Spine problems can be big or small, complicated or simple. They often stop you from doing the things that make your life happy and complete—like dancing with your daughter at her wedding.
At Semmes Murphey, Whole Spine Care is our patientcentered approach for pain-free living. It starts with an environment where you are heard, supported, and empowered—and then continues with a wide range of treatments, from conservative care to the most advanced surgical techniques. Each step along your journey will be thoughtful, personalized, and rooted in more than a century of experience.
From initial consultation to recovery and aftercare, Whole Spine Care informs the way we design your entire experience. And it guides our methodical approach to the treatment options that are exactly right for you.
We have been focused on spine care since our founding in 1912, constantly developing treatments that are faster and better, and deliver complete, lasting outcomes.
28 Staycations
Memphians need not visit an airport — or even fill a car’s gas tank — for an unforgettable getaway.
42 A Hero’s Tale
A century ago this month, Tom Lee gained national fame for a river rescue near Memphis. ~ by michael finger
53 PET GUIDE
For Tail-Wags and Wiggles
Try DIY dog treats. ~ by abigail morici
59 CEO of the Year
Five business leaders making the right kind of impact for the Mid-South.
70 SIPS
A Place of Comfort
Jenna Abu-Khraybeh offers “somewhere between here and there” at Bar Limina in the Edge District. ~ by bruce vanwyngarden
72 CITY DINING
The city’s most extensive dining listings.
80 LAST STAND
An Affront to Our Cultural Capital
The recent gutting of the NEH will have profound local effects.
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.
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 michael donahue, alex greene, chris mccoy
CONTRIBUTORS jesse davis, robert gordon, tom jones, vance lauderdale, david waters
4
CREATIVE DIRECTOR brian groppe
ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR christopher myers
GRAPHIC DESIGNER neil williams
ILLUSTRATORS patrick hill, martha park, carl e. moore
PHOTOGRAPHERS wendy adams, derek blanks, justin fox burks, brandon dill, michael donahue, vance lauderdale, chris phelps, israel ramos, jon w. sparks, anna traverse, bruce vanwyngarden
4
SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE shaune mcghee
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES kelli dewitt, chip googe
4 published by contemporary media, inc. memphis, tennessee 901-521-9000
subscriptions: 901-575-9470
4
CONTROLLER lynn sparagowski
CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER jeffrey a. goldberg
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER margie neal
DIGITAL SERVICES DIRECTOR kristin pawlowski
WAREHOUSE MANAGER chet hastings
NEWSSTAND CONSULTANT joe luca
SPECIAL EVENTS DIRECTOR molly willmott
4
PUBLISHER EMERITUS kenneth neill
may 2025
Master Weaver Ali Taghavi restoring an antique Persian Farahan rug.
Memphis Magazine's THE 2025
A Puppy, a Flood, and a Very Big River
BY ANNA TRAVERSE
My ankles itched from slicing through tangled grass and clover; the ground was still damp as cake batter from spring’s deluges. On her leash in front of me, Dido bounded through tall weeds. Named for the first queen of ancient Carthage, Dido is a dog — just a puppy, really, all of four-and-a-half months. She’s a new addition to my family’s pack, and a very happy one. This particular weekday afternoon, she and I had driven to the river to explore its swollen banks (and to take her third walk of the day — again, puppy). As she romped along the path, I thought about how new every experience is for her, how fresh and strange, and how much we both still have to learn.
We adopted Dido from a rescue (New Beginnings; her rescue name: Dolly) in early April. She’s a curious, sweet, floppy-eared, goofy-pawed puppy of unknown breed; my phone’s AI photo identifier tags images of her, variously, as German shepherd, Australian kelpie, Australian cattle dog, Rottweiler, coonhound, German pinscher, and … chiweenie. Who knows! She is a Memphis special through-and-through. Dumped unwanted at Memphis Animal Services (MAS) earlier this year, along with her brother, the two were pulled out of the shelter and into a loving foster home soon after.
I’ve thought daily about the recent distemper outbreaks at MAS, and how narrowly she likely avoided exposure, avoided being euthanized along with hundreds of other dogs and puppies at our local shelter. I’m so thankful to have this little puppy, and so brokenhearted to think about the brutal and short lives of so many dogs in this city. I can’t drive down
Elvis Presley Blvd. to the warehouse where we store our magazine archives and meet delivery trucks without seeing at least a couple of dogs by the side of the road, hit by cars and then just left, for weeks — and without seeing at least a few more dogs darting along the berm, through drainage ditches and cratered parking lots, cemeteries and gas stations. Little Dido could have been one of that crew, too — it was her likelier fate. Instead, as I type, she’s snoozing in a sunbeam, curled into an almost-perfect circle in the center of her bed, like the bed’s a bagel and she’s its hollow center.
Living with a dog again — especially one who currently requires three walks per day — has tuned my consciousness more finely to the natural world; you notice the earth differently when your puppy’s paws are marching across it. The week after we brought her home was the week of “generational flooding” here in Memphis: It rained,
and rained, and rained some more, and then for good measure, rained a little extra. With a new puppy, hunkering down inside is not an option, so we tromped through the new lake in our backyard and forded the small creeks newly flowing down every street. I wondered a few times what she must think of her new home: Maybe she imagines she’s been brought to a place of constant, steady rain, like Narnia’s eternal winter. But no, I think it’s more likely that every moment
is distinct and alive for her unto itself, and not yoked to the stream of moments before and after.
At the river, she sniffed the air, curious about every note the breeze carried — fish and oil, crab grass and cottonwood, poodles and pit bulls. I walked down with her toward the water’s edge and introduced her to the banks of the Mississippi, and she looked up at me with her floppy ears and smiling eyes, as if to say, “I don’t know what this place is yet, but I’m on the case.”
Puppies are a lot of work, and this one’s no exception. But I’m already seeing a deep sweetness and curiosity in her. She didn’t have an easy start, and we don’t live in an easy place, or in easy times. And yet, she’s reminding me that if we stay curious about what we can learn from each moment — each smell on the breeze, each paw sinking into soil, each person or dog crossing our path — life can feel rather lucky anyway.
Dido!
MAY 2025
COMPILED BY ABIGAIL MORICI
“COLLEEN COUCH AND DOLPH SMITH: WALK IN THE LIGHT” The joint exhibition showcases the arc of Dolph Smith’s oeuvre, new works by Couch inspired by Smith, and recent collaborations by the two artists. THE DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS, THROUGH JUNE 20
EXPERIENCE MEMPHIS GARDENS Enjoy citywide garden walks and events, with the 10th Annual Signature Cooper-Young Garden Walk on May 17th and 18th, featuring more than 100 gardens, speakers, musicians, and garden vendors. VARIOUS LOCATIONS, MAY 1–JUNE 15
MEMPHIS IN MAY INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL This year’s Memphis in May will salute South Korea with special events across the city. THROUGHOUT MEMPHIS, MAY 1–31
ORCHESTRA UNPLUGGED: PETER AND THE WOLF — MORE THAN A CHILDREN’S STORY A whimsical setting of the beloved children’s story. HALLORAN CENTRE, MAY 1, 7:30 P.M.
REDBIRDS BASEBALL AUTOZONE PARK, MAY 1-4: VS. LOUISVILLE BATS MAY 13-18: VS. NASHVILLE SOUNDS MISSISSIPPI WILDLIFE HERITAGE FESTIVAL Go wild with food, art, games, expos, contests, crawfish, and more. DOWNTOWN LELAND, MAY 2–3
RIVERBEAT MUSIC FESTIVAL This year’s headliners are Missy Elliot, The Killers, and Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals. TOM LEE PARK, MAY 2–4
CREATIVE ARTS ENSEMBLE: MUSIC CONVERSATIONS WITH IRIS COLLECTIVE Join Iris Collective and Creative Arts Ensemble for a fun evening exploring the language of
music. GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, MAY 2, 6–8 P.M.
CAFÉ DU MEMPHIS The Rotary Club serves up beignets, shrimp and grits, and cafe au lait for its annual drivethrough event. OVERTON PARK SHELL, MAY 3, 10 A.M.–1 P.M.
BOOKSTOCK Presented by the Memphis Public Libraries, this family-friendly event is the largest annual local authors’ festival in Memphis, featuring keynote speakers, performances, workshops, exhibits, and activities for all ages. BENJAMIN L. HOOKS CENTRAL LIBRARY, MAY 3, 11 A.M.–3 P.M.
OVERTON SQUARE CRAWFISH
FESTIVAL Enjoy crawfish, music, beer, and a local artists’ market. OVERTON SQUARE, MAY 3, 11 A.M.–5 P.M.
ALTON BROWN LIVE: LAST BITE The famed foodist reflects on his decades in food media, shares favorite culinary hacks, sings funny food songs, and offers a one-of-a-kind culinary variety show like no other. ORPHEUM
THEATRE, MAY 3, 4 P.M.
THE BIG SQUEEZE FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL Enjoy lemonade, food truck fare, and music. GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, MAY 3, 6–8:30 P.M.
THE DROP THAT CONTAINED THE SEA Featuring the Memphis Symphony Chorus, White Station High School Choir, and St. George’s Independent School Choir. SCHEIDT FAMILY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, MAY 4, 2:30 P.M.
MEET THE AUTHOR: MARTHA
PARK Novel welcomes Martha Park in conversation with David Waters to celebrate the release of her new book World Without
End: Essays on Apocalypse and After NOVEL, MAY 6, 6 P.M.
CABARET One of the most beloved and poignant musicals of our time. GERMANTOWN COMMUNITY
THEATRE, MAY 9–25
CHICKEN & BISCUITS In this compelling story, can Baneatta and Beverly, two sisters at odds, set aside their differences to honor their father’s memory? PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE, MAY 9–JUNE 1
MEMPHIS GREEK FESTIVAL Say: Opa! And bring three cans of nonperishable food for free admission. ANNUNCIATION GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH, MAY 9–10
ART AND FASHION: RUNWAY AT THE MUSEUM This event is a stunning showcase of Memphis’ rising design talent, with more than 30 fashion designers and wearable art creators. MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART, MAY 9, 6–8 P.M.
BONNIE RAITT More than just a bestselling artist, respected guitarist, expressive singer, and accomplished songwriter, Bonnie Raitt is an institution in American music. ORPHEUM THEATRE, MAY 9, 7:30 P.M.
BUCKMAN DANCE CONSERVATORY’S SPRING CELEBRATION OF DANCE An enchanting celebration of ballet and contemporary dance. BUCKMAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, MAY 10–11
BLIND TIGER SPEAKEASY For one night, the past will roar into focus as the historic Mallory-Neely mansion is transformed into a Prohibition-era speakeasy, also known as a blind tiger, complete with glamorous flappers, fabulous cocktails, and rollicking music. MALLORY-NEELY HISTORIC PROPERTY, MAY 10, 6–9 P.M.
SYMPHONY IN THE GARDENS Celebrate Mother’s Day with big-band music performed by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra on the Dixon South Lawn. Bring a picnic or purchase items from food trucks. THE DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS, MAY 11, 5–7 P.M.
FRANKIE VALLI AND THE FOUR SEASONS WITH THE RASCALS Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, featuring the Rascals, share The Last Encores Tour with all of their devoted fans. CANNON CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, MAY 11, 7–10 P.M.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BARBECUE COOKING CONTEST This four-day competition features championship pork categories of ribs, shoulder, whole hog, and patio porkers. LIBERTY PARK, MAY 14–17
SMOKESLAM Indulge in barbecue, music, art, and all things Memphis. TOM LEE PARK, MAY 15–17 DREAMFEST WEEKEND Enjoy a weekend of Memphis music. OVERTON PARK SHELL, MAY 16–18
THE BOY WHO KISSED THE SKY Inspired by the early life and influences of musical icon Jimi Hendrix, this new family musical inspires us to dream big when it matters most. HATTILOO THEATRE, MAY 16–JUNE 8
MUSIC AND MURDER: A BEETHOVEN CLUB CONCERT The Beethoven Club performs a selection of Beethoven’s most haunting compositions amid the beautiful backdrop of this historic cemetery. ELMWOOD CEMETERY, MAY 16, 2 P.M.
ROMANTIC MASTERWORKS RACHMANINOFF AND SAINT-SAËNS A wonderful collection of songs is presented by the Memphis Symphony
ABOVE LEFT: DOLPH SMITH, A PORTION OF MY COLLECTION OF RARE PAPER AIRPLANES , 1977; WATERCOLOR ON BOARD AND PAPER AIRPLANES, COURTESY OF THE ARTIST | ABOVE: RIVER BEAT (L TO R) MISSY ELLIOTT BY DEREK BLANKS WITH CROWD MGMT, THE KILLERS BY CHRIS PHELPS, AND ANDERSON.PAAK BY ISRAEL RAMOS
DOLPH SMITH
RIVER BEAT
Orchestra. CANNON CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, MAY 17, 7:30 P.M.; SCHEIDT FAMILY
PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, MAY 17, 2:30 P.M. UPTOWN ARTS FESTIVAL Expect art, music, beer, and a good time. GRIND CITY BREWING COMPANY, MAY 17, NOON–7 P.M. MOVIES AND BREWS: NORTH BY NORTHWEST Sip on free, locally brewed beer with a side of a class movie. PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION, MAY 17, 5:30–9:30 P.M. LA CALISTO A jewel from the golden age of Venetian opera, this exuberant masterpiece mashes up multiple Roman myths, bending both gender and genre in a rollicking exploration of the human condition. PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE, MAY 21–23 SECRETS IN THE GARDEN: TIL DEATH DO US PART (AGES 18+) Immerse yourself in a night of suspense where every guest is a detective and every whisper could be a clue. THE DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS, MAY 21–22, 6–8:30 P.M.
A PARTICLE OF DREAD: OEDIPUS VARIATIONS Celebrated playwright Sam Shepard reimagines this ancient Greek tale as a modern thriller. THEATREWORKS @ THE SQUARE, MAY 23–JUNE 8
ZOOM THROUGH THE ZOO 5K This exciting event brings together families and neighbors for a fun-filled evening at the Memphis Zoo. MEMPHIS ZOO, MAY 22, 6:30 P.M. BLUFF CITY FAIR This fair isn’t bluffing when it comes to fair foods, carnival rides, and attractions. TIGER LANE AT LIBERTY PARK, MAY 23–JUNE 1
WATER LANTERN FESTIVAL This floating lantern event is all about connections. SHELBY FARMS PARK, MAY 24, 5:30 P.M.
MEMPHIS ITALIAN FESTIVAL This popular annual festival is always filled with great food, great music, and great fun. MARQUETTE PARK, MAY 29–31
MEMPHIS DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL Hosted by the Memphis Chinese Community Center, this festival has dragon boat racing, dance performances, live music, and lots of food. HYDE LAKE AT SHELBY FARMS PARK, MAY 31, 8 A.M.–3 P.M.
MEMPHIS MARGARITA FESTIVAL Sample from the city’s best margaritamakers. OVERTON SQUARE, MAY 31, 3–6 P.M. MEMPHIS VEGAN FESTIVAL Enjoy a full day of vegan food, live entertainment, and a marketplace featuring local businesses, plant-based health and beauty products, clothing, and accessories. FOURTH BLUFF PARK, MAY 31, 11 A.M.–6 P.M.
To suggest an event for future editions of Out and About, email abigail@memphismagazine.com.
CLASSIC DINING
Owen Brennan’s
The
restaurant’s owners honor their 35 years in Memphis — while remembering their Louisiana heritage.
BY MICHAEL DONAHUE
The smell of butter and the sultry sound of a saxophone waft through the air as guests fill their plates with oysters, shrimp, crawfish étouffée, bananas Foster, and other delicacies. Rows of white globe lights hang from the ceiling; white tablecloths are dotted with little vases of flowers. Some guests are seated at wrought-iron tables on the patio, nestled amid a fountain and hanging baskets of plants.
e setting resembles Bourbon Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter, but it’s actually Memphis’ Regalia Center, on Poplar Avenue. Welcome to Sunday brunch at Owen Brennan’s, the iconic Creole-Cajun restaurant that celebrates its 35th anniversary this year.
It’s a beloved place.“Memphis grew up in the restaurant,” says Lawson Bae, who, along with his sister, Becky Baker Crucifixio, and Austin Baker, operate the restaurant. “People came here for Mother’s Day and Easter. We had one family who had multiple family members who got engaged at the restaurant. at community is why we always have business.”
In addition to countless wedding receptions and other events,
part of the 1993 movie, e Firm, was filmed at Owen Brennan’s.
But now it’s time for a makeover. “ e reality is we know we have to step it up,” Bae says. “We have to freshen the interior. Refresh the menu. Just getting back to the basics. We need to deliver great food and great service.”
According to their blog, their father, Jim Baker, was approached by journalist/TV producer Burt Wolf, who was a chef at e Peabody at the time, to do a fundraiser for “a new concept restaurant that would license its name from the Brennan family. e idea? Memphis would be a flagship location for a franchise called Owen Brennan’s Louisiana Restaurants.”
Jim, who personally invested and raised $2.5 million of the $3 million needed to open the restaurant, eventually became the sole owner. ( e family still pays royalties to the Brennan family for use of the name.)
ey’re currently in the process of hiring a chef, Bae says, and they want to update the menu by “going back to the basics. e origin of Creole-Cajun food is Southern African-influenced food, and also French cuisine. ere has been a huge Southern food renaissance, and that’s definitely showing up in menus all over the South.”
“Viet Cajun” is another idea they are considering, he says. “ ere’s a lot of Vietnamese communities that settled in Louisiana and Texas, and Vietnamese ingredients are very similar to Creole-Cajun food. So, you start to see these Vietnamese restaurants that are also doing Cajun. And, that, to me, is the frontier.”
It’s the same with their desserts. “ e Brennan family invented bananas Foster,” Baker says. ey want to honor that
tradition, but also add their new takes on the desserts. eir popular brunch, which began sometime in the 1990s, has “definitely become a core part of the restaurant,” Bae says.
But they intend to improve upon the successful concept. “Back to the basics again. Just better food.”
Overall, he says, “Our business is broken down into two things. One is brunch, the other is events and celebrations. We seat, with the patio, 460 people. We’re one of the largest restaurants in Memphis that’s not inside a hotel.” ey also are working toward a “complete kitchen renovation, and then go to the front of the house.”As for the decor, he says, “I think we can freshen it up. Again, in the same concept of the menu. Going back to the core, but also looking at the frontier.” ey want Owen Brennan’s to be more “Memphis” in its look. “If you look at the pictures on the walls today, the black-andwhite photos are from Louisiana, but we have 35 years of history in Memphis. e first thing I want to do is bring in those 35 years of history on our walls.”
Like when The Firm was filmed at the restaurant. “We have two chairs with ‘Gene Hackman’ and ‘Tom Cruise’ on them. That history should be on our walls, too. [Hackman] would come back again and again,” Baker says. “He would cook in the back with our staff and play poker with people. He really enjoyed coming here.” eir customer base is a mixture of generations, Crucifixio says. “I’d say we’re a happy mix,” adding, “I still have a lot of regulars that have been regulars since we opened — and their kids, and even their grandkids.”
Owen Brennan’s is located at 6150 Poplar Avenue #150 in e Regalia.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHAEL DONAHUE
Becky Baker Crucifixio, general manager.
Live jazz at the popular Sunday brunch.
PLAY STAY SAVOR
Lt. Frank M. Harris
Our history expert solves local mysteries: who, what, when, where, why, and why not. Well, sometimes.
BY VANCE LAUDERDALE
handsome monument
DEAR VANCE: I came across an unusual gravestone during a visit to Elmwood Cemetery. A stone marker stands over the grave of Lt. Frank Harris, who died in 1915. But a plaque bolted to the stone carries a dramatic inscription: “His Last Words: Help the others first.” What happened to this officer that would prompt such a courageous command?
— R.B., MEMPHIS
DEAR R.B.: e monument to Lt. Frank M. Harris, located in the Miller Circle section of Elmwood, carries the insignia of the U.S. Navy. e inscription does indeed suggest a command uttered in battle, one which the speaker possibly did not survive. But in fact, Harris uttered these words far from any ship, and the injunction has nothing to do with the Navy at all. Even so, it reflects the courage of this remarkable gentleman.
Elsewhere in this magazine we devote a feature story to one genuine Memphis hero, Tom Lee. is column pays tribute to another.
Harris was born here on July 31, 1887. Various sources say that he attended Court Avenue Presbyterian Church and Memphis University School, while living with his widowed mother, described in the newspapers as “understood to be a woman of considerable means.” e family was related to Tennessee Governor Malcolm Patterson, who recommended the young man to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, where he was admitted as a midshipman. After graduating in 1910, he was assigned to the battleship U.S.S. New Jersey Relations between the United States and Mexico had never been stable following the Mexican-American War half a century earlier. It’s too complicated to go into here, but in 1914, our country sent Naval forces to the port of Vera Cruz to quell an uprising. Harris took part in a battle there. e result was victory for the United States, but not without several hundred casualties on both sides.
According to official reports, Harris received commendations for “conspicuous bravery under enemy fire, and on one occasion, he commanded a squad that silenced a group of snipers. On another occasion, he carried a mortally wounded seaman away from the scene of hostility to where a field hospital had been established.”
Later, one of his comrades described his actions in this way: “At Vera Cruz, it became necessary for him to take his life into his own hands, and he was commended by his superior offices for his dauntless courage. It is doubtful if he ever grasped the reason for this commendation [or] why they classed him as a hero. ere was something to be done, and he did it.”
After the battle ended, Harris was assigned to the battleship U.S.S. Delaware , stationed at Hampton Roads, Virginia, where he was commissioned a lieutenant on March 7, 1915. On the night of October 10th of that same year, he gathered some friends — two fellow officers and a Navy physician — and drove to Richmond, Virginia, to attend a party there. Some sources claim that Harris got into a race with another car. He was on an unfamiliar road and missed a turn, smashing into a tree. An account of the accident in the
This
at Elmwood Cemetery marks the final resting place of U.S. Navy Lt. Frank Harris (below).
Washington Times was headlined “NAVAL OFFICER MEETS DEATH AS MOTOR CAR TURNS TURTLE.” The passengers were shocked and scratched, but Harris was mortally injured. When rescuers arrived, they tried to extricate him from the wrecked car, and that’s when he uttered his immortal words: “Help the others first.” He died moments later.
This story had a profound effect on those who heard it. The accident — surely not normally national news — was carried by newspapers around the country. Writing about his friend in a memorial program, one man observed: “In the supremist hour of his life, and when he must have known the end was at hand, we find him saying, ‘Help the others.’ No sublime utterances ever fell from mortal man: ‘Help the others.’ It is the beginning and the end of the history of a heroic soul. Of no concern to him that the golden bowl was broken. Of no concern to him that the veil of the future was cut in twain. Of no concern to him that his own life was at an end.”
Harris was just 28 years old. He had a rich life ahead of him, as noted by friends and family. According to a full account of his life and death published in Tennessee, The Volunteer State: 1769-1923, “one of his biographers spoke of him as a most devoted and affectionate son, loving brother, a true friend. Loyalty and devotion marked his life from the cradle to the grave. His years were few, cut down in the beginning of what promised to be a brilliant career, but who can say how much he accomplished in so short a time?”
Owen’s Florist
DEAR VANCE: I recently bought a box of old Memphis items, and inside was half of a matchbook advertising Owen’s Florist. Where was it, and happened to it? — F.G., MEMPHIS.
DEAR F.G.: The tiny illustration shows a handsome business, with a canopy stretching from the front door to the street. The building is older than I expected. In 1932, Thomas and Norman Owen from Columbus, Mississippi, opened their firm at 1455 Union. I was about to add “in the shadow of Kimbrough Tower” but that landmark apartment tower didn’t open until seven years later. In the early 1930s, that now-busy stretch of Union was home to the Nineteenth Century Club, the Ness Gift Shoppe, and Pig ’n’ Whistle barbecue. Everything else was private residences or apartment buildings. Throughout the 1930s, half-inch newspaper ads for Owen’s Florist promised customers would find “Prices You Can Afford To Pay,” but didn’t tell them (or me) much more about the company. Even so, the florist, well, flourished. Ten years after opening, their ads claimed they were now “The South’s Largest” and listed three phone numbers — unusual at the time. A 1949 Valentine’s Day promotion finally hinted at their inventory; roses were $5/dozen, gardenia corsages cost $3, and other offerings included violets, camellias, hyacinths, and “assorted boxes.”
left: A matchbook provided the only image I’ve ever seen of Owen’s Florist, which stayed in business at the corner of Union and Kimbrough for 20 years.
