Memphis - May 2024

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PICTURED FRONT ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: TAMMY DAVIS, JEANNE BILLINGS, LAURA CLARK, NANCY HUDDLESTON, ANGIE WARE.

PICTURED BACK ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: BILL MAURY, SALLY ISOM, PATTY GREER, MARY CURRIE, SEAN BLANKENSHIP, NANCY CUNNINGHAM.

UP FRONT

FEATURES

30 Deanie Parker’s Lifetime of Soul

A longtime advocate for the arts reflects on her storied career. ~ by jane schneider

42 Local Adventures

Seven outdoor “getaways” that won’t empty your car’s gas tank.

53 PET GUIDE

Hello, My Name Is Tuesday

One rescue kitty’s chaotic ascendance from leaf-pile to domination. ~ by tuesday ! traverse

The Wiggles of a Blob Fish

From behind bars to under the blankies. ~ by blobby moricci

58 The New Fests on the Block Forward Momentum’s Kevin McEniry wants RiverBeat and SmokeSlam to be your new May destinations. ~ by chris mccoy

71 SIPS

Southern Comfort

Emily Adams brings an international flair to Bar DKDC. ~ by bruce vanwyngarden

72 CITY DINING

The city’s most extensive dining listings.

80 LAST STAND Redbird Revelry

Baseball history is happening, one pitch — and one season — at a time. ~ by frank murtaugh

SPECIAL SECTIONS

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.

STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE SINCE 1950

CEO AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF anna traverse

EXECUTIVE EDITOR michael finger

MANAGING EDITOR frank murtaugh

SENIOR EDITORS jon w. sparks, abigail morici, bruce vanwyngarden

STAFF WRITERS alex greene, chris mccoy,

CONTRIBUTORS michael donahue, vance lauderdale, blobby morici, jane schneider, tuesday! traverse, izzy wollfarth

EDITORIAL INTERN abby wingfield

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CREATIVE DIRECTOR brian groppe

ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR christopher myers

GRAPHIC DESIGNER neil williams

PHOTOGRAPHERS michael donahue, stoyko enchev, austin friedline, karen pulfer focht, keith griner, wes hale, basem itayem, aislinn kate, vance lauderdale, anna traverse, louis tucker, bruce vanwyngarden

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SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE sloane patteson taylor

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES kelli dewitt, chip googe, patrick pacheco

Hand Cleaning Appraisals Sales Reweaving Repairs

Color Run Restoration Pet and other Stain Removals Moth Damage Odor Removal and much more

Spread love, not germs by having your rugs disinfected.

Here at Taghavi’s, we would like to do our part to help stop the spread of the novel COVID-19 virus. Recent studies have shown that the virus can be brought into your home, by your shoes and can live on surfaces like your rugs and floors anywhere from two to nine days. In order to help curb the spread, we at Taghavi’s, recommend that you stop wearing your outdoor shoes into your homes and to have your rugs cleaned and disinfected. Quality rug cleaning can only be accomplished by in-store professional rug cleaners. Call us for disinfecting and cleaning of your rugs.

4 published by contemporary media, inc. memphis, tennessee 901-521-9000 subscriptions: 901-575-9470

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CONTROLLER lynn sparagowski

CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER jeffrey a. goldberg

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ACCOUNTING AND CIRCULATION COORDINATOR mariah mccabe

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SPECIAL EVENTS DIRECTOR molly willmott

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PUBLISHER EMERITUS kenneth neill

may 2024

Master Weaver Ali Taghavi restoring an antique Persian Farahan rug.

Magazine's THE 2024 FACE OF

Chasing Buffalo

Did I ever tell you about the time Tia decided the buffalo needed herding?

We were at Shelby Farms one morning, close to Christmas. I was maybe 5 or 6, so this was 1990(ish), and Tia was in her prime — 85 pounds of German shepherd magnificence bounding through tall grass. You’ve seen the buffalo at Shelby Farms, right? A dozen or so fluffy-headed, bearded giants roam the native grasslands and seem to sway as they amble along. But they’re lightning-fast when they want to be, and can be treacherous when provoked.

Which is to say, do not try to recreate the scene I am describing!

You see, Tia — again, a herding dog in her prime — decided that these buffalo needed, well, herding. She managed to slip away from her human pack (she was always trying to herd us, too, truth be told) and breach the fence surrounding the buffaloes’ territory. The next thing my parents and I knew, Tia was circling the enormous, wall-eyed creatures, nipping the air, working on corralling the pack. Doing her job.

The trouble was, she definitely, absolutely was not supposed to be running among the buffalo. And so my dad — who had a bit of a Han Solo-injeans vibe, and anyone who knew him for five minutes will back me up on this — followed Tia into the enclosure, convinced her to quit her brand-new job, managed not to get trampled himself in the process, and generally saved the day.

I do not endorse anyone allowing their family dog into the Shelby Farms buffalo area! I most certainly do not encourage you to go sprinting into the buffalo area yourself in pursuit of your over-zealous herding dog! (Got that, legal folks?)

That memory will never depart my mind. And it will never fail to make me smile (helps that everything turned out perfectly fine — no gorings).

Which is why I’m telling you about this odd, long-ago memory now: because don’t we all want more moments when time slows? May, already? The year almost halfway gone? I don’t understand it. A few months ago, or so it seems, the trees were heavy with ice; now my

eyes are itchy from the oak pollen that drifts to earth in menacing ochre tumbleweeds. When I explore the Old Forest, though, or make time to appreciate the roses in bloom at the Botanic Garden, or stroll through the hush of an art gallery, or commune with the four-legged animals in the house … time dilates. Those moments expand, and form an imprint deep down, and last. In this issue, we offer you a variety of ideas for closeto-home adventures to embark upon — no special occasion needed, just a little mild temporal distortion to sustain you. We don’t recommend approaching the buffalo (okay, yes, they are technically bison), but one of my colleagues did clamber onto a horse at Shelby Farms, while another crouched into a canoe to explore the Wolf River.

This is also the time of year when we remind you that we are a little weird by inviting our animal friends to contribute stories to this magazine. Yes, thanks for noticing, this is becoming a bit of an ongoing theme around Memphis Magazine , which has now published first-person essays by four-legged friends. (Sorry. “First-person” was species-ist.) If running semi-regular essays penned by dogs and cats isn’t the hallmark of a Pulitzer-worthy publication, I simply do not want to hear it. So find an afternoon, or a whole weekend, and explore some facet of Memphis you’ve really been meaning to check out for who knows how long. Bring your favorite person, and if at all possible, your favorite dog. Try not to get stampeded by any buffalo. The year may be flying, but we can hold onto the days.

MAY 2024

COMPILED BY ABIGAIL MORICI

“MEMPHIS 2024” This exhibition celebrates the vibrancy and originality of local contemporary artists. DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS, ON DISPLAY THROUGH JUNE 30

“CHRISTIAN SIRIANO: PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE” “People Are People” draws from American designer Christian Siriano’s extensive archive of electrifying contributions to fashion.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART, ON DISPLAY THROUGH AUGUST 4

STEEL MAGNOLIAS Theatre Memphis puts on this play about the bond of a group of Southern women as they deal with the good fortune and tragedy that come to them. THEATRE MEMPHIS, PERFORMANCES THROUGH MAY 12

MEMPHIS IN MAY INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL This year’s Memphis in May salutes France through cultural events and performances, educational experiences, museum and gallery exhibits, films, luncheons, and the Memphis in May International Festival Gala.

MEMPHIS, MAY 1-31

“NO PLACE LIKE HOME” This brief, month-long installation considers the concept of “home” in the queer community, and specifically in metalsmithing. METAL MUSEUM, MAY 1-JUNE 2

GABY MORENO Folk All Y’all presents Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter-producer

Gaby Moreno. THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS, MAY 1

IRIS COLLECTIVE: BRASS, PERCUSSION & PHOTOGRAPHY In this performance, Iris Collective collaborates with Youth Villages and Bartlett High School photography students to explore the intersection of visual and auditory perspectives.

DAVIES MANOR HISTORIC SITE, MAY 5

SUNSET JAZZ Jazz up your summer plans with this free family-friendly jazz concert series. COURT SQUARE, MAY 12, JUNE 9, JULY 14, AUGUST 11, SEPTEMBER 8, OCTOBER 13

THE HOT WING KING Playhouse on the Square presents Katori Hall’s searing new comedy that follows a group of friends as they prepare for the “Hot Wang Festival” in Memphis. CIRCUIT PLAYHOUSE, MAY 10-JUNE 2

SYMPHONY IN THE GARDENS

Celebrate Mother’s Day with Big Band music performed by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra on the Dixon South Lawn. DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS, MAY 12

“MEMPHIS

LA BOHÈME Opera Memphis presents Puccini’s timeless classic of youth, love, and freedom in a brand-new production.

SCHEIDT FAMILY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, MAY 17-18

MEMPHIS VEGFEST Enjoy a familyfriendly environment full of vegan

ART & FASHION: RUNWAY AT THE MUSEUM! Witness a stunning showcase of Memphis’ rising design talent, with more than 30 fashion designers and wearable art creators. MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART, MAY 3 CIGAR & WHISKEY BBQ FESTIVAL

Cigars, whiskey, and barbecue come together for this celebration of flavor and fun. MEDDLESOME BREWING COMPANY, MAY 4

STAR WARS: MAY THE 4TH MoSH puts on screenings of Star Wars: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY, MAY 4

THE MUSIC OF STAR WARS Memphis Symphony Orchestra will bring the music of Star Wars to the Cannon Center. CANNON CENTER, MAY 4

RIVER BEAT MUSIC FESTIVAL We got the beat. We got the beat. Yeah, the River Beat. The inaugural lineup has the Fugees, Odesza, and Jelly Roll, plus a bunch more. TOM LEE PARK, MAY 3-5

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BARBECUE

COOKING CONTEST Watch as barbecuers try to smoke the competition at this annual contest.

LIBERTY PARK, MAY 15-18

SMOKESLAM The inaugural SmokeSlam will include, in addition to the barbecue contest, a carnival with games and rides, a marketplace, and an interactive area where fans will be able to sample food and participate in fun food-related events. TOM LEE

PARK, MAY 16-18

TRUE CRIMES OF BYGONE TIMES: A TOUR OF ELMWOOD CEMETERY Hear about Memphis’ true crime stories of decades past in this walking tour at Elmwood Cemetery. ELMWOOD CEMETERY, MAY 17

food options and sustainable and cruelty-free products. AGRICENTER INTERNATIONAL, MAY 19

ORPHEUM GOLF FOR EDUCATION

TOURNAMENT Enjoy golf, food, and fun while supporting the Orpheum. WINDYKE COUNTRY CLUB, MAY 20

CHINESE CONNECTION DUB EMBASSY — FREE FAMILY NIGHT IN THE GROVE Enjoy music, food trucks, and corn hole, all in a beautiful, park-like setting. GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, MAY 23

BLUFF CITY FAIR Take part in attractions and shows, all your favorite fair fare, carnival rides, and kiddie rides. LIBERTY BOWL STADIUM, MAY 24-JUNE 2

GREAT AMERICAN RIVER RUN EXPO A race for everyone! With a half marathon, 10K, and 5K. AUTOZONE PARK, MAY 25

MIM: THE GREAT AMERICAN RIVERRUN

ART & FASHION AT MEMPHIS BROOKS

SYMPHONY IN THE GARDENS AT DIXON

2024” KONG WEE PANG, VOYEUR MOMENT, 2023; 2023; WATERCOLOR ON UNPRIMED CANVAS; COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

SUNSET SYMPHONY Memphis Symphony Orchestra performs a free concert in one of Memphis’ most treasured traditions. OVERTON PARK SHELL, MAY 26

LIONEL RICHIE + EARTH, WIND & FIRE: SING A SONG ALL NIGHT LONG Lionel Richie with special guests Earth, Wind & Fire perform. FEDEXFORUM, MAY 29

ITALIAN FESTIVAL

MEMPHIS ITALIAN FESTIVAL When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore. When the world seems to shine like you’ve had too much wine, that’s just the consequence of the Memphis Italian Festival, “where everyone is Italian.” MARQUETTE PARK, MAY 30-JUNE 1

MEMPHIS PRIDE FEST WEEKEND June is the time for Pride, and Memphis Pride Fest does it best. Spanning four days, the celebration includes a Drag N Drive, complete with a movie screening and drag show; a dance party; the signature parade and festival with two stages, over 150 vendors, food trucks, and so much more; and a delightful brunch crawl. VARIOUS LOCATIONS, MAY 30-JUNE 2

MEMPHIS PRIDE FEST WEEKEND

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

MEMPHIS

Tom’s Bar-B-Q & Deli

This tiny Whitehaven barbecue joint has attracted national attention for good reason. Just ask Guy Fieri.

BY MICHAEL DONAHUE

Adam Itayem can smoke some mean barbecue.And he can repair your iMac.

Before buying Tom’s Bar-B-Q & Deli in 1995, Itayem set up state-of-the-art dialysis clinics all over the South.“I repair anything electronic,” says Itayem, 59. “Anything you can imagine — electric typewriters, IBM computers, Macintosh computers.”

Now Itayem can be found every day at the iconic Tom’s Bar-B-Q restaurant in Whitehaven, which will celebrate its 54th anniversary in June.

Tom’s famous rib tips, along with other barbecued items and sides, are served on folding plastic tables inside. Or they go out the door with customers.

Glass cases are filled with deli items, including smoked turkey, smoked ham, pork and beef bologna, and smoked sausage. Also behind glass are Tom’s housemade desserts, including the popular strawberry shortcake and banana pudding.

Walls are covered with photos, which feature regulars and travelers who stop for a bite to eat. Itayem refers to the photos as the “Wall of Fame.”

Born in Jerusalem but raised in

Cleveland, Ohio, Itayem moved to Memphis in 1992. In addition to working in electronics, he opened his first business, Pop’s Deli, where he also sold barbecue, in Whitehaven.

He was intrigued when he heard the late Tom Stergios wanted to sell Tom’s Bar-B-Q in 1995. “Tom took it over from some ladies who were twins. And that was about 50 years ago.”

e women originally sold cold cuts and ham sandwiches, but no barbecue.

Originally built as a grocery store and gas station, Tom’s looked less than promising when Itayem first saw it. “When I first looked at it, I thought it was a dump,” he says.

e place was smoky, with peeling pink siding and a gravel parking lot. “No heat. No air

10 spices, including Italian oregano and a pinch of nutmeg, saying, “It went from a Greek rub to a Mediterranean rub.”Itayem also created his own barbecue sauce using the rub as part of the ingredients.

