Memphis magazine, January 2017 by Contemporary Media

Memphis • THE CITY MAGAZINE • W W W.MEMPHISMAGAZINE.COM

HOME KITCHEN REINVENTIONS

REMEMBERING ROY HARROVER

THE PYRAMID’S GREAT INDOORS

THE CITY MAGAZINE

PETE NELSON’S TREEHOUSE

VOL XLI NO 10 | J A N U A R Y 2 01 7

GREAT WEDDINGS OF 2016

USA $4.99

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THE H A LLE-CONNOR W EDDING

Annesdale Mansion

—1

S at u r d ay, Se p t e m b e r 3 r d , 2 0 1 6

DISPLAY UNTIL FEBRUARY 10, 2017

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The BMW X3

roadshowbmw.com 901-365-2584

S:9.875”

- Edmunds

Perform on any and all surfaces. Make room for both function and luxury. Drive with conﬁdence and curiosity. With up to 300 horsepower1 and 63.3 cubic feet of cargo space,2 the BMW X3 turns challenges into possibilities.

Special lease and ﬁnance offers will be available by your local Roadshow BMW Center through BMW Financial Services.

Roadshow BMW | 405 N. Germantown Parkway | Memphis-Cordova, TN 38018 | 901-365-2584 | roadshowbmw.com

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“...WE GIVE THIS SPORTS ACTIVITY VEHICLE OUR HIGHEST RATING FOR A REASON: IT’S ONE OF THE BEST.”

Multispecialty Practice provides

convenient

life for your

Through a person-centered approach to care, we’re changing the way we connect with our patients to provide the services you need in a convenient way. Our new East Campus Multispecialty Practice offers a one-stop shop for not only primary care, but specialty appointments too. Our UT Regional One Physicians care team offers cardiology, endocrinology, rheumatology, and urology services, as well as a pharmacy and imaging center onsite for a seamless experience. It’s not just our job to give our patients an easy care experience that gets them back to their lives faster, it’s what we love to do.

Schedule an appointment online at RegionalOneHealth.org

or call 901.515.EAST East Campus • 6555 Quince Road Memphis, TN 38119

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RegionalOneHealth.org/East

Your life. Our passion.

Client: Regional One Health

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THE OYSTER PERPETUAL The incarnation of the original Oyster launched in 1926 is a distinctive symbol of universal style. It doesn’t just tell time. It tells history.

rolex

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oyster and perpetual are

trademarks.

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OYSTER PERPETUAL 39

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Messages

My Hubby

Details

Slipped and sprained my wrist. Are you ok?!

Went to Campbell Clinic. On my way to pick up the kids. See the world’s best orthopaedic specialists — without an appointment.

Mon – Fri, 8am - 4pm Collierville | Germantown | Medical Center | Southaven | Spine Center CampbellClinic.com

TREATING YOU BEST

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You can’t predict the future. But you can drive it. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The 2017 E-Class embodies our commitment to transforming not just the automobile, but mobility itself. A luxury sedan with advances like PRE-SAFE Impulse Side, which can anticipate a side-impact collision and reposition you to help minimize the effect, and PRE-SAFE Sound, which can help protect the ears from accident noise should an impact occur. The revolutionary E-Class is the very future of transportation. Here and now. MBUSA.com/E-Class

THE 2017

E-CLASS

STARTING AT

52 ,150*

Mercedes-Benz of Collierville 4651 S. Houston Levee Road, Collierville, TN (901) 316-3535 www.mbcollierville.com

Mercedes-Benz of Memphis 5389 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN (901) 345-6211 www.mbofmemphis.com

2017 E 300 Sport Sedan in Selenite Grey metallic paint shown and described with optional equipment. PRE-SAFE® Impulse Side and PRE-SAFE Sound technologies do not guarantee that a driver would not suffer injury in the event of a collision. *MSRP excludes all options, taxes, title, registration, transportation charge and dealer prep. Options, model availability and actual dealer price may vary. See dealer for details. Vehicle cannot drive itself, but has semi-automated driving features. Always observe safe driving practices. Please refer to the operating manual for details on driver-assist systems. ©2017 Authorized Mercedes-Benz Dealers For more information, call 1-800-FOR-MERCEDES, or visit MBUSA.com.

HEADLINE: 26 pt. • BODY COPY: 10 pt

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200 Varick St. New York, NY 10014 : Phone 212-805-7500

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A gathering of family and friends will always be the cornerstone of a Celebration of Life.

Memphis Funeral Home offers its new Life Remembrance Center as the perfect choice for these gatherings. Unique? Indeed. The only one of its kind in the Mid-South.

MEMPHIS FUNERAL HOME Caring For a Lifetime. Since 1931.

5599 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38119 â&#x20AC;˘ (901) 725-0100

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MR. KUSTOFF Goes To

WASHINGTON THE EIGHTH DISTRICT’S CONGENIAL AND DISCIPLINED NEW CONGRESSMAN

VOL XLI NO 10 | JANUARY 2017

HAS READ THE PULSE OF AN UNRULY NEW AGE. by jackson baker

on the cover: Blair Halle and George Ryan Conner at Annesdale Mansion. PHOTOGRAPH BY MASSEY WENING

Weddings

20 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7

GREAT MEMPHIS

46 Up Front 11 12 14 17 18

in the beginning fine print city journal out and about style What We’re Loving Now

Memphis (ISSN 1622-820x) is published monthly for $15 per year by Contemporary Media, Inc., 460 Tennessee Street, P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101 © 2017. Telephone: 901-521-9000. For subscription info, please call 901-521-9000. Subscription customer service mailing address is Memphis magazine, P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101. All rights reserved. • Periodicals Postage Paid at Memphis, TN. Postmasters: send address changes to Memphis, P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101.

Features

20 Mr. Kustoff Goes to Washington

The Eighth District’s congenial and disciplined new congressman has read the pulse of an unruly new age. ~ by jackson baker

29 Great Memphis Weddings of 2016 Beautiful brides. Dashing grooms. Even a few ducks. ~ by anne

cunningham o’neill

46 Kitchen Konﬁdential

Three distinctive looks at the heart of the home. ~ by anne

cunningham o’neill

54 Remembering Roy Harrover, 1928-2016

Few architects have left such a mark on modern Memphis.

~ by michael finger

58 The Great Indoors

Forty-four hours inside the Pyramid.

~ by chris mccoy

Columns

82 ask vance

Bobbie Gentry Our trivia expert solves local mysteries of who, what, when, where, why, and why not.

~ by vance lauderdale

84 books

From the Arctic Circle to the Town Square Tales of cultures, clashes, Faulkner, and Fowler.

~ by richard j. alley

86 dining out

Big Bad Breakfast A new cookbook from Oxford chef John Currence celebrates the most important meal of the day. ~ by lesley young

88 city dining

The city’s most extensive dining listings.

96 last stand

The Rocky Road Museums can change the boundaries of time, if you let them. ~ by eileen townsend JANUARY 20 17 • MEMPHISMAGA ZINE.COM • 7

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Memphis THE C IT Y MAGAZ INE

General Excellence Grand Award Winner City and Regional Magazine Association 2007, 2008, 2010, 2014

PUBLISHER/EDITOR kenneth neill EXECUTIVE EDITOR michael finger MANAGING EDITOR frank murtaugh ARTS & LIFESTYLE EDITOR anne cunningham o’neill FASHION EDITOR augusta campbell FOOD EDITOR pamela denney ASSOCIATE EDITOR shara clark CONTRIBUTING EDITORS richard j. alley,

jackson baker, john branston, vance lauderdale EDITORIAL OPERATIONS ASSOCIATE sam cicci

CREATIVE DIRECTOR brian groppe PRODUCTION OPERATIONS DIRECTOR margie neal SENIOR ART DIRECTOR carrie beasley ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR christopher myers GRAPHIC DESIGNERS jeremiah matthews,

bryan rollins PHOTOGRAPHY justin fox burks, creation studios,

laura jean hocking, elizabeth hoard, massey wening

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES joy bateman,

sloane patteson taylor ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE zach scott ADVERTISING ASSISTANT roxy matthews

published by contemporary media, inc. 460 tennessee street, memphis, tn 38103 901-521-9000 p • 901-521-0129 f subscriptions: 901-521-9000 The South’s leader in Estate Jewelry and Diamond Solitaires. 1.866.VANATKINS | HISTORIC DOWNTOWN NEW ALBANY | VANATKINS.COM

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER kenneth neill CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER molly willmott CONTROLLER ashley haeger DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT jeffrey a. goldberg EDITORIAL DIRECTOR bruce vanwyngarden DIGITAL MANAGER kevin lipe DISTRIBUTION MANAGER lynn sparagowski EVENTS MANAGER jackie sparks-davila MARKETING/COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER kendrea collins EMAIL MARKETING MANAGER britt ervin IT DIRECTOR joseph carey ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT celeste dixon RECEPTIONIST kalena mckinney

january 2017

member: City and Regional Magazine Association member: Circulation Verification Council 8 • MEMPHISMAGA ZINE.COM • JANUARY 20 17

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BONUS

In This Issue What’s Haute Weddings

This magnificent vintage round brilliant cushion When far more than you hoped for is available for halo diamond engagement ring is available in any FAR less than you imagined, there’s a word for it. combination of size and shape diamonds in 18 karat Great. The Great Hall & Conference Center, and platinum. Shown with its matching flush fit 1900 South Germantown Road, 38138. wedding band. Jewelers’ Choice, Inc.; 5100 Wheelis 901.751.7661; TheGreatHallEvents.com. Drive #211; 901.763.0195; jewelerschoiceinc.com.

We have a unique selection of wedding, baby, hostess, and birthday gifts, as well as garden items and antiques. We specialize in offering one-of-a-kind gifts and art. Nest, 6993 Poplar Avenue, Germantown; 901.849.6378; nestshopgermantown.com.

RONALDO... Perfect & meaningful Bridesmaid’s Gifts. Exclusively in Germantown at More Than Words; 2123 West St; 901.755.4388; www.morethanwords.com.

Make Wedding Memories with Us! There’s no better gift than a good night’s sleep! Esplanade Memphis is located off Germantown Brides will appreciate sheets from Peacock Parkway near Macon Road providing privacy you need Alley — artisan-crafted classical embroidered or in a serene, yet eclectic atmosphere. timeless hemstitch; all offer supreme softness and 901 Cordova Station, Cordova, TN 38018; elegance. Come see for yourself! Reverie Fine 901.753.3333; esplanadememphis.com. Linens & Down, Laurelwood Collection; 4615 Poplar #16; 901.767.4400.

HEATHER Boutique and Spa. Come see why we are known as the Bridal Makeup Experts. 420 Perkins Extended in the Laurelwood Place Shopping Center; 901.249.5018; heatherstore.com.

When you must look your absolute best, choose the 150 engaged couples per year learn their first dance with us choreographed by our world-class, tuxedo specialists at Guy’s Formalwear. We offer every style, fit, and color that is available for rental. certified dance instructors. Father/daughter dances or the entire wedding party is welcome! Visit our East Memphis, Bartlett, or Southaven Fred Astaire Dance Studio; 6645 Poplar Ave., locations. GuysTux.com # 206, Germantown; 901.753.2158.

W H AT'S H AU T E page 19 Showcasing the finest offerings from the area’s leading retailers, including jewelry, accessories, books, and much more.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SEC TION

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MID-SOU T H HOME E X PRE S SIONS GUIDE

From House to Home

PHOTOGRAPH BY MONKEY BUSINESS IMAGES | DREAMSTIME

Start at the MidSouth Home Expressions Show.

ooking to make some changes — small or large — to turn your house into your dream home? Perhaps your kitchen is out-of-date and no longer suits your needs. Maybe you’ve got your eye on a better bathroom, equipped with a whirlpool tub or rainshower. An outdoor oasis may be just the thing to spruce up your space. And this year’s show features a very special guest — from Animal Planet’s Treehouse Masters, Pete Nelson, who will be on-hand to talk about the fun stuff: treehouses! For any of the aforementioned projects and more, the MidSouth Home Expressions Show makes upgrading your home a breeze, with the latest and greatest in allthings-home — and the best local vendors — brought together in one place. If you’ve been daydreaming about upgrading or remodeling your current space or even if you’re looking to build a new home from the ground up, this show is a perfect starting point. Mark your calendars — the long-running event returns next month, bringing with it opportunities for you to meet with the Mid-South’s top home

professionals, explore their products and services, and get advice and ideas directly from experts to set you on the right path. Whether remodeling, updating, building, or redecorating, the MidSouth Home Expressions Show has everything you need to express yourself at home — all in one place. The event started at the Fairgrounds in

Memphis more than 30 years ago and has been known as the Home Expo, the Memphis Home Builders Show, and the Best of Home Expressions Show at Agricenter International. It’s now the MidSouth Home Expressions Show, held at Landers Center (4560 Venture Drive) in Southaven, Mississippi, just a short drive from Memphis. The 2017 show runs February 3rd through 5th and is presented by the West Tennessee Home Builders Association (WestTNHBA) and the Home Builders Association of North Mississippi (HBANMS). Both associations work to unite all segments of the housing industry — builders, manufacturers, service providers, and other services connected to the industry — in their respective areas. Together, they are bringing the most experienced home professionals in the area to Landers Center. The three-day event features exhibitors in the areas of flooring, roofing, windows and doors, heating and cooling, home entertainment, home furnishings, kitchen and bath, stone, appliances, and much more. The ever-popular Builders Row returns this year, with the professionals you need conveniently located in one place. The thought of setting a home or yard improvement project in motion can be intimidating, but the MidSouth Home Expressions show has everything you need to ready yourself. This is where your journey begins. Tickets are $8 for adults, $7 for seniors (60 and older), and $4 for children (6-14). Admission is free for children under 6. The show runs Friday, February 3rd, from noon to 7 p.m.; Saturday, February 4th, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, February 5th, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can enter to win a variety of prizes.

pages 69 - 81 Showcasing the newest features that help turn a house into a home.

For more information about the 2017 MidSouth Home Expressions show, including directions and parking info, printable coupons for discounted tickets, and more, visit midsouthhomeexpressions.com.

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Coming in March FACE S OF T HE MID-SOU T H Portraits and profiles of people you should know.

WWW.COOLEYDDS.COM

901.754.3117

7938 WOLF RIVER BLVD

GERMANTOWN, TN 38138 2016

FACES OF THE

MID-SOUTH

THE FACE OF

ART

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART >>> Left to right: Emily Neff, Executive Director, Judith Moore, Director, External Affairs, and Kim Williams, Director, Development The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is home to the oldest, largest and only collection of world art in Tennessee and the region. The Brooks turns 100 in May and will celebrate by hosting a year of surprising art exhibitions, compelling programming and fun social events. On May 7th, our Party for the Century, Century a free, daylong celebration, kicks off our centennial year. Activities will include the Art, a new, permanent opening of Inside Art, family gallery dedicated to teaching visual literacy. Inside Art includes a climbing pod and other installations and activities designed to teach children critical thinking skills. Throughout our centennial year, the Brooks will exhibit captivating works from a diverse selection of groundbreaking contemporary artists. We will also move the museum beyond its walls with a citywide exhibition series called Brooks Outdoors. Visit brooksmuseum.org and follow the centennial on twitter at #brooks100 to learn more about upcoming events.

STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE SINCE 1950

SPECIAL PROMOTION

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Coming in April PHOTOGRAPH BY LARRY KUZNIEWSKI

LOCAL TREASURES

Young at Art

above: Artist Veda Reed works in her natural light-filled artist studio.

At 82, painter Veda Reed continues to create.

by shara clark EDI TOR’S NOT E: With this month’s pen portrait of one of Memphis’ most successful and beloved artists, we are launching “Local Treasures,” an occasional series within the pages of this magazine that will celebrate our city’s senior celebrities, people whose impact over the past decades have helped make Memphis a better place.

don’t intend to give up the sky,” muses 82-year-old Memphis artist Veda Reed, “but I’ve got to put it in a new place.” For much of her 60-year career, Reed has looked to her native state of Oklahoma, and the wide-open space of the prairie, as inspiration for her work. She’s focused on expansive landscapes marked by the horizon, and sky scenes — sunrises, sunsets, and cloud formations — subjects that give her “a warm, safe feeling.” With perfect smears of yellow that act as sun streaks, and gentle puffs of gray and white over dark swaths of night sky, her paintings evoke a poetic sense of reverence, calling the viewer to look up — and to look within. Reed has a delicate and self-assured demeanor and speaks behind a warm smile. A 1956 graduate of the Memphis Academy of Art (today the Memphis College of Art — MCA), she has become a nationally renowned painter, her work having been displayed in galleries all across the United States. Upon graduation, she traveled to New York

L OC A L T RE A SURE S / RE T IREMEN T LI V ING We celebrate our city’s senior celebrities, men and women for whom age is only a number, and introduce readers to the places they call home.

54 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6

Memphis Magazine’s

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THE 2016

FACE OF

appraisals handwash/cleaning sales reweaving repairs color run restoration pet and other stain removals moth damage odor removal and much more

ORIENTAL RUGS

FA IT H & WORSHIP GUIDE: SPRING EDIT ION

DECEMBER 7 AND 9 AT 7:00 PM

CHRISTMAS EVE • SATURDAY DECEMBER 24 • 6PM CHRISTMAS DAY • SUNDAY DECEMBER 25 • 8AM & 10:45AM

Master Weaver Ali Taghavi Restoring a antique Persian Farahan rug.

3554 Park Avenue, Memphis, TN • (901) 327-5033 • taghavirugs.com

NEW YEAR'S EVE SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31 • 6PM NEW YEAR'S DAY SUNDAY, JANUARY 1 • 8AM & 10:45AM

ALL SERVICES AT Brown Missionary Baptist Church

Our annual guide to churches, synagogues, temples, and other houses of worship in our community.

7200 Swinnea Rd (South Campus) | Southaven, MS 662.342.6407 | www.brownbaptist.org Bartholomew Orr, Senior Pastor

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For more information on advertising or our upcoming special sections, please contact Margie Neal at margie@memphismagazine.com

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IN THE BEGINNING | by kenneth neill

Brave New Year

elcome to 2017. One thing seems certain: Whichever candidate one favored in last fall’s election, many Memphians now find themselves wondering what exactly will happen when our 45th president takes office later this month. We do seem to be living in interesting times. Perhaps this is why, over the holidays, I picked up (for the first time in decades) Ray Bradbury’s 1953 science-fiction classic, Fahrenheit 451. You may recall this dystopian tale about a “fireman” in an America of the future, someone whose task was not to put out fires, but to start them. In the novel, Guy Montag (the fireman) and his colleagues are required to burn books (paper catches fire at 451 degrees) to insure cultural conformity. “We must all be alike,” Montag’s boss tells him. “A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. … Who knows who might be the target of a well-read man?” Ray Bradbury lived to be 91, so he had the enviable privilege of seeing how well his 1953 conjuring-up of early twenty-first-century America matched the reality of the country he knew in old age. Bradbury’s vision was spot on in many places; Fahrenheit 451’s “parlor walls,” for example, prefigured today’s big-screen HDTVs, while the chase scene that occurs after Montag has a breakdown, stealing books he should be burning and instead igniting his fire chief, is eerily similar to O.J. Simpson’s televised white Bronco escapade in 1994. Bradbury missed the mark, however, on certain aspects of the computer revolution. He was inclined to think that the digital future would be literally child’s play, postulating that the highest use of computers would be with films, sports, and video games. No doubt that’s all happened, but Bradbury, with his incredible reverence for the printed word, didn’t seem to grasp the fact that the ideas within those book covers he cherished could be presented in digital form as well. He’d no doubt be disappointed that the version of Fahrenheit 451 I just finished reading was on my Kindle. This set me thinking about what has really changed, in terms of literacy and the communication of knowledge, between 1953 and 2017. In the 1950s, there were in fact two kinds of people: people who read for pleasure and enlightenment, and people who didn’t care to read except when they had to. The latter group was significantly larger than the former, but since communication was essential (then as now) for success in business and politics, the “readers” tended to dominate the systems through which commerce and government operated. Flash forward six decades, and we find ourselves in a place where rudimentary literacy is essential to living in contemporary society. Facebook, for example, requires one to com-

municate using the written word, at least at a basic level. And you don’t have to be a genius to Tweet, but you do have to put 140 characters in some kind of order so as to communicate your opinions to those around you. This is a fundamental difference between the mid-twentieth-century world young Ray Bradbury knew and our own. Back then, unschooled and disinterested Americans who cared not to read had limited influence upon national affairs. Today, with over 1.5 billion Facebook users worldwide, well over half of all American households are connected with friends and strangers in every section of the country. In a very real way, the world is wired together as never before, with Facebook and Twitter doing most of the wiring. That’s the good news. The bad is that there are few restrictions as to what sticks to the wall of the digital universe. Instead of general acceptance of factual information, a thousand variants of every “truth” float around the internet. Unfortunately, in the world of Facebook and Twitter, bold-faced lies often carry the same weight as logically indisputable facts. One distinctive feature of last fall’s presidential election was the introduction of the phrase “fake news” into the general vocabulary. Articles that were literally made up by those with well-defined political objectives were often accepted as truth by those whose minds were already inclined to accept such falsehoods. As always, of course, political advertisements were often filled with untruths. But rarely did brazen lies extend into the news-sphere, posing cleverly as fact. Rarely has “fake news” had so much influence upon an American election. In this brave new year, everyone apparently will get to decide what truth they like best. It is not a pretty sight. Were he still with us, Bradbury would be having a nervous breakdown. So, frankly, are many of us who are in the business of trying to deliver real news to our readers, our viewers, and our listeners. Fake news, of course, is not new. Hitler and Goebbels were masters at manufacturing stories that suited their needs in Nazi Germany. Joseph Stalin did much the same in the old Soviet Union. Those totalitarian states were not democracies. But if present trends in reporting falsehoods as truth continue, neither will the United States be one for much longer. Kenneth Neill publisher/editor

Five Night Stand, the debut novel from Richard J. Alley

When journalist Frank Severs and music prodigy Agnes Cassady come to New York to witness jazz legend Oliver Pleasant’s final five-night stand, the timeless force of music pulls the trio together. Over the course of five nights, the three reflect on their triumphs and their sorrows: families forsaken, ideals left along the wayside, secrets kept. Their shared search for meaning and direction in a fractured world creates an unexpected kinship that just might help them make sense of the past, find peace in the present, and muster the courage to face the future. Available at Burke’s Book Store, Booksellers at Laurelwood, and Amazon.

richardalley.com J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 11

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FINE PRINT

Second Home Skills The reality of home repairs is nothing like “reality” TV shows.

will remember 2016 as, among other things, the year I bought a second home — a fixer-upper in Pass Christian on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

It is a solidly built ordinary brick house, 25 years old, 400 yards from the beach, 32 feet above sea level (Hurricane Katrina’s surge reached 26 feet), with a sturdy live-oak tree dripping Spanish moss in the backyard. By Gulf Coast property standards, it was a steal due to a motivated seller, the brownish water in the Mississippi Sound, and the lingering memory of Katrina. Perhaps prophetically, we closed on August 29th, the 11th anniversary. They say memory fades after ten years. Pass Christian and neighboring Long Beach and Bay St. Louis, with their man-made beach, will never be compared to Destin or the over-designed creations along 30-A or the high-rises of Gulf Shores, which is fine with me. The tallest building is four stories. The boats in the harbor are working boats, not toys or yachts. U.S. Highway 90 is lined with tree sculptures thanks

to “chainsaw artists” who came here after Katrina. The neighbors we have met are compassionate, creative survivors of Katrina who are glad to share their stories and know-how.

True fixer-uppers do not have crews of professionals to come in and do the carpentry, wiring, dry wall, painting, framing, tile, landscaping, and decorating. And their tools, which is Lesson One for the would-be fixer-upper: real life is not like television. Those “reality” HGTV shows like Fixer Upper, Flip or Flop, and Property Brothers are inspirational and fun to watch, but about as real as Santa’s workshop. DIYs (do-it-yourselfers) do not wear eye shadow and make-

up or have perfect hair, perky breasts, and unflappable dispositions. They look more like people you would move away from if they sat down next to you in a restaurant. True fixer-uppers do not have crews of professionals to come in and do the carpentry, wiring, dry wall, painting, framing, tile, landscaping, and decorating. DIYs consult YouTube, Home Depot, curious neighbors, and the hardware store. We take a sledgehammer to a wall with fear and anxiety because we aren’t really sure what’s back there. We measure once and cut twice and forget to add the width of the saw blade. We shake paint that is supposed to be stirred. We spill, trip, cuss, blame, break things, lose things, overestimate, underestimate, and cut ourselves at least once a day. There is no Chip and Joanne or Property Brother producer there to save us. But there are considerable rewards too. My wife actually knows what she is doing when it comes to painting and redecorating. This is a second act for us,

something we can do together. Much as we like Midtown, we have lived there for 34 years. You can’t see diving pelicans, sailboats, a distant island, or the lights of fishing boats at night between Poplar and North Parkway. We crossed the Rubicon with wallpaper, curtain, and carpet removal. The previous owner was an old woman named Gisela who was kidnapped by the Nazis and escaped during World War II. She loved pink carpet, pink paint, pink light shades, and pink flowered wallpaper. As I tore it off hour after hour, I invented a back story: a girl enduring the horrors by vowing that if she survived she would some day live in a place with bright colors and flowers all around her. I learned or was reminded that whatever the job, there is a hard way and a less hard way to do it. Downy and hot water, lots of it, will strip wallpaper. Attach dry wall screws with a quick punch, not a sustained push. An oscillating saw will undercut baseboards and trim so your tiles and flooring fit. A rented paint sprayer is essential to painting the exterior of a brick house white, which is another essential if you live near the coast. And save your old fence boards. Rustic weathered boards are gold in today’s home improvement economy. New cedar fence boards sell for $2. Old ones go for $6. Cypress is even more valuable. There is rustic flooring, rustic walls, rustic bathrooms, rustic kitchens, rustic picture frames. I expect to one day see someone get married in a rustic-print wedding dress. I don’t have the skills of the Property Brothers, but I do have a garage full of weathered boards I salvaged over the years before they were cool. Call me one lucky customer.

PHOTOGRAPH BY NANCY TRIPP | DREAMSTIME

by john branston

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CITY JOURNAL

The Game Changer by tom jones

bout a year ago, Tim Bolding’s 91-year-old mother died, which put her 61-year-old son into a reflective mood about his priority for the next chapter of his life. After working more than three decades to provide affordable housing for Memphians frozen out of the traditional mortgage market, it was no surprise that his thoughts turned to his career’s purpose, but one term became top-of-mind — game changer. “It was about doing something now,” he says. “I can’t wait. Neighborhoods can’t wait. Memphis can’t wait. It was about a big idea that would be system-changing.” He calls his “big idea” the Memphis 10-K Housing Initiative, a plan to build or rehab 10,000 houses in 10 years. No one knows better than he does just how big that idea is. After moving from Nashville to attend the University of Memphis, Bolding’s housing experience began in

Shelby County government and continues as founding executive director of United Housing Inc. In his 22 years at the helm of United Housing, the nonprofit group has provided 4,469 affordable houses for families who otherwise would not be homeowners. And along the way, Bolding has become an expert about the barriers blocking too many Memphians from home ownership. “There are tools for multifamily projects — Tennessee Housing Development Agency, Low Income Tax Credits, PILOTs, low interest bonds, and more,” he explains. “There is a whole industry built around these tools. But for single-family houses, it’s all about the tools we don’t have available in many neighborhoods.”

