Memphis - February 2024

MAGAZINE VOL XLVIII NO 11 FEBRUARY 2024

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on the cover: Chef Eli Townsend of Dos Hermanos

V O L X LV III N O 1 1 | FEBRU A RY 2024

PHOTOGRAPH BY JUSTIN FOX BURKS

UP FRONT 10 F R O M T H E E D I T O R ~ b y a n n a t r a v e r s e 12 O U T A N D A B O U T ~ b y a b i g a i l m o r i c i 14 A S K V A N C E ~ b y v a n c e l a u d e r d a l e 17 9 0 1 H E A L T H ~ b y c h r i s m c c o y

FEATURES 24 Dinner at 8

Tasty profiles of eight elite dining establishments, plus the results of our annual Readers’ Restaurant Poll.

39 Remodel Memphis What’s trending in the world of home renovation? We have answers. ~ by alex greene

49 MemTech Awards

Honoring the very best in local technological achievement.

62 Looking Back, Looking Forward From its founding 185 years ago, the Greater Memphis Chamber has been the economic engine powering our success. ~ b y m i c h a e l f i n g e r

70 S I P S

Two Doors Down Harold Cook tends the bar at Downtown’s Belle Tavern. ~ by b r u c e va n w y n g a r d e n

71 Q & A

Ozzie Smith A visit with the 2024 Earl Lloyd Sports Legacy Award honoree.

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~ b y f r a n k m u r ta u g h

72 C I T Y D I N I N G

The City’s Most Extensive Dining Listings.

80 F L A S H B A C K

Vieux Chalet This “old cottage” on Summer dished out some of the best New Orleans-style cuisine in our city. ~ b y v a n c e l a u d e r d a l e Memphis Magazine (ISSN 1622-820x) is published monthly for $18 per year by Contemporary Media, Inc., P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101 © 2024. Telephone: 901-521-9000. For subscription info, call 901-575-9470. Subscription customer service mailing address is Memphis Magazine, P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101. All rights reserved. • Periodicals Postage Paid at Memphis, TN. Postmasters: send address changes to Memphis Magazine, P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101.

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AWARDS | 2024

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62 FEBRUARY 2024 • MEMPHISMAGA ZINE.COM • 7

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Memphis Magazine's

THE 2023

FACE OF

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ORIENTAL RUGS

CEO AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF anna traverse EXECUTIVE EDITOR michael finger MANAGING EDITOR frank murtaugh SENIOR EDITORS samuel x. cicci, jon w. sparks,

bruce vanwyngarden ASSOCIATE EDITOR abigail morici STAFF WRITER chris mccoy CONTRIBUTORS michael donahue, alex greene,

vance lauderdale

Spread love, not germs by having your rugs disinfected.

4 EDITOR samuel x. cicci SENIOR EDITOR jon w. sparks

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CREATIVE DIRECTOR brian groppe ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR christopher myers GRAPHIC DESIGNER neil williams PHOTOGRAPHERS justin fox burks, samuel x. cicci,

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february 2024

member: City and Regional Magazine Association member: Circulation Verification Council 8 • MEMPHISMAGA ZINE.COM • FEBRUARY 2024

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Gossett Porsche

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2023 Porsche Cars North America, Inc. Porsche recommends seat belt usage and observation of tra c laws at all times. European model shown. Some options may not be available in the U.S.

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1/14/24 9:04 AM

L E T T E R F R O M T H E E D I T O R | BY ANNA TR AVERSE

POWERED BY cityCURRENT

Memphis-Style Tofu Forever

O

n Christmas Eve I was in the kitchen — waiting for lemon shortbread to cool enough to slice — when I opened my phone and gasped. A friend’s Instagram Story showed her final haul of tofu from Pho Binh, the much beloved Midtown Vietnamese restaurant, purveyor of ethereally bright, chewy little pillows of lemongrass tofu among many, many other delights. “Final haul” because (oh no) that very day was Pho Binh’s last, ever.

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I thought I must have misinterpreted — maybe the family behind this family restaurant were simply taking a hiatus, and would return in the new year? (No.) Was it too late to call in an order for ten helpings each of lemongrass tofu and green-bean tofu and (aptly named) wonderful tofu, add broccoli? (Yes.) A quick internet search confirmed that the very good people who owned and operated the perfectly tucked-away joint on Madison those last 23 years had chosen to move on. (A new restaurant with new owners will open in its place, with some of the old recipes still on the menu. Stay tuned.)

Pho Binh was a family affair through and through.

The recipes and much of the cooking came from “Momma.” The middle generation brought fresh, beautifully aromatic food from the kitchen with smiles and thanks; kids did their homework on a table off to one side. With Formica faux-wood tables and delightfully mismatched mugs for steaming jasmine tea, there was nothing fancy, no white tablecloths and frills. The fluorescent glow of the dining room stood between a laundromat and a headshop; regulars knew to avoid the parking lot’s potholes.

And it was, in a word, perfect — Pho Binh was exactly what it was always supposed to be. I own not one, but two T-shirts emblazoned with their logo (in two different colors, thank you very much) and a slogan that will make me smile until the fabric disintegrates: “Memphis-style tofu.”

That’s exactly what it was: Memphis-style. Oh, sure, if you ask ten people to name ten foods that Memphis is known for, the word “tofu” is unlikely to appear once among the barbecue-this and barbecue-that. Probably I have used the word “tofu” more times in this column than appeared previously in the entire history of Memphis Magazine. But Memphians adored Pho Binh. When family members suffered health scares over the years, forcing the doors closed temporarily, social-media updates from the Pho Binh account would

garner hundreds and hundreds of well-wishes. You never knew whom you would bump into there — a friend from grade school, or a local celebrity, or your boss.

In recent years, Pho Binh evolved to suit a crowd more inclined toward carry-out. After the pandemic, they never did bring back dine-in service, or the lunchtime buffet. To me, none of that mattered, so long as I could still bring home my Memphis-style tofu with a warm smile alongside.

After 23 years, the family said when they confirmed the closure, their matriarch — “whose will alone often overpowered her health,” they wrote — needed a rest. But — as I saw once I stopped sniffling in my kitchen — what a beautiful story was spun in those years.

Restaurants don’t last forever. This one turned the final page with a swell of love: We should all be so lucky.

Just as one story ends, many more are born. Pause to lovingly mourn the eateries that have shut their doors. Then celebrate those that have opened for the first time.

Starting a restaurant is a bold decision under any circumstances, and the past few years’ circumstances have been especially hard on restaurants. Yet, undaunted, folks here keep coming up with new ideas anyway. Maybe they’re a little crazy. I wouldn’t really know; I work in print media, in 2024, on purpose (!).

Crazy or not, the newcomers and the old-reliables alike are putting their Memphis spin on just about any food you can name, and to delicious effect. As we do every February, this month we are saluting the best and most beloved of local restaurants: Find out which favorites were victorious in the annual Readers’ Restaurant Poll, and let our writers be your guides to eight standout new spots. Wherever your next meal takes you, remember to tip well and come back often. I always felt welcome at Pho Binh — welcome in a genuine, human way — and more than any favorite dish, that was pure Memphis magic.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANNA TRAVERSE

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S I M P LY U N C O M M O N

DOWNTOWN’S

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FINEST DINING

EXPERIENCE

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OUT AND ABOUT IN MEMPHIS

TRINITY IRISH DANCE

LES MISÉRABLES

FEBRUARY 2024 “TO HAVE AND TO HOLD: VALENTINES FROM THE VICTORIAN ERA”

This small exhibition showcases and celebrates the artistry of Victorian paper love tokens, highlighting technologies such as chromolithography, embossing, and paper lace.

THE DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS, 4339 PARK AVE., ON DISPLAY THROUGH MARCH 30 THE LEHMAN TRILOGY

Follow the story of three brothers in the most influential families in modern finance as they navigate the twists and turns of American capitalism over the course of three generations.

CIRCUIT PLAYHOUSE, 51 S. COOPER ST., PERFORMANCES THROUGH FEBRUARY 11 A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

Tennessee Shakespeare Company brings Tennessee Williams’ poetic and savage drama to the stage.

TENNESSEE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY, 7950 TRINITY RD., FEBRUARY 1–18 RHAPSODY IN BLUE

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Crosstown Arts present Rhapsody in Blue: 100th Anniversary.

CROSSTOWN THEATER AT CROSSTOWN ARTS, 1350 CONCOURSE AVE., FEBRUARY 2, 6:30 P.M. | SCHEIDT FAMILY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, 3800 CENTRAL AVE., FEBRUARY 4, 2:30 P.M. LIVE AT THE LORRAINE MUSIC SERIES

This new series pays homage to the enduring legacy of the American Civil Rights Movement through the power of music. For the first installment, enjoy J. Buck’s soul-stirring music and savor delectable dishes and exquisite beverages.

NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM, FORD THEATRE, 450 MULBERRY ST., FEBRUARY 3, 7 P.M.

RISE

MARDI GROWL

HARMONIZING HERSTORY

Choreographed by Kevin Thomas, Collage Dance’s RISE is set to Dr. King’s final speech. This year’s program ascends higher with the addition of Amy Hall Garner’s Saint Glory, Camille A. Brown’s New Second Line, and a world premiere

by Hope Boykin, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater alum.

Hollywood Feed and Overton Park present Mardi Growl, featuring a dog costume contest with prizes, product giveaways, dog caricatures, food trucks, live music, and more.

Iris Collective musicians — violinist Carolyn Huebl and cellist Kimberly Patterson — will delight the crowd with works of women composers in Memphis’ woman-owned and woman-inspired retailer, ARCHd.

CANNON CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, 255 N. MAIN ST., FEBRUARY 3–4 RADICAL JEWELRY MAKEOVER: THE ARTIST PROJECT

Hotel California faithfully recreates the energy and the music of the Eagles at their peak.

Radical Jewelry Makeover, Ethical Metalsmiths’ innovative community mining project, repurposes jewelry to create sustainable art. Reception and artist talk on February 11 at 3 p.m.

METAL MUSEUM, 374 METAL MUSEUM DR., FEBRUARY 4–APRIL 14 LES MISÉRABLES

Undisputedly one of the world’s most popular musicals, Les Misérables is a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit.

ORPHEUM THEATRE, 203 S. MAIN ST., FEBRUARY 6–11 AN EVENING OF COMEDY WITH ALEX EDELMAN AND SPECIAL GUEST ARIEL ELIAS

Temple Israel presents a night of uproarious laughter and comedic brilliance featuring Broadway superstar comedian Alex Edelman, with Ariel Elias as the opening act.

GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, 1801 EXETER RD., FEBRUARY 8, 7 P.M. THE GLASS MENAGERIE

Theatre Memphis brings this Southern classic by Tennessee Williams to the stage.

THEATRE MEMPHIS, 630 PERKINS EXT., FEBRUARY 9–25

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OVERTON PARK GREENSWARD, 2080 POPLAR AVE., FEBRUARY 10, 11 A.M.–1 P.M. HOTEL CALIFORNIA: A SALUTE TO THE EAGLES

BARTLETT PERFORMING ARTS & CONFERENCE CENTER, 3663 APPLING RD., FEBRUARY 10, 3 P.M., 7:30 P.M. A TOAST TO T. REX

Journey through the fascinating world of dinosaurs and rocks with captivating science demonstrations as you sip on pop-rock cocktails, immerse yourself in tunes beneath the stars in the planetarium, and marvel at the magnificent T. Rex, Sue.

ARCHD, 65 MONROE AVE., FEBRUARY 21, 6 P.M. ROBERT MOODY PRESENTS THE ORCHESTRA UNPLUGGED: THE CRAZY JOURNEY OF MOZART’S MAGIC FLUTE

Experience a 45-minute version of Mozart’s most fun and fantastical opera with a unique twist only Robert Moody can provide.

THE ORPHEUM, HALLORAN CENTRE, 225 S. MAIN ST., FEBRUARY 22, 7:30 P.M. SUCCESSION

Succession explores the world of Black theater through the actions of Steve Harrison, a promising young actor on his relentless quest to get on the Broadway stage.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY, 3050 CENTRAL AVE., FEBRUARY 10, 6–8 P.M. HARRIET TUBMAN ORATIO

HATTILOO THEATRE, 27 S. COOPER ST., FEBRUARY 23–MARCH 24 WINTER MIX

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra and the National Civil Rights Museum present a powerful musical journey celebrating the extraordinary life of Harriet Tubman, the iconic conductor of the Underground Railroad. This performance marks the world premiere of the work composed by Earnestine Rodgers Robinson.

Ballet Memphis showcases a broad scope of ballet, featuring two new commissions and the reprise of an audience favorite in this mixed repertoire production.

CANNON CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, 255 N. MAIN ST., FEBRUARY 11, 2 P.M. COLBIE CAILLAT

This two-time Grammy Awardwinner heads to Tunica this spring.

GOLD STRIKE CASINO, 1010 CASINO CENTER DR., TUNICA RESORTS, MS, FEBRUARY 18

PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE, 66 S. COOPER ST., FEBRUARY 23–25 WOMEN IN THE ARTS

This annual event, organized by The Dixon Gallery and Gardens and Theatre Memphis, brings together a host of women of all ages for a day of performances, demonstrations, classes, dialogues, artist market, and make spaces.

THE DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS, 4339 PARK AVE. | THEATRE MEMPHIS, 630 PERKINS EXT., FEBRUARY 24, 10 A.M.-2 P.M.

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: TOP LEFT COURTESY TRINIT YIRISHDANCE3: CENTER BY MATTHEW MURPHY / EVAN ZIMMERMAN FOR MURPHYMADE

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SUE: THE T. REX EXPERIENCE

Vahan ®, Alwand Vahan ®, Moiré Pattern ® are Regd. Trademarks. Designs © Alwand Vahan Jewelry Ltd.

MEET THE AUTHOR: MARK GREANEY

Novel welcomes Mark Greaney in conversation with editor Tom Colgan to celebrate the launch of his new Gray Man novel, The Chaos Agent.

NOVEL, 387 PERKINS EXT., FEBRUARY 24, 2 P.M. TRINITY IRISH DANCE COMPANY

This performance will immerse audiences in an authentic experience that celebrates the power of vibrations, rhythm, and movement, all while redefining what is possible for Irish music and dance.

GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, 1801 EXETER RD., FEBRUARY 24, 8 P.M. MAHOGANY CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES: VOCAL JUGGERNAUTS

The Mahogany Chamber Music Series elevates the awareness of underrepresented composers as well as standard works for voice.

CROSSTOWN THEATER AT CROSSTOWN ARTS, 1350 CONCOURSE AVE., FEBRUARY 25, 6 P.M. STORYFEST

An intergenerational group of participants from across the city will share their stories in their own words for this festival of Memphis voices.

HALLORAN CENTRE, 225 S. MAIN ST., FEBRUARY 28, 7 P.M. AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH DAVID FOSTER & KATHARINE MCPHEE

THE SOUTH’S LEADER IN ESTATE JEWELRY AND DIAMOND SOLITAIRES. LOCATED IN NEW ALBANY, OXFORD, AND TUPELO

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Sixteen-time Grammy Award-winning musician, composer, and producer David Foster and acclaimed singer, television, and Broadway star Katharine McPhee are taking their viral Instagram show on the road.

Announcing This agent of exceptional character has joined our firm.

GRACELAND SOUNDSTAGE, 3717 ELVIS PRESLEY BLVD., FEBRUARY 28, 7:30 P.M.

To suggest an event for future editions of Out and About, email abigail@memphismagazine.com.

TOP RIGHT COURTESY DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE

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Blake Lichterman

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901.682.1868 www.Marx-Bensdorf.com F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 13

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AS K

VA N C E

Spanish War Memorial Our history expert solves local mysteries: who, what, when, where, why, and why not. Well, sometimes.

BY VANCE L AUDERDALE

DEAR VANCE: Who carved the statue that’s part of the Spanish-American War Memorial at Central and East Parkway? — G.T., MEMPHIS. DEAR G.T.: “Remember the Maine!”

was the rallying cry for thousands of Americans when the U.S. Navy battleship with that name was blown up in the harbor

of Havana, Cuba, on the night of February 15, 1898. Our country had sent an imposing fleet to Cuba in hopes of quelling the uprising between citizens there and the Spanish government then controlling that island, along with Puerto Rico and — all the way around the world — the Philippines. Some historians, however, believe the presence of

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left: Standing more than eight feet tall, The Hiker, erected in 1956, represents the veterans who saw battle in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and The Phillipines.

top right: Removing this railroad crossing at East Parkway and Central — an eyesore and traffic hazard — provided space for the new park.

the U.S.S. Maine was calculated to draw the United States into a war. At any rate, the mighty warship’s explosion — the exact cause of which was never determined — and the resulting loss of some 300 lives propelled the U.S. into the Spanish-American War, which would take more than 50,000 casualties on both sides before Spain surrendered in 1902.

That’s only a quick summary of a very complicated global conflict, but I had to set the stage, so to speak, before I could answer the query from G.T. I’ll try to do that now, in my rambling way.

In March 15, 1935, The Commercial Appeal noted that the famous “Doughboy” statue in Overton Park paid tribute to the lost soldiers of World War I, but “the Spanish-American War Veterans have been overlooked.” As a result, the newspaper announced plans “for a belated tribute to our neglected heroes, many of which are prominent in the business and civic life of this city.” Already, precisely $71 had been raised, for the purchase of a statue to be erected in Jefferson Davis Park (now Mississippi River Park).

Two weeks later, the paper reported that funds had only reached $129 — with quite a ways to go if the group behind this effort — the Benjamin Wright Camp #3 of the Spanish War Veterans — hoped to reach their goal of $2,500, the estimated cost for purchasing a monument.

Two weeks later, the CA reported that donations were “far short of the goal,” while also mentioning, “While the site has not been selected, the prevailing location now favors Overton Park.”

Nothing happened for almost two years, when The Commercial Appeal again urged its readers to continue with their donations, complaining, “For some reason, the Spanish War veteran has never received from the American public the recognition he deserves.” The same story also

noted that the memorial would now be located at Linden Circle.

Well, by this time, Americans were more concerned about the potential of yet another global conflict, this one in Europe and Asia, a fear that came true with the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. After that came the Korean War. The Spanish-American War that took place half a century earlier had largely been forgotten, as its veterans passed away over the years.

So Memphians were probably surprised to pick up the June 8, 1956, Commercial Appeal and learn that work was nearly finished on the war memorial. An entirely new location had been decided — the “unnamed park” at the southwest corner of Central and East Parkway. The memorial would feature a bronze statue called The Hiker, so named because that’s what American troops called themselves during the war, mounted on an impressive blue granite base. And all this came about because of the “secret weapon” of Fred Bauer.

Bauer was certainly a remarkable — and persistent — fellow.

Born and raised (at least, by some accounts) in St. Louis, at the age of 14, he was so determined to fight in the Spanish-American War that he stowed away on a troop ship bound for the Philippines. (It’s not clear how he got from Missouri to a ship sailing across the Pacific.) Newspapers reported that when sailors found the young stowaway, they determined he was too young to join the armed forces, but somebody had to take care of the youngster, and he refused to return home.

So, when they landed in the Philippines, they handed him over to the Army, who made him an “unofficial mascot” of the 16th Infantry and gave him a bugle. “I was chief bugler, but that didn’t mean anything,” Bauer later told reporters. “I fought with them the moment we landed. I carried a gun just like the rest of them.”

PHOTOGRAPHS BY VANCE LAUDERDALE; RAILROAD CROSSING COURTESY MEMPHIS PUBLIC LIBRARIES

1/10/24 12:24 PM

bottom: Credit for the small park goes to Fred Bauer, a Spanish-American War veteran who donated funds to purchase the memorial.

Apparently, he even brought along his own weapons. “When I finally met my commander [I had] an old Mauser carbine, two six-shooters, and a bolo knife strapped to my belt,” he told the newspapers, years later. “The officers wondered who the ‘walking arsenal’ was, and they decided to enlist me despite my age.” According to newspaper accounts, Bauer became the youngest Jordan noted, “This is a day of American to serve in the war, both sadness and joy,” reminding fighting in the Philippines and those attending that the line of later in China.

Spanish-American War veterans “is thinning every day, but it is a After the war, Bauer somehow found his way to Memphis, joyful day for those of us who are left behind to unveil this statue.” where he took a job with the U.S. I should mention that corner Battery and Electrical Company was never designed before opening Bauto be a park. In the er’s Auto Parts at 383 The Hiker proved so Monroe. That busi- popular that Wikipedia early 1900s, it was ness was apparently a keeps a list of more actually the roadway success. By 1930, city than 50 versions that for the Union Pacific directories show that are still standing in Railroad. It’s hard to Bauer and his wife, cities across America. imagine today, but a Victoria, had pur- They mainly vary freight train linked chased one of the first in size, and in the the Sargent Yards in homes constructed in southwest Memphis styles of the base. the newly developed with other lines farChickasaw Gardens. He quickther east, and the route carried ly befriended other veterans of the railroad tracks diagonalthe war and helped establish the ly across East Parkway — and straight through the campus of local Spanish War Veterans assoChristian Brothers College. It ciation. In fact, Bauer gets credit was not only an eyesore, but an for first conceiving of a memoear-sore (if there’s such a word). rial, way back in the 1930s, and The tracks were elevated over the finally brought it to completion traffic lanes at the intersection, with his “secret weapon”: Namebut that didn’t stop Memphians ly, from his own funds he confrom crashing into the support tributed the money to purchase columns on a regular basis. The an eight-foot bronze statue and tracks and crossing were finally complete the memorial. removed in the 1960s.

When the park — renamed Now I have to break some sad Spanish War Memorial Park news to readers. The Hiker statue — was dedicated on December is not an original carving. In2, 1956, Bauer’s granddaughter stead, it’s a bronze copy, which was photographed unveiling The was ordered from a catalog of Hiker. Several dozen veterans of monuments and memorials prothe war attended the dedicaduced by the Gorham Company tion, which included patriotic speeches by Mayor Edmund of Providence, Rhode Island. In fact, The Hiker proved so popuOrgill; Roane Waring, president lar that Wikipedia keeps a list of the Memphis Street Railway; of more than 50 versions that Harry Pierotti, chairman of the are still standing in cities across Memphis Park Commission; and America. They mainly vary in Charles E. Jordan, chaplain of the Benjamin Wright Camp #3. size, and in the styles of the base.

The original statue, which was installed at the University of Minnesota in 1906, was designed

by Theodora Alice Ruggle Kitson (1871-1932), from Brookline, Massachusetts. Theo, as she signed her works, was a supremely talented artist. At age 18, she received an honorable mention at the Salon des Artistes Français — “becoming the youngest woman, and the first American, ever to receive this honor.” Years later, she became the first woman elected to the National Sculpture Society. She seemed to have a special penchant for military tributes, known for their historically accurate details. Anyone wishing to see more of her work needs only to drive to Vicksburg National Military Park, featur-

ing more than 50 sculptures and plaques she designed.

Fred Bauer passed away in 1977 at the age of 93. He was laid to rest in Memorial Park, and his simple military-style marker gives his name, rank, and the years of his birth and death.

Not a word mentions the Spanish-American War, to which he had devoted some eight decades of his life.

Got a question for Vance?

EMAIL: askvance@memphismagazine.com MAIL: Vance Lauderdale, Memphis

Magazine, P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101 ONLINE: memphismagazine.com/ask-vance

Or visit him on Facebook.

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ebruary is full of heart-shaped cards and chocolate boxes, but it’s also a smart time to consider the health of your actual heart.

Heart disease is the most common cause of death in the United States. Science has learned that, like cancer, genetics play a role in who suffers from cardiovascular ailments. But even more so than cancer,

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diet is a big factor in who develops heart trouble and who avoids it. If you have been diagnosed with a cardiovascular disease, your doctor can give you more precise dietary guidelines based on your specific health issues. If you’re just looking to help your ticker keep ticking smoothly, here are a few tips based on the latest science — and good old-fashioned common sense.

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T

1 WATCH YOUR SODIUM INTAKE

oo much sodium in your diet raises your blood pressure, which can lead to heart attacks or strokes. You don’t have to cut out all salt, but being conscious of your sodium intake is a smart move. Restaurant food and packaged foods are common sources of unexpected sodium, so you can have much more control over your sodium intake if you opt to cook at home. Many companies (such as Penzey’s Spices) offer low-sodium, f lavor-packed spice mixes.

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his is just all-purpose good advice. Make sure every meal comes with at least one vegetable. Leafy greens like spinach contain nitrates which relax blood vessels. Try keeping some almonds or grapes around for snacking instead of chips. Fresh is better, but frozen and canned vegetables are fine — as long as you pay attention to sodium levels, and avoid added sugar. Breaded and fried veggies defeat the purpose.

W

3 WHOLE GRAINS

hen it comes to grains, the less refined the better. Refining grains (for instance, milling wheat into white flour) breaks down the plant’s natural fibers. More fiber means lower levels of cholesterol. Whole grain bread is not only good for you, it’s more flavorful than white bread. Try substituting brown rice for white, and exploring the world of other whole grains, like barley and quinoa.

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You’ll also feel full for longer, which can help reduce food cravings. For maximum benefit, avoid instant oatmeal, which is the most processed version.

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5 FIND THE RIGHT FATS

aturated fats mostly derive from the meat of land animals and dairy products, while unsaturated fats come from plants and fish. The debate on exactly how much and what kinds of fats you should include in your diet is robust and ongoing, but two things are certain: Omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in salmon and walnuts, are good for your heart and brain, while trans fats, such as those found in fried foods, increase your cholesterol levels.

F

6 OILS MATTER

or five decades, the medical consensus has been moving towards the Mediterranean diet. Italy, for example, has a much lower rate of heart disease than the rest of the Western countries, despite the higher prevalence of some habits like smoking that can cause heart disease. Many scientists have tried to tease apart the region’s different dietary factors to determine which ones are the most important, but one thing is clear: The countries that show the biggest population benefits from the Mediterranean diet are also places where olive trees grow. Use extra-virgin olive oil in your cooking whenever possible; peanut and avocado oil are also acceptable. Avoid highly refined products such as commercial canola and vegetable oils, and anything marked “partially hydrogenated.”

E

7 NO TOBACCO

veryone knows by now that smoking causes cancer. But habitually consuming tobacco in any form is also a major risk factor for heart and cardiovascular disease.

Smoking both raises blood pressure and narrows blood vessels. Heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, peripheral artery disease — you name it, tobacco causes it. It’s 2024. Why are you still smoking tobacco?

