Memphis

If you go back and want Italian, hit up Ronnie Grisanti's (http://www.ronniegrisantiandsons.com/). I have no idea if there is any relation to the Louisville Grisantis, but the food is great.

Not trying to be snarky, but I seem to recall from covering this stuff back in the day that the Louisville Grisantis hinted "yes," but the Memphis Grisantis said "no."

Interesting. It's been probably 3 years since I've been to the Memphis RGs, but I asked a bartender there once if there was any relation. His response was something along the lines of, "Probably, they're everywhere."

[Robin Garr]

Interesting. It's been probably 3 years since I've been to the Memphis RGs, but I asked a bartender there once if there was any relation. His response was something along the lines of, "Probably, they're everywhere."

This would have been middle 1980s and involved a chat with the owners, not a bartender. But it's been a long time, and who knows? My guess is distant connections back in the old country but no real family connection here.

Interesting. It's been probably 3 years since I've been to the Memphis RGs, but I asked a bartender there once if there was any relation. His response was something along the lines of, "Probably, they're everywhere."

This would have been middle 1980s and involved a chat with the owners, not a bartender. But it's been a long time, and who knows? My guess is distant connections back in the old country but no real family connection here.

Brad, its funny because I asked a good friend of mine, Mario Grisanti, who used to manage an Italian restaurant for Harrah's Tunica and is Ronnie Grisanti's nephew the same question that you did and he replied the same "Probably, we have family everywhere." So, I took it as a maybe but quite sure he did not know.

Caroline, I wish I had seen your post earlier. I lived there for two years right smack dab in the middle of the city and just moved back. I kind of got blasted (in the lightest sense of the word) in the forum by some Memphians a bit because I had posted that I didn't think that Memphis had the caliber of restaurants that Louisville had to offer aside from the nostalgic Memphis Gems that were tourist must go to's. Of course I never meant it to be a slam against Memphis dining options. Granted I had only lived there a couple of months before I posted but I did eat out almost every night, so with that frequency I felt like I had found out a "little" about the restaurant scene. I did appreciate those gems such as Gus's, Arcade, Ernestine & Hazels etc... which I did frequent but there were only a few outside of the realm which I found that reminded me of home, one of which was Spindini which was opened by Judd Grisanti on S. Main Street which I think he has most recently sold to concentrate on another Grisanti restaurant, Flight (an ambitious menu of small plates and entrees but incredibly over-priced drinks ) though the atmosphere was great and also a pub opened up by a Brooklyn transplant within months of me moving there called Bardog had some of the best pub grub and bar scene in dowtown Memphis. Also off the beaten path Iris, River Oak, Felicia Suzanne's and more.

I think the whole experience from the food side of it made me appreciate Louisville even more. Its hard not to be spoiled when you live in a city with great dining options at every turn.

Felicia Suzanne's

THIS. Felicia Suzanne's is really good. Grill 83, Hunt Phelan, and Erling Jensen were some of my other favorites. A college friend of mine was from there and lives there now, and I've made quite a few trips over the years. Louisville's dining scene is certainly superior to that in Memphis, but I've had some really good meals in Memphis too.

Hi Allison! Shoot, I should of sent you a pm-forgot you lived in Memphis!! Our hotel was right by Flight! Menu looked nice but a bit a pit out of our price...a new one which opened, LOCAL on Main, looked very good as well!! Thanks again for responding-we did enjoy Memphis but was a bit let down by the lack of choices or places being open on a Sunday/Monday...