LOCAL HEROES OF COVID-19 | NURSES | GO RED FOR WOMEN | PET GUIDE | DINING IN
Memphis • THE CITY MAGAZINE • W W W.MEMPHISMAGAZINE.COM
THE CITY MAGAZINE
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Nurses Change Lives Through Exceptional Patient Care
Utilizing state-of-the-art technology, innovation is at the forefront of our mission to transform health care, education, research, clinical care, and public service.
uthsc.edu
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We salute the masked heroes of Memphis. Memphis is a city of heroes. A place where tenacious healthcare workers unfailingly answer the call. Where caregivers and first responders bravely face adversity day after day. Where compassionate business owners and service industry workers keep our city moving. And where our selfless citizens have rallied to the cause of flattening the curve. And though the rules of engagement in this fight continue to change, each day is an opportunity for all of us to improve the lives of others. Together, we will make a difference. This will be our city’s finest moment.
methodisthealth.org/MaskedHeroes
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Beyond Brilliant At Rhodes College, brilliant has never been enough. Look beyond the world-class academics; look beyond
the national rankings; look beyond the storied history of excellence, and you’ll see we’re pursuing something greater: An education that never stops exploring.
RHODES COLLEGE. Beyond your expectations. Beyond your experiences. Beyond brilliant.
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V O L X LV N O 2 | MAY 2020
14 Up Front 10 12
IN THE BEGINNING INTROSPECTIVE
18
Features
14 A Walk in the Woods
A quarantine remembrance of trips past. ~ by chris mccoy
18 Everyday Heroes
On our worst days, these people give their best.
on the cover: Sheltering at home: Billie Worley (standing), Violette Worley, and Pat Mitchell Worley. The dog is Wailing Waylon Jennings Worley. PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMIE HARMON
26 2020 Pet Guide
Rescue animals make the world a better place; we hear from two of them directly. ~ by samuel x. cicci, lily bear traverse , and ampersand davis
33 “Just What Memphis Needs”
Victoria Jones believes The CMPLX in Orange Mound is much more than a gallery for Black artists. ~ by alex greene
37
37 Bedside Angels
Nurses devote their lives to caring for yours.
64
GO RED FOR WOMEN
Memphis (ISSN 1622-820x) is published monthly for $18 per year by Contemporary Media, Inc., P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101 © 2020. Telephone: 901-521-9000. For subscription info, please call 901-521-9000. Subscription customer service mailing address is Memphis magazine, P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101. All rights reserved. • Periodicals Postage Paid at Memphis, TN. Postmasters: send address changes to Memphis, P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101.
26
GARDEN VARIETY
Landscaping in Layers Using your groundcover to create living mulch.
Special Section 46
~ by michael finger and frank murtaugh
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68
70
~ by john a. jennings ASK VANCE
6-3-8 Tire Company Our trivia expert solves local mysteries of who, what, when, where, why, and why not. ~ by vance lauderdale DINING IN
Caramelized With her food and lifestyle blog, Cara Greenstein elevates even the simplest of home dining experiences. ~ by samuel x. cicci CITY DINING
Quarantine Bread-Baking ~ by anna traverse fogle And the city’s most extensive dining listings.
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LAST STAND
Blue’s Clues
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When a lost chihuahua needed to find his way home, the whole neighborhood was happy to help. ~ by samuel x. cicci
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THE OFFICE
55
BIZ
Evan Katz and Josh Roberts. ~ by samuel x. cicci
901
The Pandemic Economy Memphis business plans for the “new normal.”
~ by jon w. sparks
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M AY 2020 • MEMPHISM AG A ZINE.COM • 7
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Memphis
Memphis Magazine’s
THE CI T Y M AGAZI N E
THE 2020
FACE
General Excellence Grand Award Winner City and Regional Magazine Association 2007, 2008, 2010, 2014
OF
ORIENTAL RUGS
&7
CEO AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF anna traverse fogle EXECUTIVE EDITOR michael finger MANAGING EDITOR frank murtaugh SENIOR EDITORS shara clark, jon w. sparks ASSOCIATE EDITOR samuel x. cicci FOOD EDITOR pamela denney
In trying times, community is key.
We will continue our services to you all once we get through this together.
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS jesse davis, michael donahue,
vance lauderdale, toby sells, maya smith EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS alex greene,
john a. jennings, chris mccoy, elena murtaugh EDITORIAL ASSISTANT julia baker CALENDAR EDITOR julie ray EDITORIAL INTERN matthew j. harris
4 EDITOR jon w. sparks
STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE SINCE 1950
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sales color run restoration pet and other stain removals moth damage odor removal storage and much more
In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, we are still just a phone call away. 3554 Park Ave., Memphis, TN • 901.327.5033 • taghavirugs.com • Like us on Facebook
ASSOCIATE EDITOR samuel x. cicci
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CREATIVE DIRECTOR brian groppe PRODUCTION OPERATIONS DIRECTOR margie neal SENIOR ART DIRECTOR carrie beasley ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR christopher myers GRAPHIC DESIGNERS rachel li, bryan rollins PHOTOGRAPHERS justin fox burks, samuel x. cicci,
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WE COULD USE YOUR HELP. The Memphis Flyer is here for you in the best times, and in the most uncertain times. Friends, these are uncertain times — but we’re certain about a few things. We’re always independent. We’re always free. And we strive to keep you informed about and connected to our city. We’re asking for you to kick a little support toward the Flyer ’s work. Even a little helps a lot. s u p p o r t . m e m p h i s f lye r. c o m
Doing Our Best
O
n a chill-damp Sunday in April, after waking up too early from strange dreams (as usual, lately), I put the finishing touches on a chocolate cake and gathered my little family for a car ride from Midtown to Arlington. The cake on the cake plate rode on my lap, arriving to its destination intact and not, as I briefly imagined, vaulted in one delicious SPLAT against the inside of the windshield. It was my father’s birthday. When we arrived at his and my stepmoth- neering professor whose lab is 3D-printing er’s house, we deposited the cake and a simple components for medical face shields. The gift onto a small table waiting in the carport, grocery-store manager working to be sure just out of the rain. My dad — always prac- shoppers are supplied with essentials — and that store employees stay as safe as possible. tical, always looking out — had found extra sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer for us, The local paramedic who’s traveled to New which he’d left in a box, along with a few Orleans and is working in a convention cenfavorite mementoes from my childhood. We ter reconfigured into a hospital by a Memdidn’t interact in person phis-based tent company. that day. He was upstairs Perhaps most humbling of recording a video for all, the nurses working in his high school students, area hospitals, adapting whom he won’t see again with grace and courage. this academic year, now We can be heroes of our that local schools have own small stories, too, inbeen closed for the balcluding the heroism of not ance of the semester. doing. If you are spendNone of this would ing more time at home (or have made an ounce of all of your time at home), sense even a few months you’re helping. If you have Carport Cake ago. Not the contact-free found yourself suddenly birthday celebration for a parent whose house transformed — however roughly — into a is only 35 minutes from mine. Not the fact of home-school teacher, you’re a hero in our him recording class on a Sunday morning, eyes, and will be a hero in your kids’ eyes, from his study. Not even the cake itself, whose too, one day. Whatever shape your story takes, I hope ingredients I sourced through online delivery orders, realizing only at the very last minute you’re holding up okay. I also hope that if that we had only one birthday candle in the you’re shaking or stumbling, you’ll reach out house. But now, it seemed the most sensible, to someone who can help, whether that’s a loving way to celebrate a birthday. friend, family member, or counselor. PerWe do our best, most of us, most of the time. sistence and strength are admirable — but People’s capacity for courage and compassion so is asking for support. If you live alone, will knock away the cobwebs of cynicism. stay connected to others; isolation tends to But of course, not all are quick to put aside compound anxiety and fear. If you strugself-interest and act to preserve collective gle with substance-use disorders, know safety. I am no scientist, but the scientists I that many support groups are continuing respect agree that we cannot rush recovery to meet remotely. And if you or someone from COVID-19. If we relax too soon back you know is in a mental-health crisis, the into comfortable, familiar patterns, believing National Association on Mental Illness ofthat we can regain a normal that no longer fers a free hotline (800-950-6264), as does exists, we risk inviting a larger, deeper crisis. the National Suicide Prevention Hotline We must each shelve our desires just to feel (800-273-8255). Counselors at the latter can normal again in order to access a shared, sus- also be reached by texting 741741. tainable recovery. I said it last month in this space, and I’ll say We must do all we can, individually, to it again here: No one knows exactly when, but make bearable the weighty work of the we will emerge from this moment — this long heroes among us. And there are so many string of moments. We simply must do our heroes among us. We spotlight a few such parts, and in so doing, make sure the heroes human-scale giants in this issue. The med- among us have the time and resources to school students who are volunteering their do theirs. Please stay safe, everyone. You are time and expertise at Tiger Lane, adminis- each essential. – Anna Traverse Fogle tering COVID-19 tests at the drive-through CEO and Editor-in-Chief testing facility there. The mechanical-engi-
PHOTOGRAPH BY ANNA TRAVERSE FOGLE
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IN THE BEGINNING | by anna traverse fogle
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Chapter eight of a book you can’t put down. Eight generations in, the story of the 911 is as compelling as ever. With 443-horsepower and 8-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung transmission working in tandem to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. A modern, muscular take on the iconic 911 silhouette. It’s a story that won’t end anytime soon, and rest assured you’ll never want it to.
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©2020 Porsche Cars North America, Inc. Porsche recommends seat belt usage and observance of tra c laws at all times. European model shown. Some options may not be available in the U.S.
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INTROSPECTIV E
The Next Pitch A high school senior finds herself scarred by loss, but determined to appreciate.
by elena murtaugh
T
his beast we know as COVID-19 has brought to the surface doubt and tragedy, but also perspective and hope. As a senior at White Station High School, I am being challenged, measuring the endurance of pain. This insidious virus has taught me that mental pain can be far worse than physical.
I’m a pitcher and have played varsity softball for the Spartans for three years. The thought of not having a fourth breaks my heart. It’s often said, “You never know what you have until you lose it.” I miss this part of me that’s been stolen, and I will forever reflect on doubleheaders, championships — our 2017 team became the first in White Station history to reach the state sectionals — and my teammates uniting on the diamond at 514 S. Perkins Road. I was
named captain this season, and prepared myself to lead the team. For a full season. I’d do just about anything to put on my uniform and stand in that pitcher’s circle again. I’ve also lost my last season of club soccer (my purest passion, by the margin of a hair over softball). Without the ball at my feet and teammates I consider family, fighting for the same goal, I’ve felt a void in my veins. It’s comforting to know I’m not standing alone. Tears have been shed from many
souls who are facing undeserving loss. If I could change a single thing in my life so far, it would be to take absolutely nothing for granted: football games on Friday nights, going to those sectionals with my sister — a senior centerfielder — freshman year, winning a State Cup in soccer, parties with my best friends, watching sports with my father, and, perhaps most significant, receiving my education at a school that’s taught me much more than MLA format and the quadratic formula, but culture, diversity, and friendship. All of us have thought, “Why now?” Well, there’s never a perfect time to have a pandemic, but strength must be our asset right now. My heart pours out to the people who have lost jobs, experiences, and people they love. Everyone should have the opportunity to anticipate — and navigate — an ending, and the Class of 2020 is losing a life stage that can’t be repeated. Three games left, two, one… no. I played my last softball game without knowing it. I sat in my last class not knowing. That is the torture of surprises. My emotions have been oscillating from fear to hope, desperation to confidence, and voice to silence. It’s a new type of pain that is new to
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everyone, whether we are 77 or 7. I stay busy, establishing and sticking to priorities. Time must be shared and divided among overlapping practices, games, and work shifts. Knowing where I would be, who I would be with, and how I would feel if the virus had not turned our lives around, is a scary thing to process. But a great part about our species is that we are adaptable. Traumatizing situations happen, and we find escapes and silver linings and solutions while we fight as a whole. As a team. I identify myself first as a student-athlete, and I empathize with the senior athletes — high school and college — around the world who have been stripped of their final seasons. No child wonders if their graduation, or senior prom, or their countless memories made with their best friends before parting
The pain is temporary, I tell myself, and life will continue with a new light, and fresh encounters. ways, will ever be at stake. I may never step in the halls of White Station as a student anymore. I may not dance at senior prom. I may never throw another pitch, or score a goal in a soccer game. This is scarring, but I will not allow myself to be identified by what I lose. The pain is temporary, I tell myself, and life will continue with a new light, and fresh encounters. My dad has always told me, “the most important pitch is the next pitch.” We cannot dwell on the pain of the present but steer toward the hope of tomorrow. Through this depression of loss, we should all gain an appreciation for the little things in life. We never know when it will be over. I now appreciate, with a new gratitude, fresh air, but also a bruise in the shape of softball seams on my skin. I am thankful for my best friends, all in the same room, sharing a laugh. I appreciate cleats on my feet, and that I still have a job, and that school really isn’t so bad. Everyone will come out of this crisis with a scar, but imperfections make us that much more beautiful. Pain is temporary, but love is unconditional, so I hope we all give the love to each other and the little things. When we escape this nightmare, a brighter light will take its place. Patience is our virtue, and we will all rise on two feet to overcome the past. It’s stormy right now, but rain can’t last forever.
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Elena Murtaugh is the daughter of managing editor Frank Murtaugh. M A Y 2 0 2 0 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 13
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ROAD TRIP
A
WALK WOODS IN
THE
A Quarantine Remembrance of Trips Past by chris mccoy
T
So, on a beautiful spring day, I decided to do what generations of Memphis writers before me had done: Seek inspiration in the Old Forest. I laced up my hiking boots and set off into the wilds of Midtown. The streets were eerily quiet, but not zombie-apocalypse deserted. The air was clearer than usual; the deep blue above me reminded me of the days after 9/11, when the airport roar subsided, and no contrails divided the sky. I was wearing goggle-like sunglasses and a cloth mask my wife, Laura Jean, made from an old, gray t-shirt. I’ve lived in Midtown for 30 years and have always thought of Overton Park as my backyard. It never occurred to me that it might not be accessible until I turned a corner and found my way blocked by a man in blue. Everything that has happened — all the cancellations, the closures, the job losses, and above all the wave of sickness and death that won’t crest — hit me anew. I came for a simple escape, and there was none. The cop in his car sees me staring. Normally, confronting a member of the Memphis Police Department with your features concealed by a mask, sunglasses, and hat can lead to bad outcomes. But these are not normal times. “Can I go for a walk?” I ask him, pointing to the distant tree line. “Sure,” he says. I’m relieved. “I thought the park was closed!” “No cars,” he says. “But you can walk.” I ramble over the deserted golf course, and it feels
wonderfully transgressive. As I top the hill to the east of Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, the Greensward stretches before me. There are a few people here, mostly indestructible young folks. A gaggle of girls sits on an island of blankets, gathered around a board game, soaking up the sun. How many days have I spent here, reading under a tree, strolling next to Rainbow Lake, or sharing a picnic lunch on the rolling lawn? The metal barriers which have marked the front lines of the fierce battle between the Memphis Zoo’s parking needs and Midtowners for whom this park is sacred ground are stacked in silver piles. I make it a point to breach the line and reclaim the green space for my pedestrian needs. The Rainbow Lake fountains are shut down, and the normally hopping playground is closed. I walk past the dog park and through the arches, and the Old Forest closes in around me.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MCCOY
here is a police car blocking the entrance to Overton Park. Normally in these pages, I would be telling you about my latest excursion to a fun and fascinating destination. I was planning trips to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby and the Great Smoky Mountains before COVID-19 took non-essential travel off the table. Once the depth of the pandemic became apparent, the Memphis staff discussed what would be best for our readers, who were either stuck at home or forced to risk their health as essential workers on the biological front lines. A long hike in the woods, we decided, would be a refreshing few hours away from the cold glow of the smartphone screen. But on the day I opened my browser to find a suitable state park to tromp through, I found instead that Governor Bill Lee had ordered them closed. The world was shrinking.
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W
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MCCOY
hy do we travel? It seems wanderlust has been hardwired into human beings from the beginning. We spread out of Africa and conquered the world; then, in the twentieth century, went looking for new planets to visit. Back in the oldest days, we were expanding tribal territory and finding accommodations for an increasing population. But now we go just to go, to see new sights, to eat new foods, to find out what it’s like over the next hill.
trip. LK and I were close friends who had bonded in For generations of Americans, satisfying that wanderlust has meant hopping in a car and hitting the road. the Rhodes writing program. We saved our pennies, As a young man obsessed with the Beats, I wanted to bought a tent, quit our jobs, and set out West for a emulate Jack Kerouac and see the country as a wandermonthlong road trip. With very little money (I recall er, going where the spirit led me. The first time I got an having $480 in my bank account) we skipped from park opportunity to try was the summer beto park and crashed on the occasional For generations of couch. fore my senior year at Rhodes College. In New Mexico, we made a point of Joel, my best friend since kindergarten, Americans, satisfying that going to Roswell’s International UFO had been in a motorcycle accident in wanderlust has meant Museum and Resource Center, which, the spring of 1992 and had spent the hopping in a car and summer laid up on his mother’s couch despite the highfalutin’ name was a with a broken leg. Now he was ambugrade-A roadside tourist trap with hitting the road. chintzy dioramas of crashed f lying latory again, and had a fat insurance settlement check from the drunk driver who hit him. saucers. In Arizona, we looked out over the North We set out south in my Mazda 626 to get some beach Rim of the Grand Canyon, but both of us agreed we time. I brought along my Pentax camera and a couple of were more impressed with the majestic Zion National Park. We conned our way into a University of Arizona rolls of 35mm film. We had some comically huge cigars and took pictures of ourselves puffing on the disgusting faculty building in an attempt to track down one of stogies in stupid situations across the Southeast. At the our favorite living poets, Norman Dubie. We found his statue of Vulcan in Birmingham, Alabama, I dropped trou to get a bare-butt shot to match the god’s heroic haunches. In St. Augustine, Florida, Joel took a lawn chair into the surf and grinned as the waves broke over him. We gawked at the beautiful women in Miami and utterly failed to pick up any of them. On the tiny island of Shark Key, we stopped to have a beer at a little beachside bar and rented a couple of jet-skis. It was a quiet day, so the owner joined us and took us on an unforgettable tour of tiny inlets and hidden beaches. The next morning, we woke up on a beach in Key West and, somewhat belatedly, got an expensive hotel room to stay one night before turning back. It was there I discovered that I had loaded the film in my camera incorrectly, and all the funny images of the trip were irretrievably gone. Two years later, I set out on a much more ambitious
far left: Overton Park in spring is usually filled with people. Not now. left: One of the Brooks Museum’s stone lions looks across a nearly empty Overton Park. above left: The author drives through Las Vegas. above: Scenes from an epic road trip in the summer of 1994, including the redwood forest near Big Sur; Devil's Tower; the Oregon coast; Roswell, New Mexico; and Arizona’s Barringer Meteor Crater. below: In Arizona, the author emerges from Air Force One at the Pima Air and Space Museum.
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office deserted. At the aircraft boneyard that is now the ing with our poetry teacher, Richard Lyons. If I’m an above-average wordsmith, it’s Professor Lyons’ doing. Pima Air and Space Museum, LK snapped my picture As we were lamenting the lack of poetic job opportuemerging from the Air Force One where Lyndon Johnson had taken the oath of office in November 1963. nities, he said, “Maybe you should try travel writing. As we passed through Las Vegas, we decided to You can do description, and I’ve always thought a poet would be good at it.” scrape up the change in the car and play some slots, just so we could say we gambled in Sin City. We parked in a 30-minute space at the Luxor (as a Memphian, I’m alome trips you take by yourself, but ways attracted to pyramids) and set out with $1.50 each. the best trips are shared experiences. In the sumWith a few pulls of the lever, we somehow won enough mer of 1999, I took one of the most consequential money to buy gas to get us to Laguna Beach, then north trips of my life with my then-girlfriend, Laura Jean along the Pacific Coast Highway all the way to San Hocking. We both had a little time off work around the Francisco. We stopped in Santa Cruz to ride the rollJuly 4 holiday, so we drove down to Navarre Beach and er coaster on the boardwalk that had been got a cheap room in the Holidome, a massive featured in the vampire movie The Lost Boys. Holiday Inn property dating from the early I wander with We camped among the redwoods in Sequoia 1970s that was, at the time, the only thing no goal but National Park and in the ash fields of Mount on a deserted stretch of coast. I brought movement Saint Helens. We slept under the stars in along my first-ever purchase from Amazon, Montana, visited our second Grand Canyon a thick trade paperback copy of The Lord of through trees of the trip in Yellowstone (yes, they have the Rings, and read it under a beach umbrella. that don’t note one there, too), and communed with prairie We made sandwiches from a cooler we kept dogs at Devil’s Tower, where we hoped to in the room and flew kites in the surf. my passing. get picked up by the mothership from Close Our relationship had been stormy up until Encounters of the Third Kind. Then, broke, filthy, and comthat point, and it would be so again. But on that beach, pletely sick of each other, we drove for 24 straight hours in that crumbling hotel with a great indoor pool, we disback to Memphis. covered that we traveled well. We brought along a jam box for the beach, and the big hit of the trip was Stevie Wonder’s 1976 masterpiece Songs in the Key of Life. Laura emphis keeps the Old Forest intact to remind us of what this land looked like before Jean and I have traveled many miles together since the buildings rose and the streets sprawled. Even though you’re only a few hundred yards from Poplar Avenue, you can still feel like you’re lost in the woods — especially when the city is quarantine quiet. I wander with no goal but movement through trees that don’t note my passing. I pull my mask down from my nose. It’s good to just smell the oxygen. The Beat poets talked about using travel to find yourself. But when I tried, I don’t think it worked that way. I’ve seen much beauty, and satisfied my itch for novelty. But I couldn’t run from my doubts, my anxieties, myself. I only took my baggage sightseeing. Deep in the Old Forest, there is a clearing where broken, man-sized urns are scattered like the litter from a giant’s wine party. At first, I am surprised by the sight, but then I remember being here before, in what seemed like another lifetime. Under the rustling green canopy, I remember a moment when I was an undergrad. LK and I were at a read-
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right: Two paths diverge in the Old Forest. below: Discarded concrete urns rest in a hidden clearing deep in Overton Park.
then — she often accompanies me as photographer on trips for this magazine. But we will always remember heading home along Highway 98 as the beach faded into the distance with “Love’s In Need of Love Today” bubbling from the car stereo. The Holidome was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and never rebuilt. Now, formerly sleepy Navarre Beach is as built up with resorts and condos as the rest of the Emerald Coast. By 2000, Joel had moved to Durango, Colorado. I visited him that summer. We hadn’t seen each other in years and had a lot of catching up to do. One day, while he was working as a chef, I took a solo day trip to Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. I wish I had known the UNESCO World Heritage Site lies at the end of 20 miles of washboard desert road before I set out in my rented
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MCCOY
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Chevy Cavalier. After swerving through two dry stream beds to get there, I marveled at the maze of preserved pueblos, some of which are more than a thousand years old. Once, this was one of the largest cities in North America, with a trading network that stretched from the Pacific Northwest to Panama. It lay in obscurity for hundreds of years, just far enough off the beaten path near the Four Corners to be safely ignored. I had anticipated a national park with all the amenities, but Chaco Canyon wasn’t set up to attract tourists. Only water was available at the tiny welcome center, and so my lunch was a pack of airline peanuts. To this day, I ask for extra snacks on a plane, and stow them in my backpack for later emergencies. As I walked down a cliffside path to check out millennia-old petroglyphs, I saw storm clouds approaching from the West. Remembering the dry stream beds, I realized I needed to get out of there before a flash flood stranded me. I raced down the barely-there desert road and just made pavement before the storm hit. Only I could get rained out in the desert. A couple of days later, Joel and I went on another one of the car-camping adventures we called “Amok in America.” This time, I made sure to load the camera properly. We drove through Monument Valley, the iconic landscape director John Ford loved to put in Westerns like Th e Searchers. The poor little Cavalier struggled up a switchback cliff until we found one of the most spectacular overlooks in America. We wandered through the monoliths of Bryce Canyon, then headed to Moab, Utah. Arches National Park is the place where animator Chuck Jones set the Roadrunner and Coyote cartoons. It’s an otherworldly landscape of delicate, suspended sandstone formations. We arrived at the park and got the last available camping site in Devil’s Garden around noon on July 2nd. Feeling indestructible after days of high desert hiking, we loaded up all the water bottles we had and hit the 12.6-kilometer Primitive Trail just as the blazing desert sun passed its zenith. The hike
was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and it damn near killed me. As we were scrambling over rocks and under Landscape Arch and the Double O, our water ran out quickly. The sunscreen we kept applying didn’t seem to work at all. By the time we got back to the car, my stomach was cramping — a sign of serious dehydration. As the AC took hold, I put the camera on the dashboard and took the first selfie of my life. I wanted to remember how I felt in that moment.
