Memphis November 2025

THE MOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

The Mountain of Youth

At 90, Dale Sanders is on the path to a record-breaking hike — all 2,199 miles of the Appalachian Trail. ~ by anna traverse

41 Toward the Good

The Jewish Foundation offers pathways to generosity from one generation to the next. ~ by jon w. sparks

52 Building a Foundation for the Future Eighty years ago, local business leaders founded the West Tennessee Home Builders Association. ~ by michael finger 63 Generosity Guide

A certain jolly ol’ elf offers a few “outside the box” ways to give this season that last longer than the traditional presents and bows.

86 SIPS Red Sauce

Steven Burns feels right at home at Cocozza East. ~ by bruce vanwyngarden

The city’s most extensive dining listings.

An NBA team — and the culture it celebrates — marks a special milestone. ~ by frank murtaugh

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

EDITORIAL INTERN jadyn cerna

CONTRIBUTORS jesse davis, tom jones, vance lauderdale

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CREATIVE DIRECTOR brian groppe

ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR christopher myers

GRAPHIC DESIGNER neil williams

PHOTOGRAPHERS

justin fox burks, beryl dann, michael donahue, karen pulfer focht, madelyn gray, wes hale, dylan ladds, bruce vanwyngarden

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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

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CONTROLLER lynn sparagowski

CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER jeffrey a. goldberg

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER margie neal

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SPECIAL EVENTS DIRECTOR molly willmott

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november 2025

Master Weaver Ali Taghavi restoring an antique Persian Farahan rug.

Memphis Magazine's THE 2025

Walk On By

BY ANNA TRAVERSE

My dad told a story about a career aptitude test he and his classmates were given in middle school. As he remembered it, he was asked a long series of questions about his likes, dislikes, abilities, and so on. Once tabulated, the test pronounced that he’d be well-suited for a career as a forest ranger. Evidently, an awful lot of his peers got the same result: If they’d followed the advice, this country would have even more out-of-work forest rangers right now.

We can’t all grow up to be forest rangers, but we can learn something from the realization that so many of us would be happier, more peaceful if we spent our days walking the woods. I know that’s true of me. When walking outside, especially on unpaved earth, I’m more grounded (literally), less anxious, more in touch with my lungs and heart and muscles. It’s rare, in this phase of life, that I can devote more than an hour or so to a walk — but when the chance arises, it’s marvelous. Once I find the cadence of my stride, it feels like I could go on walking forever. Maybe I could.

A 2023 study found, hilariously, that nearly 50 percent of men surveyed fully believed they would be capable of landing a passenger plane if the need arose. (Only 20 percent of women thought they

would pull it off.) Safely landing such a large craft requires hundreds of hours of training and a complex series of steps. Sure, it’s possible — with the help of Air Traffic Control (if they were not furloughed that day) — that some percentage of untrained people would manage it. But I can’t imagine feeling confident I would be among that group. Nor can I imagine that close to half the men I know would get it done. (My dad absolutely would have.)

Landing a commercial aircraft and hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT) don’t share many obvious elements in common, but both are arduous undertakings that would thwart most of us. The AT, if you aren’t familiar, is a path stretching some 2,199 miles, from Georgia all the way to Maine. Portions of the trail are manageable by casual day-hikers, while other stretches pose great difficulty: rocky scrambles, elevation switches, isolation from aid, the works. Yet every year, about 3,000 individuals set out to hike the entire thing — a “through-hike,” in the parlance of the AT. Only about 20 to 25 percent succeed. Presumably the vast majority of those who set out — hiking poles in hand, packs carefully stocked — do so with the intention, the belief, that they will be among the 20 to 25 percent. It doesn’t take any statistical expertise to see the valley between expectation and probable outcome.

I don’t for a second think I could land a passenger plane. But I earnestly believe I could hike from Maine to Georgia.

I’m in my early 40s, though. Dale Sanders, whom I interviewed for our cover story, the day before he left for the AT, is 90 years old. As you read this — “God willing and the creeks don’t rise,” as Dale likes to say — he’s still out there, in a valley or atop a ridge, taking one step and then another toward what would be a world record-breaking hike. He’s got a careful plan for his journey, and a rock-solid crew of helpers around him, but as he reminded me, we each have to hike our own hike. No shortcuts. Just keep walking.

In the end, there’s no magic trick to a quest like Dale’s. He prepared as thoroughly as he could, and he’s uncommonly fit for his age — for anyone’s age, I suspect. ose things help. But he’s also simply someone who finds it in himself to keep moving, to keep walking, endlessly forward. I’d like to remember Dale’s attitude as my own days slip past: Stay in the moment, but don’t stay in one place. Keep moving. Keep going.

“L’ESTAMPE

NOVEMBER 2025

COMPILED BY ABIGAIL MORICI

“L’ESTAMPE ORIGINALE: A GRAPHIC TREASURE”

A celebration of printmaking from the 19th century. DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS, THROUGH JANUARY 11

“REFLECTION+RITUAL+REFUGE” A solo mixedmedia exhibition by Brantley Ellzey. CROSSTOWN ARTS, THROUGH JANUARY 25

INDIA FEST Experience the food, music, art, and culture of India. AGRICENTER INTERNATIONAL, NOVEMBER 1, 10 A.M.–8 P.M.

DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS PARADE & FESTIVAL Celebrating the cycle of life and death with art-making, face painting, music, and entertainment. MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART, NOVEMBER 1, 11:30 A.M.–3:30 P.M.

901 HOT WING FESTIVAL Try hot wings and vote for your favorite. GRIND CITY BREWING COMPANY, NOVEMBER 1, NOON BROAD AVENUE ART WALK Featuring 80-plus local artists and makers, live music, and fun activities. BROAD AVENUE, NOVEMBER 1, 11 A.M.–5 P.M.

MEMPHIS JAPAN FESTIVAL Honoring the history, culture, and people of Japan with interactive and hands-on experiences of Japanese culture featuring food, entertainment, games, crafts, and more. MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN, NOVEMBER 2, 9:30 A.M.–4 P.M.

DAY OF THE DEAD CONCERT Music, memory, and celebration entwine in Luna Nova’s evocative music program. ELMWOOD CEMETERY, NOVEMBER 2, 2 P.M.

SIP AND STROLL (21+) A walking tour of a highlighted specialty garden featuring themed cocktails. MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN, NOVEMBER 6, 6 P.M.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES BASKETBALL Nov. 3 vs. Detroit, Nov. 5 vs. Houston, Nov. 7 vs. Dallas, Nov. 9 vs. Oklahoma City, Nov. 20 vs. Sacramento, and Nov. 24 vs. Denver. FEDEXFORUM

JAZZ IN THE BOX: MISHA PIATIGORSKY Get up-close and personal with live jazz. GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, NOVEMBER 7, 7 P.M.

MEMPHIS TIGERS FOOTBALL Nov. 7 vs. Tulane, Nov. 27 vs. Navy. SIMMONS BANK LIBERTY STADIUM

MEMPHIS MUSIC HISTORY TOUR Hear the stories of the many talented Memphis musicians buried in in city’s oldest graveyard. ELMWOOD CEMETERY, NOVEMBER 8, 10 A.M.

MEMPHIS CRAFTS & DRAFTS FESTIVAL: HOLIDAY MARKET Shop till you drop at this localsfirst market. CROSSTOWN CONCOURSE, NOVEMBER 8, 10 A.M.–4 P.M.

MEMPHIS TIGERS BASKETBALL Nov. 8 vs. San Francisco, Nov. 16 vs. UNLV, Nov. 26 vs. Southern Illinois. FEDEXFORUM

THE DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND Enjoy a blended “musical gumbo” from this Grammy Awardwinning New Orleans-based band. HALLORAN CENTRE, NOVEMBER 8, 7:30 P.M.

ORPHEUM SOIREE Support the arts at this Back to the Future-themed night. ORPHEUM THEATRE, NOVEMBER 14, 7 P.M.

LANTERN FESTIVAL The Memphis Zoo debuts a dazzling wonderland of color and light. MEMPHIS ZOO, NOVEMBER 14–JANUARY 31

TREE TOUR Elmwood’s tree expert Amanda Zorn shows guests centuries-old trees. ELMWOOD CEMETERY, NOVEMBER 17, 10:30 A.M.

VITAMIN STRING QUARTET Featuring the music of Taylor Swift, Bridgerton, and beyond. GPAC, NOVEMBER 1, 8 P.M.

ORPHEUM SOIREE

THE DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND

SCOTLAND’S CANTRIP

ORIGINALE: A GRAPHIC TREASURE”

ARTRAGEOUS! Combining music and dynamic choreography with painting. BARTLETT PERFORMING ARTS & CONFERENCE CENTER, NOVEMBER 1, 2 P.M.

CLASSICAL COMEDIES & COCKTAILS READING SERIES A breezy, cocktail-enhanced experience of three of the world’s most enduring comedies. TENNESSEE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY. ANTON CHEKHOV’S THE THREE SISTERS, NOVEMBER 2, 3 P.M.; MOLIERE’S TARTUFFE, NOVEMBER 9, 3 P.M.; NOËL COWARD’S BLITHE SPIRIT, NOVEMBER 16, 3 P.M.

SCOTLAND’S CANTRIP A celebrated Edinburgh ensemble. BUCKMAN ARTS CENTER, NOVEMBER 6, 7 P.M.

IRIS FELLOWS & ARTISTS An eclectic night of music. THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS, NOVEMBER 6, 7:30 P.M.

JUNIE B. JONES THE MUSICAL Based on the popular children’s book by Barbara Park. THE CIRCUIT PLAYHOUSE, NOVEMBER 7–DECEMBER 20

THE THANKSGIVING PLAY White theater artists attempt to create a politically correct school play about the first Thanksgiving in this satirical comedy. THEATRE MEMPHIS, NOVEMBER 7–22

BOOKER T. JONES A legend among legends. BPACC, NOVEMBER 8, 7:30 P.M.

LAZER DIVAS VS. THE SKY PIRATES OF DESTINY

Opera Memphis presents a laser show of historic diva clones and space pirates. PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION, NOVEMBER 15, 7 P.M.

THE WIZARD OF OZ Follow the Yellow Brick Road with Dorothy and friends. PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE, NOVEMBER 15–DECEMBER 22

MEMPHIS SONGWRITERS SERIES HOSTED BY MARK EDGAR STUART Featuring Bailey Bigger, Talibah Safiya, and Lina Beach. HALLORAN CENTRE, NOVEMBER 20, 7 P.M.

A TUNA CHRISTMAS Two actors portray more than 20 characters in this satirical look at small-town life. CIRCUIT PLAYHOUSE, NOVEMBER 21–DECEMBER 21

NUTREMIX New Ballet Ensemble’s retelling of The Nutcracker CANNON CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, NOVEMBER 21-23

CATAPULT A shadow-illusion performance. GPAC, NOVEMBER 22, 8 P.M.

ELISABETH VON TRAPP: HOME FOR CHRISTMAS Celebrate the holidays and the 60th anniversary of The Sound of Music with the granddaughter of Maria von Trapp. BPACC, NOVEMBER 22, 7:30 P.M. & JULIET A flip on the script of the greatest love story ever told. ORPHEUM THEATRE, NOVEMBER 25–30 IF SCROOGE WAS A BROTHER An urban spin of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol HATTILOO THEATRE, NOVEMBER 28-DECEMBER 21

HOLIDAY ARTS MARKET Featuring more than 30 local artists, makers, and small businesses. MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART, NOVEMBER 29, 10 A.M.-3 P.M. 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ART OF DINING Novel celebrates 20 years of The Art of Dining with Joy Bateman. NOVEL, NOVEMBER 29, 2 P.M.

To suggest an event for future editions of Out and About, email ABIGAIL@MEMPHISMAGAZINE.COM.

NEW BALLET’S

AT THE CANNON CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

PRESENTED BY

NOVEMBER 21 - 23

| THE ARTHUR F. AND ALICE E. ADAMS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

A-Tan Restaurant

Named for an owner’s mother, this establishment offers customers a choice of both Japanese and Chinese cuisine.

BY MICHAEL DONAHUE

Somehow, my first visit to A-Tan Restaurant was just a few weeks ago. I’d heard about the place for years from family members; I just never went there. But now I’m glad I did.

Even two-time Oscar-winning actress Jessica Lange had been to A-Tan before me. She signed one of the curtains inside.

A-Tan is almost a two-in-one Asian restaurant. One side, with long wood-and-metal tables, features a Japanese hibachi menu with a chef’s center stage for slicing and dicing chicken, steak, shrimp, and vegetables. e other side — with red paper lanterns, plants, and a framed watercolor of red peonies (Mutan Garden, by Taiwanese artist Kwang Tao Dong) — offers Chinese cuisine at tables, booths, or at the full-service bar.

Tristina Wen, who owns the restaurant with her brother, Brandon Vo, tells me to make sure and add “Restaurant” after “A-Tan” in my story. Some people are confused when they come in, because, she says, “ ey thought it was a tanning place.”

e owner and her family are Vietnamese, but A-Tan doesn’t serve Vietnamese food. Wen doesn’t want to spread herself too thin with an overloaded menu.

Tristina’s husband, Chian Wen, named A-Tan after his

mother, the late A-Tan Ferguson, when he and his two sisters opened it in 1989. ey had previously operated the Formosa restaurant on Summer Avenue near East Parkway. Opened in 1978, they sold that restaurant in 1990 later to Eddie Pao, who now owns Mosa Asian Bistro.

Before A-Tan, Chian worked with his mother and sisters at the old Peking restaurant in Poplar Plaza. ere, they only served meat on skewers, including beef and chicken kabobs. But business wasn’t good, so they changed their selections to Chinese fare.

A few years or so after opening A-Tan on Poplar, Chian opened A-Tan East in Germantown. He sold that location in 1996 and opened Shogun in Poplar Plaza, but he had to change the name to “Shogu” because there already was a “Shogun” in Germantown. He also opened A-Tan Buffet on Poplar Avenue at I-240.

In 2008, he branched out with locations in Texas, opening A-Tan Asian Bistro in New Braunfels. He later added one in San Marcos, Texas and a third

location near Braunfels. All are still owned by family members.

Chian’s mother helped out at the A-Tan on Poplar, Tristina says. “She was a really sweet lady, a really good cook. So is he.”

Tristina met Chian at A-Tan

when she was 20 years old and a student at the University of Memphis. “I’d get food to go,” she says. “I love his hot and sour soup.”

While in college, she worked at Milwaukee Tool in Olive Branch, Mississippi. She had to rush to get to A-Tan after work because she “was craving his hot and sour soup. I had to run down there before they close.”

Tristina began working for Chian as a server in 2000 before moving up to cashier. She always kept an eye on what was going on in the restaurant. “I want to know how to do everything.” She continued to work at the restaurant after she and Chian married 25 years ago. Tristina and Vo became co-owners when Chian retired in 2024. ey began selling sushi at A-Tan a few years after Shogu shut down, Tristina says. Shogu customers missed the sushi, so they built a sushi bar.

Vo knew how to cook hibachi-style Japanese food because he had worked at Nagasaki Inn. So Chian leased the space

next to A-Tan and opened the hibachi side in 2006.

Tristina doesn’t cook Chinese food, “because the wok is really heavy.” She does know how to make sushi, but her early efforts weren’t that great. Some of her initial rolls came out broken or greasy. “I feel sorry for my husband,” she says. “He had to test my sushi every day.”

Tristina also learned how to cook hibachi. Now, when needed, she works at the sushi bar and on the hibachi side. Her philosophy? “You have to cook just the way you cook for yourself. All nice and clean.”

eir most popular items are General Tso’s chicken and sesame chicken.

Notable A-Tan customers have included basketball player Rudy Gay, former U of M coach John Calipari, former Mayor Jim Strickland, and former Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton.

Jessica Lange visited the restaurant with the internationally known photographer (and Memphis resident) William Eggleston, Tristina says. Eggleston, who was an A-Tan regular, posed for a photograph with Tristina. Lange didn’t want to be photographed, but she autographed one of the curtains.

“Most of the customers we have are regular customers,” Tristina says, adding, “ ey all know my husband. He’s been in Memphis over 40 years.”

Tristina says she and Vo have no plans to open another restaurant. And she’s happy with A-Tan the way it is.

“We’re not going to change anything,” she says. “Whatever my husband created, we keep it the way it is. We want to keep it original, and just make sure the quality stays good.”

A-Tan, 3445 Poplar Avenue in Dillard Square Shopping Center

TOP PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL DONAHUE; AUTHOR PHOTOGRAPH BY MADELYN GRAY

Brandon Vo, Tristina and Chian Wen. right: Michael Donahue eating General Tso’s chicken.

