Spring Pilgrimage: April 1-13 | Tales from the Crypt: April 2, 4, 9, 11 for Catfish in
Alley featuring D.K. Harrell April 11-12
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Calida Rawles, 'Towner for Life' (detail), 2024 acrylic on canvas
SENIOR EDITORS jon w. sparks, abigail morici, bruce vanwyngarden
STAFF WRITERS alex greene, chris mccoy
CONTRIBUTORS jesse davis, michael donahue, robert gordon, tom jones, vance lauderdale, jane schneider
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4 PUBLISHER EMERITUS kenneth neill march 2025
Your Attention, Please
BY ANNA TRAVERSE
In late January, I turned off the news alerts on my phone.
The fact that toggling the notification settings to “OFF” felt like a radical act is a sign of how badly it needed to be done: Not so many years ago, phones didn’t push news alerts to us — they were just … phones — but by early 2025, I was being pinged and chimed and buzzed dozens of times each day by the national media outlets I follow. And I was exhausted. Every time my little device lit up with the latest headline, my concentration would shatter, even if I didn’t click to open whatever the story happened to be; I was running on too much adrenaline, surrendering too much of my time and attention, feeling paralyzed.
Worse, I realized that the feeling of exhaustion was too easily mistaken for action. When Something Bad Happened in the world, and I metabolized the trauma in real time, it almost felt, on an adrenal level, as if I was doing something, making myself useful. But of course, merely witnessing terrible events unfold doesn’t help stop them happening, doesn’t provide aid to those in harm’s way. It merely wears us out, so that we’re less prepared to be useful.
renewed attention, I can think more circumspectly about events both in Memphis and beyond.
Maybe you were wiser than I to start — maybe you never downloaded a news app onto your phone, maybe you’ve never clicked on a “breaking news!” alert that tells you either something you never needed to know, or something that ruins the next 20 minutes of your day (or both). Maybe that’s why you’ve found the time to read this column in your local city magazine. Well done, you!
I’ve found, since turning off the alerts, that my attention is a little more my own, my mind is a bit less clouded and dark, the paralysis starting to lift. It’s both radical and not — a slight intervention that’s made my days better, as well as a refusal to let algorithms and oligarchs decide what enters my mind every second of the day.
This isn’t to say that I’m not still paying attention to what’s happening. But I’m trying to pay attention more in the way I did 10 or 20 years ago: visiting an array of news sites each day, but for limited periods of time; listening to public radio on a commute, but not for hours on end; reading long-form analysis in print publications. I don’t miss the constant dings, and I don’t miss the constant updates. I don’t even fret that I’ve missed any significant stories by turning away from some of the clickbait — if anything, with
For me, the shift has been subtle but significant, and well timed. I thoroughly enjoyed writing this month’s cover story, on the photographer Huger Foote’s life and work; I don’t know that the process would have treated me so well, had I been operating with even a little less focus and attention. I love writing, always have, and I’ll admit it’s hard work — hard work I savor, but hard work all same. I’ve also noticed my own curiosity sparking more frequently, now that it’s not so drowned out by the endless waves of undifferentiated information. There’s so much amazingness out there, if we keep looking. Did you know that a really gorgeous, joyful exhibit of paintings by the late artist Floyd Newsum recently opened at the Dixon? This is work that will make you breathe in a different kind of air, stretch your mind toward a younger, fresher version of yourself. Have you visited the troll sculptures by Thomas Dambo yet, at Memphis Botanic Garden? Pure delight. Did you flip through the Memphis Flyer ’s annual 20 Under 30 recognition? Instant relief for any worry you may harbor about our city’s future. Further from home, did you know that a never-before-seen poem by Robert Frost was found recently? I stumbled on a story about the discovery in The New Yorker — thrilling, honestly, to this poetry nerd, and somehow even more so for having found my way there organically, sans iPhone chime. (In a wonderful little irony, the poem is called “Nothing New.”) I’m not suggesting anyone shut themselves off from the news of the world. After all, I work in media. But I am advocating for finding a balance, especially if you’ve realized, as I did, that you’re wearing yourself down to a husk.
We aim to provide a different, slower, more thoughtful variety of news and information, in this magazine, and we don’t even have an app, so — no push alerts here. We’re happy you’ve chosen to spend some of your precious attention here, with us, and we hope to do right by the minutes you invest in reading our words.
MARCH 2025
COMPILED BY ABIGAIL
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Based on Disney’s popular animated film, this classic story tells of the complicated romance between Belle and the Beast. THEATRE MEMPHIS, THROUGH MARCH 30
“LIGHT AS AIR” This exhibit explores the beauty in tension: a balance of forms, the contrast between heavy and light, and the significance of negative space. METAL MUSEUM, MARCH 2 – SEPTEMBER 7
LADY AUGUSTA GREGORY: REVIVALIST OF A COUNTRY Tennessee Shakespeare Company presents this literary salon, curated and directed by Stephanie Shine. TENNESSEE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY, MARCH 2, 3 P.M.
DANCING WITH THE STARS Experience America’s favorite dance show live, upclose, and personal. ORPHEUM THEATRE, MARCH 6, 7:30 P.M.
THE ORCHESTRA UNPLUGGED:
BEETHOVEN’S FIFTH SYMPHONY Join music director Robert Moody of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra as he takes you into the mind of Beethoven and his most famous score. HALLORAN CENTRE, MARCH 6, 7:30 P.M.
“THE FILMS OF STAN BRAKHAGE” WITH AN ORIGINAL LIVE SCORE BY CLOUDLAND CANYON Experimental rock/psychedelic rock band Cloudland Canyon scores selected experimental films by Stan Brakhage. CROSSTOWN THEATER, MARCH 6, 7 P.M.
WOMEN IN THE ARTS Organized by The Dixon Gallery and Gardens and Theatre Memphis, this annual event brings together a host of women of
all ages for a day of performances, demonstrations, classes, and dialogue. DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS | THEATRE MEMPHIS, MARCH 8, 11 A.M. – 3 P.M.
ALI SIDDIQ: IN THE SHADOWS
TOUR Comedian Ali Siddiq’s unique style of stand-up began behind the walls of incarceration, an incubator for interesting experiences and good stories. ORPHEUM THEATRE, MARCH 8, 7 P.M. NIGHT TRAIN GALA Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Stax Music Academy with the vibrant theme “Rock the Red.” STAX MUSEUM OF AMERICAN SOUL MUSIC, MARCH 8, 7 P.M. RECOMPOSED: ELENA URIOSTE Violinist Elena Urioste returns to perform with the Iris Collective as soloist and leader for Recomposed by Max Richter. CROSSTOWN THEATER, MARCH 8, 7:30 P.M.
THE ROCK ORCHESTRA BY CANDLELIGHT Prepare for a spellbinding 90-minute spectacle that infuses iconic rock and metal anthems with a hauntingly beautiful energy. ORPHEUM THEATRE, MARCH 13, 8 P.M.
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN This play celebrates the hopes, ambitions, joys, and triumphs of Black men in a world that often refuses to hear them. HATTILOO THEATRE, MARCH 14 – APRIL 6
WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY? Cast members Greg Proops, Jeff B. Davis, Ryan Stiles, and Joel Murray will improvise their way through 90 minutes of comedy and song, all based on audience
suggestions. ORPHEUM THEATRE, MARCH 15, 7:30 P.M.
VARIATIONS ON A THEME: TUNES OF THE EMERALD ISLE Opera Memphis presents this next edition in its curated evenings of music and oneact operas from Heggie, Bizet, Mozart, and more. OPERA MEMPHIS, MARCH 15 – 16 AN EVENING WITH JUDY COLLINS Grammy Awardwinning singer-songwriter Judy Collins has inspired audiences with sublime vocals, vulnerable songwriting, personal life triumphs, and a commitment to social activism. HALLORAN CENTRE, MARCH 18, 7:30 P.M.
PUNK ROCK GIRL! Punk Rock Girl! is a spirited musical tale of discovering community and forging one’s tribe. THE CIRCUIT PLAYHOUSE, MARCH 21 – APRIL 13 “CALIDA RAWLES: AWAY WITH THE TIDES” In her first solo museum presentation, Calida Rawles envisions water as a space for Black healing. MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART, MARCH 19 – SEPTEMBER 7
A TASTE OF IRELAND Watch worldclass performers blend melodic folk mash-ups, a capella tap battles, and heartwarming storytelling. CANNON CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, MARCH 19, 7:30 P.M.
WORLD BALLET COMPANY: THE GREAT GATSBY Step into the jazzy world of the Roaring Twenties with the World Ballet Company’s new production. CANNON CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, MARCH 20, 7 P.M.
R E S P E CT
TASTE OF IRELAND
THE ORCHESTRA UNPLUGGED
ELENA URIOSTE
MORICI
HOMEGROWN ARTS PRESENTS: DANCE, GIRL! Bria B. Saulsberry’s choreopoem explores the journey of a Black girl discovering the dance of adolescent learning. THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS, MARCH 22, 7:30 P.M.
EARLY SPRING BLOOMS: FLORAL ARRANGING WORKSHOP WITH MIDTOWN BRAMBLE & BLOOM Join the Brooks for a floral-arranging workshop celebrating the first hints of spring. MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART, MARCH 23, 2-4 P.M.
KRAFTWERK The multimedia project Kraftwerk brings together music and performance art. OVERTON PARK SHELL, MARCH 25, 7:15 P.M.
PAUL TAYLOR: OLD FOREST TRAIL 10-YEAR
ANNIVERSARY CONCERT A fixture in the Memphis music scene, Paul Taylor returns to Crosstown Arts for a 10-year anniversary performance of music from his EP, an homage to the Old Forest Arboretum in Overton Park and a tribute to his father. THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS, MARCH 26, 7:30 P.M.
“SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER: THE LIFE OF BAYARD RUSTIN” This collection features artifacts, photography, and personal items from civil rights leader Bayard Rustin’s archive, providing a glimpse into his life as both a public figure and private individual. NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM, MARCH 28 – DECEMBER 31
CHLOÉ ARNOLD’S SYNCOPATED LADIES
LIVE The Syncopated Ladies present a groundbreaking, all-women tap production, dancing to today’s music, from pop to hip-hop to salsa and even a couple of ballads. GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, MARCH 28, 8 P.M.
BARTLETT COMMUNITY CONCERT
BAND Composed of local musicians, the BCCB performs both classical masterpieces and modern movie soundtracks. BARTLETT PERFORMING ARTS & CONFERENCE CENTER, MARCH 28, 7:30 P.M.
R.E.S.P.E.C.T. This concert experience takes audiences on a journey of love, tragedy, courage, and triumph, celebrating the music of the legendary Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. ORPHEUM THEATRE, MARCH 30, 6:30 P.M.
“REMEMBERING THE MEMPHIS COLLEGE OF ART, 1936-2020” Featured are 90 works across a range of media spanning the school’s history, organized into groupings of faculty and their students. MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART, MARCH – DECEMBER
To suggest an event for future editions of Out and About, email abigail@memphismagazine.com.
Boscos Squared
One of the oldest restaurants in Overton Square is still going strong.
BY MICHAEL DONAHUE
Alot of people think I’m ‘Bosco’ if they don’t know me already,” says Andrew Feinstone, owner of Boscos Squared, the iconic restaurant/ brewery in Overton Square.
e original name of the restaurant was “Boscos a la Fornay,” Feinstone says. e Italian word “bosco” translates to “woods” or “forest” and “a la fornay” refers to something cooked in an oven. at name might have been chosen because they cook pizzas in a wood-fired oven, Feinstone says. But “a la Fornay” was eventually dropped after they opened their first location in 1992 in the Shops of Saddle Creek in Germantown.
In addition to selling food, they also brew their own beer. “We were Tennessee’s first brewpub,” Feinstone says.
His dad, Jerry Feinstone, now retired, opened the first Boscos, but Andrew worked there from the beginning. ey had several Boscos restaurants at one time, including two in Nashville and one in Little Rock. ey also began Ghost River Brewing Co., which they later sold. Boscos Squared is now their only business. With its exposed brick walls
Cohen helped pass the legislation” that would allow craft breweries.
His dad realized, “Pizza and beer are a pretty good combination, so that might work.” At the same time, “I didn’t know anything about restaurants,” he admits. “I had not done it before. I was a chemistry major!” ey used some of the beer
and blue-and-white color scheme, the restaurant is spacious but cozy. e dining room surrounds the iconic four-sided bar — the same bar that graced the Bombay Bicycle Club, which was in the same location for years, and before that, the Looking Glass, one of the first places to open when Overton Square was developed in the early 1970s. Over the years, the old building has been home to many different businesses, including a Kroger grocery in the 1930s.
His dad opened Boscos as a career pivot, says Andrew Feinstone. “He used to be a stockbroker and wanted to get out of it. He and some partners got together to do a restaurant. e original concept was for it to be a California Pizza Kitchen.”
One of the owners, Chuck Skypeck, who went on to become their longtime brewmaster, told them “how the brew laws were changing in the state of Tennessee. And how [Congressman] Steve
Marnier is still on the menu. ey opened a Boscos in Nashville in 1996 before opening Boscos Squared in 2000. e plan was to offer “more fun food,” like hamburgers and sandwiches, which they didn’t sell at the Germantown location. ey had a wood-fire oven at the new location, but, Andrew says, “We didn’t put in the rotisserie or anything like that at Overton Square.” Instead, they added higher-end items, including their still-popular wood-oven planked salmon.
Andrew says they wanted their establishment to be a place where customers can get “that higher-end, nice meal and feel comfortable being in there in jeans, or in a tux right before you head down to the Orpheum.”
Today, Boscos, which keeps eight beers on tap — four regular beers and four seasonal — brews “roughly 65 different beer styles a year. So, you would almost get a different beer on tap every two or three weeks.”
recipes from Skypeck, who was a home brewer, for their “big scale” brewing, Andrew says. “ e first beer was our Tennessee cream ale. Since we were the first microbrewery or craft brewery in Memphis, we wanted a pretty light, easy-drinking beer with a little bit of caramel notes. Nothing aggressive. We didn’t want to scare away the Memphis market because everything was really American lagers — a lot of Bud Light-style beers.”
In addition to the cream ale, they sold a brown ale, and their amber beer, which was “a little hoppier. Back then, it was kind of a beginner IPA style.”
Boscos enjoyed a great response after it opened, and their wood-fire pizzas were their number-one seller. Andrew says they originally sold 15 different pastas. eir open-style kitchen included a rotisserie, where they roasted chickens and other meat.
Early chefs included Frank Fountain, who used to work at e Peabody, and Gene Bjorklund, who went on to open the legendary Aubergine restaurant. Bjorklund’s Crème Brûlée Grand
A Boscos Squared tradition is the regular Sunday brunch performance of singer Joyce Cobb, the only day they offer live music. Cobb, who began performing there two years after they opened, and her band oblige when musicians ask to join them on stage. “ ey put them in the different sets and help them out,” says Andrew. “She’s still teaching the next generation.”
Boscos Squared added the spacious patio about two or three years after they opened. “It was worth losing the seven parking spaces for.”
As for what’s coming up next, Andrew says, “We always try to keep being creative and filling new bar trends.” is year, they’ve already started to “put up new beers we never had before.”
Andrew is at Boscos Squared almost every day. “I love the business, and what keeps me excited is not only the guests, but the staff,” he says. “ ey keep me motivated and my head in the game. We couldn’t have made it all these years without the unbelievable crew that’s still working with me.”
Boscos Squared is located at 2120 Madison Ave.
Boscos Squared owner Andrew Feinstone and his dad, founder Jerry Feinstone
Wood Oven Planked Salmon
Boscos Squared in Overton Square
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Teacher, Singer, Golfer: Joanne Spain
Our history expert solves local mysteries: who, what, when, where, why, and why not. Well, sometimes.
BY VANCE LAUDERDALE
DEAR VANCE: Whatever happened to the teacher at Colonial Junior High School who had several hit records in the 1960s?
— M.A., MEMPHIS
DEAR M.A.: We’re lucky whenever we meet somebody who brings joy to our lives. Perhaps they are brilliant, witty, talented, or kind — a ray of sunshine beaming on everyone they encounter. No, I’m not talking about myself, though I certainly un -
derstand why you might think so. As a Lauderdale, I’ve always been blessed with those fine qualities. Here, though, I’m describing Joanne Spain, the music teacher at Colonial, who touched many lives in different endeavors. It’s a shame that I’ve never had the opportunity to share her story before.
Spain was born in 1938 in Jackson, Tennessee. I know little about her family, but she spent
The microphone isn’t plugged in, but let’s pretend Joanne Spain is actually singing “Elevator,” one of her most popular songs.
her early life in that city, graduating from Lambuth College, where she majored in English, with a minor in music. Judging by her 1960 senior-class yearbook, she certainly stayed busy. She was active in the Alpha Omicron Pi social sorority and Lambda Iota Tau honorary fraternity, named the Kappa Alpha Rose, and served as the college’s Panhellenic president. Classmates voted her “Class Favorite” and “Most Popular.” She was a cheerleader, captain of the basketball team, and a member of the “L” Club, music club, Lambuth theater, choir, student council, and sports committee.
After graduation, she moved to Memphis, where she met Carl Touchstone, a dental student at the University of Tennessee. They married in 1963 and settled into a nice home in Whitehaven. Spain — now Touchstone — began teaching vocal music, music history, and guitar at Colonial Junior High School a few years earlier. She also directed the school’s musical pageants, large-scale productions that not only involved the students but faculty members as well. Former students remember it was an honor to take part in these, which included Oliver and The
King and I, along with annual holiday productions.
“I taught with her at Colonial,” says Sue Head Jobe. “She was a hoot — larger than life and definitely doing her own thing. It was quite a feat to undertake a major Broadway production at a junior high school, but she pulled it off, with an orchestra and student, teacher, and parent participation. She really was the kind of teacher that everyone loved and respected.”
In 1964, while still teaching at Colonial, Touchstone began her professional singing and songwriting career. Under the guidance of Bill Justis, a producer in Nashville, she recorded several singles for small labels, such as Sound Stage 7 and Casino. A Commercial Appeal story from December 1964 headlined, “Music Teacher Can Rock or Sit It out with Bach,” noted that Touchstone was “running fast in the rock-and-roll song business with a top recording called ‘Walk Softly.’”
Described as a “swinging tune about teenage romance,” the single “has been running in the top 10 on one Memphis radio station and the top 20 on another,” with more than 3,000 records sold since its release just two months before. “It’s all going so fast I don’t know what I’m doing,” Touchstone told the reporter. “It’s been going well in Atlanta and other places, too. I think we’ve got a hit.”
Call me old-fashioned, but the song’s title, “Walk Softly,” brought visions of a young couple, strolling through a garden or someplace lovely and romantic. It’s not about that at all. Instead, the singer is warning her boyfriend — whom she has sneaked into her house late at night — to keep quiet to avoid waking her hot-tempered, overly protective father. The lyrics go like this:
You’ve got to walk softly, I say, don’t stomp your feet. You might wake him up, And then we’d be in for a treat. You’ve never seen my Dad mad, And it’s lucky you ain’t. Because I can guarantee you, That he’s no saint.
But if you don’t watch out, You might hear a shout. From my father’s room, And that means … DOOM.
“My students think it’s great,” she told the newspaper. “It’s getting into their world.” And as a rock-and-rolling teacher with a hit record, she certainly had their attention. “I have more control over them, and they’re more eager to listen to the Beethoven and Bach I try to teach them.”
More hits quickly followed, including easy-listening tunes like “Let the Sun Shine on My Street,” “Another Love Is Over,” “You Caught Me Off Guard,” and “I’m the Kind of Woman You Want.” These weren’t simple songs, with Touchstone singing solo and perhaps strumming a guitar. She was backed by rather complex orchestral arrangements, with lots of horns, and in one song, even a harmonica solo.
Touchstone made several public appearances during this period. She took part in the “Friday Night Shindig” at the Mid-South Coliseum, described by the local newspaper as “quite a show for just a dollar.”
By 1968, Touchstone was so well-known that Mid-South Magazine, the Sunday supplement to The Commercial Appeal, featured her on the cover, clad in a bikini and playing an acoustic guitar while reclining on a raft in a swimming pool. The story, “With a Song in Their Hearts,” featured local songwriters and their creative habits, with Touchstone saying, “I love teaching school, but when I get home, the phone goes off the hook, the door gets locked, and the drapes get drawn. And I write.” She estimated she had written some 30 songs, but acknowledged, “I’ve got four or five right now that I think are going to make it.”
Only two of them, “Walk Softly” and a dance tune called “Elevator,” really became the hits she hoped for. Then as now, the music business is a hard one, and in those pre-digital days, a musician’s agents mailed records to radio stations, with notes urging — sometimes begging — the DJs to play them.
Sometimes the responses could be cruel. One radio station responded to Touchstone’s agent with a hand-scribbled note on the back of the promo package: “Sorry to disappoint you. However, I found ‘Elevator’ very boring and so does my audience. I think it’s a year too late. That kind of orchestration, high bars, and high background vocals was hot one year ago — but now it’s played out, nothing new.” Ouch.
An online search of the discography for Joanne Touchstone or Joanne Spain (she resumed her maiden name after getting divorced in 1966) showed her songs were often repackaged. Polydor, for example, an international label for major acts like Cream and the Moody Blues, transformed “Elevator” into a disco version but still gave Spain writing credits. A year later, another company,
Janus Records, released the same song as an instrumental. During this time, she also wrote songs for others, including “Another Neon Night,” recorded by Grand Ole Opry star Jean Shepard. Sometime in the late 1970s, Spain retired from teaching after stints at Colonial, East, Whitehaven, and Messick. About this time, it seems, she also left the music business, but I certainly hope she continued to collect royalties for her songs. After all, in 1977, Polydor released “Elevator” again, transformed into a version described by the label as “electronic, funk/soul, pop,” and this time as the “B” side to a song called “Drowning in the Sea of Love” — performed by none other than Ringo Starr. In addition to countless American stations, “Elevator” was eventually distributed to stations in Germany, Italy, Australia, and Venezuela. Her retirement meant she could now devote more time to another passion — golf, which she had played since her college days. She was a regular competitor at regional tournaments. The Memphis Area Women’s Golf Association named her to their board of directors, and the Memphis Park Commission appointed her to their advisory board. She taught golf classes and spent hours working with young girls, helping to develop their enthusiasm for the sport. For these efforts, in 2006, Spain
At any age, Joanne Spain was rarely photographed without pets — or a smile on her face.
was inducted into the Memphis Amateur Sports Hall of Fame. Friends — and she had many — remember her love for animals of all kinds. Snapshots taken in her later years rarely show her without pets, usually small dogs. “She once had raccoons in her attic,” longtime friend Patricia Toarmina told The Commercial Appeal. “Rather than call an exterminator or disturb them, she waited until the babies were old enough, then she lured them down with peanut-butter crackers and drove them to a wooded area and let them go.”
Joanne Spain passed away in 2009 at age 70. Throughout her life, she made an impact in just about everything she touched, whether it was education, music, or sports. An item in her lengthy obituary in The Commercial Appeal perhaps best sums up how many felt about her. One of her final teacher evaluations, it seems, included this remarkable observation: “Love bounced off the wall in her classroom.”
ONLINE: memphismagazine.com/ask-vance Or visit him on Facebook from time to time.
Elvis’ Influences
With his new book, Before Elvis, author Preston Lauterbach chronicles the African American musicians who inspired Elvis Presley.
BY JESSE DAVIS
Ilove Elvis,” Preston Lauterbach assures me during a phone call about his new book, Before Elvis: e African American Musicians Who Made the King (Grand Central), in advance of two Southern celebratory events in April — the first at the Oxford Conference for the Book on ursday, April 3rd, and the second here in the Bluff City at Memphis Listening Lab in a Q&A with fellow Memphis audiophile Robert Gordon on Friday, April 4th.
Lauterbach’s declaration of admiration for the King of Rock-and-Roll serves as a disclaimer. As with his past works, Lauterbach’s newest offering means to demystify Elvis Presley by exploring the artist’s influences.
It’s a well-trodden path for Lauterbach, whose Beale Street Dynasty (2015) explores the political and business landscapes that made Beale Street as famous as the musical figures who played there. His Bluff City: e Secret Life of Photographer Ernest C. Withers (2019) paints a nuanced portrait of a historic figure often villainized for his alleged role as an FBI informant, or lionized for his work as the premier documenter of the Civil Rights movement.
Lauterbach is drawn to complicated figures, using careful research to portray each person in all their complexity and with all necessary context. Or, as the writer himself puts it: “ e book, on the surface of it, might look to some like it’s a takedown. In fact, it’s really quite the opposite because, for me, Elvis opened the doors to all of the musicians who are profiled in the book. One of the first CDs I bought was the Sun Sessions,” noting that Arthur Crudup and Junior Parker weren’t exactly eating up the airtime on radio waves in his youth. “Elvis was the access point for me to all of that great music.”
CULTURAL LIGHTNING ROD
BEFORE E LVIS is, primarily, a chapter-by-chapter tour through the musicians and songwriters who influenced Presley or whose compositions he covered, but some consideration is owed to Presley himself as well.
“ is book is coming out in a time period in which discussions about the Black origination of mainstream culture is heated,” Lauterbach says. “While Elvis is a very convenient lightning rod for that criticism, the real blame lies in how the music business has been conducted historically.”
Take, for example, “ at’s All Right.” Arthur Crudup, a Black blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter, was the original composer of Presley’s first hit.
“When Elvis’ version came out, naturally he and [producer] Sam Phillips properly credited Crudup on the record label as the songwriter, as one should, and in fact, there are canceled checks that show Sam properly paid royalties on the sales of that song,” Lauterbach explains. “So they did everything that they could have and should have done by Crudup. e problem was that Crudup had lost ownership of the song eight years before Elvis recorded it.”
Lauterbach’s excellent new book examines all of the forces at work in these instances. Often, the fact that business can be exploitative, and that the burgeoning music business was changing rapidly, result in unequal outcomes. Publishing rights would be surrendered to the producer as standard practice, and at a time when most of the financial incentive for playing music came from live performances, often artists had no idea of the potential fortunes they had surrendered.
“People want one declaration about Elvis,” Lauterbach says, “and the facts don’t really support any of that.” It’s important, too, Lauterbach reminds his readers, to consider the differences between exploitation, an intentional
misuse with financial incentive, and appropriation, for which Lauterbach admits, a stronger case can be made against the King, who did, after all, perform no small number of songs by Black composers.
“He loved the music, very sincerely, and he experienced the music firsthand. He hung out in the Flamingo Room [in Memphis] before he was famous,” Lauterbach continues. “At some point, his sincere love of this music blossomed into this opportunity.” Lauterbach also notes that Presley was, at least in his early career, an outspoken opponent to segregation. “He was photographed at the WDIA Goodwill Review with his arms around B.B. King, and that was not typical. I don’t think Pat Boone was doing that at the time. I don’t think Frank Sinatra was doing that.” e disparate pieces of evidence, when drawn together, fail to support one easy declaration about Presley, but they do clearly point to someone who loved African American music.
JAZZ HOUSE ROCK
The delight of B EFORE Elvis lies in the unexpected connections Lauterbach makes as he traces the roots of musical family trees back through the decades. Gospel and blues make appearances, of course, but so too do jazz and psychedelic rock, hinting at the interconnectedness of popular American culture.