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e still go Amok in America from time to time. Joel, my other bestie from home Chip, and I periodically go on hiking trips to catch up — most recently last year, when we did a weekend in Savage Gulf, Tennessee. I also caught up with LK, who now lives in the Czech Republic, last year. We hadn’t spoken in the decades since our epic trip but quickly fell back into our friendship. Laura Jean and I bought a house together in 2003 and married in 2007. She remains my favorite traveling companion. Why do we travel? For adventure, to see things we’ve never seen, to challenge ourselves, to experience life more deeply. To know ourselves, our friends, and our home, better than before. I emerge from the Old Forest, blinking in the sunlight. My mask is still around my neck, but an approaching jogger reminds me to put it back into place. As I walk past the Greensward, I turn to take a last look. Maybe I would see myself, under a tree, reading a book of poetry.
above: In 2000, the author once again went “Amok in America.” clockwise from top right: Ancient Anasazi petroglyphs in Chaco Canyon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northeast New Mexico; the author on the Primitive Trail in Arches National Park near Moab, Utah; the road leads ever onward in western Colorado; Landscape Arch is the largest such rock formation in Arches National Park; the mesas of Monument Valley in Arizona have been featured in dozens of Western films and television productions, including John Ford's The Searchers.
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EVERYDAY
HEROES ICONS BY LEREMY | DREAMSTIME; ILLUSTRATION BY PIYAMAS DULMUNSUMPHUN | DREAMSTIME
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On Our Worst Days, These People Give Their Best.
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ho do you picture when you picture a hero? Perhaps a firefighter, rushing into a burning building, enters your mind. I experienced just this sort of heroism firsthand, last fall, when my husband’s and my Midtown home lit up from an electrical fire. The quickness of the Memphis Fire Department crew that evening stunned me, but what stays with me even more vividly is their compassion. One man, whose name I do not know, handed us a bottle of water so that our dogs could drink from our cupped hands. Those firefighters understood precisely what to do in order to keep us, and as much of our home as possible, safe. Living in these pandemic days can feel a little like being in a fire that just won’t be snuffed. The best most of us can do is avoid it — we can deprive it of oxygen by preventing its insatiable desire to spread, but that’s about all. There is a certain quiet, collective heroism in everything we are not doing. There’s heroism in staying home, in keeping our distance, in wearing masks when we do need to draw near others. But then there are those who are taking active steps each day to make the rest of us safer, and to sustain us during these difficult days. We decided to talk to several locals whose heroism takes different, but undeniable forms, for which they are uniquely qualified. Without question, we could have filled every page of this magazine with other local heroes’ stories. At Tiger Lane — typically the site of tailgates and festivals — a University of Tennessee Health Science Center team, in conjunction with Mayor Jim Strickland’s office, coordinated a drive-through testing facility to help address the need to assess just how many people in the Memphis area are infected with COVID-19. Surely no med-school student imagined, at her white-coat ceremony, that she would be volunteering her time to administer virus tests in the midst of a pandemic, in the shadows of a football stadium. Yet these instant heroes are doing this vital work professionally and efficiently. At grocery stores throughout the city, workers ensure that we stay nourished and supplied. At local chain Cash Saver, store teams are doing everything they can to manage inventory and to achieve a clean shopping experience, while keeping their employees safe and fairly compensated. A Memphis-based paramedic has been called down to New Orleans to help with the pandemic — where he found himself working in the Morial Convention Center retrofitted as a makeshift hospital, with tents and other equipment supplied by Memphis’ Mahaffey Event & Tent Rentals and assembled by National Guardsmen. Meanwhile, a mechanical-engineering lab at the University of Memphis is using 3-D printers to produce frames which are a key component in the face shields that protect healthcare workers fighting COVID-19. Not all of us can measure our contributions so clearly. But we can each, even in smaller, quieter ways, be an everyday hero — and thank those who are actively fighting this fire. — Anna Traverse Fogle M A Y 2 0 2 0 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 19
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EVERYDAY
HEROES
MEDIC AL S TAFF
“SelfAssembling Superheroes”
Med-student volunteers staff one of the city’s major coronavirus testing sites.
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by toby sells
hen done properly, working on the public-health frontlines of the coronavirus response can be “boring as hell.” And we’re doing it properly in Memphis. That’s according to Dr. David Schwartz, a radiology oncologist and professor of radi-
ation oncology and preventive medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Schwartz is also an integral member of the team that planned, organized, built, and now staffs the coronavirus testing tent at the Mid-South Fairgrounds. “Do you know what success in public health looks like?” he asks. “Pure, unadulterated boredom.” But that boredom has been an essential part of the city’s response to the virus here. Healthcare workers at the tent can test about 200 people per day. After opening around the end of March, the UTHSC Fairgrounds site had tested 2,339 people as of mid-April, or about 15 percent of everyone tested in Shelby County by that time. Schwartz says the testing tent was conceived in partnership between the UTHSC dean’s office, its medical school, and Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s office. Testing is available for anyone with coronavirus symptoms and an appointment. (To get an appointment, text “covid” to 901-203-5526.) The test is free.
The mayor’s office “came through with flying colors,” Schwartz says, providing resources for the site, including the tent itself. The university provided the scientific guidance on how to administer the testing properly and, of course, the school provided medical people-power. “You know you’re doing well when you can show up and have a group of dedicated, mature, self-assembling superheroes — that’s what I call them,” Schwartz said. “They’re almost like Transformers, our medical students, along with firefighters, first responders, police officers, and city officials who are here on-site. Every day, it’s like watching magic happen.” One of those superheroes Schwartz describes is Lydia Makepeace. She’s a thirdyear medical student at UTHSC. She hopes next year to begin studying obstetrics and gynecology. This year, though, she — and students like her across the country — were pulled from clinical rotations to respond to the virus. For now, she spends her days in the
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY UTHSC
Members of the UTHSC team who volunteered at the Tiger Lane coronavirus testing center included (l-r): Dr. David Schwartz, Austin O’Connor, Chloe Handman, Hannah Allen, Lydia Makepeace, Andrew McBride, and Dr. Jon McCullers.
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Fairgrounds parking lot, battling on the front lines of the coronavirus epidemic. Shifts begin there at around 8 a.m., she says, when medical students, firefighters, and Emergency Management Services (EMS) workers gather. Those directing traffic or checking in patients only need to wear surgical masks and a clear, plastic face shield, Makepeace says. But those administering the test get “gowned up.” They wear a surgical gown that can be cleaned between patients and a full-body medical suit that Makepeace says looks “kind of like a spacesuit.” Masked up or fully gowned, each day the team creates its testing assembly line, as Schwartz calls it. The first patient rolls through the gate at 9 a.m. They drive into the testing center, turn off their car, and roll down a window. A team member then describes how the test will work. “We have to put a really long swab in their nostril and explain that it has to go pretty far back,” Makepeace explains. Each nostril is swabbed for five seconds to ensure the team gets a good sample, which can provide for better accuracy in test results. Then, the patient is sent on their way and will later get a phone call or email with their test results. For Makepeace, the experience doesn’t fuel her anxiety. It’s an opportunity. “We signed up to come to medical school and be doctors because we want to help people and make a difference,” she says. “We can use our skill set and allow other people working in hospitals to do their jobs there, because we’re here, volunteering.”
being fabricated. The lab, which opened in 2018, primarily focuses on metal 3-D printing, manufacturing items such as medical implants. But Asadi says when he began hearing about the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), the lab began printing face shield frames in mid-March. “You see all these people getting sick,” Asadi says. “The first thing you notice is with this volume of people getting sick, hospitals and healthcare providers on the front line are going to get exhausted. So immediately, I thought, what can I do? What is my part in this?” Using five commercial-grade 3-D print-
agement Agency, which is distributing them to local hospitals and agencies upon request. Asadi, in his fifth year teaching at the U of M, says realizing there was something that he could do to help during this crisis is “priceless.” “When you are doing research at a university, you always want to see the tangible results right away,” Asadi says. “Knowing that we can help the front-line fighters is a real result.” 3-D printing has been around in the academic world since the 1980s and in the commercial arena since the 2000s, Asadi says. But in recent years, he says, researchers have begun exploring the many applications of this printing technology. Asadi says what the 3-D printing community has been able to do during this pandemic shows the breadth of production possibilities. “In a situation like this, when there is a shortage of specific devices, in this case PPE, the 3-D printing community has shown it can quickly adapt to new designs and devices,” Asadi says. “I think this situation will impact how we as researchers see 3-D printing, and also how the community views 3-D printing.” Asadi hopes the university’s efforts will create a network, so that in the next situation like this, everyone will be able to coordinate and quickly manufacture needed supplies on a larger scale. “We need to be more efficient in our response,” he says.
E SSENT IAL SUPPLIER S
Setting up a Field Hospital
E SSENT IAL MANUFAC T URING
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY UNIVERSIT Y OF MEMPHIS
Facing up to Disease
The University of Memphis turns to 3-D technology for medical face masks.
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by maya smith
or the past few weeks, a lab at the University of Memphis has been using 3-D printing to make protective gear for local medical personnel 24 hours a day. Dr. Ebrahim Asadi, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the U of M, heads the university’s Metal Additive Manufacturing Laboratory, where the gear is
A Memphian and a local tent company are helping people in the Crescent City. Professor Ebrahim Asadi with face shield frames created in the U of M lab by 3-D printing. ers, the lab has printed about 350 frames to date. The frames are a key component of face shields that protect healthcare workers on the front lines combatting COVID-19. Each frame can be sanitized and reused up to 20 times. The other components include a clear plastic shield, which is the protective piece, and the elastic strap that holds it in place. The lab delivered its initial batch of shields to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital at the end of March. Now, the lab is manufacturing frames for the Tennessee Emergency Man-
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by julia baker
ew Orleans has seen a constant rise in coronavirus cases, reaching more than 5,600 by Easter Sunday, and has become an epicenter for COVID-19 in the United States. When the beleaguered city called on assistance from around the country, they got help from Memphis. John*, an emergency health worker, volunteered, and Mahaffey Event & Tent Rentals provided equipment to transform the city’s Morial Convention Center into a field hospital to care for more than 1,000 non-critical patients. *name changed for anonymity M A Y 2 0 2 0 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 21
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“My family was concerned about me going there,” says John. “They were worried that I might get sick, and they didn’t want me to go. But someone has to be on the frontlines to fight this virus.” He had initially been asked to deal with the growing pandemic in New York City towards the end of March. Right before his scheduled departure for the Big Apple, he was told that there were too many emergency responders assigned to that city. His reassignment was changed to New Orleans. He arrived on Sunday, April 5th, and when he got to the convention center, National Guard members were still setting up 1,000 individual tents, provided by Mahaffey for the anticipated lower-acuity patients. “They were still setting up when I got here, but they were finished by Monday,” says John. “It was kind of a cluster getting it set up, but everyone has been in high spirits and has been very friendly and professional.”
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When we spoke with John on April 8th, just two days after the makeshift hospital opened, he said that it had taken in around 40 patients, but expects many more in the coming weeks. “I haven’t seen any deaths yet, but I’ve heard of local firefighters going and picking up bodies of deceased coronavirus patients every day,” he says. John says that the hospital staff is taking every precaution to make sure personnel remain safe, including providing adequate personal protection equipment like N95 masks, surgical gowns, shoe covers, and gloves. Each day, John works 12-hour shifts to assist patients, and he says that he may continue to help out there for as long as the next three months, depending on the progression of coronavirus cases in New Orleans. “I’ll miss my girlfriend and family, of course, but I felt like I had to take this opportunity to help contain the risk of spreading the coronavirus for people who are at-risk,” he says. “It’s important to help our brothers and sisters in times of need and show them some compassion. We have to try to keep this virus under control.”
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY MAHAFFEY EVENT AND TENT RENTALS
Now More Than Ever
The Morial Convention Center in New Orleans has been transformed into a 1,000-bed hospital.
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Mark Gatlin
E SSENT IAL RE TAILER S
Forging Links in the Food Supply Chain
Nothing has challenged grocery stores like the current crisis. by frank murtaugh
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY CASH SAVER
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ark Gatlin has been on the front lines of the Memphis food supply since 1976, when he first took a job with Seessel’s. Now the vice president of store operations for Cash Saver, Gatlin has witnessed about all that could be imagined in the grocery business, but he’s never seen anything like the current pandemic. “I went through Hurricane Elvis [in 2003],” reflects Gatlin. “One time there was a man who predicted there was going to be an earthquake here. We went through an ice storm [in 1994]. If you put all those together, they would not equal what we’re going through now.” Gatlin has a distinct challenge: Provide food and health products for his customers while keeping his staff — close to 300 employees at three locations — healthy as the coronavirus wreaks havoc, often invisibly. “We’re providing gloves, masks, and hand sanitizer for our employees,” notes Gatlin. “We’re going along with six-foot distancing M A Y 2 0 2 0 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 23
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in all stores. When all this is over, we’ll go back to 24-hour service, but for now, we close at 10 p.m. each night and open at 6 a.m., to give our employees a chance to clean and sanitize everything, to get the stores as close to a germ-free atmosphere as you can have in the retail business.” Ten to 12 Cash Saver employees work alongside professional cleaners (Jan-Pro is a partner) to make the start of a business day as safe as possible. All the while, Gatlin aims to stock shelves with in-demand products that his suppliers can’t always provide. “When people walk into a grocery store and they see 60 feet of empty shelving, the problem isn’t with the store,” explains Gatlin. “The supply chain has broken down. We recently ordered 250 cases of toilet paper for [the Midtown] store, and we got seven cases. Every other retailer in the United States is doing the same thing. Customers have no earthly idea of how we get our products, so when there’s a problem, it’s directly associated with the retailer. At this point in time, there are things that are just 100 percent out of our control. We’re not hiding toilet paper in the back room.” Human density is the most critical variable in the spread of any virus, and it has to be measured and managed carefully in a facility providing food. Gatlin says between 25 and 45 employees must be on hand in the 69,000-square-foot Midtown store, depending on the day of the week and time of day. And no more than 300 people (counting staff and vendors) can be inside at the same time, a number that stretches social-distancing regulations. “If we approach that limit,” emphasizes Gatlin, “we begin regulating the number of people who can enter the store.” Gatlin recognizes the mental strain that has made the lockdown especially trying. Cash Saver has done what it can to keep employees comfortable, both in mind and wallet. “Most of my employees are getting two days off a week,” he says. “On the flip side, overtime is not an issue. If you want to work 32 hours, that’s fine. If you want to work 55 hours, that’s fine. We’re not forcing people, but a lot of employees are making some extra pay. The need is there. Every employee — from lowest-paid to top — has also been given a raise of $2.00 an hour while this is going on. Bonuses have been distributed. These are bad times, but some positive things are happening also.” Gatlin chuckles in noting the pandemic coinciding with allergy season in Memphis. Watery eyes and a violent sneeze 12 months ago are measured very differently in 2020. “I’m notorious for having springtime allergies,” he says. “We’ve had a couple of employees who took time off to get tested, and were negative. But if someone doesn’t feel well, they don’t come to work.”
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PET GUIDE
Kitten Confidential My Life as a Rescue Cat
by ampersand davis
[as told to jesse davis]
Ampersand was found after a storm and lured to safety with his own weight in tuna.
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irst of all, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ampersand, cat correspondent for Memphis magazine, and I am a rescue cat, so called because I quite gallantly rescued my chosen human from what was surely a soul-crushing existence as a feline-free person. Let me add that, indeed this was a brave and selfless decision on my part, but humans, though unsightly and nearly hairless creatures, can be quite lovely to their adopted, four-legged family members. I think every cat should have one. Of course, there will be some dissenting opinions from the freedom-loving feral cat crowd, but their naysaying is but a feeble meow against a grand chorus of purrs. And I would know, for I speak from experience. In October of 2019, I lived the life of a street kitten. Though I had the comforts of my mother and freedom to roam, my life as a stray was full of challenges. Mother wasn’t always sure to find a meal, and our little feline family had to maintain a state of constant vigilance, on watch for stray dogs, raccoons, owls, and distracted motorists, whose hulking vehicles would mean a swift and sure death if ever we met in the road. Then, late one night, we were hit by a storm the likes of which I had never before seen in my long six weeks of life. I was separated from my mother and my littermates in that storm. Alone for the first time, I hid beneath a piece of machinery, mewing piteously for my mother to come find me. My fur was damp and spiked at the end
with dried mud, and my stomach rumbled, racked with hunger pangs. Then a human stepped out of the house across the street. He paused in the act of unlocking his car, his head cocked to the side. He had heard my cries.
Only three weeks later, Amp had put on weight and learned to play.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JESSE DAVIS AND MACON WILSON
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hile people now required to work from home may be struggling to adjust to their new daily routines, perhaps no group is more chuffed by this development than those people’s pets. Under normal circumstances we would have asked our editorial staff to take charge of this year’s Pet Guide, but these are far from normal circumstances. Keeping a routine and staying busy are supposed to help us humans stay steady during these turbulent times, so we figured the same logic must apply to our pets. They need tasks! Goals! To learn new skills! (Yes, we are projecting. They are perfectly content just to have us home.) So we asked our pets to take on some of the labor themselves. Lily Bear Traverse and Ampersand Davis make their authorial débuts in these pages; we have a hunch it won’t be long before The New Yorker snaps up one or both of them. You can rest assured that both Ampersand and Lily Bear have been compensated fairly for their work. Oddly, we’ve never paid freelancers in head-scratches and treats before. In all seriousness, COVID-19 has left many adoptable pets still waiting for their new homes. You can help. Sam Cicci tells you how, after Ampersand and Lily say their pieces.
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Ampersand has grown to be a sophisticated cat with an appreciation for simple pleasures, such as sitting in a sunbeam.
The human muttered something that sounded like, “Aw, man. Now I’m going to have to save you.” Can you believe it, dear reader? Even in my admittedly bedraggled state, I had inspired feelings of awe in this poor, catless human, an awe so powerful that he felt compelled to “save” me. Despite his apparent feeblemindedness, this, I knew then,
was a human worth rescuing. Bravely, I allowed myself to be tempted by an open can of tuna, which my soon-to-be adopted human placed on the muddy ground between us. As I ate, he crept nearer, which I allowed because I was hungry and he might, I assumed, have more tuna. And so I did not complain when he scooped me up and took
me inside, swaddled in a towel. My human told his partner not to get attached because they wouldn’t be keeping me. “Poor, deluded human, you underestimate my power,” I thought. I turned up the charm by waking him up several times a night to demand petting, and, just as I knew it would, it worked like a dream. Never hesitate to remind your human how lucky they are to have you in their life. Needless to say, I wasn’t going anywhere. I was like catnip to my hapless human — totally irresistible. Now I live a life of luxury. My human loves me. I’m fed twice daily, and he brings me feathers and faux mice and bellfilled balls to play with. Still, to live as an indoor cat, it’s true one must accept a certain amount of ennui. It is simply part of the deal. The life of an indoor cat, though, has so much to recommend it. What is the excitement of the outdoors when compared to the nearly infinite places one can sleep in a house, or even, as in my case, a small apartment? And just because I no longer spend my nights evading predators or searching for food, that doesn’t mean I lack for other forms of diversion. I have mentioned, I know, the many naps I take. That said, I cannot express the pure bliss of falling asleep in your human’s lap. They’re warm, soft, and, unless you’ve chosen your human poorly, not remotely muddy. Indeed, lap naps are excellent, almost as good as naps in a sunny spot by the window. It’s important to be well rested in case my human needs me to chase away the Fiendish Red Dot, or if there is something particularly interesting to observe from the safety and comfort of the window sill. Then there is the joy I get from helping my human prune his houseplants. Diligently, I nibble at their waxy leaves, and it pleases him so. I know because when he catches me helping (for I am modest and do not boast about my many priceless contributions), he shouts my name, presumably in a fit of glee. My days are now filled with treats and pets and naps. I could go on extolling the many pleasures of life as a rescue cat, but, frankly, my human gets so animated when I walk on the computer keyboard and I don’t like to over-excite him. Suffice it to say that, though they require a good deal of attention, humans are, by and large, indeed worth rescuing. M A Y 2 0 2 0 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 27
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My Rescue Tail From Trailer Park to Cover Dog
by lily bear traverse
[as told to anna traverse fogle]
Lily Bear is half the size of a German shepherd and most closely resembles the Lapponian herder, a Finnish breed. Who knows!
I
f you noticed me before, on the cover of this magazine’s May 2019 issue, you might have thought to yourself: Why, look at that cover dog. I was, as it happens, born with it! I was also the first dog ever to grace the cover of Memphis, and – can you believe this? – I did it while eating a rainbow sno-cone. (Tough to imagine a cat pulling that one off.)
What you could not have known is that I was not born into a lifestyle of luxury. I was not born with a sno-cone-streaked plastic spoon in my mouth. No, I found myself in this marvelous position only a couple of years into my life. I remember the day it happened. I was in the backseat of Mom’s car – I didn’t know yet that was Mom, but she seemed nice enough, and she had certainly been excited to meet me – and we were driving down Sam Cooper. When we passed the Broad Avenue water tower, Mom glanced into the backseat, where I was sitting at attention, and she said, “See, Lily Bear – you’re a Memphis dog now.” And then she took me to walk by the Mississippi River, and I tried to lap at its overflowing fingers, and it was final – a Memphis dog I had become. But I wasn’t born here. I really couldn’t tell you where I was born, for that matter. From what Mom has pieced together it was somewhere in eastern Tennessee, or maybe southern Virginia, around Bristol. Mom was born in Virginia, so she likes to think that we have that in common. I was a puppy, and then I was a young dog, and I was adopted by a man we now call my “original owner.” I don’t know about that whole “owner” concept, but that’s another conversation. He was nice, and he loved me, and maybe we even went on walks. Then he got sick, though, and we didn’t go for so many walks. And then one day he wasn’t there anymore. His son took me in, kind of. This is the part that makes Mom shudder when she tells it, because that son really did not want me. I know – how could anyone not want me? I am, if you could not tell, a sweet-tempered, fluff y-furred, soulful-eyed little bear cub of a dog, with a flower for a face. But there it is – want me, he did not. He used to keep me locked up in a trailer for long stretches of time, so I couldn’t run and play like I wanted; I was forgetting how to run and play. He would throw whole bags of food into the trailer and then leave for days and days, so I would eat and eat, and then there would be nothing. I don’t mind telling you that I have some food-insecurity issues to this day. Oh, the stories Mom could tell – the time I ate a whole bag of flour, except really I couldn’t eat a bag of flour, because if you didn’t know this, when you puncture a bag of flour, it goes everywhere. Now THAT was a fun scene for Mom to see one afternoon when she came home! Then there was the time, when Mom started dating the man I now call Cheese (she calls him her husband), when I jumped up and stole an entire wedge of cambazola cheese off the table; this is when we named his house the House of Cheese and named him Cheese. There was also the time I rooted around in the wee hours of the morning because I had seen one half of a
PHOTOGRAPH THIS PAGE BY ANNA TRAVERSE FOGLE, OPPOSITE PAGE BY CAMERON FOGLE
PET GUIDE
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chocolate cake – deemed too dry – chucked into the garbage bin the evening before. Mom and Cheese took me to the emergency vet at dawn, and I was deemed to be perfectly fine, no matter all that fuss about dogs and chocolate. There was also the time I learned how to open a refrigerator door with my nose – with my NOSE! – and ate basically its entire contents. Oh, there are so many more stories. I am such an ingenious girl, and so hungry. Oh, I was telling you about my rescue story – not about food. Okay, okay. So, back in rural east Tennessee a neighbor saw me running in a field, and she asked around and found who I belonged to, and then she asked him – the son – what I was doing running around by myself Follow us on
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Lily Bear with her mom, Memphis editor Anna Traverse Fogle
all the time? And he said yes, I was his dog, and no, he did not want me, and in fact, did the neighbor know anyone who might want me? Because he was thinking, well, if no one else wanted me he might just shoot me. He might shoot me. That is what he said. About me. Have you seen my sweet face? Do you know how soft and fluffy I am, and how devoted? The neighbor got me into a wonderful organization called Imminent Danger German Shepherd Rescue, which is how Mom found me, one evening several years ago scrolling through adoptable dogs on her phone. She filled out an application then and there, and was approved the very next day. Mom’s stepmom, Kathy, brought me home to Memphis – she was driving home from Pennsylvania and I was kind-of-not-really on the way, and she is very sweet – and I met my mom for the first time in a Waffle House parking lot off the highway, which I’m pretty sure is where all great love stories begin? We’ve been together for almost three years now, Mom and I. Now I have Cheese too, and a brother-dog, Puck, who teaches me patience (he is a wise old man of 15), and a brother-cat, Lucky Boots, who teaches me style (he wears a tuxedo all the time). I don’t really think anymore about where I came from; I think only about where I am now, and where I am now is pretty excellent. Even though I haven’t had a sno-cone in ages.
