Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen

I’ve not eaten here since the renovation and addition of the bar and patio. We went early to get a seat at the bar as we could not get a table before 9:30. The Wreckfish, similar to grouper, was served on a bed of braised leeks, apple and Meyer lemon and it was superb! Also had an A/​M salad that was excellent. Noise level in the bar was rather loud as the evening progressed. We’ll definitely go back!

It is not hurting for business! It’s a bit pretentious but I had a nice evening with a friend. The food was satisfying. The gnocchi had a ragu sauce with a touch of tarragon — not low sodium though ;)
I also had a cheese plate & salad. They gave bread with tapenade to munch on. You might need to ask for that**
The IPA I drank was really good, so kudos to that! There is a patio for socializing a bit. Decent set-​up!

Upon arriving for our reservation our table was not yet ready so we enjoyed a nice drink at the fabulous bar. The service was wonderful and the cocktails were tasty.
We decided to try the tasting menu. Unfortunately it did not meet our expectations. The appetizer served was a caprese salad. While it tasted fine it just seemed like the easiest thing on the menu to serve. The next course served was a soup. It was delicious.
The pasta dish came out next. We had one to share and then one of our own. The pasta we shared was in a red sauce mixed with a pepper vinegar of sorts. It looked and tasted like a bottle of hot sauce was poured over pasta. The other pasta dish was highly salty.
The main dish served was duck. It was the best dish and was cooked to perfection.
The pastry chef outdid themselves with dessert. Two different desserts were served and they both were incredible.
My husband and I were both still hungry at the end of the tasting menu.
The service was unbeatable. I would return to Andrew Michael, but next time I will just order off of the menu.

Where do I start with this one? The cocktail menu is purposefully developed to compliment the menu. If the Hudson cocktail is still on the menu, get it. You won’t regret it. In all honesty I should’ve just stopped at my cheese plate. But noooo… I split the tuna dish, and we each had our own pasta dish. The tuna was prepared like no other, and I doubt you will ever have it this way again. A sane person would’ve stopped there. Nope, you guessed it, another Hudson, and why don’t we throw in a small scoop of blackened cherry gelato while we are at it. Basically I ate too much. But it was worth every calorie!

I went here last week on a business trip based on reviews from Unilocal.I found the food and service to be really good.
My only complaint is that the couple next to me was incredibly loud, beyond obnoxious. I twice asked to be moved, and even my server was put off by it. I volunteered to say something to them, but the server indicated she would take care of it.
The problem only got louder. Evidently, it was a «special» customer that the management was not willing to remove.

The food is beyond reproach. Everything is excellent, from the starters to the dessert. I cannot recommend the beef chuck, am breakfast, or any pasta dish enough. Also, the sticky toffee pudding is a must try! My husband and I will miss this place.

Words can’t describe! Everything about my experience was amazing, our waitress was incredibly versed and offered us wonderful options and was delightful the whole night. The food speaks for itself, it literally left me dreaming about it for the entire week! I kid you not! And the drinks were outstanding, worth every cent and then some!

This is a thoughtful and well put together restaurant. The menu is kept fresh and includes consideration of local ingredients and seasonal availability. Dishes include features visitors are unlikely to find at other similarly priced restaurants in town, which ultimately leads to an enjoyable and interesting experience. The server was knowledgeable and articulate.
My meal consisted of a cheese plate, a tomato tart, and a «chuck» entrée. I also tasted the duck entrée.
The tomato tart was made with chicken liver mousse, and it was excellent. Though it was not quite as tomato-​forward as I expected, the mousse is well composed, light, and plays well with the very fresh tasting tomatoes served on top.
The chuck entrée was very enjoyable. It is a cut chosen based on availability. I found the slightly less traditional cut I was served to be well seasoned, certainly handled properly, but my sole complaint of the evening was that the chuck required a bit more chewing work than I prefer. The meat was served on top of a very creamy sweet corn purée, with blacked okra and shishito peppers. The fragrance of the dish struck me immediately, and the flavors delivered on the fragrance’s promise. Again, the texture of the beef loomed in my mind as the only disappointment in an otherwise excellent meal.
Though it was not the dish I ordered, I borrowed a bite or two of duck from a friend’s plate, and it was exquisite. It was seasoned well, accompanied by creative and interesting sides, and the texture was perfectly soft.
I look forward to many return trips.