He pointed out that there are always builders, financing, appraisers, and real estate agents for “700-credit-score neighborhoods,” but in “500-credit-score neighborhoods, the system is not a system.” This in turn contributes to population declines, thousands of boarded-up houses, shrinking tax revenues, and tens of thousands of houses already seized for nonpayment of taxes. “It is a deep wound for Memphis,” says Bolding. “The loss of property owners has been dramatic. The building industry has been decimated in the last 20 years — from 350 builders to 20. There used to be 5,000 houses built in a year and now it’s 500, and at the same time, population is down and we have thousands and thousands of vacant lots.” The plan for 10,000 houses is his response to these problems, and it’s all about creating a system for “500-credit-score neighborhoods,” so the private sector will want to develop and invest there. United Housing’s Wolf River Bluff development at the end of McLean Boulevard north of James Road suggests that it can be done. Twelve houses have been built on a tree-lined

The Memphis 10-K Housing Initiative is a plan to build or rehab 10,000 Memphis houses in 10 years. street, with solar panels, public art, walking and biking trails, and all are adjacent to an 11-acre Memphis park. The houses sell for $129,900, appraised at 100 percent of sales price and sold without government financial incentives. Meanwhile, homebuilders and developers like David Walker of Vision to Reality LLC are proving that new homes can sell in

urban neighborhoods where it did not previously seem possible. “Buyers will come if a system is in place and if the product is what people want,” says Bolding. “If we have the right tools, everything is possible. Binghampton is doing so much good work. The same for Crosstown and Soulsville. Imagine what they could do with the right tools for single-family housing.” These include down payment assistance for buyers, rehab financing, developer infrastructure assistance, and loan loss reserves to reduce risk for private financing. Also, homebuyer education and financial counseling which are critical, because “the city is full of people who need help but are not ready to be helped.” The 10-K Housing Initiative costs $140 million, with almost half coming from state and federal agencies. An economic impact report concluded it would produce a $2.9 billion infusion into the economy; 2,100 jobs, and $150 million in new city and county property taxes. So far, the “big idea” has attracted interest from local and state government, philanthropies, financial institutions, developers, and homebuilders. And if it comes together, it could end what Bolding calls the “roller coaster” of building and rehabbing houses in lower-income neighborhoods because of inconsistent funding and lack of a long-term plan. He believes everyone with a stake in a better system will come together to design the tools needed to make it work, and then develop an organization to organize and manage the 10-K Memphis Housing Initiative. In the end, Bolding says: “This isn’t a United Housing plan. It’s a Memphis plan. If we make it a priority, we can do it.”

PHOTOGRAPH BY SUZANNE TUCKER | DREAMSTIME

Tim Bolding had a vision to provide 10,000 low-income Memphians with homes. He’s well on his way to that goal.

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OU T A ND A BOU T |

1.2017 | compiled by sam cicci

1.7

Harlem Globetrotters

Red Hot Chili Peppers

The Harlem Globetrotters

ho blends comedy, theater, athleticism, and basketball together better than the Harlem Globetrotters? Come check out one of the oldest ongoing shows in entertainment as they wow the world with their debut of basketball’s first-ever fourpoint line. Accompanied by a plethora of skills, tricks, and comedic basketball routines, the Globetrotters are sure to entertain aplenty. But don’t write this game off just yet. Will the Globetrotters run away with the score, or will a return to Tennessee, state of their only loss to the Washington Generals, set the stage for a major upset? FedExForum, 191 Beale St. harlemglobetrotters.com

1.14-15

Memphis Symphony Orchestra Masterworks 3

Boar’s Head Feaste

1.6

Boar’s Head Feaste

To mark Epiphany, celebrate the twelfth day of Christmas at the Boar’s Head Feaste. Downtown’s historic Calvary Episcopal Church once again holds its popular madrigal dinner led by the Calvary Choir. Conclude the holidays with great food accompanied by great music, and all for a good cause. Proceeds from the event will go towards the Friends of Music, which works to expand music in the community and bring in renowned performers. Tickets are $50. Calvary Episcopal Church 102 N. 2nd St. eventbrite.com

1.12

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Perhaps one of America’s most prominent funk rock bands, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have been supplying a conveyer belt of hits since their inception in 1983 and aren’t showing any signs of slowing down. Such sustained relevance is incredibly rare in the music scene, so don’t miss out on the chance to see the six-time Grammy award-winning group belt out hits such as “Snow (Hey Oh),” “Californication,” and “Dani California,” and digging into some newer tracks off their new album, The Getaway. FedExForum 191 Beale St. ticketmaster.com

Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s Masterworks series continues with the latest celebration of famous classical pieces. Robert Moody returns as principal conductor and is joined during this performance by pianist Stewart Goodyear, who has played extensively with the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, and San Francisco Symphony. The featured composition will be Rachmaninoff’s “Piano Concerto No. 2,” the composer’s most famous piece, and one that helped him recover from writer’s block and depression. The performance will also include renditions of Locklair’s “Phoenix for Orchestra” and Stravinsky’s “Patrushka.” Tickets start at $15. January 14: Cannon Center for the Performing Arts 255 N. Main St. January 15: Germantown Performing Arts Center 1801 Exeter Rd. memphissymphony.org

1.15

Lieder and Lager: German Songs & Beer

What better type of celebration is there other than one that involves German singing and beer? Join Opera Memphis for Lieder and Lager, a celebration of two renowned German opera composers with a long inﬂuence on the practice of operatic songwriting. Music director Ben Makino is accompanied by several local singers to delve into the lives of two master German lieder composers, Gustav Mahler and Arnold Schoenberg. Artistin-residence Dylan Evans will lead the narrative direction as Opera Memphis explores the inﬂuence these composers had on each other and those who came after. As the icing on the cake, the seminar will be accompanied by select beer. The event is free to the public. Opera Memphis, 6745 Wolf River Parkway operamemphis.org

1.23-29

The Bodyguard: The Musical

When shoved together in a professional capacity, what are a former Secret Service agentturned-bodyguard and musical superstar to do? Watch sparks ﬂy as tension and their relationship builds, accompanied by a Whitney Houston score including classics comprising “One Moment in Time,” “Queen of the Night,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” and many more. It’s based on the Oscar-nominated ﬁlm The Bodyguard, adapted by Academy Award-Winner Alexander

Dinelaris, and starring Grammy Award-nominee and R&B star Deborah Cox, so be sure to get a seat for this new contemporary hit. The Orpheum, 203 S. Main St. orpheum-memphis.com

Eudora Welty

1.27

Southern Literary Salon: Eudora Welty

Rejoice, literature buffs, for the Tennessee Shakespeare Company’s Southern Literary Salons return this month. Hosted at the home of Nancy Copp, Eudora Welty: Mississippi Myth will focus on the works from one of the south’s greatest ﬁction writers. Welty, who described writing ﬁction as “a personal act of vision,” captured people of all economic and social classes through photography, and used them as inspiration to explore personal relationships and a sense of place in the South. Her portfolio encompasses short story collections such as A Curtain in Green and The Golden Apples, as well as several novels, including the Pulitzer Prizewinning The Optimist’s Daughter. Tickets to the event are $55. Contact Tennessee Shakespeare Company for more information about time and address. tnshakespeare.org

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MR. KUSTOFF Goes To

WASHINGTON THE EIGHTH DISTRICT’S CONGENIAL AND DISCIPLINED NEW CONGRESSMAN HAS READ THE PULSE OF AN UNRULY NEW AGE. by jackson baker

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t 3:15 this morning — any morning — while the rest of us are sleeping, David Frank Kustoff, the newly elected Republican Congressman from Tennessee’s Eighth District, will be rising. Central Standard Time if at home in Germantown or doing an overnight elsewhere in his 15-county West Tennessee district, Eastern Time if in D.C. Wherever, he will shortly be on the job, perusing the day’s news, both from pulp on the doorstep or online or via TV, catching up with correspondence, planning his moves. This is true whether he got to bed the night before at his preferred hour of 10 p.m. or, later, because of circumstances, which is increasingly the case these days. It was true when he was a student at the University of Memphis back in the 1980s. It was true when he started up his downtown Memphis law firm with Jim Strickland, the school buddy who was elected Mayor of Memphis in 2015, almost precisely a year before Kustoff won his own congressional race. It is still true now that he is entering the Washington mainstream, and it doubtless will be true for whatever comes later. At 4:30 a.m., give or take a minute, Kustoff may consume a small cup of yogurt. Whether or not he does that, he will not have another meal until the evening sometime. This is an iron rule he has practiced for all his adult life. His regimen, which these days includes some evening work at home on a Stairmaster and a stationary bike, has melted him down from the modest bulk he had as a high school football player at White Station High School. What the 50-year-old freshman Congressman sees in the bathroom mirror while shaving is a lean frame and an aquiline face that is vaguely (and appropriately, given his profession and his Republican affiliation) Lincolnian. So much so that, when he and his lawyer wife Roberta served as “Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln” at the 2010 Lincoln Day banquet of the Shelby County Republican Party, he was not required to don the fake whiskers, frock, and tall hat that had traditionally been de rigueur for that annual honorific function. David Kustoff, clearly, is one of those people who has always known who he is, and he got where he is by the strictest attention to discipline. Which is not to say Kustoff is an automaton. He has intuitive grasp, too, and an innate feeling for relationships. Here’s a true story: Jim Strickland, the Mayor of Memphis, happily married now, with two children, was for many years a bachelor. This state

of things lasted well into Strickland’s twin career as a political activist and a lawyer. There are doubtless several good reasons for Strickland’s decision to delay the state of domesticated matrimony; whatever they were, they vanished quickly once the upwardly mobile young attorney was introduced to the stately and attractive Melyne Smith by law partner Kustoff, who matched the couple together for one of those rare blind dates that leads on to something. As Strickland tells it, “He was going to fix Melyne up with me or another friend of ours, and he told her to pick, and she never would pick, so he just picked me for her.” That was in 1994, by which time Strickland and Kustoff were both making their way in politics, albeit along different ideological pathways. Democrat Strickland and Republican Kustoff are one of those political odd-couples akin to Mary Matalin and James Carville. They had made each other’s acquaintance back in 1985, when the city’s future mayor was president of student government at the University of Memphis and Kustoff was a new arrival at the school, on one of 10 Leadership Scholarships granted to promising high school graduates in the area that year. Neither has a precise memory of how they struck it up with each other. Kustoff just recalls that “Jim and the student government people became my friends, and we started doing things together.” The

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BY THE YEAR 2000, HIS REPUTATION HAD CATAPULTED HIM INTO THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF THE REPUBLICAN UNIVERSE. two of them became involved in reorganizing the U of M chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. ATO had been kicked off campus for some kind of hijinks back in the 1970s, but it would be resurrected in style, with a membership that consisted not only of Kustoff and Strickland but of such other future civic/political leaders as Mike Carpenter, the former county commissioner and city administrator who has headed several local foundations, and Tre Hargett, now Tennessee Secretary of State after many years of service in the state legislature. That era of the mid-to-late Eighties at the University of Memphis was a veritable hothouse time for the number of political movers and shakers that it incubated. In addition to the aforementioned, other college students at the time — moving within the same general nexus of friendship, regardless of their varying political persuasions — were Maura Black Sullivan, David Upton, Jay Bailey, Harold Collins, John Freeman, Nathan Greene, Mark Schuermann, and Carol Chumney. All would later hold significant elected or administrative positions. In any case, David Kustoff quickly rose to the fore of the ATO component, succeeding interim president Deke Sundquist (son of then Congressman, later Governor Don Sundquist) as president of the fraternity. Recalling that time in a conversation just before Christmas, Kustoff said, “I ultimately became president of the Student Activities Council, which did all the events on campus — the speakers, the concerts, the homecomings, and so forth.” One of Kustoff’s triumphs was attracting to campus Larry Lindell, the actor who played Frank Burns in TV’s long-running M*A*S*H series. Another prize speaker he snared was former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. “Vanderbilt had just had a symposium with Carter and former President Gerald Ford. I wanted both of them,” Kustoff remembers. But University President Thomas Carpenter was concerned about speaker fees and travel costs. “So we settled on President Carter because his speaker fee was cheaper.” And,

while Ford had been insisting on flying firstclass with an entourage, local mega-entrepreneur Willard Sparks was willing to fly Carter in on his private plane. That was one of young Kustoff’s first lessons in political logistics and the art of compromise. And there were other instructive

experiences: “I remember one time we had Jim Lovell — Captain Jim Lovell, the famous Apollo 13 astronaut — come to campus. I was really up for that one, and I arranged for a big room, one that could hold 500 people.” The turnout was disappointingly small, however, and Kustoff learned a lesson in what political types today call optics: “I always try to schedule events in small rooms, so, whatever size the crowd is, it will look larger.”

is own political inclinations, from as far back as he can remember, were toward Republicanism. That was something partly inherited from his family (his father Bernie was also an attorney), but the real kicker was his fascination for Ronald Reagan, who was president during Kustoff’s formative teen years at White Station High. “I remember when I was a senior during

the 1984 campaign passing out leaflets and going door-to-door for him,” Kustoff recalls. “Ronald Reagan, as we all know, was probably the most effective communicator of our lifetime. More so than Clinton. More than Obama because he had the ability to convey what people were thinking and feeling very concisely. He was just very eloquent, and he motivated me to get involved in the process.” (A digression: As a journalist I normally cover both the Republican and Democratic quadrennial nominating conventions. In 1992 I was in Houston for the GOP convention, and had worked into the trip a vacation for my wife and two small daughters. On the night that ex-President Reagan spoke what was probably the last major speech of his life, I was seated far back in the Houston Astrodome with my baby daughter Rose in my lap. That proved an irresistible tableau for successive sets of network cameramen, from CNN and from NBC. I never saw the CNN video, but Kustoff’s brother Edward had saved the video of NBC’s coverage of the Reagan address, and Kustoff, whom I knew by then as a prominent young GOP activist, was thoughtful enough to lend it to me for copying. I was fascinated by two segments from the NBC coverage. One, clearly the prompter for Kustoff’s generosity, was a video segue from Reagan to wife Nancy, who was looking on dotingly, thence to Barbara Bush, wife of then President George H.W. Bush, and finally to a close-up of baby daughter Rose in my lap. All things considered, I appreciated the conjunction. But a second segment also caught my eye. At another point in the Reagan speech, NBC had panned the huge crowd of onlookers in the vast arena and settled on one lone figure standing in an aisle. That was David Kustoff, visibly transfixed by the speech and wearing the most gleeful, beatific grin I have ever seen on another human being.) The David Kustoff of today, the newly minted Congressman, fancies dark suits and has a tendency to look sober-sided, sometimes to excess, but he still owns that grin, which has often proved useful for the political stump and for pressing the flesh.

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ustoff’s rise in Republican ranks was a steady, by-the-numbers kind of Odyssey. He went directly from his undergraduate degree (a B.S. in business administration) to law school, also at the University of Memphis. In between there was the summer of 1989, and an internship at Georgetown University through the aegis of the Fund for American Studies. “Half of the day we dealt with different political and economic systems around the world, and the other half was spent in the offices of different senators or congressmen. I interned at the Southern Governors Association. I kept telling everyone I was the chief intern. Anyhow, I learned my way around Washington.” Back in Memphis that fall, Kustoff plugged on toward his law degree, moonlighting all the while at political gigs, including a stint in the ill-fated 1991 reelection campaign of then-mayor Dick Hackett, who would be nar-

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WORKING WITH BILL GIBBONS, KUSTOFF WORKED HARD AT CREATING WHAT WOULD BE CALLED THE REPUBLICAN SATELLITE NETWORK. rowly upset by Willie Herenton, the city’s first elected black mayor. The fates balanced things out in 1992, when Kustoff had a hand in Republican Harold Sterling’s upset victory over then Assessor Michael Hooks. Meanwhile, he had attracted the attention of Lamar Alexander, the former GOP governor who had served as Reagan’s Secretary of Education and was warming up for a presidential race in 1996. Impressed by what he’d seen of Kustoff and intrigued by independent presidential candidate Ross Perot’s use of town hall telethons in the 1992 election year, Alexander had the young Republican activist assist him in an effort to duplicate them. Working in harness with Bill Gibbons, later to be a county commissioner, district attorney general, and state safety commissioner, Kustoff worked hard at creating what would be called the Republican Satellite Network, or RESN. “Every month he would do a broadcast on healthcare, say, or education, or some other issue,” he says. “Our job was to find a place for broadcast, a sports bar or whatever, and to get activists to come watch, so Lamar could become better versed on these issues as he plotted his presidential run. Then there was 1994, and I worked on all the local campaigns. That’s the year that we [Shelby County Re-

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publicans] swept all the local offices.” Kustoff, the early riser and disciplined eater, ever pleasant, ever diligent, ever on course and on message, had not only made himself invaluable to Lamar Alexander, a once and future power in the larger Republican universe. He had also made himself useful locally to Philip Langsdon, the facial plastic surgeon who had taken over the reins of the county Republican Party, by tapping into its newly developing suburban base. “When it was time for him [Langsdon} to step down, I ran for party chairman,” Kustoff recalls, matter-of-factly reciting the names of other, more senior Republicans who also sought the office. He beat the lot of them

A bust of his hero, Abraham Lincoln, sits behind David Kustoff in his Senate office in Nashville.

and became chairman of the Shelby County Republicans. He was 29, and would hold the office for four more years, until 1999, all the while impressing his party peers, both locally and elsewhere. By the year 2000, his reputation had catapulted him into the highest levels of the Republican universe. He was asked to become the Tennessee state chairman for the presidential campaign of GOP nominee George W. Bush.

hat, of course, was the titanic battle fought so closely between Bush and Democratic nominee (and former Tennessee Senator) Al Gore that it took an extra month beyond election day (and intervention from the majority-conservative U.S. Supreme Court) to decide on Bush as the winner. The subsequent political history of Tennessee has made it clear that the Volunteer State’s days as a political bellwether, with both major parties having an equal chance at statewide power, were numbered even then.

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The year 2000, which would see Gore edged out in his home state, was close to being the Democratic Party’s last hurrah in Tennessee, though Nashville’s conservative Democratic mayor Phil Bredesen would take advantage of an internal Republican schism two years later to win the state’s governorship and serve two terms. In any case, political tensions were high on the home front, and in one, uniquely painful way to Kustoff. He had attended a well-attended political forum as a representative of candidate Bush, and in the aftermath of it, he was approached by a well-known Democratic activist, Berkeley Wolff of Cordova, who, like Kustoff, was Jewish. “How can you, a Jew, be doing this?” Wolff demanded, whether from a feeling that Gore’s vice-presidential running mate that year, Senator Joe Lieberman, also Jewish and the first of his faith to be nominated for a national

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FOR THE RECORD, KUSTOFF NOTES THAT UPON TAKING THE OATH OF OFFICE IN JANUARY, HE WILL DOUBLE THE SIZE OF THE JEWISH REPUBLICAN HOUSE CAUCUS. office, was thereby being dissed, or in honor of the longstanding tradition that Jewish voters tend to favor Democrats or out of a sense of simple partisanship, or from a combination of those motives. Kustoff’s response was to sport The Grin and extend his hand, which Wolff looked at without shaking it, then turned his back and walked away. That story, told by Kustoff and confirmed by Wolff, indicates, among other things, the extent to which Kustoff was willing to cross various thresholds, come what may. (For the record, Kustoff notes that upon taking the oath of office in January, he will “double” the size of the Jewish Republican House caucus. Joining Ninth District’s Democrat Steve Cohen in Washington, he will also double the number of Jewish congressmen from Memphis. Both Kustoff and Cohen are members of the Temple Israel congregation in East Memphis.) Jim Strickland tells another story about Kustoff’s singularity in that election year. By then the two college friends, both now well out of law school and each politically

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Weddings

GREAT

MEMPHIS

2016

HILL

WA LL ACE

TASHIE

DUNAVA NT

CONNOR

at The Peabody

at Hunt Phelan

at Annesdale Mansion

H A LLE

s is our annual custom here every January at Memphis magazine, we present three of our favorite local weddings of the previous year. These weddings were clearly joyous and carefully planned occasions and mostly traditional (though one did include the participation of The Peabody’s fine-feathered friends!) starring beautiful young brides in elegant, flowing gowns. In all three, the ceremonies and receptions

were held at historic Memphis landmarks — The Peabody, the Hunt Phelan house, and Annesdale Mansion — which added to the fun and excitement. We congratulate the three families and wish you every success in your lives together. — Anne Cunningham O’Neill

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THE HILL-TASHIE W EDDING Rebekah Hill and Scott Ta shie at The Peabody. S at u r d ay, Ju n e 4 t h, 2 0 1 6 ph otography by c r e at io n s t u dio s

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here was quite a bit of drama last year in the wedding plans of young Memphians Rebekah Hill,

daughter of Pam and David Hill, and Scott Tashie, son of Jimmy and Nancy Tashie. The Memphis couple had planned a relatively small, private wedding at the elegant One and Only Palmilla Resort in Los Cabos, Mexico, but circumstances beyond their control caused a change of plans. As a result, it made sense in view of time constraints to have the wedding back home in Memphis.

far left: The happy bride (in her Converse wedges) and groom catch their breath in a stolen moment together. above: Believe it or not, the participation of The Peabody ducks was planned. below: Guests watch the ceremony bathed in the golden glow of The Peabody’s magnificent ballroom.

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H I L L -T A S H I E

Nevertheless, finding a place for the event might well have become a challenge. Luckily, The Peabody, a lifelong favorite of the bride and groom, was available within the same time frame (the date was moved back a week to June 4th), so the event was quickly booked. Expert planners, Russell and Ruthie Events, were hired to take care of all the details and make the late transition as smooth and panic-free as possible. The Peabody also went above and beyond to help coordinate all the last-minute changes in details. According to the mother of the bride, it was “a miracle that everything worked out in the end.” But wait, another small snag (to say the least) occurred when it rained on the evening of the wedding, which meant the ceremony and cocktail hour, scheduled to take place on the Peabody’s rooftop, had to be moved inside at the last minute to the Continental Ballroom. Imagine shuttling around 13 bridesmaids and 14 groomsmen and you will get an idea of what an amazingly seamless quick change this was. Thanks to Anthony Petrina, then duck master, the Peabody ducks even made a cameo, marching down the aisle in advance of the couple’s march down the aisle. The officiant at the ceremony was Rocky Anthony, pastor and counselor at the Memphis Teacher Residency Program. The wedding reception with dinner and dancing took place in the famous Skyway Room. Greg Campbell of the Garden District (also luckily booked at the last minute) outdid himself with filling the rooms with masses of the bride’s favorite white orchids. The Atlanta

above: The elegant wedding party of family and friends poses together.

below: David and Pam Hill, the bride and groom, and Nancy and Jimmy Tashie.

It’s swing time for Mr. and Mrs. Scott Tashie!

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Strawberry French Toast is not just for Saturday morning. Best Breakfast on Poplar Avenue! www.pimentos.com • 901-602-5488 The Peabody provided this beautiful wedding cake.

Party Band provided the entertainment early on, and then Memphis rapper Al Kapone arrived to turn up the heat at 11 p.m. The whole event was photographed by Creation Studios. In the end, the wedding that had weathered a planning storm all came together perfectly, and the bride reports that “their relationship became so much stronger because of it, and we had an absolute blast!” The couple jetted off into the wild, blue yonder on a honeymoon to Italy and Greece, and I am sure the stresses soon faded away. While Rebekah Tashie was telling me about her wedding, I kept thinking of the famous Robert Burns quote, “the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry… .” Meanwhile Pam Hill, the bride’s mother, was convinced that the wedding was never really in earthly hands. She quoted Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know I have the plans for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Amen to that.

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THE WA LL ACE-DUNAVA NT W EDDING Haley Wallace and Johnny Dunavant at Hunt Phelan. S at u r d ay, Ju n e 1 1 t h, 2 0 1 6 ph otography by e l i z a be t h h oa r d

f you can believe this, Haley Wallace, the daughter of Kim Messer, and Johnny Dunavant, son of Greg and VJ Dunavant,

began dating way back in middle school. As the groom said then and reminds everyone now, “She was the prettiest girl in eighth grade.” Haley and Johnny contentedly stayed the course all through Bolton High School and their college years; Johnny graduated from Rhodes, Haley from the University of Memphis. They were engaged in the summer of 2015 and last year were married on June 11th in a beautiful 6 p.m. garden wedding at downtown’s historic Hunt Phelan home. One can describe this accurately as an amazing 11-year courtship!

above and right: The 11-year courtship is over: bride and groom at last. below: The wedding party in front of the historic Hunt Phelan house last June.

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The bride and groom (center) with Patrick and motherof-the-bride Kim Messer at left; at right, Carolyn and Larry Baskin, the bride’s maternal grandparents.

The bride and groom pose happily with his parents, VJ and Greg Dunavant, after the ceremony.

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The bride-to-be really had no idea of what kind of wedding she wanted, beyond the fact she wanted it to be “simple, intimate, and sweet.” She did not have a wedding planner but somehow the event came together once the venue was selected. Everyone, it seems, knew everyone at this wedding since the couple had dated for so long. There were nine bridesmaids, many of whom were the bride’s Kappa Delta sorority sisters and nine groomsmen, including the groom’s SAE fraternity brothers. The maid of honor was Breeanna Schramm and best man was Nick Dunavant. Pastor Craig Gyergyo from High Point Church was the officiant. The bride’s wedding dress was from Low’s in Brinkley, Arkansas, and the groom’s suit was from Jos. A Bank. The peachy-pink bridesmaids’ dresses were from Bella, while Kacie Cooper, floral designer, did the flowers and the wedding cake was from Cakes by

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www.ballewbridal.com The bride and her beloved grandfather, Larry Baskin, steppin’ out on the dance floor.

Carolyn. Elizabeth Hoard was the event’s photographer, and Shelby Wilson of Twenty-Two Magnolias was the videographer. Under the tent, the down-home local food came courtesy of Gus’s Fried Chicken and Central Barbecue, while the beer was Ghost River. Guests danced the night away to the music of the Memphis All-Stars. Then it was off to Spain for a wonderful honeymoon. Whew! The Dunavants are both aged 25 and clearly are a perfect match, right down to their professions. Johnny joined Teach for America and teaches economics and government at Melrose High School where he also coaches basketball. Haley is a seventh-grade science teacher at White Station Middle School. I asked Haley for her secret for steering a relationship through the shoals of high school, college, and afterwards, and she replied simply “balance.” For the couple, this means “balancing time together and apart and always being mindful of life’s other priorities.” For the new Mr. and Ms. Dunavant, it sure has worked! Their wedding website says they are “just two teachers who love each other and love their city.” They are much, much more than that but what a lovely sentiment to remember this lovely couple by!