Obviously, his death made front-page news in The Commercial Appeal, which reported, “News of the death of Lt. Frank Moore Harris was received with a distinct shock in Memphis, where the young Naval officer was born and reared, widely known, and admired. His mother was prostrate with grief at her home, 633 Jefferson Avenue.”
The Memphis Special of the Southern Railway was sent to Richmond to return the body to Memphis, accompanied by several friends along with a special U.S. Navy detail. He was eventually laid to rest with full military honors in the Patterson family plot at Elmwood.
Writing about him in the funeral program, a companion made this final observation: “Only a short while ago, Frank Moore Harris was with us, buoyant with life and full of hope and promise. Today, the falling leaves in yonder cemetery whisper a requiem to him in his eternal sleep.”
I don’t know what happened to the Owens, but new owners took over that same year, when Otto and Elizabeth Long bought the property but kept the original name. In 1952, however, they moved across the street, occupying two bays at 1434-1436 Union, while opening the Otto Long School of Floral Design.
Everything came to an end, as far as I can tell, in 1965, when the Longs moved to Ohio and sold the business to other owners, who had no plans to sell flowers there. Over the years, that address on Union became Syndicate Realty, Dial Finance, and Hull-Dobbs Insurance. Today, that space holds Edible Arrangements and Papa John’s Pizza.
And the original location at Union and Kimbrough? The little building was demolished in 1950 to make way for the striking art deco headquarters of Kensinger Insurance, noted for its distinctive sculptures at the entrance by Ted Rust, longtime president of Memphis College of Art. Since 1972, the property has been home to the Memphis Dermatology Clinic.
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 from time to time.
“Keep Walking”
Celebrating 20 years of Honey Baby Sugar Child, Alice Faye Duncan shows no signs of stopping her writing career.
BY JESSE DAVIS
Alice Faye Duncan never forgets a teacher’s name. A conversation with her is sprinkled with the names of educators who influenced her, perhaps because Duncan herself worked as a librarian in Memphis Shelby County Schools for 30 years, following in both her parents’ footsteps. “I am the child of two African-American schoolteachers,” she says. “My mama is Earline Duncan, and she was one of the first Black educators to integrate the faculty at Snowden School. My father is Sgt. Kenneth Duncan, and it is because of them that I am who I am.”
Who she is: A Memphis-born, Memphis-based educator, poet, and author of a wealth of children’s books, including Yellow Dog Blues, Coretta’s Journey, Opal Lee and What It Means To Be Free, and Honey Baby Sugar Child, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in print this year. Duncan says her parents’ book collection called to her long before she could read on her own, imparting to her a certain reverence for the written word.
Duncan recalls her mother reading aloud to her when she was a young child, until she learned to read on her own in Betty S. Johnson’s first-grade class. Reveling in her hard-earned independence, Duncan scoured her parents’ bookshelves for books she could read by herself.
loved poetry ever since I was a small child.” By second grade, Duncan was composing her own poems. In sixth grade, a published poet was a guest speaker in her class (that’s Wanda Fee’s English class, for anyone who doubts Duncan’s recall of influential educators). Phyllis Tickle of Poets & Writers magazine escorted that poet, Etheridge Knight, to the class. Knight considered himself the literary son of Gwendolyn Brooks, one of the poets who corresponded with him while he was in prison and even helped him land his first poetry contract. is made Knight another link between Duncan and one of her early idols, Brooks, whose poetry had helped a young Duncan along the road to an appreciation of literature.
“From there, the only books on the bookshelves that I was able to decode and somewhat understand were poetry books by Langston Hughes, by Maya Angelou, by Gwendolyn Brooks,” she says. “ ey were spare, there’s a lot of white space, and I could decode the words,” Duncan remembers. “So I have
Knight, a Black man, reminded Duncan of her cousin, her father, her grandfather. “Wow, here’s this poet and he looks very much like he could be in my family,” she remembers thinking. Like her father, Knight was a veteran and he was from nearby Mississippi. He conveyed several important lessons to the class, explaining to them that poetry
Alice Faye Duncan
requires practice. The most important lesson he taught young Duncan may have been that the art form was human and attainable.
“Up until that time, I’d never really thought about poets being living, real, breathing people,” Duncan says. “He showed me that I, as a Black child, could also grow up and write books. So it was in sixth grade that I declared to anyone who would listen that I was going to be a poet.”
In 2025, it’s clear that Duncan has made good on that promise, and then some. In 2005, Duncan wrote and published Honey Baby Sugar Child, a Black mother’s love song to her baby. at book is now 20 years old and isstill in print. Duncan says Honey Baby Sugar Child is the proof of her longevity, but with more than 100,000 copies sold, Opal Lee and What It Means To Be Free is her biggest success. e author currently has 11 books in print, with another — e Dream Builders’ Blueprint: Dr. King’s Message to Children — due to hit shelves in 2026.
For all her successes, Duncan seems to prefer to discuss great figures in history. “I have gone on a journey to research and write about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to tell those stories that aren’t explored in textbooks,” she says. “In all of my years of researching King, I, like most of America, had never interrogated the life of
Coretta Scott King to see who she really was.”
Duncan’s book, Coretta’s Journey, is dear to the writer’s heart. “She was a fighter. Dr. King did not make her; she was already a pacifist when she met him,” Duncan explains. She goes on to say that the activist and civil rights leader Bayard Rustin spoke about pacifism at Coretta’s high school. “From that moment on, she was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to be a freedom fighter.’”
As Duncan points out in the book, Coretta fought not only the evils of white supremacy and racism, but also patriarchy, within both the white and Black communities. It’s a struggle that continues today, and with any luck, Coretta’s story — as reported by Duncan — will inspire the activists and freedom fighters of tomorrow.
Duncan cannot yet know what ripples in the river of time she may have inspired. One commonality between Duncan’s dual careers as an educator and an author is that the true measure of her success is unclear until years later. Have the children she taught grown into kind, knowledgeable adults? Have the lessons in her books taken root in their hearts and minds?
“In the words of my father, ‘ e shadow falls where the feet may never walk,’” Duncan says. “So what is the lesson? Keep walking.”
“Right-Sizing” Memphis
A dense population, often considered a bad thing, can reduce the cost of city services and improve a city’s quality of life. That’s the goal of Memphis 3.0.
BY TOM JONES
Density matters and the government planners plotting ways for Memphis to move ahead clearly believe it should matter as much to us as it does to them.
After all, they mention density 105 times in Memphis 3.0, the city’s first comprehensive plan in 40 years. In the plan — recognized as exemplary in 2020 by the American Planning Association — the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development makes the case that more people per square mile is the key to Memphis’ bright future.
It’s likely the toughest sell in the plan, but anyone who pays Memphis property taxes should care. Lower density — the number of people living in a square mile — makes public services more expensive.
The challenge to talking about density is how it’s defined and how it’s implemented. Density provokes images of neighborhoods that only exist because residents fought for them being destabilized by existing homes turned into duplexes and fourplexes, by more apartment buildings, and by aggravating the problem absentee owners by attracting more.
Planners say this is not their intent.
The most vocal concerns about density come from Midtown, which is itself a model of density that’s working, but also a reminder of how fragile neighborhoods like it can be.
In many inner-city neighborhoods, half of the houses that were once there are gone, leaving vacant lots and abandoned structures. The “missing teeth” of these once-dense neighborhoods drive up the costs of delivering city services and maintaining public infrastructure; however, they share Midtown’s pride about their neighborhoods
and concerns that density will damage their character.
The best news about Memphis 3.0 is its dramatic departure from the so-called “growth policies” of the past that produced low-density suburban sprawl, economic segregation, disinvestment in inner-city neighborhoods, and increases in public budgets.
Memphis 3.0 is what planners call “place-based,” which means the plan emphasizes anchors and investments in primary streets, neighborhoods, and districts that already exist, all with the
aggressive annexation. In the end, this strategy meant that Memphis had too few people living on too much land. The impact of this imbalance rippled through city government budgets, increasing the cost of services, pitting quality of life investments like libraries and parks in core neighborhoods in a losing battle against climbing police and fire costs.
Everything changed in 2014 when the balance of power shifted away from Tennessee cities. No longer could they unilaterally annex. Rather, a new state law said annexation could only happen with the written consent of owners of the land or by referendum.
But the city still had a target on its back in the state Legis-
“Memphis cannot continue its growth policy of the past,” the authors of Memphis 3.0 wrote. “The City will succeed by creating compact communities where land use and density support walkable, active, and transit-served communities with growth in priority redevelopment areas supporting higher density in-fill, and mix of uses.”
aim of creating more walkable neighborhoods served by public transit, growing business and retail, reducing blight, enhancing neighborhood distinctiveness, and attracting new people.
Like most things in cities, it won’t be easy.
City government budgets today pay for services over a land area that grew 60 percent since 1970 and is larger than St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Atlanta combined The average density in those cities is 4,200 people per square mile. In Memphis, the land area went up from 129 square miles in 1960 to 295 today, decreasing density from 3,857 people per square mile to 2,146 by 2020.
The late planner Tommy Pacello determined that between 1970 and 2000, 170,000 people moved out of 1970 Memphis and city government decided to address its “great migration” with
lature and it led Memphis to de-annex Eads/River Bottom, Southwind/Windyke, South Cordova, and Rocky Point, where about 11,000 people lived.
Memphis City Hall billed deannexation as “a measured approach to rightsizing Memphis” but in the end, it was actually about taking enough action to placate state legislators. The answer to what is Memphis’ right size — its land area, its tax and bond implications, and service delivery impacts — was left undecided.
Getting to the answer would have been a valuable exercise in determining “right size” scenarios. It could have determined the impact on density by Memphis’ population decline of 30,250 since 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It recently announced that Shelby County lost more population between 2023 and 2024 than any other U.S. county
with at least 20,000 people. That loss is clearly Memphis-related; the population of the county’s other municipalities were stable.
It was in the context of these right-sizing efforts that Memphis 3.0 was developed. From the beginning, it set out three “guiding values” for its “Build Up, Not Out” focus. Density was chief among them.
“Memphis cannot continue its growth policy of the past,” the authors of Memphis 3.0 wrote. “The City will succeed by creating compact communities where land use and density support walkable, active, and transit-served communities with growth in priority redevelopment areas supporting higher density in-fill, and mix of uses.” This in turn makes city services more economical and efficient.
And yet, what seems to be missing is a complementary plan that aims to accomplish the most obvious way to achieve greater density — by luring back the people who left Memphis for the green fields of sprawl.
The last comprehensive plan before Memphis 3.0 was released back when the Commodore 64 computer was all the rage. Memphis 3.0 was released in 2019 when Google became the first to create a quantum computer.
In other words, the world had drastically changed and so had Memphis, where the changes took place over decades when local government lacked a commitment to urban planning.
Memphis 3.0 changed that. It is serious planning for serious times, and Memphians are serious about discussions regarding what density really means for their neighborhoods. The best solutions for cities often emerge when public passion and urban planning converge. After all, everyone involved — they are a neighborhood advocate and city planner — lives in Memphis and should be invested in finding its best future.
For Planned Density, It’s About Planning
BY ROBERT GORDON
The biggest investment most of us will ever make is in our home. Memphis 3.0 discourages owner-occupancy and encourages duplex and multi-family housing, selling out neighborhoods to landlords — which today often means absentee landlords. In Memphis, the trend for non-local and especially non-USA landlords has risen dramatically in the past decade. While homeowners may care for their lawns, landlords generally care for their bottom line.
When Midtown was landlord-heavy in the 1960s and 1970s, the city recognized the problem and under the citizen-centric reign of Housing Director Gwen Awsumb, the city helped establish neighborhood associations and created the Memphis Landmarks Commission to honor and protect the well-preserved housing that so many other cities envy. The Midtown neighborhoods banded together and fought to be “down-zoned” which, over the next decade, helped begin the transformation to owner-occupants and resulted in today’s broadly stable Midtown with its solid mix of owners and renters.
In May, the city will hear a case about a developer who seeks to tear down one beautiful 1948 home and replace it with 11 homes. The application trumpets in its first paragraph that the development is “consistent with the Anchor Neighborhood — Primarily Single-Unit ‘Accelerate’ designation” given by Memphis 3.0’s Future Land Use Planning Map, through the City’s Department of Planning and Development (DPD).
This map is the core problem with Memphis 3.0. The volunteer organization MidtownMemphis.org, with which I am associated, has called for a five-year moratorium on landuse decisions based on that map
because it has involved minimal research, is inequitable, and ignores the affected neighborhood’s characteristics.
If the 3.0 map passes, as multi-family begins to intensify in single-family neighborhoods, home buyers will seek the areas that 3.0 deems “not affected” — single-family neighborhoods
and 3.0 diminishes the value of the whole city.)
If Memphis were a blank slate without 200 years of development, this plan would be fantastic. Memphis 3.0 is a cookie-cutter plan from Opticos in Berkeley, California; a similar plan worked well for Seaside, Florida, built atop empty land. But as noted city thinker Tom Jones recently wrote in this magazine [“Living in a Shrinking City,” December 2024], “If there is a main lesson to be gleaned from other cities, it is that there is no one-size-fitsall solution to population loss. Rather, solutions that work for each city must be organic and appropriate to its distinctive
Instead of unleashing developers to gobble up preserved neighborhoods, with Small Area Plans we can achieve more density without breaking what’s working. Memphis 3.0 is an expressway back to instability and lack of pride in place.
that won’t change. A superficial glance at 3.0’s Future Land Use Planning Map makes plain what’s inequitable: The density burden is placed on North and South Memphis and Midtown. East Memphis between Poplar and Sam Cooper/I-40, from Highland to Germantown is, with little exception, designated “not affected” by 3.0. Those many square miles will become the most valuable housing area in the city — much more so than now because other areas will be in decline. (My own home is in a small “not affected” area in Midtown, so small that “contextual infill,” which allows zoning exceptions if similar development is nearby, will quickly eliminate it. Also, I’m a Midtown landlord, so if the map passes, I stand to benefit financially on both accounts, initially — until the corrosion becomes apparent
trends and conditions.”
If you’ve ever driven visitors through the tree rings of Memphis’ growth — from Victorian Village (latter-1800s) to Midtown (early-1900s) to the vast array of mid-century modern homes in the east, and you’ve heard them exclaim at the beauty, then understand that Memphis 3.0 does not value that. The example above, in the Red Acres neighborhood on Poplar Avenue near Highland, is just the latest; last year, developers tried similar projects in Central Gardens and in Evergreen. Active neighborhood associations banded neighbors together to protest in person at the hearings and their forceful presence swayed the board members. There will be more.
If you’ve attended a city-sponsored 3.0 meeting in your “planning district,” you know that at
the first meeting they’ve asked the few attendees who show up — Midtown’s turnout was the exception — to confirm or establish anchors. The DPD’s determination for anchors is vague and arbitrary: LeMoyne-Owen but not Rhodes; hospitals but not schools or churches or parks; a small business district on Cooper but not “high-intensity commercial’ districts in East Memphis. At the second meeting a few weeks later, there are vast “land use” circles radiating from these anchors, indicating the city’s “up-zoned” vision for these neighborhoods — supporting duplexes and multi-family. The few weeks between allow no time for research into any of those neighborhoods’ history, demographics, boundaries, infrastructure, tree loss, water runoff, or any of the basic tenets of neighborhood analysis. For the unicorn-believers, turn to page 58 of 3.0 and see the planning technique boldly on display: two compass circles. How in the world did a city with as many smart, innovative people as Memphis find itself doing cityplanning by compass?
MidtownMemphis.org supports planned density. Memphis 3.0 devotes several pages to Small Area Plans, meaning on-the-ground research before development. Instead of unleashing developers to gobble up preserved neighborhoods, with Small Area Plans we can achieve more density without breaking what’s working. Memphis 3.0 is an expressway back to instability and lack of pride in place. History is shouting that warning to us.
Author and filmmaker Robert Gordon is chair of planning and development for MidtownMemphis.org
BREATHING EASY
SLEEP APNEA CAN CAUSE SERIOUS PROBLEMS, BUT NEW TREATMENTS OFFER A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE.
BY MICHAEL FINGER
In his classic short story, “The Night the Bed Fell,” humorist James Thurber remembered “a nervous first cousin of mine,” who never went to sleep without a glass of “spirits of camphor, a powerful reviver,” by his bed. He instructed anyone nearby to guard him closely, and if he stopped breathing during his sleep, they were to dash that in his face to arouse him. (Spoiler alert: They did.)
In urber’s tale, this was just one of a series of misadventures his family endured on that memorable night. But for millions of people — up to 30 percent of males, and 15 percent of females, including children — not breathing during sleep is more than just a fear, but a very real condition called sleep apnea.
“Sleep apnea can occur in two forms,” says Dr. Rabin Shrestha, program director of sleep medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and section chief of
pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine at the VA Medical Center. “Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by an obstruction in the airway — from your throat, down your trachea, and all the way down into your lungs. It’s the most common type, affecting some 95 percent of all patients. e other form, central sleep apnea, happens when the brain is not sending you the signal to breathe.”
Many times, the patient isn’t aware they have a problem. Instead, someone sleeping
with them notices unusual snoring or periods when their bed partner stops breathing, from a few seconds to half a minute. When this happens all night long, it’s time to consult a sleep specialist. “Stopping less than five times an hour is normal,” says Shrestha. “Everybody does that. If you stop five to 15 times, we consider that mild apnea, and 15 to 30 times is moderate. But if you stop breathing more than 30 times an hour, all night long, that’s a serious problem.”
If left untreated, long-term sleep apnea can increase blood pressure, provoke heart rhythm problems like atrial fibrillation, and in some cases can cause more serious heart problems — even cardiac arrest. It also can lead to cognitive impairment, lethargy, and fatigue. And those can induce other problems, such as motor vehicle accidents. “If you look at most industrial accidents,” says Shrestha, “in one way or another, they can be linked to inadequate or abnormal sleep.”
Sleep specialists screen for apnea with the “STOPBANG” series of questions. “ at’s a mnemonic device,” says Shrestha. “S is for snoring — do you snore at night, or does someone else say you do? T is for tired — are you tired during the day? O is observed apnea — has anyone else observed that you stop breathing? P stands for pressure, or hypertension, since sleep apnea can cause (or be the result of) high blood pressure. B is BMI, or body mass index; if it’s more than 35, you’re at risk. A is age; more than 50 is a risk factor. N is neck circumference; a neck size over 16 inches is a risk factor. And G is gender; males are at higher risk than females.”
If a patient answers “yes” to three questions, they should be evaluated. More than five requires a sleep study.
In the past, this meant spending the night in the hospital, hooked up to electrodes and
sensors that monitored breathing, heart rate, brain waves, and even uncontrolled leg movement. The study was expensive, and patients often had trouble falling asleep in a strange environment, with so many wires attached to their scalp, face, and chest.
These days, thanks to advances in diagnostic equipment, patients can conduct sleep studies at home. “We use simple gadgets like a watch, something that goes on your chest, and all of these readings go to your phone,” says Shrestha. “By morning, all this data has already been sent to your doctor.”
If a patient has sleep apnea, the gold standard for treatment is CPAP or “continuous positive airway pressure.”
— Dr. Rabin Shrestha
He cautions that home sleep study “has changed the way we diagnose sleep apnea, but it’s not for everyone. It’s not for patients who have heart conditions, or if we suspect it is central sleep apnea, which is a neurological condition.”
If a patient has sleep apnea, Shrestha says the “gold standard for treatment” is CPAP, or “continuous positive airway pressure.” This small bedside machine connects to an air mask. “They [CPAPs] give you a variable pressure that keeps your airway open, so the patient is able to breathe at night. There is no desaturation, or dropping of oxygen, and no waking up throughout the night because there is no collapse of the airway.”
Unfortunately, many patients say they cannot tolerate wearing the mask, the noise from the machine, or the pressure from the air pumped into their lungs. “Some patients have told me that, in their sleep, they have pulled off the mask because it was so uncomfortable. So CPAP is the gold standard for treatment, but we do realize it’s not for everyone.”
He urges patients to be, well, patient with their new device. “Noise is a common complaint, but it’s really not noisy. It’s like a fan blowing, and you get used to it. It’s certainly not as loud as snoring. And wearing the mask is like getting used to eyeglasses the first time you wear them. After a while, you don’t even notice them.”
The other complaint with CPAP machines is the regular cleaning they require. “But that is not a big deal,” says Shrestha. “When you wake up and brush your teeth, wash out the mask as well. Other parts, like the hose, only
need to be cleaned once a week. It’s really not that hard.”
High-tech devices are available for sanitizing CPAP machines, some of them using sound waves or ultraviolet light. One product even adds a pleasant flavor to the air patients breathe. “The advertisement says, when you go to bed there’s a good flavor of vanilla and you can dream better,” says Shrestha. “Stay away from those; they offer no real benefit. Just use regular soap and water, hang it somewhere to dry, and it’s ready to use that evening.”
Even so, other treatments are available. If the problem is caused by the malformation of a patient’s throat or palate, they can wear a mouthpiece that moves the jaw forward just slightly — enough to open the airway. Other patients, especially children, can benefit from surgery, especially if they still have their tonsils or adenoids, which can become enlarged over time.
Medications can also help patients, especially if they are overweight. “A medicine has recently been approved for sleep apnea,” says Shrestha. “Believe it or not, it’s one of those weight-loss drugs, but it significantly reduces your sleep apnea numbers from severe to moderate, or moderate to mild.”
One device though, has caught the attention of sleep apnea patients, and physicians approve of it. For anyone suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, where the problem is caused by the position of their tongue, the Inspire Apnea Device may offer a solution.
“A small neurostimulator goes under the skin in the chest, with a wire leading to the hypoglossal nerve, which controls the tongue,” says Shrestha. “This works by sending a small electrical impulse to the tongue, which moves it forward and keeps the airway open. Some patients say it causes a tiny bit of discomfort, like a tingling sensation, but it works.”
For patients with central sleep apnea, where the problem is caused by the brain not telling the body to breathe, another device has been approved, but it’s more complicated. Called the Remede System, it’s a type of pacemaker, but for the diaphragm that controls the lungs.
“It is positionally activated only when you are asleep,” says Shrestha. “Let’s say you don’t move for a certain time, like 30 minutes. The machine will determine you are asleep, and it will activate and start moving your diaphragm to breathe for you.”
Sleep apnea is more than an inconvenience. “It affects your whole quality of life,” says Shrestha. “Medical, psychological, and social problems can all be consequences of inadequate sleep.” Fortunately, new procedures, medications, and devices can manage the problem — much better than keeping a glass of foul-smelling camphor by your bed every night.
STAYCATI O N S
Vacation destinations beckon to the north, south, east, and west of Memphis. But sometimes it’s nice (and considerably less expensive) to stay home and enjoy what our city offers. On these pages, our staff went high in the sky for a memorable meal, sampled the best frozen treats, admired an abundance of art, spent the day with goats (yes, goats), and more.
Enjoy the Simple Magic of a Good Old-Fashioned Picnic
BY ANNA TRAVERSE
Abreeze rustles the hem of your T-shirt as you lie on a picnic blanket. Maybe the T-shirt is striped, and the blanket is checked, and maybe your dog is at your side — half-snoring, half-watching the world go by. It’s an early evening in early summer and you packed enough busyness into the week that was, so now, on a Sunday evening, you’ve packed a picnic. Picnics are too often reserved for special events — evenings at the bandshell, family reunions, outdoor movie nights. All delights! Or at least, potential delights! Assuming (respectively) you enjoy the band, you like your family, and the movie doesn’t go on too long!
But in the spirit of STAYcations, this time, you’ve let yourself ease into the
picnic for the picnic’s sake. Just to be. Just to sink into this moment. Not the picnic as a way of feeding everyone during another activity, but the picnic as a way of reconnecting, relaxing, and taking the kind of slow, deep breath that only ever happens out of doors, while supine.
Most parks will do, as will your backyard if you have one, but we think that Greenbelt Park, spanning the length of Mud Island, offers the best picnicking in town: rushing river, swaying cottonwood trees, ample green space for frolicking frisbee-ers and dog-walkers, joggers and blanket-nappers to coexist happily. If corralling everyone into the car was the extent of your planning, Cordelia’s Market is just around the corner, well-stocked with picnic-per-
fect provisions.
There’s something about a picnic that puts everyone in a good mood. The food your kid rejected at home suddenly gets eaten. The festering annoyance at your boss’ weekend email — gone, at least for an hour or three.
Sometimes a staycation can mean a week’s worth of outings, an excuse to see the city with fresh eyes, to take in everything that’s new and exciting. But sometimes, all you really need is a sturdy picnic blanket, good company, and good snacks (libations a plus, too). Even if it’s just a regular old Sunday evening, you might pull into your driveway at the end of the evening feeling lighter and easier. And with a little extra dry grass sprinkled in your hair.