The Good: All of it — the service, the atmosphere, the food, the wine, the sommelier! I went for No Menu Monday and event a vegetarian menu did not disappoint! I’m shocked others have had anything but a phenomenal meal.
The Bad: I didn’t love the first dish– squash/​zucchini cold salad, but that’s my preference for texture.
The Verdict: I’m marking the calendar for the last Monday of the next several months! I also can’t wait to try the «regular» menu.

Best dining experience I have ever had! Make sure to try the tasting menu to get the best of everything they have to offer.

Items Selected:
Crostini — Olive Tapanade
Scallops — Mushroom, Pears, Meyer Lemon, Green Garlic, Dashi
AM Breakfast — 63 Degree Poached Egg, Pork Belly, Polenta, AM Pork Rinds
Panzanella — Crab, Crème Fraiche, Asparagus, Brown Butter, Egg Yolk
Mafalde — Duck, Macadamia Nut Pesto, Fennel, Vermouth, Ricotta Salata
Potato Gnocchi — Lentils, Newman Farm Pork, Kale
Agnolotti — Morel, Peas, Black Truffle, Tarragon, Lemon
Bucatini — Short Rib Ragu, Taleggio, Serrano, Shiitake, Panna Gratta
Quail — Almond, Masa, Broccoli Rabe, Walnuts, Hominy, Sumac Agrodolce, Red Onion Reduction
Maw Maw’s Ravioli — Maw Maw’s Gravy
AM Cannoli — Caputo Brother’s Ricotta, Vanilla, Raspberry Sauce, Chocolate
Chocolate Sticky Toffee Pudding — Brown Butter Pecan Powder, Salt Caramel Gelato
Maple Tart — Fudge, Meringue, Caramel, Popcorn Crumble
Budino — Chocolate, Salted Caramel, Toffee
Popcorn Gelato — Cracker Jack Caramel Sauce
Arguably Memphis’ most celebrated restaurant, a Beard Award Semi-​Finalist having now spawned a more casual sibling and whole animal butchery shop with an attached café across the street, Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen was selected for dinner on Saturday night long before tickets to Game 3 of the Memphis vs. Golden State series were put on sale, and having originally considered rescheduling the meal to avoid feeling rushed it was with good fortune that the decision was made to dine as planned as an absolutely stunning four-​course meal was completed in just over one hundred minutes, a quick drive putting me in my 200-​level seat just seconds before opening tip.
Truly a story of local boys done well, Chefs Michael Hudman and Andy Ticer citing their grandmothers and the city of Memphis as inspirations behind upscale yet rustic Italian cooking honed in kitchens ranging from home to Calabria, a meal at Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen walks the fine line between family and formality, the décor minimalist with service that is exceedingly attentive without being overbearing — our time constraints not just navigated, but pacing that was absolutely perfect as food was delivered at timely intervals with thorough descriptions of techniques and ingredients never for lack.
Changing the menu up daily, occasionally sometimes during the course of service depending on availability of seasonal ingredients and meats butchered at the duo’s Porcellino’s Craft Butcher, it was with antipasti that the meal began and with several new items focusing on spring vegetables both the sashimi-​style scallops and tangy Panzanella were exceptionally light and vibrant, the signature «AM Breakfast» obviously far less so given the heft of its ingredients, though certainly no less delicious with a smoky-​smooth leftover sauce more than justifying the use of fresh baked bread to wipe the bowl clean.
Proud to produce each and every pasta in-​house round two featured a trio of options deemed ‘lighter’ by our server, and as much as one might have expected the Mafalde laced with confit duck to tickle my fancy this elegant flavor splashed with Vermouth only scratched the surface of what the kitchen is truly capable of, both the pillowy potato dumplings in vegetal pork ragu and the brilliant Agnolotti teaming with earth and aromatics plus light citrus proving even more inspired with the later amongst the best plates seen during an eight day stay in the state of Tennessee.
Interested in the secondi, but unable to resist more pasta, course three featured two-​more plates of noodles alongside a pan seared quail dressed up with broccoli rabe, blistered hominy, nuts, and two sauces that acted to accentuate the mild gaminess of the bird, and as good as the other pastas were these heavier options were no less delicious, the hollow bucatini al dente beneath rich ragu while the signature ravioli was rich with meat and aged cheese, the ‘family secret’ gravy smoky and complex with mild acidity and only a hint of sweetness, undoubtedly the result of time, love, and many years of tweaking.
Never one to forgo the sweets, particularly from a menu on which nearly everything sounded exemplary, it was in a quintet that the meal would end and with popcorn gelato topped in cracker-​jack caramel proving a perfect savory-​meets-​sweet transition a recommendation as to which dessert was «best» would be a fool’s endeavor as each was entirely different and none less than exemplary, the fried cannoli shell with whipped mascarpone undoubtedly the lightest of the group while the maple tart and chocolate budino were creamy and decadent, the ‘toffee pudding’ streaked in cocoa falling somewhere in between with a dense sponge not unlike the figgy English version but flavors much closely approximating those of a Snickers Bar, the creamy gelato slowly melting into a puddle of sweet saltiness quickly sopped up by the crumbled meringue-​like powder.