Sandy’s Drive-In

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

BY VANCE LAUDERDALE

DEAR G.L.: Have I mentioned to you (and my half-dozen other readers) my 2026 Vance Lauderdale Holiday Calendar? I’ve assembled fascinating old photos and added dozens of Memphis-related dates to the pages. And the best thing — besides the honorable “Vance Lauderdale” name emblazoned across the cover — is the cost. It’s FREE. You pay nothing extra if you renew your subscription to Memphis Magazine , or buy gift subscriptions for your friends and family. We’ll mail a calendar to every new subscriber. (See our holiday subscription page in this issue, or visit memphismagazine. com/subscriptions for more information.)

Now, wait. I know you think this is a blatant self-promotion, but I’m getting to my point here, in my charming long-winded way. On the April 2026 page of that calendar is a wonderful photograph showing the employees of Whistle Bottling Company posing for the camera outside their headquarters on South Front Street. In the early 1900s, it seems, hundreds of bottling companies across America hoped to emulate the success of Coca-Cola by coming up with their own brands. In Memphis, it was Whistle, and their catchy slogan was “Just Whistle.” Unfortunately, the company didn’t survive, though old Whistle bottles and ads are very desirable collectibles. In the 1960s, that same desire to “get rich quick” happened

again, this time with burger joints hoping to follow the success of McDonald’s. Most people know that worldwide chain, now advertising “Billions and Billions Served,” started with two brothers, Richard and Maurice McDonald, operating a single restaurant in San Bernardino, California. That might be the end of the story — and my mention of it here — except for a fellow named Ray Kroc, who was urging the brothers to buy his milkshake machine. What caught his attention, though, was their “Speedee Service System” for preparing their simple menu, and the long line of customers stretching out the door. Very soon, Kroc had purchased the rights to the McDonald brothers’ name and operation, and with one restaurant in Des Plaines,

Illinois, began the worldwide empire that thrives to this day.

Okay, I haven’t forgotten that the question was about a place here called Sandy’s.

In 1956, four businessmen in Kewanee, Illinois, decided to jump on the McDonald’s bandwagon. I won’t bore you with their names, because they don’t really get involved in the Memphis venture. At any rate, they purchased the rights to open McDonald’s restaurants in the Midwest, opening the first one in Urbana, Illinois, and with two others in that state soon to follow.

Well, from what I can understand (it’s complicated), Ray Kroc had a problem with that. It seems their contract did say that could open other McDonald’s — but not in central Illinois — and there were other technical/legal issues that put a stop to this venture. Unwilling to give up, the four entrepreneurs decided on a quick and easy solution: Even though their new eateries were almost carbon copies of McDonald’s, they simply changed their name to Sandy’s. I have no idea where they came up with the name; none of the original investors were named Sandy.

If you’ll pardon me for quoting from Wikipedia, “The chain adopted a Scottish-based theme to combat the Scottish-rooted McDonald’s, even though the latter was not based on a cultural theme of any kind.”

I bet this is the first time you learned that McDonald’s was “Scottish-rooted.”

Sandy’s wasn’t either, really. It’s true they came up with a logo that featured a red-haired Scottish lassie, adorned in a tartan cap, sash, and kilt, but the menu was 100 percent American. The buildings also had nothing Scottish about them; in fact, I’d

DEAR VANCE: What happened to the burger joint called Sandy’s, located on South Highland? That was a popular hangout with my friends when I was attending Memphis State in the early 1960s. — G.L., MEMPHIS.

called them “fast-food futuristic,” with large, outwardly slanted windows, bright panels (usually red and white), jutting beams, and overhanging awnings on all sides. There was no drive-thru; that innovation wouldn’t come for years. I’ve never located a photo of the interior, so I can’t tell you about that, but I understand the employees wore tartan tam-o-shanter caps — oh, the humiliation!

By 1960, Sandy’s operated more than 40 restaurants throughout the Midwest, along with a few in Florida and Arizona. The first one in Memphis — in Tennessee, for that matter — opened in 1961 at 775 South Highland. The menu was very limited, and the prices were incredibly low. Those Memphis State students had their choice of a 15-cent hamburger, a 19-cent cheeseburger, a 10-cent bag of French fries, a 20-cent milkshake (chocolate or vanilla), a soft drink for a dime, and something Sandy’s called “hot flips” (apple or cherry) for 15 cents. Customers really had to be hungry to pay more than a dollar for lunch.

The chain adopted a Scottish-based theme to combat the Scottish-rooted McDonald’s, even though the latter was not based on a cultural theme of any kind. Sandy’s wasn’t either, really. It’s true they came up with a logo that featured a red-haired Scottish lassie, adorned in a tartan cap, sash, and kilt, but the menu was 100 percent American.

15 cents, and a fish sandwich for a quarter. Sandy’s was ahead of the pack with that item; McDonald’s didn’t offer their Filet-o-Fish until two years later.

In 1962, Sandy’s opened a second location at 3592 Summer and Sevier, a corner lot. What’s curious (to me, anyway) is that tiny newspaper ads revealed the full name of both establishments to be Sandy’s Thrift and Swift Drive-In — for those customers, I presume, who still didn’t understand the concept of fast food.

The next year, they expanded their menu slightly, now offering a grilled-cheese sandwich for

Just as other fast-food outlets came up with catchy names for their best-selling products — McDonald’s Big Mac and Burger King’s Whopper immediately come to mind — in later years Sandy’s introduced “The Scotsman” (their version of the Whopper) and the “Big Scot” (a combo pack of double burger, fries, and shake). But despite tweaking their menu and various promotions, they simply weren’t in the same league with the national corporations.

Sandy’s never opened other locations here, so that caused a

problem: With only two stores, they had limited revenues for advertising. A search through newspaper archives here reveals only postage-stampedsized ads, mainly just including their logo and addresses. They managed to place a few ads in local yearbooks (like this one from the 1963 Sherwood Archer) but couldn’t afford the far more expensive radio and TV advertising that were drawing customers to McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, and other fast-food competitors. In short, Sandy’s was doomed. By the late 1960s, financial woes forced them to close most locations, included the two Sandy’s here. In 1971, in an attempt to survive, they merged with the growing Hardee’s chain (yes, named for a real person, founder Wilbur Hardee). Some of the Sandy’s reverted to individual ownership and held on throughout the Seventies. The last one managed to stay open in Winona, Minnesota, until 1989.

In Memphis another, rather unusual fast-food establishment moved into the former Sandy’s locations on Summer and Highland, called Arthur Treacher’s Fish & Chips. Treacher (18941975) was a well-known British character actor who, in 1969, decided to introduce Americans to the British staple of codfish and French fries, often served from vendors’ carts in rolled-up newspapers. The stores here were a bit fancier than that, and (despite the name) offered more

than fish and fries. By the late 1970s, they had opened more than 800 stores from coast to coast. But the fast-food market is a notoriously fickle one, and today only four of Treacher’s Fish & Chips stores remain open.

The Memphis locations became home to other businesses. On South Highland, a national chain called Catfish Station moved in, followed within a few years by a Jamaican restaurant called Spice of the Islands, then a Southern home-cooking place called Mojo’s. There may have been others I’m overlooking. It was most recently El Puerto Mexican Restaurant.

But drive to 775 South Highland today and you’ll drive away still hungry. The site is now a vacant lot. The second Sandy’s location on Summer was demolished years ago; the newer building there, called Summer Place Center, is home to a half-dozen businesses: Belle Beauty Supply, Repeat Boutique, Yum’s Subs, and Pizza Hut among them.

Sandy’s is fondly remembered by many former customers. Some of them have even set up a Facebook page called “Remembering Sandy’s Drive-In,” where they share photos, newspaper clippings, and stories of working or eating there. One post is fairly typical: “I have fond memories of eating at Sandy’s. That’s where I discovered the magic of dunking fries in a chocolate malt!”

Now, about that Vance Lauderdale 2026 Holiday Calendar ...

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.

In the Land of Storytellers

Thomas Dann weaves a web of injustice, crime, and hope in his debut novel, Midnight in Memphis.

BY JESSE DAVIS

“If you have a story that seems worth telling, and you think you can tell it worthily, then the thing for you to do is to tell it, regardless of whether it has to do with sex, sailors, or mounted policemen.”

—DASHIELL HAMMETT

In a new Southern noir novel to be released this month, racially motivated murders terrify and inflame the citizens of Memphis, circa 1955. Detective Burdette Vance is paired with Eustace Johnston, a new trainee and one of the few Black officers on the police force, and the two are handed a case that threatens to ignite long-smoldering tensions in a Memphis divided by racial injustice, where the old political structure is crumbling. Such is the setting of Thomas Dann’s debut novel, Midnight in Memphis (Crooked Lane Books).

“Growing up in the South, it’s a land of storytellers, and it’s something that I was always exposed to,” says Dann, a fifth-generation Memphian. “I loved telling stories and developed a reputation among everyone I know as a storyteller.”

At some point, the urge to tell a story of his own began to take hold. It was a feeling he just couldn’t shake, and after all, why should he? Dann is a voracious reader, a storyteller by inclination, and he has professional experience as a felony defense investigator and lawyer (more on that later) that lends itself to the careful construction of a realistic mystery novel. So he began researching his hometown during the 1950s. A good rule of thumb is to set a story during a period of change, and 1955 — with the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement, the dissolution of the Crump Era of Memphis politics, and the mixing of gospel, blues, and country that would herald the advent of rock-and-roll — was a veritable lightning rod for change in the Bluff City.

“I’m sitting here in my office right now,” Dann tells me over a lengthy and enjoyable phone interview, “looking at a shelf of books that’s maybe five feet across, and they’re all books like The Editorial We by [Edward John] Meeman, who was editor of the Memphis Press-Scimitar, From Boss Crump to King Willie [by Otis Sanford], and Beale Street Dynasty [by Preston Lauterbach].”

“I did so much research,” he says. “I know much more about Memphis from having written this book than I did from growing up there.”

ON WRITING, PACE, AND PLOT TWISTS

Because Midnight in Me Mphis is a work of historical fiction, Dann had to adhere to an accurate and believable historical framework. Within the bounds of that setting, though, the author was free to follow his intuition as to who his characters are on a personal, human level. That, he says, is one of his favorite parts of the business of fiction-writing.

“It’s such an enjoyable process

to see these characters that you create take on a life of their own,” Dann says. “It’s a challenge, but it’s the kind of challenge that makes writing really fun.”

Of course, Dann is not only bound by the rules of the setting in which his story is set. No matter how well-rounded its characters or lofty its literary aspirations, a novel must also engage the reader, inviting them to keep turning the pages. No less important, every genre has its own sets of tropes with which an author must engage, whether to subvert them or adhere to them.

That does not mean a piece of genre fiction must be formulaic — every mystery novel need not be a “whodunnit” in which the reader’s primary goal is to solve the mystery before the detective. There must actually be a mystery, though. Midnight in Memphis succeeds on all these levels. Its character work is finely tuned, and the central mystery of the novel is sufficiently engaging to keep the pages turning. Its protagonists, Detective Vance and Officer Johnston, may fit into a familiar groove of “wise and weatherworn detective and upand-coming new recruit,” but Dann uses that trope to tease out elements of their characters, and to shine a light on the prevailing social structure of the time.

“I was just down in New Orleans at a conference called Bouchercon. It’s the world mystery writers conference,” Dann says. “I moderated a panel on the concept of plot twists and what drives them. Some people are very structured about it, but to me there’s an aspect of it that’s like, ‘When you get to a fork in the road, take it.’ I think that’s a Yogi Berra euphemism. What drives you to take one fork or the other is what feels right for that character, so it ends up being ultimately character-driven, and sometime after that you have to figure out where the plot goes. I feel that the plot needs to drive the development of the characters.”

Character work is of particular interest to Dann, but he never neglects the needs of a good mystery novel. The crimes are

sufficiently grisly, the city’s political machine’s connections in unsavory places are not ignored, and the author makes sure to, as he says, keep the pace going.

“My editor had me take out one of my favorite scenes of the book because it interfered with the pace of the novel,” he admits. “I took it out, and she was completely right. It ended up being a side part of the plot that had more to do with character development than driving the plot forward, and it made me realize how you have to balance those two things.”

Murder is not only the catalyzing action of Midnight in Memphis; Dann had to take such time-tested writing advice as “murder your darlings” to ensure that his story worked on all levels.

IF I HAD A HAMMER

Midnight in Me M phis is a marriage of Dann’s interests, he confesses. The author is a self-proclaimed student of history — whose research tools for his debut novel run the gamut of the well-known books about the Bluff City and also include others about the Mississippi River, Native American prehistory, and more — as well as a staunch lover of fiction. In his debut novel, he juggles those two interests with seeming ease, also drawing on his history, both professional and personal, to make a fictional representation of his home town that feels authentic and richly atmospheric.

“My family goes back to the 1830s in Memphis,” Dann recalls. “When you get into the twentieth century and the rise and domination of the Crump political machine, my parents in the ’40s and ’50s were very much involved in trying to bring a two-party system into play. In any society like that, there’s a Faustian bargain that people enter into. Boss Crump made the streetcars run on time. He got public works things done, all those good things, but at the same time he was very oppressive in terms of how he ran his political regime, with swift retribution for those that opposed him. That kind of thing

seems very current these days.”

At first glance, such a setting, that particular variety of autocratic, domineering political landscape might appear to be a dreary world in which to set a story. As Dann rightly points out, though, it is during such desolate periods and places that inspiration is most urgently needed.

“It’s a period of change, but whenever there’s a period of change there’s also a period of hope. Hope and resistance. Those are the two things that come into conflict with each other,” he says. “It was a fascinating time to think about.”

Dann draws on five generations of family history of political involvement in Memphis to inform the novel, alongside the aforementioned wealth of reference material.

When he was younger, long before Midnight in Memphis, Dann decided that he would attend law school and become a criminal defense attorney. “While I was in law school, and for some time before and after, I worked as an investigator for a felony defense unit in the D.C. Public Defender’s Office. I would get to the crime scene and they hadn’t washed the blood off the sidewalk yet,” he remembers.

He could see what that experience of a frequent proximity with crime and those individuals accused of committing crimes was doing to his contemporaries, and he began to rethink his options. He couldn’t help but wonder if he really wanted those associations to be his steady diet of humanity.

For a time, the young Dann defended cases in Maryland on Thursdays and prosecuted cases in Arlington, Virginia, across the river on Fridays, so he got a chance to see what both experiences entailed. He says that he surprised himself by realizing that he found the experience of being a prosecutor more rewarding.

“These were minor crimes, of course, because I was still in law school. It was almost like doing social work with a hammer,” Dann says. “You get people who have somehow messed up in their lives and you negotiate a plea

deal with them, and you’ve got something hanging over them to try to get them to straighten their lives out.”

Whether defending, prosecuting, or investigating, he was able to sample humanity in a fashion not often afforded to professionals outside the legal profession. Those experiences would one day be beneficial in the writing of his novel. At least with a fictional mystery, however, the blood on the sidewalk existed only in his imagination.

WALKING IN MIDNIGHT IN MEMPHIS

On a stakeout in Dann’s novel, Vance and Johnston are positioned between the two primary social poles of Memphis — The Peabody and Beale Street. Their geographic location works as a parallel for Memphis of the time, a city in which the cultural, recreational, and business hub for Black citizens existed just two blocks from the hotel lobby where white society congregated. The two locations held a huge cultural significance for two distinct populations in Memphis and the surrounding rural Mid-South, but rarely did those groups intermingle. That reality had already begun to shift, though. In Midnight in Memphis , as in the true history of the Bluff City, that social barrier has begun to be more permeable, hinting at future changes and a better future for all Memphis’ citizens.

“There is a certain body of thought that I shouldn’t even be writing a novel like this. I don’t really agree with that,” Dann says. “What I’m trying to write is something that is very hopeful. I try to hold onto the hope that things have the capacity to get better, that people have the capacity to be better.”

That longed-for ray of hope permeates Midnight in Memphis , but so too do old hurts and aging social structures that threaten its survival. As in the real world, moneyed interests and loopholes in the law regulate the ebb and flow of social change. Without giving away spoilers, as in all good mysteries, there are personal and financial motivations at

play. Banks are powerful entities bent on outlasting social orders, and even the novel’s seemingly innocent players hope to benefit from legalities that govern the city — such as the “interstate commerce and all that,” which governs potential money-making ventures such as floating riverboat casinos. Through it all, Dann weaves a thread of character growth of the tension between the predictability and uncertainty of humanity.

“Burdett always thought that faith in human nature is a fickle thing. People may think that they know you through and through, but it turns out that there was a deep dark part of you that they did not know at all,” Dann writes in Midnight in Memphis. “He wondered sometimes what shock and surprise a victim must feel in his last dying thoughts, because no one who dies at the hand of someone they know really thought the other person had it in him to pull the trigger or plunge the knife.”

