So, I did it…

About two weeks ago, I moved from “the country” (38002) to The Core (38103) and I haven’t looked back. A lot of my friends were all, wth?? But that’s just because they dug my backwoods place. Great place – don’t get me wrong – but it’s a lot of space for a girl and her mom. And while I totally adore mi madre, I had to get the hell out of there.

So I dropped myself into the heart of downtown Memphis to face my demons. I’m beginning to question the sanity of the idea, frankly. It’s been stupid-hard, but who can hate life when you’re nomming a beautiful Japinista roll and some tuna and salmon nigiri at Bluefin for dinner? So much better than the Triscuts and Havarti Dill Cheddar (and red wine, because let’s just be honest with each other) that I’ve been living off of for a year.

Check it out if you’ve never been. Tell ’em I sent you, not that that actually means anything, but it’ll be funny. I’ve never had a bad meal there. One of the best nights of my life was my 36th birthday celebration alongside my sister’s and friend’s 31st birthdays with all my favorite people in this world. Wonderful! But I digress…

Before I ever went out on the town for food, I figured I should set the standard myself. So I cooked in my apartment and decided that my first meal should, in no way, be something like mac-n-cheese, because THIS was going to set the bar. 

First meal? A beautiful wild-caught salmon with roasted Brussels sprouts and mixed veggies. Delicious, of course, ’cause I’m kinda great in the kitchen.

The wine was just as awesome. I’m not a connoisseur — I pretty much shop for wine by bottle labels. Whatever. Don’t judge. — but this was pretty tasty.

Besides, you’re not making Hamburger Helper here, girl. You’re baking salmon and roasting veggies because you. are. amazing. And you’re having that bottle of wine (yes, I said bottle) because you can. I picked “The Path” because I liked the name and the concept, labels and all. Fitting. Thanks, Quench.

Pretty good for an inexpensive one. Side note — despite my usual luck, Quench actually has got some great staff who are really knowledgeable; go check ’em out. I kept the bottle so I’d remember that I liked it. Hehe. My memory sucks.

Meal eaten. Wine drank. I refuse to settle from here on out. I’ve since cooked some amazing meals, only grabbing take-away twice so far, but you can’t blame me with all the great options in walking distance. (Update: This would, of course, change — some days, a girl’s just tired and needs some mac-n-cheese.)

But one night, before the lazy, I grabbed the sliders and fries from Bardog because, omg, and then another night, I snagged an Aldo’s pizza. If you haven’t treated yourself to either of these things, you might be failing at life. Call them now. If you live downtown, they deliver, but really, it’s a lot more fun to walk down and go get it yourself.

My slices were delightfully consumed with some Ghost River Gold, also from Quench (and we won’t talk about how much money I’ve spent in two weeks there). Fresh toppings and they make it on the spot. Totally “stuff in your face” worthy. There’s nothing down here in the 38103 I’ve found so far that compares, but if you’ve got something, lemme know, ’cause I need to go be wowed.

One of my favorite memories, actually, is sitting across a patio table from him sharing a pizza on a stand and smiling so big my face hurt. I see him at that table every time I walk down Main Street. Cover that all up with gooey cheese and beer and have a better night, though.

What’s your favorite downtown eatery? I’m always on the lookout.