Over the years, he made changes to the restaurant’s exterior and interior. He put in two more pits and a concrete floor. He added six tables inside the restaurant, whose only seating was once a lone outdoor picnic table. And he continued expanding the building, growing it from 800 square feet to at least 3,000 square feet today.

irteen years ago, a visit from Guy Fieri changed things. Fieri featured Tom’s on his TV show, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. After that, “people were coming to see Elvis, coming to see us, coming to see Beale Street,” says Itayem.

Fieri, who did three more shows on Tom’s, also included the restaurant in one of his books, An All-American Road Trip. In February, Tom’s Bar-B-Q placed third in Fieri’s food competition, part of the South Beach Food and Wine Festival.

conditioning. It was very rustic. It looked like an old shack.”

Stergios had only one barbecue pit. “Tom would be sitting in the corner with this cigar. He had three older ladies that ran the barbecue pit. He would start it and they would finish it.”

Itayem tried Stergios’ barbecue and liked it, for the most part.

“Just leg quarters and all pork,” he says. “He was famous for his rib tips. It was awesome—moist and juicy. But I could tell he was using name-brand barbecue sauce.”

Even so, he noticed “a line out the door” at lunchtime. Stergios was hesitant about selling. “He wanted to sell, but then he didn’t want to sell. It was his pride and joy. It was his legacy,” says Itayem. “But he was getting older, and his family didn’t want to take over.”

e women who ran the pits showed Itayem how they barbecued the meat using indirect heat. “Patience,” he says. “Everything was by feel and touch.”

Stergios taught Itayem how to make his Greek barbecue rub. But Itayem took out the MSG and created the same taste using

e star loved Tom’s rib tips, Itayem says. “Ours are unusual. My rib tips are from the loin. Usually, the cut comes off the spare rib. [ ese are] the trims of the loin. So, it’s a little softer meat.”Itayem also added boneless chicken thighs and a “big line of beef,” including short ribs and brisket.

Itayem opened a second Tom’s Bar-B-Q & Deli location in Horn Lake, Mississippi, but that one lasted only four years, shuttered because of the Covid pandemic.

Itayem’s employees have come and gone over the years, but Larry Daniels has worked at Tom’s since he was 16. “He has been here over 16 years with me.”Family members have also come aboard. Itayem’s son, Basem, who has a business degree from Boston College, worked for FedEx for several years before joining his dad at Tom’s Bar-B-Q.

Basem is currently working on a new website with shipping capabilities to reach Tom’s Bar-B-Q customers nationwide.

His son “sees the potential,” Itayem says. “And he can elevate it to the next level. We want people to know Tom’s all over the United States.”

Tom’s Bar-B-Q & Deli is located at 4087 New Getwell Road.

ITAYEM PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL

Restaurant owner Adam Itayem with his son Basem.

Rib tip and ribs.

is live & in- person

Evergreen Peak

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

BY VANCE LAUDERDALE

DEAR B.A.: When this beautiful residence was constructed in 1922, it stood — as it still does today — on a terraced hill on the south side of North Parkway. The developer determined this was actually the highest point in that part of the city — almost as high as Mt. Moriah in East Memphis — so he gave the home its distinctive name, based on the “peak” where it stands and the adjacent street, Evergreen.

The building, set on a 100-by150-foot lot, has never been a single-family home, by the way. It was originally constructed

as a duplex, with a common entrance, though one side was soon converted into four separate apartments.

North Parkway is lined with lovely homes, but this one really stands out, partly because of the impressive flight of concrete steps, punctuated by a stone fountain midway down, that stretch from the front porch all the way to the street corner. Featured in a 1922 Commercial Appeal story as “a design leaning toward the New England Colonial type,” the house is constructed of blocks of white limestone, and original-

above: For more than a century, this fine residence has graced a “peak” along North Parkway.

ly carried a red tile roof. Well, that’s according to one account. In a later story from November 1922, when the house was completed, that same newspaper reported that it had a green tile roof, and “in design, the house takes on the Italian.”

The architect was Hubert T. McGee (1864-1946), who had an impressive portfolio. He created the original Pink Palace mansion as well as the Greenstone

Owner Elwood Sanders handled the apartment rentals, in newspaper ads calling his residence “one of the prettiest in the city” and claiming that there was “nothing like it this side of Chicago.” Another said it was “something out of the ordinary.”

Apartments on Poplar and several historic churches here, including First Methodist and Trinity United Methodist. He designed

1701 North Parkway for Elwood D. Sanders, president of Sanders & Company, a high-end clothing establishment at 177 South Main, offering “Correct Clothing for Men, Women, and Children.”

The newspaper noted that the matching halves of the home, as originally designed, “include a large living room with fireplace, trimmed in red gum, and a stairway leading to the second floor. French doors open from the living room to both the tiled sun parlor and the dining room, back of which is a cozy breakfast room, butler’s pantry, and terrazzo-tiled kitchen.”

Upstairs were three bedrooms, “one of which may be converted into a sleeping porch, and a builtin tiled bath with separate toilet.” The bedrooms featured red cedar woodwork and cedar-lined closets. Facing Evergreen was a two-car garage, “designed in keeping with the house, with servants’ quarters above.” A pagoda and “ornamental plantings” decorated the backyard. In the 1920s and ’30, Sanders handled the apartment rentals, in newspaper ads calling his residence “one of the prettiest in the city.” He also claimed there was “nothing like it this side of Chicago.” Another ad said it was “something out of the ordinary.” Years later, when Hobson-Kerns took over the property, the real-estate agency promoted it as “charming, possessing all the modern improvements, and located on a beautiful terraced corner lot.”

In 1944, when the property changed owners, The Commercial Appeal claimed the original construction cost was $40,000 — an enormous sum in the 1920s (equal to $600,000 today) — and it was “one of the original mansion-type duplexes in Memphis.” The current appraisal is considerably higher than 20 grand, and more than a century after it opened, Evergreen Peak remains one of the most impressive homes along North Parkway.

EVERGREEN PEAK PHOTOGRAPHS BY VANCE LAUDERDALE

DEAR VANCE: Why does the large house at 1701 North Parkway have “EVERGREEN PEAK” carved in stone above the entrance? — B.A., MEMPHIS.

Blackard’s Grocery and Market

DEAR VANCE: When I attended Treadwell High School, my family shopped at a neighborhood market called Blackburn’s. I’ve located no information on this business, nor can I find the old store when I drive around that area. Can you help?

— E.M.,

NASHVILLE

DEAR E.M.: It’s no surprise you had trouble. e store’s name was Blackard, not Blackburn, and no trace remains of the building today — only a vacant lot at the southwest corner of Given and Holmes. Here’s the story. It’s complicated, so take notes as you go along.

When Anthony Blackard moved to Memphis from Potts Camp, Mississippi, in 1918, he brought along his family, who would establish a grocery dynasty that would survive for half a century. He began with Blackard & Son (the son being 45-year-old Edward), a small market at 789 Eastmoreland, with the family living above the tiny grocery. Within two years, the store moved to 224 South Dunlap, and then two years later to 940 Vance. By 1924, customers shopped at Edward Blackard’s Grocery. Anthony, who had started it all, was no longer listed in city directories; I presume he passed away or returned to Mississippi.

Joining Edward in the grocery business during the 1930s was his son, Claude, who worked as a clerk. e entire family, including the mother, Beulah, and another son, Bernard, found a home at 940 Lamar. Pay attention to Claude and Bernard; they team up later.

Other Blackards had joined them in Memphis, but since they didn’t sell groceries, I won’t clutter this already complicated history with their adventures. You’ll have to check out e History of the Potts Camp Blackards in America from your local library.

By 1940, the various Blackards, possibly weary of running their own establishment, with

“For the past 15 years, Blackard Brothers have enjoyed serving their many friends and customers at 3283 Given, and will strive to merit your continued confidence with Better Service, Better Values, and Quality Foods.”

all the promotions, advertising, purchasing, and other business matters that entailed, joined the fledgling Pick-Way food chain. Not Pic- Pac, but Pick- Way, a name that probably confused customers, who were already shopping at Kroger, Piggly Wiggly, Liberty Cash, Cash-Saver, and other markets all over town. Pick-Way apparently couldn’t keep up with the competition. Even though Blackard’s Grocery, at 847 Arkansas, was listed as Pick-Way Store #1 in city directories, the chain only had one link, since it never opened a Store #2.

Even so, young Claude became manager, and Edward worked as the store’s meat-cutter. e Blackards remained with Pick-Way until 1949, when they opened their own place, Blackard’s Grocery and Market, the building you see here, at 3283 Given, six blocks north of Summer. ey didn’t need to build a store; instead, they moved into a small brick grocery that a fellow named William French opened in 1932, when the Highland Heights neighborhood was first being developed. at back portion, to the right in the photo, was rented out to store employees over the years.

After more than 35 years selling groceries, Edward passed away in 1954, at age 81. Here’s why I asked you to pay attention:

Joining Claude in the family business was his brother Bernard (Edward’s other son), who had been working here for a local food wholesaler.

e Blackards must have been a close-knit family. Not only did the two brothers work for the same store, they lived on the same street; Edward and Beulah lived at 534 S. Reese, and Claude and Ruth lived at 550 S. Reese. Bernard bought a home only one block over, at 474 S. Alexander.

In 1964, the Blackards made another strategic move, joining the fast-growing Fairway Grocery chain, with more than 20 of “ e Friendliest Stores in Town!”

eir newspaper advertising was certainly friendly. A half-page ad from October 1, 1964, proclaimed: “We are proud to announce that Blackard Brothers have joined the Fairway Food Stores Organization, where they can better supply you with nationally advertised brands. For the past 15 years, Blackard Brothers have enjoyed serving their many friends and customers at 3283 Given, and will strive to merit your continued confidence with Better Service, Better Values, and Quality Foods.”

Did you notice the store name had changed — again ? Yes, the business was now called Blackard Brothers Fairway Food Store

above: Before supermarkets and big-box retailers, Memphians shopped at small neighborhood markets like Blackard’s.

#1. Another ad urged customers, “Come in! Get Acquainted!” Every Friday, the Fairway stores offered “storewide specials — free food baskets — free prizes — and Garber’s Ice Cream served free, so BRING THE CHILDREN.”

Even so, time marches on, as they say. In 1969, the Blackards sold their grocery business. Bernard retired and, according to some accounts, moved to California, and Claude took a job as a distributor for Troxler Hosiery. The various family members still living on Reese and Alexander passed away over the years, with Claude dying in 1985. The old store became Quon’s Grocery, and then had other owners over the years. I don’t know exactly when it came down, but a Google street view from 2007 showed it looking abandoned and rather forlorn. at corner is just a patch of grass today. I guess there’s no point in bringing the children to see that.

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.

While We Were Burning

Sara

Koffi’s debut novel is a thriller that could only be set in Memphis.

BY ABIGAIL MORICI

Sara Koffi began writing her debut novel, which was released last month, in the summer of 2020. It wasn’t a pandemic project born out of boredom, but rather motivated from the racial reckoning surrounding the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. “It was a concern about if these people and their families will actually achieve justice. A stress that these cases weren’t going to have a resolution that matched the justice needed,” she says. “I took the seed of that paranoia and put it toward the book, essentially — that was like the seed of the beginning of While We Were Burning.”

e novel, Koffi says, is “first and foremost fun — fun is not the right word — but it is a fun, fast-paced, twisty read. And then, secondly, it’s exploring important themes.”

Koffi puts two women’s stories into counterpoint: Elizabeth, a woman on a downward spiral as she questions the mysterious circumstances surrounding her friend’s death,

and Briana, who is hired as Elizabeth’s personal assistant to help her pick up the pieces. But Briana has questions of her own, questions she hopes her new job will help her find answers to. e Memphis police have killed her son, and now she’s on the search for who from Elizabeth’s neighborhood called the cops on her child on that fateful day that took him

away. Together the women rush towards finding their answers as their relationship blurs the line between employer and friend, predator and prey.

“ e thriller genre is very good about exploring justice outside of the usual justice

“For me personally, to have a book set in Memphis be the first book I put out, feels like a major responsibility. But it’s a good one because I’m going to have a lot of readers who have not been to the city and this book will be their gateway to what the city is like without actually having visited there.” — Sara Koffi

system,” Koffi says. “So I thought for a story like this, it’d be fitting.”

It’s a genre that she has always been interested in. Even in the first story she remembers writing, at the age of 9 or 10, she wanted to unsettle her readers with a tale about a doll who turned out to be an “evil little creature.” Koffi had been inspired by an episode of e Twilight Zone — “to the point

that I basically wrote Twilight Zone fanfiction and I brought it to school to show my writing.”

Besides e Twilight Zone, Koffi also found herself entranced by “Lifetime-style movies like e Hand at Rocks the Cradle and just all the old-school ‘woman has a knife and what is she going to do with it’ genre.”

For Koffi, there’s just something about unlikable female characters that calls to her. Both Elizabeth and Briana make questionable decisions throughout her novel, yet that’s what makes her story so compelling. Elizabeth is self-centered; Briana is vindictive. Both hide their true selves. “I wanted them to be at the opposite ends of each other,” Koffi says. e story begins in Elizabeth’s first-person perspective, which switches with Briana’s third-person narrative throughout the novel. “I often joke that Elizabeth thinks she’s the main character. She’s like, ‘ is is my story.’ And then Briana, who arguably is actually the main character, does not center herself the same way.”

Even so, the prologue depicts Elizabeth lamenting her crumbling marriage and her life on Mud Island. “She doesn’t know what book she’s in,” Koffi says. “She cannot conceive of Briana entering into her life. You know, this woman’s very concerned, borderline obsessed with her husband, like a domestic thriller trope. And then you keep reading. You’re like, ‘Oh, I think that’s a different book. at’s not what’s actually going to happen.’

“ at was the first thing I wrote,” Koffi adds of the prologue, “and it has not changed from editing, drafting, to now.

Sara Koffi

That has remained the same, untouched. … Once I got a good grasp of [Elizabeth], it’s like the story started to unfold.”

Always, Koffi knew, this story was going to unfold in Memphis, the city where she grew up. Though she now lives in State College, Pennsylvania, working as a freelance writer, she says, “I also know about the city’s history, its involvement in the NAACP and Civil Rights Movement as well. And I thought it was interesting because the city also has a history of seeking justice on its own, so that was an interesting parallel to what’s happening in the story.

“For me personally,” Koffi says, “to have a book set in Memphis be the first book I put out feels like a major responsibility. But it’s a good one because I’m going to have a lot of readers who have not been to the city and this book will be their gateway to what the city is like without actually having visited there. I’m hoping — outside of the thriller background — that I capture the city. This is a good city. [Elizabeth and Briana are] having some drama, but the city itself is fine.”

