NOTES Changes to Chew On n If you’ve been to Maxwell’s in Cooper-Young lately, you might have noticed an insert in the menu with all kinds of information. The insert explains that the restaurant has new items, old items done in slightly different ways, and other items which will be taken off the menu completely. This is a gentle way of letting the customer know that there is new life in the kitchen and that Maxwell’s is ready to do some upgrading. Alan Black worked at Maxwell’s for a short period over a year ago, and has come back to head the kitchen. He has spent this past year consulting for several restaurants and working with Kathy Katz, owner of Palladio. Black was in Nashville for 10 years. During that time, he worked in the fine dining restaurant at Opryland and opened Union Station in the West End of Nashville. At 35, he has spent the last 20 years in the restaurant business, and considers himself blessed to have had such early experience. In his early 20s, Black worked in a hotel that made its own sausages, smoked its own salmon, even made its own bacon. He hopes to bring this commitment to freshness and quality to Maxwell’s. “When I cook,” says Black, “I have to have total cooperation, and I’m getting that at Maxwell’s.” This is why the inserts are in the menu. The kitchen has a chance to prepare itself, and perfect the techniques required for the new items, rather than get hit with foreign recipes all at once. Accompanying the menu will be a revamped wine list, designed to go hand-in-hand with the menu. Look for these changes at the end of January. For more information, call 725-1009. – Louisa Koeppel n B.B. King’s Blues Club at 143 Beale St. has gone formal. The food, that is. The club introduced its new menu December 3, 1997. According to manager Loren Gill, he and other managers at the club, including John Taylor, whom Gill calls the “food dude” among the group, created the new menu on their own, adding new recipes, picture guides (if it doesn’t look like the picture, they won’t serve it), and even new plates. Designed by Gill and Taylor, some of the dishes have rims with musical notes, while others are in the shape of a guitar. B.B.’s is still offering the full Southern fare, but the menu includes one new item that might make some Memphians gasp: Dem Bones, a St. Louis cut of 13 ribs, named for the special smoking process used to cook them. The ribs are neither wet nor dry, just “hand rubbed,” and, says Gill, they are fast becoming one of the most popular dishes on the menu. They’ve also jazzed up their old menu of pickle fries and the Club That Made Beale Street Famous, a 5-inch sandwich stuffed between two slices of challah bread, by adding dishes such as Doin’ the Popcorn!, crawfish tails hand-battered and flash-fried, served on a bed of angel hair onion rings with sherry wine sauce. Gill says patrons have been thrilled with the changes, and so is he. “It’s awesome,” he says. – Lauren Mutter Still Sizzling Cindy Szymkowski says she should have called a few people to tell them that the Western Steakhouse and Lounge was still open for business. “I think people don’t know we’re open anymore since Lil died,” she says, sounding a bit quizzical. “It’s not as busy as it was, and sometimes people come in and eat, and they ask, ‘Who’s running the place now?’” Szymkowski, who eschews the title of manager (“We don’t have titles here – I just sort of take care of things”), tells them that Lil’s husband, T. Tommy Thomsen, is running the Western Steakhouse and Lounge, just like always. Despite Lil’s death in October and his own continuing poor health, T. Tommy comes into the restaurant from his upstairs apartment every day. “If he’s not in the office, he’s next door in the shop,” says Szymkowski. But at the start of its 40th year, the legendary Memphis landmark, a frequent haven for many country-music stars – and of course Elvis – is up for sale. Last year an essay contest offering the keys to the kingdom for just $100 and 250 persuasive words failed to entice enough entries. Now T. Tommy is asking $200,000 for the restaurant and bar, the office and butcher shop next door, and three apartments upstairs. And in the meantime, it’s business as usual. “We’re open – come on down,” says Szymkowski, promising, “The steaks are still the same.” n – Lydia Gibson		A Day in the Country A meal at the bed-and-breakfast Bonne Terre will take you back to nature. by Louisa Koeppel n August 1996, Max and June Bonnin, along with Michel and Carla Leny, opened Bonne Terre. Meaning “good earth” in French, Bonne Terre is a country inn designed for the guests to get back to nature without getting dirty. Relaxation is the key word, and at Bonne Terre, observing nature is the way to achieve this. The guests at the inn can view the sun melting through the trees, or watch its reflection on the lake. One can also go strolling along the pathways with a picnic in hand, perhaps catching a glimpse of a blue heron flying over head. Massages are available, and fly fishing is an option, but at Bonne Terre, the restaurant is the center of attention. PHOTO BY ROY CAJERO Andy Bouchard decorates a strawberry-covered chocolate cake. When Bonne Terre first opened, Michel Leny, owner of Cafe Society in Midtown, was in charge of the restaurant. Over the last five months, ownerships have changed hands and the Bonnins are now sole proprietors of the inn. In order to maintain the restaurant, the Bonnins have turned to Erling Jensen for consultation. Jensen has built his reputation with his work at his namesake restaurant in East Memphis and with the guidance he gave Koto, the newest hip food installation in Midtown. For Bonne Terre, he has offered his help by sending one of his chefs to the country. Andy Bouchard, 26, started cooking with Jensen in the fall of 1997. Originally from Canada, Bouchard started his culinary career at the ripe old age of 15. It was in Quebec, at the Carlton Hotel, where he got his first taste of the restaurant business. After studying the culinary arts in Germany for three years, Bouchard has returned to America, bringing his own cooking style with him. “I use a little bit of everything to accommodate the guests,” said Bouchard in a phone interview. “I lean toward a combination of old and new French styles of cooking, but around here, it’s meat and potatoes.” It can be very difficult for a young chef to come to this part of the country. One spends grueling years of training, cooking, and cleaning in kitchens, waiting for that chance to create menus. Well, if that chance happens in or around the Mid-South, make sure a filet is included. Almost every restaurant in Memphis, no matter how experimental it is, will have some sort of filet on the menu, accompanied by the ever-needed potato. This is even more prevalent in North Mississippi. However, this fact is not stopping Bouchard from creating an inventive menu based on more than beef. As of January, Bonne Terre’s offerings include sea bass, venison, a mixed grill, and various shellfish. This menu will continue for about a month, with appetizers running from $7 to $11 and entrees starting at $22. Bouchard is also interested in drawing larger crowds to Bonne Terre. The surroundings would make a picture-perfect wedding, and conference rooms are available for business retreats and meetings. Brunch is being served for parties of 15 or more, and live jazz is also in the works. Bouchard plans on staying at Bonne Terre for a while. Who wouldn’t? The countryside is beautiful with its ancient trees and rolling hills, and it takes only 25 minutes down I-55 to get there. While driving up the long gravel road to the inn, one gets a sense of peace. Even the Clorox-white newness of the inn can be overlooked, knowing that come spring, the land will be covered with the colors of vibrant azaleas, dogwoods, and fresh herbs to be used for that day’s menu. As Henry David Thoreau said, “If the day and night are such that you greet them with joy and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet scented herbs – that is your success. All nature is your congratulations.” This truth is what the people at Bonne Terre hope the customer will find, and if this comes to pass, they have done their job. n