The author is possessed of a knack for a hard-hitting turn of phrase, and his punchy prose carries the reader through the novel.

When picking up a mystery novel, this humble book reviewer’s tastes usually tend toward hardboiled crime fiction and California noir, Dann’s Midnight in Memphis is a well-crafted Southern noir that should delight any fans of the genre.

Thomas Dann will launch his new novel Midnight in Memphis with a book-signing event at Novel bookstore on Tuesday, November 18, at 6 p.m.

Don’t Box out Boxtown

The neighborhood founded in South Memphis by formerly enslaved people has for generations been where local government’s promises go to die. In 2025 and beyond, will history repeat itself?

BY TOM JONES

As late as 1979, 11 years after Boxtown residents began paying city taxes in the first of two annexations, the Memphis Press-Scimitar reported that the area still had dirt roads, no public transportation, and many houses lacked indoor plumbing, water, and electricity. Income for more than half of the households in the predominantly Black neighborhood was less than $3,000 a year and the Post Office did not deliver mail to individual homes.

e news report featured a photograph from 1961 showing two Black men — in the shadow of the $123 million TVA power plant — collecting wood in a horse-drawn cart to heat their homes and cook their meals. Boxtown became part of Memphis in two annexations, in 1968 and in 1971. It took a federal class-action lawsuit in 1975 by Legal Services director and future Memphis mayor A C Wharton Jr. to force city government to live up to its annexation promises for services like fire and police, sewer lines, streetlights and signs, and speed limits. City government, in turn, promised $3.7 million in improvements over three years as settlement to the lawsuit. But by the early 1980s, residents still lacked indoor plumbing and standard municipal services. When city government received a $12 million federal grant for urban renewal a few years later, only $1.7 million was directed to Boxtown — although it was called the poorest neighborhood in Memphis by both city and federal officials. is history foreshadows the announcement by Mayor Paul Young and City Council that 25 percent of the taxes received from Elon Musk’s xAI’s Colossus supercomputing facility will be spent in the area. Some news media reported that Boxtown would be targeted for the money

as mitigation for health problems caused by pollution, and to address decades of neglect. at was not the case. In a shrewd political move to get maximum support from city council members, Young said the new tax revenue would be spent within a five-mile radius of Boxtown,

xAI will produce $13 million in city taxes in its first year, and Boxtown deserves unfettered attention. It’s been largely ignored since it began as a community of formerly enslaved people and when it became part of Memphis a century later.

a sweep of land which includes Whitehaven and Westwood.

e tax-sharing idea achieved its goal of tamping down the intensity of the opposition to xAI.

Boxtown is roughly one square mile and is home to about 3,000 people. e five-mile radius (for the tax revenue) comprises about 35 square miles with 43,764 people (the 38109 ZIP code is used as the proxy by city government). Once again, the risk is that Boxtown’s needs will be swamped as city government is lobbied by larger neighborhoods with more political clout.

Here’s the thing: xAI will produce $13 million in city taxes in its first year, and Boxtown

deserves unfettered attention. It’s been largely ignored since it began as a community of formerly enslaved people and when it became part of Memphis a century later. Its name points to its humble beginnings when railroad workers dumped timbers and planks there, and residents used the scraps to build shanties just below the railroad lines.

For the new xAI tax money, city government created an online survey so the public could weigh in on priorities. As for Boxtown, where some families likely live in the digital desert, rather than an online survey, city government should gather their opinions in door-to-door interviews. The people of Boxtown deserve special attention in return for generations of neglect, and after all, their opposition inspired city government to think of the 25 percent proposal in the first place.

It has been no secret that Boxtown residents face serious health risks. A 2013 University of Memphis study found the cancer risk for residents to be four times the national average due to airborne carcinogens. In 2021, the American Lung Association gave Shelby County a grade of “F” for its history of locating polluting industries near African-American neighborhoods.

State representative Justin Pearson said African Americans are 75 percent more likely to live near toxic hazardous waste facilities — there are at least 18 in South Memphis — and African Americans as a result have higher cancer rates. Located near Boxtown are some of the region’s largest emitters of hazardous chemicals: Tennessee Valley Authority’s Allen Combined Cycle Plant, Valero Memphis Refinery, and Nucor Steel.

And yet, the nearest air monitoring station is nine miles away in downtown Memphis near St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Four others are even farther away. ere is no air monitoring station anywhere in South Shelby County. While Young has carved out 25 percent of the new xAI taxes, Shelby County government has remained silent about how it will use its new tax money. Shelby County government is responsible for air-monitoring stations, and the stations’ placement suggest county government really doesn’t want the definitive answer about South Memphis pollutants. It should use some of its new tax revenues to find the answer. Memphis Community Against Pollution has announced it will pay $250,000 for nine air-quality monitoring devices in Memphis but Shelby County should take responsibility. Meanwhile, the Shelby County Health Department could conduct personal interviews with each household to determine any health issues and follow up with a plan of action to address them. While most of the news coverage has centered on the City of Memphis, Shelby County has a crucial role to play in Boxtown. Meanwhile, Boxtown is in a familiar position: wait and see. Will the neighborhood get the concentrated attention it is owed — or will this be yet another bait and switch?

Tom Jones is the principal of Smart City Consulting, which specializes in strategic communications, public policy development, and strategic planning. He tends the 20-year-old Smart City Memphis blog and is an author with experience in local government. He can be reached at tjones@ smartcityconsulting.com

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Art by Nancy Cheairs

and the Creeks

Don’t Rise

At 90, Dale Sanders is hiking

On the really good days, there’s a specific euphoria generated by an hour or four on a hiking trail. e forest’s dappled light takes on a holy quality. Steps cease to be arduous, and one’s legs move without strain; the air is buoyant as water. e breeze whispers across your skin, rustles your collar, and you can feel the oxygen flowing to your lungs, to your blood cells: You are never more part of the earth, and the earth never more part of you. ere are no more fastmoving cars or lightning-bolt emails; there are no more cars or emails. Just this, here: this earth, this moment. For a day — or for longer, maybe much longer, especially if you’re Dale Sanders — everything makes sense.

T{[{[When he was 80 years old, in the summer of 2015, Dale Sanders — trail name: Greybeard — launched a yellow canoe named Anna into the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Lake Itasca, Minnesota. Paddling alone, and traveling around 30 miles a day, three months later he reached the river’s confluence with the Gulf of Mexico, just south of Venice, Louisiana. He was the oldest person ever to have completed the 2,340mile journey, from source to sea, although his record wouldn’t stand for long.

he day before he drives to the trailhead at Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia — more on his chosen route shortly — I sit with Greybeard on the porch of the home in Bartlett he shares with his wife, Meriam. ( e couple share three grown children and two grandchildren.) Deer amble through the open yard as we speak, and the bright, hot day dissolves the ice cubes in two water goblets. Sanders snacks from a bowl of pistachios — he credits strong nutrition as a key factor to his active longevity.

Two years later, at 82, Sanders hiked the entirety of the Appalachian Trail (AT) — all 2,199 miles of various terrain, stretching across the crests and through the vales of the Appalachian Mountains from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. Certified by Guinness, he was the oldest person to have completed the trek — though that record would fall soon, too.

At 85, Sanders became the oldest person to hike the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim trail — a strenuous journey involving steep descents and arduous climbs.

At 87 — his Mississippi River age record having been broken — Sanders, not one to stop moving, again paddled the length of the Mighty Mississippi, reclaiming the record for himself.

By now, his 20-year-old, silver-painted Chevy Silverado is mostly packed. The truck bed is specially fitted with a camper — Sanders’ “Base Camp on Wheels” — that offers neatly organized storage for the gear he’ll need, as well as, crucially, a small but cozy bed for sleeping. Team members will drive the truck along the way, so that, most nights, Sanders will be able to rest comfortably — and so that he won’t have to carry a crushingly heavy pack into the backwoods. In some places, based on the route, there won’t be a location where he can meet the truck for a day or two, and he will need to provision accordingly.

Since Sanders’ first AT hike, a fellow journeyer, Meredith Eberhart — better known by his trail name, Nimblewill Nomad — claimed the age record, at 83. Sanders helped him do it, supporting him along the trail just as, this fall, Nimblewill is supporting Greybeard. is fall, Greybeard is spending his days traversing the peaks and ridges of the AT once again. He’s 90 years old now, though you wouldn’t know it to watch his movements, deft and spritely. “God willing and the creeks don’t rise again,” as he is fond of saying, he will retake the world record for being the oldest person to complete the Appalachian Trail within a year.

The plan is to complete the hike in a manner known as the “flip-flop”: Instead of beginning at either the southernmost or northernmost point on the AT, Sanders has opted to begin roughly in the middle, at Harper’s Ferry. (To count as a complete hike of the AT, one’s GPS device must show each mile logged within 365 days — but the route does not need to be continuous.) is fall, he’s hiking south, he says, “to follow the color of the trees, and hopefully a little warm weather, to Springer Mountain.” He doesn’t pretend to know exactly where he might fi nd himself on any given day, along the way, but his intention is to reach Springer Mountain by December 10th. To do this, he’ll need to average between 12 and 14 miles daily, with some “zero days” mixed in — a zero day being

First proposed in 1921 and completed in 1937, the 2,199-mile Appalachian Trail is considered the world’s longest hikingonly trail. Stretching from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine, it passes through 14 states. Hikers enjoy an astonishing range of views and trails, journeying

through dense old-growth forests or standing atop rocky peaks that offer views for miles. At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome in the Smoky Mountains is the highest elevation.

A “through-hiker” like Sanders must complete the AT in a 365-day period, though it can be done in segments, tracking progress by GPS.

a rest day, i.e., one with zero miles logged. In the spring, he will start walking again at Mount Katahdin, in Maine, and hike south until he arrives back at Harper’s Ferry — ending at the beginning. He will have skipped a mile — the only one he plans to skip the entire hike — at Harper’s Ferry, and he’ll hike it at the end, as a celebration, with family, friends, media, everybody.

{[

According to the CDC, the average American man lives 78.4 years. Sanders turned 90 in June.

Only 20-25 percent of through-hikers manage to complete the Appalachian Trail. Sanders has done it once already and is well on his way to a second successful attempt.

So what well of vitality has this man tapped?

Longevity science suggests that many of the choices that come naturally to Sanders have benefited his life span and activity span. He’s been physically energetic for all his life — and moderate, regular exercise has been shown substantially to lower the incidence of multiple mortality risks, most especially cardiovascular disease. According to the American Medical Association, a 30-year study showed how increased physical activity led to prolonged life expectancies. One of Greybeard’s mottos: Keep moving.

Meanwhile, an 80-year-long study, conducted at Harvard and funded by the National Institutes of Health, found how solid, grounding relationships can enhance longevity. “Close relationships, more than money or fame, are what keep people happy throughout their lives,” reports the Harvard Gazette . “Those ties protect people from life’s discontents, help to delay mental and physical decline, and are better predictors of long and happy lives than social class, IQ, or even genes.”

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And Greybeard? Well, this is someone who aided another hiker in breaking his own record — and that hiker is now, in turn, aiding him. He cares for people. In fact, the basement level of his and Meriam’s home is designed to care for fellow adventurers: When folks are paddling the Mississippi, they have an open invitation to crash in a comfortable place for a night. e walls leading down to the basement are crowded with signatures from weary river voyagers. For someone who engages in solitary-seeming activities, the man is surrounded by community. e hike he’s undertaking right now would not be possible without the devotion of people surrounding him.

{[

The best way to train for a very, very long hike, Sanders says, is simply … hiking. He doesn’t prepare through some elaborate cross-training regimen; there’s an appealing simplicity to his approach: Just keep moving.

Starting in January, he trained for the AT hike by scrambling up the hills and dales of Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, in Millington. Local outdoor enthusiasts know Shelby Forest for its surprisingly steep scrambles — Sanders can log a couple thousand feet of elevation change if he repeats the Woodland Trail twice in a day. Sometimes, he starts early, with a headlamp, because “there are so many armadillos in there. It’s unbelievable. You won’t see them in the daytime, though.”

Closer to his home is International Harvester Park, which offers shorter trails but still some scrambling; he’s been known to repeat a one-mile loop 10 times in a row.

Just keep moving

Sanders' Chevy Silverado, driven by other team members, offers a cozy place for sleeping and for storing extra gear.

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Sanders spent 57 years working in parks and recreation. He was a lifeguard, growing up, then joined the Navy at 21, and went to boot camp in San Diego, California. Because he was already an experienced lifeguard and first-aid instructor, he was assigned to work at the naval hospital in Oakland, where he was put in charge of the swimming pool, for use primarily by amputees and sailors with other handicaps. Later, he led the SCUBA program for the Navy at

“I've got to do something that's more significant in the adventure world.”

the base on Okinawa. When he eventually left the Navy, he continued working in parks and recreation — at one time, he led about one thousand employees. He spent a lifetime in nature, around rivers, lakes, and woods, places where people go to find their centers. He says working in parks for all those years put him around people “in their leisure time, the time they’re the happiest. I believe that molded my personality to be happy.”

By the time he retired, in 2002, Sanders was already an avid canoer, mostly on weekends. All this started because, as he puts it, “I just wanted to paddle more.” At first, he mostly stuck to the Ghost River section of the Wolf. But — for reasons that make sense if you spend even 15 minutes with Grey Beard — as his 80th birthday approached, he thought to himself, “I’ve got to do something that’s more significant in the adventure world.”

And so he has, and so he is.

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As our conversation approaches the end of its trail, I steer us onto a darker, thornier fork. I can’t help but ask directly how this 90-year-old man is thinking about not just the physical challenges ahead, but psychic ones, too: the solitude, the awareness of his own mortality. Asking anyone about death feels spiky and awkward, fraught; asking a nonagenarian about death feels downright grotesque. But Greybeard takes it, well, in stride. “Getting old doesn’t worry me,” he says. “I have already lived a full and joyful life. If I die, I think I can accept that. Death

“I am a competitive person, but I've also tried to just appreciate things for what they are.”

doesn’t worry me. Nobody can tell you the formula to live a happy life. You have to figure that out yourself.”

Even beyond the considerable age factor, he’s well aware that most people who start through-hikes on the AT do not finish. “I may not be able to make it,” he says with a shrug. “I am a competitive person, but I also have tried to be someone who can just appreciate things for what they are. I think this is an amazing experience, no matter what.”

To follow Dale “Greybeard” Sanders’ journey on the Appalachian Trail, readers can check in on Instagram (@daleat2025hike) or Facebook (Grey Beard Team USA Appalachian Trail). For more about his previous adventures, including a documentary film that was made about his trip down the Mississippi River, visit greybeardadventurer.com

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MEMPHIS

TOWARD THE GOOD

THE JEWISH FOUNDATION OFFERS PATHWAYS TO GENEROSITY FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT.

BY JON W. SPARKS

FYEARS 1995 - 2025

or three decades, the Jewish Foundation of Memphis has been looking after the needs of the city. And it’s not just about benefiting the Jewish population, but about the entire community. As Temple Israel Rabbi Micah Greenstein once said to Memphis Magazine , “ e great thing here [in Memphis] is that we have people willing to cross boundaries.” e Jewish Foundation has been happy to help do that since 1995 and is primed to continue the work for years to come.

Laura Linder has led the Foundation as executive director and CEO since 2001 and has been instrumental in how the organization has grown and thrived. e Jewish community, with about 10,000 members here, has long had an infrastructure of agencies and synagogue schools, but its leaders felt that more could be done to ensure the longevity of those institutions. e key would be to focus on financial strength by examining the endowment assets of all of these organizations.

“In 1995, a group of community leaders decided that we needed to step up our efforts to help our Jewish community organizations become financially sustainable,” says Linder. at meant cultivating current gifts but also working with donors on estate gifts. e leadership at the time included Ron Belz, Steve Wishnia, the late Ben Isenberg, and Steve Graber. “Our first board chair was Ronald Harkavy, who led the Jewish Foundation for seven years, and it really was his vision that launched us.”

at meant bringing in people with expertise in financial matters as well as 10 organizations that would become founding partner agencies, sharing the operating expenses of the Foundation. ey were: the Memphis Jewish Home & Rehab, Memphis Jewish Community Center, Jewish Family Service, Memphis Jewish Federation, Bornblum Jewish Community School, Margolin Hebrew Academy, Baron Hirsch Congregation, Beth Sholom Synagogue, Temple Israel, and Anshei Sphard-Beth El Emeth Congregation. e first executive director was Paula Jacobson, who is still involved.