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No Pooch Left Behind Even in the days of COVID-19, the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County holds an unwavering commitment to saving animals.
by samuel x. cicci
Humane Society executive director Ellen Zahariadis’ passion for animals extends to any that come through the organization’s doors.
W
ith so many businesses and organizations across America closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, those efforts to halt the spread of the coronavirus don’t make life any easier for the dogs and cats of Memphis — except for the lucky pets who already have decent homes. For the others, the thousands of homeless animals mean that the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County and executive director Ellen Zahariadis are working even harder to make sure that there is always a safe haven for those that are sick, injured, neglected, or abandoned.
The Humane Society takes a comprehensive approach to animal welfare. More than just providing medical services and treatment, the organization also runs a large adoption center. To help match potential pet parents, the society even employs adoption counselors who help find the right fit for any available animals. Further outreach has seen programs developed to take animals to places like retirement communities and schools, to teach people more about raising a pet and creating a fun atmosphere for everyone involved. For adopters who might not have much time on their hands, the society’s dog trainer can help provide a jumpstart to early training sessions. Meanwhile, a large volunteer contingent receives training on how to properly walk dogs, so the canines can enjoy companionship and exercise until they find a new home. In addition, the society also runs a summer camp that teaches children about different types of animals and the best way to take care of them. The camp takes kids out to Shelby Farms Park so the animals can run free and play. While hanging out with a cuddly pup or having a cat roam around the house seems like a blast, not everyone is quite prepared for the huge commitment that comes with raising an animal. “I think one of the most important things is for people to really consider their lifestyle and what they’re looking for in an animal,” says Zahariadis. “What kind of time they have, are they going to be at work all day or traveling frequently? What ability do they have to exercise with the animal to give them the attention and exercise they need, and also to make sure it’s the right level of exercise for their specific pet.” Like people, animals have different needs, different personalities, and different required activity levels. Zahariadis also mentions the financial factors in raising a pet. Animals need to have good food, leashes and collars for walks, and somewhere to sleep, not to mention medical checkups at the vet. Other unforeseen costs can include boarding expenses when leaving town. “It’s wonderful, but there is more to it than just having a fluff y puppy or kitten with you,” she says. Like every business, however, the Humane Society has felt the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. That required some on-the-fly adjustments to make sure that injured animals had somewhere to go while keeping staff members safe. For now, the society has shifted to only taking in injured animals while temporarily closing the adoption center. To make up for that, the group has bolstered its network of foster parents. “We’ve been really lucky with the response from the community,” says Zahariadis. “Getting animals into homes ensures that they have
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY HUMANE SOCIET Y OF MEMPHIS & SHELBY COUNT Y
PET GUIDE
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Memphis Magazine’s
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HERO needs a
mentor, every mentor needs a GUIDE. Visit us today at memphisparent.com
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY HUMANE SOCIET Y OF MEMPHIS & SHELBY COUNT Y
Every
a great place to go, and it’s a way for people tions about where we go from here, the who are in quarantine to have a companion. nation’s dogs are no doubt delighted to have It’s delightful because some of these fosters their humans home all day. When things are turning into foster fails; by that, I mean are back in full swing, however, it might that they’re adopting the animals they’re be tough for pets to adjust to the new norm fostering.” Zahariadis herself is one such after being used to having constant comfoster “fail,” recently taking in a wounded panionship 24/7. puppy that is now part of the family. With that in mind, it’s important to create For fundraising events and other sources an environment that will make the postof revenue, the society had to get even more COVID-19 transition easier for people and creative during the pandemic. An annual pets. “I think it’s really important right now staple is the Fast and Furriest 5K, where while we are at home to try to have a rouparticipants race alongside their trusty pet tine with your animals,” says Zahariadis. companions. In this new time of social dis“With many people working from home, it’s tancing, a clump of runners was out of the important to set those kinds of boundaries. question, so Zahariadis’ team pivoted to Set up a quiet time while you’re working, a virtual 5K. Runners competed individuso they don’t think that it’s always playally, and the society set up a page where time. I think those types of routines will they could post their times and still be elihelp ease them in: keep them on an exercise gible for prizes. routine, make sure The newest prothey have that quiet g r a m , h oweve r, or alone time while takes a more artistic yo u ’r e wo r k i n g , and the transition tilt. The Pet Picasso Art Contest welshould be simpler.” While Memphis is comes submissions for Memphians of adjusting to its new all ages to showcase reality, the Humane their furry friends. Society continues to “Anyone can subdo its work the best mit a drawing or it can. Zahariadis painting that they’ve stresses that injured done of them, their animals still need a safe place where dog, their cat, or any pet,” says Zahariadis. they can get help. “We’re still taking Entering a portrait in the contest is free, in injured animals,” but anyone can doshe says. “We had a dog recently that nate a dollar to vote During the pandemic, the Humane Society had some wounds on a favorite piece. is always seeking foster homes for the many from what seemed The winners, in abandoned dogs and cats of Shelby County. both kids and adult like a fight. A week categories, will have before that, we were their drawings and paintings featured on able to fix up a cat that was in really bad holiday cards the society sends out at the shape, and she’s doing great now.” end of the year. There are many ways that Memphis can “It’s wonderful to see how talented people continue to help these services during this are,” she says. “The goal was to get people to time. Donations sustain an organization like the Humane Society and ensure that injured share their animals with everyone and just give them a really fun thing to do right now.” animals can get treatment, but Zahariadis With a “shelter at home” quarantine in recognizes that’s not an option for everyone. place citywide, more people are temped to She points to initiatives like the Pet Picasso head outside to get some much-needed exercontest as an easy way to show support for cise and fresh air. But with summer arriving, the organization. Beyond that, volunteers are it’s important to keep pets in mind when hitstill able to sign up. Rather than heading to ting the pavement. the main offices at Shelby Farms, however, “Before you go on that five-mile run, it’s the society has them doing miscellaneous, really important to consider the animal,” says yet important, tasks. Zahariadis. “Not all pets are made for long “We have some people who are making distances, so it’s important to note your antoys for us right now for the animals. When imal’s activity level and adjust accordingly. we’re back up into full swing, the animals will Make sure to bring water since it gets hot have all the toys they need to be entertained. and humid in Memphis; the pavement gets Other volunteers are helping us write some really hot as well.” thank-you notes right now. Things like that While COVID-19 has raised many quesare still needed, even during this time.”
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“JUST WHAT MEMPHIS NEEDS” Victoria Jones believes The CMPLX in Orange Mound is much more than a gallery for Black artists.
^6
by alex greene
“IT FEELS LIKE WE’RE FINALLY FINDING OUR FOOTING.”
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY THE CMPLX
V
ictoria Jones is leading me through the gallery and meeting space known as The CMPLX, nestled in a strip mall on the western edge of Orange Mound, hung with the vivid art of their exhibit, “The Audacity,” celebrating local Black illustrators, comic artists, and toy designers. It’s been just over a year since her arts nonprofit, The Collective, aka CLTV, moved into the space, and she’s reflecting on what’s been accomplished in that time. From the start, it was clear that the gallery, simply by being a safe space for the local Black arts scene, was much more than just a gallery. “I couldn’t be prouder of our first year,” she says. “We’ve had some of the most meaningful conversations in this space. And I think our formula has been the same since we started: try to empower different people to lead discussions. We get these insights that we never dreamed of, because someone else with a completely different set of experiences was able to lead the conversation.” It’s not every gallery that lists ‘conversations’ among its finest achievements, but from the start, CLTV set out to be more than your typical arts institution. There’s a sense of camaraderie and cooperation here that engenders inquisitiveness in all who participate, and that may be The CMPLX’s greatest asset.
Victoria Jones
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“The space we’re carving out allows artists, curators, whatever your medium is, to come in and discuss the topic before they even start making their work. So there are these other conversations that almost become therapeutic. The meetings that just the artists were having were groundbreaking, to the point where I felt I needed to step out and let them have that really safe moment together.”
T
he importance of safe spaces, of nurturing a sense of belonging, is a theme that arises again and again when Jones speaks of her motivations. It’s almost a maternal ethos, which seems to belie Jones’ youthfulness, but it’s also becoming this fledgling nonprofit’s recipe for success. As its executive director at the ripe old age of 29, Jones is helping to forge a cutting-edge movement that fosters both the arts and community simultaneously. In her view, that’s just what Memphis needs. “I complain, and others do too, that ‘Mem-
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“THE SPACE WE’RE CARVING OUT ALLOWS ARTISTS, CURATORS, WHATEVER YOUR MEDIUM IS, TO COME IN AND DISCUSS THE TOPIC BEFORE THEY EVEN START MAKING THEIR WORK.”
phis is 20 years behind.’ But what that does is give us 20 years of extra runway to see what’s happening in other cities, watching how New Orleans people are being displaced, or how Nashville has completely changed entire neighborhoods. Essentially, what we’re doing is trying to figure out, with our extra time, how we can blockade some of that. We’re thinking about how to be intentional about where we’re located, who we’re located close to.” The importance of location, of being grounded in a community, explains why CLTV waited nearly three years to settle in a permanent home. After Jones helped found the nonprofit in 2016, she settled for shared spaces with other arts groups or in the erstwhile jazz club, Dizzy Bird. But when the current space, next door to the already-established Orange Mound Gallery (OMG), became available, all the boxes were checked. It’s no accident that The CMPLX is situated in the nation’s first
neighborhood to be intentionally created by Black residents. It’s clear that Orange Mound grounds the nonprofit in ways both human and historical. “A really inspiring thing about Orange Mound is, a lot of the organizations here are led by Black women,” Jones notes. “And that’s my heart. I love Black women. There’s something there, just watching what we’ve persevered through that continues to be inspiring.” She notes a few, like Britney Thornton, founder of JUICE Orange Mound, who have affected her directly, laying the groundwork for The CMPLX. “Orange Mound is already a very energized space. We’re just trying to find ways we can exist within that. Miss LueElla [Marshall], who is at OMG and a lifetime community member of Orange Mound, was telling us how proud and excited she was, and she said, ‘Y’all are here now, you can’t go nowhere!’ There’s an expectation for us to exist, and commit to existing. So that, I think, is a good pressure to have on us.”
A
s we’re chatting, a man from the group using the gallery for a meeting of various local alumni of Morehouse College sticks his head in the office. “Love you, sweetie!” he beams. “Happy birthday!” Jones exclaims, and then he’s gone. “That’s my old man,” she explains. “He’s a Morehouse alum. My little brother, him, my grandfather, and my great grandfather — all Morehouse men.” Family history is of paramount importance to Jones, for that’s where her own commitment to local Black culture and activism was forged. “He’s from Memphis,” she adds, “and my mom’s from Jackson. All my people are here — aunts, uncles, grandparents. They all come from this place. We were moving every other year as I was coming up. But Christmas breaks, summer breaks, we’d be coming back here. So it’s the only consistent thing.” Now, Jones is fulfilling the promise of progressive change embodied by those who came before. “My grandma was heavily into M A Y 2 0 2 0 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 35
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Love a little, die a little and break the law. Trey Milligan did all three in the summer before his 14th birthday. From Sartoris Literary Group, the debut novel by Frank Murtaugh. Available NOW at Amazon.com. Paperback ($19.95) and eBook ($8.95). Also available at Burke’s Book Store (936 S. Cooper) and Novel (387 Perkins Extd).
the civil rights movement,” she says. “That’s on my dad’s side; she has passed. She was from Memphis too, and did a lot of work in diversity. I have a scrapbook of Memphis history from her from 1991, with all these newspaper clippings. In 1991, we had the first Black mayor and the opening of the National Civil Rights Museum. So it has all the newspaper clippings from that. And a letter about her legacy and continuing her work. When I turned 24, my mom found it in the attic. And you talk about boo-hooing!” Combining that commitment to change with an interest in the arts arose serendipitously for Jones. “I went to Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, then graduated and came back here,” she says. “And I had no clue about what kind of job I could do. I majored in history and minored in African-American studies and English. But, while I was in school, I had a couple friends who were visual artists who kept all their sketches and paintings under their bed. I was like, ‘We’ve got to get these out somehow.’ So we started hosting art shows in college. That was just, ‘Let’s have some art shows, because that’ll be fun!’” On returning to Memphis, Jones fell in with Crosstown Arts. “I was a gallery attendant and event person,” she recalls. “And I wanted desperately to talk about this work
with someone who had a shared experience. So I started inviting aunts, cousins, and friends who were in town, just so I’d have someone to talk about it with. I started taking three folks a week on tours of the space. I’d tell them, ‘Use these resources! This place exists.’ And Crosstown has a bunch of resources. So honestly, the CLTV started by trying to get Black folks into Crosstown, where we had a chance to see the capacity art has for building community. And then it kind of grew from there. That’s the start of it.” B e i n g h i s to r i c a l l y minded, Jones realizes she’s the latest in a long line of community organizers. “There have been so many folks who have done this before us,” she says, “like Black arts organizations, who were not able to sustain, not because they weren’t brilliant, but because there weren’t enough financial resources for them to be able to keep pushing. So we’re now trying to figure out how to build bridges between generations, and trying to incorporate what they already know into our work. We’ve watched our budget grow in a real way over the past two years, so it’s on the upswing. The thing that keeps me up at night is the sustainability of this. We have figured out something that works really well, but there’s always a fear that at some point we could burn out. That’s true of any nonprofit.” Yet CLTV’s latest grant from the Kresge Foundation bodes well for the future. “We’re going to build from there,” says Jones. “And I don’t think it stops with us. We have partnered and worked hard with other Black arts organizations, like Unapologetic. Without going into a long list, folks are ready to invest. So how do we funnel our creative energy into communities we want to see invested in? And be intentional about that? We’re just the first domino. “There are other folks who think we should be doing different things,” she continues, “but I don’t really care. At this stage, we’re walking with future generations. We’ve got our current generation and truly walking with our ancestors.”
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY THE CMPLX
Victoria Jones dives into the details of a show at The CMPLX as singer/ songwriter Lavender looks on.
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Bedside Angels NURSES DEVOTE THEIR LIVES TO CARING FOR YOURS.
ENGRAVING IN PUBLIC DOMAIN, REPRODUCED BY GEORGIOS KOLLIDAS | DREAMSTIME.COM; COIN PHOTOGRAPH BY ESTELLE BOWDEN | DREAMSTIME
by michael finger and frank murtaugh
M
ay 12, 2020, marks the bicentennial of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the British social reformer (1820-1910) consid-
ered the founder of modern nursing. She became famous for organizing the treatment of wounded soldiers during the Crimean War of 1853-1856. Today, nurses find themselves on the front lines, this time battling an enemy — the novel coronavirus that causes the deadly COVID-19 — that can’t even be seen. Long before the current health crisis, though, nurses were the men and women we came to depend on, working in tandem with physicians and other medical professionals, to ensure our well-being. Here, we profile four nurses from regional hospitals, asking what drew them to their profession, what they have gained from it, and where we go from here.
top: Limited-edition British £2 coin commemorating the famous nurse Florence Nightingale. above: Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) is celebrated as an English social reformer, statistician, and founder of modern nursing. This image was engraved by an unknown artist and published in Portrait Gallery of Eminent Men and Women with Biographies, USA, 1873. M A Y 2 0 2 0 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 37
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Bedside Angels update our emergency preparedness protocols, we were quickly able to shift those practices in response to COVID-19. We utilize emergency stockpiles, and our supply chain teams take inventory and work to meet the needs of our units, all while anticipating needs based on current projections. The supply teams at MLH have also been communicating with state and local health departments to receive supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile. And they have started 3D-printing face shields, now making over 1,000 face shields per week! It has been tough, but our team is dedicated and has proven that they are up to the task.
Amanda (Mandy) Holder, BSN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT NURSE, MEDICAL RESPONSE TEAM NURSE, AND PATIENT COORDINATOR
METHODIST LE BONHEUR HEALTHCARE / METHODIST HOSPITAL – NORTH
B
orn in Halls, Tennessee, Amanda Holder attended UT-Knoxville before moving to Memphis to be closer to her ailing mother. After earning a bachelor’s degree from the U of M College of Nursing, she interned at Methodist-North where, she says, “I matched perfectly with their Emergency Department.” She’s been an RN there since 2016. What made you decide to become a nurse? I felt it was a calling since I was a little girl. I always wanted to make things right. My mom suffered a major heart attack during my junior year of high school and needed bypass surgery. Every time she’s been hospitalized it was a nurse who called my family with updates. It was a nurse who held our hands and prayed with us. It was a nurse who taught us to take care of her. Everything I remember from my mom’s health issues all started with a nurse. I want to advocate, educate, and nurse patients back to health. It’s an amazing feeling when you make connections with patients and their families, and you see them through. We play a short part in their lives, but our impact can be profound. I’m proud to be a nurse. Among the greatest fears during this pandemic is a lack of supplies. How do facilities prepare for a crisis? We stay at a state of readiness, although the COVID-19 pandemic is certainly unprecedented. Because we review and
Do you think “social distancing” is a new normal for mankind? We are a kind and supportive community. We want to help our neighbors and those in need, and we can. We just need to remain at least six feet away while dropping off a loved one’s medication or a friend’s groceries. Family traditions can still be shared via FaceTime, Zoom, or other online platforms. Get together on a video conference for that Sunday evening family dinner. Schedule a call on Friday night for family game night. Make temporary new traditions. We are all in this together and it will take everyone taking this seriously in order to have optimal effects. There’s much doubt and fear associated with the current pandemic. How do people best manage that? It is okay to be fearful. If we are slightly fearful, then we are naturally more cautious. However, we cannot let fear control our lives. It can be overwhelming to have constant access to the ever-changing COVID-related information. Set aside an hour or two each day to educate yourself with updates from reliable sources. For your mental health, take a walk outside. Create a new recipe. Spring clean. Organize your cupboards and drawers. Find something productive to do while staying at home. Be smart and cautious. Are there any lessons you’ve learned from this crisis? Be kind. That’s the greatest thing I have taken from this crisis on a personal level. Let’s not fight over the last package of toilet paper. Let’s not forget about our elderly neighbor who is getting chemo treatment and shouldn’t go to the store, our parents who may have health conditions, or patients who are alone in the hospital. This is the time to help others
and lift each other up. Let’s be kind to another. We’re always stronger together. What would you like people to know about your profession? You will always face challenges in nursing, but you will never be bored, and you will always be needed. You will see lives start and inevitably you will see them end. You will make connections with some of your patients and families that you will never forget. Some days will be hard, and some will end in tears. But the good far outweighs the bad. This is a quote I live by: “If you are looking to find yourself, lose yourself in service to others.” That’s what being a nurse is all about. — Michael Finger
Kristin Quinn, BSN CARDIOVASCULAR INTENSIVE CARE UNIT NURSE MANAGER
BAPTIST MEMORIAL HOSPITAL-MEMPHIS
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native Memphian, Kristin Quinn graduated from White Station High School in 2004 and the University of Memphis in 2008 with a bachelor of science in nursing. She has been a Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) nurse at Baptist Memphis since 2008 and was recently promoted to manager of the unit. She and her husband, Kevin, have two children, daughter Camrun (15) and son Cylen (11). Under normal circumstances — preCOVID-19 — how do nurses coordinate care for patients diagnosed with communicable diseases? We follow our infection control guidelines and policies. We also use the appropriate
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY METHODIST LE BONHEUR HEALTHCARE AND BAPTIST HOSPITAL
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Bedside Angels personal protective equipment for any patient in any type of isolation. We follow standard precautions for all patients. We communicate about any communicable diseases through bedside handoff, and our charting system has patient history that anyone on the care team can access. Among the greatest fears during this pandemic is a lack of supplies — tests, medicine, or even beds for patients. What can you share about how facilities properly stock for a crisis? At Baptist Memphis, we do daily safety briefings with leaders from all disciplines in the hospital. We have held these meetings for years on a daily basis, not just during this pandemic. During these meetings we go through bed flow of the hospital and discuss any issues — including equipment and supply inventory — that we may have.
lation status. Nurses have used speaker phone and video calls to let families feel as if they are present in their loved ones’ care. Some of these patients have lost their lives and not been able to be with family. Our nurses have stepped up and tried to step in as that person for these patients. They have been the ones there for them — holding their hand as they take their last breath on this earth. It is something that will stay with them forever. They will always know that they were the comfort for these patients. This is something we will all take with us for the rest of our lives, whether that be in our nursing career or in our personal lives. I have learned that, when push comes to shove, I wouldn’t want to be cared for by anyone else in this world. — Frank Murtaugh
Is “social distancing” a new normal for mankind? If not, when and how should it be considered a priority? I wouldn’t consider myself an expert in this area. However, I do hope that now people understand the importance of staying home when ill and using proper hand hygiene! There is a tremendous mental component to the current pandemic: doubt and fear. How do people — sick or healthy — best manage concerns that can negatively impact physical health and daily activity? Again, I wouldn’t consider myself an expert in this area, but I think maintaining contact with the ones you love is very important. Even if you can’t see them every day, a phone call to check in can go a long way. So many people have also used new technology like video calls and conferences. It’s also important to get outside and get fresh air and do some type of physical activity when you can. Are there any new standards or lessons you’ve taken from this crisis? Any perspective you’ve gained independent of your training and experience as a nurse? The biggest lesson I’ve learned during this pertains to the human experience. I have been in awe of the things our community has done for us. I have seen the most outstandingly compassionate and empathetic actions taken by the nurses in this hospital. We, as nurses, are the liaison between patients and their families when a patient is not allowed visitors due to their iso-
people. However, my true calling came when I took a nursing rotation at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Miami. An elderly patient was embarrassed because she had soiled herself. I comforted her by telling her, “Ma’am, I would want someone to keep my Granny clean.” In that very moment a revelation came over me, and I knew nursing is exactly where I belonged! Under normal circumstances — preCOVID-19 — how do nurses coordinate care for patients with communicable diseases? Flu-like symptoms and possible tuberculosis patients would be placed in masks. Care was coordinated according to the patient. For example, ICU nurses and the critical care team were always very meticulous and personal protective equipment (PPE) was worn according to the isolation order. Pre-COVID-19, nurses have felt somewhat invincible and immune to most common infectious diseases as we are exposed to so much on the front lines. Our immune systems were thought to be stronger than those of the average individual.
riginally from Miami, Florida, Charles Lapsley Jr. earned a bachelor’s degree from Florida International University and a master’s from Walden University. He has been a registered nurse for 21 years, initially working at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Florida. After moving to Memphis in 2009, he worked in the Trauma Intensive Care Unit at Regional One, took a nursing position at Methodist, and returned to Regional One in 2014.
Among the greatest fears during this pandemic is a lack of supplies. How do facilities properly stock for such events? We plan for crises that we hope never come. At Regional One we regularly run emergency management drills to practice crisis scenarios. Managing supply inventory and procuring needed items is part of that work. Stock for crisis situations above the normal usage is often acquired and managed by the safety officer or the crisis/emergency management team. These individuals have been formally trained in disaster management and lead the organization from the Incident Command. Members of Incident Command work collaboratively with suppliers and with the county, regional, and state entities to assist with what is needed. For example, we spun up a critical stock team early on in our COVID response efforts to inventory and monitor levels of PPE and other equipment as we move through this pandemic.
