Memphis Magazine - October 2020

2020 RACE FOR THE CURE | HABITATS CARMEON HAMILTON | STAGE ANN MARIE HALL | PAGES SHEREE RENÉE THOMAS Memphis • THE CITY MAGAZINE • W W W.MEMPHISMAGAZINE.COM

T H E C I T Y M A G A Z I N E | VOL XLV NO 6 | O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0

THE PHILOSOPHER PRESIDENT

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A Leader in the Battle Against Coronavirus in Tennessee

As the state’s public academic health care institution, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is at the forefront in times of public health crisis.

uthsc.edu/coronavirus

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COVER PHOTO BY ANDREA MORALES

V O L X LV N O 6 | O CT OBE R 2020

24 UP FRONT 10 I N T H E B E G I N N I N G ~ b y a n n a t r a v e r s e f o g l e 12 I N T R O S P E C T I V E ~ b y a p r i l ( s k y y ) b l a i r 14 C I T Y B E A T ~ b y c a r l a m c d o n a l d & j o n w . s p a r k s

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FEATURES 16 Living in the Moment

The stagecraft of consummate actor Ann Marie Hall. ~

24 The Philosopher President

Marjorie Hass leads Rhodes College through a most unusual year. ~

30

30

b y j o n w. s pa r k s

b y a n n a t r av e r s e f o g l e

HABITATS

The Importance of Living Beautifully

Designer Carmeon Hamilton creates a comfortable, stylish space for her family. ~

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COMMUNITY SERVICE

Leading by Serving

The Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis marks 25 transformative years.

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by c h r i s m c c oy

~ by e r i ca h o r t o n

LOCAL TREASURES

Desiree Robinson

For the owner of one of the city’s most popular barbecue joints, it’s a family affair. ~

b y m at t h e w j . h a r r i s

82 P A G E S

Sherree Renée Thomas

A conversation with the Memphis author, poet, and editor. ~

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by j e s s e dav i s

ASK VANCE

Stockyards Hotel

Our history expert solves local mysteries of who, what, when, where, why, and why not. ~ by va n c e

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16 Memphis (ISSN 1622-820x) is published monthly for $18 per year by Contemporary Media, Inc., P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101 © 2020. Telephone: 901-521-9000. For subscription info, please call 901-521-9000. Subscription customer service mailing address is Memphis magazine, P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101. All rights reserved. • Periodicals Postage Paid at Memphis, TN. Postmasters: send address changes to Memphis, P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101.

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Number 36

One hundred years ago, Tennessee played a key role in enfranchising women. ~

SPECIAL SECTION 49 R A C E F O R T H E

by pau l a f. c a s e y

CURE

OC T OBER 2020 • MEMPHISMAGA ZINE.COM • 7

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Memphis THE CI T Y M AGAZI N E

General Excellence Grand Award Winner City and Regional Magazine Association 2007, 2008, 2010, 2014

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CEO AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF anna traverse fogle

STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE SINCE 1950

EXECUTIVE EDITOR michael finger MANAGING EDITOR frank murtaugh

Memphis Magazine’s

SENIOR EDITORS shara clark, jon w. sparks

FACE

CONTRIBUTORS april (skyy) blair, paula f. casey,

THE 2020

ASSOCIATE EDITOR samuel x. cicci

jesse davis, alex greene, erica horton,

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chris mccoy

ORIENTAL RUGS

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT matthew j. harris CALENDAR EDITOR julie ray

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CREATIVE DIRECTOR brian groppe PRODUCTION OPERATIONS DIRECTOR margie neal ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR christopher myers GRAPHIC DESIGNER bryan rollins PHOTOGRAPHERS brandon dill, michael donahue,

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B E G I N N I N G | BY ANNA TR AVERSE FOGLE

The Burdens and Brilliance of Women in 2020

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mind-bendingly mean year for nearly everyone, 2020 has inflicted particular damage on women, as well as on non-binary and transgender people. I do find reason, thanks to the strength in women everywhere, for hope, hard-won but real. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — may her memory be a blessing and a guide — said, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.” Little by slow, we come closer to a world where women are no longer the exception.

Here are the stakes: Domestic abuse and leadership in the age of covid-19. After violence have risen around the globe during noting that it’s “overly simplistic” to ascribe certain leadership styles to certain genders the covid-19 crisis, as in other pandemics before it, with disproportionate harm to — I agree — she suggested that women women and girls. Reporting intimate-part- and non-binary people in leadership roles ner violence, difficult under any circum- are by necessity more consciously aware stances, is that much tougher when a victim of choosing their own pragmatic blends of is confined to a home shared with her abuser. traditionally ‘male’ traits, like decisiveness, Access to sexual and reproductive health- and traditionally ‘female’ traits, like empathy. care has contracted; unsafe abortions and Much of the activism defining and clarteen pregnancies both tend to rise during ifying our cultural landscape has been pandemics. The journal Nature reports imagined by women, and Black women in that a family-planning organization, Ma- particular; the Black Lives Matter moverie Stopes International, expects 2.7 million ment was founded, in 2013, by Black womextra unsafe abortions to occur this year en Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal than average. Meanwhile, the UN Popula- Tometi. Their work set in motion a shift tion Fund anticipates up to 7 million un- that has seen, in 2020, public support of anticipated pregnancies globally in 2020. Black Lives Matter surge. A June 2020 Pew In some places, new mothers have faced Research Center poll found that 67 perwith labor and delivery solo, when hospi- cent of Americans support the movement. tals’ covid-19 policies dictate no one may Plus. There’s an election on. By the time accompany the patient. While pregnant, many readers peruse our next issue, conthen once home with a new baby, new ceivably this country will have elected a mothers’ standard support systems have woman as its next Vice President, for the been discombobulated by the pandemic. first time ever. Also conceivably, we could Workers have lost jobs on a staggering, be mired in a court battle or god knows what generation-defining scale, and again, wom- else. What we know for sure is that women’s en are affected disproportionately. Many of votes will be critical in determining the electhe first-to-vanish positions were those held tion’s outcome. Women vote at consistently by more women: jobs in the gig economy; higher rates than their male counterparts, in retail, restaurant, and hospitality organi- typically about four percentage points highzations; in childcare; in the travel industry. er. We’ve only been allowed to vote for 100 When schools shifted to virtual learning years; maybe we’re making up for lost time. and kitchen tables became classrooms, the (Early voting in Tennessee opens October burden of childcare, already heavier for moth- 14 and runs through October 29. Whether ers on average, grew crushing for some. Many you vote early, absentee, or on Election Day, responsible, involved fathers shoulder this November 3, please make a plan today for how burden alongside their partners or co-par- you’ll vote, and commit to following through. ents, or on their own. I’m married to a man Tennessee residents can find most informaof this variety, as it happens: He isn’t alone tion you might need at govotetn.com.) in this respect, but neither is he the norm.

This issue of Memphis includes the stoThe hardships of this moment — this end- ries of an array of dynamic local women. less string of moments: pandemic, social reck- You’ll read about the distinguishing work oning, economic fragmentation, the western they do, the growth they facilitate, and edge of the country on fire — can feel over- the beauty they create. These stories are whelming. But they don’t tell the full story. joined by a common theme: finding hope Women-led countries have seen mark- and possibility in a time of great pain, and edly better outcomes during the pandem- I hope you find inspiration in these pages.

I do. There’s not any one synonym for the ic, and it doesn’t seem to be a statistical anomaly. In an interview for this month’s word hope, and there’s no substitute for cover story, I asked Marjorie Hass, pres- the thing itself. Hope bolsters us as we ident of Rhodes College, about how she face the mess before us, and guides us as understands the phenomenon of women’s we create a better, kinder world ahead.

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I N T RO S PE C T I V E

My Year of Yes

Too many people miss out on life because of fear.

BY APRIL (SKYY) BLAIR

October 24, 2019

I

waited for the elevator to return me to the first floor of Minglewood Hall. We had taken over the top floor, turning it into our production offices for the pilot shoot. People were everywhere, but I was typically locked away with my showrunner, TV-writing veteran Sara Finney-Johnson, who created hit shows like Moesha and The Parkers. We were making changes to the script that would be filming the very next day. In rooms nearby were my producers, director, and AD going over final shot-list changes.

Casting had called more extras for the next day; wardrobe were busy hashing out fashion details. The leading ladies were getting their makeup and hair tests while everyone was awaiting the imminent arrival of the BET executives.

This would be their first time visiting Memphis, and I didn’t have time to be nervous. We still had to get the script right. But as I waited for the elevator, the floor was rather silent. It was almost time for the official table read, and it couldn’t start without me.

I made my way out of the elevator and walked into the 1884 Lounge. We had sectioned off the area near the stage and made a giant circular table. All around it were the cast of CURVES, the pilot that we were shooting, the pilot that I wrote. No matter if you had a big part or one line, you were at the table. On one end were four chairs set aside for the BET execs. On the other end were five more place cards: Sara Ragosgi – Producer, Melissa Jones – Director, Deniese Davis – Executive Producer, Sara Finney Johnson – Showrunner, and Skyy Blair – Supervising Producer/Writer. I looked at the card with my name on it and the script sitting in front, then pulled my phone out and snapped a photo. I never wanted to forget that moment.

As the BET execs made their way to their seats, I looked around the room. Behind the table were some of the crew and friends who were invited to watch the table read.

We wanted to see what jokes worked so the audience was key. Deniese started to speak about the reason we were there, for a table read of the TV pilot, CURVES, written by Skyy. Everyone in the room began to clap. I nervously smiled, still not used to the love and praise. When she asked me to speak, I didn’t know what to say. Up until then I had been in “Go” mode, trying to juggle my full-time job, getting off work and coming straight into the office to work on the script. But in this moment, with my cast, crew, friends, and executives looking at me, I became overwhelmed.

I said, “Thank you all for being a part of my show,” and then it hit me. My voice trembled and cracked.

This was happening. All my hard work.

All the years of rewrites. And all because I decided to say YES. wo years earlier I had picked up Shonda Rhimes’ book Year of Yes. I purchased the book when it came out but never made time to read it. But on that day, something told me to start. Shonda talked about doing what she called a “year of yes.” During that year she promised herself that she would say yes to things she would normally say no to. That included events that she normally declined and things she normally wouldn’t try. I listened to the book in one day and immediately decided that I would do my own “year of yes.” My main goal would be stepping out of my comfort zone. This led me to the American Black Film Festival (ABFF). For years I had followed this event, always saying that I would go the following year. But something kept stopping me. So my first official act in my year of yes was to purchase my pass for the festival. I felt a newfound sense of accomplishment just clicking the ‘buy’ button. I was invigorated, ready to say yes more.

