Here’s a surprising bit of restaurant news: Ciao Bella is closing, at least temporarily. The East Memphis Italian eatery (it’s the one next to Kroger on Mendenhall) has been serving up tasty food (love the pizzas) for close to six years (and at very reasonable prices), but now it’s closing because the landlord won’t renew the lease. That’s what the sign on the door says. Saute chef Murphy George told me the owners hope to have a new location secured and reopened within three or four months. Stay tuned. You can also keep up to date and the restaurant’s web site, www.ciaobellamemphis.com
The last dinner is Saturday.
Restaurant business
Responses to “Ciao, Bella (for now, anyway)”
July 25th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
I hate to hear that - I love their food. I’d really love to know exactly how they make their dipping oil for the bread - I’ve tried to recreate it many times, and it’s just never the same - close, but not as good.
July 25th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Yes, I hear a Pei Wei the Chinese diner chain is going in there. Memphians love the chain restaurants.
July 25th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
Apparently, the Pei Wei in Midtown went over well, as I also noticed a new one on Germantown Parkway recently. I don’t understand the difference in why it has been successful & Mama Fu’s has closed, other than possibly Pei Wei’s P. F. Chang connection. I do hope Ciao Bella reopens somewhere that assures their continued success.
July 25th, 2007 at 11:09 pm
Let’s hope they reopen close to where they were…with a patio!! It was a wonderful local place with nice people and good food. It couldn’t be easy being next door to the Kroger with no parking and the patio issues.
July 26th, 2007 at 10:31 am
I’d think Mama Fu’s closed due to a combination of poor visibility, inventory management problems (out of broccoli? They sell stuff like that at grocery stores, honest), and the superior, non-chain Mosa opening a couple blocks away. Mosa could sell nothing but hot and sour soup and probably run other places out of business.
That said, while I like Pei Wei (I liked Mama Fu’s, too) due to the combination of being fast enough for lunch and much better than your average buffet, I think the parking issues around the Ciao Bella location will probably cause some trouble.
July 26th, 2007 at 11:57 am
I agree about the parking issues near Kroger on Mendenhall. That area has some of the worst parking problems outside downtown. Actually, Kroger could stand to expand into that space Ciao Bella is vacating if they were interested, but they probably aren’t.
Pei Wei seems to be going over well in other areas too. My friend in Little Rock first reported having eaten at Pei Wei in Phoenix, & gave it a glowing recommendation when she learned we were getting one here. Now they are opening Pei Wei in Little Rock too. It seems to be spreading quickly where P. F. Chang’s restaurants have been successful.
July 26th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Terrible planning on someone’s part…i hate to see that and I hope what typically happens in these situations doesn’t and they reopen. My vote for best pizza in Memphis (without trying Spindini).
July 26th, 2007 at 6:39 pm
I think the noise factor contributed to Mama Fu’s closing. It was so noisy that it was impossible to speak to your dining companion and be heard. What is it with noisy restaurants? I stopped going to Swanky’s Taco Shop for the same reason - the food is pretty tasty for a quick lunch but I can’t stand the noise level.
I agree with Randal about Mosa’s. A great local place that beats the chains. Their food is so much better than PF Chang’s or similar. I would like to see an Asian restaurant open in the Ciao Bella spot - Memphis has too many Italian restaurants. We need more Thai, Mediterranean, Greek, or Vietnamese.
July 26th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Too many Italian places and none are really good. Mama Fu’s seems to have been mismanaged. Mosa is good food but service is strange.
We need a really good Thai place. Any around?
July 26th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
I agree that Memphis does have too many Italian places, but Talbot, to say that “none are really good”, I believe is unjust. Pasta Italia in Collierville is good, so is Spindini, and Bari is possibly the best Italian around (outside of New York)!
July 26th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
I have enjoyed Thai at Sawadii & Bhan Thai, & at the now defunct Lilly’s Dim Sum & Then Some, which was in the location that now houses Celtic Crossing. I haven’t been to Bari yet but I have friends who swear by it. Don’t forget Saigon Le - they have several different Asian cuisines, & I also like Pho Vietnam for that type food.
July 26th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
Assaggio is a new Italian restaurant in Cordova, it’s quickly becoming my favorite Italian place. It’s behind Sheridan’s on Germantown/Macon, so visibility is pretty poor…I lucked across it when I was going through the drive-thru at Starbucks one day. Went for lunch, it was good, then went for dinner later that week and it was fantastic. Small, but great atmosphere, and I like the fact it’s an unknown gem!
July 27th, 2007 at 8:12 am
I don’t think comparing Pei Wei and Mama Fu’s is fair. Mama Fu’s was horrible on all levels. Pei Wei is the complete opposite. Sure it’s a chain, but I have a hard time putting in the same line with Applebee’s and Chili’s. Mosa is great; ate there quite a few times when I worked in the Southwind area.
Don’t forget Fino’s when talking about great Italian food.
July 27th, 2007 at 11:02 am
Saigon le ! Yes it is very yummy. As for the Italian places, I will stick to my guns. Having lived in the northeast and having spent almost a year in Italy, I cannot find really good Italian food. Although I have not tried the place in Collierville ot the one in Cordova. But the others, I dunno.
July 28th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
Talbot is so right. There are no good Italian places in Memphis. However, Pete & Sams is an old favorite of mine. Talbot, where in Italy did you live? I lived there myself for several years.
July 28th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
what is wrong with you people in memphis? pei wei? mama fu? pf chang? PLEASE!!!! worse than mediocre chain crap. why don’t you guys support the real asian places such as lobster king, pho saigon, and places that have real asian cooks that know what they are doing. instead, you insist on supporting the corporate imitation swill they dole out and swear it’s great “for what it is”.
July 30th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
pete and sam’s? now that is american-italian soul food or something.
i have lived all over, but spent the better part of a year in milan with many trips to a medieval-era town called lucca. so incredibly beautiful, and wonderful people, too.
July 30th, 2007 at 9:35 pm
Lobster King is the worst food I’ve ever eaten. I can’t believe people rave about that place. My husband and I had lunch there one day and we were both very disappointed.
July 31st, 2007 at 11:05 am
maybe you didn’t order the right things. the dim sum is great. the menu items are great. but don’t order the 6.99 lunch specials. common sense dictates that is not going to be their best offerings.
July 31st, 2007 at 8:19 pm
But at the same time, the lunch specials should be good enough to make you want to come back and try the larger, more expensive entrees. Obviously the poster believes Lobster King failed to do that.
August 3rd, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Pho Saigon could have the best food on earth and the horrifying health inspection they had a few years ago would keep me eating at truck stops rather than going there.
Marena’s on Overton Park is a very good Italian place that seem to be overlooked by most people It’s a bit fancy for me (I always feel underdressed if in short sleeves and khakis rather than suit and tie) but the food has been excellent every time I’ve eaten there.
I’m sorry to hear that Ciao Bella is closing. I kept meaning to give it a try, but never got around to doing so.
August 3rd, 2007 at 9:37 pm
Matt, give Pho Vietnam a try. I have been there several times & it appeared to be very clean each visit.
I liked Meditrina the one time I went there - they had a nice meze platter appetizer & I enjoyed a perfectly cooked medium rare hanger steak. I was very sorry when it closed.
August 20th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
God I love Pho Vietnam… I was there just two days ago… Everything tastes incredibly fresh!
23 comment.