Memphis magazine, September 2017 by Contemporary Media

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

BEALE STREET FLIPPERS | GREAT HOMES | CATHERINE & MARY’S | ON THE TOWN | ASK VANCE

T H E C I T Y M A G A Z I N E | V O L X L I I N O 6 | S E P T E M B E R 2 017

REACHING THE HEIGHT OF

Fashion

Catching Up

Pat Kerr T igrett W I T H

USA $4.99

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DISPLAY UNTIL OCTOBER 10, 2017

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8 BRANDS WITH OVER 2000 VEHICLES TO CHOOSE FROM

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THE WESTIN MEMPHIS BEALE STREET & BLEU HAVE SOME EXCITING HOLIDAY NEWS! We are already celebrating the season with a sleigh full of incentives for holiday party planners. Book by November 25, 2017 and receive additional incentives! Holiday revelers are encouraged to book now to secure desired dates. For more information please call Lorraine Chatman at 901.334.5924 or email Lorraine.chatman@westinmemphis.com The Westin Memphis Beale Street • 170 Lt. George W. Lee Ave., Memphis, TN 38103 • www.westin.com/bealestreet

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THE DATEJUST The archetype of the modern watch has spanned generations since 1945 with its enduring functions and aesthetics. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just tell time. It tells history.

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SEPTEMBER 23rd 4-7 PM TICKETS $35 IN ADVANCE $45 AT GATE Live music and free food samples provided by the many restaurants at Carriage Crossing, 21 & up event

E R SA R Y Y E R

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Sponsored by

insidememphisbusiness.com For more info about the IMB innovations event, please contact Molly Willmott at 901.832.2085 or molly@insidememphisbusiness.com.

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OU T A ND A BOU T | SEPTEMBER

compiled by samuel x. cicci

2017

Bruno Mars

9.17

PHOTOGRAPH BY SBUKLEY / DREAMSTIME

Bruno Mars 24K Magic Tour

t’s Bruno Mars. What more do we have to say? Get your ticket and dance the night away to “24K Magic,” “Uptown Funk,” and plenty of other danceable hits. FedExForum, 191 Beale St., fedexforum.com

Riley Ferguson, UM quarterback PHOTOGRAPH BY LARRY KUZNIEWSKI

9.16

Cooper-Young Festival

If college football isn’t your thing, then having one of Memphis’ best festivals on a Saturday isn’t a bad alternative. The Cooper-

9.1

ﬁxins’ and load up on bacon, eggs, wafﬂes, Bloody Marys, and other assorted cocktails. Participate in the Bloody Mary contest, play some jenga and cornhole, or just chow down to your heart’s content. Be sure to snag a ticket before they sell out. Corner of Union and Bellevue breakfest901.com

The Art of Dinner Interactive Cooking Class

Expand your prowess in the kitchen with one of Church Health’s cooking courses. Designed to provide participants with healthy and delicious food ideas, classes are led by local culinary talent, and guests are welcome to bring along beer and wine to complement the meal. Church Health, UTHSC, and Le Bonheur have all joined forces to provide these excellent classes, so be sure to attend and expand your recipe repertoire. Church Health Nutrition Hub, 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 142 tickets: eventbrite.com

9.10

Potterfest

Are you a longtime member of the Wizarding World, or simply a muggle interested in learning more about magic? Participate in the Yule Ball, get sorted into your Hogwarts house, play

Potterfest Quidditch, or challenge your rival to a wizarding duel. Food, drinks, and other vendors will be available. Rec Room, 3000 Broad Ave. recroommemphis.com

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Open Crit

Any and all artists looking for feedback should head on down to September’s Open Crit session at Crosstown Arts to promote group discussion on any current or in-progress pieces. A dedicated facilitator will be present, with 15-25 minutes devoted to each artist. Crosstown Arts, 430 N. Cleveland crosstownarts.org

Breakfest901 Cooper-Young Festival

9.16

University of Memphis vs. UCLA

Our very own Tigers have the chance to test their mettle against a “Power Five” team when Pac-12’s UCLA comes to town. Quarterback Riley Ferguson will want to get one over on his Bruins counterpart Josh Rosen, so get your tickets fast and show these Californians that we mean business. Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, 335 S. Hollywood St. gotigersgo.com

Young Festival returns with its lineup of musicians, craftsmen, and cuisine to entertain both locals and out-of-towners, while the athletically minded can participate in the Festival 4-Miler. The 2017 festival will be headlined by Star & Micey. Cooper St. and Young Ave. cooperyoungfestival.com

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Breakfest901

Breakfast might not be the most important meal of the day, but there’s a reason why brunch is so popular. Get your breakfast

9.23

The 2nd Annual Collierville Brewfest

If beer is more up your alley, head over to Collierville for a chance to sample a diverse group of craft brews. At least 20 vendors will be present to serve guests more than 50 different selections of beer, while food samples will be made available from restaurants at Carriage Crossing. Sip local and statewide beer while also enjoying live music. The event beneﬁts Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. 4674 Merchants Park Circle, Collierville, TN tickets: eventbrite.com

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Trevor Noah

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Trevor Noah

The Orpheum will play host to one of Africa’s most successful comedians and the current host of The Daily Show on Comedy

9.30

Wine on the River

Take an international tour through various regions of the world with Wine on the River. Sample vintages

Wine on the River Central. After replacing Jon Stewart at the end of 2014, Noah has continued his rise to prominence with annual comedy specials and a bestselling memoir. Be sure to buy a ticket to experience Noah’s social and political commentary live, as well as learn of his experiences in postapartheid South Africa. The Orpheum Theatre, 203 S. Main St. orpheum-memphis.com

Located in Historic Downtown New Albany, MS and visit our new location On The Square in Oxford, MS

from American and international vineyards, with cultural and regional appropriate food matched with each wine. Delight in the taste of a wide variety of red and white options while overlooking the Mississippi River from Mud Island. Event is 21+ only. Mud Island River Park, 125 N. Front St. wineontherivermemphis. com 4726 Poplar Ave. Suite 6, Memphis, TN 901.590.2022 • Mon-Fri 10am - 5:30am acoinandsilvershop.com

U.S. & World Coins Sterling Silver Flatware Tableware & Jewelry Antique Collectables S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 23

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Many young men have performed with the Beale Street Flippers through the years, wowing audiences on their namesake street. PHOTOGRAPH BY BILLY MORRIS

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THE BE ALE S TREE T FLIPPERS CONTINUE A 30-Y E AR TR ADITION ON MEMPHIS’ MOS T ICONIC S TREE T — A N D B E Y O N D .

by shara clark

efore the sun sets on a Saturday in August, Beale Street is abuzz. Accessorized brides-to-be and their girlfriends walk arm in arm, concertgoers head to FedExForum, and tourists, “Big Ass Beers” in hand, make their way through the crowd. Neon flashes, and live music emanating from one club competes with blues blaring from loudspeakers outside. But amid the commotion, every passerby stops for one quiet moment, lining the sidewalks to catch a focused glimpse of what’s happening on the stretch between Blues City Cafe and King’s Palace. The brick road is clear, save for a handful of shirtless, Nike-clad young men performing for hundreds of spectators. Unlike the Las Vegas strip, New York City’s Times Square, or Bourbon Street in New Orleans — where street performers abound — Memphis’ most iconic street has but one consistent act: the Beale Street Flippers, whose acrobatic feats are known here, and around the world. “That’s amazing!” exclaims one audience member as she captures video on her phone. Others watch, jaws dropped, and pull folded dollars from their wallets, offerings for the Flippers’ tip jar, a bright yellow Silky O’Sullivan’s “diver bucket.” On this night, Earron Bonds (10), Eric Bonds (14), Victor Lewis (18), and Terio Lewis (21) are among those demonstrating incredible athletic skill. For each of them, a running start leads to gravity-defying tumbling. With the force of a quick jump and a hand-spring bounce off the ground, Terio succeeds in nearly a dozen flips, with a few one-handed — and even no-handed — mid-air somersaults, and a suspended twist at the end of his flight for good measure. Applause and cheers rise from the crowd after each run back and forth down Beale. The Flippers, in some incarnation or another, have been a hometown staple for 30 years. “I started this on Beale in 1986,” says Rarecas “Rod” Bonds, founder of the Beale Street Flippers who tumbled on the street for tips when he was in elementary school. A middle child among nine siblings, Rod recalls the first time he brought tip money — which he’d collected in red chitterling buckets — back to his mother at their nearby home on Pontotoc Avenue. “I walked up to my momma counting all the change out on the loveseat, and I said, ‘Momma, can I get 50 cents?’ That’s the fastest 50 cents I ever got in my life.” Coming from a family with 10 kids and half as many aunts and uncles living in the same low-income home in a violence-ridden neighborhood, Rod decided then and there: “I’m going to Beale Street every day.” S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 25

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hat pledge shaped his path. “All my life [has been] on Beale Street,” says Rod, 35. “Most of the things the black community is used to seeing, I’m not used to seeing. It’s like I grew up middle class. Because these people down here took care of me. These people taught me how to read and write, and about taxes. They taught me how to live life.” The people who helped him along the way include some of Beale Street’s longtime bar owners and managers, servers, bartenders, doormen, and kitchen staff. “These people” were the ones who directed customers to check out his act or otherwise looked out for his well-being in the early days, when it was just one kid doing flips with an often unattended tip bucket. Tommy Peters, owner of B.B. King’s; Bud Chittom, owner of Blues City; and Preston Lamm, CEO of River City Management, are among the many named who offered rides home, a watchful eye, and meals. “My mom and family weren’t coming down here every day with me. A lot of [Beale Street] people were involved [in the Flippers’ success], and a part of us as a community,” Rod says. “At the same time, when I’d come

down here, they’d say, ‘Where’s your report card?’” Rod, who put away his flipping shoes a few years back but continues to mentor the “little flippers,” does push-ups in the alley behind Tater Red’s — a home-base of sorts — as he waits for this night’s crew of performers to arrive. He’s short yet stocky, and when engaged in conversation, he smiles often — and big — his pearly whites shine with a diamond sparkle. It’s no wonder he’s managed to build a business entertaining people; he’s charming and animated and knows how to reach the heart with few words. What started as a way to help provide for himself and his family so many years ago — before he turned 10, he says, “I already knew to take care of the family; I knew I was going to buy cereal and milk for the kids” — has grown into a family business. After flipping solo for a while, he began to see more kids from nearby neighborhoods who wanted to flip for tips, so he asked them to join him. No longer a solo “flipper boy,” the Beale Street Flippers were born. His brothers joined, and later, cousins became part of the act. Today, his nephews flip, and the tradition continues. Through the years, as his neighborhood

has been overcome with gang activity, he’s chosen to recruit some of “the rough ones” — kids whose parents aren’t around, or are unable to provide. “I want the kids whose momma put them out. I want the kids who are begging you outside the store because they’re hungry, they need new shoes; they’re standing on the street corners. I want to show them how to do it for themselves,” he says. “Because they’re used to the vibe of the streets. These guys are more susceptible to robbing, stealing, and killing. If you don’t grab them young, they become [those kind of] people. But you can polish them; teach them respect. You can put a shine to them.”

R I S E A ND S HINE

od’s nephew, Eric, who, come the following Monday will start 10th grade at Booker T. Washington High School, recalls Rod’s efforts in Cleaborn Homes, before the housing project’s demolition. When Eric was 5 years old, he and his friends would gather together for lessons. “We’d sit in the ’hood, and he’d teach us how to f lip. Then he’d take us to Beale,” Eric says. “He brought us out of the ’hood. It was good because some

Beale Street Flippers founder, Rarecas “Rod” Bonds (bottom left) built a street act into a business.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY RESOURCEENTERTAINMENT.COM

TA K IN G OF F

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY RESOURCEENTERTAINMENT.COM

Known for acrobatic talent, the Flippers earned a 2007 Guinness World Record for the “longest backﬂip”: 12.7 feet over seven people.

[were in] a bad environment.” Terio Lewis, 21, first met Rod at the YMCA and has been flipping for eight years, and it shows. Tattoos adorn his sculpted physique. A horse-drawn carriage rides down the alley behind Beale as the guys take a quick break at half-past six, and Terio offers the younger Flippers a bit of constructive criticism as they hydrate with Gatorade and water. Some of the dozen or so performers have been out since early afternoon this day, and many will stay until their Beale-mandated 9 p.m. curfew. Terio, a graduate of Overton High School with two years at Southwest Community College on the books, continues to flip for the comradery, and to supplement the income from his day job. On the other end of Beale outside of Dyer’s, Vincent Bright, 24, oversees a half-dozen “little Flippers” who range in age from 5 to 11 and surely aspire to one day do big-time events, like NBA halftime shows around the nation, and beyond, as their mentors Eric, Terio, Vincent, and others have done. But tonight, it’s for tips — and practice. Vincent has 13 years under his belt, so he helps teach them the Flipping ropes. He stands by as the pint-sized acrobats — all smiles as the crowd cheers them on — work their magic. Off of Beale, Vincent enjoys cooking and has pursued continued education in culinary arts.

F L IP P ING OU T

hese a r e just a few of the stories of our hometown boys who’ve carried Memphis’ name across the globe. Rod’s brother, Tommie Bonds, earned a Guinness World Record in Germany in 2007 for the “longest backflip” after soaring 12.7 feet over the backs of seven (crouched) people. Following this feat, the crew was given a permanent local honor by way of their own brass note on Beale. In 2009, members of the group wowed judges on America’s Got Talent, securing a place in the televised quarter-finals in Vegas. Last year, the Flippers performed at the NBA All-Star game in Toronto, Canada. They’ve appeared at countless basketball games, baseball stadiums, and other events through the years, including a run with the Harlem Globetrotters and a trip to China. A story about the Flippers wouldn’t be complete without mention of one of the first-ever big-time moments in the group’s collective history: when an 11-year-old Rod flipped down Beale alongside Tom Cruise during filming of The Firm. His mom heard the film crew was interested in “the Flipper boy,” so she drove to Emmanuel Center Church — where little Rod, then a drum major, was readying for an event — to pick him up. “My momma come running in the church like she was having a heart attack. She said, ‘Boy, come here! Tom Cruise is looking

for you!’ I had no idea who Tom Cruise was,” he laughs. His mother took him to the Radisson Hotel downtown, where, Rod says, “a thousand people come up to me, talking and taking pictures. I didn’t know what was going on; didn’t know nothing about the scene. But when the man said, ‘Flip!’ I said OK.” This was perhaps the first taste of fame for any of the Flippers, who have since shared a piece of Memphis’ non-musical soul far and wide. But times have changed on the street, both with the economy — tips have dwindled — and with the new blood on Beale, in the street’s police force and management. “They’re looking at us like we’re just street guys, like young bad black kids,” says Rod. “But I’ve got a 50/50 chance with these kids. I’m going to lose some of them to the streets or to gang violence, but they might successfully go on.” That hope for success drove many of the Flippers out of bad neighborhoods, and Rod continues to push as many as he can in the right direction, to keep them occupied during summers and after school and put some well-earned and much-needed money in their pockets. As it has helped steer some toward a better path, it has also been a positive drive for our city and the group’s namesake street. “I know some people look at us like just some street kids,” Rod says, “but these street kids took Memphis and promoted Memphis all over the world for the last 30 years.” S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 27

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NIGHT.

Life.

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DALL AS IS A CIT Y WITH M ANY SIDEs. That’s what makes it such a great place to visit. Take in the largest zoological experience in Texas at the award-winning Dallas Zoo. Then experience the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden at the Dallas Arboretum or explore the Trinity River Audubon Center in the Great Trinity Forest. At night, unleash your own wild side at a Deep Ellum club, laid-back lounge or exclusive speakeasy. With every hot spot and habitat imaginable, you’ll love being a party animal in Dallas.

Get the most out of your getaway and learn more about CityPASS at VisitDallas.com.

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COME SEE THE Many Sides of Dallas STARPLEX SUMMER CONCERT SERIES The biggest musical acts come to Dallas for a concert series like you’ve never seen or experienced—including One Republic, Zac Brown Band, Luke Bryan and many more. Come see the stars under the stars in an open-air venue without a bad seat in the house.

WHEN? All September long

WHERE? Starplex Pavilion

STATE FAIR OF TEXAS

—presenting sponsor of opening day

A massive three-week celebration of all things Texan, the State Fair of Texas is the can’t-miss event of the fall. See the world-famous Big Tex and ride the 212-foot Texas Star Ferris wheel, plus experience every aspect of Texas culture—including college football, live music, art, livestock exhibits, history and, of course, lots and lots of food—all in one exciting place.

WHEN? September 29 through October 22

WHERE? Fair Park, Dallas

TEXAS MONTHLY: THE EDGE OF TEXAS Presented by:

Visit Dallas for a one-of-a-kind event, featuring an immersive weekend that explores the best stories, ideas and people that Texas has to offer. From food to fashion, cuisine to culture, come see everything that puts Texas on the cutting edge.

WHEN? November 10 & 11

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WHERE? All across downtown Dallas

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Here, T here

E verywhere

A N D

Pat Kerr T igrett W I T H

by mary miles loveless

ou know how it is with old friends. Even if you haven’t seen each other for years, or even decades, when you finally see each other again, you can just pick up where you left off. That’s exactly what happened when Pat Kerr Tigrett and I spent quality time together again for the first time in nearly three decades. The last major article Memphis magazine published about Pat was in May 1989, when we featured her and her husband John’s spectacular new Waterford Plaza penthouse on the cover. Earlier, I had written a cover story (September 1983) when Pat was merely three years into her couture fashion business and basking in the glow of her first spectacularly successful New York fashion show at the Plaza Hotel.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY LARRY KUZNIEWSKI / COLOR RETOUCHING BY CHARLIE REYNOLDS

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More than 30 years of jampacked activity have gone by since. Perhaps we at Memphis didn’t feel the need to rehash events that were exhaustively covered by myriad other news outlets, both local and national. Perhaps we felt we sort of were staying in touch, because she has been a perennial fixture in our annual “Who’s Who in Memphis.” But then again, perhaps, we’ve been simply missing the boat. By way of making amends, I traveled again last month to her Waterford Plaza penthouse, where this whirlwind force-ofnature seems as energetic and engaged as always, but these days also in possession of a measure of serenity as she reflects upon her remarkable career.

Pat’s true genius is her innate ability to create synergy, collaboration, and excitement in everything she does.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY LARRY KUZNIEWSKI

igrett’s familiar riverfront home seems very much unchanged, featuring many of the same mementos, photos, and art from nearly 30 years ago. But there are more than a few new items that deserve note. Wall-sized LeRoy Neiman paintings of Elvis superimposed on sheet music reflect her passion for Memphis music and her support of music-related ventures here. A bright blue-lacquered grand piano holds a dramatic spot in the living room; if you look carefully, there are Sharpie markings scrawled near

top: Pat Tigrett’s Waterford Plaza penthouse offers sweeping views of the Mississippi River, with the “Big M” bridge visible in the distance. above left: “Soul Men” David Porter and Isaac Hayes signed Pat’s brightblue piano after a party in her home. above center: This illuminated Gibson guitar, with images of B.B. King, was one of many instruments auctioned off at the Blues Balls. above right: The Elvis painting was painted for Pat by the Russian artist Vladimir Gorsky, who was a frequent guest of the Tigretts. left: Leroy Neiman was a family friend and the “ofﬁcial artist” of the Blues Ball for 20 years. This painting of Regent’s Park in London includes Pat and John Tigrett, son Kerr, and Armand Hammer (circled).

the keyboard. During one of Pat’s legendary parties, Soul Men Isaac Hayes and David Porter signed Pat’s piano. Tragedy was averted the next morning, when she narrowly prevented her zealous and horrified Brazilian housekeeper from scrubbing off the priceless autographs. These are the kinds of tales that have filled Tigrett’s charmed and charming life, made all the more engaging by the way she tosses them off so lightly. One other thing that seems not to have changed since she moved downtown is Tigrett herself. Glamour personified, she appears untouched by the years, sporting impeccably lined cornflower blue eyes, wavy chestnut hair falling naturally to her shoulders, expressive and perfectly manicured hands, and a huge smile. She bursts into the room in a casual outfit of black

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY COURTESY PAT KERR TIGRETT

top and leggings, accented by fringed ankle boots and a tasseled lime-green scarf. While a lady never tells her age — and others should never ask — a little sleuthing around significant dates puts Pat well into her seventh decade — a fact that no one meeting her would ever believe.

f you’re new to town, you may well be wondering just who this Pat Tigrett really is, and why she’s on the cover of this magazine. Here’s why: She’s a wildly successful and talented designer of couture evening and wedding gowns that feature the antique lace she’s been collecting nearly all her life. She’s a tireless Memphis civic booster who’s been the mastermind behind some of the city’s splashiest events of recent history, including the lighting of the Hernando DeSoto Bridge in 1986 and the “Big Dig” groundbreaking ceremony for The Pyramid in 1989. She’s the creator of some of Memphis’ most impressive public celebrations — the Blues Ball (celebrating Memphis music), the Moonshine Ball (celebrating “great things happening in Memphis”), the Jingle Bell Ball for children —

all of which have raised money for children’s charities and Memphis music and musicians. She’s a philanthropist whose board memberships include St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, ALSAC, Memphis in May, the Memphis and Shelby County Film and Television Commission,

Leadership Memphis, and the University of Memphis, among many others. Most importantly, she’s the wife of the late John Burton Tigrett and mother of their son, Kerr. A fascinating Jackson, Tennessee, native, John Tigrett became a prominent international business figure, often partnering with magnates like Armand Hammer and Sir James Goldsmith. An inventor at heart, he patented the net baby playpen, among many others; his son from his first marriage, Isaac, founded the Hard Rock Café and the House of Blues. The details on this list, however, do not touch upon what has been Pat’s true genius, namely her innate ability to create synergy, collaboration, and excitement in everything she does. “Always in groups of celebrities,” Pat recalls, “I was the ‘fun person.’

I love mischief.” She has produced parties and public events on a scale never before seen in Memphis, frequently including her many celebrity friends. Her life’s motto could well be “Make Sure to Have Fun While Doing Good.” For example, in lighting the Hernando DeSoto Bridge, instead of merely soliciting large corporate sponsorships, she “sold” the lights stretching across the arches bulb by bulb, so that individual Memphians would have literal ownership in the endeavor. She even cajoled then-school Superintendent Willie W. Herenton into allowing her to raise pennies from the schoolchildren to buy their own light, and to hold a poster-drawing contest within the schools. The whole city turned out for the “Ol’ Man River Gets Lit” festival when the lights were set ablaze for the first time.

top left: A selection of Pat Kerr gowns was featured in the Fifth Avenue showroom windows of Trump Tower on opening day, 1983. center left: It’s all in the details, as shown in the ﬂowers incorporated into an Edwardian-style court gown. center: Sloane Margaret Tigrett, one of Pat’s two granddaughters, slumbers peacefully in a lovely lace outﬁt designed for her by Pat. above: It’s no surprise that Pat designed the wedding gown for her new daughter-in-law, Melanie (shown here) when she married John and Pat’s son, Kerr, at the James Goldsmith estate in Mexico.

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T H E

Pat Kerr T igrett

Scrapbook 1985 – Pat Kerr dress is featured in all advertising for premiere of Estee Lauder’s “Beautiful” fragrance.

The many accomplishments of Pat Kerr Tigrett (shown here at six months, in a dress designed by her mother) could ﬁll volumes. This timeline sketches some of the milestones in her varied and fascinating life.

Tigrett marry at the James Goldsmith estate in Mexico.

1973 – Marries John Burton Tigrett; moves to London.

1959 – Voted “Most Likely to Succeed” at Central High School in Savannah, Tennessee.

1986 – Hernando DeSoto

Bridge lighting, co-chaired by Pat and Henry Turley.

1960 – Wins the “Miss Memphis” pageant. 1963 - Earns a bachelor of

ﬁne arts degree from Memphis State University.

2007 – Kerr and Melanie

1994 – Creates and chairs the ﬁrst annual Blues Ball, “to honor Memphis music and musicians.”

1995 – “Celebrations of Life” fashion show at The Peabody commemorates Pat Kerr, Inc.’s 15th anniversary.

1977 – Son Harrison Kerr Tigrett is born.

1997 – Recipient of Victoria

1989 – “The Big Dig”

groundbreaking for The Pyramid, chaired by Pat.

magazine’s “A Star in Our Crown” award for “outstanding support and service.”

