Randy Caparoso came to Memphis early in April to build the wine program for Circa, John Bragg’s restaurant Downtown. Caparoso had 30 years experience in food, wine and restaurant management, and he created a unique and immensely gratifying wine list for the restaurant.

We interviewed Caparoso about his philosoply of wine and and food and wine pairing and posted the result to this blog on August 23, shortly after the restaurant opened. We asked Caparoso then about his commitment to Memphis and Circa, and he replied, “Circa is my job and my commitment.”

We learned by email a few minutes ago that Caparoso is leaving the restaurant and the city. His (brief) farewell and his paean to local indigenous food are here at culinarywineandfood.

For the past two weeks I’ve printed a list of restaurants that opted not to go smoke-free on Oct. 1 (yes, they had the option, but in order to allow smoking restaurants have to allow only patrons 21 and over and only have employees 21 and over). I keep getting calls from folks who missed it, so here’s the list I have. Add to it if you know of other places:

Kudzu’s, The Flying Saucer, Le Chardonnay, The Windjammer, The Blue Monkey, Blues City Cafe, Club 152, EP Delta Kitchen and Bar, Willie Moffatt’s, Old Zinnie’s, P & H, Bubba’s Ale House, Pappy’s Oysters Bar, Cock-eyed Camel and the Fox and the Hound.

Another rumor that’s been flying has been confirmed: Paula Deen is opening a restaurant in Tunica at what is presently The Grand Casino–which is going to be rebranded Harrah’s–in May. I didn’t make the press conference this morning because I was putting out tomorrow’s Food section, but a business reporter was there to cover the story of the whole expansion/rebranding, so there will be more info in the morning paper. I do know it’s going to be a buffet, though, and that it’s supposed to be a replica of her house.

We just received a bulletin from Circa’s pr agency that the downtown restaurant is eliminating public lunch service. According to the press release, executive chef and owner John Bragg decided to concentrate on Circa’s growing executive catering and private party business, much of which focuses on the lunch hour. The restaurant will continue full nightly service. New hours for the kitchen are 5 to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and 5 to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday. Bars hours are 4 to 11 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and 4 to midnight, Friday and Saturday. Circa is at 119 S. Main. Call 522-1488 or visit circamemphis.com

I know we’ve talked about it in other posts, but with the closing of LuLu Grille, its seems a good time give a send-off to restaurants we miss. Thank Jim for sending me this email this morning and getting this going: It was the mention of the Western Steakhouse that got me. I was telling a younger colleague about it just a few weeks ago, and had to explain that I wasn’t talking about the Western Sizzler, or Sizzlin’, whatever it was. The Western Steakhouse was an institution on Madison and to this day I haven’t tasted a steak as perfect as one I ate there about 20 years ago. The woman who cooked it let me go back in the kitchen to watch her, because I didn’t believe that all she did was salt the outside and sear it on a hot griddle. But that was in fact all she did.

“As I posted a comment on FK’s offal topic, I remembered Ben’s Restaurant. It might be kinda nostalgic and interesting to put out a blog topic concerning closed classic Memphis restaurants and what people remembered most about them-great dishes and other recollections.
Boy, from the old closures like Ben’s, the Loft, the Luau, Four Flames, Captain Bilbo’s, the original River Terrace, Grisanti’s, Justine’s (sigh!), the Western Steakhouse, and Swiss Manor to more recent ones like Anderton’s and Erika’s.”

It’s official. LuLu Grille is closing after 16 years. Rumors have been flying that it was going to close and that Ciao Bella was moving in the space. Turns out it’s all true. I just talked to Leigh McLean and she confirmed it.

The last dinner is Thursday, Aug. 30. Leigh said she thinks she’ll run special dinners between now and then, so call ahead and see what’s on the menu, then go eat your last meal and a piece of coconut cake at a place I’m sorry to see go.

I’ll keep you posted on what Leigh’s going to do and on when Ciao Bella’s moving in.

You can read this and more tomorrow in Jennifer Chandler’s column, but here’s a little more on the Ciao Bella saga. Seems that Pei Wei is moving into another location in the Sanderlin center and only one restaurant is allowed in the strip center. But since it’s not there yet and construction hasn’t started, Ciao Bella owners are trying to work out a deal to stay on a bit longer. I’ve heard a few rumors on possible new locations, but I can’t share anything until I get confirmation–now it’s nothing more than gossip. The good news is that it seems like they’re really serious about opening elsewhere.

Also, possibly Wednesday night but officially by Thursday night, Tuscany opens in the former La Tourelle location. Northern Italian food nightly, plus Sunday brunch. Looking forward to trying this one…

And Marena’s has closed.

Let’s catch up. While I was gone there were two comments, both from Todd, about restaurants in strip malls getting two stars, the same rating as The Daily Grill. I couldn’t really tell if the issue was that he thought two stars was too generous for Mariscos Mazatlan and Swagath or too stingy for The Daily Grill, but either way, this all applies. Keep a few things in mind:

1. It’s two of us reviewing, so what I consider two stars Fredric might consider 1.5, or 2.5. We could easily be within a half star of each other at the SAME restaurant, so it’s pretty simple to see how it could vary from place to place. Two stars means very good, and I stand by mine and I’m sure Fredric stands by his. (By the way, you can order from the buffet at Swagath and I said in my review that it’s one of the few in town I could recommend, but you can also order from the menu.)

2. Don’t condemn a restaurant just because it’s in a strip mall. Off-hand I can think of three restaurants that get three stars that are in strip malls: Interim, Napa Cafe and The Grove Grill.

3. And don’t forget–we don’t print bad reviews. That’s the policy here. If you read about it in Playbook, it means we liked it and recommend it. If it’s bad, we just pay and leave.

All that said, it’s no secret that I don’t like our star system and I’d love to see it changed. I’d like to see restaurants rated separately on ambience, service, food, etc. Guadalupano is a perfect example, one I’ve brought up before. I love the food and could easily give it three stars (excellent) for most meals I’ve eaten there, but the ambience is plainly horrible–a flat-out zero. The way it works now, I couldn’t give it more than 1.5 stars overall. And I don’t think that’s fair–yes, the food is simple, but it’s well prepared and delicious. Under a better system, we’d still provide an overall rating, but you’d be able to see how we arrived at it.

Sigh. This is my dream.

This just in: Sign on the door says Ciao Bella is open until further notice. Update as soon as we know anything. (By the way, I’m on vacation for a WHOLE WEEK after today, although I might post if I’m eating anything really good. And if anyone’s been to Anna Maria Island and has suggestions, now is the time to speak.)

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.