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THE H A LLE-CONNOR W EDDING Blair Halle and George Ryan Conner at Annesdale Mansion. S at u r d ay, Se p t e m b e r 3 r d , 2 0 1 6 ph otography by m a s s e y w e n i n g

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lair H alle of Memphis married George Ryan Connor of Birmingham in the early evening

of September 3, 2016, at Annesdale Mansion. The beautiful bride, daughter of Sally and Phil Halle, is a junior kindergarten teacher at Christ Methodist Day School and her husband, son of Jan and Dr. Robert Connor, is a portfolio analyst here at FTN Financial.

far left: The newlyweds strike a pose in front of the stately Annesdale Mansion. above: The bride and groom say their vows in the lush garden setting at Annesdale. below: The happy Halle family: the bride’s twin Brooke, parents Phil and Sally, and sister Page.

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Alone at last, bride and groom pose in the garden.

After graduating from Rhodes, Connor thankfully decided to stay in Memphis. The couple met at Wiseacre Brewery on Broad Avenue on a hot Fourth of July in 2014 where Blair was in a dunk tank challenge among friends. But as she says “that was it” and from then on they were a couple and became engaged in February 2016. Somehow it all seemed meant to be since her maternal grandfather was also named “George”, had also gone to Rhodes, and was a Sigma Nu as was her fiancé. Done and done as they say! With an early fall garden wedding in mind, the bride as she tells it “jumped into action,” and everything fell neatly into place. She found her wedding dress at Maggie Louise Bridal Boutique and unbelievably it was the first one she tried on. She already had the

Cindy Gambrell with son, Matt Gambrell, at his wedding to Katie Borgmeyer on May 28, 2016. Photography by Tina Blanco.

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The newlyweds’ two beloved pooches were the inspiration for their wedding cake decoration.

beautiful long veil, which is a family heirloom. Her twin sister Brooke Halle and older sister Page were the maids of honor and three of her oldest, dearest friends were bridesmaids along with one of the groom’s best friends. Their dresses came from Ballew Bridal. At Annesdale, the wonderful event coordinator, Valerie Bledsoe, provided invaluable help, and the wedding day weather even cooperated — a cool 85 degrees in a far hotter week. Pastor Ed Norton of Independent Presbyterian performed the ceremony in Annesdale’s garden, the flowers were by Jama Thomas of Millstone Market, and Ronald Mcknight of Salon Liani did hair and makeup for the bride. Chuck and Nancy Fisher of Just in Thyme were the reception caterers, and the cake was courtesy of Lynn Knox. The wedding music was arranged by Deepblu Entertainment, which provided a string trio for the ceremony and the fabulous dj Jimmy Harris at the reception, and the photography was by husband-wife team Massey Wening Photography.

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H A LLE-CONNOR

The finale: A sparkling send-off by their guests.

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After the ball is over — sweet embraceable you!

Now a few things you should know. The newlyweds love their dogs, a wolf-hybrid named “Buddy” and a husky named “Nova,” both of whom are featured in effigy on the wedding cake — a nice, if somewhat different touch. Another tidbit is that Blair and her sister, Brooke, are identical twins and when looking at the photos in this article, you are not really seeing double. As Blair likes to say, “I’m the one in the white dress!” After the wedding the couple were off for a honeymoon week in the Dominican Republic. Now I have just one question: Who’s minding Buddy and Nova?

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N E

I K

K by a n n e c u n n i ngh a m o ’ n ei l l |

photography by j us t i n f ox bu r k s

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n case you haven’t noticed, kitchens are front and center in today’s homes. A wide variety of magazines are dedicated solely to kitchens — whether Old World, contemporary, coastal, cottage, or farmhouse in style. No longer common workspaces hidden behind closed doors, kitchens are the sophisticated heart of many homes, the place where family and guests all gather. More than ever, it’s a truism today to say, “Everyone ends up in the kitchen.” Additionally, realtors tell us that remodeled kitchens add serious value to a transaction, and can literally make or break a home’s sale. All of which means that designing, outfitting, and maintaining today’s kitchen is a very big business. So this month, with “Great Memphis Homes,” we chose to pass on the “big picture,” so to speak, and instead — during this time of year when we like to be cozily inside anyway —feature very different kitchens (two renovations and one all-original) in three very special homes. What these three kitchens have in common is sleek functionality and stylish attractiveness. Additionally, these particular homeowners have more than a passing connection with the business of food and wine. And our photographer on this assignment, Justin Fox Burks, certainly knows his way around a kitchen himself, as evidenced by his popular blog, The Chubby Vegetarian, and his recently published second book of recipes with the same name; both blog and books are written in conjunction with his wife, Amy Lawrence.

MATT COHEN & RALSTON O’NEILL

Designing, outfitting, and maintaining today’s kitchen is a very big business. . . we feature three kitchens in three very special homes.

KATIE & MICHAEL HUDMAN

BOB & SHIRLEY TURNER

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THE HUDM A N KITCHEN

hen we photographed this kitchen, Michael and Katie Hudman had literally just moved into their new East Memphis home, which had undergone a major renovation by Uhlhorn Brothers. It comes as no surprise that this kitchen is of special importance to these homeowners, since Hudman, along with his childhood friend and business partner Andrew Ticer, are the celebrated chefs/owners of Andrew-Michael Italian Kitchen, Hog and Hominy, Porcellino’s Craft Butcher, and Catherine and Mary’s, as well as Josephine Estelle in New Orleans. The Hudmans greeted us graciously and talked about their new kitchen, a room that clearly has pride of place in their house. Also on hand was their talented friend and interior designer, Sarah Spinosa, who was happy to share with us some of her “tricks of the trade” that make this kitchen so special. For starters, where three small rooms once existed (the old kitchen, a small breakfast nook, and the former living room) at the light-filled front of the house, there now is one large open-plan kitchen and family room. Hudman says he especially likes the clean, industrial look of the shiplap horizontal paneling on the kitchen walls; this was also used in his Hog and Hominy restaurant. He is also “obsessed” with his new farmhouse sink. The cabinetry and marble countertops were custom built by Mike Whittington. The walls are painted a beautiful, neutral Eider White by Sherwin

Williams, and on the kitchen island, the paint color is Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy. The gorgeous light fixture over the island is by Visual Comfort, and the durable, retro counter stools are by Tolix. The hardwood flooring is original to the house, although some patching was necessary in several areas. The GE Monogram line of appliances used in this new kitchen is from CenWood, and the pots and pans are, as Hudman says, “just passed down.” The kitchen island in Hudman’s mind is a new version of old-timey kitchen tables, and he and his wife are eager to establish new traditions. Although the home has a lovely dining room, many meals clearly will be served in this wonderful new kitchen, and its island will be a place for the children, Ellie and Cory, to do their homework and the family to informally gather together. Hudman loves the flow of the new design and admits his favorite spot

is on the sectional sofa (courtesy of Stash) that divides the kitchen and family room, and gazing out at the woodland scene in his free time — whenever that might be! The dayto-day cooking is mostly handled by Katie, who is very busy herself as an executive director of the cosmetics company Beautycounter; however, I suspect that that duty is now made more fun and much easier in her brand new, state-of-the-art kitchen. Chef Hudman loves to cook with his children, whom he calls “his picky little eaters,” and together they make pasta and pizza just as he did with his grandmother, Catherine Chiozza. The cuisine in all of his restaurants is “traditional Italian food through a Southern lens,” and his career as a chef in a sense began with his grandmother’s incredible ragout gravy, which he uses today in his restaurants. Family dinners shaped his life, and Hudman adds simply, “she is the reason why I cook.”

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The kitchen island in Hudman’s mind is a new version of old-timey kitchen tables.

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THE COHEN KITCHEN

his kitchen is in a charming, mid-century modern home in East Memphis owned for eight years by Matt Cohen, who is the purchasing manager for Lit Restaurant Supply, Memphis’ longtime seller of kitchen and restaurant equipment and supplies. Kitchens are clearly a big part of Cohen’s life, but his own kitchen had not been touched in years, and was sorely in need of updating. When his good friend and roommate, Isaac Stock, moved to Los Angeles, Cohen realized there was no time like the present to renovate. He turned to contractor Tom Durhan of Mid-South Property Solutions to take on the job. Cohen was very fortunate that Cathy Price, an interior designer with a specialty in kitchens, who is now based in Knoxville, though available for projects in Memphis, was happy to provide her expertise in reconfiguring the kitchen’s layout. His girlfriend, Ralston O’Neill, who had worked for the design magazine Dwell, and now works remotely from Memphis for Indeed. com, happily stepped in to help Cohen pick out materials and manage the project in a cost-effective manner — much of which entailed beating a path to Home Depot and Sherwin Williams almost daily! Nothing was salvageable and so the kitchen was entirely gutted. No additional space was added; everything, as a result, had to be done within the existing confines of the room — an open-plan concept was out of the question. The only exception was that the wall between the kitchen and the family room was opened up by several feet, which definitely made the kitchen feel less claustrophobic and helped with traffic flow. The three original windows were preserved and fitted with lin-

en roman shades from Pottery Barn outlet, and the room now is filled with light. Also, the old paneling in one area was saved to add interest and texture. At the outset, it was decided there was not sufficient room for an island in the kitchen, and building a banquette/window seat in the sunny corner has been deferred for now. The small, blue, vintage table and modern, white, Eames-style chairs work very well there. The bulbous pendant light is from Wayfair, and recessed and under-counter lighting were added to further brighten the room. The room was painted White Heron by Sherwin Williams, and the cabinets are shaker-style with sleek vertical pulls. The countertops are Black Pearl granite in a honed finish, which adds a textured element. The flooring is cream-colored porcelain tile, while the backsplash is white subway tile with gray grout. The monochromatic scheme strikes a sophisticated and modern balance between dark and light, with both matte and glossy finishes. One problem (among quite a few others!) was that there was no room for a laundry area, there-

fore the washer and dryer had to remain in the kitchen, but were thoughtfully incorporated into the new design and countertop added to create additional work space. The job took several months to complete and as with most older homes, there were plumbing and electrical “surprises” to overcome. Living in a house while renovations are under way and being without a kitchen can be difficult, but this homeowner is particularly pleased with the work of his contractor and all of his subcontractors who helped along the way. Since he is in the business of restaurant supply, and it so happens he likes to cook, Cohen had no problem with stocking his new kitchen with pots and pans, glasses, plates, and other kitchen essentials. Ralston O’Neill (yes, she is indeed my daughter) had fun adding to the mid-century, retro theme with some vintage Pyrex and Russel Wright bowls, while Cohen’s mother, Sheila, provided a Nespresso coffee-maker as a “kitchen warming” gift. Now it’s onwards and upwards to remodeling the master bath!

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The monochromatic scheme strikes a sophisticated and modern balance between dark and light.

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THE TUR NER KITCHEN

his kitchen is in a magnificent new home designed by well-known local architect Charles Shipp and built by Hedgepeth Construction, LLC, in a gated community off Central Avenue near the Pink Palace. The owners are Bob and Shirley Turner, a couple originally from Memphis who lived for many years in San Francisco and have now returned to the city.

Bob is the man behind Robert Turner Wines, whose excellent Northern California chardonnays, pinot noirs, and cabernet francs are sold both in retail stores and fine restaurants around town; for more on Bob and his wines, check out the August 2013 issue of this magazine online. Shirley Turner is an artist, a wonderful cook, and someone with exceptional taste in interior décor. Not surprisingly, she wanted a home with a “California inf luence,” which she means open, spacious, modern, and lightfilled, with lovely green views on all sides, seen through dramatic steel-framed windows. With all this in mind, she clearly had a large hand in planning her kitchen, and I think readers will agree it turned out just as she had hoped. According to Turner, a number of professionals helped to make this showstopping kitchen what it is, thanks to their invaluable

advice and talents. I just know she would like me to mention them, as well as thank them, so here goes. Sara Phillips of Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting Gallery helped tremendously and tirelessly with decisions on appliances. Previously wedded to gas for cooking, Turner says she was hard to convince as regards an electric, f lat-top cooking surface, but she tells me that now she’s hooked — obsessed is more like it — with her Thermador Freedom Induction cooktop. The custom, shaker-style cabinets were built by Old City Millwork under the guidance of Posey Hedges; and, by the way, the sub-zero refrigerator is hidden in the handsome cabinetry. The color used for the kitchen is a soft, sophisticated taupe, and the skillful painting was by Acosta Custom Painting. The island’s counters are poured concrete courtesy of Brandon Browning of Modern Edge Concrete, and the

granite used elsewhere was found at Triton Stone. The sound system was installed by Memphis Home Theater. Nancy Tucker, a consultant with Graham’s Lighting, advised on light fixtures. There is much more to this kitchen than just the cooking area, as you can see in the photographs; there is an adjacent breakfast area and a large, comfortable sitting room with a fireplace. And I can’t forget to mention the pièce de résistance, which is Robert Turner’s amazing wine room. As we were photographing their home, cases of his wines were being delivered to fill up the room, and of course how could I say “no” to a tiny tasting? The Turners have only recently moved into their grand new abode, but I can tell it is already feeling like home, although they laughingly agree they went completely counter to the current trend of downsizing at a certain age. In fact, they “upsized,” and how!

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The pièce de résistance is Robert Turner’s amazing wine room and cellar.

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by michael finger

Born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1928, Harrover studied architecture at Yale and moved to Memphis in 1955, where he formed a partnership with Leigh Williams and Bill Mann. Williams moved to Seattle, and the tiny firm of Harrover & Mann’s first projects were small ones — the snack bar for a downtown department store, small homes and schools in Arkansas and Mississippi. In 1958, however, they won the competition to build the Memphis College of Art, a building that has been called “one of the best and most enduring examples of early modern architecture in Memphis.” When Bill Mann died of cancer in 1960, Harrover took over as sole architect, compiling an impressive portfolio of major projects. Constructed in 1963, Memphis International Airport garnered a National Design Award from Progressive Architecture and the National Award of Merit from the American Institute of Architects. The authors of Memphis: An Architectural

Guide consider the structure “one of the architectural success stories of the city.” That same book described Harrover’s designs for Mud Island as “one of the finest architectural designs in the city’s history.” His impressive talents weren’t confined to Memphis. Other work included the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, the Sigma Chi fraternity house at Ole Miss, a resort at Reelfoot Lake, and hundreds of other projects over a career that spanned almost half a century. Harrover finally stepped away from the drawing board in 2000, spending his last days living quietly with his wife, the artist Stephanie Eggleston Harrover, in a surprisingly traditional home across from Overton Park. In a 2010 interview with this magazine, Roy Harrover summed up his achievements quite modestly: “We sure did a lot of nice work.” The November 2010 issue of Memphis magazine features a complete profile: “The Man Who Built Memphis: The World of Roy Harrover.”

PHOTOGRAPHS AND RENDERINGS COURTESY UNIVERSIT Y OF MEMPHIS SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

ew architects have left as large a mark on the city as Roy Harrover, who passed away on December 12th at the age of 88. His masterpiece, Memphis International Airport, built in 1963, has long been considered one of our region’s most beautiful buildings, with its distinctive martini-glass columns fronting the main concourse. Thanks to his concept, Mud Island, a former sandbar in the Mississippi River, was transformed into one of America’s most unusual destinations. The Memphis College of Art campus stands as a timeless design in Overton Park. Other local landmarks include The Church of the River, Goldsmith’s department store in East Memphis, Commerce Square downtown, and more than a hundred other projects.

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Roy Harrover in 1981.

Harrover’s plan for Mud Island.

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Rendering for low-income housing in Dyersburg, Tennessee. A completed low-income home in Dyersburg, Tennessee.

Elevation view and scale model for Memphis College of Art in Overton Park.

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Roy Harrover at his ofﬁce in One Commerce Square, overlooking the Mississippi River and Mud Island development in 1981. One Commerce Square rendering and scale model.

Harrover (right) with his partner Bill Mann.

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ROAD TRIP

THE GREAT INDOORS!

PHOTOGRAPH BY LAURA JEAN HOCKING

FORTY-FOUR HOURS IN THE BASS PRO PYR AMID.

by chris mccoy

he email was completely unexpected: an invitation to spend two nights in the Big Cypress Lodge at Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid. It seems someone there had read my recent Memphis magazine travel story about Nashville, and was impressed. I knew on some vague level that there was a hotel inside the Pyramid, but since

I live in Memphis, I didn’t think I would ever actually stay there. This opportunity

was too good to pass up, but I needed a hook. How do you write a travel story about the city you

of amenities and attractions, it hit me. My wife, Laura Jean Hocking, is a photographer, and she lovingly volunteered to spend the entire time with me inside the Big Pointy Building. Strangely, the editor of this magazine thought all this was a terrific idea. So one Tuesday afternoon in early December, Laura and I got dropped off in front of the Bass Pro Pyramid. It was the earliest check-in time, 3 p.m. We would stay until the latest check-out time, 11 a.m., Thursday.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY BIG CYPRESS LODGE

live in, for an audience of people who (mostly) also live in the city? Then, as I was reading the list

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PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY BIG CYPRESS LODGE

The Lookout.

versial. It has hosted graduations, basketball victories (and defeats), monster truck rallies, and the Rolling Stones. I’m not a sports fan, so my biggest emotional connection to the place is the memory of the three concerts by Prince I caught there over the years, the first of which, in 1997, ranks among the best musical performances I have ever seen. The last show at the Pyramid was Bob Seger on February 3, 2006. I know this because it was our wedding night, and some of our guests came from the show to our reception. During the almost decade-long struggle to find a tenant for what had become a civic white elephant, I was skeptical that the building would survive. When I heard Bass Pro Shops was going to move in, I was incredulous. An outdoor shop? In a pyramid? Just on an architectural level, it seemed incongruous. This place was modeled after a 5,000-year-old wonder of the world, not a hunting lodge. What were they thinking? The contrast is summed up in the faux-rustic porte-cochère the Bass Pro architects added on to greet guests at the entrance. The shape echoes the pyramid’s point, but the wooden structure still looks strange snuggled up to the slick, gleaming, stainless-steel of the exterior. Once inside, however, everything changes. All hint of steel is gone, and everything is made of wood.

liest days of this building, but which had nevto reinforce the rustic atmosphere with a er materialized. I grudgingly admitted I was tangled branch motif. “I tell people, ‘Keep your eyes open. Look impressed with the towering trees and the maze of ponds, but I was unclear on where up; look down. You’ll be surprised at the the actual hotel was located. Turns out, the things you see,’” Jones says. “They put so much Big Cypress Lodge is arranged discretely, in love into everything they carved, even down to the paint they used.” two rings around the pyramid interior, filling out the second and third floors. Our room Jones worked at a similar outdoors-themed was the basic Interior King. We had both a lodge, called Big Cedar Lodge, outside Branshower and a tub with air bubble action in the son, Missouri, before she came here to help bathroom. If you count the screened-in porch open the hotel. Like many people we will overlooking the store, it was about half as big meet in the next couple of days, she’s been as my Midtown house. here since the April 29, 2015, opening. “The way it is made, even though you “This is the first Bass Pro to have exhibit book a standard King room, you never know space inside the store, and the first to have what that’s going to give you,” says Chardlodging inside the store,” she says. “It’s unlike ee Jones, Big Cypress Lodge’s front office anything I’ve ever worked in before.” manager, as she gives us the The biggest of the 103 rooms The biggest of the 102 tour of the entire facility an is the Governor’s Suite, which hour later. One wall of our is essentially a luxury cabin rooms, the Governor’s room is dominated by a masbuilt on stilts to provide the Suite is essentially sive entertainment center/ best views of the sprawling armoire. Beneath the TV is retail floor. To call it massive a luxury cabin built a faux fireplace that, while doesn’t do it justice. There’s on stilts to provide it does not provide warmth, a full kitchen, multiple bedthe best views of the does suffuse the room with rooms, and a lounge. The ceilan alluring glow. Jones inings are so high, Jones tells sprawling retail floor. forms us that every room has me, that the cleaning staff has one of these armoires, and they’re all differa special lift to get up to the top. ent, because they’re all hand-carved. This is We are joined on the tour by Natalie Persons, a sales manager who has only not like your usual hotel, where everything is standardized for easy maintenance and been with the company a short time. Unlike geared towards business travelers. There’s Jones, she’s a Memphis native. As we walk great attention to detail everywhere, from through conference rooms with throne-like the spiral staircase-accessed loft and the leather chairs, she tells us that her biggest copper basin sinks in the larger Fly Fishing Pyramid memory was participating in a Cabins to the ornate light switch panels. Memphis in May event when she was in Even the vent covers are unusual, designed the sixth grade. “I can remember sitting on

Queen room

L OD G ING

ur first order of business was checking into our room. Long after the opening crowds had died down, I had come here to have a look at the store and take in the view from the top, which Memphians had been promised from the ear-

Bath

Balcony view

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY BIG CYPRESS LODGE

IN T O T HE P Y R A MID

first moved from middle Tennessee to Memphis one month before the September 15, 1989, groundbreaking for what was then called the Great American Pyramid, so I’ve been present to observe the entire saga of the $113 million, 321-foot monument to the River City unfold. It has been, at various times, a source of hope, a point of pride, a symbol of waste, and a punchline. But the one thing it has never been was uncontro-

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ROAD TRIP

B A S S PR O P Y R A MID

Don’t look down! The Lookout features a glass ﬂoor.

the f loor of the Pyramid, looking up at the a part of how we represent Memphis and the people in the stands,” she says. “Where the Bass Pro Shops and be a part of the planning boat center is now, that’s where the buses process is one those things I’ll talk about pulled up and we unloaded. I remember when I’m 90 years old.” Howery helped fill the 535,000 square feet that like it was yesterday. When I come in here now, I’m like, there’s no way I sat down of floor space with merchandise and superon that f loor!” vises the many events held here, Jones says she frequently such as catch-and-release fishThe view is what hears about Pyramid memoing in the interconnected ponds Memphis has been ries from guests. “That’s my that circle the store, seasonal promised since favorite part — hearing peoattractions geared towards fample who are coming here for ilies, and even a 200-team bow 1989, and it does the first time after years of fishing tournament. “That’s one not disappoint. not being here and saying, ‘I thing about Bass Pro,” he says. remember when the Harlem “We’re not known for just the Globetrotters used to play here!’ Me too! outdoor stuff. When we do events, we try I try to help them envision where the conto bring in some kind of celebrity, a sports cession stands were, where the court was. figure, an outdoorsman, or someone like that I love the looks on their faces when they to interact with the customers. When you find out there’s a hotel here!” come in the building, you never know what’s We think our room is approximately where going to happen. I get emails from customers we sat for one of the Prince shows, but it’s asking, ‘What events are you having in the hard to tell for certain. building?’ rather than, ‘What sales do you have going on?’” Children, he says, love the store the most: ext, Milton Howery leads us “We have summer camp, where for four or on a tour of the retail store and assofive weeks we have activities almost every ciated attractions. The former sales day. We teach fishing, camping, water safemanager for the Cook Convention Center ty, those types of things that it’s vital for took this job five months before the opening. kids to know …. For some kids, it’s the first time they’re introduced to camping.” “I had my high school graduation here,” he We linger to chat in front of the alligators says. “When I was approached with the opportunity, I could not turn it down. It’s the lounging on their heated rocks, so by the time Memphis Pyramid! An iconic symbol! To be we make it to the biggest of the three massive

SHOPPING

aquariums, we’ve missed the 5 p.m. fish-feeding show. “There’s almost 600,000 gallons of water in the building,” says Howery. “It’s not small at all.” On the elevator to the second floor, we meet Chris and Abby Wheeler, who live near Hot Springs, Arkansas. “We live on a farm, and we’re surrounded by national forests on all sides. We do a lot of hunting and fishing,” Chris says. He recently had back surgery at the Semmes Murphey clinic, and they’re in town for a follow-up visit. “Whenever we’re over here, we always come,” says Chris. “This is our ritual,” Abby says. “Bass Pro is one of those stores that we seek out, and this is our favorite. It’s got a lot of things to do in here.” When they hear what we’re doing, they’re jealous. “We never got to take a honeymoon,” says Chris. “Our goal one of these days is to come over here and stay in the hotel.” The second floor of the shop is devoted to all things hunting. If there’s ever a zombie apocalypse, the Pyramid will be the place to hole up, as the firearms section is the largest arsenal I have ever seen. Next to the racks and racks of pistols, rifles, and shotguns is a tasteful specialty store run by the Italian gun manufacturer Beretta. There, Howery shows us the single most expensive item in the store: A handmade, silver-festooned shotgun priced at $82,000. Howery says they have sold at least three of them.

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Venice Tile & Marble

showroom

3665 S. Perkins Rd. • Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00 Sat 9:00-1:00

901-547-9770 • venice-tile.com

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY BIG CYPRESS LODGE

Walker Zanger • Ann Sacks • Sonoma • Artistic Tile

T HE V IE W

ith Howery in tow, we ride the world’s largest freestanding elevator to The Lookout. On the way up, the recorded voice of fishing legend Bill Dance tells the story of how Bass Pro Shops owner Johnny Morris decided to go ahead with this massive and incredibly risky project. While f loating on the Mississippi with Dance, Morris said if they caught a catfish weighing 30 pounds, he would take that as a positive sign. Sure enough, he caught the fish, and here we are. The sun has set while we’ve been in the store, and Memphis’ sprawl twinkles to the north, east, and south. The centerpiece of the bar is a circular aquarium inhabited by a catfish named Lulu who weighs a whole lot more than 30 pounds. At 280 feet above ground, Howery jokes that this is probably the highest catfish in the world. The view is what Memphis has been promised since 1989, and it does not disappoint. “I think it serves as an example for what other cities can do with existing structures,” Howery says before taking his leave. We have a glass of wine while taking in the view, then retire to our lodging. While we’re waiting for room service to arrive, I check the pedometer app on my iPhone. We’ve walked more than four miles today.

Photo courtesy of Walker Zanger

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ROAD TRIP

What is the only event in Memphis that HEATS YOU UP and COOLS YOU DOWN?

B A S S PRO P Y R A MID

F UN

fter sleeping in and sipping on in-room coffee, we take the private elevator down to Uncle Buck’s for a country breakfast. Then it’s back up the stairs for a whirl through the Ducks Unlimited Waterfowling Heritage Center. The history of the association of duck hunters and the organization’s efforts to preserve the fowl’s wetland habitats is interesting to this museum geek. As we’re leaving, we pass a pair of Bass Pro customers who were loudly disappointed that none of the collection of vintage shotguns, duck calls, and decoys is for sale.