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8 ALCOHOL

ne of the biggest questions of the last couple of decades of health research is the role of alcohol in heart health.

Doctors agree that excessive alcohol use — more than two drinks a day for men, one for women — is bad for you. But what about moderate drinking? The “one glass of red wine a day” guideline has been repeatedly challenged, but the protective effect stubbornly refuses to disappear from statistical studies. The mechanism remains a mystery. Is it resveratrol, a micronutrient found in grapes? Or is does the stress relief of an evening come-down ritual outweigh the negative effects from low doses of alcohol? Decide what’s best for you in consult with your doctor.

A

9 THE LESS PROCESSED, THE BETTER

flurry of recent studies indicate that much of the problem with the Western diet comes from our mass-produced food culture. True, many if not most foods we eat are processed to some degree, such as pasteurization. But foods packaged for shelf stability contain high amounts of sodium and preservatives, and added sugar is always a good selling point for the taste buds. The worst are the “ultra-processed,” which include sugary drinks and candy which are formulated for maximum profitability, not maximum nutrition.

10 MODERATION IN ALL THINGS

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Unless you’re under strict doctor’s orders, you don’t have to give up all red meat and butter. Just eat less of them. Maintaining cardiovascular health is a long-term prospect, so what matters is your average consumption over the long run.

Cultivating good habits gets easier over time. If you want to reduce your sodium intake by not adding salt to your meals, things might taste bland at first. But after a while, you’ll get used to it, and heavily salted food will taste metallic. Once you start paying attention to portion size, some restaurant meals will begin to seem excessive. Don’t beat yourself up if you crave a burger. Just practice moderation in all things — except tobacco. Cut that stuff out completely.

Sources: Harvard Medical School, the Mayo Clinic, and the American Heart Association’s “2021 Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health.”

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Chef Eli Townsend of Dos Hermanos

1/17/24 1:29 PM

W

at

hat’s for dinner?

Here at the Memphis Magazine offices, that’s a question we find ourselves asking quite frequently, with thoughts turning to food as the workday ebbs away.

Lucky for us, Memphis chefs and entrepreneurs continue to embrace new ideas and adventures, blessing the city with an abundance of new restaurants and tasty dishes to satisfy our growing appetites. For the last couple of years, the Memphis Magazine dining contributors have used the annual February food issue to take a deeper dive into Memphis’ culinary world.

We’ve explored it through traditional means (a top restaurants list), through a selection of our favorite dishes over the course of a year, or even 2021’s “Memphis Eats A-Z” feature.

But it’s back to basics this year. There are almost too many fresh options to choose from, so through our “Dinner at 8” feature, we’re here to let our readers know about the eight new restaurants that made the biggest impression on us in 2023.

At the reimagined Downtown Cossitt Library, chef Eli Townsend serves up creative breakfast items at Dos Hermanos, along with a side of karaoke. Jimmy Gentry dishes out seasonal sharable plates at The Lobbyist, the latest establishment to open in the Chisca. Down Summer Avenue, Dim Sum King provides an enormous selection of authentic Chinese dishes in a small-plate format. Meanwhile, Bog & Barley provides a taste of the Old World with its upscale Irish cuisine and beautiful interior.

Knifebird owner Kate Ashby takes a crack at full service with Cooper-Young’s The Public Bistro. Amelia Gene’s opened to much acclaim as part of the One Beale development, while Coccoza is the “red sauce joint of your dreams” in Harbor Town. Finally, Josh Steiner makes breakfast the most fun meal of the day at Hive Bagel & Deli.

We’re spoiled for choices, but we’re not complaining.

However, this is just our perspective. To see what our readers thought, be sure to check out results from the annual READERS’ RESTAURANT POLL on page 34. And check the CITY DINING LISTINGS on page 72 for all the restaurant details you need to plan your next evening out. — Samuel X. Cicci

VISITS TO EIGHT OF THE MOST EXCITING NEW MEMPHIS RESTAURANTS. PHOTOGRAPHS BY JUSTIN FOX BURKS

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1/17/24 1:29 PM

D O S H ERMANO S O

n a recent blustery winter Saturday, I had made plans for lunch inside a library — a delightfully odd concept already. I wasn’t expecting there to be karaoke. But when I walked into the Cossitt Library on Front Street, Eli Townsend himself, chef at Dos Hermanos Kitchen, was perched on a café stool, clad in a canary-yellow blazer, belting out … “Landslide,” by Fleetwood Mac. Turns out, in addition to offering a community-gathering space and a creative food menu, Dos Hermanos also hosts monthly karaoke brunches.

Did I mention this is all taking place inside a library?

The Cossitt, Memphis’ first public library, reopened last spring after a $7 million renovation to the more modern addition (a wing of the historic, original red-sandstone structure remains under construction). As much a neighborhood hub as a cathedral for books, this is not a library where you’re likely to be shushed; upstairs, a comfy

seating area has been set aside with a sign stating, “TEENS ONLY.” This is a place to come together — hence the café’s name, Dos Hermanos, or Two Brothers, in the figurative sense of brotherly love.

We started with hot black coffee — nothing fancy, but exactly the thing on a chilly, damp afternoon — and perused the menu. The café offers breakfast and brunch fare as well as heartier lunch and early-dinner options. (They close at 8 p.m. and, fair warning, do not have a liquor license.)

An unreformed lover of wordplay and a vegetarian, I had no defenses against the creative charms of the falafel waffle. Say that fi ve times fast! Falafel batter (spiced ground chickpeas) is poured into a waffle iron, yielding crisp nooks and crannies that cradle an exuberance of sauteed mushrooms, Louisiana-style hot sauce, balsamic glaze (a little gloopy for my liking), and lightly battered, tender-fried cauli-

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flower florets. My dining companion chose the shrimp and grits — succulent and creamy, respectively, and like everything at Dos Hermanos, served in generous portions.

At one point during the meal, I lost track of our waiter, then realized he (in stage-ready silver-sequined flares) was choosing a song to croon, mid-shift. The mood was unabashedly bright and welcoming: Folks at the next table over swayed and sang along to R&B numbers, while a Downtown public-safety officer perched on a stool and shot video of the goings-on. A couple of our new friends asked encouragingly if we would be singing, too. While I appreciated being perceived, however briefl y, as someone who might be un-self-conscious enough to sing karaoke under any circumstances, the answer was no. But if you, brave reader, are up for broad-daylight, stone-cold-sober singing, I salute you. — Anna Traverse

Zucchini fritters with seafood ceviche.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JUSTIN FOX BURKS

1/17/24 1:29 PM

T H E LOB BYIST O Chocolate mousse, served on a cacaonib genoise with miso-whey caramel.

PHOTOGRAPH BY LAURA JEAN HOCKING

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n July 8, 1954, DJ Dewey Phillips introduced the world to Elvis Presley by playing “That’s All Right” over and over again on his popular radio show Red, Hot, and Blue. Phillips’ broadcasts from the mezzanine of the Hotel Chisca on Main Street attracted hundreds of thousands of listeners throughout the 1950s and arguably changed the face of American popular music.

After sitting vacant for years, the Chisca — one of our city’s largest Downtown hotels — was recently renovated into a popular apartment building. Downstairs from where Dewey spun records is a posh eatery called The Lobbyist. The restaurant has gathered acclaim since it opened a year ago, including winning the Memphis Flyer’s Best New Restaurant award for 2023.

My wife LJ and I had an early reservation on a recent winter evening.

The Lobbyist is sprawling, with dark

walls filled with art, illuminated by striking contemporary chandeliers.

We took our window seats and perused the cocktail menu as the tables around us slowly filled. LJ’s interest was piqued by the mocktail menu, while I chose the mezcal-based Grand Gold. She reported that the Dirty Love mocktail “tasted like a dirty martini, which it was supposed to,” while the Grand Gold’s smoky notes proved imminently sippable.

The food menu, which frequently changes based on the seasons, is designed to be sharable. With food offerings as diverse as duck kibbeh in fig-molasses and goat cheese Brussels sprouts with cherries and spiced nuts, there’s a reason why Chef Jimmy Gentry wants to encourage his diners to experience a variety of flavors.

We started off with Kung Pao carrots brushed with kimchi and honey,

which included a light aioli for dipping.

It was a unique combination of flavors that only hinted at what was to come.

The corn mash with roasted squash in bacon jus was another hit. I’m not a big beet fan, but the golden beets paired with Indian specialty chaat turned out to be right up my alley.

For an entree, we split the swordfish. Served with a rich coconut broth and seasonal delicata squash, it was the highlight of a generally excellent evening.

For dessert, we ordered the chocolate mousse, served on a cacao-nib genoise — a type of light sponge cake — with miso-whey caramel. As we nibbled and chatted, we watched the trolleys pass by on the street outside. The historic space where The Lobbyist resides is once again introducing Memphians to something new, only this time it’s flavors instead of music. — Chris McCoy

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 27

1/17/24 1:29 PM

DIM SUM KI NG W

hen many of the Memphis chefs I interviewed over the course of last year recommended I check out a certain new restaurant, I hopped in my car. And that’s how I found myself rolling far down Summer Avenue and into the parking lot of Dim Sum King, its unassuming exterior hiding a feast fit for, well … a king.

Located in the former Asian Palace space at 5266 Summer, the new establishment by restaurateur King Chow focuses on authentic Chinese dishes (think Cantonese barbecue, sizzling hot plates, live seafood) and boasts an expansive interior that can comfortably accommodate around 400 diners; and that’s just as well, for during a few of my visits, the place was packed.

Servers dashed to and fro, ferrying trays stacked with small plates, weaving a fragrant trail of garlic, soy, and sesame throughout.

The whole experience, like the menu of 100-plus items, might be a tad overwhelming for some, but once it’s time to dig in, all worries melt away. Large TV screens placed around the perimeter of the dining room flick

through a slideshow of dishes and specials — crab, duck, lobster, etc. — providing guests with visual aids if they can’t quite decide what to order. On my first visit, the back half of the restaurant had been rented out for a wedding party, with the guests singing Chinese karaoke and having a blast as we dove into our small plates in the front half of the room.

Some of our group plumped for more traditional offerings like the house fried rice, with scents of oil and green onion radiating from the stir-fried delight mixed with generous helpings of chicken, pork, and shrimp.

A large plate of Cantonese fried chicken soon arrived, its crisped skin wrapped around tender and juicy meat with a mild salted marinade.

But the joy at Dim Sum King, and an overall Dim Sum experience, is the small plates.

Weekend brunch service offers up the classic food cart, piled high with all manner of colorful dishes, zipping from table to table.

Four sizes of plates range from around $4 to $9. Grab a couple, enjoy, and try out some-

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thing else when it comes by your table again.

I tried out my first-ever cuttlefish, the rubbery squid-like creature enveloped in a mildly spicy yellow turmeric blanket rendering it almost a curry calamari. The shrimp and chive dumplings wrapped up a generous helping of garlic chives and savory ground shrimp in a thin, translucent wheat-starch skin, while the regular pork buns provided a more expected thick, pillowy texture around the sweet meat inside.

Readers of my Dining Out column know I’m partial to duck; Dim Sum King offers the full bird — whole Cantonese roasted duck or Peking duck — but I was able to order a small portion (a rarity) off the Dim Sum menu and continue to sample other things. The barbecue roasted duck was a battle, first through the sweet crispy skin, and then some gristle and bone to get to the soft meat inside, but that’s just how I like it. There are so many things to try, most of which I presume that many Memphians haven’t tried before, so dining here is always the best kind of adventure.

— Samuel X. Cicci

Baked pork with spicy salt, one of Dim Sum King’s larger entrees.

PHOTOGRAPH BY SAMUEL X. CICCI

1/17/24 1:29 PM

BOG & BAR L E Y W The B&B full Irish breakfast: two eggs, Newman Farm sausage, rashers, black-and-white pudding, mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, home fries, and toast.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEX GREENE

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alking into the Irish pub Bog & Barley, I felt like a time traveler in the midst of East Memphis. Nestled among the beige exterior of the Regalia Center is a burst of dark wood frontage, beckoning like a portal to the Old World — as indeed it is, and not just because the woodwork within was imported from Ireland. I knew the pub offered much in the way of authentic victuals, and I was pursuing that most Old World of meals, the second breakfast. Naturally my eyes lit up when I saw the heading on the brunch menu: “Brekkie.”

It was just the thing to escape the New World blues, and right away I knew I had to have the “B&B Full Irish Breakfast,” which includes two eggs, a banger (sausage) from nearby Newman Farm, rashers (bacon), black-and-white pudding (a very Old World sausage dotted with cooked blood and oats or barley), mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, home fries, and toast. This is the kind of morning feast that the British Isles are

famous for, sometimes served with beans as well — a very maximalist meal. As I wasn’t craving any blood products that day, I substituted a second banger for the black-and-white pudding, and soon the bountiful meal was before me.

All the meats and eggs were done to perfection, but it was really the garden items that made this meal shine. The roasted cherry tomatoes looked like they’d just leapt off the fireplace grate, and the oyster mushrooms were fresh and buttery. The potatoes were flecked with braised onion and pepper slivers and fresh herbs. The Irish soda bread was as hearty as fresh-milled wheat. Before long I was humming the old Richie Kavanaugh song: “I love me Irish breakfast, me hearty Irish breakfast / Bacon, eggs n’ sausages all dancing on the plate …”

It only added to the old country charm when Bog & Barley’s owner, D.J. Naylor, started making the rounds, amiably checking in with every table. He told me he was from western Ireland, and

recommended that I try one of their famous cocktails. “Bog & Barley,” after all, refers to the peat and the grain that makes good whiskey. But day drinking wasn’t in my plans. Instead, I opted for another sort of decadence, the second breakfast dessert.

Though tempted by the Guinness chocolate cake, I felt the warm Irish bread pudding was more Celtic, somehow. And it was all I’d imagined: not too sweet, yet drizzled with whiskey-vanilla sauce and vanilla ice cream on the side. Perhaps I was swept away in my time traveling, or perhaps a food coma was setting in, but I had one more thing to order. How could I go to Ireland without sampling the fish and chips?

I got them to go, of course. In Ireland, I might have walked away from a whelk stall with my order wrapped in newspapers. This time, served up hot at home later, the fish and chips were perfectly crispy, the cod succulent, complemented perfectly by the peas on the side. And, I should add, it paired rather well with a Guinness stout. — Alex Greene

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 29

1/17/24 1:29 PM

T H E PUB L I C B I S T R O T

he fact that their salad menu ranges from a classic Cobb to burrata cheese with pesto, roasted tomatoes, and arugula perfectly captures the vibe of The Public Bistro. It has all the informality of a neighborhood restaurant, but the quality of the food suggests that the neighborhood’s in, say, Rome.

This is a good place for a homey, hearty meal, with entrée offerings that include a roasted half-chicken to pork chops, steak frites, ribs, chicken cacciatore, mushroom gnocchi, or salmon.

I chose the salmon partly because it went so well with the featured wine for happy hour, a crisp, citrus-tinged Grüner Veltliner white that “has arguably done more to put Austrian wines on the map than any other grape variety,” according to Food & Wine. It was perfectly chilled and appealed to this longtime Sauvignon Blanc fan. As a warm-up to the main course, I chose the “crispy Brussels,” roasted sprouts with a perfect mahogany tinge, topped with almond slices. The

lemon tahini sauce was a delightful surprise, complementing the earthiness of the vegetables with a zesty zing.

The executive chef at The Public Bistro, Gannon Hamilton, knows his vegetables. As owner Kate Ashby says, “he’s getting our mushrooms from Bluff City Fungi, and he goes to the Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market every Saturday to get stuff for us.”

I thought about that as my entrée was served: a generous portion of broiled salmon topped with Hamilton’s chili chutney, served on a bed of herb risotto, with roasted carrots on the side. I could picture the bunches of multicolored carrots one often sees piled high at the local farmers market, now transformed into delectable savory morsels of white, orange, and deep purple. The risotto was also a savory delight. And the salmon, crisply browned on top, yet creamy and tender beneath, was complemented with the intriguing spicy sweetness of the chutney, bringing a bit of fireworks to

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the main course.

I silently toasted the chef with my Grüner Veltliner and pondered the dessert menu. Though tempted by the chocolate raspberry cake, the apple tart, and the pear cheesecake, I stuck to the Euro-American theme (I had started the evening with Brussels sprouts, after all) by selecting the crème brûlée. After all, that’s a tricky thing to pull off in a home kitchen. When it arrived, I knew I had chosen well: the exquisitely crunchy crust of caramelized sugar set off the creamy custard beneath it perfectly, and was topped with fresh raspberries, strawberries, and a dollop of whipped cream.

After the rather filling main course, the lightness of the dish was very welcome.

The Public Bistro lives up to its name: an approachable, unfussy gathering space with the cozy atmosphere of a neighborhood hangout, mixed with a commitment to fine, fresh flavors that nonetheless stick to your ribs. — Alex Greene

Salmon with chili chutney, carrots, and herb risotto.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEX GREENE

1/17/24 1:31 PM

AM E LIA G ENE’S T Dry-aged prime bone-in New York strip with beef fat popovers and sauce au poivre.

PHOTOGRAPH BY HOUSTON COFIELD

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he One Beale development needed a slam dunk with its new dining option, and it got it thanks to Amelia Gene’s. The newest establishment of the Carlisle Restaurant Group dazzles in the former Wm C. Ellis & Sons ironworks shop on Front Street, with a selection of fine dining entrees created by chef Nate Henssler, an extensive wine list, and a glitzy interior.

Amelia Gene’s divides the menu into several sections. Diners can treat themselves to one large entry, try several of the small bites, or craft their own personalized several-course dinner.

But let’s pause a moment to focus on a pre-dinner snack, and one of the restaurant’s standouts.

Henssler partnered with local baker Cherie Canelas to offer fresh baked bread as an option before every meal.

The sourdough loaf catches the eye with its black-and-gold swirled crumb, made from two charcoal and saffron doughs, which keeps diners’ hands flying back to

the basket when set up with a spread of hummus and cardamom honey butter.

For appetizers, favorites from the small bites menu include the foie gras macaron, Kaluga caviar beignet with sweet onion cream and Arkansas black apple, and a golden potato fondue with Tête de Moine cheese and black truffle.

The slightly larger starters see Henssler continue to flex his fine dining muscles with coal-roasted radicchio or tuna crudo.

The Wagyu steak tartar was my personal favorite, the raw beef cuts mingling with truffled green almond, bone broth, and perilla oil. All that is served atop a potato latke, a crisp and comforting treat more reminiscent of the simple pleasures of fast-food breakfasts, rather than the expected pretension of a high-class meal.

Henssler also makes fresh pasta daily, from bucatini to ravioli. It’s an excellent option if you’re looking for a full meal on the lighter side.

The main entrees bring out the big guns, with the half Rohan duck a stand-

out, the crispy fowl bedecked with savory salt, pepper, and garlic notes smoothed out with candied kumquats and an orange puree. The Massachusetts Black Sea Bass, with red cabbage and caraway jus, continues to impress, and the elk short rib offers sophisticated game alongside leeks, grits, and mango. If the Wagyu tartar wasn’t enough beef, the eight-ounce domestic filet comes with its own potato tartlette, vidalia onion, and a touch of umami with Cantonese XO sauce.

The wine list is extensive and continues to grow, and diners can gaze at the two large wine coolers lining the sides of the main dining room, or a vast wall of liquor behind the bar extending up to the ceiling.

They’ll undoubtedly be delighted with the visual splendor of the dining room’s hanging crystalline art piece, with light ornaments stretching across the expanse, providing small gleams and sparkles of light, just as the machines in the old ironworks shop once must have. A fine spectacle for a fine night out. — Samuel X. Cicci

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C O C OZ ZA T

ucked into the tiny “business district” of Harbor Town, Cocozza is just around the corner from Miss Cordelia’s.

It’s a charming and unassuming restaurant — no white tablecloths or cloth napkins, nothing fancy — just a modest-sized room with red-and-white tile floors, Formica-topped tables, wood paneling, and white-tiled walls fronting the cozy seven-seat bar. The simple aluminum silverware and chunky working-man’s wine glasses sustain the nostalgic vibe, evoking the kind of neighborhood Italian joints that were once endemic in East Coast cities.

A big, wonderful painting of Elvis Presley and Mario Lanza by local chef and artist Emily LaForce hangs on the main wall. It’s called “O Solo Meatball” and is a tribute to Elvis and to Lanza, a cousin of Deni Reilly, the co-owner of Cocozza with her husband, Patrick. Elvis was a fan of Lanza’s and rewrote his iconic “O Solo Mio” as “It’s Now or Never.” The painting commemorates a meal that may or may not have happened as pic-

tured. Probably not.

The staff are friendly, sharp, and quick with recommendations, if you ask. They seem to recognize that restaurants like this one are all about the food, not fancy frills and high prices. And Cocozza delivers the goods. Mamma Mia! The Caesar salad is a perfect starter — served cold and crisp, with sharp Parmesan and toasted croutons — and like all the food at Cocozza, very reasonably priced at $6. And speaking of $6 … the restaurant offers glasses of Scarpetta wines — Rosso or Bianco — for that same very reasonable price from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

As for entrées, the “salmon oreganata” is a standout, a beautifully cooked piece of flaky pink fish, covered with herbed breadcrumbs and creamy butter-garlic sauce, and accompanied by broccoli rabe.

And don’t sleep on the chicken piccata with lemon, capers, and white wine sauce, which is also excellent. Other staff-recommended entrées included eggplant parmesan, pork Milanese, and chicken

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marsala. All are $24 or $26, except the filet mignon ($39) and veal parmesan ($36).

Cocozza offers nine “Macaroni” plates, including vodka rigatoni, bucatini alla enzo, shrimp penne arrabbiata, baked lasagna, and Luke & Joey sausage rigatoni, to name a few. There are four regular sides: broccoli rabe, roasted zucchini with herbed breadcrumbs, sautéed spinach with garlic and olive oil, and peas and prosciutto — all priced at a tasty $8.

And what Italian meal would be complete without a serving of sumptuous tiramisu for dessert? Cocozza’s is called Helen’s Favorite, and it may well be yours after you try it. Mimi’s lemon cheesecake gives that classic dessert a fresh twist, and it’s a huge slice, heavily dusted in powdered sugar. There’s also a cannoli, which is not named after anybody, but which is mighty good, just the same. All desserts are $8, and all pair nicely with one of the restaurant’s digestivos, which include limoncello, grappa, anisetta, and sambuca.

— Bruce VanWyngarden

Cocozza’s classic chicken piccata, a sautéed cutlet with lemon, capers, and white wine.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN

1/17/24 1:29 PM

H IVE BAG E L & D E L I B Alongside bagels and sandwiches, Hive offers beautifully prepared pastries and other treats.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY HIVE BAGEL & DELI

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usiness at Hive Bagel & Deli is buzzing. Customers line the block waiting to get into the little Downtown bakery/deli at 276 South Front Street for bagels, sandwiches, and salads.

Hive is the brainchild of owner Josh Steiner, who was chef/owner of two restaurants, Strano! and Strano by Chef Josh. A few years ago, he and his wife, Wallis, got into beekeeping and began selling honey. Steiner, a self-described “bee nerd,” now uses that honey in his bagel recipes. They also use it in a lot of their pastries, including their popular honey butter croissants.

“It’s very classical in the way we do our pastries,” Steiner says. “My training comes from San Francisco, New York, and all these other places.

So, it’s a very European approach to the pastries and breads. It’s just a fresh product. Our flour is all natural.

We use a lot of whole-wheat products.

No clean or vitamins or nutrients added later. Our flour is artisan sourced.”

Steiner’s baguette sandwiches, including The Front Street Deli, are among his most popular items. That one consists of house-smoked corn beef, Swiss cheese, lettuce, mustard, and house-made pickles.

He’s been making bagels for years, saying, “I will bake a bagel before I buy one.” Steiner took classes at the San Francisco Baking Institute, which specializes in bagels. “I wanted to learn the business side and how to source local ingredients.”

Hive recently introduced a new menu, Steiner says, featuring “more breads rather than just bagels. We offer specialty sandwiches on baguettes.

Sourdough and rye. And now that we’ve been open a certain amount of time, we’re fully stocked and not selling out as much.”

On the pastry side, Steiner says,

“We’re actually making Key lime pies.”

And they’re offering tarts, including a dark chocolate raspberry tart and a pistachio with chocolate tart. Hive also caters, serving boxes and platters to customers.

Customers can look into the kitchen at Hive. “I’m trying to capture the romantic side of it,” he says. “I find it romantic.

Things being made from scratch. Things being made by hand or turned out.

Flour being mixed or dough being pulled out of the mixing bowl. Dough going into the oven.”

Steiner says the look and feel of Hive are a combination of the concept he and his wife developed: “Something clean, bright, welcoming that feels good when you walk in. And shows the aesthetics of the product through the build-out. That, and we’re making pretty stuff. The pastry is beautiful. The bread is beautiful. So, you need a great place to show that stuff.” — Michael Donahue

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Presenting the winners of the

2 0 2 4 R E A D E R S ’ R E S TA U R A N T P O L L First-place winners who received at least a third of the total votes in their category.

BEST RESTAURANT

Folk’s Folly Erling Jensen the Restaurant Coastal Fish Company

BEST NEW RESTAURANT Bog & Barley The Lobbyist Amelia Gene’s Shrimp & Grits from Bog & Barley, voted Best New Restaurant.

BON APPÉTIT! O

ur readers certainly know a thing or two about restaurants. For more than 35 years now, we’ve been asking them to participate in our annual Readers’ Restaurant Poll, selecting their favorite haunts around town and seeing where they like to stop for steak, ribs, or date night. The result is a handy list that tracks the pulse of Memphis’ dining scene, highlighting both popular and under-the-radar restaurants that locals frequent.

If there’s a beloved diner, dive, bakery, or bar, expect it to be on this list.

Many of the restaurants here have been working for years to keep diners full and happy.

Chefs continue to pour all their creativity into each dish, and restaurateurs continue to push boundaries as they open new enterprises. It’s all in the service of keeping us fed, so the least we can do is order a few meals, and leave a generous tip for our servers.

The following list details the best places to dine, as chosen by you, our readers. To ensure the poll results were accurate, we installed online safeguards to ensure only one ballot per person, making this the definitive resource for Memphis restaurant-goers.

We’ve named the top three restaurants in most categories, with the first-place winner in bold type. Ties are indicated when they occurred. A special designation ( ) — we’re calling them “Super Stars” — indicates first-place winners who received more than a third of the total votes cast in that category.

