A sneak peek at ‘Top Chef’ Fabio Viviani’s Curfew
I bet many of you have never really paid attention to the northwest corner of Union Avenue and B.B. King Boulevard (known by many as Third Street). Well, that is about to change. The corner that once was home to an aging hotel and a Denny’s is the location of a hip new eatery called Curfew.
Celebrity chef Fabio Viviani, known by many for his appearances on Bravo’s “Top Chef” seasons 5 and 8, is the talent behind this new restaurant and lounge that he describes as an American tavern concept with great craft cocktails, local beers and a menu that blends Viviani’s Mediterranean roots with Memphis’ local Southern fare.
The restaurant opens Sept. 8.
The Curfew in Memphis is the first restaurant of Viviani’s new concept. Viviani said he hopes the restaurant will be a gathering place for locals, as well as tourists. The Chicago-based Fabio Viviani Hospitality has more than 30 restaurants across the United States. This will be its first in Tennessee. Two more Curfew restaurants, in Illinois and Delaware, are in the works.
Curfew has taken over the whole first floor of the new boutique hotel Canopy by Hilton. The welcome desk is in one small corner, and the rest of the open floor plan is dedicated to Curfew.
Casual yet funky lounge seating invites you to sit a spell, enjoying a cocktail and one of the many shareable snacks on the menu. More traditional tables for a full dinner experience welcome guests both inside, as well as on the wrap-around outdoor patio that overlooks Autozone Park. A large threesided bar is sure to be a popular gathering spot once COVID-19 pandemic restrictions are lifted. The space was meticulously designed to provide just the right dining experience no matter your mood. One hundred and forty guests can sit indoors, and there is seating for an additional 40 on the patio.
Viviani brought on local chef Aaron Winters to lead the kitchen of the new eatery. Winters was most recently the chef at Sur La Table, but had worked at Hog & Hominy for years before helping open its sister restaurant and butcher shop Porcellino’s. He was professionally trained in Italy in butchery and charcuterie, so expect to see both his charcuterie and Southern influences on the menu.
“Curfew definitely will have a Mediterranean influence but with a local flair,” said John Paolone, Fabio Viviani Hospitality partner and head of culinary. “Aaron is that local flair.”
Curfew will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week.
A charcuterie board with housemade tasso ham, boar sausage, chicken liver mousse and pickled vegetables makes an ideal shareable appetizer.
Curfew has raised the bar on chicken wings. Winters said the wings are smoked for three hours, fried until crispy and served tossed in a sweet chili glaze that has heat without being overly spicy.
Viviani said he is especially excited about the rib-eye steak. A 16-ounce hand-cut steak comes perfectly cooked to your desired temperature with a black garlic chimichurri and roasted marble potatoes. He suggested ordering them with a side of the fried onion rings that are made with pickled onions.
Winters has incorporated his Southern influence into dishes like Pan Roasted Red Fish. The fish is served over a lemony version of Delta Mississippi Grit Girl grits with roasted Brussels sprouts, maitake mushrooms and a dill pickle vinaigrette.
General Manager Kevin Johnson said he predicts Curfew’s over-the-top burger will become a customer favorite. The knife-and-fork burger comes topped with house bacon, crispy beef belly, aged cheddar, fried pickled onion rings and a specialty sauce they call “homeslice sauce.”
Breakfast includes such items as Smoked Catfish Avocado Toast and a Biscuit Board that features Winters’ award-winning biscuits with seasonal jams and honey butter.
Viviani will be in town for the opening and plans to visit monthly.
“I love this neighborhood we are in,”
Viviani said. “We want to be an integral and fundamental part of the community.”
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.