Follow the Muse at the Metal Museum
BY ALEX GREENE
Iwas glad it was a rainy day on the bluff, as I passed through the mighty iron gates of the Metal Museum campus. Otherwise, I might have been distracted by the inviting grounds, with large metal sculptures and venerable trees, on the high bluff overlooking the eddy and flow of the Mississippi River. As it was, the weather made the classroom inside the museum’s administrative building all the more cozy, especially when one of the small kilns on the counter opened to reveal its fiery glow within.
But I wasn’t there to hammer whitehot metal into shape in the black-
smith’s shop. I still hope to do that one day, but today’s class didn’t focus on anything so grand. The half dozen of us gathered around a table to work with a very different material: glass. It wasn’t exactly fragile, being powdered and available in a rainbow of hues in various jars. Tools and materials are typically supplied in Metal Museum classes, and your preparations require only workshop-friendly clothes, OSHA-approved safety goggles, and work gloves for foundry, casting, and welding.
Still, the project today would indeed be kiln-hardened. Mixing and layering powdered, colored glass and
fixing it to metal at extreme temperatures is the basis of enamel jewelry. I had my heart set on making a pendant for that special someone in my life. It was risky to set my sights so high. The worst outcome would be a substandard, homemade-looking, and very messy bauble to be wrapped up, handed over as a birthday gift, and forgotten forever after. But I was drawn in by the simple elegance of the stenciled example in the promotional literature. And then the vision appeared: I had to make a black swan. Such a beautiful creature is generally taken as a symbol of ultra-rare, unexpected events that have far-reaching consequences. Like falling in love. For whatever reason, I was set on this image. As Kevin Burge, the museum’s repair and restoration specialist leading our class, explained how to sift one color of powdered glass over the copper disc for a background, fix that in the kiln, then sift another color through a stencil to overlay a contrasting image, I was thinking one thing. Black swan! Black swan! But alas, there were no swan stencils. But Burge respected my inner William Blake, my determination to follow the muse’s imperatives. “If there are no stencils to your liking, you can always sweep the powdered glass with a tiny paint brush, brushing off the excess until you have the shape you want.” And that’s what I did, forming a black swan with its fiery beak, enveloped in a mystic swirl of purple fog. Fired at 1465̊Fahrenheit, it was fixed to its disc for the ages. And worthy of that special someone.
Explore Local Art, on and off Gallery Walls
BY JON W. SPARKS
You probably already know and appreciate the usual suspects when it comes to local art galleries and museums. We love you, Brooks and Dixon and the Metal Museum and the various colleges — you are all worthy and wonderful and we will continue to write about you forever, or until magazines go extinct. But how about a look at some newer, smaller venues that would make for an eclectic mix of places to explore while staying right here in Memphis?
It doesn’t get more cutting-edge than Sheet Cake Gallery (405 Monroe Avenue), featuring regional artists and visual thrills that go above and beyond. Wander into Crosstown (1350 Concourse Avenue) and see a multitude of artworks and artists in several galleries handled by Crosstown Arts with global and local talent on display. Galleries and murals in the South Main Arts District have come and gone, but there are still plenty to stoke your imagination. The I Am A Man mural by Marcellous Lovelace with BLK75 near 398 South Main Street is a good place to start. Follow up with nearby inspirations at Tops Gallery (400 South Front Street) for astonishing works and Urevbu Contemporary (410 South Main Street) for African and global pieces.
Sometimes you’ll find the most intriguing pieces hanging at coffee shops, and one of the better-known spots is Otherlands (641 South Cooper Street), which has rotating
exhibitions of art and photography. All of which can be enjoyed with a nice macchiato.
Off the Walls Arts (360 Walnut Street) is an artist collective with a wide range of artists and artworks. It has a lively community outreach component to nurture youth and bring neighborhoods together. Jay Etkin Gallery (942 South Cooper Street) has a stable of highly regarded artists who show there as well as fascinating vintage African tribal art.
Venture out east to Cordova and check out Gallery Ten Ninety-One
on the WKNO campus (7151 Cherry Farms Road). The spacious venue has exhibitions that change monthly with a rich variety of featured artists. The Morton Museum (196 North Main Street, Collierville) is focused on the town’s history with a variety of topics and artists.
This isn’t by any means a comprehensive roundup, but it’s a good start when you’re making plans for a cultural tour of the Memphis art scene. There are surprises galore by some astonishing artists. Get your eyeballs ready.
Find Your Balance with Goat Yoga
BY FRANK MURTAUGH
I’ve written about yoga in these pages (our January 2022 cover story). I’ve written about goats in these pages (the late, great Babe Howard founded Millington’s Goat Days Festival). But goat yoga? Never. There was nothing atypical about the start of a recent yoga session I experienced with instructor Lindsey Champagne. Comfortable opening stretches while seated on a mat. Deep breaths, in and out. Empty the mind of worries and distractions. Slowly shift to a plank position.
Then a 35-pound goat — a one-year-old Nigerian Dwarf named Tiki — hopped on my back, while half a dozen kids (yep, young goats) watched us. As my random
back massage began, the woman to my right couldn’t help but giggle, because the goat on her back seemed to take an interest in Tiki.
Champagne began 901 Goats in January 2021 with an epiphany of sorts. “This was a Covid-started business,” she explains, “and fell into our laps. It gave me an excuse to quit my day job [with a veterinarian]. I wanted to work with animals and still be involved with humans.” Champagne, her husband, and four children live on 16 acres in Rossville — Walkapony Goat Ranch — that is home to more than 200 of the most amicable yoga partners a human is likely to encounter.
To emphasize, Tiki and his friends knew this was a yoga class. These goats are trained not to climb on anyone until a yoga mat is established as the platform for exercise. But once a human adopts that plank pose, or catcow, or child’s pose, well, the goats get involved. Motivated by the same
healthy treat (Cheerios cereal), Tiki and Hua and Disco and Strawberry will take the benefits of yoga to a new level, both mentally and physically. Classes generally accommodate 20 to 30 people, with an equal ratio of goats. Champagne says ages range from 6 to senior citizen. Wear clothes you don’t mind getting a little dirty, and no dangling jewelry. And keep this in mind: The yoga is not intense. The stretches are as important as you want them to be. But the time with goats will be unforgettable.
Bonding with animals has long been recognized as a stress reducer. (There’s actually a “snuggle barn” at Walkapony.) And with reduced stress comes lower blood pressure, higher mental acuity, and greater emotional balance. In other words, goats are good for us. Sign up for a class. And bring a box of Cheerios.
For a schedule of classes and more information, visit 901goats.com.
Embark on a Quest for the Best Ice Cream
BY ABIGAIL MORICI
Ihave a talent, one that’s gone unrecognized for most of my life, with no glory: I can eat ice cream fast. Really fast. I just can’t help myself from gobbling it up like a kid who’s, well, never had ice cream before. But I have to remind myself to slow down, to enjoy it — especially when the ice cream around Memphis is just so good.
A trip to Sugar Ghost Ice Cream and Bubble Tea is enough to satisfy that craving. With a rotating menu, there’s always something that catches the eye. A Mud Island flavor — what could
that be? A bright purple ube, hmmm? A choco taco? Could this be the time I veer from my tried-and-true chocolate? Nope! That handmade chocolate ice cream in a cup is always top of mind.
So when I walk into Sugar Ghost (2625 Broad Avenue), greeted by the pastel colors and the swirls of the ghostly mural on the back wall, I know what to order, even though it’s not in the display case. (They keep it in the back.) Still, I like to peruse, to take in all the shades of ice cream. When I get my cup, I take a seat by one of the fake skeletons, painted blue and purple. My white plastic spoon changes color, reacting to the cold — just another bit of whimsy as my taste buds dance in delight.
Now, there are no skeletons at Zio Matto Gelato — or ice cream, since this is gelato. But Zio Matto Gelato (545 South Main Street) is just as bright even on Trolley Night, the perfect night to go as it turns out. My boyfriend and I sit outside and people-watch, a scoop of mint and a scoop of chocolate to share, plenty of napkins between us to mop
up the melting drips that land on the table. It’s the perfect way to end the night before walking hand-in-hand back down South Main.
On a Sunday, we go to La Michoacana (4091 Summer Avenue), another place full of whimsy. Maybe it’s just the ice cream that wants me to call it whimsy, some sort of sugar rush. And here you can get so much ice cream for so little, and so many flavors, too. Yet it’s another cup of chocolate for me. I can’t get away from it; it’s hard to be disappointed with chocolate. And my oh my, La Michoacana does not disappoint.
I’ll be back, of course — especially once summer really gets into high gear. And I can’t wait to dive into Mempops (Crosstown Concourse and 1243 Ridgeway Road), Jerry’s Sno Cones (1601 Bonnie Lane in Cordova), Kaye’s Pints & Scoops (2089 Winchester Road), and Margie’s 901 Homemade Ice Cream, too (125 South Main Street). Oh gosh, Memphis offers so many options, I could just scream for ice cream (with delight, of course)!
SATURDAY APRIL 12, 19, & 26 MAY 17, 24, & 31 7PM–10PM GRAND PRIZE DRAWING ON APRIL 26 & MAY 31
Saturday, May 31st, 2025
3-6pm at Overton Square
Sample from the city’s best margarita-makers, vote on your favorite, and we’ll crown an audience winner at the end of this best ‘rita fest!
Having just emerged from the jaw-dropping showcase of history that is the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, a block south of Beale Street, my view of that historic strip is suddenly enlivened. I can almost hear musical ghosts among me as I decide to walk along the street toward the river. Strolling down Beale, I first hear a cover band playing “Tennessee Whiskey.” Does a gospel-tinged country hit count as blues? What about this group of young guys in front of me, in a courtyard on Beale, with a rendition closer to Etta James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind”— the same song, but different lyrics?
For well more than a century, Beale has always been known for pure blues, but also mutant blues, commercialized blues, and blues mash-ups. When legendary Mississippi blues players like Memphis Minnie or Robert Johnson came to Beale, they copped the sound of the big city, mixing pop hits or show tunes into their repertoire. More recently, before their globetrotting and festival days, the Hill Country rooted, ever-surprising, and innovative Dickinson brothers, Cody and Luther, cut their teeth on countless nights on Beale as the fledgling North Mississippi Allstars.
As I move down the street, a different group serves up bass-popping funk instead. Not exactly “the blues,” but its progeny nonetheless. And then suddenly, down where Beale hits Second Street, there it is: the stinging sound
of a bent guitar note. I’m in front of the Blues City Café, which is not only the latest-open kitchen in town but has served as a bastion for blues musicians for decades. Harmonica whiz Mississippi Blind Morris can often be heard there, his tone like quicksilver over the band’s crunching guitar. And then there’s Earl “The Pearl” Banks, who became a professional bluesman in the ’50s, and gave Hi Records’ Teenie Hodges his first guitar lessons. Of course, not even Earl is a purist: He’ll play pop hits Al Green ultimately recorded with Hodges, his erstwhile student.
Everyone on Beale plays Al Green. Across the street, you can hear Teenie’s brother, Leroy, aka “Flic,” whose weekend afternoon residency at B.B. King’s Blues Club also brings hits from Green (whom he also recorded with), yes, but also a whole mess o’ blues to boot.
And so the tales unfold, and one way or another they all lead back to the blues. Even if you go to that much-loved off-Beale venue, Wild Bill’s on Vollintine Avenue, and hear the down-home electric blues of Don Valentine & the Juke Joint Allstars, you’re also likely to hear some karaoke and plenty of soul. As for time immemorial, it’s a party thing.
Dine — and Take in a Light Show — at the Peak of The Pyramid
BY MICHAEL DONAHUE
Iran into a friend in the parking lot of Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid. He had just bought a pair of shorts, getting ready for a trip to Cancun, Mexico, in a few days.
I was getting ready for a trip, too. Mine was more akin to mountain climbing. But instead of sticking a flag into the ground when I got to the peak, I was planning to stick a fork into a pan-seared redfish with jumbo crab.
My staycation plan was to remain in Memphis and dine — for the first time — at The Lookout at The Pyramid, the restaurant at the very top of the structure overlooking the river. And to make it a family staycation, I brought my sister and one of my nephews along.
I let the elevator do the climbing — it’s 321 feet (32 stories) up to the dining room. As we slowly ascended, I watched the world of all sorts of creatures, even alligators in a small lagoon below, go by through the glass elevator walls.
The Lookout has that vacation-restaurant feel. It was like we weren’t really in Memphis anymore, but from our window-side table, we had plenty of evidence that we hadn’t even left town.
To one side, the Hernando de Soto Bridge was performing its colorful light show over the mighty Mississippi. And on another side, lights in the windows of downtown’s taller buildings began to glow.
The restaurant’s decor enhances that vacation vibe. My nephew observed that the swirly design on the walls above the bar made it feel like we were underwater. The large metal fish hanging from the ceiling added to that effect.
I don’t know about being underwater; I think you’re supposed to feel like you’re fishing at a lake or by the shore. To me, it was more like being on the coast, eating in one of those restaurants overlooking the Gulf.
Sunset is the main event at The Lookout. As soon as the sun started going down, people began gathering on the outside balcony with cell phones poised. Finally, when the sun glowed fiery orange against the blue-gold sky, almost 40 people were standing in a row — in front of my window view.
So I got up, went out on the balcony to join them, and started snapping pictures myself. Later, I counted 39 sunset photos on my cell phone. It was definitely a meal, and a view, to remember.
A
Century ago this month
Tom Lee gained national fame for rescuing passengers after a riverboat disaster near Memphis.
IHere’s the st y of the man behind the myth.
BY MICHAEL FINGER
n less than a minute the boat rolled over, pitching the young woman and her fellow passengers into the river. e current was swift, the water surprisingly cold. Frantically, she kicked and splashed in a desperate effort to stay afloat.
It was no use. She had no life preserver, and her waterlogged dress twisted around her legs. When she tried to scream out, the muddy water choked her. Struggling feebly, she slowly sank, until only her long hair trailed on the surface …
In a flash, a muscled arm thrust into the water, gripped the woman by her hair, and yanked her into a tiny boat. Spitting and gasping, she looked up into the face of her savior, a river worker named Tom Lee.
Lee managed to pull more than 30 people from the Mississippi River after the steamer M.E. Norman overturned near Memphis. Today, his brave deeds are sometimes forgotten, brought to mind only when visitors pause to admire the monuments erected in the riverfront park named after him. is is the story of Tom Lee, a true Memphis hero.
On the sunny spring morning of May 8, 1925, Tom Lee cranked up the outboard motor on the battered wooden boat he called the Zev and headed downstream. e 39-year-old roustabout was employed by a company doing levee repair work along the river. Lee served as a jack-of-all-trades, and his job today was to ferry his boss downriver to Helena, Arkansas, and then return to Memphis. It would be an easy task, though any work on the water had a special danger for Lee — he had never learned to swim.
Two other boats, both larger and grander than Lee’s craft, also pulled out of Memphis that morning. ey were the Choctaw and the M.E. Norman, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers vessels. e Mid-South Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers was holding its first annual meeting in Memphis, and the Engineers Club of Memphis had arranged a special outing for the delegates. e two boats would carry more than 150 engineers and their families to view the big revetment project under way at Pinckney Landing, some 20 miles south of the city.
A little before noon, both vessels pulled into the channel and slowly chugged downstream. Only one would return.
Some of the other passengers weren’t quite so confident. As the Norman headed downstream, small waves kicked up by the Choctaw steaming ahead washed over her lower deck. One passenger, alarmed by the way the ship wallowed in the river, found little reassurance from a crewman about the water spilling over her feet. “Yes, ma’am, I know,” the crewman responded, “and we’re mighty concerned about it.”
Despite the apparent danger, both boats tied up at Pinckney Landing on the Arkansas side by noon. Most of the men left the boats to scamper over the revetment work — huge mats woven from willow branches that kept the river from chewing away the mud banks — while their families lingered on board and snacked on box lunches.
At the landing, the inspection tour was over, and the engineers boarded the Choctaw and Norman for the two-hour return trip home. Henry Wilkinson, a convention delegate from Washington, had ridden the Norman downstream, but he felt a strange urge to change boats. He stepped aboard the Choctaw just as it moved away from the banks.
e Norman was a sternwheeler, 114 feet long, with twin smokestacks and two decks. Less than a year old, the ship was modern in every way, and the inefficient coal-burning system originally installed on her had been converted to oil just a few weeks before. In fact, this would be the Norman ’s first voyage using the new system, which replaced coal bunkers in the hold with tanks carrying tons of fuel.
Back at Helena, Lee yanked the starter rope of the Zev and whistled as the motor fi red up and hummed smoothly. He would be home soon now, he thought, as the Zev puttered north. Far ahead of him upstream, he could make out the smoke of two steamers. e Choctaw, lighter and faster than the Norman, soon left the other craft behind. Passengers looked back at the slower boat until they lost sight of it around a bend in the river, and no one aboard suspected the Norman was in trouble.
It was also the first time the Norman had ever carried passengers. e ship was a towboat, with accommodations for a small crew. But on the morning of May 8th, with her oil tanks filled to capacity, the Norman took on the additional weight of 72 passengers.
Captain Howard Fenton was a capable riverman who had worked on ships up and down the Mississippi for 39 years. If he thought the Norman was overloaded as the men, women, and children clambered aboard, he never said so. He might not have known better, for Fenton had just been transferred to this boat. He had never piloted the Norman before.
But Tom Lee certainly did. He had zipped past the big steamer a few miles above Pinckney Landing, and saw that something was wrong. Lee cut the motor on the Zev and watched the boat over his shoulder. As he later put it, “She was riding serious.”
Aboard the Norman , Captain Fenton fought to maintain control of his boat. After leaving the landing, the boat had listed to starboard. The captain knew that the current would cause that, but he was worried. Other boats he had piloted always righted themselves after a while. This boat heeled over and stayed there.
Leroy Hidinger Jr. was a young passenger on the Norman that day. In an interview years later as part of the University of Memphis’ Oral History Project, he recalled an ominous vision the morning of the voyage: “My father, grandfather, and I went down to get in the car. And before Daddy could start the automobile, I jumped out of it, and cried, ‘Daddy, I don’t want to go. The boat’s going to sink!’ But my father and grandfather said, ‘Son, the boat’s not going to sink. You’re just needlessly scared, and it’s all in your head.’ So he took my hand and we went down to the river.”
Fenton instructed the passengers to move to the high side of the vessel to balance her. This strategy slowly leveled the boat, but the ship began to tilt again, and the list gradually grew steeper until passengers could no longer keep their footing on the slanted decks. Fenton knew the ship was doomed. The crew rushed to toss out life preservers and anything else that would float, as the captain heaved the wheel over — perhaps there was time to reach the Mississippi shore before capsizing.
above: The 2006 sculpture by David Alan Clarke depicts the rescue. Normally on dry land, a
Tom Lee 100
T◗ TOM LEE DAY OF SERVICE. Memphians are encouraged to honor Lee with a day of service throughout the community.
he City of Memphis will officially designate Thursday, May 8, 2025, as “Tom Lee Day,” with special events throughout the city commemorating the 100th anniversary of the events of May 8, 1925, when Tom Lee rescued victims of the M.E. Norman riverboat disaster.
◗ ENGINEERS CLUB OF MEMPHIS RECEPTION. Descendants of Tom Lee, as well as those of the victims and survivors of the disaster, will attend a special reception. The events of May 8, 1925, were part of an Engineers Club tour of the river. 11 a.m., May 8, MLGW Administration Building, 220 South Main.
◗ TOM LEE POETRY AND SPOKEN WORD CONTEST. Students in grades 9-12 will create original poems or spoken-word pieces inspired by Lee’s courage and humanity. Winners will be recognized and receive cash prizes on Tom Lee Day. Tom Lee Park.
◗ SOCIAL MEDIA. Beginning on Tom Lee Day, Memphians will create 100 days of social media tributes that recognize the accomplishments of Tom Lee.
◗ FAMILY FRIENDLY CELEBRATION. Memphis River Parks Partnership will host a larger celebration later this summer in Tom Lee Park.
◗ COMMUNITY ALL-SINGS will encourage Memphians to raise their voices in songs that echo the values of Tom Lee.
◗ “KEEP IT TOM LEE.” Memphians are encouraged to honor Lee’s legacy throughout 2025.
◗ VISITORS CAN TAKE AN INTERACTIVE WALKING TOUR of the Tom Lee story on the winding path through Tom Lee Park.
◗ A COMMISSIONED POEM by Ed Mabrey, the “GOAT of poetry slam,” will honor Tom Lee 100. Mabrey has won 500 poetry slam competitions, four world championships, and six regional competitions.
◗ A NEW SHORT FILM by Last Bite Films will offer an artistic take on Tom Lee’s rescue.
◗ A TOM LEE PARADE is planned for 901 Day, when Memphians celebrate our city.
◗ A PARTNERSHIP with the Memphis and Shelby County Room at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library will encourage research on Tom Lee’s story.
above: Memphis on the Mississippi (Ode to Tom Lee), by Carl E. Moore, 2022.
Freaking the %#$@ out?
Family
Grief
A Monument to Listening by Theaster Gates, an international renowned publicinstallation artist. Thirty-two basalt “seats” represent the 32 lives Lee saved, with a basalt obelisk representing Lee himself.
He was too late. The boat was caught crossways in the current. The powerful current swelled against the hull, already heeled over at a dangerous angle, and lifted the port side of the vessel clear out of the water. In seconds, the Norman rolled over in midstream, trapping dozens of passengers in the screened-in main cabin, and hurling the others into the murky water.
Some of the luckier ones had donned life jackets. Others struggled in the cold water to reach anything that would hold them up. A few managed to splash back to the upturned hull of the Norman, but this provided only a brief refuge. e ship floated upside down for only five minutes before plunging to the bottom.
Seventy-two men, women, and children were at the mercy of the river. The chilly water was numbing. Heavy suits and dresses made swimming impossible, and the current swept them downstream. Several of the passengers, injured when the ship overturned or unable to swim, drowned almost immediately. Others splashed frantically in the water until they were exhausted by their struggles. Some tried to make it to shore; one man was seen to swim within 20 feet of the bank, when he sank beneath the surface. Most of the passengers could do nothing against the swift current but bob helplessly in the water.
As soon as he saw the NORMAN turn over, Tom Lee whipped the Zev around and raced to the scene. He realized that the people in the water could easily swamp his little boat, so he expertly maneuvered between the victims to reach them one at a time. Lee hurriedly filled the boat with eight half-drowned passengers, carried them to a sandbar, and returned for more.
Despite their predicament, most of the passengers stayed surprisingly calm. Later Lee told a reporter, “ ey didn’t lose their heads like a lot of crazy folks I’ve seen in the water. I guess it’s a good thing they didn’t or I sure would have got scared too. e sensiblest drowning folks I ever saw — just waited for me when I waved at them, and I caught them in the Zev.”
Captain Fenton leapt through the pilothouse window when the Norman flipped and dog-paddled over to a bundle of life preservers. He could barely hold his head above water before Lee pulled him aboard the Zev Another passenger was able to swim close to the banks, but the rough current kept pushing him away. Unable to move, he knotted his tie around a willow by the shore and moored himself there until Lee could get to him.
e last passenger Lee pulled from the river was a prominent Memphis socialite named Margaret Oates, who managed to stay afloat by popping open her parasol and trapping air beneath it. ( is clever lady later married cotton merchant Hugo Dixon, and the arts patrons would later open their home, e Dixon Gallery and Gardens, to the city.)
Tom Lee eventually saved 32 people, and
LOCAL. SHOP LOCAL.
promoting, connecting, educating, and advocating for you.
JOIN TODAY:
485 Halle Park Dr. Collierville 901.853.1949
www.colliervillechamber.com
only a dozen or so of the Norman ’s survivors made it to shore without his help. The disaster also produced other heroes that afternoon. Crewman Roy Thompson remained in the engine room and drew off steam so the boilers wouldn’t explode when the water hit them; he drowned at his post. M.G. Overstreet, an Ole Miss student, swam safely to shore, then dove back into the river to rescue seven other passengers. Engineer A.E. Fry assisted Lee during his later trips by lying across the bow of the Zev and pulling people into the boat. Another engineer, E.H. Bowser, helped his companions into Lee’s boat but refused to get in himself. He swam off to aid a woman and child nearby and was never seen again.
After Lee made four trips to the sandbar, he paused long enough to gather driftwood and build a fire for the survivors, who were shivering from the shock and cold. Then he went back out on the river. “I beat it out in the Zev again,” Lee recalled later, “looking around the banks below, because I know a lot of them had gone and got drowned.”