What led you to choose nursing as a profession? My sister, who was in pharmacy school, encouraged me to go into healthcare. I considered occupational and respiratory therapy because those involved caring for
Do you think “social distancing” is a new normal for mankind? When I look to our brothers and sisters in the East prior to COVID-19, wearing masks had become a normal sighting. I have a strong suspicion
Charles E. Lapsley Jr., MSN, RN DIRECTOR OF NURSING
O
REGIONAL ONE HEALTH
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY REGIONAL ONE HEALTH
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Because nursing is
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Please visit bchs.edu/MyCalling and find the career that’s right for you. 1003 Monroe Ave. | Memphis, TN 38104 | 1-866-575-2247 | 901-575-2247
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Bedside Angels that we will adopt some of the social distancing as a way of life. This pandemic has touched the lives of so many in profound ways. With the worldwide coverage, I find it hard to believe that we will go back to business as usual. There is a tremendous mental component to the current pandemic: doubt and fear. How do people — sick or healthy — cope with that? I am a man of faith, and I believe that is the only way doubt and fear can be managed in my world. We can get caught up with conspiracies and hypotheses about why things are happening, but my faith keeps me grounded. My belief in God brings a calming voice to me, saying, “We will see the other side of this.” The other dynamic that assists with the destruction of negativity is my supportive family along with my responsibility to provide and protect. Family time and outdoor activities have increased at our home, and that has provided an outlet for increased physical activity. Are there any new standards or lessons you’ve taken from this crisis? The perspective I have gained comes with a double-edged sword. This crisis has brought out the best and the worst in mankind. On the positive side I have witnessed the resilience, kindness, and willingness to adapt to change. On the other side, where the worst lives, I have witnessed individuals only concerned with self-preservation, and that is so far from who we are as nurses and medical professionals. Fortunately, this latter group is insignificant to the grand scheme of things. What would you tell someone considering a career in nursing? Nursing is a profession that is dynamic, innovative, fulfilling, and built on a simple principle of compassion. Before you embark on this journey, ask yourself a few questions: • Why do you want to nurse? Money cannot be the motivating factor! • Can you provide care for a stranger the same way you would want to be cared for? An unbiased non-judgmental spirit is a necessity. • Are you the family member that naturally cares? Every family has one. Answering these questions will put things into perspective for those who are contemplating this journey. — Michael Finger
Robin Mutz, MPPM, BSN, RNC, NEA-BC CHIEF NURSE EXECUTIVE AND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL
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native of Tennessee, Robin Mutz earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of North Carolina and her master’s degree from Birmingham Southern College. She began her 40-year career as the associate chief nursing officer for women’s services at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. After that, she served as executive nursing director of the Children’s Hospital at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. She joined the staff of St. Jude in April 2018. What made you decide to become a nurse? Was there any person or event that inspired you? As a young girl, my mother wanted to become a nurse. In keeping with the time, however, she set aside those dreams to raise a family. Growing up, I felt the same pull to nursing. Early on, I decided that I would follow her dream and be the kind of nurse my mother hoped to be. It’s a decision I have never regretted. Our profession instills us with a lion’s courage and servant’s heart. We carry this unique skill set with us at home, at work, and in our community. Every year, it seems there is a nursing shortage. Why is that? When I became a nurse 40 years ago, it was predominantly a women’s profession, and women had limited
opportunities of the careers they could do. You really had a choice: You could be a nurse or a teacher. But as the years have gone by and women have been viewed more equally in the professional world, it’s limitless what a woman can do. Women found they could obtain other degrees, do other things, make more money, and work more regular hours, which was much more conducive to having children. Nursing is not a glamourous profession. It’s a very intimate one, where you have to be comfortable touching other people, and being with those people in probably the most vulnerable times of their lives. It’s very difficult. It’s a 247-365 job, and even though the money is good, it’s not fabulous. There are certain people who are cut out for it, but a lot of people choose things that are more glamorous or more predictable. The other thing that has really impacted the nursing shortage is a lack of teachers. It’s highly competitive to get into nursing school, and nursing schools are not able to turn out nurses in large numbers simply because there aren’t enough teachers to teach them. The World Health Organization says by 2030 we are going to need about 600,000 nurses worldwide to replace those of us who are retiring and to care for an aging population that will live longer. As there will be fewer nurses in the workforce and there are fewer new nurses going into the workforce, there is a tremendous need. What can we do to correct the situation? Millennials want to be in careers that make a difference. We have to modify the work hours to make them more conducive to a work/life balance. We have to continue to work hard to make sure that nurses are compensated equitably and fairly for their contribution. I believe these things — combined with highlighting the importance of the profession — can make a difference to the younger generation. Over the past few months during the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of nursing has been highlighted. In the past it really wasn’t highlighted, even though it’s been recognized for 17 years in a row as the most trusted profession. This medical crisis has shined a light
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Celebrating National Nurses Week May 6-12, 2020
baptistonline.org
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Extraordinary times call for extraordinary people. Nurses have always been at the front lines when competent, compassionate, skillful care is needed most with love, commitment and sacrifice. Extraordinary indeed. To all of our nurses at Baptist, thank you for all you do.
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The World Health Organization has designated 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. This year is also the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. What do you think she would think of the state of nursing today? I think if Florence Nightingale were alive today, she would be very happy to see that what she gave her life for is really coming to fruition. Nurses have always made a difference, but today, 200 years later, nursing is being viewed as a true discipline, a true profession of its own. Nurses are using information and data to create positive outcomes. And that was the work Florence Nightingale did in the Crimean War, in a very fundamental way. Today, nurses have embraced that, and they own their practice— they look to the literature and they do their own research to create improved patient outcomes. I think that would make her very happy.
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DISPELLING THE MYTHS THAT HEART ATTACKS AND STROKES ARE “OLD MAN DISEASES.”
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n 2004, the American Heart Association (AHA) faced a challenge. Cardiovascular disease claimed the lives of nearly 500,000 American women each year, yet women were not paying attention. In fact, many even
dismissed it as an older man’s disease. To dispel the myths and raise awareness of heart disease and stroke as the number-one killer of women, the American Heart Association created Go Red for Women, a passionate, emotional, social initiative designed to empower women to take charge of their heart health. Today, the signature women’s movement serves as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of women — globally, and right here in our neighborhood. It’s not just about wearing red or sharing heart facts. It’s about all women making a commitment to stand together and take charge of their own heart health as well as the health of those they love.
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opportunitie more about homelessnes S support high Memphis Magazine’s
THE 2020
FACE OF
REPRODUCTIVE
MEDICINE
William H. Kutteh, M.D., Ph.D. Raymond W. Ke, M.D. Amelia P. Bailey, M.D. Paul R. Brezina, M.D.
May is American Stroke Month, when Local Memphis Live morning show. “It seemed like there was always someone we take particular care to promote heartin my room telling me what to do next,” says healthy lifestyles and increase awareness Jessica. “I found a lot of comfort in just being of high blood pressure, one of the leading able to focus on getting through the task at risk factors for stroke. According to the new hand.” guidelines, nearly 50 percent of the American adult population has high blood pressure. Memphis lies in what medical professionals Most don’t even realize it. In fact, knowing call the Stroke Belt, where patients expethe warning signs of a stroke may be the rience higher rates of high blood pressure, difference between recovery and disability. high cholesterol, and diabetes — and put Starting the right rehabilitation program, as Mid-Southerners at an even higher risk of soon as possible, may minimize the long-term stroke. Every year, across the country approxeffects of a stroke and even prevent death. imately 55,000 more women suffer strokes One patient’s rehab journey might include than men. And those women are more likely than their male counterparts to suffer longbalance, strength, or mobility, while another term disability and depression. might need speech or other therapies. Strokes change more This year’s Go Red “We know that roughly 80 for Women chair, Dr. than 795,000 lives in the U.S. each year. Brain percent of cardiovascular disease Cassandra Howard, blockages or bleeds are chief medical officer of is preventable by making healthy the leading cause of disMethodist – Germanlifestyle choices.” ability in the U.S. and town, says she wants to the fifth leading cause encourage women to of death. But a group of consider how their heart passionate volunteers and brain health affects right here in the Midtheir mental health. South are working to “We want to promote change that. the idea of whole health For the second year, and wellbeing,” says Dr. the Mid-South Go Red Howard. “It’s important for Women movement that women know we do is proud to collaborate not always experience with Together to End the same symptoms of Stroke and Encompass heart disease or stroke Health to elevate awareas men and knowing ness that stroke is preour risk factors can help ventable, treatable, and save lives. So much of our beatable. health lies in our own Dr. Cassandra Howard, Chief Medical “We know that roughhands. Just by not smokOfficer, Methodist Le Bonheur ly 80 percent of caring, making healthy food Germantown Hospital, is of the diovascular disease is choices, getting enough 2020 Go Red for Women chair. preventable by making physical activity, mainhealthy lifestyle choices,” taining a healthy weight, says Gloria Fagan, development director of and treating conditions such as high blood Encompass Health. “But for those who have sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure, you already survived a stroke, it’s crucial to seek a can increase your life by up to 15 years.” multidisciplinary, inpatient rehab to help you Prior to Go Red for Women, only 30 percent build strength, capability, and confidence — of women knew that cardiovascular disease was their greatest health threat. Now, more and celebrate all the small victories along the journey to recovery.” than half of American women recognize this Gloria Fagan serves on the 2020 Go Red for fact, and 90 percent of women involved in Women executive leadership team and works Go Red make at least one healthy lifestyle with her fellow dedicated volunteers to build change. Thanks to recent advances, stroke a healthier Mid-South for everyone. Fellow treatments and survival rates have improved Go Red for Women volunteer — and stroke greatly over the last decade. Today, fewer survivor — Jessica Huey knows first-hand women are dying of stroke and cardiovascular how important rehab is to recovery. disease each year, and even more are aware “I kept telling myself to take a step and of their risk factors. But there is still much I couldn’t.” work to do. Jessica was 28 years old when she suffered a Even with all the progress, heart disease massive stroke that forced her to re-learn how and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year – more than all cancers combined. to walk. She shared her story during the 2019 Every 80 seconds a woman dies of cardiovasGo Red for Women luncheon and in February cular disease. In Memphis that is enough to got to say thank-you to one of her Encompass fill FedExForum almost seven times. Health therapists, Michelle Abt, on Local 24’s
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LOCAL AHA EVENTS 2020 GO RED FOR WOMEN LUNCHEON SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 The Graceland Soundstage 2021 MID-SOUTH HEART BALL SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 The Peabody Hotel 2021 MID-SOUTH HEART WALK SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 2021 FedEx Forum For more information about any AHA event, contact courtney.morrison@heart.org Be sure to follow @heartmidsouth on all social media platforms.
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WHAT ARE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS WOMEN SHOULD KNOW FOR A HEART EVENT? ◗◗ Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back. ◗◗ Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach. ◗◗ Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort. ◗◗ Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness. ◗◗ As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain. ◗◗ Some women even confuse their symptoms with the flu.
WHAT ARE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS WE SHOULD KNOW TO HELP SPOT A STROKE? In order to spot a stroke all you need to know is F. A. S. T.! F stands for Face Drooping A stands for Arm Weakness S stands for Slurred Speech T stands for Time to Call 911!
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F.A.S.T. is how we come ® together to end stroke Learn the stroke warnings signs
Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke.
The faster stroke is treated, the more likely the patient is to recover.
It could happen on your street, in your workplace, at a store where you shop — anywhere. Your readiness to spot the
In fact, stroke patients who are treated with the clot-busting
stroke warning signs and call 911 could save a life or make
drug IV r-tPA Alteplase within 90 minutes of their first
the difference between a full recovery and long-term
symptoms were almost three times more likely to recover
disability. That’s why it’s so important to learn the stroke
with little or no disability.
warning signs and urge everyone you know to do the same.
In some cases, a procedure to remove the clot causing the stroke is also recommended. Nintey-one percent of stroke patients who were treated with a stent retriever within 150 minutes of first symptoms recovered with little or no disability.
Encompass Health is a national sponsor of Together to End Stroke. Encompass Health is a local sponsor of Go Red for Women.
The thing to remember is that stroke is largely treatable. It’s a matter of getting the right treatment, right away.
©2019 American Heart Association 3/19DS14553
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Miles C. Moore, DDS Creating beautiful smiles.
WORLD HEART DAY
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n order to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the MidSouth American Heart Association has made the decision to postpone the 2020 Go Red for Women Luncheon. The safety and health of our guests is and will continue to be our top concern. Instead, the Mid-South’s premier women’s health event will happen at the Elvis Presley’s Graceland Soundstage on World Heart Day, September 29th, to celebrate and raise awareness of women’s heart health. During this time of transition, the support and commitment of the greater Mem-
Memphis Magazine’s
THE 2020
FACE
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Current Executive Leadership Team members, Kae Babineaux and Gloria Fagan of Encompass Health at the 2019 Go Red for Women Luncheon.
phis community is crucial to help continue to raise funds and awareness of women’s number one threat. The Go Red for Women movement is sponsored nationally by Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Encompass Health, Ring Container, OR Nurses Nationwide, Caesars Entertainment, First Horizon, Cigna, Regional One Health, Saint Francis, Pathgroup, FedEx, and many more. Media sponsors include Contemporary-Media, Inc., Local 24 Cares, La Prensa Latina, and Entercom Radio. For more information on the Go Red for Women Luncheon, visit www.memphisgored.heart. org or call 901-248-7954.
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/ THE OFFICE
Evan Katz & Josh Roberts
C O - F O U N D E R S , C H A R T Y PA R T Y / P U N S O F A N A R C H Y
Although workspace is restricted due to COVID-19, game creators Evan Katz and Josh Roberts never needed a conventional office to harness their creativity. BY SAMUEL X. CICCI
ful Kickstarter campaign. Now, with so many spending time in home offices due to the coronavirus, the conventional workday might have shifted. But Katz and Roberts have found new ways to harness the change. “The self-isolation has given us more time to reach out and have individual conversations with potential users and customers,” says Katz. “The opportunity to get a stream of direct feedback like
presentations and Zoom calls. “We’re still able to do some play testing and come up with something that will be as equally high-quality as the original Charty Party,” Katz says. In a similar vein, Charty Party itself is a great option to stave off boredom during a lockdown. “Some people have been doing virtual Zoom games of Charty Party, so we’re hoping to host one of those soon.” Although the coronavirus
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For board game entrepreneurial pair Evan Katz and Josh Roberts, a “typical” day at the office before social distancing was anything but. Perhaps it entailed jotting down ideas on Post-it notes at the Southern Growth Studios office where they both work full-time. Other days, community outreach and marketing efforts might have brought the duo to Inside Memphis Business’ very own conference room to discuss a new game. It could even have been a quality assurance playtest excursion to Local on the Square or Wiseacre. Now-
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T HAN KS TO T H E S P O N S O R O F THE OFFICE
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adays, of course, Zoom sessions are more likely. So what do you do after successfully creating your own Kickstarter-backed card game from scratch? Why, do it all over again, of course. That’s what Katz and Roberts did after overseeing the creation and production of Charty Party, a Cards Against Humanity-esque game that eschewed the latter’s vulgar and offensive jokes for more well-rounded, graph-based humor. Round two into the fray of the games business has brought Puns of Anarchy, where players edit prewritten cards with dryerase markers to create the funniest pun relating to a category. Example: In the Food category, players might change the prewritten House of Cards to read House of Carbs, or Post Malone to Toast Malone. While not yet released, the game is still available for preorder via its success-
that is really a motivating factor to keep creating and working on our product.” Recently, that motivation paid off in further development on Charty Party’s first expansion, titled the “All Ages” edition. Since the original version released a year ago, Katz and Roberts have fielded requests to create a more kid-friendly version of the game. “Teachers and parents have asked us to create a PG-version of the game that they could use to teach graphs intuitively in a different way to kids,” explains Katz. “We hadn’t really had the time to sit down and focus on that, so ironically, self-isolating has given us that time.” Instead of sharing ideas and jokes on paper, brainstorm sessions are shared via PowerPoint
left: Before COVID-19, Katz and Roberts visited the Inside Memphis Business offices to demonstrate their first idea, the graph-based card game Charty Party. above: The pair added another game to their CV after raising almost $150,000 to produce their second venture, Puns of Anarchy.
forced changes in the way most companies practice, Katz says their games weren’t affected as much as other businesses. “We run through a lot of stock, but we actually were able to get a new print run of our games from the manufacturer,” he says. “While Amazon hasn’t been accepting new shipments recently due to them rightly prioritizing their warehousing toward essential goods, I think they’re going to open that back up soon. While we haven’t been impacted too much by that, it’s just something that we have to look into every day to adjust to the situation.”
OFFICE PHOTO BY SAMUEL X. CICCI; GAME PHOTO COURTESY CHARTY PARTY
n the time of COVID-19, the traditional office space is, for now, in deep hibernation with video conferences and remote functionality the order of the day. Some businesses, however, never needed to rely on a conventional office setup to get work done. Never has that flexibility been more useful than now.
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he economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic is changing very nearly every aspect of commerce. Some businesses are being hammered and some are doing remarkably well. It’s stressful for all of them, though, and the shutdown has forced industry leaders to adapt quickly and think differently about how they’ll be able to survive in whatever turns out to be the “new normal.” Inside Memphis Business talked with five local leaders in key businesses to get an idea of what’s going on and what lies in the future. That’s a challenge even in untroubled times. These days, we can’t know how well controlled the pandemic will be, nor can we be certain of all the variables and conditions in the marketplace. But business leaders facing a situation that all agree is unprecedented still have to study contingencies and be prepared for whatever may happen in the weeks, months, and years ahead. Read these interviews for insights into the challenges they’re facing. — Jon W. Sparks, editor of Inside Memphis Business M A Y 2 0 2 0 • I N S I D E M E M P H I S B U S I N E S S • 55
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/ FE AT U RE
COVID-19 and Local Commerce BY J O N W. S PAR KS
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The Logistics Industry
CAROLYN HARDY continues to deliver the goods through the uncertainty. The economic earthquake that resulted from the coronavirus pandemic has rattled the logistics industry. Essential trucks, trains, planes, and ships are still moving goods, but the uncertainty of the marketplace is playing havoc with even the smoothest of operations. Carolyn Hardy is president and CEO of Chism Hardy Investments and Henderson Worldwide Investments, DBA Henderson Transloading Services. She’s also a member of the Society of Entrepreneurs and has weathered plenty of crises. But the current situation is particularly frustrating. “Our customers are very uncertain about what’s going on with transportation and exporting,” she says. “They say that when goods come into the U.S. now, instead of taking two days to clear the docks, it’s taking seven days.” American Customs officials are reviewing imports more rigorously, which is choking the supply chain at the ports. “That’s really put a hurt on the truckers because they just don’t have enough work,” Hardy says. In a recent week, she needed five containers, which is not much for her company. The trucking company put three drivers on it and they went to get the containers, waiting five hours to no avail. “The next day they did it again and they finally got two,” Hardy says. “And normally we handle 10 to 20 containers a day. So none of us covered costs, to say the least.” It’s a situation that plays out with variations over and over. There are lots of phone calls, she says, and paperwork issues. “The rules that were in place a week ago aren’t the rules that are in place now,” she says. “So everybody has to get back to the steamship lines, many of which are in India and China. Guess what? They aren’t picking up the phone. You phone, email, phone, email, and do everything you can trying to get to someone.” Still, Hardy says, you keep employees working because things can change fast. On a recent Sunday, her crew was told to come in even though they weren’t sure if there would be work. And then a call came in, “and it went from a little work to a lot of work.” “Chaos has been the name of the game,” Hardy says, “and we try to make sure that we keep the truckers informed because we know that if they’re not moving, they’re not making money. These guys out there feel they can’t shelter in
place because they have to deliver the goods. They’re a critical part of keeping us going, having to deliver food and medical supplies. They’re the hidden heroes that people aren’t paying attention to and they’re exposed.” Washington has been considering a tax holiday for healthcare workers, and Hardy says truck drivers deserve the same. At the very least, when “normalcy” returns, she’d like to see systemic changes. “We need to have a lot of conversations about support for small businesses after this is supposedly under control,” she says. “That trucker is trying to make his note on his truck when he’s sitting in line for hours a week. He’s not picking up extra loads. He still has to buy gas. He still has to make his own wage. He has personal expenses, right? We need to figure out how we’re going to loosen up credit when things supposedly return to normal.”
The Supermarket Industry RICK JAMES says increased business means increased challenges.
While there’s plenty of uncertainty surrounding the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on our health and the economy, one segment of business is, for now, busier than ever. You can see it in numbers from the Kroger Co., which reported a 30 percent increase in identical-store sales for March. Despite gaps, the supermarket industry is managing to meet the needs of the marketplace. Still, as Rick James says, “It’s a bit of a strain.” James is owner of Castle Retail Group, which operates several Cash Saver supermarkets in town. The increased business brings increased challenges in the current situation. “We’re anticipating an extended period of time of the stores being extremely busy,” he says. “As long as there’s a stay-at-home order, you’re going to have entire families that are home all day or for extended periods of time.” That means a certain kind of consumption goes up. One of the metrics used by grocers is “share of stomach.” When James started in the business 40-plus years ago, about 85 percent of meals were prepared at home and 15 percent were consumed outside the home. “Today I’ll take a wild guess and say it’s probably 50-50. The restaurants, although not closed, are certainly hampered as far as having people come in and sit down and have a meal,” he says. “Now you’ve got 35 percent of meals that have been transitioned to the supermarket because all the family is home.”
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6263 Poplar Towers Memphis, TN 110,000 sf Office - Renovation
100 Peabody Place, Memphis, TN 38103 • 901.260.7370 • www.belzdesignbuild.com
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Another boost to his operation is that many of his customers rely on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits for food purchases. “Tennessee has increased the SNAP distribution for April and May by about 25 percent, so that’ll be an increase that comes in the supermarket. And then you add the number of people applying for SNAP benefits who have recently been unemployed and that number goes up as well and comes into the grocery store. It’s an extraordinary amount of business at one time.” He expects that to last for several weeks, or until people can start coming out of quarantine. That increase in business has put a spotlight on the supply chain. James says the first thing people ask him is, “Did you get any toilet paper yesterday?” He’s as eager as anyone to see the day when there’s normalcy in distribution. “We order toilet paper every day,” he says. “We order paper towels every day. We order sanitizing wipes. We order all of the things that we currently don’t have. And we get trucks every day. But we’re never sure until we open the door whether that item was available to us at the time of the order.” Paper products are running at full production and have been filtering back into the system. “The problem for paper manufacturers frankly is trucking,” James says. “Truckers and logistics deal with cubes, which is how much product goes on a tractor-trailer. You can put a bunch of five-ounce cans of tuna on a tractor-trailer, whereas a 24-pack of toilet paper fills it up pretty quick, so you don’t get a lot of units for every tractor-trailer load that you’re pulling.” And it hasn’t been easy getting enough trucks or drivers to move product. Then you’ve got crop products, like dried beans and rice. When they’re gone, there won’t be more until the next crop. But produce hasn’t been as much of an issue, he says. “Produce crops are grown and harvested at a certain time and shippers are planning to move that product to market at certain times. So for the most part we’ve had a consistent and good supply on produce.” James says supermarkets are also calling on sources that normally sell to restaurants. “They’ve got suppliers and they’ve got a product, so they’ve been able to supplement for us quite a bit as well,” he says. He says that after the first of June, he hopes they will have caught up. “That’s the date I’ve got circled on my calendar when things are going to start looking a lot more
normal. Hopefully, all the measures being taken will have the right impact as far as the spread of the virus as well.” And if there’s one thing James would suggest to shoppers, it’s this: Please don’t use a trip to the grocery store to beat cabin fever. “Don’t bring the whole family,” he says. “Designate a shopper to come to the store for the safety of other customers and the safety of our employees.”
The Hospital Industry MICHAEL UGWUEKE sees preparation and flexibility as the keys to survival.
There are daily stories about the people on the front lines fighting COVID-19, taking on personal risk to fight a stealthy enemy. Many work in hospitals, which by nature are equipped to battle disease, although the scope of this pandemic is forcing institutions to change nimbly. “It’s insane, these different times that we’re in,” says Michael Ugwueke, president and CEO of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. “So we are adapting very quickly like everyone else.” Healthcare organizations commonly stage disaster drills for all kinds of situations. “But no one to my knowledge anticipated doing a disaster drill around a pandemic at this level,” he says. “So it was very interesting to see how our team quickly adapted and responded to this. Very early in March, we set up a command center among all our hospitals.” Morning briefings and frequent communications were paramount. Statistics were gathered on activities, patients coming in, being tested, and results tallied. “We quickly ramped up in anticipation and that has really been a blessing.” Ugwueke credits the resilience and tenacity of the institution’s employees. Policies were changed as needed, visitations were stopped, retraining of staff was done, and screenings on everyone who came in were mandatory. “We postponed elective surgeries to create additional capacity if needed, but also to safeguard the staff ’s PPEs because you don’t want to not be able to have enough supply if we surge.” One area of change that Ugwueke points to is the transformation of telehealth. Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare had been doing it, but the changes wrought M A Y 2 0 2 0 • I N S I D E M E M P H I S B U S I N E S S • 59
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by the pandemic brought urgency to the use of the technology. Previously, it was largely for stroke and neurology patients, he says, “but very rapidly we scaled up our telehealth system, which was really an opportunity for patients who might be too scared to come in, so they can stay in touch with their physicians.” Even as the medical process is adapting to respond to the need, the institution itself is seeing fundamental changes. “Overall, business is significantly down,” Ugwueke says. Stopping elective surgeries, necessary as it is, hurts the financial picture. “They have a positive income relative to operations because insurance pays. It’s really impacted hospitals across the country. I get calls pretty much on a daily basis and hear colleagues from all over saying they’re burning through cash on a regular basis. We’ve seen our business drop 30 percent.” Ugwueke says, with cautious hope, that barring a major outbreak the disruption probably won’t continue through the summer. “If we have enough tests now to begin to do asymptomatic patient testing, I think that will give people a little bit of comfort. We are trying to retool for what that new normal is going to look like. I think we’ll be ready for it.”