But Koffi doesn’t just want to promote Memphis. She wants to create “a thoughtful moment for the reader as well. For me, I want that moment to be a reflection. Are there other things that I’m doing without thinking about it? That might be affecting other people? Do I have my own blinders on when it comes to certain things in my life, and may that be affecting other things?”

Ultimately, While We Were Burning, like any good thriller, is a page-turner, with the twists, moments of deceit, and plots for revenge that you expect — but enveloped within the thrills are explorations of race, class, justice, and female relationships that stay with the reader long after the shocks of the plot have worn off.

Rachel Edelman

Rachel Edelman’s Memphis

The poet finds strength in the sentimental in her debut collection.

BY ABIGAIL MORICI

For years, decades even, Rachel Edelman avoided writing poems about Memphis, the place where she was raised. “For a long time, I didn’t want to write about the South or Memphis or my upbringing,” she says. Yet this January, she released her debut collection, Dear Memphis, and fi lled it with poems about her hometown. Before, she says, she was taught to “avoid sentimentality. And not to write — literally — not to write poems about your grandma. And [the writings in Dear Memphis] are poems very deeply engaged with that generation, with my grandparents’ generation, and the way that I have become a culture-bearer of theirs, and so I avoided it because I was told academically that it wasn’t high-class.”

She did as she was taught, writing poetry about nature, climate change, the Jewish diaspora, a reimagined Exodus. In the first collection of poems, her hometown was absent, with poems, instead, like “Palinode after Pharaoh’s Decree,” “What I Know of God,” and “ e Tether” about Miriam, Moses’ sister. She revised and revised, adding and cutting — mostly cutting. “I always feel like I might destroy a poem when I revise it,” she says, “but that’s the only way that I get to something interesting.”

But even with all that work, something was missing. As Edelman read more widely and engaged with more poets, she learned she didn’t have to choose between the

“cerebral” and the “embodied.” “I opened up to writing these more personal poems. And while I don’t think that we necessarily need to lay all our trauma on the page, I think it’s okay to welcome the more fallible and the more sticky moments as they come. … I think that there’s a lot of strength in veering into emotionally fraught territory.” Yet it wasn’t until the summer of 2020, at a virtual Tin House Summer Workshop, that Edelman would delve into that fraught territory. “[We were given a prompt to] write to somebody you’ve never met. You could write to someone who passed, you could write to a place or an idea, and I started writing ‘Dear Memphis’ poems. And then I wrote them for a few months. … I just kept going once the workshop ended.” ese poems, it turned out, would inject the much-needed energy into her pre-existing collection. ey made it complete, made it something new, something that connected her ancestors’ past in a reimagined Exodus to her own diasporic present, as a former Memphian now living as a teacher in Seattle. “ ey felt really intimate to me in a way that was important for the rest of the book,” Edelman says. “And you’re able to see them differently when they’re in a book. When they’re carrying out a trajectory.” e poems in the now-complete collection, Dear Memphis, “engage with a vision of commitment to diaspora,” she says. “So that is really a thread that lines up for all these poems. I also think that it’s an ethos that requires risk. It requires rejection of Zionism. And it requires a willingness to make overtures and alliances that may not work out, or that may require a lot of trust-building.” Edelman continues, “[Memphis] feels like a diasporic home. My family lived in Memphis for five generations. I don’t know where else in the world my family has lived for that long because we are a diasporic people. And I firmly believe that Jews are a diasporic people, that we thrive in diaspora. And so, I don’t believe in a Jewish homeland, and I think it’s exciting to have many stops along our way, along my lineage.”

AUTHENTIC ARKANSAS

ONCOLOGY FROM THE INSIDE OUT

Dr. Michael Martin with the West Cancer Center has a personal interest in medical advances.

BY ALEX GREENE

I’ve been interviewed a couple times before and I’m not very good at it.” So says Dr. Michael D. Martin of the West Cancer Center and Research Institute, Mike to his friends and patients, by way of introduction. Yet any fears of being tongue-tied fade as he waxes enthusiastic about the great advances in oncology since he was a medical student some 20 years ago.

“I graduated from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2003,” he says today, “and I learned at that time that lung cancer was either non-small-cell lung cancer or small-cell lung cancer. And that’s all that mattered. It was just A or B. In either situation, you’d use slightly different chemotherapy, and then have about a 7 to 8 percent improvement in survival. And the only person who could love a 7 to 8 percent chance of survival is a medical oncologist. Frankly, a patient who could really see what we were achieving in 2003 would say, ‘Oh, hell no! Give me a bottle of Jack Daniels and a trip to the Caribbean, and call me never.’”

He pauses a moment, taking stock of his field’s evolution. “ at’s how it was when I graduated 21 years ago,” he says. “Now, we win more than we lose.”

Put simply, the twenty-fi rst century has

witnessed a sea change in a cancer patient’s odds. “Immunotherapy and targeted therapy have changed things dramatically,” says Martin. “We understand the difference between hot and cold tumors, which is driven by genetic diversity. We’ve even learned how to take breast cancers, that we thought weren’t sensitive to targeting, and make them sensitive to it.”

Targeting is a crucial aspect of immunotherapy, which trains a patient’s own immune system to hunt for certain characteristics in tumor cells. e more identifying characteristics a tumor cell has, the easier it is to target.

As Martin explains, the way immunotherapy works — and the way our immune systems work — is by recognizing proteins on the surface of a cell called neoantigens. If such a protein has never been seen before by the immune system, it can be recognized and killed.

And the more genetically complex a tumor is, the easier it is to target. As Martin puts it, “their genetics are completely screwed up,” and thus more recognizable. ese complex cancer cells are called hot tumors.

On the other hand, says Martin, “you have genomically simple tumors which are not caused by carcinogens.” ese are the cold tumors. “ ey’re random tumors that happen all across the world, like sarcomas. Because they’re just random events caused by a genomic error, they’re genetically simple, and your immune system can’t see them. ere is no uniform way that they occur. And the more genomically simple a tumor is, the less likely you are to be able to use immunotherapy.”

For patients, the difference is profound, as Martin illustrates from his own experience with the hot variety of tumor. “I have a patient who presented with a melanoma, which is a complex disease because there’s a clear carcinogen — the sun. is gentleman had cancer in his brain, liver, esophagus, stomach, and lungs, and I only had a small biopsy of his lung to tell me what was going on. So I gave him immunotherapy, and eight days later we biopsied his liver and we only saw immune cells, no cancer cells. Eleven days later they opened his brain, trying to find the cancerous cells, and there was nothing left of the cancer. Four and a half years out now, and no cancer ever again.”

Martin reflects, “When I was in med school, he’d have been dead in two to three months. And today we obliterate the majority of cancers. ough from an oncology point of view, the thing that you always say is, ‘I can promise you nothing, you can die from this in the next month.’ But there is an enormous amount of hope.”

Dr. Michael D. Martin

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The cruel irony is that, while there is hope for many, Martin doesn’t reserve much for himself. at’s due to a diagnosis he received before we spoke. “I almost died four weeks ago,” he reveals quietly. “I got septic shock after a biopsy and that biopsy showed that I now have cancer.”

Moreover, without getting too specific, it’s a genetically derived cancer of the cold variety. Having witnessed the past two decades’ worth of immunotherapy advances, he still can’t avail himself of them. Rather, he’s confronting it with chemotherapy, an older and less effective approach. But that’s changing how he relates to those he treats.

“There’s this word, asthenia. It’s the feeling of being exhausted without doing anything. The feeling of knowing you’re going to die from it. I know that at my age, with my diagnosis, this is what’s going to kill me.”

— Dr. Michael Martin

“I thought I understood my patients,” he says. “Now I’m fist-bumping them, saying, ‘How’s your radiation going? Mine’s going pretty shitty. How’s yours?’” And his experience is deepening his understanding of what people go through after such a diagnosis.

“From a cancer-patient point of view,” he says, “I did not appreciate the emotional part of this until I got diagnosed with it. ere’s this word, asthenia. I actually published a paper on the concept over 20 years ago. But I didn’t understand it then. I just thought I did. It’s the feeling of being exhausted without doing anything. e feeling of knowing you’re going to die from it. I know that at my age, with my diagnosis, this is what’s going to kill me.”

e genetic nature of Martin’s particular cancer only increases his sense of a foregone conclusion. “ ere’s this whole thing called anticipation that happens in genetics,” Martin explains with a subtle quaver of emotion. “As the same genetic thing is passed down through generations, it happens earlier and earlier and earlier, which is called anticipation. So that’s why, at 47, I have a cancer that my father got diagnosed with at 55, and that his father got diagnosed with at 67. My kids have the exact gene that I have and there’s a chance that they are at risk for prostate, breast, pancreatic, and ovarian cancer as well.”

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Aside from his own treatment, Martin’s reaction to the possibility of dying within a decade has been to increase his community engagement. Already recognized by Health Volunteers Overseas for a lifetime of service in international education — “I’ve taught in Brazil, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Uzbekistan, Nepal, Vietnam. And I just got invited to teach in Cambodia,” he says — he’s now focusing that energy closer to home, and closer to the asthenia he himself is feeling.

“My clinic has completely rallied around me and taken care of me,” he says. “Despite me almost dying and missing weeks of work. We take care of our people. I have the means to be treated anywhere in the world, and I chose West. I could go anywhere in the world. I talked to five or six places and I ultimately chose my hometown.”

— Dr. Michael Martin

“I’m starting a counseling project to actually work on that,” Martin says, “that we have funded through Bellevue Baptist Church with my good friend Harry Smith, for counseling for people with cancer.”

Meanwhile, Martin feels lucky to be based at the West Cancer Center. “My clinic has completely rallied around me and taken care of me,” he says. “Despite me almost dying and missing weeks of work. We take care of our people. I have the means to be treated anywhere in the world, and I chose West. I could go anywhere in the world. I talked to five or six places and I ultimately chose my hometown.

“Most of us [at West] are like me. I came from Duke and Washington University in St. Louis. And others came from Penn, Stanford, Memorial Sloan Kettering. We’re not a bunch of slouches. We’re here for family and social reasons. We are here because we choose to be here.” His colleagues at West, he says, “are going to do as good a job as anyone. And the thing about them is, they were more honest with me than anyone else.”

And Martin is unflinchingly honest with himself. Even as ongoing research continues to make great strides in oncology every day, he’s trying to be philosophical about being on the other side of the stethoscope.

“There’s some weird way in which I’m thankful, because I was incredibly healthy until March 8th,” he says, taking a deep breath. “Now, I understand my lot in life.”

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DEANIE PARKER’S LIFETIME y SOUL

A LONGTIME ADVOCATE FOR THE ARTS REFLECTS ON HER STORIED CAREER.

BY JANE SCHNEIDER

The album of Deanie Parker’s musical life began at 926 East McLemore Avenue, the home of Stax Records, where she worked as a songwriter, singer, arranger, collaborator, and publicist. I sat down with her at the same address recently to discuss the many tracks of her storied career. Her experience at Stax through the ’60s and early ’70s prepared her to become a communications and marketing professional and then a nonprofit manager. In 2003, she was named president and CEO of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and Stax Music Academy and two years later, executive director of Soulsville USA (now Soulsville Foundation). In between there were hit records and brass notes on Beale Street and Emmys for a documentary she produced.

Written in their Soul: The Stax Songwriters Demos The 6-CD box set won Grammys for Best Album Notes and Best Historical Album. It's a rich collection of demo songs, some newly released, written and sung by Stax artists.

Not bad for someone who aspired to work behind the scenes.

Dressed casually in a caramelcolored sweater and a matching Stax baseball cap that covers her dovegray hair, Parker exudes confidence. Her handshake is firm and strong and lengthy for a woman in her late 70s. It seems to telegraph, ‘I mean business.’ Duly noted. She begins by dishing about her trip to Los Angeles for the 66th Grammy Awards. She and writer Robert Gordon won two Grammys — Best Album Notes and Best Historical

above: Janis Joplin headlined a Stax benefit in 1968 at the Mid-South Coliseum. The lineup included Rufus Thomas (seen behind Parker), Booker T. and the MGs, the Staple Singers, Carla Thomas, the Bar-Kays, Johnnie Taylor, and others.

right:

below left: Deanie with songwriter Bettye Crutcher. The two were among a handful of women who penned hit songs for Stax.

below right: Deanie (third from left) with the Staple Singers.

right: Created for the Recording Academy by Tiffany & Co., the bronze medallion is handed out at a banquet the night before the Grammy awards ceremony.

Recording — for their contribution to  Written in their Soul: The Stax Songwriters Demos, a six-CD box set that was released in June 2023.

For Parker, who hadn’t flown since 2020, masking up and traveling halfway across the country was a lot. Her visit coincided with the torrential rains that drenched Los Angeles in early February, so attending the various events meant running beneath umbrellas through downpours. And did I mention the digital hurdles one must clear to gain access to the Recording Academy events?

“I do believe gaining access and navigating the Pentagon is easier!” Parker states with a laugh.

But navigate it she did. Deanie was thrilled to receive the recording academy’s bronze medallion in addition to the two Grammys given on the night of the show. The honor evoked a jumble of emotions: excitement, nervousness, exuberance, stress. But in front of the Academy audience, she remained composed while speaking proudly of Stax.

“Stax

founder Jim Stewart and his sister, Estelle Axton, gave the Stax songwriters a racially integrated paradise where they were encouraged to discover and develop their authentic talents — and they prospered.”

“Stax founder Jim Stewart and his sister, Estelle Axton, gave the Stax songwriters a racially integrated paradise where they were encouraged to discover and develop their authentic talents — and they prospered.”

—deanie parker

This was Parker’s first time to be nominated for a Grammy, but she attended the ceremony several previous times when colleagues like Al Bell and Booker T. and the MGs were honored.

“I didn’t go last year but I helped out when Jim Stewart’s children accepted his Grammy Trustees award posthumously.” Stewart died in 2022 at age 92. “I wanted them to have a great experience,” she says. “It was a personal thing for me.”

Personal because Parker’s professional life took shape at Stax.

The company, founded in 1957 by Stewart and co-owned by his sister, Estelle Axton (merging the first letters of their last names produced the name Stax), hadn’t been in the former Capitol Theater on East McLemore very long when Parker won a talent show at the Old Daisy Theatre on Beale Street. First prize was a Stax audition. Jim Stewart was impressed by the 17-year-old’s soaring delivery, but told her she would also need to be able to write music. Undaunted, Deanie returned home, sat down at her piano and penned her first song, “My Imaginary Guy.” It was recorded on Volt, a subsidiary label of Stax, and became a regional hit.

Deanie Parker was home.

Selling records at the Satellite Record Shop her senior year of high school, Parker became a Gal Friday to Estelle Axton. She helped wherever she could, learning everything about record marketing. She was astute

and eager and, in Axton, found a gentle role model.