2008 – Margaret Harrison Kerr, Pat’s mother, dies at 90. 2010 – Fashion show at Lincoln Center, NYC, marks 30th anniversary year of Pat Kerr, Inc. 2013 – Opening of

Kensington Palace “Fashion Rules” exhibition in London, featuring one of the Princess Diana dresses owned by Pat.

2015 – Chairs the ﬁnal

Blues Ball, which had raised $1.4 million over the years for Pat’s Memphis Charitable Foundation.

1980 – Launches Pat Kerr,

Inc., billed as the ﬁrst American couture bridal business.

1989 – Brides magazine’s Iris

1964 – Wins the

“Miss Tennessee Universe” competition.

1965 – Purchases the Miss

Tennessee Universe franchise, owning it for 12 years and turning it into the third-largest state competition in the U.S.

1983 – Holds her ﬁrst major fashion show, an American Cancer Society beneﬁt at New York City’s Plaza Hotel.

1984 – Holds fashion show at New York’s Hard Rock Cafe.

1985 – Pat and John move into Waterford Plaza penthouse in downtown Memphis.

1989 – First Nutcracker Ball (beneﬁt for Ballet Memphis); Also, ﬁrst Jingle Bell Ball. 1991 – The Pyramid, pet project of John Tigrett, opens. 1992 – Inducted into The Society of Entrepreneurs, saying, “Entrepreneurship embodies the spirit of the creative world of business and separates it from the mundane.”

1997 – Buys four of Princess Diana’s gowns for $133,400 at Christie’s auction in London. 1999 – John Tigrett dies at age 85; Blues Ball that year is dedicated to her husband.

2005 – Pat Kerr holds 25th Anniversary Fashion Show and Retrospective at Memphis’ Cannon Center.

2017 – Opening of the

Kensington Palace show, “Diana: Her Fashion Story,” in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the Princess’ death, and featuring two of Pat’s Princess Diana dresses.

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY PAT KERR TIGRETT

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY PAT KERR TIGRETT

In 1989, Tigrett tented the interior of the ballroom at The Peabody, decorated it elaborately, and held The Nutcracker Ball on a Saturday night to benefit Ballet Memphis. To get the most bang for the buck, she kept the decorations intact, and then held the first Jingle Bell Ball — separate, back-to-back children’s parties for three different age divisions — the next afternoon. Her annual Jingle Bell Balls have been known to draw as many as 6,000 children. Her Blues Balls always pulled together disparate groups of partygoers, utilizing her signature stratagem of the “Host Committee.” Tigrett enlists crowds of friends as co-hosts, whose names are listed on the huge, origami-like invitations she designs, ensuring that a large swath of sup-

The political elite enjoyed the Blues Balls. Shown in 2011 are current and former mayors Bill Morris, Willie Herenton, Dick Hackett, and Mark Luttrell.

porters will come to the event and have an investment in its success. She does much the same for her other events; her fashion shows always double as fundraisers for worthy causes. “Pat operates like a butterfly — always flitting from idea to idea,” explains her younger sister, Jana, for many years her business manager.

at Tigrett has had no end of professional successes, but underlying all her achievements is the strength she long derived from her relationship with her late husband, John. She uses the word “hilarious” to describe their courtship in 1973. “I was dating a guy and I told John, ‘I am so tied up, there is not the slightest chance. Plus, you’re the age of my father.’” He persisted, flying to New York when he knew she’d be there, and coaxed her into meeting him for a drink, on her way to another engagement. “I ran in and had a couple of sips of champagne, and then I got up to leave,” she remembers. “And he says, ‘Well, what are we going to do?’ And I say, ‘Well, we are not going to do anything. I’m gone.’” She wasn’t gone for long. John Tigrett persevered and proposed on the third date; six months later they were married. “He was such a gentleman and a great guy, and the world’s greatest negotiator. There was no way you could win if John Tigrett set his mind on something. One of the really lovely things about him — he was so confident. Honestly, God is scary smart, because He knows who to put together.”

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“We were on the phone all the time to each other when we weren’t with each other, and [that day] he hadn’t called,” Pat recalls. “So I kept calling.

“Honestly, God is scary smart,because He knows

who to put together.” Anyone who ever saw Pat and John together recognized the warmth and tenderness they had for each other. He doted upon her, and she returned the affection. They teased, bantered, and lifted each other up. Today, almost 20 years after his passing, she still gets wistful as she tells the story of his passing. In the spring of 1999, despite a long and serious illness — he was in and out of the Mayo Clinic — John still traveled regularly. On May 18th he was in Washington, D.C., with his son Kerr, then attending the University of Virginia, along with FedEx founder Fred Smith and his son, Richard, also a student at UVA. The two families were very close.

her to come over to me. She said, ‘You have to sit down,’ and I looked at her and she burst into tears, and I asked, ‘Is it that John’s gone?’ She said yes, so that was the beginning.” John was buried on their family farm in Savannah with only Pat’s family and the Smith family in attendance, and with Kerr delivering the eulogy. Days later, a much larger sendoff was held at the Orpheum for a larger-than-life man. Al Gore sent a videotaped message, Fred Smith spoke, and Isaac Hayes sang a verse from “So Glad You Were Born,” a Christmas carol John had once commissioned as a gift for Pat.

Always stylish, Pat and John Tigrett are shown outside their home in the heart of London.

“It’s funny how life knows what’s getting ready to happen. About noon the phone rang and it was Diane [Smith], and she said, ‘Oh, you’re home,’ and hung up. And in about two seconds she arrived at my door. Fred had called

hortly thereafter, Pat and Kerr decamped for London, where Kerr took a job in a communications business owned by a friend, Matthew Freud. Pat returned shortly to Memphis. “I was really lost,” she says. “I was just devastated — we had been married almost 26 years. Kerr was in London, John was gone, and I was suddenly 100 percent alone. It was an interesting adjustment for me, and I literally traveled all the time. I kept myself really busy. I painted, I traveled, I read, for two years. It was a period that I almost don’t remember. “After those two years, I started back to what I had been doing — the collecting, the fashion shows, and the creative part of me just roared again. You just have to ‘jerk yourself up by the bootstraps,’ as my family would say, and keep

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY PAT KERR TIGRETT

After they married, Pat and John lived in London, where she continued her lace collecting in earnest. Before long, she began designing her signature dresses, garnering positive attention in the rarified atmosphere they inhabited as they traveled the world. After their son Kerr was born in 1977, however, the family started spending more time in Memphis. John’s death may well be the defining event of Pat’s past 20 years.

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on going. So that’s what I did.” Pat has continued her passion for collecting — and sharing — all manner of British Royal clothing and memorabilia, from Queen Victoria’s knickers to a silver bowl that once belonged to Lillie Langtry, one of King Edward’s mistresses. She owns a trove of items that belonged to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and architectural artifacts that came out of Queen Elizabeth’s mother’s home. “I really do have amazing things that are historic,” she says, “and I’ve got to decide what I’m going to do with them all.” Perhaps the crown jewels of her collection are four of Princess Diana’s gowns, which she bought at the auction Prince William encouraged his mother to have in 1997 to raise money for charity. Since the Princess’ death, the dresses have taken on more significance, and Pat has been loaning them for exhibits — first at the Tennessee State Museum, and now at Kensington Palace in London. “What I’m doing with Diana’s gowns,” she says, “is to try to help children — to honor Diana’s legacy. This is what I think I’m meant to do.” Pat Tigrett has continued designing, working out of her Memphis penthouse atelier, receiving her mostly out-of-town clients for consultations and fittings. But her role as a designer now takes a backseat to her relatively new role as adoring (and adored) grandmother. Her son Kerr and his wife Melanie, who moved to Nashville two years ago, have two daughters, ages 7 and 2, along with Melanie’s 16-year-old son. Pat will race up I-40 at the drop of a hat just to see what the crew is up to. The 7-year-old, who’s named for Pat’s late mother Margaret, shares many characteristics with her grandmom. “She and I really communicate,” says Pat. “She’s creative and lives in her own world.” Music is another passion of Pat’s, as it was of John’s. She promotes Memphis music on a large scale, through events like the Blues Ball, and on a small scale, by supporting and championing individuals. Recently, she took a young musician — “he has talent exuding from every pore” — under her wing and gave him some tough talk, admonishing him against a potentially career-crippling move. He reluctantly took her advice, later thanking her for her fierce determination and “unfiltered honesty.”

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Lady,” she put together a collection of more than 100 hats; these were featured in both local and national publications. Speaking of her fashion origins, Pat says, “I learned the importance of stitches and the length of stitches and ‘if you can’t do it right, don’t do it!’ If I ever write a book, that will probably be the title: If You Can’t Do It Right, Don’t Do It! That’s a lesson of my mother that permeates my brain every day of my life. “I’ve had lots of things occur in my life that were challenging, but I will tell you that I feel so blessed. The strength I have, and any secret that I might have, come strictly from the way I was raised by my family. I was the genetic sweepstakes winner in the lottery of life with my parents, and we were just so blessed.” Pat Tigrett still charges through life at a breakneck pace. “I’m absolutely passionate about everything I do, because I throw myself

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totally into it with abandon. I may get focused on four other things at the same time, but it’s something that’s just always worked for me.” But nevertheless, Pat has a certain calm and peace about her. In the early days of her business, she needed to prove herself, but that’s no longer necessary. Perhaps now she’s thinking about her legacy. “I have never worked a day in my life,” Pat says, “and yet I have worked every day of my life, just because I have enjoyed it so much.” Going forward, she sees herself doing “more of the same” — art, collecting, designing, the charitable foundation, creating. “I love creating spaces that make people smile, like the Blues Ball,” she says. On her patio overlooking the river, she breaks away from conversation. “Oh, look at the sky. It’s just all blue tonight, like Picasso colors — the Blue Period. So beautiful. Behind you, there’s a streak of pink — a lonely little pink cloud. “The Mississippi River is like a magnet,” she continues. “I’m a Cancer — drawn to water. It equalizes me. It just gives me such peace in the afternoons to be here. The security of home has been my secret strength.” Pat Kerr Tigrett is at home in Memphis on the Mississippi River, and at home with herself. “I tell you, the thing that I am is grateful. I really am grateful. I just feel so good.”

PHOTOGRAPHS BY LARRY KUZNIEWSKI

to be here.”

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Your Money or My Life My drugs cost $190,000, and you’re picking up the tab. by ed w e at her s

have a disease called idiopathic membranous glomerular nephritis. Try saying that three times fast. Then try paying $38,000 per teaspoon for the only drug that might keep me alive.

My disease results in a secondary condition called “nephrotic syndrome.” All this

means that my immune system is mistakenly attacking my kidneys and causing them to mishandle protein. Instead of putting protein in my blood, where it belongs, they put it in my urine, where it doesn’t. I’ve taken ten pages’ worth of tests — X-rays, MRIs, innumerable blood samplings — and still no one knows why my body started acting this befuddled way — hence the term “idiopathic,” meaning, “who the heck knows?” S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 39

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Your Money or My Life

One in three Americans is at risk for some kind of kidney disease. My primary symptom is edema — the buildup of fluid under the skin that causes me to bloat and gain weight. Without pee-inducing diuretics to help drain away the fluid, I end up looking blubbery all over — kind of like a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade balloon. In August of 2016 I went from 160 pounds to 182 pounds in ten days. That’s when I knew something was wrong. (I’m six feet tall and, usually, skinny.) I’m also tired a lot and have had to give up tennis and most of my long-form writing — I can’t handle the hours at the computer. I can still play golf, as long as I ride. I’m in no pain. I’m not asking for sympathy. What I am asking is for someone to do something about the U.S. pharmaceutical industry and the price of drugs. Certain members of Big Pharma are engaged, it seems to me, in a form of medical extortion: “Pay us, or die.” You could also call it a protection racket. The amount of money these drug companies demand is obscene. In this case, I’m the victim. No, actually, if you’re a healthy American taxpayer, you’re the victim. I’ll explain shortly.

f I don’t go into remission, my kidneys will stop functioning within 24 to 36 months. That means dialysis, transplant, or death. At this point, my best chance of going into remission is to take a drug called Acthar gel. That’s the advice from my Columbia University Medical Center doctor, who happens to be one of the world’s leading authorities on this disease. (As a Columbia alumnus, I had connections.) Acthar gel is injected at home, do-it-yourself. It doesn’t hurt, but it’s still no fun injecting yourself, so I get my partner Gail to do it, twice a week, into a muscle in my thigh. If nothing else, this whole situation has reminded me once again that Gail is a saint. Now about money: Every two and a half weeks, I get a delivery of Acthar gel from a specialized pharmacy called Accredo Health Group. The drug comes in 5-milliliter vials. Five milliliters is about a teaspoon. I get five injections per vial. Each vial, about the size of a thimble, costs $38,000. You read that right: a thimble of this medicine costs $38,000. I will need at least five thimbles, maybe ten. That means my Acthar treatments will cost me (actually, you) $190,000 — more, if I need more treatments. Acthar is reported to be one of the five most expensive drugs in the world. It was pretty funny when the UPS guy who delivered my first vial dropped the package it was in onto the front lawn. Fortunately, it was packaged as tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of magic juice ought to be packaged — in a beer-cooler-sized Styrofoam container — and the little insanely expensive vial was unharmed. Acthar gel has been around for more than 60 years. It has long been used to treat infantile seizures and symptoms of multiple sclerosis. It’s made from the

glands of pigs slaughtered in the meat houses of Middle America. Originally it was made by the Armour meat-packing company. Yes, my $38,000-per-teaspoon medicine was originally discovered and marketed by the folks most famous for making hotdogs. Until the year 2001, Acthar gel, then still manufactured by Armour, cost only about $40 per thimble-sized vial. Then Armour sold the rights to the drug to a pharmaceutical giant called Questcor. By 2007 Questcor had raised the price to $23,000 per thimbleful. In 2013 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued Questcor for buying the rights to a synthetic version of Acthar used in Europe and quashing the studies of the synthetic in the U.S. so it could continue to make huge profits from natural Acthar gel. The FTC fined Questcor $100 million. In 2014, a Big Pharma company called Mallinckrodt, which is registered in Ireland and which has U.S. headquarters in St. Louis, bought Questcor and ended up with control of Acthar gel. Malinckrodt raised the price of Acthar gel to the current $38,000 per thimble-sized vial. Mallinckrodt paid off the $100 million fine Questcor owed for trying to quash the synthetic drug and promised to do testing on the effectiveness of the synthetic substitute. I don’t know if it has done that. In recent years, researchers discovered, more or less by accident, that, in addition to helping with infantile seizures and multiple sclerosis, Acthar gel sometimes seems to bring about remission of nephrotic syndrome — my main kidney problem. My own doctor did part of that research, some of it supported by Mallinckrodt. I try not to think about any possible conflicts of interest; I trust my doctor, who makes it clear in his published articles that he has accepted no personal money directly from Mallickrodt for speeches, honorariums, salaries, or anything else. If I get better, I’ll be glad Mallinckrodt sponsored his research. As of this moment, the cheaper synthetic version of Acthar is not approved in the U.S. for use on nephrotic syndrome, but it is approved in Europe. Mallinckrodt has a monopoly on Acthar gel. No one else can make it or sell it in the U.S. It is an “orphan drug,” meaning relatively few people take it — fewer than 10,000 or so. In order to motivate a company to make it, the government allows the patent-holder basically to charge whatever it wants; otherwise, given the few patients using it, the company supposedly wouldn’t make enough money to make it worth their while to produce it. Yet, despite the few patients using it, Mallinckrodt is now reported to earn about $1 billion per year from Acthar gel alone. That’s “billion.” Mallinckrodt says that it has donated more than $774 million in Acthar at no cost to patients, but it’s still making $1 billion per year from this one drug. Mallinckrodt is not donating anything to me, and there’s no need for it to. I get my donations from you, the healthy American taxpayer. Here’s how that works.

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Acthar costs. The folks at Accredo then suggested any of us who must take Acthar I call Express Scripts to double-check that inforfor nephrotic syndrome are on Medicare. mation. I’m 71 years old, so I have Medicare and, Express Scripts is an opaque company that lucky for me, Medicare Part D — the drug element handles drugs for Medicare. It also has some kind of Medicare — which usually covers about 95 of business relationship with Accredo Pharmacy, percent of one’s drug costs. Medicare is reported the maker of my drug. Medicare won’t approve to pay out at least $500 million a year to cover the the use of a drug unless Express Scripts gives the costs of Acthar gel for folks like me. okay. Those of us dealing with a long-term disI suggest you read that previous sentence again: ease and expensive drugs live in fear that Express $500 million in taxpayer dollars — your dollars — Scripts will not approve the drugs we need to use. is spent to cover a single drug used by relatively They have a “formulary” that lists approved drugs. few people. I am, essentially, on pharmaceutical Acthar was not on Express Scripts’ published 2017 welfare. If you’re a healthy taxpayer, you’re paying formulary, so I was worried that Medicare Part D my drug bills through Medicare and, probably, wouldn’t cover my drug other insurance. at all. Before I agreed to take Fortunately, Express Acthar, I of course went Scripts said that they online to find out how would cover part of my much it costs. I quickly Acthar costs. Like Acgrew pale: I couldn’t crredo, they also called afford $38,000 per teait a “specialty” drug and spoon. It was time to look said I’d have to pay 20 into my insurance. percent of my Acthar I’m a reasonably costs instead of just 5 intelligent person. As a percent (what I’d pay if writer, I know how to do it were not a specialty research. Nevertheless, drug). I figured my outI quickly got lost in the of-pocket cost should forest of insurance. As I then have been 20 persaid, I’m on plain Medicent of $190,000 (about care, but that covers just $38,000) for five vials of doctors and operations Acthar gel, but for some (I think), not drugs. I reason I never underalso pay $350 per month On the simplest level, the principle is this: stood, a supervisor at for Anthem Blue Cross Express Scripts estimated and Blue Shield insurthe “free market” has never worked when my total out-of-pocket ance that supplements cost would be only somemy Medicare coverage a company is allowed a monopoly on a where around $20,000. with eye and dental So, after all these coverage and that innecessary product, whether that product insurance calls, I figured cludes Medicare Part D, I’d end up paying, out of which covers drug costs. is steel, oil, or Acthar. my own pocket, co-payI hoped Medicare Part ments totaling between $20,000 and $38,000 for D, a taxpayer-subsidized program, would cover my Acthar gel. Yes, that’s a lot for five thimbles of most of my Acthar costs. It should have been simmedicine, but it wouldn’t bankrupt me. Quite. ple to call someone to find out. At that point, I went back to Mallinckrodt, It was not simple at all. which had told me there were nonprofit organizaI started with Mallinckrodt, the company that tions that might help me with my Acthar co-payowns the rights to the drug. They said I should ments, whatever they came out to be. Indeed, the talk to the folks at Accredo Pharmacy, which, as I company connected me with a nonprofit called said, makes the drug for Mallinckrodt and delivers The Assistance Fund that helps not-rich people it to patients. At first, the folks at Accredo told me pay for their drugs. When I told The Assistance that because Acthar was a “specialty” drug, my Fund that I needed Acthar to deal with my “idioMedicare Part D insurance would pay only 80 perpathic membranous glomerular nephritis” — the cent of its cost, leaving me to pay, they estimated, full name of my disease — they told me they about $5,800 for each little vial of Acthar — about couldn’t help me, because Acthar is “off label” for $29,000 total for the five vials I’d need. If it were that disease. not a specialty drug, I was told, Medicare Part D “Off label” is a frightening phrase for those of us would cover 95 percent, not just 80 percent, of my

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Your Money or My Life

My costs are being covered by three groups of people: 1) you — the American taxpayer who pays into Medicare; 2) healthy people who pay their insurance premiums and thus allow insurance companies to cover people when they get sick, and 3) the donors to The Assistance Fund. taking drugs for a relatively uncommon disease; it means the drug has not yet been approved for that particular disease. When I then explained to The Assistance Fund folks that my disease also led to my experiencing “nephrotic syndrome,” they perked right up: “Oh, that’s okay then!” they said. “We cover that!” What’s in a name. . . . So, between Medicare, Medicare Part D, and The Assistance Fund, other people are covering almost the full cost of my medicine. I guess this makes me a medical mooch. At the moment, when I get a vial of Acthar gel, I send just $10 to the pharmacy that delivers it to me. My costs are being covered by three groups of people: 1) You — the American taxpayer who pays into Medicare; 2) healthy people who pay their insurance premiums and thus allow insurance companies to cover people when they get sick, and 3) the donors to The Assistance Fund. As I said, you’re paying at least $190,000 (maybe, ultimately, $380,000 if I need more treatments) to help me keep my kidneys. Like a lot of the long-term sick, I have bad

dreams about going to my mailbox tomorrow and finding a letter from Medicare or my insurance company that says, “Oops, sorry! You’re not really covered!” and I will be hit with a bill for hundreds of thousands of dollars that will send me to the poorhouse. All of this in order for Mallinckrodt to make a billion dollars per year from a drug the company didn’t invent or even do the original medical research on. As if dealing with the price of Acthar gel and navigating a Byzantine insurance system aren’t enough, I have come across one more circumstance I find a bit unsettling: There are big-money investors on Wall Street who hope I die.

f you Google “Acthar gel,” you are directed to a number of websites. Some, sponsored by Mallinckrodt, tell you how wonderful the drug is. Some, like The New York Times or Washington Post sites, run excellent articles about the history and cost of Acthar gel. Some are online medical journal articles — a few by my own doctor — that detail the research being done on the drug.

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And then there are a couple of sites that tell you how dangerous Acthar gel is and how evil Mallinckrodt is. These sites tell you how many people get sicker or die while taking Acthar. They tell you that the government is going to crack down on Mallinckrodt and shrink its profits or put it out of business. It took just a little digging to discover that these sites were created by Wall Street investors who want Mallinckrodt to fail and, by extension, want me to die. These investors are known as “short sellers.” Simply put, they make money when a stock goes down. There is a notorious Wall Street short seller named Andrew Left who is reported to have a giant multimillion-dollar short-position stake in Mallinckrodt. Andrew Left wants Mallinckrodt’s stock to tank. As I imagine it, that means he wants me to die. If I do, he’ll make money. Trace back the websites focusing on Mallinckrodt’s failures and villainy and you usually come to Andrew Left. So Mallincrodt makes money if my kidneys recover, and Andrew Left makes money if my kidneys fail. Nice to know that, whatever happens to me, there’s a profit in it for somebody. But not for you — the American taxpayer — or for me.

No one is going to refill our wallets. I don’t think there’s a need here to go into a long policy screed about obscenely high prices for drugs like Acthar gel. On the simplest level, the principle is this: the “free market” has never worked when a company is allowed a monopoly on a necessary product, whether that product is steel, oil, or Acthar. That’s why we have laws forbidding monopolies on oil and steel and other necessary products. I can tell you this: If your child has seizures, your spouse has multiple sclerosis, or your kidneys might otherwise expire in two years, Acthar gel — the $38,000-per-thimble drug — is, if nothing bloody else, necessary. Meanwhile, Big Pharma continues to run a protection racket, and we pay whatever they ask. I’m lucky. I’m getting the medicine I need, and I’m not going broke. Now I want to thank all of you for picking up the tab. Ed Weathers was an editor at Memphis magazine from 1977 to 1991. He later worked as an editor for the New York Times Magazine Group and as a writing instructor at Virginia Tech. He is now retired and lives in Blacksburg, Virginia.

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“A CAREER BUILT UPON TRUST”

AFTERWORD: I explained here that I am not looking for sym-

pathy. Despite my kidney disease, I am in no pain, I can play golf, and I can do the everyday things of everyday life. But you might sympathize with me for one thing: I have had to give up handshakes, hugs, and children. Because I have an autoimmune disease, meaning my body’s immune system is attacking my own kidneys, I must take various immunosuppressant drugs in addition to the Acthar gel. The theory, I think, is that these drugs will put my misbehaving immune system to sleep for a while, and when it wakes up, it will forget to attack my kidneys. One of the drugs I take in addition to Acthar gel is a strong immunosuppressant called tacrolimus (only $100 for 100 pills). When you take an immunosuppressant, you should avoid germs. Because of that, I must avoid germ-passing actions. I now do fist bumps instead of handshakes or hugs. And I have to avoid the germ gardens called children. Last April, while on a strong immunosuppressant, I took a four-year-old boy — let’s call him Adeeb — to my local children’s museum. Adeeb is from an Afghan refugee family that has moved to our town, and I was helping them acclimate to the United States. Adeeb and I had a delightful morning at the children’s museum, which was full of other kids, many with runny noses. The next day I came down with the flu. I was on my back in bed, with the worst flu of my life, for three full weeks. The doctors told me I had to avoid kids for the foreseeable future. So, yes, you can feel sorry for me that I have no handshakes, hugs, or children in my immediate future. But if you don’t feel sorry for me, that’s okay. After all, you’re paying my bills.

