Café Society in Memphis is a wonderful experience. I went here for my graduation from college, and it was the perfect place for the occasion. My parents had gone in earlier and made reservations for the evening (due to the fact that it was my immediate family in addition to the grandparents and an aunt). We originally wanted to have lunch here (as graduation is over by noon), but they aren’t open for lunch on Saturday and Sunday, so we went for lunch instead. They took a genuine interest in what the reservations were for, and when we got to our table, they had decorated it to reflect the fact that it was a special occasion.
We started off the evening with champagne of course (it is a favorite of mine), and the recommendation from the server was wonderful. In addition, I had the appetizer of escargot, which was wonderful. The snails were in a light garlic sauce and couldn’t have been better prepared if I wished for them to be. My sister had the bacon-wrapped shrimp for an appetizer, and I can only surmise that it was good due to the fact that she did not offer to share.
I had a Caesar salad (along with half of the table), and it was wonderful. It was full of garlic and the sauce was pretty light. Sometimes with Caesar salads, the dressing is too heavy and you are unable to enjoy the lettuce, but it was not swimming in sauce, which makes me happy. Grandma had the seafood bisque, which was wonderful: it was creamy wonderfully flavored, and rich (amazingly rich). It could have been a meal in itself, but we had more courses coming.
I would highly recommend the filet mignon with the cognac sauce. It was wonderful, the meat was cooked perfectly, the sauce was a beautiful complement, and the plate was decorated nicely. Someone else had the braised lamb shank, and it was wonderful. It was prepared with a pear brandy and walnut glaze, and I would strongly suggest it to anyone, as the flavors just complemented each other nicely. In addition, the salmon was very good (cooked perfectly) and the pork was wonderful as well.
The wine list was extensive, and we had several bottles of wine with dinner. They were wonderful complements to the dinner. They have a full bar and numerous after-dinner drinks. In addition, they make a mean Brandy Alexander that I would suggest in lieu of dessert. If you are set on dessert, I would suggest the chocolate mousse or the crème brulee, both of which are wonderful ends to the evening.
The service throughout the entire meal was fabulous. The server was attentive and personable, and his recommendations were perfect. The hostess was equally wonderful, and the supporting staff was nothing but professional. I would strongly suggest this restaurant.
In addition, they have an outdoor patio for lunch dining or cocktails before dinner.