For the last few years I had been working on a TV pilot, aiming to create a Sex

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY SKYY BLAIR

T

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and the City but for plus-sized women who looked like me. I shared the idea with my mentor, Craig Brewer, who told me it was a great idea. I had gone back and forth with the script, writing and rewriting. I didn’t know what I was going to do with it, but I was happy with the most recent draft. I figured I would hold onto it a little longer, just in case it wasn’t ready.

A few months before ABFF there was an announcement about a new contest, called the BET/Color Creative Script to Screen Competition. I was familiar with both BET and Color Creative, which is Issa Rae’s production company. I read over the guidelines and while I thought that I could enter, I wasn’t really sure if I should. The last thing I wanted was to get turned down

by Issa Rae. But the contest wouldn’t let me ignore it. Everywhere I looked I would see articles about Issa Rae, BET, and even ABFF. The deadline was approaching, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that my pilot wasn’t ready. But then I heard Shonda’s voice saying, “Year of Yes.” Here I was, doing what I always did, talking myself out of something because of fear. That was completely against my “Year of Yes.” I pulled out my computer, gave my script one more look, and submitted it.

I didn’t expect to hear anything. I honestly thought there was no way an untrained novice like myself would advance to the semi-finals. I knew my pilot was different and fresh, but was the writing good enough? I kept waiting for the rejection email, but I made it as far as the quarter-finals, then the semi-finals, and finally learned that I was one of three finalists and that BET was now covering all my expenses to ABFF in Miami, the year that I finally said yes to attending.

Everything felt surreal. I was still going to ABFF, but now not just as a spectator. BET and Color Creative pulled out all the stops.

We had VIP access to events, panels, and star-studded parties. BET set up a private mentoring session for us to talk to professionals, from Karen Gist, the showrunner of the hit Fox show Star, to Connie Orlando, then BET’s head of programming. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, in walks the one and only Issa Rae, a person I had admired since the moment I found Awkward Black Girl on YouTube. Sitting at the table having lunch with all these incredible people, Rae started to discuss our shows. She talked

I was the first winner of the BET/ Color Creative Script to Screen Competition.

A

nd now, two years later, I sat at the table crying in front of my entire cast and crew. It all came rushing back to me in that moment: All the self-doubt that almost stopped me from entering the contest to begin with. The nights of sitting at my friend’s house waiting on the emails to find out if I was going to the next round. The first trip where BET flew me to LA when I first met Sara Finney-Johnson.

And all the pre-production work, learning all aspects of television production. The next day we started four long days of filming CURVES on the streets of Memphis, the city that made me, the city where Issa Rae championed for me to be able to film, even though Atlanta would have been more lucrative. My pilot was employing locals, even if it was for a short while, and those locals were also mostly black, brown, and women. All of this happened because I said yes.

To this day I try to follow the theory of yes. Saying yes to things that pull me out of my comfort zone. So many people miss out on life because of fear — fear of the unknown, fear of failure. What would happen if you took the chance and said yes to things you would normally refuse? It could open you to new experiences and ideas.

2020, this insane year of the coronavirus, has opened my eyes even more. As I walked on set for the first time, as I watched actors I now call friends becoming the characters that I wrote, and as I walked into Memphis locations I’ve known with my entire life now transformed to the visions I wrote, I realized the challenge is totally worth the reward.

All it took was a YES.

So many people miss out on life because of fear — fear of the unknown, fear of failure. What would happen if you took the chance and said yes to things you would normally refuse? about CURVES, giving details of my script. I knew I had to be dreaming because I never thought she was actually going to read my work. In fact, all these professionals had read our works and gave up their time to be there with us. I knew that weekend could never be topped; surely there was no way I was going to win. I was just happy to be “in the room where it happened.”

They didn’t pick a winner then. Instead, those of us in the running were entered into an executive bootcamp. For months they treated us like anyone else creating a show.

We got notes from Color Creative and BET. We made changes to our scripts. And finally they said they would notify the winner by calling each of us personally. I was coming up on the end of my “Year of Yes” and within that year I went from a girl trying to write to a finalist in a nationwide contest with thousands of entrees. All because I said yes.

The day of the winner announcement I sat in my room alone. It was the same room I stayed all the time when I was trying to avoid the world. I thought it offered me everything I needed, but now, I wanted more. My fellow finalists were incredible and seemed so much more advanced. I had my “Thank you for helping me thus far” speech all ready for the call.

My phone rang and a number from Los Angeles appeared on the screen. Deniese Davis of Color Creative and Daniel Stitt of BET were both on the phone to tell me the news:

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C I T Y

B E AT

Gifts Galore

Carla McDonald makes another bravura performance as the genius behind the lens.

BY JON W. SPARKS

P

hotography became a serious pursuit for McDonald about five years ago and in no time she showed how adept she is at seeing art and beauty.

It should be no surprise. Before her immersion into photography, McDonald ruled local stages as a belter of songs, a talented actress, and a comic presence with perfect timing. The resident company member at Playhouse on the Square played “an Amazon arch-nemesis,” a “heartless bathroom attendant,” and a “demure Sunday school teacher.” She was Evita, Little Edie, and Mrs. Hannigan. She delivered “knife-edged smiles,” “lanky good looks,” and “delicious evil.” Several Ostranders prove it. And she was one of the Bouffants, the campy girl group made up of huge wigs, micro-miniskirts, scads of glitter, and big voices.

But divas do what they wish, and McDonald decided to pivot. Now she’s mastered lighting and mood and f-stops. And as she knew how to make her characters come alive on stage, she now breathes brilliant life into her subjects through the lens.

To see more of Carla’s work, go to carlamcdonald.com

Singer/actor Alexis Grace dancing under a bare lightbulb in the stairwell of B.B. King’s on Beale Street.

Memphis Symphony Orchestra assistant conductor Kalena Bovell leading the orchestra at the Orpheum.

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Living in the Moment The stagecraft of consummate actor Ann Marie Hall.

BY JON W. SPARKS

T

o the surprise of no one, Ann Marie Hall was named this year’s recipient of the Ostranders’ Eugart Yerian Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing a local theater person who seems to be in everything, everywhere.

And if you’ve attended even just a few local productions over the years, you’re very likely to have seen her or enjoyed something she’s directed. She calls herself the “consummate community actor,” and it would be futile to argue since she’s been on stages all over town for comedies, dramas, and even musicals although she’s not, by her admission, a singer.

I

f that doesn’t sound like fun, you’d be mistaken. Being on the stage is in Hall’s blood and she gives it her all. (She says: “Anybody who tells you it’s not about ego, they’re lying. It’s ego. It’s all about ego.”) In fact, she’s been at it since the eighth grade at St. Paul Catholic School in Whitehaven. “It seemed like I was always getting in trouble for acting out and I spent a lot of time at the principal’s office,” she says. “I was probably talking too much and doing my impersonation of something I saw on television the night before. And the teacher would just point down the hall and I’d say, ‘I know, I know, I’m going.’”

One year, a teacher decided to put on a play that was a version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. “I got myself in there playing the witch who was being used by the evil stepmother to get her vengeance on Snow White,” she says. “It was a very silly role and I got to do very silly things. One of them, I had to wear a bald-head mask. So when they bring the heart of Snow White in, I’d put it in my cauldron and say it was going to grow my hair back. And when I stuck my head in there, I’d switch to another bald mask with pigtails on it because it was really a pig’s heart — they couldn’t really kill Snow White! That got me hooked because I realized I

P H O TO G

R A P H S CO

U R TE SY

from left: Ann Marie Hall in Hay Fever (Playhouse 1977), All Summer Long with Michael Cherry (Germantown Community Theatre 1978), and her 60th birthday party. bottom right: Hall directed Kim Justis and Jenny Odle Madden in Parallel Lives at Theatre Memphis in 2000.

She is not one to agonize over a role; she just goes after it with zeal. But her view of the craft is crystallized in her approach to a one-woman play she took on in 1994. It was The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, Lily Tomlin’s 1970s-era solo show, and twoand-a-half hours of solid, unremitting stage work.

It involved Hall becoming some 14 different characters. “And you just play it,” she says. “You just play it that way by yourself.” Wardrobe consists of one outfit, so no costume changes, and there’s a nearly bare set. “Right off the bat, we knew the cast parties were gonna suck,” she cracks. “They even asked if I wanted somebody backstage to help. The intermissions were intolerable — I’d take a minute, and then go to the bathroom, and then I’d have a drink of water. And then we still had two more minutes and I was, oh man, I’ve got to get my energy out there.”

So she had only herself — solo on stage, solo backstage. “I would stand there every night and I’d think, just take the first step when that light comes on. Put your foot out there and do it. It’s a ride, just go for that ride, just get on it. And when you’re on it, like my acting teacher told me, you live in that moment. You can’t let those words come out of your mouth and think, ‘Oh, I just said that wrong,’ because you’re going to miss the next thing. And if you think about the next thing, you’re not going to think about where you are at the moment.

I just live in that moment and just trust that all of the work has got you there so that when you start speaking, the right things are going to come out. Because if you mess up, there’s no one to pull you out.”

R IE H A LL

A R T S

A NN M A

PE R FO R M I N G

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could be really silly and people would laugh at me — and I wouldn’t get in trouble.”

She knew then what her path was. Hall does serious dramatic roles, but she insists that if you give her a choice, she’ll do a comedy. “I want to have fun,” she says. “I want to hear people laugh.”

Her plan was to spend a couple of years at then-Memphis State University doing theater.

And then she’d be off to UCLA to become a movie star. Instead, still lacking 12 hours for her bachelor of fine arts degree in theater, she moved to Atlanta for more stage work. But a year or so later she was back, finished her degree, and pressed on.

Hall’s time at Memphis State was something of a golden age. “I went to school right after Memphis State was put on the map for doing Hair. Keith Kennedy had produced the musical there and I came right on the tail end of that. I was there with Gloria Baxter and I was 17 years old.” Her first show at Memphis State was The Good Woman of Setzuan by Bertolt Brecht, what Hall calls a baptism by fire.

“Even then I thought, I like doing this,” she says. “This is fun.”

For a while she was thinking how this was the life for her and if she could just make a living at it, it would all be good. While trying to figure out how to do that, she returned to Atlanta to visit some friends who were busy auditioning, and she found herself with them in a bar buying everybody drinks. “I was making $75 a week selling Elvis Presley postcards in Memphis,” she says. “And I realized I had more fun doing a job where I just make some money and then I get to do theater when I feel like it.”

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ll her efforts to go elsewhere were doomed. She never made it to UCLA; she went to New York, and came back. She kept getting work in Memphis, not only on stage but in commercials and videos and voiceovers.

She became, dare we say, a local institution.

And she is no longer selling Elvis postcards.