Whether you’re new in town or a longtime resident, almost 50 categories offer up fantastic restaurants worthy of any palate. We also cover the best places to grab a drink, where you can relax and partake in some people-watching, discover which out-of-town spots are worth the drive, and even include a remembrance of some old favorites that are no longer around.

Unsure where to grab dinner next? Let your fellow readers help with the winners of our Readers’ Restaurant Poll. — Samuel X. Cicci

BEST CHEF

Erling Jensen, Erling Jensen the Restaurant Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman, Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen / Hog & Hominy / Catherine & Mary’s / Gray Canary / Bishop Ben Smith, Tsunami

BEST ASIAN FUSION Good Fortune Co. Mulan Mosa Asian Bistro

BEST BAR

Bardog Tavern Rocky’s Brookhaven Pub & Grill Bari Ristorante e Enoteca

BEST BARBECUE RIBS

Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous Central BBQ One & Only BBQ The Bar-B-Q Shop

BEST BARTENDER

Sarah Crase, Rocky’s Hunter Coleman, Bari Alex Moseley, Alchemy

BEST BEER SELECTION Flying Saucer Young Avenue Deli Bog & Barley

Editor's Note: Some restaurants on this list closed after our voting window had ended. We've kept them in our final results to reflect their impact on Memphis dining over the last year.

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY BOG & BARLEY

1/17/24 1:38 PM

BEST BREAKFAST

BEST DESSERT SHOP

BEST MEXICAN

BEST SHARED PLATES

BEST BRUNCH

BEST DIVE BAR

BEST OUTDOOR DINING

BEST STEAK

BEST BURGER

BEST FOOD TRUCK TACONganas Soi Number 9 New Wing Order

BEST PEOPLE-WATCHING

BEST TACO

Huey’s Earnestine & Hazel’s Top’s Bar-B-Q

BEST CAJUN/CREOLE

BEST FRIED CHICKEN

BEST PIZZA

BEST THAI

BEST CHAIN RESTAURANT

BEST FROZEN TREAT

BEST PLACE TO IMPRESS OUT-OF-TOWNERS

BEST VEGETARIAN / VEGAN

Brother Juniper’s Sunrise Memphis Bryant’s Breakfast Owen Brennan’s The Beauty Shop Brother Juniper’s

Owen Brennan’s Bayou Bar & Grill The Second Line Houston’s Seasons 52 Capital Grille

BEST CHINESE

Wang’s Mandarin House Mulan Petals of a Peony

BEST COFFEEHOUSE (NON-CHAIN) Cafe Eclectic Otherlands Coffee Bar Belltower Coffeehouse & Studio City & State

BEST CRAFT COCKTAILS Alchemy Peabody Lobby Bar Bari Ristorante Cameo Restaurant Iris

BEST DATE NIGHT

Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar Coastal Fish Company Erling Jensen the Restaurant

BEST DELI

Elwood’s Shack Young Avenue Deli Kwik Check

Muddy’s Bake Shop Frost Bake Shop La Baguette Alex’s Tavern Momma’s Earnestine & Hazel’s

Gus’s Fried Chicken Superlo Foods Jack Pirtle’s Jerry’s Sno Cones MemPops Sugar Ghost

BEST HAPPY HOUR Bardog Tavern Brookhaven Pub Alchemy

BEST INDIAN

India Palace Bombay House Golden India

BEST JAPANESE

Good Fortune Co. Nagasaki Red Koi Sakura

BEST KID-FRIENDLY Huey’s Aldo’s Pizza Pies Railgarten Diner

BEST LOCAL BREWERY

Wiseacre Brewing Company Ghost River Brewery & Tap Room Crosstown Brewing Company

BEST MEDITERRANEAN

Casablanca Restaurant Taziki Mediterranean Cafe Petra Cafe

Los Comales Las Delicias Las Tortugas Deli Mexicana

Babalu Tapas & Tacos Tsunami Catherine & Mary’s

Coastal Fish Company Slider Inn Celtic Crossing

Folk’s Folly Porch and Parlor Side Porch Steak House

Peabody Lobby Bar Celtic Crossing Lafayette’s Music Room

TACONGanas Maciel’s Tortas & Tacos Las Tortugas Deli Mexicana

Aldo’s Pizza Pies Memphis Pizza Cafe Hog & Hominy

Bangkok Alley Pho Binh Emerald Thai Restaurant City Silo Table + Pantry Pho Binh Global Cafe

Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous Itta Bena Folk’s Folly

BEST PLACE TO WATCH THE GAME Brookhaven Pub Rocky’s Celtic Crossing

BEST VIETNAMESE

Pho Saigon Pho Binh Lotus Vietnamese Restaurant

BEST WINE LIST

BEST PLATE LUNCH

Soul Fish Cafe Patrick’s Cupboard Restaurant

Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar Folk’s Folly Bari Ristorante Knifebird

BEST RESTAURATEUR

BEST WINGS

Kelly English, Restaurant Iris / The Second Line / Fino’s on the Hill Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman, Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen / Hog & Hominy / Catherine & Mary’s / Bishop Aldo Dean, Aldo’s Pizza / Bardog Tavern / Slider Inn / Momma’s Tom Powers, Flight Wine Bar / Southern Social / Porch and Parlor / Coastal Fish Company

BEST SEAFOOD (NON-FAST-FOOD)

Central BBQ Ching’s Hot Wings The Wing Guru

RESTAURANT WE MISS THE MOST Pancho’s Bhan Thai Justine’s

WORTH THE DRIVE

City Grocery (Oxford, MS) Como Steakhouse (Como, MS) Wilson Cafe (Wilson, AR)

Coastal Fish Company Tsunami The Half Shell

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1/17/24 10:49 AM

SCENE DINING 2024

special advertising section

Amelia Gene’s

Broadway Pizza

Downtown’s finest dining experience welcomes a contemporary, globally inspired palate artfully designed to impress. Fine wines, classic cocktails, proper bites, and a can’t-miss cheese cart transport diners through a culinary journey with distinct hospitality that can only be found in the state-of-the-art, reclaimed space in Downtown Memphis. Under the helm of Managing Partner and Executive Chef Nate Henssler, Amelia Gene’s menu emphasizes seasonality and dedication to ingredient-driven preparations. Experience Amelia Gene’s Wednesday-Sunday evenings.

Old-fashioned pizza house with a lovely comfortable atmosphere where the staff has you feeling like you are in their pizza home. Delicious hot pizzas overflowing with toppings of your choice. Appetizers, salads, spaghetti, catfish, cheeseburgers, Philly cheese steaks, Broadway whole wings, daily plate lunch specials, and more. Located in Memphis’ Broad St. Arts District and look out, Memphis ... NOW a second location at 629 South Mendenhall at Poplar. Legendary Pizza since 1977. Call-in orders are welcomed!

Folk’s Folly

Huey’s

Founded in 1977, Folk’s Folly remains rare 45 years later as Memphis’ Original Prime Steak House. Folk’s Folly pairs fine dining and relaxed Southern hospitality in a comfortable atmosphere suited for any style of gathering. From prime cuts and fine wines to famous fried pickles in the lively Cellar Lounge, your preference is our pleasure. Experience the true Memphis tradition and its next-door prime cut shoppe Humphrey’s, which offers overnight shipping of Folk’s Folly favorites nationwide.

Huey’s is a Memphis institution with a history spanning over five decades.

This local chain features crowd-favorite burgers, hand-made appetizers, specialty sandwiches, salads, and is also known for its many unique traditions: every location boasts frame and art covered walls commemorating the restaurant’s long history in Memphis, live local bands every Sunday, a full bar, and friendly graffiti left by customers over the years. It’s a fun, quirky establishment full of character and beloved by old and new generations alike.

Itta Bena

Mulan Asian Bistro

255 South Front • 901.686.5051 • ameliagenes.com

551 S. Mendenhall • 901.762.8200 • folksfolly.com

ittabenadining.com • @ittabena.Memphis Overlooking the bustling sights and sounds of Beale Street, Itta Bena restaurant and bar invites you in for unrivaled hospitality with hand-crafted cocktails and Southern cuisine with a Delta twist. Opened in July of 2008, it is a 3,800 sq. ft. speakeasy concept that has something for everyone. From our 8oz. Center Cut Filet Mignon to our Shrimp and Grits and decadent desserts. Located on the third floor of B.B. King’s Memphis, Itta Bena also hosts corporate parties and special events including rehearsal dinners, anniversaries and other private functions.

2581 Broad Ave • 901.454.7930 & 629 South Mendenhall • 901.207.1546

hueyburger.com

mulanbistro.net Mulan Asian Bistro has been rated No. 1 in Memphis for over 5 years and is the only Chinese restaurant serving authentic Szechuan Cuisine! Now serving you from three locations: Midtown, East Memphis, and Collierville/ Germantown area. Let us cater your family gathering, wedding or anniversary party. Pictured here, Charcoal Roasted Peking Duck. We deliver up to 10 miles! Located at 2149 Young Ave. in Memphis, 901.347.3965; 4698 Spottswood Ave. in Memphis, 901.609.8680 and 2059 Houston Levee in Collierville, 901.850.5288. Order online at www. mulanbistro.net!

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1/14/24 9:00 AM

Celebrate Your Company’s Milestone

Contemporary Media — locally owned publisher of Inside Memphis Business, Memphis Magazine, the Memphis Flyer, and more — is proud to offer book publishing for your company. We produce the finest quality books through our Creative Content division for many of the Memphis area’s leading businesses.

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12/15/23 11:50 AM 1/17/24 10:51 AM

Your 2024 Guide to Renovation and Modernization

REmodel

M E M P H I S

A “sunny traditional” approach to a remodeled bathroom by Maggie Clarke Interiors which “brought it back to a more classic design that will stand the test of time.”

P H O T O GR A P H B Y JUL IE WAGE R O S S | R O S S GR O UP C RE AT I V E

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1/17/24 8:25 PM

Proudly part of the history & fabric of our terrific city!

Marx-Bensdorf, Realtors - Since 1868

A Company & Career Built Upon

Trust.

Selling fine homes in all price ranges since 1980.

Jimmy Reed President, Broker

jreed@m-brealtors.com jimmyreedrealtor.com O: 901.682.1868 x 303 C: 901.461.1868

President’s Letter

By Darin Halford

I

think every homeowner at some time envisioned what their “Dream Home” would be like. But how do you ever find that “Dream Home”? There are only a couple of ways to do it. Search for it as homes come on the market, visiting home after home with your realtor, saying at each one, “No, not this one, but I’ll know it when I see it!” Or wait for months as an architect designs plan after plan and then a builder is finally able to begin the lengthy building process.

Either of these strategies will work.

But there may be a better way. Especially if you already have a home that’s even just “sort of” like that dream and that’s already in a location you’re happy with. Remodel that home and turn it into your dream home. There are so many changes that can be made to an existing home that will transform it into a place that inspires great pride, brings comfort, and is a real pleasure to live in.

Yes, some people have had less than positive experiences with remodeling. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Don’t let other people’s struggles deter you. It all starts with partnering with the right Remodeling Contractor. And that should start at the West Tennessee Home Builder Association Remodelers Council. These are some of the top professionals in their field. Talk to them.

Find one you like who understands what you want to achieve with your home and — above all — one you feel you can trust.

Doing that will prevent most common issues that become problems from even beginning.

Remodeling any home will be a process. You never know what’s behind that wall until you start to change it. But with the right partnership with your Remodeling Contractor, it will be an adventure that can produce amazing results.

Reach out to the West Tennessee Home Builders Association Remodelers Council and start that journey to your real Dream Home!

Memphis is #1 in senior hunger.

Help us change that. Learn more at community.mifa.org.

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1/17/24 8:25 PM

Have you looked at your trees lately?

Chairman’s Message

By Scott Trimble

L

et’s talk remodeling. In today’s housing market, remodeling is still one of the best solutions to solving many housing needs.

Running out of room? Add one … or two. Need a bigger and better kitchen or bath? Redesign the one you have. Want your home to look better?

Add that French door to a backyard deck or replace your windows.

The point I’m making is that from a remodeling perspective, you can do just about anything you want to your house. If your needs require a change, moving isn’t necessarily the only answer.

Start with letting your imagination go. Think outside the box. Determine what must happen to your existing home to solve the problems.

Winter is a Great Time for Tree Service It’s easier on the trees, easier on your landscape, and easier on your budget.

Call us today for a free estimate.

You’ve probably seen the TV shows where the homeowner comes back after the total home remodeling and they say, “Oh my gosh, I would have never thought of doing that!” Remember … it’s a television show. It really shouldn’t ever be like that. Any remodeling or renovation project should follow a well laid out plan that everyone, especially you the homeowner, knows about and has approved.

Once you’ve thought over everything you imagined and determined what you would like to actually have done, it’s time to talk to a licensed Remodeling Contractor. There are many out there — like your cousin’s best friend Al’s buddy’s brother-in-law — but please only consult with a licensed and bonded contractor.

The best place to find one is the West Tennessee Home Builders Association Remodelers Council.

Any one of them will be able to work with you on developing a plan outlining the steps to complete a remodeling project, the costs, and an anticipated timeline for completion. They will explain the pitfalls to be avoided, the potential problems that should not occur and the best path to a renovation that will be just what you imagined!

Reach out to the West Tennessee Home Builders Association Remodelers Council and talk to them. The best way is to call 901.756.4500 or go to www.westnhba.com and click on “Find An Expert.”

WE KNOW MEMPHIS TREES!

901-363-3539

robinsontree.net

Newell Chapel CME Church CONNECT • GROW • SERVE • ENGAGE

Worship with us!

Each Sunday at 10:30am Rev. Curtis L. Nelson, Pastor Please support the Church with your tithes and offering.

• Cash App: $NewellChapelByhalia • PayPal: newellchapelCMEbyhalia@gmail.com • Mail to P.O. Box 252, Victoria, MS 38679 3085 Moore Road • Byhalia, MS • 662.838.4265 •

facebook.com/nccmec

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Back to the Future Memphis homeowners embrace a classic style.

BY ALEX GREENE

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Once upon a time, a pandemic

wreaked havoc upon the land and all its supply chains. And while the health threat may never leave us entirely, the good news is that now, four years later, supply chains have apparently rebounded. At least that’s

the word in the home remodeling business, according to Ryan Anderson, president of RKA Construction.

“There was a period during and immediately after Covid where almost everything was impacted,” he recalls. “It was difficult to maintain

P H O T O GR A PH B Y S T EFA NIE R AW L INS O N PH O T O GR A PH Y

1/17/24 8:25 PM

“Designers are putting some more color into their spaces than they were just a few years ago.”

— Ryan Anderson, president of rka construction

project schedules. But in the last six to 12 months, we have definitely seen more normal lead times. It’s much easier for us to maintain reasonable timelines now than it was a few months ago. On the other hand, while we have seen a leveling of prices for construction materials, there has not been any significant price reduction.”

Even with the high costs, homeowners are breathing a sigh of relief, happy that the raw materials for their home improvement dreams are available again. And, according to Anderson, Memphians are following those dreams more than ever, albeit with a few changes in priorities since those days of lockdown.

“Certainly some trends that came out of Covid sort of stuck, while others were maybe just a blip,” he says. “We did a lot of home offices and home gyms and things like that during Covid, and as people have gone back to a normal routine, those things have gone down the wish list a little bit.

Other things, like outdoor living spaces, are as popular as they’ve ever been. There was a demand uptick through Covid for those and that’s that stayed pretty strong. We still get a lot of calls for screened porches and outdoor kitchen areas.

Also, porches with fireplaces and heaters and other amenities like

that, so they can be utilized more throughout the year, are popular.”

One can only speculate about the

pandemic’s impact on other, more subtle trends in home interior design, but perhaps health concerns led to the wave of interest in very antiseptic-looking kitchens a few years ago. “A lot of the kitchens we were doing featured white cabinets and white countertops,” says Anderson. Nowadays, tastes are moving in the opposite direction.

“We’ve definitely seen more of a shift toward more natural materials like white oak, and toward darker and moodier colors, like darker greens, darker blues. Designers are putting some more color into their spaces than they were just a few years ago.”

BEFORE

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This applies to more than kitchens. Color is flowering in myriad ways as homes are given a new look that harkens back to traditional approaches. “We’re also seeing a lot of wallcoverings now, so that goes along with this theme of more color,” he notes.

Memphis, of course, has a plethora of classic homes where such old-school flourishes can really shine. And perhaps such approaches never really went away here. According to Anderson, the classicism of so many Memphis homes makes for less dramatic swings in preferences than other locations might experience.

“Memphis is historically a very traditional town,” he says. “Some of the trends that you see in other markets doesn’t have as much of a foothold here. But there is a lot of design talent in Memphis and I think Memphians in general have really good taste. So you do see some of these classical details

opposite page: A formal dining room set off by Maggie Clarke Interiors with a light and bright blue tone called “quietude.” Traditional furniture complements the family’s curated antiques. left: A pool area reimagined by Maggie Clarke Interiors in the “sunny traditional” style. below: A bathroom in a home on Morningside Place before and after Maggie Clarke Interiors reimagined it.

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“If you do use an antique that’s one less thing that has to be made, and less material. It’s reducing and reusing.

Most of the fabric vendors we buy from are really big on that, especially within the last year. It’s eco-friendly, better for environment.” — Maggie Clarke, designer

above: Maggie Clarke Interiors excels in the use of vintage twentieth-century elements. below: A dining room in Collierville sports “the perfect fusion of modern touches in a historical space.”

in the houses that we build, and it’s stuff that will remain timeless.

We’re not going to be going in there in two or three years and changing it up, necessarily. I’d love to do that, but I also appreciate doing something that is timeless.”

A classic approach, according to Anderson, requires an uncompromising attention to detail, including “the cabinetry and millwork, the trim details, the type of hardware that’s put on the doors and the cabinets, and the type of light fixtures that may be used. In the end, it results in a really nice product that’s very comfortable, very livable, very warm, and can remain current for a long period of time.

And we’re lucky to get to work with a lot of really good designers who are mindful of that approach.”

One such designer is Maggie

Clarke, who’s very aware of the need to harmonize new designs with an older home’s aesthetic. “I have seen a trend within the design community of trying hard to create a space that goes with the era that the house was built in,” she says.

“For example, we just did a house in Midtown, probably from around

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1910. But there was a fireplace put in later, probably in the ’90s, and it didn’t have a mantel or a surround.

To make it look like original to the house, we had our trim carpenters match the crown molding and replicate that on the fireplace mantel.

And we chose a tile that was the same size and shape as something that you would find in the early 1900s. And I can tell other designers — not just in Memphis but all the ones that I follow on Instagram — are really trying hard to be true to the home’s history.”

In that context, the vagaries of remodeling fashions may not even apply. “I’ll be honest with you: I don’t like the word trend,” admits Clarke. “I just encourage my clients to buy what they love. If they truly love it, they’re going to love it for the next 10, 15, or 20 years.”

Having said that, Clarke notes that more and more homeowners are embracing classicism, and it has enough momentum that many are calling the trend Grand Millennial. As she explains, “Millennials that grew up in the 1980s and ’90s are bringing back the floral wallpapers and the pleated skirts on their sofas.”

That suits Clarke just fine, and she relishes searching for vintage furniture to complement that tendency. “We go to High Point, North Carolina, every spring, which is considered the vintage capital of the world. Most designers go there once or twice a year to source not only old furniture but lighting and new furniture as well.”

Beyond that, Clarke adds that furniture restoration is also a big part of her work. “We use Blake Soule a lot. He is a master of antiques. He can basically fix anything, and he’ll be able to tell you whether something’s worth repairing or refinishing or not. We recently had a client in Midtown who inherited a truckload of antiques. Blake met me over there and went through them, saying, ‘Yes, redo this one, redo this one.’

He redid them and repaired them, and they look like they’re brand new. They still look antique, but without a scratch. They’re perfect and they’re beautiful. We also use Wilson-Babb Upholstery for vintage upholstered pieces.”

Finally, all aesthetics aside, Clarke notes another unexpected benefit from embracing vintage elements in home design: less waste. “If you do use an antique,” she says, “that’s one less thing that has to be made, and less material.

It’s reducing and reusing. Most of the fabric vendors we buy from are really big on that, especially within the last year. It’s eco-friendly, better for environment.”

The same goes for buying quality furniture versus buying from a big-box store, just in terms of all the waste. “The big box store furniture doesn’t last years and years,” she says. “So instead of buying a new sofa every 10, 15, or 20 years, we recommend that you use the same frame but just reupholster it. At Maggie Clark Interiors, we want to sell our clients furniture that’s going to last forever and that can be handed down to future generations.”

P H O T O GR A P HS B Y JUL IE WAGE R O S S | R O S S GR O UP C RE AT I V E

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1/14/24 9:12 AM

WTNHBA 2024 Remodelers Council Members List

THE EMBASSY APARTMENTS A

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CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT 901-685-8020 505 South Perkins Rd. In the Heart of East Memphis 1BR | 2BR | Penthouses Utilities Included See our floorplans @ embassyaptsmemphis.com

Hunter Cooper—901-598-4868 Maximus Building Supply - hcooper@thriftybuilding.com Julia Bey—901-614-3100 Williamsburg Home Services - julia@williamsburg.build Eric Catmur—901-680-8200 Catmur Development - eric.catmur@gmail.com Patrick Mahoney—901-870-5471 Remodeling Consultants Inc. - Pat@RemodelingConsultantsInc.com Art Gettings—901-605-9178 Art Gettings Construction - artgettings@gmail.com Tommy Byrnes—901-681-0499 Byrnes Ostner Investments - tommy@byrnesostner.com John Catmur—901-680-8200 Catmur Development Company - catmurdc@comcast.net Alan Hargett—901-363-4141 Central Woodwork - ahargett@cenwood.com Cory Wheat—901-356-1026 Colonial Electric Company - cory@colonialelectriccompany.com Dave Moore—901 870-7372 Dave Moore Companies - dave@davemoorecompanies.com Mark Beck—901-610-8226 Designer Millworx - mark.capitalconstruction@gmail.com Destiny Herter—901-563-8989 Designer Wholesale Kitchen Bath and Floors - destiny. designerwholesalefloor@gmail.com John Heard—901-756-6167 John Heard Company - jheardhomes@gmail.com Ryan Anderson—901-465-3400 RKA Construction - ryan@rka.build Ned Savage—901-363-9607 Savage Tile Company - savagetileco@bellsouth.net Todd Becker—901-297-3158 PPG Paints - tmbecker@ppg.com Tommy Peeler—901-485-3316 Midtown Cabinetry & Millwork - tommy@midtownmill.com Joel Enochs—901-522-5235 JA Contractors LLC - joel@jacontractors.net Scott Trimble—901-401-8500 Revival Restoration Services - info@revivalrestore.com Adam Fonseca—901-496-8403 Fonseca Construction LLC - fonseca.built@gmail.com Robert Edward Whitsitt Sr.—901-848-4033 EZRA52, LLC - Bob@ezra52.org Phillip Qualls—901-221-4033 CrewPros - phillip@crewpros.com Mr. Joseph Coster—662-224-6658 Iron Crafters - joseph@ironcraftersusa.com Lynda Climer—731-217-3827 Capital Investments - lyndaclimer@yahoo.com Grace Shaw—901-614-0200 Countertops of Memphis - grace@countertopsofmemphis.com Kip Gordon—901-465-3400 RKA Construction - kip@rka.build Chris Hatcher—901-831-0975 Hatcher Homes - hatcherhomesgc@gmail.com Robert McCage—1-731-617-0249 Rapid Roofing and Construction LLC - Rapidroofingandconstruction@ gmail.com Dewayne Gammel—901-300-6805 Renovate Memphis, LLC - info@renovatememphis.com Thomas Sheddan—901-553-0349 McLemore Home Builders - thomas@mclemorehomes.com Richard Gregory—901-372-3690 Crye Leike Realtors - wrgreg3@gmail.com Patrick Gardner—901-205-8305 Gardner Construction Solutions - patrick@gardnermemphis.com sharon fuller—404-543-7546 Ethos Solutions - sharonpfuller@hotmail.com Jordan Mayo—901-620-0888 Guaranty Bank & Trust - jordon.mayo@gbtonline.com Christopher Kelly—901-907-0431 C & B Counter Solutions, LLC - Mycountersolutions@yahoo.com

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1/10/24 6:41 AM

AWARDS | 2024

HONORING THE VERY BEST IN LOCAL T E C HN O L O G I C A L A C HIE V E ME N T.

I

t’s everywhere: technology has become an integral part of our lives in the 21st century, providing

the tools for something as simple as sending a message to a friend, or as complex as keeping track of an international logistics route. And Memphis is home to many companies and professionals in the technology field who strive to find innovative and cutting-edge solutions to any problem.

In partnership with the SOCIETY OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT MEMPHIS CHAPTER, Memphis Magazine is pleased to honor the winners of our inaugural MEMTECH Awards, dedicated to celebrating the tech leaders and innovators in the Greater Memphis area. Be it the supply chain, education, or security, our eight winners can handle anything from crisis management to community leadership, and all continue to keep pushing Memphis forward.

Our eight MEMTECH winners will be honored at a dinner event at the FEDEX EVENT CENTER at SHELBY FARMS on THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8TH, with more information available at m e m t e c h awa r d s . c o m . — Samuel X. Cicci

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY 2024 MEMTECH AWARD WINNERS

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CAL ANDRA CLEVEL AND TR AILBL AZE R AWARD

BY F R A N K M U R TA U G H

C

alandra Cleveland fell in love with technology in third grade, at Landmark Elementary School in Little Rock. Defying every gender stereotype about “hard science” and girls, Cleveland enveloped herself in a world of computer programming, software, and electronic connectivity we casually know today as IT. By seventh grade, she had designed her first website.

“I come from a humble background,” says Cleveland, who moved to Memphis with her family in 1996, a year before she graduated from Hamilton High School. “All of my access to technology came from school or in programs for inner-city youth.

I thought computers were the coolest things. I was very inquisitive. I wanted to learn how these machines worked, how they’re put together.” Armed with a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Memphis, Cleveland began a career path that has included stops at perhaps the four most-recognized institutions in the Mid-South: International Paper, FedEx (twice), St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and since 2017, AutoZone.

“I really thought I was going to be a software developer,” reflects Cleveland, “but I didn’t get a job in that space. I got a job in the operations, support, and administrative space. So it’s been administration, but with development on the side in all my roles. [At FedEx], every new project came through

operations. You have servers and systems that are deployed, and [operations] supports the technology after they’re deployed.”