Laura Linder

As the Foundation settled into its mission, the leadership understood that if it wanted to grow, it couldn’t be dependent on its agencies to fund the operating budget. “So, the idea behind launching our donor-advised funds program was to generate operating revenue, but also to develop relationships with philanthropically minded Jewish families,” says Linder.

e group started offering donor-advised funds in partnership with the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis. When funding reached a certain size, the Foundation was able to go out on its own. “We built an infrastructure internally that could support our growth in funds, our work in endowment, and our work with professional advisors,” says Linder. “Once we got over the hump of the first five years, things really started moving.”

It developed as donor-centered, and therefore as a philanthropic partner with its donor families. “We help them give where they want to give,” Linder says. “If you look at our list of grantees, it’s 600-plus charities every year. It’s all the big local charities you would think of — the Church Health Center, MIFA, St. Jude, the University of Memphis, MUS, St. Mary’s, all the private schools.”

ere’s also support from Jewish community organizations. “If you look at the engagement of the Jewish community and the broad community,” she says, “it is understandable that there would be so much giving across the spectrum of all types of Memphis organizations. We launched a major legacy initiative in 2012 with the goal of every one of our Jewish institutions securing 50 commitments from donors to include their organization in their estate plan.”

That was intended to change the culture of philanthropy in the Jewish community to include bequests and various estate gifts. The initiative resulted in 500

new legacy commitments.

“We’ve been really fortunate in that we live in a community that is very generous, and Memphis has always been a leader in philanthropy, not only in the Jewish community but across the whole community,” says Linder. And it echoes Rabbi Greenstein’s observation about crossing boundaries. Linder says, “I see a real ingrained sense of responsibility that you have to give back.”

e philanthropy universe has been changing for everyone, and Linder says the Foundation’s donors have become increasingly savvy. “ ere’s a lot more technology out there. Donors can do a lot of research into the inner workings of all charitable organizations because the information is easily accessible and donors are expecting accountability. A lot of due diligence happens, and we want to make sure that the grants are as impactful as possible.”

Linder admits there is concern about ensuring that the spirit of philanthropy is passed on to each generation. “Are they going to be as engaged? Are they going to be as philanthropic? We always seem to pull it together, but just like my parents worried, I’m worried now.”

And each generation has questions about relevance. “Are we still relevant to donors? When I look at the Jewish community, is philanthropy still a core value for our families? I would say yes.”

A CHANGING WORLD

But the Jewish community is changing, and the Foundation is mindful of the impact. “It used to be that everybody joined somewhere. You would join a synagogue, you would join the Memphis Jewish

Community Center, you’d become a donor,” says Linder. “But one thing we are finding is that there are many members of the Jewish community who may have moved here for a job, but who haven’t necessarily formally affiliated.”

With that in mind, Linder explains that the Foundation has three areas of impact. “One is our teen philanthropy program, called B’nai Tzedek, which translates into Children of Justice. It’s an initiative that starts at a child’s bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah and puts some of their gift money into what we call a mini donor advised fund, and we have a donor that matches that. Over the course of high school, we have programming, we have a grants process, and are teaching them how to be philanthropists. ey’ve granted over $250,000 out of their funds over the last 20 years of the program.” e second area of impact is work done with family foundations, the fi rst of which was established in 2008. “It began with the Belz family, where we were able to create a formal foundation structure that has the benefits of a 501(c)(3) charity,” says Linder. “So they benefit from being a public charity, yet can have a lot more hands-on engagement just as they would with the private family foundation. Other such foundations include the Wendy & Avron Fogelman Foundation and the Burton Weil Family Foundation. e idea is that we now have an infrastructure for future generational engagement.”

Each of those foundations has a board of directors, their own policies and procedures, their own grant guidelines, and they get the support of the Jewish Foundation staff.

e third area of impact the Foundation is being able to deal with a wide variety of assets. “We’re able to accept gifts of real estate,” she says, “and we are in the midst of facilitating our first cryptocurrency gifts. We’ve done collectibles, coin collection, art glass. We just fi nished an S Corp privately held stock transaction. So we have a team of professional advisors that we work with that has allowed us to really meet the needs of our donors.”

LOCAL IMPACT

As expected, Jewish organizations are well represented among the beneficiaries of the Foundation’s donors, but recipients are found all around town and in all areas of service. St. Jude Children’s Hospital, the Church Health Center, the University of Memphis, and many more have received funding at various levels.

“What’s great about donor-advised funds is that families have charitable bank accounts, and it’s very simple to make a grant,” Linder says. “We have an online platform where donors can interact with their funds — they can

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see what their balance is, check past activity, and make grant recommendations.”

Technically, the funds in those charitable accounts are owned by the Jewish Foundation, so any such grant recommendations must be approved by the board, but, Linder says, “99.9 percent of all of our grants are approved.”

It’s also crucial for the Foundation to ensure that more than a hundred professional advisors are an integral part of the system. “We work in partnership with local estate professionals, estate attorneys, CPAs, and life insurance professionals, Jewish and non-Jewish,” says Linder. “They’re in a position to work with clients on charitable giving.

While there are discrete benefits to various organizations, the organization also makes possible a coming together of institutions for shared interests. Pace Cooper is the chair of the Jewish Foundation and makes a point of showing how collaboration has made an impact.

“Because of the world situation and the rise in antisemitism nationally and internationally as an issue, security has been a bigger challenge for each of these institutions within the Jewish community,” he says. He notes that every synagogue, school, and institution is requiring increased investment in security. “For each institution to reinvent the wheel by themselves on how to afford more for their budgets, security becomes a huge challenge and different ones are going to execute at a different level.” In order to ensure greater reliability, the Foundation helps advise all of the concerned institutions, providing better solutions than if they acted individually.

Now, with an organization that has embraced the complexity of ensuring sustainability with various resources and a wide array of financial tools that help donors give meaningfully, it has become one of the top grant-makers in the city.

B’NAI TZEDEK

One of the many endeavors at the Jewish Foundation is not just a source of funding for worthy causes, it’s also a training ground for the future of giving. Carolyn Schrier is coordinator and advisor of B’nai Tzedek Teen Philanthropy, which invests in young people by having young people investing in the community.

“It’s an easy way to really engage teens,” she says. “The program has two components. One part is individual giving where each teen in the Jewish community is eligible once they have hit bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah age.”

That is 12 for girls and 13 for boys, and the coming-of-age ritual includes receiving monetary gifts. “This is a way for them to open an account to take some of that money and pay it forward and start their philanthropic journey,” she says. “So they have the ability to open a donor-advised fund just like the adults do at a lower minimum balance. And

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anonymous donor who will match up to $250. So if a teen puts $250 in, they’re going to wind up with $500 in their account over the course of their journey until they graduate from high school. ey are able to give away 20 percent of that account to any charity in the U.S. of their choosing as long as it’s a 501(c)(3).”

Schrier says that in the 23 years that the program has been in Memphis, 255 different individual organizations have benefited to the tune of more than $200,000 in aggregate from almost 400 teens.

The variety of charities is wide, from the Dorothy Day House and the Streetdog Foundation to the Mid-South Food Bank and LeBonheur Children’s Hospital. “ ey’re doing their homework and finding things that are important to them,” Schrier says, “and then they can say, ‘I want to put my money there,’ and we’re able to write a check and send it on their behalf.”

e second component is that the teens are part of the Jewish Foundation’s co-op grant board. “It’s communal philanthropy,” Schrier says. “ e teens put together a grant application for programming. ere’s an endowment of $10,000 a year for them to be able to give

SEE JFM CONTINUED ON PAGE 50

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out to the Jewish community. ey create an application, they interview all the applicants on Zoom, and they’ve prepped ahead of time. ey ask good, tough questions.”

That’s followed by allocations meetings where they discuss among themselves which charities should receive money. “Last year we had way more than $10,000 in asks, but only $10,000 that they could give away,” she says. “So they’re having tough discussions and they’re making tough choices, but they’re doing it together. And my goal is to make sure that they’re all talking and that they all feel heard.”

Among the deeper rewards, Schrier says, are the “Aha!” moments. “Last year we were on a Zoom and one group gave their presentation. ey got off and we were getting ready for the next interview, when one of my teens said, ‘If we don’t fund that, the program’s not going to happen.’ And I said, ‘Yeah. I have no other way to tell you what a big deal you are and how what you do is important. is isn’t play money. is isn’t just an exercise. is is real-world solving of issues and real-world making an impact.”

Two of the teens involved with B’nai Tzedek spoke about their interest and involvement. Both Maggie Olswanger, a sophomore at Hutchison School, and Isaac Cowens, a sophomore at Memphis University School, were in the eighth grade when their mothers signed them up. And neither one was particularly enthusiastic at first. But they quickly saw that it was going to be not only rewarding, but fun to be able to help people.

ey’ve given to charities from their own funds and have participated in the co-op grant board. ey have discovered the joys of philanthropy and are already looking ahead. “I’m passionate about volunteering and nonprofits,” says Olswanger. “I’m getting more involved in the Jewish community and recognizing that there’s need and figuring out how to help that need specifically.”

For Cowens, it’s a continuation of the involvement his family has had. “I just want to stay involved in the Jewish community and nonprofits. My mom’s been working with nonprofits for years and years. It’s a big part of my life to be working with a nonprofit, so I really want to just stay with it and work with people.”

One of the ways he sees the impact of philanthropy is through a bus tour that Schrier arranges. “We get to visit most of the organizations that we funded the past year, and see what they’ve done with our money. And that’s always really cool to see how they’ve put it to good use.”

Olswanger agrees that the rewards of participating in B’nai Tzedek are real. “I like doing something that I know is going towards something good.”

80

YEARS

BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE

IN 1945, LOCAL BUSINESS LEADERS FOUNDED THE WEST TENNESSEE HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION.

BY MICHAEL FINGER

On the morning of August 15, 1945, Memphians picked up their copies of The Commercial Appeal and read the main headline with stunned relief: WAR IS OVER! After more than four years of fighting overseas, tens of thousands of Allied soldiers would finally be coming home. Many of these men and women, however, had no homes waiting for them when they got here.

During the war years, home building companies, along with businesses of all kinds, did their part for the war effort. e Fisher Body Works Plant in Memphis was converted into an airplane factory. Firestone and International Harvester churned out tires, tools, and other equipment needed by the military. Plumbing, electrical, lumber, and other supply companies essential for the construction of residents diverted their inventory towards the war effort. For almost four years, home building in America was essentially put on hold.

War II, the country desperately desired a return to safety and living the American dream — get a job, buy a house, marry and raise a family,” according to an article in the National Real Estate Investor. But that eagerly awaited transition to a peacetime existence — a world of new homes, schools, and happy neighborhoods — was hindered by a shortage of building materials, along with wartime regulations that still rationed items like rubber, steel, copper, and aluminum — essential products for home construction.

But with all these returning veterans, the housing shortage in America after World War II was considered so dire that Congress declared a “national housing emergency.”

A summary of domestic conditions by the National Bureau of Economic Research put it this way: “ e housing situation, and not unemployment, was to be the nation’s critical domestic problem.” Addressing the crisis, President Harry Truman signed the National Housing Act, with the purpose of “providing a decent home and suitable living environment for every American family.”

Eleven million. at’s how many new homes the government estimated were needed by all those soldiers suddenly returning home. “Following the surreal images of World

In Memphis, the situation was so dire for returning veterans that Memphis State College and Southwestern hauled trailers to their campuses to provide housing for married families who wished to attend school there. Grand old homes in neighborhoods like Central Gardens and Annesdale-Snowden were converted into living spaces for as many as four different families. at’s when a group of local business leaders joined forces to tackle the problem.

Wallace Johnson, along with other Memphis home builders, realized they couldn’t solve the housing problem on their own, but by working together, they could snip away at the government red tape that was hin-

top: In 1962, members stood outside the newly opened Home Builders Center on Central, the “nerve center” of the home building industry in Memphis. inset: The original logo of the Home Builders Assocation. right: Wallace Johnson served as the group’s first president.

dering their progress, and they could also link builders with suppliers and contractors.

e new group was called, quite logically, the Home Builders Association of Memphis. First organized in late 1944 and officially chartered in 1945, the MHBA had an important goal:

“The Home Builders Association was formed as a vehicle to promote the interest of legitimate home builders, to improve their skill and technique in all of their procedures, to advance and perfect their talents for design and beauty in planning, to insure the best practices, and by fair dealings, to gain and hold the confidence of the home-seeking public.”

Eighty years later, that goal hasn’t changed.

Since he was the impetus behind the organization, it made sense that Johnson was elected to a one-year term as the group’s first president. One of the most prolific and successful home builders in Memphis history, Johnson can take credit for populating much of East Memphis with well-designed and affordable homes. e streets of major subdivisions such as Colonial Acres are lined with homes designed and constructed by his company, and he later became a partner with Kemmons Wilson to develop Holiday Inns across America.

on a series of community events that have continued — with considerable improvements — to this day.

e 1946 Home Show, for example, was actually a trade show, with booths and vendors fi lling the Shelby County Building at the Mid-South Fairgrounds. e centerpiece of the show — and the only “home” in the show — was “a contemporary house, completely furnished, built completely inside the building.” After the show, the building was

Other officers that fi rst year were vice president James B. Goodwin, owner of a large construction fi rm here, and secretary R.A. McDougal, an executive with Pilley Nicodemus Lumber Company.

e Home Builders Association started out with only 13 charter members, all involved in real estate sales or construction: McNeese Construction Company, Chandler & Chandler, Dave Dermon & Company, McNeese Construction Company, J. Ripley Greer, Harry Dlugach, Benjamin Dlugach, Charles A. Cleaves, Dobson and Smith Real Estate, Sam Stephenson, Pennell and Gill, and Herman Gruber.

In the beginning the group gathered for “Dutch treat” lunches at local restaurants, hotels, and clubs, before renting offices in the Sterick Building. e group realized the need to reach out to the “home-seeking public,” and in the late 1940s and early 1950s embarked

e Spring Parade of Homes also started in the late 1940s, presenting as many as 90 newly built homes in neighborhoods around town. Potential buyers were provided with a map and could find the model homes by searching for the large Easter bunny display in the front yard. A newsletter account noted, “It seems everybody in Memphis was watching for the Bunny signs.”

It wasn’t until years later, of course, that the “parade” evolved into the annual Vesta Home Show, designed to showcase as many as a dozen residences in a newly developed subdivision in or around Memphis. is fall, the event will take place November 1-30 at the Hidden Creek development in Collierville, showcasing six new homes that represent outstanding examples of design innovation and craftsmanship.

dismantled and given to a lucky visitor who won a drawing for it.

A highlight of the weeklong event, which drew as many as 45,000 visitors every year, was the announcement of “Mrs. Homemaker,” chosen from women sponsored by various community organizations such as the Jaycees or the Rotary Club. Candidates for this honor — which came with a $300 cash prize and a week’s vacation at Holiday Shores in Long Beach, Mississippi — had to be married, from the Mid-South, and “engaged in home-making.” is was an important event for our community, with the Memphis Press-Scimitar publishing photos and profiles of each candidate (some years as many as 40 women) every day leading up to the Home Show. e competition required each contestant to speak for two minutes on “ e Most Important Event in My Life.”

Many other events throughout the year, such as National Home Week and even a Home Buyers School, were also quickly established, all designed to “create a better climate in the home building industry and build confidence in the home-buying public.”

Placing those eye-catching Easter bunnies in the front yards of the Spring Parade of Homes was part of the HBAM’s move towards better marketing and promotions. Members were given yard signs, decals, posters, and other marketing materials. If they wished, they could buy gold-plated lapel pins, tie chains, and cufflinks with the HBAM seal from a local jeweler. ey also came up with an official slogan — “Better Living Begins When You Own a New Home.” — and encouraged local businesses to display that wherever they could.

As the organization expanded, HBAM members realized a need for a permanent location that was more accessible to the general public than the rented offices in the Sterick Building. What they required was a place to showcase the skills and abilities of all their members. So, under the leadership of president Kemmons Wilson, a man known for always doing things in a big way, the Home Builders Association of Memphis opened an ultra-modern Home Builders Center, located at 2440 Central Avenue, just east of Christian Brothers College. Open to the public, the

A Parade of Homes in the 1960s.

building featured offices, conference rooms, and a research library with building trade magazines, material catalogs, and government publications.

“Considered one of the finest home builders association headquarters in the nation,” according to a company history, “it enhanced the prestige and became the nerve center of the Memphis home building industry, providing a storehouse of information about homes and home building. Changing displays and exhibits attracted hundreds of Memphians and newcomers.” e HBAM eventually outgrew the building on Central, and over the years moved to new locations in East Memphis, Germantown, and today Collierville — always staying in the heart of areas with booming new home construction.

