Memphis restaurants: A look at all the new spots that opened in November

Jennifer Chandler | Memphis Commercial Appeal

November has been a busy month for new restaurants in Memphis. From Downtown to East Memphis, here are seven new spots you need to check out.

Tamboli's Pasta & Pizza

On Nov. 1, Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza opened at 1761 Madison Ave. Located in the building that was most recently home to Fuel Café, Tamboli’s serves hand-crafted pastas and wood-fired pizzas.

All the pasta is made from scratch. That's not surprising as owner Miles Tamboli is known at Memphis-area farmers markets for the hand-made pastas and sauces he sells every Saturday.

Ingredients, when possible, are sourced from local farms and food artisans. A chalkboard in the dining room lists more than a dozen local sources. Again, that's not surprising when you know that Tamboli started his journey as a farmer.

The core menu is small, but well thought-out. Expect nightly specials as Tamboli uses local, in-season ingredients as inspiration. Think Italian food made with Southern ingredients — it’s a marriage made in culinary heaven.

Open Tuesday-Saturday for dinner only. Lunch service is scheduled to begin in January.

1761 Madison Ave.; (901) 410-8866; tambolis.com

Arrive Memphis: Vice & Virtue Coffee, Hustle & Dough Bakery and Café, and Bar Hustle

Step into the lobby of Arrive Memphis and you instantly know this is not your typical chain hotel.

A lounge full of stylish and comfortable furniture welcomes you to sit and stay a spell. Patrons, both hotel guests and Memphians, linger and visit over a cup of coffee, a snack from the bakery or a cocktail from the bar. The only reminder that you have entered a hotel is the reception desk tucked away at the end of the café stand.

The hotel, which opened on Nov. 8, offers several dining options. Each was thoughtfully designed to be more than just a hotel amenity, but a dining destination.

Hustle & Dough Bakery and Café is the dream of Memphis baker Ali Rohrbacher come to fruition. Her “bread forward” menu offers guests a sampling of freshly baked pastries and toast sandwiches made on freshly baked sourdough breads.

This is the first coffee shop for Memphis-based artisan coffee roaster Vice & Virtue. At the shop, Vice & Virtue offers a full coffee bar menu, featuring espresso drinks like lattes, espressos and cortados, using their freshly roasted coffee beans.

On the north side of Arrive Memphis’ lobby sits a long sleek bar with a dozen or so seats. It’s an inviting space that feels more like an upscale speakeasy in New York than a hotel lobby bar. Bar Hustle features creative cocktails, local beer, a dozen wines by the glass as well as light snacks made from the Hustle & Dough kitchen.

477 S. Main St.; (901) 701-7575; arrivehotels.com

Longshot

The entrance to Longshot, the Arrive Memphis restaurant, is a little off the beaten path. Head down Butler Street on the north side of the hotel and you will find a single door just before the overpass. If you reach the colorful mural, which the hotel enlisted Memphis artist Birdcap to paint, you have gone too far.

Located in the basement of the hotel, Longshot’s dining room is long and narrow. Banquettes line one side while a long bar lines the other. In the middle is a row of five shuffleboard tables, which we suspect will get lots of use on weekend nights.

Memphis chef David Todd is in charge of the menu that he describes as “really interesting high-end bar food.” A large part of the menu focuses on house-made sausages; each option plays on a different world cuisine.

Opens daily at 4 p.m.

477 S. Main St.; (901) 701-7494; longshotmemphis.com

Poke Bros.

Poke Bros. is the latest addition to the fast-casual poke bowl offerings in Memphis. With locations in Nashville and Knoxville, it’s the fourth Tennessee location for this restaurant chain that focuses on Hawaiian-style fresh fish poke bowls. They currently have 31 restaurants throughout eight states.

What is a poke bowl? It’s a traditional Hawaiian dish where raw, diced fresh fish is served with a variety of sauces and condiments over a bed of rice. Like Mexican burritos, this tropical dish has quickly become a fast-casual dining phenomenon.

Poke Bros. offers a variety of options ranging from tuna, salmon, shrimp and crab stick. There is even a chicken option for non-seafood lovers. Can’t decide what to get? Try “The Duke” that has a little bit of everything on it — tuna, salmon, shrimp, seaweed salad, jalapeno, sweet onions, edamame, cucumber and two signature sauces.

Open daily from 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

6515 Poplar Ave.; (901) 207-3351; eatpokebros.com

Slider Inn Downtown

On Nov. 13, Memphis restaurateur Aldo Dean opened the long-awaited second location of his popular Midtown restaurant Slider Inn. The new restaurant, located in the South Main Arts District, serves all the favorites from the original.

Sixteen sliders are on the menu. Mix and match your order of three sliders by choosing from items like the “Big Deuce” double patty slider, the “Chick-n-fill-ay” fried chicken slider and the “Portabella Fella” vegetarian mushroom slider.

The popular Lobster Roll is also on the menu. Slider Inn flies in fresh Maine lobsters three times a week for these sandwiches, as well as for the new lobster popcorn appetizer.

Also new to the menu are Reuben and Cuban Eggrolls. Think of these classic sandwiches, but with the ingredients fried up in an eggroll rather than on bread. It’s a fun twist on flavors we all love.

And don’t forget the Jameson Slushies. The bartenders will be happy to make you one of these signature libations.

The new restaurant is almost three times as big as the original, and offers several different bars, dining rooms and a dog-friendly patio.

Open 11 a.m.-3 a.m. daily.

363 Mulberry St.; (901) 729-6900; thesliderinn.com

The Doghouzz

Is there any more American food item than the hot dog? The folks behind The Doghouzz are banking on this country’s love affair with this iconic food.

The Doghouzz celebrated its grand opening Nov. 18. in the Crosstown neighborhood.

The Doghouzz serves a menu that features build-your-own hot dogs. For the dog, choose from a Hebrew National all-beef frank, andouille sausage or a vegan braised carrot. Garnish your hot dog with your choice of over a dozen condiments and toppings.

A variety of local craft and domestic beers are served. Coming soon will be a full bar featuring what is being touted as one of the largest whiskey selections in town. Pool tables and live music are part of the late-night activities.

Open 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Monday-Saturday. Closed Sunday.

1349 Autumn Ave.; (901) 207-7770; thedoghouzz.com

Bar Keough

On Nov. 20, Bar Keough officially opened at the corner of Cooper and Peabody. This tiny corner bar belongs to Memphis restaurateur Kevin Keough, who also owns Café Keough in Downtown Memphis.

Bar Keough is small, but cozy. On any given night, the lights are dim and 1980s tunes blare from a vintage 1979 jukebox. The drink menu is all about “old school” classics. Cocktails like Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, Gimlets and Singapore Slings are a few of the options. Even 1980s throwbacks like Sex on the Beach and White Russians are part of the offerings. Wine and beer are also available.

The eats are what Keough describes as “European bar food.” Items like prosciutto and brie tartines, fried artichoke hearts with lemon aioli and french fries are a few of the dishes on the menu.

Opens at 4 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday.

247 S. Cooper St.

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.