Saturday, February 4, 2017 Mud Island River Park

PHOTOGRAPHS BY LAURA JEAN HOCKING

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The Fish Bowl

We know we’re going to stuff ourselves silly today, so we decide to use a little bit of our downtime to hit the fitness center. It’s well-equipped, and happily on a Wednesday morning, we have the place to ourselves. For lunch, we’re back up to The Lookout, where we meetthe Memphis magazine editor, who comes by to make sure we’re actually working. Laura has the The Fish Bowl is a Southwestern salad minor psychedelic with salmon, and I masterpiece. try the turkey club. Satiated, we head to the archery range. This is the part of the schedule that Laura was most excited about, having never fired a bow before. With the help of a very kind and patient associate, we plunk arrows down the range for the better part of an hour before our bowfingers give out. (There’s also a gun range, but you have to bring your own weapon.) Then it’s time to bowl. The Fish Bowl was the first attraction finished, and it’s a

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minor psychedelic masterpiece. The roof is festooned with coral, with lighting effects projected onto the floor to create the feel of an underwater grotto, and the balls are painted with fish and alligator motifs. By now, it’s mid-afternoon. We throw many more gutterballs than strikes, but we have a blast anyway. On the way out, Laura observes, “It’s kind of like an amusement park that has a store in the middle of it rather than a store that has all this stuff around it.”

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W R A P UP

e listen to Bill Dance’s catfish story for the third time as we ascend towards dinner at The Lookout. Chef Christopher Salinsky, who just took over last November, tells us his goal is to uncover the place’s untapped potential: “We want this to be a destination restaurant.” One of Salinsky’s specials tonight is elk, a dish he says he has never served before. “But this is Bass Pro Shop, the outdoorsman’s paradise!” We opt for the trout special, and the buttery, flaky fish is divine. As we’re finishing up, we’re joined by Nail Task, the manager of Big Cypress Lodge. Originally from Turkey, he trained to be a hotelier in Montreux, Switzerland. He has worked all over the world, from Napa Valley to the Mediterranean coast, but, “I have never worked in a hotel like this,” he says. “I love the energy of my team. They want to learn.” He, too, is new to Memphis, so we spend an hour chatting amiably about the city over wine and dessert. The next morning we get coffee at the General Store, where the smell of roasting nuts gets us moving. The fudge made here is one of the Pyramid’s star attractions. “During the summer, it was crazy,” the woman behind the counter tells us. “Saturdays, it was backed up out the door. The fudge shop does really well. Don’t let us run out of people’s favorite flavor!” Once again, we take the elevator down to Uncle Buck’s and have a light breakfast, bathed in the light of the saltwater fish tank in the middle of the dining room. After check-out, we wait for our cab, blinking in the bright sunlight. We agree that 44 hours in the Bass Pro Pyramid was a lot more fun than we had expected, and the perfect place for a genuine Memphis stay-cation! Big Cypress Lodge Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid 1 Bass Pro Drive, Memphis, TN 38103 800-225-6343 big-cypress.com

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K UST OF F contin u ed from page 2 6 ambitious in his own right, had formed a legal partnership involved in all-purpose civil litigation, sharing downtown space with Kustoff ’s father, Bernie, who had his own firm. The Kustoff-Strickland relationship was based on various personal affinities, including a common love of baseball that often sent them on jaunts together to Florida to check out major league teams on the spring training circuit. (To this day, both parties are proud to say, they have never had a quarrel.) Their bond had grown ever firmer despite their different partisanships — Kustoff ’s for the Dodgers, Strickland’s for the Reds, and, of course, the one based on their opposite political leanings. Strickland was a Gore delegate to the Democratic convention in Los Angeles in 2000. He recalls, “I got home and found out that David had organized a big rally for Bush the day after Gore’s convention. In Bartlett, in Gore’s home state! At the time I thought that was shocking. But there were thousands there. And it occurred to me that David and the Bush team knew something that most of us didn’t about the potential for Bush’s winning Tennessee.” Which, of course, Bush went on to do, as a harbinger of more drastic changes to come in Tennessee.

n 2002, another pivotal year in Kustoff ’s career, Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson decided to retire, and Ed Bryant, the Republican congressman for the Seventh District, which then stretched from Memphis to Nashville, decided to leave his seat to make a bid for Thompson’s vacated one. That was a signal to Kustoff that the time was right for his own emergence in the candidate ranks. He declared for the Seventh District seat, but so did two other GOP notables from Shelby County — Memphis City Councilman Brent Taylor and then County Commissioner (now state Senate Majority Leader) Mark Norris. The presence in the race of three Shelby Countians chopping up essentially the same vote proved unfortunate, given that state Senator Marsha Blackburn of Nashville’s suburban Williamson County, famous for leading the resistance to a state income tax, was also a candidate. Blackburn capitalized on her legislative reputation and proved to be an able campaigner throughout the district. She won handily, though Kustoff, who was able to salvage Shelby County, finished second to her overall. Luckily for the disappointed Kustoff, he had little time to lick his wounds. The day after the primary election, Lamar Alexander, who had meanwhile also declared for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Thompson, called up

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Kustoff and asked him to run his general election campaign. Kustoff talked it over with his then fiancée, Roberta Nevil, a fellow lawyer whom he’d met in Probate Court, and with law partner Strickland. “They both encouraged me to do it. I’m glad I did, because, number one, it allowed me quickly to move past my loss while helping somebody become a U.S. Senator. And I learned a lot on that race. You learn something every time, what works and what doesn’t work. The Bush message had been run out of Austin. I helped push it, but I didn’t create it. In Lamar’s case, I helped develop the message and helped push it. And I learned how to develop a good ground game.” Alexander won, with Kustoff’s help, and there would be another state chairmanship for Bush’s reelection in 2004. Meanwhile, Kustoff had married Roberta (with whom he would spawn two children, Maggie, now 11, and Jake, now 8), and in 2006 he was nominated by Bush and confirmed by the Senate to become U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. The Justice Department’s “Tennessee Waltz” bribery sting had already taken place, netting high-profile offenders in state and local government. Kustoff got in on the prosecution, enabling him to say on the campaign trail later on that he’d served justice on John Ford, the state senator who’d been the biggest name involved in the Tennessee Waltz scandal. And in 2007, Kustoff, working with My Harrison, the FBI agent in charge in Memphis, presided from start to finish over Operation Main Street Sweeper, which netted and prosecuted several more local officials on corruption charges. Aside from the satisfaction he derived from discharging his duties, Kustoff’s experience as U.S. Attorney, a position he held until 2008, would provide him with a law-and-order image that stood him in good stead with voters when he hit the campaign trial again in 2016, a year in which public concerns over crime, public safety, and corruption all loomed large.

olitics, all its practitioners know, depends on serendipities. After leaving the U.S. Attorney’s job, Kustoff had settled back into his law practice for the next several years, until opportunity struck again. Quite unexpectedly, Stephen Fincher, the Republican congressman for the Eighth District, decided in early 2016 not to seek reelection, and not only Kustoff but several other ambitious Republicans hastened to file for the seat. It was a formidable field — including Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell, state Senator Brian Kelsey, Shelby County Register Tom Leatherwood, and wealthy radio tycoon/physician George Flinn, a former County Commissioner whose wealth would allow him to out-spend everybody else by

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several million dollars. Flinn’s hefty advertising budget had him in front until the very last week of the campaign, when Kustoff, ably assisted by campaign manager Chip Saltsman and consultant Steven Reid, managed to catch and finally surpass him. On election day Kustoff, who had run hard, shaking, as he put it, “thousands of hands,” speaking several times a day, polling consistently, and using social media sites, notably Facebook, for all they were worth, would finish with 16,889 votes, or 27.4 percent of the total. Flinn had 14,200, or 23.1 percent, and the rest were scaled down behind. Kustoff had read the pulse of the times. Though he protests that he has always been a conservative, he had been considered the moderate in the 2002 Republican primary in the Seventh District. Running in much the same territory in 2016 in the redistricted Eighth, he was unmistakably a conservative populist. As he puts it, “I knew what the issues were, because I was talking to people. They were tired of Washington, they were tired of how everything was run, the White House, the Senate, the House of Representatives. The 8th District had clearly not recovered since the 2008 recession, and the agricultural community had been hurting the last several years. Everybody was concerned about national security and the economy.” And, while many name Republicans in Ten-

left to right: Wife Roberta Kustoff with children Jake and Maggie (both partially hidden) and, on the right, Kustoff’s mother Sharon Kustoff.

nessee were giving no more than lip service, if that, to GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, Kustoff, once he had secured his own nomination, had been full-bore in his support of Trump, predicting a win for the New York billionaire and urging his party-mates to fall in line behind him. “Everybody in the national media said it was impossible for Trump to win. So did the pollsters. They no longer have the pulse of

this country. They all feed off each other. They weren’t talking to the people who ended up voting. Everywhere I went in my district, people were strong for Trump. Rural America stood up and voted!” To repeat: David Kustoff has always known who he is. And now he knows the nature of the constituency he proposes to represent. And he intends to do just that. Starting at 3:15 each morning.

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From House to Home

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Start at the MidSouth Home Expressions Show.

Memphis more than 30 years ago and has been known as the Home Expo, the Memphis Home Builders Show, and the Best of Home Expressions Show at Agricenter International. It’s now the MidSouth Home Expressions Show, held at Landers Center (4560 Venture Drive) in Southaven, Mississippi, just a short drive from Memphis. The 2017 show runs February 3rd through 5th and is presented by the West Tennessee Home Builders Association (WestTNHBA) and the Home Builders Association of North Mississippi (HBANMS). Both associations work to unite all segments of the housing industry — builders, manufacturers, service providers, and other services connected to the industry — in their respective areas. Together, they are bringing the most experienced home professionals in the area to Landers Center. The three-day event features exhibitors in the areas of f looring, roofing, windows and doors, heating and cooling, home entertainment, home furnishings, kitchen and bath, stone, appliances, and much more. The ever-popular Builders Row returns this year, with the professionals you need conveniently located in one place. The thought of setting a home or yard improvement project in motion can be intimidating, but the MidSouth Home Expressions show has everything you need to ready yourself. This is where your journey begins. Tickets are $8 for adults, $7 for seniors (60 and older), and $4 for children (6-14). Admission is free for children under 6. The show runs Friday, February 3rd, from noon to 7 p.m.; Saturday, February 4th, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, February 5th, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can enter to win a variety of prizes. For more information about the 2017 MidSouth Home Expressions show, including directions and parking info, printable coupons for discounted tickets, and more, visit midsouthhomeexpressions.com.

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY ANIMAL PLANET

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Out on a Limb Host of Animal Planet’s Treehouse Masters to appear at Home Expressions Show.

reehouses aren’t just for kids anymore. While a backyard fort might be fun for the littles, adults are opting for their own, more extravagant, getaways in the trees. Imagine watching the game or hosting a cocktail party inside a neat little outdoor space with a cool view. Don’t know if you’ve got the right tree for the job? Unsure about the possibilities for your treehouse pad? Not to fret! Pete Nelson, host of Animal Planet’s Treehouse Masters will be making a special appearance at this year’s MidSouth Home Expressions Show to cover the ins and outs and share stories about some of his most interesting treehouse-building projects. Like most, Pete became excited about treehouses as a child. He was 7 years old when his father built him his first at their New Jersey home. As he grew up, he maintained a passion for treehouses but chose in college to pursue a degree in economics. His treehouse fantasies came back fullforce upon graduation. Pete’s inner carpenter spoke loud and clear: He was meant to become the “treehouse guy.” Today, Pete runs his own treehouse-building business, Nelson Treehouse and Supply, in Fall City, Washington, and operates Treehouse Point, a treehouse bed & breakfast located outside of Seattle. His wife, Judy, and his adult children, Emily, Henry, and Charlie, work alongside him in the trees. Pete has written several books about building — and living in — treehouses, including Treehouses; The Art and Craft of Living Out on a Limb and Be in a Treehouse, an

inspiring text that details the technical aspects of building in the trees and showcases treehouses all over the world. His latest endeavor as host of the popular Treehouse Masters series has allowed him opportunities to work on various elaborate treehouse projects, including a “Space Crab” — a zinc-wrapped structure meant to resemble a spaceship and a horseshoe crab — at the children’s camp, Camp Southern Ground (a special-needs camp in Peachtree City, Georgia, founded by country music superstar Zac Brown). He’s also built a treehouse tasting room at the headquarters of Angry Orchard, a hard cider company near Walden, New York. But treehouses aren’t just for celebrities or corporate companies. Regular folks can dream big — and be in a tree — too. Take a look in your backyard — the Memphis area is practically an arboretum with its age-old

oaks and poplars — or have a look at your lake house, see beyond the branches and tap into your tree’s potential. As a matter of fact, you don’t even have to build in and on a big tree. So long as you have the space, you can make your treehouse work. In a New York Times interview promoting the 2013 premier of Treehouse Masters, Nelson said, “My definition of a treehouse has broadened substantially. In the beginning, I thought a tree-supported structure, even a supporting post on the ground, was cheating. To me, that was a stilt house. It’s just being up in the trees that now defines a treehouse. If you want to be in a stilt house among the trees, is it a treehouse? Sure. It’s all about sharing in the energy of the tree. However you do that is fair game.” When asked by the Times’ Steven Kurutz about the bonds that people develop with their treehouses as opposed to their homes, Nelson said, “A home is a home and it’s a wonderful, warm thing. But the difference in the treehouse is that it’s a place where you are absolutely away from it all. Every one of these structures is a place to unplug and unwind. At first, I thought we’d be building backyard offices, but in 15 years I think I’ve done three. The use of these things is about reconnecting with natural worlds.”

TREEHOUSE PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY PETE NELSON

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Q&A with “Treehouse Master” Pete Nelson Memphis: What can visitors to the MidSouth Home Expressions Show expect to see in your presentation? Pete Nelson: Folks often ask about my path to building treehouses as a living; I like to take the time to answer these questions and tell the story of how treehouses came into my life and inspired me to make treehouse construction my career. I also like to cover some nitty-gritty techniques of treehouse building, including how to install and maintain a healthy hardware connection to a tree. Additionally, I’ll be describing the evolution of my treehouse designs and builds and show some of the projects I’ve been most proud of. At the end of my presentation, I like to leave plenty of time for audience questions; I love meeting and speaking with fellow treehouse enthusiasts.

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What piqued your interest in building treehouses? How did you go from economics to treehouses? When I was seven, my dad built me my first treehouse in a three-stemmed maple tree in our backyard in Ridgewood, New Jersey. From that moment on, I was hooked on the treehouse life; I loved how treehouses evoked a sense of adventure, wonder, and togetherness in folks of all ages. I built my first adult treehouse in the backyard of my Colorado Springs home when I was 25. As a young person, I harbored a passion for architectural design and carpentry; I’ve always found it immensely fulfilling to create tangible things and have something real to show at the end of each workday. That said, I’ve been deeply grateful for my economics degree; it’s been a great asset in founding and growing my small family business. Treehouses were especially attractive to me because of their relatively short project timelines, as well as their small scale. Designing for small spaces in a short period of time is creatively challenging, but also digestible: I can get my head around the design very quickly. I was also captivated by the challenge of building in a living organism. The promise of stimulating design challenges combined with my deep love of nature made the treehouse life an easy choice. Treehouse construction is truly a labor of love; it continuously ignites and excites me. I became dedicated to making my passion for treehouses my career, and feel deeply grateful that I was able to achieve that.

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Assuming most of the treehouses you build serve as second homes or “getaway” places, do any of your projects serve as primary homes? Yes, we built a treehouse that functions as a primary home for a client on the Oregon coast. This treehouse is the epitome of tiny-space living; in 220 square feet, it contains all amenities of a modern home (including plumbing, electrical, laundry, kitchen, dining area, and bed). Built in an enormous Sitka spruce, this treehome celebrates the wild, stunning beauty of the Pacific Northwest. You built a treehouse at Horseshoe Lake in Eastern Arkansas? That treehouse was such a memorable project; we loved working with our clients, who asked us to build a space where their family could admire sunsets, unwind, and spend time together. We built the treehouse on the shores of a lake, and provided a roomy screened-in porch where our clients could keep a lookout for birds and other wildlife. It was a privilege to collaborate with artist and fellow treehouse designer Roderick Romero, who created a stunning nest of woven branches in which our porch could perch. We love building treehouses like this one, where folks can come together to connect with nature. What are the best types of trees on which to build? In the Pacific Northwest, we’re lucky to have an abundance of prodigiously strong, sturdy trees, including Douglas firs, cedars, and spruce trees. When we build around the nation, we love working in oaks and maple trees. I always avoid building in cottonwoods and alders, as the former frequently lose branches and can die suddenly, and the latter are often structurally unstable and quite small.

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ouldn’t it be nice to have the kitchen or bathroom you’ve always dreamed of? Or perhaps a sprawling backyard deck or pool, perfect for outdoor entertainment with family and friends? With a little patience and a lot of planning, your dreams can become reality with the help of qualified local home professionals, which you can find at the MidSouth Home Expressions Show. People choose to remodel or update their homes for two main reasons. One: They may be planning to sell the home in the future, and certain upgrades can add market value, increasing resale price. Two: Many people are choosing to stay in their homes for the long haul, to age there, and in turn, they’d like to customize their home’s space and features to fit their needs. For these endeavors, the kitchen and bathroom are two of the most important rooms to address. The kitchen is where we cook, entertain, and bond with friends and family, and is often considered the core of the home. The bathroom, on the other hand, is a personal sanctuary — a place to soak in a hot bath and relax after a long day. If you’ve lived in your home more than 10 years, or even if you’ve recently moved into

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ter-saving faucets, as well as low-water consumption toilets, are among other upgrades many choose for bathrooms. Enhanced lighting is also in demand for bathroom updates. This can be done by adding sconces on either side of the mirror rather than an overhead fixture (overhead lighting causes shadows when applying makeup or shaving). Storage solutions are also desired in bathrooms. Options include tall linen storage, pull-out drawers, pull-out hampers, and even spice racks — traditionally used in kitchens — for medicine and toiletry storage. The kitchen and bath are not the only places people are looking to enhance. Many people want outdoor improvements as well. Patios, decks, pools, and other outdoor upgrades are great for backyard entertaining, and also great for capturing outdoor space as additional living space. One challenge people encounter when pursuing a home improvement project is the overwhelming decision process and not knowing where to start. It’s important to do your homework and get all of the details in line. Many clients browse home magazines, watch home improvement shows, or look online for inspiration and ideas as to what might meet their needs. A popular site for this is houzz.com, where consumers can view before-and-after project photos, as well as connect with local professionals and read service-provider reviews posted by clients. When you’re ready to set out on your own home improvement venture, be sure to find a licensed professional, check references, and if possible, talk to former clients whose projects have been completed for a few years. The follow-up of the contractor is just as important as the planning stages. To find a qualified, reputable builder or remodeler, be sure to check with the West Tennessee Home Builders Association (westtnhba.com) or the Home Builders Association of North Mississippi (hbanms.com).

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Win Big at the MidSouth Home Expressions Show!

he MidSouth Home Expressions Show offers more than just an opportunity to speak with home-related experts and to shop for new home gadgets. It’s also a place to have fun and win prizes! In addition to having a chance to meet Animal Planet’s “Treehouse Master” Pete Nelson, attendees will have a variety of chances to win prize drawings.

Daily Drawings: ◗◗ Each day one guest will win a $250 shopping spree at Tanger Outlets. ◗◗ Each day one guest will win a free room painting.

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Call Dan Perkins or visit our showroom before it is too late. By appointment please.

901.213.0111 • 1499 Bartlett Road, Memphis, TN 38134

RING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH SCAN INTERIORS!

*Restrictions apply. Paint and materials to be provided by Sherwin Williams; labor to be provided by Garrett Weber - Eagle 3 Painting. Weekend Drawings: ◗◗ One attendee (randomly selected from all registered guests) will win a private suite at the February 25th Mississippi RiverKings hockey game at Landers Center. ◗◗ One attendee (randomly selected from all registered guests) will win four tickets to the March 24th Thomas Rhett concert at Landers Center. In addition to prize drawings, all ticket holders will be invited to exchange their ticket for a free coupon book at Tanger Outlets. Win Free Dog Food For a Year! Sometimes a house just isn’t a home until it’s shared with a family pet. If you think your pup is the cutest canine, be sure to enter the Most Adorable Dog Photo Contest. This contest is presented by the MidSouth Pets Foundation and Invisible Fence. First place wins a one-year supply of dog food, and second place wins a six-month supply. The winner will be picked by a special panel of judges and announced on the Earl Farrell Show on KWAM-AM 990. To enter, go to midsouthhomeexpressions. com and look for the Most Adorable Dog Photo Contest registration form. Bring the form and your pup’s best photo to the MidSouth Home Expressions Show and receive a discounted adult admission ticket and a chance to win free food for your furry best friend.

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LAMP SHADE HOUSE Beautifying homes for over 40 years! 4870 Summer Avenue, Memphis, TN 38122 901-767-3220 • lshmemphis.com J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 81

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ASK VANCE

Bobbie Gentry

above: Bobbie Gentry in the late 1960s and early 1970s, performing and modeling one of her dress designs.

DEAR VANCE: Whatever happened to the singer Bobbie Gentry, who gained international fame with the hit, “Ode to Billie Joe”? — s.w., memphis. DEAR S.W.: I’m happy to report that, at age 72, she is still

alive and well and living in West Tennessee. I have her address — after all, the Lauderdales know just about everybody — but promised her I would keep it a secret. Most of her older friends know her as Bobbie Lee

Streeter, because that is her real name. Born on July 27, 1944, on a little farm outside the town of Woodland in Chickasaw County, Mississippi (about two hours southeast of Memphis), Bobbie spent her early years living with her grandparents after her parents split up. Her life is peppered with unusual stories. It seems that one day her grandmother traded a cow for a piano, for reasons nobody has ever bothered to explain, and that’s where Bobbie first learned music. The story goes that, at the age of 7, she composed her first song, a little ditty called “My Dog Sergeant Is a Good Dog” — using only the black keys, because that’s how she watched the church pianist play. In a 1973 Mid-South magazine cover story, she remembered, “When I was still very young, I used to sit and listen to jazz music and blues music from New Orleans on an old battery-powered radio, since we didn’t have electricity on the farm. Then I’d go over to the piano and try to pick out the tunes.” For a few years, she lived in Greenwood, while attending high school there, where she learned to play the guitar and banjo. Now, right about here, everyone assumes that Bobbie stayed in Mississippi, which served as the source of most of her songs. In fact, at age 13, she moved to Palm Springs, California, to live with her mother. Even more surprising, to me, is that she earned a degree in philosophy from UCLA and also studied at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music — which is sort of at odds with the “Delta Woman” image most people have of her. Perhaps that’s why biographers seem to have such a hard time describing her; various writers have called her articulate, contradictory, phenomenal, torrid, wistful, sleek, contemplative, intellectual, sophisticated, and even “perfectly normal.” Faced with such a complex and larger-than-life personality, a Memphis Press-Scimitar reporter simply gave up and wrote, “Bobbie Gentry is quite somebody.” Yes, he called her Gentry — not Streeter. She picked up her stage name from a 1952 film she saw on television called Ruby Gentry. It seemed a good fit. “My mother’s name is Ruby,” she told a reporter, “and I was intrigued with that movie and started using that name. I like it still.” In California, Bobbie had a brief career modeling swimsuits, and in the evening sang and danced at nightclubs in Los Angeles before she decided to try her hand at writing her own songs. One day, she was looking through some journals and found a cryptic notation, “Billie Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie River Bridge.” By morning she had the song written. She pitched it to several studios, and Capitol bought the rights and recorded it. After just four weeks

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSIT Y OF MEMPHIS LIBRARIES

Our trivia expert solves local questions of who, what, when, where, why, and why not. Well, sometimes.

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on the airwaves, it soared to number one, where the work left her no time for haunting lyrics helped it become an international hit. romance, she married Almost overnight the woman from Chickasaw County, Las Vegas casino owner Mississippi, was a superstar, prompting a Hollywood William Harrah, but the writer to proclaim, “Bobbie Gentry is the most exciting relationship lasted only thing to happen to popular music since the Beatles.” six months. She also had Released in 1967, the song was regarded as controbrief marriages with a versial, with listeners having to decide for themselves Los Angeles businessman what, exactly, did Billie Joe and his girlfriend throw off and singer/comedian Jim Stafford. the Tallahatchie Bridge, and why did Billie Joe commit Bobbie Gentry eventually released more than 20 alsuicide the very next day? Bobbie herself has always declined to answer those questions, but in one interbums, including a duet with Glen Campbell called All I view she admitted that the most popular guesses from Have To Do Is Dream. Nothing quite matched the success listeners were flowers, a draft card, a of her very first song, “Ode to Billie “Ode to Billie Joe” earned wedding ring, and even a baby. Joe.” But how could it? That’s a tough In an interview with Herman Bobbie Gentry three Grammy act to follow. “It’s a distinct problem Raucher, who would write a 1973 when your first hit record has the Awards and in 2001 was screenplay based on the song, called impact that one did,” she told an enOde to Billy Joe (yes, the Billie/Billy tertainment writer. “Capitol Records named by Rolling Stone one name was spelled that way, and I wanted me to write a follow-up, or of the “500 Greatest Songs don’t know why), Bobbie said these an answer to it, but I chose not to. I of All Time.” details weren’t relevant. The song decided that the proper thing was was mainly “an illustration of a group not to duplicate it, but to go on to of people’s reactions to the life and death of Billie Joe.” something else.” Even so, it earned her three Grammy Awards and in Over the years, Bobbie performed several times in 2001 was named by Rolling Stone one of the “500 Greatest Memphis, as you might expect. One of the highlights, she said, of her career, was a special performance with Songs of All Time.” The success even took Bobbie by surprise. She told the Memphis Symphony Orchestra in 1967. Here’s what The Commercial Appeal, “I anticipated some success for Commercial Appeal critic Robert Jennings, who called her the song in the South, but I was astonished when it be“the phenomenon of this year and maybe a good deal came a hit all over the country, and then in Europe.” The longer,” said about that: “Her clear voice, with just a song was included in an album of the same name, and dash of huskiness, is ideal for the haunting imagery and the following year, in 1968, Bobbie released a second quiet melancholy of the songs she writes. She mixes a blues and country style, has abundant stage gracefulcompilation, called The Delta Sweete. That album didn’t ness and poise, and often evokes a sense of beauty far chart as well as her first, but Bobbie cried all the way to beyond her striking good looks.” the bank, since she soon starred in a full-production Las Vegas show complete with an 18-piece orchestra and Bobbie essentially retired from show business in backing rock band, started her own record and stage 1978, with an appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny production company called Gentry Ltd, developed a Carson the last time most people would ever see her line of clothes, and moved into a 30-room Spanish-style perform. For the past 30 years or so, biographers usually mansion in the Hollywood Hills. say she “enjoys a private life.” In 1969, she starred in a variety show on American By the way, if you’re wondering what happened to television called The Bobbie Gentry Happiness Hour, hosted that famous Tallahatchie River Bridge? Located close a music show in Great Britain, taped specials for Canato Greenwood, Mississippi, it collapsed in June 1972. dian television, and was a regular guest on Ed Sullivan, Johnny Carson, and the Smothers Brothers. Got a question for vance? She continued to write and produce her own songs, EMAIL: askvance@memphismagazine.com telling Mid-South magazine, “I don’t really have a great time doing it, but I have a need to write. I am driven MAIL: Vance Lauderdale, Memphis magazine, 460 Tennessee Street #200, Memphis, TN 38103 to being industrious, and the finished product is well worth the effort.” ONLINE: memphismagazine.com/ask-vance Although she once told a fan magazine that her

above: The Delta Sweete (1968) was Gentry’s second album.