“ ornton continued to bridge musical worlds,” Lauterbach writes in Chapter 15, “Ball and Chain,” after a riveting discussion of Willie Mae “Big Mama” ornton and her songs “Hound Dog” and “Ball and Chain,” both of which were also hits for other performers.
e author details not only the publishing trials and triumphs with those two hit songs, but ornton’s career in two acts, bridging the gap between the R&B and blues market and, later, psychedelic rock. Taken as a piece of music history, it’s a riveting read; as an example of a recurring motif of the book — namely, that American music, at its best, happens when two cultures come together and share sounds — the chapter speaks for itself.
In a similarly genre-bending chapter of Before Elvis, Lauterbach contends that Presley might not have been quite the frontman extraordinaire he became without lessons learned from the Memphis jazz scene of the time. Presley and Phineas Newborn Jr. came from “the same musical family tree,” Lauterbach explains, noting that their musical roots both go back to the Newborn Family Band.
e late Newborn Jr., himself an acclaimed jazz guitarist, according to Lauterbach, credited his father, Phineas Newborn Sr., a drummer, with teaching
Elvis his sense of timing. “You don’t think of vocalists as being hooked on the rhythm,” Lauterbach says, “but [Elvis’ sense of rhythm has] been attributed to the drummer father of Phineas Newborn Jr., so the two of them are very closely related, even though they sound so, so different.”
e two performers shared other similarities in the timing of their careers. When Elvis signed with RCA, Newborn Jr. signed with the same company as well. “You have these two parallel comets streaking through the sky at the exact same time — and nobody knew they had jammed together in the Flamingo Room. So the connections between Elvis and jazz are that foundation of blues,” Lauterbach says.
Presley, without the blues, would have been a country artist. “ e blues gave him that backbeat, that attitude, and that fountain of material that distinguished him because the business was so segregated at that point,” Lauterbach says.
ough he had cut his teeth in Memphis and played primarily Black-originated music, Presley was a white act, so he was destined to play programs like Louisiana Hayride and stages like the Grand Ole Opry. His musical background and influences set him apart, and perhaps all because the beats of Phineas Sr. put the mash behind Presley at the Flamingo Room.
ONE STORY LEADS TO ANOTHER
The book is meticulously researched, though its tone is almost conversational, as though a good friend in possession of a photographic memory is dishing the dirt about concerts, tours, and recording sessions galore. It’s a
compelling read, inviting the reader to turn the page in search of just one more piece of musical history, and Lauterbach’s easy delivery owes much to his encyclopedic knowledge of the subject matter, a knowledge borne of thorough research.
“You can’t get into these types of stories without talking to people, because most of this history is either totally undocumented or scantly documented,” Lauterbach says. “And of course one story leads to another.” You never know the detail that will lead to a whole new chapter.
“ at’s when Elvis came to the Flamingo Room, to watch that battle of the blues.” e conversation took Lauterbach to archival newspaper clippings documenting Pee Wee Crayton performing in Memphis at the Flamingo Room with the Newborn Family Orchestra — and not only that, but just before Elvis cut his first record.
To further set the stage, so to speak, as Lauterbach explains, “ e Supreme Court had ruled against the legality of segregation in the Brown v. e Board of Education ruling back in May, so about a month before this, integration is legal.”
In other words, in the weeks after the Supreme Court issued its decision, the Flamingo Room opened its doors to white listeners, and Presley, fresh from hearing Crayton’s guitar licks and sampling some of Newborn Sr.’s rhythmic mash, was off to Sun Records for his historic first sessions.
Preston Lauterbach will sign copies of Before Elvis at the Oxford Conference for the Book on ursday, April 3, 2025, at 6 p.m. at the Powerhouse e next day, he will take part in a Q&A with music historian Robert Gordon at Memphis Listening Lab, with books from Novel bookstore, Friday, April 4, 2025, at 6 p.m.
Preston Lauterbach
Closing the Income Gap
It’s a challenge, but the reward would mean a windfall to Memphis.
BY TOM JONES
The top economic development opportunity for Shelby County is arguably one that gets little explicit attention from officialdom, despite it being potentially worth around $29 billion.
at amount is several times larger than the much-vaunted Ford Motors’ BlueOval City project, which received a $900 million incentive package from Tennessee lawmakers for its $5.6 billion factory and $1 billion yearly payroll.
e amount is also larger than the economic impacts of Memphis tourism, hospitals, the University of Memphis, the annual payroll for FedEx, and the yearly fundraising total for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital — combined. And $29 billion is the amount of the dividend to Shelby County’s economy if the racial income divide could be closed. It would send the Shelby County GDP soaring over $110 billion, compared to its 2023 GDP of $85.1 billion.
e silence about the economic impact of closing the gap is anomalous, especially considering how much we talk about poverty, and how dozens and dozens of nonprofit organizations are devoted to addressing poverty. However, as Phil Trenary, the late president of the Greater Memphis Chamber, once said, decreasing the poverty rate by moving more people just over the poverty line is a mirage of progress. at’s why he said the Greater Memphis Chamber should take the lead to do more. ere is no denying that closing the income gap could be called Memphis’ ultimate challenge. After all, when Dr. Martin Luther King led the sanitation workers’ strike, the median household income for white families in Shelby County was twice that of African-American families. Now, 57 years lat-
er, it is roughly the same.
Meanwhile, our community has treated a $15 hourly salary as a living wage; however, according to the highly respected MIT Living Wage Calculator, which breaks down specific living costs, a living wage for a single adult with no children in Shelby County is actually $20.29, while for a working couple with two children it is, for each adult, $23.57 an hour.
If there is a lesson from other cities, it is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Rather, government, businesses, and philanthropies must endorse a specific, shared plan of action to close the income gap.
When the Memphis City Council several years ago proposed a $21 hourly threshold for a company to receive incentives, and the Shelby County Board of Commissioners proposed a study about tying tax breaks to how much companies paid workers, both ideas died with the Greater Memphis Chamber and business CEOs vigorously opposing both, according to reporting by the Daily Memphian As a result, companies seeking a PILOT here can still get 75 percent of their property taxes waived if they pay only $15 an hour, according to the Economic Development Growth Engine for Memphis and Shelby County (EDGE). e problem is that 42 percent of Black workers in Memphis earn less than $15, compared to 19 percent of white workers, and that percentage for Black workers is higher today than in 1990, according to PolicyLink’s National Equity Atlas. at fact helps to pull the median household income of African-American families down to $48,205 while the median household income of white
families is $90,183, according to the 2024 Memphis Poverty Fact Sheet by Dr. Elena Delavega and Dr. Greg Blumenthal. It has led city council member Michalyn Easter- omas to say increasing Black wealth is Memphis’ most pressing priority. She can take inspiration from other cities. Philadelphia is part of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ CityStart initiative and it’s specifically targeting the racial wealth gap. e overall goal is to “accelerate the pace of wealth accumulation for Black individuals and families and address systemic underinvestment.”
In keeping with all of Bloomberg’s work, it is heavy on data, analysis, innovation, and policy development. Cambridge, Massachusetts, Birmingham, and Durham have launched pilot programs for guaranteed income, and despite promising results, sustainable models have been hard to create with just local funding, further complicated by the likelihood that federal funding will not be forthcoming in the future. New Orleans is working with its Urban League to plan for a regional approach to attacking the racial wealth gap. Atlanta’s efforts include a retail incubator, apprenticeships, and wraparound social services to support families connecting residents to living wage jobs. Cornerstones for many of these wealth-building programs are Black home ownership, business ownership and entrepreneurship, community investment, and collective action.
If there is a lesson from other cities, it is that there is no onesize-fits-all solution. Rather, government, businesses, and
philanthropies must endorse a specific, shared plan of action to close the income gap.
Essential data on strategies are limited and that is certainly the case here. e City of Memphis Data Hub is internally focused and so is the Shelby County Government Open Data Portal, which is also badly outdated and next to useless. e Greater Memphis Chamber’s MemMeasures is a better source despite lagging indicators.
It’s the absence of an all-encompassing data hub/think tank with focused precision measurements and analysis that led for a key recommendation of the ambitious More for Memphis plan to call for one. It has raised about $100 million of its five-year goal of $1.4 billion. ere has never been a community-based strategic plan more pioneering and bold in its origin and in its recommendations — and a plan more difficult to implement, because it succeeds or fails on whether it has an unprecedented level of coordination between public, private, neighborhoods, and nonprofit sectors.
More for Memphis has set out provocative action plans in the areas of Education and Youth, Economic Development, Arts & Culture, Community Development, Health & Well-Being, and Justice & Safety. It is replete with the buzzwords common in these kinds of plans, but the clear goal that unites its more than 30 strategies is clear: To increase African-American wealth, or in the language of the plan, “to increase economic mobility.”
Memphis has had large-scale plans in the past that fell short. Memphis Tomorrow’s Memphis Fast Forward in 2005 and Brookings’ 2014 Roadmap for Transforming the Metro Memphis Economy come to mind. But with $29 billion as the payoff, maybe that is the ultimate incentive for success.
What are the options for senior living? How can you be sure the standards remain high? What if your parents have different needs? What if those needs change?
At Belmont Village, we understand each situation is unique. Our experienced advisors will listen to your family’s story, then help you consider the questions you need for the answers they deserve. So you can confidently navigate the options from active adult to memory care and know what to look for in terms of management, food, care, and accommodations for couples with differing needs.
Our advisors are here to help. Just ask. BelmontVillage.com/JustAsk | 901-451-8871
MANAGING MENOPAUSE
WAYS TO EMBRACE YOUR BODY’S MID-LIFE TRANSITION
BY JANE SCHNEIDER
For years, menopause remained closeted, a transition nearly all women experienced but seldom discussed. Today, menopause is transitioning, if you will, and women are more willingly sharing about the highs, the lows, and the effects this change in life can bring.
Menopause arrives during mid-life, when women are entering their 40s and busy reevaluating relationships and career goals, plans and dreams. For Astrid French, it was growing Lamplighter Montessori School, where she taught and later served as head of school for five years. is period proved a huge driver for change.
“My girlfriends call it Men on Pause,” she says with a laugh. Menopause is a frequent topic of conversation with her posse, who compare symptoms and discuss how best to manage the shifting ground brought on by hormonal changes. French describes hers as a spiritual awakening. To help manage the symptoms of hot flashes and mood swings, she sought hormone replacement therapy, saying, “I was trying to balance what I did to get an authentic connection with myself.”
THE CYCLE OF LIFE
All of life is built on cycles and for women, menstruation is an important one, designed to pass on the gift of life. While we ovulate and have monthly periods during the childbearing years, by the 40s, the body is transitioning to menopause when ovulation ends.
On average, women experience menopause at age 52, although it can happen a few years earlier or later. You have reached menopause only after it has been a full year since your last period. is means you have not had any bleeding, including spotting, for 12 months in a row.
PPRELUDE TO MENOPAUSE
erimenopause begins during your mid-40s and is the prelude to menopause. During this phase, your body’s hormones — estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone — are slowly declining. Dr. Candice Hinote of Mid-South OB-GYN says what’s taking place in the body is affected by a gonadotropin-releasing hormone or GnRH. GnRH is essential to a woman’s reproductive health, as it stimulates the release of estrogen and progesterone.
“What changes is the tempo of how GnRH is released,” she says. “It loses regularity and is not as consistent, which means your menstrual cycle will fluctuate in its timing and flow.”
Since you are not ovulating regularly, your periods may become longer or shorter than normal and heavier or lighter than they were before. You will want to continue using birth control even as your periods become irregular, however, since you’re still able to get pregnant during this time.
In addition to flow irregularity, some women experience other symptoms such as weight gain, hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, and difficulty sleeping. Symptoms can last from two years to eight, says Hinote, though
on average, the transition takes four years.
“ e weight gain is because your metabolism slows during your 40s and 50s,” she says. e gain is typically 5 to 10 pounds, which settles around the hips. “My patients often tell me, ‘I don’t know why I’ve gained as I’m eating the same as I always have,’ but since your metabolism is changing, so you need to cut back. Your body isn’t requiring as much fuel, so you need to put in less.”
Since every woman’s body is distinct, the symptoms you experience during menopause may differ from that of your friends, in both intensity and duration. Some women notice only a periodic change in body temperature, for example, or may be aware of mood swings and yet, with the daily stressors of caregiving and job demands, they don’t necessarily attribute it to menopause.
For Irene omas, menopausal symptoms were more dramatic, punctuated by hot flashes and night sweats that began in her mid-40s.
“ e flashing was crazy. During the worst years, I’d experience 50 to 100 a day,” she says. To compensate, omas learned to wear layers and seldom left home without a Chinese fan to keep her cool. She says a friend one day observed, “Irene has a broken thermostat. And I thought that was right; my body felt totally erratic.”
omas tried addressing her hormone fluctuation naturally with homeopathic remedies that included B-complex, black cohash and DIM (diindolylmethane) supplement, a natural compound found in cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and turnips. While DIM helped initially, nothing brought long-lasting relief. In fact, there is scant evidence that these products are very effective for treating symptoms, according to MedicalNewsToday
One problem is that herbal supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. erefore, supplement makers are not required to put products through the rigorous clinical trials that prescription drug makers do to earn FDA approval. ere is also no quality control, which can affect the potency and efficacy of a product. e National Institute of Aging notes, “Products often have proprietary blends, which means the company does not list the amounts of the
ingredients on the product packaging. Additionally, products may contain active or inactive ingredients that are not listed.”
Thomas eventually spoke with her doctor, who recommended trying hormone therapy. It proved more effective. Though her hot flashes did not stop, they did lessen substantially, “It did make a difference,” she says.
HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is tailored to a woman’s individual needs and potential risk factors. Patients are prescribed HRT to replace the estrogen, and sometimes progesterone, that’s on the decline.
HELPFUL TIPS
TRACK YOUR PERIODS SO YOU KNOW the length of each month’s cycle, noting when you begin to bleed and when you stop. This also enables you to calculate your ovulation. After one year, you’ll have a better sense of what your normal flow looks like. Irregular periods during your 40s reflect the start of perimenopause.
Contact your doctor if you should experience the following:
Heavy bleeding
Bleeding or spotting after sex or between periods
Periods that last longer than one week
Bleeding or spotting after not having a period for one year
For good health during menopause and beyond:
Eat a balanced diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, and other proteins
Avoid constipation by drinking plenty of water
Get enough calcium and vitamin D for bone health
Stay physically active
Maintain a healthy weight
Limit or avoid alcohol and smoking
RESOURCES
OFFICE ON WOMEN’S HEALTH womenshealth.gov/menopause
NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING www.nia.nih.gov/menopause
It comes in various forms, including patches, topical creams and oral medications.
“One’s quality of life can be enhanced by taking hormones,” notes Dr. Susan Murrmann, an OB-GYN specialist with McDonald Murrman Center for Wellness and Health. She sees HRT as a tool that can help women feel better during menopause.
One question Murrmann frequently hears from patients is whether HRT puts them at greater risk for breast cancer or stroke with
prolonged use. She says the answer depends on several factors, including one’s overall health and family history for cancer. However, when taking low-dose estrogen for less than five years during menopause, the risk is low and benefit high. It can improve one’s quality of life by lessening symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings. Further, Murrmann says hormones also help to improve muscle mass and bone health.
She believes it helps to reframe how you view menopause.
“Menopause is simply one stage of life,” notes Murrmann. “This period is also about your quality of life, your attitude, and the way you view your life. Equally important is your environment, diet, exercise, and sense of community. Those are a big part of your overall health. Hormones are just one piece of the puzzle.”
Be sure to speak with your doctor before taking any product, from hormones and supplements to vitamins and minerals. By examining your medical history and blood work, your doctor can determine the best course of action and recommend medications that may help ease discomfort.
That cautionary note is particularly timely, as more products are being marketed to women seeking menopausal relief. Buyer beware when it comes to pop-up clinics, too, notes Hinote with Mid-South OB-GYN. They offer HRT but problems can arise if you receive an improper dosage of estrogen.
Some women do better than others. Lindsay Jones describes her perimenopausal time as “a superpower.” “Beyond the occasional hot flash, my biggest issue is just giving no cares. I’ve gone from a quiet little bookish mouse to Mousezilla,” she says. “And honestly, I kind of like it. Whereas once I might have hesitated to speak up about certain things, now I just say them.”
POSTMENOPAUSE
Once you are fully through menopause, your ovaries continue to produce estrogen but the lower levels increase the risk for certain health issues such as heart disease and osteoporosis, as well as vaginal atrophy, the thinning and drying of the vaginal wall which can make sex painful. Vaginal moisturizers can help ease dryness.
Additionally, if you’ve given birth, you may experience pelvic-floor disorders such as pelvic organ prolapse, urinary incontinence or urinary frequency/urgency, and anal incontinence (accidental bowel leakage). Exercises such as Kegels, squats, and pelvic tilts can help strengthen your lower back and abdominal muscles but physical therapy is also available (and generally covered by insurance), as are certain devices, such as red light therapy, which can be a game-changer for treating incontinence. Ask your physician about these alternatives.
2025 FACES OF THE MID-SOUTH
Advanced Dental Implant and TMJ Center — 56
Agape — 92
Amelia Gene's — 80
B.B. King's Blues Club — 79
Babcock Gifts — 125
The Bailey Law Firm — 78
Bain Barbecue — 36
Blair Parker Design — 90
Bob Richards Jewelers — 81
Boyle Investment Company — 52
Broadway Pizza House — 110
Brooks Museum of Art — 32
BrownDog Lodge — 76
Choates — 84
Clay & Land Insurance, Inc. — 87
Consolidated Medical Practices of Memphis, PLLC — 123
Crestwyn — 39
De La Belle Wellness & Spa — 126
Dr. Chinelo Animalu — 85
Duvall Pools — 112
Evangelical Christian School — 74
Fertility Associates of Memphis — 115
Fleet Feet — 118
Fogelman Properties — 31
You’ll find on the pages listed here the talented individuals behind many of Memphis’ favorite brands. This year’s Faces of the Mid-South include doctors and lawyers, rug sellers and pizzaioli, independent schools and centers for independent living. These impressive people and organizations contribute to making Memphis great.
Folk's Folly Prime Steak House — 119
Forest Hill Dental — 28
Gant Systems — 86
Glankler Brown PLLC — 91
Glo Medical Aesthetics — 93
Harding Academy — 50
Holloway Furs — 82
Home Outlet — 89
Huey’s — 44
Independent Bank — 53
Kirby Wines & Liquors — 127
The Langsdon Clinic — 37
Law Office of Stephen R. Leffler, P.C. — 55 LRK — 34
Mays & Schnapp Neurospine and Pain — 100
Memphis Center for Family & Cosmetic Dentistry — 38
Memphis Dermatology Clinic, P.A. — 57
Memphis Orthodontic Specialists — 99
Mid-South OB-GYN — 97
Minesh Pathak, MD — 96
Orion Federal Credit Union — 122
OrthoSouth — 33
Paradox Catering & Consulting — 49
Peel Law Firm — 48
People’s Custom Rx — 54
Presbyterian Day School — 40
Regional One Health — 46
The Rices — 75
RK Heart & Vascular Care — 45
RKA Construction — 51
Robinson Tree Service — 113
Semmes Murphey Clinic — 42, 94, 108, and 120
Smith's Plumbing Services — 111
Southland Casino Hotel — 83
St. Mary’s Episcopal School — 26
Tactical Magic — 41
Taghavi Oriental Rugs — 98
Todd Adams, Keller Williams Realty — 116
United Way of the Mid-South — 101
Van Atkins Jewelers — 30
Vascular and Vein Institute of the South — 124
Vascular Interventional Physicians (VIP) — 88
The Village at Germantown — 117
Walnut Grove Animal Clinic — 29
Watkins Uiberall PLLC — 27
West Cancer Center — 77
Wilson Public Relations — 114
THE FACE OF ACCOUNTING
WATKINS UIBERALL, PLLC >>>
For half a century, Watkins Uiberall, PLLC, has been more than a CPA firm — it’s been a cornerstone of the MidSouth’s business community. As the MidSouth’s largest locally owned accounting firm, WU serves industries that drive the local economy, including manufacturing, government, nonprofits, family-owned businesses, and employee benefit plans. With nearly 100 professionals in Memphis and Tupelo, the firm provides tax, auditing, consulting, client accounting, and business intelligence services. Named a Memphis Business Journal “Best Place to Work” (20222024), WU fosters a strong workplace culture that empowers its people — allowing them to deliver exceptional service and give back to the community they call home.
2025 FACES
OF THE MID-SOUTH
THE FACE OF
AESTHETIC DENTISTRY
FOREST HILL DENTAL >>> Ryan Vick, DDS
World Class cosmetic and comprehensive dentistry is what to expect when visiting Dr. Ryan Vick.
Dr. Vick is passionate about his patients’ smiles and helping them to achieve and maintain optimal oral health, as a beautiful smile can completely improve one’s self image and confidence, and is a pillar of having great overall health. He believes that this starts with spending the time to create a trusting, lasting relationship with his patients.
Patients can expect a preventative and comprehensive approach to oral health. Sedation dentistry allows them to achieve a beautiful, healthy smile in a relaxed environment. Dr. Vick also uses state-of-the-art technology, along with conservative techniques, to deliver lifelong lasting smiles.
Dr. Vick is a proud member of: The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, The American Dental Association, and The Tennessee Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
Dr. Vick offers a full array of general dentistry and cosmetic dental services, and is welcoming new patients.
3011 Centre Oak Way, Suite 102 Germantown, TN 38138
901.701.7500 | vickdds.com
2025 FACES OF THE MID-SOUTH
VAN ATKINS JEWELERS >>>
THE FACE OF ANTIQUE & ESTATE JEWELRY
What began as a family-owned group of department stores is now known for all things jewelry! Van Atkins Jewelers, the South’s leader in Estate Jewelry and diamond solitaires, was opened by Chuck Cooper in 1990. Today, three of his sons are leading the way. Chuck, Van, Sam, and Ray have all graduated from the Gemological Institute of America in California. The original store is in historic downtown New Albany, Mississippi, where most days you will find Chuck. Chuck’s eldest son, Van,
Left to right: Sam Cooper, Chuck Cooper, Rhonda Cooper, Van Cooper, and Ray Cooper
is at the helm in the Oxford location on the square, along with Ray, who is responsible for all hand-engraving and customer assistance. The newest addition to the family-owned stores is the downtown Tupelo, Mississippi, location to be managed by Chuck’s second-in-line son, Sam. The youngest son, Jack, a graduate from MTSU in aviation, is a private pilot for Net Jets. Thank you, Mid-South, for featuring us, and we look forward to seeing you. You Know She’s Worth It.
THE
FACE OF
APARTMENT INVESTMENT AND MANAGEMENT
FOGELMAN PROPERTIES >>>
Creating community and building value. With more than six decades of experience, a team of dynamic associates and expert leaders, and a highly collaborative culture, Fogelman is recognized as a multifamily property management and investment leader. We manage welcoming apartment communities for thousands of residents and build durable value for clients and investment partners.
Local Properties:
• 99 FRONT 99 South Front Street, Memphis, TN 38103 | 99frontmemphis.com
More than a museum, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is a place for discovery, creativity, and connection.
Explore world-class art exhibitions, spark imagination with interactive family activities, and experience live performances, hands-on workshops, and not-tobe-missed social events. Come savor artfully crafted coffee, shop unique local treasures, and gather for inspiring conversations. Whether you’re here to learn, unwind, or be inspired, every visit offers something new. Come curious, leave inspired.
Open in Overton Park | 901.544.6200 | BrooksMuseum.org
MEMPHIS
THE
FACE OF
BACK & NECK CARE
ORTHOSOUTH >>>
Front, left to right: Raul J. Cardenas, MD, FAANS, MBA; Jonathan M. Stuart, DO
Middle, left to right: Samuel E. Murrell, MD; Jason A. Weaver, MD, FAANS; Judith R. Lee-Sigler, MD; Spencer W. Hauser, MD
Back, left to right: Sam Schroerlucke, MD; Stephen M. Waggoner, MD; John J. Eager, MD
The OrthoSouth Spine Institute developed through the integration of neurosurgery, orthopedic spine surgery, physiatry, and physical therapy providers working collaboratively toward improving the patient experience for those seeking back and neck care. Patients visiting a Spine Institute provider can expect a personalized approach, short wait times,
the most conservative treatments appropriate for their situation, and simpler navigation throughout their care journey. OrthoSouth is known throughout the Mid-South for its 5-star customer service in orthopedics; the new Spine Institute applies the 5-star service approach to the offering of advanced therapies and imaging specific to back and neck care.
LRK’s successful integration of planning, architecture, interior design, and sustainability evolved naturally from the collaborative spirit of our founding partners and their unwavering commitment to the art of listening. As LRK celebrates 41 years in Memphis, we continue to build upon our core beliefs: that openness and trust are essential; that willingness to question, explore, and grow fuels the ability to create transformative, enduring places of purpose; and that architectural excellence enhances quality of life. Since 1983, Collaboration Created.
Collaboration Created | LRK.com | 901.521.1440
2025 FACES OF THE MID-SOUTH
THE FACE OF BBQ
BAIN BARBECUE >>> Bryant and Heather Bain, owners Ryan Glosson, owner (not pictured)
At Bain BBQ, we believe great barbecue is more than just food — it’s a tradition rooted in patience, passion, and fire. Every cut of meat is smoked low and slow over pure oak wood, honoring the craft with bold flavors and tender perfection. Our commitment to quality goes beyond the pit, with scratch-made sides that feel like home and a team that treats every guest like family. Whether you’re a brisket devotee or a rib enthusiast, Bain BBQ serves up authentic Southern BBQ with heart, soul, and just the right amount of smoke.
993 S. Cooper St. Memphis, TN 38104
901.310.4141
BainBarbecue.com
THE FACE OF BEAUTIFUL FACE AND BEAUTIFUL BODY
THE LANGSDON CLINIC >>>
Phillip R. Langsdon, MD, Roberto Lachica, MD, and Carol H. Langsdon, RNP
Celebrating 30 years in practice, Dr. Phillip Langsdon, a facial plastic surgeon, has been treating one face at a time, helping people feel good about themselves by reversing the signs of aging and/or improving the structure of the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, or lips. While Dr. Langsdon’s practice is limited to the face, Dr. Roberto Lachica is a plastic surgeon who provides head-totoe cosmetic surgery but also specializes in breast and body procedures to improve changes brought on by aging, pregnancy, and weight loss. For non-surgical aesthetic treatments, Carol Langsdon, RNP, provides expertise in Botox®, dermal fillers, skin resurfacing, and customized medical-grade skin care.
Dr. Phillip Langsdon is board-certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (ABFPRS) and has served as the President of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS). Dr. Lachica is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is an active member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
MEMPHIS CENTER FOR FAMILY & COSMETIC DENTISTRY >>> Miles C. Moore, DDS
Creating beautiful smiles is just another day in the office for Miles C. Moore, dentist at Memphis Center for Family & Cosmetic Dentistry. With a friendly staff, a soothing atmosphere, and the latest technology, Dr. Moore’s practice offers all dental services, but specializes in cosmetic
dentistry. Whether you seek a complete smile makeover, “invisible” braces, or teeth whitening, cosmetic dentistry can transform your smile in several ways. Dental veneers from Dr. Moore improve the form and function of your teeth, leaving results that you have to see to believe.