To get the job that would subsidize her passion, Hall did make another trip to Atlanta for a few months to get paralegal training, “in which they cram 43 years of law school in your head for four months.” When she went to work at a law firm, the age of desktop computers was dawning and she was intrigued. “I went, ‘Oh, I know how these work.’ And this is how I’ve done it all my life: Let’s see how this works. So I learned how to use computers and software and all that and then later went to work doing that at the University of Memphis.”

A theater person as an IT geek? Yeah, yeah, Hall gets that all the time.

“It’s great work for a theater person,” she insists. “I tell them that all the time and they say, but you do this acting stuff. And I say, yes, but actors are great. You want to hire actors because we’re resilient and imaginative and can figure ways to make things work. And we

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Ann Marie Hall: “Put your foot out there and do it.

It’s a ride, just get on that ride, just go for it.”

she says wryly, “but I get a lot of vacation and leave time working for the state.” It’s turned out to be the right blend.

In the late 1990s, she met the actress Erin Gray (Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Silver Spoons) while shooting Woman’s Story in Memphis and Arkansas. She told Gray about her life, then working full-time at a law firm, being in the film, and also working on a play, catching naps between scene rehearsals.

Gray told her, “You’ve got this house, this good job, you’re doing the theater, you’re doing this film. You’ve got a great life.” And I said, “Yeah, I get to do the things I love to do and I don’t have to worry about it. I’m not living in New York and beating the stones trying to get by.”

A

nd what was true then is true now.

Hall has directed and appeared in dozens of productions. One of the notables is the musical Side Show, which she directed at continued on page

23

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY ANN MARIE HALL

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can actually communicate to people. So if you work in IT and you do that, you’re ahead of the game. They just look at me funny.”

Troubleshooting tech has other advantages for the theater person. “You give me software and something I can learn, and I can show people how to do it and I can find the intricacies of the problem trying to fix it,” Hall says. “It’s the same thing as directing a show.

I take the show apart and put everything in a spreadsheet about who’s playing what roles and where I want them to go. Everything is logistics to me. And that works both sides of my brain. And then when I act I just get to be silly.”

Another important reason she left the law firm and went to the U of M: time to pursue her passion. “Law firms are kind of stodgy,”

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Theatre Memphis in 2017. It’s based on the story of Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined twins who became famous stage performers in the 1930s, and Hall was drawn to it for its “deeper meaning of the idea about being yourself and being recognized because it has the whole freak show aspect to it.” Hall says she was surrounded by excellence, from Gia Welch and Dani Chaum as the young sisters to Jack Yates’ set wizardry to Jeremy Fisher’s lighting. “It was a joy,” she says.

In fact, Hall doesn’t have much room for phobias or neuroses that some actors have been known to grapple with. Not even that special anxiety known as stage fright.

“I just believed that I could fly!”

— Ann Marie Hall “I don’t really have it,” she says. “I’m not afraid to talk in front of people. I’m not a musical person, so I’m not a singer, and I think that probably would make me more nervous than anything. But fortunately, whenever anybody asks me to sing, it’s in something like Nunsense.

It’s stupid and I can make it funny.”

But there is this thing about heights. “A little fear of heights,” she allows. That came into play in 2018 when she starred in the title role of For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday, an updated version of the Peter Pan story. (She is quick to point out that she played older than she actually is.)

It required her to hook up to the cable and take flight, as Peter Pans always do. “I decided that it’s about trust and I trusted the people that were pulling me up in the air and hauling me about,” she says. “And once I got up and was flying, it was the best thing in the world.

I made a point of not looking down, but looking out and seeing that audience. And I just believed that I could fly.”

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he 2020 Ostranders were virtual, as has been the case with so much in our lives this year. Normally Hall would have gotten up on the stage of the Orpheum and cracked jokes and thanked people. This year, though, she videotaped her speech lounging in her pool, cracking jokes and thanking people. And wearing a couple of hats in the process. She is very fond of hats.

What is she looking forward to when the pandemic passes and some semblance of normal returns? Acting in Lifespan of a Fact and directing Urinetown are on her agenda.

“But I’m not one of these people that has like this bucket list of, ‘Oh, one day I must play Lady Macbeth!’” she says. “I’m really good about people coming to me and asking what I think about this or that. And I go, ‘Oh, that sounds good. Yeah, let’s do that.’”

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THE PHILOSOPHER PRESIDENT

Dr. Marjorie Hass PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREA MORALES

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Marjorie Hass leads Rhodes College through a most unusual year.

BY ANNA TRAVERSE FOGLE

T

he gates leading to Rhodes College’s campus have been pulled shut and locked. Only one entrance

remains open for faculty and staff use; the parking lots are dotted with a few stray cars. Old oak trees, their generous shade dappling the light and cooling the air, outnumber the people. Since springtime, the Rhodes campus has been as much idea as place: like Ithaca for Ulysses, a space in the memory that its community longs to return to, knowing they’ll be changed by the journey back.

On March 11, 2020, when only one covid-19 case had been detected in Memphis (as of this writing, Memphis has been home to nearly 30,000 cases), Dr. Marjorie Hass, president of the college since July 2017, announced to the Rhodes community that the remainder of the spring semester would not be conducted on campus. Instead of returning from Spring Break, students would need to remove their belongings from their dorm rooms and scatter to wherever they called home. Reflecting values that she and her covid-19 incident team considered in arriving at the difficult decision, Hass wrote, “We are deeply committed to maintaining the excellent teaching and learning standards at Rhodes College and addressing this unprecedented situation as equitably as possible.”

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By the time Rhodes converted its spring semester to virtual, remote learning — one of the first colleges in this region to do so — that incident team had been monitoring the pandemic for two months. Over Zoom, Hass tells me that when she and her team first became aware of the pandemic, in mid-January, they had a sense that the novel coronavirus would be a concern for their community members abroad. “Even though Rhodes is located here in Memphis,” she points out, “we’re a global operation in that we have students and faculty always studying in all parts of the world, and we recruit globally.”

In mid-March — Spring Break — numerous American cities were reporting outbreaks resulting from community transmission. Rhodes students having dispersed for the week, Hass says that for her and her team, “the question became, ‘Can we in good conscience bring them back here?’” Would it be safe for the students, for faculty, for staff, for the broader community? What would the school do if — or more accurately,

when — the virus hitched a ride back to campus in a student’s breath?

“We sat down to talk about it, and the first answer was sort of — well, we couldn’t imagine not continuing.

We’re a college; it’s what we do! But I asked our team to do some tabletop exercises,” Hass recalls. She asked of them to “sit down and say, ‘We’ve spoken with the health department and we have a case on campus.

There will be no way to avoid that. What will we do?’

As soon as they began the tabletop exercise that was designed to play out step-by-step what would happen — who would we call? Who would we notify? How would we manage a quarantine? — we very quickly realized we would be in over our heads.”

By the summer, when the college needed to make a decision about its fall semester, Rhodes had entered into a partnership with Baptist Memorial Health Care to manage the virus on a residential campus. There would be preventive measures, symptom monitoring, regular testing, contact tracing, and care for the sick.

PHOTO BY MARY GUNNING, COURTESY RHODES COLLEGE

The Rhodes College campus.

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to my desk, there are so many people who are on hold and can’t move forward until I make that call.” She asks herself what details and context she needs in order to make a good, wise decision. If she struggles with a decision, she works through why she’s experiencing intellectual or emotional friction.

“If I find myself having trouble, why am I having trouble making a decision? Sometimes it’s because I don’t have enough information,” she says. “And sometimes I recognize it’s hard to make a decision because you’re choosing between two bad options. In this case, the ever waste a crisis.” That’s what Mardecisions college presidents are making — there’s no happy option. Shutting down the campus that you love jorie Hass told me over hot tea on a September and that you have devoted your life and morning last year. She had reached out while this magazine was in the early days your career to serving is heartbreaking.

“Our students are of a maelstrom. Memphis had printed a I had enough information if I paid attencover image that many took to be insensition to it, but this was about choosing figuring things out and tive and offensive, raising questions about between two heartbreaking options. paving the way. I think our organizational values and processes.

You recognize why it’s painful — and we are going to learn a We did not set out to cause harm — yet you have to make the decision.” that was the cover’s effect. When I saw Rhodes’ announcements about the lot from them.”

Hass’ name in my inbox, I half-expected spring semester going virtual, and then to read a note about how disappointed the fall semester, too, were among the she was by me, by the magazine, by all of it. I took sefirst such public announcements in the South. Her riously the anger many people expressed, but after a approach is proactive by design. But Hass is quick to time, anger burns off, like fire on an oil slick, while clarify that the decisions she’s made at Rhodes are the ones she feels are right for this particular college and disappointment adheres and internalizes.

Instead, she expressed empathy for what I was facing its particular community, not what she thinks could as a leader and particularly as a woman leader, care for or should be translated to other colleges, other comhow the heaps of public scorn were affecting me as a munities. “Everybody is making decisions in their own human, and advice: to be courageous, to be bold, and context,” she says. She counts herself fortunate that she to use this moment of disruption — this crisis — for good. She did not excuse our organizational crisis, but rather helped me to reframe it as an inflection point. I’ve kept that advice — never waste a crisis — at the fore of my mind and heart since. Crises can be clarifying, if we allow them.

In a release issued by the college on June 24th, Dr. Stephen Threlkeld, medical director of Baptist’s infectious disease prevention program, said, “This is a wonderful opportunity to help one of the country’s finest institutions welcome students, faculty and staff back to campus safely.” But again, Hass says, she had a sense that she and her team needed to “sit down today and look at how this will actually play out — to try in real time to imagine the scenarios.” The decision, this time, was simpler. Heartbreaking, but simple.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREA MORALES

H

ass is a philosopher by training, and it shows in her handling of the role of college president. She taught philosophy for over a decade at Muhlenberg College, in Pennsylvania, where she also directed the Center for Ethics, and holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in philosophy from the University of Illinois – Champaign-Urbana.

Listening to Hass explain her thought processes, I can tell she distills her words carefully; she is measured, deliberate. She speaks in paragraphs.

“I’ve spent a lot of time in my career thinking about decision-making,” she tells me. There are, she says, two core elements to the art of decision-making. “One is what you pay attention to. The other is how and when you make decisions when they’re yours to make.” Plenty of the decisions that need making at Rhodes are not Hass’ to make. “We have a great team, wonderful people, perfectly capable of making decisions,” after all, she says.

By the time a situation requiring a decision arrives in the office of the president, it’s likely to be mission-critical. Once the thing in question is on her desk, “the ability to make a decision carefully, thoughtfully, and with all due speed is essential. By the time it gets

President Marjorie Hass

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need only make decisions for Rhodes. And, she says, movement — watching women lead because they’ve “I want to make it very clear that I don’t judge other been called to lead, not because necessarily they’ve presidents or other leadership teams.” been handed the title.”

