Rack of lamb is a staple in fine-dining (or even not so fine-dining) restaurants throughout the 
land, and Memphis and the surrounding region are no different. It’s a tempting dish. Tender, earthy, slightly gamy-tasting medium-rare lamb, often roasted with an herb or nut crust, artfully arranged on the plate makes for a great presentation and a great flavor experience — for meat-eaters, of course. I am a devotee of rack of lamb and have consumed the dish many times in my 20-year career reviewing restaurants for The Commercial Appeal. (That’s correct, 20 years last month!)
Noticing, when dining at Currents last week. that rack of lamb was listed on that menu for $39, I started to wonder how that price compares with prices for other versions of the dish in local restaurants. Online research revealed a surprising range of prices, though we have to remember that some restaurants serve three chops from the rack and some serve four, that some restaurants serve “double” portions, that is with two bones instead of one, and that some restaurants opt for smaller racks to keep prices down. So remember, when you contemplate this roster, that many variations affect the prices.
Marciano Restaurant …….. $22
Grove Grill …….. $22.95
Ciao Bella Italian Grill …….. $27.95
Circa by John Bragg …….. $29
Napa Cafe …….. $29
Jarrett’s …….. $29.95
Erling Jensen …….. $32
Mesquite Chop House …….. $34
The Tower Room …….. $34.95
River Oaks …….. $35
Madidi (in Clarksdale, Miss.) …….. $35
Folk’s Folly …….. $35.95
Currents …….. $39
Stella …….. $42
Most kitchens try to dress up rack of lamb in ways that amount to signature trappings. Marciano offers the most straightforward: roasted potatoes and grilled vegetables in a Marsala sauce. At Madidi, it’s roasted red pepper corn cakes and nicoise olives in herbed olive oil. River Oaks accompanies its rack of lamb with truffle spoon bread, “herb-shocked” — my quotation marks — roasted mirepoix and sauce bordelaise. The double rack of lamb at Currents comes with marinated eggplant carpaccio — doesn’t that just mean thinly sliced eggplant? — chanterelle mushrooms, baby carrots, fondant potatoes and elderberry sauce. And at Circa, the rack of lamb is sorghum-cured and served with a sweet potato-shiitake flan and a cranberry-rosemary jus.
On the other hand, at Folk’s Folly, the Grand Central of A La Carte, you get mint sauce.
So, readers, as in all things in life, for good or ill, for richer or poorer — you pays yer money and you takes yer choice.
Image of rack of lamb from bordbia.ie.
Eating adventures
Responses to “Broken on the Rack”
February 18th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
I’ll begin by prefacing my comments by saying that I have worked in the restuarant industry and I know the costs and quality of the different cuts of meat. Just as beef has several grades that signify quality, there are differences in the quality of lamb. Even though some producers might designate lamb as “Choice”, that label really means nothing. Most restaurants serve Australian or New Zealand lamb, which is plentiful and relatively inexpensive because it is mass produced. And it is a really crappy product. Some of the other restaurants serve a Colorado lamb, good product, but from Sysco or US Foods. A commodity product just the same. Unless a restaurant is serving something from Jamison Farms, Summerfield Farms,Breckinridge Farms, or some other boutique lamb producer, you are not being served a product to justify the price some of these restaurants are charging. I know of only one place in town that was doing that, but that restaurant is now altogether something else. Most people don’t know the difference, that’s how these restaurants get away with serving an inferior quality lamb. Of course I understand that price is also determined by the preparation and the other ingredients that go into the dish. But again, there is hardly any truth in advertising around town.
February 19th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
A couple of other lamb standouts in my opinion are Casablanca Cafe (which lists the dish on the menu as lamb chops with mango sauce, priced in the low $20s, but was served as a rack with rice and vegetables last time I ordered it), and Dish (which serves a small rack cut into 6 individual grilled chops with roasted potatoes and sauteed spinach for $15). I tend to be very picky about lamb, as it’s one thing I prepare well and can cook to suit my taste for about $15 less than most fine dining restaurants charge.
Automatic Slim’s serves a very interesting trio of loin chops with blueberry-mint-jalapeño sauce if you want to try something really different. I normally think sugary flavors with red meat are an abomination, but it’s surprisingly good.
February 19th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
I’ve always wanted to try some of the lamb that’s raised on rocky seaside cliffs. The lambs get exercise climbing on the rocks, and the grass that they graze is flavored with crystalized salt from the sea spray. It’s supposed to be fantastic.
I had little “lamb ribeyes” at the Brooks recently, and I imagine that the bones were cut off a rack of lamb and the log of meat was lightly grilled and then roasted for a bit. I’m going to try this at home, but will cut off the bones the night before, roast them with aromatics, and make a little stock for a sauce.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Benito: It’s always good to have a little lamb stock in the fridge.
& Matt, I agree about the sweet fruity sauces with red meat, though chefs will try and push that combination. Back in the 90s, it was the big thing in restaurants.
February 20th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
I’m sure Peta would be pleased to know that the lambs get to exercise and experience a nice ocean breeze before death.
February 20th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Greetings from Southern California, specifically Orange County. I had a tasty rack of lamb at Partners Bistro in Laguna Beach. They crust the rack with honey and caraway seeds and serve it with a not-too-rich demi sauce (which I prefer to the thick, gelatin-like concoctions that can overpower a dish), a rich gratin of sweet potatoes and spinach in cream and roasted carrots. All for $32. At home last week, my family and I enjoyed a roasted rack of lamb with an ancho-honey sauce (courtesy Fine Cooking magazine Dec. 2007). What a standout sauce!
What is Stella’s doing to their lamb for $42?
February 21st, 2008 at 9:51 am
Bryce, at Stella the rack of lamb comes with taro root, potato gratin and an herbed blueberry demi-glace.
8 comment.