Charcuterie boards & more: Feast & Graze to take over food service at Brooks Museum café
Feast & Graze is set to take over food service at the Memphis Brooks Museum café on Jan. 24.
Owner Cristina McCarter said to expect her gourmet sandwiches, salads and charcuterie boards, plus some additional items. Feast & Graze will also provide catering for museum special events.
“We’ve worked with Feast and Graze on a number of events, and we always get compliments on their work,” said Zoe Kahr, executive director of Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. “When Cristina reached out to grow the partnership and introduced us to her delicious salads and hot sandwiches, we jumped at the opportunity.”
In December, the Brooks Museum cut ties with Loaf after the restaurant announced some proceeds from an upcoming dinner would be sent to a charity providing humanitarian aid for children affected by the ongoing violence in Gaza. Loaf stopped service at the museum on Jan. 20.
Charcuterie boards and more
Feast & Graze's small menu offers a thoughtfully curated selection of lunch items.
A single-serve charcuterie box is sure to be a popular grab-and-go favorite. “Just for Me” charcuterie boxes feature a selection of artisan cheeses, charcuterie meats, crackers, grapes, pickled vegetables, nuts, dried fruits and chocolate. Each box is a mini version of Feast & Graze's popular entertaining boards.
Sandwich options range from Turkey, Fig & Goat Paninis made with roasted turkey, hot honey, goat cheese, spring mix and fig jam to an Italian Panini made with Rosemary Ham, Dry Salami, Provolone, Swiss, Antipasto and Pesto Aioli.
Salads dressed with garlic oil and balsamic dressing include a Chef’s Salad with maple herb walnuts and a Perfect Pear Salad with pears, dried cherries and goat cheese.
McCarter said she also plans to serve soups at the museum café, adding she will source soups from restaurants across town for that offering.
She also plans to feature lemonades and teas from HighP Hour Wellness. The café will also continue its current coffee bar and beverage offerings.
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From delivery service to two brick-and-mortar locations
McCarter (who also runs City Tasting Box and the Craft Food & Wine Festival) launched Feast & Graze as a charcuterie and cheese board delivery service in fall 2019. Her beautifully crafted charcuterie and cheese boards quickly gained popularity.
In 2022, she opened a retail shop Downtown at 55 S. Main St. That shopped closed in December 2023 when she announced Feast & Graze's move from Downtown to East Memphis.
The new East Memphis location is set to open this spring at 109 S. Highland St. in the Poplar Plaza Shopping Center.
The opportunity at Brooks was an unexpected surprise.
McCarter had originally reached out to the museum about its planned new location in Downtown Memphis.
“They said we need a new tenant in February, and I said, ‘Let’s do it,’” said McCarter, adding she is excited about the opportunity to have a location in Midtown closer to her former Downtown clientele.
“I had always wanted to have three locations, so here we go,” she said.
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The café located inside the main entrance of the museum has seating capacity for 44. It also has 28 seats on the plaza for outdoor dining when the weather cooperates.
Guests do not need to pay admission to the museum to visit the café. Members of the museum receive a 10% discount on all purchases in the café and store.
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at [email protected] and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.
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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Feast & Graze to take over food service at Memphis Brooks Museum café