Holding certain principles like guiding stars helps I ask what she makes of the reports about woman-led keep her thinking consistent and the organization on countries, and what it means to her to be a woman course. From the start of the pandemic, Hass says, she leader facing these questions, making these tough calls. and her team made a point to set forth their values both “It’s overly simplistic,” she responds, “to say, ‘Women internally and publicly. In their first meeting, she says, lead this way, men lead that way, people who are out“We sat down and said, ‘Okay, we’re goside of the gender binary lead this way.’ ing to have difficult decisions. What are But I do think there are different kinds “I’ve been very fortunate of expectations around women. Women the principles we’re going to use?’” These turned out to be prioritizing health and who rise to leadership positions often to be at institutions safety, first and foremost; maintaining have to be particularly skilled, often have — Rhodes absolutely a commitment to equity and diversity; to combine the best of what we think of maintaining academic excellence; and as women’s traits, like warmth and the among them — that maintaining the excellence of faculty ability to build community, with what we embrace who I am as a and staff. think of as the best of male traits, to lead whole person.”

Not everyone in the Rhodes commuand to be decisive. That combination, I nity greeted the school’s decisions with think, comes as a great help.” The combining of traits — picking the best and warmth and respect, at least at the start.

“When you’re in pain,” she says, as many were in the most useful characteristics from across the spectrum early days of the pandemic, “it’s natural to reach out — makes for a stronger amalgam, and stronger leaders. with criticism, to have your first thought be, ‘Couldn’t And it’s not just women who can make conscious decithey have done something else?’” As the months have sions about what to include from their leadership styles, gone on and the situation has evolved, even those who and what to leave aside. Women can embody a conscious objected at first have come to respect the choices Hass amalgam of traits, says Hass, but so too “there are men who can embody it, and there are certainly people outhad made. While they still may not agree with her choices, she says, “Many of them sent me notes and said side the gender binary who can embody it.” She’s just they respect the way we did this.” finished a book, coming out next summer from Johns Hopkins University Press, called A Leadership Guide for ver the summer, a flurry of articles Women in Higher Education. The book is a summation of was published remarking on the fact that counher mentoring work and workshops. Which is to say, tries led by women seemed to be faring better with she’s given these topics quite a bit of thought. the coronavirus. From Angela Merkel in Germany and For Hass, and seems a central word and idea. Her Sanna Marin in Finland to Jacinda Ardern in New Zealeadership style isn’t about leaving parts of herself at land and Tsai Ing-Wen in Taiwan, women-led countries the door, but rather inviting all of herself in. This and that. She says she shows up on the Rhodes campus as controlled their outbreaks more proactively than malea “Jewish woman, as a mother, as a wife, as somebody led countries of similar size and structure.

According to a New York Times article published with spiritual beliefs, as somebody who believes in May 15, 2020, Amanda Taub writes that while we should building community. And that isn’t seen as diminishing “resist drawing conclusions about women leaders from my capacities as a leader. I’ve been very fortunate to be a few exceptional individuals acting in exceptional at institutions — Rhodes absolutely among them — circumstances, … experts say that the women’s sucthat embrace who I am as a whole person.” cess may still offer valuable lessons about what can help countries weather not just this crisis, but others hat in your own life, I ask Hass, in in the future.” your background, have you drawn on for wisdom Writing in the Harvard Business Review on June during these difficult months? “This is a moment where 26, 2020, Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic and Avivah you have to draw on everything,” she answers. When Wittenberg-Cox likewise note the complications in she had just been named Rhodes president, Hass was didrawing sweeping conclusions from limited data — but agnosed with breast cancer. She responded with action go on, “Could this be the moment … to replace our old, and honesty, drawing on every resource at her disposal. obsolete leadership archetypes with more pragmatic She’s trained in philosophy, guided by her Jewish faith and meritocratic models?” and spirituality, supported by a team whose caliber she Hass has noticed that people — both within and mentions several times in our conversation, strengthwithout the defined Rhodes community — are hungry ened by her family. (Hass’ husband, Dr. Lawrence Hass, for what she calls “visible leadership.” In her view, “the is a sleight-of-hand magician and former philosophy gulf of guidance in how to respond to this pandemic professor himself, They are the parents of two adult — the gulf at the federal level, the gulf in other areas children, Cameron and Jessica.) “Making such existential decisions for your institution,” she observes, “takes — has left people very much at sea.” Women, meana great deal of energy and a great deal of humility.” while, she believes are “very good at seeing a gap and stepping in to fill it. We’re seeing that both in terms of She listens to wisdom from Rhodes’ most senior trustthe pandemic and in terms of the Black Lives Matter ees, and she listens to wisdom from the housekeepers

O

W

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who clean the college’s facilities. “You have to draw on everything” — and everyone. Because she and her team identified equity as a key value when this process began, she says, “we were not tempted to make decisions that would protect the health of one group of our community, but expose others to greater risk.” Instead, they have chosen to think holistically — considering the perspectives of housekeepers, students, faculty, staff, trustees, everyone.

I ask, what gives you hope? What about this strange and difficult year has been energizing rather than exhausting?

“Our students,” she says, “are figuring things out and paving the way. I think we’re all going to learn a lot from them.” They are sussing out in real time, thanks to the conversion to remote learning, what it means to emerge into adulthood without the trappings of independence and adulthood usually afforded college students. How do you find your newly independent self when your introduction to college takes place at a computer screen in your childhood bedroom?

She’s keenly aware of what’s lost when instruction shifts away from the classroom. As a philosopher, Hass has studied phenomenology, and understands that “the being-with, physically, is part of how we know things.

There are huge pieces of knowledge and information that aren’t available to us in this [virtual] format, no matter how hard we try.”

What else gives her hope? “Every time I see a person wearing a mask,” she says. Mask-wearing is, she goes on, a choice that we make out of concern for our neighbors, for our community. When we see others wearing masks, we know that they have made a choice to protect us.

Despite all the social distancing and mask-wearing, there’s a sense of fellow feeling in members of a community taking steps to protect each other.

At Rhodes, Hass says she is inspired by “how deeply everyone that has a role to play has stepped up to the plate. … Our team has been working every day [over the summer]. Our students who are in leadership roles, our whole community has stepped forward and said, ‘We recognize this is a moment for Rhodes College, and we’re going to be here for it.’”

We are confronting multiple pandemics in 2020: covid-19, and also deep-seated racism that badly needs rooting out, not to mention employment and economic crises. Hass has said that much is determined by what we choose to pay attention to, and she points out that, in 2020, we are using our collective energy not to distract ourselves from difficulty, but to devote time to conversations with others and with ourselves about race and racism. It’s painful, she says, and “as a white woman, it’s called for a lot of personal self-reflection, reflection on behalf of my community and of Rhodes. But it’s also inspiring, and it’s filled me with a sense of hope and possibility for the future that is often challenging at this moment to find.”

That piece of advice Hass loaned me last year floats to the surface of my mind: Never waste a crisis.

T

he iron gates will open again, someday.

Each week, Hass and her team speak with

public-health experts to hone their sense of where Rhodes stands in terms of being able to move back to campus, creak open the gates, give the oak trees some company. First-year students have been told that they may receive an invitation to spend time on campus later this fall, though academic learning will remain remote; this would give incoming students a chance, at least, to feel what it is to wake up and go about their days in some semblance of the way they might have imagined college, pre-pandemic.

For now, Hass is focusing on gratitude — for her health and the health of her family, for work that she finds fulfilling, for the unexpected opportunity to spend time in one place. Most semesters, her work requires her to spend a lot of nights on the road. She finds a certain luxury now in waking up in her own bed, eating breakfast at her own table, and sharing space with her husband, who also travels frequently in non-covid times. Now, she’s grounded, and finding the experience grounding.

“Not every single moment of every day,” she says, “but certainly in moments every day, the overwhelming feeling I have is gratitude.”

President Marjorie Hass with her husband, Dr. Lawrence Hass.

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H A B I TAT S

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN PICKLE

TH E N C E R TA O P I M O F

G N I V L I

L L Y U F T I U A B E Designer Carmeon Hamilton creates a comfortable, stylish space for her family.

BY CHRIS McCOY

The wall of windows in the great room is what sold the Cordova home to Carmeon Hamilton. The wide bar serves as her workspace, and, during the pandemic, has been her son Davin’s schoolroom.

Hamilton took the photograph which graces the far wall. (right) Hamilton is a designer, an Instagram influencer, and lifestyle blogger.

S he may be one of the most

sought-after designers in the Mid-South, but Carmeon Hamilton didn’t set out to have a career creating unique interior spaces.

“I actually didn’t recognize it in myself,” she says.

Her life path became clear while attending the University of Central Arkansas at Conway. “I went to school for physical therapy,” she says. “When I became a resident assistant, I got my own dorm room for the first time — you know, you typically have to share.”

For the first time in her life, Hamilton was free to decorate her space to her liking. To her surprise, it was a

hit with her fellow RA. “My now-best friend Denise recognized it then.

She was just surprised at what I could do with four cinder-block walls and a little wood twin bed. So it was actually her who suggested that I check out [the school’s] interior design department. I did, and I changed my major the next day.”

While at UCA, she also met her now-husband, Marcus, who inspired her to start writing — another fateful decision.

“I started my blog talking about my relationship with my then-boyfriend, now my husband, because

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(above) Ample natural light floods the dining room.

Hamilton bought the painting above the table at The Find Designer Home Outlet in Memphis. She patterned the walls herself.

we had moved away,” she recalls.

“That’s how I stay connected with friends from college and people I follow. They read my blog.”

Cohesive Randomness, the blog Hamilton began in 2011, is still going strong at carmeonhamilton. com. Over time, the content would evolve from purely personal stories about post-collegiate life into something that reflected her wide-ranging interests in living spaces.

“I got my first apartment, and we started to decorate it,” she says.

“I had to come up with creative ways to get what I wanted when I couldn’t afford things. So it grew into a DIY home interiors blog. And that’s what it’s been pretty much ever since. Every now and then, I’ll

still talk about lifestyle stuff.”

In the social-media age, Hamilton gravitated towards Instagram (@carmeon.hamilton), where her playful but comfortable style quickly gained her followers. “It was almost inevitable since I had been blogging and sharing for so long,” she says. “A lot of brands are really focusing on influencer advertising.”

In 2018, she got her first sponsorship. Now she works with national brands such as Grove Collaborative, Mrs. Meyers, and Home Depot. When the pandemic hit, her existing online audience meant she was well-positioned to help people spice up their spaces. She started offering virtual client services on March 10th. “Things exploded from

there,” she says. “I was booked through the end of the year by June.”

