Valentine's Day on Ash Wednesday: Here are 10 fish dishes in Memphis that we love
Want to make your Valentine’s date go swimmingly? This year, you might have to pick a restaurant that serves fish.
Valentine’s Day happens to fall on Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. For many, that means one meal and no meat.
We carefully curated a list of our favorite seafood dishes in town, making sure every dish is "Lent-approved" with no bacon or pork added.
Each dish on this list is guaranteed to make your Valentine swoon — not just on Valentine’s Day but every day of the year.
Tsunami: Roasted Seabass
928 S. Cooper St.; (901) 274-2556; tsunamimemphis.com
The Roasted Seabass dish at Tsunami restaurant in Cooper-Young is a perfectly roasted slice of sea bass with a golden and slightly crispy crust served on top of a mound of chewy, nutty black Thai rice and surrounded by a pool of soy beurre blanc. It has only three key ingredients, yet this dish is sublime. It’s a dish that exemplifies why Tsunami has flourished for more than two decades.
Coastal Fish Co.: Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes
415 Great View Drive East; (901) 266-9000; coastalfishcompany.com
The Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes at Coastal Fish Co. are packed full of jumbo lump crab meat that is perfectly seasoned and held together by the lightest of binders. Each crab cake is seared until it has a golden crust and served with a creamy stone-ground mustard sauce. Accompaniments include a sinfully sweet corn brulée (think Southern corn pudding with a caramelized topping) and green beans. Our tip is to make a reservation around sunset. This restaurant on the banks of Hyde Lake in Shelby Farms Park offers one of the best sunset views in town.
Dim Sum King: Hong Kong-style Crab
5266 Summer Ave.; (901) 766-0831; dimsumkingmemphis.com
Walk into Dim Sum King, and you can see that they pride themselves in serving fresh fish and seafood. A large wall of tanks features everything from lobster to fish to eel … to the crabs which will soon be destined for your plate if you order this dish. The Hong Kong-style Crab is deep-fried crab meat tossed in a slightly spicy XO sauce with dried onion, jalapeno and onions. It definitely makes an impressive statement when it comes to the table.
Bari Ristorante e Enoteca: Orzo con Pomodoro e Granchio
524 S. Cooper St.; (901) 722-2244; barimemphis.com
Oh my! The Orzo con Pomodoro e Granchio at Bari Ristorante e Enoteca is a one-of-a-kind dish in town that should not be missed. Chef and owner Jason Severs has created a warm and comforting pasta dish that is made with orzo, slow roasted tomatoes, garlic, oregano and crab meat. It’s reminiscent of risotto, but made with the rice-shaped pasta orzo.
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Dory: Scallops & Mussels Risotto
716 W. Brookhaven Circle; (901) 310-4290; dorymemphis.com
The Scallops & Mussels entrée at Dory is a perfect example of chef and owner David Krog’s attention to detail. Beautifully seared scallops are served over a bed of al dente herb risotto with tender and flavorful steamed mussels. A citrus beurre blanc is the finishing touch. Each component is perfectly executed, creating a flawless and delicious dish.
River Oaks: Caramelized Salmon
5871 Poplar Ave.; (901) 683-9305; riveroaksrestaurant.com
The Caramelized Salmon with Cauliflower Risotto is a signature dish at River Oaks. Chef and owner Jose Gutierrez has been making his creamy and cheesy cauliflower risotto since way before the current cauliflower rice craze. In fact, I wonder if this dish sparked Americans’ love of all things cauliflower?! The salmon is always perfectly cooked, with a caramelized crust. A drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction adds a decadent finishing touch.
Biscuits & Jams: Shrimp and Crawfish Creole Eggs Benedict
5806 Stage Road, Bartlett; (901) 672-7905; biscuitsandjams.com
Considering taking your Valentine to lunch instead of dinner? Head to Biscuits & Jams in Bartlett for its Shrimp and Crawfish Creole Eggs Benedict. In lieu of an English muffin, this benedict is served over a cheddar grits cake and topped with garlicky sautéed spinach and shrimp and crawfish in a flavorful Creole roux. It was reminiscent of a New Orleans-style shrimp and grits, with lots of flavor and only a mild kick.
Sakura: The Omar Roll
2060 West St., Germantown; (901) 758-8181; sakuramemphis.com
Order a signature sushi roll at Sakura in Germantown and what comes to your table is more than just an everyday sushi roll — it’s a work of art that is just as tasty as it is beautiful. Named for a former sushi chef, the Omar Roll is one of our favorites. This roll has an interesting, almost creamy, texture. Shrimp tempura and cream cheese are inside the roll. It’s topped with snow crab mix (a creamy Japanese crab salad) and crab stick tempura. It’s one of the more mildly flavored specialty rolls, but is still full of flavor. I order it every visit.
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Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen: Blue Crab Focaccia
712 W. Brookhaven Circle; (901) 347-3569; andrewmichaelitaliankitchen.com
Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen Chef de Cuisine Dan Causgrove has created a sinfully good starter that I can best describe as New Orleans meets Italy. A creamy, luscious and cheesy crab dip is served warm over a perfectly baked slice of focaccia bread. The focaccia is toasted in garlic butter, then topped with a creamy blue crab mixture made with white wine and an herb-infused cream. Causgrove then tops the dish with a thin slice of Manchego cheese before putting it under the broiler to make the dish warm, bubbly and perfectly browned. The result is a dish that is rich, decadent and perfect for sharing — even though I do admit I want the whole dish for myself!
Bog & Barley: Beer-Battered Fish N’ Chips
6150 Poplar Ave., Suite124; bogandbarley.com
An Irish pub might seems like an interesting Valentine’s suggestion, but if your valentine loves fried fish — Bog & Barley is the place to go. The Beer-Battered Fish N’ Chips are about as authentic as you can get. Fresh Atlantic Cod is fried until crispy and served with buttered peas, chips (a.k.a. fries) and tartar sauce. Bog & Barley’s version is cooked to perfection — light and flaky fish in a crispy tempura-like beer batter crust without a hint of greasiness.
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.
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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Valentine's Day on Ash Wednesday: Our favorite fish dishes in Memphis