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BOOKS

From the Arctic Circle to the Town Square Tales of cultures, clashes, Faulkner, and Fowler.

by richard j. alley

he end of the year is a time for looking back and recapping the “year that was” — top movies released, best songs, favorite books. But I prefer to look forward (and, I never did get around to writing my “year that was” essay). What books are on the horizon? The list truly is endless. Personally, I’m looking forward to 4 3 2 1: A Novel, by Paul Auster, to be released at the end of this month, and Less by Andrew Sean Greer in July. But the rest is a mystery, as well it should be. Reading isn’t a spreadsheet endeavor, it’s a journey without a map, one where we are enlightened and entertained and, if we’re lucky, surprised by what’s around the next corner. Take last year, for instance (just a bit of recap). I am a reader of fiction, an eater of novels. But in 2016, sprinkled among those novels, were memoirs by Bruce Springsteen, Curtis Mayfield, and Lee Smith. I read a book on 1990s-era Rolling Stones, another that looked at the year 1971 in music, and a fictionalization of the life of F. Scott Fitzgerald. On my bedside table right now is an advanced copy of the forthcoming Jim Dickinson memoir, I’m Just Dead, I’m Not Gone. And I closed out December with The Statue and the Fury: A Year of Art, Race, Music and Cocktails by Jim Dees, and Seeds on Ice: Svalbard and the Global Seed Vault by Dr. Cary Fowler. I feel more enlightened, more well-rounded, and, dare I say, a bit more intelligent for having read them. Nonfiction complements fiction and vice-versa; mixing a bit into the other is like a healthy snack of granola with a handful of M&Ms thrown in as a surprise. I’ll let you decide which is which.

The Statue and the Fury:

A Year of A r t, Rac e, Music and C oc ktail s ( N au t i lus P u bl i sh i n g)

Nonfiction complements fiction and vice-versa; mixing a bit into the other is like a healthy snack of granola with a handful of M&Ms thrown in as a surprise.

n 1997, Jim Dees, host of the Thacker Mountain Radio Hour, a music and literature program heard weekly on Mississippi Public Broadcasting, was a cub reporter for the Oxford Eagle. Onthe-job-training had him learning the intricacies of handling breaking news, obit craftsmanship, and the all-important post-deadline drink (or two). He was 40 years old. It would go on to be an exciting and tumultuous year for Oxford, Mississippi, our neighbor to the south. To celebrate the centennial of local hero William Faulkner’s birth, the town leadership had decided to erect a statue of the scribe on the town square just

across from the courthouse. In the wake of what seems like a benign enough idea, the sleepy town erupted in conflict over where the statue would go, whether the figure would be standing or sitting, and just who would have ultimate control over such decisions. The mayor squared off against the Faulkner family with sculptor Bill Beckwith caught in the middle. And Jim Dees was there to record the circus atmosphere, and recounts it in detail and with humor in The Statue and the Fury. Oxford has changed over the years with new real estate developments and a rise in retirees moving for the small-town feel and bucolic scenery of the countryside, though the increase in traffic, condos, and apartments to accommodate such an influx has taken an off-ramp into irony. The late 1990s seem to have been a harbinger of things to come. “Faulkner wouldn’t recognize much of his hometown these days,” Dees writes, “but he would recognize the awkward civic wrangling during his centennial year. He would recognize the petty squabbling, court injunctions, arrests, raucous board meetings, scathing letters to the editor, and all the sound and fury. What he might not understand is why his hometown was going to such lengths to honor him on his 100th birthday. After all, most of the town had pretty much disdained him while he was alive except for his last two decades when he won the Pulitzer and Nobel prizes, and even then, their admiration was tempered with bemusement.” Other things happened in 1997, as well — the rap group

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2Live Crew came to town for a show that raised some eyebrows and some ire; and, in a skirmish that will be familiar to our own Greensward fracas of 2016, a group of citizens took exception to the idea (and action on behalf) of trees being bulldozed. Sam Phillips showed up, as did Henry Kissinger, James Brown, Shelby Foote, the FBI, Willies Nelson and Morris, James Meredith, and ’90s-era celebrity attorney Johnnie Cochran. In addition to being a radio host, Dees is also the author of Lies and Other Truths: Rants, Raves, Low-Lifes and Highballs, and the editor of They Write Among Us: New Stories and Essays From the Best of Oxford Writers.

Seeds on Ice:

Svalbard and the Global Seed Vault ( P ro spe c ta P r e s s)

s a scientist, Dr. Cary Fowler’s job was to collect and catalogue seeds (nearly half a billion) in a “doomsday vault” to protect against natural disaster or some other apocalyptic event with an eye toward our future survival. As a writer, Fowler’s job is to describe the landscape and feel of a barren and inhospitable corner of the globe that the vast majority of us will never see. As evidenced by Seeds on Ice, the native Memphian and Rhodes College alum succeeds wildly at both tasks. In his attention to detail, we learn that Svalbard, an archipelago lying to the north of mainland Norway, and the village of Longyearbyen, the home of the Global Seed Vault and the northernmost permanent settlement in the world, are actually quite quaint and even cozy. “The seasonally changing light conditions this far north produce some of the most remarkable colors seen anywhere on earth especially when the sun is slightly below the horizon and the light is indirect,” Fowler writes. “Palettes of blues and pinks, sometimes vivid, sometimes pastel, dominate the skies settling upon an austere landscape. The most jaded professional photographers marvel at the light, saying it’s like nothing they have experienced.” While reading about Svalbard, one is struck with the sensation of space; wide-open space with vistas stretching for miles framed only by distant mountains and glaciers. At night — and for months there is nothing but — the sky appears to go on forever, the light show afforded by the aurora borealis and stars undiluted by light pollution outshine even the most advanced planetariums. But there is also an incredible sense of time: Svalbard sat on the equator 350 million years ago. Sixty million years ago it would’ve been even with Oslo today, 1,200 miles to the south. A photograph by Mari Tefre shows a chunk of blue ice detached from a glacier and places it at 5,000 years old. And Fowler’s seed vault is meant to last, well, forever. The vault is a partnership between the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the Nordic Genetic Resource Center, and the Global Crop Diver-

sity Trust. Its primary function is to keep safe an extra copy of seed samples that are already in genebanks around the world. Should those samples be lost, they can be resupplied from the Svalbard vault. After Fowler’s detailed introduction to Svalbard and Longyearbyen, there are 34 pages of stunning photography. When we return to text, we’re in the Andean agriculture community of Pampallacta, near Pisac, Peru, a place as distant from the Norwegian archipelago as one might ever travel. But the seed vault is about agriculture, and it’s about diversity, and South America plays as much a part in its mission as North America and Nebraska, as Germany and France, and Syria in the Middle East. Fowler states his case for diversity and the vault as only an expert can. We don’t need to be scientists to understand his concerns, and the beautifully illustrated book just makes the potential for disaster easier to digest. “Seeds on Ice is my plea for the conservation of crop diversity, the biological foundation of agriculture and arguably humankind’s most important natural resource,” writes Fowler. “It is also a tribute to our farming ancestors — yours and mine — as well as to today’s farmers, for it is farmers, past and present, who have developed and nurtured this diversity.”

“Seeds on Ice is my plea for the conservation of crop diversity, the biological foundation of agriculture and arguably humankind’s most important natural resource.” — Dr. Cary Fowler

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DINING OUT

Big Bad Breakfast A new cookbook from Oxford chef John Currence celebrates the most important meal of the day.

Coffee is available in a BBB mug for $10. A breakfast favorite is shrimp and grits with red-eye gravy and fried eggs.

by lesley young | photographs by justin fox burks

hen I met with John Currence in mid-November, I was lucky to catch him in his hometown of Oxford, Mississippi. He happened to be home for two days on a break from his book tour to check in on his newest venture, Fat Eddie’s, an Italian joint that just opened in his old Lamar Lounge. He wasn’t able to be there opening night. He was in Houston for that book tour or a food event or some such thing. It’s hard to keep up.

“Opening night of a new restaurant is like sleeping with your girlfriend for the first time. It’s so intense and new and exciting.” — John Currence

“I was in Houston with a chef buddy, and he said, ‘It’s killing you not to be there on opening night, isn’t it?’” Currence says. “I told him, hell, yeah. Not because I’m a control freak. It’s because opening night of a new restaurant is like sleeping with your girlfriend for the first time. It’s so intense and new and exciting. It’s this exquisite chaos. There’s nothing in the world like it.” The feeling must be addictive. Currence now has six restaurants in Oxford, one in Birmingham, and more in the pipeline. I ask Currence about his seemingly bottomless source of energy and if he ever sleeps. “No,” he answers. “Not really. You have to have a passion for this. You either have the passion to serve people or you don’t. For me, it’s boundless.” Must be. Did I mention he was on a tour for his second book, Big Bad Breakfast, a companion piece to his restaurant in Oxford of the same name? He also opened a BBB in Birmingham in 2014 and has plans to expand

further in the Alabama college town as well as units in Florence, Alabama, and the Florida panhandle in the coming year. As Currence explains in the book, creating a breakfast spot that can be replicated and celebrated in other towns was the plan all along. “I am telling you, Bess, this is the place that will put us on the map,” Currence writes in the book’s introduction, explaining how the exquisite chaos of opening day for BBB back in 2008 included family in town, a line of 200 people out the door, and standing by for the health inspector to sign off on the restaurant’s permit. Bess is his wife, by the way. The idea was always there, probably since he was a kid growing up in New Orleans and visiting mid-century diner spots such as Allgood’s, the Camellia Grill, and Woolworth’s. “The whole idea behind building Big Bad Breakfast itself was to re-create the breakfast places I loved going to growing up in New Orleans,” Currence says. “Those greasy spoons and lunch counters like Woolworth’s downtown that were such an integral part of the civil rights movement hold very powerful memories for me.” Plus, he noticed that breakfast remained largely unexamined by the world of the culinary arts. “It really felt like breakfast had been passed off to Huddle House and Cracker Barrel and bad hotel buffet experiences,” Currence says. “I thought, what if you paid the kind of attention to breakfast that chefs do to lunch and dinner?”

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Currence won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: South in 2009 for his flagship restaurant City Grocery, which set up shop in an old livery stable on the Oxford town square back in 1992, arguably the first of its kind in the state. But BBB is no recycling of old ideas. The Pylon is a fried hot dog with chili, slaw, cheddar cheese, mustard, chopped pickles, onions, jalapeños, and crackers, served on a waffle. On the menu, the dish is described as “a hangover’s worst enemy.” In the book, Currence calls it the “bastard child” of the Scramble Dog from Columbus, Georgia’s, Dinglewood Pharmacy (an open-faced chili dog with oyster crackers) and Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles’ famous chicken and waffle drizzled with honey. “We call it the Pylon because everything is ‘piled on,’” Currence writes in the book. The more literary types will notice that Pylon is also a reference to the town’s literary hero, William Faulkner, and his novel about an alcoholic journalist living in a fictionalized version of New Orleans. In Big Bad Breakfast, these sort of references abound: The Last Gentleman, which is three pieces of Coca-Cola-brined chicken served with macaroni and cheese and cole slaw, summons Walker Percy (I really wanted to tell him my dog is named Percy); The Secret History, an omelet with seasonal fresh herbs, tomatoes, shallots, and Swiss cheese, calls to mind one of Barry Hannah’s darlings, Donna Tartt, who blazed through the literary world with her debut novel by the same name; The High Lonesome, a grilled, four-ounce steak with two eggs, house-made steak sauce, and toast or biscuit, is not about paying respects to Louis L’Amour, but the town’s other literary hero, Barry Hannah; and then the eponymous dish, the Big Bad Breakfast Plate, which is two eggs, a choice of meat,

and toast or biscuit, pays homage to another of the town’s well-known authors, Larry Brown, and his short story, “Big Bad Love.” There are more, but this is not Southern Lit 101. Most of the menu is in the cookbook, and if not the whole dish, the makings of it. Both the restaurant and the book are “ingredient-driven,” in that, if he can, Currence makes his own ingredients — having his own corn grown and ground into grits, his own coffee blended, curing and smoking his own meats, and making his own jellies and jams from local fruits and berries and, I’m pretty sure I haven’t tasted jam that made me that happy since my last visit to Europe. I won’t repeat what I said to the waiter. Let’s just say my comment was salty. I asked Currence about some of the recipes in the book that he thinks are worth a mention, and he points out his recipe for Shakshouka. In the book it comes with a story, outlining a trip he took to Israel to visit chef Alon Shaya and the fascination he developed with the Middle Eastern gumbo of people, and, hence, food. “I am driven by flavor and food and learning and sharing it with people,” Currence says. “It’s about sharing stories with people. Food tells our story and illustrates our history. It’s like sharing a piece of your life, and, to me, it’s one of the greatest joys of the entire world.” You can pick up Big Bad Breakfast: The Most Important Book of the Day at most bookstores, but I recommend making the drive to Oxford. Experience the friendliness of the staff, drink that special-blended coffee, and try that jam on a buttermilk biscuit after you polish off one the biggest and baddest breakfast dishes you’ve ever come across. Then walk away with a book to say you tried to conquer Big Bad Breakfast and you’re taking home the spoils.

John Currence

Savory Wafﬂe

Shakshouka R E C I P E

(From John Currence’s recently released cookbook, Big Bad Breakfast: The Most Important Book of the Day) Ingredients: 2 pounds fresh San Marzano tomatoes or ripe Roma tomatoes 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Salt 3 tablespoons clariﬁed butter (page 30 of BBB) or your preferred cooking fat 1 yellow onion, diced 1 large red bell pepper, diced 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced Preheat the broiler. Toss together the tomatoes and oil in a bowl. Season lightly with salt and place on an oiled baking sheet. Slide the baking sheet under the broiler. Turn the tomatoes continually until all sides are browned, but not burnt, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. When cool enough to handle, remove the tops and coarsely chop. Reserve the tomatoes and their juice.

The Pell“egg”can Brief 2 teaspoons za’atar 1½ teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons paprika 1 teaspoon red pepper ﬂ akes Black pepper 1½ cups crumbled feta or queso fresco 6 eggs ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro Warmed buttered pita bread, for serving.

Turn off the broiler and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

until the tomatoes thicken, about 15 minutes. Stir in the feta.

Warm the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Add the onion and bell pepper and gently cook until very soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about another 30 seconds. Stir in the za’atar, cumin, paprika, and red pepper ﬂakes, and blend completely. Stir in the tomatoes and their juice and season with salt and black pepper. Turn the heat to low and simmer

With a large serving spoon, make 6 indentations in the tomato sauce, evenly spaced around the pan. Gently crack the eggs into the indentations and season the eggs with salt and pepper. Slide the skillet into the oven and bake until the eggs are just set, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the cilantro. Scoop portions from the pan and serve with the pita.

Yard Work Skillet

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PHOTOGRAPH BY BG

CITY DINING OUR IN-DEPTH GUIDE TO MEMPHIS-AREA RESTAURANTS

emphis magazine offers this restaurant listing as a service to its readers. The directory is not intended as a recommendation of the establishments included, nor does it list every restaurant in town. It does, however, include most of the city’s finer restaurants, many specialty restaurants, and a representative sampling of other Bluff City eating establishments. No fast-food facilities or cafeterias are listed, nor have we included establishments that rely heavily on take-out business. Restaurants are included regardless of whether they advertise in Memphis magazine. The guide is updated regularly, but we recommend that you call ahead to check on hours, prices, and other details. Suggestions from readers are welcome; please contact us. Email dining@memphismagazine.com. 148 NORTH—French cuisine meets Southern comfort food here with menu items such as chicken and waffles, duck confit, and Ke’s Knuckle Sandwich, made with lobster knuckle and puff pastry. 148 N. Main (Collierville). 569-0761. L, D, WB, X, $-$$ 901 GRILLE & MARKET—Neighborhood market and eatery serves burgers, gyros, falafel pitas, hot wings, and more. 711 E. Parkway S. 512-6171. B, L, D, $ ABUELO’S MEXICAN FOOD EMBASSY—Mejores de la casa — beef and stuffed shrimp — is a specialty here, along with tilapia Veracruz, quesadillas, chili rellenos, and chicken medallions. 8274 Highway 64 (Bartlett). 672-0769. L, D, X, $-$$ ABYSSINIA RESTAURANT—Ethiopian/Mediterranean menu includes beef, chicken, lamb, fish entrees, and vegetarian dishes; also a lunch buffet. 2 600 Poplar. 321-0082. L, D, X, $-$$ ACRE—Features seasonal modern American cuisine in a stylish setting using locally sourced products; also small-plates/bar. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. 690 S. Perkins. 818-2273. L, D, X, $$-$$$ AGAVE MARIA—Menu items at this Mexican eatery include duck confit arepas, poached lobster enchiladas, and grilled lamb chops; also tortas and small plate selections. 83 Union. 341-2096. L, D, X, $-$$ ALCHEMY—Southern fusion, locally grown cuisine features small and large plates; among the offerings is the pan-seared hanger steak with duck-fat-roasted fingerling potatoes; also handcrafted cocktails and local craft beers. Closed for dinner Sun. 940 S. Cooper. 726-4444. D, SB, X, $-$$ ALDO’S PIZZA PIES—Serving gourmet pizzas — including Mr. T Rex — salads, and more. Also 30 beers, bottled or on tap. 100 S. Main. 577-7743; 752 S. Cooper. 725-7437. L, D, X, $-$$ AMERIGO—Traditional and contemporary Italian cuisine includes pasta, wood-fired pizza, steaks, and cedarwood-roasted fish. 1239 Ridgeway, Park Place Mall. 761-4000. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ ANDREW MICHAEL ITALIAN KITCHEN—Traditional Italian cuisine with a menu that changes seasonally with such entrees as Maw Maw’s ravioli. Closed Sun.-Mon. 712 W. Brookhaven Cl. 3473569. D, X, MRA, $$-$$$ ANOTHER BROKEN EGG CAFE—Offering several varieties of eggs benedict, waffles, omelets, pancakes, beignets, and other breakfast fare; also burgers,sandwiches, and salads. 6063 Park Ave. 729-7020; 65 S. Highland. 623-7122. B, L, WB, X, $ THE ARCADE—Possibly Memphis’ oldest cafe. Specialties include sweet potato pancakes, a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich, and breakfast served all day. 540 S. Main. 526-5757. B, L, D (Thurs.-Sat.), X, MRA, $ ASIAN PALACE—Chinese eatery serves seafood, vegetarian items, dim sum, and more. 5266 Summer Ave. 766-0831. L, D, X, $-$$ A-TAN—Serves Chinese and Japanese hibachi cuisine, complete with sushi bar. A specialty is Four Treasures with garlic sauce. 3445 Poplar, Suite 17, University Center. 452-4477. L, D, X, $-$$$ AUTOMATIC SLIM’S—Longtime downtown favorite specializes in contemporary American cuisine emphasizing local ingredients; also extensive martini list. 83 S. Second. 525-7948. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$

chicken salad, omelets, and more. Closed Sun. 327 S. Main. 4096433. B, L, D, X, $-$$ BELLE: A SOUTHERN BISTRO—Brisket in a bourbon brown sugar glaze, and chicken with basmati rice are among the specialties; also seafood entrees and such vegetables as blackened green tomatoes. Closed for dinner Sun. and all day Mon. 117 Union Ave. 433-9851. L, D, WB, X, $-$$$ BENIHANA—This Japanese steakhouse serves beef, chicken, and seafood grilled at the table; some menu items change monthly; sushi bar also featured. 912 Ridge Lake. 767-8980. L, D, X, $$-$$$ BHAN THAI—Authentic Thai cuisine includes curries, pad Thai noodles, and vegetarian dishes, as well as seafood, pork, and duck entrees. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. and all day Mon. 1324 Peabody. 272-1538. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ BLEU—This eclectic restaurant features American food with global BABALU TACOS & TAPAS—This Overton Square eatery influences and local ingredients. Among the specialties are a 14-oz. dishes up Spanish-style tapas with Southern flair; also taco and bone-in rib-eye and several seafood dishes. 221 S. Third, in the enchilada of the day; specials change daily. 2115 Madison. 274Westin Memphis Beale St. Hotel. 334-5950. B, L, D, WB, X, 0100. L, D, SB, X, $-$$ $$-$$$ BAHAMA BREEZE—Baby back ribs, Jamaican chicken wings, BLUE NILE ETHIOPIAN—Kabobs, flavorful chicken and lamb and coconut shrimp are among the entrees at this Caribbean-fusion stew, and injera (flatbread) are traditional items on the menu, along restaurant. 2830 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 385-8744. L, with vegetarian options. 1788 Madison. 474-7214. L, D, X, $-$$ D, X, MRA, $-$$ BLUEFIN RESTAURANT & SUSHI LOUNGE—Serves BANGKOK ALLEY—Thai fusion cuisine includes noodle and Japanese fusion cuisine featuring seafood, duck, and steaks, with curry dishes, chef-specialty sushi rolls, coconut soup, and duck and seasonally changing menu; also, a sushi bar and flatbread pizza. seafood entrees. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. at Brookhaven Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. 135 S. Main. 528-1010. L, D, X, MRA, location; call for hours. 121 Union Ave. 522-2010; 2150 W. Poplar $-$$ at Houston Levee (Collierville). 854-8748; 715 W. Brookhaven BOMBAY HOUSE—Indian fare includes lamb korma and Cl. 590-2585. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ chicken tikka; also, a daily luncheon buffet. 1727 N. Germantown BAR DKDC—Features an ever-changing menu of international Pkwy. (Cordova). 755-4114. L, D, X, $-$$ “street food,” from Thai to Mexican, Israeli to Indian, along with BONEFISH GRILL—Serves wood-grilled fish,as well as steaks, specialty cocktails. Closed Sun.-Mon. 964 S. Cooper. 272-0830. D, chicken and pork entrees. 1250 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). X, $ 753-2220; 4680 Merchants Park Circle, Carriage Crossing BAR LOUIE—Serves small plates, flatbreads, sandwiches, burgers, (Collierville). 854-5822. L (Fri.-Sat.), D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ salads, and such large plate entrees as blackened fish tacos and baked BONNE TERRE—This inn’s cafe features American cuisine with a mac-and-cheese. 2125 Madison. 207-1436. L, D, WB, X, $-$$ Southern flair, and a seasonal menu that changes monthly. Offers BAR-B-Q SHOP—Dishes up Angus steaks, duck, pasta, and seafood. barbecued ribs, spaghetti, bologna; also DINING SYMBOLS Closed Sun.-Wed. 4715 Church Rd. W. pulled pork shoulder, Texas toast (Nesbit, MS). 662-781-5100. D, X, $-$$$ barbecue sandwich, chicken sandwich, B — breakfast BOOKSELLERS BISTRO—Serves and salads. Closed Sun. 1782 Madison. L — lunch soups, sandwiches, quiche, salads, pasta, and 272-1277. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ seafood, including shrimp polenta; a specialty D — dinner BARDOG TAVERN—Classic American is pesto pasta. The Booksellers at SB — Sunday brunch grill with Italian influence, Bardog offers Laurelwood, 387 Perkins Extd. 374-0881. pasta specialties such as Grandma’s NJ WB — weekend brunch B, L, D, WB, X, $-$$ Meatballs, as well as salads, sliders, X — wheelchair accessible BOSCOS—Tennessee’s first craft brewery sandwiches, and daily serves a variety of freshly brewed beers as MRA — member, Memphis specials. 73 Monroe. 275-8752. B (Mon.well as wood-fired oven pizzas, pasta, Restaurant Association Fri.), L, D, WB, X, $-$$ seafood, steaks, and sandwiches. 2120 BARI RISTORANTE $ — under $15 per person without Madison. 432-2222. L, D, SB (with live ENOTECA—Authentic Southeastern drinks or desserts jazz), X, MRA, $-$$ Italian cuisine (Puglia) emphasizes lighter $$ — under $25 BOUNTY ON BROAD—Offering entrees. Serves fresh fish and beef dishes family-style dining, Bounty serves small $$$ — $26-$50 and a homemade soup of the day. plates and family-sized platters, with such 22 S. Cooper. 722-2244. D, SB, X, MRA, $$$$ — over $50 specialties as chicken fried quail and braised $-$$$ SHADED — new listing pork shank. Closed Mon. 2519 Broad. 410BARKSDALE RESTAURANT— 8131. D (Tues.-Sat.), SB, X, $-$$ Old-school diner serving breakfast and BOZO’S HOT PIT BAR-B-Q—Barbecue, burgers, Southern plate lunches. 237 Cooper. 722-2193. B, L, D, X, MRA, $ sandwiches, and subs. 342 Hwy 70, Mason, TN. 901-294-3400. L, BAYOU BAR & GRILL—New Orleans fare at this Overton D, $-$$ Square eatery includes jambalaya, gumbo, catfish Acadian, shrimp BRASS DOOR IRISH PUB—Irish and New-American cuisine dishes, red beans and rice, and muffalettas; also serves some favorites includes such entrees as fish and chips burgers, sandwiches, salads, from the former Le Chardonnay. 2094 Madison. 278-8626. L, D, and daily specials. 152 Madison. 572-1813. L, D, SB, MRA, $ WB, X, MRA, $-$$ BROADWAY PIZZA—Serving a variety of pizzas,including the BEAUTY SHOP—Modern American cuisine with international Broadway Special, as well as sandwiches, salads, wings, and “soulflair served in a former beauty shop. Serves steaks salads, pasta, and food specials.” 2581 Broad. 454-7930; 627 S. Mendenhall. 207seafood, including pecan-crusted golden sea bass. Closed for dinner 1546. L, D, X, $-$$ Sunday. 966 S. Cooper. 272-7111. L, D, SB, X, $-$$$ BROOKLYN BRIDGE ITALIAN RESTAURANT— BEDROCK EATS & SWEETS—Memphis’ only Paleo-centric Specializing in such homemade entrees as spinach lasagna and lobster restaurant offering such dishes as pot roast, waffles, enchiladas, ravioli; a seafood specialty is horseradish-crusted salmon. Closed Sun. 1779 Kirby Pkwy. 755-7413. D, X, MRA, $-$$$

We celebrate our city’s community table and the people who grow, cook, and eat the best Memphis food at