Have the latest features sent straight to your inbox. VISIT MEMPHISMAGAZINE.COM AND SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE WEEKLY EMAIL NEWSLETTERS TODAY! S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 43

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GREAT MEMPHIS HOMES

LABORof LOVE Bringing The Delta to The Village by a nne cunningh a m o ’ neill photography by c hip pa n k ey

Below: It took more than a year to transform this period Village home into a showplace, courtesy of a sympatico team — architect, contractor, interior designer, and landscaper — working alongside homeowners who knew exactly what they wanted. opposite: The use of old brick, patterned wallpaper, and a majolica pottery collection gives the entrance hall a refined and rustic warmth.

scar and Lale Adams bought their East Memphis home in The Village in 2007. It is built on a beautiful, large corner lot, almost an acre in size. But as their family expanded with two children, son Shattuck and daughter Mary Kirk, the parents decided that they needed more room. Consequently, they undertook a major renovation in 2014 that doubled the size of the original house and required them to move out for more than a year while the work was being completed. Even though he was busy with his day job as a fixed income trader, Oscar viewed renovating this house as a true labor of love. Clearly, he played a major role in the redesign of the home. As we talked, I couldn’t help thinking of a 1948 film starring Cary Grant and Myrna Loy, titled Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, that centered around the joys, perils, and inevitable setbacks involved with building a home. The Adams family understands; Oscar, whose middle name is Polk, today says his house could be named “Polk’s Folly.”

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great memphis homes

Proportion and symmetry are important to Adams, and he spoke of “the golden ratio and the Fibonacci sequence,” mathematical rules for use in architecture to achieve what is pleasing to the eye. 46 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7

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top: The open-plan kitchen features Byler custom cabinets and a handsome wooden ladder to reach way up high.

above: A look through French doors reveals the home’s tranquil interior courtyard. left: A side view of the house, which is built on a large corner lot, shows a canopy of old trees as well as beautiful new landscaping.

Oscar offers this advice to people wanting to pursue renovations: Find someone with vision to handle the design, along with a good builder whose judgement you trust, and have a very flexible budget. Costs can overrun during the building process, but his attitude was always, “We started this, and we’re going to do it right.” You can see, even at night, that he did just that. Handmade in the French Quarter, the Bevelo gas lamps on the exterior are a perfect example of doing things right. The addition of such aesthetic details was important, even those that may not have

been in the original plan. Oscar likes to joke that the same people who tell you they hit their budget remodeling a home are the same ones that tell you they ‘broke even’ at the casino. For Oscar in particular, the home is meant to be reminiscent of his boyhood home in the Mississippi Delta town of Rosedale, 19 miles northwest of Cleveland. His uncle still farms in the area, and Oscar himself owns a small piece of property he visits often. He speaks lovingly of its eccentric inhabitants and the natural beauty of the alluvial plain. His stories seem drawn right out of the pages of Dispatches from Pluto by Richard Grant, the true and colorful story of an adventure writer who set his sights not on a distant land but on the heart of the Mississippi Delta. Adams would heartily agree with Grant that this has been a culture “where contradictions hung in the air like swamp gas, and eccentricity was as natural as rain.” Oscar and Lale Adams have the highest of praise for Rick Collins, their builder; Wil Hunt who drew the plans; Missy Steffens of M. Steffens Interiors, the interior designer; Lamar Gibson of Memphis Home Theater, who

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Family is clearly very important to this couple, and paintings by Oscar’s great-grandmother, Mary Kirk Adams, hang on the walls. handled audio/video installation; and landscaper Tony Chapman. “We all connected with the same mindset,” Lale says. In fact, she says that her favorite part of many a morning was “having coffee with Rick.” Oscar agrees and praises Collins as “a contractor with a very creative side.” For Oscar Adams, the architect interview was key to the whole process, and he noted that Wil Hunt had designed a home in their area which he had admired. What’s more, Hunt’s grand-

mother lived in the Gamwyn Park district of Greenville, Mississippi, and they both shared a love of the style of homes there. In this connection, Adams told me he was a dedicated fan of the renowned late twentieth-century Louisiana architect A. Hays Town, who incorporated Creole, Spanish, and French styles into his own distinctive style. One of his trademarks was using vintage building materials that add texture to new construction, and Adams knew of his homes in Greenville. Propor-

top: Photographs and mementos adorn the wall in the bar area, demonstrating the importance of family history to the Adamses.

bottom: The new family room, with its fireplace and shiplap walls, is the comfortable heart of the renovated home.

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tion and symmetry are important to Adams, and he spoke of “the golden ratio and the Fibonacci sequence,” mathematical rules for use in architecture to achieve what is pleasing to the eye. Trust me, I learned a lot in this interview! Lale Adams is a busy dentist, and while her husband with his creative personality loved the process every step of the way, she tributes Missy Steffens with “helping her breathe” through the renovations. Steffens’ classic style is a careful blending of the old with the new, which made it the perfect fit for the Adams family sensibility. Lale loves the color and pattern of wallpaper and admits if it was up to her, she would use it in every room; ultimately, it was used only in the entrance hall and powder room. She also loves majolica pottery and says the collection in the entrance hall makes her happy. The four-bedroom, five-bath home is now a mixture of the old part of the house, with its lower ceilings, and modern new additions, which the Adams family feels gives them the best of both worlds. The family room was added and is now the heart of the home with its fireplace and

shiplap walls. While that room is light and airy with walls painted Benjamin Moore’s Cloud White, the intention was to make it feel old by using reclaimed materials including pine and brick. Oscar’s parents, who still live in the Delta, gave them the clever idea to feature a handsome wooden ladder in the adjacent open-plan kitchen to reach the Byler custom cabinets, while Lale’s father, Gunes Ozyurt, gave them their wonderful dining table as a house-warming present. Family is clearly very important to this couple, and paintings by Oscar’s great-grandmother, Mary Kirk Adams, hang on the walls. The family also has three

paintings by Chesley Pearman, another native son of Mississippi. Family memorabilia, including photographs and diplomas, hang in the bar area. As to the landscaping out back, there are hollies and boxwoods, a raised vegetable bed, and bee hives. (Oscar Adams says one night he went out for mint and “couldn’t find it in the dark”— a labor of love in the cause of making mint juleps!) A small exercise room outside connects to the garage. The Adams family loves The Village neighborhood and finds it a wonderful place to raise children. Established in the late 1930s, this subdivision with its

gently curving streets (all lined with a canopy of trees) feels like the country in the heart of East Memphis. In fact, Oscar’s grandmother confided in him, “I know you picked this home for the property’s mature magnolia and pecan trees.” No doubt they played a part in the Adamses’ decision. All the original homes in The Village were based on a similar model (three bedrooms and one bathroom), and the architecture was colonial-revival inspired. Many of the residents have lived here for years, though time marches on, and slowly but surely a new generation of young families are taking their place and updating their homes. In fact, happily Cooper and Caroline Hopkins, cousins of the Adamses, have just moved in across the street. How perfect is that?

above: The renovated home’s beautifully decorated and commodious master closet is a welcome feature.

top center: The Adamses — son Shattuck, Oscar, daughter Mary Kirk, and Lale — pose in front of magnolia trees for a family portrait.

above: The new master bath is serene, elegant, and spa-like. At the same time, it’s spacious and very functional for two busy professionals.

top right: A magnolia blossom painting by Oscar’s greatgrandmother, Mary Kirk Adams, is among the art that hangs in the home.

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THIRT Y

YEARS

AGO, S ADDLE

CREEK

PIONEE

RED A NEW KI ND OF SHOPPI

NG EXP ERI

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY SHOPSOFSADDLECREEK.COM

L I A T RE

n o i t u l o v Re

ENCE.

by aisling maki

n the late 1980s, American retail culture centered around the shopping mall, with smaller stores and restaurants supported by big-box anchors such as Macy’s, Dillard’s, Sears, and J.C. Penney, and its open-air counterpart, the strip mall. But in 1987, a new retail concept emerged that would permanently change the American shopping experience. Prior to that date, Memphis real estate developer Dan Poag, along with his business partner at the time, William H. Thomas, were developing Kroger-anchored shopping centers around the Southeast, including two in Raleigh, North Carolina. The partners typically focused on developing strip malls in smaller towns, and the Raleigh project was larger than their previous endeavors, so they built in generous space for future tenants. A few months before they had planned to open that mall, however, Kroger’s corporate office made the decision to delay entering that particular market, although they still planned to pay the rent. “Without an open grocery store, the shops were really going to suffer,” says Poag today, who managed to convince Kroger’s regional office that the delay wasn’t a good idea. “After that experience, I said that I wasn’t going to depend on anchors anymore,” he recalls. “We were going to find some kind of retail concept without anchors. The fact that it hadn’t been done before hadn’t really occurred to us. The concept just emerged from addressing that problem.” From his experience with building strip malls, Poag, who has now spent more than 35

years in real estate development, finance, and property management, knew that shoppers enjoyed the convenience and safety of easily accessible stores. His vision was to design centers that offered national specialty stores, restaurants, attractive architectural details, and landscaping that included small green spaces. These open-air environments would be designed to reflect the uniqueness of the local communities where they were located. Poag coined the term “lifestyle center,” and chose Germantown as the first location for this groundbreaking experiment in retail real estate design. But he encountered a number of formidable obstacles along the way before he could bring his vision to fruition.

either Poag nor Thomas felt they could attract the type of national retailers they wanted without the help of someone with strong connections in that area, so they contacted Terry McEwen, who at the time was working for a major mall developer based in Detroit. “Terry had the experience and the contacts with these better-quality, higher-end tenants,” Poag explains. McEwen had his work cut out for him at

a time when Memphis wasn’t even on the radar for specialty retailers, who were also being asked to take a chance on a completely unheard-of concept. “At that time, 30 years ago, Memphis was a smaller market than those retailers were used to going into,” says McEwen, now retired and living in Utah. “Getting them to come to a smaller market, where the demographics weren’t as strong as they were used to, was a challenge. The other challenge, which was probably an even greater challenge, was that they were going into a new retail product that they’d never gone into before. They were used to going into large regional malls and there wasn’t such a thing as a lifestyle center. For them to risk going into a project like that was — it was just very risky — so to get them to commit was quite a challenge.” But McEwen was able to help sell retailers on the project by convincing them there was a market in this seemingly sleepy Southern city that had never been on their radars. “Terry would get them down here and drive through some of the beautiful neighborhoods in East Memphis and Germantown, and they took a look at the housing and said, ‘Wow, we didn’t know this was here,’” Poag recalls. McEwen was integral in winning over the Saddle Creek center’s first tenants, which included The Gap, The Limited, Banana Republic, and Polo. But there were additional major obstacles, foremost of which was finding financing for such a risky project.

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etting lenders to step up and finance a new kind of retail product wasn’t easy. Recalls McEwen: “They were very reluctant because our rents were substantially lower than those of a traditional strip center and our costs were tremendously more than those of a traditional strip center. The lenders wanted to look at it as a strip center because it wasn’t a mall. So convincing the lenders to finance it was a challenge as well.” Then there was Germantown’s “4-percent rule,” which, at that time, stated that no more than 4 percent of the town could be used for commercial space. They were required to build the street in front of the building, today’s West Farmington Boulevard. “We created the site by building that road

was the uniqueness of the Poag Shopping Centers no longer owns stores; it’s a completely Saddle Creek. Since May of 2011, Tradedifferent experience from mark Property Company has managed and a mall,” explains Poag. leased the center, which is now owned by “And if you can get the Shops at Saddle Creek, Inc., a Florida-based kind of stores you want to corporation. go to and an atmosphere people feel comfortable hen we got involved it had in — that’s what really been years since Saddle Creek had made it take off.” had any sort of update,” says TradeOpening additional lifestyle centers went mark CEO Terry Montesi. “It was basically far more smoothly once the groundwork still the model from when it was developed had been laid with Saddle Creek. Today, in the 1980s. The retail business is changing Memphis-based Poag so fast and has changed so Saddle Creek is now home to Shopping Centers develmuch that retail properops and manages lifestyle just over 40 retailers, including ties need to evolve to stay centers across the counrelevant. So we did a retwo restaurants, Stoney River try, including centers brand and redevelopment Steakhouse and Grill and in California, Colorado, plan.” Connecticut, Georgia, That overhaul began Grimaldi’s Pizzeria; 70 percent Pennsylvania, Kansas, and in 2014 and was completof its retailers, including the Nebraska. ed in the first quarter of Apple Store, are unique in the Dan Poag has passed 2017. The redevelopment the torch to his son, Joshproject added 25,000 new Memphis market. ua Poag, who now serves square feet to the center, as president and CEO of Poag Shopping Cen- with space now totaling 173,000 square feet. ters, which still operates several local lifestyle Saddle Creek is now home to just over 40 centers, including the Laurelwood Collection retailers, including two restaurants, Stoney

as part of our deal,” says Poag. “It was difficult to get it done but Germantown finally agreed to it. I think it has made a huge difference in the growth of that community.” The project took two years from concept to completion, but Saddle Creek, the nation’s first lifestyle center, developed by the predecessor company to Poag & McEwen Lifestyle Centers, LLC, opened its doors to shoppers in 1987. It took its name from Germantown’s long history with horses and horse-centered events. Saddle Creek launched with a grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony, covered by local print and television outlets. “Part of the charm and attraction initially

in East Memphis, Carriage Crossing in Collierville, and The Outlet Shops in Southaven, Mississippi. Thirty years later, while enclosed shopping malls are on the verge of extinction, the innovative concept that stemmed from Poag and McEwen’s hard work, risk, and vision continues to shape the American retail shopping experience. “It was the first step in totally changing the retail industry,” McEwen explains. “Malls were being built. We became the largest developer of lifestyle centers in the United States and totally revolutionized the retail real estate world.”

River Steakhouse and Grill and Grimaldi’s Pizzeria; 70 percent of its retailers, including the Apple Store, are unique in the Memphis market. Saddle Creek’s most recent additions include Allen Edmonds, American Threads, SEE Eyewear, Southern Avenue Company, Sur La Table, Victoria’s Secret, and vomFASS. Lululemon, a yoga-focused athletic-wear company, has relocated from Regalia Shopping Center, Jos. A. Bank is relocating from Carrefour at Kirby Woods and is expected to open at Saddle Creek later this year. Meanwhile, jewelry store Pandora has just signed a lease for a store on the north side of the property. S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 51

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Montesi says that Trademark’s goal is “to create the one best premier collection of specialty retail and food and beverage operators in the Memphis area. Almost every best-inclass retailer is at Saddle Creek.” Jenny McDougal, general manager of Banana Republic, one of Saddle Creek’s original tenants, has worked at the Saddle Creek location for seven years, but her history with the lifestyle center goes back further. Her first job, when she was 16, was as a sales

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associate at Crabtree & Evelyn in Saddle Creek. She believes local shoppers continue to be attracted by the center’s “old-school customer service.” “I feel we have a lot of customer loyalty,” McDougal says. “Saddle Creek is the kind of place where people go to shop when they want to build their wardrobe. They may not have an exact idea, but they want someone to help them. It’s almost the antithesis of online shopping. Saddle Creek is where you go when you want that personable interaction. Ours is a customer base that wants to have an experience, instead of just checking it off their list.” That element is also good for employee retention. Some Saddle Creek employees have worked in retail there for more than two decades. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the opening of the nation’s first lifestyle center, Saddle Creek will host special events each weekend in September, including live music on September 9th and a September 15th screening of Dirty Dancing, a film premiered the year the center opened, and a classic car show on the weekend of the September 23rd. On September 30th, Saddle Creek will host a wine sampling event called Pour & Explore. Sponsored by Doc’s Wine, Spirits & More, all proceeds from this ticketed event will benefit Make-AWish Mid-South, one of Saddle Creek’s longtime nonprofit partners. Event details are all available at shopsofsaddlecreek.com.

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PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY JEFF ANDERSON

LOC A L TR E A SU R ES

Adelaide at age 45 and 97

South by Northeast At 103, Memphis-born poet laureate Adelaide Cummings is at the top of her game.

by anne cunningham o’neill

ive years ago Adelaide Cummings, the illustrious author of seven books of poetry, was honored as the first time ever official “Poet Laureate of Falmouth,” a beautiful resort town on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where she has resided for 50 years. Not a minor feat, given that this talented lady was 98 at the time! Since I usually spend summers on the Cape, I had read with great interest in the press about Cummings’ designation back in 2012. What an inspiring woman, I thought, even before I learned that she was born and had been raised in Memphis. All of this made her story doubly fascinating. I resolved that one day we would meet. That happy event finally occurred this past August, when I at last had the great pleasure of sitting down with Cummings — now a more venerable 103-year-old — in her beautiful West Falmouth home, where we talked about her long and very colorful life. I am especially grateful to her cousin, Jere Crook of Memphis and New York, who helped set up this interview with his beloved “Aunt Adelaide” so that her story could be told in this magazine.

EDI TOR’S NO T E: “Local Treasures” is an occasional series within the pages of this magazine that will celebrate our city’s senior celebrities, people whose impact over the past decades has helped make Memphis a better place.

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LOC A L TR E A SU R ES

Ms. Cummings was born in Memphis, and her father was prominent Judge Harr y B. Anderson, a U.S. Federal Court Judge for the Western District of Tennessee; his wife Martha was called Patty (née Crook). Adelaide grew up on Stonewall off Poplar Avenue not far from Overton Park, along with her twin brother Joe, younger brother Harry, and older brother Seneca. She was also devoted to her grandmother, Adelaide Bennett Anderson, a wellknown civic leader who had a great inf luence on the cultural life of Memphis and on the younger Adelaide. She was a graduate of Miss Hutchison’s School (now The Hutchison School), and her parents had not originally wanted her to go up North to college. However, since her older brother, Seneca, was at Harvard Law School, they finally relented, allowing her to attend Radcliffe in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at the tender age of 16. An English major in college, Cummings quickly made writing her way of life. Her first job was at the brand-new Life magazine; she traveled around the world as a foreign correspondent and had many adventures, including participating in a tiger hunt with the Maharajah of Jaipur in India. Fortunately, or unfortunately, she reported from the scene of the Hindenberg dirigible disaster in Lakehurst, New Jersey, in 1937. When she left Life, Adelaide worked for many years as an

top: These photos show Adelaide and her twin brother, Joe, as children and several years later as teenagers at a costume party. center: Ever athletic and always adventurous, Adelaide’s hikes included the Cotswolds of England. right: Three of her seven books of poetry: Curtain Call, Grand Finale, and Swan Song, written at age 100.

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editor at Child Life magazine in Boston. She had married Donald Field, a Harvard Law School graduate from Maine with whom she had three children (Deborah, Martha, and Hartry). She also found time to write at home, including a book for young people, Adventure on the Cloud Nine (1968). She has long had a deep love of the sea and sailing, nurtured by the time spent in

Asked why she took up Italian at age 89, she replied in straightforward fashion, “I want to find an Italian lover!”

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the Bahamas where she and her second husband, Leverett Cummings, owned a home. Of course, this was further nurtured by the half century she has spent living on Cape Cod. Tennis also has been a great part of her life; Adelaide won the National Senior Olympics four times. As her relatives like to say, she clearly was — and is — a force of nature. When Adelaide was asked why she had taken up Italian at the age of 89, she responded in straightforward fashion: “I want to find an Italian lover!” Surrounded by the memorabilia of a lifetime, notably gold and silver medals from her tennis-playing years and maritime art covering every wall, Cummings stresses that up until 10 years ago she returned to Memphis at least once a year, always maintaining her ties with her birthplace. But she has loved Cape Cod dearly and has many wonderful friends there. Widowed for some 28 years, Cummings is adored by her younger relatives, including

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six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. I was delighted to meet her lovely granddaughter, Susannah Washburn, who lives in the Washington D.C. area and rents in Falmouth with her family every summer. She is a great help to her grandmother, as is nephew Jeff Anderson, who has graciously provided us with the photographs used in this article.

Cummings’ poetry is witty and reflective on simple subjects – everyday life. “I don’t like prose much; it has to rhyme.”

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Adelaide stands outside her West Falmouth home in Cape Cod with Snug Harbor in the background.

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I gather from them all that Adelaide has always been strong-willed, competitive — one could say “feisty” — and always enthusiastic about life; everything has always been “mahvelous dahling,” according to Jere Crook. Not surprisingly, Cummings has always been very sociable and loves to entertain. She has, of course, slowed down and is less mobile than in the past, but her enthusiasm remains. She is attended at the moment by Theodora Yiga, who cooked us a wonderful luncheon with dishes from her native Uganda, served on the terrace. Cummings’ poetry is witty and ref lective on simple subjects — everyday life, one might say. She admits that “I don’t like prose much; it has to rhyme.” She believes that “poetry expresses great truths simply.” An examplie lies in her description of “Yankees”: “They do things that we do not; eat their bread cold and their ham hot.”

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PROMISE IS A PROMISE As we proceed through life, there are promises made, and promises kept. And a few steps in between.

hose of us who have been around awhile know that it’s one thing to make a promise. It’s something else to keep it. In the end, the best we can hope for is that the people we’re dealing with will actually do what they say they’re going to do. At Retirement Companies of America, we’ve been making promises about the future for more than 30 years. Kirby Pines was our first senior living community in Memphis. It’s a non-profit community that has been voted the best senior living community in the mid-south for ten consecutive years. And now we’re growing with The Farms at Bailey Station in Collierville. It too will be a state-of-the-art, non-profit senior living community, offering the lifestyle, services, amenities, and LifeCare approach to health care that people in and around Memphis want and deserve.

So as you consider your retirement living options, and in whom you’d like to place your trust for the future, just remember we’ve been keeping our promises right here in Memphis for a long, long time.

To learn more about Kirby Pines, call (901) 369-7340. For the Farms at Bailey Station, call (901) 297-4918.

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For her own writing, poetry is joyous fun, and it gets her out of bed every day; her work has been described as “thankyou notes to nature.” Her books of poetry are: Curtain Call, Encore, Finale, Grand Finale, Pastiche, Reprise, and Swan Song. Cummings credits writing as the key to her longevity. When asked which poem was her favorite, she began reciting “Domicile,” from which I will offer a few lines:

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In June 2014, Adelaide celebrated her 100th birthday with friends, family, and fellow writers.

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“… the sounds of the sea roll over me, this is my music, wild and free, there’s no one else that I’d rather be, for I live in a house beside the sea.” I was told that Cummings would be giving a poetry reading in a few weeks’ time at an event honoring Katherine Lee Bates, another famous daughter of Falmouth who wrote the words to “America the Beautiful.” “Seems to me I always wrote,” Adelaide told an interviewer from Cape Cod Life magazine in 2014. “[I was] always scribbling something. I didn’t have any other talent. It had to be that.” As I said goodbye to Adelaide on a picture perfect Cape afternoon, we gazed together over Snug Harbor and Buzzards Bay in the distance. She said wistfully to me on the terrace of her beautiful, memory-filled home, “I hate to think of summer ever ending.” That seemed a worthy bit of prose, spoken by a Memphis-born centenarian whose remarkable talents have been shared with many generations of friends and family.

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The Water Ski Marathons at McKellar Lake

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

by vance lauderdale DEAR VANCE: My dad, John Simpson, took part in the world championship water-skiing marathons held at McKellar Lake in the 1950s and 1960s. He was quite proud of this, and I still have his various trophies and skis. Do you have any information about these events? - m.s., memphis.

The whole story of McKellar Lake is fascinating to me. But let’s clarify something right now. McKellar Lake is not, and has never been, a lake. For most of its existence, that body of water south of downtown Memphis was the Tennessee Chute, a fast-running current that separated Presidents Island from the mainland. Presidents Island (sometimes spelled President’s) was the largest island on the Mississippi River. Over the years it had been used for farming, as a camp for freed slaves, and if you can believe Wikipedia, a refuge for people fleeing the yellow fever epidemic. In the late 1940s city leaders, in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, decided to link the island to Memphis with construction of the Jack Carley Causeway, named in honor of the Memphis newspaperman who heartily endorsed the concept. DEAR M.S.:

left: John Simpson is shown crossing rough water in the 1959 marathon. The jacket and cap protected him from sunburn during the day and kept the chill away after dark.

below: The Simpson family has saved many trophies and other items from the water-skiing competitions. This large trophy honored his second-place ﬁnish in the 1958 race.