Conveniently located in the historic Germantown district of Memphis, Tennessee, Crestwyn Behavioral Health is a state-of-the-art acute mental health inpatient hospital where individuals can receive life-changing care for psychiatric conditions. Offering inpatient care, detox, and outpatient services, our treatment center is dedicated to fostering hope and providing tools for lifelong healing. Crestwyn Behavioral Health has recently expanded its services to include adolescent care, reflecting the growing demand for specialized mental health treatment for younger populations. By offering a comprehensive, age-appropriate treatment model, Crestwyn continues to play a pivotal role in improving the mental health and well-being of individuals in the community. With a strong focus on compassionate, personalized treatment, Crestwyn works to ensure that individuals and families receive the support they need during challenging times. 9485 Crestwyn Hills Cove, Memphis, TN 38125 | 901.248.1500 | CrestwynBehavioral.com
PRESBYTERIAN DAY SCHOOL >>> THE FACE OF
EDUCATION
At PDS, we know how to reach boys, teach them, and channel their energies in positive and productive ways. After 75 years of teaching boys, we know they wiggle and squirm; they delight in getting their hands dirty; they are curious, thrive
when they are active, and learn best through experiential approaches. Here, boys move, inquire, and think out loud. This isn’t just a boys’ school. It’s a school built for boys — and the ways they learn, grow and do. PDS is where boys thrive.
THE FACE OF BRANDING
TACTICAL MAGIC >>>
Trace Hallowell has been an influential force in Memphis advertising for more than 30 years. Both strategist and creative leader, he is best known for developing high-impact brand identities and marketing campaigns. Having earned top national and international creative awards, his work is also featured in books, magazines, and college textbooks as examples of branding excellence. Trace founded Tactical Magic in 2001. The firm’s diverse clientele includes Chatham Gilder Howell Pittman, Eventive, IMC Logistics, Malasri Engineering, Sound Credit, Trousseau, and Truckmentum.
1460 Madison Ave. Memphis, TN 38104
901.722.3001
TacticalMagic.com
THE FACE OF BRAIN SURGERY
SEMMES MURPHEY CLINIC >>>
Front row, left to right: Dr. Andy Boucher, Dr. Jeffrey Sorenson, and Dr. Madison Michael
Back row, left to right: Dr. Kenan Arnautovic, Dr. Chris Nickele, Dr. Adam Arthur, and Dr. Nick Khan
For over 100 years, Semmes Murphey Clinic has been Memphis' trusted resource for all aspects of neurological care, including brain surgery. All Memphis area hospitals trust Semmes Murphey for their patients' brain surgery needs. Whether at your local hospital or Semmes Murphey Clinic, this team
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Front, left to right: Samantha Boggs Dean, Ashley Boggs Robilio, and Lauren McHugh Robinson
Back: Alex Boggs
Huey’s is a Memphis staple synonymous with great food and great service. Voted “Best Burger in Memphis” since 1984, the locally owned burger joint features 14 burgers, hand-made appetizers, sandwiches, salads, and more. What makes Huey’s so special, though, is the family-friendly atmosphere inspired in large part by the local family that has run it since 1976 — the Boggs.
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THE FACE OF CARDIOLOGY
RK HEART & VASCULAR CARE >>>
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THE FACE OF CATASTROPHIC INJURY & WRONGFUL
DEATH LAW
PEEL LAW FIRM >>>
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Q & A with the Attorney:
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THE FACE OF CATERING
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Jimmy Gentry, co-founder of Paradox Catering & Consulting, was formally trained at Johnson & Wales College of Culinary Arts. Before launching Paradox with his longtime partner Alia Hogan, he led kitchens across the Mid-South, earning multiple awards. His culinary expertise and leadership have been recognized nationally, including in The New York Times, and he is a frequent participant in local James Beard Dinners, showcasing his commitment to the culinary excellence of the region.
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At Harding Academy, we teach students that everything they learn is connected to God. In art, we talk about how we create because we are made in the image of a Creator God. In engineering, we explore the nature of God by discovering and creating order. In history, we
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THE FACE OF CRIMINAL DEFENSE
LAW OFFICE OF
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THE FACE OF DENTAL IMPLANTS
ADVANCED DENTAL IMPLANT AND TMJ CENTER >>> Pradeep Adatrow, DDS, MSD and Jay Patel, DDS Board Certified, Periodontal and Implant Surgeons
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THE FACE OF DERMATOLOGY
MEMPHIS DERMATOLOGY CLINIC, P.A. >>> Memphis Dermatology Clinic has served the Mid-South since 1972. We provide complete dermatologic care ranging from diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer, to Mohs Micrographic surgery to cosmetic procedures. MDC offers two convenient locations for our patients. In addition to our Midtown location on Union Avenue, we have a location in East Memphis at 795 Ridge Lake Blvd.
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THE MIND’S EYE OF
F oote Huger
BY ANNA TRAVERSE
The sun was coming from outside,” writes Wallace Stevens in the poem “ Not Ideas About the Thing But the Thing Itself.” The sun was coming from outside : not from the crumpled fog of dreams, not from within the mind, but from the piercing clear of dawn. “It was like / A new knowledge of reality.”
Huger Foote, a Memphis-raised artist who now divides his time between this city and New York’s Hudson Valley, seems always to be seeking a new knowledge of reality. Foote is a photographer, which is to say, a professional observer of the sun and where it’s coming from — a chronicler of the light, the way it slants and refracts, reflects and falls away, plays tricks and lights fires. His work is as kaleidoscopic as his mind; thumb the pages of his monographs and you’ll see photographs made in Europe and in New York, in Africa and in the Mississippi Delta. Often, you might not quite know what you’re looking at, not at first, but you’ll know you want to keep looking. And when you do, you might find:
A woman — we assume, seeing only her calves down, toes curled into sheer black hose and wedged into tattered, watermelon-hued peep-toe heels — takes small strides through the detritus of a vegetable market. Next to her, another person’s single dun-brown work boot stands stolid against the woman’s mid-air stride. On the black rock and tar of the road beneath their feet lies scattered a rainbow of mangled vegetables — carrots snapped in two, a cauliflower half-exploded, onions and turnips catching the light, the long, low angles of early evening. (Foote remembers he was in the east end of London, at a market in Brick Lane, setting up a photograph of the market waste, when the feet appeared. He was using a tripod, working with medium-format film, he recalls, which required him to shoot at a slow shutter speed. The woman happened to walk across the road at this exact
moment, frozen and vivified. The photograph is chaotic but beautiful, unexpected; it’s an invitation to look differently at the world around us — and the image’s signature element was pure luck. “I was seeing this picture, and this person walked into it,” says Foote.)
Outside someone’s gloss-red front door, a deflated Valentine-vulgar Mylar balloon lists and droops; to the left, in front of a window, a chartreuse-green pothos plant springs lush and lively. e image is perfectly bisected into green (glass, leaves and tendrils, reflection) and red (dying balloon, sagging string, thickly painted door). e composition is simple, almost abstracted; when I identify the balloon as such, he says I’m one of a few people to see it for what it is. Yet there’s pathos here, a sense of fragility in the shapes and textures, the growing plant and the lifeless plastic.
A man with an avian face — it’s William Eggleston, the renowned photographer and mentor to Foote — is nestled in a hotel room aglow with golden light; the texture of the wallpaper behind him is so alluring you can almost feel its ridges; a cigarette protrudes like an extra digit from his left hand. e print, as reproduced in Now Here en, Foote’s 2015 monograph, has been smudged with something black and viscous, and the spidery schmutz looks like smoke from the cigarette. A moonshaped lamp above Eggleston’s head suggests a crooked halo. You are, for a moment, drawn fully into the room — and then the print’s smudged surface pushes you away again, the medium insisting upon its own presence in the scene.
THE MIND’S EYE
ABOUT THIS SERIES: Memphis has played muse over the years to artists across the spectrum, from the music of Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Al Green, and the collective at Stax Records, to the prose of Peter Taylor, Shelby Foote, and John Grisham. Visual artists, too, have been inspired by Memphis, whose look has been described as gritty, dirty, active, eerie, beautiful, and captivating. “The Mind’s Eye” profiles the photographers whose work documents the city. Past stories in the series — featuring Bob Williams, Murray Riss, Saj Crone, Karen Pulfer Focht, Willy Bearden, Jamie Harmon, Brandon Dill, Ziggy Mack, Ernest Withers, Andrea Morales, Houston Cofield, Tommy Kha, and Ebet Roberts — are showcased in our digital archives (memphismagazine.com).
opposite: Portrait of Huger Foote in London.
right: Steam rises off a road in Mississippi after a sudden rain.
hen you mention to friends or colleagues that you’re writing about Huger Foote, two questions might follow: 1. How does he pronounce his given name? Answer: “YOU-gee,” sort of like U.G., with the emphasis on the first syllable. (He’s named for an ancestor, his great-grandfather on his father’s side, a planter and politician who served in the Mississippi Senate in the late-nineteenth century.) And 2. Isn’t he related to Shelby Foote, the writer and historian of the American Civil War? Answer: He’s Shelby Foote’s only son.
Huger was born in Memphis’ Methodist Central Hospital (now Methodist University Hospital), in 1961,
to Shelby and Gwyn Foote. irty-three years later, he would drive himself back to that same hospital, bleeding yet calm, in the strange composure of early delirium, after being shot in the arm during a carjacking. e same hospital, the same human consciousness, once emerging and then, very nearly, fading away. He describes the repetition as an echo, or as an ouroboros, the serpent consuming its tail. It’s also, I think, a sort of double exposure: a clear, primary picture, with another’s ghost hovering — just there, and just out of reach. He grew up in a home filled with ideas, books, history, language. Shelby Foote was a prolific writer and constant reader, someone who spent broad swaths of time in his study. is is a cadence I understand intimately: My own mother was an academic — a Shakespeare scholar — and seemed always to be holed up in her tiny home office (a closet, really), with leaning towers of books. From very early childhood, I sensed that she had a life separate from her existence as my mother, a life entirely of her own making, one that had something to do with all that text. I was curious about what went
on inside that mysterious parallel life — and about how I could build such a life of my own.
really connect with my dad, which all sons want to do. If my dad had been a duck hunter, I would have wanted to be part of that.”
But photography found him instead. Foote’s grandmother had a Polaroid SX-70 that he started using — his first experience behind the lens, and an immediate fit. He recalls making “constant photographs” in an assemblage he describes as diaristic: a friend riding his bicycle over a jump as a stunt, planes flying overhead, “thousands” of pictures of his dog. e camera, he says, led him to new ways of seeing and being, new manners of attention. Before long, his father noticed how consumed Huger was by the SX-70 and loaned him an Argus camera that he “probably bought in 1930, maybe even earlier.” e Argus required 35-millimeter fi lm, and Huger remembers his mother taking him through the old Ed’s Camera Shop drive-through on Madison at a near-constant clip to develop his daily black-andwhite rolls. “I was,” he says, “already there.” He sees the nascence of his fine-art photography in those early, obsessive days when he began documenting the blur between sublime and quotidian.
SERENDIPITY
Something happens every time I return to Memphis. … I see photographs that need to be taken, colors juxtaposed perfectly that just need framing to find their proper order.
In the late 1980s, Huger Foote was living and working in New York City. After college, at Sarah Lawrence, he spent about six years in Paris, where he got his start in fashion photography as an assistant to renowned photographer Pamela Hanson, whom he cites as a mentor. Following the stint in Paris, he moved back to New York, where he worked in artistically inclined commercial photography, in the tradition of Arthur Elgort. Foote says it was all about “finding the light — taking people to locations and going out for walks until you found the right light,” serendipitously. e lifestyle was exciting, creative, peripatetic — a week in Morocco here, a month in Milan there.
In the Foote household, in 1970s Midtown, words were central: Shelby Foote would, Huger recalls, work on a schedule each day — with a break at noon to watch As the World Turns with Gwyn. “He’d write about 500 words a day, and he did that year in and year out; the trilogy [ e Civil War: A Narrative] took him 20 years to write at that schedule.” Foote the younger goes on, “He imparted to me early that there are two kinds of people in the world: those who read great books, and those who don’t — and you’re going to have to decide which one you are. I don’t recall ever feeling like it was a burden, and I am just grateful that I was open-minded about it, because I saw a way to
How does he pronounce his given name? Answer: “YOU-gee,” sort of like U.G., with the emphasis on the fi rst syllable.
One day in New York’s Soho neighborhood, Foote was walking down Wooster Street and noticed across the street that a large-scale sculpture was being loaded into the Gagosian Gallery (their Wooster St. location has since closed). He recalls a “team of 30 heavy-duty welder guys, real serious New York guys. Not a refined art world scene — it was these intense guys moving this intensely heavy, large thing.” Drawn to the moment, Foote started shooting photos on the one roll of film he was carrying. Before long, a man he remembers as “gruff ” approached him and scribbled a name and number with a wax pencil on the ripped-off lid of a cardboard box, saying he would like to see the photos. Later, describing the scene to an architect friend, Foote realized that the
“total construction guy” with the wax pencil was, in fact, the American sculptor Richard Serra, known for his minimal but massive, undulating metalworks, on site to install the sculpture Two Rounds for Buster Keaton
When Foote later ventured to Serra’s apartment to show him the contact sheet and a few prints, the sculptor was quite taken with the way his work had been captured — so much so that he inquired as to Foote’s availability over the coming months, perhaps sensing a common artistic language. That’s how Foote
came to spend half a year on commission for Richard Serra, traveling to Storm King in New York State, to Des Moines, to various locations where the sculptor’s work was placed, to capture the conversations between art and landscape. At that time, Foote was focusing on commercial work, portraits, and the like; Serra’s interest helped to reorient him towards fine art. “He saw something in my work that was lost on me — something compositional.”
INTERVENTION
Midway through the months-long Serra commission, Foote traveled back to Memphis for a two-week visit; this was around 1994, when he was in his early 30s. While home, he was driving late one night when he was carjacked and shot. A man with a gun approached the driver’s-side window, and reflexively, Foote lifted his arm to shield his face — saving his life, in all likelihood, but shattering the arm. Then he floored the gas and drove away, bleeding but, he recalls, “completely lucid, but also detached. I didn’t feel any fear; everything became very still.”
It would take over a year for the final cast to be removed, and Foote spent the year in Memphis. He says he intended “just to stay down here until my bones are healed.” In his mind, he was merely “killing time before I’d get back to my life in New York and my commercial career.”
The universe, in its fashion, had other plans. While he was recuperating, Serra mailed him several books, including Edward Weston’s Daybooks Weston was a photographer working in the first half of the twentieth century, and the Daybooks record his thoughts about photography, including his development as an artist — and his departure from New York to find himself in the big-skied West. The copies that Serra sent were his own, and even though there was no note in the package, Foote understood the message: “He was saying to me, ‘That’s what this time down there [in Memphis] could be about — you finding yourself as an artist, which is what I think you are.’” Whether or not he
left: Shelby and Gwyn Foote on a hotel balcony in Paris.
fully grasped the message at the time — Foote will tell you, self-deprecatingly, that it “went right over my head” — his life and work began to shift around that time toward a more artistic, meditative, even broken sensibility.
But that wasn’t the only encounter during his recuperation that would transform the course of his life and career. During the same stint in Memphis, adrift after the carjacking, Foote landed an assignment from Vanity Fair to make a portrait of legendary Memphis photographer William Eggleston, surely at or near the top of anyone’s list of influential twentieth-century American artists in the medium. Foote had observed Eggleston at a distance before — it’s a small town in the guise of a city, as anyone who’s spent time here knows — but the two didn’t really know each other. He was able to secure a phone number from a mutual contact, though, and Eggleston “just told me to come on over.”
“He [Richard Serra] saw something in my work that was lost on me — something compositional.”
As Foote tells it, “My experience with portraits was that if you’re lucky, you get half an hour.” When he turned up at the house, Eggleston invited him inside and led him into a nearly bare room containing just
two chairs, a reel-to-reel player, and giant speakers, which were “absolutely blasting a Mahalia Jackson gospel record.” Eggleston asked if Foote had any cigarettes. They were both out, so Eggleston produced a sampler box of pipe tobacco which they rolled up in cigarette papers. After a long, long stretch “completely nonverbal,” Foote commented haplessly, “This woman can really sing.” He was not going to get much out of Eggleston that day, not conversation and certainly not a portrait. They sat together for nearly an hour listening to Mahalia Jackson — and then Eggleston leapt up and announced he had to go. “Maybe,” Foote says, “he was sizing me up to see if I could hang.” The younger photographer must have passed the test, because later that same day, Eggleston called and invited him back to the house for Chinese food; the two would go on to become good friends over the next several years, spending time together, making trips in and out of Mississippi. And yes, he eventually got the shot for Vanity Fair
The time with Eggleston continued the internal reorientation that he was undergoing already — a
opposite: A church in downtown Memphis whose plain wall is awash in color through stained glass.
process he describes as “rearranging the furniture in your mind.” Increasingly, composition took precedence for him, even above subject matter, as he realized he was seeking “the perfection of the composition, the juxtaposition of colors. I wasn’t looking for what the picture is of : It was more like the golden mean, this otherworldly thing that ultimately can’t be taught. You have to find your way to it.” He goes on, “It reminds me of my dad, reaching for this lofty greatness. He didn’t want to just publish books; he wanted to create this thing that was up there [gesturing heavenward], this world with his heroes.”
STRUCTURE | DAMAGE
I came to see the damage that was done and the treasures that prevail.
ADRIENNE RICH, “DIVING INTO THE WRECK”
Habove: When Foote peeled apart two photographs accidentally adhered together, this ghost shimmer was left behind.
Eggleston’s vision and mentorship, he says, shone a new light into his own mind and work. He remembers seeing a painting once by Vermeer — View of Delft — and being struck by the way the light suffuses the scene, how it bathes and animates everything. In a room full of fine old paintings, he had the sense that a spotlight was being shone on this one, luminous canvas — and, he says, “That spotlight is like what Bill’s work is for me.” (He also makes a point to note that their relationship likely would not have blossomed anywhere but Memphis: The “Mozart of photography,” as Foote calls him, was practically down the street, willing to open his door.)
is arm recovered and his vision sharpened, Foote returned to New York, with a renewed sense of what his work could communicate. By 1995, his work was being shown in solo gallery shows in Memphis, then beyond. By 2000, a large-format art book, My Friend from Memphis, was published by BoothClibborn in London. A second, slimmer monograph followed in 2016, the previously mentioned Now Here en, from Dashwood Books in New York. He’s continued creating and exhibiting at a steady clip; locally, he held a solo show of new work in late 2023 titled, “ e Sun Inside the Evening.”
To peruse much of his work is to consider time and its (strangely beautiful) indignities. Foote has had a penchant, at least in moments of his life, for abusing his work after he creates it.
A little over a decade ago, while compiling some past work for his Now Here en project and book, he started scanning “work prints” — not the original film, but less-than-perfect prints made for editing and
above: A Japanese maple glows in the East Memphis yard of a friend’s grandmother.
placement purposes. These were outtakes that hadn’t been included in exhibitions or previous collections, and because the work prints had been boxed up with varying degrees of care, or lack thereof, they tended to be nicked, scratched, marred. Foote suddenly realized, he says, that “I had fallen in love with these things as-is. Some of them are more damaged than others. That one’s torn, and you can see the fibers or the paper under it. You’re seeing the medium and the process — it’s like you’re seeing time pass.”
In a photo of a friend, Angie (seen on the cover of this magazine), a young woman with deep-set eyes gazes into the middle distance — listening? Thinking? The photo is all shadow and grain, light and dark: The woman could almost be a reflection of herself in an antique mirror. Amid the shadows, the camera’s fixed on her ring, a knotted gold piece that glows inward. Foote explains that he was shooting film of his friends late into the night, until dawn, and using a special lens that allowed him to make just one detail sharp, in focus, while blurring everything else. The blur and grain give us the sense of an image rising up through the fog of memory. After the fact, the print acquired a landscape of creases and small tears; instead of seeing these marks as faults, Foote recognizes the way they enhance the beauty of the original.
Through the unintended ways the prints acquired damage, Foote is collaborating with time: There’s the original image, carefully composed — and then there’s whatever the vagaries of circumstance decided to inflict. “I think I walked around on some of these,” he says, and describes another “extreme example” of two prints of equal size that adhered together when a drink
(“probably a bourbon and Coke”) spilled on them. He remembers filling a sink with water and soaking the prints, then peeling them apart, thinking all the while, “Oh, damn it: I like that picture.” But then he realized: “Look at what happens when I peeled them apart. Look at how beautiful that is.”
INTERLUDE: CLOUDS
Two moments: Standing on the balcony of his childhood home, camera in hand, Huger Foote spots his mother supine on the grass below, staring up at the clouds or at nothing, Chesterfield in hand. He snaps a black-and-white photo of her, arms akimbo, knees tucked, amid lush Southern leaves. The woman in the image could be deep in thought, or out in space, or both; the photo is shot from above, so we’re clearly seeing through someone else’s eyes, yet as viewers, we’re immediately absorbed by the woman’s consciousness, floating down the river of her mind. The composition is different, and the postures, but the image puts me in mind of the John William Waterhouse painting The Lady of Shalott : a woman in pale cloth against a dark landscape, in a state of drift, floating to who-knows-where.
And: during the period after the carjacking, when Foote is learning what kind of artist he means to be, he goes over to Bill Eggleston’s one day and finds his mentor, camera in hand, lying in the yard, looking up at the sky. From the house, someone says, “‘Bill, you have a phone call,’” Foote recalls. “He says, ‘I can’t take it, I’m working.’” Eggleston would go on to produce, famously, an entire series of cloud photographs. But at that moment, it was pure revelation: This, too, could be one’s work. Could be art.
MEMORY | MOMENTARY
Several days after we speak, Foote and I exchange emails about photos and family, memory and absence. I sense that he is, as I am, given to nostalgia and its vagaries — the skips in the tape of our lives, the loops back to a time half-forgotten, yet vivid. He mentions the opinion held by some that photographs rob us of our true memories, replacing them with artificially static, composed, still images. (In Camera Lucida, for instance, Roland Barthes writes of photographs of his mother: “Sometimes I recognized a region of her face, a certain relation of nose and forehead, the movement of her arms, her hands. I never recognized her except in fragments, which is to say that I missed her being, and that therefore I missed her altogether.”)
Foote sees the interplay between photography and memory through a slightly different lens. “I’m not sure I agree about this,” he goes on. “Images can also be touchstones, can trigger vivid dreams at night, proper time travel.
“Then I think of making photographs now, if I am properly enthralled, consumed in the moment and a dance of seeking and finding order in the shapes and colors and light around me, my mind ceases thinking, escapes the confines of time.”
The process of creating photographs, when he is in that flow state, is just that: process, movement. It’s more verb than noun, more action than result (which isn’t to say he’s not meticulous about the results). But like anyone who continues doing something for a long time — Foote has been holding cameras for five decades or so — he’s drawn in by the state of being that photography crystallizes in him. He speaks of being
“lost in the moment” while working, of “escaping my thinking mind for a while” — like meditation with his eyes open.
In the books collecting his work, I notice that the images are undated, unlocated, undescribed. They simply are , like flashbulb imprints on the retina, like the memories that appear again and again when we close our eyes. For the son of someone who spun out so, so many words, Huger Foote requires very few.
CODA
In a black-and-white
photograph taken in his childhood home, a 12-yearold Huger Foote perches in an upholstered chair. His gaze is taut, intense; his mouth a straight line. The living room where he sits is formal, but he’s barefooted, and the sole of his left foot, propped jauntily on his right knee, is dark with dirt — he’s been running around outside, and from his striped T-shirt and sunbleached hair, we know it’s summer in Memphis. Between his hands, poised at the ready: a camera.
left: Reflections of reflections in a photograph made in Tanzania.
Tennessee Shakespeare Company wraps its 17th season this spring. The story of how the state’s preeminent Bardic troupe came to thrive here in Memphis is worthy of its own stage play.
BY ALEX GREENE
top: Julius Caesar (dir. Dan McCleary, 2019). Phil Darius Wallace (Antony) stands over Michael Khanlarian (Caesar)
above: Grace of Grace (dir. Dan McCleary, 2025). McCleary as Macbeth, a villain, yet “too full of the milk of human kindness.”
HThe moment that spurred Dan McCleary’s acting career, and by extension the birth of Tennessee Shakespeare Company (TSC), was a rude awakening. Specifically, it was just after his awakening — at breakfast.
Qq
to thine own self be true
e was a journalism major at then-Memphis State at the time, in the 1980s, but, he says, “I kept gravitating over to the theater school.” He quickly made an impression on Joanna “Josie” Helming, the celebrated director and teacher in the department of theater and dance, and an emeritus faculty member at the University of Memphis today. McCleary was intrigued when she asked him to meet with her.
“I remember she took me to breakfast one Saturday morning,” he says, “which she had never done, and I was hopeful that she was going to tell me that she wanted to cast me in something.
“Josie was famously frank, and she said, ‘I’m so glad you’ve arrived. Order your breakfast, and then I want you to leave Memphis. Sell your car, put all your belongings in two bags, get on a Greyhound bus, and go to New York. And I don’t want you to come back.”
As McCleary sat flabbergasted, Helming pledged to get him situated with a drama teacher in New York. en, McCleary remembers her saying, “But if you choose to stay, don’t you think for one minute that you’re going to be allowed in the theater department. I will not cast you. You’ve got to go, and you’ve got to make the choice right now.”
He followed Helming’s counsel to the letter. “I did exactly what she advised,” he says. Once on the East Coast, “I matriculated at Temple and made my way as an actor there. And I remained in the Northeast for the next 20, 25 years.”
Qq
in the temple, in the town, the field
He worked at Shakespeare and Company in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, in New York, in Boston, and around the country. “I had a very rich artistic and personal life there, but I thought, ‘I’m not engaged in what I really feel was the original function of theater.’ I wanted to be more introductory, more controversial, more surprising,” he says. He also wanted to be in the South, and to be outdoors, not unlike those Depression-era thespians who created the Memphis Open Air Theater in the grassy space that later became the Overton Park Shell. “After looking at a lot of outdoor Shakespeare companies, I began to refine a strategic plan for what a theater company would look like for me, and what it kept looking like was the necessity of a community. I wanted to go where I felt there was a need.”
McCleary’s hometown came into focus as one such community, and things began to fall into place, especially when he reached out to his first theatrical mentor at Germantown High School. “I started to talk to Frank Bluestein, who introduced me to theater, and his welcoming response was immediate,” says McCleary. “He agreed to partner with me in attempting to launch it here, because we thought that Memphis was long overdue.”
Thinking big came naturally to Bluestein, whose vision had brought the first Fine Arts Department to Germantown High in the ’70s, and with it the Poplar Pike Playhouse and the school’s award-winning educational television facility, GHS-TV.
Knowing the Germantown arts landscape and its patrons well, he had heard from Father Gary Sturni of St. George’s Episcopal Church that one of the church’s neighbors, Barbara Apperson, wanted to support the fledgling company. As did the City of Germantown.
“We moved into the Germantown Train Depot and became its docents for one dollar a year for many years,” says McCleary, “and we rehearsed and performed at the church and on Barbara’s property for our first production of As You Like It, where the play begins in the church. And then when Rosalind and Celia got banished, our Irish musicians and actors took the audience out through the church and onto Barbara’s candlelit property, and we finished the play under the trees.”
That was in 2008, but not everyone in the community was on board, according to McCleary. “A lot of neighbors didn’t want theater people there. I remember politicians in Germantown telling me they didn’t want people from Memphis there. We had neighbors running their leaf blowers while we were performing, and they had a lawsuit pending against us to prevent us from performing. But nothing adverse ever happened.”
Qq
we know what we are, but know not what we may be
As all this was fomenting, McCleary recruited another partner in the cause — and something more. “I hope he told you we’re married!” quips Stephanie Shine, who recently became associate artistic producer after 14 years with the company. Previously, she worked as artistic director and in other capacities for the Seattle Shakespeare Company for 15 or 16 years, she says. When she and McCleary met, and he was concocting the plans for TSC, she consulted on the education program and and ultimately became the company’s education director in 2009. “So really, I’ve been here forever.”