It’s not just her clients who are taking notice of Hamilton’s work. She has been featured in Southern Living, and last month, Architectural Digest named her as one of nine rising stars in the design world.

Hamilton says the pandemic lockdown forced everyone to take a closer look at their lives. “My workload increased dramatically with everyone being at home and wanting to improve their spaces,” she says. “A lot of people have realized that they have neglected their homes for a really long time. Most people have just been able to avoid it — you don’t want to be at home, so you leave. You can travel, or you can spend the day shopping, so you don’t really

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pay attention to your surroundings, because you’re not there all day.

But now that people are at home all day, they’re realizing, ‘Oh, I haven’t bought furniture in 15 years.

I haven’t painted this room ever.’

So a lot of people are just wanting to be in spaces that look better and make them feel better about being at home 24/7.”

The changes her clients are seeking “depend on their own personal stories,” she says. “Kitchens, bathrooms, living spaces, bedrooms — it varies. From what I have experienced with my own personal clients, it’s things that they’re noticing now, not necessarily things that they’ve put off for any particular reason.”

Hamilton knows the feeling her-

self. The seriousness of covid-19 was driven home to her in April, when her father, a healthcare worker who specializes in patient transport, contracted the disease. “We were among the people who were told to stay home, and we did. So, not a lot of going out in public and keeping our circle small.”

T he Cordova home Hamilton shares with Marcus, who works as a leadership development facilitator, and their son, Davin, 11, came into their lives four years ago. She says it was love at first sight. “My husband found it in a listing and reached out to our realtor to show it to us the next day. He walked in and knew it was the one. And I walked in five

minutes later and agreed.”

The 1,900-square-foot home dates from the 1970s. “My husband and I both had our list of must-haves coming from an apartment,” she says. “This one fit everything on our list. As far as spatial needs were concerned, I had several things. I didn’t want my garage on the front of the house. I didn’t realize that I wanted a ton of natural light until we found this house.”

The centerpiece of the home is the great room, where two-story windows flood the space with sunlight. On the north side a wide bar emerging from beneath the windows provides an informal focal point. For Hamilton, this is her workspace, a place to communicate

(above right) Hamilton also did the creative line work in the foyer, which is reminiscent of graffiti art. The cabinet in the foreground once held her great-grandmother’s radio. (bottom right) Artist Francis Berry, whose work hangs elsewhere in the home, painted this bathroom. (bottom center) The wallpaper in the hallway, which depicts an African savannah scene, is a new addition Hamilton added this year. The framed art on the right is the floor plan from the home’s original blueprints.

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with clients and try out new ideas and inspirations.

Since school started, it has also been her son’s virtual classroom.

After spending four years in a small apartment, this was the space that sold her on the house. “Walking into this home, with the natural light and the high ceilings, it just felt a lot more spacious,” she says. “Even though the house is not a big house, it feels big and open. Also, I’m a plant lover, if you can’t tell. So the natural light is important when it comes to taking care of my plants. Now, light is a must-have on my list if we ever look for another house.”

On the south side of the great room, a low table piled with art books and flanked by plants defines the beginning of the family room. Comfortable couches point toward the television and fireplace.

The color palette is black and white atop the rich shades of the hardwood flooring. Hamilton, who likes to work with shades of black, added white to bounce the natural light around the room. She says the color scheme is the result of a

(below) The line art motif continues in the main bedroom, although in a more subdued manner. The green headboard and matching ceiling create a relaxing atmosphere.

(bottom) Hamilton created this guest bedroom in partnership with Crate & Barrel.

The day bed is a comfortable and flexible space for reading or napping.

burst of quarantine creativity.

“We’ve been here for four years. The first three were like, ‘Oh, I changed the light fixture or I painted the bedroom.’ There was nothing major. I would rearrange our furniture all the time to freshen things up. But this year, we’ve done the most work in our house. We had this space painted because I knew I couldn’t reach it myself, with the tall ceilings. We would just put it off and put it off, and this was the year we’re like, ‘Okay, we’ve got to do this.’”

Another 2020 addition is the ornate gold-and-black wallpaper in the hallway, which depicts natural scenes from the African savannah of lionesses moving among baobab trees, known on the continent as the “Tree of Life.” In the hall is one of Hamilton’s most prized pieces, a radio cabinet that belonged to her great-grandmother.

Patterned walls are a recurring theme. In the cozy dining room, where four modernist chairs circle a dark wood dinner table, Hamilton painted the walls black and added

a handpainted pattern of horizontal and vertical white stripes. In the foyer, guests are greeted with exuberant lines that recall the work of famed New York graffiti artist Keith Haring. In the hall bathroom, across from her son’s room, the explosive line art motif continues.

Visually, the main bedroom is much calmer. Although the line art is echoed in the platform bed, the headboard is a calming green.

Adjustable smart bulbs power the

lamps on the paired bedside tables.

Double doors open to the spacious backyard. There, a concrete patio provides the setting for an inviting outdoor entertaining space. Guests can gather around a long wooden table or sit in a circle beneath solar-powered Chinese lanterns.

The latest room to get a makeover is the guest bedroom, which benefitted from Hamilton’s new partnership with Crate & Barrel. The burgundy walls set off an inviting

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white day bed, well-apportioned for a quiet read with a cup of tea or an afternoon nap. Above the day bed is art by Hamilton and her friend Chassidy Jade, whose piece depicts a woman with curly hair. “She’s a film editor and photographer, so the hair is actually film,” she says.

“She’s actually the senior editor for the NBA right now. She just moved to Florida when the season started.

She edits all the commercial sequence, and things that you see before the games come on.”

For Hamilton, her home is the purest expression of her style.

“The biggest thing is, everything I do here, it comes from what I want and what feels good — as long

as my family is okay with it,” she says. “I have carte blanche. I don’t have to consider anything beyond function, just making sure they’re comfortable sitting on it or eating at it. I get to test out what I want, or if I have a gut feeling about something, I can go for it without hesitation, because it’s ultimately my decision and I get to live with whatever the fallout is from it. So I don’t have to second-guess myself.”

In a time that is psychologically challenging for many people, Hamilton says having a well-designed space of your own is more important than ever. Her design ideal is to create synergy between comfort and style. “Ultimately, I just want people to live well, regardless of

where they are in life financially, or where they are geographically,” she says.

It’s important that the spaces she designs help their owners in “loving the way that they live, and taking those things that most people call the minutiae of life — those smaller things — and really understanding that every single element of the day, whether minor or major, really adds up to how well we live. Whether you’re eating off a paper plate or a ceramic plate, those minor moments allow us to understand that we can be grateful for the smallest things. That’s really the philosophy behind what I do — making sure my clients understand the importance of living beautifully.”

The back patio is an inviting space for outdoor entertaining.

The bunched solar lanterns from Ikea appear to be paper, but they are actually made from a durable plastic.

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S E RV I C E

Leading by Serving

The Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis marks 25 transformative years.

BY ERICA HORTON

T

his year, the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis (WFGM) had big plans for their quarter-century celebration of community impact and philanthropy. A nonprofit that serves as a “backbone organization,” WFGM’s mission is to improve the well-being of “economically vulnerable women and families annually through philanthropy and grant-making initiatives, leadership, and collaboration.”

above: Ruby Bright has served as president and CEO of the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis for more than 20 years.

Their Annual Tribute Luncheon and Symposium, a signature fundraiser that draws more than 2,000 people over the course of two days and two events, generates a large portion of their over-$2.5 million annual fund campaign. Typically, the 10-member staff, 11 trustees, and 32 board members prepare all year for the event, dedicating thousands of hours to planning, phone calls, and number crunching. Though 2020 marks the organization’s 25th anniversary, they quickly shifted that celebratory energy to serving a community hit hard by covid-19.

Ruby Bright, president and CEO of WFGM, says when the pandemic hit, she had several immediate thoughts and questions as a leader.

“We looked internally and asked, what are our obligations and commitments? How can we operate if we do not raise money for three months?” she recalls.

“The main thing was to be sure that grantee partners we supported were okay, and how do we ensure that?”

Bright notes the nonprofit arena was faced with a daunting situation, with many questions to answer, and quickly.

“We couldn’t panic,” she says. “We had to look at the state of the organization. How do we keep our relevance, and how do we continue to be a leader in addressing the needs of the community? Is the team well? Can we pivot from office to remote? How are our organizations doing? How is our community?”

Bright kept a solutions-driven attitude. Ultimately, with the support of board and trustees, WFGM staff decided to focus on addressing food insecurity, ensuring home stability, and bridging the digital divide. They reached out to long-term donors and partnered with organizations that had the resources and expertise to move forward.

Hosted in May 2020, the WFGM covid-19 Response Project featured the support of many long-term public-private partners. During the event, more than 500 families received over 1,000 household products, food, hygiene kits, and community resource packets stuffed with information on the virus, testing locations, financial literacy, domestic violence, health and wellness, and

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRANDON DILL

C O M M U N I T Y

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employment opportunities. organizations. They can tell our story and we can tell their story as well.”

Urban Strategies, Inc., a longtime WFGM partner, played a key role in the covid-19 Response Project. Eva Together, the organizations have also focused on the Mosby, a former WFGM board member and current students of the neighborhood. regional vice president at Urban Strategies Inc., says In July, WFGM distributed laptops and $100 gift they worked with the foundation to help determine cards to every senior from Booker T. Washington High the community’s most acute needs through an orgaSchool’s 2020 graduating class as part of the 38126 Digital Inclusion Plan. Within 38126, more than 55 nized assessment.

“The Women’s Foundation percent of households lack access to “This has been a journey of stepped up and provided those serthe internet or a computer. labor and love. I have had an vices to our families,” says Mosby.

Additionally, the organization “One of the biggest things for our was named a Tennessee Community opportunity to grow not only families was being able to locate Cares Grant Administrator, one of as a professional but also as an those immediate needs.” six nonprofits and the only women’s individual. My experience with The organization has ample exfoundation in the state responsible perience to inform its present effor part of the distribution of $150 WFGM elevated my ability to step forts. Back in 2004, WFGM worked million in coronavirus relief funds. up and step out even more.” in collaboration with the City of During their first annual meet— Ruby Bright, President and CEO of WFGM Memphis, Urban Strategies Inc., ing ever to be held vitually, WFGM McCormack Baron Salazar, and the Memphis Housing leadership announced $400,000 in grants distributed Authority (MHA) to secure the Choice Neighborhood in March for immediate relief during covid-19. They Implementation (CNI) grant of $30 million from the have already approved nearly $600,000 in distribuU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development tion for fiscal year 2021, and another $445,000 was al(HUD). This grant helped fund the development of ZIP located for research, responsive grant-making, and code 38126, also known as South City, a mixed-income special projects. housing community, formerly the home of the city’s last housing project, Foote Homes (now Foote Park).