The Auto Sales Industry KENT RITCHEY gathers the data, adjusts, and plans for the future.
Kent Ritchey will gladly sell you a car. He’s got a gift for making a sale, and is so accomplished that he employs an army of salespeople to sell vehicles for him in the Mid-South. Ritchey is president of Landers Auto Group — eight rooftops and 12 franchises with 450 associates. He also is president of the Greater Memphis Auto Dealers Association that represents 54 rooftops, so he knows which way the wind is blowing. He pays close attention to the numbers on dealers’ lots, which of late have been dismaying. Ritchey cites figures from 45 of the 54 dealerships that show the disparity. In January, the group was up less than a hundred units over January of 2019. “But in February it was up almost 200 units,” he says, “which was up to 12 percent over the February before. So we were on track for a great year and the first 15 or 20 days of March were fantastic.” But looking at new car sales the first
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weekend of April against the same weekend of April 2019, it was off about 45 percent. Ritchey says the result shows, “Everybody is conserving cash, deferring mortgages and/ or rent payments. And fortunately, all of our OEM captive finance companies and the major banks that play in that field are deferring monthly interest charges.” He says most dealerships have gone to reduced hours, and there are furloughs and pay cuts. Inventories, meanwhile, are still on the lots and dealers are doing all they can to get vehicles moved off. “The factories have shut down,” Ritchey says, “and you have fewer new cars coming in, but you’ve got huge inventory sitting on the ground, and they eat cash every day, like cows eat grass.” With sales being down, it’s urgent to move the stock. “Once everything opens back up,” he says, “our franchise partners want us to take orders, but in fact, they’re not even slowing down on taking the orders. They’re calling every day wanting us to buy something off in the future.” So the incentives have been unusually generous. “This is my 50th year in the retail car industry,” Ritchey says. “I have never seen incentives at the level that they’re at now.” Many new cars can be had for zero percent loans for 84 months, some with payments deferred for six months. “We don’t know what that future is,” Ritchey acknowledges, “but we’re all optimistic.” He believes the federal incentive cash going directly into taxpayers’ accounts will help drive business and the CARES Act payroll protection plan helps with employees. “I think everyone is prepared for sometime in the summer or late summer to come out of this thing,” he says. “That’s the information we have. We’re looking at what the economists are forecasting and what our lenders are telling us. So we’ll take it to July and then we’ll see when we have more information.”
The Tourism and Hospitality Industry
KEVIN KANE’s optimism sees a strong comeback. Kevin Kane boosts Memphis like nobody’s business, but even he is shocked by the impact of the shutdown wrought by the coronavirus pandemic. The president and CEO of Memphis Tourism says, initially, with a certain Southern reserve, that “we’ve got a little challenge out of this in the short term.” But he then goes on to lay it out in all its starkness.
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“We’ve got to get this behind us and get people moving,” Kane says. “Our industry has probably taken it as hard as any industry out there. I’m sure that tourism and hospitality account for probably most of the job losses — we’ve got to be at the top of every negative category that you could possibly think of right now.” Observing that a shutdown like this was beyond everyone’s imagination, he sums up the impact, saying, “There’s no business model that shows hotels running 10 percent to 15 percent occupancy and all the restaurants in the city being closed except for takeout and all the museums and attractions being closed simultaneously.” Kane says it will take time to get through it, rebuilding in some cases and dealing with some people not coming back. But he rejects any notion that this is the end of tourism and hospitality. “This is a bump in the road,” he says. “And once we get through this, people in the world will start moving again.” The role of the Renasant Convention Center looms large in what will happen in the tourism and travel industry. The $200 million modernization of the former Cook Convention Center has thus far been something of a plus despite the shutdown. Much of it is in the timing. “Our convention center’s been closed this year for the most part, except for a few things,” Kane says. “So we’re in a situation where we didn’t get hit as hard from a big group standpoint.” Referring to the 68th Annual Mid-South Farm & Gin Show in February, he says, “We got through the cotton ginners before everything was shut down. And then we didn’t have another big event booked until September. So this is all happening at a time when we were going to be closed anyway. From this standpoint, we’re relatively unscathed at the convention center.” Kane says the center’s revamp is on time and on budget, scheduled to open in September with the AutoZone National Sales Meeting. “That’s supposed to be our big grand opening,” he says. “We have not heard anything to the contrary, so we’re still hoping that they will have it.” Last year’s event at the convention center had about 3,000 people attending. The irrepressible optimist looks beyond the present bump in the road. “We’re going to hopefully resume that momentum that we had and we’re going to have a better product,” Kane says, noting that, among other things, the $240 million Loews Hotel project in Downtown Memphis is still on. “I think we’re going to be okay. I think a lot of those jobs will come storming back.”
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Landscaping in Layers Using your groundcover to create living mulch.
by john a. jennings editor’s note: While “sheltering at home” a good way to pass the time is to improve the look of your shelter. If readers follow the advice presented here, they get outside, relax while they work in their gardens, and bring a bit of beauty to the world. As we go to press, some garden centers are delivering, but others have restricted their hours and services. Please call ahead.
A
few months ago, I submitted a design to a client by email, including a scanned drawing and a written proposal with pricing. I was astonished to find an email the following morning that said, “I like it, but there are way too many plants!” At first I was a little irritated, but then concluded that the design must just be outside of her budget. So I scheduled an appointment with her to look over the drawing together. I would listen and figure out which aspects of the new landscape she liked the most, intending to ask what her budget was. I would redesign the landscape to fit her budget.
We met later in the week. I began my had been neglected by the previous ownstrategy of discussing and probing. A bright ers and was filled with Ligustrum spp. (Privet), Nandina domestica that had sprung up in ranwoman, she suddenly turned to me, a startled look on her face, and said, “Oh, you thought dom places, Prunus spp (Cherry laurel), and I couldn’t afford to spend that typical weeds. When she hired Planting in layers much. Darling, that’s not the me, she had said it was all just improves the issue at all. There are just too a jumbled mess. She wanted all many plants. You have plants of that cleared out and replaced landscape visually within plants on this plan!” Then with a more structured landand functionally. I realized what she meant. scape. She feared that my plan In an area near the back of the property would just mature into another jumbled mess. she had recently purchased, there is a fully In my plan, with the existing Ulmus in the mature Ulmus americana ‘Princeton Sentry’ back corner of the yard, I had two Cornus florida ‘Appalachian Spring’ underneath it (American Elm). That part of the property
in the foreground. Beneath those, I placed groups of Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Grenan’ (Nantucket Blue Hydrangea), Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’ (Ruby Slippers Hydrangea), and Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’. Then, between these groups were drifts of Helleborus x nigercors ‘Honey Hill Joy’ (a sterile hybrid of Lenten Rose with creamy yellow flowers). But what was really bothering her was that underneath all the Hydrangea and the Aralia cordata, I had placed a carpet of Ajuga reptans ‘Chocolate Chip’ (Chocolate Chip Carpet Bugle). On paper, it seemed entirely too much to her. Though very bright, she was unfamiliar with plants and did not recognize that all of these plants had descending heights, that they would tuck underneath each other a bit like Matryoshka dolls, all fitting perfectly together. So, in desperation, I grabbed her a soft drink, told her to stay put, and ran outside to find all these plants on our nursery yard. I dragged two big Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbuds) in 30-gallon containers over to use as stand-ins for the dogwoods, since I did not have those in stock. I then pulled lots of
Landscape plan with photo of freshly planted carpet of Ajuga reptans ‘Chocolate Chip’ (Chocolate Chip Carpet Bugle).
Hydrangea, not really caring about the type since they were deciduous and all still in dormancy anyway. Then I ran to the groundcover and herbaceous perennials area and grabbed the Lenten roses and a couple flats of Ajuga. I quickly assembled all of these into a rough but smaller facsimile of what her garden would look like. I then brought her outside and explained it. She stared for a couple of
PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID MCGEE
GARDEN VARIETY
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minutes and walked around it. Resisting the urge to chatter excessively as I sometimes do when I am nervous, I stood still and waited. Finally, she said, “Okay, I like it. That’s fine. I have to pick up the boys from PDS in a few minutes.” She swiveled in her Wellies (it had rained that late winter morning), causing them to squeak slightly on the pavement, and left. Big sigh of relief. I refer to this design style as “designing in layers.” This is not to be confused with over-planting, a term used to describe plants of the same heights that are planted too closely together in the beginning, because the person doing the planting lacks the ability to correctly perceive their sizes at maturity. These different species grow into each other, endanger each other’s health, and look crowded rather than interdependent. In contrast, planting in layers improves the landscape visually and functionally. The layers, at various heights, all work together to create a pattern of sights and textures that usually peak at different times of the year for year-round interest. But, more importantly, they all work together in a way that Diane Meucci, the well-known Memphis landscape designer, calls “a living mulch.” Like mulch, these layers of plants reduce the amount of sunlight that hits the soil throughout the year. This reduces weeds and moisture loss. Now, to be sure, any new landscape installation will require mulch to suppress weeds and inhibit evaporation of moisture from the soil. But the goal of designing a garden in layers is to reduce the amount of mulch needed as the plants mature, the layers of plants themselves becoming a living mulch. The key to this type of design is the groundcover. It is the part that many people forget. There are lots to choose from. I have a few favorites, in addition to the many cultivars of Ajuga reptans, like the ‘Chocolate Chip’ I already mentioned. They include Veronica umbrosa ‘Georgia Blue’ (Speedwell), Phlox divaricata ‘Blue Moon’ (Woodland Phlox), Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (Hardy Blue Plumbago a.k.a. Leadwort), Ophiopogon japonicus ‘Nana’ (Dwarf Mondo Grass), Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ (Black Mondo Grass), and Liriope muscari ‘Pee Dee Ingot’ (Gold Ingot Lilyturf), among others. Ultimately, my Wellie-wearing client seemed very pleased with the outcome of her landscape installation. At the end, when she was inspecting, she pondered it for a long time in her typical quiet way and then said, “No, it doesn’t seem at all over-planted. I like it.” John A. Jennings is an experienced garden designer, garden writer, and nursery manager. He also has degrees from the University of Richmond and the University of Memphis. Email him at gardener@ memphismagazine.com.
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ASK VANCE
6-3-8 Tire Company Our history expert solves local mysteries of who, what, when, where, why, and why not.
by vance lauderdale DEAR VANCE: I recently found an old advertising brochure dated 1920 for Burroughs adding machines, and it devotes considerable space to the 6-3-8 Tire Company in Memphis. What can you tell me about this business? – b.k.,memphis.
below: These motorists didn’t need to repair their flat tire. Instead, they used a nearby “trouble box” to summon the 6-3-8 Tire Company.
When you first mentioned this brochure to into the receiver he finds there: ‘Hello, Six-Thirty-Eight? me, I presumed it would be filled with pictures of old This is Jones — Bill Jones. I’m out here on the road to adding and calculating machines, with perhaps a brief the Colonial Club — yes, about three miles out. Blowmention of a tire company who was a client. What was out, front tire. Yes, 34 by 4. All right, make it snappy.” I to make of that? (Did you notice that “Jones — Bill Jones” part? I Instead, as I read further, I was pleasantly surprised wonder if Ian Fleming read this same booklet when to find not only did it include images of the company he was writing all those James Bond stories, where and its rather bold logo, but it describes a distinctly 007 always introduces himself by saying, “My name is Bond — James Bond.”) unusual business. Roadside service, it seems, is nothBut I digress, because now it really ing new — and the 6-3-8 Tire and “Hello, Six-Thirty-Eight? Vulcanizing Company approached it gets interesting. In just 15 minutes, in a rather innovative way. so the story goes, “A yellow roadster This is Jones — Bill Jones. First of all, the brochure introcomes tearing along, stops at Bill’s I’m out here on the road to duces a character named Bill Jones, car, the driver gets out with a tire alwho runs into trouble: “Suppose Bill ready inflated, takes off the punctured the Colonial Club — yes, Jones decides to take a fellow golfer tire, replaces it with the tire he has about three miles out. Blowout to the Colonial Country Club in brought along from Bill Jones’ locker, out, front tire. Yes, 34 by 4. his new roadster. About the middle of tightens up the rim bolts, removes the the journey there is an explosion like jack, and is gone.” All right, make it snappy.” Here is why this company interests a rifle shot, and one of Bill’s front tires me. In the 1920s, the 6-3-8 Tire Company went to the runs flat. Even the most careful drivers run into tacks trouble to place 100 special “trouble boxes,” similar to or glass at different times.” the one Bill Jones used, “along the principal thoroughNow, most people would have to replace that tire — assuming they carried a spare, of course. fares of Memphis and environs within a radius of 30 Not with the 6-3-8 Tire Company around. “Instead of miles.” That’s really quite an undertaking. And, if you having to jack up the car, remove the damaged tire, put were paying attention, the 6-3-8 service guy brought on a new tire, and in the meantime ruin a perfectly good a tire “from Jones’ locker.” It seems this company had suit, Bill looks up the road and sees a white box attached some sort of membership program, where their customto a telephone pole,” the saga continues. “Quickly he ers maintained lockers full of spare parts for their cars. walks to the box, opens it, and says something like this The booklet explains, “Customers are furnished with DEAR B.K.:
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If this is drawn to scale (and I suspect it wasn’t), the 6-3-8 Tire Company was a massive building on Union Avenue. keys to unlock the boxes in time of trouble, and when a call is received, one of the 25 service cars, ready day and night, leaves for the scene of the trouble. Service cars are painted a bright yellow, and the figures 6-3-8 are displayed on both sides.” Judging from images published in this booklet, this was a large operation, described on their stationery as “the most complete tire repair shop in the South.” That same letterhead shows a big two-level building located at the northwest corner of Union and Dudley, in the heart of the old “Auto Row.” This was a stretch of Union Avenue that was home to more than a hundred new and used car dealerships, garages, paint and body shops, and other automobile-related businesses. Now, I should explain 638 wasn’t the street address of the company; it was their telephone number. Back in the early days of telephones, when a call meant dialing just three numbers, quite a few companies took this approach, which seems rather confusing today, especially since the names could be numerical or spelled out. For example, in the early 1920s, Memphians needing tire repairs could choose from the Eight-Sixteen Tire Company (also listed as the 8-1-6 Tire Company in ads), the Five-Fifteen Tire Company, the Five-Fourteen Tire Company, the Four-Sixteen Tire Company — you get the picture. How could anyone remember if they had taken their car to 5-1-5 or 5-1-4? As the booklet emphasized, however, “Every Memphis motorist is familiar with the figures 6-3-8.” Okay, so who was behind this venture, and how long did it last? The company was established here in 1912 by an enterprising fellow named Walter Hunter. As far as I was able to determine, Hunter was born in Memphis in 1877. At an early age, he teamed up with a brother, Chatham Hunter, to form the Tennessee Construction Company. It was incredibly farsighted of him, if you ask me, to open such a full-service automobile repair center, considering that the new “horseless carriages” had only begun appearing in Memphis barely 10 years before. But he recognized the constant need for tire repairs, especially considering the terrible condition of local streets and roads, many of them unpaved. Even from the beginning the 6-3-8 Tire Company offered Firestone tires and other accessories for au-
tomobiles, trucks and even motorcycles. The “vulcanizing” part of the name, by the way, was a trade term that referred to a specific way of manufacturing and repairing rubber tires. I presume business remained steady over the years, based on the size and number of the company ads in old newspapers and city directories. In 1929, however, the company changed its name to Walter Hunter, Inc. This was a practical decision. By this time, the increasing number of telephones in Memphis far exceeded the limits of the old phone system. Telephone numbers were now four and five digits, often preceded by an exchange number; to reach the former 6-3-8 Tire Company, customers now had to dial 2-3177, and Hunter surely realized that a company called the TwoDash-Three-One-Seven-Seven Tire Company simply wouldn’t work. So he named it after himself. Hunter remained in business at Union and Dudley until 1944, when he sold the property to Felix Williams Used Cars. He remained on Auto Row, moving east to 682 Union, where he operated an Esso filling station. I wonder what he did with that nice fleet of yellow cars? For years he and his wife, Reona, lived on the sixth floor of the Gilmore at Madison and McLean, as well as other apartment buildings on Somerville and Pauline in Midtown. When Hunter passed away in 1953, at age 76, his gas station was taken over by his former business partner, James Gandy, followed by other owners. The building has survived, standing empty next to Domino’s Pizza. And what about the old structure at Union and Dudley that once housed the 6-3-8 Tire Company? That came down in the 1960s to make way for an expansion of Baptist Memorial Hospital. The site is a grassy lot today, part of the Memphis Bioworks Foundation property. The old booklet concludes, “The heads of the company have made 6-3-8 Tire stand for paramount service.’” I’m sure Bill Jones — if that was his real name — and many other customers certainly thought so.
Got a question for vance? EMAIL: askvance@memphismagazine.com
MAIL: Vance Lauderdale, Memphis magazine, P.O. Box 1738,
Memphis, TN 38103 ONLINE: memphismagazine.com/ask-vance
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DINING IN
Caramelized
ing a recipe was phase one for Caramelized, it’s now grown into both the dish and my survey on that recipe: how am I setting the With her food and lifestyle blog, table to elevate the menu, or what am I wearing to the party that I’m Cara Greenstein elevates even the hosting to gather my friends and simplest of home dining experiences. family around the table for this wonderful meal?” by samuel x. cicci A quick glance at the Caramelized website should provide hile other kids her age sat in front of the TV watching plenty of ideas for anyone looking Nickelodeon, the professionals on the Food Network fascinated Cara to host or cook. A diverse collecGreenstein. Culinary stars like Emeril Lagasse and Rachael Ray drew tion of tasty recipes, from “Carne her attention with finely crafted dishes and unique approaches to Asada Taco Cups” to “The Ideal cooking. Over the next decade, she would harness that passion, eventually creating Cobb Salad,” flash across the top of the page. Greenstein has every her own food and lifestyle blog, Caramelized. step of a meal covered, with sep“I have really vivid memories a set of chef knives, or her first Memphis in 2014 and now balancarate sections for cocktails, startas a kid at my grandparents’ KitchenAid blender. It wasn’t es her blog with work as senior ers, salads, entrées, side dishes, house; I would actually make up until a class in her public-relaPR and social media manager at and desserts. Need to stay sane a ‘fake’ restaurant for my family,” tions major at the University of DCA. Although it during quarantine? Need to stay sane started out strictly says Greenstein. “I would require Texas at Austin in 2012, however, Check out the feamy parents, grandparents, and that the idea of Caramelized realas a food blog, Cartures on how to creduring quarantine? ly became tangible. Required to siblings to make reservations amelized has evolved ate a solo retreat in Caramelized has create her own blog, Greenstein and order from a menu that I your home or stock to incorporate elfeatures on how to ements of travel, would type up. I didn’t actually produced several food-related up your pantr y fashion, lifestyle, posts and was afterwards enprepare the food at that time, but sustainably. And if create a solo retreat it’s interesting to think back on couraged by family and friends and hosting. But she you’re out of ideas in your home or the practice of creating a food to make them public. Her constresses that food refor ways to show experience as a kid.” tinued efforts eventually led to mains the primary stock up your pantry gratitude to mom That enthusiasm didn’t go an internship with lifestyle blogfactor. “Everything (don’t forget, Mothsustainably. unnoticed. At her bat mitzvah, ger Camille Styles, as well as a I post related to an er’s Day is May most of her gifts turned out to spot for Caramelized on the Austin outfit, or table setting, or travel 10th), Greenstein has a few ideas Chronicle’s “Top 10 Blogs” list. on what to do, all while keeping be contraptions and appliancguide, still revolves around food,” social distancing intact. es from Williams-Sonoma, like Greenstein moved back to explains Greenstein. “While sharThe multifaceted approach is crucial to Caramelized. Every outfit posted or featured flower arrangement should have a story that works in the context of gatherings and enjoying those experiences. In that sense, the name of Greenstein’s blog is more than just clever wordplay. “Obviously, Cara is part of the word. But when you look at the definition of caramelizing something in cooking, you’re cooking something down so that the natural sweetness is introduced. And that really was my defining mantra when starting the blog.” Eight years on, and with the blog garnering attention from major outlets like the Food Network and the Cooking Channel, Greenstein has a clear path forward. “Where I’m focusing right now is homing in on the brand of Caramelized. So that one day, whether Instagram is around or not, or the blog platform works or not, the definition of Caramelized is Sweet Corn Risotto with Grilled Shrimp so understood that its application
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF CARMELIZED
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Sweet Corn Risotto with Grilled Shrimp Serves 4-6
Although the original recipe calls for shrimp, the risotto can be prepared with any protein. doesn’t matter.” For now, the brand has seen consistent g rowth. Greenstein keeps her website, caramelizedblog.com, up to date, but day-to-day content creation is most prominent on the Caramelized Instagram page (@cara_melized). Occasionally, she might even do an Instagram “takeover” for a different account to share a bit of her heritage. A recent digital excursion saw Greenstein appear on the Defined Dish, a blog based out of Dallas with around 400,000 followers, where she demonstrated how to make matzah ball soup for Passover. “The beauty of social media is that it’s not confined to a specific geography,” she says. “I am proud of where I’m from and love to tell the contemporary Southern story.” Although Greenstein is always expanding her reach, the focus remains grounded around food. For a delicious summer dish perfect for the current climate, she recommends one of her favorite recipes: Sweet Corn Risotto with Grilled Shrimp. A frequent visitor to the farmer’s market, the idea popped into her head when buying fresh corn two summers ago. Greenstein’s version of risotto flips the idea of the classic Italian rice dish. “It’s really bright and light, considering that risotto is traditionally seen as a hardy, almost winter preference,” she explains. After creating a traditional risotto, the addition of corn and grilled shrimp transforms it into a fair-weather dish. “To finish, add a nice touch of basil and micro greens, and suddenly you have summer in a bowl.” While people aren’t out and about as much as before, the risotto utilizes many pantry essentials, making it an ideal choice
for the shelter-in-place rule. “You can create a really beautiful dish using staples like rice and chicken stock,” says Greenstein. “If you don’t have access to fresh corn, canned corn works as well.” Since the shrimp is prepared separately, it can also be swapped out for a different protein, making the dish highly adaptable for anyone with dietary restrictions. Greenstein describes the risotto as all-purpose when it comes to the ideal dining scenario. While sharing it with houseguests is off the table for now, it’s the perfect time to give the recipe a first run-through. “It’s nice to have out on a patio with a glass of white wine and fresh salad,” she says. “It’s a really carefree dish that looks like something you would expect only at a restaurant.”
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 small sweet onion, finely chopped 1 teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper 1 cup arborio rice ½ cup dry white wine 6 cups chicken stock 1 ½ cups raw corn kernels (from about 2 ears corn) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 cup grated pecorino cheese 2 tablespoons fresh basil, sliced in ribbons 1/4 cup microgreens
1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium-sized, sturdy pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add rice, cooking until slightly translucent for 2 minutes. 2. Pour in wine and stir until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup chicken stock to pot, stirring constantly, until rice has absorbed all stock. Continue cooking, adding another portion of stock whenever rice mixture looks dry and stirring constantly. 3. When 3 cups of stock have been added, stir in raw corn. Continue cooking until all of the stock is incorporated, corn is tender, and rice is creamy and tender, about 30 minutes. 4. Remove risotto from heat and stir in pecorino and remaining tablespoon of butter. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. 5. Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in an even layer, seasoning with salt and cooking untouched for 2-3 minutes. Then flip and cook for 2 minutes more. 6. To serve, ladle risotto in bowls. Top with 3-4 shrimp, basil, and microgreens. Add flaky sea salt and pepper to finish. Serve warm.
