A Hidden JEM Shining Bright in the Memphis Food Scene
The Rebirth of The Edge District
The Edge district in Midtown Memphis has been undergoing a dynamic renaissance in the last few years. From the Edge Motor Museum to Hard Times Deli, Flyway Brewery, and newly opened and widely acclaimed Bar Limina, this once overlooked area of the city is aglow with movement, growth, and local brands that are creating a stir. Whether you’re looking for a sandwich for a lunch meeting or a fancy date night, the Edge is the most exciting new area of town to find exactly what you’re looking for. For the next few entries, we’ll be focusing on the history, landmarks, and faces of The Edge District in hopes of introducing you to something new to appreciate about this inner corridor of Memphis.
JEM
The vision of this beautiful fine dining restaurant is all in its name…JEM is an acronym for “Just Enjoy the Moment” and Chef Josh Mutchnick has certainly done everything in his power to ensure that from the moment you step into his moody establishment, you begin to do just that. The restaurant is nestled between Rootstock Winesellers and Sabor Caribe on Madison Avenue, in a quiet store front that allows for space and abundant seating. The dining room is tastefully appointed with warm neutrals and the bar is impossibly long, well stocked, and features a solid menu of classics as well as creative options.
On our date night at JEM, the waitstaff was excellent from the moment we were shown to the table. Our server was warm and helpful, and gave us plenty of time to catch up, order cocktails, and make some preliminary decisions about our first course based on her advice. The yeast rolls were an obvious choice for a starch lover like me, but when my husband toyed with the Kimichi Arancini, I was tempted to refuse. However, our server recommended the plate right away and once the dish came to the table, I had zero regrets. There’s nothing like trying something entirely new and being swept away with the flavor of it…that’s exactly what acidic the bite of pickled diakon radish and tofu aioli accomplished, and we knew that based on this one small plate, we were in for an entire dinner of pleasant surprises.
We continued with JEM’s Avocado Green Goddess Salad (red onion and Old Bay Sourdough Croutons, yes, please) and decided to not split entrees as we typically do. My husband landed on the Schnitzel and a dear friend had told me to try to Matza Ball Stuffed Chicken, so I obliged. Both were terrific choices for early fall, though the Schnitzel honestly enchanted us both.
We simply had to finish off the meal with a slice of JEM's noteworthy chocolate cake and agreed it would be worth coming for alone. If you ever find yourself longing for a piece of cake and a glass of wine or cup of decaf, even after a meal out elsewhere, you’ll do well to visit just for dessert.
It’s always a good sign when you leave dinner feeling more energized about food than you when you arrived, and that’s exactly how we felt that evening, as we left and made our way to Trolley Night. The menu, ambiance, service, and flavors at JEM makes it a stand out in the Memphis culinary scene and we couldn’t recommend it enough.