Businesses supported the group’s mission and promoted its slogan. and strengthen our community. Join us for an upcoming event or be inspired by GOOD news with our media, including tv and radio shows, by subscribing to our newsletter or scanning the QR code.

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But all that was still in the future. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, as membership grew, committees were established that focused on such matters as building codes, home financing, FHA and Veterans Administration regulations and benefits, subdivision development, land planning, and publications. News about the industry was conveyed to members in the monthly Bildor magazine, a weekly Bulletin, the National Association of Home Builders Journal, and even the Legislative Flash, featuring “news from the capital and special bulletins on urgent matters.”

e Memphis Bildor magazine was especially useful, since it not only provided an updated list of members, but also gave builders tips on ways to make their new homes more appealing. “Murals Are Offered in Medium-Priced Homes” and “Fireplaces Are a Selling Point” were typical articles.

A considerable expansion from those early restaurant luncheons, monthly meetings offering “excellent speakers with excellent ideas” were still conducted for the active and

Values drive us, and people inspire us. At Higginbotham, one of our core values is to be generous to our communities. We believe that investing and serving in our community is how we develop our people, grow our local businesses, and strengthen our city.

associate members. ese were supplemented by numerous “workhorse” meetings of the various committees, a Small Volume Builders Council roundtable, and other get-togethers that focused on business management, new construction techniques, marketing, and other topics of interest. In addition, awards were presented each year to “Bildor of the Year” and “Associate of the Year.”

A group that began with about a dozen members had, within ten years, expanded to more than 240 active members and more than 220 associate members. Although some of these names may no longer be familiar to present-day readers, every possible stage in the design, construction, sale, and upkeep of a new home was represented, with companies specializing in such details as blueprints (Campbell Blue Prints), insurance (Whitfield King Company), pest control (Atomic), inhome stereo equipment (Modern Music), and even home photography (G.W. Sipe).

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e HBAM leadership kept coming up with effective promotions. One of them was the annual “Spruce Up Contest.” All owners and builders featured in this sale, held each year in late February, were urged to make their homes stand out with new paint, shrubbery, and other improvements. ey were also encouraged to display the HBAM “Seal of Approval” yard sign (available for free from the Builders Center). e winner of this contest would win a special certificate (“suitable for framing and display in public”) along with a steak dinner for two at the Embers, one of this city’s finest restaurants in its day. It wasn’t all work and no play for members of the Home Builders Association. One of the most anticipated events of the year was the annual HBAM picnic, which featured food, drink, games, prizes, and special appearances by local celebrities. Sometimes these guests had nothing to do with home building, but they were always crowd-pleasers. An old scrapbook from the late 1950s contains snapshots of Trent Wood and Tiny the Clown (above), co-hosts of the popular

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Perhaps the biggest event of each year, though, was the Presidential Ball. Held in December in the Grand Ballroom of the Chisca Plaza, this formal holiday party featured dinner, dancing, a fashion show, and special awards. e group’s events weren’t confined to Memphis. Every year, the HBAM joined with the Little Rock association and journeyed to Chicago for the National Convention of Home Builders. ey actually rented a special train for this journey, dubbed the Rock & Roll Express, and invitations urged members to buy their tickets soon: “If you were one of the gang who blew into the Chicago Home Show last year, you knew it was a very special trip. But that was just a shake-down run for this year’s plans for the rootin’-tootinest time you’ve ever had!”

One year, that journey was well worth it. The Home Builders Association of Memphis received the Severin Trophy for second place as one of the top home builder associations in the country (out of some 5,000 similar organizations). The award paid special mention of the Memphis group’s “programs of the most benefit to the public and to the membership.”

From the beginning, the HBAM made a special effort to give back to the community. In the first years, members made annual donations to the Community Chest (a forerunner to today’s United Way). Employees of home construction companies were encouraged to donate a half-day’s wages to this organization; that drive was always successful, one year exceeding its $10,000 goal — quite a sum in those days — by $2,000. Donations were made directly to the newly opened St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Memphis Area Chamber of Commerce, and to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Memphis — a tradition that continues to this day.

The Home Builders Association of Memphis — now the West Tennessee Home Builders Association — was formed in 1945 to tackle the critical housing shortage in America following World War II. To say they accomplished their goal would be an understatement. Within a few years, “the tremendous demand for homes for war-weary veterans was met,” and according to a 1959 booklet, “more than 80,000 Memphis families now live in modern, comfortable homes built since the association was founded.”

A membership roster from the 1950s posed this question — “How well has the HBAM succeeded in attaining its goals?” — and then answered it: “ e position of the Association merits the respect of both the home builder, his associates, and the public.” Eighty years after the group was chartered, with a growing membership and a packed calendar of events, it’s safe to say that still holds true today.

2025 MEMPHIS

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RESEARCH DISCLOSURES

In order to consider a broad population of high-quality wealth managers, award candidates are identified by one of three sources: firm nomination, peer nomination or prequalification based on industry standing. Self-nominations are not accepted. Memphis-area award candidates were identified using internal and external research data. Candidates do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final lists of Five Star Wealth Managers.

• The Five Star award is not indicative of a professional’s future performance.

• Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients’ assets.

• The inclusion of a professional on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the professional by Five Star Professional or Memphis magazine.

• Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any professional is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected professionals will be awarded this accomplishment by Five Star Professional in the future.

• Five Star Professional is not an advisory firm and the content of this article should not be considered financial advice. For more information on the Five Star Wealth Manager award program, research and selection criteria, go to fivestarprofessional.com/research.

• 666 award candidates in the Memphis area were considered for the Five Star Wealth Manager award. 42 (approximately 6% of the award candidates) were named 2025 Five Star Wealth Managers.

FIVE STAR WEALTH MANAGER

DETERMINATION OF AWARD WINNERS CRITERIA

Award candidates who satisfied 10 objective eligibility and evaluation criteria were named 2025 Five Star Wealth Managers. Eligibility Criteria – Required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser or a registered investment adviser representative. 2. Actively employed as a credentialed professional in the financial services industry for a minimum of five years. 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review. 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal firm standards. 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation Criteria – Considered: client retention rate. 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered. 9. Number of client households served. 10. Education and professional designations.

Regulatory Review: As defined by Five Star Professional, the wealth manager has not: been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; been convicted of a felony. Within the past 11 years the wealth manager has not: been terminated from a wealth management or financial services firm; filed for personal bankruptcy; had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them (and no more than five total pending, dismissed or denied) with any regulatory authority.

Five Star Professional conducts a regulatory review of each nominated wealth manager using the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) website. Five Star Professional also uses multiple supporting processes to help ensure that a favorable regulatory and complaint history exists. Data submitted through these processes was applied per the above criteria; each wealth manager who passes the Five Star Professional regulatory review must attest that they meet the definition of favorable regulatory history based upon the criteria listed above. Five Star Professional promotes via local advertising the opportunity for consumers to confidentially submit complaints regarding a wealth manager.

award winners are listed in this publication.

Financial Planning

William B. Howard Jr. William Howard & Co. Financial Advisors, Inc.

Investments

Robert Joseph Cremerius Prudent Financial

L. Jackson Strategic Advisory Services

Kevin D. Kimery Kimery Wealth Management

Jim Whitehead Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC/ Crown Financial Group

This award was issued on 10/01/2025 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 01/08/2025 through 07/02/2025. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire award; 42 (6% of candidates) were named 2025 Five Star Wealth Managers. Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star

Individually

served; 10. Education and professional designations. FSP does not evaluate quality of services provided to clients. The award is not indicative of the

Staci

FIVE STAR AWARD WINNERS

PROPRIETARY RESEARCH PROCESS FIVE STAR PROFESSIONAL

Three sources of nominations:

Firm nominations

REGULATORY CONSUMER COMPLAINT REVIEW

All candidates must demonstrate a favorable regulatory history.

CANDIDATE SUBMISSION OF PRACTICE INFORMATION

Candidates must complete either an online or over-the-phone interview.

EVALUATION OF CANDIDATE PRACTICE

Candidates are evaluated on 10 objective evaluation and eligibility criteria.

FIRM REVIEW OF AWARD CANDIDATE LIST

All candidates are reviewed by a representative of their firm before final selection.

2025 AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Peer nominations – Prequalification based on industry credentials NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES Finalization and announcement of Five Star Professional award winners.

All award winners are listed in this publication.

Sudhir Kumar Agrawal Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Matthew Marie Allgood Allgood Financial

Becky Ahl Bridgmon

Morgan Stanley

Chirag Dinesh Chauhan Bluff City Advisory Group

James Euart Cochran Commonwealth Financial Network

Richard Schaben Ditter Pier Financial Advisors

Brian Kevin Douglas Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Leslie Hill Drummond Summit Asset Management, LLC

Kathleen Marie Fish Fish And Assocates

Cecil Adair Godman Mercury Investment Group

Sarah Russell Haizlip Summit Asset Management, LLC

Jay Lawrence Healy Beacon Pointe Advisors

Lance Wayne Hollingsworth Summit Asset Management, LLC

Stacey Stephenson Hyde Envision Financial Planning

Larry Wayne Karban Atkins Capital Management

Martin Samuel Kelman Kelman Lazarov

John Norfleet Laughlin Summit Asset Management, LLC

Jonathan D. McAlister

Kimery Wealth Management

Mackie McKinney LPL Financial

Sreeni Meka Lakeland Wealth Management

Mark Christopher Miller UCL Financial Group

David Landon Mills Shoemaker Financial

Hugh Harold Parks Envision Financial Planning

Vincent Carlton Perry Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

David Anthony Pickler Pickler Wealth Advisors

Lindsey Donovan Rhea Alia Wealth Partners

Ivan Juan Rodriguez New Southern Advisory Services

Bryan L. Roper Wells Fargo Advisors

James Andrew Sego Sego Wealth Management, LLC

Marisa Rose Simonetti Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

James Sims Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Patrick Sirayathorn Alden Investment Group

Julie Westbrook Terry Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Samuel Alexander Thompson III Summit Asset Management, LLC

Michael Lowell Turner Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

Hulon Warlick Independent Wealth Management, LLC

Steven Wishnia Highland Capital Management, LLC

CASHINGTHRUTHE

$ 1 . 1 $1.1 M I L L I O N MILLION DRAWINGS EVERY SATURDAY 7PM-10PM 26X Entries on Dec. 29 & 30

enerosity uide

BY SANTA

I’ve got a brand-new bag, with a fresh wardrobe and evergreen ideas for expressing your generosity this season. While I’m delivering more joy to the world from the lists you’re sending me, don’t forget local nonprofits. A membership to the Memphis Zoo? A donation to St. Jude? Here are more splendid ideas good for all ages, which will last a lot more than 12 days. And may all your holidays be so magnanimous.

Tunes

Memphis music is always on my nice list. You can do your part by pitching in for Music Export Memphis, which opens doors for young musicians, helping them get started with touring and recording. Or Stax the deck with a contribution to the Soulsville Foundation, which is making a difference in music and education. For the classically minded, get subscriptions to the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. Check out the Blues Foundation to keep that art form alive. And you can always get and give merch from your favorite bands along with buying their music. Santa says to keep it upbeat!

SPARKS ♥ PHOTOGRAPHS BY JUSTIN FOX BURKS

enerosity uide

Literacy / Journalism

Livability

My elves spend a lot of time making toys, sure, but in the off-season, they help build houses for Habitat for Humanity (they can easily get into those tight spaces). Habitat does much more as well: helping with affordable mortgages, financial education, and home repairs. Plus, its ReStore is a cornucopia of home furnishings at easy prices. Other nonprofits that will make your giving heart sing are the Mid-South Food Bank, MIFA, the Dorothy Day House, and Homes for Hearts. Need more ideas? Check out LIVEGIVEmidsouth.org for a directory of places where you can make a difference.

As a careful list-checker and voracious reader, I love to give the gift of the written word. You can put worthy organizations on your own gift list, to give or to get. How about Literacy Mid-South or the ALLMemphis literacy organization? There’s always the Memphis Library Foundation and Friends of the Library. Santa is also a regular reader of news from MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, the Institute for Public Service Reporting, Chalkbeat Tennessee, and of course the Memphis Flyer and Memphis Magazine. Or find your own sources and spread the word!

Nature / Nurture

Oh, the Humane-ity! Yes, that’s some Santa humor for you and he loves his reindeer and his pets (the gorgeous Chloe is pictured) and his green spaces with a passion. You can help with contributions to whatever tickles your fa-la-las, like the Humane Society, Woof River Animal Rescue, Streetdog Foundation, and many more. And for the great outdoors, who doesn’t love helping out Overton Park (and Bark), Shelby Farms, the Wolf River Conservancy, the Memphis River Parks Partnership, and — well, jingle my bells, there are a lot of places to go and enjoy holiday cheer outside. Where’s your favorite? Go! Fetch!

Arts

Santa is a big supporter of the arts, and you can be too. Sure, you can always get something at a museum gift shop, but I recommend annual memberships at the singular organizations around town. My list is long, so get ready: the Brooks, the Dixon, National Civil Rights Museum, Ballet Memphis, Opera Memphis, Collage Dance, Theatre Memphis, Hattiloo Theatre, and Playhouse on the Square (which — see above my pretties — will be staging The Wizard of Oz in November and December). And so many more, so think about your favorites and you’d better watch out and you’d better not cry!

GIVING GUIDE

ESTABLISHED: 1973

CLIENTS SERVED: 22,193

EMPLOYEES: 485

LOCATIONS: 9

LOCATION

2220 Union Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104

PHONE

Corporate Office: 901.567.3554

Patient Intake: 901.369.1410

CONTACT

www.alliance-hs.org

@alliancehs901

@alliancehealthcareservices901

ALLIANCE HEALTHCARE SERVICES BOARD

J.W. Gibson

Dan Haddow

Martin Petrusek

Beverly Robertson

Quintin Robinson, President

M. David Rudd, Ph.D

Gabby Salinas

Gary Shorb, Treasurer

Karole Shorter

Anna Stavrum, Vice President

Stephen Wilke

David Wi man

Dianne Young

ALLIANCE FOUNDATION BOARD

Joe Birch, Secretary

Andy Cook

Kim Gaskill

Martin Petrusek, Treasurer

Beverly Robertson, Vice Chair

Laurie Powell (ex-officio)

Quinton Robinson

Stacey Rokas

M. David Rudd, Ph.D

Gary Shorb, Chairman

Stephen Wilke

Memphis and Shelby County are experiencing a mental health crisis and substance use epidemic. It impacts our families, young and old, in every demographic—the greater community and ultimately all of us. Unlike some of the chronic and unexpected situations we face daily, that at times feel insurmountable, this is the thing we can all do something about. Individuals’ and families’ entire lives and futures will be changed for the better as they are treated in a thoughtful, caring, and therapeutic environment.

We believe we can, and we hope you will show you believe in this effort by sharing your own time, talents, and treasures. A new day is coming in which no one will be turned away when suffering through a mental health crisis. We invite you to be part of the solution to this challenge. It’s the thing we can all do something about.

MISSION & VISION:

Promoting Wellness in our Community: A community without stigma or barriers to receiving quality behavioral healthcare.

SERVICE AREAS Crisis

We provide a full continuum of crisis services, including pre-arrest diversion, emergency room diversion, a walk-in center, a mobile crisis unit, crisis stabilization beds, addiction beds, and detox beds. The goal of all our crisis work is to assess patients for mental health and addiction and get them back into the community as soon as possible. All services include referrals and access to appropriate levels of care including outpatient follow-up services.

Housing

Alliance provides a full continuum of housing based on an individual’s needs. These needs range from housing for medically fragile patients to independent housing for individuals 18 and older who are ready to live on their own. Housing clients come to Alliance through crisis services and referrals and must have a mental health diagnosis. Our primary goal is to keep patients out of the state institutions and on the road to recovery.

Addiction

Our approach to treating addiction is based on “no wrong door.” Many patients come to us through crisis services, but we also accept referrals from community partners like the Memphis Area Prevention Coalition, hospitals, Shelby County Mental Health Court, and the Shelby County Division of Corrections.

We provide medical detox, group therapy, basic and intensive outpatient treatment, individual therapy, psychiatric and medication evaluation, and medication assisted treatment. More than half of those we see with a substance abuse issue have an underlying mental health diagnosis.

Adult Outpatient

All of our service areas are connected, but adult mental health lies at the heart of it all. We employ evidence-based intervention to treat a comprehensive array of mental health disorders in adults. Patients come through crisis and community referrals. We approach trauma and every other presenting problem we see with a treatment plan based on the presenting life story of every patient, seeking to reframe the trauma and create a new narrative.