Construction finally began in 1954, and by 1957, hundreds of industries began to move there because of its quick access to the river. The former Tennessee Chute was renamed McKellar Lake, in honor of Kenneth McKellar, the state senator who helped raise funds for the project. But it’s still not a lake, since it’s open on the southern end to the Mississippi River — which, as it turns out, was part of its appeal. Boats could be In the 1959 ski trailered to the new “lake” marathon, James or they could journey there from cities up and down Ole Simpson skied Man River. 558 nonstop miles Memphians now had a huge, slack-water harbor for in 26 hours and all sorts of adventures, and 40 minutes. on weekends, McKellar Lake was the place to be for boaters, water-skiers, swimmers, and even parasailers. A nice marina opened, complete with a floating store selling bait, tackle, beer, and food — a fisherman’s essentials — and it became a unique little community, with double-decker houseboats serving as permanent homes for more than a hundred residents. Why, the waterside “town” even elected its own mayor, and newspapers ran stories on the fun to be found at McKellar Lake. In the late 1950s — I don’t have the exact date — someone came up with the notion of a water skiing contest. Not a race to a finish line, but an endurance contest, to see who could stay on a pair of water skis the longest. The winner would take home a huge trophy and a cash prize of $1,000. Now, the Lauderdales are experts in all sports, but after two hours on skis, I’m afraid my knees (and arms) would probably give out. So it may astonish you to learn that the contestants in these events won by staying on top of the water for more than a day! In fact, M.S. says that in the 1959 event, his father’s best outing, James Simpson skied 558 nonstop miles in 26 hours and 40 minutes. Did you notice that I said “nonstop”? This was an endurance marathon after all. Not a few miles one day, and more miles the next. M.S. explains how it worked: “Each team in the marathon consisted of two boats. When the boat pulling my dad ran low on fuel, his other boat would pull beside him, hand over the rope, and by slowly feeding it out, he would transfer the move to the other boat.” Falling into the water automatically disqualified the skiers, you see, so this was tricky. But what about food? “His other boat would pull up close to

UNLESS NOTED, ALL PHOTOS PROVIDED BY JOHN SIMPSON FAMILY.

ASK VANCE

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LAKE PHOTO COURTESY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSIT Y OF MEMPHIS LIBRARIES.

him,” says M.S., “and then hand him a sandwich or a Thermos of coffee.” All this while he was still skiing. No one explained to me how any of the participants went to the bathroom, but look, they were on a lake, so you can probably figure that out. These events were huge, attracting so many spectators that bleachers were set up along the banks, a scoreboard kept tally of the laps, and a spotlight followed the top skiers after dark. Sponsors like the Seahorse Club, of which Simpson was a member, helped out by keeping other boats out of the way. “Safety of the skiers, of course, must always be a dominant consideration because much of the contest takes place between nightfall and dawn,” reported The Commercial Appeal, discussing rules for the 1960 race. “The Seahorse Club alone plans to have boats staked out along the six-mile course to pick up any skier who might go down.” It’s hard enough to ski during the day; you can imagine the challenge of doing it in the dead of night — for 24 hours! I wasn’t able to find a complete roster of winners for the races held over the years, which apparently began in 1959 and lasted until the late 1960s. For the 1960 event, newspapers announced, “The latest report is that Allen Warriner of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, is planning to defend his title,” which shows that people came from all over to take part. James Simpson joined the 1959, 1960, and 1961 marathons, winning second place in each one. These events also proved to be endurance tests for the boaters and their watercraft. “Boat engine failure caused his demise every year,” says his son, “and he always felt he could have won at least one of those titles.” Even so, the impressive trophy that Simpson earned in 1959 (left) commemorates his accomplishment and pays tribute to “an outstanding skier and true champion in the hearts of his many friends.” Marvin “Shack” Shackleford — well-known around town for his motorcycles, motor-trikes, race cars, and even parasailing — came in first place at least twice, and other winners from Memphis included Leland Stanton, Dave Matthis, and Jerry Williams. Heck, just to finish this thing made you a winner, if you ask me. The 1960 race was especially interesting, because one of the skiers was 16-year-old Helen Eubanks, from Frayser. If anyone thought a young girl would drop out early, they were wrong. By sunset of the first day, only four skiers remained upright, and Eubanks was one of them. She had previously told reporters, “I wanted to prove that women are not so weak as all the men think.” To prepare for the race, Eubanks ate a steak for breakfast, and at the 6 a.m. starting gun, newspapers reported she strapped on her skis wearing “purple stockings, grey shorts, a white sweat shirt, and a baseball cap.” Even so, she told reporters later, “I was cold from the start” and never got warm even when a boat pulled up to hand her a sweater — which she had to pull on while still hanging onto the ski rope. A Coast Guard commander, who served as referee, noted, “It’s that girl who keeps going who keeps

above: The water-skiing marathons didn’t require high technology. Here are the plain wooden skis, complete with Converse tennis shoes, and the canvas belt John Simpson wore during all his competitions.

the men from giving up.” By 4 o’clock in the morning, she had pulled into third place. But when one of her legs went numb, Eubanks lost a ski and managed to finish just two more sixmile laps before falling. Warriner, the fellow from Florida, won the contest by skiing 576 miles. Warriner, second-place finisher Simpson, and Eubanks were afterwards rushed to St. Joseph Hospital for rest and observation. Yes, it was that grueling. Why, it tires me out just to write about it. McKellar Lake eventually lost its luster. As more industries went up on Presidents Island, the view wasn’t exactly scenic, and more often than not, it seems the water was too polluted or clogged with debris for safety. Nobody wanted to swim in it anymore, and few people even wanted to ski on top of it. The new Interstate 55 brought other, much larger lakes — real lakes like Sardis, Enid, and Arkabutla — within easy reach of anyone with a boat. Today, the marina is still in operation at McKellar Lake, but the water ski marathons are a thing of the past. “My dad has been deceased 12 years now,” says M.S., “and even though he finished second every year, this accomplishment was a highlight of his life.” I bet many people have fond memories of those early days at McKellar Lake as well.

Got a question for vance? EMAIL: askvance@memphismagazine.com

MAIL: Vance Lauderdale, Memphis magazine,

below: McKellar Lake was the city’s playground for years.

460 Tennessee Street #200, Memphis, TN 38103 ONLINE: memphismagazine.com/ask-vance

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2017 Memphis Area

INDEPENDENT

SCHOOLS

GUIDE

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MAIS

LETTER FROM THE PRE SI DE N T More Than a Number Great schools contribute to great communities. A vibrant and diverse community is strengthened by a vibrant and diverse array of quality educational offerings. Members of the Memphis Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) believe that our community benefits by having a variety of school options to better serve our children. Parents, as the primary educators of their children, should have the opportunity to choose what school best serves their needs. Our member schools, each independent and unique, are striving to enrich the educational landscape of Memphis; and we believe that the strength of an independent education is measured by much more than a test score. We are living in a time when the perceived value of most things is measured by some quantitative data. MAIS schools believe each student has value and potential beyond the score on a single high-stakes test and that independent schools are designed to provide that qualitative value. There is nothing wrong with the accountability of quantitative data, and it is always wise to carefully evaluate a variety of data to choose the best school. The problem is that oftentimes attention is misplaced on a single measure instead of assessing the myriad of quantitative and qualitative factors that

distinguish an excellent school. Ranking schools based on a single test score distracts parents from the more essential question, “Is this school a good fit for my child?” Independent schools are highly responsive with a unique degree of local control over curriculum, staffing, and other educational decisions. This local control means parents and students have ready access to administrators and teachers who know them by name and are invested in working with them to foster their growth and development. Because independent schools are typically smaller than public schools, they foster a variety of learning opportunities for students both inside and outside the classroom that are difficult to replicate in a larger school setting. The students and families served by MAIS member schools come from a variety of ethnic, religious, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds. Some schools are single-gender, while others are co-ed. Some have religious foundations, and others do not. Some schools serve the very specific, individual educational needs of students while others maintain a more traditional pedagogy and curriculum. The autonomy that every member school enjoys enables each school to develop programs, map curriculum, and hire teachers and administrators who are aligned with its own unique mission. All independent schools are free to create the kinds of learning environments that uniquely serve their students and are not bound by state-mandated testing, curriculum choices, federal initiatives, or schedules. Collectively, the member schools of MAIS serve thousands of students in our community by providing the kinds of educational environments that parents think are best for their own children. The right fit, great teachers, an involved community, academic achievement, social and extracurricular opportunities, success in college–these are all factors that must be considered. Most importantly, parents choose independent schools because they understand that the best education is a value-added experience. Independent schools help prepare children not just for this year’s test, but for all of life’s tests. On behalf of the Memphis Association of Independent Schools, we are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Memphis magazine in sharing information with the Mid-South about the wide array of wonderful independent school options in our community. The exceptional and unique schools of the MAIS are eager to partner with families in providing the very best for your children. If you are interested in learning more about MAIS, we encourage you to visit our website (maisschools.com).

MEMBERS Bodine School Bornblum Jewish Community School Briarcrest Christian School Christ Methodist Day School Christ the King Lutheran School Christian Brothers High School Collegiate School of Memphis Concord Academy Evangelical Christian School (ECS) Fayette Academy First Assembly Christian School (FACS) Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal School Harding Academy Hutchison School Incarnation Catholic School Lamplighter Montessori School Lausanne Collegiate School Madonna Learning Center Margolin Hebrew Academy - Feinstone Yeshiva of the South Memphis University School New Hope Christian Academy Northpoint Christian School Our Lady of Perpetual Help Presbyterian Day School Rossville Christian Academy St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School St. Benedict at Auburndale High School St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School St. George’s Independent School St. Mary’s Episcopal School Tipton-Rosemark Academy Trinity Christian Academy University School of Jackson Westminster Academy

Trent Williamson

President Memphis Association of Independent Schools

Woodland Presbyterian School

2 • MAIS GUIDE • SEPTEMBER 2017

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WANT MORE THAN A TRADITIONAL EDUCATION? Our education looks different because it is different! For over 20 years Westminster Academy has served Memphis as the only JK-12th grade classical Christian school. Our faculty and parents create a unique community with one goal: to raise up well-prepared graduates who have a love for learning and the Lord. THE EDUCATION FOR A LIFETIME JK-12 | Classical | Christian | Independent | 901.380.9192 | wamemphis.com

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Q+Awith TRENT WILLIAMSON By Samuel

X. Cicci

President of the Memphis Association of Independent Schools (MAIS), and Harding Academy Head of School What are the criteria for a school’s acceptance to MAIS? With all member institutions under one umbrella, does that make MAIS the best resource for parents trying to find the best educational fit for their child?

as we encourage the growth and success of the students we serve. We all want what is best for kids and families, and we believe that our entire community benefits as well.

Independent schools interested in joining MAIS must have been established and in operation for at least five years to be eligible for membership. They must be governed by an independent Board of Trustees and must be accredited by AdvancEd (formerly SACS), Southern Association of Independent Schools, or approved by the Tennessee Department of Education. All schools considered for membership must be classified as nonprofit organizations and must publish and maintain a racially nondiscriminatory admissions policy. Eligible schools expressing interest are then visited by a visiting committee who then makes a recommendation for membership. The MAIS website (maisschools.com) is a great resource for parents who are wanting to learn more about member schools.

Many MAIS schools have community service programs or offer service opportunities. How do the service programs offered at many MAIS schools contribute to a student’s overall education?

Community service is a core component of MAIS membership. Service to our community completes the education for our students. If education is purely for the recipient and not funneled back into the community, MAIS member schools would all agree that it is not a complete education. All member schools are actively involved in a variety of service projects and opportunities, through nonprofits, churches, and public services in our community. Some student leaders are involved in leading those efforts and creating unique service What are some of the core differences between independent and standard public opportunities for others. It is important that our member schools embrace and education? What are the benefits of choosing to attend an independent school? engage our community in meaningful acts of service in order to make Memphis a stronger city. Additionally, many member schools are actively engaged in The key difference is independence. The beauty of independent education is that international service efforts. As our world continues to become interconnected, it is free to operate with autonomy and is not bound by state or federal mandates. being able to understand other cultures becomes a critical skill for all students. All member schools of MAIS are accredited and guided by standards that are set by their accrediting agency. Independent schools have a great deal of freedom to Many independent schools place heavy emphasis on preparing students for the create the kind of educational program that is truly unique. We are not bound by future. What are some of the curriculum choices MAIS schools make to prepare state testing or federal guidelines; we have the freedom to create the best students for college and adulthood? learning environments for the students we serve. The majority of our member schools are college preparatory schools. With the A wide variety of schools are members of MAIS. How is the organization able to autonomy and independence we enjoy, we are able to evaluate the value of a unite a diverse group of institutions with different demographic and religious aims curriculum with success in college being a primary goal. Our academic structure to serve a common purpose of offering high levels of education to the community? is extremely rigorous; and because we are smaller in size, we are able to create programs that serve the individual needs of every student to ensure success in In the midst of a very competitive marketplace, MAIS member schools maintain college. MAIS schools are actively involved in instilling the kinds of character a strong sense of collegiality and support. We have a large membership of traits that prepare students to be productive members of society. We want our incredibly diverse schools, and we all are competing for a finite number of students to give back to their community and to be engaged in the life of our city. students. Collectively, however, we all value the importance of independent We are preparing them for more than college; we are preparing them for life. schools and the value of competition. MAIS is a valuable resource for our Important skills like communication, leadership, and organization are taught that community because it gives parents an opportunity to shop for a variety of will enable our graduates to be actively engaged in leading efforts that will keep options within the independent school network. Even though each school is Memphis strong. unique and is run autonomously, there is a great deal of support for one another 4 • MAIS GUIDE • SEPTEMBER 2017

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Christ the King Lutheran School Equipping Children for Christian Leadership 5296 Park Avenue, Memphis, TN 38119 901.682.8405 • ctkschool.com

Equipping

For over 50 years, Christ the King has been equipping children for the next level of learning. Accredited by AdvanceED and NLSA, students receive opportunities to become all they can possibly be. Classrooms are equipped with 21st century technology. Advanced honors classes allow our graduates to enroll in Memphis’ finest private high schools.

Christian

Leaders

Christ is why we exist. Whether or not one has a church home, our school is a family where the love of Jesus, prayer, and praise is shared on an ongoing basis each day by classmates and teachers.

Leadership development tools are given to CTK students and they practice using them through community service projects, athletics, arts, Student Council, and various leadership roles in the school.

18 months – 8th Grade

To schedule a personal tour or to attend our open houses, contact Felicia Calhoun, Admissions Counselor.

Open House Dates

October 19, 2017, November 9, 2017 January 25, 2018, March 4, 2017 (1-2 p.m.) 8:30-10 a.m. & 6-7 p.m.

Evangelical Christian School Lower School (PK-5th): 1920 Forest Hill Irene Road, Germantown, TN, 38139 • 901.754.4420 Shelby Farms Campus (6th-12th): 7600 Macon Road, Cordova, TN 38018 • 901.754.7217 Academics that inspire. Legacies that endure. • ecseagles.com Since 1965, Evangelical Christian School has been the premier discipleshipbased private school in the Memphis area. Named an ACSI Exemplary School, we aim to provide the Christian family a Christ- centered, biblically directed education that challenges students to know the Lord Jesus Christ and to develop the vision and practice of excellence in academics, character, leadership, and service to others. ECS prepares students to be world and college-ready, exemplified by our 2017 graduating class receiving $9.9 million in scholarships to 48 colleges and universities across the country. At ECS, we seek to truly know our students and families on a deeper, more personal level, and in return, they get to know us in the same way — from teachers to administration. ECS currently serves students in pre-K through 12th grade on two campuses — the Lower School campus in Germantown and the Upper and Middle School campus near Shelby Farms in Cordova.

Preview Days

Nov. 2 • 9-11 a.m. – Middle and Upper School Nov. 7 • 6-7:30 p.m. – Middle School Nov. 16 • 6-7:30 p.m. – Lower School Jan. 25 • 9-11 a.m. – Middle and Upper School

SEPTEMBER 2017 • MAIS GUIDE • 5

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Harding Academy of Memphis 1106 Colonial Road, Memphis, TN 38117 (18 mos.–Grade 5) 8360 Macon Road, Cordova, TN 38018 (18 mos.–Grade 5) 1100 Cherry Road, Memphis, TN 38117 (Grades 6–12) HardingLions.org | 901.767.4494

Open Houses

At Harding Academy, we offer challenging college-preparatory academics, an award-winning arts program, and championship athletics to help students realize their dreams. And because we are so devoted to students’ spiritual growth, we have campus ministers on the school grounds every day, regular chapel programs, and a commitment to highlighting the truth of God in every class from kindergarten music to AP Calculus. Whether because of the diversity of our students or the welcoming atmosphere, visitors often say there’s just something refreshingly different about Harding.

18 mos.–Grade 5 October 3 (8360 Macon Rd.) October 4 (1106 Colonial Rd.) Grades 6–12 November 5 (1100 Cherry Rd.)

Lausanne Collegiate School 1381 West Massey Road • Memphis, TN 38120 901.474.1030 • lausanneschool.com

Trust the process. Lausanne Collegiate School is the only independent PK through 12th grade International Baccalaureate World School (IB) in Tennessee. Parents and students are attracted to Lausanne for its inspiring and supportive faculty, small class sizes, global diversity, co-education and innovative research- and inquiry-based college-preparatory curriculum. Lausanne guides each student to find his or her own unique path. With a 100% graduation rate and a 100% acceptance rate to colleges and universities, our 92 graduates from the class of 2017 are enrolled in 64 different schools and received 370 acceptances to 177 different colleges and universities. The class included two perfect ACT scores, received offers from every Ivy League school and was awarded more than $13 million in merit scholarships. Lausanne guides each student to find his or her own unique path. It’s a process reflected by the class of 2017. With a 100% graduation rate and a 100% acceptance rate to colleges and universities, our 92 graduates are enrolled in 64 different schools and received 370 acceptances to 177 different colleges and universities. The class included two perfect ACT scores, received offers from every Ivy League school and was awarded more than $13 million in merit scholarships. Our students thrive in the joyful and challenging learning environment at Lausanne and wherever their lifelong love of learning takes them.

Admission Activities & Events: Early Explorer Experiences First Wednesday of the Month 8:30-9:30am September-May

Monthly Preview & Student Visits September - May

All School Open House

Sunday, November 6 • 1-3pm

Application Deadline for First-Round Admission Consideration December 31 6 • MAIS GUIDE • SEPTEMBER 2017

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St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School 4830 Walnut Grove Road • Memphis, TN 38117 901.435.5818 • www.saa-sds.org

St. Agnes: 2K-12 (Girls) • St. Dominic: 2K-8 (Boys)

We are a Girls School. We are a Boys School. We are St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School.

curriculum that thoroughly prepares them for high school. In our Upper School, girls in grades 9-12 experience a rigorous and balanced academic program enriched by Advanceed Placement At certain times in their lives, girls and boys benefit more from single- courses and outstanding arts and athletics. With a strong academic program at the forefront, character gender learning. At others, they benefit by interacting co-educationally. At St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School we uniquely provide both development is also an integral part of student life at SAA-SDS. Rooted in the Four Pillars of Dominican tradition – study, prayer, for an educational experience like none other. At St. Agnes Academy, we are dedicated to championing the community, and service – we challenge learners, encourage educational and developmental needs of girls. From 2K-12th grade innovators, nurture artists, and inspire leaders. Call today to schedule our teachers focus on how girls learn best, helping our young women your tour and learn more about the opportunities for your child at St. reach their full potential. At St. Agnes, we know girls learn best when Agnes- St. Dominic. they collaborate and focus on teamwork. We know that in an all-girl environment students are more likely to take healthy academic risks, learn through their mistakes, and build resilience. We know girls are more engaged in learning the “how” if they also learn the “why.” At St. Dominic School, from our preschool through 8th grade, September 23 teachers and staff understand how boys learn best and are fully All School Open House 2K-12th Grade committed to implementing strategies that complement the uniqueness of boys. We understand that boys learn best when they October 18 arenavigators of their own learning through choiceand independence. 9th Grade Preview Morning We know boys learn best when given clear goals and direct November 14 feedback and when movement is incorporated throughout the day. Preview Evening 2K-8th Grade Classes are co-educational for our Littlest Stars & Suns in 2K, PK, and JK. Our boys and girls learn separately in Kindergarten-6th For more information, email admissions@saa-sds.org. grade. In junior high, boys and girls learn together with a challenging A Catholic tradition since 1851

Open House Dates

Bodine School

Christ Methodist School Christ MethodistDay Day School 411 S. S.Grove GrovePark ParkRoad • Memphis, TNTN 38117 411 • Memphis, 38117 901-683-6873 • cmdsmemphis.org

2432 Yester Oaks Dr., Germantown, TN 38139 901-754-1800 • www.bodineschool.org Bodine School is an independent school for students in grades 1-6 who have been diagnosed with dyslexia or similar difficulties with reading. Bodine is located in Germantown, TN, just minutes outside of Memphis. Bodine’s program is designed to focus on early intervention in class sizes of 10 or fewer students. Students attend Bodine School because they display an unexpected difficulty learning to read, write, and spell. To remediate their unique struggles with written language, we offer students an individualized, multi-sensory, research-based approach to instruction known as Orton-Gillingham (O.G.). Bodine School is accredited by the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS). Bodine School is a member of the Memphis Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) and the International Dyslexia Association (IDA). Members of the Bodine School faculty and staff hold certifications through a number of organizations, including the Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA) and the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE).

901.683.6873 • cmdsmemphis.org

Christ Methodist Day School embraces

whole child while striving to help each

dividual student, 2K through sixth gra

reach his or her full potential by focu

on four main areas: academic excellen

spiritual development, social respo bility and personal integrity. Under

guidance of nurturing and qualified tea

ers, our students are encouraged to t

critically and creatively and to take resp

sibility for excellence in their own le

ing. child They –are challenged academic Parents choose CMDS because of our goal to educate the whole but they in know academically, spiritually, physically, socially, and emotionally. Located thethey are in a place wh it’s safe to speak up, to take chances, middle of Memphis, CMDS is for boys and girls, 2K to 6th grade. As an elementary school, we invest all of our time and resources solely in themistakes. Such an environm to make Educating the whole child . . .children. all in one curriculum and development of young Ourplace environment provides encourages independ of acceptance a nurturing, safe for students risks, God-given and promotes self-confiden Earlyplace Education Programto(6take wks–2 yrs)explore their thinking talents, and become leaders. And our curriculum is designed to foster all laying the groundwork for future succ Early Childhood (Grades 2K–SK) the things that set children up for success as they move past their primary Since 1958, our “Devotion to Direction” Elementaryinvention, (Grades 1–6) years; things like imagination, and exploration. In short, we make been shining through the accomplishm learning child’s play. Before & After Care of our graduates, who finish strong

We encourage you Summer to come Camp see firsthand choice forin the area’s finest mid Programwhy we are the primary go on to excel local families. Email admissions@cmdsmemphis.org with questions orand to high schools. schools Music Academy register for one of the following events.

Sneak Peeks

Oct. 17 and Dec. 7

Open House Nov. 15

Discovery Days Dec. 1 and Jan. 8

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Christian Brothers High School

First Assembly Christian School

5900 Walnut Grove Road • Memphis, TN 38120-2174 901.261.4900 • www.cbhs.org

8650 Walnut Grove Road • Cordova, TN 38018 901.458.5543 • facsmemphis.org

CBHS: Teaching Brothers’ Boys for more than 145 years Christian Brothers High School provides a challenging curriculum as well as a strong spiritual environment. CBHS offers a comprehensive academic program to a widely diverse group of learners. Our socioeconomic, religious, and intellectual diversity is a real asset for our boys as they prepare for adult life — the world is more than just the 90th percentile. With the understanding that our students have enrolled from 55 different schools and thus begin from widely diverse bases of knowledge, our focus is to afford each student the opportunity to reach his fullest potential by ensuring that he is intellectually challenged, yet not overwhelmed or under-challenged. All efforts focus on maximizing the growth of the mind, body, and spirit of every individual student.

