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.