“As I look back — how to be a salesperson, how to interact with people, how to be a woman and function and succeed in a male-dominated society — that’s what I learned from Estelle Axton,” says Parker.

By age 21, her pluck and confidence won them over. “I earned the respect and appreciation of those I worked with, and they listened to my input,” she says. Parker became the company’s director of publicity and artist relations.

Stewart was busy learning how to run a label. “And because he moved into a black neighborhood, he had an open mind and open door,” says Parker. Such openness was rare in Memphis, where segregation kept Black and white residents separate. Stax proved an exception.

“Creative people [black and white] would drop in and musicians would talk about where the gigs were and who was coming to the radio stations. You could network,” says Parker. “We offered a place that galvanized the neighborhood.”

That mix gave rise to Stax’s remarkable stable of singers and songwriters: Rufus and Carla Thomas, the Staple Singers, Otis Redding, Booker T. and the MGs, and Isaac Hayes. When Al Bell joined Stax in 1965 as national promotion director, Parker gained another mentor. She considered Bell “a visionary.” He had worked as a disc jockey in Memphis and in Washington, D.C., and had his finger on the pulse of black music nationally.

“Al Bell was a motivator and negotiator,” says Parker. “He was the door and window to the outside world. He was growing the company and identifying resources that would benefit us, he was recruiting talent. We relied on him to hold class so we could find out what was happening.”

Bell hired a well-known PR man from Motown who taught Parker how to write press releases, sharing knowledge via letters and phone calls.

She took flight.

PANNING FOR GOLD

Listen to Deanie Parker and Mack Rice sing “Until I Lost You,” and you’re struck by the youthful energy and raw soulfulness of their voices. The song typifies the music that flowed from Stax: gospel-tinged rhythm-and-blues that was earthy and relatable. Their song was cut as a demo — a recording meant for the ears of label execs and

artists — and never released. The collection of music on  Written in their Soul comprises “a new reservoir of lost songs” notes Gordon. They were written by some of Stax’s brightest lights: Eddie Floyd, Bettye Crutcher, Mack Rice, The Staple Singers, and Carla Thomas. Some were released but many were nearly lost to time.

Unearthing these gems was the work of multi-Grammy-winning producer Cheryl Pawelski, the co-founder of Omnivore Recordings. In 2003, Pawelski was developing catalog releases for Concord, the company that owns the rights to the Stax catalog (May 1968-1975). She dove into their recording stash in hopes of finding stories that hadn’t yet been told. What she discovered were the Stax demo tapes.

Over 15 years, she listened to 1,300 hours of music, often while traveling for work. It was a Herculean undertaking: The Stax material was sprinkled among thousands of other recordings. But discovering the demos in their original, unpolished form proved compelling. Some songs were simply sung into a tape recorder by the songwriter accompanied by an off-tune guitar, others were more fully formed with horns and lead riffs behind the singers. Nearly all appealed to Pawelski, who likened the search to a treasure hunt.

“This project was so compelling, I couldn’t stop. Every time I found an original Stax demo, it was amazing,” she says. “I had to continue.”

Robert Gordon shared her enthusiasm. “It’s the kind of project that reaches into my heart. I love the raw edges, the raw sounds. It’s a window into another world.”

The pandemic gave Pawelski the uninterrupted time she needed to concentrate on the project, gradually winnowing down the 665 songs she had compiled to the 146 featured on the CDs. Gordon and Parker began their work on the project around this time. Pawelski asked Deanie to reach out to the songwriters, many of whom she had remained in contact with over the years, for permission to publish. She would send three or four songs at a time to Parker, “and I’d listen and think, damn, I didn’t know Homer [Banks] wrote that,” she says. “Or I’d wonder why they didn’t put this out when Bettye Crutcher wrote it.”

Hearing the songs after so many years brought memories flooding back.

Gordon and Parker teamed up to write about the creative process and the musicians behind the songs, “Each of us would write from our own point of view and then compare and decide which was most definitive,” Gordon says it meant a lot to have Parker involved with the project.

“Deanie is an author. She brings respect, she brings fun, and people want to get involved.”

As for Parker, the project represented a

chance to finally give the Stax songwriters their rightful due.

“The composers and writers were near and dear to me because they were never celebrated during their time,” she says. “If not for their composing the music, would we have had hit songs? No.”

Parker and Mack Rice often wrote together in the studio. Deanie enjoyed the creative aspect of songwriting; she could read music and played piano by ear. But performing on the road — especially touring the Jim Crow South where travel for African Americans could be dangerous — held no appeal. She chose instead to work behind the scenes, where she felt she could be more effective.

She and Gordon had numerous phone conversations as she reflected on those magical times. He would ask questions and listen and write, as would Parker, eventually knitting together their material.

“We were equally yoked. And he had to stand down a couple of times,” she says with a hearty laugh. “He’s kind and patient and tolerated me because at times I can be a pretty determined person. So that made it easier, but it was hard work.”

The benefit of Gordon’s longevity with Stax is that he knows the company’s complex and vibrant history intimately. He wrote some of the original text for the Stax Museum panels in 2002, produced a documentary,  Respect Yourself, in 2007 and a book,  Respect Yourself: Stax Records and the Soul Explosion, in 2013 and interviewed its many artists. But past conversations with songwriters like Bettye Crutcher took on new meaning as he learned more about the creative process behind the demos.

To get more detailed information about the songs, Parker organized a spaghetti dinner, reminiscent of the gatherings Crutcher produced during

PHOTOGRAPH BY LOUIS TUCKER

right: Parker in front of the dress she wore to her prom at Hamilton HIgh School. The cascade of roses was recreated by a textile specialist at the Museum of Science and History.

the company’s halcyon days. Those long-ago dinners relaxed people, creating a  different mood, often softening the men to Crutcher’s songwriting ideas. For the reunited dinner, the project team invited Bobby Manuel, Henderson Thigpen, and (via Zoom) Al Bell. After the meal, they gathered around a table to listen to the music.

“It sometimes felt like a game show,” says Gordon of that night. “Cheryl would play a cut and everyone’s eyes would be closed as they listened. [If it were a game show] Bobby Manuel would have won a Cadillac because he could name the artist and hear each room where it was recorded.”

The nostalgic evening proved effective.

At the Stax release party in the spring of 2023, an energetic crowd turned out to celebrate the release of the “new” old music. For Pawelski, the highlight of the evening was when the crowd spontaneously broke into song during the Staple Singers “Respect Yourself.”

Notes Pawelski, “That was the best moment of my entire career.”

“I was thankful to be born in the family I was. They were principled, solid, faithful, and respected.”

—deanie parker

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As we walk through the museum together, Parker becomes animated, sharing memories from the days when the sound of Isaac Hayes’ buttery voice wafted down the hall from his flashy red and white office next to hers, when Johnnie Taylor would sing so pretty, when Al Bell’s visions charted their future.

But few displays hold as much personal significance as the Hoopers Chapel AME Church of Duncan, Mississippi. The tiny, wood-framed church, built in the heart of the Delta in 1906 by sharecroppers, landowners, and freed Blacks, sat across from the bayou where congregants gathered for baptisms. The church was founded by Deanie’s maternal grandparents, Matthew and Florence Crockett — he a church trustee and she a stewardess — and it provided a loving place for Parker to share her talents. She often sang solos and played the piano during summer visits there, demonstrating what she had learned from her music lessons. In that setting, she came to be at ease in front of a crowd.

“I felt it was the perfect contribution to help visitors understand the roots of this music,” says Parker.

So, with permission from Hoopers’ elders, the chapel was dismantled and rebuilt within the walls of the museum with a new story to tell.

Though her parents divorced while she was still a preschooler, Parker

spent time throughout her childhood with both parents, her Aunt Velma and Uncle James, and her grandparents in Mississippi.

“I was thankful to be born in the family I was. They were principled, solid, faithful, and respected.” They also valued education. Her father became an associate pastor to a prominent African-American Baptist church in Cleveland, Ohio, where she spent time. Her mother remarried and they moved from Ironton, Ohio, to Memphis when Parker was in high school.

We stop to admire a prim, white cotton dress decorated with cascading red roses, a frock Deanie wore to her prom at Hamilton High. “My aunt was the first African-American buyer for Julius Lewis,” notes Parker. Julius Lewis was a stylish department store in Memphis, and was at the height of its popularity in the 1950s and ’60s. “She and my mother chose my prom dress. My mother lived for events like that,” Parker says with a laugh. The dress, which she kept for years in a box at home, was refurbished by a textile specialist at the Museum of Science and History before joining the museum’s collection.

A nearby panel highlights the Mad Lads, a quartet known for their smooth doo-wop harmonies. Parker remembers Estelle liking their sound and wanting to develop a foursome who could match the lush harmonies being produced by quartets on the East Coast. Parker collaborated with her, writing one of the group’s first hits, “I Want Someone,” with Deanie also producing the song and playing piano on the recording.

As she reflects on the musicians of Stax, one begins to appreciate the commonalities that bound them together.

“Homer Banks grew up in LeMoyne Gardens Public Housing. He was very, very poor. Bettye Crutcher lived in a duplex where she was raising three boys and working as a nurse’s aide. When you look at Isaac Hayes, he came from Covington, Tennessee, and had it not been for teachers at Manassas High bringing him clothes to wear, he would have been hurting. These were everyday people who came up the rough side of the mountain. Music was their ticket.”

And Stax became their family. The creative fervor that bubbled at the studio led to the production of more than 800 singles and 300 albums. What Stax produced became the Memphis sound.

“We learned not to be embarrassed about our rawness, to accept who we were, and to try our best,” says Parker. “We wanted you to feel us more strongly.”

right: Parker grew up attending Hoopers Chapel AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Church in Duncan, Mississippi, which her maternal grandparents helped to found and support. Church members donated it to the museum in 2000.

hile the company experienced incredible highs during her tenure, by 1974 troubles were cresting. Distribution issues, investigations by the IRS, and financial woes combined to force the company into involuntary bankruptcy. Staff learned the building would soon be padlocked, and Parker took action.

“I got my hands on two copies of everything I could reach. I had to do that. I don’t know why, maybe I acted without thinking. But I had to do that,” she says. She pulled albums and singles and publicity photos from her office and took them home for safekeeping. “And do you know how many years I carted that material around?” She laughs, shaking her head.

For years, her life’s work resided in her

founding Soulsville board members, many of whom continue to support the foundation. left to

Staley Cates, Charles Ewing, Andy Cates, Deanie Parker, Howard Robertson, Sherman Willmott. not pictured: Dr. George Johnson, former president of LeMoyne-Owen College.

Prudently, Parker returned to college. She knew she would need a degree to move her career forward. In 1977, she earned a BA in professional studies from then-Memphis State University, and worked for several years in communications for WPTY-TV.

Still needing some distance from the painful demise of Stax, she relocated to Dallas. There, she became the YWCA’s marketing director. But Texas never felt like home. “And I didn’t make progress as swiftly as I wanted.”

When she learned of an opening with Memphis in May (MIM) in 1987, she returned to the Mid-South to be the assistant director of the festival organization, helping to lead them until 1995 when she accepted a position at the MED (now Regional One) as the hospital’s director of communications and marketing. She returned to higher education again during that time, in 1988 completing a master’s degree in public administration with a concentration in public health.

By the mid-’90s, talk about revitalizing Stax circulated. The original building had been razed in 1989 to make way for a church soup kitchen that never materialized. In 1991, a historical marker told the company’s storied his-

The

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tory in somewhat cryptic fashion. When Parker learned that Staley and Andy Cates were working on plans to redevelop the Soulsville block, she brightened. She soon became one of the driving forces behind the creation of the museum and music academy, working with board members, investors, and philanthropists, aiding with the local politics, doing whatever was necessary to make the dream a reality.

When it finally opened, Parker was named president/CEO of the museum and music academy and in 2005, headed Soulsville USA (now Soulsville Foundation). Most gratifying was the neighborhood outreach, which had been an important part of Stax’s legacy.

After retiring several times from Stax, she went on to produce the Emmy Award-winning documentary I Am a Man that told the story of the 1968 sanitation workers’ strike. As the producer, Parker raised funds and wrote the title song,

“My work is my hobby. I have to stay busy.”

—deanie parker

“I Am a Man.” It was a project of the Memphis Tourism Education Foundation, which Parker chaired in 2009. She and her team won two Emmys for that work.

Parker is not inclined to rest on her laurels. When I ask her about hobbies, she answers, “My work is my hobby. I have to stay busy.”

Which means considering the future of the Soulsville Foundation. Her greatest desire is to develop an endowment to ensure the organization’s long-term financial stability.

“We need clarity about our vision and our identity,” she says. “I want this place to be financially independent. It’s a burden trying to be creative, to deliver on your mission, to realize a vision and implement a plan if, as a nonprofit, you must worry about financial resources every day. It’s time to take a quantum leap.”

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Today, the Soulsville campus bustles with activity. Tourists — roughly 65,000 a year — experience the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. Teens attend the Soulsville Charter School, a tuition-free institute that prepares 6thto-12th-grade students for college and beyond. Every afternoon, approximately 100 kids make music together at the Stax Music Academy, an after-school program that provides not just musical training but youth development, academic assistance, and college prep. Sharing their space is the Soulsville Foundation, which charts the course for the organization’s future.

“We try hard to carry on the Stax Records legacy,” says Soulsville Foundation CEO Pat Mitchell Worley, noting the multiple ways in which they

engage with the community. “We’re still supported by the neighborhood and the goodwill that was sown by those musicians. We work on leveraging our brand to help the Soulsville neighborhood.”

In fact, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) announced in late March a partnership with Soulsville Foundation and the Kemmons Wilson Family Foundation to create the UTHSC Health Hub: Soulsville, a medical center that will provide convenient, affordable health care to the neighborhood. The hub will sit adjacent to the Soulsville Charter School as well as Memphis Delta Prep and LeMoyne-Owen College. The foundation’s work also continues to be supported by people like Deanie and the original board members.

In 2002, the building of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music at McLemore and College brought together many Stax alumni, including (L to R) Steve Cropper, Booker T. Jones, Estelle Axton, and Carla Thomas (seated), William Bell, Al Bell, Deanie Parker, Mavis Staples, David Porter, and Isaac Hayes.

Worley says, “I’d say we’re lucky that our organization has not just Deanie but the founding board members who still have a relationship with us and are still as zealous about supporting us. A lot of organizations cannot say that 20 years later.”

Worley notes that Parker occasionally sits in on rehearsals with students. She relishes hearing them sing the old Stax music.

“I enjoy her songwriting side,” says Worley. “She gives the kids great feedback.”

Later this month, Parker will be recognized at the 175th commencement of Rhodes College, where she will receive an honorary doctorate of humanities for her leadership and contributions to Stax.