The global impact fit Cleveland nicely, along with the philanthropic emphasis she’s recognized in each of her employers.

What has made AutoZone the right fit at this stage of Cleveland’s career? “AutoZone cares about people,” she emphasizes. “We are intentional

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about growth, career-wise, and opportunities both locally and globally.”

Cleveland chuckles at the notion that she “saved” her company when the pandemic struck in 2020, forcing remote work in a company that prides itself on personal interaction with customers. “I was brought to AutoZone to promote collaboration,” she says, “and how to work where you don’t

have to be in a building. This was prior to the pandemic. We didn’t have a remote culture, but then the pandemic hit ... and we had to leave the building. It was a two-year buildup of putting documentation together, writing the business case, telling the story of what it would look like if you didn’t have to work in the same place. We were ready.”

With artificial intelligence dominating tech talk these days, Cleveland finds herself examining an area she’s studied from one angle or another for two decades. “My thoughts have shifted,” she notes, “from ‘Can we do it?’ to ‘How can we contain it?,’ knowing it can be misused and misunderstood.

How can we use these tools to accelerate our IT initiatives but still protect the organization?”

As for current third-graders who feel a pull toward technology, Cleveland offers some distinctive wisdom.

“Even if you don’t have the resources in your home,” she says, “there are so many tools out there, and people willing to get those tools in your hands.

So get on the internet and find what’s available locally to help you grow. And don’t be afraid to explore an area where there may be people who don’t look like you. The more you’re in that space, the more there will be others like you.”

PHOTOGRAPH BY ISAAC SINGLETON

1/18/24 11:12 AM

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1/14/24 9:13 AM

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AUDREY WILLIS

COMMUNITY LEADER OF THE YEAR

BY SAMUEL X. CICCI

T

echnology wasn’t simply a hobby for CodeCrew co-founder Audrey Willis.

Rather, she credits it with saving her life when she was growing up. “I was raised by relatives since my mother had a drug addiction,” she says, “and I really could have ended up as a statistic, like so many Memphis children today. So I was a gamer early on. I played around with a word processor and tinkered, running little games in the command line and things like that. It was a very informal introduction to technology.”

That passion has remained strong since her childhood, and Willis started CodeCrew in 2015 alongside co-founders Meka Egwuekwe and Petya Grady to let Memphis kids kindle their own interest in technology. The organization is dedicated to mentoring underserved youth to become tech leaders and pursue innovation in Memphis and beyond, and since it launched, has served around 12,000 students through camps, electives, classes, and other events.

Willis currently acts as program director for CodeCrew’s Code School, an intensive six-month course constructed to train students to become entry-level software developers.

“This part of our organization is nearest and dearest to my heart, because I know a lot of these kids are coming from backgrounds where there may not be a two-parent

household,” she says. “There may not be somebody with an advanced degree in computer science that’s showing them the pathway to get into technology.

Memphis’ crime problem is rooted in poverty, and if we figure out a way to get some of these kids into high-wage tech jobs, we not only change that child or that young adult’s

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direction of life, we can change an entire family’s trajectory.”

But CodeCrew’s efforts extend beyond workforce preparation.

Partnerships with other philanthropic organizations are carefully organized to make sure students who enroll in Code School have the best platform to succeed and carve out a successful career in the

tech industry. If they don’t have transportation, MyCityRides can set them up with a scooter.

If they don’t have the proper equipment, laptops will be provided thanks to partnership funding. And if they come from a troubled home, Agape Child & Family Services has counselors ready to help students process their trauma.

It truly is a community effort, with so many organizations working hand-in-hand to give underserved youth a chance.

But the overall impact, Willis hopes, will extend beyond the CodeCrew participants and on to future generations.

“Our students will be looking for $50,000 to $60,000 jobs right out of the gate,” she says. “We’re building homeowners, folks that go from apartments to houses, and folks who go from Ubering to having a vehicle that they have purchased.

“It’s about cultivating this technical pipeline,” she continues. “We want Memphis to be the biggest creator of Black and brown tech talent in the state of Tennessee, and to have outside companies look at us and see Memphis as an attractive place to be. And so the long game is to set up CodeCrew chapters around the country to replicate this talent building for local economies.”

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREA FENISE

1/18/24 11:12 AM

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MARC HAMER

C I O / I T L E A D E R - P R I VAT E

BY J O N W. S PA R K S

C

ompanies succeed when they make the most of growth and competitive advantages, and Marc Hamer has shown how to best use technology to get there. As executive vice president, CIO, and CTO at Orgill, he helps steer the company’s strategic tech by providing leadership for planning, executing, and alignment.

His talents are focused on tending to business goals, overseeing infrastructure and software development, fostering innovation, and managing digital transformation. This heavy lifting involves evaluation of emerging technologies, establishment of governance frameworks, and collaboration with various business units to deliver scalable and secure solutions.

As leader of the tech team, he cultivates a culture of technological excellence within Orgill. In his tenure, he has restructured the technology team, worked on the acquisition of a technology development company, and significantly increased the footprint of Orgill’s technology capabilities inside the company and for customers.

Under Hamer’s leadership, Orgill has seen substantial technological growth, highlighted by the modernization of the corporate-wide network infrastructure, completion of the Central Network Retail Group Industry Product Information Management, and implementation of Orgill’s Master Data Management Solutions. He’s also implemented the company’s Salesforce CRM, upgrading Orgill’s mainframe operating systems.

Hamer says that the dynamic

is paid to open communication and a positive work environment to help foster creativity and collaboration. ◗ TECHNOLOGY: Orgill’s focus includes increased scalability, reliability, resilience, robust cybersecurity measures, and consistent modernization.

This is done to balance cost management with the company’s goals and capabilities. ◗ MASTER DATA MANAGEMENT: Hamer employs a comprehensive data governance framework that prioritizes data quality through validation, cleansing, and enrichment.

Business process integration through the use of clean data ensures a holistic view of performance and predictability.

nature of technology brings opportunities for success at Orgill. He emphasizes that flexibility and adaptability are crucial in the face of evolving technology. “With Orgill’s approximately 7,000 employees, the priority lies in seamlessly integrating new technology with existing systems, ensuring data security and compliance, and staying ahead of industry trends to drive significant value for the company and our customers.”

To do that requires a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

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He emphasizes teamwork, and has established goals aligned with organizational objectives within Orgill. There are team-building activities, professional development opportunities, and decision-making authority within the tech teams.

Essential to the entire process is innovation. Hamer says it involves four key perspectives: ◗ PEOPLE: The well-being and health of the tech team to support work-life balance and professional development and growth. Attention

◗ EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES: Hamer and his technology team explore and monitor emerging technologies such as AI, machine learning and automation, engaging in proof of concepts and pilots, and promoting cross-functional collaboration.

Before coming to Orgill, Hamer worked at Sealed Air Corporation (as corporate VP, customer experience, CIO, and CDO) and Babcock & Wilcox (global chief information officer).

He’s also been an executive in the defense industry with Northrop Grumman and Raytheon as well as in the healthcare and distribution industry as an executive with Thermo Fisher Scientific.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY ORGILL

1/18/24 11:12 AM

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1/17/24 10:53 AM

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L A N A DAV E N P O R T

CYBERSECURITY LEADER OF THE YEAR

BY ABIGAIL MORICI

W

hen Lana Davenport emigrated from Russia, she brought with her an intercultural communications degree and the intention to teach foreign languages — German or Russian. But that wasn’t exactly a high-in-demand field at the time, especially not in Tennessee, she soon learned, so the head of the Russian department at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, asked her what her American dream would be.

“I had to give it a thought,” she says. “And I think, ‘I’m good at math. I’m kind of curious about computers. I really have not done much with computers or computer science back in Russia.’ So this is something I was curious about. And next thing I thought, ‘Well, why not try myself in computer science?’

So I signed up for a master’s degree in computer science at the University of Tennessee. … I’ve never looked back.”

In 2003, Davenport graduated from UT and got a job at International Paper. A few years later she pursued a new opportunity at FedEx in an unfamiliar field, that of information security — what would later become known as cybersecurity.

“I hadn’t learned a whole lot about it in college,” she says. “It was love at first sight. It kept my curiosity because it evolves very fast. Many times in my career, I’ve asked myself if I want to do something else, and every

time, I just thought, ‘Well, I love security so much,’ and I just stay.”

Today, Davenport works for Sylvamo as its chief information security officer. Founded in 2021, Sylvamo is a Memphis-based paper company with an emphasis on sustainability. Davenport was hired at the start. “I had to build their cybersecurity

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department from the ground up,” she says. “I was basically the first person and the first employee for security here.”

“Security for all companies is always a very important matter,” Davenport says. “It’s kind of like plumbing. When everything works, it’s great, but when we have a cold streak

here in Memphis and a pipe bursts, then you know what a hassle your plumbing is. But our job here in security is also to educate our company how much we do in the background, but also [teach them cybersecurity] risks because the security department cannot do their job without all the employees being very security-minded.”

Fortunately, Davenport finds the educational and leadership side of her job just as fascinating as the technical. “I’m a people person,” she says. “I like to share my expertise. So anytime there is an opportunity where I think I can contribute, I try to do that.” That has meant speaking on panels and at conferences, visiting career days, mentoring, joining Women in Technology of Tennessee, and becoming president of the Memphis chapter of the Cloud Security Alliance.

One goal of all these efforts, Davenport says, is to inspire more women to pursue careers in cybersecurity. “For the longest time, I was the only female in the room,” she says. “But that’s improving, and it’s good to see that. Women provide such a great perspective. It’s a different perspective and diversity in the field. … To me, it’s like if I could do it, you can do it.”

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY SYLVAMO

1/18/24 11:22 AM

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JOE L TR ACY

CRISIS LEADERSHIP

BY SAMUEL X. CICCI

O

rdering a package these days is incredibly simple from a consumer standpoint. Just a few clicks, and a bottle of wine, your favorite books, or whatever you like arrives at the front door, ready to be opened and enjoyed, in just a few days. But that box often undergoes an incredible journey, sometimes traveling from the other side of the world as a passenger on planes, ships, trains, and trucks before it reaches its final destination.

There are lots of places that package can get delayed, or even lost during transit, so making sure transportation is as smooth as possible is the main focus for IMC Companies CIO Joel Tracy. IMC Companies is the largest intermodal drayage company in the United States and deals exclusively with international shipments.

“We act as a logistics solutions provider,” says Tracy, “acting as a transaction coordination and consolidator between ship lines, the railroads, the ports, brokers, chassis providers. We’re handling the movement of a container and we’re consolidating all of that into a single service.”

But that complex web of transportation and transactions became even more complicated when the Covid-19 pandemic slowed the logistics industry to a crawl. With many international shipping lanes clogged, Tracy had to find a way to get that process back to normal. The solution

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY JOEL TRACY

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was to create new technology that would streamline the entire process and save clients plenty of money along the way.

“It was well documented that ships and trucks were stuck in really long lines as they waited for their specific containers,” says Tracy. “And when it was so congested during the pandemic, that just made it impossible

to move things along.”

His company led the development of SmartStacks — technology that enabled truck drivers to pick up the first available container, rather than wait hours for their specific assignment. “It’s similar to a classic peel pile, where they unload containers into a stack for just one customer,” he says.

“But with SmartStacks, we can have a single pile serving multiple customers at once. Drivers can pull up, enter the cargo number of the container they pick up, and have all the information about where they need to deliver it right off the bat.”

Not only does SmartStacks improve efficiency, but it also helps avoid pesky demurrage fees that are incurred when a container sits at a port for too long. And that incorporation of new technology extends to all facets of IMC’s services now, whether it’s communication with clients, constant tracking of freight shipments via geo-coordinates, or simply providing a foundation to navigate future crises.

“The last three years have been a real testing ground of people putting aside how it’s been done in the past and thinking outside of the box,” says Tracy. “We’re mixing tried-and-true methods coupled with technology to come up with new solutions to a crisis that really could have derailed our entire industry. And that’s allowed us to flourish and improve beyond pre-pandemic, and continue to deliver cargo to and from major ports and railways in the United States.”

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CASHUNDRA JEFFERSON

T E C H N O L O GY E D U CAT O R O F T H E Y E A R

BY SAMUEL X. CICCI

A

s a kid, Cashundra Jefferson was fascinated with technology. But she also looked up to the teachers that had stoked that passion during her time at Trezevant High School and, later, at Christian Brothers University. But rather than pick just one of those career paths, she thought she may as well merge the two.

As senior manager of academic strategy and special projects for Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Jefferson has worked to expand the overall technology curriculum for students and prepare them for future careers in their chosen fields. In 2021, she helped revamp the system’s College, Career & Technical Education curriculum into the Tech Xpert program with a focus on four pillars: coding & stem, instructional technology, information technology, and industry certification. “It’s a really comprehensive program about building that foundational knowledge,” says Jefferson, “so that when students eventually graduate, they’ll be prepared to use these skills in college or trade schools.”

The Tech Xpert program is currently in 20 schools. At each school, students gain hands-on experience by running a Tech Xpert help desk. If one of their classmates is having trouble with a device, they’ll bring it to the help desk, where a student will log a support ticket and analyze the issue. If it’s something they can fix, they’ll do it, otherwise

they can refer it to a professional.

“We want them to really be hands-on with these devices, and have the time to really study them,” adds Jefferson.

But Jefferson’s enthusiasm isn’t just confined to the classroom.

Last year, she launched the I AM THE FUTURE Tech Xplosion at the Agricenter, a conference that invited more than 1,000 Shelby County students from 37

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middle schools to learn about emerging trends in technology.

“That’s the biggest event I’ve thrown,” says Jefferson. “There are always conferences and seminars for teachers to attend, but we wanted to do something for the kids.” Students were able to interact with vendors and professionals in an interactive manner, working with circuitry, playing with robots, and getting

a close look at AI and virtual-reality programs. “Lots of local companies came out to show that this technology can be applied in so many different spaces: engineering, agriculture, you name it. And to show these kids there is a real future for them in these industries.”

The additional tech programming continues to impress. More than 40 local tech companies and vendors have set up school visits to offer technology demos and hands-on learning. Jefferson has also spearheaded a series of one-day camps called Get Ready, Let’s Code, which invites community partners to assist students with anything from app development, to video game design, to robotics.

Just last year, Jefferson took 92 MSCS students to the Curiosity Innovation Lab in Atlanta to study current advancements in 3D printing, virtual reality, and drone technology, among many others.

For her part, Jefferson plans to incorporate some of those new trends like AI and 3D printing into the MSCS curriculum.

“Technology is changing rapidly,” says Jefferson. “We work hard to stay on top of that, and we want students to continue being on the forefront of that as well, and to enjoy it along the way.”

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY CASHUNDRA JEFFERSON

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SANDR A PERRY

CIO/IT LEADER—PUBLIC

BY SAMUEL X. CICCI

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smooth government operation benefits all constituents. Making sure that all systems are “go” is a rigorous and methodical process, especially when working under the auspices of the dreaded “government red tape,” but that’s never fazed Shelby County CIO Sandra Perry.

The information technology veteran is a Memphis native, having graduated from Orange Mound’s Melrose High School before collecting a bachelor’s degree in engineering technology-computer systems from the University of Memphis and a master’s degree in information technology management from Western Governors University.

Perry stuck close to her roots, amassing more than two decades of experience in IT Services for Shelby County Government.

Her leadership and body of work paid off. Perry made local history in 2021 when Mayor Lee Harris made her the first Black woman to hold the office of chief information officer, lauding her acumen when leading the IT Services Division “amid the unparalleled challenge of keeping our divisions and elected officials connected throughout the pandemic. Her leadership has helped us innovate and better serve our community during this difficult time.”

And if there was a difficult time to get the county’s technological house in order, it was during the Covid pandemic, when a shift to

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY SHELBY COUNT Y GOVERNMENT

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remote work for government operations could have proved catastrophic. Adjusting from IT Services’ traditional in-person work to a digital environment required much more than just setting up computers at home for each employee.

The department works closely with almost 50 organizations within Shelby County Government, and much of that

work is focused on providing a reliable infrastructure, providing a stable framework to perform daily operations, and handling numerous financial transactions. They’re all services that require a level of security and confidentiality, especially when factoring in financials, or say, a Shelby County patient’s medical records. That became a complex issue to address when

employees began using their own devices for remote work.

But Perry and her team have worked to modernize operations over the last several years, enabling many Shelby County Government services to be performed online in a secure fashion — a convenient alternative to always having to conduct government business in person.

There have been other advancements under her purview. In 2022, Shelby County IT Services garnered a trendsetter award from Accela Inc. — a software firm that recognizes innovative technology solutions from government agencies and leaders — for the Develop901 Project Locator, an interactive map of development activity around Shelby County, which displays the status of anything from building permits to zoning approvals for up to six months.

And last year, the Shelby County East Data Center — one of two centers that provide most of the county government’s technological horsepower — became one of two buildings to be powered by solar arrays, making it a net-zero-energy building, both saving the county some money and improving its climate footprint.

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ROBERT B. CARTER LEGACY AWARD

BY J O N W. S PA R K S

R

ob Carter’s standing as one of the industry’s top players is reflected by a headline in Business Insider magazine that referred to him as “the Beyoncé of CIOs.” That’s because you won’t find many people who understand systems better than Robert B. (Rob) Carter. He’s executive vice president of FedEx Information Services and chief information officer of FedEx Corporation and has been with the company since 1993. He’s a member of the company’s six-person Executive Committee, which plans and executes strategic business activities. Carter also serves as co-president and co-CEO of FedEx Services, the shared service organization responsible for sales, marketing, information technology, and customer service.

With more than 40 years of systems development and implementation experience, he is responsible for setting the technology direction of FedEx’s applications, infrastructure, and networks that provide support for FedEx product offerings.

Carter’s approach involves looking ahead to what is possible, and then making it a reality.

He spoke during the “Inspired Execution” podcast series hosted

by DataStax Chairman and CEO Chet Kapoor. Carter said, “We have significant repositories of data. And now what we’re doing is using this next-generation technology to activate that data in a more real way and

try to provide insights to the world and to customers that we think will be quite valuable.”

His role in analyzing and implementing effective tech strategies has made him a global icon in the rapidly changing field, and he is often contacted for media interviews and to give presentations to professional organizations.

As an example of his keen

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understanding of the tech industry, Carter was quick to fathom the impact of Covid-19 and how a business can best confront unexpected crises. He spoke to Information Week about how FedEx responded to the global earthquake that was the pandemic: “Culturally, there have been some great surprises. The effectiveness of these [collaborative] tools has been incredible.

Not just because we’re able to [work together], but because it’s been so effective. Our team feels like we’ve been communicating really well throughout this. [The technology] is letting us do things that frankly we weren’t doing before the pandemic struck.”

As he further told the publication: “We got slingshotted into 2023. This e-commerce explosion that we saw coming and were preparing for came right up-close and personal, and frankly you can’t fake being prepared for that.”

Carter earned his bachelor’s degree in computer and information science from the University of Florida and his master’s degree from the University of South Florida. Beyond his professional achievements, he also is devoted to education and philanthropy.

He has been awarded many industry accolades, including, Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business, Fortune Magazine’s Executive Dream Team, Forbes Magazine CIO Innovation Award, Information Week’s Chief of the Year Award, and he is a charter inductee of CIO Magazine’s CIO Hall of Fame.

Carter also serves on the board of directors of New York Life.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY FEDEX

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P A S T , P R E S E N T, F U T U R E

Looking Back, Looking Forward A riverbluff trading post has grown into a great city. From its founding 185 years ago, the Greater Memphis Chamber has been the economic engine powering our success.

BY MICHAEL FINGER

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emphis wasn’t even 20 years old when residents demanded the formation of a Chamber of Commerce. A resolution published in the March 22, 1838, Memphis Enquirer noted, “The most casual observer must have discovered the absolute necessity of some such society, in order to carry on the diversified business of our growing town with harmony and good feeling to all. … The facilities for transacting business would be greatly increased, and the best interests of the City promoted, by the organization of a Chamber of Commerce.”

This declaration is especially remarkable when one considers that Memphis lacked safe drinking water, had no sanitation system, every street was dirt, sidewalks were nothing but wobbly planks, most buildings were wood, and the town had no public school or hospital. But citizens realized business would never prosper without a guiding force.

Three Nashville investors — Judge John Overton, General James Winchester, and General Andrew Jackson — had established the city in 1819. “The plan and local situation of Memphis,” wrote Overton, “are such as to authorize the expectation that it is to become a large and populous city.”

Even so, the town grew more slowly than the founders hoped. Despite its prominent location, Memphis was considered on the 62 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4

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frontier, with the river separating Eastern civilization from the wide-open West. Becoming “America’s Distribution Center” was in the distant future. Riverboats could reach it, but overland transportation consisted of a few bumpy stagecoach routes. More than 20 years passed before railroads showed any interest, beginning with the Memphis & LaGrange Railroad in 1842.

When the Chamber of Commerce was established in 1838, Memphis was essentially a trading post serving riverboat crews and local residents. The adult population was less than 1,700 and a report that year listed only 209 men with occupations, mostly merchants, planters, builders, and clerks. Memphis was home to just four physicians, three lawyers, two druggists, and two teachers.

The Chamber of Commerce set up offices at Main and Court, with Colonel Nathaniel Anderson elected president and Lewis Trezevant vice president.

The newspaper reported that the Chamber “led the way in securing for Memphis its first telegraph line … and the first message was sent May 13, 1843.” No record survives of that initial message, but city leaders knew that “this fast contact with the outside world was essential, for Memphis was growing in importance as a world cotton market.”

During this crucial growth period, the Chamber organized meetings with planters and traders in Tennessee and Mississippi to set tariffs and other costs associated with the burgeoning cotton industry. They also established regulations to protect buyers against fraud when purchasing cotton, corn, and wheat.

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espite inauspicious beginnings, the population steadily increased, surpassing 6,000 by 1850. The 1855 Rainey City Directory observed, “This is the four- and five-story era.” In its early days, Memphis had rows of “wooden buildings, with clapboard roofs and stick chimneys.” Over the years, homes and businesses became more substantial, and the town showed “many ev-

PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS: MEMPHIS SKYLINE BY KAREN PULFER FOCHT; RIVERFRONT AIRSHOW BY BRIAN GROPPE; SIGNPOST BY DREAMSTIME;

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idences of an advanced state of civilization,” with gas lighting and a trolley system along Main Street. What’s more, “the increased value of real estate is startling. Property which could have been purchased five years ago for one or two hundred dollars an acre, now commands as many thousands. Buildings spring up as if by magic.”

In April 1860, the Chamber moved into “fine rooms on the second story of a new building on Court Square,” with the Daily Appeal newspaper noting, “The committee on arbitration and appeals is now ready for business, and the prospects of the Chamber are most encouraging.” One year later, the paper reported, “The Chamber is flourishing; 31 members have lately been added, and we are glad to see our merchants and businessmen so alive to the utility of this association.”

The Civil War halted all progress. The Chamber struggled to persuade businesses to come to a Union-occupied city, but they helped an Ohio banker relocate here in 1864.

Frank Davis established First National Bank, which later became First Tennessee, now known as First Horizon.

What’s more, Chamber officials realized the war couldn’t last much longer, so they wrote directly to President Abraham Lincoln. After complaining that “the state of

insurrection had brought restrictions on our trade and commerce,” they urged the president to consider Memphis as “justly entitled to all the rights, privileges, and advantages of any loyal city.”

Lincoln’s response is not on record. When the war ended, however, the local newspaper reported, “Near the end of martial law — to be exact, June 18, 1865 — Col. W.M. Farrington successfully brought about the reorganization of the Chamber of Commerce.” As a result, members elected him the new president.

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fter the war, the Chamber focused on getting the city on sound financial footing and continued working to attract more railroads. “Memphis in 1871 was feeling jubilant over the laying of the last bar of iron on the track of the Memphis & Little Rock Railroad,” reported the Daily Appeal. “The old road had suffered all but complete extinction during the Civil War.” During this period, the Chamber also moved into the Peabody Hotel. “Col. R.A. Pinson was its president, and perhaps never in its history did it boast a membership of more distinguished men,” which included “all the railroad presidents whose lines ran out of Memphis, bankers, and capitalists who were

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actively engaged in promoting the interests of Memphis.” In short, “The organization was engaged in undertakings which even in 1930 would be considered Herculean.”

In his first speech to members, Pinson told them, “A new business decade is just commencing and promises a rich reward to enterprising businessmen of Memphis. I could suggest no surer instrument for the proper management of our trade than the wise counsel to be secured by consultation with your committee, and by the activities of the entire Chamber.”

During this period, Chamber members played key roles in laying the riverfront cobblestones, spanning the Mississippi with the Frisco Bridge (North America’s longest bridge when it opened in 1892), and opening the Central Railroad Depot.

Memphis had become the fastest-growing city in the South, competing with New Orleans and Atlanta, when tragedy struck with the 1878 yellow fever epidemic. Doctors knew neither cause nor cure of this disease, which killed thousands in a few months.

So many people fled the city that the state government revoked the city charter, turning Memphis into a taxing district. It would remain in this precarious financial position until regaining its charter in 1891, with the F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 63

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first $1,000 municipal bond purchased by businessman Robert R. Church, the South’s first African-American millionaire.

By 1900, the population here reached 100,000, but other events limited the city’s growth.

World War One drew many able-bodied men and women away; many never returned. The Spanish flu swept over the region — just as the yellow fever before it — taking many lives.

Once again the city shut down, with businesses

Virginia and Carolina Chemical Company, Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, the Fisher Body Division of General Motors, and Armour & Company. Other businesses were more “home-grown,” founded

by Memphians, such as the Humko Company and Plough (later Schering-Plough).

A irplanes hadn’t yet shown practical benefits in

above: Judge John Overton (inset), James Winchester, and Andrew Jackson founded Memphis in 1819. An illustration from Harper’s Weekly shows how dramatically the town had grown by the mid-1800s.

the early 1900s, but Chamber officials understood their significance. They supported Park Field north of the city, a small airfield which would add aviation to the city’s river and rail transportation network. The Chamber even brought Col. Charles Lindbergh to speak in Court Square after his daring solo flight across the Atlantic. With the development of Memphis Municipal Airport, the Chamber helped Memphis enter the Air Age. The Chamber formed other organizations to help with its myriad duties. Among them were the Cotton Exchange, Merchants Exchange, and Business Men’s Club. The Merchants Exchange reported, “The City of Memphis now has 55 miles of paved streets and 130 miles of sewers, the latter built since 1878. Between 25,000 and 30,000 souls are sustained through the wage outlay of indus-

closed, public gatherings banned, and the new Central High School converted into a hospital.

