Spindini

Description:

• Judd Grisanti comes from a long line of Italian chef/restaurateurs who have earned well-deserved success and recognition in Memphis. Spindini is the newest venture from the Grisanti clan, and it is a sophisticated showstopper. Opened in 2007 in downtown's thriving South Main arts district, the long, narrow restaurant is flanked by a banquette with tightly spaced tables and a classy bar adorned with decorative glass sculptures. A wood-burning oven at the back of the restaurant emits a warm glow, as the kitchen churns out appetizers and entrees that have been cooked, or rather "kissed by the fire" there. Wood-fired steaks, seared fish, and fresh pasta dishes are excellent. The Tuscan Butter may be one of the best appetizers in town -- an ice-cream-sized scoop of spreadable mascarpone and goat cheese drenched in a tangy tomato sauce and served with soft, slender slices of warm garlic bread. The only thing that keeps me from giving this restaurant three stars is its service, which can be indifferent as the busy wait staff rushes to turn over tables to people wait-listed in the cramped lounge seating area near the front door.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2010