The risotto dish is just one of many recipes Greenstein has shared in the eight years since founding Caramelized. M A Y 2 0 2 0 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 69
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When yeast is scarce and time is plentiful. by anna traverse fogle
U
ntil recently, I couldn’t have predicted this moment: I walk out onto the front porch, having received a text message from a friend, and find waiting at the top of the steps a cleaned jam jar filled with active dry yeast. Alongside all the world-shifting, disastrous strangenesses of now sit smaller domestic oddities. One of the latter being that, in the mad rush for quarantine supplies, all the flour and all the yeast in all the land up and vanished. I heard rumors of a few stores still stocking the stuff, and briefly considered dropping eighty dollars online for a dealer-sized supply, but we’ve stopped shopping in person, and my imaginary bakery remains just that. As tends to happen in a catastrophe, individual human efforts feel more tender, more fragile, more noble. Watching online grocery supplies of both all-purpose flour and yeast dwindle to nothing, I find myself imagining an endless row of kitchens ripe with the sour fullness of bread dough rising, then being punched and kneaded like the most nourishing, most fleeting of all stress balls. I love this vision, that so many people have retreated into their homes and gone back to basics, learned new skills or relearned forgotten ones. Our yeast gets used in two primary ways: making pizza dough for Friday family pizza nights, and slopping together bread dough. This latter is a recipe I’ve been futzing around with, as have many, many, many other home bakers, since it first appeared in The New York Times way back in a 2006 article by Mark Bittman, describing the process employed by Jim Lahey of New York’s Sullivan Street Bakery. Over the years I’ve made I don’t know how many variations on the recipe, which is really more of a spell — an alchemy of weird, messy, and wrong, then suddenly perfect. I have mixed all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour, buckwheat flour, rye flour, and gluten-free flour. I’ve folded in walnuts; mixed in herbs; washed the crust with egg white and sprinkled it with sesame seeds. I’ve neglected the dough longer than intended. I’ve split the pile of dough into two
smaller loaves when the Dutch oven went missing after a move. The bread never complains. Neither do the people eating it. These days, the bread is all the more perfect. It uses only a quarter-teaspoon of yeast. It’s endlessly adaptable. This recipe uses a nonsensical mix of flours, reflecting what I tossed into our most recent loaf in an effort not to deplete our supply of any one variety. It happened to work quite well — crusty from the Dutch oven, with a springy, giving crumb, and a deep, full flavor from the long, slow rise and the mix of whole-grain and more refined flours. Plus: This recipe uses time as an ingredient. Which makes a lot of sense for people spending nearly all their time at home.
Quarantine Bread 1 cup each all-purpose flour, gluten-free flour, and whole-wheat flour ¼ teaspoon instant (not rapid-rise) yeast 1 ¼ teaspoons salt 1 5/8 cups room-temperature water
◗ Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the water until blended. It will look like a total mess. Don’t worry: Just cover it up with plastic wrap or a towel and forget about it all day or all night — at least 12 hours, and up to 18. ◗ When the dough has risen to twice its original size (or thereabouts) and it looks alive, ease it out onto a lightly floured surface, dust it with a little more flour, and fold it around. Don’t knead it. That’s not what we’re here for. Just gently manage it. ◗ Shape it into a rough ball, sprinkle a towel with flour, and put the dough onto the floured towel, covering it with a second towel. Let it hang out while you make breakfast, read a magazine, walk the dog — a couple hours. ◗ Heat the oven to 450, and as you do, heat your Dutch oven within it, lid on. Ease the dough into the heated Dutch oven (take its lid off first), seam side up; if you’re sprinkling with egg white or seeds or whatever, now’s the time. Don’t freak out when it looks like a swamp monster. ◗ Bake with the lid on for half an hour, then with the lid off for another 15 minutes. Remove. Cool as long as you can stand to, but no longer. Tear in.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANNA TRAVERSE FOGLE
Tidbits: Quarantine Bread
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the MEMPHIS DINING guide
FLYING FISH—Serves up fried and grilled versions of shrimp, crab, oysters, fish tacos, and catfish; also chicken and burgers. 105 S. Second. 522-8228. L, D, X, $-$$ THE GRAY CANARY—The sixth restaurant from chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman, offering small emphis magazine offers this curated restaurant listing as a plates and entrees cooked on an open flame. Oysters, service to our readers. Broken down alphabetically by neighborhoods, this directooctopus, and hearty steaks are among the menu options at this ry does not list every restaurant in town. It does, however, include the magazine’s eatery in Old Dominick Distillery. Closed Mon. 301 S. Front. 466“Top 50” choices of must-try restaurants in Memphis, a group that is updated every August. 6324. D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ GRECIAN GOURMET TAVERNA—Serves traditional Establishments open less than a year are not eligible for “Top 50” but are noted as “New.” favorites like spanakopita, pastitso, moussaka, and hand-rolled This guide also includes a representative sampling of other Bluff City eating establishments. dolmathes, as well as lamb sliders and pita nachos. Closed Mon. No fast-food facilities or cafeterias are listed. Restaurants are included regardless of whether 412 S. Main. 249-6626. L, D, X, $ they advertise in Memphis magazine; those that operate in multiple locations are listed under GUS’S WORLD FAMOUS FRIED CHICKEN—Serves chicken with signature spicy batter, the neighborhood of their original location. Suggestions from readers are welcome; please along with homemade beans, slaw, and pies. 310 S. contact us at dining@memphismagazine.com. Front. 527-4877; 215 S. Center St. (Collierville). 853-6005; 2965 N. editor’s note: Due to the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants will only be providing Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 373-9111; 730 S. Mendenhall. 7672323; 505 Highway 70 W., Mason, TN. 901-294-2028. L, D, X, MRA, $ take-out and delivery services, while some may be closed temporarily. Please call ahead to confirm HAPPY MEXICAN—Serves quesadillas, burritos, chimialternate hours, menu changes, and available services. changas, vegetable and seafood dishes, and more. 385 S. Second. 529-9991; 6080 Primacy Pkwy. 683-0000; 7935 Winchester. pasta, and several Northern Italian specialties. 149 Union, The 751-5353. L, D, X, $ Peabody. 529-4199. B, L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$$ CENTER CITY HU. DINER—An extension of Hu. Hotel, diner serves such CAROLINA WATERSHED—This indoor/outdoor eatery, 117 PRIME—Restaurateurs Craig Blondis and Roger Sapp dishes as country-fried cauliflower, cornflake-fried chicken, set around silos, features reimagined down-home classics, teamed up with Chef Ryan Trimm to recreate the traditional and octopus and grits. 3 S. Main. 333including fried green tomatoes with American steakhouse. Serving oysters on the half shell and a 1224. L, D, X, $-$$ DINING SYMBOLS smoked catfish, a buttermilk fried variety of surf and turf options. 117 Union. 433-9851. L, D, WB, HU. ROOF—Rooftop cocktail bar with chicken sandwich, burgers, and more. X, $-$$$ B — breakfast superb city views serves toasts with a Closed Mon.-Thurs. 141 E. Carolina. 3RD & COURT—The latest from Ryan Trimm and variety of toppings including beef tartare 321-5553. L, D, WB, $-$$ L — lunch Across the Board Hospitality is a retro diner with an with cured egg, cognac, and capers CATHERINE & D — dinner upscale twist. Includes a three-meat meatloaf and or riced cauliflower with yellow curry, MARY’S—A variety of pasSB — Sunday brunch pound cake French toast. 24 N. B.B. King. 290-8484. B, L, D, X, currants, and almonds. Also salads, fish tas, grilled quail, pâté, razor WB — weekend brunch WB, $-$$ tacos, and boiled peanut hummus. 79 clams, and monkfish are among the X— wheelchair accessible ALDO’S PIZZA PIES—Serving gourmet pizzas Madison. 333-1229. D, $ dishes served at this Italian restaurant in MRA — member, Memphis — including Mr. T Rex — salads, and more. Also 30 HUEY’S—This family-friendly the Chisca. 272 S. Main. 254-8600. D, SB, beers, bottled or on tap. 100 S. Main. 577-7743; 752 S. Restaurant Association restaurant offers 13 different X, MRA, $-$$$ Cooper. 725-7437. L, D, X, $-$$ burgers, a variety of sandwiches, $ — under $15 per person without CHEF TAM’S THE ARCADE—Possibly Memphis’ oldest cafe. and delicious soups and salads. 1927 UNDERGROUND CAFE—Serves drinks or desserts Specialties include sweet potato pancakes, a fried Madison. 726-4372; 1771 N. Germantown Southern staples with a Cajun twist. $$ — under $25 peanut butter and banana sandwich, and breakfast Pkwy. (Cordova). 754-3885; 77 S. Second. Menu items include totchoes, jerk $$$ — $26-$50 served all day. 540 S. Main. 526-5757. B, L, D (Thurs.-Sat.), X, 527-2700; 2130 W. Poplar (Collierville). wings, fried chicken, and “muddy” mac $$$$ — over $50 MRA, $ 854-4455; 7090 Malco Blvd. (Southaven). and cheese. Closed Sun. and Mon. 668 AUTOMATIC SLIM’S—Longtime downtown favorite 662-349-7097; 7825 Winchester. 624-8911; Union Ave. 207-6182. L, D, $ specializes in contemporary American cuisine emphasizing local 4872 Poplar. 682-7729; 7677 Farmington Blvd. (Germantown). CHEZ PHILIPPE—Classical/contemporary French ingredients; also extensive martini list. 83 S. Second. 525-7948. 318-3030; 8570 Highway 51 N. (Millington). 873-5025. L, D, cuisine presented in a luxurious atmosphere with a L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ X, MRA, $ seasonal menu focused on local/regional cuisine. The BARDOG TAVERN—Classic American grill with Italian HUSTLE & DOUGH BAKERY & CAFE—Flaky, crown jewel of The Peabody for 35 years. Afternoon tea served influence, Bardog offers pasta specialties such as Grandma’s baked breakfast goodness every day with fresh pastries, Wed.-Sat., 1-3:30 p.m. (reservations required). Closed Sun.NJ Meatballs, as well as salads, sliders, sandwiches, and daily sandwiches, and more at Arrive Hotel. 477 S. Main St., Tues. The Peabody, 149 Union. 529-4188. D, X, MRA, $$$$ specials. 73 Monroe. 275-8752. B (Mon.-Fri.), L, D, WB, X, MRA, 701-7577. B, L, X, $ COZY CORNER—Serving up ribs, pork sand$-$$ ITTA BENA—Southern and Cajun-American cuisine served wiches, chicken, spaghetti, and more; also homemade BEDROCK EATS & SWEETS—Memphis’ only Paleohere; specialties are duck and waffles and shrimp and grits, along banana pudding. Closed Mon. 745 N. Parkway and centric restaurant offering such dishes as pot roast, waffles, with steaks, chops, seafood, and pasta. 145 Beale St. 578-3031. D, Manassas. 527-9158. L, D, $ enchiladas, chicken salad, omelets, and more. Closed for dinner X, MRA, $$-$$$ DIRTY CROW INN—Serving elevated bar food, including Sun. 327 S. Main. 409-6433. B, L, D, X, $-$$ KOOKY CANUCK—Offers prime rib, catfish, and burgers, poutine fries, fried catfish, and the Chicken Debris, a sandwich BELLE TAVERN—Serving elevated bar food, including a including the 4-lb. “Kookamonga”; also late-night menu. 87 S. with smoked chicken, melted cheddar, and gravy. 855 butcher board with a variety of meats and cheeses, as well as Second. 578-9800; 1250 N. Germantown Pkwy. 1-800-2453 L, D, Kentucky. 207-5111. L, D, MRA, $ daily specials. 117 Barboro Alley. 249-6580. L (Sun.), D, MRA, $ X, MRA, $-$$$ EVELYN & OLIVE—Jamaican/Southern fusion cuisine BISHOP—Ticer and Hudman’s newest venture at the THE LITTLE TEA SHOP—Downtown institution includes such dishes as Kingston stew fish, Rasta Pasta, and Central Station Hotel features upscale dishes in a French serves up Southern comfort cooking, including meatloaf jerk rib-eye. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun.-Mon. 630 brasserie style. 545 S. Main St., 524-5247. L, D, X, $$-$$$ and such veggies as turnip greens, yams, okra, and tomaMadison. 748-5422. L, D, X, $ toes. Closed Sat.-Sun. 69 Monroe. 525-6000, L, X, $ BLEU—This eclectic restaurant features American food with FAM—Casual Asian restaurant serves sushi rice bowls, noodle global influences and local ingredients. Among the specialties LOCAL—Entrees with a focus on locally sourced products include bowls, sushi rolls, and spring rolls. Closed Sun. 149 Madison; 521 are a 14-oz. bone-in rib-eye and several seafood dishes. 221 S. lobster mac-and-cheese and ribeye patty melt; menu differs by S. Highland. 701-6666. L, D, X, $ Third, in the Westin Memphis Beale St. Hotel. 334-5950. B, L, D, location. 95 S. Main. 473-9573; 2126 Madison. 725-1845. L, D, WB, FELICIA SUZANNE’S—Southern cuisine with WB, X, MRA, $$-$$$ X, $-$$ low-country, Creole, and Delta influences, using BLUEFIN RESTAURANT & SUSHI LOUNGE— LOFLIN YARD—Beer garden and restaurant serves vegetarian regional fresh seafood, local beef, and locally grown Serves Japanese fusion cuisine featuring seafood and steak, fare and smoked-meat dishes, including beef brisket and pork foods. Entrees include shrimp and grits. Closed Sun. and Mon. A with seasonally changing menu; also a sushi bar. 135 S. Main. tenderloin, cooked on a custom-made grill. Closed Mon.-Tues. 7 W. downtown staple at Brinkley Plaza, 80 Monroe, Suite L1. 523528-1010. L, D, X, $-$$ Carolina. 249-3046. L (Sat. and Sun.), D, MRA, $-$$ 0877. L (Fri. only), D, X, MRA, $$-$$$ BRASS DOOR IRISH PUB—Irish and New-American THE LOOKOUT AT THE PYRAMID—Serves seafood and FERRARO’S PIZZERIA & PUB—Rigatoni and cuisine includes such entrees as fish and chips, burgers, Southern fare, including cornmeal-fried oysters, sweet tea brined tortellini are among the pasta entrees here, along with pizzas shepherd’s pie, all-day Irish breakfast, and more. 152 Madison. chicken, and elk chops. 1 Bass Pro Dr. 620-4600/291-8200. L, D, X, (whole or by the slice) with a variety of toppings. 111 Jackson. 572-1813. L, D, SB, $-$$ $-$$$ 522-2033. L, D, X, $ CAFE KEOUGH—European-style cafe serving quiche, LUNA RESTAURANT & LOUNGE—Serving a limited FLIGHT RESTAURANT & WINE BAR— paninis, salads, and more. 12 S. Main. 509-2469. B, L, D, X, $ menu of breakfast and lunch items. Dinner entrees include Citrus Serves steaks and seafood, along with such specialties Glaze Salmon and Cajun Stuffed Chicken. 179 Madison (Hotel CAPRICCIO GRILL ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE—Offers as bison ribeye and Muscovy duck, all matched with Napoleon). 526-0002. B, D (Mon.-Sat.), X, $-$$$ prime steaks, fresh seafood (lobster tails, grouper, mahi mahi), appropriate wines. 39 S. Main. 521-8005. D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$
a cur ated guide to eating out
M
We celebrate our city’s community table and the people who grow, cook, and eat the best Memphis food at M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M / F O O D (This guide, compiled by our editors, includes editorial picks and advertisers.)
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MACIEL’S—Entrees include tortas, fried taco plates, quesadillas, chorizo and pastor soft tacos, salads, and more. Downtown closed Sun. 45 S. Main. 526-0037, X, MRA, $ THE MAJESTIC GRILLE—Housed in a former silent-picture house, features aged steaks, fresh seafood, and such specialties as roasted chicken and grilled pork tenderloin; offers a pre-theatre menu and classic cocktails. Wellstocked bar. 145 S. Main. 522-8555. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ 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), X, 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). 662-8902467; 88 Union. 527-5337; 3165 Forest Hill-Irene (Germantown). 249-5661. D, SB (Germantown), X, $$-$$$ MOLLIE FONTAINE LOUNGE—Specializes in tapas (small plates) featuring global cuisine. Closed Sun.-Tues. 679 Adams Ave. 524-1886. D, X, MRA, $ THE NINE THAI & SUSHI—Serving authentic Thai dishes, including curries, as well as a variety of sushi rolls. Closed for lunch Sat. and Sun. 121 Union. 208-8347. L, D, X, $-$$ PAULETTE’S—Presents fine dining with a Continental flair, including such entrees as filet Paulette with butter cream sauce and crabmeat and spinach crepes; also changing daily specials and great views. River Inn. 50 Harbor Town Square. 260-3300. B, L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ PEARL’S OYSTER HOUSE—Downtown eatery serving seafood, including oysters, crawfish, and stuffed butterfly shrimp, as well as beef, chicken, and pasta dishes. 299 S. Main. 522-9070; 8106 Cordova Center Dr. (Cordova). 425-4797. L, D, SB, X, $-$$$ PONTOTOC LOUNGE—Upscale restaurant and jazz bar serves such starters as alligator filet fritters; entrees include Mississippi pot roast with jalapeño cornbread and tagliatelle with braised beef. 314 S. Main. 207-7576. D, X, $-$$ PUCK FOOD HALL—Food hall featuring a variety of vendors serving everything from bagels and beer to comfort food and healthy cuisine. 409 S. Main. 341-3838. $-$$ REGINA’S—New Orleans-inspired eatery offering po’boys, Cajun nachos topped with crawfish tails, catfish platters, oysters, and more. Closed Mon. 60 N. Main. 730-0384. B, L, D, SB, X, $-$$ RENDEZVOUS, CHARLES VERGOS’—Menu items include barbecued ribs, cheese plates, skillet shrimp, red beans and rice, and Greek salads. Closed Sun.-Mon. 52 S. Second. 523-2746. L (Fri.-Sat.), D, X, $-$$ RIZZO’S DINER—Chorizo meatloaf, lobster pronto puff, and lamb belly tacos are menu items at this upscale diner. Michael Patrick is among the city’s best chefs. 492 S. Main. 304-6985. L (Fri.-Sat.), D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$ SABOR CARIBE—Serving up “Caribbean flavors” with dishes from Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. Closed Sunday. 662 Madison. 949-8100. L, D, X, $ 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, X, $-$$ SLEEP OUT LOUIE’S—Oyster bar with such specialties as char-grilled Roquefort oysters and gulf oysters on the half shell with Prosecco mignonette; also serves flatbread pizzas and a variety of sandwiches. 150 Peabody Place, Suite 111. 707-7180. L, D, X, $ SOUTH MAIN SUSHI & GRILL—Serving sushi, nigiri, and more. 520 S. Main. 249-2194. L, D, X, $ SPINDINI—Italian fusion cuisine with such entrees as woodfired pizzas, Gorgonzola-stuffed filet, and fresh seafood; large domestic whiskey selection. 383 S. Main. 578-2767. D, X, $$-$$$ SUNRISE MEMPHIS—From owners of Sweet Grass and Central BBQ. Serves breakfast all day, including house-made biscuits, frittatas, kielbasa or boudin plates, and breakfast platters. 670 Jefferson. 552-3144. B, L, X, MRA, $ TERRACE—Creative American and Continental cuisine includes such dishes as filet mignon, beef or lamb sliders, chicken satay, and mushroom pizzetta. Rooftop, River Inn of Harbor Town, 50 Harbor Town Square. 260-3366. D, X, MRA, $$ TEXAS DE BRAZIL—Serves beef, pork, lamb, and chicken dishes, and Brazilian sausage; also a salad bar with extensive
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toppings. 150 Peabody Place, Suite 103. 526-7600. L (Wed.-Fri.), D, SB, X, $$-$$$ UNCLE BUCK’S FISHBOWL & GRILL—Burgers, pizza, fish dishes, sandwiches, and more served in a unique “underwater” setting. Bass Pro, Bass Pro Drive, 291-8200. B, L, D, X, $-$$ THE VAULT—Oysters, shrimp beignets, flatbreads, stuffed cornish hen, and Smash Burger featured on “Late Nite Eats” are among the dishes offered at this Creole/Italian fusion eatery. 124 G.E. Patterson. 591-8000. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$ 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, X, $
COLLIERVILLE CAFE EUROPE—From Italian chef Michele D’oto, the French, Spanish, and Italian fusion cuisine includes a variety of dishes like Rosette al Forno, fish ceviche, and sole meuniere. Closed Sun. 4610 Merchants Park Circle, Suite 571. 286-4199. L, D, X, $$-$$$$ CAFE PIAZZA BY PAT LUCCHESI—Specializes in gourmet pizzas (including create-your-own), panini sandwiches, and pasta. Closed Sun. 139 S. Rowlett St. 861-1999. L, D, X, $-$$ CIAO BABY—Specializing in Neapolitan-style pizza made in a wood-fired oven. Also serves house-made mozzarella, pasta, appetizers, and salads. 890 W. Poplar, Suite 1. 457-7457. L, D, X, $ 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, X, MRA, $-$$ DAVID GRISANTI’S—Serving Northern Italian cuisine and traditional family recipes, like the Elfo Special, shrimp sauteed in garlic and butter, tossed with white button mushrooms and white pepper, and served over vermicelli with ParmigianoReggiano. Closed Sun. 684 W. Poplar (Sheffield Antiques Mall). 861-1777. L, D (Thurs.-Sat.), X, $-$$$ 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). 867-1883; 9045 Highway 64 (Lakeland). 383-4219; 7164 Hacks Cross Rd. (Olive Branch). 662890-3337; 8834 Hwy. 51 N. (Millington). 872-3220; 7424 Highway 64 (Bartlett). 417-6026. L, D, X, $ 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, X, $-$$ FIREBIRDS—Specialties are hand-cut steaks, slow-roasted prime rib, and wood-grilled salmon and other seafood, as well as seasonal entrees. 4600 Merchants Circle, Carriage Crossing. 850-1637; 8470 Highway 64 (Bartlett). 379-1300. L, D, X, $-$$$ JIM’S PLACE GRILLE—Features American, Greek, and Continental cuisine with such entrees as pork tenderloin, several seafood specialties, and hand-cut charcoal-grilled steaks. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. 3660 Houston Levee. 861-5000. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$$ MULAN ASIAN BISTRO—Hunan Chicken, tofu dishes, and orange beef served here; sushi and Thai food, too. 2059 Houston Levee. 850-5288; 2149 Young. 347-3965; 4698 Spottswood. 609-8680. L, D, X, $-$$ OSAKA JAPANESE CUISINE—Featuring an extensive sushi menu as well as traditional Japanese and hibachi dining. Hours vary for lunch; call. 3670 Houston Levee. 861-4309; 3402 Poplar. 249-4690; 7164 Hacks Cross (Olive Branch). 662-8909312; 2200 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 425-4901. L, D, X, $-$$$ RAVEN & LILY—Eatery offers innovative Southern-inspired cuisine with such dishes as crispy shrimp and cauliflower salad, spiced lamb sausage and parmesan risotto, and bananas foster pain perdu. Closed Monday. 120 E. Mulberry. 286-4575. L, D, SB, X, $-$$ SEAR SHACK BURGERS & FRIES—Serving Angus burgers, fries, and hand-spun milkshakes. Closed Mon. 875 W. Poplar, Suite 6. 861-4100; 5101 Sanderlin, Suite 103. 567-4909 ; 7424 Stage Road, Suite 121 (Bartlett). 382-3083; 6518 Goodman
(Olive Branch). 662-408-4932; 427 E. Commerce (Hernando). 662-469-4114. L, D, X, $ STIX—Hibachi steakhouse with Asian cuisine features steak, chicken, and a fillet and lobster combination, also sushi. A specialty is Dynamite Chicken with fried rice. 4680 Merchants Park Circle, Avenue Carriage Crossing. 854-3399. L, D, X, $-$$ ZOPITA’S ON THE SQUARE—Cafe offers sandwiches, including smoked salmon and pork tenderloin, as well as salads and desserts. Closed Sun. 114 N. Main. 457-7526. L, D, X, $
CORDOVA BOMBAY HOUSE—Indian fare includes lamb korma and chicken tikka; also, a daily luncheon buffet. 1727 N. Germantown Pkwy. 755-4114. L, D, X, $-$$ 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, X, $$-$$$ COASTAL FISH COMPANY—Upscale offerings of international fish varieties utilizing styles ranging from Carribbean, East Coast, West Coast, Chinese, to Filipino, and more. 415 Great View Dr. E., Suite 101. 266-9000. D, X, $$-$$$ GREEN BAMBOO—Pineapple tilapia, pork vermicelli, and the soft egg noodle combo are Vietnamese specialties here. 990 N. Germantown Parkway #104. 753-5488. L, D, $-$$ KING JERRY LAWLER’S MEMPHIS BBQ COMPANY—Offers a variety of barbecue dishes, including brisket, ribs, nachos topped with smoked pork, and a selection of barbecue “Slamwiches.” 465 N. Germantown Pkwy. #116. 509-2360. L, D, X, $ JIM ’N NICK’S BAR-B-Q—Serves barbecued pork, ribs, chicken, brisket, and fish, along with other homemade Southern specialties. 2359 N. Germantown Pkwy. 388-0998. L, D, X, $-$$ 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, X, $ MISTER B’S—Features New Orleans-style seafood and steaks. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. and Mon. 6655 Poplar #107. 751-5262. L, D, X, $-$$$ PEI WEI ASIAN DINER—Serves a variety of Pan-Asian cuisine, including Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Thai. Noodle and rice bowls are specialties; a small plates menu also offered. 2257 N. Germantown Pkwy. 382-1822. L, D, X, $-$$ 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, X, $-$$ TANNOOR GRILL—Brazilian-style steakhouse with skewers served tableside, along with Middle Eastern specialties; vegetarian options also available. 830 N. Germantown Pkwy. 443-5222. L, D, X, $-$$$
EAST MEMPHIS
(INCLUDES POPLAR/ I-240) ACRE—Features seasonal modern American cuisine in an avante-garde 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, X, $$-$$$ 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, X, $-$$ AMERIGO—Traditional and contemporary Italian cuisine includes pasta, wood-fired pizza, steaks, and cedarwood-roasted fish. 1239 Ridgeway, Park Place Mall. 761-4000. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ ANDREW MICHAEL ITALIAN KITCHEN— Traditional Italian cuisine with a menu 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 Cl. 347-3569. D, X, MRA, $$-$$$ ANOTHER BROKEN EGG CAFE—Offering several varieties of eggs Benedict, waffles, omelets, pancakes, beignets, and other breakfast fare; also burgers, sandwiches, and salads. 6063 Park Ave. 729-7020; 65 S. Highland. 623-7122. B, L, WB, X, $
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 Cl. 590-2585; 2150 W. Poplar at Houston Levee (Collierville). 854-8748. L, D, X, $-$$ BENIHANA—This Japanese steakhouse serves beef, chicken, and seafood grilled at the table; some menu items change monthly; sushi bar also featured. 912 Ridge Lake Blvd. 767-8980. L, D, X, $$-$$$ BLUE PLATE CAFÉ—For breakfast, the café’s serves old-fashioned buttermilk pancakes (it’s a secret recipe!), country ham and eggs, and waffles with fresh strawberries and cream. For lunch, the café specializes in country cooking. 5469 Poplar. 761-9696; 113 S. Court. 523-2050. B, L, X, $ BROOKLYN BRIDGE ITALIAN RESTAURANT— Specializing in such homemade entrees as spinach lasagna and lobster ravioli; a seafood specialty is horseradish-crusted salmon. Closed Sun. 1779 Kirby Pkwy. 755-7413. D, X, $-$$$ 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, X, $ BUCKLEY’S FINE FILET GRILL—Specializes in steaks, seafood, and pasta. (Lunchbox serves entree salads, burgers, and more.) 5355 Poplar. 683-4538; 919 S. Yates (Buckley’s Lunchbox), 682-0570. L (Yates only, M-F), D, X, $-$$ CAPITAL GRILLE—Known for its dry-aged, hand-carved steaks; among the specialties are bone-in sirloin, and porcini-rubbed Delmonico; also seafood entrees and seasonal lunch plates. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. Crescent Center, 6065 Poplar. 683-9291. L, D, X, $$$-$$$$ CASABLANCA—Lamb shawarma is one of the fresh, homemade specialties served at this Mediterranean/Moroccan restaurant; fish entrees and vegetarian options also available. 5030 Poplar. 725-8557 ; 7609 Poplar Pike (Germantown). 4255908; 1707 Madison. 421-6949. L, D, X, $-$$ CIAO BELLA—Among the Italian and Greek specialties are lasagna, seafood pasta, gourmet pizzas, and vegetarian options. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. 565 Erin Dr., Erin Way Shopping Center. 205-2500. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$$ CITY SILO TABLE + PANTRY—With a focus on clean eating, this establishment offers fresh juices, as well as comfort foods re-imagined with wholesome ingredients. 5101 Sanderlin. 729-7687. B, L, D, X, $ CORKY’S—Popular barbecue emporium offers both wet and dry ribs, plus a full menu of other barbecue entrees. Wed. lunch buffets, Cordova and Collierville. 5259 Poplar. 685-9744; 1740 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 737-1911; 743 W. Poplar (Collierville). 405-4999; 6434 Goodman Rd., Olive Branch. 662893-3663. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ ERLING JENSEN—For over 20 years, 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, X, MRA, $$-$$$ FLEMING’S PRIME STEAKHOUSE—Serves wetaged 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, X, MRA, $$$-$$$$ FOLK’S FOLLY ORIGINAL PRIME STEAK HOUSE—Specializes in prime steaks, as well as lobster, grilled Scottish salmon, Alaskan king crab legs, rack of lamb, and weekly specials. 551 S. Mendenhall. 762-8200. D, X, MRA, $$$-$$$$ FORMOSA—Offers Mandarin cuisine, including broccoli beef, hot-and-sour soup, and spring rolls. Closed Monday. 6685 Quince. 753-9898. L, D, X, $-$$ 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. 1769 N. Germantown Pkwy. 7586500. L, D, X, $ FRATELLI’S—Serves hot and cold sandwiches, salads, soups, and desserts, all with an Italian/Mediterranean flair. Closed Sunday. 750 Cherry Rd., Memphis Botanic Garden. 766-9900. L, X, $ FRANK GRISANTI’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT— Northern Italian favorites include pasta with jumbo shrimp and mushrooms; also seafood, filet mignon, and daily lunch specials.
