Mollie Fontaine's

Sissy and I went to Mollie Fontaine’s for the first time on Saturday night. After laying on the couch all day, badly hungover from too much beer at the Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute band the night before, we wanted to go somewhere new and a little more low-key than party-central.

We got there about 8:00, and the place was packed. After walking around and not finding a table, we found the host, who was extremely nice and worked diligently on finding us somewhere to sit. After he discovered the smaller tables would not be getting up too soon, he found us a side bar to sit at.

Although it took our server a bit longer to greet us, once he did, he was very nice and helpful (for the first part of our meal, at least). He mentioned the kitchen was backed up, so he brought us a complementary cheese tray with two types of cheese (one a smoked brie, the other a mild whitish cheese with nuts), spiced pecans, olives, some sort of delicious fruity marmalade, and crackers. It was quite a large portion, definitely a good value and high quality for your money.

Wine is a bit expensive by the glass if you want something other than a merlot or grenache, but they also have some relatively reasonable beers as well.

All the food is served as small plates. After much discussion over the menu, we decided to try three different dishes. First was the macaroni and cheese, as we had read about it in a previous review. It was made with fontina and gruyere cheeses (the menu said bacon, but we didn't see any). The crusty, just broiled, bits on the top were the best part. If you like mac and cheese, this is a definitely a dish to try. You can really taste the individual (and higher end) cheeses in the dish.

Next up, was the fish club, with avocado, greens, tomatoes, bacon, onions, and marmalade. The combination of flavors and textures was just right, especially with the smokiness of the bacon and sweetness of the tomato and marmalade.

The third plate was the garlic shrimp, with sherry, olive oil, and bread. The shrimp were tasty, and the sherry in the sauce was a perfect sweeter addition to the garlic flavor, particularly for dipping bread afterwards!

To satisfy our sweet tooth, we ordered Ricki’s Toasted Brioche Sandwiches after our server greatly talked it up. It was as bit disappointing, as we were expecting a “chocolate genache on challah,” as he described. It seems to basically be melted chocolate on toast. Almost any chocolate is good though, even if the combination of a dish is not the best.

Overall, it was a great experience. The service started off really great, and they even let us move to a real table when one became available. However, once the place started to get a bit more crowded, the staff seemed much busier and less attentive. Overall, I would definitely recommend this place for food and drinks before going out to ht the bars. It is a great date and group place, the atmosphere takes you out of the typical Memphis experience, and the food is unique and tasty!