Children & Youth Outpatient

Treating children and families is based on a keen awareness of social determinants of health, the economic and social conditions that influence individual and group differences in health. We see many patients from single parent households and a vast array of trauma and adverse childhood experiences. And like in other service areas, COVID lockdowns and social isolation combined with an increasing acceptance of mental health in popular media means our volume in this area has increased significantly. Our team approach is key — it’s not just a therapist, it’s a whole team wrapping itself around each patient, from psychiatrist and practitioner to case manager and family support therapist.

Laurie Powell MA, LCSW, CEO

Mark Billingsley Foundation Executive Director

The Alliance Foundation Philanthropy for Mental Health

When you give to The Alliance Foundation, you are funding life-saving mental, behavioral, substance abuse health care through Alliance Healthcare Services. Mental health touches every family, every school, every workplace, and we believe no one should face a crisis alone.

Your generosity makes this possible:

The Crisis Wellness CenterMemphis’ 24/7 lifeline, open to all with no insurance, no appointment, no judgment. Open now at 3200 Broad Ave. Memphis, TN

The Children & Youth Crisis Wellness Center - Coming in early 2026, the first 24/7 crisis center of its kind in West Tennessee dedicated to kids ages 4-17.

If you or a loved one is facing a mental health struggle, emotional distress, alcohol or drug concerns, or just need someone to talk to, caring counselors are here for you. You are not alone. Call or text 988 or call Alliance at 901-369-1410.

Scan

Mark Billingsley Executive Director

901-569-5070

Diana Barzizza Director of Development & Marketing

901-558-3197

GIVING GUIDE

ESTABLISHED: 1913

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 3,401

2024 REVENUE: $6,400,000

• Special Events – 24%

• Contributions – 35%

• Bequests – 23%

• Contributed Services, etc. – 16%

• Other - 2%

• Total Public Support– 100%

LOCATION

5101 Wheelis Dr., Suite 100, Memphis, TN 38117 PHONE

800.227.2345

CONTACT

Cancer.org/Tennessee @AmericanCancerSociety @americancancersociety American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society is a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. We are improving the lives of people with cancer and their families as the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.

We are dedicated to supporting people with cancer and their families as we work to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. We are there at every step of the cancer journey – from prevention to treatment to survivorship.

Donations to the American Cancer Society help us fund breakthrough research that saves lives, advocate for health equity and more affordable care at every level of government and provide essential day-to-day patient support.

OUR WORK IN MEMPHIS INCLUDES:

• The Road To Recovery program eases the cancer burden by giving free rides to cancer-related medical appointments.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

Road To Recovery – Becoming a Road to Recovery driver will put you at the heart of the American Cancer Society’s mission and fulfill a critical need for cancer patients. To learn more or volunteer visit cancer.org/drive.

FUNDRAISING EVENTS:

The American Cancer Society fund raising campaigns and events provide corporations, individuals, and communities the opportunity to support our mission to save lives and improve access to quality health care for all. Local events include:

Sco Holmes

John Bearden

Dave Smith

Sam Kirby

Sarah Cannon / HCA

Jim Lancaster

• Hope Lodge communities provide free, temporary lodging for people facing cancer and their caregivers when treatment is far from home. Our Memphis Hope Lodge offers 40 guest rooms located near treatment centers in the area.

• The American Cancer Society is currently funding 18 multi-year research grants totaling $11,493,000 in Tennessee.

• In 2025, ACS invested over $112,000 in transportation grants and $40,000 in lodging grants for Tennessee health system partners to help patients and caregiver access cancer treatment.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Memphis - participants celebrate and honor breast cancer survivors and caregivers and raise critical funds to help end breast cancer. Visit makingstrideswalk.org/memphistn to learn more.

Men Wear Pink of Memphisdistinguished groups of community leaders raising awareness and money for breast cancer treatment and prevention. Visit menwearpink.org/memphistn to learn more and join us!

Scott Holmes Executive Director, Tennessee

GIVING GUIDE

ABOUT US

ANNUAL REVENUE: $1.4M (Mid-South)

EMPLOYEES: 9 (Mid-South)

ESTABLISHED: 1949 (Mid-South affiliate; national organization founded 1924)

SOURCES OF FUNDING

Individuals: 60%

Corporations: 30%

Organizations: 1%

Foundations: 9%

EMAIL

MidSouthTN@Heart.org PHONE

901.248.7950

WEBSITE

heart.org/tennessee facebook.com/AHATennesee @ahatennessee x.com/ahatennessee

LEADERSHIP

Mandy Joyce

Executive Director, Development & Community Health, American Heart Association, Mid-South

Kate Staggs

Senior Director of Development, Socials, American Heart Association, Mid-South

MID-SOUTH B OARD

Andy Davis, Chair

VP & Business Manager, Turner Construction

Dr. Cassandra Howard, President

Chief Medical Officer, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare

Doug McGowen, Leadership Development Chair

President & CEO, MLGW

Jenny Bartle -Presco

Chief Operating Officer, Church Health

Dr. Steven Gubin

President & Cardiologist, Stern Cardiovascular Foundation

Dr. John Jeff eries

Physician Executive & Former MS BOD President

Raaj Kurapati

Executive Vice Chancellor, CFO/COO UT Health Sciences Center

Dr. Shokea Miller

Nurse Executive, Cigna Healthcare

Dr. Keith Norman

VP, Government Affairs & Chief Community Relations Officer

Baptist Memorial Health Care

Teleesa Payne Mason

Information Technology, FedEx

Gina Neely

Media Personality

Robyn Sharp

Director, Global Supply Chain, International Paper

Manoucheka Thermitus

Chief Operating Officer, Regional One Health

Marques Young

Financial Advisor, Edward Jones

Dr. Benjamin “Rush” Waller

Chief Medical Officer, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital

MISSION

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. In the Mid-South, we work across Shelby County and surrounding communities to fight heart disease and stroke through education, advocacy, and access to care. From CPR and AED training to blood pressure awareness, nutrition programs, youth engagement, and more, we are empowering every neighbor to live a heart-healthy life.

GOALS:

Memphis faces serious health challenges, with more than 60 percent of residents lacking access to healthy food, nearly 40 percent of adults living with high blood pressure, and 20 percent who smoke regularly. Among women in Tennessee, heart disease remains the leading cause of death. Our goal is to ensure every person in the Mid-South has the knowledge, resources, and support to live a longer, healthier life. We are building HEARTSafe Communities, expanding blood pressure screening hubs, advocating for stronger health policies, and teaching lifesaving CPR skills that turn bystanders into lifesavers. Together, we are creating a healthier, more resilient Memphis.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

Volunteers are the heartbeat of our mission. Join us on the front lines of change by serving on event committees, advocating for stronger health policies or helping at community health fairs and events. Every volunteer helps save lives and strengthens the Mid-South community.

FUNDRAISING EVENTS:

e American Heart Association hosts inspiring events year-round that bring people together to celebrate survivors, honor loved ones, and support hearthealth initiatives across the Mid-South. Each event helps raise awareness and funds that directly impact local lives. Events include: Mid-South Heart Walk, Heart Ball, STEM Goes Red, Hard Hats with Heart, Go Red for Women Luncheon, and West Tennessee Go Red for Women.

GIVING OPPORTUNITIES

Your support makes a lifesaving difference. e American Heart Association offers year-round ways to give and get involved. Become a sponsor, start a fundraising team, make a tribute gift, or give directly to support heart-health programs across the Mid-South. Every dollar raised stays local, fueling community education and research that saves lives.

GIVING GUIDE

ABOUT US

STUDENTS: 1454

EMPLOYEES: 228

CAMPUSES: 6

ESTABLISHED: 2018

SIX CAMPUS

Berclair (K-8) – 3880 Forest Ave, 38122

Binghampton (K-8) – 2540 Hale Ave, 38112

Frayser (K-8) – 3690 Thomas St, 38127

Hickory Hill (K-8) – 3572 Emerald St, 38115

Midtown (9-12) – 61 N McLean Blvd, 38104

Orange Mound (K-8) – 2718 Lamar Ave, 38114

SOURCES OF FUNDING

Individuals – .37%

Corporations & Organizations – 3.04%

Foundations – 15.19%

State & Federal Funding – 81.4%

ADDRESS

61 N McLean Blvd, Memphis, TN 38104

PHONE

901.618.7422

EMAIL ADDRESS: info@compassmemphis.org WEBSITE compassmemphis.org facebook.com/compassmemphis instagram.com/compassmemphis

LEADERSHIP

Kristi Baird

Executive Director

BOARD

Dr. John Smarrelli

Christian Brothers University

- President

Marty Petrusek

Trane US - Treasurer

Marty Regan

Lewis Thomason LawSecretary

VISION: Following Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ideal of education: “Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education.” This true education provided within a supportive, joyful, and hopeful school culture — will prepare our students to be positive agents of change in their community.

WHO WE SERVE

Across the nation, schools are closing in urban neighborhoods. Compass Community Schools represent an unprecedented example of urban charter schools opening in Memphis to serve predominantly low-income students in the neighborhoods of Berclair, Binghampton, Frayser, Hickory Hill, Midtown, and Orange Mound. Our mission is to prepare students for college and lifelong success by developing the whole child through a focus on academic excellence, values-based character education, and service learning in the community.

In 2019, Compass opened its doors to welcome all students and diversity in all forms: cognitive, cultural, ethnic, gender, racial, residency status, and socioeconomic. Today, the Compass Network serves over 1,450 students, of whom 67% are Hispanic and 30% are African American. Our students arrive at our schools with different needs. Compass Community Schools serves students who have physical, emotional, mental, and behavioral disabilities, students who speak English as a second language, and younger students who lack the wraparound services and academic support to establish a strong educational foundation. 95% of our families are from the urban Memphis area, and 77% are from zip codes with the lowest median household income (below $42,100). All Compass students receive free lunch.

MAKING THE GRADES:

Mike Allen

Memphis Botanic Garden

Judge Kathleen N. Gomes

Shelby County Probate Court

Vernua Hanrahan

Memphis Housing Authority

Leslie Jones

Compass-Midtown parent

Teresa Sloyan

Hyde Family Foundation

Bishop Emeritus J Terry

Steib

Diocese of Memphis

According to the State of Tennessee 2024 assessments, 5 Compass Schools scored a TVAAS of 5, which is the highest distinction based on TVAAS composite scores. e Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) measures students’ academic growth over time. A Level 5 composite means we are successfully moving students toward proficiency and beyond. Significant growth, as characterized by level 5, means our students are rebounding from the negative impacts of the pandemic, our teachers are effectively helping students to reach academic goals, and our curriculum plan is getting results. Additionally, 3 Compass Community

Schools earned the State of Tennessee’s esteemed Reward Schools designation. Reward schools are schools that improve overall student academic achievement and growth for all student groups. e Reward designation is the highest honor schools can earn through the state’s accountability model. Reward Schools are improving in terms of achievement and growth for all student groups. We are proud of these honors because they affirm that our strategies and teachers are helping students make academic gains.

LEADERSHIP & SERVICE

Not only have we achieved academic success, but we are also recognized for our leadership and service.

• Named one of the top charter networks in the state, scoring in the top 30% of all Shelby County Schools.

• Received distinction from the Tennessee Charter School Center for charter school leader of the year and community impact project of the year.

• Growth in all subject areas of the TCAP – Math, English, Social Studies, and Science.

• Added after-school and summer programming to combat the lingering effects of the pandemic.

• Implemented dual enrollment and career readiness to prepare students to succeed in the classroom and life.

• Recognized by the Tennessee Environmental Education Association’s Organization of the Year for our environmental service.

• Participated in 101 service field trips and completed 7,314 hours of service across grades K-12.

Kristi Baird Executive Director

Follow us as we focus on reading proficiency and support us as we......

•Increase test scores across all subjects.

•Add Accelerated Reading programs to boost reading comprehension.

•Grow classroom and school libraries to support at-home reading.

•Partner with Arise2Read to practice reading skills with 2nd grade students.

•Train teachers in the “Science of Reading” with Memphis Literacy Institute.

We must close the gap between what the state pays and the actual cost to educate a child. Show the students at Compass Community Schools that education is a priority.

Together, we can bring the dream of a world-class education to the students who need it most.

Level The Learning Gap. compassmemphis.org/invest

GIVING GUIDE

ABOUT US

ANNUAL REVENUE: $250,000

ESTABLISHED: 2003

SOURCES OF FUNDING

INDIVIDUALS: 90%

CORPORATIONS: 5%

ORGANIZATIONS: 5%

ADDRESS

6060 Poplar Avenue, Suite 140,Memphis, TN 38119

PHONE 901.606.7542

WEBSITE www.kostenfoundation.com facebook.com/KostenFoundation/ @KostenFDN

EVENTS:

Support Group: The Kosten Foundation in-person and virtual support group is free and open to everyone affected by pancreatic cancer, including patients, family members, caregivers and anyone interested in supportIng those impacted by the disease and learning more. Everyone is welcome. The Support Group meets on the second Saturday of every month. If you would like to join the support group and for additional information, please visit KostenFoundation.com.

Kick It 5K: The Kick It 5K takes place on the last Sunday of October and is the largest fundraiser for the Kosten Foundation. The all-ages event includes a 5k run, 1-mile fun walk, opportunities for spirit runners, an inspirational memorial and survivor ceremony, entertainment and food vendors.

Tribute at Twilight: For Pancreatic Cancer Awareness month in November, the Kosten Foundation is proud to host the Tribute at Twilight. The event is for survivors of pancreatic cancer, Kosten Foundation support group members and those who have lost loved ones to the disease. Participants share stories and there is a symbolic presentation in remembrance and honor of those lost to pancreatic cancer and those still fighting it.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

Alan L. Kosten

Chairman Of The Board

Jeffrey A. Goldberg

President Thomas Craig Director Of Community Engagement

MISSION

To establish support and a forum for communication among those afflicted with pancreatic cancer via support group meetings, our website, social media channels, and events. To assist with the training of future pancreatic cancer surgeons.

To provide funding for clinical and basic research toward improving outcomes for those afflicted with pancreatic cancer.

It is our sincere hope that we can provide an informative, compassionate, and humane approach toward improving the quality of life for those afflicted with pancreatic cancer and their families. Additionally, through research efforts, it is our very realistic passion to find a path to the early diagnosis and cure of pancreatic cancer in our lifetimes.

ABOUT THE HERB KOSTEN FOUNDATION: The Herb Kosten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research was founded in 2003 by the family of Herb Kosten after his death due to pancreatic cancer. Kosten’s family sought to improve community support, awareness, and funding for pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest known cancers.

As the only organization of its kind in a five-state area, the group focuses on providing access to resources and support through a combination of communication, initiatives, programs, and events. All members of the Foundation are volunteers who donate hundreds of hours each year and believe in leading by example. The organization has raised more than $3,000,000 for pancreatic cancer research and hosts a very active monthly support group meeting for patients, their families, and anyone interested in learning more about pancreatic cancer.

In 2004, in honor of Kosten’s love of tennis, the Memphis-based organization began hosting annual tennis tournaments to raise money to fight pancreatic cancer and in

2011 the group held its first Kick It 5K run/ walk. Money raised from the Kick It 5K and other Kosten Foundation events help fund pancreatic cancer research. For more information about the Kosten Foundation, its programs, and events, visit the website at kostenfoundation.com.

KICK IT PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT

The second annual Kick It Pickleball Tournament was held on May 16-18. The event raised nearly $50,000, attracting more than 300 participants and spectators for a weekend filled with pickleball matches, community engagement and fundraising. 2026 dates are to be determined . All proceeds from the tournament are used for pancreatic cancer research.

Kick It 5k

Herb Kosten

Kick It Pickleball Tournament

GIVING GUIDE

ADDRESS

6560 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38138

PHONE

TOP EXECUTIVE

LAURA LINDER

901.374.0400 WEBSITE jcpmemphis.org @jcpmemphis

President & CEO

llinder@jcpmemphis.org

JEWISH FOUNDATION OF MEMPHIS

www.jcpmemphis.org

Our History

BOARD MEMBERS

• PACE COOPER | Chair

• JASON SALOMON | Past Chair

• CINDY FINESTONE | Secretary

• LAWSON ARNEY | Vice Chair Finance

• ELKAN SCHEIDT | Vice Chair Investment

Laura Linder President & CEO llinder@jcpmemphis.org

• LAURIE MESKIN | Chair Appointee

• JUDY BOOKMAN

• JAY COHEN

• AILEEN COOPER

• JONATHAN EPSTEIN

• SAM FARGOTSTEIN

• RICK FOGELMAN

• MARLENE GERSON

• ELLIOT KIERSKY

• REED LANDAU

• EMILY LENNON

• ALLA OLSWANGER-LUBIN

Pace Cooper

Chair

Jonathan Epstein

Sam Fargotstein

• ANTHONY MORRISON

Jason Salomon

Past Chair

• WENDY ROTTER

Cindy Finestone

Rick Fogelman

Marlene Gerson

Elliot Kiersky

Reed Landau

Emily Lennon

• JUDY ROYAL

Secretary Lawson Arney

Vice Chair Finance

• SALLY ROSENBERG

Elkan Scheidt

Vice Chair Investment

Alla Olswanger-Lubin

Anthony Morrison

Wendy Rotter

Judy Royal

• STACY SANDERSON

Laurie Meskin

Chair Appointee

Sally Rosenberg

Stacy Sanderson

• BENJAMIN WACHTEL

Judy Bookman

Jay Cohen

Benjamin Wachtel

Jeff Wallace

Aileen Cooper

• JEFF WALLACE

MISSION: The mission of the Jewish Foundation of Memphis is to build and sustain a vibrant Jewish community by encouraging charitable giving and supporting endowment building activities of Memphis Jewish organizations.