START YOUR LEGACY

CBHS welcomes students and families to join us for tours, visit days, open houses, and other on-campus events. To sign up for one of the above opportunities, please visit www.cbhs.org/visit. @CBHSMemphis and Find Us on Facebook

More Than A Mind Game “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” - Aristotle FACS IS FIRST AND FOREMOST A CHRISTIAN SCHOOL. We provide a strong academic program for more than 700 students in grades PreK-12, including honors, AP, and DE courses. More than 99% of our students attend college, most with academic scholarships. WE BELIEVE: Biblical education is the strongest foundation for intellectual achievement. Students are uniquely created individuals who should develop God-given abilities in academics, athletics, fine arts, and Christian service. The Body of Christ is one body. We are coed, multidenominational (100+ churches) and diverse (23% minority). High-quality Christian education should always be within reach. Now in its 45th year, FACS is one of the most affordably priced fullservice independent schools in the Memphis area. The well-equipped, 42-acre campus is located about a mile east of Germantown Parkway on Walnut Grove Road. Register for a preview or schedule a private tour at gofacs.com.

Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal School

Incarnation Catholic School

246 S. Belvedere • Memphis, TN 38104 901.278.0200 • gslschool.org • learnmore@gslschool.org

360 Bray Station Road • Collierville, TN 38017 901.853.7804 • goICS.org

Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal School is a coed, independent school located in the heart of Midtown’s beautiful Central Gardens neighborhood. Since 1947, GSL has been preparing boys and girls 2 years old through 8th grade to become creative problem solvers, confident lifelong learners, and responsible citizens in their communities and the world. The school’s ongoing success is rooted in its long tradition of educating the whole child. Come see firsthand why so many Mid-South families choose to make GSL their Anchor for Life.

Visit GSL Preschool Open House Nov. 11, 9 a.m.

Senior Kindergarten Open House Nov. 11, 10:30 a.m.

Tours are available year-round. To learn more about GSL’s Preschool, Lower School, or Middle School, call Director of Enrollment Shelly McGuire at 901.273.1085 or email learnmore@gslschool.org today!

Where Scholastic Excellence Meets Spiritual Virtue.

Where Spiritual Virtue Meets Academic Excellence. Established in 2000, ICS is a co-educational, church-affiliated school in Collierville that welcomes children ages oneyear to 8th grade. Students benefit from small class sizes, a rigorous curriculum and dedicated inspiring teachers that nurture the strengths of each individual student. ICS’s strong academic program is STEM oriented and has technology as a main resource. It also includes: Spanish, music, art, library and physical education. Religion is taught on a daily basis and it is integrated throughout all subject areas. Students live out their Christian Values by giving back to those in need, participating in a variety of charitable projects on a monthly basis. ICS balances academic knowledge through co-curricular and extra-curricular activities that are offered to expand students’ minds and their learning experience. For additional information, visit the Incarnation’s website, goICS.org or call 901.850. 2694 to schedule a tour!

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Northpoint Christian School 7400 Getwell Road, Southaven, MS 38672 662.349.5127 • 662.349.3096 ncstrojans.com

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School 8151 Poplar Avenue, Germantown, TN, 38138 901.753.1181 • fax 901.754.1475 • olphowls.org

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School is a co-educational Catholic School dedicated to providing an accredited child-centered school of developmentally appropriate excellence, serving all qualified children of any race, creed, national or ethnic origin. OLPH offers accredited programs for preschool through eighth grade. The OLPH preschool, which serves one-year-olds to Northpoint Christian School is a Christ-centered college preparatory school five-year-olds, is accredited located in North Mississippi just minutes from Memphis, Collierville, and the by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). surrounding area. Our students are taught to know and honor Jesus Christ, Our Lady of Perpetual Help School is firmly rooted in Christian values and grow in knowledge and wisdom, and reach their God-given potential through offers an environment designed for the optimal development of the whole every aspect of student life. We provide a distinctive Christian education for child a emphasized throughout the school program. students in Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade in a safe, nurturing environment with low teacher-pupil ratio. Our fully accredited program offers It is the mission of Our Lady of Perpetual Help School to instill in our well-rounded extracurricular opportunities through academics, athletics, and students the fundamental beliefs of the Roman Catholic faith, ensuring arts at the elementary and high school level. We seek to enroll well-rounded, quality learning experiences with the highest regard for individual academically motivated students without regard to race, color, creed, sex, differences, while preparing them to live in a changing world as selfethnic or natural origin. Call today to set up an appointment to tour the campus directed, caring, responsible citizens. and meet with our admissions department.

Stand Out At Briarcrest, we believe every student is one of a kind. So, we focus on helping them find and develop themselves by providing more opportunities: Opportunities to discover their interests, talents, and strengths, and opportunities to strengthen their faith and values. In every aspect of our balanced education—academics, athletics, and arts in a distinctively Christian environment—our goal is to help every child stand out. To find out more come to our open house, call 901.765.4605 or visit briarcrest.com.

OPEN HOUSE: Thursday, October 26 at 9:30am • East Memphis | October 26 at 6:30pm • Houston Levee Elementary & Middle School

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Memphis Magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

THE 2017

When learning begins at Hutchison, there is no limit to where a girl can go.

PREPARED TO ACHIEVE

Outstanding academics, competitive athletics, and a wide array of arts programs open worlds of opportunity. Worldclass teachers cultivate young women with a passion for achievement and the confidence to think for themselves.

FACE OF

GIRLS EDUCATION

Call 901.762.6672 to schedule a personal tour.

OPEN HOUSES Early Childhood (2 yrs-JK)

Middle School Visitor's Day

Nov 2, 6:00-8:00 pm Nov 7, 9:00-11:00 am Nov 15, 4:00-5:00 pm

Nov 14, 8:30 am-1:00 pm

Upper School Visitor's Day Nov 16, 8:30 am-1:00 pm

Lower School (Grades K-4) Nov 29, 8:30-10:30 am

Hutchison accepts qualified female students regardless of race, color, religion, or national origin.

1740 Ridgeway Road | Memphis, TN 38119 | 901.762.6672 | PK2-12 | HutchisonSchool.org

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FACTS AT A GLANCE BY

and were more self-reliant. They were also less likely to cut class or fall asleep in class. Because there are, on average, 8.6 students to each teacher, students felt they were better able to develop personal relationships with their instructors.

STUDENTS PLANNING ON PURSUING A MASTER’S DEGREE AND HIGHER

JULIA BAKER

82%

Parents often find themselves worrying over whether or not they are making the right decisions for their children — whether they’re living in a safe enough neighborhood, providing them with nutritionally balanced diets, or if children are provided the education and opportunities they need in order to reach their full potential. Fortunately, parents can rest assured that when it comes to education, independent schools trump the competition. According to studies by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) in the last six years, independent school students show more growth than students from any other schools in aspects such as leadership, academic ability, and personal development.

COMPATABILITY

80%

80% 78% 76%

74.9%

70% Public School

The following table shows stats published on nais.org. The studies used to provide this information compared independent school students to students at other types of schools, including public, charter, and homeschool.

THE FUTURE

52.3%

54.4%

50.8%

54.2%

80%

72%

COLLEGE LIFE

Work with other students on group projects

76.5%

74%

Statistics show that independent school students have the best interpersonal skills. Students are more likely to work well with and be understanding of others, are able to see the world from someone else’s perspective and discuss/negotiate controversial issues. NAIS students were also shown to be most knowledgeable of people from different races/cultures and of foreign languages, to tolerate others with different beliefs, and work cooperatively with diverse people. Perhaps these beliefs are due to the fact that students of color make up about 26 percent of NAIS enrollment, while 3.2 percent of students were from other countries.

Activities Done During the Last Year of High School (Frequently) Public Charter Religious Independent All School School School School Accept mistakes as part of 52.6% 57.1% 51.5% 56.3% 53.0% the learning process Ask questions in class 53.6% 56.0% 56.6% 64.9% 54.8% Evaluate the quality or reliability 37.2% 41.2% 39.4% 43.9% 38.3% of information you received Explore topics on your own, 31.0% 36.7% 31.7% 36.8% 31.9% even though it is not required Integrate skills and knowledge 53.0% 55.5% 56.4% 62.6% 54.3% from different sources and Look up scientific research 23.0% 28.1% 23.7% 29.0% 23.8% articles and resources Revise your papers to improve 45.9% 50.3% 49.1% 53.5% 47.0% your writing Seek alternative solutions to a 44.3% 48.2% 46.8% 49.2% 45.2% problem Seek feedback on 47.5% 52.5% 47.1% 54.4% 48.2% your academic work Seek solutions to problems 51.1% 53.3% 54.3% 58.4% 52.2% and explain them to others Support your opinions 55.7% 57.9% 58.5% 66.3% 57.0% with a logical argument Take a risk because you 39.9% 42.4% 39.3% 43.9% 40.2% feel you have more to gain

75.8%

Charter School

Religious School

Independent School

All

Independent school graduates reported receiving higher SAT and ACT scores, specifically in verbal, math, and writing. In college, they were more likely to participate in extracurricular activities, study abroad programs, and do volunteer work, and they expected themselves to be engaged with professors and fellow students and participate in campus life. They were more likely to pursue master’s degrees or beyond, and they intended to go to college to broaden their horizons and gain understanding, rather than for money or a better job. Graduates were interested in starting their own businesses, becoming community leaders, and improving their understanding of other places and people. They were also more involved in social issues.

52.2%

SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS

Independent schools are shown to generate more well-rounded students. Students excelled in academic ability, creativity, leadership ability, and self-understanding. They are likely to have more experience in arts/ music, biological science, history/American government, foreign languages, mathematics, service learning, and physical science. Students were adept in writing, foreign language, critical thinking, time management, and problem-solving. They asked more questions in class, supported opinions with logical arguments, took risks, sought feedback, SEPTEMBER 2017 • MAIS GUIDE • 11

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Open House: October 15 - 2 p.m.

HOW CAN YOUR SON get a

HIGH ACCEPTANCE RATE BEFORE APPLYING to COLLEGE?

Learn for

Yourself .org

The School for Boys. Founded in 1893.

We know

boys. Give us a boy, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll make him stronger, smarter, happier, and overall, better. Presbyterian Day School BUILDING BETTER BOYS 4025 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38111 901.842.4600 | pdsmemphis.org

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ADMISSION QUEST APPLYING TO INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

Independent schools ask students to apply for admission, and the admission process typically begins almost a year before the student wants to enroll. In the fall, families investigate school websites, visit school open houses, and narrow down a list of the schools they’d like to apply to. Most applications are due in the winter, but deadlines vary from school to school. It’s important to check the deadline for each school. Independent schools often require: • A completed application form, available from the school website or by calling the admission office • Your child’s most up-to-date academic transcript with grades from his or her current school • Teacher recommendations • Results of a standardized admissions test and/or a school-administered entrance exam

A FORMAL INTERVIEW WITH YOUR CHILD Depending on your child’s age, some schools may also ask for parent statements describing the child, student essays, and/or student artwork, writing, or portfolios. The admission office is also the best source of information about various options for paying for an independent school education. Many schools ask families to submit an application for financial aid at the same time as the admission application.

Admission interviews with students and their families take place in the fall and winter. For very young children, schools often conduct group interviews or have the child visit a class to help gauge whether the school is the right fit for the student’s needs. Each school works hard to assemble a student body that will benefit most from the type of education it offers. They also look for students whose strengths and personalities will complement those of other admitted students. Some schools weigh academic performance most heavily, but other schools look primarily at a student’s potential. Overall, each school aims to admit students who are the right fit for the school, just as parents are looking for schools that are the right fit for their children and families. Independent schools typically send notification about admissions decisions in the spring, but some schools offer rolling admissions (offers of admission are made until the class fills up). For a student who’s accepted into several schools, a new challenge emerges — how to choose which to attend. Many schools allow admitted students to visit on a special day or provide some opportunity for students to visit the c a mpu s a g ain. S o m e tim e s , shadowing a current student can give the best sense of what it would be like to attend. For parents of prospective students, talking to current parents may help, too. Many schools provide contact information for parents who’ve agreed to speak about their experiences at the school. Reading the school’s newsletters and following it on social media can also help you get a sense of the school’s offerings and culture. © 2015, National Association of Independent Schools. Reprinted with permission.

active learning

agile teaching

to build disciplined minds, adventurous spirits, and brave hearts

ADMISSION OPEN HOUSES Lower School (grades PK-5) Germantown Campus | October 26 @ 9 am Memphis Campus | November 9 @ 8-10 am (drop-in) Middle School and Upper School (grades 6-12) Collierville Campus l November 2 @ 6 pm

ST. GEORGE’S INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

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MEMPHIS ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS DIRECTORY 2017 BODINE SCHOOL

COLLEGIATE SCHOOL OF MEMPHIS

2432 Yester Oaks Drive Germantown, 38139 bodineschool.org • 754-1800

3353 Faxon Avenue, 38122 collegiatememphis.org • 591-8200

Grades/gender: 1st-6th/coed Religion/specialty: Non-denominational/dyslexia Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 100; 10:1 Tuition: $22,500 Before- and after-school care: yes

BORNBLUM JEWISH COMMUNITY SCHOOL 6641 Humphreys Boulevard, 38120 bornblum.org • 747-2665 Grades/gender: K-8th/coed Religion/specialty: Jewish Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 100; 6:1 Tuition: $18,750 (grant given to every child; $6,500-$9,500 parent responsibility per child) Before- and after-school care: yes

BRIARCREST CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 76 South Houston Levee Road, Eads, 38028 6000 Briarcrest Avenue, 38120 briarcrest.com • 765-4600 Grades/gender: PK2-12th/coed Religion/specialty: Non-denominational Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 1,670; 11:1 Tuition: $5,995-$15,195 Before- and after-school care: yes

Grades/gender: 6th-12th/coed Religion/specialty: Christian Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 363; 13:1 Tuition: $10,000-10,150 Before- and after-school care: yes, after- only

CONCORD ACADEMY 4942 Walnut Grove Road, 38017 concord-academy.org • 682-3115 Grades/gender: 6th-12th/coed Religion/specialty: Non-denominational/School for students with disabilities Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 65; 7:1 Tuition: $11,946-$12,515 Before- and after-school care: yes

EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN SCHOOL (ECS) Shelby Farms Middle & Upper School Campus 7600 Macon Road, 38018 ecseagles.com • 754-7217 Grades/gender: 6-12th/coed

CHRIST METHODIST DAY SCHOOL

Lower School Campus 1920 Forest Hill-Irene Road, 38139 • 754-4420 Grades/gender: K3-5th/coed Religion/specialty: Christian/Non-denominational Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 700; 6:1 Tuition: $5,600-$16,150 Before- and after-school care: yes

411 South Grove Park Road, 38117 cmdsmemphis.org • 683-6873

FAYETTE ACADEMY

Grades/gender: 2K-6th/coed Religion/specialty: Christian Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 481; 9:1 Tuition: $2,340-$12,740 Before- and after-school care: yes

CHRIST THE KING LUTHERAN SCHOOL 5296 Park Avenue, 38119 ctkschool.com • 682-8405 Grades/gender: 18 months-8th/coed Religion/specialty: Lutheran Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 230; 15:1 Tuition: $7,500-$10,000 Before- and after-school care: yes

CHRISTIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL 5900 Walnut Grove Road, 38120 cbhs.org • 261-4900 Grades/gender: 9th-12th/boys Religion/specialty: Roman Catholic Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 850; 9:1 Tuition: $13,500 Before- and after-school care: no

P.O. Box 130 15090 Highway 64, Somerville, 38068 fayetteacademy.com • 465-3241 Grades/gender: PK3-12th/coed Religion/specialty: Non-denominational Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 600; 15:1 Tuition: $5,000-$7,100 Before- and after-school care: yes

HARDING ACADEMY

Middle & Upper School Campus 1100 Cherry Road, 38117 hardinglions.org • 767-4494 Grades/gender: 7th-12th/coed Cordova Campus 8360 Macon Road, 38018 • 624-0522 Grades/gender: 18 months-6th/coed White Station Campus 1106 Colonial Road, 38117 • 767-2093 Grades/gender: 18 months-6th/coed Religion/specialty: Christian Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 740; 10:1 Tuition: $3,700-$13,595 Before- and after-school care: yes

HUTCHISON SCHOOL 1740 Ridgeway Road, 38119 hutchisonschool.org • 762-6672 Grades/gender: PK2-12th/girls Religion/specialty: Non-denominational Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 872; early childhood, 7:1; lower school, middle school, upper school, 16:1 Tuition: $5,200-$20,912 Before- and after-school care: yes

INCARNATION CATHOLIC SCHOOL 360 Bray Station Road, Collierville, 38017 goics.org • 853-7804 Grades/gender: age 1-8th/coed Religion/specialty: Catholic Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 175; 16:1 Tuition: $6,800 Before- and after-school care: yes

LAMPLIGHTER MONTESSORI SCHOOL 8563 Fay Road, Cordova, 38018 lamplighterschool.org • 751-2000

FIRST ASSEMBLY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL (FACS)

Grades/gender: Toddler-8th/coed Religion/specialty: Montessori Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 120; 12:1 Tuition: $4,000-$13,400 Before- and after-school care: yes

8650 Walnut Grove Road, Cordova, 38018 facsmemphis.org • 458-5543

LAUSANNE COLLEGIATE SCHOOL

Grades/gender: PreK-12th/coed Religion/specialty: Christian Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 650; 8:1 Tuition: $5,041-$10,759 Before- and after-school care: yes

1381 West Massey Road, 38120 lausanneschool.com • 474-1000

GRACE-ST. LUKE’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Grades/gender: PK-12th/coed Religion/specialty: Nonsectarian Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 870; 7:1 Tuition: $13,650-$21,730 Before- and after-school care: yes

246 South Belvedere Boulevard, 38104 gslschool.org • 278-0200

MADONNA LEARNING CENTER

Grades/gender: 2 years-8th/coed Religion/specialty: Episcopal Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 515; 9:1 Tuition: $4,463-$16,440 Before- and after-school care: yes

7007 Poplar Avenue, Germantown, 38138 madonna-learning.org • 752-5767 Grades/gender: Non-graded/ages 4 to adult/coed Religion/specialty: Non-denominational/special needs, including autism, down syndrome, developmental delays, and intellectual disabilities Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 78; 4:1 Tuition: $13,000 Before- and after-school care: yes

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17 MARGOLIN HEBREW ACADEMY - FEINSTONE YESHIVA OF THE SOUTH 390 South White Station Road, 38117 mhafyos.org • 682-2400 Grades/gender: PK-8th/coed Goldie Margolin High School for Girls Grades/gender: 9th-12th/girls Cooper Yeshiva High School for Boys Grades/gender: 9th-12th/boys Religion/specialty: Jewish/college preparatory Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 160; 4:1 Tuition: $7,231-$19,170 Before- and after-school care: yes (after- only)

MEMPHIS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL 6191 Park Avenue, 38119 musowls.org • 260-1300 Grades/gender: 7th-12th/boys Religion/specialty: Non-denominational/college preparatory Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 630; 8:1 Tuition: $20,650 Before- and after-school care: after- only (7th-8th grade)

NEW HOPE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 3000 University Street, 38127 newhopememphis.org • 358-3183 Grades/gender: PK3-6th/coed Religion/specialty: Christian Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 430; 16:1 Tuition: Sliding scale based on family size and income. Before- and after-school care: yes (after- only, K-6th)

NORTHPOINT CHRISTIAN SCHOOL (FORMERLY SBEC) 7400 Getwell Road, Southaven, MS, 38672 ncstrojans.com • 662-349-5127 Grades/gender: PK-12th/coed Religion/specialty: Christian Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 975; 15:1 Tuition: $6,500-$9,925 Before- and after-school care: yes

OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP 8151 Poplar Avenue, Germantown, 38138 olphgermantown.org • 753-1181

ROSSVILLE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

TIPTON-ROSEMARK ACADEMY

280 High Street, Rossville, 38066 rossvillechristian.com • 853-0200

8696 Rosemark Road, Millington, 38053 tiptonrosemarkacademy.net • 829-6500

Grades/gender: 4K-12th/coed Religion/specialty: Non-denominational Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 300; 12:1 Tuition: $5,600-$6,350 Before- and after-school care: no

Grades/gender: 3 years-12th/coed Religion/specialty: Christian Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 550; 18:1 Tuition: $4,948-$8,728 Before- and after-school care: yes

ST. AGNES ACADEMY-ST. DOMINIC SCHOOL

TRINITY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

4830 Walnut Grove Road, 38117 saa-sds.org • 435-5819

10 Windy City Road, Jackson, 38305 tcalions.com • 731-668-8500

Grades/gender: 2K-12th/girls (St. Agnes), 2K-8th/ boys (St. Dominic) Religion/specialty: Catholic Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 792; 9:1 Tuition: $4,250-$16,455 Before- and after-school care: yes

Grades/gender: 2 years-12th/coed Religion/specialty: Christian Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 700; 15:1 Tuition: $3,830-$9,675 Before- and after-school care: yes (including holidays)

ST. BENEDICT AT AUBURNDALE HIGH SCHOOL

UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF JACKSON

8250 Varnavas Drive, Cordova, 38016 sbaeagles.org • 260-2840

232 McClellan Road, Jackson, 38305 usjbruins.org • 731-664-0812

Grades/gender: 9th-12th/coed Religion/specialty: Roman Catholic/PLUS (learning differences program) Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 800; 16:1 Tuition: Traditional: $10,570, PLUS: $11,120 Before- and after-school care: no

Grades/gender: 6 weeks-12th/coed Religion/specialty: Non-denominational/college preparatory Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 1,030; 13:1 Tuition: $3,893-$10,373 Before- and after-school care: yes (after-school care and summer daycare)

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI CATHOLIC SCHOOL

WESTMINSTER ACADEMY

2100 N. Germantown Parkway, Cordova, 38016 sfawolves.org • 388-7321

2500 Ridgeway Road, 38119 wamemphis.com • 380-9192

Grades/gender: 3K-8th/coed Religion/specialty: Catholic Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 540; 14:1 Tuition: $6,885-$10,920 Before- and after-school care: yes

Grades/gender: 4K-12th/coed Religion/specialty: Classical Christian Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 313; 5:1 Tuition: $7,435-$13,240 Before- and after-school care: no

ST. GEORGE’S INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

WOODLAND PRESBYTERIAN SCHOOL

Collierville Campus 1880 Wolf River Boulevard, 38017 sgis.org • 457-2000 Grades/gender: 6th-12th/coed

Germantown Campus 8250 Poplar Avenue, 38138 • 261-2300 Grades/gender: 2 years old-5th grade/coed

Grades/Gender: Mother’s Day Out, 1 year olds through 8th grade/coeducational Religion/specialty: Catholic Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 215, 1:11 Tuition: $6,000-$6,720 Before- and after-school care: yes

Memphis Campus 3749 Kimball Avenue, 38111 • 261-3920 Grades/gender: PK-5th/coed Religion/specialty: Episcopal Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 1,090; 9:1 Tuition: $8,600-$10,280 Before- and after-school care: yes (PK-8th)

PRESBYTERIAN DAY SCHOOL

ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

4025 Poplar Avenue, 38111 pdsmemphis.org • 842-4600

60 Perkins Extended & 41 North Perkins Road, 38117 stmarysschool.org • 537-1405

Grades: PK2-6; boys Religion/speciality: Presbyterian Enrollment: 585; ratio: 9:1 Tuition: $2,600-$19,630 Before and after-school care: yes

Grades/gender: 2 years-12th/girls Religion/specialty: Episcopal Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 825; 9:1 Tuition: $2,856-$20,700 Before- and after-school care: yes (after- only)

5217 Park Avenue, 38119 woodlandschool.org • 685-0976 Grades/gender: 2 years-8th/coed Religion/specialty: Presbyterian Enrollment/student-faculty ratio: 340; 7:1 Tuition: $3,450-$13,990 Before- and after-school care: yes

SEPTEMBER 2017 • MAIS GUIDE • 15

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LAUREN

INQUISITIVE. INSPIRED. KIND. SHE’S ST. MARY’S. Discover your daughter’s full potential. Our community cultivates creativity, celebrates individuality, and challenges girls to accomplish exceptional results. Set up a tour: www.stmarysschool.org or call 901-537-1405 ©2017 St. Mary’s Episcopal School. All rights reserved.