Then came massive floods in 1927 (and again in 1937) that ruined farmland, destroyed homes, and displaced thousands.

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uring these challenging times, the Chamber remained active. Promoting Memphis nationally as “The Wonder City of the South,” hard-working members lured major industries to Memphis, which would remain here for decades and employ thousands at good wages. Among them were the 64 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4

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trial enterprises of the city.” The Business Men’s Club strove to promote Memphis as the “Convention City of the South.” Members led a ten-year effort to build the Memphis Auditorium (later known as Ellis Auditorium and now home to the Renascent Convention Center).

One of the BMC members gained national fame by inventing the first self-service grocery. Piggly Wiggly made Clarence Saunders a millionaire, and his former home has survived as the Pink Palace, part of the Museum of Science and History (MoSH) complex.

In the early 1900s, Chamber organizations encouraged plans to open the West Tennessee State Normal School (known today as the University of Memphis), along with medical and dental schools that would later merge into the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Memphis weathered the Great Depression, aided by an aggressive “Program of Progress” campaign. In its 1932 annual report, Chamber officials were blunt: “These are times when men and their businesses are sorely tried and sternly tested. Everywhere the urge is strong to cut expenses to the bone. And maybe even throw the bone away.”

Even so, the Chamber announced dramatic progress. In the past year, its members had helped bring to Memphis “nine new factories, investing $265,000, occupying 139,000 square feet of factory space, with 1933 payrolls totaling $312,000. In other words, more than ONE-HALF MILLION DOLLARS in new money.” The report pointed out that “these new factories will employ Memphis labor, spend money for supplies, rentals, and raw materials in Memphis — at no cost whatever to you but the sum spent on industrial progress through your Chamber of Commerce.”

Even during the Depression, businesses held conventions here. In 1932, more than 31,000 people visited, adding more than $2 million to the local economy. The Chamber’s convention staff would later form its own organization, the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau, known today as Memphis Tourism.

Other economic development groups that branched off from the Chamber included the Center City Commission (now the Downtown Memphis Commission), the Mid-South Minority Business Council, the Riverfront Develop-

IMAGES COURTESY OF MEMPHIS PUBLIC LIBRARIES; TENNESSEE STATE ARCHIVE

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ment Council (now Memphis River Parks Partnership), and the Memphis in May International Festival. In fact, Chamber officials now select MIM’s honored country; for 2024, Memphis will salute the nation of France. orld War Two had a major impact on our city, as it did the entire world. In 1941, the Chamber produced fullpage New York Times advertisements selling

ren area quickly became the city’s largest industrial complex, a 7,500-acre home to heavy industries whose products could be shipped on barges to ports up and down the Mississippi River.

Other expansions changed the face of the city. In 1962, entertainer Danny Thomas chose Memphis as the site of St. Jude Children’s Research

relations. A few years later, the Downtown Council would bring new energy to the Central Business District. As part of that effort, the organization moved into modern new headquarters on Beale Street.

During the 1980s, the Chamber touted Memphis as “America’s Distribution Center” to entice companies who appreciated the city’s central

Memphis to the nation. Members of the Chamber played key roles in the development of the Defense Depot on Airways, Kennedy General Hospital on Getwell, and the Chickasaw Ordnance gunpowder factory near Millington. The Fisher Body Works plant in North Memphis began producing bombers instead of car bodies.

After the war, the city enjoyed a boom time, with 41 new industries. International Harvester opened a $20 million plant in Frayser. DuPont began construction of a multimillion-dollar chemical factory on Highway 51 North. Kellogg constructed new faci lities here, and K i mberlyClark Corporation, the nation’s largest tissue manufacturer, moved into the old Fisher Body plant.

In 1948, the Jack Carley Causeway linked Presidents Island to Memphis. The once-bar-

Hospital, a worldwide leader in medicine.

Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, Methodist Hospital, and Baptist Memorial Hospital greatly expanded their operations in the Medical Center and opened locations in other areas of town.

By this time, the federal interstate highway system had connected Memphis to the east, west, north, and south. Another development would tie Memphis to cities around the globe. On April 17, 1973, Federal Express began operations, using 14 small cargo aircraft and delivering just 186 packages. Today, FedEx operates a f leet of more than 650 jets, delivering more than 10 million packages every night.

In 1969 the Chamber launched the $4 million Greater Memphis Program, which expanded its operations across the community, taking a leading role in efforts to heal race

above: Sunflowers bring flashes of color to areas around Memphis, with the I-40 Bridge and Bass Pro Shops at The Pyramid in the distance. inset: Elvis may have left the building, but his impact on the city is everlasting.

W

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location and easy access to river, rail, and air. In fact, thanks to a $500 million expansion

by FedEx, Memphis International Airport was consistently ranked the world’s busiest air cargo airport.

National businesses and organizations moved to town over the years, including Williams-Sonoma, Ducks Unlimited, Thomas & Betts, Birmingham Steel, and Ingram Micro.

As a direct result of so much commercial expansion, Memphis earned well-deserved accolades from a wide variety of sources. American Heritage named this city “The Great American Place.” Inc. magaF E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 65

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ranked Memphis the seventh “Best City in America for Starting and Growing a Business.” Partners for Liveable Communities selected Memphis and Shelby County “one of America’s best places to live, work, and play.” And the Chronicle of Philanthropy ranked Memphis the fifth most generous community for charitable giving.

Park, Memphis College of Art closed, but the Metal Museum plans to move into the complex. Meanwhile, its park neighbor, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, broke

“When we are celebrating New Year’s Eve in 2030, I want us to look back and say that the Chamber was leading the way in the creation of 50,000 new high-quality jobs in our region, and also say that 50 percent of those jobs were filled by minorities within our community.”

—T E D TOW N S E N D PRESIDENT & CEO OF THE GREATER MEMPHIS CHAMBER

above: New owners hope to bring life back to the Sterick Building, once hailed as “The Queen of Memphis.” inset: Chamber President & CEO Ted Townsend.

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ll of this momentum only brings us up to the twenty-first century.

The past 20-plus years have arguably seen greater progress than any other era.

Consider the transformation of a desolate Sears warehouse into Midtown’s Crosstown Concourse, complete with retail, commercial, and residential spaces. A similar project is underway Downtown, as new owners of the sorely neglected 29-story Sterick Building hope to restore life to the former “Queen of Memphis.”

Important developments have affected patrons of the arts — or will soon. In Overton

ground in September on a brand-new riverbluff facility, with a new name — the Memphis Museum of Art. Another park landmark, the Overton Park Shell, has been refurbished and has even developed a mobile component, “Shell on Wheels,” to bring productions to other parts of the city.

The city’s three major dance companies — New Ballet Ensemble, Collage Dance, and Ballet Memphis — recently moved into new facilities, and the latter’s modern headquarters helped jumpstart the rejuvenation of Overton Square. The Germantown Performing Arts Center, Bartlett Performing Arts and Conference Center, and The Orpheum, with its contemporary Halloran Center, bring a full slate of stage productions to the Memphis area.

Music has always played a major role in Memphis’ history. The Stax Museum of American Soul Music, in conjunction with the Stax Music Academy, has introduced new generations of music lovers to the hits produced here. Elvis Presley’s enduring legacy draws thousands of fans worldwide to Graceland, which recently added the Heartbreak Hotel and a new museum complex.

For outdoor enthusiasts, Shelby Farms Park has seen major improvements, including a modern new visitors center, but the biggest change to our cityscape is the rejuvenated Tom Lee Park. Our city’s front porch reopened to much fanfare in October, a $60 million project of the Memphis River Parks Partnership.

A few blocks north, The Pyramid now houses Bass Pro Shops’ retail operations, complete with observation deck and hotel.

Big River Crossing invites bikers and pedestrians to cross the Mississippi on a walkway

attached to the 1914 Harahan Bridge, formerly a railroad span. Every night, that bridge’s spectacular light show competes with the “Mighty Lights” display on the Hernando DeSoto Bridge upriver.

Sports fans have enjoyed new opportunities. Redbirds enthusiasts flock to AutoZone Park, while just a few blocks away, Grizzlies fans watch the city’s NBA team compete in FedExForum. Across town at Audubon Park, tennis players take advantage of the new Tennis Memphis facility with 36 courts inside and out, and in Germantown, TopGolf lets players track their game by computer.

In the world of business, Ford Motor Company is constructing a $6 billion industrial complex called BlueOval City, to manufacture its electric F-150 and the truck’s batteries.

The project will employ thousands and inject millions into the local economy.

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n 2024, Ted Townsend is already planning for 2030. The president and CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber and his team are working on the “Prosper Memphis 2030” strategic plan.

“When we are celebrating New Year’s Eve that year,” he says, “I want us to look back and say that the Chamber was leading the way in the creation of 50,000 new high-quality jobs in our region, and also say that 50 percent of those jobs were filled by minorities within our community.”

By high-quality jobs, he means “advanced industry operations — companies that represent automation, robotics, machine learning, research and development, and yes, artificial intelligence.” Filling these jobs will require a workforce that has the necessary high-tech skills, “so that means we have to produce 20,000 STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math] graduates per year.”

Townsend is confident that goal is within reach. “We will be in a different Memphis by 2030,” he says. “I hope we will represent a community that has the highest median income for African Americans in the United States.”

That’s not something in the distant future; in some sectors it’s already happening.

Townsend cites BlueOval, which will provide 15,000 jobs, noting, “Ford had to buy in and understand the promise of Memphis. So what we’ve seen is an economy that is not recovering, and it is not emerging. It is in high-growth mode right now.”

In August 2023, the national organization Gusto, which tracks employment trends,

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1/17/24 10:13 AM

MID-SOUTH HEART BALL CELEBRATING THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION’S CENTENNIAL

HEART OF MEMPHIS & HEART BALL LEADERSHIP

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The Martin Family Foundation

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P A S T , P R E S E N T, F U T U R E

reported a 2.1 percent growth rate for Memphis. That places this city at the numberone spot of the fastest-growing cities in the United States, followed by Cincinnati, Buffalo, Detroit, and Riverside, California.

“Our focus at the Chamber is to radiate the narrative of Memphis globally,” says Townsend, “so when businesses consider where to invest, where to create jobs, where to expand their operations, the answer is: Memphis.”

The Chamber currently has more than 50 viable projects “in the pipeline,” and Townsend notes that for the past three years Business Facilities magazine has ranked Memphis first in supply-chain logistics. “If you’re a company that makes anything, you need raw material to come in, you need a world-class workforce, and you need to get your product to the end-user — the client or customer. Well, who’s better than Memphis, where you have all four modes of transportation — river, rail, roadway, and air?

And the geography speaks for itself.”

“America’s Distribution Center” is an accurate description, with 95 percent of the world’s products only 72 hours away, thanks to FedEx, five class-one railroads, and the fifth largest inland port in the U.S. (Presidents Island).

Years ago, Memphis was a manufacturing center, but then major industries like Firestone and International Harvester shut down. That’s all in the past, according to Townsend. “The prospect of bringing those back is incredibly exciting,” he says, “because now they will be successful in getting their products in and out. They will have a skilled workforce. Memphis is one of the most affordable cities in the U.S., so your income will go farther here than anywhere else.”

There are other factors to consider. “We lead the nation in the percentage of African Americans in manufacturing,” he says. “We lead the nation in the percentage of females in manufacturing. So if diversity, equity, and inclusion are a primary focus for these new companies, Memphis will help them accomplish their goals.”

Not many Memphians are fully aware of the business power already centered in our city. Five Fortune 1000 companies have headquarters here — FedEx, International Paper, AutoZone, First Horizon, and 68 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4

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Mueller Industries — with many namebrand publicly traded companies located here as well, including Terminix, Varsity Spirit, Hilton, and others. The world’s

“People across the world recognize Memphis for our culture, our music, our civil rights efforts. But I also want them to know that Memphis is not just about its history. It’s about its now, and the current opportunities that exist that will allow them to thrive here.”

— PA U L YO U N G MAYOR OF MEMPHIS

leading medical device firms, such as Medtronic, Smith & Nephew, and Stryker, have manufacturing operations here.

Back in 1819, when those three gentlemen from Nashville decided to build a new city overlooking the Mississippi River, could they possibly have envisioned the metropolis that stands today on the Fourth Chickasaw Bluff? Almost from the very beginning, members of the Greater Memphis Chamber have been a part of that journey. “Other groups have recently called Memphis one of the hottest cities in the country for companies to look at,” says Townsend. “Our future is growth-minded, and I think will be surprising to the people who live here.”

A

native Memphian, Paul Young knows that Memphis has faced — and overcome — its share of challenges, from yellow fever epidemics to f loods, and now finds himself in a unique position to confront them. The president and CEO of the Downtown Memphis Commission was elected mayor of Memphis in October.

During the Civil War, Memphis actually fared better than other Southern cities like New Orleans, which had its port shut down, or Atlanta, with its railroad terminals and businesses burned to the ground by the Union forces.

But look at Atlanta now, Young says. “It has a completely different image because they were steadfast in creating a strong economy and providing more opportunities for its citizens. In fact, it’s often cited as a mecca of opportunity for African Americans, in particular. We can do the same here.”

The new mayor thinks Atlanta can serve

as a model for the Bluff City. “Memphis was recently named the largest city for African Americans per capita in the country,” he says. “My goal is to ensure that we embrace that designation — turn it into one that invokes pride, and thoughts of Black wealth, entrepreneurship, and culture.”

“And that’s what we are going to do in the new administration,” he continues. “We are going to change the perception of how Memphians feel about our city, and that is going to change the perception of how visitors and the rest of the world view our city.”

A major emphasis of his new administration, he notes, is that “we still have a ways to go to help the Black business owners and entrepreneurs here. Despite a 65 percent Black population, they still haven’t seen the business receipts that their white counterparts are seeing.”

One goal is to grow women- and minority-owned businesses in our city. “We know that African-American firms are more likely to hire African Americans,” he says, “and we need to employ more African Americans.”

But he is quite emphatic about articulating this message: “When we build other businesses, we are not trying to take a piece of the pie away from another person,” he says. “It’s not about taking away; it’s about adding — growing the whole pie for everybody.”

This city’s diversity is our strength.

Young asks, “Where else in America can you go that offers this level of diversity? One of the statistics that came out of a Chamber study is that Memphis has more Black and female technical talent per capita than any city in the country, and what we’ve always said at the Downtown Memphis Commission is that diversity is our superpower.

That’s something my administration is going to use moving forward as we recruit even more business to our city.”

Memphians have to “lean into that diversity,” he says. “That way, we will bring more people to the table, and the more dialogue we have, the more conversations we have about Memphis, the more we will accomplish.”

Paul Young will serve as mayor of a city with a rich history. “I do believe people across the world recognize Memphis for our culture, our music, our civil rights efforts,” he says.

“But I also want them to know that Memphis is not just about its history. It’s about its now, and the current opportunities that exist that will allow them to thrive here.”

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY PAUL YOUNG

1/11/24 9:26 AM

April 12 - 14

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1/12/24 11:04 AM

S I P S

Two Doors Down

Harold Cook tends the bar at Downtown’s Belle Tavern.

BY BRUCE VANW YNGARDEN

Harold Cook with all the ingredients for a “Scarface.”

T

here are two ways to enter Belle Tavern. You can come in from Barboro Alley, which makes the place seem a bit exotic, like a back-street joint in a Dashiell Hammett novel. Or you can go through the unadorned, anonymous front door on Union, which makes you feel like you’re in the know about some secret hideaway.

Either way you enter, Belle Tavern is a dark, cozy spot, just downstairs from its posh steakhouse sister, 117 Prime, with which it shares a kitchen. And you’ll soon encounter bartender Harold Cook, a charmingly loquacious fellow who was a Midtown mainstay for more than 30 years before moving Downtown to Belle Tavern in June 2022.

Cook grew up in Midtown and got his first restaurant job at the tender age of 15, while

still a student at Central High School. He worked as a barback at the now-defunct Number One Beale, making drinks for the servers.

“Things like age requirements were a little looser back then, I guess,” Cook says with a grin.

His first real grownup job came at age 22, when he began bartending at the Half Shell in East Memphis. After a couple of years, he landed a gig at In Limbo, a short-lived Caribbean restaurant in Cooper-Young

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that later became Chef Ben Smith’s Tsunami. Cook stayed on, running the intimate little bar for a loyal clientele for 15 years.

“Tsunami was the first time I worked at a small bar, which turned on a light for me,” says Cook. “You’re not there all night. There are no late-night fights. You get home at a reasonable hour. I liked it.”

He then got an offer to move across the street to work for Ryan Trimm at the newly opened Sweetgrass, where he bartended for 10 years before Trimm closed the restaurant over a lease dispute and asked him to work Downtown at Belle Tavern. (Belle Tavern is affiliated with 117 Prime, which is owned by the Across the Board restaurant group fronted

by Trimm, Craig Blondis, and Roger Sapp.)

“It’s been a really fun bar,” says Cook. “You have regulars, but you also have to constantly remake your clientele. The Peabody is one of our main sources of new customers. They send people over all the time.

We even have a regular group of women who come over from Glasgow, Scotland. People who live in the neighborhood love walking up the alley. Those who drive Downtown from other parts of the city mostly just use valet parking at the front door.”

Cook says he makes a lot of traditional drinks. “We do a lot of Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, and Whiskey Sours, but I like to

give traditional drinks an original twist, like our Barboro Alley Sour.”

“That sounds great,” I say.

“So, what kind of drink would you make for a new customer like, say, me?”

Cook’s been prepped, and has been thinking about what to make.

“I wanted to do something that’s originally me,” he says. “When I was in San Francisco a few years ago, I noticed every bartender had a Fernet-Branca drink, so I decided I needed one. Mine is called the ‘Scarface.’” (For the uninitiated, Fernet-Branca is an Italian bitters made from an original 1845 recipe of 27 herbs. The exact formula is a trade secret.)

Cook’s “Scarface” is basically a Manhattan made with Fernet-Branca instead of the traditional vermouth. He first rubs the cocktail glass’s interior with an orange peel. After that? “It’s pretty simple,” he says. “I use two shots of 100 percent Michter’s Rye Whiskey, then add Fernet, like you would vermouth, only using half the amount. The drink tastes a little like mint or menthol, different than a straight Manhattan.”

It’s a real whiskey drink, the kind a detective in a Dashiell Hammett novel would sip slowly at a backstreet bar in San Francisco while chatting up a dame who’s got something to hide. Yeah. Just like that.

The flavors in the “Scarface” get gentler, fruitier, and more subtle as the ice melts, but this is a very sturdy — and very tasty — cocktail. I recommend it to you highly, followed by an Uber chaser. Or maybe stay awhile and try one of the great Belle Tavern cheeseburgers that comes straight from the steakhouse kitchen upstairs.

Bottom line? This place is well worth a visit, no matter which door you use.

Belle Tavern is located at 117 Union Avenue.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN

1/10/24 12:07 PM

Q& A

Ozzie Smith

The Wizard of Oz on Dr. King, civil rights, and a golden fielding tip.

BY FR A NK MURTAUG H

H

all of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith was one of four 2024 recipients of the National Civil Rights Museum’s Sports Legacy Award. Along with Alex English, Calvin Hill, and Renee Montgomery, Smith was saluted before and during the Memphis Grizzlies’ game against the Golden State Warriors on Martin Luther King Day. He shared some thoughts before a memorable trip from St. Louis to Memphis.

Congratulations on the Sports Legacy Award. You’re only the second baseball legend (after Willie Mays) to receive this honor.

I guess I’m treading in tall cotton. Any honor you get from outside your sport or business . . . I feel blessed and honored.

To be included with people who are doing something outside of what they’re known for.

You were born in Mobile, Alabama, and you were in Los Angeles as a child during the Watts Riots. What comes to mind when you think of Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement?

Dr. King and so many others — Andrew Young, Ralph Abernathy — had the courage to stand up and allow us as African Americans to achieve the things we were able to achieve. The fight continues today. It hasn’t ended. There’s a lot of whitewashing going on right now, as we speak. I think of the trials and tribulations: the water hoses, dogs, the pain. Everything the people who came before us had to suffer to get us to this point… I take my hat off to people who are willing to continue the fight. Though we’ve come a long way, we still have a long way to go.

Do you have distinct memories of April 4, 1968? You were 13 years old when we lost Dr. King.

When you have a leader like that, his impact was so powerful. Anytime you have a leader like Dr. King succumb to assassination, it has a profound effect on your life, from that point forward. You have visions of where it happened, how it happened. I’ll get the chance to walk in that space [this weekend]. I’m sure it’s very touching.

Memphis has been Cardinals country for generations, but officially since 1998 PHOTOGRAPH BY TAKA YANAGIMOTO

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when the Triple-A Redbirds began play here. Do you get to the Bluff City at all? Have you visited the National Civil Rights Museum?

I’ve been to Memphis, but I haven’t had the opportunity to visit the museum. This will be my first time.

You’re currently president of the PGA REACH Gateway Foundation. What can you share about that program?

I retired in 1996, and for anyone who plays sports for 20 or 25 years, you’re looking for that next challenge. There’s a competitive void in your life, and I gravitated to golf. I fell in love with it so quickly. Growing up in Southern California, I never had the opportunity to pick up a golf club. It was always baseball, basketball, or football. When I was asked to be president of the St. Louis chapter [of PGA REACH], I didn’t know what that entailed.

Exposing kids not just to the game of golf, but the business of golf is a great way for them to learn discipline in life, honesty. It was through that prism that I could give kids opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have.

We’ve also taken on the challenge of giving veterans their lives back. As I look back on my career, the thing you miss the most is camaraderie, being with the guys. I think it’s the same thing with soldiers: you miss the people you’ve spent the majority of your time with. A lot of these guys have PTSD. PGA HOPE helps give them their lives back, and that’s just as important as giving young kids a new experience. We’re in the process of building a facility near the grounds of the old Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis. I’m very proud to be a part of this.

There are much fewer Black players in Major League Baseball today than when you debuted in 1978. Are there steps

baseball can take to better engage young Black athletes?

It will take the work of a lot of people.

Most of the [development] focus these days is in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and the islands. There’s not as much red tape. We have programs here, trying to get more [African-American] kids interested. But there has to be a lot more money to get it back to the level it was in the late Sixties or early Seventies.

I don’t have all the answers, but there has to be a lot more interest to get it back to the level it should be. HBCUs may be the way. Get the numbers back up. There are talented African Americans, but they don’t have the guidance or vehicle to elevate [their skills].

The Cardinals finished in last place in 2023, the first time in over three decades. What must the club do to regain its footing and return to the World Series?

It’s a real challenge to get back to prominence. You gotta pitch, you gotta hit, you gotta throw and catch. I think analytics have had a lot to do with some teams forgetting what is the heartbeat of the organization. The minor-league system has always been a big part of

success for the Cardinals, the Dodgers.

We need to get back to refurbishing the minor-league system, so it becomes that lifeline, allowing young guys to learn the game, and be ready when they reach the big leagues.

You’re generally considered the greatest fielding shortstop in baseball history. If there’s one fielding tip you had to share for posterity, what would it be?

I actually learned this through golf: stagnation is a killer. A baseball player can’t get started until the pitcher releases the ball.

That’s where the hitter finds his rhythm, as the pitcher goes into his wind-up.

As a fielder, you don’t want to be in a stagnated position. You want some type of movement, be it left, right. Some type of swaying movement that allows you to get into the flow for a ground ball or fly ball.

Ozzie Smith won 13 Gold Gloves over his 19-year career with the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals. He played in three World Series for the Cardinals and won the 1982 championship. His uniform number 1 was retired by St. Louis in 1996 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002. He is one of nine former Cardinals honored with a statue outside Busch Stadium.

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1/17/24 9:07 PM

Memphis Dining Guide A Curated Guide to Eating Out

M

emphis Magazine offers this curated restaurant listing

as a service to our readers. Broken down alphabetically by neighborhoods, this directory does not list every restaurant in town. It does, however, include the magazine’s “Top 50” choices of must-try restaurants in Memphis, a group that is updated every August. Establishments open less than a year are not eligible for “Top 50” but are noted as “New.” This guide also includes a representative sampling of other Bluff City eating establishments.

No fast-food facilities or cafeterias are listed. Restaurants are included regardless of whether they advertise in Memphis Magazine; those that operate in multiple locations are listed under the neighborhood of their original location. This guide is updated regularly, but we recommend that you call ahead to check on hours, prices, or other details. Suggestions from readers are welcome; please contact Samuel X. Cicci at scicci@contemporary-media.com. tomatoes with smoked catfish, a buttermilk fried chicken sandwich, DOWNTOWN burgers, and more. Closed Mon.-Thurs. 141 E. Carolina. 321-5553. L, D, 117 PRIME—Restaurateurs Craig Blondis and Roger Sapp team up WB, $-$$ with Chef Ryan Trimm to recreate the traditional American steakhouse.

CATHERINE & MARY’S—A variety of pastas, grilled quail, Serving oysters on the half shell and a variety of surf and turf options. 117 pâté, razor clams, and monkfish are among the dishes served at Union. 433-9851. L, D, WB, X, $-$$$ this Italian restaurant in the Chisca. 272 S. Main. 254-8600. D, SB, X, ALDO’S PIZZA PIES—Serving gourmet pizzas — including Mr. MRA, $-$$$ T Rex — salads, and more. Also 30 beers, bottled or on tap. 100 S. CHEF TAM’S UNDERGROUND CAFE—Serves Southern Main. 577-7743; 752 S. Cooper. 725-7437. L, D, X, $-$$ staples with a Cajun twist. Menu items include totchoes, jerk AMELIA GENE’S—Globally inspired fine dining cuisine at the wings, fried chicken, and “muddy” mac and cheese. Closed Sun. and Mon. One Beale project, including Rohan duck, wagyu filet, and an 668 Union Ave. 207-6182. L, D, X, $-$$ extensive cheese cart. 255 S. Front. 686-5051. D, X, $$-$$$ CHEZ PHILIPPE—Classical/contemporary French cuisine with THE ARCADE—Possibly Memphis’ oldest cafe. Specialties Asian and Nordic influences, presented in a luxurious atmosphere include sweet potato pancakes, a fried peanut butter and banana with seasonal tasting menus from chef Keith Clinton. Afternoon tea sandwich, and breakfast served all day. 540 S. Main. 526-5757. B, L, D served Thu-Sun., noon-3:30 p.m. (reservations required). Closed Sun.(Thurs.-Sat.), X, MRA, $ Tues. The Peabody, 149 Union. 529-4188. D, X, MRA, $$$$ AUTOMATIC SLIM’S—Longtime Downtown favorite DINING SYMBOLS CIMAS—It’s breakfast tacos, shrimp and grits, specializes in contemporary American cuisine emphachilaquiles verdes, and plenty of other Southern and sizing local ingredients; also extensive martini list. 83 S. B — breakfast Latin-American twists at the Hyatt Centric. 33 Beale St. Second. 525-7948. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ L — lunch 444-3232. B, L, D, X, $-$$$ BARDOG TAVERN—Classic American grill with D — dinner THE CLOVER CLUB—Southern fusion and Italian influence, Bardog offers pasta specialties such SB — Sunday brunch internationally-inspired small plates at Hotel as Grandma’s NJ Meatballs, as well as salads, sliders, Indigo. 22 N. B.B. King. B, L, D, X, $-$$ WB — weekend brunch sandwiches, and daily specials. 73 Monroe. 275-8752.

