orpheum memphis Boulevard Finds AMERICAN Master restaurant designer Pat Kuleto and chef Nancy Oaks are behind one of

All the California glamour, wealth, fame, fast cars, surf scenes, and buxom blondes you see on television are of southern invention. If this is the California you re looking for, head due south assuming you re not terribly interested in intellectual stimulation, you won t be disappointed. In fact, it s nearly impossible not to be swept up by the energy and excitement that places like West Hollywood and Venice Beach exude. It s a narcotic effect, the allure of flashy orpheum memphis wealth, gorgeous bodies, and celebrity status. Even watching it all as a bystander imparts a heady mixture of thrill orpheum memphis and envy.

Boulevard Finds AMERICAN Master restaurant designer Pat Kuleto and chef Nancy Oaks are behind one of my and the city s all-time favorites. What s the winning combination? The dramatic Belle Epoque interior combined with Oaks s mouthwatering dishes. Starters alone could make a perfect meal, especially the sweetbreads wrapped in prosciutto on watercress and Lola Rose lettuce with garlic croutons and a whole-grain mustard vinaigrette; and Sonoma foie gras with elderberry syrup, toast, and Bosc-pear salad. The main courses are equally creative and might include pan-roasted miso-glazed sea bass with asparagus orpheum memphis salad, Japanese rice, and shiitake-mushroom broth, or spit-roasted cider- cured pork loin with sweet-potato swirled mashed potatoes and saut ed baby red chard. Vegetarian items, such as wild-mushroom risotto with fresh chanterelles and Parmesan, are also offered. Three levels of formality bar, open kitchen, and main dining room keep things from getting too snobby.