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GROWS HERE Woodland combines small class sizes, dedicated teachers, and personalized instruction to help grow your child’s success. Call 901-685-0976 to schedule a tour, or email admissions@woodlandschool.org. A co-ed, 2-year-old – 8th grade independent school in the heart of East Memphis. | woodlandschool.org

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G A R D E N VA R I E T Y

Make Your Garden Grow

Do-it-yourself projects can be a rewarding way to build your own personal garden.

Donna Olswing and her dog, Molly, enjoy a moment in her East Memphis garden. top right: The gazebo is partially covered in two vines that bloom in the spring: America, a coral-pink rose, and Amethyst Falls, a wisteria with deep purple ﬂowers. bottom right: Olswing couldn’t resist buying this petite bathtub and promises that one day she will use it as it was originally intended. PHOTOGRAPHS BY DONNA OLSWING

by christine arpe gang

et’s ponder what it might take to create a great garden. Energy and strength are important. Let’s toss in considerable plant knowledge and some skills with tools like hammers, saws, and drills. Patience helps when tackling big projects, or when waiting for the small plants you can afford to become the mature plants you want.

as an assistant floriculturist at The Dixon Gallery and Gardens. Her co-worker at the Dixon, Greg Francis, taught her floral design, a skill she loves sharing with garden clubs and plant societies. Some of us have visited or seen photos of grand English gardens that are divided by hedges and walls into semi-enclosed spaces or “rooms” with A certain amount of money is needed, too. If by the Shelby County Agricultural Extension you have enough of it you can forget about the Service. Last June, she opened her garden horticultural themes. Olswing’s garden is more gates to the public during the group’s anaforementioned attributes and hire talented like contemporary home designs favoring open people to make the garden exactly how you nual tour. That’s when I and about 400 othfloor plans rather than separate rooms. The multifaceted outdoor living space invites want it and to maintain it. ers first experienced this enchanting place. But then you won’t have the sense of accomOlswing began transforming her backyard one to nap in a hammock, dine under the trees, plishment do-it-yourselfer Donna Olswing almost 20 years ago by removing a swimming cozy up with a book in the she-shed and, if you must feel whenever she ventures outside her pool and addressing the drainage problem have the moxie, take an outside bath in the tub East Memphis home. caused by a terrain that sloped toward the house. installed on the patio earlier this year. Her late father, Pete McCullough, taught “I wanted to create a park-like setting with Near the family-sized dining table hangs a his third born of four daughters how to grow different areas of interest,” says Olswing, a prodiscarded chandelier “rewired” with strings of edibles as well as how to use building tools. His fessional photographer who formerly worked outdoor holiday lights. Other lights strung from gifts to her of a four-wheel tree to tree turn the Two reasons to visit the Memphis Botanic Garden this month: dolly and lessons on using entire yard into a fesleverage to move heavy tive venue at night. T H E B U G S A R E H E R E , T H E B U G S A R E H E R E ! Run to the Memphis Botanic Garden to see and touch gigantic objects were invaluable I started my tour of sculptures of common insects, starting September 16th and continuing through January 1st. The 10 bugs made by when she first decided Olswing’s hideaway New York artist David Roger include a dragonfly, grasshopper, daddy long legs, spider, praying mantis, damselfly, to lay stones on the flat by walking up the assassin bug, and three ants. They will be positioned around the 96-acre garden. The exhibit is free with garden fieldstone stairway surface of her patio. After admission: $10 adults; $8 for seniors 62 and up; $5 for children 2 to 12. memphisbotanicgarden.com that success she tackled to a shady front yard From 10 to 4 p.m. on September 24th, the M E M P H I S J A P A N F E S T I VA L will celebrate the culture of Japan at the installation of fieldwith beds filled with Memphis Botanic Garden. The event spotlights that nation’s noteworthy accomplishments in horticulture with stone steps up the sloping hostas, toad lilies, hyguided tours of the Japanese and Asian gardens as well as lectures and demonstrations on Japanese flower hill in her front yard. drangeas, and giant arranging and bonsai. Children will be entertained by puppeteers, a roving candy man, and drummers. They To become adept at ferns with names like can also find out how it feels to be a sumo wrestler when they dress up in special suits and participate in making growing ornamental Macho and Godzilla. Japanese crafts like origami and calligraphy. Admission is half price the day of the event. More information can be plants, Olswing enrolled Ha ng i ng f rom found at memphisjapanfestival.org. the huge oak trees in the master gardener are orchids on driftcourse offered annually S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 81

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wood that bloomed for most of the summer. As we moved to the back of the house we stopped at a vegetable bed Olswing constructed out of wood that allows her to place big tubs of soil filled with tomatoes and peppers at waist height for easy tending. Nearby a covered section of the patio beckoned with its inviting sofa and numerous chairs, but my eyes quickly led me to a bathtub ahead. “I always wanted an outdoor shower but this little bathtub was too cute to resist,” says Olswing, who may dip into it after she figures a way to add a little more privacy to the space. A couple of steps up from the patio I ventured onto the path that circles the garden. The first stop is the desert garden featuring a giant concrete fountain. Filled with succulents from big agaves to tiny sedums, it looks like a flying saucer that landed and decided to stay. I can only imagine how wonderful it would be to have dinner one evening at the family-sized table lit by a chandelier rewired with outdoor lights wrapped around its curved arms. Other lights strung from tree to tree turn the entire yard into a festive venue at night. Next I moved on to one of my favorite spots, a children’s playhouse now serving as the “sheshed,” the feminine alternative to a man cave. With a comfy chair and doors on two sides, it is both cozy and airy. But I didn’t linger long because I had to check out one of Olswing’s early projects, Pebble Beach. Eleven years ago it served as the venue for her daughter Alana’s beach party on her 13th birthday. With its Adirondack-style chairs and small flock of flamingos, it’s still a great place to enjoy a margarita. If you close your eyes, you almost see and hear the waves hitting the shore at your favorite ocean-front vacation spot. Next up is the gazebo, Olswing’s first fun project in the garden. Its trellised sides and roof are almost completely covered in two vines: America, a climbing rose with coral pink flowers, and Amethyst Falls, a wisteria with deep purple fragrant flowers but without the aggressive growth habit of the common variety with lavender flowers. Inside the gazebo is another conversation area with coral-pink chairs set around a table. As you probably gathered by now, this garden has numerous places to sit and enjoy its horticultural delights. One of the most intriguing is a bench made from gnarly branches of a crepe myrtle pruned by one of Olswing’s neighbors. He had a feeling she could make something wonderful from them, and he was right. With all of the stone laying, digging, and building she did to create her garden, Olswing says she sometimes feels like a reincarnated Egyptian. “But not Cleopatra,” she clarifies. It’s safe to say the Egyptian queen was not into DIY projects.

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learningrx.com/memphis-germantown S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 83

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DINING OUT

A Room with a View Chefs Michael Hudman and Andrew Ticer bring urban style and exquisite pasta to Catherine & Mary’s in the Chisca Hotel.

by pamela denney | photographs by justin fox burks Rustic pickle plate Early for our reservation, we settle into the restaurant’s bar, which stretches alongside the dining room like a perfect front porch, welcoming and well-appointed. Head bartender Colby Jones hands us a menu — 10 craft cocktails strong — and we spot the Dacey, a drink created with Old Dominick vodka for the distillery’s grand opening. “I made the prettiest drink I could and called it the Dacey, after my daughter’s middle name,” Jones explains. Pretty, indeed, thanks to whole blackberries juiced by ice vigorously shaken — 25 seconds instead of the more typical 15 — along with Meletti li-

n a recent afternoon, with a friend from Boulder in tow, my husband and I decide to show off Memphis, heading downtown to Front Street where Old Dominick Distillery opened in June. We take the 5 p.m. tour and tasting, marvel at the distillery’s magnificent still, and toast one another with bourbon toddy. By the time we walk two blocks to Catherine & Mary’s for dinner, we are jaunty from good cheer and spirits, all Memphis made.

Chefs Michael Hudman, Ryan Jenniges, and Andrew Ticer

Chisca Hotel queur, fresh-squeezed lemon, and Branca Menta, a minty Italian digestif. Poured into champagne coupes, topped off with prosecco, and garnished with twists, the cocktails turn deep pink to purple, like ripening summer fruit on a mulberry tree. Sipping our drinks, we feel chatty and insulated, like good friends do. But when we swing our stools around to move from bar to table, the dining room bustle startles us a bit. People have filled up the tables, and from the tall storefront windows, twilight shadows drift in. I’ve felt this surprise before at Catherine & Mary’s, where

I have eaten half-a-dozen times since the restaurant opened last September. Despite its grand scale on the first f loor of the Chisca Hotel, the restaurant plays out like a series of illus-

The Dacey trated vignettes. Along with the bar’s singular focus are the dining room’s multiple personalities: a sheltered two-top for intimate encounters; an energetic four-top with a view into the busy kitchen; and a window table to watch traffic and dog-walkers scoot on by. The restaurant’s northwest windows also frame a streetscape of the Orpheum marquee, one of many reasons chef/owners Michael Hudman and Andrew Ticer embraced the building where radio station WHBQ first

Chef de cuisine Ryan Jenniges brings his sublime cooking to a more relaxed menu built around small plates. played Elvis Presley’s breakout hit, “That’s All Right.” “The building had been boarded up for 26 years, but the bones of the building are so special,” Hudman says. “Andy went right to that corner window, looked at me, and said, ‘We are going to do this.’”

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Certainly, the downtown restaurant builds on Hudman and Ticer’s storied success: named by this magazine Best New Chefs in 2013; James Beard Award finalists for multiple years; and owners of a family of five restaurants including Josephine Estelle in New Orleans. Memphis natives and boyhood friends, the chefs often say that they keep opening restaurants to give new opportunities to their accomplished staff. Longtime general manager Nick Talarico left Hog and Hominy for Catherine & Mary’s, where he runs the team’s newest restaurant with meticulous attention to detail. (He uses a yardstick, for instance, to ensure table settings are precisely placed.) Chef de cuisine Ryan Jenniges, who held the same position at Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen in East Memphis, also moved downtown, bringing his sublime cooking to a more relaxed menu built around small plates, entrees, and eight different pastas that frequently change up. “We start with seasonal ingredients, and then pick the noodle,”

Jenniges says. “Some ingredients are better stuffed into a pasta, and certain pastas pick up sauce better than others.” Visitors new to Catherine & Mary’s should order pasta, by all means, and lumache, a snail-shape pasta with cacao e pepe (cheese and pepper sauce) is my warm weather favorite. But here’s another tip: Eat judiciously because the restaurant’s other small plates are shareable and also excellent. Consider the humble cannellini beans, a dish so popular it holds a permanent place on the menu. One of the plate’s components — along with pork terrine and black pepper broth — is micro-planed egg yolk, cured in a pound of salt and spices for 15 days. And the rustic pickle plate — served with toasted slices of baguette —orchestrates a cacophony of color and texture with okra, celery, caulif lower, snap beans, dried apricots, and

watermelon rinds all pickled in different ways. The seasonal spuntini selection (an Italian word for snack

or small bite) is another favorite, presented to the table like a fanciful miniature circus: triangles of fried cheese; chick peas also fried but tossed with rosemary, parsley, and lemon juice; and herbaceous poached shrimp mixed with a pretty pickled giardiniera of whatever is handy. And for dipping? A crudité of raw vegetables with Green Goddess dressing, spruced up with avocado, a little dill, and ramp tops preserved in the spring.

CATHERINE & MARY’S 272 S. Main St. (901) 245-8600 STARS: ★★★★ FOOD: Inspired by the Sicilian and

Spuntini Entrees also are lovely to look at and easy to love. On a visit in early spring, I fall hard for a beef cut called spinalis (it’s the cap on a ribeye), served with bordelaise, fried shallots, and potatoes au gratin. And for dessert? A mascarpone and goat cheese torta with blueberries and hibiscus sorbet. At Catherine & Mar y’s, every dish starts with a sense memory or reference point for inspiration. “But then there’s a bridge to something new, to a different spin,” Ticer says. “And that’s the point when the dish becomes part of you.”

PAM’S PICS: THREE TO TRY

HAMACHI TARTARE: ($14): A dish to truly

IMPROVED VESPER: ($13): James Bond’s

LAMB WITH PEAS, ASPARAGUS, &

dream about, chef Ryan Jenniges mixes Hamachi — the Japanese name for Paciﬁc yellowtail — with preserved Meyer lemon rind puree and tops the tartare with dill, cucumber, crème fraiche, and crunchy fried garlic.

legendary cocktail gets updated with Caperitif — a Chenin blanc botanical from South Africa — and a spritz of tincture made with dill and Tellicherry peppercorns. Happily, the drink’s gin and vodka also stay in the mix.

CHERRY SAUCE: ($31) One taste, and you’ll wonder out loud, “Why doesn’t everyone eat cherries with lamb?” For the ruby-colored sauce, chefs reduce red onions to a molasses consistency, add reduced beet juice, and fold in cherries.

Tuscan cooking of Hudman and Ticer’s grandmothers, for whom the restaurant is named, the menu focuses on pasta and contemporary dishes with a Southern twist. DRINKS: The bar program is top-notch, and a good time to experiment is happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Sunday, when the bar menu includes munchies like fried chicken skins and country pate. ATMOSPHERE: In a reclaimed space with an industrial feel in the Chisca Hotel, Catherine & Mary’s mixes a thrown-together urban appeal with the kind of excellent service more typically expected with traditional ﬁne dining. EXTRAS: Notice the restaurant’s impressive paintings from local artists: landscapes by Matt Hasty, abstracts by Beth Winterburn, and Kyle Taylor’s whimsical portraits of Hudman and Ticer as youngsters, cooking with their grandmothers. UP NEXT: Expect weekday lunch and weekend brunch sometime in September, and the rollout of a new restaurant in the Old Dominick Distillery on Front Street, featuring wood-ﬁre cooking. PRICES: Snacks for sharing ($17 to $25); plates ($12 to $15); pastas ($14 to $17); entrees ($25 to $32); coffee and dessert ($4 to $7). OPEN: Monday through Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 to 11 p.m. ★★★★ ★★★ ★★ ★

Exceptional Very good Satisfactory Skip it!

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MEMPHIS DINING guide

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JUSTIN FOX BURKS

the

clockwise from top left: Fried chicken, seasoned with secret spices, shapes the heart of Joes’ menu; Joe Spotts and Joseph Soliman crisscrossed the Southeast sampling fried chicken dinners before settling in Memphis; For dessert, try a slice of Grasshopper pie; Chicken fried steak (it’s divine!) comes with mashed potatoes and Angel biscuits; Pork medallions perch atop plum-colored lingonberry sauce.

Tidbits: Joes’ Restaurant by pamela denney est Memphis native Joe Spotts first met Joseph Soliman, who is Lebanese, in Istanbul, but he couldn’t speak Arabic, Soliman’s first language. Likewise, Soliman didn’t know much English, so the chefs cooked together, building a culinary bond that led them eventually to Memphis, where the two Joes now operate Joes’ Restaurant, open since mid-May. “We would go to the markets, and cook, and never even discuss it,” Spotts says. “We finished each other’s sentences gastronomically.” Located on South Highland Street in the former Farmer space, Joes’ original concept — a down-and-dirty fried chicken place — has evolved into full-service dinner and

lunch with dishes such as braised beef ribs and salmon with butter caper sauce. (Think home-cooked Sunday dinners, but gussied up.) Exceptionally good fried chicken, however, remains at the menu’s core, marinated for 24 hours, seasoned with a 16-spice blend, and fried to order so the skin stays nice and crispy. Order a two-piece plate — either white meat or dark — and don’t skip the restaurant’s sides made with Southern leanings: Mardi Gras slaw, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes with roasted poblano chili gravy, and Angel biscuits, moist and a little billowy as the name implies. “We call them Angel biscuits in our family, and they are a yeast biscuit, and we make them fresh at the restaurant every day,” says Spotts, crediting his passion for cooking

to his great-grandmother Eva Brower, his grandmother, Erdie McKee, and his mother, June Greene, who wrote a cooking column for local newspapers, including the West Memphis Evening Times. At Joes’, family recipes stand alongside seasonal soups like mango tomato vichyssoise and retro classics like coq au vin and pork medallions in lingonberry sauce, a plum-colored perfection made with port wine reduction and lingonberry jam. For dessert, try Grasshopper pie, a kind of grown up Girl Scout cookie made with crème de menthe and crème de cacao. “Restaurants used to give away mints after dinner,” Spotts says. “Our pie gives you that same kind of refreshing afterglow.” 262 S. Highland St. (901-337-7003) $-$$

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 - D I N I N G 86 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7

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CIT Y DINING LIST

A Curated Guide to Eating Out

emphis magazine offers this curated restaurant listing as a service to its readers. Broken down alphabetically by neighborhoods, this directory does not list every restaurant in town. It does, however, include the magazine’s “Top 50” choices of must-try restaurants in Memphis, a DINING SYMBOLS group that is updated every August. Establishments open B — breakfast less than a year are not eligible for “Top 50” but are noted as L — lunch “New.” This guide also includes a representative sampling D — dinner of other Bluff City eating establishments. No fast-food SB — Sunday brunch facilities or cafeterias are listed, nor have we included WB — weekend brunch establishments that rely heavily on take-out business. X— wheelchair accessible Restaurants are included regardless of whether they ad MRA — member, Memphis vertise in Memphis magazine; those that operate in multi Restaurant Association ple locations are listed under the neighborhood of their $ — under $15 per person without drinks or desserts original location. This guide is updated regularly, but we $$ — under $25 recommend that you call ahead to check on hours, prices, $$$ — $26-$50 and other details. Suggestions from readers are welcome; $$$$ — over $50 please contact us at dining@memphismagazine.com.

CENTER CITY AGAVE MARIA—Menu items at this Mexican eatery include short rib stuffed poblanos, shrimp and crab enchiladas, and grilled lamb chops. 83 Union. 341-2096. L, D, X, $-$$ ALDO’S PIZZA PIES—Serving gourmet pizzas — including Mr. T Rex — salads, and more. Also 30 beers, bottled or on tap. 100 S. Main. 577-7743; 752 S. Cooper. 725-7437. L, D, X, $-$$ THE ARCADE—Possibly Memphis’ oldest cafe. Specialties include sweet potato pancakes, a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich, and breakfast served all day. 540 S. Main. 526-5757. B, L, D (Thurs.-Sat.), X, MRA, $ AUTOMATIC SLIM’S—Longtime downtown favorite specializes in contemporary American cuisine emphasizing local ingredients; also extensive martini list. 83 S. Second. 525-7948. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ BANGKOK ALLEY—Thai fusion cuisine includes noodle and curry dishes, chef-specialty sushi rolls, coconut soup, and duck and seafood entrees. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. at Brookhaven location; call for hours. 121 Union Ave. 522-2010; 2150 W. Poplar at Houston Levee (Collierville). 854-8748; 715 W. Brookhaven Cl. 590-2585. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ BARDOG TAVERN—Classic American grill with Italian influence, Bardog offers pasta specialties such as Grandma’s NJ Meatballs, as well as salads, sliders, sandwiches, and daily specials. 73 Monroe. 275-8752. B (Mon.-Fri.), L, D, WB, X, $-$$ BEDROCK EATS & SWEETS—Memphis’ only Paleocentric restaurant offering such dishes as pot roast, waffles, enchiladas, chicken salad, omelets, and more. Closed for dinner Sun. 327 S. Main. 409-6433. B, L, D, X, $-$$ BELLE: A SOUTHERN BISTRO—Brisket in a bourbon brown sugar glaze, and chicken with basmati rice are among the specialties; also seafood entrees and such vegetables as blackened green tomatoes. Closed for dinner Sun. and all day Mon. 117 Union Ave. 433-9851. L (Sat. and Sun.), D, WB, X, $-$$$ BELLE TAVERN—Serving soups, salads, sandwiches, and more, including smoked turkey and homemade dumplings with jalapeno Johnny cakes and beef short rib tamales. 117 Barboro Alley. 249-6580. L (Sun.), D, $ BLEU—This eclectic restaurant features American food with global influences and local ingredients. Among the specialties are a 14-oz. bone-in rib-eye and several seafood dishes. 221 S. Third, in the Westin Memphis Beale St. Hotel. 334-5950. B, L, D, WB, X, $$-$$$ BLUEFIN RESTAURANT & SUSHI LOUNGE—Serves Japanese fusion cuisine featuring seafood and steak, with seasonally changing menu; also, a sushi bar and flatbread pizza. 135 S. Main. 528-1010. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ BRASS DOOR IRISH PUB—Irish and New-American cuisine includes such entrees as fish and chips burgers, sandwiches, salads, and daily specials. 152 Madison. 572-1813. L, D, SB, MRA, $

CAFE KEOUGH—European-style cafe serving quiche, paninis, salads, and more. 12 S. Main. 509-2469. B, L, D, X, $ CAFE PONTOTOC—Serves a variety of internationally inspired small plates, as well as salads and sandwiches. Closed for dinner Sun. 314 S. Main. 249-7955. L, D, WB, X, $-$$ CAPRICCIO GRILL ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE— Offers prime steaks, fresh seafood (lobster tails, grouper, mahi mahi), pasta, and several northern Italian specialties. 149 Union, The Peabody. 529-4199. B, L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$$ CATHERINE & MARY’S—A variety of pastas, grilled quail, pâté, razor clams, and monkfish are among the dishes served at this Italian restaurant in the Chisca. 272 S. Main. 254-8600. D, X, $-$$$ CHEZ PHILIPPE—Classical/contemporary French cuisine presented in a luxurious atmosphere with a seasonal menu focused on local/regional cuisine. The crown jewel of The Peabody for 35 years. Afternoon tea served Wed.-Sat., 1-3:30 p.m. (reservations required). Closed Sun.Tues. The Peabody, 149 Union. 529-4188. D, X, MRA, $$$$ COZY CORNER—Serving up ribs, pork sandwiches, chicken, spaghetti, and more; also homemade banana pudding. Closed Sun.-Mon. 745 N. Parkway and Manassas. 527-9158. L, D, $ DEJAVU—Serves Creole, soul, and vegetarian cuisine, including po-boys, jambalaya, and shrimp and grits. 51 S. Main. 505-0212. L, D, X, MR, $-$$ DIRTY CROW INN—Serving elevated bar food, including poutine fries, fried catfish, and the Chicken Debris, a sandwich with smoked chicken, melted cheddar, and gravy. 855 Kentucky. 207-5111. L, D, $ EIGHTY3—Contemporary menu of steaks and seafood offers a variety of eclectic specialties; also weekly specials, small plates, appetizers, and patio dining. 83 Madison Ave. 333-1224. B, L, D, WB, X , MRA, $-$$$ EVELYN & OLIVE—Jamaican/Southern fusion cuisine includes such dishes as Kingston stew fish, Rasta Pasta, and jerk rib-eye. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun.-Mon. 630 Madison. 748-5422. L, D, X , $ FELICIA SUZANNE’S—Southern cuisine with low-country, Creole, and Delta influences, using regional fresh seafood, local beef, and locally grown foods. Entrees include shrimp and grits. Closed Sun. and Mon. A downtown staple at Brinkley Plaza, 80 Monroe, Suite L1. 5230877. L (Fri. only), D, X, MRA, $$-$$$ FERRARO’S PIZZERIA & PUB—Rigatoni and tortellini are among the pasta entrees here, along with pizzas (whole or by the slice), with a variety of toppings. 111 Jackson. 522-2033. L, D, X, $ THE FIVE SPOT—Tucked behind Earnestine & Hazel’s, this popular eatery features innovative bar food by chef Kelly English. Closed Mon.-Tues. 531 S. Main. 523-9754. D, SB, X, $-$$ FLIGHT RESTAURANT & WINE BAR— Serves steaks and seafood, along with such specialties

(This guide, compiled by our editors, includes editorial picks and advertisers.)