COCOZZA AMERICAN ITALIAN—”The red X— wheelchair accessible B (Mon.-Fri.), L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ sauce joint of your dreams” serves up classic MRA — member, Memphis BEDROCK EATS & SWEETS—Memphis’ only Italian-American fare from the owners of Majestic Grille.

Paleo-centric restaurant, offering such dishes as pot Restaurant Association Closed Sun. 110 Harbor Town Sq. 609-1111. D, X, $-$$ roast, waffles, enchiladas, chicken salad, omelets, and $ — under $15 per person COZY CORNER—Serving up ribs, pork sandmore. Closed for dinner Sun. 327 S. Main. 409-6433. without drinks or desserts wiches, chicken, spaghetti, and more; also homeB, L, D, X, $-$$ $$ — under $25 made banana pudding. Closed Mon. 735 N. Parkway.

BELLE TAVERN—Serving elevated bar food, including $$$ — $26-$50 527-9158. L, D, $ a butcher board with a variety of meats and cheeses, as $$$$ — over $50 CURFEW—An elevated sports bar/American tavern well as daily specials. 117 Barboro Alley. 249-6580. L concept by Top Chef contestant Fabio Viviani at the (Sun.), D, MRA, $ Canopy Memphis Downtown hotel. 164 Union Ave. B, L, D, X, $-$$ BEN YAY’S GUMBO SHOP—Spiritual successor to DejaVu, offering DOS HERMANOS KITCHEN—Breakfast and lunch concept by fresh and authentic Creole staples. 51 S. Main St., 779-4125. L, D, X, Eli Townsend in the renovated Cossitt Library. 33 S. Front. B, L, $ $-$$ ESCO RESTAURANT AND TAPAS—Shareable dishes, turkey BISHOP—Ticer and Hudman’s newest venture at the Central Station ribs, and seafood mac’n’cheese at this 2 Chainz franchise. 156 Lt. Hotel features upscale dishes in a French brasserie style. 545 S. Main George W. Lee Ave. 808-3726. L, D, $$-$$$ St., 524-5247. L, D, X, $$-$$$ EVELYN & OLIVE—Jamaican/Southern fusion cuisine includes such BLUEFIN RESTAURANT & SUSHI LOUNGE—Serves Japanese dishes as Kingston stew fish, Rasta Pasta, and jerk rib-eye. Closed for lunch fusion cuisine featuring seafood and steak, with seasonally changing Sat. and all day Sun.-Mon. 630 Madison. 748-5422. L, D, X , $ menu; also a sushi bar. 135 S. Main. 528-1010. L, D, X, $-$$ FAM—Casual Asian restaurant serves sushi rice bowls, noodle bowls, BRASS DOOR IRISH PUB—Irish and New-American cuisine includes sushi rolls, and spring rolls. Closed Sun. 149 Madison. 701-6666; 521 S. such entrees as fish and chips, burgers, shepherd’s pie, all-day Irish Highland. 249-2636. L, D, X, $ breakfast, and more. 152 Madison. 572-1813. L, D, SB, $-$$ FEAST & GRAZE—Whipped goat toast, open faced grilled cheese, and

BY THE BREWERY—Breakfast and lunch café, with a focus on other local pantry snacks and charcuterie boards. Closed Sun./Mon. 55 Southern-style biscuits, salads, and soups. 496 Tennessee St. 310-4341.

S. Main. 654-5926. L, X, $ B, L, $ FERRARO’S CHEESY CORNER & PIZZERIA—Plenty of pizzas, CAFE KEOUGH—European-style cafe serving quiche, paninis, salads, along with a whole new cheese-inspired menu (fancy grilled cheeses and and more. 12 S. Main. 509-2469. B, L, D, X, $ build-your-own mac and cheese bowls). 111 Jackson. 522-2033. L, D, X, $ CAPRICCIO GRILL ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE—Offers prime steaks, FISHBOWL AT THE PYRAMID—Burgers, fish dishes, sandwiches, fresh seafood (lobster tails, grouper, mahi mahi), pasta, and several and more served in a unique “underwater” setting. Bass Pro, 1 Bass Pro Northern Italian specialties. 149 Union, The Peabody. 529-4199. B, L, D, Drive, 291-8000. B, L, D, X, $-$$ SB, X, MRA, $-$$$$ FLIGHT RESTAURANT & WINE BAR—Serves steaks and CAROLINA WATERSHED—This indoor/outdoor eatery, set around seafood, along with such specialties as bison ribeye and Muscovy silos, features reimagined down-home classics, including fried green

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, $-$$ GARDEN BRUNCH CAFÉ—Fish and grits, steak and eggs, and other upscale takes on Southern brunch classics. 492 S. Main St. 249-7450. B, L, $$ GOOD FORTUNE CO.—Authentic handcrafted noodles, ramen, and dumplings. 361 S. Main. 561-306-4711. L, D, X, $-$$ THE GENRE—Burgers, tenders, catfish, and plenty of vegan options made to order at this music-themed restaurant/lounge. 200 Poplar, Suite 105.

410-8169. B, L, D, X, $-$$ GUS’S WORLD FAMOUS FRIED CHICKEN—Serves chicken with signature spicy batter, along with homemade beans, slaw, and pies. 310 S. Front. 527-4877; 3100 Forest Hill Irene (Germantown). 8536005; 2965 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 373-9111; 730 S. Mendenhall. 767-2323; 505 Highway 70 W., Mason, TN. 901-294-2028. L, D, X, MRA, $ 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, $ HIVE BAGEL & DELI—Bagels, bagels, and more bagels at this new Downtown deli offering baked goods, sandwiches, and salads. Closed Mon./Tue. 276 S. Front St. 509-2946. B, L, $ HU. ROOF—Rooftop cocktail bar with superb city views serves toasts with a variety of toppings including beef tartare with cured egg, cognac, and capers or riced cauliflower with yellow curry, currants, and almonds.

Also salads, fish tacos, and boiled peanut hummus. 79 Madison. 333-1229.

D, X, $ HUSTLE & DOUGH BAKERY & CAFE—Flaky, baked breakfast goodness every day with fresh pastries, sandwiches, and more at Arrive Hotel. 477 S. Main St., 701-7577. B, L, X, $ IBIS—Upscale cocktail bar serving sharable small plates, including lobster rolls, crab cakes, and lamb meatballs, alongside select larger entrees.

Closed Mon.-Wed. 314 S. Main. 748-5187. D, X, $-$$ INKWELL—Unique craft concoctions, charcuterie plates, flatbreads, and sandwiches at this dope cocktail bar. Closed Mon.-Tue. 631 Madison Ave. 334-9411. D, X, $-$$ ITTA BENA—Southern and Cajun-American cuisine served here, conveniently located above B.B. King’s Blues Club on Beale St.; specialties are duck and waffles and shrimp and grits, along with steaks, chops, seafood, and pasta. 145 Beale St. 578-3031. D, X, MRA, $$-$$$ KING & UNION BAR GROCERY—Classic Southern favorites including catfish plate, pimento cheese, po-boys, chicken & waffles. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with cocktails served with flair and favorite Memphis beers. Locally made confections available in the grocery. 185 Union Ave. 523-8500. B, L, D, $-$$ KOOKY CANUCK—Offers prime rib, catfish, and burgers, including the 4-lb. “Kookamonga”; also late-night menu. 87 S. Second. 578-9800; 1250 N. Germantown Pkwy. 1-800-2453 L, D, X, MRA, $-$$$ LITTLE BETTIE—New Haven-style pizzas and snacks from the AndrewMichael team at Wiseacre’s Downtown location. 398 S. B.B. King Blvd.

334-9411. L, D, $-$$ THE LITTLE TEA SHOP—Downtown institution serves up Southern comfort cooking, including meatloaf and such veggies as turnip greens, yams, okra, and tomatoes. Closed until further notice. 69 Monroe. 525-6000, L, X, $ THE LOBBYIST AT THE CHISCA—Chef Jimmy Gentry brings his farm-to-table ideas Downtown, with seasonal, and sometimes weekly, new menus, and an emphasis on creative vegetable dishes. Closed Sun. 272 S. Main St., Suite 101. 249-2170. D, $$-$$$$ LOCAL—Entrees with a focus on locally sourced products include lobster mac-and-cheese and rib-eye patty melt; menu differs by location. 95 S. Main. 473-9573. L, D, WB, X, $-$$ LOFLIN YARD—Beer garden and restaurant serves vegetarian fare and smoked-meat dishes, including beef brisket and pork tenderloin, cooked on a custom-made grill. Closed Mon.-Tues. 7 W. Carolina. 249-3046. L (Sat. and Sun.), D, MRA, X, $-$$ LONGSHOT—A wide variety of international fusion dishes and craft cocktails with a side of shuffleboard. 477 S. Main. D, $-$$

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 72 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4

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

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MEMPHIS DINING GUIDE

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, $-$$$ LUCY’S—Hu. Hotel’s downstairs diner serves up breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Start your day with a Hu. breakfast burrito, or Lucy’s Burger for a late-night bite 3 S. Main. 333-1200. B, L, D, X, $-$$ 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, $-$$$ MACIEL’S—Entrees include tortas, fried taco plates, quesadillas, chorizo and pastor soft tacos, salads, and more. Downtown closed Sun. 45 S. Main. 526-0037, X, MRA, $ THE MAJESTIC GRILLE—Features aged steaks, fresh seafood, and such specialties as roasted chicken and grilled pork tenderloin; offers a pre-theater menu and classic cocktails. Well-stocked bar. 145 S. Main. 522-8555. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ McEWEN’S—Southern/American cuisine with international flavors; specialties include steak and seafood, sweet potato-crusted catfish with macaroni and cheese, and more. Closed Sun., Monroe location.

120 Monroe. 527-7085; 1110 Van Buren (Oxford). 662-234-7003. L, D, SB (Oxford only), X, MRA, $$-$$$ MESQUITE CHOP HOUSE—The focus here is on steaks, including prime fillet, rib-eyes, and prime-aged New York strip; also, some seafood options. 5960 Getwell (Southaven). 662-890-2467; 88 Union. 527-5337.

249-5661. D, SB, X, $$-$$$ MOLLIE FONTAINE LOUNGE—Specializes in tapas (small plates) featuring global cuisine. Closed Sun.-Tues. 679 Adams Ave. 524-1886. D, X , MRA, $ MOMMA’S ROADHOUSE—This diner and dive at Highway 55 serves up smoked wings, burgers, and beer, among other solid bar food options. 855 Kentucky. 207-5111. L, D, MRA, $ NEW WING ORDER—The award-winning food truck cooks up its signature hot wings at its first physical location, at Ghost River on Beale. Closed Mon/Tue. 341 Beale. L, D, $-$$ THE NINE THAI & SUSHI—Serving authentic Thai dishes, including curries, as well as a variety of sushi rolls. Closed for lunch Sat. and Sun. 121 Union. 208-8347. L, D, X, $-$$ PAPER PLATE PAVILION—Popular food truck serves up brisket mac and cheese and more favorites at Tom Lee Park. Riverside Dr. L, 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, $-$$$ PENNY’S NITTY GRITTY—Coach Penny Hardaway brings plenty of Southern flavors and lots of customizable grits. 220 S. B.B. King Blvd.

334-5950. B, L, D, $$-$$$ PRETTY TACO—Fast casual tacos with a Memphis twist, like the Soul Burger tacos. Closed Sun./Mon. 265 S. Front St. 509-8120. L, D, $-$$ PROMISE—South Main soul food restaurant (think turkey necks, meatloaf, fried catfish) using old family recipes.

Closed Sun./Mon. 412 S. Main. L, D, $-$$ RAW GIRLS—Raw and hot plant-based food alongside cold-pressed juices made from seasonal, locally grown sources. Closed Sun. 150 Peabody Pl., Suite 118. 207-5463. B, L, D, $-$$ RENDEZVOUS, CHARLES VERGOS’—Menu items include barbecued ribs, cheese plates, skillet shrimp, red beans and rice, and Greek salads. Closed Sun.-Mon. 52 S. Second. 523-2746. L (Fri.-Sat.), D, 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, $ SAGE—Restaurant and lounge features daily lunch specials and tapas with such dishes as braised short ribs, teriyaki pulled pork, and the Sage burger made with Angus beef, avocado mash, fried egg, and flash-fried sage. 94 S. Main. 672-7902. L, D, WB, X, $-$$ SILLY GOOSE LOUNGE—Gourmet, wood-fired pizzas and hand-crafted cocktails at this Downtown restaurant and lounge. 150 Peabody Place, Suite 111. 435-6915. L, D, X, $ SOUTH MAIN SUSHI & GRILL—Serving sushi, nigiri, and more. 520 S. Main. 249-2194. L, D, X, $

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SOB—Elevated gastropub that serves favorites like general Tso’s cauliflower or duck fried rice. 345 S. Main. 526-0388. L, D, WB, X , $-$$ SOUTH POINT GROCERY—Fresh and delicious sandwiches made to order at Downtown’s new grocery market. 136 Webster Ave. B, L, D, X, $ SUGAR GRITS—Who said breakfast has to be in the morning? The Westmorelands offer grits and other breakfast goodness all day long, in addition to other Southern-style lunch and dinner options. 150 Peabody Pl., Suite 111. 249-5206. B, L, D, X, $-$$ SUNRISE MEMPHIS—Serves breakfast all day, including house-made biscuits, frittatas, kielbasa or boudin plates, and breakfast platters. 670 Jefferson. 552-3144; 5469 Poplar Ave. (East Memphis). 844-6117. B, L, X, MRA, $ SUPPER CLUB ON 2ND—Fine dining and urban bistro styles collide at this snazzy, chic restaurant, featuring gold-encrusted tomahawk steaks, a deep sea lobster dawg, fancy cocktails, and plenty of other elevated goodies. 85 S. 2nd St. 453-6334. D, WB, X, $$-$$$ TALK SHOP—Southern-style cuisine, a breakfast bar, and plenty of other cool dishes and drinks at the Caption by Hyatt. 245 S. Front St. B, L, D, 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, MRA, $$ TEXAS DE BRAZIL—Serves beef, pork, lamb, and chicken dishes, and Brazilian sausage; also a salad bar with extensive toppings. 150 Peabody Place, Suite 103. 526-7600. L (Wed.-Fri.), D, WB, X, $$-$$$ TUG’S—Famous for New Orleans gumbo, fabulous burgers, fried thin catfish, and specialty pancakes. Now serving Grisanti Crafted Pizza. 51 Harbor Town Square. 260-3344. B, L, D, WB, X, $$-$$$ THE VAULT—Oysters, shrimp beignets, flatbreads, stuffed cornish hen, and Smash Burger featured on “Late Nite Eats” are among the dishes offered at this Creole/Italian fusion eatery. 124 G.E. Patterson.

591-8000. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$ WAHLBURGERS WILD—Wahlburgers brings its classic menu, but with a few gamey twists at the Bass Pro Pyramid. 1 Bass Pro Drive. B, L, D, X, $-$$ WESTY’S—Extensive menu includes a variety of wild rice dishes, sandwiches, plate lunches, and hot fudge pie. 346 N. Main. 543-3278.

L, D, X, $ WINGMAN—Downtown lounge and hookah bar offering wings galore with ten signature sauces, and plenty of other goodies. 143 Madison Ave. L, D, WB, X, $-$$ MIDTOWN (INCLUDES THE MEDICAL CENTER) ABNER’S FAMOUS CHICKEN—Fried chicken tenders and dipping sauces galore at this Mid-South staple. 1350 Concourse Ave, Suite 137.

425-2597; (East Memphis) 1591 Poplar Ave. 509-3351; (Cordova) 1100 N. Germantown Pkwy. 754-5355. L, D, $-$$ ABYSSINIA RESTAURANT—Ethiopian/Mediterranean menu includes beef, chicken, lamb, fish entrees, and vegetarian dishes; also a lunch buffet. 2600 Poplar. 321-0082. L, D, X, $-$$ ALCHEMY/ SALT|SOY—Handcrafted cocktails and local craft beers with the Asian fusion dining concept from Salt|Soy. 940 S. Cooper.

726-4444. D, SB, X, $-$$ ART BAR—Inventive cocktails feature locally foraged ingredients; snacks include house-cured salt & vinegar potato chips and herb-roasted olives. Closed Mon. 1350 Concourse Avenue #280. 507-8030. D, X, $ BABALU TACOS & TAPAS—This eatery dishes up Spanish-style tapas with Southern flair; also taco and enchilada of the day; specials change daily. 2115 Madison. 274-0100; 6450 Poplar, 410-8909. L, D, SB, X , MRA, $-$$ BACK DO / MI YARD—A revamped patio space behind The Beauty Shop features rotisserie meats and fishes via Brazilian-style outdoor grill.

Dinner Wed.-Sat., weather permitting. 966 S. Cooper, 272-7111. D, X, $$ BAIN BARBECUE & BAKERY—Brian Bain’s popular Texas-style barbecue is back, alongside an assortment of baked goods. 993 S. Cooper. 310-4141. B, L, X, $-$$ BAR DKDC—Features an ever-changing menu of international “street food,” from Thai to Mexican, Israeli to Indian, along with specialty cocktails. 964 S. Cooper. 272-0830. D, X , MRA, $ BAR KEOUGH—It’s old-school eats and cocktails at the new CooperYoung neighborhood corner bar by Kevin Keough. 247 Cooper St. D, X , $ BAR-B-Q SHOP—Dishes up barbecued ribs, spaghetti, bologna, other classics. Closed Sun. 1782 Madison. 272-1277. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ BARI RISTORANTE ENOTECA—Authentic Southeastern Italian cuisine (Puglia) emphasizes lighter entrees. Serves fresh fish and beef dishes and a homemade soup of the day. 524 S. Cooper. 722-2244. D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$

BARKSDALE RESTAURANT—Old-school diner serving breakfast and Southern plate lunches. 237 S. Cooper. 722-2193. B, L, D, X, $ BAYOU BAR & GRILL—New Orleans fare at this Overton Square eatery includes jambalaya, gumbo, catfish Acadian, shrimp dishes, red beans and rice, and muffalettas. 2094 Madison. 278-8626. L, D, WB, X , MRA, $-$$ BEAUTY SHOP—Modern American cuisine with international flair served in a former beauty shop. Serves steaks, salads, pasta, and seafood, including pecan-crusted golden sea bass. Perennial “Best Brunch” winner. Closed for dinner Sunday. 966 S. Cooper. 272-7111. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ BOSCOS—Tennessee’s first craft brewery serves a variety of freshly brewed beers as well as wood-fired oven pizzas, pasta, seafood, steaks, and sandwiches. 2120 Madison. 432-2222. L, D, SB (with live jazz), X, MRA, $-$$ BOUNTY ON BROAD—Offering family-style dining, Bounty serves small plates and family-sized platters, with such specialties as chicken-fried quail and braised pork shank. 2519 Broad. 410-8131. L (Sat. and Sun.), D (Mon.-Sat.), SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ BROADWAY PIZZA—Serving a variety of pizzas, including the Broadway Special, as well as sandwiches, salads, wings, and soul-food specials. 2581 Broad. 454-7930; 627 S. Mendenhall. 207-1546. L, D, X , $-$$ CAFE 1912—French/American bistro owned by culinary pioneer Glenn Hays serving such seafood entrees as seared sea scallops with charred cauliflower purée and chorizo cumin sauce; also crepes, salads, and onion soup gratinée. 243 S. Cooper. 722-2700. D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ CAFE ECLECTIC—Omelets and chicken and waffles are among menu items, along with quesadillas, sandwiches, wraps, and burgers. Menu varies by location. 603 N. McLean. 725-1718; 111 Harbor Town Square.

590-4645. B, L, D, SB, X, MRA, $ CAFE OLÉ—This eatery specializes in authentic Mexican cuisine; one specialty is the build-your-own quesadilla. 959 S. Cooper. 343-0103. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$ CAFE PALLADIO—Serves gourmet salads, soups, sandwiches, and desserts in a tea room inside the antiques shop. Closed Sun. 2169 Central. 278-0129. L, X, $ CAMEO—Three longtime Memphis bartenders join forces for creative cocktails, cheese boards, snacks, and Sunday brunch. 1835 Union Ave., Suite 3. 305-6511. D, SB, $-$$ CELTIC CROSSING—Specializes in Irish and American pub fare.

Entrees include shepherd’s pie, shrimp and sausage coddle, and fish and chips. 903 S. Cooper. 274-5151. L, D, WB, 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 ; 6201 Poplar. 4177962. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ COMPLICATED PILGRIM—Quick serve coffee shop, bar, and restaurant all in one at The Memphian hotel. 21 S. Cooper St. 601-9095820. B, L, D, $-$$ THE COVE—Nautical-themed restaurant and bar serving oysters, pizzas, and more. The Stoner Pie, with tamales and fritos, is a popular dish. 2559 Broad. 730-0719. L, D, $ THE CRAZY NOODLE—Korean noodle dishes range from bibam beef noodle with cabbage, carrots, and other vegetables, to curry chicken noodle; also rice cakes served in a flavorful sauce. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. 2015 Madison. 272-0928. L, D, X, $ EAT AT BLACK LODGE—High-end breakfasts, like waffle grilled cheese sandwiches, nacho and tater-tot “tot-chos,” and other entrees like sweet spicy thai pork at the longtime video store. Now with Masquerade cocktail bar. Closed Mon./Tue. 405 N. Cleveland. 672-7905.

L, D, X, $-$$ ECCO—Mediterranean-inspired specialties range from rib-eye steak to seared scallops to housemade pastas and a grilled vegetable plate; also a Saturday brunch. Closed Sun.-Mon. 1585 Overton Park. 410-8200. B, L, D, X, $-$$ FABIOLA’S KITCHEN—Longtime caterer Fabiola Francis serves up burgers, tacos, fish, and much more. 1353 Jackson Ave. B, L, $ FARM BURGER—Serves grass-fed, freshly ground, locally sourced burgers; also available with chicken, pork, or veggie quinoa patties, with such toppings as aged white cheddar, kale coleslaw, and roasted beets.

1350 Concourse Avenue, Suite 175. 800-1851. L, D, X, $ THE FARMER AT RAILGARTEN—Farmer classics include panseared catfish, gulf shrimp and grits, or a Gibson donut bread pudding.

Closed Mon./Tue. 2166 Central. 313-0087. D, X, $-$$ FINO’S FROM THE HILL—Italian deli offers old favorites such as the Acquisto as well as a new breakfast menu Germantown location paired

with Happy Glaze Donuts. 1853 Madison. 272-FINO; 7781 Farmington Blvd.

(Germantown). B, L, D, X, $ FLAME RAMEN—Traditional Japanese ramen restaurant serving up bowls of noodles in Midtown. 1838 Union Ave. 779-8666; 61 S. Second St., Suite 160 (Downtown). D, $-$$ FLIP SIDE—Pinball meets pub in the Crosstown neighborhood, with plenty of games alongside a Caribbean- and Latin-inspired menu.

Closed Mon. 1349 Autumn Ave. L, D, X, $-$$ FRIDA’S—Mexican cuisine and Tex-Mex standards, including chimichangas, enchiladas, and fajitas; seafood includes shrimp and tilapia. 1718 Madison.

244-6196. L, D, X, $-$$ GLOBAL CAFÉ—This international food hall hosts three immigrant/refugee food entrepreneurs serving Venezuelan, Sudanese, and Syrian cuisines.

Samosas, shawarma, and kabobs are among the menu items. Closed Mon. 1350 Concourse Avenue, Suite 157. L, D, X, MRA, $ GOLDEN INDIA—Northern Indian specialties include tandoori chicken as well as lamb, beef, shrimp, and vegetarian dishes. 2097 Madison. 728-5111.

L, D, X, $-$$ GROWLERS—Sports bar and eatery serves standard bar fare in addition to pasta, tacos, chicken and waffles, and light options. 1911 Poplar. 244-7904.

L, D, X, $-$$ GUAC FRESH MEX—Authentic Mexican cuisine and four types of guacamole. Closed Sun. 782 Washington Ave. 587-4100. L, D, X, $ HATTIE B’S—Fried chicken spot features “hot chicken” with a variety of heat levels; from no heat to “shut the cluck up” sauce. Sides include greens, pimento mac-and-cheese, and black-eyed pea salad. 596 S. Cooper.

424-5900. L, D, X, $ 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 (Downtown). 527-2700; 2130 W. Poplar (Collierville). 854-4455; 7090 Malco Blvd. (Southaven). 662-349-7097; 7825 Winchester. 624-8911; 4872 Poplar. 682-7729; 7677 Farmington Blvd. (Germantown). 318-3030; 8570 Highway 51 N. (Millington). 873-5025. L, D, X, MRA, $ IMAGINE VEGAN CAFE—Dishes at this fully vegan restaurant range from salads and sandwiches to full dinners, including eggplant parmesan and “beef” tips and rice; breakfast all day Sat. and Sun. 2158 Young. 654-3455.

L, D, WB, X, $ INDIA PALACE—Tandoori chicken, lamb shish kabobs, and chicken tikka masala are among the entrees; also, vegetarian options and a daily all-you-can-eat lunch buffet. 1720 Poplar. 278-1199. L, D, X, $-$$ INSPIRE COMMUNITY CAFE—Serving breakfast all day, in addition to quesadillas, rice bowls, and more for lunch and dinner. 510 Tillman, Suite 110.