Shine couldn’t argue with McCleary’s assessment that Memphis was a city in need. When she came to Memphis for the first time, she says, “There wasn’t anything [like Tennessee Shakespeare Company] within a few hundred miles. Dan and I were both at the point in our careers where our interest was more in service, and how we could give. We’re more interested in what art does and how it helps. And we came to Shakespeare independently with great passion and commitment.”
Indeed, starting with the high school classes Shine and McCleary led even before their debut under the trees, building skills in the community has always been integral to the company’s mission. Countless Memphis parents, including me, have seen an interest or even love of Shakespeare kindled in their children through the Tennessee Shakespeare Company’s ongoing educational outreach. But the company takes that philosophy seriously among its own members, as well.
As You Like It (dir. Dan McCleary, 2008). Rehearsal for the company’s outside performance. PHOTO COURTESY TSC.
left: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (dir. Stephanie Shine, 2016). A performance at the University of Memphis.
Stephanie Shine is TSC’s associate artistic producer, previously the artistic director for the Seattle Shakespeare Company. PHOTO BY NATHAN SNOW.
“ at was the other thing I wanted to help create,” says McCleary. “A professional theater company where we could train artist-managers and artist-teachers. Everyone here is a manager, everyone here is an actor, or a director, or designer. Everyone here is a teacher, and this is what Shakespeare’s troupes were when Shakespeare was a shareholder in his playhouses. ere were no directors in those days. ere were poets and there were actors, but they managed. ey controlled their own professional fate. at’s what everyone at Tennessee Shakespeare Company does as well. When we’re able to identify young, talented, and driven people, we invest in them here, and we find programs that help train them. And you know, if they may be better off someplace else, I pull a Josie Helming on them. Otherwise, I really want them to stay.”
Qq
b e great in act, as you have been in thought
One of McCleary’s goals in founding the organization was to be “introductory.” at has meant taking the Bard where the Bard doesn’t typically tread. Visiting schools has only comprised part of that effort, but their work in that regard has been formidable. e Macbeth Initiative brings company actors into schools, where they enact scenes and guide students through the still-relevant themes of “the Scottish play.” e Romeo and Juliet Project uses that famous tragedy “for freshman students to imagine and rehearse life-saving choices in the face of armed violence, peer pressure, prejudice, and inadequate guidance,” as the company’s website notes.
en there are the many seasonal camps, teacher training sessions, and adult classes they offer. is includes work with the juvenile-justice system, the Veterans Administration, and others. “We serve those groups, and our community, with a variety of acting classes that we offer people, not necessarily so they’ll become actors, but to give them the joy of speaking verse and living in these plays, and experience the community it can provide,” says Shine. “So I always think of us as being a full-service organization.”
McCleary thinks a crucial part of such service is simply getting more people to speak Shakespeare’s words aloud. “I started to discover that many of our children in Memphis who were in high schools couldn’t read the Shakespeare text and that their reading levels were below par. And that’s when I decided that I should never come into these classes with paper or books again. We know the plays, and we come in and we speak the text, line by line behind them, so the students can then speak it for themselves and gain immediate ownership of the text.”
e company’s Free Shout-Out Shakespeare Series is the ultimate testament to the power of speaking these words. “Shout-Out was a brainchild of Dan’s,” says Shine. “He wanted us to be out in the community, almost like a Shakespeare pop-up. It used to be sort of like guerilla Shakespeare, and now it’s really become something to reckon with. Now we’ll send 12, 13, 14 actors out with a set, costumes, full productions at places where you wouldn’t normally imagine a play might be [staged]. We think that Shakespeare belongs in the lives of everybody.”
e series was especially welcome during the first years of Covid, but it predated the pandemic by several years. And even now, it continues to gain momentum. As McCleary sees it, it “comes from us taking Shakespeare to others, as opposed to counting on others coming to us for Shakespeare.”
TQq
the play’s the thing
he populism inherent in the Shout-Out Series is at the heart of Tennessee Shakespeare Company, and it colors every production. As McCleary explains, “Shakespeare was a revolutionary. He was a rebel. And probably the place he would have most loved living in, maybe one of the top three or four places in the country, would be Memphis. We’re such a boiling pot, and he populates his stage with everything and everyone and every gender and every color and every religion and every ethnicity that the world had. If he hadn’t been so close to Queen Elizabeth and King James, he could have been hanged — you weren’t supposed to put those people on stage. He gets away with it.”
at, in turn, means that TSC productions are not reverent, solemn affairs. ey are as boisterous, bawdy, and brazen as life itself, and therein lies their power, beyond the exquisite language. “Our Memphis audiences love to call and respond. Shakespeare would have loved it. He loves audiences that are very, very actively engaged, especially our young people. It’s like going to a football game. Some of our young people get told, ‘Don’t be loud or don’t talk during the show,’ and that’s true. You don’t want
Summer camp on the Tabor Stage, where students “can speak it for themselves and gain immediate ownership of the text.” PHOTO COURTESY TSC.
Inhabiting the character of a king at TSC Summer Camp.
PHOTO COURTESY TSC.
Free Shout-Out Shakespeare Series: The Comedy of Errors (dir. Dan McCleary, 2024). Bringing the Bard to Bartlett at BPAC.
to be rude. But if you’re talking and being active in response to what’s [happening] on stage, actors love nothing better.”
Such an ethos was brought to the fore in TSC’s last production, The Grace of Grace: Shining a Light Through Shakespeare’s Broken Villains, an irreverent, yet surprisingly moving mash-up of passages highlighting Shakespeare’s bad guys, assembled by McCleary himself. As I was seated for Grace of Grace, I first noticed that the set was not your typical Elizabethan fare. Graffiti smeared the walls; a bathtub and other detritus were strewn about; and a single, glowing microphone right out of a pro wrestling ring dropped from the ceiling. Then McCleary himself emerged, face streaked in red, to the choogling opening riff of Ozzy Osbourne’s “I Don’t Wanna Stop.” As he and Lauren Gunn took on roles both malicious and comic from the Bard’s pages, their costumes were decidedly Goth, as more metal jams, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and even Taylor Swift chimed from the speakers occasionally, to great dramatic effect.
Meanwhile, the entire show worked on a more contemplative level, presenting three “arguments” on how to interpret these complex characters, including “Villainy as a Gateway to Compassion,” “Villainy as Freedom for Self-Responsibility,” and “Villainy as Sacrifice,” and making some pointed political observations along the way. No dry lecture, devoid of the show’s stage fighting, howling, and death, could have conveyed such themes as compellingly. This show took the Bard into the mosh pit.
With the wrap of that production, one of TSC’s “Enhanced Literary Salons,” the remainder of the 2024-25 season is in Shine’s hands. First, on March 2nd, she’ll direct another Literary Salon, “Lady Augusta Gregory, Revivalist of a Country,” with readings of works by Gregory, the co-founder of the Irish Literary Theatre who figured prominently in Ireland’s literary revival and the revolutionary spirit that it fomented. Then the company will present, from April 4-19, Saint Joan, George Bernard Shaw’s exploration of faith, politics, and humanity via the story of Joan of Arc, also directed by Shine.
These two back-to-back explorations of Irish literature and drama fit neatly into the company’s brief of presenting works embodying the best of the English language, with richly nuanced characters. As McCleary sees it, Shakespearean language has an affinity with both the Irish and the Southern literary traditions, and the company often delves into both for its non-Elizabethan material. “I really want the Southern sound,” he says. “I need the Southern actors speaking it.” The language of Southern and Irish writers, he says, “has a lot of bite in it, it’s got fight in it. It’s got a lot of grit to it, and it’s got elegance and grace to it. And so I look for scripts that have that in it. That’s my own Southern sensibility.”
Finally, bringing the focus back to TSC’s public service as the season closes, The Children’s Literacy Gala on May 3rd will help raise funds for the company’s work in the V.A. Hospital, the Juvenile Justice System, and Shelby County schools. Such a breadth of activity is a mark of how successful the company has been here, as is its dedicated headquarters in Cordova.
“For approximately 55 percent of our audience, our performance is going to be the first time they experience the role of, say, Othello. For the rest of their lives, they will be harkening back to our actors and what they do with this role as the standard-bearers for what the role should be.
“When we bring actors here, we tell them, ‘Look, this is not where you come to get famous. This is where you come to do the sacred work of the art of the actor, and this is where you’re going to change a lot of people’s lives for the better. You’ll be the very first rung on the ladder that gets them climbing, with an investment in reading, or an investment in poetry, or an investment in Shakespeare, or better yet, an investment in themselves and in their communities.”
For more information about Tennessee Shakespeare Company, including upcoming performances, visit tnshakespeare.org.
TSC’s permanent home at the edge of Shelby Farms Park since 2017.
PHOTO COURTESY TSC.
left: Free Shout-Out Shakespeare Series: Macbeth (dir. Stehanie Shine, 2022). Back outdoors at The Dixon Gallery and Gardens.
left: Grace of Grace: McCleary as Coriolanus, bringing deep readings of a tragic Shakespeare character into the mosh pit.
Othello (dir. Dan McCleary, 2010). Paul Bernardo (Iago) and Johnny Lee Davenport (Othello) at St. George’s Episcopal Church.
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FROM OVERTOWN TO ORANGE MOUND
Water becomes a space for Black healing in Calida Rawles’ paintings, on view this spring at the Brooks.
BY ABIGAIL MORICI
“We need joy as we need air. We need love as we need water. We need each other as we need the earth we share.”
— maya angelou
Our experience with water is intimate. It’s in us; it is us. It goes through us. It touches our skin, covers our bodies in the tub, in the pool, in the rain. It hydrates, refreshes, floods, drowns. We need it; we fear it; we thirst for it. It ripples throughout Memphis history.
The flooding waters of the Mississippi River drove those first Memphians to settle atop the Fourth Chickasaw Bluff. Stagnant water from rain cisterns and shallow wells bred mosquitos that brought about the yellow fever epidemic, losing the city its charter in 1878. The epidemic, in turn, led Memphians, searching for a reliable water source in the name of sanitation and health, to discover the Memphis sands aquifer, the sole source of Memphis’ water today. This century, residents in South Memphis would have to fight to protect our aquifer — against the proposed construction of the Byhalia crude-oil pipeline and against the continued threats of contamination from Tennessee Valley Authority’s Allen Fossil Plant. With all its complexities, water is now at the forefront of the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art’s upcoming exhibition, “Calida Rawles: Away with the Tides,” on display March 19th through September 7th. The California-based artist’s exhibit of 10 paintings and a three-channel video explores water’s dualities, specifically as a space for Black healing, resilience, and joy.
A traveling exhibit, “Away with the Tides” will make Memphis its second stop, having begun its tour at Pérez Art Museum Miami. Rawles’ portraits of Black figures immersed in water had caught the eye of Pérez associate curator Maritza M. Lacayo.
“She asked me if I could do something that really engaged the community,” Rawles says. “I kept wondering — before she even asked me about the show — about the people living in Miami, where AP African-American studies wasn’t allowed to be taught. I was wondering how people of the African-American community feel about their history not being considered valuable enough to be taught in school. I never saw anyone ask them those questions.”
So Rawles took to researching historical Black neighborhoods in the city. “The fascinating thing about it to me was that I’ve been to Miami many times, but I used to only go to the strip. I never thought, ‘Where’s the Black neighborhood?’”
Her research led her to Overtown, which Rawles says was once like “a second Harlem.” Founded in 1896 for and by African Americans, the neighborhood thrived as an entertainment district during the early- to mid-twentieth century in the Jim Crow era. “It
had a thriving community of 300 businesses, and everyone used to go there,” Rawles says.
But in the late 1950s, with the passage of Eisenhower’s Federal-Aid Highway Act, the construction of two major freeways displaced thousands of Overtown residents, or “Towners,” through eminent domain. In the aftermath, Rawles says, “They lost their homes, and they lost their businesses, and they had no way to [recover]. The job market just fell.”
The exhibit will include an interactive gallery where the Brooks will highlight Memphis’ own Black swim history.
The highways essentially decimated the neighborhood, the population dropping and blight taking over what once was a desirable and vibrant community of Black Miami’s professional class, in the name of “progress.” Today, though, many say Overtown is experiencing a renaissance, as advocates and community members try to rebuild and reinvigorate what once was, but its scars are not forgotten even as hope endures.
opposite: Calida Rawles, To See What It Is, 2024. Acrylic on canvas, 84 x 48 inches. COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND LEHMANN MAUPIN, NEW YORK, SEOUL, AND LONDON. above: Calida Rawles, Hallowed Be Her Name, 2024. Pastel on paper, 38 x 52 inches. COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND LEHMANN MAUPIN, NEW YORK, SEOUL, AND LONDON.
“[The Highway Act] targeted communities of color, where they put highways, and these neighborhoods were systematically destroyed,” Rawles says. “It was created as part of systematic racism, and it impacted a lot of communities around the country. I just didn’t think that was being shown, even to people in Miami. I knew it was a larger story. It’s a national kind of conversation, but it spoke to a community that when it’s on the news, it’s only depicted one way.”
And so, Rawles dedicated her first solo museum exhibit to painting the people of Overtown in her signature way — in bodies of water — but for these paintings, they would be in Overtown’s Gibson Pool and the nearby Virginia Key Beach.
For a long time, I didn’t like that I was a realistic painter. I think that’s why it took me a very long time to create my voice. But when I found the water and started using figures in water, it’s like I can still use my style and then create abstraction at the same time.
R
awles began painting Black people’s bodies in water after she started swimming for exercise at the gym pool. “It happened to be the master swim class at Loyola [Marymount] University,” she says of her first class. “I jumped in that pool, and I couldn’t even get halfway across. I was scared I was going to drown. The
coach gave me a board and said to just kick. I went back every day for a while, and then it became three days a week until I really became a swimmer. And I just wouldn’t stop.
“And it was so beautiful. I always wanted to be out in the water and see the pops of light, and I used to think in the water, ‘This is so pretty. I wish I could paint it.’ After I left the pool, it didn’t matter what was happening in my life, if I was really stressed or upset, when I left it didn’t seem so big and I wasn’t so upset. Then it clicked at some point: What if I pull this into my practice? What if I talk about difficult things or divisive issues, but it looks pretty? What if I could create something and it can make people feel better? I started researching water.”
In her research, Rawles asked questions about Black people’s relationships with water. She probed the stereotype about Black people not knowing how to swim. “Where’d that come from?” she says. “Oh, because you couldn’t have pools; there was segregation at the pool. This is a place you don’t see us, and I don’t see myself, and you think we don’t belong.”
This history and these stereotypes had rippling effects. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning death rates for Black people under 30 are 1.5 times higher than for white people, and 70 percent of Black Americans cannot swim, compared to 31 percent for white Americans, according to a study by USA Swimming and the University of Memphis.
“I thought that could be an undercurrent to
all of the work,” Rawles says. “When you put a Black body in that water, you’re dispelling something — without even talking about a subject. And then if I paint the figures comfortably and with agency, if people think, ‘I could feel comfortable like that,’ ‘I don’t have to be afraid of the water,’ or maybe ‘I should
learn to swim,’ I thought I could do that, too.”
More than anything, finding water as a muse excited her. Her painting style has always veered toward hyperrealism. “I can’t control it,” she says. “For a long time, I didn’t like that I was a realistic painter. I think that’s why it took me a very long time to create my voice. But when I found the water and started using figures in water, it’s like I can still use my style and then create abstraction at the same time, so it felt like I’m even more interested in me.”
R awles’ paintings allow Black bodies to take up space, her canvases large in size, but more importantly they allow them to take up space in water, as historically charged as it is. For this exhibit, she’s taken her subjects, young and old, to Gibson Pool, a product of segregation, and Virginia Key Beach, once designated as a Black beach. In this way, she’s also able to probe the transatlantic slave trade. Her subjects float, their bodies bending the will of the water, balanced and relaxed in waters haunted by the past.
“I met a lot of people from the Overtown Community Center,” Rawles says. “I wanted to depict different people that grew up, knew, and loved Overtown.”
In selecting each subject, she went through an interview process, getting to know them and their stories before photographing them in the water. “It’s very intimate,” Rawles says of the photoshoots that she uses for reference, “because a lot of people, what I want them to do, I may have to hold them in the water. They have to be comfortable with me touching them and talking to them, so it gets us comfortable with each other when I say, ‘Let me hear your story.’”
For one of these stories, she recalls Ms. Rolle, an older woman. “She was so excited telling
me about the times when she used to go [to Virginia Key Beach] as a young girl. Everyone would go there on the weekend and certain holidays. And she just lit up. And so, even though we’d done other pictures at the pool, I said, ‘I’m going to take you to the beach.’ Even though I wasn’t planning it, I wanted to take
her because she had such a memory of it.”
When Rawles went to pick her up, she says, a group of men living in Rolle’s apartment complex greeted her. “They were like, ‘What do you want with her?’ They just wanted to make sure she was safe. ‘Are you going to feed her lunch? She needs to drink water. I don’t want her drinking any soda.’ And all these different things. And if you just drove by and created stereotypes of these men sitting on chairs outside of a building, you wouldn’t realize just how connected everyone is and what a great community there is with love and protection. … I don’t think some neighborhoods have that.”
By the time Rolle and Rawles got to the beach, the artist says, “She was just so happy to see the beach and she hadn’t been there in a long time.” Rolle put her feet in the water and kept her hands in her lap, and that was the image Rawles painted in a diptych, The Parts That Make You Whole, an hourglass shape forming between the two images when placed together.
“It made me think of time and how it slips by you so fast,” Rawles says. “I remember feeling I really wanted to do [Rolle] well.”
In fact, she says, “I wanted to make Overtown proud. That’s not how I usually work; it’d be a subject or how I feel or a response to news or just what I want to paint. You want to paint from your heart and hope [viewers] get it because you don’t want the viewer to influence what you create.”
But this was different. More was at stake. She got to know these people, and she spent hours, weeks painting them. “There’s something that happened here,” she says, “that I wanted to give more visibility to and have viewers actually meet people from that community.”
That meant showing fully visible faces
above: Installation view of Calida Rawles: Away with the Tides, Pérez Art Museum Miami, 2024-2025. PHOTOGRAPHS BY ORIOL TARRIDAS.
and pulling back on her abstraction. “I wanted you to see them as fully human,” Rawles says. “If the community has been kind of demonized and stereotyped, I didn’t want to give visuals of that. I wanted to show people that you can put a face to a community.”
By the time the exhibit opened in Miami in June 2024, Rolle was in hospice. She has since passed, but her voice and videos of her experience with Rawles can be heard and seen in the three-channel video that will be shown as part of the exhibit. Made in collaboration with Laura Brownson, We Gonna Swim features interviews with the exhibition’s subjects and archival footage from Overtown.
T hrough all her portraits of Overtowners, Rawles says, “I’m really talking about various communities. I want to inspire people to learn more about communities and not feel like if you look at them right now you know the whole history.”
While “Away with the Tides” is in Memphis, Rose Smith, the Brooks’ assistant curator of photography, hopes viewers can connect Miami’s Overtown with Memphis’ Orange Mound. “Miami’s Overtown neighborhood mirrors Memphis’ Orange Mound community,” she says, pointing out how both neighborhoods were founded for and by African Americans in similar time periods. “We want to talk about the ways in which these communities reflect each other, although the Black community in Memphis didn’t experience a highway obstruction. But certainly, there are other things that we can glean and show parallels between these two communities.”
The exhibit will include an interactive gallery where the Brooks will highlight Memphis’ own Black swim history, for which Smith dug into the archives, searching through photos and newspaper clippings at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library. “You’ll see photos of Black Memphians swimming back in the ’40s and ’50s before the desegregation laws were established,” they say.
While searching for these photographs, Smith says they were struck by the joy she saw in the images. “You see different swimming competitions in these communities,” they say. “I have a specific image in mind of five or six young men who are posing with a trophy. They’re posing with their swimwear. They just won, perhaps, a competition and that image struck me, and I think it ties into what [Rawles] surfaces in her work. We want this exhibition to engender joy, rest, medita-
tion and healing within our Memphis community. We also want to advocate for water accessibility, equity, and safety for our community.”
For Smith, part of that means making sure the gallery space is accessible to the community — as far out as Orange Mound and beyond. “We’re doing that through marketing and promoting the exhibition, and then also programming, bringing in local artists to do gallery talks. … We’re working with a few local organizations to teach people how to swim, and we would love to host something in the summer where we’re able to use this exhibition to advocate for swim lessons.”
One piece of programming that especially excites Smith is Memphis filmmaker Zaire Love’s screening of the documentary Slice As described by Chris McCoy in his Memphis Flyer article about the film, which earned Indie Memphis awards for Best Documentary Short and Best Narrative Short, “Slice is about a uniquely Memphis sport. Think of it as the aquatic equivalent of jookin.’”
In the film, narrator and subject Derrico “Rico” Golden, a “pro slicer,” says, “I’ve been loving water since I was young, but water is way more to me. It’s my place of peace. Everybody that knows me, knows that wherever I go, I’m trying to find some water. It’s freedom in the water. I challenge myself in the water. I get creative in the water. I showcase that swag in the water.”
It’s that type of agency that Rawles hopes
her viewers get out of her paintings, though she knows that won’t always be the case. “Because it’s what their relationship [to water] is,” she says. “People that don’t know how to swim, that are very afraid, often look at my paintings and go, ‘Oh my god, it looks like you’re about to drown.’ Then other people are like, ‘Oh my god, this feels so good.’ Or I’ve had people write to me that they lost a person from trauma and these paintings help them; they felt therapeutic. Or, ‘I’ve never seen myself, a Black person, in water before.’”
Any experience, to Rawles, is valid and profound. She says, “I think it’s about communities. I think it’s about people.”
She also hopes her paintings allow viewers to examine their relationships with the subjects, to go beyond their first judgments. “You can’t look at someone and know their experience at all, and we do judge so quickly from a quick appearance or right now,” she says. “You’re looking at them at this moment, at this time, through your lens, with your limited experience and knowledge of it. And I think that’s something we all have to do better with.”
“Calida Rawles: Away with the Tides” is on display at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art from March 19th through September 7th.
below: Calida Rawles, Towner for Life, 2024. Acrylic on canvas, 72 x 102 inches. COURTESY THE ARTIST AND LEHMAN MAUPIN, NEW YORK, SEOUL, AND LONDON.
NIGHT SHIFT
Douglas Browne Has All the Moves
In this occasional series, we find out what local notables are up to in their off-hours and side hustles.
BY JON W. SPARKS
In his day job as president of Peabody Hotels & Resorts, Douglas Browne strives for perfection. He wants you to have the best possible experience in his luxury hotel. ose who know him from his work with e Peabody, or his stint as chairman of the Greater Memphis Chamber, might not be aware that he also works to choreograph maximum achievement … on the dance floor.
His need to give it a whirl started early.
“My love for dancing started as a child. I grew up in the Caribbean — mostly Puerto Rico — and you couldn’t live in Puerto Rico without being around rhythm dancing. I always loved dancing — and if you could dance, women were more interested in you. So I love dancing and I’ve been pretty good at it.”
A few years ago, he was dating someone who liked dancing and the two agreed to learn the Argentine tango. eir interest in the tango and each other waned, so they broke up. Yet Browne still had the itch to get moving on the dance floor and decided to join the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee, part of an international chain of almost 300 studios around the globe. When his teacher retired about four years ago, he thought that was his fi nale, too. Sarah Bohannon, however, had other ideas.
She was another instructor at Fred Astaire who had seen him on the floor and encouraged him to get back into it. “She’s a professional and she’s incredible,” Browne says.
But why does he do this? He is, after all, a top executive in Memphis running a hotel of global renown, and deeply involved in a variety of community organizations, from the Chamber to Memphis in May to several global hotel association boards.
“I’m one of these people that tries anything,” he confesses. “I started taking piano lessons about eight years ago. I’ve studied martial arts. I decided to get my master’s degree in business from the University of Memphis. I was an equestrian rider and played sports in high school and college. And I fly.”
It’s more than just dabbling: Browne is driven to excel. “I’m really competitive,” he says. “When Sarah and I started, we went to Florida and ended up winning a competition there. en we won a competition in Chattanooga. We won in Texas. We dance well.”
So what is ballroom dancing, exactly? It is, Browne says, smooth. “It’s like Viennese waltz and foxtrot,” he says. “And tango. On the rhythm side, we do rumba, mambo, chacha, bolero, all of the rhythm dances. And then we do what are considered show dances or cabaret — the ones that everybody goes, ‘Oh wow!’ and that’s where you see a lot of lifts.”
The learning curve gave Browne an appreciation for how difficult it could be. “Two years ago, doing what I thought was hard, was really simple stuff. I quickly realized that after a couple of months, what seemed hard, really was a lot easier than I thought.”
Browne, however, had no interest in mastering what was easy. Last year, he says, “I told Sarah that I wanted to do a really, really difficult routine, and I don’t care if we ever use it anywhere.” He found a choreographer and told him to create a routine that was going to be a challenge and to use Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” for the music.
“He showed me this incredible routine,” Browne says, “and I thought to myself, there’s just no way I can do this.” Those immediate doubts, however, ran into encouragement from his choreographer, his dance partner, and particularly his own sense of determination to pursue his goal.
“It’s a pro routine and seemed
impossible, but soon I was doing it where I actually threw Sarah up over my head, she lands on my shoulder, and I’m spinning around with her.”
Persisting in his practice and achievement was not just about nailing the routine. Browne says, with some satisfaction, that he’s going to be 70 this year and, “I’m healthier today than I was 30 years ago. I’m physically in better shape than I was 30 years ago. Mentally, I’m much more alert and physically better, and I have fun doing it, and I really think more people should.”
To perfect the moves, Browne watched videos of his practice, going frame by frame. “It’s in the details,” he says, describing a hand movement that most people wouldn’t notice but one whose timing he realized was just slightly off. So, he fixed it.
He is quick to give credit to his instructor and dance partner. “Sarah is really great at the showmanship,” he says, pointing to a photo of them in a competition, “and you can see that she’s the one that adds the pizazz to it all.”
Browne acknowledges that, “for me, it’s a hobby. For her, it’s her job, and she’s great at it. For both of us, it’s a passion. And I think she puts up with me and tolerates me, but she knows that I’ll try anything. She knows I’m daring.”
It’s not just that she’s a good teacher, but their success also relies on their connection. “When you go to these competitions, the judges really look at the connection between the partners,” Browne says. “We figured that out the first time we danced together — we gelled . It makes such a difference when you find somebody where you’re on the same wavelength.”
Bohannon has always been absorbed by dance. She quickly understood that there was something about movement and she wanted to master it, so she trained in ballet. Wanting more, she started working at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Hendersonville about four years ago.
“Getting to do what I love is amazing,” she says, “and what drives me to keep doing it is we use dancing as a vessel to bring more joy and happiness to people’s lives. It’s good for you physically, but it’s an art also, so you get to express yourself emotionally as well.”
When she encouraged Browne to get back into dancing, she did her own homework. “He was a little hesitant at fi rst,” she says, “and he said, ‘As long as you learn my routines, I’ll give it a try.’ So I was practicing his routines and making sure I had them down and he was really impressed that I knew all of his routines.”
Which is not to say that he was an easy student.
“When he started, he was quite stubborn,” Bohannon says. “He was very specific with what dance styles he wanted to learn and those dance styles are not the styles that we start out teaching people. They’re very high-level, difficult dances, but that’s what he wanted to start with. Slowly but surely, I talked him into going back, learning more dances, learning more in-
depth about the dances, more technique, more performance, quality expression, and really learning the fundamentals that he needed.”