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as bison ribeye and Muscovy duck, all matched with appropriate wines. 39 S. Main. 521-8005. D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ FLYING FISH—Serves up fried and grilled versions of shrimp, crab, oysters, fish tacos, and catfish; also chicken and burgers. 105 S. Second. 522-8228. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ GUS’S WORLD FAMOUS FRIED CHICKEN—Serves chicken with signature spicy batter, along with homemade beans, slaw, and pies. 310 S. Front. 527-4877; 215 S. Center St. (Collierville). 853-6005; 2965 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 373-9111; 730 S. Mendenhall. 7672323; 505 Highway 70 W., Mason, TN. 901-294-2028. L, D, X, MRA, $ HAPPY MEXICAN—Serves quesadillas, burritos, chimichangas, vegetable and seafood dishes, and more. 385 S. Second. 529-9991; 6080 Primacy Pkwy. 683-0000; 7935 Winchester. 751-5353. L, D, X, $ HUEY’S—This family friendly restaurant offers 13 different burgers, a variety of sandwiches and delicious soups and salads. 1927 Madison. 726-4372; 1771 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 754-3885; 77 S. Second. 527-2700; 2130 W. Poplar (Collierville). 854-4455; 7090 Malco Blvd. (Southaven). 662-349-7097; 7825 Winchester. 624-8911; 4872 Poplar. 682-7729; 7677 Farmington Blvd. (Germantown). 318-3030; 8570 Highway 51 N. (Millington). 873-5025. L, D, X, MRA, $ ITTA BENA—Southern and Cajun-American cuisine served here; specialties are duck and waffles and shrimp and grits, along with steaks, chops, seafood, and pasta. 145 Beale St. 578-3031. D, X, MRA, $$-$$$  KOOKY CANUCK—Offers prime rib, catfish, and burgers, including the 4-lb. “Kookamonga”; also late-night menu. 87 S. Second. 578-9800; 1250 N. Germantown Pkwy. 1-800-2453 L, D, X, MRA, $-$$$ THE LITTLE TEA SHOP—Downtown institution serves up Southern comfort cooking, including meatloaf and such veggies as turnip greens, yams, okra, and tomatoes. Closed Sat.-Sun. 69 Monroe. 525-6000, L, X, $ LOCAL GASTROPUB—Entrees with a focus on locally grown products include truffle mac-and-cheese and braised brisket tacos. 95 S. Main. 473-9573; 2126 Madison. 725-1845. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ LOFLIN YARD—Beer garden and restaurant serves vegetarian fare and smoked-meat dishes, including beef brisket and pork tenderloin, cooked on a custom-made grill. Closed Mon.-Tues. 7 W. Carolina. 249-3046. L (Sat. and Sun.), D, $-$$ THE LOOKOUT AT THE PYRAMID—Serves seafood and Southern fare, including cornmeal-fried oysters, sweet tea brined chicken, and elk chops. 1 Bass Pro Dr. 620-4600/291-8200. L, D, X $-$$$ LUNA RESTAURANT & LOUNGE—Serving a limited menu of breakfast and lunch items. Dinner entrees include Citrus Glaze Salmon and Cajun Stuffed Chicken. 179 Madison (Hotel Napoleon). 526-0002. B, D (Mon.-Sat.), X, $-$$$ LYFE KITCHEN—Serving healthy, affordable wraps, bowls, sandwiches, and more; entrees include herb roasted salmon and parmesan crusted chicken. 272 S. Main. 526-0254; 6201 Poplar. 684-5333. B, L, D, WB, X, $ MACIEL’S TORTAS & TACOS—Entrees include tortas, hefty Mexican sandwiches filled with choice of chicken, pork, or steak. Also serving fried taco plates, quesadillas, chorizo and pastor soft tacos, salads, and more. Closed Sun. 45 S. Main. 526-0037. L, D, X, $ THE MAJESTIC GRILLE—Housed in a former silent-picture house, features aged steaks, fresh seafood, and such specialties as roasted chicken and grilled pork tenderloin; offers a pre-theatre menu and classic cocktails. Wellstocked bar. 145 S. Main. 522-8555. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ McEWEN’S ON MONROE—Southern/American cuisine with international flavors; specialties include steak and seafood, sweet potato-crusted catfish with macaroni and cheese, and more. Closed Sun., Monroe location. 120 Monroe. 527-7085; 1110 Van Buren (Oxford). 662-234-7003. L, D, SB (Oxford only), X, MRA, $$-$$$ 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, $$-$$$ S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 87

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CIT Y DINING LIST MOLLIE FONTAINE LOUNGE—Specializes in tapas (small plates) featuring global cuisine. Closed Sun.-Tues. 679 Adams Ave. 524-1886. 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, $-$$$ PEARL’S OYSTER HOUSE—Downtown eatery serving seafood, including oysters, crawfish, and stuffed butterfly shrimp, as well as beef, chicken, and pasta dishes. 299 S. Main. 522-9070. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ RENDEZVOUS, CHARLES VERGOS’—Menu items include barbecued ribs, cheese plates, skillet shrimp, red beans and rice, and Greek salads. Closed Sun.-Mon. 52 S. Second. 523-2746. L (Fri.-Sat.), D, X, MRA, $-$$ RIZZO’S DINER—Chorizo meatloaf, lobster pronto puff, and lamb belly tacos are menu items at this upscale diner. Michael Patrick among the city’s best chefs. 492 S. Main. 304-6985. L (Fri.-Sat.), D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$ RIVERFRONT BAR & GRILL—Beale Street Landing eatery serves a limited menu of sandwiches and salads. Closed Monday. 251 Riverside Dr. 524-0817. L, X, $ SABOR CARIBE—Serving up “Caribbean flavors” with dishes from Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. Closed Sunday. 662 Madison. 949-8100. 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, $$-$$$ 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, $$ TEXAS DE BRAZIL—Serves beef, pork, lamb, and chicken dishes, and Brazilian sausage; also a salad bar with extensive toppings. 150 Peabody Place, Suite 103. 526-7600. L (Wed.-Fri.), D, SB, X, $$-$$$ TUSCANY ITALIAN EATERY—Menu includes paninis, deli subs and wraps, soups, and desserts. Closed Sat.-Sun. 200 Jefferson, #100. 505-2291. B, L, X, $ TWILIGHT SKY TERRACE—Offers small plates of tostados, nachos, flatbreads, paninis; also hand-crafted cocktails and sweeping rooftop views of the downtown Memphis skyline. Open, weather permitting. The Madison Hotel, 79 Madison. 333-1224. D, WB, X, $ UNCLE BUCK’S FISHBOWL & GRILL—Burgers, pizza, fish dishes, sandwiches, and more served in a unique “underwater” setting. Bass Pro, Bass Pro Drive, 291-8200. B, L, D, X, $-$$ THE VAULT—Shrimp beignets, stuffed cornish hen, and bacon-wrapped chicken roulade are among the dishes offered at this Creole/Italian fusion eatery. 124 G.E. Patterson. 591-8000. L, D, SB, X, $-$$

COLLIERVILLE 148 NORTH—French cuisine meets Southern comfort food here with menu items such as chicken and waffles, duck confit, and JKE’s Knuckle Sandwich, made with lobster knuckle and puff pastry. 148 N. Main. 569-0761. L, D, WB, X, $-$$ BROOKS PHARM2FORK—Serving fresh vegetables and meats responsibly grown by area farmers. Entrees include Marmilu Farms Pork Triangle Steak, Old School Salmon Patties, and Pan Seared Lake’s Catfish. 120 Mulberry. 853-7511. D, X, $-$$ 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, $ 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). 662-890-3337; 8834 Hwy. 51

N. (Millington). 872-3220; 7424 Highway 64 (Bartlett). 417-6026. L, D, X, $ EMERALD THAI RESTAURANT—Spicy shrimp, pad khing, lemon grass chicken, and several noodle, rice, and vegetarian dishes are offered at this family restaurant. Closed Sunday. 8950 Highway 64 (Lakeland, TN). 384-0540. L, D X, $-$$ FIREBIRDS—Specialties are hand-cut steaks, slow-roasted prime rib, and wood-grilled salmon and other seafood, as well as seasonal entrees. 4600 Merchants Circle, Carriage Crossing. 850-1637; 8470 Highway 64 (Bartlett). 379-1300. L, D, X, $-$$$ RONNIE GRISANTI’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT— This Memphis institution serves family classics such as Elfo’s Special and chicken ravioli, along with lighter fare and changing daily chef selection. Closed Sun. Sheffield Antiques Mall, 684 W. Poplar. 850-0191. L (Mon.-Sat.), D (Thurs.-Sat.), 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; some sushi, too. 2059 Houston Levee. 850-5288; 2149 Young. 347-3965; 4698 Spottswood. 609-8680. L, D, X, $-$$ OSAKA JAPANESE CUISINE—Featuring an extensive sushi menu as well as traditional Japanese and hibachi dining. Hours vary for lunch; call. 3670 Houston Levee. 861-4309; 3402 Poplar. 249-4690; 7164 Hacks Cross (Olive Branch). 662-890-9312; 2200 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 425-4901. L, D, X, $-$$$ THE 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. 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, $-$$

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, $-$$ THE BUTCHER SHOP—Serves steaks ranging from 8-oz. fillets to a 20-oz. porterhouse; also chicken, pork chops, fresh seafood. 107 S. Germantown Rd. 757-4244. L (Fri. and Sun.), D, X, MRA, $$-$$$ FOX RIDGE PIZZA—Pizzas, calzones, sub sandwiches, burgers, and meat-and-two plate lunches are among the dishes served at this eatery, which opened in 1979. 1769 N. Germantown Pkwy. 758-6500. L, D, X, $ GREEN BAMBOO—Pineapple tilapia, pork vermicelli, and the soft egg noodle combo are Vietnamese specialties here. 990 N. Germantown Parkway, #104. 753-5488. L, D, $-$$ 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, $-$$ MISTER B’S—Features New Orleans-style seafood and steaks. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. and Mon. 6655 Poplar, #107. 751-5262. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$$ PRESENTATION ROOM, THE—American bistro run by the students of L’Ecole Culinaire. Menu changes regularly; specialties may include such items as a filet with truffle mushroom ragu. Service times vary; call for details. Closed Fri.-Sun. 1245 N. Germantown Pkwy. 754-7115. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ ON THE BORDER—Dishes out such Tex-Mex specialties as fajitas and Southwest chicken tacos; also fresh grilled seafood specials. 8101 Giacosa Pl .881-0808; 6572 Airways (Southaven). 662-655-4750. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $ SHOGUN JAPANESE RESTAURANT—Entrees include tempura, teriyaki, and sushi, as well as grilled fish and chicken entrees. 2324 N. Germantown Pkwy. 384-4122. L, D, X, $-$$ TANNOOR GRILL—Brazilian-style steakhouse with skewers served tableside, along with Middle Eastern specialties; vegetarian

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CIT Y DINING LIST 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 iconic bar. 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, $ BENIHANA—This Japanese steakhouse serves beef, chicken, and seafood grilled at the table; some menu items change monthly; sushi bar also featured. 912 Ridge Lake. 767-8980. L, D, X, $$-$$$ 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, $ BRYANT’S BREAKFAST—Three-egg omelets, pancakes, and The Sampler Platter are among the popular entrees here. Possible 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, MRA, $-$$ BUNTYN CORNER CAFE—Serving favorites from Buntyn Restaurant, including chicken and dressing, cobbler, and yeast rolls. 5050 Poplar, Suite 107. 424-3286. B, L, X, $ CAPITAL GRILLE—Known for its dry-aged, hand-carved steaks; among the specialties are bone-in sirloin, and porcini-rubbed Delmonico; also seafood entrees and seasonal lunch plates. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. Crescent Center, 6065 Poplar. 683-9291. L, D, X, $$$-$$$$ CASABLANCA—Lamb shawarma is one of the fresh, homemade specialties served at this Mediterranean/Moroccan restaurant; fish entrees and vegetarian options also available. 1707 Madison. 421-6949; 5030 Poplar. 725-8557. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ 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, $-$$$ CITY SILO TABLE + PANTRY—With a focus on clean eating, this establishment offers fresh juices, as well as comfort foods re-imagined with wholesome ingredients. 5101 Sanderlin. 729-7687. B, L, D, X, $ CORKY’S—Popular barbecue emporium offers both wet and dry ribs, plus a full menu of other barbecue entrees. Wed. lunch buffets, Cordova and Collierville. 5259 Poplar. 685-9744; 1740 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 737-1911; 743 W. Poplar (Collierville). 405-4999; 6434 Goodman Rd., Olive Branch. 662-893-3663. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ ERLING JENSEN—For 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 wet-aged and dry-aged steaks, prime beef, chops, and seafood, including salmon, Australian lobster tails, and a catch of the day. 6245 Poplar. 761-6200. D, 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. Now celebrating their 40th year. 551 S. Mendenhall. 762-8200. D, X, MRA, $$$-$$$$ FORMOSA—Offers Mandarin cuisine, including broccoli beef, hot-and-sour soup, and spring rolls. Closed Monday. 6685 Quince. 753-9898. L, D, X, $-$$ 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, fillet mignon, and daily lunch specials. Closed for lunch Sunday. Embassy Suites Hotel, 1022 S. Shady Grove. 761-9462. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$$ THE GROVE GRILL—Offers steaks, chops, seafood, and other American cuisine with Southern and global influences; entrees include crab cakes, and shrimp and grits, also dinner specials. Founder Jeff Dunham’s son Chip is now chef de cuisine. 4550 Poplar. 818-9951. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $$-$$$ HALF SHELL—Specializes in seafood, such as King crab legs; also serves steaks, chicken, pastas, salads, sandwiches, a ”voodoo menu”; oyster bar at Winchester location. 688 S. Mendenhall. 682-3966; 7825 Winchester. 737-6755. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ HERITAGE TAVERN & KITCHEN—Featuring classic cuisine from the country’s five regions, including lobster rolls, fried chicken, smoked tamales, Green Goddess shrimp, and more. 6150 Poplar, Regalia. 761-8855.L, D, WB, X, $-$$$ HIGH POINT PIZZA—Serves variety of pizzas, subs, salads, and sides. Closed Monday. A neighborhood fixture. 477 High Point Terrace. 452-3339. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ HOG & HOMINY—The casual sister to Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen serves brick-oven-baked pizzas, including the Red-Eye with pork belly, and small plates with everything from meatballs to beef and cheddar hot dogs; and local veggies. Closed for lunch Mon. 707 W. Brookhaven Cl. 207-7396. L, D, SB, X, $-$$$ HOUSTON’S—Serves steaks, seafood, pork chops, chicken dishes, sandwiches, salads, and Chicago-style spinach dip. Farmous for first-class service. 5000 Poplar. 683-0915. L, D, X $-$$$ INTERIM—Offers American-seasonal cuisine with emphasis on local foods and fresh fish; macaroni and cheese is a house specialty. Closed for lunch Sat. 5040 Sanderlin, Suite 105. 818-0821. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ LA BAGUETTE—An almond croissant and chicken salad are among specialties at this French-style bistro. Closed for dinner Sun. 3088 Poplar. 458-0900. B, L, D (closes at 7), X, MRA, $ LAS DELICIAS—Popular for its guacamole, house-made tortilla chips, and margaritas, this restaurant draws diners with its chicken enchiladas, meat-stuffed flautas, and Cuban torta with spicy pork. Closed Sunday. 4002 Park Ave. 458-9264; 5689 Quince. 800-2873. L, D, X, $ LISA’S LUNCHBOX—Serving bagels, sandwiches, salads, and wraps. 5030 Poplar, 761-4044; 5885 Ridgeway Center Pkwy., Suite 101. 767-6465; 2659 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Suite 1200; 2525 Central (Children’s Museum); 166 S. Front. 729-7277. B, L, $ LOS COMPADRES—Serves enchiladas, burritos, tamales, tacos, and vegetarian dishes; also Cuban entrees. 3295 Poplar. 458-5731. L, D, X, $-$$ LOST PIZZA—Offering pizzas (with dough made from scratch), pasta, salads, sandwiches, tamales, and more. 2855 Poplar. 572-1803; 5960 Getwell (Southaven). 662-892-8684. L, D, X, $-$$ LYNCHBURG LEGENDS—This restaurant with a Jack Daniels’ theme and Southern cuisine serves such entrees as Bourbon Street salmon, buttermilk-fried chicken, and grilled steak and wild mushroom salad. DoubleTree Hotel, 5069 Sanderlin. 969-7777. B, L, D, X, MRA, $- $$$ 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. Closed Sun. 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, $-$$ MELLOW MUSHROOM—Large menu includes assortment of pizzas, salads, calzones, hoagies, vegetarian options, and 50 beers on tap. 5138 Park Ave. 562-12119155 Poplar; Shops of Forest Hill (Germantown). 907-0243. L, D, X, $-$$ 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 is 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, $ OLD VENICE PIZZA CO.—Specializes in “eclectic Italian,” from pastas, including the “Godfather,” to hand-tossed pizzas, including the “John Wayne”; choose from 60 toppings. 368 Perkins Ext. 767-6872. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$ ONE & ONLY BBQ—On the menu are pork barbecue sandwiches, platters, wet and dry ribs, smoked chicken and turkey platters, a smoked meat salad, barbecue quesadillas, and more. New on the BBQ scene, but worth a visit. 1779 Kirby Pkwy. 751-3615; 567 Perkins Extd. 249-4227. L, D, X, MRA, $ ONO POKÉ—This eatery specializes in poké — a Hawaiian dish of fresh fish salad served over rice. Menu includes a variety of poké bowls, like the Kimchi Tuna bowl, or customers can build their own by choosing a base, protein, veggies, and toppings. 3145 Poplar. 618-2955. L, D, X, $ OWEN BRENNAN’S—New Orleans-style menu of beef, chicken, pasta, and seafood; jambalaya, shrimp and grits, and crawfish etouffee are specialties. Closed for dinner Sunday. The Regalia, 6150 Poplar. 761-0990. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ PARK + CHERRY—Partnering with CFY Catering, the Dixon offers casual dining within the museum. Menu features sandwiches, like truffled pimento cheese, as well as salads, snacks, and sweets. Closed for breakfast Sun. and all day Mon. 4339 Park (Dixon Gallery). 761-5250. L, X, $ PETE & SAM’S—Serving Memphis for 60-plus years; offers steaks, seafood, and traditional Italian dishes, including homemade ravioli, lasagna, and chicken marsala. 3886 Park. 458-0694. D, X, $-$$$ PF CHANG’S CHINA BISTRO—Specialties are orange peel shrimp, Mongolian beef, and chicken in lettuce wraps; also vegetarian dishes, including spicy eggplant. 1181 Ridgeway Rd., Park Place Centre. 818-3889. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ PHO SAIGON—Vietnamese fare includes beef teriyaki, roasted quail, curry ginger chicken, vegetarian options, and a variety of soups. 2946 Poplar. 458-1644. L, D, $ PORCELLINO’S CRAFT BUTCHER—Small plates, charcuterie selections, specialty steaks, house-made pastries, and innovative teas and coffees are offered at this combination butcher shop and restaurant featuring locally sourced menu items. Restaurant open for breakfast and lunch. Butcher shop open until 6 p.m. 711 W. Brookhaven Cl. 762-6656. B, L, D, X $-$$ PYRO’S FIRE-FRESH PIZZA—Serving gourmet pizzas cooked in an open-fire oven; wide choice of toppings; large local and craft beer selection. 1199 Ridgeway. 379-8294; 2035 Union Ave. 208-8857; 2286 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 207-1198; 3592 S. Houston Levee (Collierville). 221-8109. L, D, X, MRA, $ RIVER OAKS—Chef Jose Gutierrez’s French-style bistro serves seafood and steaks, with an emphasis on fresh local ingredients. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. 5871 Poplar Ave. 683-9305. L, D, X, MRA, $$$ RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE—Offers prime steaks cut and aged in-house, as well as lamb, chicken, and fresh seafood, including lobster. 6120 Poplar. 761-0055. D, X, MRA, $$$-$$$$ SALSA—Mexican-Southern California specialties include carnitas, enchiladas verde, and fajitas; also Southwestern seafood dishes such as snapper verde. Closed Sun. Regalia Shopping Center, 6150 Poplar, Suite 129. 683-6325. L, D, X, $-$$ 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 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 89

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CIT Y DINING LIST

Memor a ble Memphia ns by chris honeysuckle ellis

Humphrey Folk, Jr. 1936- 2004

his year marks the 40th Anniversary of the launch of Memphis’ most famous steak house; it opened at its current location the week Elvis died, in what had been a quaint residence on Mendenhall just north of Poplar. Founder Humphrey Folk Jr. had already enjoyed a successful career in the construction business; weary of traveling and dining in second-rate restaurants, he decided to stay home and open a steakhouse of his own. Not surprisingly, many of his friends told Humphrey he was nuts to do so, but undeterred, he named his creation “Folk’s Folly” in their honor. Folk’s Folly proved anything but a flop, and

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. B, L, WB, X, $ SUSHI JIMMI—This food truck turned restaurant serves a variety of sushi rolls, fusion dishes — such as kimchi fries — and sushi burritos. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Mon. 2895 Poplar. 729-6985. L, D, X, $ SWEET POTATO BABY CAFE—The Eggplant Parmesan panini and mac and cheese hushpuppies are among popular dishes offered. Menu includes a variety of desserts, including Sweet Potato Baby Cake. Closed Sat.-Sun. 1005 Tillman. 608-1742. 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, MRA, $ TOPS BAR-B-Q—Specializes in pork barbecue sandwiches and sandwich plates with beans and slaw; also serves ribs, beef brisket, and burgers. 1286 Union. 725-7527. 4183 Summer. 324-4325; 5391 Winchester. 794-7936; 3970 Rhodes. 323-9865; 6130 Macon. 371-0580. For more locations, go online. L, D, X, MRA, $e 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, MRA, $-$$ WASABI—Serving traditional Japanese offerings, hibachi, sashimi, and sushi. The Sweet Heart roll, wrapped — in the shape of a heart — with tuna and filled with spicy salmon, yellowtail,

today it’s a must-visit dining spot for out-oftowners, and has been a regular watering hole now for several generations of Memphians. In 2003, Folk partnered with Thomas Boggs, one of the founders of Huey’s, equally renowned in the burger business, and today — following the founder’s death in 2004 — both the Boggs and Folk families remain very much involved in the restaurant’s management. Thank you, Humphrey!

editor’s note: “The Quick and the Dead,” an exhibition of “Ellistrations” by Chris Ellis, is on display through September 23rd at the Art Museum of the University of Memphis.