By now news of the tragedy had reached Memphis. One of the passengers had stumbled through the cotton fields to a nearby farmhouse, which luckily had a telephone. His call brought doctors, ambulances, and reporters rushing to the scene.
When the Choctaw finally reached Memphis that afternoon, more than a thousand people were anxiously waiting for her at the dock. Her passengers were stunned by the terrible news — they thought the Norman was just behind them. More doctors, along with relatives and other concerned citizens, including Mayor Rowlett Paine, jammed aboard the vessel as it steamed back to where it had last seen the Norman. Downstream, other boats now headed north, alerted to the disaster when floating wreckage, life preservers, and a huge oil slick drifted past them.
The Norman survivors returned to Memphis that night aboard the Choctaw and talked to the newspapers about the unknown Black man who had saved them. Reporters were eager to find Tom Lee, but he was still out on the river. Even after other ships had arrived at the scene, he remained in the Zev and helped search for bodies until morning.
Twenty-three passengers were missing, and the authorities were determined to recover the bodies. Many of the dead were probably trapped in the ship, so professional divers were brought in from St. Louis to explore the wreck. The Norman ’s hull was located by morning, lying on its side in 50 feet of water, but the divers were repeatedly swept away by the swift current.
Workers tried to raise the vessel by looping huge chains under the hull and winching it to the surface, but again the current made
this impossible. Instead, the authorities decided to free the bodies — if there were any — by using an anchor as a grappling hook. Over the next few days, large chunks of the boat’s superstructure were pulled up, but no bodies appeared.
The Commercial Appeal was grimly poetic as it described the salvage efforts: “That the rescue fleet is engaged in a solemn task is in the air; the isolation, the sound of the swirling waters, the sight of wreckage from the Norman coming to the surface, and the realization of the scenes that must be faced later all tend to impress upon one’s mind the horror of the disaster.”
“Lee deserves the greatest of credit for the manner in which he handled his motorboat and saved the lives of at least 25 people.”
— CAPTAIN FENTON
The work was slow and tedious. At one sweep of the anchor a brightly colored bundle of cloth burst to the surface, drawing a gasp from onlookers. But it was not a corpse, only the Norman ’s ten-foot flag, still tied to the stern mast.
Later that day, a portion of the galley wall was tugged loose, with the attached wall clock stopped at the exact time of the sinking: 4:50 p.m. The Norman was finally blasted apart with dynamite in a final attempt to dislodge any bodies. None appeared. Some of the bodies were later recovered far downstream, but other victims remained lost forever.
And what of Tom Lee during all this? A quiet and considerably bashful man, he seemed genuinely embarrassed by the spotlight now focused on him, and modestly claimed, “I guess I didn’t do any more than anyone else would have done in my place.” Memphians couldn’t agree with that. Newspaper photographers posed Lee in the rumpled clothes he wore during the rescue, shaking hands with Mayor Rowlette Paine and standing in the equally famous Zev
Tributes poured in from Norman survivors and others impressed with Lee’s bravery. Captain Fenton wrote a letter to The Commercial Appeal, in part justifying his actions that day, but still declaring, “Lee deserves the greatest of credit for the manner in which he handled his motorboat and saved the lives of at least 25 people.”
One of those Lee saved, J.M. Wood, summed it up neatly: “We all owe our lives to Tom Lee. That’s all there is to it.” Julius
Paul R. Brezina, M.D., Todd Chappell, M.D., Amelia P. Bailey, M.D., William H. Kutteh, M.D., Ph.D., and Raymond W. Ke, M.D.
Creating families together, Fertility Associates of Memphis is the only state-of-the-art practice providing comprehensive reproductive health care to couples of the Mid-South and beyond…treating patients struggling with infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss and reproductive disorders. Our highly specialized team utilizes cutting edge techniques including in vitro fertilization with laser blastocyst biopsy, preimplantation genetic diagnosis and fertility preservation. Our compassionate physicians, board-certified in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, have been bringing dreams to life for over 29 years.
Goodman, the Memphis jeweler, presented Lee with a handsome gold watch. Lee also traveled to Washington to meet President Calvin Coolidge, who shook his hand and echoed others’ sentiments that he was a “real hero.”
e Commercial Appeal urged that Lee be awarded the Carnegie Medal for heroism, and not to be outdone, the Memphis Press-Scimitar declared, “We do not know what the rule of the government is about giving pensions to civilians, but if there is no rule against it, Tom should be made comfortable for life. And if there is a precedent against it, then this is a favorable time to break it.”
So the Engineers Club of Memphis, which had lost so many members on the Norman, raised funds to buy a home for the hero. People made donations ranging from ten cents to hundreds of dollars. Mayor Paine presented Lee with $10; Margaret Oates, the young woman with the parasol, donated $100. James Kilgore, a 9-year-old boy from Mississippi, sent in his gift with a scrawled note: “Here is 50 cents. I am a little farmer boy and widow’s little boy, but I wanted to send something to help out, so I sold my pet hen and here is the money.”
In a matter of weeks, enough funds were raised to buy Lee a small brick house, still standing at 923 North Mansfield. He was also given a more secure — and considerably safer — job with the city’s sanitation department, earning 20 cents per hour. Today that hardly seems a generous reward for a hero, but in the 1920s, it was perhaps the best job an unskilled Black laborer could get. At any rate, he worked there for the next 20 years.
When Lee was granted early retirement in 1948, the city allowed him a pension nearly double what he would have ordinarily received. And every year, from 1925 until his death, the Engineers Club gave him $50 and a gift at Christmas.
Tom Lee died of cancer in 1952. His wife, Margaret, who lived with him on Mansfield until his death, moved to California and died there in the 1970s. Mayor E.H. Crump decided the hero deserved a more appropriate tribute than the segregated, Blacks-only swimming pool on Ayers that had been named for Lee in 1942 (closed and demolished in 2022).
So, with Boss Crump’s endorsement, Astor Park at the foot of Beale Street was renamed Tom Lee Park, and the city leaders erected a 30-foot granite obelisk there in 1952 to commemorate the heroic deeds Lee performed back in 1925. Few visitors to the park probably took the time to read the inscription and its outdated tribute to “A Very Worthy Negro.”
When the stone shaft was shattered during the 2003 windstorm dubbed “Hurricane Elvis” it was replaced by a stunning bronze sculpture by Wyoming artist David Alan Clarke, showing Lee pulling a Norman passenger into the Zev. e new monument, the
centerpiece of an illuminated plaza dedicated in 2006 to Lee, is a far more impressive reminder of one man’s bravery during a day of tragedy 100 years ago.
More recently, the Memphis River Parks Partnership, working with the Chicago-based Studio Gang architectural design firm, transformed the 31-acre area into what is effectively an outdoor community center.
e new park opened in September 2023 and included hundreds of native trees, sculptural playgrounds, a canopy-covered event space, basketball courts, and murals.
e park is also home to A Monument to Listening by easter Gates, an internationally renowned public-installation artist. irty-two basalt “seats” represent the 32 lives Lee saved, with a larger basalt obelisk representing Lee himself.
e $61 million renovation has apparently paid off. In March 2025, the American Institute of Architects presented Tom Lee Park with its highest “Honor Award” for urban design. Jurors noted that the revamped park was “transformational for the city and is really delivering on its ambition of reconnecting with the Mississippi River.” National and international honors include awards and recognition from the American Society of Landscape Architects, Fast Company (who considered it one of the top-three “World Changing Ideas”), Mental Floss, and Bilboa Metropoli (calling Tom Lee Park “one of the best 100 projects in the world”).
Another monument to Tom Lee stands in Memphis, far from the river. It’s considerably more modest, and for that reason it’s one that Lee probably would have preferred. In a quiet, shady section of Mt. Carmel Cemetery on Hernando Road is a small gravestone that marks the final resting place of this Memphis hero. e stone makes no mention of the Norman tragedy, but is inscribed simply:
MAY
3-25,
2025 • WILDER • GERMANTOWN, TN
PET GUIDE
FOR TAIL-WAGS AND WIGGLES, TRY DIY DOG TREATS
BY ABIGAIL MORICI
Apples, blueberries, cucumbers, Greek yogurt, oat flour, coconut oil — these were just some of the ingredients my dog, Blobby, added to our shared grocery list. He was looking for some variety in his diet; he’d been hinting by not eating his kibble until I sprinkled Parmesan cheese on top. It was a show each morning and evening: a performative shake of the can to entice him, a squeaky voice announcing that I’ve finally cowered to his Parmesan cheese demands. But that little display was nothing compared to the arrival of groceries for his surprise DIY treats.
Immediately, Blobby’s nose snooted into the bags, his little tail wiggling, along with his whole body. Something about this shopping trip was exciting, he could tell, and he was right. I was excited, for once, to go to the dreaded grocery store. I didn’t even mind getting lost when buying applesauce or when there was no store-brand oat flour that the recipe called for. This was for my Blobby, who deserves everything, who wiggles for anything.
So, when I began baking, he sat by the kitchen counter as I grated an apple for an apple and blueberry cookie recipe. He followed me outside when I picked mint and parsley for a batch of breath-freshening cookies. He flinched when I blended yogurt, cucumber, and ice for a special dog-friendly mocktail — he doesn’t like the noise. He listened when I told him to back up from the freezer when I put some molds with yogurt and berries inside. (Okay, I might have gone overboard with the homemade treats.)
When it came time to tasting, oh boy, was he ready. e cookies were a hit. I’ve included the recipes (below). Like I said, I made two kinds: apple and blueberry, and mint and parsley. Both apples and blueberries contain antioxidants and fiber, and mint and parsley have lots of vitamins, like vitamin A, which is good for vision and immune health.
ese were easy to make, mostly because there is less at stake than baking cookies for humans. You can’t disappoint your number-one fan with a treat, even if it’s a little overcooked or misshapen. Plus, your dog might prefer the crunch of an overbaked cookie, or a senior pup might prefer the softer chew of one underbaked. Or if they’re like Blobby, you’ll be convinced they just swallow it whole without chewing, they eat it so fast.
Blobby was a bit timid about the frozen treats. He’s had a few Mempops pup-pops in his time and devoured them, and that’s always a treat — sometimes maybe more for me because there’s something about ordering a “pupsicle” that just tickles me. It’s made with chicken stock,
roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, and brown rice, and served up on a rawhide stick. It’s a great option if you’re not in a DIY mood. ey aren’t as impressive as Mempops, but these treats are cute. I ordered a set of silicon molds in the shape of doggy bones and pawprints from ye olde internet store. But any shape will do or even just an ice-cube tray. Remember: Your dog will not care. (Same for the cookies — if it’s in the shape of a Christmas tree or a plain circle, they’ll eat it.) All you have to do is mix yogurt, water, and berries into the molds, and BAM! you’re done. Well, after you freeze it.
I felt like a kid with these, and they would probably be fun to make with kids. I was experimenting, throwing raspberries and blueberries in the blender with yogurt. I put in a bit of coconut oil, too. It’s supposed to be good for hair and skin and may provide some immune support, so why not? I made some with cucumbers, and others with just blueberries. Oh, what a time. Blobby licked the spatula, acquired a Greek yogurt goatee, and rocked it.
When the frozen treats were ready, it turned out he wasn’t a fan of the cucumber ones, and he took his time with the blueberry ones, but he begged for more of the raspberry and blueberry pops. It’s all about finding what your dog likes. And, yes, I question his palate. I’ve seen the literal trash and the other indelicate goods he’s tried to eat. But Blobby likes what Blobby likes.
And Blobby does not like cucumbers. I knew this before, yet I thought I could change him. You can’t change a man, though, even your little man. So when I served his cucumber mocktail — a puptail, if you will — I shouldn’t have been surprised when he licked up the Milk-Bone cookie rim and only tasted the actual mocktail, just a sip before he went about his way to stalk the squirrels in the bird-feeder from his window perch. Next time, I’ll have to try raspberries and blueberries.
For now, the frozen treats are stored in the freezer, the cookies are in the cookie jar, and Blobby is salivating.
Blobby is ready for his Apple and Blueberry Cookies.
“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.
The Hot Tamale Capital of the World invites you to enjoy an eclectic collection of events and entertaining stops.
» MAY « Mississippi Wildlife Heritage Festival, including Frog Fest and Leland Craw sh Festival LelandChamber.com
» AUGUST « MS Delta Duck Boat Races at Lake Washington
» SEPTEMBER « Delta Blues & Heritage Festival deltabluesms.org
Gumbo Nationals greenvillespeedway.net
Sam Chatmon Blues Fest facebook.com/SamChatmonBlues
Stephone Hughes Old Time Gospel Fest
» OCTOBER « Delta Hot Tamale Fest facebook.com/ DeltaHotTamaleFestival
Highway 61 Blues Festival highway61blues.com
Monuments on Main Street Historic Greenville Cemetery Tour facebook.com/Monuments-on-Main-Street
YMCA Cotton Classic 10K/5K Run racesonline.com/ymca-cotton-classic
» NOVEMBER « Roll’n on the River Car Show facebook.com/redwinecarshow
» DECEMBER « Christmas on Deer Creek LelandChamber.com
FOF THE YEAR 2025
or more than a decade, Memphis Magazine has celebrated a group of CEOs every year, recognizing visionaries and executives who go above and beyond to elevate their companies and their community. And every year, we gather these leaders at a sponsored awards breakfast to honor them in front of their peers and the community.
e challenge is in deciding which of them should receive the honor. Memphis is bold, creative, and forward-thinking, so those who are selected by magazine staff members do more than lead a successful organization. We like to see leaders that value innovation, who pay particular attention to the welfare and treatment of employees, and who give back to the community. It is these efforts that make a difference, and these results that provide a reason to celebrate.
The awards breakfast is May 7th from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at Hardin Hall at Memphis Botanic Garden. Prices are $300 for a table of 10 or $30 per ticket. Tickets are at bit.ly/CEObreakfast25
THE 2025 CEO OF THE YEAR IS SPONSORED BY EBIZ SOLUTIONS.
I t’s easy to see how much passion Boo Mitchell has for music, but it’s more than making it and listening to it. He’s also in the business end of it, always a risky pursuit when it comes to marketing and making a living in the arts. And he will tell you that the biggest challenge of all is staying relevant.
Royal Studios has been a recording mecca for a wide variety of musicians from around the globe. It’s one of the oldest perpetually operated recording studios in the world and has given birth to several million-sellers. Mitchell’s father, the legendary Willie Mitchell, took over its operation in 1970 and young Boo was involved in it from an early age. He started managing the studio around 2000 and got familiar with running a business.
And he’s managed to keep it relevant. “It’s easy to become stagnant when you’ve had any level of success,” he says. “It’s easy to just stay in your box. But I try to always constantly think outside of the box and take on every project with a fresh new approach, like being a kid in the candy store.
I’m really a big kid like, oh man, we’ve got new toys to play
OF THE YEAR 2025
BOO MITCHELL ^?/6
ROYAL STUDIOS
with on the playground, so how can I just have fun and create a vibe? I think with music, the energy and the spirit of the people go into the music. I’m always trying new things and doing different collaborations, and people keep asking me to make their records.”
While everyone has always wanted essentially the same thing — to make a hit record — the music industry has changed in significant ways. “A lot of it is intellectual property,”
Mitchell says. “Twenty years ago, we didn’t have Spotify, we didn’t have Pandora and Sound Exchange and all those things. A lot of new money is being created and realizing different streams of income that we didn’t have before, so you really have to stay on top of the business.”
Mitchell has been active in pushing for legislation, particularly the Music Modernization Act that was signed into law in 2018 and updated music copyright laws for the digital age, making it possible for songwriters and publishers to have a new income stream.
“I deal with a lot of legacy musicians,” he says, “like the Hi
Rhythm Section, the guys that play on all Al Green’s records. So I have the OGs that I’m always working with, and trying to keep those guys working. Then I have the next generation of musicians coming in that I like to expose them to things and keep them working as well.”
That comes from lessons he learned long ago. “My dad always told me, ‘Take care of your musicians, because they’re really the core of the success of any producer, any studio.’”
And he’s still fighting the battles. While the Music Modernization Act was essential, there are still issues to be resolved. There is money being collected by countries around the world for radio play, but a loophole prevents American musicians from getting their share.
It’s all part of what an international business owner has to deal with, and Royal Studios, even with its mom-and-pop feel, is a global enterprise. “That family touch resonates with people,” Mitchell says, “and the international music fans really study Memphis. The International Blues Challenge brings us new business because they’re people from Australia
and the UK. I have an ongoing relationship with a Korean blues guy that I’ve done three projects with, and he was in town at the IBC.”
Furthermore, Mitchell goes after the business, flying around the world to push his music. The “Take Me to the River” film series and other documentaries have been beneficial, and he does live shows with legacy artists that spread the gospel of Memphis.
It always comes back to the Bluff City. “Memphis is always the hero. The people, the spirit — they appreciate the authenticity and the realness and the people in Memphis. People tell you exactly what they think, but it’s not contrived. And even with the limitations of resources, it makes us work harder as Memphians because it’s like we’re always the underdog.”
That authenticity is crucial not just to Memphis music, but to how Mitchell, that kid in the candy store, operates. “We have our gut feelings and our instincts,” he says. “And really, just about every success I’ve ever had all started from a gut feeling and my execution of it.”
— Jon W. Sparks
“My dad always told me, ‘Take care of your musicians, because they’re really the core of the success of any producer, any studio.’”
OF THE YEAR 2025
BRETT BATTERSON ^?/6
A s a young boy in Davenport, Iowa, Brett Batterson liked to play Army. This meant gathering kids from the neighborhood, organizing platoons, and establishing ranks. “My uncle had been a staff sergeant in the Army,” explains Batterson, now in his tenth year as CEO of the Orpheum Theatre Group. “He had given me staff sergeant stripes, so I declared that in our club, the highest rank was staff sergeant. Which makes no sense. But kids were coming from three blocks away. It’s the first time I thought about leadership.”
Batterson’s parents were both puppeteers, so the performing arts are woven tightly through his DNA. He joined his first community theater at age 5 (and happily remembers his first play, The Bear Hug). As a college student at Augsburg University in Minnesota, Batterson recognized that he had the singing voice of a really good set designer, so he studied the latter, earning an MFA in the craft at Tulane. His professional rise included time in Chattanooga, and lengthy stints in both Detroit (as COO of the Michigan Opera Theatre) and Chicago (as executive director of the Auditorium Theatre). The seeds of leadership in that young “staff sergeant” grew steadily into the
ORPHEUM THEATRE GROUP
strengths that ultimately landed Batterson in Memphis.
“I’ve always led through personality,” says Batterson. “I’m very empathetic, a people-oriented person. I’ve been lucky that people have let me be a leader. In Chattanooga, I had volunteers willing to come in every night of the week and build sets with me. And I’ve worked with unions. The stagehands union is notoriously difficult to work with, but they were also willing to do what I asked of them. It’s all about the respect I have for them. I’ve wanted to do what’s best for them, and what’s best for the organization. A lot of it’s listening, letting them make decisions. My goal is always to be fair.”
Batterson succeeded Pat Halloran — a Mid-South celebrity in his own right for more than three decades — when he assumed his current duties on New Year’s Day in 2016. “I had some idea [from my experience in Detroit, following the founder of the Michigan Opera Theatre] about how to work with a legend,” notes Batterson. “You don’t criticize him. You don’t try to pretend you’re smarter. You give credence to their knowledge and experience. It doesn’t mean you have to follow their advice, but you have to listen. I came from
two large cities, and Memphis is really a large small town. Everybody knows each other.”
A leader’s survival instincts surface during an unforeseen challenge, and Batterson’s kicked in when Covid-19 shut the world down in March 2020. While many theaters across the country chained their doors shut, Batterson recalled the story of one in Chicago that converted itself into a bowling alley during World War II. He decided on a similar pivot: mini-golf. Properly masked patrons could play a timed game of minigolf (nine holes, four rounds) on the Orpheum stage. Players who sank a putt under the iconic image of Cosette from Les Miserables may as well have been on the 18th green at Augusta.
“When the pandemic started, we were getting contradictory instructions,” reflects Batterson. “The goal posts moved every day. We had a supportive team of vice presidents, and I’m glad we were in Tennessee, which was less restrictive than some states.” The golf “show” ran for 17 weeks, and Batterson likes to emphasize it’s the longest-running production in Orpheum history.
The Orpheum family includes 47 full-time employees, 240 part-
time, and a 34-member board of directors. Batterson manages a $20 million budget, one he has utilized for major renovations — including new seats — without closing the operation. “I have a very supportive board that has let me do a lot of fun stuff,” says Batterson. “I brought a camp that I started in Chicago — for young people who have experienced the death of a parent — to Memphis. The Mending Hearts Camp has been one of the joys of my life. [Batterson lost his own father when he was 7 years old.] Some of our community’s greatest leaders are on our board, and that’s been a joy to me.”
Batterson is one of only two Tony Award voters in the state of Tennessee. From the marionettes his parents brought to life to the biggest and brightest of Broadway hits, he appreciates a live performance. But when asked about his favorite show, he offers a temporal qualifier. “Hamilton is the most genre-changing musical of the last decade,” he says. “The decade before that, it was Rent or Miss Saigon. In the Eighties, it was Phantom of the Opera, which I still love. But I also love Rodgers and Hammerstein.” Just don’t ask him to sing along. — Frank Murtaugh
“I’m
very empathetic, a people-oriented person. I’ve been lucky that people have let me be a leader. … It’s all about the respect I have for them. I’ve wanted to do what’s best for them, and what’s best for the organization. A lot of it’s listening, letting them make decisions. My goal is always to be fair.”
OF THE YEAR 2025
LAURIE POWELL ^?/6
ALLIANCE HEALTHCARE
When Laurie Powell started working for Alliance Healthcare Services in 1993, it was called the Southeast Mental Health Center. The Virginia native’s father was a scientist, and her family moved to Memphis in 1987. “I’ve always liked helping other people,” she says.
She attended the University of Memphis, earning a bachelor’s degree in sociology. “I thought I wanted to be a sociologist. I did research, statistics, all that,” she says. “Then I fell in love with mental health when I did an internship with a psychologist. So I went back and got a master’s in social work and a license in social work … I really like talking to people. I like helping people. So I was a therapist for the first 10 years.”
Her experiences as a therapist in South Memphis and Orange Mound revealed much need. “Memphis is a traumatized city,” she says. “Just look at the pockets of poverty and the trauma that the kids are experiencing. These kids become adults. If you haven’t addressed that trauma, you don’t know that there is hope, that you can have a career, that you don’t have to be stuck in that cycle of trauma and poverty.”
Along the way, Powell met her husband, Michael Harrison. “He was a big advocate for what I was trying to do,” she says. He supported me when I became CEO. Lots of people don’t have that kind of support in their spouse. When we decided to have kids, he actually
changed his whole career to make sure that Ethan and Nicholas were taken care of, and I could focus on my career. It amazes people when I tell them that story.”
After a decade in the trenches, she was promoted to clinical supervisor, then started grant writing. “What I liked in the management and administration piece is seeing the big picture, how all of these programs fit together. We have housing, we have crisis outpatient, and we’re trying to build a whole continuum where people can get the help they need in whatever program they need.”
One of Powell’s early victories was securing a grant to provide emergency mental healthcare to people who have recently experienced a psychotic break. “The research shows if you’re able to get someone in treatment within the first two years of their psychotic episode, and give them the evidence-based treatment, you can help them get employment, go to school.”
Many people in that situation who don’t get the help they need can end up homeless, or worse. Powell’s program established “an intensive team of ten people, including a psychiatrist, a therapist, and an employment specialist, who go out into the community,” she says. “They’re giving long-acting injectables for psychosis at hotels. They’re going to homeless shelters doing treatment on the spot.
SERVICES
“One of my passions has always been early intervention, so that the school-to-prison pipeline can be diverted,” Powell continues. Alliance has pioneered a program which places mental health liaisons in schools, a program which recently earned the support of Governor Bill Lee. “The goal is to have a therapist in every school to work with that school, work with families, and be a resource, so that the therapist comes to you,” she says. “You don’t have to come to the mental health facility. We do as much community based-work as we can do, and that’s what we’re trying to accomplish. We changed our name from Southeast Mental Health Center to Alliance because of the stigma involved with going into a facility called ‘mental health.’”
In 2018, Powell’s predecessor, Gene Lawrence, retired, and she applied for the position. “I’d done just about every job there is,” she says. “I remember on my strategic plan what I presented was, I want to build this crisis center for Memphis,” she says. “Too many people are incarcerated who have mental illness and not enough access to care.”