She also knew how to take advantage of his love for dance. He was learning the techniques for mambo, but he already had ingrained knowledge from learning it when he was growing up in Puerto Rico, and it had become a bit confusing.
“I told him one day that we were going to try something. I said, ‘Forget about the technique that I’ve shown you in this dance. I want you to dance it the way you danced it growing up. Get back into your roots with it.’ And that definitely helped and that was a cool thing for me to see.”
Bohannon remembers when he was determined to do that difficult routine to “My Way” and that they both found the prospect daunting. “Now, just through practicing and spending a lot of time working on it, it feels much easier,” she says. “That’s a cool thing to see how we’ve received challenging choreography and wondered how is this going to happen? But with that ambition he has, he’s not only working on it when he is in the studio, he goes to the gym and makes sure he does his exercises so he can lift me and has the stamina and everything. He puts in a lot of work and effort to achieve those things, and makes me very proud.”
makes such a difference when you find somebody where you’re on the same wavelength.”
Browne keeps a busy performance schedule. He and Bohannon have competitions lined up around the country when his schedule allows. And they stay busy locally, having danced in December at the Liberty Bowl’s President’s Gala and in February at the Atrium in Overton Square. Along with those recent performances, Browne says they’ve gotten requests from Habitat for Humanity, the YMCA, and New Memphis Ballet to dance at their events.
And when the occasion calls for it, he can improvise with the best of them.
“Once I was judging at a Memphis in May event with Al Kapone,” he says. “After the judging, we’re walking off stage and they start playing ‘Whoop at Trick,’ Al’s song, and he grabs me. He knows that I dance and he pulls me back onto the stage and it’s just the two of us. And he says, follow me. I start doing exactly what he’s doing and the crowd’s just screaming, going nuts. I lean over while we’re dancing and say to him, ‘You realize that you have just improved my street cred in Memphis?’ And he about fell down laughing.”
Douglas Browne says of his partner/teacher Sarah Bohannon, “It
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DUVALL POOLS >>>
Cliff Duvall, Owner
We are a small business that started in my garage about seven years ago. We have grown to support 19 employees and pride ourselves on being family-oriented with a family atmosphere. We initially started in specializing in leak detection on pools and have since branched out to retail (free chemical testing, supplies), weekly maintenance, repairs, new construction, remodeling, and servicing equipment pads. We really focus on getting people what they need instead of overselling them on things that they don't need.
3840 Getwell Road, Southaven, MS 38672 901.590.6799 | DuvallPools.com
THE FACE OF PROFESSIONAL
TREE SERVICE
ROBINSON TREE SERVICE >>>
Once again, Robinson Tree is proud to be the Face of Professional Tree Service in Memphis Magazine. Robinson Tree is a 100% family-owned local tree service serving the Memphis area. Jason moved to Memphis in 1996 after earning a degree in Urban Forestry at Texas A&M. Cynthia is a lifelong Memphian who graduated from the University of Memphis and has a long history in customer service. Since buying the
business from a family member in 2001, Jason and Cynthia have grown the company into one of Memphis's most recommended tree services. They both strive to offer a professional tree service experience with well-trained crews. They understand how valuable our trees are and the importance of professionally maintaining those valuable assets. Have you looked at your trees lately? Give them a call for a free estimate.
Beth Wilson, MBA, APR, is the founder and CEO of Wilson Public Relations. For more than two decades, she has led award-winning integrated communications campaigns in fields ranging from economic development, manufacturing, professional services, and tech to education, healthcare, hospitality, and nonprofit. As an industry leader, Wilson is a regular contributor to various local and national publications, as well as a frequent speaker throughout the
community. She also serves on the Executive Committee of 901Women with the University of Memphis, is on the Workforce Advisory Council for University High School, and actively supports organizations such as the American Heart Association, AngelStreet Memphis, and Volunteer Odyssey. Wilson received her bachelor’s degree and Executive MBA from the University of Memphis and her accreditation in Public Relations from the Universal Accreditation Board.
THE FACE OF
REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE
FERTILITY ASSOCIATES OF MEMPHIS >>>
Left to right: Paul R. Brezina, MD, Todd Chappell, MD, Amelia P. Bailey, MD, William H. Kutteh, MD, PhD, and Raymond W. Ke, MD
Fertility Associates of Memphis is the only state-of-the-art practice providing comprehensive reproductive health care to couples of the Mid-South and beyond, treating patients struggling with infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, and reproductive disorders. Our highly specialized team utilizes cutting-edge techniques, including in vitro fertilization with laser blastocyst biopsy, preimplantation genetic testing, fertility preservation, and minimally invasive robotic surgery. Our Center was named one of the top 10% of fertility clinics in America by Newsweek magazine and has been designated a Center of Excellence. Our compassionate physicians, board-certified in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, have been bringing dreams to life for over 29 years.
80 Humphreys Center, Suite 307, Memphis, TN 38120 | 901.747.2229 | FertilityMemphis.com
“The Art of Exceptional Service.” What sets “Too Tall” Todd Adams apart is not the number of successful deals closed, but the composure and confidence with which each transaction is orchestrated. Known for an unparalleled dedication to client satisfaction, Todd remains at the forefront, armed with a deep understanding of market trends, property values, and investment opportunities. Todd is a trusted advisor, guiding clients through the intricate real estate landscape with integrity and professionalism. With a track record that speaks volumes and a commitment to excellence that transcends expectations, he uses the latest technology and insights to empower clients in making informed decisions — ensuring that every move is strategic and financially sound.
TODD T. ADAMS >>> THE FACE OF
Ever heard the phrase “It takes a village?” Well, we are THE Village — a vibrant community of people who support each other and embrace life to the fullest every day. From our dedicated staff who view their work as a calling, not just a job, to our fun-loving residents who cherish spending time together, we have created something truly special. Nestled in the heart of Germantown, a wide range of activities await, including interfaith services, Tai Chi, a putting green, ukelele classes, billiards, and a very popular social hour. It’s the ideal place to call home. We are family ... we are The Village. 7820 Walking Horse Circle, Germantown, TN 38138 901.730.8519 l Village-Germantown.com
THE FACE OF STEAK
FOLK'S FOLLY PRIME STEAK HOUSE >>>
Tom Hughes
Executive Chef
When real estate developer Humphrey Folk opened his namesake restaurant in 1977, friends scoffed at his endeavor, so he dubbed his fledgling steak house Folk’s Folly. Nearly 48 years later, this Memphis original restaurant means serious business. Executive Chef Tom Hughes is the face behind this fine dining experience, consistently voted the best steak house in the city, serving prime cuts, fresh seafood, and a variety of traditional favorites and innovative specials.
551 S. Mendenhall Memphis, TN 38117
901.762.8200
FolksFolly.com
SEMMES MURPHEY CLINIC >>>
Left to right: Dr. Christopher Nickele, Dr. Adam Arthur, Dr. Lucas Elijovich, Dr. Violiza Inoa, and Dr. Nitin Goyal
Every year, more than 795,000 Americans have a stroke. Semmes Murphey Clinic's neurovascular team, the largest and most experienced in the nation, is here to fight stroke and its devastating effects in the Mid-South and beyond. The physicians are devoted to delivering and researching life-saving interventions for acute stroke and improving care for stroke survivors. Locally and globally, they dedicate themselves to spreading awareness about stroke prevention. Semmes Murphey Clinic's team also diagnoses and treats various conditions, including aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, carotid artery stenosis, moyamoya disease, and more.
Orion is innovating the future of banking, emphasizing partnership, value, and community impact. Ashley leads Orion’s team in creating a sense of belonging for its customers while offering an innovative and accessible banking experience.
Orion’s commitment to financial education ensures customers are well-equipped to make informed decisions, fostering peace of mind and empowering them to realize their full financial potential.
Orion welcomes you to join the journey as we redefine the future of banking and innovate your financial future.
ORION: GUIDING YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE ORIONFCU.COM
THE FACE OF
THE MULTI-SPECIALTY GROUP
CONSOLIDATED MEDICAL PRACTICES OF MEMPHIS, PLLC >>> Doctors include: Michelle Allmon, Jeremy Avila, Reuben Avila, John Buttross, Tommy Campbell, Laura Engbretson, Arthur Franklin, Maher Ghawji, Malini Gupta, Ara Hanissian, Gina Hanissian, Greg Hanissian, Raza Hashmi, Mary Margaret Hurley, David Iansmith, Margarita Lamothe, Kashif Latif, Shannon Riedley-Malone, Edward Muir, Lisa Myers, Imad Omer, Mohammad Qureshi, George Van Rushing, Bashar Shala, Henry Stamps, Allison Stiles, George Stoev, Ralph Taylor, Michael Threlkeld, Stephen Threlkeld, Randy Villanueva, and Angela Watson
CMPM, a “group practice without walls,” was established in 2008 to provide compassionate, convenient, and efficient care for those in the Mid-South. Since its formation CMPM has grown to 38 physicians in multiple specialties located across the area, from Midtown to Collierville. The physicians enjoy practice autonomy while benefiting from the economies of scale and scope provided by a larger group. With its network of nationally recognized physicians, nurse practitioners and health care providers, CMPM strives to provide compassionate, outstanding and personalized care to those living in Shelby County and the surrounding areas. Photo taken at MoSH, Museum of Science & History. 1555 Lynnfield Road, Suite 200, Memphis, TN 38119 | 901.261.0700 | MedicalOfMemphis.com
2025 FACES
OF THE MID-SOUTH
THE FACE OF VASCULAR
SURGERY
VASCULAR AND VEIN INSTITUTE OF THE SOUTH > > >
Left to right: Dr. Gabor A. Winkler, Dr. Anton Dias Perera, Dr. Prateek K. Gupta, and Dr. Daniel M. Alterman
The Vascular and Vein Institute of the South (VVIS) represents the largest group of independent, board-certified vascular surgeons in the Mid-South. Founded in 2018 with a single office in Germantown, TN, VVIS now consists of eleven locations across the tri-state area (TN, AR, MS) and serves as the premier center for limb preservation. Specializing in both minimally-invasive, outpatient, endovascular procedures and open surgery, VVIS offers a comprehensive scope of practice, including peripheral arterial disease, varicose veins, uterine fibroid embolization, dialysis access creation and maintenance, carotid disease, aortic aneurysms, genicular artery embolization, and beyond.
Convenient locations in: Germantown, TN | Memphis, TN | Millington, TN | Southaven, MS | Senatobia, MS | Oxford, MS | Grenada, MS | Clarksdale, MS | Greenwood, MS | West Memphis, AR | Forrest City, AR 901.390.2930 | VascularAndVeinInstitute.com
2025 FACES
OF THE MID-SOUTH
THE FACE OF WEIGHT LOSS & REGENERATIVE MEDICINE
DE LA BELLE BODY & WELLNESS >>>
Renee Pinlac, MSN, FNP, is the visionary founder of De La Belle Body & Wellness, nestled in the charming Shops of Chickasaw Oaks Village. With over 25 years of expertise, Renee has dedicated her career to comprehensive weight management, regenerative medicine, and advanced facial aesthetic rejuvenation.
A Master Cosmetic Injector, Renee is certified in Botox, dermal fillers, laser facial aesthetics, and noninvasive body contouring. She is passionate about cutting-edge regenerative therapies, offering pan-facial rejuvenation, Derma PRP (‘liquid gold’), plant-based exosomes for hair restoration, PDO thread lifts for non-surgical face and body contouring, bioidentical hormone therapy for men and women, and IV vitamin hydration.
Her 17+ years at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital instilled in her a deep sense of professionalism and compassion, which she now brings to medical aesthetics and wellness. At De La Belle Body & Wellness, Renee is committed to helping clients look and feel their best — inside and out. With her expertise, artistry, and dedication, she is raising the standard for aesthetics in Memphis.
KIRBY WINES & LIQUORS >>>
Celebrating our 40th year in 2025, the staff and ownership team here at Kirby Wines and Liquors have served the Mid-South with gratitude. The dedication to customer service is our mission, with the goal to provide the best and most knowledgeable service, the best selection, and the best pricing for our customers every day. We offer a broad international selection of wines and liquors and ever-changing and seasonal beer choices, as well as party supplies and gifts. If planning for the most intimate evening for 2 or a shindig for 1,000, our staff will assist with the details: from proposal to delivery, we will do it all! We are ever proud and grateful to serve the Mid-South for the next 40 years and beyond!
Left to right: Philip Forman, Jeremy Vasser, Zack Scott, and Brian Herrera
THE FACE OF WINE &
A Smooth Landing
At Bao Toan, the chic new Vietnamese restaurant in Crosstown Concourse, an experienced pilot is helming the bar.
BY BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN
Tony Nguyen always wanted to fly.
“When I was growing up,” he says, “I liked to build model airplanes, and one of my best friends was also into flying. I always had a love for aviation.”
It was Nguyen’s love of flying — and of jumping out of airplanes — that took him away from Memphis for a few years, and ultimately, it was what led him back home, where he now manages the bar for Bao Toan, the brandnew Vietnamese restaurant in Crosstown Concourse.
“I decided I wanted to fly, so my wife, Amanda, and I moved to Nashville, in 2013, to be near an airfield in Tullahoma,” he says. “We worked in Nashville and I went to Middle Tennessee State — and began sky-diving. In 2017, I had an accident — I broke a femur and my pelvis — and was laid up for 10 months. at brought me back to Memphis, where my parents are, and where we have a huge support system. Amanda and I now have a three-year-old son, so it’s been nice to be close to family again.”
Nguyen’s family always had a love for food, which he says helped shape his restaurant career: “I attribute my passion for food to my mom and grandfather — and to my cousin, Mimi, who always hosted our big anksgiving dinners.”
After graduating from Christian Brothers High School in 2004, Nguyen began working at Texas de Brazil in downtown Memphis. “I eventually got behind the bar there, and liked it,” he says. After his accident, back in Memphis, he began bartending at Catherine & Mary’s.
“After four years at Catherine & Mary’s, I got approached to work at the Hen House, and I ended up working there for four years,” he says, referring to the wine bar in East Memphis. “ en I crossed paths with
Karina [Pham] and Margaret [Tong] and they told me they were opening a Vietnamese establishment, and they’d heard about my work. ey wanted to interview me and see what I thought about the concept.”
Nguyen obviously liked what he heard. “Bao Toan is Vietnamese cuisine with a modern interpretation and execution,” he says. “And that’s also what we’re doing with our drink menu — creating cocktails made with Asian ingredients but with modern techniques. Working here also allows me to dive deeper into my own heritage and history and to showcase that to the general public.”
“What would be an example of the kind of cocktail you’re talking about?” I ask.
“One drink I’m working on,” Nguyen says, “is my interpretation of pho — using Old Forester whiskey and adding cinnamon notes, and star anise, among other things. I’m also doing a drink that’s called ‘Day & Night on Train Street — Hanoi.’ It’s Wild Turkey 101 rye fat-washed with shiitake mushrooms. It has a lot of umami, a nuttiness on the nose.”
“Tell me a little about fat-washing. How does that work?
“Fat-washing is a process where you’re essentially combining alcohol and a fat to blend some flavors,” he says. “In this case, I sauté shiitake mushrooms, then use that butter and blend it with whiskey. You let it sit and solidify, then strain it off. Would you like to try one?”
“Absolutely.”
e drink arrives minutes later. It’s simple and elegant:
an amber pool of liquid surrounding an oversized ice cube adorned with a mushroom beret. e aroma is earthy, rich, exotic. Maybe like a night in Hanoi, I think. I take a sip and taste a whiskey that’s been softened and given a slightly savory edge. is Wild Turkey has been civilized. “ is is very satisfying,” I say. “And unusual, at least it is for me.”
“We’re going to do some cocktails specific to our menu,” Nguyen says, “but we’ll also be able to make classic and
contemporary-classic cocktails, and modern riffs on them. Our bar staff will have some flexibility to collaborate and create.”
One look around Bao Toan’s stylish and colorful interior makes it clear that something new and different is happening here. It’s only been open since late January, but with people like Tony Nguyen on board, there’s little doubt that the place will quickly take wing
Bao Toan is located inside Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse Avenue, Suite 165.
Tony Nguyen pours a “Day & Night on Train Street — Hanoi.”
A Cocklebur at Stanley Booth’s Funeral
One music writer bids farewell to another.
BY ROBERT GORDON
Beneath the 50-foot vaulted ceiling inside the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Central Gardens, the altar was resplendent with green fir Christmas trees and red poinsettias. Small white lights dotted the plants, each bulb appearing as its own star. Gold and silver sparkled on the walls, glimmered from the mosaics and the dome above, gleamed from the chalice. A years-long renovation has recently given this century-old sanctuary new life.
ere, a few days after Christmas 2024, the soul of writer Stanley Booth transmogrified from this life to the next.He’d selected this setting for his funeral. It was a far cry from the funerals he chronicled. Of blues great Mississippi John Hurt’s, he wrote, “We followed [John Hurt’s nephew] T.R. through the dried, weedy grass. Cockleburs stuck to my pant legs, and when I bent to brush them off, T.R. went almost to his knees, plucking the spiny burs with his thick fingers. ‘Hey, let me,’ I said. ‘I can —’ but he would not stop.”
When pioneering Memphis soul guitarist Charlie Freeman was dead at 31 in 1973, Stanley wrote, “There were sprays of flowers, all kinds, all colors, along the walls and in great banks behind the steel-gray coffi n, where Freeman, dressed in the gold-embroidered blue robe he’d worn onstage at the Albert Hall, was laid out on white satin. ere were flowers from all the studios and record companies that had not been able to give Freeman any work toward the end of his life.”
Here, there were no burrs, no dazzling robes, no banks of flowers, no unkempt lawns or unkept record company promises. ere were about 40 people in attendance, which was impressive for a man who’d outlived many of his friends and spent much of his lifetime spurning those who sought his friendship.
I’d known Stanley about 30 years. I’d not spoken more than ten words with him since he moved back to Memphis a decade or so ago. ough I also live here, I did not visit him at his home when he was well or when he was sick, nor in the nursing home where he wound up to wind down, though through acquaintances I knew his health
decline. I had enough scars from previous encounters. Over the years, Stanley had devoted some of his considerable talent and creativity to fomenting animosities and inventing smears. I was a favorite target, which both saddened and angered me. Apparently our paths were too similar, especially our interests in roots music and most-things-Memphis, and he perceived me as either a threat or an unpleasant reminder of the work to be done.
Still, his art always inspired me. When I was writing It Came From Memphis, I would, seated at my desk, read passages from Stanley’s books until I felt a communing of the spirit; when that came over me, I’d drop the book in my lap and begin immediately writing, ignited by his prose. It was a transmogrification of a different sort. (I did the same with the work of Peter Guralnick and Greil Marcus; also with Wim Wenders’ movie e American Friend.)
Now Stanley was too dead to insult me, and I could pay my respects.
Stanley was an elegant writer with a keen sense of craft. His only completed long-form book, e True Adventures of the Rolling Stones, is a masterwork of journalism and prose. His magazine pieces, compiled in the (intentionally misspelled) Rythm Oil, fi nd him at many crossroads of Memphis music — Otis Redding’s fi nal recording session, sweeping Beale Street with bluesman Furry Lewis, in the hospital with Phineas Newborn after the piano genius had his fingers broken in a mugging.
Stanley looked like a star, and in his own pieces he could
compete with his subjects for attention. He’d established himself when gonzo journalism — inserting oneself into stories — was the new trend. His Rolling Stones book opens
neral were impersonal — the time-honored template, devoted to the liturgy and indifferent to the subject. I don’t think his full name was even spoken, only seen on the cover of the photocopied
at the Altamont Speedway, December 1969, a night of rockand-roll and murder that ended any illusions of a Woodstock nation. Stanley describes his arrival, getting out of a van to walk the last leg, not alone but with “of course Mick and Keith, Rolling Stones.” In documentary footage with the Stones, Stanley is as dashing as anyone in the band.
At his own funeral, however, “Stanley” was the answer to a Mad Lib: Insert name of dead person here. ere was no mention of his writing career, no citing of his true adventures with Stax greats, nor the world’s greatest rock-and-roll band, nor confidantes in Elvis Presley’s world. Not a mention of his home in Georgia or his hometown soul brother Gram Parsons. All the words spoken at Stanley’s fu-
funeral program. Otherwise, he was just two syllables recited by priests who did not know him: “Stanley.”
He’d converted to Catholicism many years back, “which has freed me,” he told e Vinyl Press in 2015, “from being an animal.” roughout the service I contemplated why Stanley had chosen a farewell that lacked any personal connection to his actual life; he’d lived an unusual one that warranted remarks. And humility was not his nature. en, called to stand, I shifted my position and noticed the urn for his ashes, front and center of the room, on a table with a tall cross. Whenever the three priests would shift roles on the pulpit, they’d pause to bow to that cross. When one would finish his words, he’d turn and bow to that cross. And — I realized,
each was also bowing to Stanley. In his writing, Stanley made himself integral to the story. e Stones were the spectacle and his telling made him an essential element of their light. And here he was in a room that itself was a spectacle, and robed men were going through a ritual that had survived for centuries, and a crowd had come to observe it, and at the center of it all was — well, yes there was a cross, but below the cross, also reaping the glory, accepting the nods, was what remained of Stanley himself. Intentional or just life’s way, he was again adjacent to the Star, receiving the bowing gestures from the priests, the curtseys from the congregation. He was again written into the text — even upstaging the Star a bit, Stanley’s two-syllables getting so much attention in the Star’s home during His birthday celebration season.
Stanley’s conversion was genuine, so he likely pursued this service for its single-minded devotion to a higher power, the acknowledgement of human frailty, and the yielding to the final, prevailing narrative for all mortals. But in death as in life, Stanley drew the light.
Memphian Robert Gordon is an award-winning writer, producer, and filmmaker. His documentaries have focused on Beale Street, B.B. King, Stax Records, Big Star, and many others. Books include It Came from Memphis , Can’t be Satisfied: e Life and Times of Muddy Waters , Respect Yourself: Stax Records and the Soul Explosion , e King of the Road: Elvis on Tour 1954 - 1977 and e Elvis Treasures.
Call of the Wild
Exploring
the untamed elegance of The Overland.
BY ALEX GREENE
Aday’s fresh haul of trout at the Wyoming lodge my family visited every summer went hand in hand with the landscape outside: the roar of the creek just outside the log walls, the untrammeled landscape, the moose and Bighorn sheep. Not to mention, scaling mountains, canoeing rivers, and swimming in lakes can fire an appetite.
Although e Overland’s most dramatic view is of the Germantown Performing Arts Center, the restaurant’s real strength is its ability to transport diners to the West. And that’s not just because the menu features bison, elk, salmon, and rainbow trout.
As owner Spence Ray explains, it’s more about the spirit of the place, and the people who live there. “I’m a lifelong Memphian,”
he notes, “and I’ve been here 63 years, but when I was six years old, I rode across the country in a station wagon with my parents and grandparents. Later, my wife, our three kids, and I spent a lot of their earlier years in the national parks, mostly in the West: the east side of California, the Sierra Nevadas, Utah, or up into Montana.”
Ray wanted to evoke those
landscapes and the good folk who explore them. “I do love the South,” he says, “but the Northwest is especially appealing to me, with its mountain ranges and rivers and weather patterns — and the ruggedness and ruralness of the people. We spent a lot of time out there, and some of the places that we ate were not necessarily expensive or extravagant in any way, but there was an underlying theme that wasn’t even planned. It didn’t come from
a designer. It was obviously just a reflection of who the people were, the food that they ate, the way that they lived their life. e way they valued community and relationships was very, very appealing to me. And so I told my wife that if I could ever open a restaurant in ornwood, I wanted to pick up those elements.”
When I recently arrived at Thornwood, the collection of luxury shopping, dining, and entertainment venues on Neshoba Road in Germantown, I did not feel much like Grizzly Adams. Admittedly, taking the elevator to the top floor of e Marriott TownePlace Suites, where e Overland is located, did involve a change in altitude. But it wasn’t really until I stepped inside the
restaurant that my mood changed. Maybe it was the giant golden moose on the wall?
Or maybe it was the cozy interior, each table lit with its own lamp. My seat really did offer a handsome view of GPAC below, and then there was the menu, teeming with ingredients not often seen in Memphis. Appetizers like beef tartare or the duck skewer did evoke a certain ruggedness, but I was intrigued by the more cosmopolitan pimento cheese wontons.
These were pure fusion, in the best way: the delicate, crisply fried shells were stuffed with one of the lightest blends of pimento cheese I’ve ever tasted, a smooth, creamy fi lling. But the really inspired element was the strawberry/mint/habanero marmalade on the side, a perfect contrast to the wontons themselves.
e wine list was very cosmopolitan as well, with selections on hand from Italy, France, Germany, South Africa, and, yes, Oregon. But I chose one of the many California wines, the Diora pinot noir from Monterey, with its dark cherry overtones and just a hint of savory sage to evoke the scrublands out on the range. I already had in mind what I would order for the main course. I was going
Pimento cheese wontons
Western decor sets the mood. Elk chop
for the big game.
But fi rst came the salad, and I opted for the “North Mesa.” It, too, seemed to spring right out of California with its mix of delicate greens (including tender young chard leaves), grape tomatoes, fried wonton strips, and avocado, topped with a cilantro honey vinaigrette. I could have requested salmon or chicken atop the greens, had I wanted to make it more of a meal, but it was plenty fi lling as it was, and continued
OUT
WEST… “Some of the places that we ate were not necessarily expensive or extravagant in any way but there was an underlying theme that wasn’t even planned. It didn’t come from a designer. It was obviously just a reflection of who the people were, the food that they ate, the way that they lived their life. The way they valued community and relationships was very, very appealing to me.”
— Spence Ray
the sweet/savory flavor profi le of the wontons.
Many of the entrees were tempting, including the bison ribeye with green beans almondine and the rainbow trout with stewed lentils, brown butter, and beurre blanc, not to mention more familiar selections like the salmon, prime fi let, chicken thighs, and “fork and knife cheeseburger.” But — possibly because the golden moose went to my head — I was set on one dish: the elk chop.
As I finished my salad, I knew the elk was on its way when my server brought me some additional cutlery: a serrated steak knife nearly big enough to down my own elk if I
needed to. A few moments later, I was presented with a magnificent plate, with two segments of rib chops, bone-in, nestled on a plateau of savory grits and turnip greens, with a small river of puréed smoked corn pooled around it. Over the elk chops was a glistening bordelaise sauce. It was a landscape all its own. e elk did not strike me as particularly gamey. It was lean, reflecting a diet of mountain pastures, but not dry or tough. Indeed, its tenderness was only amplified by the subtly tangy, savory sauce, and I barely needed that steak knife. e meat was balanced by the hearty grits beneath, perfect for absorbing all the fla-
vors mingling on the plate. As a nod to Ray’s Memphis roots, the turnip greens were sublime, with a hint of that elusive umami quality. And the smoked corn puree was a revelation, sweet as only corn can be, yet full of the earthy, fi reside aromas of a mountain cabin. e Overland would do well to use this side element in more of their future dishes.
After all this, I was too full to order any of the desserts, but a rotating selection of those are available — on this night, chocolate cheesecake and blueberry cobbler. I was content to simply savor the finely wrought dishes crafted by Chef Cobi Pollan, and appreciative of a collection of fl avors both unfamiliar and comforting. And, looking around
the room, I saw the other patrons chatting away with their servers and each other like they’d found a home away from home. And that, too, was part of what Ray had in mind when conjuring up this slice of the West in Memphis.