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, $-$$$ BROOKLYN BRIDGE ITALIAN RESTAURANT— Specializing in such homemade entrees as spinach lasagna and lobster ravioli; a seafood specialty is horseradish-crusted salmon. Closed Sun. 1779 Kirby Pkwy. 755-7413. D, X, MRA, $-$$$ FOREST HILL GRILL—A variety of standard pub fare and a selection of mac ‘n’ 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, $-$$ GERMANTOWN COMMISSARY—Serves barbecue sandwiches, sliders, ribs, shrimp, and nachos, as well as smoked barbecued bologna sandwiches; Mon.-night all-you-can-eat ribs. 2290 S. Germantown Rd. S. 754-5540. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$

THE KITCHEN BISTRO—Tomato soup, pan-roasted ribeye, sticky toffee pudding, and dishes made using in-season fruits and veggies are served at this establishment at Shelby Farms Park. 415 Great View Drive E., Suite 101. 729-9009. L, D, X, $-$$ LAS TORTUGAS DELI MEXICANA—Authentic Mexican food prepared from local food sources; specializes in tortugas — grilled bread scooped out to hold such powerfully popular fillings as brisket, pork, and shrimp; also tingas, tostados. Closed Sunday. 1215 S. Germantown Rd. 751-1200; 6300 Poplar. 623-3882. L, D, X, $-$$ 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, MRA, $-$$$ THE PASTA MAKER RESTAURANT—This Italian eatery specializes in artisanal pasta. Entrées include Spaghetti allo scoglio, Penne Boscaiola, and Fusilli Primavera. Gluten-free options available. Restaurant closed Mon. and Sun. (cooking classes by reservation Sun.). 2095 Exeter, Suite 30. 779-3928. L (Thurs. only), D, X, $-$$ 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, $-$$ PIZZA REV—Specializes in build-your-own, personal-sized artisanal pizza. Choose from homemade dough options, all-natural sauces, Italian cheeses, and more than 30 toppings. 6450 Poplar. 379-8188. L, D, X, $ RED KOI—Classic Japanese cuisine offered at this family-run restaurant; hibachi steaks, sushi, seafood, chicken, and vegetables. 5847 Poplar. 767-3456. L, D, X $-$$ 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, $-$$ RUSSO’S NEW YORK PIZZERIA AND WINE BAR—Serves gourmet pizzas, calzones, and pasta, including lasagna, fettuccine Alfredo, scampi, and more. 9087 Poplar, Suite 111. 755-0092. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ SAKURA—Sushi, tempura, and teriyaki are Japanese specialties here. 2060 West St. 758-8181; 4840 Poplar. 572-1002. L, D, X, $-$$ SOUTHERN SOCIAL—Shrimp and grits, stuffed quail, and Aunt Thelma’s Fried Chicken are among the dishes served at this upscale Southern establishment. 2285 S. Germantown Rd. 754-5555. D, SB, X, $-$$$ 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, MRA, $

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, $-$$ ALCHEMY—Southern fusion, locally grown cuisine features small and large plates; among the offerings are pan-seared hanger steak, quail, and lamb chops; also handcrafted cocktails and local craft beers. 940 S. Cooper. 726-4444. D, SB, X, $-$$ BABALU TACOS & TAPAS—This Overton Square eatery dishes up Spanish-style tapas with Southern flair; also taco and enchilada of the day; specials change daily. 2115 Madison. 2740100; 6450 Poplar, 410-8909. L, D, SB, X, $-$$ BAR DKDC—Features an ever-changing menu of international “street food,” from Thai to Mexican, Israeli to Indian, along with specialty cocktails. 964 S. Cooper. 272-0830. D, X, $ BAR LOUIE—Serves small plates, flatbreads, sandwiches, burgers, salads, and such large plate entrees as blackened fish tacos and baked mac-and-cheese. 2125 Madison. 207-1436. L, D, WB, X, $-$$ 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 Cooper. 722-2193. B, L, D, X, MRA, $

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CIT Y DINING LIST 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, $-$$ BEAUTY SHOP—Modern American cuisine with international flair served in a former beauty shop. Serves steaks salads, pasta, and seafood, including pecancrusted golden sea bass. Perennial “Best Brunch” winner. Closed for dinner Sunday. 966 S. Cooper. 272-7111. L, D, SB, X, $-$$$ 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, $-$$ BOUNTY ON BROAD—Offering family-style dining, Bounty serves small plates and family-sized platters, with such specialties as chicken fried quail and braised pork shank. 2519 Broad. 410-8131. L (Sat. and Sun.), D (Mon.-Sat.), SB, X, $-$$$ BROADWAY PIZZA—Serving a variety of pizzas, including the Broadway Special, as well as sandwiches, salads, wings, and soul-food specials. 2581 Broad. 454-7930; 627 S. Mendenhall. 207-1546. L, D, X, $-$$ CAFE 1912—French/American bistro owned by culinary pioneer Glenn Hays serving such seafood entrees as grouper and steamed mussels; also crepes, salads, and French onion soup. 243 S. Cooper. 722-2700. D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$ CAFE BROOKS BY PARADOX—Serving graband-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; 510 S. Highland. 410-0765. B, L, D, SB, X, MRA, $ CAFE OLE—This eatery specializes in authentic Mexican cuisine; one specialty is the build-your-own quesadilla. 959 S. Cooper. 343-0103. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$ CAFE PALLADIO—Serves gourmet salads, soups, sandwiches, and desserts in a tea room inside the antiques shop. Closed Sun. 2169 Central. 278-0129. L, X, $ CAFE SOCIETY—With Belgian and classic French influences, serves Wagyu beef, chicken, and seafood dishes, including bacon-wrapped shrimp, along with daily specials and vegetarian entrees. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. 212 N. Evergreen. 722-2177. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ CANVAS—An “interactive art bar” serving salads, sandwiches, and flatbreads. 1737 Madison. 619-5303. D, $ CELTIC CROSSING—Specializes in Irish and American pub fare. Entrees include shepherd’s pie, shrimp and sausage coddle, and fish and chips. 903 S. Cooper. 274-5151. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ CENTRAL BBQ—Serves ribs, smoked hot wings, pulled pork sandwiches, chicken, turkey, nachos, and portobello sandwiches. Offers both pork and beef barbecue. 2249 Central Ave. 272-9377; 4375 Summer Ave. 767-4672; 147 E. Butler. 672-7760. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ CHEF TAM’S UNDERGROUND CAFE—Serves Southern staples with a Cajun twist. Menu items include totchos, jerk wings, fried chicken, and “muddy” mac and cheese. Closed Sun. and Mon. 2299 Young. 207-6182. 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, $

Broadway Pizza House Legendary Pizza Since 1977

2581 Broad Avenue (901) 454-7930

629 South Mendenhall (901) 207-1546

Memphis Magazine’s

THE 2017

FACE OF

PIZZA

Celebrate with an Ice Cream Cake Baskin-Robbins cakes are so good you’ll create an occasion to celebrate. Appling @ Hwy 70 7601 Hwy 70 Union – Midtown 1680 Union Avenue Southaven 7075 Malco Drive Hwy. 64 @ Houston Levee 9915 Hwy 64 Bartlett 5788 Stage Rd. Ave. UnionSummer - Midtown Summer Ave. 16804307 Union Avenue Millington 4758 Navy Road Southaven Germantown 7075 Malco Drive 7820 Poplar Ave., Ste. 8 Riverdale Hwy 64 @ Houston Levee 7110 Winchester Rd. 9915 Hwy 64 Ridgeway @ Quince 6114 Quince Cordova 859 N. Germantown Pkwy. Wolfchase @ Quince Bartlett 8057 Hwy. 64, Ste. Ridgeway 106 6114 Quince 5788 Stage Rd. Dunkin Donuts SummerBaskin-Robbins Ave. Cordova Combo 4307 Summer Ave. 859 N. G’town Pkwy. 5150 Poplar Ave. Millington Wolfchase Collierville 4758 Navy Road 915 W. Poplar Ave., Ste. 8057 102 HWY 64, Ste. 106 Germantown Southaven - Stateline Rd. Olive Branch 7820 Poplar Ave., Ste. 8 380 Stateline Road 8100 Camp Creek Blvd. Riverdale Collierville N. Houston Levee 7110 Winchester Road 915 W. Poplar Ave., Ste. 102 1168 N. Houston Levee Rd @ Macon

Visit one of our cool locations

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Our Cool Newest Locations

More Cool Locations

CROSSTOWN CONCOURSE

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CIT Y DINING LIST

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Memphis Magazine’s

THE 2017

FACE OF

COFFEE

ARTISAN COFFEES

SCRATCH BAKERY - SODA FOUNTAIN

BREAKFAST - LUNCH - DINNER cafeeclectic.net Harbortown - Midtown - Highland

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, $-$$ FRIDA’S—Mexican cuisine and Tex-Mex standards, including chimichangas, enchiladas, and fajitas; seafood includes shrimp and tilapia. 1718 Madison. 244-6196. L, D, X, $-$$ FUEL CAFE—Focus is on natural dishes with such specialties as bison burgers, quinoa chili, and tacos; also vegan and gluten-free options. Closed Sun.-Mon. 1761 Madison. 725-9025. L, D, X, $-$$ GOLDEN INDIA—Northern Indian specialties include tandoori chicken as well as lamb, beef, shrimp, and vegetarian dishes. 2097 Madison. 728-5111. L, D, X, $-$$ 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, $-$$ HM DESSERT LOUNGE—Serving cake, pie, and other desserts, as well as a selection of savory dishes, including meatloaf and mashed potato “cupcakes.” Closed Monday. 1586 Madison. 290-2099. L, D, X, $ IMAGINE VEGAN CAFE—Dishes at this fully vegan restaurant range from salads and sandwiches to full dinners, including eggplant parmesan and “beef” tips and rice; breakfast all day Sat. and Sun. 2158 Young. 654-3455. L, D, WB, X, $ INDIA PALACE—Tandoori chicken, lamb shish kabobs, and chicken tikka masala are among the entrees; also, vegetarian options and a daily all-you-can-eat lunch buffet. 1720 Poplar. 278-1199. L, D, X, $-$$ JASMINE THAI AND VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT—Entrees include panang chicken, green curry shrimp, and pad thai (noodles, shrimp, and peanuts); also vegetarian dishes. Closed Mon.-Tues. 916 S. Cooper. 725-0223. L, D, X, $ LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM—Serves such Southern cuisine as po boys and shrimp and grits, and wood-fired pizzas. 2119 Madison. 207-5097. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ LBOE—Gourmet burger joint serves locally sourced ground beef burgers, with options like the Mac-N-Cheese Burger and Caprese. Black bean and turkey patties available. 2021 Madison. 725-0770. L, D, X, $ LITTLE ITALY—Serving New York-style pizza as well as subs and pasta dishes. 1495 Union. 725-0280, L, D, X, $-$$ LUCKY CAT RAMEN—Specializes in gourmet ramen bowls, such as Bacon Collards Ramen, made with rich broth. Bao, steamed buns filled with various meats and veggies, also grace the menu. 247 S. Cooper. 633-8296. L, D, X, $-$$ MAMA GAIA—Greek-inspired dishes at this vegetarian eatery include pitas, “petitzzas,” and quinoa bowls. 1350 Concourse Avenue, Suite 137. 2033838. B, L, D, X. $-$$ MARDI GRAS MEMPHIS—Serving Cajun fare, including an etouffee-stuffed po’boy. Closed Mon. 496 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. 726-5343; 5061 Park Ave. 684-1306; 7604 W. Farmington (Germantown). 753-2218; 797 W. Poplar (Collierville). 861-7800; 5627 Getwell (Southaven). 662-536-1364. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ MOLLY’S LA CASITA—Homemade tamales, fish tacos, a vegetarian combo, and bacon-wrapped shrimp are a few of the specialties. 2006 Madison. 726-1873. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ 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, $-$$ PAYNE’S BAR-B-QUE—Opened in 1972, this family owned barbecue joint serves ribs, smoked sausage, and chopped pork sandwiches with a standout mustard slaw and homemade sauce. About as down-to-earth as it gets. 1762 Lamar. 272-1523. L, D, $-$$ 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

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CIT Y DINING LIST offered. 1680 Union Ave., #109. 722-3780; 2257 N. Germantown Pkwy. 382-1822. L, D, X, $-$$  PHO BINH—Vietnamese, vegetarian, and Cantonese specialties include lemon tofu and spring rolls.Closed Sunday. 1615 Madison. 276-0006. L, D, $ RAILGARTEN—Located in a former rail station space, this eatery offers breakfast items, a variety of salads and sandwiches, and such entrees as short rib mac-andcheese and fish tacos. Also serves shakes, malts, floats, and cream sodas. 2166 Central. 231-5043. B, L, D, $-$$ RED FISH ASIAN BISTRO—From the former 19th Century Club building, serves sushi, teriyaki, and hibachi. Specialities include yuzu filet mignon and Chilean seabass. 1433 Union. 454-3926; 9915 Highway 64 (Lakeland). 729-7581; 6518 Goodman (Olive Branch). 662-874-5254. L, D, X, $-$$$ RESTAURANT IRIS—French Creole cuisine includes shrimp and delta-grind grits, and New York strip stuffed with fried oysters. Chef Kelly English is a Food and Wine “Top Ten.” Closed Sun. 2146 Monroe. 590-2828. D, X, MRA, $$-$$$ ROBATA RAMEN & YAKITORI BAR—Serves ramen noodle bowls and Yakitori skewers as well as rice and noodle dishes. 2116 Madison. 410-8290. L, D, X, $ THE SECOND LINE—Kelly English brings “relaxed Creole cuisine” to his newest eatery; serves a variety of po-boys and such specialties as barbecue shrimp, and andouille, shrimp, and pimento cheese fries. 2144 Monroe. 590-2829. L, D, WB, X, $-$$ SEKISUI—Japanese fusion cuisine, fresh sushi bar, grilled meats and seafood, California rolls, and vegetarian entrees. Poplar/Perkins location’s emphasis is on Pacific Rim cuisine. Menu and hours vary at each location. 25 Belvedere. 725-0005; 1884 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 309-8800; 4724 Poplar (between Perkins & Colonial). 767-7770; 2130 W. Poplar (Collierville). 854-0622; 2990 Kirby-Whitten (Bartlett). 377-2727; 6696 Poplar. 747-0001. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$$ STANLEY BAR-B-QUE—Serving a variety of barbecue dishes and smoked meats, as well as burgers, sauerkraut balls, and pretzels with beer cheese. 2110 Madison. 347-3060. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ STONE SOUP CAFE—Cooper-Young eatery serving soups, salads, quiche, meat-and-two specials; and daily specials such as Italian roast beef. Closed Monday. 993 S. Cooper. 922-5314. B, L, SB, X, $ STRANO SICILIAN KITCHEN & BAR— Presenting a Sicilian/Mediterranean mix of Arab, Spanish, Greek, and North African fare, Strano serves small plates, wood-grilled fish, and hand-tossed pizzas such as the King Alaska, with salmon and chevre. Closed Mon. 948 S. Cooper. 275-8986. L, D, WB, 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, $-$$ SWEET GRASS—Chef Ryan Trimm takes Southern cuisine to a new level. Low-country coastal cuisine includes such specialties as shrimp and grits. Closed Mon. Restaurant’s “sister,” Sweet Grass Next Door, open nightly, serves lunch Sat.-Sun. 937 S. Cooper. 278-0278. D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ TART—Combination patisserie, coffeehouse, and restaurant serving rustic French specialties, including baked eggs in brioche, topped with Gruyere, and French breads and pastries. 820 S. Cooper. 725-0091; One Commerce Square. B, L, WB, X, $-$$ TROLLEY STOP MARKET—Serves plate lunches/dinners as well as pizzas, salads, and vegan/vegetarian entrees; a specialty is the locally raised beef burger. Also sells fresh produce and goods from local farmers; delivery available. Saturday brunch; closed Sunday. 704 Madison. 526-1361. L, D, X, $ TSUNAMI—Features Pacific Rim cuisine (Asia, Australia, South Pacific, etc.); also a changing “small plate” menu. Chef Ben Smith is a Cooper-Young pioneer. Specialties include Asian nachos and roasted sea bass. Closed Sunday. 928 S. Cooper. 274-2556. D, X, MRA, $$-$$$ SABROSURA—Serves Mexican and Cuban fare, including arroz tapada de pollo and steak Mexican. Closed Sun. 782 Washington. 421-8180. L, D, X, $-$$

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Michael Hudman – Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen/ Hog & Hominy/ Porcellino’s Michael Patrick – Rizzo’s Mike Miller – Heritage Tavern & Kitchen Patrick Gilbert – Owen Brennan’s Ryan Trimm – Sweet Grass / Next Door / Sunrise Tim Bednarski – Elwood’s Shack Wade Hartsﬁeld – Tower Center/ Wade & Company Gibson Donut’s Frost Bake Shop

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CIT Y DINING LIST

Every

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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, MRA, $-$$ CURRY BOWL—Specializes in Southern Indian cuisine, serving Tandoori chicken, biryani, tikka masala, and more. Weekend buffet. 4141 Hacks Cross. 207-6051. L, D, $ DELTA’S KITCHEN—The premier restaurant at The Guest House at Graceland serves Elvis-inspired dishes — like Nutella and Peanut Butter Crepes for breakfast — and upscale Southern cuisine — including lamb chops and shrimp and grits — for dinner. 3600 Elvis Presley Blvd. 443-3000. B, D, X, $-$$$ 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, Suite 101. 746-8057; 2156 Young. 207-6204. L, D, $-$$ THE FOUR WAY—Legendary soul-food establishment dishing up such entrees as fried and baked catfish, chicken, and turkey and dressing, along with a host of vegetables and desserts. Around the corner from the legendary Stax Studio. Closed Monday. 998 Mississippi Blvd. 507-1519. L, D, $ INTERSTATE BAR-B-Q—Specialties include chopped pork-shoulder sandwiches, ribs, hot wings, spaghetti, chicken, and turkey. 2265 S. Third. 775-2304; 150 W. Stateline Rd. (Southaven). 662-393-5699. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ LEONARD’S—Serves wet and dry ribs, barbecue sandwiches, spaghetti, catfish, homemade onion rings, and lemon icebox pie; also a lunch buffet. 5465 Fox Plaza. 360-1963. L, X, MRA, $-$$ MARLOWE’S—In addition to its signature barbecue and ribs, Marlowe’s serves Southern-style steaks, chops, lasagne, and more. 4381 Elvis Presley Blvd. 332-4159. D, X, MRA, $-$$ 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

memphisparent.com

ASIAN PALACE—Chinese eatery serves seafood, vegetarian items, dim sum, and more. 5266 Summer Ave. 766-0831. L, D, X, $-$$ ELWOOD’S—Casual comfort food includes tacos, pizza and sandwiches. Specialties include meats smoked in-house (chicken, turkey, brisket, pork), barbecue pizza and steelhead trout tacos. 4523 Summer. 761-9898. B, L, D, X, $ EXLINES’ BEST PIZZA—Serves pizza, Italian dinners, sandwiches, and salads. 6250 Stage Rd. 382-3433; 2935 Austin Peay. 388-4711; 2801 Kirby Parkway. 754-0202; 7730 Wolf River Blvd. (Germantown). 753-4545; 531 W. Stateline Rd. 662-342-4544 (check online for additional locations). L, D, X, MRA, $ GRIDLEY’S—Offers barbecued ribs, shrimp, pork plate, chicken, and hot tamales; also daily lunch specials. Closed Tues. 6842 Stage Rd. 377-8055. L, D, X, $-$$ 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, MRA, $ 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, $-$$$ DERAE RESTAURANT—Ethiopian and Mediterranean fare includes fuul, or fava beans in spices and yogurt, goat meat and rice, and garlic chicken over basmati rice with cilantro chutney; also salmon and tilapia. Closed Monday. 923 S. Highland. 552-3992. B, L, D, $-$$ 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, $-$$ JOES’ ON HIGHLAND—Specializes in fried chicken and comfort sides such as warm okra/green tomato salad and turnip greens. Entrees include salmon patties and chicken fried steak. Closed Mon. 262 S. Highland. 337-7003. L, D, X, $ MEDALLION—Offers steaks, seafood, chicken, and pasta entrees. Closed for dinner Sunday. 3700 Central, Holiday Inn (Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality). 678-1030. B, L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ ROCK’N DOUGH PIZZA CO.—Specialty and custom pizzas made from fresh ingredients; wide variety of toppings. 3445 Poplar Ave., Ste. 1. 512-6760; 7850 Poplar, #6 (Germantown). 779-2008. L, D, SB, X, $$

OUT-OF-TOWN BIG JOHN’S SHAKE SHACK (TACKER’S)—This family-run establishment offers plate lunches, catfish dinners, homemade desserts, and a variety of hamburgers, including a mac ‘n’ cheese-topped griddle burger. Closed Sun. 409 E. Military Rd. (Marion, AR). 870-739-3943. B, L, D, $ BONNE TERRE—This inn’s cafe features American cuisine with a Southern flair, and a seasonal menu that changes monthly. Offers Angus steaks, duck, pasta, and seafood. Closed Sun.-Wed. 4715 Church Rd. W. (Nesbit, MS). 662-781-5100. D, X, $-$$$ BOZO’S HOT PIT BAR-B-Q—Barbecue, burgers, sandwiches, and subs. 342 Hwy 70 (Mason, TN). 901-294-3400. L, D, $-$$ CATFISH BLUES—Serving Delta-raised catfish and Cajunand 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, $$-$$$

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CIT Y DINING LIST 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 eye 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 PARK—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. SAMMY HAGAR’S RED ROCKER BAR & GRILL AT SOUTHLAND PARK—1550 Ingram Blvd., West Memphis, AR, 1-870-735-3670 ext. 5208 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, $-$$$  PANCHO’S—Serves up a variety of Mexican standards, including tacos, enchiladas, and mix-and-match platters; also lunch specials. 3600 E. Broadway (West Memphis, AR). 870-735-6466. 717 N. White Station. 685-5404. L, D, X, MRA, $ PIG-N-WHISTLE—Offers pork shoulder sandwiches, wet and dry ribs, catfish, nachos, and stuffed barbecue potatoes. 6084 Kerr-Rosemark Rd. (Millington, TN). 872-2455. L, D, X, $ RAVEN & LILY—Eatery offers innovative Southern cuisine with such dishes as onion ring and pork rind salad, chipotle hot chicken with spiced cabbage, and shrimp and grits benedict. Closed for lunch Monday. 7700 Highway 64 (Oakland, TN). 235-7300. L, D, SB, X, $-$$ 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, $$-$$$ STEAK BY MELISSA—Aged, choice-grade, handcut steaks are a specialty here. Also serving fresh seafood dishes, plate lunches, burgers, and sandwiches. 4975 Pepper Chase Dr. (Southaven, MS). 662-342-0602. L, D, WB, X, $-$$$ WILSON CAFE—Serving elevated home-cooking, with such dishes as deviled eggs with cilantro and jalapeno, scampi and grits, and doughnut bread pudding. 2 N. Jefferson (Wilson, AR). 870-655-0222. L, D (Wed. through Sat. only), X, $-$$$

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LAST STAND

Suggestions for Sofia A father’s note to his firstborn as one life stage gives way to another.

by frank murtaugh

’ll miss you” aren’t the right words. Not really. Because wherever you are, wherever you go, you’re also with me. This has been the case since your arrival 18 years ago. My own parents suggested such a condition before you were born, but they also acknowledged I wouldn’t understand until fatherhood became a bundle of reality for your mom and me. And what an extraordinary dose of reality you’ve delivered.

Your adventure has just begun, of course, and my hope is that Wesleyan University soon recognizes it’s merely a partner in a four-year chapter of your journey that should prove transformative for both of you. Selfishly, I feel the academic institution gets the sweeter deal: proximity to Sofia Murtaugh has value well beyond the measure of

any FAFSA algorithm or scholarship program. Those you encounter in and around Middletown, Connecticut, will discover this soon enough. “Thank you” is closer to the standby expression I most want to share as you make a new roof your own. Thanks for showing me why I’m here, why my marriage

to your mother was the smartest thing I’ve ever done or ever will do. Thanks for helping me love the things I’ve long loved even more (baseball, R.P. McMurphy, and the Herb Brooks speech) and thanks for helping me learn to love things I should have long ago (pickup trucks, beauty marks, and chickens). Thanks for being “old school” when you need to be (lessons from All in the Family remain important today) and visionary when you must (that Spartan logo in the White Station High School parking lot says it all). Perhaps it’s merely coincidence that Wonder Woman finally hit the silver screen — on her own — 12 days after you graduated from high school (and 12 years after you first donned her power bracelets for Halloween). But I think it’s cosmic. We are, in fact, upon an age when a woman’s combination of grace, strength, intelligence, charm, and yes, beauty, is to be celebrated — and by Hollywood terms, sold — without reservation or restriction. There was a time you needed me to fish you out of the koi pond at Memphis Botanic Garden. That day is long gone. Rescue those you can, Sofia, because there are those who need rescuing. I’m no Polonius (and Laertes was no Sofia), but his wisdom shouldn’t be ignored, at least certain components. (“Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.”) My own dad’s favorite advice — “Remember who you are” — has followed me well into middle age, and seems to steer me in the right direction when big choices must be made. But I’d like to think you’ve reached a life stage where your compass — inspirational, quaint, humorous, or otherwise — will be guided by your own values and aspirations,

and not so much the lines made famous simply because they’ve crossed generations. (Satchel Paige, though, remains the gold standard: “Go very light on the vices, such as carrying on in society. The social ramble ain’t restful.”) Like most sentient humans of my age, there are times I scream at the demon we call technology. But now that “facetime” is a verb, I’ll be worshipping at the altar of twenty-first-century communication capability. (Though, dear “Laertes,” such comforts come with a price.) Your mom and I will be able to visit with you across a thousand miles in ways I couldn’t across my onetraffic-light hometown 30 years ago. This will ease the pain of geographic distance. So text away, sweet Sofia. Please share the parts of your new adventure that will enhance mine, and your mom’s, and your sister’s. Roof be damned, we’re living under the same sun, moon, and stars. Lastly, my love, stay curious. Don’t let any class, any professor, any guest speaker fill your well of curiosity. There’s simply too much more to discover, however far your formal academic quest takes you. Read as though you’re running out of time and books. Ask the last question. (Then follow up with another.) Listen to others’ stories. (There will be time for your own.) Take a trip to an unfamiliar place. (Be safe. Always be safe.) There are limits, you see, to anything and everything known to mankind . . . except the human capacity for thought. If I have any “secret” to share as you open this new door, it’s precisely that: There is no door. Your first visit home can’t come soon enough, Sofia. Until then, be the wonder woman you’ve become.

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