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Closed for lunch Sunday. Embassy Suites Hotel, 1022 S. Shady Grove. 761-9462. L, D, X, $-$$$ THE GROVE GRILL—Offers steaks, chops, seafood, and other American cuisine with Southern and global influences; entrees include crab cakes, and shrimp and grits, also dinner specials. Founder Jeff Dunham’s son Chip is now chef de cuisine. 4550 Poplar. 818-9951. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $$-$$$ HALF SHELL—Specializes in seafood, such as king crab legs; also serves steaks, chicken, pastas, salads, sandwiches, a ”voodoo menu”; oyster bar at Winchester location. 688 S. Mendenhall. 682-3966; 7825 Winchester. 737-6755. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ HIGH POINT PIZZA—Serves a variety of pizzas, subs, salads, and sides. Closed Monday. A neighborhood fixture. 477 High Point Terrace. 452-3339. L, D, X, $-$$ HOUSTON’S—Serves steaks, seafood, pork chops, chicken dishes, sandwiches, salads, and Chicago-style spinach dip. Farmous for first-class service. 5000 Poplar. 683-0915. L, D, X $-$$$ INTERIM—Offers American-seasonal cuisine with emphasis on local foods and fresh fish; daily chef specials. Closed for lunch Sat. 5040 Sanderlin, Suite 105. 818-0821. L, D, SB, X, $-$$$ LA BAGUETTE—An almond croissant and chicken salad are among specialties at this French-style bistro. Closed for dinner Sun. 3088 Poplar. 458-0900. B, L, D (closes at 7), X, MRA, $ LAS DELICIAS—Popular for its guacamole, house-made tortilla chips, and margaritas, this restaurant draws diners with its chicken enchiladas, meat-stuffed flautas, and Cuban torta with spicy pork. Closed Sunday. 4002 Park Ave. 458-9264; 5689 Quince. 800-2873. L, D, X, $ LIBRO AT LAURELWOOD—Bookstore eatery features a variety of sandwiches, salads, and homemade pasta dishes, with Italian-inspired options such as carbonara and potato gnocchi. Closed for dinner Sun. 387 Perkins Ext. (Novel). 8002656. B, L, D, SB, X, $-$$ LISA’S LUNCHBOX—Serving bagels, sandwiches, salads, and wraps. 5885 Ridgeway Center Pkwy. 767-6465; 2650 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Suite 1200; 730-0064; 6070 Poplar. 2335875; 50 N. Front. 574-0468. B, L, $ LOST PIZZA—Offering pizzas (with dough made from scratch), pasta, salads, sandwiches, tamales, and more. 2855 Poplar. 572-1803; 5960 Getwell (Southaven). 662-892-8684. L, D, X, $-$$ LYNCHBURG LEGENDS—This restaurant with a Jack Daniels’ theme and Southern cuisine serves such entrees as Bourbon Street salmon, buttermilk-fried chicken, and grilled steak and wild mushroom salad. DoubleTree Hotel, 5069 Sanderlin. 969-7777. B, L, D, X, $-$$$ 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, X, $-$$$ MARCIANO MEDITERRANEAN AND ITALIAN CUISINE—Veal Saltimbocca with angel-hair pasta and white wine sauce is among the entrees; also steaks, seafood, and gourmet pizza. 780 Brookhaven Cl. 682-1660. D, X, $-$$ 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. 662-890-7611. L, D, X, $ MAYURI INDIAN CUISINE—Serves tandoori chicken, masala dosa, tikka masala, as well as lamb and shrimp entrees; also a daily lunch buffet, and dinner buffet on Fri.-Sat. 6524 Quince Rd. 753-8755. L, D, X, $-$$ MELLOW MUSHROOM—Large menu includes assortment of pizzas, salads, calzones, hoagies, vegetarian options, and 50 beers on tap. 5138 Park Ave. 562-1211; 9155 Poplar, Shops of Forest Hill (Germantown). 907-0243. L, D, X, $-$$ 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, X, 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, X, $ 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, X, MRA, $$-$$$ NEW HUNAN—Chinese eatery with more than 80 entrees; also lunch/dinner buffets. 5052 Park. 766-1622. L, D, X, $ 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, X, $ 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, X, $ OWEN BRENNAN’S—New Orleans-style menu of beef, chicken, pasta, and seafood; jambalaya, shrimp and grits, and crawfish etouffee are specialties. Closed for dinner Sunday. The Regalia, 6150 Poplar. 761-0990. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ PARK + CHERRY—The Dixon offers casual dining within the museum. Seasonal menu features sandwiches, like rustic chicken salad on croissant, as well as salads, snacks, and sweets. Closed for breakfast Sun. and all day Mon. 4339 Park (Dixon Gallery). 761-5250. L, X, $ PATRICK’S—Serves barbecue nachos, burgers, and entrees such as fish and chips; also plate lunches and daily specials. 4972 Park. 682-2852. L, D, X, MRA, $ PETE & SAM’S—Serving Memphis for 60-plus years; offers steaks, seafood, and traditional Italian dishes, including homemade ravioli, lasagna, and chicken marsala. 3886 Park. 458-0694. D, X, $-$$$ PF CHANG’S CHINA BISTRO—Specialties are orange peel shrimp, Mongolian beef, and chicken in lettuce wraps; also vegetarian dishes, including spicy eggplant. 1181 Ridgeway Rd., Park Place Centre. 818-3889. L, D, X, $-$$ PHO SAIGON—Vietnamese fare includes beef teriyaki, roasted quail, curry ginger chicken, vegetarian options, and a variety of soups. 2946 Poplar. 458-1644. L, D, $ PYRO’S FIRE-FRESH PIZZA—Serving gourmet pizzas cooked in an open-fire oven; wide choice of toppings; large local and craft beer selection. 1199 Ridgeway. 379-8294; 2035 Union Ave. 208-8857; 2286 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 207-1198; 3592 S. Houston Levee (Collierville). 221-8109. L, D, X, MRA, $ RED HOOK CAJUN SEAFOOD & BAR—Cajunstyle array of seafood including shrimp, mussels, clams, crawfish, and oysters. 3295 Poplar. 207-1960. L, D, X, $-$$ 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, X, $$$ RONNIE GRISANTI’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT— This Memphis institution serves some family classics such as Elfo’s Special and handmade ravioli, along with house-made pizza and fresh oysters. Closed Sun. 6150 Poplar #122. 850-0191. D, X, $-$$$ RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE—Offers prime steaks cut and aged in-house, as well as lamb, chicken, and fresh seafood, including lobster. 6120 Poplar. 761-0055. D, X, $$$-$$$$ SALSA—Mexican-Southern California specialties include carnitas, enchiladas verde, and fajitas; also Southwestern seafood dishes such as snapper verde. Closed Sun. Regalia Shopping Center, 6150 Poplar, Suite 129. 683-6325. L, D, X, $-$$ SEASONS 52—This elegant fresh grill and wine bar offers a seasonally changing menu using fresh ingredients, wood-fire grilling, and brick-oven cooking; also a large international wine list and nightly piano bar. Crescent Center, 6085 Poplar. 682-9952. L, D, X, $$-$$$ 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; 7704 Poplar (Germantown). 800-1951. B, L, WB, X, $ STRANO BY CHEF JOSH—Presenting a Sicilian/ Mediterranean mix of Arab, Spanish, Greek, and North African fare, Strano serves hand-tossed pizzas, wood-grilled fish, and such entrees as Chicken Under the Earth, cooked under a Himalayan salt block over a seasoned white oak wood-fired grill. 518 Perkins Extd. 275-8986. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ SUSHI JIMMI—This food truck turned restaurant serves a variety of sushi rolls, fusion dishes — such as kimchi fries — and
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sushi burritos. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Mon. 2895 Poplar. 729-6985. L, D, X, $ SWANKY’S TACO SHOP—Taco-centric eatery offers tortas, flatbreads, quesadillas, chimichangas, burgers, and more. 4770 Poplar. 730-0763; 6641 Poplar (Germantown). 7372088; 272 S. Main. 779-3499. L, D, X, $ THREE LITTLE PIGS—Pork-shoulder-style barbecue with tangy mild or hot sauce, freshly made coleslaw, and baked beans. 5145 Quince Rd. 685-7094. B, L, D, X, $ TOPS BAR-B-Q—Specializes in pork barbecue sandwiches and sandwich plates with beans and slaw; also serves ribs, beef brisket, and burgers. 1286 Union. 725-7527; 4183 Summer. 3244325; 5391 Winchester. 794-7936; 3970 Rhodes. 323-9865; 6130 Macon. 371-0580. For more locations, go online. L, D, X, $ VENICE KITCHEN—Specializes in “eclectic Italian” and Southern Creole, from pastas, including the “Godfather,” to hand-tossed pizzas, including the “John Wayne”; choose from 50 toppings. 368 Perkins Ext. 767-6872. L, D, SB, X, $-$$ 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, X, $-$$ WASABI—Serving traditional Japanese offerings, hibachi, sashimi, and sushi. The Sweet Heart roll, wrapped — in the shape of a heart — with tuna and filled with spicy salmon, yellowtail, and avocado, is a specialty. 5101 Sanderlin Rd., Suite 105. 421-6399. L, D, X, $-$$ WOMAN’S EXCHANGE TEA ROOM—Chicken-salad plate, beef tenderloin, soups-and-sandwiches, and vegetable plates are specialties; meal includes drink and dessert. Closed Sat.-Sun. 88 Racine. 327-5681. L, X, $ ZAKA BOWL—This vegan-friendly restaurant serves buildyour-own vegetable bowls featuring ingredients such as agave Brussels sprouts and roasted beets. Also serves tuna poke and herbed chicken bowls. 575 Erin. 509-3105. L, D, $
GERMANTOWN BLUE HONEY BISTRO—Entrees at this upscale eatery include brown butter scallops served with Mississippi blue rice and herb-crusted beef tenderloin with vegetables and truffle butter. Closed Sun. 9155 Poplar, Suite 17. 552-3041. D, X, $-$$$ FARM & FRIES—A burger-centric menu features 100 percent grass-fed and finished beef served in creative combinations like roasted portobellos and Swiss cheese. Try the Brussels with cheddar, bacon, and quick-fried sprout leaves on fries, house-cut with dipping sauces. Closed Sun. 7724 Poplar Pike. 791-2328. L, D, X, $ FOREST HILL GRILL—A variety of standard pub fare and a selection of mac-and-cheese dishes are featured on the menu. Specialties include Chicken Newport and a barbecue salmon BLT. 9102 Poplar Pike. 624-6001. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$ 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, X, MRA, $-$$ KOHESIAN SOKO STYLE EATERY—KoreanAmerican eatery serves up fusion-style dishes like bibimbap burgers or gochujang marinated loaded spicy pork nachos. 1730 S. Germantown Rd. 308-0223. L, D, X, $$ LAS TORTUGAS DELI MEXICANA— Authentic Mexican food prepared from local food sources; specializes in tortugas — grilled bread scooped out to hold such powerfully popular fillings as brisket, pork, and shrimp; also tingas, tostados. Closed Sunday. 1215 S. Germantown Rd. 751-1200; 6300 Poplar. 623-3882. L, D, X, $-$$ MISTER B’S—Features New Orleans-style seafood and steaks. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. and Mon. 6655 Poplar #107. 751-5262. L, D, X, $-$$$ 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, X, $$-$$$ 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 #12. 755-1117. L, D, X, $ 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, X, $-$$ PIMENTO’S KITCHEN + MARKET—Fresh sandwiches, soups, salads, and plenty of pimento cheese at this family-owned restaurant. 6540 Poplar Ave. 602-5488 [Collierville: 3751 S. Houston Levee. 453-6283]. L, D, X, $ RAW GIRLS / CITY & STATE POP-UP— Hannah and Amy Pickle offer plant-based dishes and cold-pressed juices alongside Lisa and Luis Toro’s coffee bar. Hours vary. 2055 W. Germantown. L, X, $ RED KOI—Classic Japanese cuisine offered at this family-run restaurant; hibachi steaks, sushi, seafood, chicken, and vegetables. 5847 Poplar. 767-3456. L, D, X $-$$ ROCK’N DOUGH PIZZA CO.—Specialty and custom pizzas made from fresh ingredients; wide variety of toppings. 7850 Poplar #6. 779-2008. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $$ ROYAL PANDA—Hunan fish, Peking duck, Royal Panda chicken and shrimp, and a seafood combo are among the specialties. 3120 Village Shops Dr. 756-9697. L, D, X, $-$$ RUSSO’S NEW YORK PIZZERIA AND WINE BAR—Serves gourmet pizzas, calzones, and pasta, including lasagna, fettuccine Alfredo, scampi, and more. 9087 Poplar, Suite 111. 755-0092. L, D, WB, X, $-$$ SAKURA—Sushi, tempura, and teriyaki are Japanese specialties here. 2060 West St. 758-8181; 4840 Poplar. 572-1002. L, D, X, $-$$ SOUTHERN SOCIAL—Shrimp and grits, stuffed quail, and Aunt Thelma’s Fried Chicken are among the dishes served at this upscale Southern establishment. 2285 S. Germantown Rd. 754-5555. D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ WEST STREET DINER—This home-style eatery offers breakfast, burgers, po’boys, and more. 2076 West St. 757-2191. B, L, D (Mon.-Fri.), X, $ WOLF RIVER BRISKET CO.—From the owners of Pyro’s Fire Fresh Pizza, highlights include house-smoked meats: prime beef brisket, chicken, and salmon. Closed Sun. 9947 Wolf River Boulevard, Suite 101. 316-5590. L, D, X, $-$
MIDTOWN (INCLUDES THE MEDICAL CENTER) ABYSSINIA RESTAURANT—Ethiopian/Mediterranean menu includes beef, chicken, lamb, fish entrees, and vegetarian dishes; also a lunch buffet. 2600 Poplar. 321-0082. L, D, X, $-$$ ALCHEMY—Southern fusion, locally grown cuisine features small and large plates; among the offerings are pan-seared hanger steak, quail, and lamb chops; also handcrafted cocktails and local craft beers. 940 S. Cooper. 726-4444. D, SB, X, $-$$ ART BAR—Inventive cocktails feature locally foraged ingredients; snacks include house-cured salt & vinegar potato chips and herb-roasted olives. Closed Mon. 1350 Concourse Avenue #280. 507-8030. D, X, $ BABALU TACOS & TAPAS—This eatery dishes up Spanish-style tapas with Southern flair; also taco and enchilada of the day; specials change daily. 2115 Madison. 274-0100; 6450 Poplar, 410-8909. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$ BACK DO / MI YARD—A revamped patio space behind The Beauty Shop features rotisserie meats and fishes via Brazilian-style outdoor grill. Dinner Wednesday-Saturday, weather permitting. 966 S. Cooper, 2727111. D, X, $$ BAR DKDC—Features an ever-changing menu of international “street food,” from Thai to Mexican, Israeli to Indian, along with specialty cocktails. 964 S. Cooper. 272-0830. D, X, MRA, $ BAR KEOUGH—It’s old school eats and cocktails at the new Cooper-Young neighborhood corner bar by Kevin Keough. 247 Cooper St. D, X, $ BAR-B-Q SHOP—Dishes up barbecued ribs, spaghetti, bologna; also pulled pork shoulder, Texas toast barbecue sandwich, chicken sandwich, and salads. Closed Sun. 1782 Madison. 272-1277. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ BARI RISTORANTE ENOTECA—Authentic Southeastern Italian cuisine (Puglia) emphasizes lighter entrees. Serves fresh fish and beef dishes and a homemade soup of the day. 22 S. Cooper. 722-2244. D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$
BARKSDALE RESTAURANT—Old-school diner serving breakfast and Southern plate lunches. 237 S. Cooper. 722-2193. B, L, D, X, $ BAYOU BAR & GRILL—New Orleans fare at this Overton Square eatery includes jambalaya, gumbo, catfish Acadian, shrimp dishes, red beans and rice, and muffalettas. 2094 Madison. 278-8626. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ 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, X, MRA, $-$$$ BELLY ACRES—At this festive Overton Square eatery, milkshakes, floats, and burgers rule. Burgers are updated with contemporary toppings like grilled leeks, braised tomatoes, and sourdough or brioche buns. 2102 Trimble Pl. 529-7017. L, D, X, $ BHAN THAI—Authentic Thai cuisine includes curries, pad Thai noodles, and vegetarian dishes, as well as seafood, pork, and duck entrees. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. and all day Mon. 1324 Peabody. 272-1538. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ BLUE NILE ETHIOPIAN—Kabobs, flavorful chicken and lamb stew, and injera (flatbread) are traditional items on the menu, along with vegetarian options. 1788 Madison. 474-7214. L, D, X, $-$$ BOSCOS—Tennessee’s first craft brewery serves a variety of freshly brewed beers as well as wood-fired oven pizzas, pasta, seafood, steaks, and sandwiches. 2120 Madison. 432-2222. L, D, SB (with live jazz), X, MRA, $-$$ BOUNTY ON BROAD—Offering family-style dining, Bounty serves small plates and family-sized platters, with such specialties as chicken fried quail and braised pork shank. 2519 Broad. 410-8131. L (Sat. and Sun.), D (Mon.-Sat.), SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ BROADWAY PIZZA—Serving a variety of pizzas, including the Broadway Special, as well as sandwiches, salads, wings, and soulfood specials. 2581 Broad. 454-7930; 627 S. Mendenhall. 207-1546. L, D, X, $-$$ 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, X, MRA, $-$$$ CAFE BROOKS BY CITY & STATE—Serving grab-and-go pastries, as well as lunch items. Menu includes soups, salads, and sandwiches, such as the Modern Reuben and Grown-Up Grilled Cheese. 1934 Poplar (Memphis Brooks Museum of Art). 544-6200. B, L, X, $ CAFE ECLECTIC—Omelets and chicken and waffles are among menu items, along with quesadillas, sandwiches, wraps, and burgers. Menu varies by location. 603 N. McLean. 725-1718; 111 Harbor Town Square. 590-4645. B, L, D, SB, X, MRA, $ CAFE OLÉ—This eatery specializes in authentic Mexican cuisine; one specialty is the build-your-own quesadilla. 959 S. Cooper. 3430103. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$ CAFE PALLADIO—Serves gourmet salads, soups, sandwiches, and desserts in a tea room inside the antiques shop. Closed Sun. 2169 Central. 278-0129. L, X, $ CAFE SOCIETY—With Belgian and classic French influences, serves Wagyu beef, chicken, and seafood dishes, including baconwrapped shrimp, along with daily specials and vegetarian entrees. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. 212 N. Evergreen. 722-2177. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ CARITAS CAFE—Community deli serves Southerninspired gourmet-style farm-to-table food using locally grown produce and ingredients. Open for lunch Mon-Sat. Closed Sunday. 2509 Harvard Ave. 327-5246. L, X, $ CELTIC CROSSING—Specializes in Irish and American pub fare. Entrees include shepherd’s pie, shrimp and sausage coddle, and fish and chips. 903 S. Cooper. 274-5151. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ CENTRAL BBQ—Serves ribs, smoked hot wings, pulled pork sandwiches, chicken, turkey, nachos, and portobello sandwiches. Offers both pork and beef barbecue. 2249 Central Ave. 272-9377; 4375 Summer Ave. 767-4672; 147 E. Butler. 6727760 ; 6201 Poplar. 417-7962. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ THE COVE—Nautical-themed restaurant and bar serving oysters, pizzas, and more. The Stoner Pie, with tamales and fritos, is a popular dish. 2559 Broad. 730-0719. L, D, $ THE CRAZY NOODLE—Korean noodle dishes range from bibam beef noodle with cabbage, carrots, and other vegetables, to curry chicken noodle; also rice cakes served in a flavorful sauce. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. 2015 Madison. 272-0928. L, D, X, $
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THE DOGHOUZZ—It’s both bark and bite at the Doghouzz, which pairs a variety of gourmet hot dogs alongside local craft beer and one of the city’s most extensive whiskey selections. Open for lunch, dinner, and late-night. Closed Sunday. 1349 Autumn Ave. 207-7770. L, D, X, $ ECCO—Mediterranean-inspired specialties range from rib-eye steak to seared scallops to housemade pastas and a grilled vegetable plate; also a Saturday brunch. Closed Sun.-Mon. 1585 Overton Park. 410-8200. L, D, X, $-$$ 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 #175. 800-1851. L, D, X, $ FINO’S ITALIAN DELI & CATERING—The newly revived Fino’s offers the old favorites such as the Acquisto as well as a new breakfast menu. 1853 Madison. 272-FINO. B, L, D, X, $ FRIDA’S—Mexican cuisine and Tex-Mex standards, including chimichangas, enchiladas, and fajitas; seafood includes shrimp and tilapia. 1718 Madison. 244-6196. L, D, X, $-$$ GLOBAL CAFE—This international food hall hosts three immigrant/refugee food entrepreneurs serving Venezuelan, Sudanese, and Syrian cuisines. Samosas, shawarma, and kabobs are among the menu items. Closed Mon. 1350 Concourse Avenue #157. L, D, X, MRA, $ GOLDEN INDIA—Northern Indian specialties include tandoori chicken as well as lamb, beef, shrimp, and vegetarian dishes. 2097 Madison. 728-5111. L, D, X, $-$$ GROWLERS—Sports bar and eatery serves standard bar fare in addition to a pasta, tacos, chicken and waffles, and light options. 1911 Poplar. 244-7904. L, D, X, $-$$ HATTIE B’S—Fried chicken spot features “hot chicken” with a variety of heat levels; from no heat to “shut the cluck up” sauce. Sides include greens, pimento mac-and-cheese, and black-eyed pea salad. 596 S. Cooper. 424-5900. L, D, X, $ HM DESSERT LOUNGE—Serving cake, pie, and other desserts, as well as a selection of savory dishes, including meatloaf and mashed potato “cupcakes.” Closed Monday. 1586 Madison. 290-2099. L, D, X, $ HOPDODDY BURGER BAR—Focus is on locally sourced ingredients, with freshly baked buns and meat butchered and ground in-house. Patty options include Angus or Kobe beef, bison, chicken, and more; also vegetarian/vegan. 6 S. Cooper. 654-5100; 4585 Poplar. 683-0700. L, D, X, $ IMAGINE VEGAN CAFE—Dishes at this fully vegan restaurant range from salads and sandwiches to full dinners, including eggplant parmesan and “beef” tips and rice; breakfast all day Sat. and Sun. 2158 Young. 654-3455. L, D, WB, X, $ INDIA PALACE—Tandoori chicken, lamb shish kabobs, and chicken tikka masala are among the entrees; also, vegetarian options and a daily all-you-can-eat lunch buffet. 1720 Poplar. 278-1199. L, D, X, $-$$ 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, X, $ LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM—Serves such Southern cuisine as po’boys, shrimp and grits, and wood-fired pizzas. 2119 Madison. 207-5097. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ LBOE—Gourmet burger joint serves locally sourced ground beef burgers, with options like the Mac-N-Cheese Burger and Caprese. Black bean and turkey patties available. 2021 Madison. 725-0770. L, D, X, $ THE LIQUOR STORE—Renovated liquor store turned diner serves all-day breakfast, sandwiches, and entrees such as Salisbury steak and smothered pork chops. Closed for dinner Sun.-Mon. 2655 Broad. 405-5477. B, L, D, X, $-$$ LITTLE ITALY—Serving New York-style pizza as well as subs and pasta dishes. 1495 Union. 725-0280; L, D, X, $-$$ LUCKY CAT RAMEN—Specializes in gourmet ramen bowls, with such ingredients as braised pork belly and housemade blackened garlic, made with rich broth. Bao, steamed buns filled with various meats and veggies, also grace the menu. Closed Sun. 2583 Broad. 208-8145. L, D, X, $-$$ MARDI GRAS MEMPHIS—Fast-casual establishment serving Cajun fare, including an etouffee-stuffed po’boy. Closed Mon.-Tues. 496 N. Watkins. 530-6767. L, D, X, $-$$ MAXIMO’S ON BROAD—Serving a tapas menu that features creative fusion cuisine; entrees include veggie paella and fish of the day. Closed Mon. 2617 Broad Ave. 452-1111. D, SB, X, $-$$ MEMPHIS PIZZA CAFE—Homemade pizzas are specialties; also serves sandwiches, calzones, and salads. 2087 Madison. 7265343; 5061 Park Ave. 684-1306; 7604 W. Farmington (Germantown).