“ e people out there, they’re very community oriented,” he says. “You know, neighbors help neighbors. ey look after one another. If your cattle are outside the fence, or there’s a snowstorm, a blizzard coming in, they help each other. ey see that what is good for one of them is good for all.”
e Overland is located on the top floor of the Marriott Towneplace Suites, 7800 Neshoba Road, Suite 501.
North Mesa salad
A rotating selection of desserts Salmon entrée
The moosehead
A veranda with a view
Memphis Dining Guide
A Curated Guide to Eating Out
Memphis Magazine offers this curated restaurant listing as a service to our readers. Broken down alphabetically by neighborhoods, this directory does not list every restaurant in town. It does, however, include the magazine’s “Top 50” choices of must-try restaurants in Memphis, a group that is updated every August. Establishments open less than a year are not eligible for “Top 50” but are noted as “New.” is guide also includes a representative sampling of other Bluff City eating establishments. No fast-food facilities or cafeterias are listed. Restaurants are included regardless of whether they advertise in Memphis Magazine; those that operate in multiple locations are listed under the neighborhood of their original location. is guide is updated regularly, but we recommend that you call ahead to check on hours, prices, or other details. Suggestions from readers are welcome: dining@memphismagazine.com.
DOWNTOWN
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, $-$$
AMELIA GENE’S—Globally inspired fine-dining cuisine at the One Beale project, including Rohan duck, Wagyu filet, and an extensive cheese cart. 255 S. Front. 686-5051. D, $$-$$$
THE ARCADE—Possibly Memphis’ oldest cafe. Specialties include sweet potato pancakes, a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich, and breakfast served all day. 540 S. Main. 526-5757. B, L, D (Thurs.-Sat.), MRA, $
ARNOLD’S SMOKEHOUSE—A classic smokehouse with vegan and nonvegan options seasoned to perfection. Closed Mon. 2019 E. Person Ave. 922-5950. L, D, SB, $-$$$
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, MRA, $-$$$
BARDOG TAVERN—Classic American grill with Italian influence, Bardog offers pasta specialties such as Grandma’s NJ Meatballs, as well as salads, sliders, sandwiches, and daily specials. 73 Monroe. 275-8752. B (Mon.-Fri.), L, D, WB, MRA, $-$$
BELLE TAVERN—Serving elevated bar food, including a butcher board with a variety of meats and cheeses, as well as daily specials. 117 Barboro Alley. 249-6580. L (Sun.), D, MRA, $
BEN YAY’S GUMBO SHOP—Spiritual successor to DejaVu, offering fresh and authentic Creole staples. 150 Peabody Place, Suite 111. 779-4125. L, D, $-$$
BISCUITS & JAMS—Offering sweet and savory brunch with a Cajun flare. Specialties include smoked sausage or spicy fried chicken on
celebrate our city’s community table and the
biscuits, lemon blueberry waffles, and rum custard French toast. No walk-ins on weekends. 24 N. B.B. King Blvd. 672-7905. B, L, WB, $-$$
BRASS DOOR IRISH PUB—Irish and New-American cuisine includes such entrees as fish and chips, burgers, shepherd’s pie, all-day Irish breakfast, and more. 152 Madison. 572-1813. L, D, SB, $-$$
BY THE BREWERY—Breakfast and lunch café, with a focus on Southern-style biscuits, salads, and soups. 496 Tennessee St. 310-4341. B, L, $
CAPRICCIO GRILL ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE
Offers prime steaks, fresh seafood (lobster tails, grouper, mahi mahi), pasta, and several Northern Italian specialties. 149 Union, The Peabody. 529-4199. B, L, D, SB, MRA, $-$$$$
CAROLINA WATERSHED—This indoor/outdoor eatery, set around silos, features reimagined down-home classics, including fried green tomatoes with smoked catfish, a buttermilk fried chicken sandwich, burgers, and more. Closed Mon.-Thurs. 141 E. Carolina. 321-5553. L, D, WB, $-$$
CIMAS—It’s breakfast tacos, shrimp and grits, chilaquiles verdes, and plenty of other Southern and Latin-American twists at the Hyatt Centric. 33 Beale St. 444-3232. B, L, D, $-$$$
COCOZZA AMERICAN ITALIAN—”The red sauce joint of your dreams” serves up classic Italian-American fare from the owners of Majestic Grille. Closed Sun. 110 Harbor Town Sq. 609-1111. D, $-$$
COZY CORNER—Serving up ribs, pork sandwiches, chicken, spaghetti, and more; also homemade banana pudding. Closed Mon. 735 N. Parkway. 527-9158. L, D, $
CURFEW—An elevated sports bar/American tavern concept by Top Chef contestant Fabio Viviani at the Canopy Memphis Downtown hotel. 164 Union Ave. B, L, D, $-$$
DOS HERMANOS KITCHEN—Breakfast and lunch concept by Eli Townsend in the Cossitt Library. 33 S. Front. 286-2399. B, L, $ ESCO RESTAURANT AND TAPAS—Shareable dishes, turkey ribs, and seafood mac’n’cheese at this 2 Chainz franchise. 156 Lt. George W. Lee Ave. 808-3726. L, D, $$-$$$
FERRARO’S CHEESY CORNER & PIZZERIA—Plenty of pizzas, along with a whole new cheese-inspired menu (fancy grilled cheeses and build-your-own mac and cheese bowls). 111 Jackson. 522-2033. L, D, $
FISHBOWL AT THE PYRAMID—Burgers, fish dishes, sandwiches, and more served in a unique “underwater” setting. Bass Pro, 1 Bass Pro Drive, 291-8000. B, L, D, $-$$
FLAME RAMEN—Traditional Japanese ramen restaurant serving up bowls of noodles. 61 S. Second St. 441-6686. L, D, wheelchair accessible, $-$$
FLIGHT RESTAURANT & WINE BAR—Steaks and seafood, with such specialties as bison ribeye and Muscovy duck, all matched with appropriate wines. 39 S. Main. 521-8005. D, SB, MRA, $-$$$
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, $-$$
GARDEN BRUNCH CAFÉ—Fish and grits, steak and eggs, and other upscale takes on Southern brunch classics. 492 S. Main St. 249-7450. B, L, $$
GOOD FORTUNE CO.—Authentic handcrafted noodles, ramen, and dumplings. 361 S. Main. 561-306-4711. L, D, $-$$
THE GENRE—Burgers, tenders, catfish, and plenty of vegan options made to order at this music-themed restaurant/lounge. 200 Poplar, Suite 105. 410-8169. B, L, D, $-$$
THE GOURMET GALLERY—A variety of elevated comfort dishes, like fried ribs and waffles, shrimp and grits, grilled salmon, and more. Closed Mon. 412 S. Main St. 848-4691. L, D, $-$$$
DINING SYMBOLS
B — breakfast
lunch D — dinner
SB — Sunday brunch
GROOVY GRATITUDE—Offers a vibrant selection of cold-pressed juices, handcrafted smoothies, and healthy eats like paninis and acai bowls. Closed Sun. 605 N. Second St. 417-8007. B, L, WB, $ GUS’S WORLD FAMOUS FRIED CHICKEN—Serves chicken with signature spicy batter, along with homemade beans, slaw, and pies. 310 S. Front. 527-4877; 3100 Forest Hill Irene (Germantown). 853-6005; 2965 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 373-9111; 730 S. Mendenhall. 767-2323; 505 Highway 70 W., Mason, TN. 901-294-2028. L, D, MRA, $ HAPPY MEXICAN—Quesadillas, burritos, chimichangas, vegetable and seafood dishes, and more. 385 S. Second. 529-9991; 6080 Primacy Pkwy. 683-0000; 7935 Winchester. 751-5353. L, D, $
WB — weekend brunch
MRA — member, Memphis Restaurant Association
$ — under $15 per person without drinks or desserts
$$ — under $25
$$$ — $26-$50
$$$$ — over $50
CATHERINE & MARY’S—A variety of pastas, grilled quail, pâté, razor clams, and monkfish are among the dishes served at this Italian restaurant in the Chisca. 272 S. Main. 254-8600. D, SB, MRA, $-$$$
CHEZ PHILIPPE—Classical/contemporary French cuisine with Asian and Nordic influences, presented in a luxurious atmosphere with seasonal tasting menus from chef Keith Clinton. Afternoon tea served Thu.-Sun., noon-3:30 p.m. (reservations required). Closed Sun.Tues. The Peabody, 149 Union. 529-4188. D, MRA, $$$$
HIVE BAGEL & DELI Bagels, bagels, and more bagels at this new downtown deli offering baked goods, sandwiches, and salads. Closed Mon./Tue. 276 S. Front St. 509-2946. B, L, $
HU. ROOF—Rooftop cocktail bar serves toasts with a variety of toppings including beef tartare with cured egg, cognac, and capers or riced cauliflower with yellow curry, currants, and almonds. Also salads, fish tacos, and boiled peanut hummus. 79 Madison. 333-1229. D, $ HUSTLE & DOUGH BAKERY & CAFE—Flaky, baked breakfast goodness every day with fresh pastries, sandwiches, and more at Arrive Hotel. 477 S. Main St., 701-7577. B, L, $
ITTA BENA—Southern and Cajun-American cuisine served here, located above B.B. King’s Blues Club on Beale St.; specialties are duck and waffles and shrimp and grits, along with steaks, chops, seafood, and pasta. 145 Beale St. 578-3031. D, MRA, $$-$$$
JEM DINING—Chef Josh Mutchnick offers a dining experience that’s memorable, refined, unpretentious, and welcoming with dishes from around the world. Closed Sun./Mon./Tue. 644 Madison Ave. 286-1635. D, $$-$$$
KINFOLK—Breakfast with a side of nostalgia in Harbor Town. Specialties include biscuit sandwiches, steak and omelet plate, and brown butter mushrooms with jammy egg over grits. 111 Harbor Town Square. 457-5463. B, L, SB, WB, $-$$
KING & UNION BAR GROCERY—Classic Southern favorites including catfish plate, pimento cheese, po-boys, chicken & waffles. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with cocktails served with flair and favorite Memphis beers. Locally made confections available in the grocery. 185 Union Ave. 523-8500. B, L, D, $-$$
KOOKY CANUCK—Offers prime rib, catfish, and burgers, including the 4-lb. “Kookamonga”; also late-night menu. 87 S. Second. 578-9800; 1250 N. Germantown Pkwy. 1-800-2453 L, D, MRA, $-$$$
LITTLE BETTIE—New Haven-style pizzas and snacks from the Andrew-Michael team at Wiseacre’s Downtown location. 398 S. B.B. King Blvd. 334-9411. L, D, $-$$
THE LOBBYIST AT THE CHISCA—Chef Jimmy Gentry brings his farm-to-table ideas downtown, with seasonal, and sometimes weekly, new menus, and an emphasis on creative vegetable dishes. Closed Sun. 272 S. Main St., Suite 101. 249-2170. D, $$-$$$$
LOFLIN YARD—Beer garden and restaurant serves vegetarian fare and smoked-meat dishes, including beef brisket and pork tenderloin, cooked on a custom-made grill. Closed Mon.-Tues. 7 W. Carolina. 249-3046. L (Sat. and Sun.), D, MRA, $-$$
THE LOOKOUT AT THE PYRAMID—Serves seafood and Southern fare, including cornmeal-fried oysters, sweet tea brined chicken, and elk chops. 1 Bass Pro Dr. 620-4600/291-8200. L, D, $-$$$
LUNA RESTAURANT & LOUNGE—Serving a limited menu of breakfast and lunch items. Dinner entrees include citrus glaze salmon and Cajun stuffed chicken. 179 Madison (Hotel Napoleon). 526-0002. B, D (Mon.-Sat.), $-$$$
MACIEL’S—Entrees include tortas, fried taco plates, quesadillas, chorizo and pastor soft tacos, salads, and more. Closed Sun. 45 S. Main. 526-0037, MRA, $
THE MAJESTIC GRILLE—Features aged steaks, fresh seafood, and such specialties as roasted chicken and grilled pork tenderloin; offers a pre-theater menu and classic cocktails. Well-stocked bar. 145 S. Main. 522-8555. L, D, WB, MRA, $-$$$
McEWEN’S—Southern/American cuisine with international flavors; specialties include steak and seafood, sweet potato-crusted catfish with macaroni and cheese, and more. Closed Sun., Monroe location. 120 Monroe. 527-7085; 1110 Van Buren (Oxford). 662-234-7003. L, D, SB (Oxford only), MRA, $$-$$$ MESQUITE CHOP HOUSE—The focus here is on steaks, including prime fillet, rib-eyes, and prime-aged New York strip; also, some seafood options. 5960 Getwell (Southaven). 662-890-2467; 88 Union. 5275337. 249-5661. D, SB, $$-$$$
MOLLIE FONTAINE LOUNGE—Specializes in tapas (small plates) featuring global cuisine. Closed Sun.-Tues. 679 Adams Ave. 524-1886. D, MRA, $
MOMMA’S ROADHOUSE—This diner and dive at Highway 55 serves up smoked wings, burgers, and beer, among other solid bar-food options 855 Kentucky. 207-5111. L, D, MRA, $
PAULETTE’S—Presents fine dining with a Continental flair, including such entrees as filet Paulette with butter cream sauce and crabmeat and spinach crepes; also changing daily specials and great views. River Inn. 50 Harbor Town Square. 260-3300. B, L, D, WB, MRA, $-$$$
PLANT BASED HEAT EXPRESS—Flavorful, 100% vegan meals, including plants, plant-based meat, and kid’s meals. No reservations. Closed Sun. 363 S. Front St. 570-5339. L, D, $-$$
PRETTY TACO Fast casual tacos with a Memphis twist, like the Soul Burger tacos. Closed Sun./Mon. 265 S. Front St. 509-8120. L, D, $-$$
PROMISE South Main soul food restaurant (think turkey necks, meatloaf, fried catfish) using old family recipes. Closed Sun./Mon. 412 S. Main. L, D, $-$$
RENDEZVOUS, CHARLES VERGOS’—Menu items include barbecued ribs, cheese plates, skillet shrimp, red beans and rice, and Greek salads. Closed Sun.-Mon. 52 S. Second. 523-2746. L (Fri.Sat.), D, $-$$
ROCK’N DOUGH—A blend of Italian and American foods like artisan pizza, salads, pasta, burgers, and house-brewed beers. 704 Madison Ave. 587-6256. L, D, $-$$
April 25 - 27 Fr 1p - 6p • Sa 10a - 6p • Su 11a - 4p
SABOR CARIBE—Serving up “Caribbean flavors” with dishes from Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. Closed Sunday. 662 Madison. 949-8100. L, D, $
SAGE—Restaurant and lounge features daily lunch specials and tapas with such dishes as braised short ribs, teriyaki pulled pork, and the Sage burger made with Angus beef, avocado mash, fried egg, and flash-fried sage. 94 S. Main. 672-7902. L, D, WB, $-$$
SILLY GOOSE LOUNGE—Gourmet, wood-fired pizzas and handcrafted cocktails at this downtown restaurant and lounge. 150 Peabody Place, Suite 111. 435-6915. L, D, $
SMURFEY’S SMOKEHOUSE—The beloved food truck has found a permanent home for their famous loaded nachos and fries with plans of adding breakfast soon. Closed Sun. and Mon. 149 Madison Ave. 337-7966. L, D, $-$$
SOUTH MAIN SUSHI & GRILL—Serving sushi, nigiri, and more. 520 S. Main. 249-2194. L, D, $
SOB—Elevated gastropub that serves favorites like general Tso’s cauliflower or duck fried rice. 345 S. Main. 526-0388; 5040 Sanderlin (East Memphis). 818-0821; 1329 W. Poplar Ave. 286-1360. L, D, WB, $-$$
SOUTH POINT GROCERY—Fresh and delicious sandwiches made to order at Downtown’s new grocery market. 136 Webster Ave. B, L, D, $
SUGAR GRITS—Who said breakfast has to be in the morning? The Westmorelands offer grits and other breakfast goodness all day long, in addition to other Southern-style lunch and dinner options. 150 Peabody Pl., Suite 111. 249-5206. B, L, D, $-$$
SUNRISE MEMPHIS—Serves breakfast all day, including house-made biscuits, frittatas, kielbasa or boudin plates, and breakfast platters. 670 Jefferson. 552-3144; 5469 Poplar Ave. (East Memphis). 844-6117. B, L, MRA, $
TALK SHOP—Southern-style cuisine, a breakfast bar, and plenty of other cool dishes and drinks at the Caption by Hyatt. 245 S. Front St. B, L, D, $-$$
TERRACE—Creative American and Continental cuisine includes such dishes as filet mignon, beef or lamb sliders, chicken satay, and mushroom pizzetta. Rooftop, River Inn of Harbor Town, 50 Harbor Town Square. 260-3366. D, MRA, $$
TEXAS DE BRAZIL—Serves beef, pork, lamb, and chicken dishes, and Brazilian sausage; also a salad bar with extensive toppings. 150 Peabody Place, Suite 103. 526-7600. L (Wed.-Fri.), D, WB, $$-$$$
TUG’S—Famous for New Orleans gumbo, fabulous burgers, fried thin catfish, and specialty pancakes. Now serving Grisanti Crafted Pizza. 51 Harbor Town Square. 260-3344. B, L, D, WB, $$-$$$
WAHLBURGERS WILD—Wahlburgers brings its classic menu, but with a few gamey twists at the Bass Pro Pyramid. 1 Bass Pro Drive. B, L, D, $-$$
WESTY’S—Extensive menu includes a variety of wild rice dishes, sandwiches, plate lunches, and hot fudge pie. 346 N. Main. 543-3278. L, D, $
WINGMAN—Downtown lounge and hookah bar offering wings galore with ten signature sauces, and plenty of other goodies. 143 Madison Ave. L, D, WB, $-$$
MIDTOWN (INCLUDES THE MEDICAL CENTER)
ABNER’S FAMOUS CHICKEN—Fried chicken tenders and dipping sauces galore at this Mid-South staple. 1350 Concourse Ave, Suite 137. 425-2597; (East Memphis) 1591 Poplar Ave. 509-3351; (Cordova) 1100 N. Germantown Pkwy. 754-5355. L, D, $-$$
ABYSSINIA RESTAURANT—Ethiopian/Mediterranean menu includes beef, chicken, lamb, fish entrees, and vegetarian dishes; also a lunch buffet. 2600 Poplar. 321-0082. L, D, $-$$
ALCHEMY / SALT|SOY—Handcrafted cocktails and local craft beers with the Asian fusion dining concept from Salt|Soy. 940 S. Cooper. 726-4444. D, SB, $-$$
ART BAR—Inventive cocktails feature locally foraged ingredients; snacks include house-cured salt & vinegar potato chips and herb-roasted olives. Closed Mon. 1350 Concourse Avenue #280. 507-8030. D, $ ASHTAR GARDEN—Southern twists on classic brunch dishes, and plenty of cocktails. Closed Mon.-Wed. 898 Cooper St. 4431514. L, D, $-$$
BABALU TACOS & TAPAS—Spanish-style tapas with Southern flair; also taco and enchilada of the day; specials change daily. 2115 Madison. 274-0100; 6450 Poplar, 410-8909. L, D, SB, MRA, $-$$
BAIN BARBECUE & BAKERY—Brian Bain’s popular Texas-style barbecue is back, alongside an assortment of baked goods. 993 S. Cooper. 310-4141. B, L, $-$$
BAR DKDC—Features an ever-changing menu of international “street food,” from Thai to Mexican, Israeli to Indian, along with specialty cocktails. 964 S. Cooper. 272-0830. D, MRA, $
BAR KEOUGH—It’s old-school eats and cocktails at the new CooperYoung neighborhood corner bar by Kevin Keough. 247 Cooper St. D, $ BAR-B-Q SHOP—Dishes up barbecued ribs, spaghetti, bologna, other classics. Closed Sun. 1782 Madison. 272-1277. L, D, MRA, $-$$
BARI RISTORANTE ENOTECA—Authentic Southeastern Italian cuisine (Puglia) emphasizes lighter entrees. Serves fresh fish and beef dishes and a homemade soup of the day. 524 S. Cooper. 722-2244. D, SB, MRA, $-$$$
BARKSDALE RESTAURANT—Old-school diner serving breakfast and Southern plate lunches. 237 S. Cooper. 722-2193. B, L, D, $ (Temporarily closed.)
BAYOU BAR & GRILL—New Orleans fare at this Overton Square eatery includes jambalaya, gumbo, catfish Acadian, shrimp dishes, red beans and rice, and muffalettas. 2094 Madison. 278-8626. L, D, WB, MRA, $-$$
BEAUTY SHOP—Modern American cuisine with international flair served in a former beauty shop. Serves steaks, salads, pasta, and seafood, including pecan-crusted golden sea bass. Perennial “Best Brunch” winner. Closed for dinner Sunday. 966 S. Cooper. 272-7111. L, D, SB, MRA, $-$$$
BOSCOS—Tennessee’s first craft brewery serves a variety of freshly brewed beers as well as wood-fired oven pizzas, pasta, seafood, steaks, and sandwiches. 2120 Madison. 432-2222. L, D, SB (with live jazz), MRA, $-$$
BROADWAY PIZZA—Serving a variety of pizzas, including the Broadway Special, as well as sandwiches, salads, wings, and soul-food specials. 2581 Broad. 454-7930; 627 S. Mendenhall. 207-1546. L, D, $-$$
CAFE 1912—French/American bistro owned by culinary pioneer Glenn Hays serving such seafood entrees as seared sea scallops with charred cauliflower purée and chorizo cumin sauce; also crepes, salads, and onion soup gratinée. 243 S. Cooper. 722-2700. D, SB, MRA, $-$$$
CAFE ECLECTIC—Omelets and chicken and waffles are among menu items, along with quesadillas, sandwiches, wraps, and burgers. Menu varies by location. 603 N. McLean. 725-1718; 111 Harbor Town Square. 590-4645. B, L, D, SB, MRA, $
CAFE OLÉ—This eatery specializes in authentic Mexican cuisine; one specialty is the build-your-own quesadilla. 959 S. Cooper. 343-0103. L, D, SB, MRA, $-$$
CAFE PALLADIO—Serves gourmet salads, soups, sandwiches, and desserts in a tea room inside the antiques shop. Closed Sun. 2169 Central. 278-0129. L, $
CAMEO—Three longtime Memphis bartenders join forces for creative cocktails, cheese boards, snacks, and Sunday brunch. 1835 Union Ave., Suite 3. 305-6511. D, SB, $-$$
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, MRA, $-$$
CENTRAL BBQ—Serves ribs, smoked hot wings, pulled pork sandwiches, chicken, turkey, nachos, and portobello sandwiches. Offers both pork and beef barbecue. 2249 Central Ave. 272-9377; 4375 Summer Ave. 767-4672; 147 E. Butler. 672-7760 ; 6201 Poplar. 4177962. L, D, MRA, $-$$
COMPLICATED PILGRIM—Quick-serve coffee shop, bar, and restaurant all in one at The Memphian hotel. 21 S. Cooper St. 538-7309. B, L, D, $-$$
THE COVE—Nautical-themed restaurant and bar serving oysters, pizzas, and more. The Stoner Pie, with tamales and fritos, is a popular dish. 2559 Broad. 730-0719. L, D, $
THE CRAZY NOODLE—Korean noodle dishes range from bibam beef noodle with cabbage, carrots, and other vegetables, to curry chicken noodle; also rice cakes served in a flavorful sauce. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. 2015 Madison. 272-0928. L, D, $
ECCO—Mediterranean-inspired specialties range from rib-eye steak to seared scallops to housemade pastas and a grilled vegetable plate; also a Saturday brunch. Closed Sun.-Mon. 1585 Overton Park. 410-8200. B, L, D, $-$$
EVERGREEN GRILL—Serving classic American cuisine like patty melts, burgers, phillies, and more to bring you the comforting taste of home. Closed Mon./Tue. 212 N. Evergreen St. 779-7065. L, D, X,$$-$$$
FARM BURGER—Serves grass-fed, freshly ground, locally sourced burgers; also available with chicken, pork, or veggie quinoa patties, with such toppings as aged white cheddar, kale coleslaw, and roasted beets. 1350 Concourse Avenue, Suite 175. 800-1851. L, D, $
THE FARMER AT RAILGARTEN—Farmer classics include panseared catfish, gulf shrimp and grits, or a Gibson donut bread pudding. Closed Mon./Tue. 2166 Central. 313-0087. D, $-$$
FEAST & GRAZE—Whipped goat toast, open-faced grilled cheese, and other local pantry snacks and charcuterie boards. Closed Sun./Mon. Inside Brooks Museum, 1934 Poplar. 654-5926. L, $
FINO’S FROM THE HILL—Italian deli offers old favorites such as the Acquisto as well as a new breakfast menu. Germantown location paired with Happy Glaze Donuts. 1853 Madison. 272-FINO; 7781 Farmington Blvd. (Germantown). B, L, D, $
FLAME RAMEN—Traditional Japanese ramen restaurant serving up bowls of noodles in Midtown. 1838 Union Ave. 779-8666; 61 S. Second St., Suite 160 (downtown). D, $-$$
FLIP SIDE—Pinball meets pub in the Crosstown neighborhood, with plenty of games alongside a Caribbean- and Latin-inspired menu. Closed Mon. 1349 Autumn Ave. 207-6193. L, D, $-$$
FRIDA’S—Mexican cuisine and Tex-Mex standards, including chimichangas, enchiladas, and fajitas; seafood includes shrimp and tilapia. 1718 Madison. 244-6196. L, D, $-$$
GLOBAL CAFÉ—This international food hall hosts three immigrant/refugee food entrepreneurs serving Venezuelan, Sudanese, and Syrian cuisines. Samosas, shawarma, and kabobs are among the menu items. Closed Mon. 1350 Concourse Avenue, Suite 157. L, D, MRA, $
GOLDEN INDIA—Northern Indian specialties include tandoori chicken as well as lamb, beef, shrimp, and vegetarian dishes. 2097 Madison. 728-5111. L, D, $-$$
GOOD GROCERIES MARKET & CAFÉ—Providing fresh, healthy, cruelty-free meals, Good Groceries offers a classic American menu with a twist: instead of pork, they use duck for their BBQ. They also sell quesadillas, mac-and-cheese, sandwiches, and more. Closed Sun. 585 S. Cooper St. 325-1269. B, L, D, $
GROWLERS—Sports bar and eatery serves standard bar fare in addition to pasta, tacos, chicken and waffles, and light options. 1911 Poplar. 244-7904. L, D, $-$$
GUAC FRESH MEX—Authentic Mexican cuisine and four types of guacamole. Closed Sun. 782 Washington Ave. 587-4100. L, D, $ HATTIE B’S—Fried chicken spot features “hot chicken” with a variety of heat levels; from no heat to “shut the cluck up” sauce. Sides include greens, pimento mac-and-cheese, and black-eyed pea salad. 596 S. Cooper. 424-5900. L, D, $
HUEY’S—This family-friendly restaurant offers 13 different burgers, a variety of sandwiches, and delicious soups and salads. 1927 Madison. 726-4372; 1771 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 7543885; 77 S. Second (downtown). 527-2700; 2130 W. Poplar (Collierville). 854-4455; 7090 Malco Blvd. (Southaven). 662-349-7097; 7825 Winchester. 624-8911; 4872 Poplar. 682-7729; 7677 Farmington Blvd. (Germantown). 318-3030; 8570 Highway 51 N. (Millington). 873-5025. L, D, MRA, $
IMAGINE VEGAN CAFE—Dishes at this fully vegan restaurant range from salads and sandwiches to full dinners, including eggplant parmesan and “beef” tips and rice; breakfast all day Sat. and Sun. 2158 Young. 654-3455. L, D, WB, $
INDIA PALACE—Tandoori chicken, lamb shish kabobs, and chicken tikka masala are among the entrees; also, vegetarian options and a daily all-you-can-eat lunch buffet. 1720 Poplar. 278-1199. L, D, $-$$
INSPIRE COMMUNITY CAFE—Serving breakfast all day, in addition to quesadillas, rice bowls, and more for lunch and dinner. 510 Tillman, Suite 110. 509-8640. B, L, D, $
JACK BROWN’S BEER AND BURGER JOINT—Another spot to satisfy your burger craving, this time with 100% American Wagyu beef. 2197 Central Ave. 512-6957. L, D, $-$$$
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM—Serves such Southern cuisine as po’boys, shrimp and grits, and wood-fired pizzas. 2119 Madison. 2075097. L, D, WB, MRA, $-$$
LOS COMALES—Authentic Mexican cuisine, daily specials, and strong margaritas. 1322 Madison. 440-8393; 345 Madison Ave. (downtown). 590-4524; 2860 S. Perkins (East Memphis). 369-0528. L, D, $-$$
THE LIQUOR STORE—Renovated liquor store turned diner serves all-day breakfast, sandwiches, and entrees such as Salisbury steak and smothered pork chops. 2655 Broad. 405-5477; 669 S. Mendenhall Rd. (East Memphis). B, L, D, $-$$
LOUIS CONNELLY’S BAR FOR FUN TIMES & FRIENDSHIP—An upgraded dive bar with a neighborhood feel and a rockin’ SMASH burger. Closed Sun. and Mon. 322 S. Cleveland St. 433-9582. L, D, $-$$
MADISON TAVERN—Indoor and outdoor seating available, plus a full menu with a range of comfort foods and drinks on tap. 2126 Madison Ave. 417-8029. L, D, $-$$$
MARY’S B.O.T.E.—This bar of tropical escapism offers over 30 specialty drinks, pizzas, bar snacks, and a cozy interior that transports customers to the beach. 21+ only. Closed Mon. 588 S. Cooper St. No phone number. D, wheelchair accessible, $
MEMPHIS PIZZA CAFE—Homemade pizzas are specialties; also serves sandwiches, calzones, and salads. 2087 Madison. 726-5343; 5061 Park Ave. 684-1306; 7604 W. Farmington (Germantown). 7532218; 797 W. Poplar (Collierville). 861-7800; 5627 Getwell (Southaven). 662-536-1364. L, D, $-$$
MEMPHIS TOAST—Provides authentic Memphian breakfast cuisine and features themed rooms to honor iconic Memphis figures. Specialties include French toast, shrimp and grits, and their little Lucille breakfast burrito. 954 Jackson Ave. 417-7817. B, L, WB, $-$$
MEMPHIS WHISTLE—Cocktails, cocktails, and even more delicious cocktails alongside burgers, sandwiches, and other tasty snacks. 2299 Young Ave. Closed Mon.-Tue. 236-7136. D, $-$$
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, MRA, $-$$
PAYNE’S BAR-B-QUE—Opened in 1972, this family-owned barbecue joint serves ribs, smoked sausage, and chopped pork sandwiches with a standout mustard slaw and homemade sauce. About as down-to-earth as it gets. 1762 Lamar. 272-1523. L, D, $-$$
PETALS OF A PEONY—Authentic Chinese restaurant serving chicken, fish, tofu, and more, smothered in spicy sauces. 2110 Madison Ave. 207-6680. L, D, $-$$$
THE PUBLIC BISTRO—Knifebird owners’ full-service American bistro with a menu by chef Gannon Hamilton. 937 S. Cooper St. Closed Sun. 509-2113. D, $-$$
SALTWATER CRAB—Offers an array of seafood dishes including boils with blue crab, crab legs, lobster tails, and more, and specialty sushi like the Dynamite or Royal King rolls, in addition to signature sangrias and cocktails. 2059 Madison Ave. 922-5202. L, D, $$
THE SECOND LINE—Kelly English brings “relaxed Creole cuisine” to his newest eatery; serves a variety of po’boys and such specialties as barbecue shrimp, andouille shrimp, and pimento cheese fries. 2144 Monroe. 590-2829. L, D, WB, $-$$
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. 25 Belvedere. 725-0005; 1884 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 309-8800; 4724 Poplar. 767-7770; 2130 W. Poplar (Collierville). 854-0622; 2990 Kirby-Whitten (Bartlett). 377-2727; 6696 Poplar. 747-0001. L, D, $-$$$
SEN TRANG—Serving a wide variety of Chinese and Vietnamese soups, stir-fries, and noodles. 1615 Madison Ave. 276-0006. L, D, wheelchair accessible, $-$$
SHROOMLICIOUS MEALS—Vegan eatery with a heavy blend of (as the name implies) mushrooms. Closed Mon. and Tues. 394 N. Watkins St. 205-8413. L, D, $
SLICE MIDTOWN—Serving New York-style pizza as well as subs and pasta dishes (formerly known as Little Italy). 1495 Union. 725-0280; L, D, $-$$
SMOKY CITY BBQ—Serving authentic Memphis barbeque, including burgers, ribs, wings, and daily specials. Closed Sun. 1023 Jackson Ave. 425-3115. L, D, $-$$$
SOUL FISH CAFE—Serving Southern-style soul food, tacos, and po’boys, including catfish, crawfish, oyster, shrimp, chicken, and smoked pork tenderloin. 862 S. Cooper. 725-0722; 3160 Village Shops Dr. (Germantown). 755-6988; 4720 Poplar. 590-0323. L, D, MRA, $-$$
STICKEM—Brick-and-mortar location for the popular food truck, which offers grilled meat on a stick. 1788 Madison. Closed Sunday. 474-7214. L, D, $
TEKILA MEXICAN CUISINE—Mexican cuisine with a modern twist. Specialties include chicken mole, enchiladas verde, and the trio special. 1433 Union Ave. 510-5734. L, D, WB, wheelchair accessible, $-$$$
TAMBOLI’S PASTA & PIZZA—Pasta-maker Miles Tamboli whips up Italian soul food with seasonal menus featuring dishes like crispy fried chicken or creamy bucatini with pecorino cheese. Serves dinner Tues.-Sat. 1761 Madison. 410-8866. D, $-$$
TAKASHI BISTRO—Fusion restaurant with an open kitchen that lets customers watch chefs prepare a variety of Japanese and Thai cuisine. 1680 Union Ave., Suite 109. 800-2936. L, D, $-$$.