OUR HISTORY

The Jewish Foundation was founded by visionary leaders to serve as a shared endowment building organization that could serve the needs of Memphis area synagogues, schools and social service organizations. Over its 30 year history, the Foundation has established itself as the “go-to” organization for philanthropically minded families and today works with more than 500 fund holders, including 100 teen philanthropy funds.

Our Services

The Jewish Foundation was founded by visionary leaders to serve as a shared endowment building organization that could serve the needs of Memphis area synagogues, schools and social service organizations. Over its 30 year history, the Foundation has established itself as the “go-to” organization for philanthropically minded families and today works with more than 500 fund holders, including 100 teen philanthropy funds.

OUR SERVICES

The Jewish Foundation of Memphis was created as a resource for organizations and as a philanthropic partner for donors and their advisors. The foundation offers education, training, investment oversight, and technical expertise for its partner agencies. For individuals and families, JFOM offers personalized philanthropic planning through its various giving vehicles including Donor Advised Funds, Designated Endowment Funds and Family Support Organizations.

philanthropists. JFOM has also created a culture of legacy and endowment giving across the entire Jewish community through consistent and intentional education and awareness building.

The Jewish Foundation of Memphis was created as a resource for organizations and as a philanthropic partner for donors and their advisors. The foundation offers education, training, investment oversight, and technical expertise for its partner agencies. For individuals and families, JFOM offers personalized philanthropic planning through its various giving vehicles including Donor Advised Funds, Designated Endowment Funds and Family Support Organizations.

OUR UPCOMING FUNDRAISERS

The Jewish Foundation will celebrate its 30th Anniversary on December 10, 2025 with “L’chaim to Legacy.” Fund holders, professional advisors, and grantee organizations are welcome to attend.

OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT US

Our Impact on the Community

The Jewish Foundation’s Professional Advisory Group offers a place for local estate and financial professionals can gather for education and networking opportunities.

OTHER OFFERINGS

OUR IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY

Since our founding in 1995, the Jewish Foundation has granted close to $200 million with the majority of dollars supporting Memphis nonprofits. JFOM donors have supported thousands of charitable organizations. In addition, through its B’nai Tzedek Teen Philanthropy program JFOM has trained the next generation of

Since our founding in 1995, the Jewish Foundation has granted close to $200 million with the majority of dollars supporting Memphis nonprofits. JFOM donors have supported thousands of charitable organizations. In addition, through its B’nai Tzedek Teen Philanthropy program JFOM has trained the next generation of philanthropists. JFOM has also created a culture of legacy and endowment giving across the entire Jewish community through consistent and intentional education and awareness building.

The Jewish Foundation of Memphis has expertise in charitable gifts of cash, stock, real estate, collectables, privately held stock and crypto currency. We also offer programming and a bi-annual directory of our 100+person professional advisory group made up of estate attorneys, CPA’s and other financial professionals.

Areas Served

Our Upcoming Fundraisers

Jewish Foundation of Memphis (JFOM) is the endowment resource for all Memphis Jewish organizations and serves the philanthropic needs of Memphis Jewish families whose grant making supports hundreds of charities locally and globally.

The Jewish Foundation will celebrate its 30th Anniversary on December 10, 2025 with “L’chaim to Legacy.” Fund holders, professional advisors, and grantee organizations are welcome to attend.

MISSION

The mission is to build by encouraging endowment organizations. AREAS Jewish Foundation endowment organizations of Memphis supports YEAR FOUNDED 1995

FOUNDATION

mission of the Jewish Foundation of Memphis and sustain a vibrant Jewish community encouraging charitable giving and supporting endowment building activities of Memphis Jewish organizations. SERVED

Foundation of Memphis (JFOM) is the endowment resource for all Memphis Jewish organizations and serves the philanthropic needs Memphis Jewish families whose grant making hundreds of charities locally and globally.

FOUNDED @jcpmemphis

Foundation of Memphis has expertise in of cash, stock, real estate, collectables, stock and crypto currency. We also offer

GIVING GUIDE

ABOUT US

ANNUAL REVENUE: $6.6M

EMPLOYEES: 66

ESTABLISHED: 1916

SOURCES OF FUNDING

City - 9.5%

Earned Income - 21%

Contributed Income - 60.5%

Endowment - 9%

ADDRESS

Open in Overton Park 1934 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104

PHONE

901.544.6200

WEBSITE brooksmuseum.org facebook.com/brooksmuseum instagram.com/brooksmuseum/

LEADERSHIP

Zoe Kahr

Executive Director

Jennifer Draff en

Director of Collections, Exhibitions & Publications

Kathy Dumlao

Director of Education & Interpretation

Bethann Easterly

Executive Assistant & Board Liaison

Patricia Daigle

Chief Curator

Johnny Hill

Director of Security and Facilities

Jeff Rhodin

Chief Revenue Officer

Shawn Taylor

Director of Finance

Melissa Whitby

Chief Development Officer

Marciana Broiles

Senior Director of Financial Planning & Operations

MISSION & VISION: We create joy through the power of art.

At the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, every act of generosity helps transform lives through the power of art. Together, we make a difference by:

Elevating the Arts

Your gift sustains Memphis’ world-class collection of more than 10,000 works spanning five millennia of global creativity. Your generosity brings these artworks to life by fueling exhibitions that connect people to art in meaningful, lasting ways.

Enriching the Community

We are Memphis’ art museum, a place where creativity and community meet. rough your support, the museum remains a welcoming, inclusive space

B OARD

Carl Person

Chair Owner - Customized Solutions

Milton Lovell

Vice Chair President & Chief Investment

Officer - Element40 Management

Mat Parker, Jr.

Treasurer Managing Director - Head of

Hilltop Securities Bank Solutions

Tanya Hart

Secretary Chief Human Resources Officer

- First Horizon

Belinda Anderson

Independent Event Planner

Sol Aponte

Co-Founder - Art Melanated

Jenna Bedsole SVP

General Counsel, and SecretaryAutoZone

Nathan A. Bicks

Attorney - Burch, Porter & Johnson, PLLC

Gloria Boyland

Community Volunteer

Chiquilla Brown

Registered Nurse & Adjunct Clinical

Instructor - Baptist University

Nelda Burroughs

Co-Owner - First Choice Sales &

Marketing Group

Kristi Carmichael

Community Volunteer

Rob Carter

Community Volunteer

Trevia Chatman

President - Bank of America Memphis

Erica Coopwood

Community Volunteer

Mary Lee Copp

Community Volunteer

Deborah Craddock

Community Volunteer

Brandice Daniel

CEO - Harlem’s Fashion Row

Sonia Eden

Neurosurgeon - Semmes Murphey Clinic

Oxford

that celebrates our city’s creative spirit. Each year, more than 400 programs invite people of all ages to connect through art, from family days that spark imagination and hands-on art-making for adults to fashion events, gallery talks, tours, and countless shared moments of discovery.

Advancing Education

Art education opens minds and expands possibilities. Each year, your city’s art museum engages more than 20,000 students, many from Title I schools, through free tours, hands-on learning, and teacher partnerships. Your contribution empowers the next generation to think critically, feel deeply, and imagine boldly.

Derek Fordjour

Artist - Fordjour Studio

Adam Hanover

CEO - Union Main Group

Debi Havner

Community Volunteer

Rodney Herenton

Founder & Co-CEO - Channing Capital

Management

Barbara R. Hyde

Chair & CEO - Hyde Family Foundation

Linda Ivy-Rosser

Vice President - Forrester Research

Greg Jackson

Director of IT Technical Services -

International Paper

Jay Keegan

President & CEO - Adams Keegan

Kim MacQueen

Community Volunteer

Shanea McKinney

Clinical Account Manager - Cigna

Pharmacy

Logan Meeks

President Principal - A2H

Sylvia Richey

Chief Medical Officer - West Cancer Center

Logan Scheidt

Real Estate Broker - Crye-Leike Real

Estate

Gail Schledwitz

Community Volunteer

Melyne Strickland

Johson & Johnson

Jason Wexler

President - Memphis Grizzlies

David Willmo

Co-Founder - Collins Willmott & Co.

Tate Wilson

Chief Executive Officer - Kemmons

Wilson Family Foundation

Amy Wright

Co-Founder & CEO - Macro Solutions/

Ditty TV

Gail George (ex-officio)

Member - Decorative Arts Trust

Zoe Kahr

Executive Director

Photo Credit: Lucy Garrett

9.261.4.26 Presented in Memphis by First Choice Global Sales & Merchandising Group, Cathy Ross, and the Black Art Collective Black Quilters in the American South Gustina Atlas (b. 1937), Variation on Dresden Plate Quilt , 1998. Cotton; machine pieced, hand quilted, 81 1/2 x 80 inches. Collection of the Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, Gift of the Kohler Foundation, Inc., 2022.9.13. Photo: Gib Ford

AND SPIRIT

GIVING GUIDE

ABOUT US

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: Nearly 800

ESTABLISHED: 1923

ADDRESS

6895 Stage Road, Memphis, TN 38133

PHONE

901.323.6221

WEBSITE

GoodwillMemphis.org

MemphisGoodwill MemphisGoodwill memphis-goodwill-inc-/ MemphisGoodwillInc

MISSION

Our mission is to change the lives of people with disabilities and other barriers to employment through the power of work, education, and empowerment.

GOALS

Goodwill has proudly served the Mid-South for over 100 years. We are committed to creating even more job and mission opportunities through our Donated Goods Operations, Contract Services, and The Excel Center — a free high school for adults.

FUNDRAISING EVENTS

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

Tony Martini

CEO and President

Tina Blackmon

SVP, Operations

Ron Schuyler

SVP Chief Mission & Education Officer

Ursula Roman

VP, Marketing & Communications

Latisha Robertson

VP of Contract Services

Lori Strickland

VP of Human Resources

Chuck Molinski

VP of Corporate & Community Engagement

Charles Barnes

Deacon Bill Davis

Chad M. Harrell

Terri Landwehr

Andy McClelland

Melanie Myers-Bland

Michael Robilio

Macky Sneed

Brandon Tolbert

Dr. Patrick Washington

Amy Weirich

We fundraise 363 days a year through our network of retail stores and attended donation centers. Sales from donated goods help employ nearly 800 people locally. In 2024 alone, we received over 634,000 material donations — a testament to the community’s generosity.

GIVING OPPORTUNITIES

Support Goodwill year-round with donations of clothing, household goods, furniture, books, vehicles, and more. We also partner with Dell Reconnect to responsibly recycle computers, printers, and other electronics — keeping e-waste out of landfills and supporting our mission.

CHANGE ROUND-UP

Goodwill shoppers can “round up” their purchases and donate their spare change to a good cause. Those quarters, nickels, dimes, and pennies really do add up!

END-OF-YEAR GIVING

As 2025 comes to a close, remember to take advantage of year-end giving opportunities. Your financial contributions and donations help us continue to transform lives across the Mid-South.

SUPPORTING EDUCTION

Memphis Goodwill sponsors The Excel Center for Adult Learners, an adults only high school for those who did not achieve their diploma. It offers free tuition, free transportation, free on-site child care, and career and post-secondary education counseling. It is open to residents of Shelby County 18 years and older. Graduates receive a fully accredited Shelby County Schools diploma. Its goal is to offer adults who dropped out of high school the opportunity to achieve the education, lifecoaching, empowerment, and self-esteem to move into living-wage employment and away from public assistance. This program was created by Goodwill Industries and serves as a model school system nationwide. Although state credits provide the primary funding for the school, without considerable philanthropy the model is unsustainable. To learn more about our mission go to GoodwillMemphis.org.

Learn to Excel

1,600 + 86 %

since May 2025

of students surveyed* are employed or enrolled in college

$20 k

the average wage gains of graduates that enter the workforce after 2 years compared to all students at enrollment of students surveyed

High school dropout numbers are increasing, and our results are growing, too. At The Excel Center Memphis, operated by Goodwill Excel Center Midsouth, Inc., we offer hope to Shelby County students who dropped out of high school and now want an opportunity to earn their full diploma. We operate under contract with Memphis Shelby County Schools for area adults ages 18 and older, and we’re focused on helping our students graduate by providing:

•Free on-site child care

•Flexible scheduling

•Accelerated (8-week) terms

•Free college credits

• Industry-recognized certifications

• Free transportation

• Life coaching

GIVING GUIDE

ABOUT US

ANNUAL GIFT REVENUE: $1.5 million

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 194

ESTABLISHED: 1932

SOURCES OF FUNDING

Individuals: 88%

Corporations: 4%

Organizations: 3%

Foundations: 5%

LOCATION

1245 Madison Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104

PHONE

901.722.3250

WEBSITE

sco.edu

@sco.edu/facebook @sco.edu/twitter @linkedin.com/school/southern-college-of-optometry

As one of only 26 optometry colleges in the United States, Southern College of Optometry is proud to serve as the only optometry college in the tri-state region serving Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. SCO’s appeal, though, is more than regional; with 530 students coming to Memphis from 46 di erent states and Canada, no other optometry college in America can claim the geographic diversity that SCO represents.

Since its founding in Memphis back in 1932, the college has long enjoyed a reputation for providing its students with a strong clinical education. As a result, SCO’s graduates excel at national board scores, professional leadership, and providing the eye and vision care needs of patients across the nation. In all, more than 7,000 American optometrists received their diploma from SCO.

OUR IMPACT ON MEMPHIS

PRESIDENT

Dr. Lewis Reich

BOARD CHAIR

Dr. Mark Kapperman

BOARD MEMBERS

Dr. Allan Barker

Renee Brauns

Dr. Be y Harville Brown

Dr. Darby Chiasson

Dr. Arthur R. Dampier

Dr. Anita Davis

Vicki Farmer

Dr. Charles Glaser

Dr. Charles W. Kinnaird

Dr. James K. Kirchner

Dr. Jennifer Lyerly

Lynn Shaw, Sr.

Dr. Stuart Tasman

FACULTY

REPRESENTATIVE

Dr. Marie Bodack

STUDENT

REPRESENTATIVE

Emily Gibbons, ’27

INCLUDES:

• Providing a major boost to the Memphis economy, with a 2024 economic impact report showing that SCO’s mission results in the creation of more than 1,136 jobs, with a direct economic impact of $179 million dollars.

• Operating two clinical eyecare facilities, both of which are open to the public in Memphis.

• Each year, SCO sees more than 50,000 patients at e Eye Center on SCO’s campus, and at the college’s FocalPoint location on the second level of Crosstown Concourse.

• Aiding the education of optometry students, these patient care facilities serve a dual purpose by meeting the vision care needs of a large segment of the Memphis population.

• Caring for school children throughout Shelby County, SCO’s school screening program helps identify and treat vision problems in children at an early age, in turn improving academic performance once sight has been corrected.

SCO is finalizing a campus master plan as well as working to identify funding opportunities to strengthen the college’s stature as a national leader in optometric education. Longer term, the college intends to enhance its campus facilities, improve safety, and work to sustain SCO’s presence into its second century of training optometrists from across the nation.

A majority of SCO’s employees supports an annual campaign to fund college programs. SCO’s Development Team also engages alumni, ophthalmic industry partners, and other donors to secure funding in support of student scholarships and other initiatives.

At the community level, donors may support SCO’s “I Care for Kids” children’s vision program. is program provides vision care to children who could not otherwise afford services. Supporters may use Kroger Community Awards to designate SCO as a charity of choice.

Tennessee’s Optometry College

SCO’s 530 students come to Memphis from 46 states and Canada, the most geographic representation of any optometry college in the country.

Red Sauce

Steven Burns feels right at home at Cocozza East.

BY BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN

Many years ago, I thought I wanted to be a chef, and so I went off to culinary school in Charleston, South Carolina. But after a year, I decided it just wasn’t for me. I didn’t want to do that for a living, but I did love the restaurant business, so I guess I weaseled my way into becoming a bartender.”

e road to becoming a bartender was a long and winding one for Steven Burns, who got his start in the food trade as a server at Corky’s BBQ in New Orleans, of all places.