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753-2218; 797 W. Poplar (Collierville). 861-7800; 5627 Getwell (Southaven). 662-536-1364. L, D, X, $-$$ MIDPOINTE FROM EDGE ALLEY—Edge Alley’s sister cafe at the Ballet Memphis headquarters focuses on freshness for its breakfast, lunch, and happy hour tapas. Closed Sunday-Monday. 2144 Madison Ave. 4252605. B, L, X, $ MOLLY’S LA CASITA—Homemade tamales, fish tacos, a vegetarian combo, and bacon-wrapped shrimp are a few of the specialties. 2006 Madison. 726-1873. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ NEXT DOOR AMERICAN EATERY—Serves dishes sourced from American farms. Menu features chorizo bacon dates, spicy gulf shrimp, and dry-aged beef burgers. 1350 Concourse Avenue, Suite 165. 779-1512. L, D, X, $ ONIX RESTAURANT—Serves seafood dishes, including barbecued shrimp and pecan-crusted trout, and a variety of salads and sandwiches. Closed Sun. 1680 Madison. 552-4609. L, D, X, $-$$ PAYNE’S BAR-B-QUE—Opened in 1972, this family-owned barbecue joint serves ribs, smoked sausage, and chopped pork sandwiches with a standout mustard slaw and homemade sauce. About as down-toearth as it gets. 1762 Lamar. 272-1523. L, D, $-$$ PHO BINH—Vietnamese, vegetarian, and Cantonese specialties include lemon tofu and spring rolls. Closed Sunday. 1615 Madison. 276-0006. L, D, $ RAILGARTEN—Located in a former rail station space, this eatery offers breakfast items, a variety of salads and sandwiches, and such entrees as short rib mac-and-cheese and fish tacos. Also serves shakes, malts, floats, and cream sodas. 2166 Central. 231-5043. B, L, D, $-$$ RED FISH ASIAN BISTRO—In the former Nineteenth Century Club building, serves sushi, teriyaki, and hibachi. Specialties include yuzu filet mignon and Chilean sea bass. 1433 Union. 454-3926; 9915 Highway 64 (Lakeland). 729-7581; 6518 Goodman (Olive Branch). 662-874-5254. L, D, X, $-$$$ 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.” 2146 Monroe. 590-2828. D, X, $$-$$$ ROBATA RAMEN & YAKITORI BAR—Serves ramen noodle bowls and Yakitori skewers as well as rice and noodle dishes. 2116 Madison. 410-8290. L, D, X, $ SABROSURA—Serves Mexican and Cuban fare, including arroz tapada de pollo and steak Mexican. Closed Sun. 782 Washington. 421-8180. L, D, X, $-$$ SALTWATER CRAB—Offers an array of seafood dishes including boils with blue crab, crab legs, lobster tails, and more, and specialty sushi like the Dynamite or Royal King rolls, in addition to signature sangrias and cocktails. 2059 Madison Ave. 922-5202. L, D, X, $$ SAUCY CHICKEN—Specializes in antibiotic-free chicken dishes with locally sourced ingredients, with such items as hot wings and the Crosstown Chicken Sandwich, and a variety of house-made dipping sauces; also, seafood, salads, and daily specials. 1350 Concourse, Suite 137. 203-3838. L, D (Mon.-Fri.), $ 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, X, $-$$ SEKISUI—Japanese fusion cuisine, fresh sushi bar, grilled meats and seafood, California rolls, and vegetarian entrees. Poplar/Perkins location’s emphasis is on Pacific Rim cuisine. Menu and hours vary at each location. 25 Belvedere. 725-0005; 1884 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 309-8800; 4724 Poplar. 767-7770; 2130 W. Poplar (Collierville). 854-0622; 2990 Kirby-Whitten (Bartlett). 377-2727; 6696 Poplar. 747-0001. L, D, X, $-$$$ STONE SOUP CAFE—Cooper-Young eatery serving soups, salads, quiche, meat-and-two specials; and daily specials such as Italian roast beef. Closed Monday. 993 S. Cooper. 922-5314. B, L, SB, X, $ 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, X, MRA, $-$$
SWEET GRASS—Chef Ryan Trimm takes Southern cuisine to a new level. Low-country coastal cuisine includes such specialties as shrimp and grits. Closed Mon. Restaurant’s “sister,” Sweet Grass Next Door, open nightly, serves lunch Sat.-Sun. 937 S. Cooper. 278-0278. D, SB, X, $-$$$ TAMBOLI’S PASTA & PIZZA—Pasta Maker Josh Tamboli whips up Italian soul food with seasonal menus featuring dishes like crispy fried chicken or creamy bucatini with pecorino cheese. Serves dinner Tuesday-Saturday. Pizza only menu after 9pm. 1761 Madison. 410-8866. D, X, $-$$ TAKASHI BISTRO—Fusion restaurant with an open kitchen that lets customers watch chefs prepare a variety of Japanese and Thai cuisine. 1680 Union Ave. Ste. 109. 800-2936. L, D, $-$$. 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, X, MRA, $$-$$$ ZINNIE’S—Dive bar classic reopens with a makeover and signature Zinnaloni sandwich. 1688 Madison. 7265004. L, D, X, $
SOUTH MEMPHIS (INCLUDES
PARKWAY VILLAGE, FOX MEADOWS, SOUTH MEMPHIS, WINCHESTER, AND WHITEHAVEN)
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, X, $-$$ CURRY BOWL—Specializes in Southern Indian cuisine, serving Tandoori chicken, biryani, tikka masala, and more. Weekend buffet. 4141 Hacks Cross Rd. 207-6051. L, D, $ DELTA’S KITCHEN—The premier restaurant at The Guest House at Graceland serves Elvis-inspired dishes — like Nutella and Peanut Butter Crepes for breakfast — and upscale Southern cuisine — including lamb chops and shrimp and grits — for dinner. 3600 Elvis Presley Blvd. 443-3000. B, D, X, $-$$$ 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, $-$$ THE FOUR WAY—Legendary soul-food establishment dishing up such entrees as fried and baked catfish, chicken, and turkey and dressing, along with a host of vegetables and desserts. Around the corner from the legendary Stax Studio. Closed Monday. 998 Mississippi Blvd. 507-1519. L, D, $ HERNANDO’S HIDEAWAY—Hernando’s Hideaway–No one cares how late it gets; not at Hernando’s Hideaway. Live music, killer happy hour, and plenty of bar fare at this South Memphis hang. 3210 Old Hernando Rd. 917-982-1829. L, D, $ INTERSTATE BAR-B-Q—Specialties include chopped pork-shoulder sandwiches, ribs, hot wings, spaghetti, chicken, and turkey. 2265 S. Third. 775-2304; 150 W. Stateline Rd. (Southaven). 662-393-5699. L, D, X, $-$$ LEONARD’S—Serves wet and dry ribs, barbecue sandwiches, spaghetti, catfish, homemade onion rings, and lemon icebox pie; also a lunch buffet. 5465 Fox Plaza. 360-1963. L, X, $-$$ MARLOWE’S—In addition to its signature barbecue and ribs, Marlowe’s serves Southern-style steaks, chops, lasagne, and more. 4381 Elvis Presley Blvd. 332-4159. D, X, MRA, $-$$ 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, X, MRA, $
SUMMER/BERCLAIR/ RALEIGH/BARTLETT ASIAN PALACE—Chinese eatery serves seafood, vegetarian items, dim sum, and more. 5266 Summer Ave. 766-0831. L, D, X, $-$$ ELWOOD’S SHACK—Casual comfort food includes tacos, pizza and sandwiches. Specialties include meats smoked in-house (chicken, turkey, brisket, pork), barbecue pizza, and steelhead trout tacos. 4523 Summer. 761-9898. B, L, D, X, $
EXLINES’ BEST PIZZA—Serves pizza, Italian dinners, sandwiches, and salads. 6250 Stage Rd. 382-3433; 2935 Austin Peay. 388-4711; 2801 Kirby Parkway. 754-0202; 7730 Wolf River Blvd. (Germantown). 753-4545; 531 W. Stateline Rd. 662-3424544 (check online for additional locations). L, D, X, MRA, $ GRIDLEY’S—Offers barbecued ribs, shrimp, pork plate, chicken, and hot tamales; also daily lunch specials. Closed Tues. 6842 Stage Rd. 377-8055. L, D, X, $-$$ 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. 365-4992. 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, X, $ 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. 761-9321. L, D, X, $-$$ NAGASAKI INN—Chicken, steak, and lobster are among the main courses; meal is cooked at your table. 3951 Summer. 454-0320. D, X, $$ PANDA GARDEN—Sesame chicken and broccoli beef are among the Mandarin and Cantonese entrees; also seafood specials and fried rice. Closed for lunch Saturday. 3735 Summer. 323-4819. L, D, X, $-$$ QUEEN OF SHEBA—Featuring Middle Eastern favorites and Yemeni dishes such as lamb haneeth and saltah. 4792 Summer. 207-4174. L, D, $ SIDE PORCH STEAK HOUSE—In addition to steak, the menu includes chicken, pork chops, and fish entrees; homemade rolls are a specialty. Closed Sun.-Mon. 5689 Stage Rd. 377-2484. D, X, $-$$
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, X, $-$$$ THE BLUFF—New Orleans-inspired menu includes alligator bites, nachos topped with crawfish and andouille, gumbo, po’boys, and fried seafood platters. 535 S. Highland. 454-7771. L, D, X, $-$$ 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, X, $ CHAR RESTAURANT—Specializing in modern Southern cuisine, this eatery offers homestyle sides, char-broiled steaks, and fresh seafood. 431 S. Highland #120. 249-3533. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ DERAE RESTAURANT—Ethiopian and Mediterranean fare includes fuul, or fava beans in spices and yogurt, goat meat and rice, and garlic chicken over basmati rice with cilantro chutney; also salmon and tilapia. Closed Monday. 923 S. Highland. 552-3992. B, L, D, $-$$ EL PORTON—Fajitas, quesadillas, and steak ranchero are just a few of the menu items. 2095 Merchants Row (Germantown). 754-4268; 8361 Highway 64. 380-7877; 3448 Poplar (Poplar Plaza). 452-7330; 1805 N. Germantown Parkway (Cordova). 624-9358; 1016 W. Poplar (Collierville). 854-5770. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ JOES’ ON HIGHLAND—Specializes in fried chicken and comfort sides such as warm okra/green tomato salad and turnip greens. Entrees include salmon patties and chicken-fried steak. Closed Mon. 262 S. Highland. 337-7003. L, D, X, $ MEDALLION—Offers steaks, seafood, chicken, and pasta entrees. Closed for dinner Sunday. 3700 Central, Holiday Inn (Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality). 678-1030. B, L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ OPEN FLAME—This authentic Persian and Mediterranean eatery specializes in shish kebabs as well as kosher and halal fare. 3445 Poplar. 207-4995. L, D, X, $
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OUT-OF-TOWN BOZO’S HOT PIT BAR-B-Q—Barbecue, burgers, sandwiches, and subs. 342 Hwy 70 (Mason, TN). 901-294-3400. L, D, $-$$ CATFISH BLUES—Serving Delta-raised catfish and Cajun- and Southern-inspired dishes, including gumbo and fried green tomatoes. 210 E. Commerce (Hernando, MS). 662-298-3814. L, D, $ CITY GROCERY—Southern eclectic cuisine; shrimp and grits is a specialty. Closed for dinner Sunday. 152 Courthouse Square (Oxford, MS). 662-232-8080. L, D, SB, X, $$-$$$ COMO STEAKHOUSE—Steaks cooked on a hickory charcoal grill are a specialty here. Upstairs is an oyster bar. Closed Sun. 203 Main St. (Como, MS). 662-526-9529. D, X, $-$$$ LONG ROAD CIDER CO.—Specializes in hard apple ciders made with traditional methods. Cafe-style entrees include black-eyed peas with cornbread and greens, chicken Gorgonzola pockets, cider-steamed sausage, and housemade ice creams. Closed Sun.-Wed. 9053 Barret Road. (Barretville, TN). 352-0962. D, X, $ 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, X, $
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CASINO TABLES BOURBON STREET STEAKHOUSE & GRILL AT SOUTHLAND CASINO RACING—1550 Ingram Blvd., West Memphis, AR, 1-800-467-6182 CHICAGO STEAKHOUSE AT THE GOLDSTRIKE—1010 Casino Center Dr., Robinsonville, MS, 1-888-24KSTAY /662-357-1225 FAIRBANKS AT THE HOLLYWOOD—1150 Casino Strip Blvd., Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-871-0711 JACK BINION’S STEAK HOUSE AT HORSESHOE—1021 Casino Center Drive, Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-303-SHOE LUCKY 8 ASIAN BISTRO AT HORSESHOE—1021 Casino Center Drive, Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-303-SHOE THE STEAKHOUSE AT THE FITZ—711 Lucky Ln., Robinsonville, MS, 1-888-766-LUCK, ext 8213 MARSHALL STEAKHOUSE—Rustic steakhouse serves premium Angus beef steaks, seafood dishes, rack of lamb, and more. Breakfast menu features griddle cakes, and lunch offerings include hamburger steak and oyster po’ boys. 2379 Highway 178 (Holly Springs, MS). 628-3556. B, L, D, X, $-$$$ MEMPHIS BARBECUE COMPANY—Offers spare ribs, baby backs, and pulled pork and brisket, along with such sides as mac-and-cheese, grits, and red beans. 709 Desoto Cove (Horn Lake, MS). 662-536-3762. L, D, X, $-$$ NAGOYA—Offers traditional Japanese cuisine and sushi bar; specialties are teriyaki and tempura dishes. 7075 Malco Blvd., Suite 101 (Southaven, MS). 662-349-8788. L, D, X, $-$$$ PANCHO’S—Serves up a variety of Mexican standards, including tacos, enchiladas, and mix-and-match platters; also lunch specials. 3600 E. Broadway (West Memphis, AR). 870-735-6466. 717 N. White Station. 685-5404. L, D, X, MRA, $ PIG-N-WHISTLE—Offers pork shoulder sandwiches, wet and dry ribs, catfish, nachos, and stuffed barbecue potatoes. 6084 Kerr-Rosemark Rd. (Millington, TN). 872-2455. L, D, X, $ RAVINE—Serves contemporary Southern cuisine with an emphasis on fresh, locally grown foods and a menu that changes weekly. Closed Mon.-Tues. 53 Pea Ridge/County Rd. 321 (Oxford, MS). 662-234-4555. D, SB, X, $$-$$$ SAINT LEO’S—Offering sophisticated pizzas, pastas, sandwiches, and salads. A James Beard nominee for Best New Restaurant in 2017. 1101 Jackson (Oxford, MS). 662-234-4555. D, L, WB, $-$$ SNACKBAR—Billed as 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. Chef Vishesh Bhatt was named as Best Chef South by the James Beard Foundation in 2019. 721 N. Lamar (Oxford, MS). 662-236-6363. D, $-$$$ WILSON CAFE—Serving elevated home-cooking, with such dishes as deviled eggs with cilantro and jalapeño, scampi and grits, and doughnut bread pudding. 2 N. Jefferson (Wilson, AR). 870-6550222. L, D (Wed. through Sat. only), X, $-$$$
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Blue’s Clues When a lost chihuahua needed to find his way home, the whole neighborhood was happy to help.
by samuel x. cicci
I
’m not sure what surprised me more: the chihuahua, casually trotting up McLean Blvd. without a care in the world before noticing us and coming to say hi; or rather, the distinctive sweater he wore that looked like it had been air-dropped direct from Bass Pro. We had just locked the door behind us while preparing to pick up takeout from Golden India when this ever-so-friendly dog paused his moonlit stroll and sprinted straight into our yard. He was more taken with my friend than me, no doubt sensing my ingrained aversion to chihuahuas. This one, though, had a tranquility about him: no barking, no yipping, and none of the expected snarling. But most worryingly, this old chihuahua didn’t have a collar. With clean, well-groomed fur and a large sweater emblazoned with the slogan “I’m a Bucks and Ducks Dude,” we figured he wasn’t a stray. Wrapping him in a blanket, we ventured up and down the block, scoping out the neighboring houses and asking any passersby if they knew the owner (this was in the pre-coronavirus days, mind you). No luck. A slight bit of anxiety
began to creep in as I imagined a pair of chihuahua enthusiasts tearing their hair out during an agonizing search for a lost pet. We mulled our options on the patio, fearing that my roommate’s large puppy inside would trample the wizened chihuahua in a playful rampage. It was getting late, and with most locations that could check for a chip closed, we decided to put out a cry for help on the internet. I’ll admit, I was hesitant; the way I interact with the web — gaming, perusing Twitter, and as a member of the news media — much of what you see is a stewing cauldron of, at best, bitter invective. Would anyone be willing to help? We quickly set up entries on the Lost and Found Pets of the Mid-South Facebook page and pawboost.com. The seemingly endless catalog of missing dogs and cats was staggering. How do
work, exchanging tips, scouring the web, and calling contacts in the know about shelters. All the while, our charge just lay in his blanket, lapping at the bowl of water we’d set out for him, without a care in the world. Finally, the golden ticket: A neighbor sent me the link to a new post on pawboost.com. A potential match! The profile featured an old chihuahua named “Blue” who looked very similar to the dog we’d taken in. We called the number and had them verify ownership. Within ten minutes, we bore witness to a joyful, tearful reunion before Blue left for home. I announced the mission’s success on all the requisite platforms; this news prompted a volley of virtual high-fives for all involved. What a big win for a group of people who had never met. Then again, what better way to bring people together than a cute pet? While I don’t currently have a Blue dog, it’s reassuring to know that there are plenty of people in the so many people lose pets? I grumbled to myself, conveniently forgetBluff City who are willing to take ting that my late standard poothe time to reunite a total strangdle, Nelly, easily and frequently er with a missing animal. hopped the courtyard fence and For anyone who does discovtoured the mountainous neigher a lost pet, there’s plenty of borhood at her leisure near my recourse. The digital platforms old Santa Fe home. mentioned above are useful, The posts found traction while the Memphis and Shelby quickly. Comments trickled in County Humane Society is one over the first few such organization minutes, before a that can help. MeanWith clean, wellgrowing number while, veterinary groomed fur and of anonymous comclinics and Memphis mentators entered Fire Department loa large sweater the fray. “Spreading cations can check emblazoned with for chips. And tagthe news!” they read. “Sending prayers for ging your dog’s colthe slogan “I’m a this lost boy!” lar with your phone Bucks and Ducks Next up came a number never hurt, Dude,” we figured either. post on NextDoor, where the wider Later that night, he wasn’t a stray. as we sat in the neighborhood kitchen munching stepped up in a big on tandoori chicken, we still way. The first relevant alert marveled at how many people from Vollintine-Evergreen soon popped into my inbox and I are willing to join together not quickly dialed a phone number. just for Blue, but for the rest of But again, no luck! Yet another the many cats and dogs around lost, collarless chihuahua in MidMemphis trying to find their way home. No negativity, no town. Back to square one. But while I sat there, biting my ridicule, just good intentions. If nails, the burgeoning network only cooperation online were of Ace Venturas continued to this easy the rest of the time.
PHOTOGRAPH BY SAMUEL X. CICCI
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