“This one is special because I’ve always held Rhodes in such high esteem,” she says.

From an honorary degree to receiving a brass note on Beale Street’s Hall of Fame last year, Parker’s legacy will endure. She never sought the spotlight but accepts the recognition — particularly if it will further the Stax mission.

Says Parker, “We want to pour into our young people the love for Stax soul music, the rhythm-and-blues that is the Memphis sound. We want kids to analyze it, to study the process. We must pour what we have into the next generation. That is our gift to them.”

Ad ntu s LOCAL

We travel for all kinds of reasons, from work to family, pleasure to pilgrimage. But the journeys that we remember most vividly are the ones that change us in some way — whether by shifting our perspective on something we thought we knew, or by making the foreign more familiar, or even by reintroducing us to the home where we return at the end of the road. In this section, we offer ideas for local adventures — experiences that might just reposition your mindset, no highways or runways required. From a journey through a green oasis in the midst of the city to a treasure hunt for public art, from a river voyage to a horseback exploration, Memphis offers a wealth of ways to depart the everyday without ever leaving town. Read on for our suggestions, and let us know which adventure you choose.

DERS UP!

S helby Farms is a delight on land, on air, and, it turns out, especially on horseback. There’s a 60-acre section of this magnificent park where you won’t see a jogger, a biker, or a paddle-boarder. You’ll likely encounter deer — late in the afternoon, many deer — but this is a sanctuary of sorts, one for our equine friends. And thanks to Shelby Farms Stables (owned and managed by Eric Beene), you can make new friends on a trail ride.

I recently hopped aboard Jameson — an 18-year-old red roan gelding — for a two-and-half-mile stroll, among the softest, most gentle hours I can remember. I’m married to a woman who grew up with horses, and I raised a pair of daughters who earned their share of riding ribbons, but I remain a novice in the saddle. Jameson treated me like Clint Eastwood near the end of the movie: partners on a path.

There are more than 40 horses at Shelby Farms Stables, so none are ridden weary. A team of more than 20 volunteers love these animals as much as you love your dog or cat, and they serve as trail leaders for groups as large as 16 (minimum age to ride: 7) or private rides, like the one my wife and I enjoyed. It’s precisely the venture for a new rider, someone a little nervous the first time above such a strong and potentially fast creature. According to our guide, the craziest behavior a trail horse might display is an unscripted pause to nibble on some tasty grass.

It’s hard to truly escape the city. But if we’re establishing “staycation” as a nearby getaway, you’d be challenged to find a better companion for some country time than I found in Jameson. Heels down, keep your hands on the reins. And let a horse make your day.

To book a ride, visit rideshelbyfarms. com. — Frank Murtaugh

FO OW T SUN(SET)

Research shows that watching a sunset can be a good stress reliever. Gazing at that golden orb as it slowly falls beyond the horizon helps you relax and be present in the moment. Think of each sunset as an opportunity for a mini-staycation, a way to escape the travails of the work-a-day world, even if just for 30 minutes or so.

Sunsets produce primarily a redand-orange color spectrum, and that’s because molecules in the air scatter shorter color wavelengths, such as blues and purples, removing them from our line of vision. As the sun gets further away, the light gets warmer. It might help to think of the atmosphere as a filter, like the one on your phone camera — nature’s Juno. And clouds also help. The most brilliant orange-and-scarlet sunsets often take place in the presence of higher cirrus or altocumulus clouds.

So now that you know all the scientific stuff about sunsets, where are the best places to catch one in Memphis? The obvious number-one spot is downtown, along the Mighty Mississippi. There’s all that flat delta land across the river in Arkansas, with nothing to block the show. Some folks prefer the benches along the Bluff Walk; others like to sit in Tom Lee Park, close enough to feel and hear the Mississippi as it rolls on by. Another option, if you like a cocktail or dinner with your sunset, is to take in the view from the upper deck of the Bass Pro Pyramid. It’s pretty hard to beat.

If you’re on the east side of town, a great spot to watch the sun go down is on the eastern shore of Hyde Lake, just off the aptly named Great View Drive in Shelby Farms Park.

And if you’re still needing a little motivation, research also shows that watching that red-and-orange light show helps regulate your circadian rhythm, also known as your body’s internal clock, which leads to a more restful and rejuvenating night’s sleep. So remember: Sunsets are not just beautiful; they’re good for you.

—Bruce VanWyngarden

A CELE IAL SOIREE

I f the charm of a staycation is to see familiar surroundings in a new light, there’s one illuminating angle that people often forget: simply looking up. For over 70 years, that’s been the specialty of the Memphis Astronomical Society (MAS). Indeed, taking a few hours to appreciate the night sky’s splendor may be the ultimate great escape. High-end telescopes being rather astronomical investments, the easiest way to escape into outer space is with the dedicated volunteers of the MAS — and their equipment.

The gatherings hosted by the MAS, like the one planned for May 4th at Village Creek State Park in Arkansas, make that possible. “We try to get about nine or ten telescope operators at our star parties,” says MAS president Jeremy Veldman. “At least three low-power, three medium-power, and three high-power telescopes, including small refractors, larger Dobsonian reflectors [for observing faint objects like nebulae and galaxies], and Schmidt Cassegrains, which are hybrid telescopes with a folded mirror. And then we have a small robotic telescope called Stellina, which displays the object on a television screen with information on that object — how far away it is, if it’s a planet, a nebula, a globular cluster, an open cluster, or whatever.”

Using a screen allows many people to view the same object at once, unlike optical telescopes that require attendees to take turns at the eyepiece. That can take some patience, with anywhere between 40 200 people attending a typical star party. But, says Veldman, there’s nothing quite like viewing through a lens, with galactic light from two million (or more) light years away being focused directly on you. “A star party is a good way to look at photons that have traveled millions of years to be obliterated on your eyeball,” he says. “It’d be very rude for you not to show up for them.”

Visitmemphisastro.orgfor more information. — Alex Greene

P DLE T WOLF VER

G liding slowly on still water beneath the towering cypress tress of the Ghost River, you may feel you’ve slipped backwards in time to a primordial world. It’s hard to believe you’re just a short drive from the bustle of Memphis.

“I’ve always loved the water,” says Jim Gafford, Director of Outreach for the Wolf River Conservancy (WRC). “The water is a natural element to everybody. It supports you, it relaxes you, it has a calming effect on you. There’s always an advantage in getting away from the city. That’s the whole purpose of a vacation.”

Kayaking and canoeing have been human activities for thousands of years. In the last few decades, the sport has exploded in popularity in the United States. “The technology has allowed the equipment to become more affordable,” Gafford says.

all the way down to the Mississippi River, which is about 100 miles west, then you’ll end up walking for the first 20 miles. It’s just a stream, a little trickle through there.”

Taking a canoe out on the Mississippi River is a challenge for experienced oarsmen. But here, we fortunately have access to a much more gentle paddling experience: The Wolf River, which winds through Southwest Tennessee to the Big Muddy. Not all of the Wolf is navigable, says Gafford. “The Upper Wolf starts at Baker’s Pond in Tippah County, Mississippi. If you’re going to do that and go

But the little trickle grows to a wide, lazy river that expands and contracts along its course, winding through forests, swamps, and ponds. It’s enough to keep would-be explorers busy for years. On the first Saturday of every month, Gafford and his colleagues at the WRC lead a paddle expedition down different sections of the river. “We generally have anywhere from four to five, maybe even 10 guides,” he says. “Every one of them likes interfacing with the public, teaching them how to paddle safely, and also teaching them about the Conservancy.”

Gafford’s guides, who are all certified by the WRC, can handle all levels of experience, from novice to expert. Gafford says your first time on the Wolf will be a revelation. “The comment I get the most from somebody who lives in Memphis is, ‘I’ve always wanted to paddle the Wolf River, just have never done it.’ They don’t understand why they haven’t done it before, and frankly, neither do I!”

You can find more information about the first Saturday Wolf River expeditions on the Wolf River Conservancy’s website, wolfriver.org.

—Chris McCoy

Check out these new restaurants, fresh patios, free things to do & can’t-miss fests.

Check out these new restaurants, fresh patios, free things to do & can’t-miss fests.

MEMPHIS’ PUB C A

When you walk into one of Memphis’ many galleries or art museums, you probably quiet yourself, finding yourself entranced as you ponder the various works before you. You came here for the art, and you’re going to look at it — really look at it, in quiet contemplation. These are places that require some level of focus (or, at least, pretend attention). It’s not every day that you get to encounter such fine art, you might say to yourself. But the thing is, in Memphis, we pass great works of art every

day, thanks to the murals and sculptures that populate our public spaces.

Wines & Liquors on Poplar, and noticed the Roto-Sphere “Sputnik” sign, one of fewer than 250 produced in the 1960s, only four of which are still operational. Have you ever considered it a work of art? Maybe, maybe not, but it’s worth more than a drive-by.

Have you gone down to the reimagined Tom Lee Park yet? Have you seen Theaster Gates’ A Monument to Listening, a sculptural response to David Alan Clark’s Tom Lee Memorial? Have you sat on the thrones? Have you come eye-to-eye with Tom Lee? That’s one of the best aspects of public art — the barrier of access is broken down. You can touch (respectfully), you can get close, take pictures, and go back again and again.

Think about it: On any given weekend, if you shop around the Broad Avenue Arts District, you’ll see numerous murals adorning the exteriors of the local businesses. Do you just walk past them? Do you know who painted them? Did you know they were created as part of Paint Memphis, the largest collaborative mural festival in Tennessee?

You have probably driven past Joe’s

So, this summer, take a few minutes on your walk to observe that sculpture in the park that your dog tries to run towards anyway. Go around the corner and get a closer look at that mural, then look up the artist on Instagram and find their artist statement. Take a day, even, and plan out a drive around the city using the UrbanArt Commission’s interactive map of public installations at uacmem.org. Take your time. The art is going to be there for a long time, but don’t take it for granted.

To get started, check out a map of public art on the UrbanArt Commission’s website: uacmem.org/interactive-map.

—Abigail Morici

Fear of speaking keeps

L ast month, I had never walked the V&E Greenline. Now, in the past week, I’ve walked it at least six times.

I’ve walked it alone, with my roommate, with my roommate’s one-eyed pug, with my college best friend, and others. Before, when my classmates or professors (I am a Rhodes College student interning with Memphis Magazine) would mention the Greenline, I would nod my head, acting like I knew where and what it was. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I’ve lived at Crosstown Concourse for almost a year and just recently learned that the trail feeds out right there. With 1.7 miles of paved path to explore, I have had the time to completely clear my head of anxieties whether they involve work, school, or graduation. Instead, I can focus on literally nothing and just enjoy the ability to walk outside on a sunny day.

Passing the Idlewild Garden, which local residents tend to every Saturday morning, and ending my walk at Crosstown, I was overwhelmed by the support and commitment to preservation. Even during my walk on the trail, I made a point to smile and nod at the families, couples, and solo walkers, feeling like I was a part of something. The Greenline demonstrates the joy and passion of community without which no city stands a chance.

Whether you go to play on the monkey bars, admire the blue, blobby “Big Kids” statues, or just walk or bike through the trees, the Greenline is the perfect green escape for people of all ages. Admittedly, I misjudged Memphis before attending Rhodes; hidden treasures, like the V&E Greenline, truly embody the heart of the city. —Abby Wingfield

L et’s play a quick game of Family Feud. Provide a one-word description of Memphis, Tennessee. River would certainly be in the top three (and might be number one). Another answer that would earn you points: basketball. Thanks to the dramatic transformation of Tom Lee Park, Memphians can now get their fill of both … in the same location.

No fewer than four regulation baskets now hang above courts near the north end of Tom Lee Park, a full court under a canopy (dedicated to Tyre Nichols), and a pair of half-courts, one reserved for kids 12 and under, the other for teens. For a city that breathes with our Grizzlies (and Tigers, and countless high school programs) year-round, the courts are somewhat of an active symbol. Sink your first three-pointer with a barge in the background, and you’re closer to being a full-blooded Memphian than you were before you took the shot.

On a recent visit, a large family (with four children) managed to get one of the full-court hoops. But they played no more than 15 minutes, on their way to other outdoor fun in the 30-acre park. I strolled to the free-throw line, told myself the game was tied with only two seconds left on the clock, dribbled three times (never two, never four), and buried the foul shot. We driveway players now have a setting appropriate for all those trophy-winning bank shots.

Something else to love about basketball below the bluffs? The next Penny Hardaway may be playing on one of those half-courts. And to emphasize, if you can factor in a river breeze when lining up a three-pointer, there’s no gym in any city, anywhere that will intimidate. Yes, basketball is, officially, an indoor sport. But you can fall in love with the game outside. Swish. — Frank Murtaugh

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“Photographer, please be sure to capture my good side.”

Hello, My Name Is Tuesday

One rescue kitty’s chaotic ascendance from leaf-pile to domination. BY TUESDAY TRAVERSE

HI! HI. HI?! Yes, that was me headbutting you in your eyeballs while you were trying to look at this magazine article. Because if you are looking at that , do you know what you are not looking at? Me. Yes, true, you are at this moment looking at a magazine article written by me, Tuesday, a cat. But the version of my glorious feline self who wrote that article has already happened! I am a creature of the present, of the infinite NOW.

Which is, coincidentally, why you should scritch my tiny little chin RIGHT NOW.

Ah, that’s better. ank you. True, I will not stop headbutting you, and neither will I allow you to pay attention to anything or anyone other than me, but I will purr for you and swirl lithely around your wrist as you stroke my tiny head. e better for you to admire me from all sides, wildly asymmetrical markings and all!

Why yes, I AM wearing a swoop of eyeliner on only one eye. And yes, I DO have a white armband on only one of my forelegs. Details like these are how you know I am jaunty and insouciant! Plus, have you seen the off-center charcoal smudge on the underside of

Despite my humble origins, please don’t refer to me as a “Weasel-Possum!!!!.”

my mandible? at is where, I believe, someone tried to use a pencil eraser on me, genetically speaking. I resisted! Ha!

I understand you are curious about my life as a “rescue kitty.” First, I would like to make one point abundantly clear. No one “rescued” me. I merely waited in the human’s backyard until she came outdoors one morning with her resident wolf, back in the late autumn of 2022. I was perfectly content, if a little wall-eyed, a tiny ball of fluff in a pile of leaves beside the deck. And then when she swooped down and picked me up, I made a split-second decision to curl up on her sternum and see what happened next!

I would also like to note, regarding the phrase “rescue kitty,” that my status as a “kitty” remains unclear to me and to the humans who share the house with me. In fact, they maintain that I more closely resem-

ble a cross between a possum and a weasel, or at least some manner of stoat. Sometimes, when I am being a real menace (but an endlessly charming menace!), they refer to me, with deep sighs and giggles, as “Weasel-Possum!!!!”