FANTASTIC! We went last night on recommendation and loved it. We are a group of Chefs with a passion for great food and Andrew Michael did not disappoint. The atmosphere is warm and inviting but trendy at the same time. We ordered multiples of each course and shared, this was the way to do it. Every dish was unique in flavor and put together wonderfully. Our server was well versed and knowledgeable of everything on the menu and was there when we needed him. Must haves are A/​M Breakfast which has 63 degree poached egg, pork belly, polenta and pork skins. Perfectly seasoned and creamy polenta with the soft poached egg which make the dish super rich and then pork belly and crunchy skins. Maw maw’s ravioli has a perfect gravy. Well balanced flavor from the ragu and apparently from four generations back. Duck was cooked medium rare over root vegetables and a soy reduction. Honorable mention would have to be the potato gnocchi which were small hand made and with just the right amount of acid to complement the cream.
If you are in Memphis you should go to Andrew Michael!

The place is beautiful and welcoming. Some fine dining places can feel stuffy and pretentious, but AMIK is warm and welcoming. One thing you are sure to get here is amazing service. The waitress was extremely nice, helpful and very knowledgeable on all subjects we tested her on.
We had the scallops which were seared perfectly and the mushroom purée was amazing. The gnocchi with the ham hock was delicious and perfectly cooked– I am usually disappointed or underwhelmed with gnocchi, but not at AMIK! The chuck was tender, juicy and cooked perfectly the cauliflower and the balsamic sugo was a great compliment and I licked my plate clean! My partner had the pork and it was equally delicious – perfectly pink and juicy. I really do not think you can go wrong with any choice you make at AMIK! I can’t wait to go back and sit at the new bar area and have drinks and dinner. This is in my top 5 of Memphis eateries!

I went with a group of girls for dinner last week, and I was highly impressed. I had the lamb. My husband asked me what I had for dinner when I got home, and when I told him, he looked at me puzzled. This chick doesn’t normally eat stuff like that, but when I saw servers carrying it out, my taste buds were dying to try it! I was so happy that I ordered it. Y’all! It was AH-​MAZING! I love the location of this place. It’s tucked in Brookhaven Circle with all of the other awesome restaurants. My girlfriends and I even thought about doing a progressive dinner one weekend. It’s the perfect area to «bar hop.» FYI: I would suggest a reservation because it’s not a large restaurant.

I visited this restaurant for the first time on Feb 23, 2015 as part of a Swine and Wine progressive dinner fundraiser for Cozy Corner (a good BBQ joint that had a fire recently).So technically I didn’t eat their usual food, but rather had several small plates especially prepared for the event. The food was delicious, and elegant. The place itself is a cozy house-​like building with several rooms, and a larger room with a bar. I’m attaching several photos of the place, as well as a picture of the menu — though it is changed and printed out daily, I’m told.

All of the comments in my last review hold true, but the popcorn gelato was a catastrophe. It is utterly absurd to call this a «signature dessert» — my husband and I both tried it, and all that we could taste was salt. I heard at least one other customer at the table next to ours complaining to her family about how salty it was.
A really poor ending to an otherwise beautiful meal. AND when our server came to find our bowl sitting on the table, full and melting after our 6-​course tasting menu, she quizzed us about whether the salt was an «aftertaste» or not. I’m sorry, but when I’m paying close to $ 250 for a meal (with corkage and tip, for two people), everything should be perfect, and I shouldn’t have to defend my dislike of frozen salt masquerading as dessert to a server.
I’ll come back because everything else WAS perfect, but I would never knowingly order that salt gelato again.