“I needed a job and saw that they had an opening” he says. “I thought, well, I’m from Memphis so they have to hire me — and they did.” at was in the 1990s, after Burns had

graduated from French Camp Academy in Mississippi and spent a couple of years attending classes at Ole Miss and the University of Memphis. Corky’s turned out to be a good fit, so much so that it brought him back to his hometown.

“I came back to Memphis and opened a Corky’s in Cordova,” Burns says. “ en I worked at Coletta’s on Appling Road for

a few years, which is where I started bartending. en I went to Jim’s Place East for another five or six years, and followed that up with a stint at Ya Ya’s in Germantown. Finally, I moved to the Half Shell, and I was there for 15 years, from 2010 to 2025.”

Deni and Patrick Reilly opened the Majestic Grille on South Main Street in 2005 and the first Cocozza location, in Harbor Town, in 2020. Cocozza East opened in June of this year.

Fifteen years is a long time to work at a single place in the restaurant business, but it was a good match for Burns.

“ e Half Shell is such a Memphis staple, I thought, ‘ is is it. is is where I want to be.’ I liked the bar’s feel, the neighborhood, everything they were doing. It was a great 15 years, but I eventually wanted to move more into the management side, and Cocozza was opening a new store and looking for a bar manager.”

e change has been a very good one, says Burns. Owners Deni and Patrick Reilly opened the Majestic Grille on South Main Street in 2005 and the first Cocozza location, in Harbor Town, in 2020. Cocozza East opened in June of this year.

“Deni and Patrick are building a culture of family out here,” says Burns. “ ey want us to be a neighborhood joint. We want people to walk in and become familiar faces. We offer really good food and service, and it’s a nice, comfortable place to get pasta and a glass of wine. We’re not overdone. Like our slogan says, we want Cocozza to be ‘the red sauce joint of your dreams.’”

Burns seems very much at home behind the small bar near the entrance of his new joint. “I love making drinks and talking

to people and seeing them having a good time,” he says. “I like to get to know new people, maybe crack a couple jokes. … I have some really bad ones,” he admits.

I’m tempted to ask Burns to tell me one, but decide discretion is probably called for, and turn the conversation to, well, booze.

“Our ‘Tequila Spritz’ is really popular,” Burns says. “We make it with lime, fresh mint, St. Germain, which is an elderberry liqueur, Prosecco, club soda, and tequila, of course.”

“ at sounds great, but this is for our November issue, so what about something for a cold, dark Memphis evening?” I ask.

“I’d suggest our ‘Sour Cherry Negroni,’” says Burns, not missing a beat. “It’s one of our signature drinks, made with sour cherry gin, sweet vermouth, and Cappelletti, which is a kind of a bitter aperitif. We serve it with a Luxardo cherry, instead of the traditional orange wedge. It’s got a nice tart flavor and a really good balance. It’s our play on a traditional Negroni. Would you like to try one?”

“Sure. Sounds like a winner.”

After a couple of minutes, Burns sets the drink on the simple Formica bar top. It’s pretty — a lush, deep-red concoction resting in a shiny coupe glass. At first sip, you notice the slightly thick texture with hints of sour cherry and a pleasant light bitterness. en you notice how it warms the innards as you savor it.

Maybe this is the red sauce of my dreams, I think. Nah. But there’s no doubt that this ruby cocktail would be a good drink to savor by a crackling fireplace. Or with a plate of pasta at the casual little bar at Cocozza East that’s managed by Steven Burns. Tell him you want the red sauce.

Cocozza East, 919 S. Yates Rd.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN

Steven Burns with a “Sour Cherry Negroni.”

MCOCOZZA 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, $-$$

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, $$-$$$

FELICIA SUZANNE’S—Elevated down-home farmhouse food, using locally sourced ingredients, served in an atmoshere of classic Southern charm. 383 S. Main. 623-7883. L, D, $$$-$$$$.

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

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, $-$$

Mateo Gonzales, server/bartender, Porch & Parlor Prime Steakhouse in Overton Square

emphis Magazine offers this curated restaurant listing as a service to our readers. Broken down alphabetically by neighborhoods, this directory does not list every restaurant in town. It does, however, include the magazine’s “Top 50” choices of must-try restaurants in Memphis, a group that is updated every August. Establishments open less than a year are not eligible for “Top 50” but are noted as “New.” 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. 730-7650. 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, $-$$

city’s community

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, $-$$$

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, $$

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, $-$$

GOOD FORTUNE CO.—Authentic handcrafted noodles, ramen, and dumplings. 361 S. Main. 561-306-4711. 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). 853-6005; 2965 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 373-9111; 730 S. Mendenhall. 767-2323; 505 Highway 70 W., Mason, TN. 901-294-2028. L, D, MRA, $

DINING SYMBOLS

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, $-$$$

HIVE BAGEL & DELI Bagels, bagels, and more bagels at this new downtown deli offering baked goods, sandwiches, and salads. Closed Mon./Tue. 276 S. Front St. 509-2946. B, L, $

HU. ROOF—Rooftop cocktail bar 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 location temporarily closed for repairs; offering Sunday pop-ups at HARD TIMES DELI. 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. 5275337. 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 bar-food 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, $-$$$

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, $

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, $

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, $-$$

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, $

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, $-$$

COOPER’S—“A charming experience for all ages,“ with po-boys, wraps, wings, fettucini. 959 S. Cooper. 343-0103. 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, $

FAWN—Seasonal, tapas-style dishes (don’t miss the sourdough bread and butter) in a chic setting. Closed Mon. 937 Cooper St. 310-4890. D, SB, $$

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 with Happy Glaze Donuts. 1853 Madison. 272-FINO; 7781 Farmington Blvd. (Germantown). B, L, D, $

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). 7543885; 77 S. Second (downtown). 527-2700; 2130 W. Poplar (Collierville). 854-4455; 7090 Malco Blvd. (Southaven). 662-349-7097; 7825 Winchester. 624-8911; 4872 Poplar. 682-7729; 7677 Farmington Blvd. (Germantown). 318-3030; 8570 Highway 51 N. (Millington). 873-5025. L, D, 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, $-$$$

THE JUICE JOINT—Locally owned purveyor of cold-pressed juices, smoothies, açai bowls, and snacks. 1350 Concourse Ave. 572-1127; 3139 Poplar Ave. (East Memphis). 207-2535. B, L, $-$$

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM—Serves such Southern cuisine as po’boys, shrimp and grits, and wood-fired pizzas. 2119 Madison. 2075097. L, D, WB, MRA, $-$$

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

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). 7532218; 797 W. Poplar (Collierville). 861-7800; 5627 Getwell (Southaven). 662-536-1364. L, D, $-$$

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, $-$$$

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, $-$$

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, $-$$.

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, $-$$

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

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, $$-$$$

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. 761-9898. 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 bonafide Memphis institution. 4818 Summer. 685-6857; 5848 Winchester. 365-4992. L, D, $

LOTUS—Authentic Vietnamese-Asian fare, including lemon-grass chicken and shrimp, egg rolls, Pho soup, and spicy Vietnamese vermicelli. 4970 Summer. 682-1151. D, $

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, $ 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, $

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, $-$$

CHUKIS TACOS 2—Traditional homestyle Mexican recipes. 3445 Poplar Ave., Suite 1. 888-4139. B, L, D, $-$$

CIAO BELLA—Among the Italian and Greek specialties are lasagna, seafood pasta, gourmet pizzas, and vegetarian options. 5101 Sanderlin Ave. 205-2500. D, 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, $-$$ THE CRAZY COOP—Plenty of hot wings and sauces, plus sandwiches and other dinner plates. 1315 Ridgeway Rd. 748-5325; 7199 Stage Rd. (Bartlett). 433-9212. L, D, $-$$

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, $

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, $

This new six-part documentary explores how America's founding turned the world upside-down.

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, $

TJ MULLIGAN’S—Cold drinks, comfort food, and plenty of live entertainment. 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, $-$$

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, $-$$

Sunday, November 16, at 7 PM

Parts 2-6 air Monday through Friday, November 17-21, at 7 PM

Livestream or watch after broadcast premiere on the PBS App or at pbs.org.

Corporate funding for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by Bank of America. Major funding was provided by The Better Angels Society and its members Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with the Crimson Lion Foundation; and the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Major funding was also provided by David M. Rubenstein; The Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation; Lilly Endowment Inc.; and the following Better Angels Society members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt; Stephen A. Schwarzman; and Kenneth C. Griffin with Griffin Catalyst. Additional support for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by: The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations; The Pew Charitable Trusts; Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling; Park Foundation; and the following Better Angels Society members: Gilchrist and Amy Berg; Perry and Donna Golkin; The Michelson Foundation; Jacqueline B. Mars; Kissick Family Foundation; Diane and Hal Brierley; John H. N. Fisher and Jennifer Caldwell; John and Catherine Debs; The Fullerton Family Charitable Fund; Philip I. Kent; Gail Elden; Deborah and Jon Dawson; David and Susan Kreisman; The McCloskey Family Charitable Trust; Becky and Jim Morgan; Carol and Ned Spieker; Mark A. Tracy; and Paul and Shelley Whyte. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was made possible, in part, with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

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. 509-2405; 875 W. Poplar Ave., Suite 6 (Collierville). 221-7488; 8253 Highway 51 North, Suite 103 (Millington). 8720849; 4130 Elvis Presley Blvd (Whitehaven) 791-4726; 5224 Airline Rd., Suite 107 (Arlington). 209-0349. L, D, $-$$

WOMAN’S EXCHANGE TEA ROOM—Chicken-salad plate, beef tenderloin, soups-and-sandwiches, vegetable plates, and homemade desserts are specialties. Closed Sat.-Sun. 88 Racine. 327-5681. L, $

CORDOVA

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

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

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, $ 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. 6237986. 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, $-$$

Despite federal funding elimination, WKNO remains strong because of viewers like you. End the year with a gift that keeps this trusted public media station strong. Make new or additional donation today at wkno.org, or scan the QR code:

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, MRA, $$$

GERMANTOWN

BLUE HONEY BISTRO—Entrees at this upscale eatery include brown butter scallops served with Mississippi blue rice and herbcrusted beef tenderloin with vegetables and truffle butter. Closed Sun. 9155 Poplar, Suite 17. 552-3041. D, $-$$$

FIRST WATCH—Fresh, made-to-order breakfast, brunch, and lunch creations. 7810 Poplar. 665-5590. B, WB, L, $-$$

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, $$-$$$

MR. P’S WINGS—Casual eatery featuring hot wings, burgers, fried fish, and other American food. 2075 Exeter Rd., Suite 35. 587-6777. 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, $

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, $-$$$

COLLIERVILLE

BELLY ACRES—Upscale burger restaurant, featuring creative combos such as the Cowboy (fried onion strings, pickled jalapeños, and BBQ saucer, or the Hot Pow with pepper jack and spinach. 3660 S. Houston Levee Rd. 209-0168; 6130 Poplar (Memphis) 707-7638. L, D, $-$$

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, $-$$ 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, $-$$

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

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

BRENDALAY GRILLE—Wide variety of steaks, flatbreads, pasta, soups, sandwiches. Favorites: Brendalay BBQ Shrimp and Cajun Rosemary Shrimp. 6259 Quintard St., Arlington. 317-6998. L, D, SB, $$$$

KITCHEN TABLE—“Crafted comfort food that makes you feel right at home.” Steaks, seafood, catfish, chicken, chops, soups, salad, even hand-spun 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). 662-4704497. 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). 662-536-3762. L, D, $-$$

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

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 on Court Square in a charming small town, offering Angus steaks, catfish, BBQ brisket. Closed Mon./Tue. 201 N. Main St. (Bolivar, TN). 731-403-3474. L, D, $$-$$$

SNACKBAR—An intriguing mix of “French Bistro with North Mississippi Cafe.” Serving a confit duck Croque Monsieur, watermelon-cucumber chaat, pan-fried quail, plus a daily plate special and a raw bar. 721 N. Lamar (Oxford, MS). 662-236-6363. D, $-$$$

TEKILA MODERN MEXICAN—Modern interpretations of classic dishes from all over Mexico. 6343 Getwell Rd. (Southaven, MS). 662-510-5734. B, L, D, $-$$

WALK-ON’S SPORTS BISTREAUX. Cajun classics: fried alligator, pepperjack boudin, shrimp, gumbo, along with unique specialties. 2715 Snowden Lane, Southaven. 662-870-8379. 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). 870655-0222. L, D, WB, $-$$$

CASINO TABLES

Silver Griz

BY FRANK MURTAUGH

IAn NBA team — and the culture it celebrates — marks a special milestone.

consider myself blessed to have family in several corners of the United States: Vermont, Seattle, New Orleans, and Hawaii. Whenever I visit any of these distinctive regions, one topic invariably comes up: the Memphis Grizzlies. Considering I live a short drive from the second-most visited home in the country, our NBA team being the ice-breaker of choice over Elvis Presley is rather significant. As the Grizzlies celebrate their silver anniversary in the Bluff City, it’s worth noting that we Memphians are as Beale Street Blue as our professional basketball team.

In September 1992 — my rookie “season” with Memphis Magazine — we devoted a cover story to the city’s pursuit of an NFL franchise. e issue included a comprehensive list of reasons Memphis was a perfect fit for the league’s 29th or 30th team, and copies were sent to the NFL commissioner’s office. Alas, today you can cheer on the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars on fall Sundays, and the former Houston Oilers play in Nashville as the Tennessee Titans. But Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium remains a college-only facility. (Go Tigers!) It felt like the best and last chance for Memphis to gain big-league status.

en Michael Heisley came along. In 2001, the owner of the Vancouver Grizzlies identified Memphis as a better location for his six-year-old franchise to grow, a more attractive region for his team to be fully embraced. (Yes, the promise of a new arena made three seasons in e Pyramid palatable for the move.) In what initially felt like an overnight love affair, a new marriage was announced between Memphis and — can it be? — the National Basketball Association. Honey, we are big-league.

Over the 24 seasons since the Grizzlies’ arrival, the culture of Memphis has changed, if not quite transformed. While the blues, barbecue, and yes, Elvis, re-

main Mid-South touchstones treasured the world over, “Grit and Grind” are three words virtually every Memphian identifies with a basketball team that has yet to reach the NBA Finals. ree of the “core four” players who took the Grizzlies to the Western Conference final in 2013 — Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, and Tony Allen — now have their jersey numbers hanging from the rafters at FedExForum. (Mike Conley will certainly join them when his playing career ends.) Public murals featuring Ja Morant — to date, the most electrifying player in franchise history — can be found in multiple parts of the city. Two former coaches — Hubie Brown and Lionel Hollins — have already been inducted into the Memphis Sports Hall of Fame.

And we’ve been paying attention. Our June 2015 cover story celebrated the culture of Grizzlies basketball. Shara Clark mentioned a favorite t-shirt she spotted one game night: “God-Family-Grizzlies.” Here in the American South, that’s Biblical stuff. Not once, but twice we’ve named a Grizzly player or players our Memphian of the Year (Gasol in 2015 and the entire team in 2022).

In early May 2013, I was in line at a local computer store to purchase a laptop for my high school-bound daughter. And in walked Allen, “the Grindfather” himself. e Grizzlies had just eliminated the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the NBA playoffs on their way to the franchise’s deepest run to date. Wearing no media credential, I was able to approach Allen, amid his small entourage, and congratulate him for the series victory. “I appreciate you,” he replied, with that slight, slanted smile Grizzly fans adore to this day. And then the six-time All-Defensive Team guard got in line behind me for computer service.

Maybe that’s where the Grizzlies have made their deepest impact on Memphis. ey — the players, coaches, and much of the front office — feel as much of us as representing us. It’s a “We are them” vibe. And this includes rocky seasons, and rocky headlines. Players have found themselves in legal hot water (Allen is one of them). ere is citywide hand-sweating over the possibility of the franchise leaving Memphis if it doesn’t receive the kind of arena renovations a half-billion dollars might buy. And yes, we’d really like to see the NBA Finals played a block from Beale Street. e Grizzlies have won precisely one playoff series over the last ten years.

I’ve walked the streets of New Orleans recently, current home to one of my daughters. It’s an NBA city, sure, but it’s an NFL culture that pervades, the Saints’ iconic fleur-de-lis visible on every block, commercial or residential. Here in Memphis for a quarter-century, now, a grizzly bear is, somehow, the most celebrated animal, symbol, and idea. And what’s more valuable in this age of division and cross-culture clash? We are, indeed, the Memphis Grizzlies. We have the grind marks to prove it.

Ja Morant

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