When I was small(er), and my ears did not know how to stand up yet, I also bore a tilted resemblance to Grogu, sometimes called, incorrectly, “Baby Yoda.” I sort of look like Grogu … if Grogu were drawn by a child who didn’t know how to draw very well. Indeed, the humans almost named me Grogu, before deciding to name me after the day of the week on which they discovered me.

About my name: TUESDAY. (I prefer it in allcaps like that, don’t you? Furthermore, I believe my name should come with a built-in exclamation mark: TUESDAY! Yep, yep.) It was fortuitous that the humans realized this was my name. After all, it is a weird thing to name a cat, and I am a proud weirdo. Plus, Tuesday is a genderless name, and I am beyond gender. I was a boy, and then I was a girl, and then I was a boy again! Now I have transcended such silly constraints. Allow me to explain.

When the human found me, close to the “winter holidays” (the time of interesting new cat toys dangling on a prickly indoor tree!), she thought I was a boy and called me, for a matter of hours, “Tiny Tim.” is was when the human was still pretending that I was not going to stay at her house for longer than a week or two. ( e other human, the one I make sneeze, says he always knew I was staying. “Achoo!”, he says. Ha ha!) I was taken to the vet that very day, and the vet told the humans that I was very healthy, but also said, “Tiny Tim is actually Tiny Tina!” I acquired the name Tuesday, and months passed, until one day I was taken back to the vet for something called my “spay.” Well, I fussed, but the vet made me sleepy and then when I woke up, the vet told the human that … surprise! e operation had gone well, but instead of a spay, it turned out to be a “neuter”! From that day forward, the humans have used “they/them” pronouns when referring to me. I approve, especially since this sometimes confuses other humans. I enjoy fostering befuddlement wherever I go.

What will I do next? Why did I just steal the pencil from your table? Will you ever see it again? (No!) What am I chasing when I sprint from one side of the house to the other, like wind, like lightning? How can one creature act so angelic one moment, so demonically possessed the next?

My answer to all of the above: MEW. Meewww!

The Wiggles of a Blob Fish

From behind bars to under the blankies.

BY BLOBBY MORICCI

The rumors are true. In a previous life, I spent time behind bars. For 13 whole days. I know, I know. You wouldn’t believe it, looking at these deep-brown eyes or these pearly whites that get stuck on my lips or my little wiggle butt that charmed me out of the very bars that once imprisoned me. My crime, of course, was that of “stray/abandoned.” I don’t like to talk about what led me to those charges — I like the mystery.

It’s like when I’m asked, “What’re you eating? What’s in your mouth?” My mouth is clamped so tight no fingers can pry it open. Gotta keep the people on their toes. But I will tell you what happened the day I busted out of the pound, where they branded me Blob Fish. ursday, September 30, 2021, was the day. It was already evening, and my human (spoiler, sorry, not sorry) approached my cell. I wiggled my whole body to get her attention. (Honestly, I was hoping for a second dinner, thinking she was another guard, but don’t tell her that. She’s convinced that it was love at first sight.) And she said, “You’re coming home with me. For one week.” Fast-forward to me meeting her in an enclosed room. I might’ve peed on her shoes

I gladly will pose for a yummy treat.

“MIFA goes into places that I can’t go. MIFA helps people that I may never reach.”

(we’re not going to talk about that, but she brought me in the car anyway.

Off we went to the pet store. Where I walked right into the glass door. And where my human bought me food for one week. She told the pet store worker I was a “transport foster.” e shelter was gonna ship me off somewhere, she said. I was called Blob Fish, she said. Where “somewhere” was, I don’t know. Why that godforsaken name followed my wiggle butt, I’ll never know.

I do know that when I first arrived home (again, spoiler, not sorry), I got a bath. Lather, rinse, and repeat. e works.

After I was camera- and cuddle-ready, my human FaceTimed my grandpawrents (her parents); she repeated that I was only going to be with her for one week. I puked on the sofa (we’re not going to talk about that). But one week turned into two, then three, then four, and then people started referring to me as a “foster fail.” And, excuse me, I’m not a failure. At anything. (See: my undefeatedness in my ongoing battle against the frogs in my yard. Not once have they outwitted my mind games. I will outhop, outrun, outstare any number of those amphibians.)

The day I was officially adopted.

Watching for Memphis drivers.

With my Aunt Rylie in New Orleans.

Soon, this human of mine — who was still calling me Blob Fish, mind you, Blobby for short — was hugging and kissing all over me, trotting my wiggle butt all around. I went to see my grandpawrents in New Orleans (and we still go all the time). I showed off my wiggle butt, peed on my grandma (we’re not going to talk about that), and met my four-legged Aunt Rylie, who taught me how to bark. Bark. BARK. BARK! BAAAAARK!

at’s right, baby, I’m a barker now — a barker with a wiggle butt. Look into these eyes. Ignore the wiggle butt (I know it’s an eye-magnet). Ignore the fact that I have a stupid name. Ignore the eye boogers. Ignore my tongue as it flicks up to my nose. And any drool that dribbles out of my jowls, ignore that too. Look into these eyes, I say. BARK! Got you. Just like I’ve got everyone who dares to walk past my fence. Nu-uh. BARK!

I suppose you could say I’ve found my voice, but I’ve had it all along. And I’m not talking about the way that I whine when I want attention or the way that I whine

If I whine I get to go under the blankie.

when the vet tech calls me Blooby instead of Blobby (curse my human for keeping this name) or the way that I whine when I want to go outside or the way that I whine when I want to come back inside or the way that I whine when I want to go under the blankies or the way that I whine when my human’s not home or the way that I whine when I want treats or the way that I whine when I want more treats or the way that I whine when I want breakfast or lunch or dinner or, hey, that sandwich you’re eating, or how about those crackers. You know that sounds good right about always. Where was I?

Oh, yes, I’ve always been able to charm my way with my wiggle butt. It’s what powers me through like a fish swimming in water. Gosh darn it. e name makes sense now. Blob Fish. And this whole time I was insulted thinking I don’t look Blobby, do I? ”

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THE NEW FESTS

The Mempho Music Festival attracted tens of thousands to Memphis Botanic Garden’s Radians Amphitheater in October. The company behind Mempho, Forward Momentum, will be hosting RiverBeat and Smoke Slam, two new festivals in Tom Lee Park this month.

ON THE BLOCK

FORWARD MOMENTUM’S KEVIN McENIRY WANTS RIVERBEAT AND SMOKESLAM TO BE YOUR NEW MAY DESTINATIONS.

BY CHRIS MCCOY

This year, for the first time since 1977, there will be no Beale Street Music Festival. Instead, on the weekend of May 3-5, Tom Lee Park will host the RiverBeat Music Festival. e three headlining acts for the three-night event will be ’90s hip-hop legends Fugees, electronic duo Odesza, and hot country-rap artist Jelly Roll.

Kevin McEniry is one of the key investors and driving forces behind Forward Momentum, the new company producing the festival. “We’ve got a team of eight fulltime employees that work under the Forward Momentum umbrella, which runs Mempho Music Fest, Mempho Presents, as well as RiverBeat and SmokeSlam,” he says. McEniry is something of an unlikely figure in the music festival industry. He’s a Memphis native who was, until October 2022, the CEO of nexAir, an 82-year-old company specializing in welding supplies, bottled oxygen, and other products for the medical industry. When the company merged with Linde Gas & Equipment, McEniry “retired” to try something new.

“When we exited the business, the timing was right for our employees and our family,” he says. “I intended to find something to do. I felt the market had been somewhat abdicated from a music promotion standpoint. Being all-in on the city, and trying to do everything I can to help, I know the number-one driver of tourism in Memphis is music. So what we hoped to do was just to bring more music to the city, frankly.”

“We’re hoping that we can engage folks in the arts and all the other benefits that come with it. One of the things we’re going to do, regardless of how well tickets sell, is set aside a thousand tickets to give to the public high school system here in town, so that some of those that may not be able to afford to come to RiverBeat, but would like to, will have the opportunity.”

— Kevin McEniry

The Black Keys kick off Mempho Music Festival 2022. RiverBeat will continue Mempho’s legacy of carefully curated musical performers, with headliners The Fugees, Odesza, and Jelly Roll.

Mempho Music Festival, first held in October 2017 at Memphis Botanic Garden, was one such attempt to reinvigorate live music in the Bluff City. McEniry says, “We were very intentional that we were going to put [Mempho] on five months away from Beale Street Music Fest. There’s room for both. It was going to be an additive to the city. We didn’t want [Memphis in May] to feel like we were competing with them, and we didn’t want them to feel like they were competing with us. We hoped to work with them initially, but we never got the opportunity to do that.”

While Mempho was flourishing post-pandemic, the Beale Street Music Festival ran into misfortunes and complications. First, Memphis in May, the 1977-founded nonprofit that oversaw BSMF, was involved in a protracted dispute with the Memphis River Parks Partnership over the redevelopment of Tom Lee Park, where both the BSMF and the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Contest were held every year. And the Covid cancellations of 2020 dealt a serious blow to all purveyors of live events.

Then, in 2022, while the renovation of the park was in full swing, BSMF moved to Tiger Lane at the fairgrounds; but that event, designed as a comeback, was hobbled when headliners Foo Fighter cancelled after the unexpected death of their drummer, Taylor Hawkins.

In 2023, BSMF returned to a newly renovated Tom Lee Park, but had the misfortune of occurring the same weekend as Taylor Swift’s now-legendary, rain-soaked stadium show in Nashville. Later that year, the dispute with MRPP came to a head over claims of damage exceeding $1.4 million to the new park. As a result, Memphis in May announced they would permanently move from Tom Lee Park and canceled the Beale Street Music Festival, at least for 2024.

For more on the MRPP-BSMF unraveling, see our October 2023 cover story, which includes an interview with Jim Holt, then-president of Memphis in May.

“I can’t comment on what happened with Beale Street Music Festival,” says McEniry. “I can comfortably say that, our goal and our dream was never to stage a festival in an area where they did. We hoped they would be an ongoing concern for the near- and long-term future. Once that ongoing concern ended for at least a year, we were more than willing to step in and fill that gap.”

McEniry says it’s exciting to be able to tailor a musical experience that will complement the newly reinvented Tom Lee Park. “We want to partner with the park, but we want it to be a true partnership,” he says.

The renovation “is good for the city,” he says, “because you’re going to be able to activate

the park year-round, where before, it was only activated some times during the year.”

He explains his group plans to make adjustments. “We won’t have the three large stages that BSMF had. We’ll have two large stages, and we will reduce the capacity fairly significantly. I think our capacity goals will be under 22,500 a day. In the past, Beale Street would draw up to 50,000, and it would be a great experience. The challenge is, the new park really won’t allow that, so we want to be good partners with the park, and we want to build a sustainable event over time. For those reasons, we’re going to be smaller, but we hope in a good way.”

SAT JUNE 1

3-6PM OVERTON SQUARE

Kick off your Best Summer Ever at our annual Memphis Margarita Festival! Sample from the city’s best margarita-makers, and enjoy fresh local food, live tunes from DJ Zetta, and more!

The crew behind Mempho Music Festival, which enjoys an excellent reputation in the live music industry, has become the core team behind RiverBeat. “It’s just so rewarding for someone to come up to me and say, ‘I appreciate you putting it on and allowing me to work the festival,’” he says. “We want to carry that same brand over to RiverBeat. We want to have an elevated experience on every level.”

Fan experience is job one, McEniry says. “We survey our fans very intentionally after the festival, wanting them to identify any warts there were. If there was anything that went wrong, we want to know about it, and we want to figure out a way to address and fix it.”

In addition to the headliners, the inaugural RiverBeat will feature Atlanta rappers Big Boi and Killer Mike, dance-y indie duo Matt and Kim, Austin soulsters Black Pumas, L.A. rockers Mt. Joy, and Flint, Michigan, outlaw country act Whitey Morgan and the 78’s.

Memphis musicians will also enjoy an extensive presence, including soul legend Don Bryant and the Bo-Keys, Orange Mound rap titans 8-Ball and MJG, soul stirrers Southern Avenue, R&B songstress Talibah Safiya, the zydeco-infused eclectica of Marcella Simien, live phenoms The Lucky Seven Brass Band, and North Mississippi gospel family The Wilkins Sisters.

“We want to help the local talent, and fortunately for the local talent, they’re good!” says McEniry. “We want to help local artists do well, so we want to give them a platform. It’s going to be a first-class event. We’re just trying to do whatever we can to ultimately help the city.

“There’s a lot of good things going on in Memphis right now, and hopefully we can continue to grow these events. We can bring in regional and national talent, as well as regional and national attendees. We’re starting to have some real success at Mempho in building a dedicated following that the city can count on each October. There’s going to be a group of folks coming into town, staying in hotels, eating in restaurants, and

attending the Mempho Music Festival. And there’s an opportunity with RiverBeat to do the same thing. We hope over time that we build a loyal following, and they come back year after year.”

For McEniry, promoting music and the arts is a passion that goes beyond entertainment. “Unfortunately we’ve got a large percentage of our population that’s living under the poverty line,” he says. “We’ve got a lot of youth that don’t have some of the opportunities that are provided in other places. I think everybody understands if you can get kids at any level engaged in the arts, things happen. They tend to graduate from high school. They tend to not get pregnant early in life. We’re hoping that we can engage folks in the arts and all the other benefits that come with it. One of the things we’re going to do, regardless of how well tickets sell, is set aside a thousand tickets to give to the public high school system here in town, so that some of those that may not be able to afford to come to RiverBeat, but would like to, will have the opportunity.”

“There’s a lot of good things going on in Memphis right now, and hopefully we can continue to grow these events. We can bring in regional and national talent, as well as regional and national attendees. We’re starting to have some real success at Mempho in building a dedicated following that the city can count on each October.”

—Kevin McIniry

Forward Momentum’s ambitions don’t stop with music. While Memphis in May will be holding the World Championship Barbecue Contest in Liberty Park, a new barbecue cooking competition, SmokeSlam, will take place in Tom Lee Park.

Almost 60 teams will compete for $250,000 in prizes, which McEniry says is the largest pot in the history of barbecue competitions.

ere will be carnival attractions like a Ferris wheel and musical acts, headlined by St. Paul and the Broken Bones. McEniry says SmokeSlam will be a major addition to the roster of Bluff City celebrations.

“We need to host a world-class event that showcases barbecue, which is part of our heritage, and provides a platform for these amazing competitors,” he says. “We’ve also made it interactive, inclusive, and fun for visitors. All events we produce through Mempho Presents believe in great fan experience, and we have the knowledge and expertise to deliver just that. Coupled with our steering committee of barbecue experts, we believe we have the perfect formula for a very successful event.”