MEMPHISMAGAZINE.COM/FOOD-DINING

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CIT Y DINING LIST BROTHER JUNIPER’S—Breakfast is the focus here, with specialty omelets, including the open-faced San Diegan omelet; also daily specials, and homemade breads and pastries. Closed Mon. 3519 Walker. 324-0144. B, X, MRA, $ BRYANT’S BREAKFAST—Three-egg omelets, pancakes, and The Sampler Platter are among the popular entrees here. Closed Tuesday. 3965 Summer. 324-7494. B, L, X, $ BUCKLEY’S FINE FILET GRILL—Specializes in steaks, seafood, and pasta. (Lunchbox serves entree salads, burgers, and more.) 5355 Poplar. 683-4538; 919 S. Yates (Buckley’s Lunchbox), 682-0570. L (Yates only, M-F), D, X, MRA, $-$$ BUNTYN CORNER CAFE—Serving favorites from Buntyn Restaurant, including chicken and dressing, cobbler, and yeast rolls. 5050 Poplar, Suite 107. 424-3286. B, L, X, $ THE BUTCHER SHOP—Serves steaks ranging from 8-oz. fillets to a 20-oz. porterhouse; also chicken, pork chops, fresh seafood. 107 S. Germantown Rd. (Cordova). 757-4244. L (Fri. and Sun.), D, X, MRA, $$-$$$ CAFE 1912—French/American bistro serving such seafood entrees as grouper and steamed mussels: also crepes, salads, and French onion soup. 2 43 S. Cooper. 722-2700. D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$ CAFE ECLECTIC—Spanish omelets, and chicken and waffles are among menu items, along with sandwiches, wraps, and burgers. 603 N. McLean. 725-1718; 111 Harbor Town Square. 590-4645; 510 S. Highland. 410-0765. B, L, D, SB, X, MRA, $ CAFE KEOUGH—European-style cafe serving quiche, paninis, salads, and more. 12 S. Main. 509-2469. B, L, D, X, $ CAFE OLE—This eatery specializes in authentic Mexican cuisine; one specialty is the build-your-own quesadilla. 9 59 S. Cooper. 343-0103. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ CAFE PALLADIO—Serves gourmet salads, soups, sandwiches, and desserts in a tea room inside the antiques shop. Closed Sun. 2169 Central. 278-0129. L, X, $ CAFE PIAZZA BY PAT LUCCHESI—Specializes in gourmet pizzas (including create-your-own), panini sandwiches, and pasta. Closed Sun. 139 S. Rowlett St. (Collierville). 861-1999. L, D, X, $-$$ CAFE PONTOTOC—Serves a variety of internationally inspired small plates, as well as salads and sandwiches. Closed Mon. 314 S. Main. 249-7955. L, D, WB, X, $-$$ CAFE SOCIETY—With Belgian and classic French influences, serves Wagyu beef, chicken, and seafood dishes, including baconwrapped shrimp, along with daily specials and vegetarian entrees. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. 212 N. Evergreen. 722-2177. L, D, X, MRA, $$-$$$ CANVAS—An “interactive art bar” serving salads, sandwiches, and flatbreads. 1737 Madison. 619-5303. L, D, $ CAPITAL GRILLE—Known for its dry-aged, hand-carved steaks; among the specialties are bone-in sirloin, and porcini-rubbed Delmonico; also seafood entrees and seasonal lunch plates. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. Crescent Center, 6065 Poplar. 683-9291. L, D, X, $$$-$$$$ CAPRICCIO GRILL ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE—Offers prime steaks, fresh seafood (lobster tails, grouper, mahi mahi), pasta, and several northern Italian specialties. 149 Union, The Peabody. 529-4199. B, L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$$ CARRABBA’S ITALIAN GRILL—Serves chicken Bryan, calamari, various pastas, and other “old-world” Italian entrees. 4600 Merchants Park Cl., Carriage Crossing (Collierville). 854-0200; 5110 Poplar. 685-9900. L (Sat.-Sun.), D, X, $-$$$ CASABLANCA—Lamb shawarma is one of the fresh, homemade specialties served at this Mediterranean/Moroccan restaurant; fish entrees and vegetarian options also available. 1707 Madison. 4216949; 5030 Poplar. 725-8557. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ CATFISH BLUES—Serving Delta-raised catfish and Cajun- and Southern-inspired dishes, including gumbo and fried green tomatoes. 210 E. Commerce (Hernando). 662-298-3814. L, D, $ CATHERINE & MARY’S—A variety of pastas, grilled quail, pâté, razor clams, and monkfish are among the dishes served at this Italian restaurant in the Chisca. 272 S. Main. 254-8600. D, X, $-$$$ CELTIC CROSSING—Specializes in Irish and American pub fare. Entrees include shepherd’s pie, shrimp and sausage coddle, and fish and chips. 903 S. Cooper. 274-5151. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ CENTRAL BBQ—Serves ribs, smoked hot wings, pulled pork sandwiches, chicken, turkey, nachos, and portobello sandwiches. Offers both pork and beef barbecue. 2249 Central Ave. 272-9377; 4375 Summer Ave. 767-4672; 147 E. Butler. 672-7760. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ CHAR—Specializing in modern Southern cuisine, this eatery offers homestyle sides, char-broiled steaks, and fresh seafood. 431 S. Highland, #120. 249-3533. L, D, WB, X, $-$$$ CHEZ PHILIPPE—Classical/contemporary French cuisine presented in a luxurious atmosphere with a seasonal menu focused on local/regional cuisine. Afternoon tea served Wed.-Sat., 1-3 p.m. (reservations required). Closed Sun.-Tues. T he Peabody, 149 Union. 529-4188. D, X, MRA, $$$$

LOCALITY GUIDE BARTLETT

Jim N Nick’s Bar-B-Q Joe’s Crab Shack Abuelo’s Logan’s Roadhouse Applebee’s Moe’s Southwest Grill Cajun Catfish Company T.J. Mulligan’s Coletta’s O’Charley’s Colton’s Steakhouse Olive Garden Dixie Cafe On the Border El Porton Osaka Japanese Exlines’ Best Pizza Outback Steakhouse Firebirds Pei Wei Asian Diner Gridley’s The Presentation Room Hadley’s Pub Pyro’s Fire Fresh Pizza La Playita Mexicana Rafferty’s O’Charley’s Red Lobster Ruby Tuesday Romano’s Macaroni Grill Sekisui Sekisui Side Car Cafe Shogun Side Porch Steakhouse Skimo’s Tops Bar-B-Q CHICKASAW GARDENS/ Tannoor Grill

UNIV. OF MEMPHIS

DOWNTOWN

Agave Maria Aldo’s Pizza Pies Alfred’s The Arcade Automatic Slim’s Bangkok Alley Bardog Tavern B.B. King’s Blues Club Bedrock Eats & Sweets Belle — A Southern Bistro Bleu Blind Bear Speakeasy Blue Monkey Bluefin Blues City Cafe Brass Door Irish Pub Cafe Eclectic Cafe Keough Cafe Pontotoc COLLIERVILLE/WEST TN. Capriccio Catherine & Mary’s (ARLINGTON, COVINGTON, Central BBQ MILLINGTON, OAKLAND) Chez Philippe 148 North City Market Bangkok Alley Cozy Corner Bonefish Grill DeJaVu Bozo’s Hot Pit Bar-B-Q Dirty Crow Inn Cafe Piazza Double J Smokehouse & Saloon Cajun Catfish Company Earnestine & Hazel’s Carrabba’s Italian Grill Eighty3 Chili’s Felicia Suzanne’s Ciao Baby Ferraro’s Pizzeria Corky’s Five Spot Crepe Maker Flight El Mezcal Flying Fish El Porton Flying Saucer Emerald Thai T.G.I. Friday’s Firebirds Ronnie Grisanti’s Italian Restaurant Green Beetle Gus’s Gus’s Fried Chicken Happy Mexican Hickory Tavern Hard Rock Cafe Huey’s Havana’s Pilon Jim’s Place Grille Huey’s Manila Filipino Itta Bena Mulan King’s Palace Cafe Osaka Japanese Kooky Canuck Memphis Pizza Cafe Little Tea Shop Pig-N-Whistle Local The Sear Shack Loflin Yard Sekisui Lookout at the Pyramid Silver Caboose LYFE Kitchen Stix Maciel’s Tortas & Tacos Vinegar Jim’s Max’s Sports Bar Wolf River Cafe McEwen’s on Monroe CORDOVA The Majestic Bahama Breeze Memphis Lighthouse Bombay House Mesquite Chop House Bonefish Grill Mollie Fontaine Lounge Butcher Shop The Office@Uptown Cheddar’s Oshi Burger Bar Chili’s Paulette’s Corky’s Pearl’s Oyster House Crazy Italians Pig on Beale East End Grill Ray’z World Famous Dr. Bar-B-Que El Mezcal Rendezvous, Charles Vergos’ El Porton Rizzo’s Diner T.G.I. Friday’s Rum Boogie Cafe Flying Saucer Silky O’Sullivan’s Fox Ridge Pizza South of Beale Green Bamboo South Main Sushi & Grill Gus’s Spaghetti Warehouse Happy Mexican Spindini Hunan Palace The Terrace Huey’s Texas de Brazil J. Alexander’s Tug’s Jerry Lee Lewis’ Cafe & Honky Tonk Tuscany Italian Eatery Another Broken Egg Cafe A-Tan Brother Juniper’s Camy’s Char Cheffie’s Derae El Porton The Farmer La Baguette Los Compadres Lost Pizza Medallion Newby’s Osaka Japanese Pete & Sam’s Rock’n Dough Pizza R.P. Tracks Woman’s Exchange

Twilight Sky Terrace Uncle Buck’s Fishbowl & Grill Westy’s

Tops Bar-B-Q Trolley Stop Market

EAST MEMPHIS

901 Grille & Market Abyssinia Alchemy Aldo’s Pizza Pies Alex’s Applebee’s Babalu Tacos and Tapas Bar DKDC Bar Louie Bar-B-Q Shop Bari Barksdale Restaurant Bayou Bar & Grill Beauty Shop Belly Acres Bhan Thai Blue Nile Ethiopian Boscos Bounty on Broad Broadway Pizza House Cafe 1912 Cafe Eclectic Cafe Ole Cafe Palladio Cafe Society Canvas Casablanca Celtic Crossing Central B B Q The Cove Cozy Corner The Crazy Noodle The Cupboard Dino’s DWJ Korean Barbecue Ecco El Mezcal Fino’s from the Hill Frida’s Fuel Cafe Golden India HM Dessert Lounge Huey’s I Love Juice Bar Imagine Vegan Cafe India Palace Jasmine Thai Java Cabana Lafayette’s Music Room LBOE Little Italy Local Mardi Gras Memphis Maximo’s on Broad Memphis Pizza Cafe Midtown Crossing Grille Molly’s La Casita Mulan Chinese Bistro Murphy’s Old Zinnie’s Onix Otherlands Outback Steakhouse P & H Cafe Peabody Point Cafe Pei Wei Asian Diner Pho Binh Pho Saigon Restaurant Iris Robata Ramen & Yakitori Bar Schweinehaus The Second Line Sekisui Side Street Grill The Slider Inn Soul Fish Cafe Stone Soup Strano Sicilian Kitchen Sweet Grass Tart Tsunami Young Avenue Deli

Acre Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen Asian Palace Bangkok Alley Belmont Grill Blue Plate Cafe Booksellers Bistro Broadway Pizza Brookhaven Pub & Grill Buckley’s Fine Filet Grill Buntyn Corner Cafe Carrabba’s Italian Grill Casablanca Central B B Q Chili’s Ciao Bella City East Corky’s Dixie Cafe El Mezcal El Porton Fino’s from the Hill Folk’s Folly Fox & Hound Fratelli’s The Grove Grill Half Shell Hog & Hominy Houston’s Huey’s Interim Erling Jensen Jim’s Place The Kitchen Bistro Las Delicias Lisa’s Lunchbox LYFE Kitchen Lynchburg Legends Marciano Mayuri Indian Cuisine Dan McGuinness Pub Mellow Mushroom Memphis Pizza Cafe Mempops Mortimer’s Mosa Asian Bistro Napa Cafe Neil’s New Hunan Old Venice One & Only BBQ Park + Cherry Patrick’s Porcellino’s Craft Butcher Rafferty’s The Sear Shack Sekisui Pacific Rim Soul Fish Cafe Staks Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe Three Little Pigs Wasabi Whole Foods Market Zaka Bowl

GERMANTOWN

Belmont Grill The Cheesecake Factory Chili’s City East El Porton Exlines’ Best Pizza Germantown Comm. Mellow Mushroom Memphis Pizza Cafe Mesquite Chop House New Asia The Pasta Maker Petra Cafe Rock’n Dough Pizza Royal Panda Russo’s New York Pizzeria & Wine Bar Sakura Soul Fish Cafe Southern Social Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill West Street Diner

MEDICAL CENTER The Cupboard Evelyn & Olive Sabor Caribe Sabrosura

MIDTOWN

NORTH MISSISSIPPI Ajax Diner Applebee’s Blue and White Bonne Terre Catfish Blues Chili’s City Grocery Colton’s Steakhouse Como Steakhouse Corky’s Fox & Hound

Huey’s Lee’s Family Restaurant Logan’s Roadhouse Lost Pizza McEwen’s Dan McGuinness Pub Memphis Barbecue Company Memphis Pizza Cafe Mesquite Chop House Nagoya O’Charley’s Olive Garden Osaka Japanese Cuisine Outback Steakhouse Ravine STEAK by Melissa

PARKWAY VILLAGE/ FOX MEADOWS Blue Shoe Bar & Grill Leonard’s Jack Pirtle’s Chicken Three Little Pigs Bar-B-Q

POPLAR/I-240

Amerigo Benihana Blue Plate Cafe Brooklyn Bridge Capital Grille, The P.F. Chang’s Chipotle Exlines’ Best Pizza Fleming’s Frank Grisanti’s Happy Mexican Heritage Tavern & Kitchen Julles Posh Food Co. Mister B’s Olive Garden One & Only BBQ Owen Brennan’s Pyro’s Fire-Fresh Pizza Red Koi River Oaks Ruth’s Chris Salsa Seasons 52 Sekisui Wang’s Mandarin House

RALEIGH

Exline’s Best Pizza

SOUTH MEMPHIS Coletta’s The Four Way Interstate Bar-B-Q Jack Pirtle’s Chicken

SUMMER/BERCLAIR Bryant’s The Cottage Elwood’s Shack High Point Pizza La Taqueria Guadalupana Lotus Nagasaki Inn Orr Restaurant Pancho’s Panda Garden Queen of Sheba Tops Bar-B-Q

WEST MEMPHIS/ EASTERN ARK.

The Cupboard Pancho’s Sammy Hagar’s Red Rocker Bar & Grill

WHITEHAVEN Delta’s Kitchen Hong Kong Marlowe’s

WINCHESTER

Curry Bowl DWJ Korean Barbecue East End Grill Formosa Half Shell Happy Mexican Huey’s Logan’s Roadhouse Olive Garden Red Lobster Ruby Tuesday T.G.I. Friday’s Tops Bar-B-Q Tycoon

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CIT Y DINING LIST CIAO BABY—Specializing in Neapolitan-style pizza made in a wood-fired oven. Also serves house-made mozzarella, pasta, appetizers, and salads. 890 W. Poplar, Suite 1. 457-7457. L, D, X, $ CIAO BELLA—Among the Italian and Greek specialties are lasagna, seafood pasta, eggplant rolotini, gourmet pizzas, and vegetarian options. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. 565 Erin Dr., Erin Way Shopping Center. 205-2500. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$$ CITY GROCERY—Southern eclectic cuisine; shrimp and grits is a specialty. Closed for dinner Sunday. 152 Courthouse Square (Oxford, MS). 662-232-8080. L, D, SB, X, $$-$$$ COLETTA’S—Longtime eatery serves such specialties as homemade ravioli, lasagna, and pizza with barbecue or traditional toppings. 2850 Appling Rd. (Bartlett). 383-1122; 1063 S. Parkway E. 948-7652. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ CORKY’S—Popular barbecue emporium offers both wet and dry ribs, plus a full menu of other barbecue entrees. Wed. lunch buffets, Cordova and Collierville. 5259 Poplar. 685-9744; 1740 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 737-1911; 743 W. Poplar (Collierville). 405-4999; 6434 Goodman Rd., Olive Branch. 662-893-3663. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ COZY CORNER—Serving up ribs, pork sandwiches, chicken, spaghetti, and more; also homemade banana pudding. Closed Sun.Mon. 7 35 N. Parkway. 527-9158. L, D, $ THE CRAZY NOODLE—Korean noodle dishes range from bibam beef noodle with cabbage, carrots, and other vegetables, to curry chicken noodle; also rice cakes served in a flavorful sauce. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. 2015 Madison. 272-0928. L, D, X, $ CURRY BOWL— Specializes in Southern Indian cuisine, serving Tandoori chicken, biryani, tikka masala, and more. Weekend buffet. 4141 Hacks Cross. 207-6051. L, D, $ DEJAVU—Serves Creole, soul, and vegetarian cuisine, including po-boys, jambalaya, and shrimp and grits. 51 S. Main. 505-0212. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ DELTA’S KITCHEN—The premier restaurant at The Guest House at Graceland serves Elvis-inspired dishes — like Nutella and Peanut Butter Crepes for breakfast — and upscale Southern cuisine — including lamb chops and shrimp and grits — for dinner. 3600 Elvis Presley Blvd. 443-3000. B, D, X, $-$$$ DERAE RESTAURANT—Ethiopian and Mediterranean fare includes fuul, or fava beans in spices and yoghurt, goat meat and rice, and garlic chicken over basmati rice with cilantro chutney; also salmon and tilapia. Closed Monday. 923 S. Highland. 552-3992. B, L, D, $-$$ DIRTY CROW INN—Serving elevated bar food, including poutine fries, fried catfish, and the Chicken Debris, a sandwich with smoked chicken, melted cheddar, and gravy. 855 Kentucky. 2075111. L, D, $ DWJ KOREAN BARBECUE—This authentic Korean eatery serves kimbap, barbecued beef short ribs, rice and noodles dishes, and hot pots and stews. 3750 Hacks Cross, Suite 101. 746-8057; 2156 Young. 207-6204. L, D, $-$$ ECCO—Mediterranean-inspired specialties range from rib-eye steak to seared scallops to housemade pastas and a grilled vegetable plate; also a Saturday brunch. Closed Sun.-Mon. 1585 Overton Park. 410-8200. L, D, X, $-$$ EIGHTY3—Contemporary menu of steaks and seafood offers a variety of eclectic specialties; also weekly specials, small plates, appetizers, and patio dining. 83 Madison Ave. 333-1224. B, L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ EL MEZCAL—Serves burritos, chimichangas, fajitas, and other Mexican cuisine, as well as shrimp dinners and steak. 402 Perkins Extd. 761-7710; 694 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 755-1447; 1492 Union. 274-4264; 11615 Airline Rd. (Arlington). 867-1883; 9045 Highway 64 (Lakeland). 383-4219; 7164 Hacks Cross Rd. (Olive Branch). 662-890-3337; 8834 Hwy. 51 N. (Millington). 872-3220; 7424 Highway 64 (Bartlett). 417-6026; 9947 Wolf River (Collierville) 853-7922. L, D, X, $ EL PORTON—Fajitas, quesadillas, and steak ranchero are just a few of the menu items. 2095 Merchants Row (Germantown). 754-4268; 8361 Highway 64. 380-7877; 3448 Poplar, Poplar Plaza. 452-7330; 1805 N. Germantown Parkway (Cordova). 624-9358; 1016 W. Poplar (Collierville). 854-5770. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ EMERALD THAI RESTAURANT—Spicy shrimp, pad khing, lemon grass chicken, and several noodle, rice, and vegetarian dishes are offered at this family restaurant. Closed Sunday. 8950 Highway 64 (Lakeland). 384-0540. L, D X, $-$$ ERLING JENSEN—Presents “globally inspired” cuisine: specialties are rack of lamb, big game entrees,and fresh fish dishes. 1044 S. Yates. 763-3700. D, X, MRA, $$-$$$ EVELYN & OLIVE—Jamaican/Southern fusion cuisine includes such dishes as Kingston stew fish, Rasta Pasta, and jerk rib-eye. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun.-Mon. 630 Madison. 7485422. L, D, X, $ EXLINES’ BEST PIZZA—Serves pizza, Italian dinners, sandwiches, and salads. 2935 Austin Peay. 388-4711; 6250 Stage Rd. (Bartlett). 382-3433; 2801 Kirby Parkway. 754-0202; 7730 Wolf River Blvd. (Germantown). 753-4545; 531 W. Stateline Rd.

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CIT Y DINING LIST

662-342-4544 (check online for additional locations). L, D, X, MRA, $ THE FARMER—Serving upscale Southern cuisine, with a focus on locally grown ingredients. Among the specialties are smoked beef tenderloin and shrimp and grits. Closed for dinner Sun.-Mon. 3092 Poplar #11. 324-2221. L, D, X, $-$$ FELICIA SUZANNE’S—Southern cuisine with low-country, Creole, and Delta influences, using regional fresh seafood, local beef, and locally grown foods. Entrees include shrimp and grits. Closed Sun. and Mon. Brinkley Plaza, 80 Monroe, Suite L1. 523-0877. L (Fri. only), D, X, MRA, $$-$$$ FERRARO’S PIZZERIA & PUB—Rigatoni and tortellini are among the pasta entrees here, along with pizzas (whole or by the slice), with a variety of toppings. 111 Jackson. 522-2033. L, D, X, $ FIREBIRDS—Specialties are hand-cut steaks, slow-roasted prime rib, and wood-grilled salmon and other seafood, as well as seasonal entrees. 8470 Highway 64 (Bartlett). 379-1300; 4600 Merchants Circle, Carriage Crossing (Collierville). 850-1637. L, D, X, $-$$$ THE FIVE SPOT—Tucked behind Earnestine & Hazel’s, this popular eatery features innovative bar food by chef Kelly English. 531 S. Main. 523-9754. D, X, $-$$ FLEMING’S PRIME STEAKHOUSE—Serves wet-aged and dry-aged steaks, prime beef, chops, and seafood, including salmon, Australian lobster tails, and a catch of the day. 6245 Poplar. 7616200. D, X, MRA, $$$-$$$$ FLIGHT RESTAURANT & WINE BAR—Serves steaks and seafood, along with such specialties as pork ribeye and roasted duck, all matched with appropriate wines; also gourmet plate lunches. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. 39 S. Main. 521-8005. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$$ FLYING FISH—Serves up fried and grilled versions of shrimp, crab, oysters, fish tacos, and catfish; also chicken and burgers. 105 S. Second. 522-8228. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ FOLK’S FOLLY ORIGINAL PRIME STEAK HOUSE— Specializes in prime steaks, as well as lobster, grilled Scottish salmon, Alaskan king crab legs, rack of lamb, and weekly specials. 551 S. Mendenhall. 762-8200. D, X, MRA, $$$-$$$$ FORMOSA—Offers Mandarin cuisine, including broccoli beef, hot-and-sour soup, and spring rolls. Closed Monday. 6685 Quince. 753-9898. L, D, X, $-$$ THE FOUR WAY—Legendary soul-food establishment dishing up such entrees as fried and baked catfish, chicken, and turkey and dressing, along with a host of vegetables and desserts. Closed Monday. 998 Mississippi Blvd. 507-1519. L, D (call to check hours.), $ FOX RIDGE PIZZA—Pizzas, calzones, subs, burgers, and meatand-two plate lunches are among the dishes served at this eatery. 1769 N. Germantown Pkwy. 758-6500. L, D, X, $ FRATELLI’S—Serves hot and cold sandwiches, salads, soups, and desserts, all with an Italian/Mediterranean flair. Closed Sunday. 750 Cherry Rd., Memphis Botanic Garden. 766-9900. L, X, $ FRIDA’S—Mexican cuisine and Tex-Mex standards, including chimichangas, enchiladas, and fajitas; seafood includes shrimp and tilapia. 1718 Madison. 244-6196. L, D, X, $-$$ FUEL CAFE—Focus is on natural dishes with such specialties as bison burgers, quinoa chili, and tacos; also vegan and gluten-free options. Closed Sun.-Mon. 1761 Madison. 725-9025. L, D, X, $-$$ GERMANTOWN COMMISSARY—Serves barbecue sandwiches, sliders, ribs, shrimp, and nachos, as well as smoked barbecued bologna sandwiches; Mon.-night all-you-can-eat ribs. 2290 S. Germantown Rd. S. (Germantown). 754-5540. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ GOLDEN INDIA—Northern Indian specialties include tandoori chicken as well as lamb, beef, shrimp, and vegetarian dishes. 2097 Madison. 728-5111. L, D, X, $-$$

T UNICA TA BLES CHICAGO STEAKHOUSE AT THE GOLDSTRIKE—1010 Casino Center Dr., Robinsonville, MS, 1-888-24KSTAY /662-357-1225. FAIRBANKS AT THE HOLLYWOOD—1150 Casino Strip Blvd., Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-871-0711 JACK BINION’S STEAK HOUSE AT HORSESHOE—1021 Casino Center Drive, Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-303-SHOE. LUCKY 8 ASIAN BISTRO AT HORSESHOE—1021 Casino Center Drive, Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-303-SHOE. THE STEAKHOUSE AT THE FITZ —711 Lucky Ln., Robinsonville, MS, 1-888-766-LUCK, ext 8213. GREEN BAMBOO—Pineapple tilapia, pork vermicelli, and the soft egg noodle combo are Vietnamese specialties here. 990 N. Germantown Parkway, #104 (Cordova). 753-5488. L, D, $-$$ GRIDLEY’S—Offers barbecued ribs, shrimp, pork plate, chicken, and hot tamales; also daily lunch specials. Closed Tues. 6842 Stage Rd. (Bartlett). 377-8055. L, D, X, $-$$ FRANK GRISANTI’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT— Northern Italian favorites include pasta with jumbo shrimp and mushrooms; also seafood, fillet mignon, and daily lunch specials. Closed for lunch Sunday. Embassy Suites Hotel, 1022 S. Shady Grove. 761-9462. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$$ RONNIE GRISANTI’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT—This Memphis institution serves some family classics such as Elfo’s Special and chicken ravioli, along with lighter fare and changing daily chef selection. Closed Sun. Sheffield Antiques Mall, 684 W. Poplar (Collierville). 850-0191. L (Mon.-Sat.), D (Thurs.-Sat.), X, $-$$$ THE GROVE GRILL—Offers steaks, chops, seafood, and other American cuisine with Southern and global influences; entrees include crab cakes, and shrimp and grits, also dinner specials. 4550 Poplar. 818-9951. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $$-$$$ GUS’S WORLD FAMOUS FRIED CHICKEN—Serves chicken with signature spicy batter, along with homemade beans, slaw, and pies. 310 S. Front. 527-4877; 215 S. Center St. (Collierville). 853-6005; 2965 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 373-9111; 730 S. Mendenhall. 767-2323; 505 Highway 70 W., Mason, TN. 901-294-2028. L, D, X, MRA, $ HALF SHELL—Specializes in seafood, such as King crab legs; also serves steaks, chicken, pastas, salads, sandwiches, a ”voodoo menu”; oyster bar at Winchester location. 688 S. Mendenhall. 682-3966; 7825 Winchester. 737-6755. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ HAPPY MEXICAN—Serves quesadillas, burritos, chimichangas, vegetable and seafood dishes, and more. 385 S. Second. 529-9991; 6080 Primacy Pkwy. 683-0000; 7935 Winchester. 751-5353. L, D, X, $ HAVANA’S PILON—Tiny eatery serving Cuban cuisine, including fried plantains in a pilon topped with shrimp, ropa vieja (shredded beef in tomato sauce), roasted pork, and a Cuban sandwich. Closed Sunday. 143 Madison. 527-2878; 3135 KirbyWhitten, Suite 108 (Bartlett). 512-6359. L, D, X, $ HERITAGE TAVERN & KITCHEN—Featuring classic cuisine from the country’s five regions, including lobster rolls, fried chicken, smoked tamales, Green Goddess shrimp, and more. 6150 Poplar, Regalia. 761-8855.L, D, WB, X, $-$$$ HIGH POINT PIZZA—Serves variety of pizzas, subs, salads, and sides. Closed Monday. 477 High Point Terrace. 452-3339. L, D, X, $-$$ HM DESSERT LOUNGE—Serving cake, pie, and other desserts, as well as a selection of savory dishes, including meatloaf and mashed potato “cupcakes.” Closed Sunday and Monday. 1586 Madison. 290-2099. L, D, X, $

COFFEEHOUSES/BOOKSTORE CAFES

In addition to gourmet coffees and drinks, these eateries generally serve pastries, sandwiches, soups, and salads, and some have a wider range of menu items. AVENUE COFFEE—786 Echles. 454-3348. BARNES & NOBLE BOOKSELLERS— 2774 N. Germantown Pkwy. 386-2468; 4610 Merchants Park Cl., #521 (Collierville). 853-3264. BELLA CAFFE—Pink Palace Museum, 3050 Central. 3206320; 50 N. Front, #200. 466-6455. BLUFF CITY COFFEE—505 S. Main. 405-4399. THE BOOKSELLERS AT LAURELWOOD— 387 Perkins Extd. 683-9801. CARITAS VILLAGE COFFEE SHOP— 2509 Harvard. 327-5246. CITY AND STATE—2625 Broad. 249-2406. JAVA CABANA—2170 Young. 272-7210.

