Former ‘Bluff City Law’ set to house eateries
The sign saying “Strait & Associates” is now off the building at the corner of Front Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard. The historic building — which once housed movie reels for Paramount Studios — was the set for Elijah Strait’s law firm on the NBC show “Bluff City Law.”
Soon, the historic Downtown Memphis building will have a new sign.
The Paramount, named for the building’s movie history, will include a fullservice restaurant, a sandwich shop and a speakeasy.
Restaurateur Tyson Bridge and chef Derk Meitzler are the duo behind the new restaurant. Meitzler has decades of experience as a chef in Memphis and is currently the chef at The Vault, which is also owned by Bridge.
The front part of the building, at 265 S. Front St., will be home to a 175-seat restaurant that will feature an exposed open kitchen and a large bar.
“I am going to be doing my thing,” Meitzler said. “We will definitely have an eclectic menu.”
He said much of his inspiration comes from along Highway 61, often called the Blues Highway, and from the city of New Orleans.
Meitzler said he expects the price point to be slightly less than that of his neighbors, The Gray Canary and Catherine & Mary’s.
“We want this place to be Memphis — fun and funky,” he said. “A good place to get a craft cocktail after work and then a bite to eat.”
In addition to the restaurant, the building will house a sandwich shop on the Martin Luther King Boulevard side of the building.
“There is a garage door toward the back of the building that we plan to convert into a glass door that can open when the weather is nice,” he said.
Like at the restaurant, expect an eclectic mix of sandwiches. Meitzler said they plan to make many ingredients, like corned beef, in house. He said they are considering adding breakfast to the offerings.
The sandwich shop will have about 48 seats.
A speakeasy is planned for the space that has been an apartment above the building.
“It is up the stairs you would have seen in ‘Bluff City Law,’” Meitzler said.
Plans for the speakeasy also include a rooftop patio.
Construction is expected to begin next week. Meitzler said they hope to open in late summer.
As for the future of “Bluff City Law,” the fate of the Memphis-set and Memphis-shot legal drama is still uncertain. Officials previously had announced they would need to find a new location for the Strait & Associates law firm for a season two due to construction noise from the nearby One Beale development.
“We want this place to be Memphis — fun and funky. A good place to get a craft cocktail after work and then a bite to eat.”
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.