07/24/19
Snapper at Gray Canary in Memphis, TN. When a dish literally forces you to check your calendar to see when you can make a return trip to run it back, you know you’ve hit the jackpot. I absolutely LOVE this incredible snapper dish, at what’s become one of my two favorite restaurants in Memphis (their sister restaurant Catherine & Mary’s is the other). I’ve tried to rack my brain to come up with a better (cooked) fish dish that I’ve loved more than this one, and I can’t, so I’m making this just my 14th Hall of Fame dish. A number of things make this dish unique, but it starts with the way the snapper is prepared. Placed in a giant wood-firing brick hearth, which is the centerpiece of Gray Canary’s open kitchen, the Atlantic wild caught snapper had a nice crisp to it on the outside yet was super moist on the inside. The accompaniments also set this amazing dish apart. Accompanied by Carolina gold rice, sea beans, lobster brodo, dill, and lemon basil, the seasonings and flavors complemented the snapper amazingly well. The Carolina gold rice, cooked in butter and bay leaf herbs, was rich yet not too heavy. The sea beans gave the dish a nice crunch and the lobster brodo tied the whole dish together without overpowering it. Gray Canary is owned by renowned chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman, who seem to take immense pride in the little details that make both a dish and a restaurant go from good to great. Awesome service by super friendly and knowledgeable servers. I also love their mussels, lobster, and flank steak (all uniquely prepared and delicious). Open dinner only, they change their menu occasionally, but I hope they never take this item off! Bigtime dish at a Bigtime restaurant!