With Little Umbrellas To Boot Blue Moon's combination of Pacific Rim and Southern cuisines leaves a dream in the heart. by LOUISA KOEPPEL have always enjoyed going to Chickasaw Oaks Plaza. When I was young, my parents would take me to the toy store, then to La Baguette for an éclair, and sometimes we would stop in Ruby Tuesday's for a piping-hot crock of French onion soup. Times have changed. La Baguette remains, threatening to take over the entire south side of the mall. But the toy store is gone, leaving shops dealing in grown-up toys not to be played with. Ruby Tuesday's is missing as well. Several years ago, it gave way to Windsor's, an English-style restaurant that specialized in cigars. Somehow, Memphis didn't catch on to shepherd's pie and suet pudding, and Windsor's went under. The space went unused for a while, but now it's been transformed into the Blue Moon Restaurant and Tropical Bar. The brainchild of Malcolm and Jenny Levi, Blue Moon is a dramatic change from Windsor's. In place of the dark moldings and formal atmosphere is a youthful, well-conceived design of colors and textures. Blue Moon's decor is designed to give the diners a little vacation from the norm, to make them feel as though they are on a tropical island. Fortunately, the theme isn't taken to extremes -- there are no parrots, grass huts, or dwarf palm trees. It's tropical grown-up, with vibrant colors, small potted tropical plants on the tables, and sweet jazz and mellow hip-hop piped through the sound system. The menu is likewise full of thought, consistency, and most importantly, flavor. Emphasizing fresh ingredients, Blue Moon has gone for a unique Southern/Pacific Rim combination. The crab wontons, for instance, were a wonderful meeting of fresh crabmeat and cream cheese stuffed inside a crispy wonton. With more crabmeat than cheese, the texture was chunky, not goopy. The garlic chile sauce was spicy, with just a hint of sweetness. Smoked duck breast wrapped in scallion pancakes was equally delicious. Once again, the Blue Moon kitchen is dealing in texture, or rather the juxtaposition of different textures. The soft pancakes around the firm yet tender morsels of duck breast were out of this world. A hint of Gorgonzola mingled seductively with the cherry horseradish dipping sauce. Yes, it borders on busy, but somehow it works. Our entrees, while tasty, were not as "artistically" presented. The plates were piled high, like you'd expect from a home-cooking restaurant. It was an endearing change from the more formally served appetizers, as if the food were mellowing out along with us. My Indian ginger chicken, cooked in coconut milk, Middle Eastern spices, cashew butter, and peppers, was surprisingly like curry. According to the menu, the dish is accompanied by an apple/jalapeno relish, but it never arrived. The ginger carrots were an excellent side dish, with rice that was nice and fluffy. My companion's tuna steak was perfectly cooked to rare and marinated in ginger, soy, and sesame. Served with wasabi, my companion boldly proclaimed it the best tuna steak ever. I would not go that far. Good, yes. Stunning, no. Perhaps a tad bit more searing would have caramelized the surface and made for a prettier dish. The extra side dish of fried green tomatoes was the best example of the Southern staple that I have put in my mouth. It was like biting into the tastiest cornbread and finding a tender green tomato in the middle. Void of grease and full of black pepper, this dish would do well on the appetizer list, served with a horseradish sauce or perhaps Blue Moon's tasty remolade. Lunchtime has some equally good offerings that are hip, yet safe for those weary of experimentation. The chicken salad sandwich was served on a fresh croissant in a mixture of sun-dried tomatoes, basil, bacon, and Gruyere cheese. The restaurant also serves a more traditional chicken salad with grapes, cashews, and celery. The portobello mushroom sandwich came with wilted spinach and a Gorgonzola aoili. This was a tasty combination, but I wonder why the mushroom was cut into such small pieces. The beauty of a portobello, after all, is its size and meatiness. Cole slaw and sweet-potato fries were excellent side dishes, and a roasted-garlic-and-tomato bisque was satisfying. Service at Blue Moon is laid back, but professional. The staff's suggestions were right on, and their accommodating attitude was refreshing. One recommendation was the Mai Tai. This rum concoction, oddly enough, went well with our order and had little umbrellas to boot. I don't recommend more than two, however; they are potent. Regarding food, atmosphere, and service, the Blue Moon seems on a course for success. The challenge will be to get people inside Chickasaw Oaks Plaza. A really cool restaurant has been planted in the middle of upper-class curio-ville. I recommend wading through the doll collectibles and Oriental rugs to get to the oasis that is the Blue Moon. Hours are Tuesday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., with a brunch offered on Saturday and Sunday. Dinner is served Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. (11 p.m. on weekend nights). For more info, call 324-4131. Food Notes New Morgan Keegan Tower has a new tenant, a restaurant operated by Jo Rodriguez and Hospitality Ventures. Featuring several types of fare, Front Street Grill is pushing to be more than just another lunch spot for downtown business types. Its breakfast menu includes the usual offerings, plus Belgian waffles and omelets. The lunch menu, which is also available during breakfast hours (7 a.m. to 10 a.m.) has a variety of choices: bacon-wrapped shrimp, baked brie, and quesadillas, along with daily specials (i.e., pot roast, meatloaf, catfish), soups, sandwiches, pastas, and rotisserie chicken. From 4 to 6 p.m., Front Street Grill hosts a cocktail hour showcasing its "Giant Drink," which the menu says is "the biggest drink in town." Lunch and dinner are available for take-out, and private-party rooms are available. Front Street Grill is located at 50 North Front Street in the Morgan Keegan Tower. Hours of operation are Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more info, call 544-1773. The Last Word The Rocket Room located inside the new music venue, the Last Place on Earth, may be the only place on Earth that you will be able to find a Swine Free B.L.T. (lettuce, tomato, and honey-roasted sesame strips on toast) at 3 a.m. The Rocket Room, run by catering biz veteran Kellie Hicks, will offer a quirky though small menu, which includes a blackened tofu sandwich and three different salads. The Rocket Room is set to open September 1st. Correction In my excitement about the new tapas bar at McEwen's on Monroe, I totally overlooked the mistake I made about the hours of operation. The correct hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to whenever. This usually means the bar is open an hour or so after the dining room closes. So, if the dining room is open until 11 p.m. on the weekend, then the tapas bar will be open until midnight, and so on and so forth.