Saturday, June 15th 10am-5pm

Crosstown Concourse

Featuring 80+ local makers, artists, and craftsfolk - join us and Shop Local! Our unique Crafts & Drafts shopping experience showcases a curated group of independent local artists for a fun day of shopping and local brews!

CROSSTOWN CONCOURSE PLAZA

JUNE 6

JULY 12 JOHN FOGERTY

AUGUST 9 SAM

AUGUST 23

SEPTEMBER 20

IN FOCUS

What is Super Lawyers In Focus?

Super Lawyers recognizes attorneys in the clients they serve.

The attorneys featured here are included among the Super Lawyers and Rising Stars selectees. For a complete list of selected attorneys, including additional areas of practice, visit superlawyers.com. There you will also find information about the Super Lawyers patented

CRIMINAL DEFENSE

S-2

HOMICIDE

S-3

DIVORCE

S-4

F O C U S O N

PERRY GRIFFIN, PC

At Perry Griffin, PC, being a criminal defense trial lawyer is both an honor and a calling. These lawyers share a deeply held belief in the protections of the U.S. Constitution and an unshakeable confidence in the American jury system.

The experienced attorneys at Perry Griffin handle their clients’ legal matters with the utmost professionalism and integrity—because they are dedicated to keeping our justice system just. They believe that no matter how small or large the case, every client deserves an excellent defense. They build a powerful defense by attacking every element of an accusation and tirelessly preparing for trial, no matter what it takes.

The firm’s zealous attorneys relish the opportunity to convince 12 fellow citizens that their client has been wrongly accused. Strong trial lawyers

who handle cases from the moment of arrest to post-trial appeal, they bring their substantial knowledge, diligence and tenacity to every case.

Standing L-R: Kaila Williams, Garret Estes, Stephen Collins, Jonathan Dailey, LaQuaisha Gross, Aayuanna Nash, Juan Williams

Seated L-R: Ravonda Griffin Willis**, John Keith Perry*, Jaleesa Seals *Selected to Super Lawyers **Selected to Rising Stars

5699 Getwell Road, Bldg. G5 Southaven, MS 38672

(662) 536-6868 | perrygriffin.com

F O C U S O N

THE LAW OFFICE OF MASSEY MCCLUSKY FUCHS & BALLENGER

At MMF&B we bring something special to the table—the heart for the fight. In an adversarial system that pits the prosecution against the defense, we are in it to win it for you. Our goal is to prevent clients from being charged, but if that’s not possible, we know our way to the courtroom and what to do when we get there. Our team’s trial skills are honed in the adversarial arena and polished by professional advocacy training. It is our strong belief that the best negotiated settlements for our clients are obtained by being prepared for trial. MMF&B champions the defense of the accused, and we do it by bringing something special to the table—the heart for the fight.

Standing: Joseph A. McClusky*, Jason Ballenger, William D. Massey*, Seth Segraves

Seated: Lauren Fuchs*

*Selected to Super Lawyers

3074 East Street Memphis, TN 38128

(901) 384-4004 | masseymcclusky.com

F O C U S O N

MCCULLOUGH LAW, PLLC

“Marriage is a happy event; divorce is intimidating and complicated,” says Princess Woodard at McCullough Law, PLLC. That's why she says, “When the fairy tale is over, call Princess.” Princess is an experienced, tenacious and highly knowledgeable divorce litigator, practicing at both the trial and appellate level, and the author of the client-centered guide to divorce and family law, Tidbits on Tennessee Family Law.

Not only is Princess well versed in contested, complex, high-asset and self-employed spouse divorces, but also highly skilled in drafting prenuptial agreements and representing clients in custody, child support, grandparent visitation and adoption disputes.

Princess is the Family Law Chair for the National Bar Association, the Alimony Chair for the American Bar Association and a frequent presenter at legal education seminars across the country.

McCullough Law’s dedicated family law team provides zealous, informed and clientfocused representation across Tennessee.

Princess M. Woodard

Selected to Rising Stars

2206 Union Ave. Memphis, TN 38104 (901) 795-0050 | mcculloughlawfirm.com

“I love helping youth, and I love what I do. This isn’t work to me. This is a passion.”

– Thurmeisha White, Youth Villages employee

It takes a family to find just where you belong.

Creative, adaptable, focused, resilient and determined. Is this you?

The right path feels less like a job and more like a calling. Is this you?

Doesn’t shy away from hard work with a powerful payo . Is this you?

A company with national reach that feels like a family. That’s Youth Villages. Join Youth Villages to find a family and a forever career.

Southern Comfort

Emily Adams brings an international flair to Bar DKDC.

BY BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN

The first thing you notice when you begin talking to Emily Adams is her Southern accent — and we’re talking about the south of England. Adams moved to the U.S. from a small English village some 16 years ago, settling in New York City, where she studied contemporary dance. New York is also where she met her husband, Eddie Adams, a deejay and bartender. She has fond memories of the city.

“We were grandfathered into an old Italian family building in Gowanus [a Brooklyn neighborhood] before it became cool to live there,” she says. “ ere were so many little mom-andpop shops and great Italian food places. We loved New York, everything about it.”

But then came the great pandemic. “ e pandemic hit and closed everything down,” Adams says. “Work fell away for both of us and everything that makes New York so exciting wasn’t there anymore. It created a sense of urgency to move. We checked out upstate New York and California but nothing stuck.”

en the couple heard from a friend who was helping to open a bar in Memphis called Hernando’s Hideaway, and who offered them bartending jobs.

“We first thought, ‘No we’re not going to live in the South.’ I had all these misinformed stereotypes. But when we came here, we both sort of immediately fell in love with it. It ticked the boxes of being a smaller city, but one with a lot of music and culture and diversity. Everything seemed more open — more space, fewer people, not as crowded. Memphis has a spirit to it, a grit, a texture, something that’s not comparable.”

And if there’s a joint in Memphis that reflects that spirit and texture, a place that’s not comparable to anywhere

alive with color. Strings

else in town, it would be Bar DKDC, where Adams has worked for the past two years. It’s a small room with ancient plank flooring. e walls and ceiling are alive with color. Strings of lights and beads are festooned everywhere. Feather boas flank colorful plastic benches and wooden stumps and lawn chairs. Bold, simple paintings confront worn wooden sculptures, face masks, and primitive art pieces. It’s a kaleidoscope of a room, and a good fit for Adams.

“ is place is a bit of an anomaly,” she says. “It encompasses lots of different things. We have a diverse rotation of people who come through. e music and art shows and drag bingo nights bring in all kinds. It’s a small place and the bands play on top of everybody. I think my intention is to create a familial party in a room, almost like a big house party. We serve good food, good drinks, and good music and art. I think DKDC is a bit undefinable.”

And Adams has found the restaurant to be more than just a good place to work. “It’s a family of really strong-spirited people, a lot of big personalities, and I love that. We all take care of each other.”

Adams pauses for a moment, gives me a smile, and says, “So, what about you? You’ve got this

“We first thought, ‘No we’re not going to live in the South.’ I had all these misinformed stereotypes. But when we came here, we both sort of immediately fell in love with it. It ticked the boxes of being a smaller city, but one with a lot of music and culture and diversity.… Memphis has a spirit to it, a grit, a texture, something that’s not comparable.” — Emily Adams

job where you go around and interview bartenders and they make you drinks. It must be hard for you.”

“Yes,” I reply. “It really is.”

“So what shall I make you?”

“Whatever you want. I suspect I’ll like it.”

“Good. Well, there’s a drink on our cocktail menu that’s a twist on a tiki drink. It has black rum, gold rum, apricot liqueur, freshly squeezed lemon, coconut cream, and a little nutmeg on top. It’s sweet and boozy, but complex, with layers. I think it’s a fun summer drink.”

“ at does sound fun. Let’s do it.”

e drink, which is called “Sister Nancy” on the cocktail menu, is unassuming in appearance. It looks almost like

a milkshake — creamy and rich and sweet (but not too  sweet), and boozy as advertised, a wonderful cocktail to sip on a summer’s day.

“ is is delightful, Emily,” I say. “I’m really happy to have met you, and glad you and Eddie chose to move to Memphis.”

“We’re glad too. is city has been a really happy place for us. When you move to another city as an adult, you’re always concerned about if you’ll make friends again, but we’ve found a community here and everybody is interesting and great to be around. Memphis has been a blessing.”

Bar DKDC is located at 964 South Cooper.Find them on Instagram @bar_dkdc

Emily Adams and her “Sister Nancy.”

Memphis Dining Guide

A Curated Guide to Eating Out

MemphisMagazine offers this curated restaurant listing as a service to our readers. Broken down alphabetically by neighborhoods, this directory does not list every restaurant in town. It does, however, include the magazine’s “Top 50” choices of must-try restaurants in Memphis, a group that is updated every August. Establishments open less than a year are not eligible for “Top 50” but are noted as “New.” is guide also includes a representative sampling of other Bluff City eating establishments. No fast-food facilities or cafeterias are listed. Restaurants are included regardless of whether they advertise in  MemphisMagazine; those that operate in multiple locations are listed under the neighborhood of their original location. is guide is updated regularly, but we recommend that you call ahead to check on hours, prices, or other details. Suggestions from readers are welcome: dining@memphismagazine.com.

DOWNTOWN

117 PRIME—Restaurateurs Craig Blondis and Roger Sapp team up with Chef Ryan Trimm to recreate the traditional American steakhouse. Serving oysters on the half shell and a variety of surf and turf options. 117 Union. 433-9851. L, D, WB, X, $-$$$

ALDO’S PIZZA PIES—Serving gourmet pizzas — including Mr. T Rex — salads, and more. Also 30 beers, bottled or on tap. 100 S. Main. 577-7743; 752 S. Cooper. 725-7437. L, D, X, $-$$

AMELIA GENE’S—Globally inspired fine-dining cuisine at the One Beale project, including Rohan duck, Wagyu filet, and an extensive cheese cart. 255 S. Front. 686-5051. D, X, $$-$$$ THE ARCADE—Possibly Memphis’ oldest cafe. Specialties include sweet potato pancakes, a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich, and breakfast served all day. 540 S. Main. 526-5757. B, L, D (Thurs.-Sat.), X, MRA, $

ARNOLD’S SMOKEHOUSE—A classic smokehouse with vegan and nonvegan options seasoned to perfection. Closed Mon. 2019 E. Person Ave. 922-5950. L, D, SB, X, $-$$$

AUTOMATIC SLIM’S—Longtime Downtown favorite specializes in contemporary American cuisine emphasizing local ingredients; also extensive martini list. 83 S. Second. 525-7948. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$

BARDOG TAVERN—Classic American grill with Italian influence, Bardog offers pasta specialties such as Grandma’s NJ Meatballs, as well as salads, sliders, sandwiches, and daily specials. 73 Monroe. 275-8752. B (Mon.-Fri.), L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ BEDROCK EATS & SWEETS—Memphis’ only Paleo-centric restaurant, offering such dishes as pot roast, waffles, enchiladas, chicken salad, omelets, and more. Closed for dinner Sun. 327 S. Main. 409-6433. B, L, D, X, $-$$

CAROLINA WATERSHED—This indoor/outdoor eatery, set around silos, features reimagined down-home classics, including fried green tomatoes with smoked catfish, a buttermilk fried chicken sandwich, burgers, and more. Closed Mon.-Thurs. 141 E. Carolina. 321-5553. L, D, WB, $-$$

CATHERINE & MARY’S—A variety of pastas, grilled quail, pâté, razor clams, and monkfish are among the dishes served at this Italian restaurant in the Chisca. 272 S. Main. 254-8600. D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$

CHEF TAM’S UNDERGROUND CAFE—Serves Southern staples with a Cajun twist. Menu items include totchoes, jerk wings, fried chicken, and “muddy” mac and cheese. Closed Sun. and Mon. 668 Union Ave. 207-6182. L, D, X, $-$$

DINING SYMBOLS

B — breakfast

L — lunch

D — dinner

SB — Sunday brunch

WB — weekend brunch

CHEZ PHILIPPE—Classical/contemporary French cuisine with Asian and Nordic influences, presented in a luxurious atmosphere with seasonal tasting menus from chef Keith Clinton. Afternoon tea served Thu-Sun., noon-3:30 p.m. (reservations required). Closed Sun.-Tues. The Peabody, 149 Union. 529-4188. D, X, MRA, $$$$

CIMAS—It’s breakfast tacos, shrimp and grits, chilaquiles verdes, and plenty of other Southern and Latin-American twists at the Hyatt Centric. 33 Beale St. 444-3232. B, L, D, X, $-$$$

X— wheelchair accessible

MRA — member, Memphis Restaurant Association

$ — under $15 per person without drinks or desserts

$$ — under $25

$$$ — $26-$50

$$$$ — over $50

BELLE TAVERN—Serving elevated bar food, including a butcher board with a variety of meats and cheeses, as well as daily specials. 117 Barboro Alley. 249-6580. L (Sun.), D, MRA, $

BEN YAY’S GUMBO SHOP—Spiritual successor to DejaVu, offering fresh and authentic Creole staples. 51 S. Main St., 779-4125. L, D, X, $-$$

BISHOP—Ticer and Hudman’s newest venture at the Central Station Hotel features upscale dishes in a French brasserie style. 545 S. Main St., 524-5247. L, D, X, $$-$$$

BRASS DOOR IRISH PUB—Irish and New-American cuisine includes such entrees as fish and chips, burgers, shepherd’s pie, all-day Irish breakfast, and more. 152 Madison. 572-1813. L, D, SB, $-$$ BY THE BREWERY—Breakfast and lunch café, with a focus on Southern-style biscuits, salads, and soups. 496 Tennessee St. 310-4341. B, L, $

CAFE KEOUGH—European-style cafe serving quiche, paninis, salads, and more. 12 S. Main. 509-2469. B, L, D, X, $ CAPRICCIO GRILL ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE—Offers prime steaks, fresh seafood (lobster tails, grouper, mahi mahi), pasta, and several Northern Italian specialties. 149 Union, The Peabody. 529-4199. B, L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$$

COCOZZA AMERICAN ITALIAN—”The red sauce joint of your dreams” serves up classic Italian-American fare from the owners of Majestic Grille. Closed Sun. 110 Harbor Town Sq. 609-1111. D, X, $-$$

COZY CORNER—Serving up ribs, pork sandwiches, chicken, spaghetti, and more; also homemade banana pudding. Closed Mon. 735 N. Parkway. 527-9158. L, D, $

CURFEW—An elevated sports bar/American tavern concept by Top Chef contestant Fabio Viviani at the Canopy Memphis Downtown hotel. 164 Union Ave. B, L, D, X, $-$$