509-8640. B, L, D, X, $ KNIFEBIRD—Neighborhood wine bar boasts plenty of flights, cocktails, and mocktails alongside bruschetta and charcuterie boards. Closed Sun. 2155 Central Ave. 748-5425. D, $-$$$ LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM—Serves such Southern cuisine as po’boys, shrimp and grits, and wood-fired pizzas. 2119 Madison. 207-5097.

L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ LBOE—Gourmet burger joint serves locally sourced ground beef burgers, with options like the Mac-N-Cheese Burger and Caprese. Black bean and turkey patties available. 2021 Madison. 725-0770. L, D, X, $ THE LIQUOR STORE—Renovated liquor store turned diner serves all-day breakfast, sandwiches, and entrees such as Salisbury steak and smothered pork chops. 2655 Broad. 405-5477; 669 S. Mendenhall Rd. (East Memphis).

B, 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 , $-$$ MEMPHIS WHISTLE—Cocktails, cocktails, and even more delicious cocktails alongside burgers, sandwiches, and other tasty snacks. 2299 Young Ave. Closed Mon.-Tue. 236-7136. D, X, $-$$ MOLLY’S LA CASITA—Homemade tamales, fish tacos, a vegetarian combo, and bacon-wrapped shrimp are a few of the specialties. 2006 Madison. 726-1873. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ PARISH GROCERY—Shrimp? Roast beef? Oysters? Whatever type of po’boy you want, the New Orleans-themed eatery has got it. Closed Monday.

916 S. Cooper St. 207-4347. L, D, X, $-$$ PAYNE’S BAR-B-QUE—Opened in 1972, this family-owned barbecue joint serves ribs, smoked sausage, and chopped pork sandwiches with a standout mustard slaw and homemade sauce. About as down-to-earth as it gets. 1762 Lamar. 272-1523. L, D, $-$$

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THE PUBLIC BISTRO—Knifebird owners’ full-service American bistro with a menu by chef Gannon Hamilton. 937 S. Cooper St. Closed Sun. 509-2113. D, $-$$ RED FISH ASIAN BISTRO—In the former Nineteenth Century Club building, serves sushi, teriyaki, and hibachi. Specialties include yuzu filet mignon and Chilean sea bass. 1433 Union. 454-3926; 9915 Highway 64 (Lakeland). 729-7581; 6518 Goodman (Olive Branch). 662-874-5254. L, D, X , $-$$$ ROBATA RAMEN & YAKITORI BAR—Serves ramen noodle bowls and Yakitori skewers as well as rice and noodle dishes. 2116 Madison. 410-8290.

L, D, X, $ SABROSURA—Serves Mexican and Cuban fare, including arroz tapada de pollo and steak Mexican. Closed Sun. 782 Washington. 421-8180. L, D, X , $-$$ SALTWATER CRAB—Offers an array of seafood dishes including boils with blue crab, crab legs, lobster tails, and more, and specialty sushi like the Dynamite or Royal King rolls, in addition to signature sangrias and cocktails. 2059 Madison Ave. 922-5202. L, D, X, $$ THE SECOND LINE—Kelly English brings “relaxed Creole cuisine” to his newest eatery; serves a variety of po’boys and such specialties as barbecue shrimp, andouille shrimp, and pimento cheese fries. 2144 Monroe. 590-2829. L, D, WB, X, $-$$ SEKISUI—Japanese fusion cuisine, fresh sushi bar, grilled meats and seafood, California rolls, and vegetarian entrees. Poplar/Perkins location’s emphasis is on Pacific Rim cuisine. Menu and hours vary at each location. 25 Belvedere. 725-0005; 1884 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova).

309-8800; 4724 Poplar. 767-7770; 2130 W. Poplar (Collierville). 854-0622; 2990 Kirby-Whitten (Bartlett). 377-2727; 6696 Poplar. 747-0001. L, D, X, $-$$$ SLICE MIDTOWN—Serving New York-style pizza as well as subs and pasta dishes (formerly known as Little Italy). 1495 Union. 7250280; L, D, X, $-$$ 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, $-$$ STICKEM—Brick and mortar location for the popular food truck, which offers grilled meat on a stick. 1788 Madison. Closed Sunday. 474-7214. L, D, X, $ TAMBOLI’S PASTA & PIZZA—Pasta-maker Miles Tamboli whips up Italian soul food with seasonal menus featuring dishes like crispy fried chicken or creamy bucatini with pecorino cheese. Serves dinner Tues.-Sat. 1761 Madison. 410-8866. D, X, $-$$ TAKASHI BISTRO—Fusion restaurant with an open kitchen that lets customers watch chefs prepare a variety of Japanese and Thai cuisine. 1680 Union Ave., Suite 109. 800-2936. L, D, $-$$.

TONICA—Paella and other Spanish-inspired dishes with an Italian touch, alongside an extensive list of gin and tonics. 1545 Overton Park. Closed Mon.-Wed. D, X, $-$$ TSUNAMI—Features Pacific Rim cuisine (Asia, Australia, South Pacific, etc.); also a changing “small plate” menu. Chef Ben Smith is a Cooper-Young pioneer. Specialties include Asian nachos and roasted sea bass. Closed Sunday. 928 S. Cooper. 274-2556. D, X,, MRA, $$-$$$ TUYEN’S ASIAN BISTRO—A variety of Asian dishes from the minds and chefs behind Saigon Le. Closed Sun. 288 N. Cleveland. L, D, X, $-$$ ZINNIE’S—Dive bar classic reopens with a makeover and signature Zinnaloni sandwich. 1688 Madison. 726-5004. L, D, X, $ SOUTH MEMPHIS (INCLUDES PARKWAY VILLAGE, FOX MEADOWS, SOUTH MEMPHIS, WINCHESTER, AND WHITEHAVEN)

BALA’S BISTRO—Authentic West African cuisine available to order or by the pound, alongside traditional American dishes and an extensive vegan menu. 4571 Elvis Presley Blvd. 509-3024. L, D, $-$$ CACHE 42 KITCHEN & COCKTAILS—Elevated fine dining (think golden rack of lamb or lobster queso) and cocktail lounge at MoneyBagg Yo’s restaurant; menu by chef Daris Leatherwood. Brunch and lunch options coming soon. 4202 Hacks Cross Rd., Suite 121. 494-5458. D, $-$$ COLETTA’S—Longtime eatery serves such specialties as homemade ravioli, lasagna, and pizza with barbecue or traditional toppings. 1063 S. Parkway E. 948-7652; 2850 Appling Rd. (Bartlett). 383-1122. L, D, X, $-$$ CURRY BOWL—Specializes in Southern Indian cuisine, serving Tandoori chicken, biryani, tikka masala, and more. Weekend buffet. 4141 Hacks Cross Rd. 207-6051. L, D, $ DELTA’S KITCHEN—The premier restaurant at The Guest House at Graceland serves Elvis-inspired dishes — like Nutella and Peanut Butter Crepes for breakfast — and upscale Southern cuisine — including lamb chops and shrimp and grits — for dinner. 3600 Elvis Presley Blvd. 443-3000. B, D, X, $-$$$

DWJ KOREAN BARBECUE—This authentic Korean eatery serves kimbap, barbecued beef short ribs, rice and noodles dishes, and hot pots and stews. 3750 Hacks Cross Rd., Suite 101. 746-8057; 2156 Young.

207-6204. L, D, $-$$ FABULOUS FLAVORS & FRIENDS—”The Candy Lady” Precious Thompson Jones comes up with a little bit of everything: omelettes, quesadillas, t-bones and waffles, and plenty of soul food. 2063 E. Brooks Rd. 314-0735. L, D, $ THE FOUR WAY—Legendary soul-food establishment dishing up such entrees as fried and baked catfish, chicken, and turkey and dressing, along with a host of vegetables and desserts. Around the corner from the legendary Stax Studio. Closed Mon. 998 Mississippi Blvd.

507-1519. L, D, $ HERNANDO’S HIDEAWAY–No one cares how late it gets; not at Hernando’s Hideaway. Live music, killer happy hour, and plenty of bar fare at this South Memphis hang. 3210 Old Hernando Rd. 917-982-1829. L, D, $ INTERSTATE BAR-B-Q—Specialties include chopped pork-shoulder sandwiches, ribs, hot wings, spaghetti, chicken, and turkey. 2265 S. Third. 775-2304; 150 W. Stateline Rd. (Southaven). 662-393-5699. L, D, X, $-$$ JIM & SAMELLA’S—It’s a revolving menu of soul food delight from Chef Talbert Fleming, with anything from Southern ribs to fried tamales.

841 Bullington Ave. 265-8761. L, D, X, $ LEONARD’S—Serves wet and dry ribs, barbecue sandwiches, spaghetti, catfish, homemade onion rings, and lemon icebox pie; also a lunch buffet. 5465 Fox Plaza. 360-1963. L, X, $-$$ MARLOWE’S—In addition to its signature barbecue and ribs, Marlowe’s serves Southern-style steaks, chops, lasagna, and more. 4381 Elvis Presley Blvd. 332-4159. D, X, MRA, $-$$ 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 901 HOT POT & KOREAN BBQ—All-you-can-eat hot pot and Korean BBQ, from short ribs to garlic shrimp. 2965 N. Germantown Pkwy. 512-4963. L, D, X, $$-$$$ BISCUITS & JAMS—Biscuits, waffles, French toast, and plenty of sharables at this Bartlett breakfast spot. Closed Mon./Tue. 5806 Stage Rd. 672-7905. B, L, X, $ BRYANT’S BREAKFAST—Slingin’ famous biscuits, plate lunches, chicken fried steak, and other breakfast classics since 1968. 3965 Summer Ave. 324-7494. B, L, $ CEVICHERIA AND GRILL CHILEMON—Ceviche, of course, but also plenty of other postres, aperitivos, and mixed grilled meat and seafood feasts. Closed Sun. 4509 Summer Ave. 672-7905. L, D, $ CHEF FLAVAS AND BARTLETT BREAKFAST FACTORY— ”Flavaful” sandwiches, soups, pastas, and more from the makers of the popular local spinach artichoke dip. Traditional breakfast options served by Bartlett Breakfast Factory. Closed Sun./Mon. 6301 Stage Rd. 779-2200. B, L, D, X, $-$$ DIM SUM KING—All the best from a selection of authentic Chinese dishes: roasted duck, sizzling hot plate, Cantonese BBQ, and plenty more. 5266 Summer Ave. #65. 766-0831. L, D, X, $-$$ ELWOOD’S SHACK—Casual comfort food includes tacos, pizza, and sandwiches. Specialties include meats smoked in-house (chicken, turkey, brisket, pork), barbecue pizza, and steelhead trout tacos. 4523 Summer. 761-9898; 4040 Park Ave. 754-2520. 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.

L, D, X , MRA, $ LA TAQUERIA GUADALUPANA—Fajitas and quesadillas are just a few of the authentic Mexican entrees offered here. A bonafide Memphis institution. 4818 Summer. 685-6857; 5848 Winchester.

365-4992. L, D, X, $ LOTUS—Authentic Vietnamese-Asian fare, including lemon-grass chicken and shrimp, egg rolls, Pho soup, and spicy Vietnamese vermicelli. 4970 Summer. 682-1151. D, X, $ MORTIMER’S—Contemporary American entrees include trout almondine, chicken dishes, and hand-cut steaks; also sandwiches, salads, and daily/nightly specials. A Memphis landmark since the Knickerbocker closed. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. 590 N. Perkins. 7619321. L, D, X, $-$$ NAGASAKI INN—Chicken, steak, and lobster are among the main courses; meal is cooked at your table. 3951 Summer. 454-0320. D, X, $$

NAM KING—General Tso’s chicken, hot and sour soup, and homemade chicken wings are back at the longtime Raleigh Chinese eatery. 3624 Austin Peay Highway, #3. 373-4411. L, D, $-$$ ÓRALE TACOS & BAKERY—Tacos, enchiladas, and other traditional Southern Mexican dishes alongside baked pan dulces. 2204 Whitten Rd. 571-1786. B, L, D, $-$$ PANDA GARDEN—Sesame chicken and broccoli beef are among the Mandarin and Cantonese entrees; also seafood specials and fried rice.

Closed for lunch Saturday. 3735 Summer. 323-4819. L, D, 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, $-$$ TORTILLERIA LA UNICA—Individual helping of Mexican street food, including hefty tamales, burritos, tortas, and sopes. 5015 Summer Ave. 685-0097. B, L, 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, $ CELEBRITY’S SOUL FOOD—Classic soul food dishes coupled with a Hollywood-esque VIP experience. 431 S. Highland St., Ste 105. L, D, X , $$ CHAR RESTAURANT—Specializing in modern Southern cuisine, this eatery offers homestyle sides, charbroiled steaks, and fresh seafood. 431 S. Highland, Suite 120. 249-3533. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ DERAE RESTAURANT—Ethiopian and Mediterranean fare includes fuul, or fava beans in spices and yogurt, goat meat and rice, and garlic chicken over basmati rice with cilantro chutney; also salmon and tilapia. Closed Monday. 923 S. Highland. 552-3992. B, L, D, $-$$ EL PORTON—Fajitas, quesadillas, and steak ranchero are just a few of the menu items. 2095 Merchants Row (Germantown). 754-4268; 8361 Highway 64. 380-7877; 3448 Poplar (Poplar Plaza). 452-7330; 1805 N. Germantown Parkway (Cordova). 624-9358; 1016 W. Poplar (Collierville).

854-5770. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ MEDALLION—Offers steaks, seafood, chicken, and pasta entrees.

Closed for dinner Sunday. 3700 Central, Holiday Inn (Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality). 678-1030. B, L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ OPEN FLAME—This authentic Persian and Mediterranean eatery specializes in shish kebabs as well as kosher and halal fare. 3445 Poplar.

207-4995. L, D, X, $ PLANT BASED HEAT—All of your favorite Southern-style recipes, but deliciously transformed into a vegan format. Specialties include the spicy fye junt burger, or the chopped ‘n’ smoked bbq jackfruit sandwich.

Closed Sun. 669 S. Highland St.; 363 S. Front St. (Downtown). L, D, $ SAM’S DELI—Everything from sandwiches to bibimbap bowls at this local favorite. Closed Mon./Tue. 643 S. Highland St. 454-5582. L, D, $ EAST MEMPHIS (INCLUDES POPLAR/I-240) ACRE—Features seasonal modern American cuisine in an avantegarde setting using locally sourced products; also small plates and enclosed garden patio. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. 690 S. Perkins. 818-2273. L, D, 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, $-$$ AMERIGO—Traditional and contemporary Italian cuisine includes pasta, wood-fired pizza, steaks, and cedarwood-roasted fish. 1239 Ridgeway, Park Place Mall. 761-4000. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ ANDALUSIA— Authentic Moroccan cuisine, including tagines, brochettes, and briouates. 5101 Sanderlin Ave., Suite 103. 236-7784. L, D, $-$$ ANDREW MICHAEL ITALIAN KITCHEN—Traditional Italian cuisine with a menu from two of the city’s top chefs that changes seasonally with such entrees as Maw Maw’s ravioli. Closed Sun.-Mon. 712 W. Brookhaven Circle. 347-3569. D, X, MRA, $$-$$$ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 75

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MEMPHIS DINING GUIDE

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, $ ANTIGUA MEXICAN BAR & GRILL—Tortas, tacos, and other authentic Mexican cuisine alongside freshly-made salsa, guacamole, and white queso dip. 717 N. White Station Rd. 761-1374. L, D, $-$$ BANGKOK ALLEY—Thai fusion cuisine includes noodle and curry dishes, chef-specialty sushi rolls, coconut soup, and duck and seafood entrees. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. at Brookhaven location; call for hours. 715 W. Brookhaven Circle. 590-2585; 2150 W. Poplar at Houston Levee (Collierville). 854-8748. L, D, X, $-$$ BELLE MEADE SOCIAL—Upscale Americana cuisine including lamb lollipops, spicy tuna stack, and steak & noodle salad. 518 Perkins Extd. 480-7054. L, D, $-$$$ BELMONT GRILL—Burgers, steak sandwiches, and other classic American fare at one of Memphis’ longstanding bars. 4970 Poplar.

767-0305. L, D, X, $-$$ BENIHANA—This Japanese steakhouse serves beef, chicken, and seafood grilled at the table; some menu items change monthly; sushi bar also featured. 912 Ridge Lake Blvd. 767-8980. L, D, X, $$-$$$ BIG BAD BREAKFAST—Fresh biscuits, house-made cured meats, jams, jellies, and more for the most important meal of the day. 6450 Poplar. 881-3346. B, L, X, $-$$ BOG & BARLEY—An all-Irish fine dining experience by the owners of Celtic Crossing, and a full bar with plenty of beer and 25-year-old Mccallan. 6150 Poplar, Suite 124. 805-2262. L, D, WB, X, $-$$ BROOKLYN BRIDGE ITALIAN RESTAURANT—Specializing in such homemade entrees as spinach lasagna and lobster ravioli; a seafood specialty is horseradish-crusted salmon. Closed Sun. 1779 Kirby Pkwy.

755-7413. D, X, $-$$$ BRYANT’S BREAKFAST—Three-egg omelets, pancakes, and The Sampler Platter are among the popular entrees here. Possibly the best biscuits in town. Closed Mon. and Tues. 3965 Summer. 324-7494. B, L, X, $ BUCKLEY’S FINE FILET GRILL—Specializes in steaks, seafood, and pasta. (Lunchbox serves entree salads, burgers, and more.) 5355 Poplar.

683-4538; 919 S. Yates (Buckley’s Lunchbox), 682-0570. L (Yates only, M-F), D, X, $-$$ CAPITAL GRILLE—Known for its dry-aged, hand-carved steaks; among the specialties are bone-in sirloin, and porcini-rubbed Delmonico; also seafood entrees and seasonal lunch plates. Closed for lunch Sat.Sun. Crescent Center, 6065 Poplar. 683-9291. L, D, X, $$$-$$$$ CASABLANCA—Lamb shawarma is one of the fresh, homemade specialties served at this Mediterranean/Moroccan restaurant; fish entrees and vegetarian options also available. 5030 Poplar. 725-8557; 1707 Madison. 421-6949. L, D, X, $-$$ CHUKIS TACOS 2—Traditional homestyle Mexican recipes.

3445 Poplar Ave., Suite 1. 888-4139. B, L, D, $-$$ CIAO BELLA—Among the Italian and Greek specialties are lasagna, seafood pasta, gourmet pizzas, and vegetarian options. 5101 Sanderlin Ave. 205-2500. D, X, MRA, $-$$$ 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. Germantown: 7605 W. Farmington Blvd., Suite 2. 236-7223. B, L, D, X, $ COASTAL FISH COMPANY—Upscale offerings of international fish varieties utilizing styles ranging from Carribbean, East Coast, West Coast, Chinese, to Filipino, and more. 415 Great View Dr. E., Suite 101. 266-9000. D, X, $$-$$$ 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, $-$$ DAN MCGUINNESS PUB—Serves fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, burgers, and other Irish and American fare; also lunch and dinner specials. 4694 Spottswood. 761-3711; 3964 Goodman Rd. 662-8907611. L, D, X, $ DORY—Chef David Krog whips up Southern specialties with classic French techniques and locally sourced ingredients. Current specialties include pork tenderloin, beef bourguignon, or cocoa-dusted chocolate truffles, with new weekly additions. 716 W. Brookhaven Circle.

310-4290. L, D, X, $$-$$$ ERLING JENSEN—For decades, 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, $$-$$$

ERLING JENSEN SMALL BITES—Enjoy Erling Jensen’s specialty dishes in a sharable, small plate format alongside TopGolf Swing suites.

5069 Sanderlin Ave. 587-9464. L, D, X, $-$$$ FLEMING’S PRIME STEAKHOUSE—Serves wet-aged and dry-aged steaks, prime beef, chops, and seafood, including salmon, Australian lobster tails, and a catch of the day. 6245 Poplar. 761-6200. D, X, MRA, $$$-$$$$ FOLK’S FOLLY ORIGINAL PRIME STEAK HOUSE— Specializes in prime steaks, as well as lobster, grilled Scottish salmon, Alaskan king crab legs, rack of lamb, and weekly specials. 551 S. Mendenhall. 762-8200. D, X, MRA, $$$-$$$$ FORMOSA—Offers Mandarin cuisine, including broccoli beef, hot-andsour soup, and spring rolls. Closed Mon. 6685 Quince. 753-9898. L, D, X , $-$$ FOX RIDGE PIZZA & GRILL—Pizzas, calzones, sub sandwiches, burgers, and meat-and-two plate lunches are among the dishes served at this eatery, which opened in 1979. 711 W. Brookhaven Circle. 758-6500.

L, D, X, $ FRATELLI’S—Serves hot and cold sandwiches, salads, soups, and desserts, all with an Italian/Mediterranean flair. Closed Sun. 750 Cherry Rd., Memphis Botanic Garden. 766-9900. L, X, $ FRANK GRISANTI ITALIAN RESTAURANT—Northern Italian favorites include pasta with jumbo shrimp and mushrooms; also seafood, filet mignon, and daily lunch specials. Closed for lunch Sun. Embassy Suites Hotel, 1022 S. Shady Grove. 761-9462. L, D, X, $-$$$ HALF SHELL—Specializes in seafood, such as king crab legs; also serves steaks, chicken, pastas, salads, sandwiches, a ”voodoo menu”; oyster bar at Winchester location. 688 S. Mendenhall. 682-3966; 7825 Winchester. 737-6755. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ HEN HOUSE—Hybrid wine/cocktail bar and tasting room with plenty of cosmopolitan eats. Closed Sun. 679 S. Mendenhall. 499-5436. D, $-$$$ HIGH POINT PIZZA—Serves a variety of pizzas, subs, salads, and sides. Closed Mon. A neighborhood fixture. 477 High Point Terrace.

452-3339. L, D, X, $-$$ 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. And with a few surprises this time around.

Closed for lunch Mon. 707 W. Brookhaven Cir. 207-7396. L, D, SB, X, MRA. $-$$$ HOUSTON’S—Serves steaks, seafood, pork chops, chicken dishes, sandwiches, salads, and Chicago-style spinach dip. Famous for first-class service. 5000 Poplar. 683-0915. L, D, X $-$$$ LA BAGUETTE—An almond croissant and chicken salad are among specialties at this French-style bistro. Closed for dinner Sun. 3088 Poplar. 458-0900. B, L, D (closes at 7), X, MRA, $ LAS DELICIAS—Popular for its guacamole, house-made tortilla chips, and margaritas, this restaurant draws diners with its chicken enchiladas, meat-stuffed flautas, and Cuban torta with spicy pork. Closed Sun. 4002 Park Ave. 458-9264; 5689 Quince. 800-2873. L, D, X, $ LIBRO AT LAURELWOOD—Bookstore eatery features a variety of sandwiches, salads, and homemade pasta dishes, with Italian-inspired options such as carbonara and potato gnocchi. Closed for dinner Sun. 387 Perkins Ext. (Novel). 800-2656. B, L, D, SB, X, $-$$ LITTLE ITALY EAST—New York-style pizzas galore and homemade pasta. Closed Sun. 6300 Poplar Ave., Ste. 113. 729-7432. L, $-$$ LOST PIZZA—Offering pizzas (with dough made from scratch), pasta, salads, sandwiches, tamales, and more. 2855 Poplar. 572-1803; 5960 Getwell (Southaven). 662-892-8684. L, D, X, $-$$ MAGNOLIA & MAY—Southern-inspired, family-owned, casual dining restaurant serving up a variety of sandwiches, chef-inspired dishes, and craft cocktails. Popular items include shrimp and grits and the double cheeseburger. Closed Mon. 718 Mt. Moriah Rd. 676-8100. L, D, WB, X, MRA. $$-$$$.

MAHOGANY MEMPHIS—Upscale Southern restaurant offers such dishes as coffee-rubbed lamb chops and baked Cajun Cornish hen. Closed for dinner Sun. and all day Mon.-Tues. 3092 Poplar, Suite 11. 623-7977.

L, D, SB, X, $-$$$ MARCIANO MEDITERRANEAN AND ITALIAN CUISINE—Veal Saltimbocca with angel-hair pasta and white wine sauce is among the entrees; also steaks, seafood, and gourmet pizza. 780 E. Brookhaven Cir. 682-1660. D, X, $-$$ MAYURI INDIAN CUISINE—Serves tandoori chicken, masala dosa, tikka masala, as well as lamb and shrimp entrees; also a daily lunch buffet, and dinner buffet on Fri.-Sat. 6524 Quince Rd. 753-8755. L, D, X , $-$$ MELLOW MUSHROOM—Large menu includes assortment of pizzas, salads, calzones, hoagies, vegetarian options, and 50 beers on tap. 5138

Park Ave. 562-1211; 9155 Poplar, Shops of Forest Hill (Germantown).

907-0243. L, D, X, $-$$ MOSA ASIAN BISTRO—Specialties include sesame chicken, Thai calamari, rainbow panang curry with grouper fish, and other Pan Asian/ fusion entrees. Closed Mon. 850 S. White Station Rd. 683-8889. L, D, X , MRA, $ NAM KING—Offers luncheon and dinner buffets, dim sum, and such specialties as fried dumplings, pepper steak, and orange chicken. 4594 Yale. 373-4411. L, D, X, $ NAPA CAFE—Among the specialties are miso-marinated salmon over black rice with garlic spinach and shiitake mushrooms. Closed Sun. 5101 Sanderlin, Suite 122. 683-0441. L, D, X, MRA, $$-$$$ NEW HUNAN—Chinese eatery with more than 80 entrees; also lunch/ dinner buffets. 5052 Park. 766-1622. L, D, X, $ ONE & ONLY BBQ—On the menu are pork barbecue sandwiches, platters, wet and dry ribs, smoked chicken and turkey platters, a smoked meat salad, barbecue quesadillas, Brunswick Stew, and Millie’s homemade desserts. 1779 Kirby Pkwy. 751-3615; 567 Perkins Extd.

249-4227. L, D, X, $ ONO POKÉ—This eatery specializes in poké — a Hawaiian dish of fresh fish salad served over rice. Menu includes a variety of poké bowls, like the Kimchi Tuna bowl, or customers can build their own by choosing a base, protein, veggies, and toppings. 3145 Poplar.

