by Seth Agranov.

I have to give big props to Bleu Restaurant & Lounge for wanting to get in the game. They contacted me via Twitter with an invitation to come down and try one of their B.Y.O or Build Your Own Burgers. Bleu (formerly Sole Restaurant) is part of the Westin Hotel. They’re located at 221 South 3rd, right across the street from the main entrance to the FedEx Forum. It’s a great location just a short walk from Beale Street and a perfect place to dine before or after a game or event.

Blue Restaurant & LoungeI got a great vibe walking into Bleu. The decor is very contemporary and comfortably elegant with soothing shades of blue all throughout. Whether you’re having a business meeting, catching up with friends or out for dinner before a game, there’s a place for everyone here. There’s plenty of booth and table seating in the dining room and a big lounge and bar area immediately inside the front door.

Read the full story here.

The Commercial Appeal posted the story “Best of 2011 Auspicious Debuts Get Their Due“.

The restaurant launched to rave reviews and a packed house in October. Since its grand re-opening, there has been a steady stream of dining traffic, without the benefit of the NBA season. There has also been a steady stream of media coverage and comparisons as other restaurants have opened, re-opened or revamped in the downtown area. Glenn Malone, Managing Partner, says, “We feel very excited and hopeful about the new incarnation of our restaurant space. The performance out of the gate has been magnificent, meeting and exceeding our expectations. Our revenues have been substantial since October and profits have been on the incline.”

The Commercial Appeal cited Chef Robert Nam Cirillo’s dishes for being creative and well done with perfectly symbiotic selections of flavors and ingredients. He says of his method, “I’ve always said that preparing food is like art for me. I enjoy taking ingredients that would normally seem out of sync and making them palatably simpatico.”

Read the full story here.