TJ MULLIGAN’S—Cold drinks, comfort food, and plenty of live entertainment. 2021 Madison. 725-0770; 1817 Kirby Pkwy. (East Memphis). 755-2481; 8070 Trinity Rd. Suite 1 (Cordova). 756-4480; 2821 N. Houston Levee Rd. (Lakeland). 377-9997. L, D, $-$$
TONICA—Paella and other Spanish-inspired dishes with an Italian touch, alongside an extensive list of gin and tonics. 1545 Overton Park. Closed Mon.-Wed. D, $-$$
TSUNAMI—Features Pacific Rim cuisine (Asia, Australia, South Pacific, etc.); also a changing “small plate” menu. Chef Ben Smith is a Cooper-Young pioneer. Specialties include Asian nachos and roasted sea bass. Closed Sunday. 928 S. Cooper. 274-2556. D, MRA, $$-$$$ TUYEN’S ASIAN BISTRO—A variety of Asian dishes from the minds and chefs behind Saigon Le. Closed Sun. 288 N. Cleveland. L, D, $-$$
VIBE FOODS—By way of Colorado, superfood bar serves up clean and delicious meals and juices. Closed Sun. 1350 Concourse Ave. 572-1127; 3139 Poplar Ave. (East Memphis). 207-2535. B, L, $-$$
ZINNIE’S—Dive bar classic reopens with a makeover and signature Zinnaloni sandwich. 1688 Madison. 726-5004. L, D, $
SOUTH MEMPHIS (INCLUDES PARKWAY VILLAGE, FOX MEADOWS, SOUTH MEMPHIS, WINCHESTER, AND WHITEHAVEN)
BALA’S BISTRO—Authentic West African cuisine available to order or by the pound, alongside traditional American dishes and an extensive vegan menu. 4571 Elvis Presley Blvd. 509-3024. L, D, $-$$
CACHE 42 KITCHEN & COCKTAILS—Elevated fine dining (think golden rack of lamb or lobster queso) and cocktail lounge at MoneyBagg Yo’s restaurant; menu by chef Daris Leatherwood. Brunch and lunch options coming soon. 4202 Hacks Cross Rd., Suite 121. 494-5458. D, $-$$
COLETTA’S—Longtime eatery serves such specialties as homemade ravioli, lasagna, and pizza with barbecue or traditional toppings. 1063 S. Parkway E. 948-7652; 2850 Appling Rd. (Bartlett). 383-1122. L, D, $-$$
CURRY BOWL—Specializes in Southern Indian cuisine, serving Tandoori chicken, biryani, tikka masala, and more. Weekend buffet. 4141 Hacks Cross Rd. 207-6051. L, D, $
DELTA’S KITCHEN—The premier restaurant at The Guest House at Graceland serves Elvis-inspired dishes — like Nutella and Peanut Butter Crepes for breakfast — and upscale Southern cuisine — including lamb chops and shrimp and grits — for dinner. 3600 Elvis Presley Blvd. 443-3000. B, D, $-$$$
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 Rd., Suite 101. 746-8057; 2156 Young. 207-6204. L, D, $-$$
FABULOUS FLAVORS & FRIENDS ”The Candy Lady” Precious Thompson Jones comes up with a little bit of everything: omelettes, quesadillas, t-bones and waffles, and plenty of soul food. 2063 E. Brooks Rd. 314-0735. L, D, $
THE FOUR WAY—Legendary soul-food establishment dishing up such entrees as fried and baked catfish, chicken, and turkey and dressing, along with a host of vegetables and desserts. Around the corner from the legendary Stax Studio. Closed Mon. 998 Mississippi Blvd. 507-1519. L, D, $
HERNANDO’S HIDEAWAY No one cares how late it gets; not at Hernando’s Hideaway. Live music, killer happy hour, and plenty of bar fare at this South Memphis hang. 3210 Old Hernando Rd. 917-982-1829. L, D, $ INTERSTATE BAR-B-Q—Specialties include chopped pork-shoulder sandwiches, ribs, hot wings, spaghetti, chicken, and turkey. 2265 S. Third. 775-2304; 150 W. Stateline Rd. (Southaven). 662-393-5699. L, D, $-$$
JIM & SAMELLA’S—It’s a revolving menu of soul food delight from Chef Talbert Fleming, with anything from Southern ribs to fried tamales. 841 Bullington Ave. 265-8761. L, D, $
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, $-$$
MARLOWE’S—In addition to its signature barbecue and ribs, Marlowe’s serves Southern-style steaks, chops, lasagna, and more. 4381 Elvis Presley Blvd. 332-4159. D, MRA, $-$$
UNCLE LOU’S FRIED CHICKEN—Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives for good reason: fried chicken (mild, hot, or home-style); jumbo burgers four patties high; strawberry shortcake, and assorted fruit pies. 3633 Millbranch. 332-2367. L, D, MRA, $
SUMMER/BERCLAIR/ RALEIGH/BARTLETT
901 HOT POT & KOREAN BBQ—All-you-can-eat hot pot and Korean BBQ, from short ribs to garlic shrimp. 2965 N. Germantown Pkwy. 512-4963. L, D, $$-$$$
BISCUITS & JAMS—Biscuits, waffles, French toast, and plenty of sharables at this Bartlett breakfast spot. Closed Mon./Tue. 5806 Stage Rd. 672-7905. B, L, $
BRYANT’S BREAKFAST—Slingin’ famous biscuits, plate lunches, chicken fried steak, and other breakfast classics since 1968. 3965 Summer Ave. 324-7494. B, L, $
CEVICHERIA AND GRILL CHILEMON—Ceviche, of course, but also plenty of other postres, aperitivos, and mixed grilled meat and seafood feasts. Closed Sun. 4509 Summer Ave. 672-7905. L, D, $
CHEF FLAVAS AND BARTLETT BREAKFAST FACTORY ”Flavaful” sandwiches, soups, pastas, and more from the makers of the popular local spinach artichoke dip. Traditional breakfast options served by Bartlett Breakfast Factory. Closed Sun./Mon. 6301 Stage Rd. 7792200. B, L, D, $-$$
DIM SUM KING—All the best from a selection of authentic Chinese dishes: roasted duck, sizzling hot plate, Cantonese BBQ, and plenty more. 5266 Summer Ave. Suite 65. 766-0831. L, D, $-$$
ELWOOD’S SHACK—Casual comfort food includes tacos, pizza, and sandwiches. Specialties include meats smoked in-house (chicken, turkey, brisket, pork), barbecue pizza, and steelhead trout tacos. 4523 Summer. 7619898; 4040 Park Ave. 754-2520. B, L, D, $
EXLINES’ BEST PIZZA—Serves pizza, Italian dinners, sandwiches, and salads. 6250 Stage Rd. 382-3433; 2935 Austin Peay. 388-4711; 2801 Kirby Parkway. 754-0202; 7730 Wolf River Blvd. (Germantown). 753-4545; 531 W. Stateline Rd. 662-342-4544. L, D, MRA, $
LA TAQUERIA GUADALUPANA—Fajitas and quesadillas are just a few of the authentic Mexican entrees offered here. A bona-fide Memphis institution. 4818 Summer. 685-6857; 5848 Winchester. 3654992. L, D, $
LOTUS—Authentic Vietnamese-Asian fare, including lemon-grass chicken and shrimp, egg rolls, Pho soup, and spicy Vietnamese vermicelli. 4970 Summer. 682-1151. D, $
MORTIMER’S—Contemporary American entrees include trout almondine, chicken dishes, and hand-cut steaks; also sandwiches, salads, and daily/nightly specials. A Memphis landmark since the Knickerbocker closed. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. 590 N. Perkins. 7619321. L, D, $-$$
NAGASAKI INN—Chicken, steak, and lobster are among the main courses; meal is cooked at your table. 3951 Summer. 454-0320. D, $$ NAM KING—General Tso’s chicken, hot and sour soup, and homemade chicken wings are back at the longtime Raleigh Chinese eatery. 3624 Austin Peay Highway, Suite 3. 373-4411. L, D, $-$$
ÓRALE TACOS & BAKERY—Tacos, enchiladas, and other traditional Southern Mexican dishes alongside baked pan dulces. 2204 Whitten Rd. 571-1786. B, L, D, $-$$
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, $-$$
QUEEN OF SHEBA—Featuring Middle Eastern favorites and Yemeni dishes such as lamb haneeth and saltah. 4792 Summer. 207-4174. L, D, $
SIDE PORCH STEAK HOUSE—In addition to steak, the menu includes chicken, pork chops, and fish entrees; homemade rolls are a specialty. Closed Sun./Mon. 5689 Stage Rd. 377-2484. D, $-$$
TORTILLERIA LA UNICA—Individual helping of Mexican street food, including hefty tamales, burritos, tortas, and sopes. 5015 Summer Ave. 685-0097. B, L, D, $
UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT
(INCLUDES CHICKASAW GARDENS AND HIGHLAND STRIP)
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, $-$$$
BROTHER JUNIPER’S—This little cottage is a breakfast mecca, offering specialty omelets, including the open-faced San Diegan omelet; also daily specials, and homemade breads and pastries. Closed Mon. 3519 Walker. 324-0144. B, $
CHAR RESTAURANT—Specializing in modern Southern cuisine, this eatery offers homestyle sides, charbroiled steaks, and fresh seafood. 431 S. Highland, Suite 120. 249-3533. L, D, WB, MRA, $-$$$
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, MRA, $-$$
PLANT BASED HEAT All of your favorite Southern-style recipes, but deliciously transformed into a vegan format. Specialties include the spicy fye junt burger, or the chopped ‘n’ smoked BBQ jackfruit sandwich. Closed Sun. 669 S. Highland St.; 363 S. Front St. (downtown). L, D, $
SAM’S DELI—Everything from sandwiches to bibimbap bowls at this local favorite. Closed Mon./Tue. 643 S. Highland St. 454-5582. L, D, $ EAST MEMPHIS (INCLUDES POPLAR/I-240)
ACRE—Features seasonal modern American cuisine in an avantegarde setting using locally sourced products; also small plates and enclosed garden patio. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. 690 S. Perkins. 818-2273. L, D, $$-$$$ AGAVOS COCINA & TEQUILA—Camaron de Tequila, tamales, kabobs, and burgers made with a blend of beef and chorizo are among the offerings at this tequila-centric restaurant and bar. 2924 Walnut Grove. 433-9345. L, D, $-$$
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, MRA, $-$$$ ANDALUSIA— Authentic Moroccan cuisine, including tagines, brochettes, and briouates. 5101 Sanderlin Ave., Suite 103. 236-7784. L, D, $-$$
ANDREW MICHAEL ITALIAN KITCHEN—Traditional Italian cuisine with a menu from two of the city’s top chefs that changes seasonally with such entrees as Maw Maw’s ravioli. Closed Sun.-Mon. 712 W. Brookhaven Circle. 347-3569. D, 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, $
ANTIGUA MEXICAN BAR & GRILL—Tortas, tacos, and other authentic Mexican cuisine alongside freshly-made salsa, guacamole, and white queso dip. 717 N. White Station Rd. 761-1374. L, D, $-$$
BANGKOK ALLEY—Thai fusion cuisine includes noodle and curry dishes, chef-specialty sushi rolls, coconut soup, and duck and seafood entrees. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. at Brookhaven location; call for hours. 715 W. Brookhaven Circle. 590-2585; 2150 W. Poplar at Houston Levee (Collierville). 854-8748. L, D, $-$$
BELLE MEADE SOCIAL—Upscale Americana cuisine including lamb lollipops, spicy tuna stack, and steak & noodle salad. 518 Perkins Extd. 480-7054. L, D, $-$$$
BELMONT GRILL—Burgers, steak sandwiches, and other classic American fare at one of Memphis’ longstanding bars. 4970 Poplar. 767-0305. L, D, $-$$
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 Blvd. 767-8980. L, D, $$-$$$
BIG BAD BREAKFAST—Fresh biscuits, house-made cured meats, jams, jellies, and more for the most important meal of the day. 6450 Poplar. 881-3346. B, L, $-$$
BOG & BARLEY—An all-Irish fine dining experience by the owners of Celtic Crossing, and a full bar with plenty of beer and 25-year-old Macallan. 6150 Poplar, Suite 124. 805-2262. L, D, WB, $-$$
BROOKLYN BRIDGE ITALIAN RESTAURANT—Specializing in such homemade entrees as spinach lasagna and lobster ravioli; a seafood specialty is horseradish-crusted salmon. Closed Sun. 1779 Kirby Pkwy. 755-7413. D, $-$$$
BRYANT’S BREAKFAST—Three-egg omelets, pancakes, and The Sampler Platter are among the popular entrees here. Possibly the best biscuits in town. Closed Mon. and Tues. 3965 Summer. 324-7494. B, L, $
CAPITAL GRILLE—Known for its dry-aged, hand-carved steaks; among the specialties are bone-in sirloin, and porcini-rubbed Delmonico; also seafood entrees and seasonal lunch plates. Closed for lunch Sat.Sun. Crescent Center, 6065 Poplar. 683-9291. L, D, $$$-$$$$
CASABLANCA—Lamb shawarma is one of the fresh, homemade specialties served at this Mediterranean/Moroccan restaurant; fish entrees and vegetarian options also available. 5030 Poplar. 725-8557; 1707 Madison. 421-6949. L, D, $-$$
CIAO BELLA—Among the Italian and Greek specialties are lasagna, seafood pasta, gourmet pizzas, and vegetarian options. 5101 Sanderlin Ave. 205-2500. D, MRA, $-$$$
CITY SILO TABLE + PANTRY—With a focus on clean eating, this establishment offers fresh juices, as well as comfort foods re-imagined with wholesome ingredients. 5101 Sanderlin. 729-7687. Germantown: 7605 W. Farmington Blvd., Suite 2. 236-7223. B, L, D, $
COASTAL FISH COMPANY—Upscale offerings of international fish varieties utilizing styles ranging from the Carribbean, East Coast, West Coast, China, Philippines, and more. 415 Great View Dr. E., Suite 101. 266-9000. D, $$-$$$
CORKY’S—Popular barbecue emporium offers both wet and dry ribs, plus a full menu of other barbecue entrees. Wed. lunch buffets, Cordova and Collierville. 5259 Poplar. 685-9744; 1740 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 737-1911; 743 W. Poplar (Collierville). 405-4999; 6434 Goodman Rd., Olive Branch. 662-893-3663. L, D, MRA, $-$$
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. 662-8907611. L, D, $
ERLING JENSEN—For decades, Chef Erling has presented “globally inspired” cuisine to die for. Specialties are rack of lamb, big-game entrees, and fresh fish dishes. 1044 S. Yates. 763-3700. D, MRA, $$-$$$
ERLING JENSEN SMALL BITES—Enjoy Erling Jensen’s specialty dishes in a sharable, small-plate format alongside TopGolf Swing suites. 5069 Sanderlin Ave. 587-9464. L, D, $-$$$
FLEMING’S PRIME STEAKHOUSE—Serves wet-aged and dry-aged steaks, prime beef, chops, and seafood, including salmon, Australian lobster tails, and a catch of the day. 6245 Poplar. 761-6200. D, MRA, $$$-$$$$
FOLK’S FOLLY ORIGINAL PRIME STEAK HOUSE
Specializes in prime steaks, as well as lobster, grilled Scottish salmon, Alaskan king crab legs, rack of lamb, and weekly specials. 551 S. Mendenhall. 762-8200. D, MRA, $$$-$$$$
FORMOSA—Offers Mandarin cuisine, including broccoli beef, hotand-sour soup, and spring rolls. Closed Mon. 6685 Quince. 753-9898. L, D, $-$$
FOX RIDGE PIZZA & GRILL—Pizzas, calzones, sub sandwiches, burgers, and meat-and-two plate lunches are among the dishes served at this eatery, which opened in 1979. 711 W. Brookhaven Circle. 758-6500. L, D, $
FRATELLI’S—Serves hot and cold sandwiches, salads, soups, and desserts, all with an Italian/Mediterranean flair. Closed Sun. 750 Cherry Rd., Memphis Botanic Garden. 766-9900. L, $
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, MRA, $-$$$
HEN HOUSE—Hybrid wine/cocktail bar and tasting room with plenty of cosmopolitan eats. Closed Sun. 679 S. Mendenhall. 499-5436. D, $-$$$ HIGH POINT PIZZA—Serves a variety of pizzas, subs, salads, and sides. Closed Mon. A neighborhood fixture. 477 High Point Terrace. 452-3339. L, D, $-$$
HOG & HOMINY—The casual sister to Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen serves brick-oven-baked pizzas, including the Red-Eye with pork belly, and small plates with everything from meatballs to beef and cheddar hot dogs; and local veggies. Closed for lunch Mon. 707 W. Brookhaven Cir. 207-7396. L, D, SB, MRA. $-$$$
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), 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 Sun. 4002 Park Ave. 458-9264; 5689 Quince. 800-2873. L, D, $ LIBRO AT LAURELWOOD—Bookstore eatery features a variety of sandwiches, salads, and homemade pasta dishes, with Italian-inspired options such as carbonara and potato gnocchi. Closed for dinner Sun. 387 Perkins Ext. (inside Novel). 800-2656. B, L, D, SB, $-$$
LITTLE ITALY EAST—New York-style pizzas galore and homemade pasta. Closed Sun. 6300 Poplar Ave., Ste. 113. 729-7432. L, $-$$
MAGNOLIA & MAY—Southern-inspired, family-owned, casual dining restaurant serving up a variety of sandwiches, chef-inspired dishes, and craft cocktails. Popular items include shrimp and grits and
MAHOGANY MEMPHIS—Upscale Southern restaurant offers such dishes as coffee-rubbed lamb chops and baked Cajun Cornish hen. Closed for dinner Sun. and all day Mon.-Tues. 3092 Poplar, Suite 11. 623-7977. L, D, SB, $-$$$
MANDE DIBI WEST AFRICAN BBQ GRILL—Pairs traditional West African BBQ with Memphis BBQ for a menu that offers a wide variety of flavors, including daily specials and vegan-friendly options. 6825 Winchester Rd. 672-8995. L, D, $-$$$
MARCIANO MEDITERRANEAN AND ITALIAN CUISINE—Veal Saltimbocca with angel-hair pasta and white wine sauce is among the entrees; also steaks, seafood, and gourmet pizza. 780 E. Brookhaven Cir. 682-1660. D, $-$$
MAYURI INDIAN CUISINE—Serves tandoori chicken, masala dosa, tikka masala, as well as lamb and shrimp entrees; also a daily lunch buffet, and dinner buffet on Fri.-Sat. 6524 Quince Rd. 753-8755. L, D, $-$$
MOSA ASIAN BISTRO—Specialties include sesame chicken, Thai calamari, rainbow panang curry with grouper fish, and other Pan Asian/ fusion entrees. Closed Mon. 850 S. White Station Rd. 683-8889. L, D, MRA, $
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, $
NAPA CAFE—Among the specialties are miso-marinated salmon over black rice with garlic spinach and shiitake mushrooms. Closed Sun. 5101 Sanderlin, Suite 122. 683-0441. L, D, 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, Brunswick Stew, and Millie’s homemade desserts. 1779 Kirby Pkwy. 751-3615; 567 Perkins Extd. 249-4227. L, D, $
ONO POKÉ—This eatery specializes in poké — a Hawaiian dish of fresh fish salad served over rice. Menu includes a variety of poké bowls, like the Kimchi Tuna bowl, or customers can build their own by choosing a base, protein, veggies, and toppings. 3145 Poplar. 618-2955. L, D, $
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 Sun. The Regalia, 6150 Poplar. 761-0990. L, D, SB, MRA, $-$$$
PARK + CHERRY—The Dixon offers casual dining within the museum. Seasonal menu features sandwiches, like rustic chicken salad on croissant, as well as salads, snacks, and sweets. Closed for breakfast Sun. and all day Mon. 4339 Park (Dixon Gallery and Gardens). 761-5250. L, $
PATRICK’S—Serves barbecue nachos, burgers, and entrees such as fish and chips; also plate lunches and daily specials. 4972 Park. 682-2852. L, D, MRA, $
PETE & SAM’S—Serving Memphis for 60-plus years; offers steaks, seafood, and traditional Italian dishes, including homemade ravioli, lasagna, and chicken marsala. 3886 Park. 458-0694. D, $-$$$
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, $-$$
PHO SAIGON—Vietnamese fare includes beef teriyaki, roasted quail, curry ginger chicken, vegetarian options, and a variety of soups. 2946 Poplar. 458-1644. L, D, $
PYRO’S FIRE-FRESH PIZZA—Serving gourmet pizzas cooked in an open-fire oven, wide choice of toppings, and large local and craft beer selection. 1199 Ridgeway. 379-8294; 2035 Union Ave. 208-8857; 2286 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 207-1198; 3592 S. Houston Levee (Collierville). 221-8109. L, D, MRA, $
THE READY ROOM—Duck wontons, bananas “Oscar,” and plenty of other bar snacks and entrees at Hook Point Brewing Co.’s taproom. Closed Mon./Tues. 715 W. Brookhaven Cir. 487-6931. L, D, WB, $-$$
RED HOOK CAJUN SEAFOOD & BAR—Cajun-style array of seafood including shrimp, mussels, clams, crawfish, and oysters. 3295 Poplar. 207-1960. L, D, $-$$
RED KOI—Classic Japanese cuisine offered at this family-run restaurant; hibachi steaks, sushi, seafood, chicken, and vegetables. 5847 Poplar. 767-3456. L, D, X $-$$
RED PIER CAJUN SEAFOOD & BAR—Owners of Red Hook bring more Cajun-style seafood dishes. 5901 Poplar Ave. 512-5923. L, D, $-$$$
RESTAURANT IRIS—French Creole-inspired classics, such as Gulf shrimp and rice grits congee served with lap chong sausage and boiled peanuts, are served at this newly remodeled restaurant owned by
Chef Kelly English, a Food and Wine “Top Ten.” 4550 Poplar. 590-2828. L, D, $$-$$$
RIVER OAKS—Chef Jose Gutierrez’s French-style bistro serves seafood and steaks, with an emphasis on fresh local ingredients. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. 5871 Poplar Ave. 683-9305. L, D, $$$
RONNIE GRISANTI’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT— This Memphis institution serves some family classics such as Elfo’s Special and handmade ravioli, along with house-made pizza and fresh oysters. Closed Sun. 6150 Poplar, Suite 122. 850-0191. D, $-$$$
ROTOLO’S CRAFT & CRUST—Louisiana-based pizza company’s first Memphis location, whipping up pizza pies with homemade sauces and fresh ingredients, pasta, wings, and other shareables. 681 S. White Station. 454-3352. L, D, $-$$
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, $$$-$$$$
SALSA COCINA MEXICANA—Mexican-Southern California specialties include carnitas, enchiladas verde, and fajitas; also Southwestern seafood dishes such as snapper verde. Closed Sun. Regalia Shopping Center, 6150 Poplar, Suite 129. 683-6325. L, D, $-$$
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, $$-$$$
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; 3660 S. Houston Levee Road, Suite 104 (Collierville). 286-4335; 7704 Poplar (Germantown). 800-1951; 2902 May Blvd. (Southaven). B, L, WB, $
SWANKY’S TACO SHOP—Taco-centric eatery offers tortas, flatbreads, quesadillas, chimichangas, burgers, and more. 4770 Poplar. 730-0763; 6641 Poplar (Germantown). 737-2088; 272 S. Main. 779-3499. L, D, $
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, $
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. 3710580. For more locations, go online. L, D, $
TORCHY’S TACOS—Plenty of Tex-Mex variety, with creative monthly special tacos. 719 S. Mendenhall. 343-8880. B, L, D, $ VENICE KITCHEN—Specializes in “eclectic Italian” and Southern Creole, from pastas, including the “Godfather,” to hand-tossed pizzas, including the “John Wayne”; choose from 50 toppings. 368 Perkins Ext. 767-6872. L, D, SB, $-$$
WANG’S MANDARIN HOUSE—Offers Mandarin, Cantonese, Szechuan, and spicy Hunan entrees, including the golden-sesame chicken; next door is East Tapas, serving small plates with an Asian twist. 6065 Park Ave., Park Place Mall. 763-0676. L, D, $-$$
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 Rd., Suite 105. 421-6399. L, D, $-$$
THE WING GURU—A staple of the Memphis wing scene, featuring everything from classic buffalo to exquisite lemon pepper. 5699 Mt. Moriah Rd. 509-2405; 875 W. Poplar Ave., Suite 6 (Collierville). 2217488; 8253 Highway 51 North, Suite 103 (Millington). 872-0849; 4130 Elvis Presley Blvd (Whitehaven) 791-4726; 5224 Airline Rd., Suite 107 (Arlington). 209-0349. L, D, $-$$
THE BLUE ROOM RESTAURANT—An elevated take on traditional Southern recipes, located in the U of M Kemmons Wilson Culinary Institute. Closed Mon. 1245 N. Germantown Pkwy., Suite 101. 249-7512. D, SB, $$-$$$
BOMBAY HOUSE—Indian fare includes lamb korma and chicken tikka; also, a daily luncheon buffet. 1727 N. Germantown Pkwy. 755-4114. L, D, $-$$