618-2955. L, D, X , $ OWEN BRENNAN’S—New Orleans-style menu of beef, chicken, pasta, and seafood; jambalaya, shrimp and grits, and crawfish etouffee are specialties. Closed for dinner Sun. The Regalia, 6150 Poplar. 761-0990.

L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ PARK + CHERRY—The Dixon offers casual dining within the museum.

Seasonal menu features sandwiches, like rustic chicken salad on croissant, as well as salads, snacks, and sweets. Closed for breakfast Sun. and all day Mon. 4339 Park (Dixon Gallery and Gardens). 761-5250. L, X, $ PATRICK’S—Serves barbecue nachos, burgers, and entrees such as fish and chips; also plate lunches and daily specials. 4972 Park.

682-2852. L, D, X, MRA, $ PETE & SAM’S—Serving Memphis for 60-plus years; offers steaks, seafood, and traditional Italian dishes, including homemade ravioli, lasagna, and chicken marsala. 3886 Park. 458-0694. D, X, $-$$$ PF CHANG’S CHINA BISTRO—Specialties are orange peel shrimp, Mongolian beef, and chicken in lettuce wraps; also vegetarian dishes, including spicy eggplant. 1181 Ridgeway Rd., Park Place Centre. 8183889. L, D, X, $-$$ PHO SAIGON—Vietnamese fare includes beef teriyaki, roasted quail, curry ginger chicken, vegetarian options, and a variety of soups. 2946 Poplar. 458-1644. L, D, $ PIMENTO’S KITCHEN + MARKET—Fresh sandwiches, soups, salads, and plenty of pimento cheese at this family-owned restaurant. 6540 Poplar Ave. 602-5488 (Collierville: 3751 S. Houston Levee. 453-6283). L, D, X, $ PYRO’S FIRE-FRESH PIZZA—Serving gourmet pizzas cooked in an open-fire oven, wide choice of toppings, and large local and craft beer selection. 1199 Ridgeway. 379-8294; 2035 Union Ave. 208-8857; 2286 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 207-1198; 3592 S. Houston Levee (Collierville). 221-8109. L, D, X, MRA, $ THE READY ROOM—Duck wontons, bananas “Oscar,” and plenty of other bar snacks and entrees at Hook Point Brewing Co.’s taproom. Closed Mon./Tues. 715 W. Brookhaven Cir. 487-6931. L, D, WB, X , $-$$ RED HOOK CAJUN SEAFOOD & BAR—Cajun-style array of seafood including shrimp, mussels, clams, crawfish, and oysters. 3295 Poplar.

207-1960. L, D, X, $-$$ RED KOI—Classic Japanese cuisine offered at this family-run restaurant; hibachi steaks, sushi, seafood, chicken, and vegetables. 5847 Poplar. 767-3456. L, D, X $-$$ RED PIER CAJUN SEAFOOD & BAR—Owners of Red Hook bring more cajun-style seafood dishes. 5901 Poplar Ave. 512-5923. L, D, X, $-$$$ RESTAURANT IRIS—French Creole-inspired classics, such as Gulf shrimp and rice grits congee served with lap chong sausage and boiled peanuts, are served at this newly remodeled restaurant owned

by Chef Kelly English, a Food and Wine “Top Ten.” 4550 Poplar. 5902828. L, D, X, $$-$$$ RIVER OAKS—Chef Jose Gutierrez’s French-style bistro serves seafood and steaks, with an emphasis on fresh local ingredients.

Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. 5871 Poplar Ave. 683-9305. L, D, X , $$$ RONNIE GRISANTI’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT— This Memphis institution serves some family classics such as Elfo’s Special and handmade ravioli, along with house-made pizza and fresh oysters. Closed Sun. 6150 Poplar, Suite 122. 850-0191. D, X, $-$$$

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s i h p Mem e SercPehon to Contest

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1/17/24 10:55 AM

MEMPHIS DINING GUIDE

ROTOLO’S CRAFT & CRUST—Louisiana-based pizza company’s first Memphis location, whipping up pizza pies with homemade sauces and fresh ingredients, pasta, wings, and other shareables. 681 S. White Station. 454-3352. L, D, X, $-$$ RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE—Offers prime steaks cut and aged in-house, as well as lamb, chicken, and fresh seafood, including lobster.

6120 Poplar. 761-0055. D, X, $$$-$$$$ SALSA—Mexican-Southern California specialties include carnitas, enchiladas verde, and fajitas; also Southwestern seafood dishes such as snapper verde. Closed Sun. Regalia Shopping Center, 6150 Poplar, Suite 129. 683-6325. L, D, X, $-$$ SAUCY CHICKEN—Specializes in antibiotic-free chicken dishes with locally sourced ingredients, with such items as hot wings and the Crosstown Chicken Sandwich, and a variety of house-made dipping sauces; also, seafood, salads, and daily specials. Closed Sun. 4715 Poplar.

907-0741. L, D, $ SEASONS 52—This elegant fresh grill and wine bar offers a seasonally changing menu using fresh ingredients, wood-fire grilling, and brick-oven cooking; also a large international wine list and nightly piano bar.

Crescent Center, 6085 Poplar. 682-9952. L, D, X, $$-$$$ SOBEAST—Eastern branch of the popular South of Beale, featuring the restaurant’s traditional staples, as well as rotating special menu items.

5040 Sanderlin. 818-0821. L, D, SB, 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; 3660 S. Houston Levee Road, Ste 104 (Collierville). 286-4335; 7704 Poplar (Germantown). 800-1951; 2902 May Blvd. (Southaven). B, L, WB, X, $ SWANKY’S TACO SHOP—Taco-centric eatery offers tortas, flatbreads, quesadillas, chimichangas, burgers, and more. 4770 Poplar.

730-0763; 6641 Poplar (Germantown). 737-2088; 272 S. Main. 7793499. L, D, X, $ THREE LITTLE PIGS—Pork-shoulder-style barbecue with tangy mild or hot sauce, freshly made coleslaw, and baked beans. 5145 Quince Rd. 685-7094. B, L, D, X, $ TOPS BAR-B-Q—Specializes in pork barbecue sandwiches and sandwich plates with beans and slaw; also serves ribs, beef brisket, and burgers. 1286 Union. 725-7527; 4183 Summer. 324-4325; 5391 Winchester. 794-7936; 3970 Rhodes. 323-9865; 6130 Macon. 3710580. For more locations, go online. L, D, X, $ TORCHY’S TACOS—Plenty of Tex-Mex variety, with creative monthly special tacos. 719 S. Mendenhall. 343-8880. B, L, D, X, $ VENICE KITCHEN—Specializes in “eclectic Italian” and Southern Creole, from pastas, including the “Godfather,” to hand-tossed pizzas, including the “John Wayne”; choose from 50 toppings. 368 Perkins Ext. 767-6872. L, D, SB, X, $-$$ WANG’S MANDARIN HOUSE—Offers Mandarin, Cantonese, Szechuan, and spicy Hunan entrees, including the golden-sesame chicken; next door is East Tapas, serving small plates with an Asian twist.

6065 Park Ave., Park Place Mall. 763-0676. L, D, X, $-$$ WASABI—Serving traditional Japanese offerings, hibachi, sashimi, and sushi. The Sweet Heart roll, wrapped — in the shape of a heart — with tuna and filled with spicy salmon, yellowtail, and avocado, is a specialty.

5101 Sanderlin Rd., Suite 105. 421-6399. L, D, X, $-$$ THE WING GURU—A staple of the Memphis wing scene, featuring everything from classic buffalo to exquisite lemon pepper. 5699 Mt. Moriah Rd. 509-2405; 875 W. Poplar Ave., Ste. 6 (Collierville). 221-7488; 8253 Highway 51, North Suite #103 (Millington). 872-0849; 4130 Elvis Presley Blvd (Whitehaven) 791-4726; 5224 Airline Rd., Ste. 107 (Arlington). 209-0349. L, D, X, $-$$ WOMAN’S EXCHANGE TEA ROOM—Chicken-salad plate, beef tenderloin, soups-and-sandwiches, vegetable plates, and homemade desserts are specialties. Closed Sat.-Sun. 88 Racine. 327-5681. L, X, $ CORDOVA BOMBAY HOUSE—Indian fare includes lamb korma and chicken tikka; also, a daily luncheon buffet. 1727 N. Germantown Pkwy. 755-4114. L, D, X, $-$$ THE BUTCHER SHOP—Serves steaks ranging from 8-oz. filets to a 20-oz. porterhouse; also chicken, pork chops, fresh seafood. 107 S. Germantown Rd. 757-4244. L (Fri. and Sun.), D, X, $$-$$$ GREEN BAMBOO—Pineapple tilapia, pork vermicelli, and the soft egg noodle combo are Vietnamese specialties here. 990 N. Germantown Parkway, Suite 104. 753-5488. L, D, $-$$ JIM ’N NICK’S BAR-B-Q—Serves barbecued pork, ribs, chicken, brisket, and fish, along with other homemade Southern specialties. 2359 N. Germantown Pkwy. 388-0998. L, D, X, $-$$ EL MERO TACO—This food truck turned restaurant serves up Mexican and Southern-style fusion dishes, including fried chicken tacos, chorizo

con papas tacos, and brisket quesadillas. 8100 Macon Station, Suite 102.

308-1661. Closed Sun.-Mon. L, D, WB, X, $ OPTIONS—Burgers, wings, philly cheesesteaks, and more comfort food options. Closed Mon.-Thu. 7940 Fischer Steel Rd. 245-6048. D, SB, $-$$ POKÉ WORLD—Serves up Hawaiian poké bowls filled with rice and diced, raw fish. Also offers Taiwanese bubble tea and rolled ice cream for dessert. 1605 N. Germantown Pkwy., Suite 111. 623-7986. East Memphis: 575 Erin Dr. 779-4971. L, D, $ SHOGUN JAPANESE RESTAURANT—Entrees include tempura, teriyaki, and sushi, as well as grilled fish and chicken entrees. 2324 N. Germantown Pkwy. 384-4122. L, D, X, $-$$ TANNOOR GRILL—Brazilian-style steakhouse with skewers served tableside, along with Middle Eastern specialties; vegetarian options also available. 830 N. Germantown Pkwy. 443-5222. L, D, X, $-$$$ GERMANTOWN BLUE HONEY BISTRO—Entrees at this upscale eatery include brown butter scallops served with Mississippi blue rice and herbcrusted beef tenderloin with vegetables and truffle butter. Closed Sun. 9155 Poplar, Suite 17. 552-3041. D, X, $-$$$ THE CRAZY COOP—Plenty of hot wings and sauces, plus sandwiches and other dinner plates. 1315 Ridgeway Rd. 748-5325; 7199 Stage Rd. (Bartlett). 433-9212. L, D, $-$$ DIMSUM MEM—Traditional Chinese food truck takes over the New Asia space. 2075 Exeter Rd., Ste. 90. L, D, X, $-$$ GERMANTOWN COMMISSARY—Serves barbecue sandwiches, sliders, ribs, shrimp, and nachos, as well as smoked barbecued bologna sandwiches; Mon.-night all-you-can-eat ribs. 2290 S. Germantown Rd. S. 754-5540. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ LAS TORTUGAS DELI MEXICANA—Authentic Mexican food prepared from local food sources; specializes in tortugas — grilled bread scooped out to hold such powerfully popular fillings as brisket, pork, and shrimp; also tingas, tostados. Closed Sun. 1215 S. Germantown Rd. 751-1200; 6300 Poplar. 623-3882. L, D, X, $-$$ LIMELIGHT—Wolf River Hospitality Group brings Wagyu beef, duck gnocchi, and other fine dining dishes on a rotating seasonal menu. Closed Mon./Tue. 7724 Poplar Pike. 791-2328. D, X, $-$$$ LOCAL LIME—Tacos and margaritas in a casual environment, plus other goodies like the Mexican caramel apple crisp skillet. Closed Mon. 7605 W. Farmington Blvd., Suite 1. 224-2204. L, D, X, $-$$$ MOONDANCE GRILL—From the owners of Itta Bena and Lafayette’s.

Serves steak cooked sous vide and seafood dishes including Abita-barbecued shrimp and pan-seared sand dab, in addition to an extensive wine and cocktail list. 1730 S. Germantown Road, Suite 117. 755-1471. L, D, X, $$-$$$ NOODLES ASIAN BISTRO—Serves a variety of traditional Asian cuisine, with emphasis on noodle dishes, such as Singapore Street Noodles and Hong Kong Chow Fun. 7850 Poplar, Suite 12. 755-1117. L, D, X, $ PETALS OF A PEONY—Authentic Sichuan cuisine, from crispy duck to peony fried chicken. Be prepared for spice! 1250 N. Germantown Pkwy. L, D, X, $-$$ PETRA CAFÉ—Serves Greek, Italian, and Middle Eastern sandwiches, gyros, and entrees. Hours vary; call. 6641 Poplar. 754-4440; 547 S. Highland. 323-3050. L, D, X, $-$$ ROCK’N DOUGH PIZZA CO.—Specialty and custom pizzas made from fresh ingredients; wide variety of toppings. 7850 Poplar, Suite 6.

779-2008. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $$ ROYAL PANDA—Hunan fish, Peking duck, Royal Panda chicken and shrimp, and a seafood combo are among the specialties. 3120 Village Shops Dr. 756-9697. L, D, X, $-$$ SAKURA—Sushi, tempura, and teriyaki are Japanese specialties here.

2060 West St. 758-8181; 4840 Poplar. 572-1002; 255 New Byhalia Rd. 316-5638. L, D, X, $-$$ SOUTHERN SOCIAL—Shrimp and grits, stuffed quail, and Aunt Thelma’s Fried Chicken are among the dishes served at this upscale Southern establishment. 2285 S. Germantown Rd. 754-5555. D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ STONEY RIVER STEAKHOUSE AND GRILL—Specializes in hand-cut steaks, a fresh seafood selection, and plenty of house specials. 7515 Poplar Ave., Suite 101. 207-1100. L, D, X, $$-$$$$ SUFI’S MEDITERRANEAN GRILL & BAR—Offers authentic Mediterranean and Persian cuisine, from hummus shawarma to traditional moussaka. Closed Mon.. 7609 Poplar Pike. 779-2200. L, D, X, $-$$$ TAZIKI’S—Mediterranean-inspired dishes all made from scratch. 7850 Poplar Ave., Suite 26. 612-2713. East Memphis: 540 S. Mendenhall Rd. 290-1091. Bartlett: 7974 US-64. 203-0083. L, D, $

THE TOASTED YOLK CAFE—Churro donuts, signature Eggs Benedict, and plenty other boozy brunch options at this franchise’s first Tennessee location. 9087 Poplar Ave., Ste. 11. B, L, X, $-$$ UNCLE GOYO’S—More than 30 dishes with a focus on authentic Mexican cuisine, from the brains behind TacoNganas. 1730 S. Germantown Rd. L, D, X , $-$$ 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, $ ZEN JAPANESE FINE CUISINE—A full sushi bar and plenty of authentic Japanese dishes, like Hibachi or Wagyu beef. 1730 S. Germantown Rd. 779-2796. L, D, X, X, $-$$$ COLLIERVILLE CAFE PIAZZA BY PAT LUCCHESI—Specializes in gourmet pizzas (including create-your-own), panini sandwiches, and pasta. Closed Sun. 139 S. Rowlett St. 861-1999. L, D, X, $-$$ CIAO BABY—Specializing in Neapolitan-style pizza made in a wood-fired oven. Also serves house-made mozzarella, pasta, appetizers, and salads. 890 W. Poplar, Suite 1. 457-7457. L, D, X, $ COLLIERVILLE COMMISSARY—Serves barbecue sandwiches, sliders, ribs, shrimp, and nachos, as well as smoked barbecued bologna sandwiches.

3573 S. Houston Levee Rd. 979-5540. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ COLLIERVILLE PIZZA COMPANY—Family-friendly and locally owned pizza company featuring live music and other events. 144 US 72. L, D, X, $-$$ DAVID GRISANTI’S ON MAIN—Serving Northern Italian cuisine and traditional Grisanti family recipes. Closed Sun./Mon. 148 N Main.

861-1777. L, D, X, $-$$$ DYER’S CAFE—Juicy hamburgers, split dogs, and milkshakes at the historic Collierville restaurant. 101 N. Center St. 850-7750. L, D, X, $-$$ 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). 7551447; 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, lemongrass chicken, and several noodle, rice, and vegetarian dishes are offered at this family restaurant. Closed Sunday. 8950 Highway 64 (Lakeland, TN).

384-0540. L, D, X, $-$$ FIREBIRDS—Specialties are hand-cut steaks, slow-roasted prime rib, and wood-grilled salmon and other seafood, as well as seasonal entrees. 4600 Merchants Circle, Carriage Crossing. 850-1637; 8470 Highway 64 (Bartlett).

379-1300. L, D, X, $-$$$ JIM’S PLACE GRILLE—Features American, Greek, and Continental cuisine. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. 3660 Houston Levee. 8615000. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$$ MULAN ASIAN BISTRO—Hunan Chicken, tofu dishes, and orange beef served here; sushi and Thai food, too. 2059 Houston Levee. 850-5288; 2149 Young. 347-3965; 4698 Spottswood. 609-8680. L, D, X, $-$$ OSAKA JAPANESE CUISINE—Featuring an extensive sushi menu as well as traditional Japanese and hibachi dining. Hours vary for lunch; call. 3670 Houston Levee. 861-4309; 3402 Poplar. 249-4690; 7164 Hacks Cross (Olive Branch). 662-890-9312; 2200 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova).

425-4901. L, D, X, $-$$$ RAVEN & LILY—Eatery offers innovative Southern-inspired cuisine with such dishes as crispy shrimp and cauliflower salad, spiced lamb sausage and parmesan risotto, and bananas foster pain perdu. Closed Mon. 120 E. Mulberry. 286-4575. L, D, SB, X, $-$$ 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. 150 Peabody Place, Suite 115 (Downtown). 207-7638 L, D, X, $-$$ WOLF RIVER BRISKET CO.—From the owners of Pyro’s Fire Fresh Pizza, highlights include house-smoked meats: prime beef brisket, chicken, and salmon. Closed Sun. 9947 Wolf River Boulevard, Suite 101. 316-5590; 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 165. 791-4389 L, D, X, $-$$ ZOPITA’S ON THE SQUARE—Cafe offers sandwiches, including smoked salmon and pork tenderloin, as well as salads and desserts. Closed Sun. 114 N. Main. 457-7526. L, D, X, $ OUT-OF-TOWN BOZO’S HOT PIT BAR-B-Q—Barbecue, burgers, sandwiches, and subs.

342 Highway 70 (Mason, TN). 901-294-3400. L, D, X, $-$$ CATFISH BLUES—Serving Delta-raised catfish and Cajun- and Southerninspired dishes, including gumbo and fried green tomatoes. 210 E. Commerce (Hernando, MS). 662-298-3814. L, D, $

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MEMPHIS DINING GUIDE

CITY GROCERY—Southern eclectic cuisine; shrimp and grits is a specialty. Closed for dinner Sun. 152 Courthouse Square (Oxford, MS).

662-232-8080. L, D, SB, X, $$-$$$ COMO STEAKHOUSE—Steaks cooked on a hickory charcoal grill are a specialty here. Upstairs is an oyster bar. Closed Sun. 203 Main St. (Como, MS). 662-526-9529. D, X, $-$$$ ELFO GRISANTI’S NORTHERN ITALIAN CUISINE—Grisanti family classics like lasagna, homemade ravioli, garlic bread, and Northern Italian pizza. Closed Sun. 5627 Getwell Rd. (Southaven, MS).

662-470-4497. L, D, X, $-$$ LONG ROAD CIDER CO.—Specializes in hard apple ciders made with traditional methods. Cafe-style entrees include black-eyed peas with cornbread and greens, chicken Gorgonzola pockets, cider-steamed sausage, and housemade ice creams. Closed Sun.-Wed. 9053 Barret Road. (Barretville, TN). 352-0962. D, X, $ MANILA FILIPINO RESTAURANT—Entrees include pork belly cutlet with lechon sauce, and shrimp and vegetables in tamarind broth; also daily combos, rice dishes, and chef specials. Closed Sun.-Mon. 7849 Rockford (Millington, TN). 209-8525. L, D, X, $

F E B R UA R Y

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FAIRBANKS AT THE HOLLYWOOD—1150 Casino Strip Blvd., Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-871-0711 IGNITE STEAKHOUSE AT SOUTHLAND CASINO RACING—1550 N. Ingram Blvd., West Memphis, AR, 1-800-467-6182 JACK BINION’S STEAK HOUSE AT HORSESHOE—1021 Casino Center Drive, Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-303-SHOE LUCKY 8 ASIAN BISTRO AT HORSESHOE—1021 Casino Center Drive, Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-303-SHOE SOUTHLAND CASINO HOTEL'S THE KITCHENS—1550 N. Ingram Blvd., West Memphis, AR, 1-800-467-6182 THE STEAKHOUSE AT THE FITZ—711 Lucky Ln., Robinsonville, MS, 1-888-766-LUCK, ext 8213 TWAIN’S STEAKHOUSE AT SAM’S TOWN TUNICA—1477 Casino Strip Resorts Boulevard, Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-456-0711

MARSHALL STEAKHOUSE—Rustic steakhouse serves premium Angus beef steaks, seafood dishes, rack of lamb, and more. 2379 Highway 178 (Holly Springs, MS). 628-3556. B, L, D, X, $-$$$ MEMPHIS BARBECUE COMPANY—Offers spare ribs, baby backs, and pulled pork and brisket. 709 Desoto Cove (Horn Lake, MS).

662-536-3762. L, D, X, $-$$ NAGOYA—Offers traditional Japanese cuisine and sushi bar; specialties are teriyaki and tempura dishes. 7075 Malco Blvd., Suite 101 (Southaven, MS). 662-349-8788. L, D, X, $-$$$ PIG-N-WHISTLE—Offers pork shoulder sandwiches, wet and dry ribs, catfish, nachos, and stuffed barbecue potatoes. 6084 KerrRosemark Rd. (Millington, TN). 872-2455. L, D, X, $ RAVINE—Serves contemporary Southern cuisine with an emphasis on fresh, locally grown foods and a menu that changes weekly. Closed Mon.-Tues. 53 Pea Ridge/County Rd. 321 (Oxford, MS). 662-2344555. D, SB, X, $$-$$$ SAINT LEO’S—Offering sophisticated pizzas, pastas, sandwiches, and salads. A James Beard nominee for Best New Restaurant in 2017.

1101 Jackson (Oxford, MS). 662-234-4555. D, L, WB, X, $-$$ SIMON’S—A unique dining experience situated in a charming, small town. Closed Sun./Mon. 201 N. Main St. (Bolivar, TN).

731-403-3474. L, D, $$-$$$$ SNACKBAR—An intriguing mix of “French Bistro with North Mississippi Cafe.” Serving a confit duck Croque Monsieur, watermelon-cucumber chaat, pan-fried quail, plus a daily plate special and a raw bar. 721 N. Lamar (Oxford, MS). 662-236-6363. D, X, $-$$$ TEKILA MODERN MEXICAN—Modern interpretations of classic dishes from all over Mexico. 6343 Getwell Rd. (Southaven, MS). 662-510-5734. B, L, D, X, $-$$ WILSON CAFE— An impressive culinary destination in the heart of the Arkansas Delta. Serving jambalaya, Waygu flatiron, butternut ravioli, swordfish & shrimp kabobs, burgers. 2 N. Jefferson (Wilson, AR). 870-655-0222. L, D, WB, $-$$$

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F L AS H BAC K

Vieux Chalet

For years, this “old cottage” on Summer dished out some of the best New Orleans-style cuisine in our city.

BY VANCE L AUDERDALE

T

ucked away in a clapboard house at 3264 Summer, Vieux Chalet was one of our city’s most popular restaurants, and a good place to dine on New Orleans-style cuisine.

But it didn’t start out that way. In 1973, Dave Pierson and Jim Shannon decided to open a tiny, private restaurant and share their self-taught culinary skills with their friends. Pierson, a striking-looking fellow with a dark goatee, who had recently graduated from Southwestern at Memphis (now, of course, Rhodes College), was the primary chef. Well, word got out that the dishes and desserts these fellows were serving up were truly special, so they turned their venture into a full-fledged restaurant, open five nights a week instead of three, and Vieux Chalet — “old cottage,” more or less — soon became the talk of the town.

In 1983, our magazine’s dining critic, Tom Martin, proclaimed Vieux Chalet one of his favorite eateries and had this to say about its rather eclectic ambience: “The food is always dependable and well-prepared. The service is refined, yet friendly. When I’m there I really do feel like I’m dining at a friend’s home. I keep expecting someone to suggest retiring to the den for Trivial Pursuit over coffee and dessert.”

But of course it was the food that drew the crowds and accolades, with a New Orleans-inspired menu. “While I avoid eating steak at most restaurants,” wrote Martin, “I almost always order it at Vieux Chalet. The filets and entrecotes are cooked over real char80 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 4

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coal, which accounts for the crusty exteriors and the buttery-tender centers. While the aged beef is its star attraction, Vieux Chalet also does a fine job with its seafood offerings; the nightly specials are usually the freshest and most interesting dishes.”

And of course, there was the dessert: “Bananas Foster is the dessert of choice at Vieux Chalet,” he wrote. “Prepared tableside, it provides a perfect New Orleans-brand flourish to an evening of indulgence.”

Martin concluded: “Vieux Chalet may not be Memphis’ most imaginative or daring restaurant, and it certainly isn’t the most elaborate. But what it lacks in imagination, it more than makes up in sheer charm.”

Vieux Chalet’s chef/owner Dave Pierson (left) in the main dining room of the little restaurant at Summer and Atlantic.

A year later, the owners expanded the kitchen and dining room. On the morning of May 19, 1986, however, everything came to an end when the building caught fire. Pierson and Shannon decided it was too much trouble to repair, since that would involve bringing the entire structure up to code — it had originally been constructed as a private residence, remember — so they closed. Pierson considered other suitable properties in town, including the old Four Flames restaurant on Poplar, but nothing ever worked out, and instead he took over Chip n’ Dale’s Antique Mall on Summer. With that keeping him busy, Vieux Chalet became only a fond memory. Pierson passed away in 2017.

These days, a Church’s chicken franchise stands on the site of Vieux Chalet, at the corner of Summer and Atlantic.

Something tells me you can’t get Pousson Grand Père or Trout Nantua there.

INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPH BY ERIK CALONIUS | EXTERIOR PHOTOGRAPH BY GARY WALPOLE

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