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS, BIG GROWTH According to Mosby, Urban Strategies served as the or 25 years, WFGM’s mission has been to people’s lead for the CNI grant, working diligently encourage philanthropy and foster leadership with the foundation to serve 38126. “We worked with among women and support programs that enable womfamilies there to provide case-management services. en and children to reach their full potential.

In 1995, philanthropist Mertie Buckman (1904-1999) Funds from WFGM help provide services to families that HUD will not allow — for instance, childcare, gathered 10 women and invested her personal funds transportation, utilities — as well as more immediate to start a task force known as Women in Philanthropy and personal needs,” she says. “We are both data-driven (now WFGM). During the foundation’s first grant cycle

F

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREA ZUCKER

Ruby Bright (left) and Eva Mosby (right) work with a volunteer to assemble food packages for needy families.

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IT TAKES A VILLAGE … OF WOMEN

Rosemarie Fair (left) and Nisha Powers, shown here at the Children’s Museum of Memphis, currently serve as co-chairs of the WFGM board.

nder the leadership of Bright as well as vice president Shante K. Avant, the foundation has fostered relationships and partnerships across the country. In 2015, they visited the White House as part of the Women and Girls Economic Security Council.

Avant was part of the team that fostered a partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation and helped Memphis become one of seven cities to implement the Evidence2Success framework, which uses an evidence-based approach to promote healthy outcomes for children and youth in ZIP code 38126. The organization has also secured support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in recent years.

Bright says that growth did not come without vulnerability, some self-doubt, and tough conversation.

There were times where WFGM represented voices that are not often heard.

“Challenges are strong. Resources are low and raising money is tough,” Bright says. “We have gotten some no’s that were disappointing, but we don’t stop. Per one of our founding board members Dr. Rosie Phillips Davis, ‘We don’t quit, we win.’”

WFGM’s board is culturally and professionally diverse. Bright describes these women as entrepreneurs, executives, philanthropists, and friends who are a formidable force with which to reckon. in 1996, they awarded $60,000 to 18 programs. As of Rosemarie Fair and Nisha Powers serve as current 2020, the organization has an annual fund campaign board co-chairs. Both have demanding professional of more than $2.5 million. Since its inception, WFGM careers: Fair is vice president and mortgage-division has awarded more than $31 million to more than 530 head of Brighton Bank; she also founded and leads programs involving more than 115 nonprofits.

One Source Commercial, a commercial real estate Ruby Bright, president and CEO, has steered the brokerage company. Powers is president of Powers organization for 20 years now.

Hill Design, a local, small, wom“Urban Strategies served as the people’s “This has been a journey en- and minority-owned civil lead for the CNI grant. Funds from WFGM of labor and love,” she says. engineering firm.

Yet, they always have time for “I have had an opportunity to help provide services to families that HUD grow not only as a professionthe Women’s Foundation. Fair will not allow — for instance, childcare, al but also as an individual. says her lengthy involvement transportation, utilities — as well as more with the foundation has been My experience with WFGM elevated my ability to step up emotional, challenging, and immediate and personal needs.” “hugely gratifying.” She says and step out even more. Our — Eva Mosby, Regional Vice President at Urban Strategies, Inc. organization has set a model many WFGM volunteers begin for demonstrating a commitment to support a woman their journey as members of the grants committee. of color in leadership, when they didn’t have to; it has During site visits, potential partners pitch the commitallowed me to create a national and international tee on programs and initiatives for funding.

“I did that in 2005 and with Kleenex in hand, I went presence for WFGM.” Five years after inception, WFGM grew from being a to my site visits,” she says. “I was so enamored with supporting organization of the Community Foundation the work that the Women’s Foundation was doing in to securing its own office. That same year, WFGM was our community.” named Foundation for the Year by the Association of Mentored and encouraged by board member Tajuan Fundraising Professionals.

Stout Mitchell, Fair grew from volunteer to board mem“That level of momentum incentivized me to engage ber by 2010, becoming deeply involved in the grants more and more people, be bold, and really demonstrate process and eventually co-chairing events. that WFGM is a key driver to community change for Powers was introduced to WFGM through an inand by women,” Bright says. “We have gone from having vitation to the Tribute Luncheon by board member a seat at the table to hosting the table, inviting leaders Shirlee Clark-Barber. Powers also served initially on from across the country to join us, being a thought the grants committee.

She says she could not have guessed the impact on leader, and being part of change on the city, state and her own life from working with the foundation for the national level.”

By 2005, WFGM celebrated 10 years of service to the past decade. One of her first grantee partner visits was community and awarded $367,401 in grants to 21 proto the Renewal Place, which provides transitional housgrams. Five years later, for their 15th anniversary, the ing for women facing and recovering from addictions.

Annual Tribute Luncheon grew to 1,500 attendees, and She wept as she listened to the women’s stories and the by 2015 they announced the Vision 2020 Strategic Plan. work of the organization.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREA ZUCKER

U

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above: WFGM board members gathered for the 2019 annual meeting.

“It was a place that preserved family unity. They understood the basic human condition and allowed women to be with and raise their children while getting the resources they needed. It was thoughtful and loving work and it changed me forever,” she says.

Vision 2020 focuses on five key investment areas including case management, employment training, early childhood education, youth development, and financial literacy.

Over the course of four years, the organization and partners have invested $5.8 million into 38126, with VISION 2020 significant results. More than 1,431 more residents are eveloped during a board retreat and employed, 90 individuals started businesses or milaunched in 2015, the Vision 2020 Strategic Plan is cro-enterprises, and 14 residents purchased homes. an ambitious initiative to reduce poverty in ZIP code Average household income increased by 51 percent, 38126, one of the poorest areas in the city, by 5 per151 resident-support programs received funding, and cent with investment and support from more than 60 2,654 individuals benefited from special projects and partners. The 1.2-square-mile cominitiatives. More than 782 children Vision 2020 focuses on five munity is bounded by Beale Street were enrolled in early education and on the north, East and Neptune key investment areas including childhood programs, 996 caregivers Streets on the east, McLemore Blvd. case management, employment and parents engaged in early childon the south, and Second and Third hood development and parenting training, early childhood education, and 3,635 young people Streets on the west.

The neighborhood is predomiparticipated in programs supporting education, youth development, positive youth development. nantly African-American, and when and financial literacy.

Vision 2020 was launched, the area With all their accomplishments, had a population of approximately 6,000 residents.

WFGM board, trustees, and staff know there is still Poverty statistics collected at the time by the University more work to do. covid-19 has only highlighted the of Memphis Center for Research in Educational Policy work that remains. revealed that 62 percent of adults and 76 percent of chil“We are at the 25-year mark, an incredible miledren in 38126 lived at or below the poverty line, almost stone,” says Powers. “The work is like none other I’ve triple the citywide rate of 28 percent. The 2015 median witnessed as a volunteer or otherwise. I want to say, household income for South City was just $15,303.

‘More of this.’”

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREA ZUCKER

D

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LOC A L TR E A SU R ES

DESIREE ROBINSON

For the owner of one of our city’s most popular barbecue joints, it’s a family affair.

^6

by matthew j. harris

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRANDON DILL

F

or the past 20 years, Desiree Robinson has been the heart and soul of the Cozy Corner Restaurant. At 83 and “semi-retired” she is the lynchpin that keeps the family business running. Known for their slow cooked racks of ribs and immaculate service, the tiny establishment at North Parkway and Manassas has made a name for itself in a city filled with barbecue restaurants.

Desiree herself has also made waves. Earlier this year she was inducted into the American Royal’s BBQ Hall of Fame, becoming the first African-American woman inducted.

The national group, which inducts three new members a year, looks for those who “have made an outstanding impact on the world of barbecue.” The honor came as a surprise. She had never been inclined to push for any kind of recognition when it came to her work. For years she just tried to make Cozy Corner a place Memphians would love.

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“When I was 8 years old I was cooking dinner for the family. It had to be on the table at 5 o’clock Monday through Thursday. Cooking, and cooking for my family, was something that was always important for me when I was growing up.”

— Desiree Robinson

“I almost passed out,” she says. “I just couldn’t believe it, because I never thought of us as more than a great mom-andpop restaurant where people would come in and bring their children for good food. I never thought about anything like this.

It never crossed my mind. I was just amazed when they started talking about me.”

Robinson and her family moved to Memphis when she was young in search of better opportunities. “My mom said I would be going to school in Memphis,” she says. “So, I was 4 or 5 when we moved from Mississippi into the city. I pretty much grew up at 1201 Tutwiler in Memphis.”

From an early age, Desiree found herself working in the kitchen with her grandmother and mother, making family dinners. For years she would spend time perfecting her craft and try-

Cozy Corner

ing new recipes while gaining a love for cooking.

“When I was 8 years old I was cooking dinner for the family,” she says. “It had to be on the table at 5 o’clock Monday through Thursday. Cooking, and cooking for my family, was something that was always important for me when I was growing up.”

D

esiree went to Manassas High School, where she met her husband, Raymond.

The two were an instant match.

They were engaged before they left high school and moved to Denver after Raymond got a job at Martin Marietta, a building-materials firm.

The Robinsons settled down in Denver, starting a family and cooking for their co-workers and neighbors on the weekends. People would often comment on Raymond’s prowess behind the grill.

“Raymond was an awesome cook from day one,” she says.

“Early in our marriage he sat me down one day and told me, ‘I love to cook!’ I remember smiling at him and telling him, ‘Okay then, I want to keep you happy.’ I didn’t do a lot of cooking. I’m an excellent cook too, but I stepped back because he would enjoy himself so much when he was cooking.

He would plan stuff out and always be testing new recipes. We had company almost every other day because people wanted to try his food.”

It was the initial interest from friends and co-workers in Denver that led to the creation of their first restaurant, Ray’s Barbecue, in Denver. Though successful, the couple’s time in Denver was limited. Both Raymond and Desiree came from single-parent households and neither wanted their parents, who were still living in

PHOTOGRAPH BY KAREN PULFER FOCHT

LOC A L T R E A SU R ES

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LOCA L TREASURES LOC A L T R E A SU R ES

Memphis, to struggle.

“We never meant to stay in Colorado for as long as we did,” she says. “Raymond and I were both only children and we didn’t want other people taking care of our parents as they grew older. We said when we went out there we would only stay a couple of years, actually. It just so happened that I liked it very well and we were out there for eight years. When we came back to Memphis it was because both Raymond and I felt like we needed to take care of our parents. We both liked Colorado, but we knew we had to come back home.”