MUDDY’S GRIND HOUSE—585 S. Cooper. 683-8844. OTHERLANDS—641 S. Cooper. 278-4994. MRA. QAHWA COFFEE BAR—Claridge House, 109 N. Main. 800-2227. SQUARE BEANS ESPRESSO + GELATO— 103 N. Center St. (Collierville). 854-8855. STARBUCKS—1850 Union Ave. 729-4288; 3388 Poplar. 320-1021; 5201 Poplar. 818-9954; 2955 Kirby Whitten (Bartlett), 266-2497; 180 Goodman Rd. E. (Southaven). 662-349-0342; 8140 Goodman Rd. (Olive Branch). 662-890-9507. For more listings, check online. SWEET CAKE SHOP—45 S. Main (upstairs from Maciel’s Tacos & Tortas). 526-0037. TAMP & TAP—122 Gayoso. 207-1053; 6070 Poplar, Suite 110. 421-5336. THE UGLY MUG—4610 Poplar. 552-3165.

CLUBS/PUBS/SPORTS BARS

From Beale Street night spots to neighborhood bars/grills, these places dish out a variety of food. Many offer live entertainment, and patrons can’t miss the large-screen TVs. ALEX’S TAVERN—1445 Jackson. 278-9086. ALFRED’S—197 Beale. 525-3711. MRA. B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB—143 Beale. 524-5464. MRA. BEALE STREET TAP ROOM—168 Beale. 576-2220. BELMONT GRILL—4970 Poplar. 767-0305; 9102 Poplar Pike (Germantown). 624-6001. MRA. BLIND BEAR SPEAKEASY—119 S. Main, Pembroke Square. 417-8435. MRA. BLUE MONKEY—2012 Madison. 272-2583; 513 S. Front. 5276665. BLUES CITY CAFE—138 Beale. 526-3637. MRA. BROOKHAVEN PUB & GRILL—695 W. Brookhaven Circle. 680-8118. MRA. BUFFALO WILD WINGS—3770 Hacks Cross Rd. 737-9463; 7188 Airways (Southaven). 662-349-7776; 8385 Highway 64. 3809294. DOUBLE J SMOKEHOUSE & SALOON—124 G.E. Patterson. 347-2648. EARNESTINE & HAZEL’S—531 S. Main. 523-9754. MRA. EAST END GRILL—7547 Highway 64. 937-1392; 7956 Winchester Rd. 432-4256. MRA. FLYING SAUCER DRAUGHT EMPORIUM—130 Peabody Place. 523-7468; 1400 Germantown Pkwy. 755-5530. MRA. FOX AND HOUND ENGLISH PUB & GRILL—847 Exocet Dr. 624-9060; 5101 Sanderlin Ave. 763-2013; 6565 Towne Center Crossing (Southaven). 662-536-2200. GREEN BEETLE—325 S. Main. 527-7337. MRA. HADLEY’S PUB—2779 Whitten Rd. 266-5006. HARD ROCK CAFE—126 Beale. 529-0007. HICKORY TAVERN—4600 Merchants Park Cir. 861-0196. HIGH POINT PUB—477 High Point Terrace. 452-9203. HUEY’S—1927 Madison. 726-4372; 1771 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 754-3885; 77 S. Second. 527-2700; 2130 W. Poplar (Collierville). 854-4455; 7090 Malco Blvd. (Southaven). 662-3497097; 7825 Winchester. 624-8911; 4872 Poplar. 682-7729; 7677 Farmington Blvd. (Germantown). 318-3030. MRA. JERRY LEE LEWIS’ CAFE & HONKY TONK—310 Beale. 654-5171. KING JERRY LAWLER’S HALL OF FAME BAR & GRILLE—159 Beale. 523-1940. KING’S PALACE CAFE—162 Beale. 521-1851. MRA. MAX’S SPORTS BAR—115 G.E. Patterson. 528-8367. MRA. MEMPHIS SPORTS PUB—5012 Park Ave. 767-8632. MIDTOWN CROSSING GRILLE—394 N. Watkins. 443-0502. MURPHY’S—1589 Madison. 726-4193. MRA. NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM—5727 Quince Rd. 682-2300. NEWBY’S—539 S. Highland. 730-0520. OLD ZINNIE’S—1688 Madison. 726-5004. PATRICK’S—4972 Park Ave. 682-2852. MRA. P & H CAFE—1532 Madison. 726-0906. PIG ON BEALE—167 Beale. 529-1544 ROCKHOUSELIVE—2586 Poplar. 324-6300. 5709 Raleigh LaGrange. 386-7222. R.P. TRACKS—3547 Walker. 327-1471. MRA. RUM BOOGIE CAFE—182 Beale. 528-0150. SAMMY HAGAR’S RED ROCKER BAR & GRILL— Southland Park, 1550 North Ingram Blvd. (West Memphis). 872-7353670. SILKY O’SULLIVAN’S—183 Beale. 522-9596. MRA. THE SILLY GOOSE—100 Peabody Place. 435-6915. THE SLIDER INN—2117 Peabody. 725-1155. SOUTH OF BEALE—361 S. Main. 526-0388. T J MULLIGAN’S—8071 Trinity Rd. (Cordova). 756-4480; 1817 Kirby Pkwy. (Germantown). 755-2481; 2821 N. Houston Levee Rd. 377-9997. UBEE’S—521 S. Highland. 323-0900. WESTY’S—346 N. Main. 543-3278. MRA. THE WINDJAMMER—786 E. Brookhaven Cl. 683-9044. MRA.

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CIT Y DINING LIST HOG & HOMINY—The casual sister to Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen serves brick-oven-baked pizzas, including the Red-Eye with pork belly, and small plates with everything from meatballs to beef and cheddar hot dogs; and local veggies. Closed for lunch Mon. 707 W. Brookhaven Cl. 207-7396. L, D, SB, X, $-$$$ HONG KONG—Cantonese and Mandarin standards are sweetand-sour chicken, and pepper beef. Closed Sunday. 3966 Elvis Presley. 396-0801. L, D, X, $ HOUSTON’S—Serves steaks, seafood, pork chops, chicken dishes, sandwiches, salads, and Chicago-style spinach dip. 5000 Poplar. 683-0915. L, D, X $-$$$ I LOVE JUICE BAR—Serving an extensive line of juices and grab-and-go lunch items. 553 S. Cooper. 612-2720. L, D, X, $ IMAGINE VEGAN CAFE—Dishes range from salads and sandwiches to full dinners, breakfast items served all day. 2158 Young. 654-3455. L, D, SB, X, $ INDIA PALACE—Tandoori chicken, lamb shish kabobs, chicken tikka masala are among the entrees; also, vegetarian options and a daily lunch buffet. 1720 Poplar. 278-1199. L, D, X, $-$$ INTERIM—Offers American-seasonal cuisine with emphasis on local foods and fresh fish; macaroni and cheese is a house specialty. Closed for lunch Sat. 5040 Sanderlin, Suite 105. 818-0821. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ INTERSTATE BAR-B-Q—Specialties include chopped porkshoulder sandwiches, ribs, hot wings, spaghetti, chicken, and turkey. 2265 S. Third. 775-2304; 150 W. Stateline Rd. (Southaven). 662-393-5699. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ ITTA BENA—Southern and Cajun-American cuisine served here; specialties are filet Oscar and shrimp and grits, along with steaks, chops, seafood, and pasta. 145 Beale St. 578-3031. D,X, MRA, $$-$$$  JASMINE THAI AND VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT—Entrees include panang chicken, green curry shrimp,and pad thai (noodles, shrimp, and peanuts); also vegetarian dishes. Closed Mon.-Tues. 916 S. Cooper. 725-0223. L, D, X, $ JIM ’N NICK’S BAR-B-Q—Serves barbecued pork, ribs, chicken, brisket, and fish, along with other homemade Southern specialties. 2 359 N. Germantown Pkwy. 388-0998. L, D, X, $-$$ JIM’S PLACE/JIM’S PLACE GRILLE—Features American, Greek, and Continental cuisine with such entrees as pork tenderloin, several seafood specialties, and hand-cut charcoal-grilled steaks. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. 518 Perkins Extd. 766-2030; 3660 Houston Levee (Collierville). 861-5000. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$$ JOE’S CRAB SHACK—Serves a variety of seafood, along with chicken, steak, and pasta. 7990 Horizon Center Blvd. 384-7478. L, D, X, $-$$$ JULLES POSH FOOD CO.—The changing menu features seasonal “cooking light” dishes such as salmon-shrimp cakes with green salad and roasted sweet potato wedges; also cold-pressed juices, to-go dishes, and desserts. 6300 Poplar. 509-8675. B, L, D, X, $-$$ THE KITCHEN BISTRO—Tomato soup, grilled fish, sticky toffee pudding, and dishes made using in-season fruits and veggies are served at this establishment at Shelby Farms Park. 415 Great View Drive E., Suite 101. 729-9009. L, D, X, $-$$ KOOKY CANUCK—Offers prime rib, catfish, and burgers, including the 4-lb. “Kookamonga”; also late-night menu. 87 S. Second. 578-9800; 1250 N. Germantown Pkwy. 1-8002453. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$$ LA BAGUETTE—An almond croissant and chicken salad are among specialties at this French-style bistro. Closed for dinner Sun. 3088 Poplar. 458-0900. B, L, D (closes at 7), X, MRA, $ LA PLAYITA MEXICANA—Specializes in seafood and Mexican entrees, including red snapper, tilapia, oysters, chimichangas, tostadas, and taco salad. 6194 Macon (Bartlett). 377-2282. L, D, X, $-$$ LA TAQUERIA GUADALUPANA—Fajitas and quesadillas are just a few of the authentic Mexican entrees offered here. 4818 Summer. 685-6857; 5848 Winchester. 365-4992. L, D, $ LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM—Serves such Southern cuisine as po boys and shrimp and grits, and wood-fired pizzas; also live music. 2119 Madison. 207-5097. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ LAS DELICIAS—Popular for its guacamole, house-made tortilla chips, and margaritas, this restaurant draws diners with its chicken enchiladas, meat-stuffed flautas, and Cuban torta with spicy pork. Closed Sunday. 4002 Park Ave. 458-9264; 5689 Quince. 8002873. L, D, X, $ LAS TORTUGAS DELI MEXICANA—Authentic Mexican food prepared from local food sources; specializes in tortugas — grilled bread scooped out to hold such fillings as brisket, pork, and shrimp; also tingas tostados and such sides as steamed corn. Closed Sunday. 1215 S. Germantown Rd. 751-1200. L, D, X, $-$$ LBOE—Gourmet burger joint serves locally sourced ground beef burgers, with options like the Mac-N-Cheese Burger and Caprese. Black bean and turkey patties available. 2021 Madison. 725-0770. L, D, X, $

LEONARD’S—Serves wet and dry ribs, barbecue sandwiches, spaghetti, catfish, homemade onion rings. and lemon icebox pie; also a lunch buffet. 5465 Fox Plaza. 360-1963. L, X, MRA, $-$$ LISA’S LUNCHBOX—Serving bagels, sandwiches, salads, and wraps. 5030 Poplar, 761-4044; 5885 Ridgeway Center Pkwy., Suite 101. 767-6465; 2659 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Suite 1200; 2525 Central (Children’s Museum). B, L, $ LITTLE ITALY—Serving New York-style pizza as well as subs and pasta dishes. 1495 Union. 725-0280, L, D, X, $-$$ THE LITTLE TEA SHOP—Downtown institution serves up Southern comfort cooking, including meatloaf and such veggies as turnip greens, yams, okra, and tomatoes. Closed Sat.-Sun. 69 Monroe. 525-6000, L, X, $ LOCAL GASTROPUB—Entrees with a focus on locally grown products include lobster mac-and-cheese and pork osso bucco. 95 S. Main. 473-9573; 2126 Madison. 725-1845. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ LOFLIN YARD—Beer garden and barbecue restaurant with barbecue and vegetarian fare cooked on a custom-made grill. 7 W. Carolina. 249-3046. L (Sat. and Sun.), D, $-$$ THE LOOKOUT AT THE PYRAMID—Serves Southern fare, including catfish tacos and crawfish tails. 1 Bass Pro Dr. 6204600/291-8200. L, D, X $-$$$ LOS COMPADRES—Serves enchiladas, burritos, tamales, tacos, and vegetarian dishes; also Cuban entrees. 3295 Poplar. 458-5731. L, D, X, $-$$ LOST PIZZA—Offering pizzas (with dough made from scratch), pasta, salads, sandwiches, tamales, and more. 2855 Poplar. 5721803; 5960 Getwell, Southaven. 662-892-8684. L, D, X, $-$$ LOTUS—Authentic Vietnamese-Asian fare, including lemon-grass chicken and shrimp, egg rolls, Pho soup, and spicy Vietnamese vermicelli. 4970 Summer. 682-1151. D, X, $ LYFE KITCHEN—Serving healthy, affordable wraps, bowls, sandwiches, and more; entrees include roasted salmon and “unfried” chicken. 6201 Poplar. 684-5333; 272 S. Main. 526-0254. B, L, D, WB, X, $ LYNCHBURG LEGENDS—This restaurant with a Jack Daniels’ theme and Southern cuisine serves such entrees as Bourbon Street salmon, buttermilk-fried chicken, and grilled steak and wild mushroom salad. DoubleTree Hotel, 5069 Sanderlin. 969-7777. B, L, D, X, MRA, $- $$$ MACIEL’S TORTAS & TACOS—Entrees include tortas, hefty Mexican sandwiches filled with choice of chicken, pork, or steak. Also serving fried taco plates, quesadillas, chorizo and pastor soft tacos, salads, and more. Closed Sun. 4 5 S. Main. 526-0037. L, D, X, $ THE MAJESTIC GRILLE—Housed in a former silent-picture house, features aged steaks, fresh seafood, and such specialties as roasted chicken and grilled pork tenderloin; offers a pre-theatre menu and classic cocktails. 145 S. Main. 522-8555. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ MANILA FILIPINO RESTAURANT—Entrees include pork belly cutlet with lechon sauce, and shrimp and vegetables in tamarind broth; also daily combos, rice dishes, and chef specials. 7 849 Rockford (Millington). 209-8525. L, D, X, $ MARCIANO MEDITERRANEAN AND ITALIAN CUISINE—Rack of lamb with roasted potatoes and demi-glace is among the entrees; also steaks, seafood, and gourmet pizza. 780 Brookhaven Cl. 682-1660. D, X, $-$$  MARDI GRAS MEMPHIS—Serving Cajun fare, including an etouffee-stuffed po’boy. 496 Watkins. 530-6767. L, D, X, $-$$ MARLOWE’S—In addition to its signature barbecue and ribs, Marlowe’s serves Southern-style steaks, chops, lasagne, and more. 4381 Elvis Presley Blvd. 332-4159. D, X, MRA, $-$$ MAXIMO’S ON BROAD—Serving a tapas menu that features creative fusion cuisine. Closed Mon. and Tues. 2617 Broad Ave. 452-1111. L, D, SB, X, $-$$ MAYURI INDIAN CUISINE—Serves tandoori chicken, masala dosa, tikka masala, as well as lamb and shrimp entrees; also a daily lunch buffet, and dinner buffet on Fri.-Sat. 6524 Quince Rd. 753-8755. L, D, X, $-$$ MCEWEN’S ON MONROE—Southern/American cuisine with international flavors; specialties include steak and seafood, sweet potato-crusted catfish with macaroni and cheese, and more. Closed Sun., Monroe location. 120 Monroe. 527-7085; 1110 Van Buren (Oxford). 662-234-7003. L, D, SB (Oxford only), X, MRA, $$-$$$ DAN MCGUINNESS PUB—Serves fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, burgers, and other Irish and American fare; also lunch and dinner specials. 4694 Spottswood. 761-3711; 3964 Goodman Rd. 662890-7611. L, D, X, $ MEDALLION—Offers steaks, seafood, chicken, and pasta entrees. Closed for dinner Sunday. 3700 Central, Holiday Inn (Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality). 678-1030. B, L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ MELLOW MUSHROOM—Large menu includes assortment of pizzas, salads, calzones, hoagies, vegetarian options, and 50 beers on tap. 9155 Poplar, Shops of Forest Hill (Germantown). 907-0243; 5138 Park Ave. 562-1211. L, D, X, $-$$

Winter’s Tale Franz Schubert’s “Winterreise” (Winter’s Journey), has been called the world’s most famous and challenging song cycle. Baritone Kyle Ferrill and pianist Kate Boyd will bring to life the 24 songs that make up this legendary masterpiece, just as Schubert intended, for an intimate gathering on a winter’s afternoon. JOIN US

sunday January 29, 2017 3pm

AN NESDALE M ANSION 13 25 L A M A R AV E N U E MEMPHIS, TN 38104

for ticket information and directions call 901.758.0150

Every

HERO needs a

mentor, every mentor needs a GUIDE. memphisparent.com J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 93

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CIT Y DINING LIST CASUAL DINING

These establishments offer American cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere. While some serve ethnic entrees, the emphasis is on steaks, salads, sandwiches, pasta, fish and seafood. Also some soul-food and homestyle cooking. J. ALEXANDER’S—2670 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 381-9670. APPLEBEE’S—2114 Union Ave. 725-7136; 2890 Bartlett Blvd. (Bartlett). 213-5034; 710 DeSoto Cove (Horn Lake, MS). 662-7725914; 7515 Goodman Rd. (Olive Branch, MS). 662-893-7555. AJAX DINER—118 Courthouse Sq., Oxford, MS. 662-232-8880. BELLY ACRES—2102 Trimble Pl, 5297017. BLUE AND WHITE RESTAURANT—1355 U.S. 61 N., Tunica, MS. 662-363-1371. BLUE PLATE CAFE—5469 Poplar. 761-9696; 113 S. Court. 523-2050. BLUE SHOE BAR & GRILL—Hotel Memphis, 2625 Thousand Oaks Blvd. 362-6200. CAJUN CATFISH COMPANY—336 New Byhalia Rd. Collierville. 861-0122. MRA. CHEDDAR’S—2147 N. Germantown Pkwy. 380-1119. THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY—2760 N. Germantown Pkwy, Suite 193 (Wolfchase). 937-1613. CHILI’S—7810 Poplar (Germantown). 756-5203; 4609 Poplar. 685-2257; 8100 Giacosa Pl. 372-3132; 287 W. Goodman Rd.

(Southaven). 662-349-7002; 237 Market Blvd. (Collierville). 853-7520; 1260 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 756-7771; 8526 Highway 51 (Millington). 872-0555. COLTON’S STEAKHOUSE—8030 Highway 64 (Bartlett). 383-8445; 8051 Goodman Rd. (Olive Branch). 662-890-4142. COMO STEAKHOUSE—203 Main St. Como, MS. 662-526-9529. THE COVE—2559 Broad Ave. 730-0719. THE CUPBOARD—1400 Union. 276-8015. MRA. ELWOOD’S SHACK—4523 Summer. 761-9898. MRA. T.G.I. FRIDAY’S—185 Union, Double Tree Hotel. 523-8500; 176 E. Goodman Rd. (Southaven). 662-349-4223; 7733 Winchester Rd. 752-1369; 8325 Highway 64. 372-2539. KEM’S RESTAURANT—2751 New Brunswick Rd., Holiday Inn & Suites. 2661952. LOGAN’S ROADHOUSE—2710 N. Germantown Parkway. 381-5254; 5901 Poplar. 684-2272; 7755 Winchester Rd. 759-1430; 6685 Airways Blvd. (Southaven). 662-772-5015. MAC’S BURGERS—4698 Spottswood. 512-4604. MIDTOWN CROSSING GRILLE—394 N. Watkins. 443-0502. O’CHARLEY’S—6045 Stage Rd., #74 (Bartlett). 373-5602; 1040 N. Germantown Pkw. 754-6201; 357 W. Goodman Rd. (Southaven). 662-349-6663; 656 W. Poplar (Collierville). 861-5811. THE OLIVE GARDEN—7778 Winchester. 624-2003; 8405 Highway 64,

MEMPHIS BARBECUE COMPANY—Offers spare ribs, baby backs, and pulled pork and brisket, along with such sides as mac and cheese, grits, and red beans. 709 Desoto Cove (Horn Lake, MS). 662-536-3762. L, D, X, $-$$ MEMPHIS LIGHTHOUSE—Chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, and oxtails are among the dishes served at this soul food/Cajun restaurant in Court Square. Closed Sat. and Sun. 60 N. Main. 3105711. L, D, X, $-$$ MEMPHIS PIZZA CAFE—Homemade pizzas are specialties; also serves sandwiches, calzones, and salads. 2087 Madison. 7265343; 5061 Park Ave. 684-1306; 7604 W. Farmington (Germantown). 753-2218; 797 W. Poplar (Collierville). 861-7800; 5627 Getwell (Southaven). 662-536-1364. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ MEMPOPS—Specializes in handcrafted popsicles. Cream and fruit pop flavors include Mexican Chocolate and Hibiscus Lemonade; menu changes. 1243 Ridgeway. 421-5985. L, D, X, $ MESQUITE CHOP HOUSE—The focus here is on steaks, including prime fillet, rib eyes, and prime-aged New York strip; also, some seafood options. 5960 Getwell (Southaven). 662-890-2467; 88 Union. 527-5337; 3165 Forest Hill-Irene (Germantown). 249-5661. D, SB (Germantown), X, $$-$$$ MISTER B’S—Features New Orleans-style seafood and steaks. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. and Mon. 6655 Poplar, #107. 751-5262. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$$ MOLLIE FONTAINE LOUNGE—Specializes in tapas (small plates) featuring global cuisine. Closed Sun.-Tues. 679 Adams Ave. 524-1886. D, X, $ MOLLY’S LA CASITA—Homemade tamales, fish tacos, a vegetarian combo, and bacon-wrapped shrimp are a few of the specialties. 2006 Madison. 726-1873. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ MORTIMER’S—Contemporary American entrees include trout almondine, several chicken dishes, and hand-cut steaks; also sandwiches, salads, and daily/nightly specials. Closed for lunch Sat.Sun. 590 N. Perkins. 761-9321. L, D, X, $-$$ MOSA ASIAN BISTRO—Specialties include sesame chicken, Thai calamari, rainbow panang curry with grouper fish, and other Pan Asian/fusion entrees. 850 S. White Station Rd. 683-8889. L, D, X, MRA, $ MULAN—Hunan Chicken, tofu dishes, and orange beef served here; some sushi, too. 2059 Houston Levee (Collierville). 8505288; 2149 Young. 347-3965. L, D, X, $-$$

Wolfchase Galleria. 377-3437; 6615 Airways (Southaven). 662-536-3350; 5679 Poplar, #1. 761-5711. OSHI BURGER BAR—94 s. Main. 341-2091. OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE— 1110 N. Germantown Parkway. 751-9800; 2255 Union Ave. 728-5100; 125 W. Goodman Rd. (Southaven). 662-349-7488. MRA. RAFFERTY’S—4542 Poplar. 374-0096; 505 N. Germantown Pkwy. 755-4799. RUBY TUESDAY—1653 Sycamore View. 382-9280;7535 Winchester. 7556570. SIDECAR CAFE—2194 Whitten. 388-0285. MRA. SIDE STREET GRILL—31 Florence. 274-8955. MRA. SILVER CABOOSE—132 E. Mulberry (Collierville). 853-0010. SKIMO’S—1166 N. Houston Levee, #107 (Cordova). 756-5055. MRA. SOUL FISH CAFE—862 S. Cooper. 725-0722; 3160 Village Shops Dr. (Germantown). 755-6988; 4720 Poplar. 590-0323. MRA. SPAGHETTI WAREHOUSE—40 W. Huling. 521-0907. STONEY RIVER—7515 Poplar. 2071100. TUG’S—River Inn, 51 Harbor Town Square. 260-3344. MRA. VINEGAR JIM’S—12062 Forrest (Arlington). 867-7568. WOLF RIVER CAFE—460 U.S. 194 (Rossville). 853-2586.