Now, six years later, that dream is a reality. The $35 million, 55,000-square-foot facility at 3200 Broad Avenue opened in March. “We’re calling it our ‘wellness campus,’” Powell says.
For Powell, the moment is bittersweet. In 2015, her husband
was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. The first round of treatments were successful, but in early 2020, just before the pandemic hit, his cancer returned. Michael died in August 2020. “I was a widow at 53,” she says.
Powell, the expert in mental health, found herself following her own advice. “It’s helpful to talk to other females and support each other. There is life after a spouse’s death. In a way, I can look at it like this: I started working on this building right before he died. It’s been a labor of love for the five years since he died. He knew this was one of my biggest passions, that I’m going to do this, to see it from the beginning designs and then through the final construction. That did give me something to focus on during the grieving process. Freud would call that sublimation.”
She says the new facility represents Alliance’s commitment to bringing mental healthcare to the masses. “We changed the logo to highlight ‘all’ — it’s ALL of us. Alliance. That ALL is highlighted, because it’s going to take all of us, working together as a community.”
When the Alliance team learned that Powell had been awarded CEO of the Year, they surprised her with a banner and a party.
“Thirty-one years in mental health; I obviously didn’t do it to be wealthy, you know? I’m passionate about Memphis, and that’s why I’ve stayed here.” — Chris McCoy
“What I liked in the management and administration piece is seeing the big picture, how all of these programs fit together. We have housing, we have crisis outpatient, and we’re trying to build a whole continuum where people can get the help they need in whatever program they need.”
OF THE YEAR 2025
DR. STEWART BURGESS
CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF MEMPHIS
Every child has the right to fall in love with learning,” says Dr. Stewart Burgess, CEO of the Children’s Museum of Memphis since 2019. “Here, we hope kids can make discoveries and realize, this is something I might enjoy when I grow up.”
A native of Fresno, California, Burgess never planned to be a museum director. He was looking forward to a career in academia, first earning a degree in psychology from Fresno State University. That was followed by a master’s in experimental child development from San Diego State University, with an emphasis in problem solving (which would prove very useful years later), and a Ph.D. in child development from the University of California at Irvine.
But somewhere along that path, he realized, “I loved academia, but I wasn’t 100 percent sure I was in love with the ‘publish or perish’ world and the constant pressure to obtain grants for your research.”
There was another factor. He attended Fresno State under a swimming scholarship. At one of the meets, he encountered another swimmer, who would become his future wife, Ann. She was studying biomechanical engineering at Tulane University. When they
married, he realized that teaching opportunities in his field were limited, so he’d go wherever his wife landed a job.
That happened to be Memphis, where she once lived; her father, Dr. James Carter, was the longtime chair of the University of Memphis chemistry department. She was hired as vice president of biologics with Wright Medical, and Burgess became the early childhood director at St. George’s School. He worked there 18 years, and along the way joined the CMOM board. In 2019, when director Dick Hackett retired, “I threw my hat in the ring. I really wanted to get my hands on this museum. With my experience as a developmental psychologist, it was easy to see what had originally been designed brilliantly, but other things that could be done for the next iteration of the museum.”
The timing wasn’t “supergenius,” he says. Six months later, Covid shut the doors to the museum, along with so many places around the country. At CMOM, that presented a special challenge, since the museum receives no funding from local government. Seventy percent of their budget comes from admission costs and membership sales; the remaining 30 percent from fundraising.
Closing the museum provided a chance to revamp the facility, which had opened in 1990 in the former National Guard Armory erected in 1940. “I am very mission-driven,” he says. “Those times gave me the chance to create a space that provided excellence in playful learning. I looked at every exhibit we had, and asked myself: Is it excellent in quality, is it playful, and does it provide a learning experience?”
Many of the exhibits, such as the historic Dentzel carousel from Libertyland, were already popular, but Burgess figured out ways to “sneak learning in, while the kids were still having fun.” He also wanted to connect the museum’s identity with Memphis. For example, children enjoyed the Role Play Theater, a performance space where they could put on their own plays. Today, visitors can enjoy a miniature Orpheum theater inside CMOM, complete with glistening chandeliers and ornate carpeting.
He added The Great River, so children could play with a flowing model of the Mississippi, complete with illuminated landmarks such as The Pyramid and Sterick Building. They can divert river channels, launch barges, and operate power plants, to better understand the river’s importance to Memphis.
Another addition is the Art and Innovation Lab, which offers hands-on computer graphics, or work with actual paint and clay. Local artists, chosen because their work is approachable to children, give talks and show how they create their works.
A key part of the museum’s current success was Burgess’ aggressive methods for increasing funding. “I inherited $4.2 million in debt when I came aboard,” he says. “We attacked that by refinancing, restructuring our mortgage, and going after every Covid relief grant on the planet. We got everything we applied for, while working hard to reduce expenses, with everybody wearing different hats.”
In his role as CEO, Burgess is unique. Out of more than 600 children’s museums in the United States, he is the only director who has years of professional experience in early childhood education.
Sum up his attitude in one word, and it’s passionate. “Draw a circle around Memphis,” he says, “and we are the only children’s museum in a 200-mile radius. I think about this place every single day, and instead of draining me, it gives me energy to make it better.” — Michael Finger
“I really wanted to get my hands on this museum. With my experience as a developmental psychologist, it was easy to see what had originally been designed brilliantly, but other things that could be done for the next iteration of the museum.”
OF THE YEAR 2025
TED TOWNSEND ^?/6
GREATER MEMPHIS CHAMBER
Ted Townsend is a CEO among CEOs. As leader of the Greater Memphis Chamber, he works with and spends time with bosses around the region in a dynamic that aims at improving the region’s fortunes. He’s had meetings with hundreds of CEOs, telling them what the Chamber can do to make their businesses thrive.
“For me, it is a resource, a gaining of perspective,” he says. “And I would encourage any CEO to afford yourself the opportunity to meet with other peers, even if it’s in a different industry or organization, whether it’s nonprofit or for-profit, because there’s great opportunity for mentorship, there’s great opportunity for growth and perspectives, and in each of those interactions you have the availability to bring it back into your own.”
In his own role as a CEO, Townsend relishes the sense of community with other leaders — and there are 26,000-plus businesses in the region. “I can reach out to share scenarios and challenges and gain advice and counsel and then apply that here,” he says. “But it’s always an opportunity for me, especially meeting someone for the first time, where
I can educate them on what the Chamber is. Some of those are legacy and traditional, but I close out every meeting with a CEO recognizing that they had no idea we do so much.”
Townsend joined the Chamber as chief economic development officer in 2020 and was named president and CEO of the nonprofit in 2022, succeeding Beverly Robertson. “We had to face some really difficult decisions during the pandemic, which Beverly effortlessly led,” he says. “And then we had to figure out how to build back, and that’s what I’ve been focused on. When I came in, we had an operating budget, and I said, the work that we’re doing is as though it’s double that.”
He looked at comparable chambers around the country and saw they had larger budgets, but he felt the Memphis Chamber was having a greater impact. “I wanted to increase our ability to scale, to add capacity, to invest in our team and our resources and our space, and really see a major upgrade,” he says. “So, I set a goal of doubling that operating budget and doing so by the end of 2030, which coincided with our Prosper Memphis 2030 strategic plan.”
Townsend was determined to grow revenue, not just through membership, but exploring other avenues. “I’m proud to say that we have reached that goal ahead of 2030,” he says, “so now I’m setting new goals.” He is very much about establishing the mindset of winning, which has enabled the Chamber to eclipse original goals and set new ones.
The Chamber’s reliance on research, data, and being ready to go into action has paid off, whether the project has been simmering for a long time (facilitating the America’s River Crossing for a new bridge across the Mississippi), or developing rapidly (xAI’s fast-moving decision to locate in Memphis), or ongoing (the Digital Delta technology innovation project).
It’s been a dream job for Townsend, for whom this has been a destination role since college. “I knew that I wanted to work at the Chamber because of the business exposure that I would get,” he says, “so even as a college student, that was something that I aspired to.” It wasn’t a straight line — he’s been an entrepreneur and owner of a startup as well as working in the public sector with
the state — but that experience led to this eventual, and inevitable, position.
And while he’s developed the kind of sound leadership that gets an organization to that high degree of effectiveness, Townsend admits to some surprises. “I don’t think I could have prepared myself for the embodiment of representing a team that we have here of individuals that are so dedicated to a Memphis that is not even in some people’s dreams,” he says.
But that happens when the groundwork is laid. “It’s where we get to be the practitioners and the behind-the-scenes conduits and actors of change, where we can make the Memphis Dream become a reality from an economic development perspective,” Townsend says. “I get to see that devotion and dedication each and every day from each and every team member. That is incredibly inspiring. And there’s a great responsibility with that to curate it, to support it, to keep them energized, despite the myriad challenges we face. But I was never prepared for that devotion that is exhibited exuberantly every day from every team member. It really lifts me.” — Jon
W. Sparks
“I
don’t think I could have prepared myself for the embodiment of representing a team that we have here of individuals that are so dedicated to a Memphis that is not even in some people’s dreams.”
A Place of Comfort
Jenna Abu-Khraybeh offers “somewhere between here and there” at Bar Limina in the Edge District.
BY BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN
Jenna Abu-Khraybeh serves the “Uncle T’s Nightcap.”
When Jenna Abu-Khraybeh talks about growing up in the Bluff City, her face brightens with the memories. “I remember my mom taking us to Grizzlies games,” she says, “and afterward, we’d wait outside Earnestine & Hazel’s with the doorman while my mom went in to get us soul burgers.
“I’m first-generation,” she says. “My dad is from Lebanon and my mom is from Canada. ey both migrated here and met in Memphis and I had this lovely upbringing of diversity.
“A lot of my parents’ friends owned or worked in restaurants, so food service has always been a place of comfort for me, whether it was IHOP or Interim.”
A 2019 graduate of Germantown High School, Abu-Khraybeh has already managed bars at the now-closed Longshot Restaurant and Catherine & Mary’s downtown. Last fall, she came in second in the
Memphis Flyer ’s Best of Memphis
“Best Bartender” competition, and now she’s the bar manager at the newly opened Bar Limina in the Edge District. She’s obviously a quick study, and good at her chosen profession.
“When I got old enough to where I wanted a car,” she says, “I heard, ‘Get a job,’ from my parents. So I started working at Jimmy John’s in high school. Two years later, when I finished school, I was managing there. I did that for a couple of years, and then a friend, Hannah Daugherty, who was bar manager at Longshot, got me in there to
help them reopen after Covid. Hannah and Pablo Mata, who also worked there, taught me how to bartend — style, knowledge, skill, all that stuff. They took me in and showed me the ropes and paved the way for me to start finding something that I really love, something I really want to do.”
Abu-Khraybeh worked at Longshot from 2021 until the fall of 2023, before being offered a job at Catherine & Mary’s, where she worked until April of this year.
“I loved Catherine & Mary’s,” she says. “It gets a high volume for a fine-dining restaurant, so I got to master both classic and creative cocktails but also how to deal with a large crowd. They’re good people. It was a tough decision to part ways.”
beh says. “When I was younger, my stepfather taught me how to make a Negroni, which is the classic ‘three-equal-parts’ cocktail: gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. In my version, I substitute mezcal for the gin.”
“Whoa.”
“Yeah, and I use strawberry-infused Campari, which dials it back a little, and a blanc vermouth, which is a little more citrusy than a standard dry vermouth, and then a good-quality mezcal. Oh, and I also spritz the glass with Peychaud’s Bitters.”
Bar Limina sits next to Sam Phillips Recording on Madison Avenue in a former tile shop that most recently housed the Inkwell bar.
Which brings Abu-Khraybeh — and us — to Bar Limina, which sits next to Sam Phillips Recording on Madison Avenue in a former tile shop that most recently housed the Inkwell bar.
“Why ‘Bar Limina?’” I ask.
“ e definition of limina is ‘threshold; transitional space; somewhere between here and there.’ But basically what [bar owner] Josh Conley wants is to create a ‘damn good cocktail place.’ at’s our premise. We’ll serve small plates, snacks, and charcuterie, but our intention with Bar Limina is to have a slower-paced, more intimate place with really nice, high-quality cocktails.”
“So if I were in the mood for a nice, high-quality cocktail,” I ask, “what would you recommend?”
“I’m going to make you a cocktail called ‘Uncle T’s Nightcap.’ It’s been on every menu I’ve made,” Abu-Khray-
Abu-Khraybeh soon finishes her creation and sets the simple-looking, strawberry-colored drink on the bar in front of me. I take a sip. e initial impression is fruity but not sweet. It’s smooth, deceptively refreshing, and then the mezcal enters the room and you realize you’re drinking a cocktail with some muscle. It’s a terrific drink.
“Well, this is quite good.”
“ ank you,” she says. “I’ve been throwing drinks around for the last few years, since I started at Longshot, and I realized this is the kind of stuff I want to do. People say I’ve never met a stranger — and I have my mom to thank for that — so I enjoy this. ere’s something about being able to meet someone on one side of the bar while I’m on the other and giving them a really great experience.”
I’d have to look up who won the Flyer ’s “Best Bartender” last year, but as someone who’s sat on the other side of the bar from Jenna Abu-Khraybeh, I can say with confidence that she’s going to be a contender for that title for a long time to come.
Bar Limina is located at 631 Madison Avenue.
Memphis Dining Guide
A Curated Guide to Eating Out
Memphis Magazine offers this curated restaurant listing as a service to our readers. Broken down alphabetically by neighborhoods, this directory does not list every restaurant in town. It does, however, include the magazine’s “Top 50” choices of must-try restaurants in Memphis, a group that is updated every August. Establishments open less than a year are not eligible for “Top 50” but are noted as “New.” is guide also includes a representative sampling of other Bluff City eating establishments. No fast-food facilities or cafeterias are listed. Restaurants are included regardless of whether they advertise in Memphis Magazine; those that operate in multiple locations are listed under the neighborhood of their original location. is guide is updated regularly, but we recommend that you call ahead to check on hours, prices, or other details. Suggestions from readers are welcome: dining@memphismagazine.com.
DOWNTOWN
ALDO’S PIZZA PIES—Serving gourmet pizzas — including Mr. T Rex — salads, and more. Also 30 beers, bottled or on tap. 100 S. Main. 577-7743; 752 S. Cooper. 725-7437. L, D, $-$$
AMELIA GENE’S—Globally inspired fine-dining cuisine at the One Beale project, including Rohan duck, Wagyu filet, and an extensive cheese cart. 255 S. Front. 686-5051. D, $$-$$$ THE ARCADE—Memphis’ oldest cafe. Specialties include sweet potato pancakes, a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich, and breakfast served all day. 540 S. Main. 526-5757. B, L, MRA, $ ARNOLD’S SMOKEHOUSE—A classic smokehouse with vegan and nonvegan options seasoned to perfection. Closed Mon. 2019 E. Person Ave. 922-5950. L, D, SB, $-$$$
AUTOMATIC SLIM’S—Longtime downtown favorite specializes in contemporary American cuisine emphasizing local ingredients; also extensive martini list. 83 S. Second. 525-7948. L, D, WB, MRA, $-$$$
BARDOG TAVERN—Classic American grill with Italian influence, Bardog offers pasta specialties such as Grandma’s NJ Meatballs, as well as salads, sliders, sandwiches, and daily specials. 73 Monroe. 275-8752. B (Mon.-Fri.), L, D, WB, MRA, $-$$
BELLE TAVERN—Serving elevated bar food, including a butcher board with a variety of meats and cheeses, as well as daily specials. 117 Barboro Alley. 249-6580. L (Sun.), D, MRA, $ BEN YAY’S GUMBO SHOP—Spiritual successor to DejaVu, offering fresh and authentic Creole staples. 150 Peabody Place, Suite 111. 779-4125. L, D, $-$$
BISCUITS & JAMS—Offering sweet and savory brunch with a Cajun flare. Specialties include smoked sausage or spicy fried chicken on biscuits, lemon blueberry waffles, and rum custard French toast. No walk-ins on weekends. 24 N. B.B. King Blvd. 672-7905. B, L, WB, $-$$
BRASS DOOR IRISH PUB—Irish and New-American cuisine includes such entrees as fish and chips, burgers, shepherd’s pie, all-day Irish breakfast, and more. 152 Madison. 572-1813. L, D, SB, $-$$ BY THE BREWERY—Breakfast and lunch café, with a focus on Southern-style biscuits, salads, and soups. 496 Tennessee St. 310-4341. B, L, $
CAPRICCIO GRILL ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE
Offers prime steaks, fresh seafood (lobster tails, grouper, mahi mahi), pasta, and several Northern Italian specialties. 149 Union, The Peabody. 529-4199. B, L, D, SB, MRA, $-$$$$
CAROLINA WATERSHED—This indoor/outdoor eatery, set around silos, features reimagined down-home classics, including fried green tomatoes with smoked catfish, a buttermilk fried chicken sandwich, burgers, and more. Closed Mon.-Thurs. 141 E. Carolina. 321-5553. L, D, WB, $-$$
CATHERINE & MARY’S—A variety of pastas, grilled quail, pâté, razor clams, and monkfish are among the dishes served at this Italian restaurant in the Chisca. 272 S. Main. 254-8600. D, SB, MRA, $-$$$
COCOZZA AMERICAN ITALIAN—”The red sauce joint of your dreams” serves up classic Italian-American fare from the owners of Majestic Grille. Closed Sun. 110 Harbor Town Sq. 609-1111. D, $-$$
COZY CORNER—Serving up ribs, pork sandwiches, chicken, spaghetti, and more; also homemade banana pudding. Closed Mon. 735 N. Parkway. 527-9158. L, D, $
CURFEW—An elevated sports bar/American tavern concept by Top Chef contestant Fabio Viviani at the Canopy Memphis Downtown hotel. 164 Union Ave. B, L, D, $-$$
DOS HERMANOS KITCHEN—Breakfast and lunch concept by Eli Townsend in the Cossitt Library. 33 S. Front. 286-2399. B, L, $ ESCO RESTAURANT AND TAPAS—Shareable dishes, turkey ribs, and seafood mac’n’cheese at this 2 Chainz franchise. 156 Lt. George W. Lee Ave. 808-3726. L, D, $$-$$$
FERRARO’S CHEESY CORNER & PIZZERIA—Plenty of pizzas, along with a whole new cheese-inspired menu (fancy grilled cheeses and buildyour-own mac and cheese bowls). 111 Jackson. 522-2033. L, D, $
FISHBOWL AT THE PYRAMID—Burgers, fish dishes, sandwiches, and more served in a unique “underwater” setting. Bass Pro, 1 Bass Pro Drive, 291-8000. B, L, D, $-$$
FLAME RAMEN—Traditional Japanese ramen restaurant serving up bowls of noodles. 61 S. Second St. 441-6686. L, D, wheelchair accessible, $-$$
FLIGHT RESTAURANT & WINE BAR—Steaks and seafood, with such specialties as bison ribeye and Muscovy duck, all matched with appropriate wines. 39 S. Main. 521-8005. D, SB, MRA, $-$$$
FLYING FISH—Serves up fried and grilled versions of shrimp, crab, oysters, fish tacos, and catfish; also chicken and burgers. 105 S. Second. 522-8228. L, D, $-$$
GARDEN BRUNCH CAFÉ—Fish and grits, steak and eggs, and other upscale takes on Southern brunch classics. 492 S. Main St. 249-7450. B, L, $$
GOOD FORTUNE CO.—Authentic handcrafted noodles, ramen, and dumplings. 361 S. Main. 561-306-4711. L, D, $-$$
THE GENRE—Burgers, tenders, catfish, and plenty of vegan options made to order at this music-themed restaurant/lounge. 200 Poplar, Suite 105. 410-8169. B, L, D, $-$$
THE GOURMET GALLERY—A variety of elevated comfort dishes, like fried ribs and waffles, shrimp and grits, grilled salmon, and more. Closed Mon. 412 S. Main St. 848-4691. L, D, $-$$$
GROOVY GRATITUDE—Offers a vibrant selection of cold-pressed juices, handcrafted smoothies, and healthy eats like paninis and acai bowls. Closed Sun. 605 N. Second St. 417-8007. B, L, WB, $
GUS’S WORLD FAMOUS FRIED CHICKEN—Serves chicken with signature spicy batter, along with homemade beans, slaw, and pies. 310 S. Front. 527-4877; 3100 Forest Hill Irene (Germantown). 8536005; 2965 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 373-9111; 730 S. Mendenhall. 767-2323; 505 Highway 70 W., Mason, TN. 901-294-2028. L, D, MRA, $
DINING SYMBOLS
HIVE BAGEL & DELI Bagels, bagels, and more bagels at this new downtown deli offering baked goods, sandwiches, and salads. Closed Mon./Tue. 276 S. Front St. 509-2946. B, L, $
B — breakfast
L — lunch
D — dinner
SB — Sunday brunch
WB — weekend brunch
MRA — member, Memphis Restaurant Association
$ — under $15 per person without drinks or desserts
$$ — under $25
$$$ — $26-$50
CHEZ PHILIPPE—Classical/contemporary French cuisine with Asian and Nordic influences, presented in a luxurious atmosphere with seasonal tasting menus from chef Keith Clinton. Afternoon tea served Thu.-Sun., noon-3:30 p.m. (reservations required). Closed Sun.-Tues. The Peabody, 149 Union. 529-4188. D, MRA, $$$$
$$$$ — over $50
CIMAS—It’s breakfast tacos, shrimp and grits, chilaquiles verdes, and plenty of other Southern and Latin-American twists at the Hyatt Centric. 33 Beale St. 444-3232. B, L, D, $-$$$
HU. ROOF—Rooftop cocktail bar serves toasts with a variety of toppings including beef tartare with cured egg, cognac, and capers or riced cauliflower with yellow curry, currants, and almonds. Also salads, fish tacos, and boiled peanut hummus. 79 Madison. 333-1229. D, $
HUSTLE & DOUGH BAKERY & CAFE—Flaky, baked breakfast goodness every day with fresh pastries, sandwiches, and more at Arrive Hotel. 477 S. Main St., 701-7577. B, L, $
ITTA BENA—Southern and Cajun-American cuisine served here, located above B.B. King’s Blues Club on Beale St.; specialties are duck and waffles and shrimp and grits, along with steaks, chops, seafood, and pasta. 145 Beale St. 578-3031. D, MRA, $$-$$$ JEM DINING—Chef Josh Mutchnick offers a dining experience that’s memorable, refined, unpretentious, and welcoming with dishes from around the world. Closed Sun./Mon./Tue. 644 Madison Ave. 286-1635. D, $$-$$$
KINFOLK—Breakfast with a side of nostalgia in Harbor Town. Specialties include biscuit sandwiches, steak and omelet plate, and brown butter mushrooms with jammy egg over grits. 111 Harbor Town Square. 457-5463. B, L, SB, WB, $-$$
KING & UNION BAR GROCERY—Classic Southern favorites
including catfish plate, pimento cheese, po-boys, chicken & waffles. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with cocktails served with flair and favorite Memphis beers. Locally made confections available in the grocery. 185 Union Ave. 523-8500. B, L, D, $-$$
KOOKY CANUCK—Home of the four-pound Kookamonga Burger (no charge to anyone who can eat it in less than 60 minutes), plus other (smaller) burgers, sandwiches, wings, soups, and salads. 57 S. Second, 901-578-9800. L,D, MRA, $-$$
LITTLE BETTIE—New Haven-style pizzas and snacks from the Andrew-Michael team at Wiseacre’s Downtown location. 398 S. B.B. King Blvd. 334-9411. L, D, $-$$
THE LOBBYIST AT THE CHISCA—Chef Jimmy Gentry brings his farm-to-table ideas downtown, with seasonal, and sometimes weekly, new menus, and an emphasis on creative vegetable dishes. Closed Sun. 272 S. Main St., Suite 101. 249-2170. D, $$-$$$$
LOFLIN YARD—Beer garden and restaurant serves vegetarian fare and smoked-meat dishes, including beef brisket and pork tenderloin, cooked on a custom-made grill. Closed Mon.-Tues. 7 W. Carolina. 249-3046. L (Sat. and Sun.), D, MRA, $-$$
THE LOOKOUT AT THE PYRAMID—Serves seafood and Southern fare, including cornmeal-fried oysters, sweet tea brined chicken, and elk chops. 1 Bass Pro Dr. 620-4600/291-8200. L, D, $-$$$
LUNA RESTAURANT & LOUNGE—Serving a limited menu of breakfast and lunch items. Dinner entrees include citrus glaze salmon and Cajun stuffed chicken. 179 Madison (Hotel Napoleon). 526-0002. B, D (Mon.-Sat.), $-$$$
MACIEL’S—Entrees include tortas, fried taco plates, quesadillas, chorizo and pastor soft tacos, salads, and more. Closed Sun. 45 S. Main. 526-0037, MRA, $
MAHOGANY RIVER TERRACE—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. 280 Island Drive, 901-249-9774. L, D, SB, $-$$$
THE MAJESTIC GRILLE—Features aged steaks, fresh seafood, and such specialties as roasted chicken and grilled pork tenderloin; offers a pre-theater menu and classic cocktails. Well-stocked bar. 145 S. Main. 522-8555. L, D, WB, MRA, $-$$$
McEWEN’S—Southern/American cuisine with international flavors; specialties include steak and seafood, sweet potato-crusted catfish with macaroni and cheese, and more. Closed Sun., Monroe location. 120 Monroe. 527-7085; 1110 Van Buren (Oxford). 662-234-7003. L, D, SB (Oxford only), MRA, $$-$$$ MESQUITE CHOP HOUSE—The focus here is on steaks, including prime fillet, rib-eyes, and prime-aged New York strip; also, some seafood options. 5960 Getwell (Southaven). 662-890-2467; 88 Union. 527-5337. 249-5661. D, SB, $$-$$$
MOLLIE FONTAINE LOUNGE—Specializes in tapas (small plates) featuring global cuisine. Closed Sun.-Tues. 679 Adams Ave. 524-1886. D, MRA, $
MOMMA’S ROADHOUSE—This diner and dive at Highway 55 serves up smoked wings, burgers, and beer, among other solid barfood options 855 Kentucky. 207-5111. L, D, MRA, $
PAULETTE’S—Presents fine dining with a Continental flair, including such entrees as filet Paulette with butter cream sauce and crabmeat and spinach crepes; also changing daily specials and great views. River Inn. 50 Harbor Town Square. 260-3300. B, L, D, WB, MRA, $-$$$
PLANT BASED HEAT EXPRESS—Flavorful, 100% vegan meals, including plants, plant-based meat, and kid’s meals. No reservations. Closed Sun. 363 S. Front St. 570-5339. L, D, $-$$
PRETTY TACO Fast casual tacos with a Memphis twist, like the Soul Burger tacos. Closed Sun./Mon. 265 S. Front St. 509-8120. L, D, $-$$
PROMISE South Main soul food restaurant (think turkey necks, meatloaf, fried catfish) using old family recipes. Closed Sun./Mon. 412 S. Main. L, D, $-$$ RENDEZVOUS, CHARLES VERGOS’—Menu items include barbecued ribs, cheese plates, skillet shrimp, red beans and rice, and Greek salads. Closed Sun.-Mon. 52 S. Second. 523-2746. L (Fri.-Sat.), D, $-$$
ROCK’N DOUGH—A blend of Italian and American foods like artisan pizza, salads, pasta, burgers, and house-brewed beers. 704 Madison Ave. 587-6256. L, D, $-$$
SABOR CARIBE—Serving up “Caribbean flavors” with dishes from Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. Closed Sunday. 662 Madison. 949-8100. L, D, $
10a-5p
We're hosting the best local artist and maker market at the Crosstown Concourse Plaza and Atrium on June 7th! Shop 100+ of the most talented local makers and artists, enjoy delicious craft tastes at our Crafts & Drafts Beer Garden, and partake in all of the fun of Crosstown Concourse!