When the duo returned to Memphis Raymond took a job working odd jobs in the city while Desiree opted to stay home and raise their children. By the time their two children, Ray Robinson Jr. and Val Bradley, had begun high school, memories of their Denver restaurant had started to linger on their minds.

“After Colorado, Raymond had been missing the restaurant business. One day he came to me and said, ‘I want to open another restaurant.’ We both were qualified to do it. I then remember him saying, ‘One of us is going to run the restaurant and the other one is going to have to get a job.’ It was funny because prior to this he had told me that he didn’t want me to work after our kids were born.

He forgot all about them!”

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I

n 1977 Desiree and R aymond opened the Cozy Corner. Despite her involvement in the initial opening Desiree ended up taking a job at BellSouth. Through the years she would work at Cozy Corner during the weekends but largely spent her time away from the restaurant.

“By the time the restaurant opened the kids were teenagers and worked there more than I did! I went with BellSouth and worked there until I retired. I did work in the restaurant some, but for the most part, it was Raymond and the kids running the show.

The kids would leave school and go straight to Cozy Corner.”

During the first few years of Cozy Corner, the Robinsons worked with a single barbecue pit and a limited menu. At the time Raymond was also the only chef. Nonetheless, the quality of the food and service kept hungry Memphians coming back for more.

“When we first opened Raymond ended up doing all of the cooking. In hindsight, he probably wanted to do all of the cooking.

He could turn a plain meal into a fabulous meal in a minute after I put it on the table.

We played off each other really well. Even though I wasn’t in the kitchen at the time I learned from just hearing him talk about

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LOCA L TREASURES

TOP PHOTOGRAPH BY BRANDON DILL / BOTTOM PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL DONAHUE

above: Desiree enjoys spending time with her grandchildren so much that she converted a back room of the restaurant into a nursery. below: Sean Robinson presents a Cornish hen, a Cozy Corner specialty.

what he was doing.”

Raymond’s warm personality was a reason for Cozy Corner’s early success, bringing in a stream of regular customers. “I think it was good that Raymond was at the restaurant in the beginning because of his personality,” says Desiree. “He was one of the nicest people you will ever meet. We had known each other for a long time and were married for 43 years before he passed away. In all that time there was not one person who didn’t like him. He was so nice to be around. There was no one he wouldn’t talk too, and don’t you dare look discouraged.

He would talk you out of it. We were exact opposites! I learned a lot from just watch i ng him interact with others. I think it rubbed off on me over the years.”

While Desiree worked at BellSouth, Raymond kept Cozy Corner growing. They added more menu items, another barbecue pit, and survived a fire that forced

them out of their original restaurant and into a smaller location while they underwent repairs. Time and time again as challenges arose the Robinsons overcame struggles together.

W

hen Raymond died suddenly in 2001, it was a shock for the entire family. As a whole, they were devastated and his death put the future of Cozy Corner in limbo. While the family was mourning the loss, one of the first questions Desiree remembered asking the family was, “How are we going to keep the business open?”

A f ter deliberating for a few days she decided to step into Raymond’s place and run the business.

“After he died, I went full-time at Cozy Corner.

I wouldn’t have dreamed of doing it any other way.

It was fun for everybody, and the customers were so glad they didn’t know what to do.

Raymond had never met a person that didn’t

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LOC A L T R E A SU R ES

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like him, and he brought that energy to Cozy Corner every day. He was very likable, and I just wanted to keep that up.”

Desiree tried to maintain the small momand-pop feeling of the restaurant after Raymond’s death. Cozy Corner is a gathering ground for the Robinsons; four generations of the family now work in their kitchen. Her office in the back of the restaurant was converted to a nursery so that family members could still work in the restaurant with their young kids. Most of the staff in the restaurant are friends or family.

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“It’s really a family thing,” she says. “We just added another one who’s only 8 months old and we are trying to figure out how to get him in there. It’s a place where we can come together and laugh and enjoy life.”

Desiree can take credit for the continued success of Cozy Corner after Raymond’s death. She took the reins at the restaurant making sure that customers were shown the same attention and care that they had under Raymond’s ownership.

Under her leadership, Cozy Corner continued to make a name for itself in the local scene. It has won local and national awards and started making lists as a regional barbecue powerhouse. As Desiree pushed into her early 70s she helped the restaurant expand its hours from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., a move that also expanded its popularity.

Today Desiree Robinson is still a regular around Cozy Corner, but has passed much of the day-to-day business off to her grandkids.

Though retired she still makes her way down to the restaurant now and then to make sure that all of her guests feel like they are family.

“Come and eat with us,” she says, “and have the best food you’ve ever had with the best people you could ever meet.”

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRANDON DILL

Desiree Robinson says, “Come and eat with us.”

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MEMPHIS–MIDSOUTH MISSISSIPPI

2020

PHOTOGRAPH BY LZF / DREAMSTIME

RACE FOR THE CURE

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G I

S P E C I A L I S T S

F O U N D A T I O N

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The physicians and staff focus on each patient’s comfort in the onsite Baptist Memorial Healthcare Corporation GI Lab. For added convenience, choose from five satellite locations: Brighton, Collierville, Covington, Millington, and Marion. Whether you need screening or treatment, our group is passionate about providing excellent care for every patient.

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Missouri Mom Participates in Global Clinical Trial at Baptist Felicity Ray has an infectious smile and a sparkle that even metastatic breast cancer can’t dim. The wife and mom of a toddler and a Labrador named Sugar exudes joy that belies her years-long battle with breast cancer.

Ray’s breast cancer was initially diagnosed in 2006 when she was just 29 years old.

She had stage 2 hormone receptor-positive breast cancer and underwent three surgeries, chemotherapy and 35 radiation treatments. Within a year of treatment, she was declared cancer-free. But after marrying her sweetheart Brandon and being in remission for nine years, Ray’s cancer returned in 2015.

Ray got the news after visiting her doctor to discuss a happier prospect — a potential pregnancy. Before starting treatment for cancer in 2006, she’d frozen one of her ovaries in the hopes of having her own biological child one day. That day was now, she thought. But this doctor’s appointment led to a bone scan and finding out she had cancer in the sternum.

Ray began treatment at the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center on the Washington University Medical Campus in St. Louis. She simultaneously sought treatment at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, some 10 hours away from her home in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, to gain access to the latest clinical trials in case her current treatments stopped working.

This was fortuitous planning as Ray’s cancer eventually reappeared in the spring of 2019 as three nodules (or knots) along her original breast cancer scar. A biopsy in April that year found the malignant cells had mutated and were now triple-negative breast cancer.

A precautionary MRI revealed the cancer had spread to her brain. After receiving Gamma Knife® radiation treatment for the brain lesion in June, she learned the cancer had spread to her liver.

With this news, Ray began a promising clinical trial using DS-8201a, a targeted cancer medicine that delivers cytotoxic

Felicity Ray with her husband, Brandon, and Labrador, Sugar chemotherapy to cancer cells, at MD Anderson. But COVID-19 affected her travel, threatening to delay her treatment.

Fortunately, Ray found that Baptist Cancer Center in Memphis, Tennessee, a three hour drive from her home, was participating in the same global clinical trial. With the help of her nurse coordinator, Ray navigated the threeweek process of transferring her care.

Access to clinical trials has traditionally been limited to high-caliber academic research hospitals. However, in Memphis, Baptist Cancer Center has a large portfolio of leading-edge clinical trials available to patients with many different types of cancer. Baptist Cancer Center is also part of the exclusive National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP), which makes clinical trials available to people in their own communities. Through NCORP, BCC offers Mid-South residents the opportunity to participate in innovative research and receive treatments close to home throughout Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee, and in Ray’s case — Missouri.

Ray quickly transferred her care to Baptist after speaking with Dr. Philip Lammers, a cancer specialist and BCC’s medical director of clinical oncology research, whom she credits with getting her on such a trial.

“Dr. Lammers answered my call during dinnertime with his young girls in the background and agreed to take me on as a patient,” said Ray. “He assured me Baptist would do everything they could to help me.”

Ray explains that her medication, DS-8201a, is what’s known as a targeted antibody drug conjugate that carries chemotherapy to her tumor without the harshness common to traditional chemotherapy. Ray has experienced no mouth sores or regular vomiting but has had slight nausea and some hair loss. This medication has shrunk the tumors in her liver to the point that doctors only see one-third of one tumor and possibly one more, down from the six to eight she had before starting the trial.

Ray has also found that the convenience of traveling just three hours to Baptist and the accessibility of communicating directly with her physician through the Baptist OneCare MyChart patient portal has been a positive experience for her, her husband and her 3-year-old son, Brady, who was born by a surrogate in the midst of her treatments.

“I’m very fortunate I’m in the right place and — hands together, fingers crossed — pray and hope it keeps working,” said Ray.

baptistcancercenter.com

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LETTER FROM THE CEO October 2020

W

Emily in 2010

hen I joined Komen Memphis 10 years ago, a hard-working group of volunteers had already established (in 1993) a grass-roots organization to fight breast cancer and by 2010 had created the largest 5K in Tennessee, granted $6,000,000 in the Mid-South, and nearly $1,500,000 to breast cancer research. And Emily, pictured here, was a baby at her first Race for the Cure.

The next 10 years came with challenges of more competition for pink dollars, more competition from new events, more competition for time. We have had expansion and mergers, name changes, and new race locations … and now a pandemic. This has been a decade of challenges and changes.

But one thing has not changed: a group of committed individuals with a dedication to a shared mission:

Emily in 2020

OUR MISSION: Save lives by meeting the most critical needs in our communities and investing in breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer.

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY EMILY

Now, in 2020, even with unforeseen challenges, the Memphis Race for the Cure has funded nearly $11.7 million in community grants and over $3.7 million in research. And we have done that with a great team of community leaders, volunteers, generous donors, and corporate support.

This year we are racing virtual and we need your support more than ever. With the pause in mammograms, with the loss of jobs (and the resulting loss of insurance), and with the challenges of the pandemic, we know that many have delayed their healthcare.

We have active grants throughout our community so that everyone — any gender, any age, any income — can get the high-quality healthcare they need when they need it. And your support for Race for the Cure, for Susan G. Komen Memphis-MidSouth Mississippi, ensures we can continue.

I hope you will take some time and read the story of Ed Leet, our Honorary Chair and Survivor, and the messages from our Presenting Sponsors. Breast cancer affects our community harder than almost any other in the United States and while we have lots of organizations fighting breast cancer, we are the one fighting on all fronts: funding mammograms and diagnostics, treatment, education, research, and advocacy.

Emily, who has been featured in our annual issue since she was in a stroller, shares this: “With your help, we can all be the cure for breast cancer.” I believe her and I hope you do, too.