So, the first time I ate here, my husband and I were seated on the patio, and when his entrée was placed on the table, there was a giant bug in the bowl. We’re pretty sure it fell out of a tree, but it took a solid year for us to dare return, seeing as the waiter adamantly denied the existence of said bug in the food. I am glad to have recently returned. Our dining experience was gluttonous and mostly wonderful. I ordered the «maccheroni al torchini» (grown-​up mac and cheese) and was accidentally brought the gnocchi. Normally, I would have been upset, but it was the best order screw up ever — I will demand gnocchi on my next visit. As a bonus, our horrified waitress also brought the maccheroni gratis. As my entrée, I ordered the chuck. The meat itself was amazing, but the potatoes were so salty they were inedible. My husband ordered another pasta dish (I don’t remember which one), and it tasted like garbage. Looked beautiful and was not good. The meal was redeemed with dessert — my husband ordered the Budino, which he refused to share. and I countered with the sticky toffee pudding for which I would stand on the front lines of war to defend. Lovely ambiance (artwork!, décor), but I wish there was a little more breathing room — feels kind of cramped.

All around fantastic experience! Setting – romantic, small tables in a cute older house.
Service – excellent. Waiter knew the menu, the ingredients, the wine and cocktail lists, and had great recommendations and tips of how to utilize the menus for the best all-​around experience. He even stated he loved 1^st timers the best (which we were) because it allows him to create an experience that makes us leaving wanting to come back. It worked!
Background of owners is very cool. Love the restaurant is based off of authentic Italian cuisine while utilizing local and fresh ingredients with an ever changing menu based on ingredient availability. They even do business with other local great place, Hog and Hominy across the street for their cured meats. Fresh herbs are grown on-​site. Location in Brookhaven circle – great spot. Definitely make a reservation!
Wine list was great. Not as many ‘by the glass’ choices. 4 course menu with small portions – charcuterie or cheese plate, appetizer, pasta, entrée. Then a great dessert menu to end with.
Loved all the food we had. Mee Mee’s ravioli for the pasta course was AMAZING! Popcorn gelato for dessert – sounds crazy, but they sell it well and it was delicious (especially if you like a caramel/​sweet & salty taste)!! Next time would like to try the caprese salad… had the melon and prosciutto app this time.
Would and will definitely go again and highly recommend!

I just don’t have enough good things to say about this place. I’ve been here at least a half a dozen times in the last two years and it never disappoints on Food, Service or Atmosphere.
Since food to me is most important, let’s start here. The menu and portions aren’t massive and they encourage you to share (they will split your portion into two without getting an eye roll from the employees). They have non-​traditional twists on some classic dishes, as well as a few just totally out-​there dishes. For the first time in my review history, I’m not even going to point out any special dishes because literally EVERYTHING I’ve had was amazing. They do have some specialties, such as the A|M Breakfast, Gnocchi, Chicken and Cheesecake, but whatever you do, please find a way to make room for the popcorn gelato.
Here are a few tips: if you don’t know what to get, do the Chef Tasting Menu. Last time I was here several weeks ago, my parents were in town and my Dad was starving and didn’t even want to look at the menu. His main objective was to eat. I’m glad we did this because I got to taste a bit of everything in smaller portions and we barely had room for dessert. Oh, and Chef Andy was in the kitchen that day! Another tip… BYOW (Bring Your Own Wine). The corkage fee isn’t obnoxious and it’s the perfect place to pop open that good bottle you’ve been saving for a «special occasion».
Atmosphere was very cozy and the wait staff really knows their menu by heart. Don’t be shy to ask them to recommend something! This place isn’t huge so reservations are an absolute must. This is in no way a modern venue. It’s like sitting in someone’s house with a few rooms and some tables throughout. Perfect for an anniversary celebration.
Come hungry, leave happy and about $ 150 per couple poorer. Some may say «that’s too expensive!»…I say it’s worth every dollar.

Simply put, the finest dining experience I’ve had in the city of Memphis. From the time we were seated till the time we walked out the door, this was just top notch all the way. Caring, knowledgeable staff went the extra mile and set this place apart.
We opted for the 5 course chef tasting menu with wine pairing for my birthday dinner. Each course was better than the last. From the caprese salad, through the handmade pasta sampler, the TWO main courses (the chef threw in a 6^th course, lamb, gratis for the occasion, all the way through the dessert sampler. EVERYTHING was top notch. Fantastic melding of flavors and textures I’ve found in cities like NYC, NOLA, and SF but not locally. The wine pairings were excellent and thoughtfully explained by our extremely knowledgeable waiters.
The dinner ran about 2.5hrs and the pacing felt perfect. Never felt rush, never wanted for anything. Beautifully done ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for making my night special. We will be back!