THE BUTCHER SHOP—Serves steaks ranging from 8-oz. filets to a 20-oz. porterhouse; also chicken, pork chops, fresh seafood. 107 S. Germantown Rd. 757-4244. L (Fri. and Sun.), D, $$-$$$
GREEN BAMBOO—Pineapple tilapia, pork vermicelli, and the soft egg noodle combo are Vietnamese specialties here. 990 N. Germantown Parkway, Suite 104. 753-5488. L, D, $-$$
JIM ’N NICK’S BAR-B-Q—Serves barbecued pork, ribs, chicken, brisket, and fish, along with other homemade Southern specialties. 2359 N. Germantown Pkwy. 388-0998. L, D, $-$$
EL MERO TACO—This food truck turned restaurant serves up Mexican and Southern-style fusion dishes, including fried chicken tacos, chorizo con papas tacos, and brisket quesadillas. 8100 Macon Station, Suite 102. 308-1661. Closed Sun.-Mon. L, D, WB, $ OPTIONS Burgers, wings, philly cheesesteaks, and more comfort food options. Closed Mon.-Thu. 7940 Fischer Steel Rd. 245-6048. D, SB, $-$$
POKÉ WORLD—Serves up Hawaiian poké bowls filled with rice and diced, raw fish. Also offers Taiwanese bubble tea and rolled ice cream for dessert. 1605 N. Germantown Pkwy., Suite 111. 623-7986. East Memphis: 575 Erin Dr. 779-4971. L, D, $
PETALS OF A PEONY—Authentic Sichuan cuisine, from crispy duck to peony fried chicken. Be prepared for spice! 1250 N. Germantown Pkwy. 787-8886. L, D, $-$$
SHOGUN JAPANESE RESTAURANT—Entrees include tempura, teriyaki, and sushi, as well as grilled fish and chicken entrees. 2324 N. Germantown Pkwy. 384-4122. L, D, $-$$
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, $-$$$
VILLA CASTRIOTI—From traditional pasta dishes and family concoctions to hand-tossed brick oven NY pizza. 714 N. Germantown Pkwy #15 in Cordova and 9861 Lake District Dr. W., Suite 101 in Lakeland. L, D, $$$
GERMANTOWN
BLUE HONEY BISTRO—Entrees at this upscale eatery include brown butter scallops served with Mississippi blue rice and herbcrusted beef tenderloin with vegetables and truffle butter. Closed Sun. 9155 Poplar, Suite 17. 552-3041. D, $-$$$
THE CRAZY COOP—Plenty of hot wings and sauces, plus sandwiches and other dinner plates. 1315 Ridgeway Rd. 748-5325; 7199 Stage Rd. (Bartlett). 433-9212. L, D, $-$$
DIMSUM MEM—Traditional Chinese food truck takes over the New Asia space. 2075 Exeter Rd., Suite 90. L, D, $-$$
GERMANTOWN COMMISSARY—Serves barbecue sandwiches, sliders, ribs, shrimp, and nachos, as well as smoked barbecued bologna sandwiches; Mon.-night all-you-can-eat ribs. 2290 S. Germantown Rd. S. 754-5540. L, D, MRA, $-$$
LAS TORTUGAS DELI MEXICANA—Authentic Mexican food prepared from local food sources; specializes in tortugas — grilled bread scooped out to hold such powerfully popular fillings as brisket, pork, and shrimp; also tingas, tostados. Closed Sun. 1215 S. Germantown Rd. 751-1200; 6300 Poplar. 623-3882. L, D, $-$$
LIMELIGHT—Wolf River Hospitality Group brings Wagyu beef, duck gnocchi, and other fine dining dishes on a rotating seasonal menu. Closed Mon./Tue. 7724 Poplar Pike. 791-2328. D, $-$$$
LOCAL LIME—Tacos and margaritas in a casual environment, plus other goodies like the Mexican caramel apple crisp skillet. Closed Mon. 7605 W. Farmington Blvd., Suite 1. 224-2204. L, D, $-$$$
MELLOW MUSHROOM—Large menu includes assortment of pizzas, salads, calzones, hoagies, vegetarian options, and 50 beers on tap. 9155 Poplar, Shops of Forest Hill (Germantown). 907-0243. L, D, $-$$
MOONDANCE GRILL—From the owners of Itta Bena and Lafayette’s. Serves steak cooked sous vide and seafood dishes including Abita-barbecued shrimp and pan-seared sand dab, in addition to an extensive wine and cocktail list. 1730 S. Germantown Road, Suite 117. 755-1471. L, D, $$-$$$
NOODLES ASIAN BISTRO—Serves a variety of traditional Asian cuisine, with emphasis on noodle dishes, such as Singapore Street Noodles and Hong Kong Chow Fun. 7850 Poplar, Suite 12. 755-1117. L, D, $
PETRA CAFÉ—Serves Greek, Italian, and Middle Eastern sandwiches, gyros, and entrees. Hours vary; call. 6641 Poplar. 754-4440; 547 S. Highland. 323-3050. L, D, $-$$
ROCK’N DOUGH PIZZA CO.—Specialty and custom pizzas made from fresh ingredients; wide variety of toppings. 7850 Poplar, Suite 6. 779-2008. L, D, SB, MRA, $$
ROYAL PANDA—Hunan fish, Peking duck, Royal Panda chicken and shrimp, and a seafood combo are among the specialties. 3120 Village Shops Dr. 756-9697. L, D, $-$$
SAKURA—Sushi, tempura, and teriyaki are Japanese specialties here. 2060 West St. 758-8181; 4840 Poplar. 572-1002; 255 New Byhalia Rd. 316-5638. L, D, $-$$
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. 754-5555. D, SB, MRA, $-$$$
STONEY RIVER STEAKHOUSE AND GRILL—Specializes in hand-cut steaks, a fresh seafood selection, and plenty of house specials. 7515 Poplar Ave., Suite 101. 207-1100. L, D, $$-$$$$
SUFI’S MEDITERRANEAN GRILL & BAR—Offers authentic Mediterranean and Persian cuisine, from hummus shawarma to traditional moussaka. Closed Mon. 7609 Poplar Pike. 779-2200. L, D, $-$$$ TAZIKI’S—Mediterranean-inspired dishes all made from scratch. 7850 Poplar Ave., Suite 26. 612-2713. East Memphis: 540 S. Mendenhall Rd. 290-1091. Bartlett: 7974 US-64. 203-0083. L, D, $
THE TOASTED YOLK CAFE—Churro donuts, signature Eggs Benedict, and plenty other boozy brunch options at this franchise’s first Tennessee location. 9087 Poplar Ave., Ste. 11. B, L, $-$$
UNCLE GOYO’S—More than 30 dishes with a focus on authentic Mexican cuisine, from the brains behind TacoNganas. 1730 S. Germantown Rd. L, D, $-$$
WEST STREET DINER—This home-style eatery offers breakfast, burgers, po’boys, and more. 2076 West St. 757-2191. B, L, D (Mon.-Fri.), $
ZEN JAPANESE FINE CUISINE—A full sushi bar and plenty of authentic Japanese dishes, like Hibachi or Wagyu beef. 1730 S. Germantown Rd. 779-2796. L, D, X, $-$$$
COLLIERVILLE
CAFE PIAZZA BY PAT LUCCHESI—Specializes in gourmet pizzas (including create-your-own), panini sandwiches, and pasta. Closed Sun. 139 S. Rowlett St. 861-1999. L, D, $-$$
CIAO BABY—Specializing in Neapolitan-style pizza made in a woodfired oven. Also serves house-made mozzarella, pasta, appetizers, and salads. 890 W. Poplar, Suite 1. 457-7457. L, D, $
COLLIERVILLE COMMISSARY—Serves barbecue sandwiches, sliders, ribs, shrimp, and nachos, as well as smoked barbecued bologna sandwiches. 3573 S. Houston Levee Rd. 979-5540. L, D, MRA, $-$$
CHICAGO STEAKHOUSE AT THE GOLDSTRIKE—1010 Casino Center Dr., Robinsonville, MS, 1-888-24KSTAY / 662-357-1225
FAIRBANKS AT THE HOLLYWOOD—1150 Casino Strip Blvd., Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-871-0711
IGNITE STEAKHOUSE AT SOUTHLAND CASINO HOTEL—1550 N. Ingram Blvd., West Memphis, AR, 1-800-467-6182
JACK BINION’S STEAK HOUSE AT HORSESHOE—1021 Casino Center Drive, Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-303-SHOE
LUCKY 8 ASIAN BISTRO AT HORSESHOE—1021 Casino Center Drive, Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-303-SHOE
SOUTHLAND CASINO HOTEL'S THE KITCHENS—1550 N. Ingram Blvd., West Memphis, AR, 1-800-467-6182
THE STEAKHOUSE AT THE FITZ—711 Lucky Ln., Robinsonville, MS, 1-888-766-LUCK, Ext. 8213
TWAIN’S STEAKHOUSE AT SAM’S TOWN TUNICA—1477 Casino Strip Resorts Boulevard, Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-456-0711
DAVID GRISANTI’S ON MAIN—Serving Northern Italian cuisine and traditional Grisanti family recipes. Closed Sun./Mon. 148 N. Main. 8611777. L, D, $-$$$
DYER’S CAFE—Juicy hamburgers, split dogs, and milkshakes at the historic Collierville restaurant. 101 N. Center St. 850-7750. L, D, $-$$
EL MEZCAL—Serves burritos, chimichangas, fajitas, and other Mexican cuisine, as well as shrimp dinners and steak. 9947 Wolf River, 853-7922; 402 Perkins Extd. 761-7710; 694 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 755-1447; 1492 Union. 274-4264; 11615 Airline Rd. (Arlington). 8671883; 9045 Highway 64 (Lakeland). 383-4219; 7164 Hacks Cross Rd. (Olive Branch). 662-890-3337; 8834 Hwy. 51 N. (Millington). 872-3220; 7424 Highway 64 (Bartlett). 417-6026. L, D, $
EMERALD THAI RESTAURANT—Spicy shrimp, pad khing, lemongrass chicken, and several noodle, rice, and vegetarian dishes are offered at this family restaurant. Closed Sunday. 8950 Highway 64 (Lakeland, TN). 384-0540. L, D, $-$$
FIREBIRDS—Specialties are hand-cut steaks, slow-roasted prime rib, and wood-grilled salmon and other seafood, as well as seasonal entrees. 4600 Merchants Circle, Carriage Crossing. 850-1637; 8470 Highway 64 (Bartlett). 379-1300. L, D, $-$$$
JIM’S PLACE GRILLE—Features American, Greek, and Continental cuisine. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. 3660 Houston Levee. 8615000. L, D, MRA, $-$$$
MAROON BREW CO.—Family-friendly restaurant serving up gourmet hot dogs, smash burgers, chicken, and shareables, all made to pair with beers brewed on-site. Closed Mon. 642 W. Poplar Ave., Collierville. 799-0354. L, D, $-$$
MULAN ASIAN BISTRO—Hunan Chicken, tofu dishes, and orange beef served here; sushi and Thai food, too. 2059 Houston Levee. 850-5288; 2149 Young. 347-3965; 4698 Spottswood. 609-8680. L, D, $-$$
NASHOBA—Offers live music, sports games, and pub classics. Specialties are hot honey flatbread pizza, brisket fried rice, and the Nashoba burger. 4600 Merchants Park Circle, Suite 111, Collierville. 630-4683. L, D, wheelchair accessible, $-$$
OSAKA JAPANESE CUISINE—Featuring an extensive sushi menu as well as traditional Japanese and hibachi dining. Hours vary for lunch; call. 3670 Houston Levee. 861-4309; 3402 Poplar. 249-4690; 7164 Hacks Cross (Olive Branch). 662-890-9312; 2200 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 425-4901. L, D, $-$$$
RAVEN & LILY—Eatery offers innovative Southern-inspired cuisine with such dishes as crispy shrimp and cauliflower salad, spiced lamb sausage and parmesan risotto, and bananas foster pain perdu. Closed Mon. 120 E. Mulberry. 286-4575. L, D, SB, $-$$
STIX—Hibachi steakhouse with Asian cuisine features steak, chicken, and a fillet and lobster combination, also sushi. A specialty is Dynamite Chicken with fried rice. 4680 Merchants Park Circle, Avenue Carriage Crossing. 854-3399. 150 Peabody Place, Suite 115 (Downtown). 207-7638 L, D, $-$$
WOLF RIVER BRISKET CO.—From the owners of Pyro’s Fire Fresh Pizza, highlights include house-smoked meats: prime beef brisket, chicken, and salmon. Closed Sun. 9947 Wolf River Boulevard, Suite 101. 316-5590; 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 165. 791-4389 L, D, $-$$
ZOPITA’S ON THE SQUARE—Cafe offers sandwiches, including smoked salmon and pork tenderloin, as well as salads and desserts. Closed Sun. 114 N. Main. 457-7526. L, D, $
OUT-OF-TOWN
BOZO’S HOT PIT BAR-B-Q—Barbecue, burgers, sandwiches, and subs. 342 Highway 70 (Mason, TN). 901-294-3400. L, D, $-$$
CITY GROCERY—Southern eclectic cuisine; shrimp and grits is a specialty. Closed for dinner Sun. 152 Courthouse Square (Oxford, MS). 662-232-8080. L, D, SB, $$-$$$
COMO STEAKHOUSE—Steaks cooked on a hickory charcoal grill are a specialty here. Upstairs is an oyster bar. Closed Sun. 203 Main St. (Como, MS). 662-526-9529. D, $-$$$
ELFO GRISANTI’S NORTHERN ITALIAN CUISINE—Grisanti family classics like lasagna, homemade ravioli, garlic bread, and Northern Italian pizza. Closed Sun. 5627 Getwell Rd. (Southaven, MS). 662-470-4497. L, D, $-$$
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. Closed Sun.-Mon. 7849 Rockford (Millington, TN). 209-8525. L, D, $
MARSHALL STEAKHOUSE—Rustic steakhouse serves premium Angus beef steaks, seafood dishes, rack of lamb, and more. 2379 Highway 178 (Holly Springs, MS). 628-3556. B, L, D, $-$$$
MEMPHIS BARBECUE COMPANY—Offers spare ribs, baby backs, and pulled pork and brisket. 709 Desoto Cove (Horn Lake, MS). 662-536-3762. L, D, $-$$
SAINT LEO—Offering sophisticated pizzas, pastas, sandwiches, and salads. A James Beard nominee for Best New Restaurant in 2017. 1101 Jackson (Oxford, MS). 662-234-4555. D, L, WB, $-$$
SIMON’S—A unique dining experience situated in a charming small town. Closed Sun./Mon. 201 N. Main St. (Bolivar, TN). 731-403-3474. L, D, $$-$$$$
SNACKBAR—An intriguing mix of “French Bistro with North Mississippi Cafe.” Serving a confit duck Croque Monsieur, watermelon-cucumber chaat, pan-fried quail, plus a daily plate special and a raw bar. 721 N. Lamar (Oxford, MS). 662-236-6363. D, $-$$$
TEKILA MODERN MEXICAN—Modern interpretations of classic dishes from all over Mexico. 6343 Getwell Rd. (Southaven, MS). 662-510-5734. B, L, D, $-$$
WILSON CAFE—An impressive culinary destination in the heart of the Arkansas Delta. Serving jambalaya, Waygu flatiron, butternut ravioli, swordfish & shrimp kabobs, burgers. 2 N. Jefferson (Wilson, AR). 870-6550222. L, D, WB, $-$$$
CASINO TABLES
Dear Editor,
Iam writing in response to the December 2024 “City Journal” column of Tom Jones, “Living in a Shrinking City.”
As a Realtor of 43 years and President and co-owner of Marx-Bensdorf, Realtors for 25 years, we stay very tuned into the goings-on in our city. Statistically, as of now there is out-migration in 40 percent of the cities of any good size in the US. So that makes his article credible.
What is not correct is that his time scale is out of whack. Great initiatives are well under way. As a timeline perspective, before Covid and other especially high-profile events, Memphis was on a roll. We had early indicators of good economic trending and more interest than ever from folks around the country considering a move to Memphis. In fact, I began advertising fine homes in the real estate section of the Wall Street Journal for the first time ever, knowing that we were getting lots of shoppers in town.
We have never been a Chicago, Miami, or New York as an overt draw, but things were changing. (FYI, the southeastern quarter of the country had the highest growth rate per Redfern Real Estate a couple of years ago and that is clearly still trending. And, with the states of Tennessee, Texas, and Florida having no state income tax, we are an affordable “sleeper” since almost all other cities in those three states are significantly more expensive.)
Well, crime took hold across the country and here. And those who could move away have, to the largest degree, gone to smaller cities — Oxford, Fairhope, Alabama, towns in the Smokies, etc. e opposite of this is that we now, at least anecdotally, again have folks coming to town from other good-sized cities. At least this is the buzz among Realtors.
e heart of my message is that for the last one or two years our Chamber of Commerce and many very influential Memphians have done wonders to change the trajectory of Memphis. is is very clear to anyone with their eyes open to the subject. us, Tom’s article is way behind the times. It seems all doom and gloom and no chance for hope since nothing is being done. It truly surprised me.
I am an investor in, and member of, the Chamber of Commerce Chairman’s Circle, along with many folks you would recognize as very important leaders (economic and social) in Memphis. So, I am quite tuned into the latest achievements.
at list is long: xAI, the 5.3-billion-dollar Ford plant close by, the 2.2-billion-dollar battery plant in Marshall County (part of our MSA), now Dell and Nvidia looking at Memphis, the Sterick Building and the old First Tennessee Building under rehab, our new Tom Lee Park, the new Memphis Museum under way, Ron Belz appropriating industrial property for vocational training, and very vibrant initiatives on the crime front that have netted reductions for four quarters now, to name many recent positives.
Respectfully, it is important to “change the narrative to what’s really happening,” as Bill Dunavant has been saying in presentations for a year plus, and they are enlightening. at’s my speech for now. I pray the correct narrative is embraced fully by the community, but always with a realistic eye toward the issues.
Jimmy Reed president, marx-bensdorf, realtors memphis
Dear Editor,
Thank you for your fabulous portrait of La Roche [“Falafel, Fattoush, and … French Fries,” December 2024] and the extended family creating this Cooper-Young culinary gem. In 2010 I spent a week in Beirut, enjoying both street food and different restaurants each day. I became especially fond of the condiment called “toum.” It is very difficult to find. Our La Roche friends call it garlic sauce for clarity.
My Lebanese neighbor Joseph Rahme first told me about La Roche, and the first question I asked was, “Is their toum authentic?” Joseph had once brought me toum from an excellent Lebanese restaurant in Atlanta. La Roche’s is exactly what I enjoyed in Beirut. anks for the good work you are doing for our city.
Mike
Gatliff memphis
Dear Editor,
Thanks for the nice article on my father, Bernard “Barney” Katzerman, one of the founders of the Embers Restaurant [“Ask Vance,” January 2025].
I want to clarify one fact. Barney and Harry [Glaser] were half-brothers. Same mother, but different dads. My grandfather died when my father was 3. Grandmother remarried and Harry was their child, ten years apart.
Harry was a highly decorated soldier in WWII. I was told he was standing there when General Anthony McAuliffe told the Germans, “Nuts!” at the Battle of the Bulge when they demanded surrender. Barney also fought in that battle.
Harry and Barney were very close, even living next door to each other on Fair Meadow in East Memphis as adults. All of us children grew up together on Fair Meadow. I do not believe that my father ever got over Harry’s early death. Harry died in the doctor’s office of a massive heart attack in 1962. My dad died in 1972. Again, ten years apart.
I have always wondered what else the two brothers would have accomplished if Dad and Harry lived longer. The only partners in the Embers were Barney and Harry. They also owned the Café Tennessean, The Harbor, and several other restaurants. Barney and Harry’s sister owned the Gridiron Restaurants. Again, I want to thank you for the article. It’s nice after your dad has been gone for over 50 years that people still write articles about him.
Best Regards,
Lou Katzerman tower ventures memphis
Shakespeare in the Room
A local theater company has done one family a world of good.
BY FRANK MURTAUGH
They say it takes a village to raise a child. But what about a stage? anks in large part to Tennessee Shakespeare Company, my wife and I raised our two daughters with access to the most remarkable theater we’ve known in the English language. Young parents set priorities. Upon becoming a father in 1999, I committed myself to spending as much time with my child at a ballpark as I could (a second daughter arrived in 2002). With the arrival of TSC in 2008, my next commitment was sharing as much Shakespeare as we could. We are each profoundly better for these precious hours.
For almost two decades now, attending a TSC production has been a diverse, eclectic experience of the most intimate variety. e stage for Romeo and Juliet (in 2011) was in the backyard of the
e Dixon Gallery and Gardens. e stage for e Tempest (in 2012) was tucked into a natural amphitheater, adjacent to the woods at Shelby Farms. We’ve seen Shakespeare performed both outside
a church ( As You Like It in 2008) and inside a church (Othello in 2010). We’ve seen the whites of Hamlet’s eyes and the sweat on Macbeth’s brow. Perhaps best of all, we audience members have felt a part of these performances, far more grand in impact than they are in scale of production. Shakespeare runs deeper, it turns out, than spectator sports (as glorious as a ballpark may be).
I can’t recall my first experience with live Shakespeare, but it wasn’t before college. As for the craft of acting, my days on the boards peaked in the fall of 1986 with my high school’s production of Cinderella. For two nights as a senior, I pranced the stage as Prince Charming the best I could, petrified that I actually had to sing as part of the role. But it was exhilarating, particularly the shared achievement with my team, the cast. Watching professionals with TSC do this — and on a level as far beyond my reach as a big-league fastball — has been extraordinarily gratifying. To think the same magic we see in A Midsummer Night’s Dream has delighted parents like me for more than 400 years is about as humbling as it gets. But with Tennessee Shakespeare Company, my daughters could just about grab Puck by the hand.
a thespian’s ability to merely memorize a Shakespearean soliloquy, let alone deliver it with proper emotion — proper feel — to an audience, especially a small one, within reach of the stage. The veteran actor and director smiled at me and said, “We could teach you.”
For the Mid-South to have such easy and regular access to the Bard, in the hands of Tennessee Shakespeare Company’s band of masters, is a culture-shifting treasure for this region, and especially for this region’s children.
And that’s the TSC hook. Masters of a craft — be it acting or hitting a baseball — tend to believe what they do is easier than the rest of us believe. And it’s just not true. It’s what makes them masters. And for the Mid-South to have such easy and regular access to the Bard, in the hands of Tennessee Shakespeare Company’s band of masters, is a culture-shifting treasure for this region, and especially for this region’s children. Can the actors actually teach us? Maybe, maybe not. But my, how they can show us.
I’ve come to consider Dan McCleary a friend. A few years ago, TSC’s founder and creative director attended a Memphis Magazine event, and I had the chance to share my fandom for what he and TSC’s other actors do. I told Dan that I marvel at
My daughters are now in their twenties. They both live some distance from their hometown, both now establishing how they can impact their communities. But when Shakespeare comes up — and Shakespeare will come up — Sofia and Elena will connect to their childhood evenings with the likes of Dan McCleary. For them, e Taming of the Shrew is familiar. Richard III is a haunting memory they can call upon. Shakespeare’s magnificent world is a part of my adult children, and will be for the rest of their lives. Some are born great, remember. Some achieve greatness. My sweet daughters had greatness thrust upon them.
The author on stage at age 17.
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