NAGASAKI INN—Chicken, steak, and lobster are among the main courses; meal is cooked at your table. 3951 Summer. 4540320. D, X, $$ NAGOYA—Offers traditional Japanese cuisine and sushi bar; specialties are teriyaki and tempura dishes. 7075 Malco Blvd., Suite 101 (Southaven). 662-349-8788. L, D, X, $-$$$  NAM KING—Offers luncheon and dinner buffets, dim sum, and such specialties as fried dumplings, pepper steak, and orange chicken. 4594 Yale. 373-4411. L, D, X, $  NAPA CAFE—Among the specialties is miso-marinated salmon over black rice with garlic spinach and shiitake mushrooms. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. 5101 Sanderlin, Suite 122. 683-0441. L, D, X, MRA, $$-$$$ NEW ASIA—Specializing in authentic Chinese food, including roast Peking duck. 2075 Exeter, Suite 90. 758-8388. L, D, X, $ NEW HUNAN—Chinese eatery with more than 80 entrees;also lunch/dinner buffets. 5052 Park. 766-1622. L, D, X, $ THE OFFICE@UPTOWN—Offering sandwiches, wraps, pizza, soups, salads, and several vegetarian options. Closed Sunday. 594 N. Second St. 522-1905. B, L, D, X, $ OLD VENICE PIZZA CO.—Specializes in “eclectic Italian,” from pastas, including the “Godfather,” to hand-tossed pizzas, including the “John Wayne”; choose from 60 toppings. 368 Perkins Ext. 767-6872. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$ ON THE BORDER—Dishes out such Tex-Mex specialties as fajitas and Southwest chicken tacos; also fresh grilled seafood specials. 8101 Giacosa Pl. (Cordova).881-0808; 6572 Airways (Southaven). 662655-4750. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $ ONE & ONLY BBQ—On the menu are pork barbecue sandwiches, platters, wet and dry ribs, smoked chicken and turkey platters, a smoked meat salad, barbecue quesadillas, and more. 1779 Kirby Pkwy. 751-3615; 567 Perkins Extd. 249-4227. L, D, X, MRA, $ ONIX RESTAURANT—Serves seafood dishes, including barbecued shrimp and pecan-crusted trout, and a variety of salads and sandwiches. Closed Sun. 1680 Madison. 552-4609. L, D, X, $-$$ ORR RESTAURANT—Serves Mediterranean/African cuisine, such as lamb Kowzi flavored with raisins and roasted nuts and served with white bean soup. 6 61 N. Mendenhall, Suite 101. 275-8692. L, D, X, $-$$ OSAKA JAPANESE CUISINE—Featuring an extensive sushi menu as well as traditional Japanese and hibachi dining. Hours vary

for lunch; call. 3670 Houston Levee (Collierville). 861-4309; 3402 Poplar. 249-4690; 7164 Hacks Cross. 662-890-9312; 2200 N. Germantown Pkwy. 425-4901. L, D, X, $-$$$ OWEN BRENNAN’S—New Orleans-style menu of beef, chicken, pasta, and seafood; jambalaya, shrimp and grits, and crawfish etouffee are specialties. Closed for dinner Sunday. The Regalia, 6150 Poplar. 761-0990. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ PANCHO’S—Serves up a variety of Mexican standards, including tacos, enchiladas, and mix-and-match platters; also lunch specials. 3600 E. Broadway (West Memphis). 870-735-6466. 717 N. White Station. 685-5404. L, D, X, MRA, $ PANDA GARDEN—Sesame chicken and broccoli beef are among the Mandarin and Cantonese entrees; also seafood specials and fried rice. Closed for lunch Saturday. 3735 Summer. 323-4819. L, D, X, $-$$ PARK + CHERRY—Partnering with chefs Wally Joe and Andrew Adams of Acre Restaurant, the Dixon offers casual dining within the museum. Menu features sandwiches, like truffled pimento cheese, as well as salads, snacks, and sweets. Closed Monday. 4 339 Park (Dixon Gallery). 761-5250. L, X, $ THE PASTA MAKER—This Italian eatery specializes in artisanal pasta. Entrees include Spaghetti allo scoglio, Penne Boscaiola, and Fusilli Primavera. Gluten-free options available. Restaurant closed Sunday (cooking classes by reservation). 2095 Exeter, Suite 30 (Germantown). 779-3928. L, D, X, $-$$ PAULETTE’S—Presents fine dining with a Continental flair, including such entrees as filet Paulette with butter-pepper cream sauce and popovers with strawberry butter; also changing daily specials. R iver Inn. 50 Harbor Town Square. 260-3300. B, L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ PEABODY POINT CAFE—Serves dinner salads, paninis, and pasta. Entrees include lasagna and build-your-own pasta dishes with choice of noodles and sauce. 2 43 Cooper. 722-2700. D, X, $ PEARL’S OYSTER HOUSE—Downtown eatery serving seafood, including oysters, crawfish, and stuffed butterfly shrimp, as well as beef, chicken, and pasta dishes. 299 S. Main. 522-9070. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ PEI WEI ASIAN DINER—Serves a variety of Pan-Asian cuisine, including Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Thai. Noodle and rice bowls are specialties; a small plates menu also offered. 1680 Union Ave., #109. 722-3780; 2257 N. Germantown Pkwy. 3821822. L, D, X, $-$$  PETE & SAM’S—Serving Memphis for 60-plus years; offers steaks, seafood, and traditional Italian dishes, including homemade ravioli, lasagna, and chicken marsala. 3886 Park. 458-0694. D, X, $-$$$ PETRA CAFÉ—Serves Greek, Italian, and Middle Eastern sandwiches, gyros, and entrees. Hours vary; call. 6641 Poplar (Germantown). 754-4440; 9155 Poplar (Germantown). 7555440. L, D, X, $-$$ PF CHANG’S CHINA BISTRO—Specialties are orange peel shrimp, Mongolian beef, and chicken in lettuce wraps; also vegetarian dishes, including spicy eggplant. 1181 Ridgeway Rd., Park Place Centre. 818-3889. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ PHO BINH—Vietnamese, vegetarian, and Cantonese specialties include lemon tofu and spring rolls. Closed Sunday. 1615 Madison. 276-0006. L, D, $ PHO SAIGON—Vietnamese fare includes beef teriyaki, roasted quail, curry ginger chicken, vegetarian options, and a variety of soups. 2946 Poplar. 458-1644. L, D, $ PIG-N-WHISTLE—Offers pork shoulder sandwiches, wet and dry ribs, catfish, nachos, and stuffed barbecue potatoes. 6084 Kerr-Rosemark Rd. (Millington). 872-2455. L, D, X, $ PORCELLINO’S CRAFT BUTCHER—Small plates, charcuterie selections, specialty steaks, house-made pastries, and innovative teas and coffees are offered at this combination butcher shop and restaurant featuring locally sourced menu items. 711 W. Brookhaven Cl. 762-6656. B, L, D, X $-$$ PRESENTATION ROOM, THE—American bistro run by the students of L’Ecole Culinaire. Menu changes regularly; specialties may include such items as a filet with truffle mushroom ragu. Closed Fri.-Sun. 1245 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 754-7115. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ PYRO’S FIRE-FRESH PIZZA—Serving gourmet pizzas cooked in an open-fire oven; wide choice of toppings; large local and craft beer selection. 1 199 Ridgeway. 379-8294; 2035 Union Ave. 208-8857; 2286 N. Germantown Pkwy. 207-1198. B, L, D, X, MRA, $ QUEEN OF SHEBA—Featuring Middle Eastern favorites and Yemeni dishes such as lamb haneeth and saltah. 4792 Summer. 207-4174. L, D, $ RAVINE—Serves contemporary Southern cuisine with an emphasis on fresh, locally grown foods and a menu that changes weekly. Closed Mon.-Tues. 5 3 Pea Ridge/County Rd. 321 (Oxford, MS). 662-2344555. D, SB, X, $$-$$$ RAY’Z WORLD FAMOUS DR. BAR-B-QUE—Serves dry-roasted barbecue, pulled or chopped pork, beef brisket, ribs, salads, and more. Closed Mon. 302 S. Main. 527-9026. L, D, X, $

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CIT Y DINING LIST RED KOI—Classic Japanese cuisine offered at this family-run restaurant; hibachi steaks, sushi, seafood, chicken, and vegetables. 5847 Poplar. 767-3456. L, D, X $-$$ RED LOBSTER—Specializes in crab legs, lobster, and shrimp dishes; also pastas, salads, steaks, and chicken. 8161 Highway 64 (Cordova). 387-0056; 6535 Airways (Southaven). 662-536-1960; 7750 Winchester. 759-9045. L, D, X, $-$$ RENDEZVOUS, CHARLES VERGOS’—Menu items include barbecued ribs, cheese plates, skillet shrimp, red beans and rice, and Greek salads. Closed Sun.-Mon. 52 S. Second. 523-2746. L (Fri.-Sat.), D, X, MRA, $-$$ RESTAURANT IRIS—French Creole cuisine includes shrimp and delta-grind grits, and New York strip stuffed with fried oysters and blue cheese. Closed Sun. 2146 Monroe. 590-2828. D, X, MRA, $$-$$$ RIVER OAKS—A French-style bistro serving seafood and steaks, with an emphasis on fresh local ingredients. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. 5871 Poplar Ave. 683-9305. L, D, X, MRA, $$$ RIVERFRONT BAR & GRILL—Beale Street Landing eatery serves Southern American specialties, including Tom Lee Catfish, and Tennessee Caviar, a fresh veggie salsa of black-eyed peas and cilantro with pimento cheese and toast points; also sausage-cheese appetizer. Closed Monday. 251 Riverside Dr. 524-0817. L, D, X, $ RIZZO’S DINER—Chorizo meatloaf, lobster pronto puff, and brisket are menu items at this upscale diner, Closed for dinner Sun. and all day Mon. 492 S. Main. 304-6985. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ ROBATA RAMEN & YAKITORI BAR—Serves ramen noodle bowls and Yakitori skewers as well as rice and noodle dishes, and sake. 2116 Madison. 410-8290. D, WB, X, $ ROCK’N DOUGH PIZZA CO.—Specialty and custom pizzas made from fresh ingredients; wide variety of toppings. 3445 Poplar Ave., Ste. 1. 512-6760; 7850 Poplar, #6 (Germantown). 7792008. L, D, SB, X, $$ ROMANO’S MACARONI GRILL—Serves MediterraneanItalian cuisine, including hand-crafted pasta Milano and penne rustica, and create-your-own pasta; also steaks, seafood, and salads. 2859 N. Germantown Pk wy. (Cordova). 266-4565. L, D, X, $-$$ ROYAL PANDA—Hunan fish, Peking duck, Royal Panda chicken and shrimp, and a seafood combo are among the specialties. 3120 Village Shops Dr. (Germantown). 756-9697. L, D, X, $-$$ RUSSO’S NEW YORK PIZZERIA AND WINE BAR— Serves gourmet pizzas, calzones, and pasta, including lasagna, fettuccine Alfredo, scampi, and more. 9087 Poplar, Suite 111. 7550092. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE—Offers prime steaks cut and aged in-house, as well as lamb, chicken, and fresh seafood, including lobster. 6120 Poplar. 761-0055. D, X, MRA, $$$-$$$$ SABOR CARIBE—Serving up “Caribbean flavors” with dishes from Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. Closed Sunday. 662 Madison. 949-8100. L, D, X, $ SABROSURA—Serves Mexican and Cuban fare, including arroz tapada de pollo and steak Mexican. 782 Washington. 421-8180. B, L, D, X, $-$$ SAKURA—Sushi, tempura, and teriyaki are Japanese specialties here. 2060 West St. (Germantown). 758-8181. 4840 Poplar. 572-1002. L, D, X, $-$$ SALSA—Mexican-Southern California specialties include carnitas, enchiladas verde, and fajitas; also Southwestern seafood dishes such as snapper verde. Closed Sun. Regalia Shopping Center, 6150 Poplar, Suite 129. 683-6325. L, D, X, $-$$ SCHWEINEHAUS BBQ—Serving barbecue and Bavarianinfluenced fare with a Southern twist; includes wurst platters, pork schnitzel, smoked brisket, pulled pork, and more. 2110 Madison. 347-3060. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ THE SEAR SHACK BURGERS & FRIES—Serving Angus burgers, fries, and hand-spun milkshakes. Closed Mon. 875 W. Poplar, Suite 6 (Collierville). 861-4100; 5101 Sanderlin, Suite 103. 567-4909. L, D, X, $ SEASONS 52—This elegant fresh grill and wine bar offers a seasonally changing menu using fresh ingredients, wood-fire grilling, and brick-oven cooking; also a large international wine list and nightly piano bar. Crescent Center, 6085 Poplar. 682-9952. L, D, X, $$-$$$ THE SECOND LINE—Kelly English brings “relaxed Creole cuisine” to his new eatery; serves a variety of po-boys and such specialties as barbecue shrimp, and andouille, shrimp, and pimento cheese fries. 2144 Monroe. 590-2829. L, D, WB, X, $-$$ SEKISUI—Japanese fusion cuisine, fresh sushi bar, grilled meats and seafood, California rolls, and vegetarian entrees. Poplar/Perkins location’s emphasis is on Pacific Rim cuisine. Menu and hours vary at each location. 2 5 Belvedere. 725-0005; 1884 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 309-8800; 4724 Poplar (between Perkins & Colonial). 767-7770; 2130 W. Poplar (Collierville). 854-0622; 2990 Kirby-Whitten (Bartlett). 377-2727; 6696 Poplar. 747-0001. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$$

DELI DISH

Serving sandwiches and salads, burgers and bagels, wings and chicken, these are popular spots. BOGIE’S—715 S. Mendenhall. 761-5846. MRA; 2098 LaSalle Place. 272-0022. MRA; 80 Monroe. 525-6764; 2028 W. Poplar (Collierville). 854-8555.Cheffie’s—483 High Point Terrace. 3430488. CAMY’S—2886 Walnut Grove. 725-1667. MRA. CHEFFIE’S—483 High Point Terrace. 343-0488. MRA. CHING’S HOT WINGS—1264 Getwell. 743-5545. CITY EAST BAGEL & GRILLE—6698 Poplar at Kirby. 754-2660. CITY MARKET—66 S. Main. 729-6152. CORDELIA’S TABLE—737 Harbor Bend Rd. 526-4772. FINO’S FROM THE HILL—1853 Madison. 272-3466; 703 W. Brookhaven Cir. 334-4454. MRA. HOLIDAY HAM—2087 Union. 881-6433; 585 Erin Dr. 7634499; 7652 Poplar (Germantown). 869-6650; 3750 Hacks Cross Rd., #112. 624-4848. MRA. JASON’S DELI—1213 Ridgeway. 685-3333; 1585 Chickering (Cordova). 844-1840; 3473 Poplar. 324-3181. KWIK CHEK—2013 Madison. 274-9293. LENNY’S SUB SHOP—2893 Poplar. 320-0022; 7424 Stage Rd. 937-0800; 22 N. Front. 543-9230; 521 S. Highland. 454-7077; 2095 Exeter, Suite 30 (Germantown). 755-0750; 4970 Raleigh-LaGrange. 371-9979; 1016 W. Poplar (Collierville). 8548299; 4726 Spottswood. 202-4800; 4740 Showcase. 368-4215; 8950 Hwy. 64 (Lakeland). 12 S. Cooper. 276-5775; 6300 Poplar, #111. 761-2403. MRA. LETTUCE EAT SALAD COMPANY—6641 Poplar, Suite 106 (Germantown), 552-5604. LUCCHESI’S BEER GARDEN—84 S. Reese. 452-3002. LUCCHESI’S RAVIOLI—540 S. Mendenhall, #3. 7669922. MRA. LUNCHBOX EATS—288 S. Fourth. 526-0820. MCALISTER’S DELI—3482 Plaza Ave. 452-6009; 7990 Trinity Rd. (Cordova). 737-7282; 7710 Poplar (Germantown). 753-1507; 975 580 S. Mendenhall. 763-2711; 3855 Hacks Cross. 881-6068; 6600 Stage Rd. (Bartlett). 213-3311. 9091 Poplar (Germantown) 756-5292. MRA. NEWK’S EATERY—3680 S. Houston Levee (Collierville). 861-1221; 2200 Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 377-8796; 5336 Poplar. 820-0415. PANERA BREAD—714 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 754-5813; 4530 Poplar. 767-3116; 5865 Poplar, Ridgeway Trace. 683-9384; 7850 Poplar. 759-1439; 7501 Goodman Rd. (Olive Branch). 662-890-1985. MRA. PARADISE CAFE—6150 Poplar, Suite 120. 821-9600. JACK PIRTLE’S FRIED CHICKEN—3571 Lamar. 7941254; 2520 Mt. Moriah. 565-0203. MRA. RAFFE’S DELI—3358 Poplar. 458-5110. SCHLOTZSKY’S DELI—4758 Poplar. 763-0741. UNCLE LOU’S FRIED CHICKEN—3633 Millbranch. 332-2367. MRA. WHOLE FOODS MARKET—5014 Poplar. 685-2293. YOUNG AVENUE DELI—2119 Young. 278-0034.

SHOGUN JAPANESE RESTAURANT—Entrees include tempura, teriyaki, and sushi, as well as grilled fish and chicken entrees. 2324 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 384-4122. L, D, X, $-$$ SIDE PORCH STEAK HOUSE—In addition to steak, the menu includes chicken, pork chops, and fish entrees; homemade rolls are a specialty. Closed Sun.-Mon. 5689 Stage Rd. (Bartlett). 3772484. D, X, $-$$ SOUTHERN SOCIAL—Shrimp and grits, stuffed quail, and Aunt Thelma’s Fried Chicken are among the dishes served at this upscale Southern establishment. 2285 S. Germantown Rd. (Germantown). 754-5555. D, X, $-$$$ SOUTH MAIN SUSHI & GRILL—Serving sushi, nigiri, and more. 520 S. Main. 249-2194. L, D, X, $ SPINDINI—Italian fusion cuisine with such entrees as wood-fired pizzas, gorgonzola stuffed filet, and fresh seafood; pizza specials on Mon.; large domestic whiskey selection. 383 S. Main. 578-2767. D, X, $$-$$$ STAKS— Offering pancakes, including Birthday Cake and lemon ricotta. Menu includes other breakfast items such as beignets and French toast, as well as soups and sandwiches for lunch. 4615 Poplar. 509-2367. B, L, WB, X, $

STEAK BY MELISSA—Aged, choice-grade, hand-cut steaks are a specialty here. Also serving fresh seafood dishes, plate lunches, burgers, and sandwiches. 4975 Pepper Chase Dr. (Southaven). 662-342-0602. L, D, X, $-$$$ STIX—Hibachi steakhouse with Asian cuisine features steak, chicken, and a fillet and lobster combination, also sushi. A specialty is Dynamite Chicken with fried rice. 4680 Merchants Park Circle, Avenue Carriage Crossing (Collierville). 854-3399. L, D, X, $-$$ STONE SOUP CAFE—Cooper-Young eatery serving soups, salads, quiche, meat-and-two specials; and daily specials such as Italian roast beef. Closed Monday. 993 S. Cooper. 922-5314. B, L, SB, X, $ STRANO SICILIAN KITCHEN & BAR—Presenting a Sicilian/Mediterranean mix of Arab, Spanish, Greek, and North African fare, Strano serves small plates, wood-grilled fish, and hand-tossed pizzas such as the King Alaska, with salmon and chevre. Closed Mon. 948 S. Cooper. 275-8986. L, D, SB, X, $$-$$$ SWEET GRASS—Low-country coastal cuisine includes such specialties as shrimp and grits. Closed Mon. The restaurant’s “sister,” Sweet Grass Next Door, open nightly, serves lunch Sat.-Sun. 937 S. Cooper. 278-0278. D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ TANNOOR GRILL—Brazilian-style steakhouse with skewers served tableside, along with Middle Eastern specialties; vegetarian options also available. 830 N. Germantown Pkwy. 443-5222. L, D, X, $-$$$ TART—Combination patisserie, coffeehouse, and restaurant serving rustic French specialties, including baked eggs in brioche, topped with Gruyere, and french breads and pastries. 820 S. Cooper. 725-0091. B, L, WB, X, $-$$ TERRACE—Creative American and Continental cuisine includes such entrees as filet mignon, beef or lamb sliders, five-spice salmon, and grilled vegetarian eggplant; also small plates. Rooftop, River Inn of Harbor Town, 50 Harbor Town Square. 260-3366. D, X, $$ TEXAS DE BRAZIL—Serves beef, pork, lamb, and chicken dishes, and Brazilian sausage; also a salad bar with extensive toppings. 150 Peabody Place, Suite 103. 526-7600. L (Wed.-Fri.), D, SB, X, $$-$$$ THREE LITTLE PIGS—Pork-shoulder-style barbecue with tangy mild or hot sauce, freshly made coleslaw, and baked beans. 5145 Quince Rd. 685-7094. B, L, D, X, MRA, $ TOPS BAR-B-Q—Specializes in pork barbecue sandwiches and sandwich plates with beans and slaw; also serves ribs, beef brisket, and burgers. 1286 Union. 725-7527. 4183 Summer. 324-4325; 5391 Winchester. 794-7936; 3970 Rhodes. 323-9865; 6130 Macon. 371-0580. For more locations, go online. L, D, X, MRA, $ TROLLEY STOP MARKET—Serves plate lunches/dinners as well as pizzas, salads, and vegan/vegetarian entrees; a specialty is the locally raised beef burger. Also sells fresh produce and goods from local farmers; delivery available. Saturday brunch; closed Sunday. 704 Madison. 526-1361. L, D, X, $ TSUNAMI—Features Pacific Rim cuisine (Asia, Australia, South Pacific, etc.); also a changing “small plate” menu. Specialties include Asian nachos and roasted sea bass. Closed Sunday. 928 S. Cooper. 274-2556. D, X, MRA, $$-$$$ TUSCANY ITALIAN EATERY—Serves classic Italian dishes. Menu includes paninis, deli subs and wraps, pasta, soups, and more. Closed Sunday. 116 S. Front. 626-8848. L, D, X, $ TWILIGHT SKY TERRACE—Offers small plates of tostados, nachos, flatbreads, paninis; also hand-crafted cocktails and sweeping rooftop views of the downtown Memphis skyline. Open, weather permitting. The Madison Hotel, 79 Madison. 333-1224. L (Sat.Sun.), D, WB.X, $ TYCOON—Among the Asian entrees are spicy garlic shrimp, Thai gumbo, and special house noodle soup. 3307 Kirby Parkway. 362-8788. B, L, D, X, $ UNCLE BUCK’S FISHBOWL & GRILL—Burgers, pizza, fish dishes, sandwiches, and more served in a unique “underwater” setting. Bass Pro, Bass Pro Drive, 291-8200. L, D, X, $-$$ WANG’S MANDARIN HOUSE—Offers Mandarin, Cantonese, Szechuan, and spicy Hunan entrees, including the goldensesame chicken; next door is East Tapas, serving small plates with an Asian twist. 6065 Park Ave, Park Place Mall. 763-0676. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ WASABI—Serving traditional Japanese offerings, hibachi, sashimi, and sushi. The Sweet Heart roll, wrapped — in the shape of a heart — with tuna and filled with spicy salmon, yellowtail, and avocado, is a specialty. 5101 Sanderlin Road, Suite 105. 421-6399. L, D, X, $-$$ WEST STREET DINER—This home-style eatery offers breakfast, burgers, po’boys, and more. 2076 West St. (Germantown). 757-2191. B, L, D (Mon.-Fri.), X, MRA, $ WOMAN’S EXCHANGE TEA ROOM—Chicken-salad plate, beef tenderloin, soups-and-sandwiches, and vegetable plates are specialties; meal includes drink and dessert. Closed Sat.Sun. 88 Racine. 327-5681. L, X, $ ZAKA BOWL—This vegan restaurant serves build-your-own vegetable bowls featuring ingredients such as agave Brussels sprouts and roasted beets. 575 Erin. 509-3105. L, D, $ J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 95

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LAST STAND

The Rocky Road Museums can change the boundaries of time, if you let them.

f you find yourself in New York City this winter — and you’re in no mood to mingle with the crowd in front of Trump Tower — you might consider spending a leisurely afternoon in the Hall of Minerals at the American Museum of Natural History. Part of what gives the Museum of Natural History not only its acclaimed status as one of the country’s most important museums, but also in New York City childhood lore, is that large parts of the museum manage to feel like forgotten back rooms, filled with dated cabinets found down lowlit hallways. There are dark passages organized around maps of deciduous tree life, marine mammals, jellyfish illustrations, and inscrutable prehistoric masks. It is possible, in a matter of minutes, to pass from an exhibit detailing Invertebrate Zoology to one questioning whether dinosaurs had feathers. The Museum lacks an open floor plan, so to pass through each successive exhibit is to feel as if you have discovered it. The Harry Frank Guggenheim Hall of Minerals is a darkly jeweled and carpeted quadrant of the Museum, located next to the Ross Hall of Meteorites and the Morgan Memorial Hall of Gems. The minerals are organized into two circular displays, so that visitors can orbit around illuminated cases of azurite and crystallized gold. Large rocks are displayed on stone podiums or framed in a series of dividing walls. The whole effect is very Seventies, but it makes sense: The geometric trappings of 1970s architecture are most at home when framing giant purple crystals. When I visited, the rooms were packed with school kids

running their hands over variously sized geodes. I love the Hall of Minerals. It may not have the drama and grandeur of the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, with its giant suspended whale and sea lion dioramas, but the Hall of Minerals has podiums full of f luorescent rocks. A visit to the rock room can make you feel far removed

from time, and not just because there are no windows. It’s because … well, there’s just something about looking at glowing crystals in the dark. It tickles ancient parts of the brain. (A note: If you want to read the best book on rocks ever written, get a copy of John McPhee’s Annals of the Former World. The book is

696 pages of American geology, a topic McPhee manages to make gripping. It will certainly teach you things about the sedimentary layer that you never knew you wanted to know.) My visit to the Hall of Minerals got me thinking about fluorescence, which got me thinking about phosphorescence in rocks.

A small amount of minerals produce light organically — or, rather, they retain light for longer. Google defines phosphorescence as “the emission of radiation in a similar manner to fluorescence but on a longer timescale, so that emission continues after excitation ceases.” (Fluorescence = fairly glowy. Phosphorescence = really glowy.) The study of excited phosphorescent minerals led to the discovery of radioactivity mid-century, an event I imagine happening in a dark and well-cataloged room not unlike those of the Museum of Natural History. I am sure poets have waxed

poetic for ages about the strangeness of glowing rocks. When I was in the Hall of Minerals, however, I thought of a Carolyn Forche poem called “Nocturne.” It’s not about barium carbonate, but it is about human perception of objects at night. Writes Forche, “Look! whole villages intact and shimmering. The very body itself begins to evanesce / it has no true boundary. Death changes it as a mirror changes a face.” Standing amid the age-old rocks in the far reaches of an august museum, I knew what she meant. I felt invisible, and not in a bad way. It’s just that there was something slightly collapsed about the boundaries of the world. I felt as if I was not in New York in the winter of 2016 but on a removed timeline. Remembering Forche, I wondered if the part of the mind that is triggered looking at objects that glow in the dark is the same that is vaguely aware of what happens to our bodies when we die. Maybe we become more aware of ourselves as constantly transforming. Whatever it is, there’s nothing straightforward about a visit to a science museum, despite carefully articulated plaques and glossy handouts. Which is why, by my lights, the older and stranger the museum the better. You need to be able to get lost. It’s best when our pretensions that we can order the chaos are left to collect dust, lit with yellowing bulbs, and decorated with glowing rocks. A native Memphian, Eileen Townsend was until recently an associate editor of Memphis magazine. She is now a student at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DREAMSTIME

by eileen townsend

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Established.

Experienced.

Expanding. You can be here in the Spring of 2017! The Independent Living expansion at The Village is already 75% sold out, but there are still spacious one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments available! The Village offers a private residential lifestyle with the services you need today, as well as into the future. You will enjoy the benefits of our newly expanded assisted living, memory care, and adult day care, as well as our recently updated skilled nursing, should you ever need it. We have a full and thriving community here at The Village. We’re now welcoming new neighbors and striving to add exciting and fulfilling opportunities for our existing residents.

We invite you to come experience The Village Difference. Call today to schedule your personal visit. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by!

901-737- 4242 Independent Living 901-752- 2580 Healthcare Center 7820 Walking Horse Circle, Germantown, TN 38138

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