SAGE—Restaurant and lounge features daily lunch specials and tapas with such dishes as braised short ribs, teriyaki pulled pork, and the Sage burger made with Angus beef, avocado mash, fried egg, and flash-fried sage. 94 S. Main. 672-7902. L, D, WB, $-$$
SILLY GOOSE LOUNGE—Gourmet, wood-fired pizzas and handcrafted cocktails at this downtown restaurant and lounge. 150 Peabody Place, Suite 111. 435-6915. L, D, $
SMURFEY’S SMOKEHOUSE—The beloved food truck has found a permanent home for their famous loaded nachos and fries with plans of adding breakfast soon. Closed Sun. and Mon. 149 Madison Ave. 337-7966. L, D, $-$$
SOUTH MAIN SUSHI & GRILL—Serving sushi, nigiri, and more. 520 S. Main. 249-2194. L, D, $
SOB—Elevated gastropub that serves favorites like general Tso’s cauliflower or duck fried rice. 345 S. Main. 526-0388; 5040 Sanderlin (East Memphis). 818-0821; 1329 W. Poplar Ave. 286-1360. L, D, WB, $-$$
SOUTH POINT GROCERY—Fresh and delicious sandwiches made to order at Downtown’s new grocery market. 136 Webster Ave. B, L, D, $ SUGAR GRITS—Who said breakfast has to be in the morning? The Westmorelands offer grits and other breakfast goodness all day long, in addition to other Southern-style lunch and dinner options. 150 Peabody Pl., Suite 111. 249-5206. B, L, D, $-$$
SUNRISE MEMPHIS—Serves breakfast all day, including house-made biscuits, frittatas, kielbasa or boudin plates, and breakfast platters. 670 Jefferson. 552-3144; 5469 Poplar Ave. (East Memphis). 844-6117. B, L, MRA, $
TERRACE—Creative American and Continental cuisine includes such dishes as filet mignon, beef or lamb sliders, chicken satay, and mushroom pizzetta. Rooftop, River Inn of Harbor Town, 50 Harbor Town Square. 260-3366. D, MRA, $$
TEXAS DE BRAZIL—Serves beef, pork, lamb, and chicken dishes, and Brazilian sausage; also a salad bar with extensive toppings. 150 Peabody Place, Suite 103. 526-7600. L (Wed.-Fri.), D, WB, $$-$$$
TUG’S—Famous for New Orleans gumbo, fabulous burgers, fried thin catfish, and specialty pancakes. Now serving Grisanti Crafted Pizza. 51 Harbor Town Square. 260-3344. B, L, D, WB, $$-$$$
WAHLBURGERS WILD—Wahlburgers brings its classic menu, but with a few gamey twists at the Bass Pro Pyramid. 1 Bass Pro Drive. B, L, D, $-$$
WESTY’S—Extensive menu includes a variety of wild rice dishes, sandwiches, plate lunches, and hot fudge pie. 346 N. Main. 543-3278. L, D, $
WINGMAN—Downtown lounge and hookah bar offering wings galore with ten signature sauces, and plenty of other goodies. 143 Madison Ave. L, D, WB, $-$$
MIDTOWN (INCLUDES THE MEDICAL CENTER)
ABNER’S FAMOUS CHICKEN—Fried chicken tenders and dipping sauces galore at this Mid-South staple. 1350 Concourse Ave, Suite 137. 425-2597; (East Memphis) 1591 Poplar Ave. 509-3351; (Cordova) 1100 N. Germantown Pkwy. 754-5355. L, D, $-$$
ABYSSINIA RESTAURANT—Ethiopian/Mediterranean menu includes beef, chicken, lamb, fish entrees, and vegetarian dishes; also a lunch buffet. 2600 Poplar. 321-0082. L, D, $-$$
ALCHEMY / SALT|SOY—Handcrafted cocktails and local craft beers with the Asian fusion dining concept from Salt|Soy. 940 S. Cooper. 726-4444. D, SB, $-$$
ART BAR—Inventive cocktails feature locally foraged ingredients; snacks include house-cured salt & vinegar potato chips and herb-roasted olives. Closed Mon. 1350 Concourse Avenue #280. 507-8030. D, $ ASHTAR GARDEN—Southern twists on classic brunch dishes, and plenty of cocktails. Closed Mon.-Wed. 898 Cooper St. 4431514. L, D, $-$$
BABALU TACOS & TAPAS—Spanish-style tapas with Southern flair; also taco and enchilada of the day; specials change daily. 2115 Madison. 274-0100; 6450 Poplar, 410-8909. L, D, SB, MRA, $-$$
BAIN BARBECUE & BAKERY—Brian Bain’s popular Texas-style barbecue is back, alongside an assortment of baked goods. 993 S. Cooper. 310-4141. B, L, $-$$
BAR DKDC—Features an ever-changing menu of international “street food,” from Thai to Mexican, Israeli to Indian, along with specialty cocktails. 964 S. Cooper. 272-0830. D, MRA, $
BAR KEOUGH—It’s old-school eats and cocktails at the new CooperYoung neighborhood corner bar by Kevin Keough. 247 Cooper St. D, $
BAR-B-Q SHOP—Dishes up barbecued ribs, spaghetti, bologna, other classics. Closed Sun. 1782 Madison. 272-1277. L, D, MRA, $-$$
BARI RISTORANTE ENOTECA—Authentic Southeastern Italian cuisine (Puglia) emphasizes lighter entrees. Serves fresh fish and beef dishes and a homemade soup of the day. 524 S. Cooper. 722-2244. D, SB, MRA, $-$$$
BARKSDALE RESTAURANT—Old-school diner serving breakfast and Southern plate lunches. 237 S. Cooper. 722-2193. B, L, D, $ (Temporarily closed.)
BAYOU BAR & GRILL—New Orleans fare at this Overton Square eatery includes jambalaya, gumbo, catfish Acadian, shrimp dishes, red beans and rice, and muffalettas. 2094 Madison. 278-8626. L, D, WB, MRA, $-$$
BEAUTY SHOP—Modern American cuisine with international flair served in a former beauty shop. Serves steaks, salads, pasta, and seafood, including pecan-crusted golden sea bass. Perennial “Best Brunch” winner. Closed for dinner Sunday. 966 S. Cooper. 272-7111. L, D, SB, MRA, $-$$$
BOSCOS—Tennessee’s first craft brewery serves a variety of freshly brewed beers as well as wood-fired oven pizzas, pasta, seafood, steaks, and sandwiches. 2120 Madison. 432-2222. L, D, SB (with live jazz), MRA, $-$$
BROADWAY PIZZA—Serving a variety of pizzas, including the Broadway Special, as well as sandwiches, salads, wings, and soul-food specials. 2581 Broad. 454-7930; 627 S. Mendenhall. 207-1546. L, D, $-$$
CAFE 1912—French/American bistro owned by culinary pioneer Glenn Hays serving such seafood entrees as seared sea scallops with charred cauliflower purée and chorizo cumin sauce; also crepes, salads, and onion soup gratinée. 243 S. Cooper. 722-2700. D, SB, MRA, $-$$$
CAFE ECLECTIC—Omelets and chicken and waffles are among menu items, along with quesadillas, sandwiches, wraps, and burgers. Menu varies by location. 603 N. McLean. 725-1718; 111 Harbor Town Square. 590-4645. B, L, D, SB, MRA, $
CAFE PALLADIO—Serves gourmet salads, soups, sandwiches, and desserts in a tea room inside the antiques shop. Closed Sun. 2169 Central. 278-0129. L, $
CAMEO—Three longtime Memphis bartenders join forces for creative cocktails, cheese boards, snacks, and Sunday brunch. 1835 Union Ave., Suite 3. 305-6511. D, SB, $-$$
CELTIC CROSSING—Specializes in Irish and American pub fare. Entrees include shepherd’s pie, shrimp and sausage coddle, and fish and chips. 903 S. Cooper. 274-5151. L, D, WB, MRA, $-$$
CENTRAL BBQ—Serves ribs, smoked hot wings, pulled pork sandwiches, chicken, turkey, nachos, and portobello sandwiches. Offers both pork and beef barbecue. 2249 Central Ave. 272-9377; 4375 Summer Ave. 767-4672; 147 E. Butler. 672-7760 ; 6201 Poplar. 4177962. L, D, MRA, $-$$
COMPLICATED PILGRIM—Quick-serve coffee shop, bar, and restaurant all in one at The Memphian hotel. 21 S. Cooper St. 538-7309. B, L, D, $-$$
THE COVE—Nautical-themed restaurant and bar serving oysters, pizzas, and more. The Stoner Pie, with tamales and fritos, is a popular dish. 2559 Broad. 730-0719. L, D, $
THE CRAZY NOODLE—Korean noodle dishes range from bibam beef noodle with cabbage, carrots, and other vegetables, to curry chicken noodle; also rice cakes served in a flavorful sauce. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. 2015 Madison. 272-0928. L, D, $
ECCO—Mediterranean-inspired specialties range from rib-eye steak to seared scallops to housemade pastas and a grilled vegetable plate; also a Saturday brunch. Closed Sun.-Mon. 1585 Overton Park. 410-8200. B, L, D, $-$$
EVERGREEN GRILL—Serving classic American cuisine like patty melts, burgers, phillies, and more to bring you the comforting taste of home. Closed Mon./Tue. 212 N. Evergreen St. 779-7065. L, D, X,$$-$$$
FARM BURGER—Serves grass-fed, freshly ground, locally sourced burgers; also available with chicken, pork, or veggie quinoa patties, with such toppings as aged white cheddar, kale coleslaw, and roasted beets. 1350 Concourse Avenue, Suite 175. 800-1851. L, D, $
THE FARMER AT RAILGARTEN—Farmer classics include panseared catfish, gulf shrimp and grits, or a Gibson donut bread pudding. Closed Mon./Tue. 2166 Central. 313-0087. D, $-$$
FEAST & GRAZE—Whipped goat toast, open-faced grilled cheese, and other local pantry snacks and charcuterie boards. Closed Sun./Mon. Inside Brooks Museum, 1934 Poplar. 654-5926. L, $ FINO’S FROM THE HILL—Italian deli offers old favorites such as the Acquisto as well as a new breakfast menu. Germantown location paired
FLAME RAMEN—Traditional Japanese ramen restaurant serving up bowls of noodles in Midtown. 1838 Union Ave. 779-8666; 61 S. Second St., Suite 160 (downtown). D, $-$$
FLIP SIDE—Pinball meets pub in the Crosstown neighborhood, with plenty of games alongside a Caribbean- and Latin-inspired menu. Closed Mon. 1349 Autumn Ave. 207-6193. L, D, $-$$
FRIDA’S—Mexican cuisine and Tex-Mex standards, including chimichangas, enchiladas, and fajitas; seafood includes shrimp and tilapia. 1718 Madison. 244-6196. L, D, $-$$
GLOBAL CAFÉ—This international food hall hosts three immigrant/ refugee food entrepreneurs serving Venezuelan, Sudanese, and Syrian cuisines. Samosas, shawarma, and kabobs are among the menu items. Closed Mon. 1350 Concourse Avenue, Suite 157. L, D, MRA, $
GOLDEN INDIA—Northern Indian specialties include tandoori chicken as well as lamb, beef, shrimp, and vegetarian dishes. 2097 Madison. 728-5111. L, D, $-$$
GOOD GROCERIES MARKET & CAFÉ—Providing fresh, healthy, cruelty-free meals, Good Groceries offers a classic American menu with a twist: instead of pork, they use duck for their BBQ. They also sell quesadillas, mac-and-cheese, sandwiches, and more. Closed Sun. 585 S. Cooper St. 325-1269. B, L, D, $
GROWLERS—Sports bar and eatery serves standard bar fare in addition to pasta, tacos, chicken and waffles, and light options. 1911 Poplar. 244-7904. L, D, $-$$
GUAC FRESH MEX—Authentic Mexican cuisine and four types of guacamole. Closed Sun. 782 Washington Ave. 587-4100. L, D, $
HATTIE B’S—Fried chicken spot features “hot chicken” with a variety of heat levels; from no heat to “shut the cluck up” sauce. Sides include greens, pimento mac-and-cheese, and black-eyed pea salad. 596 S. Cooper. 424-5900. L, D, $
HUEY’S—This family-friendly restaurant offers 13 different burgers, a variety of sandwiches, and delicious soups and salads. 1927 Madison. 726-4372; 1771 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 754-3885; 77 S. Second (downtown). 527-2700; 2130 W. Poplar (Collierville). 854-4455; 7090 Malco Blvd. (Southaven). 662-349-7097; 7825 Winchester. 624-8911; 4872 Poplar. 682-7729; 7677 Farmington Blvd. (Germantown). 318-3030; 8570 Highway 51 N. (Millington). 873-5025. L, D, MRA, $
IMAGINE VEGAN CAFE—Dishes at this fully vegan restaurant range from salads and sandwiches to full dinners, including eggplant parmesan and “beef” tips and rice; breakfast all day Sat. and Sun. 2158 Young. 654-3455. L, D, WB, $
INDIA PALACE—Tandoori chicken, lamb shish kabobs, and chicken tikka masala are among the entrees; also, vegetarian options and a daily all-you-can-eat lunch buffet. 1720 Poplar. 278-1199. L, D, $-$$
INSPIRE COMMUNITY CAFE—Serving breakfast all day, in addition to quesadillas, rice bowls, and more for lunch and dinner. 510 Tillman, Suite 110. 509-8640. B, L, D, $
JACK BROWN’S BEER AND BURGER JOINT—Another spot to satisfy your burger craving, this time with 100% American Wagyu beef. 2197 Central Ave. 512-6957. L, D, $-$$$
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM—Serves such Southern cuisine as po’boys, shrimp and grits, and wood-fired pizzas. 2119 Madison. 207-5097. L, D, WB, MRA, $-$$
LOS COMALES—Authentic Mexican cuisine, daily specials, and strong margaritas. 1322 Madison. 440-8393; 345 Madison Ave. (downtown). 5904524; 2860 S. Perkins (East Memphis). 369-0528. L, D, $-$$
THE LIQUOR STORE—Renovated liquor store turned diner serves all-day breakfast, sandwiches, and entrees such as Salisbury steak and smothered pork chops. 2655 Broad. 405-5477; 669 S. Mendenhall Rd. (East Memphis). B, L, D, $-$$
LOUIS CONNELLY’S BAR FOR FUN TIMES & FRIENDSHIP
An upgraded dive bar with a neighborhood feel and a rockin’ SMASH burger. Closed Sun. and Mon. 322 S. Cleveland St. 433-9582. L, D, $-$$
MADISON TAVERN—Indoor and outdoor seating available, plus a full menu with a range of comfort foods and drinks on tap. 2126 Madison Ave. 417-8029. L, D, $-$$$
MARY’S B.O.T.E.—This bar of tropical escapism offers over 30 specialty drinks, pizzas, bar snacks, and a cozy interior that transports customers to the beach. 21+ only. Closed Mon. 588 S. Cooper St. No phone number. D, wheelchair accessible, $
MEMPHIS JAMAICAN KITCHEN—Authentic Jamaican specialties, including jerk chicken and oxtails. 1354 Madison Ave. L, D, $$
MEMPHIS PIZZA CAFE—Homemade pizzas are specialties; also serves sandwiches, calzones, and salads. 2087 Madison. 726-5343; 5061 Park Ave. 684-1306; 7604 W. Farmington (Germantown). 753-2218; 797 W.
MEMPHIS TOAST—Provides authentic Memphian breakfast cuisine and features themed rooms to honor iconic Memphis figures. Specialties include French toast, shrimp and grits, and their little Lucille breakfast burrito. 954 Jackson Ave. 417-7817. B, L, WB, $-$$
MEMPHIS WHISTLE—Cocktails, cocktails, and even more delicious cocktails alongside burgers, sandwiches, and other tasty snacks. 2299 Young Ave. Closed Mon.-Tue. 236-7136. D, $-$$
MOLLY’S LA CASITA—Homemade tamales, fish tacos, a vegetarian combo, and bacon-wrapped shrimp are a few of the specialties. 2006 Madison. 726-1873. L, D, MRA, $-$$
PAYNE’S BAR-B-QUE—Opened in 1972, this family-owned barbecue joint serves ribs, smoked sausage, and chopped pork sandwiches with a standout mustard slaw and homemade sauce. About as down-to-earth as it gets. 1762 Lamar. 272-1523. L, D, $-$$
PETALS OF A PEONY—Authentic Chinese restaurant serving chicken, fish, tofu, and more, smothered in spicy sauces. 2110 Madison Ave. 207-6680. L, D, $-$$$
THE PUBLIC BISTRO—Knifebird owners’ full-service American bistro with a menu by chef Gannon Hamilton. 937 S. Cooper St. Closed Sun. 509-2113. D, $-$$
SALTWATER CRAB—Offers an array of seafood dishes including boils with blue crab, crab legs, lobster tails, and more, and specialty sushi like the Dynamite or Royal King rolls, in addition to signature sangrias and cocktails. 2059 Madison Ave. 922-5202. L, D, $$
THE SECOND LINE—Kelly English brings “relaxed Creole cuisine” to his newest eatery; serves a variety of po’boys and such specialties as barbecue shrimp, andouille shrimp, and pimento cheese fries. 2144 Monroe. 590-2829. L, D, WB, $-$$
SEKISUI—Japanese fusion cuisine, fresh sushi bar, grilled meats and seafood, California rolls, and vegetarian entrees. Poplar/Perkins location’s emphasis is on Pacific Rim cuisine. Menu and hours vary at each location. 25 Belvedere. 725-0005; 1884 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 309-8800; 4724 Poplar. 767-7770; 2130 W. Poplar (Collierville). 854-0622; 2990 Kirby-Whitten (Bartlett). 377-2727; 6696 Poplar. 747-0001. L, D, $-$$$
SEN TRANG—Serving a wide variety of Chinese and Vietnamese soups, stir-fries, and noodles. 1615 Madison Ave. 276-0006. L, D, wheelchair accessible, $-$$
SHROOMLICIOUS MEALS—Vegan eatery with a heavy blend of (as the name implies) mushrooms. Closed Mon. and Tues. 394 N. Watkins St. 205-8413. L, D, $
SLICE MIDTOWN—Serving New York-style pizza as well as subs and pasta dishes (formerly known as Little Italy). 1495 Union. 725-0280; L, D, $-$$
SMOKY CITY BBQ—Serving authentic Memphis barbeque, including burgers, ribs, wings, and daily specials. Closed Sun. 1023 Jackson Ave. 425-3115. L, D, $-$$$
SOUL FISH CAFE—Serving Southern-style soul food, tacos, and po’boys, including catfish, crawfish, oyster, shrimp, chicken, and smoked pork tenderloin. 862 S. Cooper. 725-0722; 3160 Village Shops Dr. (Germantown). 755-6988; 4720 Poplar. 590-0323. L, D, MRA, $-$$
STICKEM—Brick-and-mortar location for the popular food truck, which offers grilled meat on a stick. 1788 Madison. Closed Sunday. 474-7214. L, D, $ TEKILA MEXICAN CUISINE—Mexican cuisine with a modern twist. Specialties include chicken mole, enchiladas verde, and the trio special. 1433 Union Ave. 510-5734. L, D, WB, wheelchair accessible, $-$$$
TAMBOLI’S PASTA & PIZZA—Pasta-maker Miles Tamboli whips up Italian soul food with seasonal menus featuring dishes like crispy fried chicken or creamy bucatini with pecorino cheese. Serves dinner Tues.-Sat. 1761 Madison. 410-8866. D, $-$$
TAKASHI BISTRO—Fusion restaurant with an open kitchen that lets customers watch chefs prepare a variety of Japanese and Thai cuisine. 1680 Union Ave., Suite 109. 800-2936. L, D, $-$$.