DOS HERMANOS KITCHEN—Breakfast and lunch concept by Eli Townsend in the Cossitt Library. 33 S. Front. 286-2399. B, L, $

ESCO RESTAURANT AND TAPAS—Shareable dishes, turkey ribs, and seafood mac’n’cheese at this 2 Chainz franchise. 156 Lt. George W. Lee Ave. 808-3726. L, D, $$-$$$

FEAST & GRAZE—Whipped goat toast, open-faced grilled cheese, and other local pantry snacks and charcuterie boards. Closed Sun./Mon. 55 S. Main. 654-5926. L, X, $

FERRARO’S CHEESY CORNER & PIZZERIA—Plenty of pizzas, along with a whole new cheese-inspired menu (fancy grilled cheeses and build-your-own mac and cheese bowls). 111 Jackson. 522-2033. L, D, X, $

FISHBOWL AT THE PYRAMID—Burgers, fish dishes, sandwiches, and more served in a unique “underwater” setting. Bass Pro, 1 Bass Pro Drive, 291-8000. B, L, D, X, $-$$

FLIGHT RESTAURANT & WINE BAR—Serves steaks and seafood, along with such specialties as bison ribeye and Muscovy duck, all matched with appropriate wines. 39 S. Main. 521-8005. D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$

FLYING FISH—Serves up fried and grilled versions of shrimp, crab, oysters, fish tacos, and catfish; also chicken and burgers. 105 S. Second. 522-8228. L, D, X, $-$$

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). 853-6005; 2965 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 373-9111; 730 S. Mendenhall. 767-2323; 505 Highway 70 W., Mason, TN. 901-294-2028. L, D, X, MRA, $

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. 3331229. 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, $$-$$$

KINFOLK—Breakfast with a side of nostalgia in Harbor Town. Specialties include biscuit sandwiches, steak and omelet plate, and brown butter mushrooms with jammy egg over grits. 111 Harbor Town Square. 457.5463. B, L, SB, WB, $-$$

KING & UNION BAR GROCERY—Classic Southern favorites including catfish plate, pimento cheese, po-boys, chicken & waffles. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with cocktails served with flair and favorite Memphis beers. Locally made confections available in the grocery. 185 Union Ave. 523-8500. B, L, D, $-$$

KOOKY CANUCK—Offers prime rib, catfish, and burgers, including the 4-lb. “Kookamonga”; also late-night menu. 87 S. Second. 578-9800; 1250 N. Germantown Pkwy. 1-800-2453 L, D, 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 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, $-$$

THE LOOKOUT AT THE PYRAMID—Serves seafood and Southern fare, including cornmeal-fried oysters, sweet tea brined chicken, and elk chops. 1 Bass Pro Dr. 620-4600/291-8200. L, D, X, $-$$$

LUNA RESTAURANT & LOUNGE—Serving a limited menu of breakfast and lunch items. Dinner entrees include citrus glaze salmon and Cajun stuffed chicken. 179 Madison (Hotel Napoleon). 526-0002. B, D (Mon.-Sat.), X, $-$$$

MACIEL’S—Entrees include tortas, fried taco plates, quesadillas, chorizo and pastor soft tacos, salads, and more. 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. 5275337. 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, 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 handcrafted cocktails at this Downtown restaurant and lounge. 150 Peabody Place, Suite 111. 435-6915. L, D, X, $

SMURFEY’S SMOKEHOUSE—The beloved food truck has found a permanent home for their famous loaded nachos and fries with plans of adding breakfast soon. Closed Sun. and Mon. 149 Madison Ave. 337-7966. L, D, X, $-$$

SOUTH MAIN SUSHI & GRILL—Serving sushi, nigiri, and more. 520 S. Main. 249-2194. L, D, X, $

SOB—Elevated gastropub that serves favorites like general Tso’s cauliflower or duck fried rice. 345 S. Main. 526-0388; 5040 Sanderlin (East Memphis). 818-0821; 1329 W. Poplar Ave. 286-1360. L, D, WB, 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, $$-$$$

THE GARDEN BRUNCH CAFÉ—Leaving their Nashville roots, a unique and healthy brunch spot in the heart of Downtown. Closed Mon.—Thurs. 492 S. Main St. 249-7450. B, SB, 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, $$-$$$

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, $ ASHTAR GARDEN—Southern twists on classic brunch dishes, and plenty of cocktails. Closed Mon.-Wed. 898 Cooper St. 4431514. L, D, $-$$

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. 538-7309. B, L, D, $-$$

THE COVE—Nautical-themed restaurant and bar serving oysters, pizzas, and more. The Stoner Pie, with tamales and fritos, is a popular dish. 2559 Broad. 730-0719. L, D, $

THE CRAZY NOODLE—Korean noodle dishes range from bibam beef noodle with cabbage, carrots, and other vegetables, to curry chicken noodle; also rice cakes served in a flavorful sauce. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. 2015 Madison. 272-0928. L, D, 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, $-$$

EVELYN & OLIVE—Jamaican/Southern fusion cuisine includes such dishes as Kingston stew fish, Rasta Pasta, and jerk rib-eye. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun.-Mon. 150 N. Avalon St. 748-5422. 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. 207-6193. 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). 7543885; 77 S. Second (Downtown). 527-2700; 2130 W. Poplar (Collierville). 854-4455; 7090 Malco Blvd. (Southaven). 662-349-7097; 7825 Winchester. 624-8911; 4872 Poplar. 682-7729; 7677 Farmington Blvd. (Germantown). 318-3030; 8570 Highway 51 N. (Millington). 873-5025. L, D, 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, $

JACK’S BROWN BEER AND BURGER JOINT—Another spot to satisfy your burger craving this time with 100% American Wagyu beef. 2197 Central Ave. 512-6957. L, D, 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. 2075097. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$

LOS COMALES—Authentic Mexican cuisine, daily specials, and strong margaritas. 1322 Madison. 440-8393; 345 Madison Ave (Downtown). 590-4524; 2860 S. Perkins (East Memphis). 369-0528. L, D, 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, $-$$

LOUIS CONNELLY’S BAR FOR FUN TIMES & FRIENDSHIP—An upgraded dive bar with a neighborhood feel and a rockin’ SMASH burger. Closed Sun. and Mon. 322 S. Cleveland St. 433-9582. L, D, 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). 7532218; 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, $-$$

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, $-$$

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, $-$$

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, $

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, $-$$$

SHROOMLICIOUS MEALS—Vegan eatery with a heavy blend of (as the name implies) mushrooms. Closed Mon. and Tues. 394 N. Watkins St. 205-8413. L, D, X, $

SLICE MIDTOWN—Serving New York-style pizza as well as subs and pasta dishes (formerly known as Little Italy). 1495 Union. 725-0280; L, D, 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, $-$$.

TJ MULLIGAN’S—Cold drinks, comfort food, and plenty of live entertainment. 2021 Madison. 725-0770; 1817 Kirby Pkwy (East Memphis). 755-2481; 8070 Trinity Rd. #1 (Cordova). 756-4480; 2821 N. Houston Levee Rd (Lakeland). 377-9997. L, D, X, $-$$

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, $-$$

VIBE FOODS—By way of Colorado, superfood bar serves up clean and delicious meals and juices. Closed Sun. 1350 Concourse Ave. 572-1127; 3139 Poplar Ave. (East Memphis). 207-2535. B, L, 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, $

FANATIC SPORTS BAR AND WING FANATIC—Sports bar and hot wing joint folded into one, with plenty of screens to watch the big game. 2857 Appling Way. 695-3243. L, D, $-$$

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., Suite 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, $-$$$

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, $-$$$

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, $$-$$$

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 Macallan. 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, $$-$$$

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, $

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, $-$$

Memphis Scene Winter Photo Contest

First

Trexler

Second Place

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, $-$$$

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, $-$$

SEASONS 52—This elegant fresh grill and wine bar offers a seasonally changing menu using fresh ingredients, wood-fire grilling, and brick-oven cooking; also a large international wine list and nightly piano bar. Crescent Center, 6085 Poplar. 682-9952. L, D, X, $$-$$$

STAKS—Offering pancakes, including birthday cake and lemon ricotta. Menu includes other breakfast items such as beignets and French toast, as well as soups and sandwiches for lunch. 4615 Poplar. 509-2367; 3660 S. Houston Levee Road, Suite 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). 2217488; 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

THE BLUE ROOM RESTAURANT—An elevated take on traditional Southern recipes, located in the U of M Kemmons Wilson Culinary Institute. Closed Mon. 1245 N. Germantown Pkwy., Suite 101. 249-7512. D, SB, $$-$$$

BOMBAY HOUSE—Indian fare includes lamb korma and chicken tikka; also, a daily luncheon buffet. 1727 N. Germantown Pkwy. 755-4114. L, D, 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., Suite 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. 787-8886. 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. 7792796. 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, $-$$

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). 755-1447; 1492 Union. 274-4264; 11615 Airline Rd. (Arlington). 867-1883; 9045 Highway 64 (Lakeland). 383-4219; 7164 Hacks Cross Rd. (Olive Branch). 662-890-3337; 8834 Hwy. 51 N. (Millington). 872-3220; 7424 Highway 64 (Bartlett). 417-6026. L, D, X, $

EMERALD THAI RESTAURANT—Spicy shrimp, pad khing, lemongrass chicken, and several noodle, rice, and vegetarian dishes are offered at this family restaurant. Closed Sunday. 8950 Highway 64 (Lakeland, TN). 3840540. 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. 861-5000. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$$

MULAN ASIAN BISTRO—Hunan Chicken, tofu dishes, and orange beef served here; sushi and Thai food, too. 2059 Houston Levee. 850-5288; 2149 Young. 347-3965; 4698 Spottswood. 609-8680. L, D, X, $-$$

OSAKA JAPANESE CUISINE—Featuring an extensive sushi menu as well as traditional Japanese and hibachi dining. Hours vary for lunch; call. 3670 Houston Levee. 861-4309; 3402 Poplar. 249-4690; 7164 Hacks Cross (Olive Branch). 662-890-9312; 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,$

CASINO TABLES

CHICAGO STEAKHOUSE AT THE GOLDSTRIKE—1010 Casino Center Dr., Robinsonville, MS, 1-888-24KSTAY /662-357-1225

FAIRBANKS AT THE HOLLYWOOD—1150 Casino Strip Blvd., Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-871-0711

IGNITE STEAKHOUSE AT SOUTHLAND CASINO 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

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, $-$$

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). 662-4704497. L, 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, $

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, $-$$

PIG-N-WHISTLE—Offers pork shoulder sandwiches, wet and dry ribs, catfish, nachos, and stuffed barbecue potatoes. 6084 Kerr-Rosemark Rd. (Millington, TN). 872-2455. L, D, X, $

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). 731403-3474. 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, $-$$$

Redbird Revelry

Baseball history is happening, one pitch — and one season — at a time.

BY FRANK MURTAUGH

Ilove the cumulative effect of baseball. e way moments, games, seasons, and eras grow right before our eyes, as slowly but just as surely as the greenest outfield grass on the planet. Sit in a ballpark for one game and you may well see something you’ll never see again. (If you’ve seen a no-hitter live, you’ve seen one more than I have, and my home away from home is AutoZone Park.) Visit a ballpark with any regularity, and those games — those moments — will start to pile up and, before you can sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” you’ve witnessed baseball history.

Our Memphis Redbirds are playing their 26th season. A quarter-century is enough time to make an imprint on baseball history, and well beyond the footprint of our downtown ballpark. As the Triple-A affi liate of the

St. Louis Cardinals, Redbirds alumni have been a part of four National League championships and two World Series victories. A pair of the most famous alumni — Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina — could become the first

former Redbirds to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame when they become eligible in 2028. But I have a few more cumulative nuggets to tickle your thinker the next time you’re at the ballpark.

Entering the 2000 season — the franchise’s 109th in the National League — the St. Louis Cardinals had seen only two players homer in their first big-league at-bat. Over the last 24 years, no fewer than seven Redbirds alumni have gone yard in their fi rst time at the plate in a major-league stadium. In July 2000, Keith McDonald became only the second big-league hitter to homer in his first two at-bats. ( e other six: Chris Richard, Gene Stechschulte, Adam Wainwright, Mark Worrell, Paul DeJong, and Lane Thomas. Three of these men were pitchers, for those DH-haters in the crowd.)

Seven former Redbirds have gone on to earn MVP honors in a League Championship Series, though not all with the Cardinals. It’s an astonishing stack of achievements on the game’s near-brightest stage, and yes, they were “yesterday’s stars” in Memphis.

e Redbirds like to tell us that we’re seeing tomorrow’s stars today when we watch a Triple-A game in downtown Memphis. And they are as precise as a Greg Maddux change-up. Seven former Redbirds have gone on to earn MVP honors in a League Championship Series, though not all with the Cardinals: Adam Kennedy (2002 ALCS, Angels), Pujols (2004 NLCS), Placido Polanco (2006 ALCS, Tigers), David Freese (2011 NLCS), Michael Wacha (2013 NLCS), Randy Arozarena (2020 ALCS, Rays), Adolis Garcia (2023 ALCS, Rangers). It’s an astonishing stack of achievements on the game’s near-brightest stage, and yes, they were “yesterday’s stars” in Memphis.

e most casual of baseball fans may only tune in for the All-

Star Game each July, a chance to see the game’s best in one nine-inning affair. Every All-Star Game since 2003, folks, has featured a former Memphis Redbird. Pujols and Molina were regulars, of course, but do you remember Dan Haren? What about Lance Lynn and Allen Craig? Carlos Martinez and Alex Reyes? The Memphis Redbirds franchise is like a proud dad sitting atop the bleachers for the Mid-Summer Classic, one year after another. ere goes my boy. Luken Baker is a big (285 pounds) fi rst baseman. And he wields a bat. Last season with the Redbirds, Baker slammed 33 home runs and drove in 98 runs in only 84 games. He was named International League MVP despite playing just over half the Redbirds’ schedule. Baker struggled after a mid-season promotion to St. Louis and found himself back in Memphis to start the 2024 campaign. He has climbed to second place in Redbirds franchise history and if he hits 21 home runs this year, Baker will break Nick Stavinoha’s club record. It’s the kind of cumulative effect that calls me back to those bleachers, season after season.

As we’re measuring achievements, though, let’s not forget the moments that can happen on a baseball diamond, the memories that can be made in but one visit. In his brilliant book/poem, A Prayer for the Opening of the Little League Season , Willie Morris summoned the child (and fan) in all of us: “Comfort the smallest of ballplayers, who have never gotten a hit, and those who strike out time and time again or languish on the benches day after livelong day, for their moment, too, is destined to be.”

Luken Baker, 2023 International League MVP

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