TJ MULLIGAN’S—Cold drinks, comfort food, and plenty of live entertainment. 2021 Madison. 725-0770; 1817 Kirby Pkwy. (East Memphis). 755-2481; 8070 Trinity Rd. Suite 1 (Cordova). 756-4480; 2821 N. Houston Levee Rd. (Lakeland). 377-9997. L, D, $-$$
TONICA—Paella and other Spanish-inspired dishes with an Italian touch, alongside an extensive list of gin and tonics. 1545 Overton Park. Closed Mon.-Wed. D, $-$$
TSUNAMI—Features Pacific Rim cuisine (Asia, Australia, South Pacific, etc.); also a changing “small plate” menu. Chef Ben Smith is a Cooper-Young pioneer. Specialties include Asian nachos and roasted sea bass. Closed Sunday. 928 S. Cooper. 274-2556. D, MRA, $$-$$$
TUYEN’S ASIAN BISTRO—A variety of Asian dishes from the minds and chefs behind Saigon Le. Closed Sun. 288 N. Cleveland. L, D, $-$$
VIBE FOODS—By way of Colorado, superfood bar serves up clean and delicious meals and juices. Closed Sun. 1350 Concourse Ave. 572-1127; 3139 Poplar Ave. (East Memphis). 207-2535. B, L, $-$$
ZINNIE’S—Dive bar classic reopens with a makeover and signature Zinnaloni sandwich. 1688 Madison. 726-5004. L, D, $ SOUTH MEMPHIS (INCLUDES PARKWAY VILLAGE, FOX MEADOWS, SOUTH MEMPHIS, WINCHESTER, AND WHITEHAVEN)
BALA’S BISTRO—Authentic West African cuisine available to order or by the pound, alongside traditional American dishes and an extensive vegan menu. 4571 Elvis Presley Blvd. 509-3024. L, D, $-$$
CACHE 42 KITCHEN & COCKTAILS—Elevated fine dining (think golden rack of lamb or lobster queso) and cocktail lounge at MoneyBagg Yo’s restaurant; menu by chef Daris Leatherwood. Brunch and lunch options coming soon. 4202 Hacks Cross Rd., Suite 121. 494-5458. D, $-$$
COLETTA’S—Longtime eatery serves such specialties as homemade ravioli, lasagna, and pizza with barbecue or traditional toppings. 1063 S. Parkway E. 948-7652; 2850 Appling Rd. (Bartlett). 383-1122. L, D, $-$$
CURRY BOWL—Specializes in Southern Indian cuisine, serving Tandoori chicken, biryani, tikka masala, and more. Weekend buffet. 4141 Hacks Cross Rd. 207-6051. L, D, $
DELTA’S KITCHEN—The premier restaurant at The Guest House at Graceland serves Elvis-inspired dishes — like Nutella and Peanut Butter Crepes for breakfast — and upscale Southern cuisine — including lamb chops and shrimp and grits — for dinner. 3600 Elvis Presley Blvd. 443-3000. B, D, $-$$$
DWJ KOREAN BARBECUE—This authentic Korean eatery serves kimbap, barbecued beef short ribs, rice and noodles dishes, and hot pots and stews. 3750 Hacks Cross Rd., Suite 101. 746-8057; 2156 Young. 207-6204. L, D, $-$$
FABULOUS FLAVORS & FRIENDS ”The Candy Lady” Precious Thompson Jones comes up with a little bit of everything: omelettes, quesadillas, t-bones and waffles, and plenty of soul food. 2063 E. Brooks Rd. 314-0735. L, D, $
THE FOUR WAY—Legendary soul-food establishment dishing up such entrees as fried and baked catfish, chicken, and turkey and dressing, along with a host of vegetables and desserts. Around the corner from the legendary Stax Studio. Closed Mon. 998 Mississippi Blvd. 507-1519. L, D, $
HERNANDO’S HIDEAWAY No one cares how late it gets; not at Hernando’s Hideaway. Live music, killer happy hour, and plenty of bar fare at this South Memphis hang. 3210 Old Hernando Rd. 917-982-1829. L, D, $ INTERSTATE BAR-B-Q—Specialties include chopped pork-shoulder sandwiches, ribs, hot wings, spaghetti, chicken, and turkey. 2265 S. Third. 775-2304; 150 W. Stateline Rd. (Southaven). 662-393-5699. L, D, $-$$
JIM & SAMELLA’S—It’s a revolving menu of soul food delight from Chef Talbert Fleming, with anything from Southern ribs to fried tamales. 841 Bullington Ave. 265-8761. L, D, $
LEONARD’S—Serves wet and dry ribs, barbecue sandwiches, spaghetti, catfish, homemade onion rings, and lemon icebox pie; also a lunch buffet. 5465 Fox Plaza. 360-1963. L, $-$$
MARLOWE’S—In addition to its signature barbecue and ribs, Marlowe’s serves Southern-style steaks, chops, lasagna, and more. 4381 Elvis Presley Blvd. 332-4159. D, MRA, $-$$
UNCLE LOU’S FRIED CHICKEN—Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives for good reason: fried chicken (mild, hot, or home-style); jumbo burgers four patties high; strawberry shortcake, and assorted fruit pies. 3633 Millbranch. 332-2367. L, D, MRA, $
SUMMER/BERCLAIR/ RALEIGH/BARTLETT
BISCUITS & JAMS—Biscuits, waffles, French toast, and plenty of sharables at this Bartlett breakfast spot. Closed Mon./Tue. 5806 Stage Rd. 672-7905. B, L, $
BRYANT’S BREAKFAST—Three-egg omelets, pancakes, and The Sampler Platter are among the popular entrees here. Possibly the best biscuits in town. Closed Mon. and Tues. 3965 Summer. 324-7494. B, L, $ CEVICHERIA AND GRILL CHILEMON—Ceviche, of course, but also plenty of other postres, aperitivos, and mixed grilled meat and seafood feasts. Closed Sun. 4509 Summer Ave. 672-7905. L, D, $ CHEF FLAVAS AND BARTLETT BREAKFAST FACTORY ”Flavaful” sandwiches, soups, pastas, and more from the makers of the popular local spinach artichoke dip. Traditional breakfast options
served by Bartlett Breakfast Factory. Closed Sun./Mon. 6301 Stage Rd. 779-2200. B, L, D, $-$$
DIM SUM KING—All the best from a selection of authentic Chinese dishes: roasted duck, sizzling hot plate, Cantonese BBQ, and plenty more. 5266 Summer Ave. Suite 65. 766-0831. L, D, $-$$
ELWOOD’S SHACK—Casual comfort food includes tacos, pizza, and sandwiches. Specialties include meats smoked in-house (chicken, turkey, brisket, pork), barbecue pizza, and steelhead trout tacos. 4523 Summer. 7619898; 4040 Park Ave. 754-2520. B, L, D, $
EXLINES’ BEST PIZZA—Serves pizza, Italian dinners, sandwiches, and salads. 6250 Stage Rd. 382-3433; 2935 Austin Peay. 388-4711; 2801 Kirby Parkway. 754-0202; 7730 Wolf River Blvd. (Germantown). 753-4545; 531 W. Stateline Rd. 662-342-4544. L, D, MRA, $
HABANA CLUB RESTAURANT, BAR & GRILLE—Offering authentic Cuban fare. 6110 Macon Rd. 480-8173. L, D, $-$$
LA TAQUERIA GUADALUPANA—Fajitas and quesadillas are just a few of the authentic Mexican entrees offered here. A bona-fide Memphis institution. 4818 Summer. 685-6857; 5848 Winchester. 3654992. L, D, $
LOTUS—Authentic Vietnamese-Asian fare, including lemon-grass chicken and shrimp, egg rolls, Pho soup, and spicy Vietnamese vermicelli. 4970 Summer. 682-1151. D, $
MORTIMER’S—Contemporary American entrees include trout almondine, chicken dishes, and hand-cut steaks; also sandwiches, salads, and daily/nightly specials. A Memphis landmark since the Knickerbocker closed. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. 590 N. Perkins. 7619321. L, D, $-$$
NAGASAKI INN—Chicken, steak, and lobster are among the main courses; meal is cooked at your table. 3951 Summer. 454-0320. D, $$
NAM KING—General Tso’s chicken, hot and sour soup, and homemade chicken wings are back at the longtime Raleigh Chinese eatery. 3624 Austin Peay Highway, Suite 3. 373-4411. L, D, $-$$
PANCAKE SHOP—Classic breakfast items plus meat-and-three lunches, sandwiches, soups, salads. Open 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every day except Wednesday. 4838 Summer. 767-0206. B, L, $
ÓRALE TACOS & BAKERY—Tacos, enchiladas, and other traditional Southern Mexican dishes alongside baked pan dulces. 2204 Whitten Rd. 571-1786. B, L, D, $-$$
PANDA GARDEN—Sesame chicken and broccoli beef are among the Mandarin and Cantonese entrees; also seafood specials and fried rice. Closed for lunch Saturday. 3735 Summer. 323-4819. L, D, $-$$
QUEEN OF SHEBA—Featuring Middle Eastern favorites and Yemeni dishes such as lamb haneeth and saltah. 4792 Summer. 207-4174. L, D, $
SIDE PORCH STEAK HOUSE—In addition to steak, the menu includes chicken, pork chops, and fish entrees; homemade rolls are a specialty. Closed Sun./Mon. 5689 Stage Rd. 377-2484. D, $-$$
TORTILLERIA LA UNICA—Individual helping of Mexican street food, including hefty tamales, burritos, tortas, and sopes. 5015 Summer Ave. 685-0097. B, L, D, $
UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD
DISTRICT (INCLUDES CHICKASAW GARDENS AND HIGHLAND STRIP)
A-TAN—Serves Chinese and Japanese hibachi cuisine, complete with sushi bar. A specialty is Four Treasures with garlic sauce. 3445 Poplar, Suite 17, University Center. 452-4477. L, D, $-$$$
BROTHER JUNIPER’S—This little cottage is a breakfast mecca, offering specialty omelets, including the open-faced San Diegan omelet; also daily specials, and homemade breads and pastries. Closed Mon. 3519 Walker. 324-0144. B, $
CHAR RESTAURANT—Specializing in modern Southern cuisine, this eatery offers homestyle sides, charbroiled steaks, and fresh seafood. 431 S. Highland, Suite 120. 249-3533. L, D, WB, MRA, $-$$$
EL PORTON—Fajitas, quesadillas, and steak ranchero are just a few of the menu items. 2095 Merchants Row (Germantown). 754-4268; 8361 Highway 64. 380-7877; 3448 Poplar (Poplar Plaza). 452-7330; 1805 N. Germantown Parkway (Cordova). 624-9358; 1016 W. Poplar (Collierville). 854-5770. L, D, MRA, $-$$
PLANT BASED HEAT All of your favorite Southern-style recipes, but deliciously transformed into a vegan format. Specialties include the spicy fye junt burger, or the chopped ‘n’ smoked BBQ jackfruit sandwich. Closed Sun. 669 S. Highland St.; 363 S. Front St. (downtown). L, D, $
SAM’S DELI—Everything from sandwiches to bibimbap bowls at this local favorite. Closed Mon./Tue. 643 S. Highland St. 454-5582. L, D, $
EAST MEMPHIS (INCLUDES POPLAR/I-240)
ACRE—Features seasonal modern American cuisine in an avantegarde setting using locally sourced products; also small plates and enclosed garden patio. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. 690 S. Perkins. 818-2273. L, D, $$-$$$
AGAVOS COCINA & TEQUILA—Camaron de Tequila, tamales, kabobs, and burgers made with a blend of beef and chorizo are among the offerings at this tequila-centric restaurant and bar. 2924 Walnut Grove. 433-9345. L, D, $-$$
AMERIGO—Traditional and contemporary Italian cuisine includes pasta, wood-fired pizza, steaks, and cedarwood-roasted fish. 1239 Ridgeway, Park Place Mall. 761-4000. L, D, SB, MRA, $-$$$
ANDALUSIA— Authentic Moroccan cuisine, including tagines, brochettes, and briouates. 5101 Sanderlin Ave., Suite 103. 236-7784. L, D, $-$$
ANDREW MICHAEL ITALIAN KITCHEN—Traditional Italian cuisine with a menu from two of the city’s top chefs that changes seasonally with such entrees as Maw Maw’s ravioli. Closed Sun.-Mon. 712 W. Brookhaven Circle. 347-3569. D, MRA, $$-$$$
ANOTHER BROKEN EGG CAFE—Offering several varieties of eggs Benedict, waffles, omelets, pancakes, beignets, and other breakfast fare; also burgers, sandwiches, and salads. 6063 Park Ave. 729-7020; 65 S. Highland. 623-7122. B, L, WB, $
ANTIGUA MEXICAN BAR & GRILL—Tortas, tacos, and other authentic Mexican cuisine alongside freshly-made salsa, guacamole, and white queso dip. 717 N. White Station Rd. 761-1374. L, D, $-$$
BANGKOK ALLEY—Thai fusion cuisine includes noodle and curry dishes, chef-specialty sushi rolls, coconut soup, and duck and seafood entrees. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. at Brookhaven location; call for hours. 715 W. Brookhaven Circle. 590-2585; 2150 W. Poplar at Houston Levee (Collierville). 854-8748. L, D, $-$$
BELLE MEADE SOCIAL—Upscale Americana cuisine including lamb lollipops, spicy tuna stack, and steak & noodle salad. 518 Perkins Extd. 480-7054. L, D, $-$$$
BELMONT GRILL—Burgers, steak sandwiches, and other classic American fare at one of Memphis’ longstanding bars. 4970 Poplar. 767-0305. L, D, $-$$
BENIHANA—This Japanese steakhouse serves beef, chicken, and seafood grilled at the table; some menu items change monthly; sushi bar also featured. 912 Ridge Lake Blvd. 767-8980. L, D, $$-$$$ BIG BAD BREAKFAST—Fresh biscuits, house-made cured meats, jams, jellies, and more for the most important meal of the day. 6450 Poplar. 881-3346. B, L, $-$$
BOG & BARLEY—An all-Irish fine dining experience by the owners of Celtic Crossing, and a full bar with plenty of beer and 25-year-old Macallan. 6150 Poplar, Suite 124. 805-2262. L, D, WB, $-$$ BROOKLYN BRIDGE ITALIAN RESTAURANT—Specializing in such homemade entrees as spinach lasagna and lobster ravioli; a seafood specialty is horseradish-crusted salmon. Closed Sun. 1779 Kirby Pkwy. 755-7413. D, $-$$$
CAPITAL GRILLE—Known for its dry-aged, hand-carved steaks; among the specialties are bone-in sirloin, and porcini-rubbed Delmonico; also seafood entrees and seasonal lunch plates. Closed for lunch Sat.Sun. Crescent Center, 6065 Poplar. 683-9291. L, D, $$$-$$$$
CASABLANCA—Lamb shawarma is one of the fresh, homemade specialties served at this Mediterranean/Moroccan restaurant; fish entrees and vegetarian options also available. 5030 Poplar. 725-8557; 1707 Madison. 421-6949. L, D, $-$$
CIAO BELLA—Among the Italian and Greek specialties are lasagna, seafood pasta, gourmet pizzas, and vegetarian options. 5101 Sanderlin Ave. 205-2500. D, MRA, $-$$$
CITY SILO TABLE + PANTRY—With a focus on clean eating, this establishment offers fresh juices, as well as comfort foods re-imagined with wholesome ingredients. 5101 Sanderlin. 729-7687. Germantown: 7605 W. Farmington Blvd., Suite 2. 236-7223. B, L, D, $
COASTAL FISH COMPANY—Upscale offerings of international fish varieties utilizing styles ranging from the Carribbean, East Coast, West Coast, China, Philippines, and more. 415 Great View Dr. E., Suite 101. 266-9000. D, $$-$$$
CORKY’S—Popular barbecue emporium offers both wet and dry ribs, plus a full menu of other barbecue entrees. Wed. lunch buffets, Cordova and Collierville. 5259 Poplar. 685-9744; 1740 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 737-1911; 743 W. Poplar (Collierville). 405-4999; 6434 Goodman Rd., Olive Branch. 662-893-3663. L, D, MRA, $-$$
DAN MCGUINNESS PUB—Serves fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, burgers, and other Irish and American fare; also lunch and dinner specials. 4694 Spottswood. 761-3711; 3964 Goodman Rd. 662-8907611. L, D, $
ERLING JENSEN—For decades, Chef Erling has presented “globally inspired” cuisine to die for. Specialties are rack of lamb, big-game entrees, and fresh fish dishes. 1044 S. Yates. 763-3700. D, MRA, $$-$$$
ERLING JENSEN SMALL BITES—Enjoy Erling Jensen’s specialty dishes in a sharable, small-plate format alongside TopGolf Swing suites. 5069 Sanderlin Ave. 587-9464. L, D, $-$$$
FLEMING’S PRIME STEAKHOUSE—Serves wet-aged and dry-aged steaks, prime beef, chops, and seafood, including salmon, Australian lobster tails, and a catch of the day. 6245 Poplar. 761-6200. D, MRA, $$$-$$$$
FOLK’S FOLLY ORIGINAL PRIME STEAK HOUSE
Specializes in prime steaks, as well as lobster, grilled Scottish salmon, Alaskan king crab legs, rack of lamb, and weekly specials. 551 S. Mendenhall. 762-8200. D, MRA, $$$-$$$$
FORMOSA—Offers Mandarin cuisine, including broccoli beef, hotand-sour soup, and spring rolls. Closed Mon. 6685 Quince. 753-9898. L, D, $-$$
FOX RIDGE PIZZA & GRILL—Pizzas, calzones, sub sandwiches, burgers, and meat-and-two plate lunches are among the dishes served at this eatery, which opened in 1979. 711 W. Brookhaven Circle. 758-6500. L, D, $
FRATELLI’S—Serves hot and cold sandwiches, salads, soups, and desserts, all with an Italian/Mediterranean flair. Closed Sun. 750 Cherry Rd., Memphis Botanic Garden. 766-9900. L, $
HALF SHELL—Specializes in seafood, such as king crab legs; also serves steaks, chicken, pastas, salads, sandwiches, and a ”voodoo menu.” 688 S. Mendenhall. 682-3966; 9091 Poplar, Germantown. 590-4304. L, D, WB, MRA, $-$$$
HEN HOUSE—Hybrid wine/cocktail bar and tasting room with plenty of cosmopolitan eats. Closed Sun. 679 S. Mendenhall. 499-5436. D, $-$$$
HIGH POINT PIZZA—Serves a variety of pizzas, subs, salads, and sides. Closed Mon. A neighborhood fixture. 477 High Point Terrace. 452-3339. L, D, $-$$
HOG & HOMINY—The casual sister to Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen serves brick-oven-baked pizzas, including the Red-Eye with pork belly, and small plates with everything from meatballs to beef and cheddar hot dogs; and local veggies. Closed for lunch Mon. 707 W. Brookhaven Cir. 207-7396. L, D, SB, MRA. $-$$$
LA BAGUETTE—An almond croissant and chicken salad are among specialties at this French-style bistro. Closed for dinner Sun. 3088 Poplar. 458-0900. B, L, D (closes at 7), MRA, $ LAS DELICIAS—Popular for its guacamole, house-made tortilla chips, and margaritas, this restaurant draws diners with its chicken enchiladas, meat-stuffed flautas, and Cuban torta with spicy pork. Closed Sun. 4002 Park Ave. 458-9264; 5689 Quince. 800-2873. L, D, $ LIBRO AT LAURELWOOD—Bookstore eatery features a variety of sandwiches, salads, and homemade pasta dishes, with Italian-inspired options such as carbonara and potato gnocchi. Closed for dinner Sun. 387 Perkins Ext. (inside Novel). 800-2656. B, L, D, SB, $-$$ LITTLE ITALY EAST—New York-style pizzas galore and homemade pasta. Closed Sun. 6300 Poplar Ave., Ste. 113. 729-7432. L, $-$$
MAGNOLIA & MAY—Southern-inspired, family-owned, casual dining restaurant serving up a variety of sandwiches, chef-inspired dishes, and craft cocktails. Popular items include shrimp and grits and the double cheeseburger. Closed Mon. 718 Mt. Moriah Rd. 676-8100. L, D, WB, MRA. $$-$$$
MANDE DIBI WEST AFRICAN BBQ GRILL—Pairs traditional West African BBQ with Memphis BBQ for a menu that offers a wide variety of flavors, including daily specials and vegan-friendly options. 6825 Winchester Rd. 672-8995. L, D, $-$$$
MARCIANO MEDITERRANEAN AND ITALIAN CUISINE—Veal Saltimbocca with angel-hair pasta and white wine sauce is among the entrees; also steaks, seafood, and gourmet pizza. 780 E. Brookhaven Cir. 682-1660. D, $-$$
MAYURI INDIAN CUISINE—Serves tandoori chicken, masala dosa, tikka masala, as well as lamb and shrimp entrees; also a daily lunch buffet, and dinner buffet on Fri.-Sat. 6524 Quince Rd. 753-8755. L, D, $-$$
MOSA ASIAN BISTRO—Specialties include sesame chicken, Thai calamari, rainbow panang curry with grouper fish, and other Pan Asian/
fusion entrees. Closed Mon. 850 S. White Station Rd. 683-8889. L, D, MRA, $
NAM KING—Offers luncheon and dinner buffets, dim sum, and such specialties as fried dumplings, pepper steak, and orange chicken. 4594 Yale. 373-4411. L, D, $
NAPA CAFE—Among the specialties are miso-marinated salmon over black rice with garlic spinach and shiitake mushrooms. Closed Sun. 5101 Sanderlin, Suite 122. 683-0441. L, D, MRA, $$-$$$
ONE & ONLY BBQ—On the menu are pork barbecue sandwiches, platters, wet and dry ribs, smoked chicken and turkey platters, a smoked meat salad, barbecue quesadillas, Brunswick Stew, and Millie’s homemade desserts. 1779 Kirby Pkwy. 751-3615; 567 Perkins Extd. 249-4227. L, D, $ ONO POKÉ—This eatery specializes in poké — a Hawaiian dish of fresh fish salad served over rice. Menu includes a variety of poké bowls, like the Kimchi Tuna bowl, or customers can build their own by choosing a base, protein, veggies, and toppings. 3145 Poplar. 618-2955. L, D, $
OWEN BRENNAN’S—New Orleans-style menu of beef, chicken, pasta, and seafood; jambalaya, shrimp and grits, and crawfish etouffee are specialties. Closed for dinner Sun. The Regalia, 6150 Poplar. 761-0990. L, D, SB, MRA, $-$$$
PARK + CHERRY—The Dixon offers casual dining within the museum. Seasonal menu features sandwiches, like rustic chicken salad on croissant, as well as salads, snacks, and sweets. Closed for breakfast Sun. and all day Mon. 4339 Park (Dixon Gallery and Gardens). 761-5250. L, $
PATRICK’S—Serves barbecue nachos, burgers, and entrees such as fish and chips; also plate lunches and daily specials. 4972 Park. 682-2852. L, D, MRA, $
PETE & SAM’S—Serving Memphis for 60-plus years; offers steaks, seafood, and traditional Italian dishes, including homemade ravioli, lasagna, and chicken marsala. 3886 Park. 458-0694. D, $-$$$
PF CHANG’S CHINA BISTRO—Specialties are orange peel shrimp, Mongolian beef, and chicken in lettuce wraps; also vegetarian dishes, including spicy eggplant. 1181 Ridgeway Rd., Park Place Centre. 818-3889. L, D, $-$$
PHO SAIGON—Vietnamese fare includes beef teriyaki, roasted quail, curry ginger chicken, vegetarian options, and a variety of soups. 2946 Poplar. 458-1644. L, D, $
PYRO’S FIRE-FRESH PIZZA—Serving gourmet pizzas cooked in an open-fire oven, wide choice of toppings, and large local and craft beer selection. 1199 Ridgeway. 379-8294; 2035 Union Ave. 208-8857; 2286 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 207-1198; 3592 S. Houston Levee (Collierville). 221-8109. L, D, MRA, $
THE READY ROOM—Duck wontons, bananas “Oscar,” and plenty of other bar snacks and entrees at Hook Point Brewing Co.’s taproom. Closed Mon./Tues. 715 W. Brookhaven Cir. 487-6931. L, D, WB, $-$$
RED HOOK CAJUN SEAFOOD & BAR—Cajun-style array of seafood including shrimp, mussels, clams, crawfish, and oysters. 3295 Poplar. 207-1960. L, D, $-$$
RED KOI—Classic Japanese cuisine offered at this family-run restaurant; hibachi steaks, sushi, seafood, chicken, and vegetables. 5847 Poplar. 767-3456. L, D, $-$$
RED PIER CAJUN SEAFOOD & BAR—Owners of Red Hook bring more Cajun-style seafood dishes. 5901 Poplar Ave. 512-5923. L, D, $-$$$ RESTAURANT IRIS—French Creole-inspired classics, such as Gulf shrimp and rice grits congee served with lap chong sausage and boiled peanuts, are served at this newly remodeled restaurant owned by Chef Kelly English, a Food and Wine “Top Ten.” 4550 Poplar. 590-2828. L, D, $$-$$$
RIVER OAKS—Chef Jose Gutierrez’s French-style bistro serves seafood and steaks, with an emphasis on fresh local ingredients. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. 5871 Poplar Ave. 683-9305. L, D, $$$
RONNIE GRISANTI’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT— This Memphis institution serves some family classics such as Elfo’s Special and handmade ravioli, along with house-made pizza and fresh oysters. Closed Sun. 6150 Poplar, Suite 122. 850-0191. D, $-$$$
ROTOLO’S CRAFT & CRUST—Louisiana-based pizza company’s first Memphis location, whipping up pizza pies with homemade sauces and fresh ingredients, pasta, wings, and other shareables. 681 S. White Station. 454-3352. L, D, $-$$
RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE—Offers prime steaks cut and aged in-house, as well as lamb, chicken, and fresh seafood, including lobster. 6120 Poplar. 761-0055. D, $$$-$$$$
SALSA COCINA MEXICANA—Mexican-Southern California specialties include carnitas, enchiladas verde, and fajitas; also Southwestern seafood
dishes such as snapper verde. Closed Sun. Regalia Shopping Center, 6150 Poplar, Suite 129. 683-6325. L, D, $-$$
SEASONS 52—This elegant fresh grill and wine bar offers a seasonally changing menu using fresh ingredients, wood-fire grilling, and brick-oven cooking; also a large international wine list and nightly piano bar. Crescent Center, 6085 Poplar. 682-9952. L, D, $$-$$$
STAKS—Offering pancakes, including birthday cake and lemon ricotta. Menu includes other breakfast items such as beignets and French toast, as well as soups and sandwiches for lunch. 4615 Poplar. 509-2367; 3660 S. Houston Levee Road, Suite 104 (Collierville). 286-4335; 7704 Poplar (Germantown). 800-1951; 2902 May Blvd. (Southaven). B, L, WB, $
SWANKY’S TACO SHOP—Taco-centric eatery offers tortas, flatbreads, quesadillas, chimichangas, burgers, and more. 4770 Poplar. 730-0763; 6641 Poplar (Germantown). 737-2088; 272 S. Main. 779-3499. L, D, $ THREE LITTLE PIGS—Pork-shoulder-style barbecue with tangy mild or hot sauce, freshly made coleslaw, and baked beans. 5145 Quince Rd. 685-7094. B, L, D, $
TOPS BAR-B-Q—Specializes in pork barbecue sandwiches and sandwich plates with beans and slaw; also serves ribs, beef brisket, and burgers. 1286 Union. 725-7527; 4183 Summer. 324-4325; 5391 Winchester. 794-7936; 3970 Rhodes. 323-9865; 6130 Macon. 371-0580. For more locations, go online. L, D, $
TORCHY’S TACOS—Plenty of Tex-Mex variety, with creative monthly special tacos. 719 S. Mendenhall. 343-8880. B, L, D, $
VENICE KITCHEN—Specializes in “eclectic Italian” and Southern Creole, from pastas, including the “Godfather,” to hand-tossed pizzas, including the “John Wayne”; choose from 50 toppings. 368 Perkins Ext. 767-6872. L, D, SB, $-$$
WANG’S MANDARIN HOUSE—Offers Mandarin, Cantonese, Szechuan, and spicy Hunan entrees, including the golden-sesame chicken; next door is East Tapas, serving small plates with an Asian twist. 6065 Park Ave., Park Place Mall. 763-0676. L, D, $-$$
WASABI—Serving traditional Japanese offerings, hibachi, sashimi, and sushi. The Sweet Heart roll, wrapped — in the shape of a heart — with tuna and filled with spicy salmon, yellowtail, and avocado, is a specialty. 5101 Sanderlin Rd., Suite 105. 421-6399. L, D, $-$$
THE WING GURU—A staple of the Memphis wing scene, featuring everything from classic buffalo to exquisite lemon pepper. 5699 Mt. Moriah Rd. 5092405; 875 W. Poplar Ave., Suite 6 (Collierville). 221-7488; 8253 Highway 51 North, Suite 103 (Millington). 872-0849; 4130 Elvis Presley Blvd (Whitehaven) 791-4726; 5224 Airline Rd., Suite 107 (Arlington). 209-0349. L, D, $-$$
THE BLUE ROOM RESTAURANT—An elevated take on traditional Southern recipes, located in the U of M Kemmons Wilson Culinary Institute. Closed Mon. 1245 N. Germantown Pkwy., Suite 101. 249-7512. D, SB, $$-$$$
BOMBAY HOUSE—Indian fare includes lamb korma and chicken tikka; also, a daily luncheon buffet. 1727 N. Germantown Pkwy. 755-4114. L, D, $-$$ THE BUTCHER SHOP—Serves steaks ranging from 8-oz. filets to a 20-oz. porterhouse; also chicken, pork chops, fresh seafood. 107 S. Germantown Rd. 757-4244. L (Fri. and Sun.), D, $$-$$$
GREEN BAMBOO—Pineapple tilapia, pork vermicelli, and the soft egg noodle combo are Vietnamese specialties here. 990 N. Germantown Parkway, Suite 104. 753-5488. L, D, $-$$
JIM ’N NICK’S BAR-B-Q—Serves barbecued pork, ribs, chicken, brisket, and fish, along with other homemade Southern specialties. 2359 N. Germantown Pkwy. 388-0998. L, D, $-$$ EL MERO TACO—This food truck turned restaurant serves up Mexican and Southern-style fusion dishes, including fried chicken tacos, chorizo con papas tacos, and brisket quesadillas. 8100 Macon Station, Suite 102. 308-1661. Closed Sun.-Mon. L, D, WB, $ OPTIONS Burgers, wings, philly cheesesteaks, and more comfort food options. Closed Mon.-Thu. 7940 Fischer Steel Rd. 245-6048. D, SB, $-$$
POKÉ WORLD—Serves up Hawaiian poké bowls filled with rice and diced, raw fish. Also offers Taiwanese bubble tea and rolled ice cream for dessert. 1605 N. Germantown Pkwy., Suite 111. 623-7986. East Memphis: 575 Erin Dr. 779-4971. L, D, $
PETALS OF A PEONY—Authentic Sichuan cuisine, from crispy duck to peony fried chicken. Be prepared for spice! 1250 N. Germantown Pkwy. 787-8886. L, D, $-$$
SHOGUN JAPANESE RESTAURANT—Entrees include tempura, teriyaki, and sushi, as well as grilled fish and chicken entrees. 2324 N. Germantown Pkwy. 384-4122. L, D, $-$$
TANNOOR GRILL—Brazilian-style steakhouse with skewers served tableside, along with Middle Eastern specialties; vegetarian options also available. 830 N. Germantown Pkwy. 443-5222. L, D, $-$$$
VILLA CASTRIOTI—From traditional pasta dishes and family concoctions to hand-tossed brick oven NY pizza. 714 N. Germantown Pkwy #15 in Cordova. L, D, $$$
GERMANTOWN
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, $$-$$$
BLUE HONEY BISTRO—Entrees at this upscale eatery include brown butter scallops served with Mississippi blue rice and herbcrusted beef tenderloin with vegetables and truffle butter. Closed Sun. 9155 Poplar, Suite 17. 552-3041. D, $-$$$
THE CRAZY COOP—Plenty of hot wings and sauces, plus sandwiches and other dinner plates. 1315 Ridgeway Rd. 748-5325; 7199 Stage Rd. (Bartlett). 433-9212. L, D, $-$$
DIMSUM MEM—Traditional Chinese food truck takes over the New Asia space. 2075 Exeter Rd., Suite 90. L, D, $-$$ GERMANTOWN COMMISSARY—Serves barbecue sandwiches, sliders, ribs, shrimp, and nachos, as well as smoked barbecued bologna sandwiches; Mon.-night all-you-can-eat ribs. 2290 S. Germantown Rd. S. 754-5540. L, D, MRA, $-$$
LAS TORTUGAS DELI MEXICANA—Authentic Mexican food prepared from local food sources; specializes in tortugas — grilled bread scooped out to hold such powerfully popular fillings as brisket, pork, and shrimp; also tingas, tostados. Closed Sun. 1215 S. Germantown Rd. 751-1200; 6300 Poplar. 623-3882. L, D, $-$$
LIMELIGHT—Wolf River Hospitality Group brings Wagyu beef, duck gnocchi, and other fine dining dishes on a rotating seasonal menu. Closed Mon./Tue. 7724 Poplar Pike. 791-2328. D, $-$$$
LOCAL LIME—Tacos and margaritas in a casual environment, plus other goodies like the Mexican caramel apple crisp skillet. Closed Mon. 7605 W. Farmington Blvd., Suite 1. 224-2204. L, D, $-$$$
MELLOW MUSHROOM—Large menu includes assortment of pizzas, salads, calzones, hoagies, vegetarian options, and 50 beers on tap. 9155 Poplar, Shops of Forest Hill (Germantown). 907-0243. L, D, $-$$
MOONDANCE GRILL—From the owners of Itta Bena and Lafayette’s. Serves steak cooked sous vide and seafood dishes including Abita-barbecued shrimp and pan-seared sand dab, in addition to an extensive wine and cocktail list. 1730 S. Germantown Road, Suite 117. 755-1471. L, D, $$-$$$
NOODLES ASIAN BISTRO—Serves a variety of traditional Asian cuisine, with emphasis on noodle dishes, such as Singapore Street Noodles and Hong Kong Chow Fun. 7850 Poplar, Suite 12. 755-1117. L, D, $
PETRA CAFÉ—Serves Greek, Italian, and Middle Eastern sandwiches, gyros, and entrees. Hours vary; call. 6641 Poplar. 754-4440; 547 S. Highland. 323-3050. L, D, $-$$
ROCK’N DOUGH PIZZA CO.—Specialty and custom pizzas made from fresh ingredients; wide variety of toppings. 7850 Poplar, Suite 6. 779-2008. L, D, SB, MRA, $$
ROYAL PANDA—Hunan fish, Peking duck, Royal Panda chicken and shrimp, and a seafood combo are among the specialties. 3120 Village Shops Dr. 756-9697. L, D, $-$$
SAKURA—Sushi, tempura, and teriyaki are Japanese specialties here. 2060 West St. 758-8181; 4840 Poplar. 572-1002; 255 New Byhalia Rd. 316-5638. L, D, $-$$
SOUTHERN SOCIAL—Shrimp and grits, stuffed quail, and Aunt Thelma’s Fried Chicken are among the dishes served at this upscale Southern establishment. 2285 S. Germantown Rd. 754-5555. D, SB, MRA, $-$$$
STONEY RIVER STEAKHOUSE AND GRILL—Specializes in hand-cut steaks, a fresh seafood selection, and plenty of house specials. 7515 Poplar Ave., Suite 101. 207-1100. L, D, $$-$$$$
SUFI’S MEDITERRANEAN GRILL & BAR—Offers authentic Mediterranean and Persian cuisine, from hummus shawarma to traditional moussaka. Closed Mon. 7609 Poplar Pike. 779-2200. L, D, $-$$$
TAZIKI’S—Mediterranean-inspired dishes all made from scratch. 7850 Poplar Ave., Suite 26. 612-2713. East Memphis: 540 S. Mendenhall Rd. 290-1091. Bartlett: 7974 US-64. 203-0083. L, D, $
THE TOASTED YOLK CAFE—Churro donuts, signature Eggs Benedict, and plenty other boozy brunch options at this franchise’s first Tennessee location. 9087 Poplar Ave., Ste. 11. B, L, $-$$
UNCLE GOYO’S—More than 30 dishes with a focus on authentic Mexican cuisine, from the brains behind TacoNganas. 1730 S. Germantown Rd. L, D, $-$$
WEST STREET DINER—This home-style eatery offers breakfast, burgers, po’boys, and more. 2076 West St. 757-2191. B, L, D (Mon.-Fri.), $
ZEN JAPANESE FINE CUISINE—A full sushi bar and plenty of authentic Japanese dishes, like Hibachi or Wagyu beef. 1730 S. Germantown Rd. 779-2796. L, D, X, $-$$$
COLLIERVILLE
CAFE PIAZZA BY PAT LUCCHESI—Specializes in gourmet pizzas (including create-your-own), panini sandwiches, and pasta. Closed Sun. 139 S. Rowlett St. 861-1999. L, D, $-$$
CIAO BABY—Specializing in Neapolitan-style pizza made in a woodfired oven. Also serves house-made mozzarella, pasta, appetizers, and salads. 890 W. Poplar, Suite 1. 457-7457. L, D, $
COLLIERVILLE COMMISSARY—Serves barbecue sandwiches, sliders, ribs, shrimp, and nachos, as well as smoked barbecued bologna sandwiches. 3573 S. Houston Levee Rd. 979-5540. L, D, MRA, $-$$ DAVID GRISANTI’S ON MAIN—Serving Northern Italian cuisine and traditional Grisanti family recipes. Closed Sun./Mon. 148 N. Main. 861-1777. L, D, $-$$$
DYER’S CAFE—Juicy hamburgers, split dogs, and milkshakes at the historic Collierville restaurant. 101 N. Center St. 850-7750. L, D, $-$$
CHICAGO STEAKHOUSE AT THE GOLDSTRIKE—1010 Casino Center Dr., Robinsonville, MS, 1-888-24KSTAY / 662-357-1225
FAIRBANKS AT THE HOLLYWOOD—1150 Casino Strip Blvd., Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-871-0711
IGNITE STEAKHOUSE AT SOUTHLAND CASINO HOTEL—1550 N. Ingram Blvd., West Memphis, AR, 1-800-467-6182
JACK BINION’S STEAK HOUSE AT HORSESHOE—1021 Casino Center Drive, Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-303-SHOE
LUCKY 8 ASIAN BISTRO AT HORSESHOE—1021 Casino Center Drive, Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-303-SHOE
SOUTHLAND CASINO HOTEL'S THE KITCHENS—1550 N. Ingram Blvd., West Memphis, AR, 1-800-467-6182
THE STEAKHOUSE AT THE FITZ—711 Lucky Ln., Robinsonville, MS, 1-888-766-LUCK, Ext. 8213
TWAIN’S STEAKHOUSE AT SAM’S TOWN TUNICA—1477 Casino Strip Resorts Boulevard, Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-456-0711
EL MEZCAL—Serves burritos, chimichangas, fajitas, and other Mexican cuisine, as well as shrimp dinners and steak. 9947 Wolf River, 853-7922; 402 Perkins Extd. 761-7710; 694 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 755-1447; 1492 Union. 274-4264; 11615 Airline Rd. (Arlington). 8671883; 9045 Highway 64 (Lakeland). 383-4219; 7164 Hacks Cross Rd. (Olive Branch). 662-890-3337; 8834 Hwy. 51 N. (Millington). 872-3220; 7424 Highway 64 (Bartlett). 417-6026. L, D, $
EMERALD THAI RESTAURANT—Spicy shrimp, pad khing, lemongrass chicken, and several noodle, rice, and vegetarian dishes are offered at this family restaurant. Closed Sunday. 8950 Highway 64 (Lakeland, TN). 384-0540. L, D, $-$$
FIREBIRDS—Specialties are hand-cut steaks, slow-roasted prime rib, and wood-grilled salmon and other seafood, as well as seasonal entrees. 4600 Merchants Circle, Carriage Crossing. 850-1637; 8470 Highway 64 (Bartlett). 379-1300. L, D, $-$$$
JIM’S PLACE GRILLE—Features American, Greek, and Continental cuisine. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. 3660 Houston Levee. 861-5000. L, D, MRA, $-$$$
MAROON BREW CO.—Family-friendly restaurant serving up gourmet hot dogs, smash burgers, chicken, and shareables, all made to pair with beers brewed on-site. Closed Mon. 642 W. Poplar Ave., Collierville. 799-0354. L, D, $-$$
MULAN ASIAN BISTRO—Hunan Chicken, tofu dishes, and orange beef served here; sushi and Thai food, too. 2059 Houston Levee. 8505288; 2149 Young. 347-3965; 4698 Spottswood. 609-8680. L, D, $-$$
NASHOBA—Offers live music, sports games, and pub classics. Specialties are hot honey flatbread pizza, brisket fried rice, and the Nashoba burger. 4600 Merchants Park Circle, Suite 111, Collierville. 630-4683. L, D, wheelchair accessible, $-$$
OSAKA JAPANESE CUISINE—Featuring an extensive sushi menu as well as traditional Japanese and hibachi dining. Hours vary for lunch; call. 3670 Houston Levee. 861-4309; 3402 Poplar. 249-4690; 7164 Hacks Cross (Olive Branch). 662-890-9312; 2200 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 425-4901. L, D, $-$$$
RAVEN & LILY—Eatery offers innovative Southern-inspired cuisine with such dishes as crispy shrimp and cauliflower salad, spiced lamb sausage and parmesan risotto, and bananas foster pain perdu. Closed Mon. 120 E. Mulberry. 286-4575. L, D, SB, $-$$
STIX—Hibachi steakhouse with Asian cuisine features steak, chicken, and a fillet and lobster combination, also sushi. A specialty is Dynamite Chicken with fried rice. 4680 Merchants Park Circle, Avenue Carriage Crossing. 854-3399. 150 Peabody Place, Suite 115 (Downtown). 207-7638 L, D, $-$$
WOLF RIVER BRISKET CO.—From the owners of Pyro’s Fire Fresh Pizza, highlights include house-smoked meats: prime beef brisket, chicken, and salmon. Closed Sun. 9947 Wolf River Boulevard, Suite 101. 316-5590; 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 165. 791-4389 L, D, $-$$
ZOPITA’S ON THE SQUARE—Cafe offers sandwiches, including smoked salmon and pork tenderloin, as well as salads and desserts. Closed Sun. 114 N. Main. 457-7526. L, D, $ ARLINGTON / LAKELAND
KITCHEN TABLE—“Crafted comfort food that makes you feel right at home.” Steaks, seafood, catfish, chicken, chops, soups, salad, even handspun cotton candy. 12062 Forrest St., Arlington. 317-6402. L,D, SB. $-$$
VILLA CASTRIOTI—From traditional family dishes and pasta concoctions to hand-tossed brick-oven NY pizza. 9861 Lake District Dr., Lakeland. 466-8288. W., L,D, MRA, $$$
OUT-OF-TOWN
BOZO’S HOT PIT BAR-B-Q—Barbecue, burgers, sandwiches, and subs. 342 Highway 70 (Mason, TN). 901-294-3400. L, D, $-$$
CITY GROCERY—Southern eclectic cuisine; shrimp and grits is a specialty. Closed for dinner Sun. 152 Courthouse Square (Oxford, MS). 662-232-8080. L, D, SB, $$-$$$
COMO STEAKHOUSE—Steaks cooked on a hickory charcoal grill are a specialty here. Upstairs is an oyster bar. Closed Sun. 203 Main St. (Como, MS). 662-526-9529. D, $-$$$
ELFO GRISANTI’S NORTHERN ITALIAN CUISINE—Grisanti family classics like lasagna, homemade ravioli, garlic bread, and Northern Italian pizza. Closed Sun. 5627 Getwell Rd. (Southaven, MS). 662-470-4497. L, D, $-$$
HARRY’S ITALIAN—Authentic Italian dishes using traditional recipes made from scratch, plus steaks and other entrees. 8472 U.S. Highway 51, Millington, TN. 872-0056. L, D, $-$$$
MANILA FILIPINO RESTAURANT—Entrees include pork belly cutlet with lechon sauce, and shrimp and vegetables in tamarind broth; also daily combos, rice dishes, and chef specials. Closed Sun.-Mon. 7849 Rockford (Millington, TN). 209-8525. L, D, $
MARSHALL STEAKHOUSE—Rustic steakhouse serves premium Angus beef steaks, seafood dishes, rack of lamb, and more. 2379 Highway 178 (Holly Springs, MS). 628-3556. B, L, D, $-$$$
MEMPHIS BARBECUE COMPANY—Offers spare ribs, baby backs, and pulled pork and brisket. 709 Desoto Cove (Horn Lake, MS). 662-5363762. L, D, $-$$
SAINT LEO—Offering sophisticated pizzas, pastas, sandwiches, and salads. A James Beard nominee for Best New Restaurant in 2017. 1101 Jackson (Oxford, MS). 662-234-4555. D, L, WB, $-$$
SIMON’S—A unique dining experience situated in a charming small town. Closed Sun./Mon. 201 N. Main St. (Bolivar, TN). 731-4033474. L, D, $$-$$$$
SNACKBAR—An intriguing mix of “French Bistro with North Mississippi Cafe.” Serving a confit duck Croque Monsieur, watermelon-cucumber chaat, pan-fried quail, plus a daily plate special and a raw bar. 721 N. Lamar (Oxford, MS). 662-236-6363. D, $-$$$
TEKILA MODERN MEXICAN—Modern interpretations of classic dishes from all over Mexico. 6343 Getwell Rd. (Southaven, MS). 662-510-5734. B, L, D, $-$$
WILSON CAFE—An impressive culinary destination in the heart of the Arkansas Delta. Serving jambalaya, Waygu flatiron, butternut ravioli, swordfish & shrimp kabobs, burgers. 2 N. Jefferson (Wilson, AR). 870-6550222. L, D, WB, $-$$$
CASINO TABLES
Saturday,June 72025from 9 AM – 4 PM
To be held rain or shine
Free tour -open to the public, all ages welcome.
Fivewonderful gardens, differing in design, style, size and features. You will be inspired with ideas to create your own garden oasis.
Plant lists, labeled plants, educational displays,and garden docents will enhance your visit.
Garden experts on hand to answer any gardening question.
Plein Air artists createoriginal works of art in each garden.
For more information, including directions, visit memphisareamastergardeners.org 901-752-1207
https://experiencememphisgardens.org/
An Affront to Our Cultural Capital
The recent gutting of the NEH will have profound local effects.
BY ALEX GREENE
On April 1, The N ew York Times reported that the Trump administration had demanded deep cuts to staff and programs at the National Endowment for the Humanities [NEH] in what reporter Jennifer Schuessler called “the latest move against federal agencies that support scholarship and culture.”
While those actions targeted “an annual appropriation that barely amounts to a rounding error in the U.S. budget,” as the National Humanities Alliance described NEH funding, those dollars historically have had an outsized impact on the state of Tennessee, and on Memphis in particular. While it’s unclear what percentage of specific local grants had been paid out before the April terminations, a quick scan of NEH grants in Tennessee’s Ninth Congressional District reveals that they supported meaningful attempts to enrich our local and regional identity. With current funding revoked, and no new awards to be offered this year, these programs may be going dormant — or extinct.
For example, the Blues City Cultural Center’s project to celebrate Orange Mound by gathering “untold stories of residents and other stakeholders through oral histories, genealogical research, and material cultural (artifacts),” that would culminate in a public Readers’ Theater, was set to begin on the very day of the NEH cuts. The total award would have amounted to a year’s wages at $12 an hour. Will it ever happen now?
Another grant would have provided an annual salary to University of Memphis historian Aram Goudsouzian to complete his book, The Sports Page: Writers, Athletes, and the Challenge of the Sixties, concerning “how American sports writers and sports culture were affected by the Civil Rights Movement and the rise of televised sports” in that recent era of upheaval and reform. Goudsouzian confirms that his funding was revoked after the first two payouts. Other writings of his will be impacted as well, as he’s a regular contributor to Chapter 16 , the online journal that Humanities Tennessee, our state humanities council, created “in response to the loss of book coverage in newspapers around the state.” Both on the council’s website and through partnerships with print media like the Commercial Appeal, Chapter 16 has helped keep awareness of new books and authors alive since its founding in 2009. Goudsouzian alone has celebrated dozens of books on the site over the years, on topics ranging from civil rights history to the Memphis Red Sox to Elvis.
But now Chapter 16 , only one of Humanities Tennessee’s many programs, may soon disappear.
The council’s executive director, Tim Henderson, writes that the new cuts will likely lead to the “elimination of approximately $1.2 million annually for Humanities Tennessee.” Indeed, the drastic spending cuts may well be the death knell for state humanities councils. The free reading and book programs, young writers’ programs and writing workshops, and history programs for K-12 students — supported statewide by Humanities Tennessee — likely will be terminated. These are not controversial or extravagant initiatives. They strengthen our democracy by empowering youth to become intelligent, responsible citizens.
So too do our bastions of local culture. But what will be the fate of the Metal Museum’s NEH-funded plan for the “renovation and adaptive reuse of Rust Hall,” the architectural masterpiece that once housed the Memphis College of Art, to serve as the museum’s new headquarters? What of the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art’s NEH grant facilitating “the care and display of artwork in MBMA’s new museum on the downtown Memphis riverfront”? Will the $500,000 awarded to each pillar of learning and art also be sacrificed, requiring private and corporate donors to fill the gap?
These cuts, made in the name of efficiency, risk derailing the shared cultural history that binds us together.
Do you ever dream of being outside while enjoying all the comforts of the indoors? With the touch of a button, Phantom Screens lets you enjoy the best of the outdoors without annoying bites, buzzes, or harsh sun rays. Fully customizable to match your home’s decor, they provide insect protection, added privacy, shade from the sun, and more.
The 2025 BMW X3 M50 SUV exudes presence and power. Expansive surfaces and dramatic curves combine to form its monolithic proportions – from the formidable front end to the imposing rear. With new design features that include the reimagined kidney grille with contoured lighting and double light signature headlights; along with thrilling acceleration and power reserves make the BMW X3 M50 the ideal travel companion.
Contact a Client Advisor to schedule a test drive today. BMW. The Ultimate Driving Machine®