All my best, Elaine

MEMPHIS–MIDSOUTH MISSISSIPPI

2020 RACE FOR THE CURE • 5

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RACE DAY SCHEDULE Susan G. Komen Memphis-MidSouth Race for the Cure®

Virtual Race Where You Are

Race Location: Anywhere You Want to Be Race Start Time: 9:00 am with WREG and FM100

SCHEDULE

CARE EMPOWERED

BY YOU

9:00 am Facebook Live with Honorary Chair Ed Leet, Presenting Sponsors 10:00 am Announce Winners

VIRTUAL AWARDS: Top Fundraiser – Presented by HP IP

The participant with the most money raised by Race day will win this award! We will be on the lookout for the top fundraiser, no picture submission needed.

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Most Creative Race Route – Presented by Baptist Cancer Center

You can run or walk your Race route absolutely anywhere - so get creative! Snap a pic of your route and tag us when you post to social media to be entered to win.

Most Creative Finish Line – Presented by Methodist Healthcare

We are looking for the participant that makes the most creative finish line to end their Race! Snap a photo and tag us when you post to social media to be entered to win.

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It’s time to break out everything pink! The best dressed person will win this award! Snap a photo and tag us when you post to social media to be entered to win.

Go Further – Presented by Memphis Magazine

The participant that walks the most steps on Race day will win this award! Snap a pic of your step counter on the Race for the Cure app and tag us when you post to social media to be entered to win.

Social Butterfly – Presented by FM 100

The participant with the most “likes” on any Race for the Cure picture on Facebook or Instagram that we are tagged in will win the Social Butterfly Award!

Best Team T-Shirt Presented by Downtown Memphis Commission

The TEAM with the most “likes” on their Team T-Shirt in the 2020 Team Album on Facebook wins bragging rights for 2020!

6 • 2020 RACE FOR THE CURE

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Memphis Magazine’s

THE 2020

FACE OF

REPRODUCTIVE

MEDICINE

CREATING FAMILIES TOGETHER

STAFF, COMMITTEE AND BOARD Susan G. Komen Memphis-MidSouth Mississippi

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS President William Winstead Vice President Karen Sock Treasurer Kyle McGowan Secretary Gretchen Reaves Ex-Officio Elaine Hare

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8 • 2020 RACE FOR THE CURE

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Crises don’t last.

Commitment does.

It’s not about challenging times. It’s not about “new normals”. It’s about staying true to what matters most. At Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, your safety remains our top priority.

And we’re more committed than ever to your health. We will continue to do all we can to support our community and improve every life we touch. We’re here for you. Every single day.

To learn more about our services, visit methodisthealth.org.

Rajesh Kabra, MD

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A few tips to help keep breast cancer on the sidelines.

1. MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT. For some of us that ship has sailed. So if you have gained weight, then you need to make it a priority to lose it. ◗◗ Changing our diet is the quickest way to make an impact. No sugar and no flour is one option that works. ◗◗ Eat fruits and vegetables, 100% whole grain foods, and limit red meats, processed meats, and saturated and trans fats.

2. ADD EXERCISE TO YOUR ROUTINE. Physical activity not only burns calories but can help lower your risk of breast cancer. Exercise fights obesity and can lower estrogen levels. It also may boost your immune system.

◗◗ You might need to see a doctor before you start a strenuous exercise plan. ◗◗ There are little things you can do that will add some steps to your day: park farther from the store when shopping, walk around the table 10 times before you grab a snack, stand up and take a stretch and some steps every hour, and go down every aisle in the grocery store even if you don’t need anything on that aisle.

3. LIMIT ALCOHOL. There is research that shows having a glass of red wine reduces the risk of heart disease, but also many studies show that drinking alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer. The more you drink, the higher the risk. If you drink, have less than one drink a day.

4. LIMIT MENOPAUSAL HORMONES. For each year that combined estrogen plus progestin hormones are taken, the risk of breast cancer goes up. Once they are stopped, in about 5-10 years, the increased risk returns to that of a woman who has never used hormones. Menopausal hormones also increase the risk of ovarian cancer. Talk to your doctor about risks and benefits.

5. BREASTFEED IF YOU CAN.

VISIT MEMPHISMAGAZINE.COM AND SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE WEEKLY EMAIL NEWSLETTERS TODAY!

HERE IS THE MESSAGE FOR A HEALTHY YOU 1. Know your risk (family history) 2. Get screened 3. Know what is normal for you 4. Make healthy lifestyle choices. ◗◗ Another available option for us in the fight against breast cancer is genetic testing. ◗◗ Genetic testing gives people the chance to learn if their breast cancer or family history of breast cancer is due to an inherited gene mutation. ◗◗ It’s strongly recommended you speak with a genetic counselor (or other healthcare provider trained in genetic counseling) before deciding whether to be tested for BRCA1, BRCA2 or other inherited gene mutations.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY RACE FOR THE CURE

Have the latest features sent straight to your inbox.

Breastfeeding protects against breast cancer.

10 • 2020 RACE FOR THE CURE

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Not all family law attorneys are the same. The Hoffman Law and Mediation Office offers different options to our divorcing clients, all of which help them achieve satisfactory resolution. Attorney Sheree Hoffman has been practicing Family Law in Shelby County and the surrounding counties for over 36 years. Ms. Hoffman began her mediation practice in 1990 and was one of only three mediators available to divorcing couples at that time. She has since expanded her practice and expertise to include collaborative law and domestic violence mediation.

“I have watched too many families and children destroyed (financially and emotionally) by divorce litigation. Rarely are the results received in court worth the damage done. In the large majority of cases, it is just not necessary to litigate, if you get good advice from an experienced attorney who is focused on guiding the client down a more productive path.” We understand your needs and can implement creative solutions to troubleshoot and problem-solve rather than encourage more animosity.

We handle all aspects of Family and Juvenile Law. Please call Kim Wall to schedule your appointment today.

Memphis Magazine’s

THE 2020

FACE OF ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION (ADR)

Hoffman Law and Mediation Office

COMMUNITY PARTNER RESOURCES Susan G. Komen Memphis-MidSouth Mississippi Grants – Memphis Metro and North Mississippi

Alliance Healthcare System, Marshall and Benton Counties, Mississippi Mammograms, Diagnostic Services 662-252-5647

Baptist Medical Group, Memphis Breast Care Mammograms, Diagnostic Services, Treatment 901-227-8958

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Baptist Hospital DeSoto, serving North Mississippi counties Mammograms, Diagnostic Services 662-772-2140

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Methodist Healthcare Mammograms, Diagnostic services 901-275-7099

Mississippi Department of Health Mammograms, Diagnostic services 601-576-7466

Regional One Health Mammograms, Diagnostic Services 901-545-7228

Tishomingo Health Services, Tishomingo County, Mississippi Mammograms, Diagnostic Services 662-423-4044

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THE 2020

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12 • 2020 RACE FOR THE CURE

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St. George’s offers flexibility and support for parents as they consider what works best for their family. Join us for a virtual Admission Open House on October 21 or November 18 at 11:30 a.m. to learn more! RSVP at sgis.org/visit.

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Q&A

with 2020 Race for the Cure Honorary Chair Ed Leet Memphis: A set of very unfortunate circumstances led you to a possibly life-saving diagnosis. Can you walk us through when you first discovered you had breast cancer?

Ed Leet: I was doing some home improvement work and fell off a ladder and broke five ribs and punctured my lung. When I was in the hospital, they did a CT scan and came back and said, ‘Mr. Leet, you had a lump under your breast.’ When I got out of the hospital, still suffering from those broken ribs, I had the ultrasound and a mammogram and they discovered it was a Type 2 invasive ductal carcinoma. It was quite frightening, but I do think the fall actually saved my life.

How soon after the fall did you start treatment?

Eight weeks after the fall, I had a complete mastectomy of my left breast. When they found the lump I went through several appointments trying to determine what type of cancer I had, and then surgery was the best option for me. They did that eight weeks later on November 29, 2018. I then started chemo right after the turn of the year.

Ed Leet

When I was told that I had cancer back in October 2018, I knew nothing about breast cancer. I remember the nurse asked me if I had questions and I said, “You know, I really don’t know enough about breast cancer to ask. Just tell me what you know.” What she told me was that with the advancement breast cancer research has made, and the fact that I had an early detection with the type of cancer I had, there was a 95 percent survival rate. Now it took me almost nine months to realize what all that meant. And after those months of chemotherapy, when they said I was cancer-free, I started thinking back on what that nurse told me. And I’m just so thankful to those before me who sacrificed money, time, everything, to get to that point where someone like me had a 95 percent survival rate.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY ED LEET

At the time, you had to handle both severe injuries and the news of the diagnosis. How did you approach the recovery process?

14 • 2020 RACE FOR THE CURE

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THE 2020

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR

Ed Leet

CONTINUED The rate of breast cancer is significantly lower in men [1 in 888] than women [1 in 8]. What advice do you have for men going through this process — especially those who might not think it will affect them, or those afraid of a stigma around it?

I do think there is a stigma around it for some. And I think, first of all, don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid to check for lumps. Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor and just find out what it is. I knew I had a lump, but I thought it was just fatty tissue. If I hadn’t fallen, I think it could have led to a higher stage cancer. I was probably a year out from my next checkup, and breast cancer wasn’t even something that was on my radar.

So I would say, be aware that you can get it, and check all the symptoms that women have. Just be aware that you can get it.

Now cancer-free, you’re acting as the 2020 honorary chair for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

I am, and it’s such an honor to do so. I’ve been doing some other volunteer work with Susan G. Komen Memphis-MidSouth, and [CEO] Elaine Hare asked if I’d be interested. They really wanted a man to be on the front face this year, to show that cancer really can affect everyone. You know, it’s not gender-specific — it gets everybody. And hopefully my face will at least let people know that men can get it and they need to be aware of the symptoms. The number-one fundraiser for Susan G. Komen is the Race for the Cure, so I want to do my part to make sure it’s another successful year.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING THE MOVEMENT TO BETTER WOMEN’S HEALTH

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There are a lot of people in Memphis and the MidSouth who are either uninsured or underinsured.

Susan G. Komen raises money that goes directly towards helping those people so that they can get breast screenings and diagnoses. The organization is also there to help with anyone going through this process, or anyone who wants more information.

They also give the opportunity for people like me, who have battled cancer, to put their faces out there and support others going through the same thing. It’s so much more personal when you’ve been involved, so that’s what I’m here for: to get the message out and help others.

And that kind of thing is so important. When I was first starting my battle, I found an organization called the Male Breast Cancer Coalition. A family had started it when their 18-year-old son was diagnosed with breast cancer and they, at the time, were struggling to find information. And that group brought together over 300 men across the world to share their stories. I think it’s really important to have that kind of support system, and Susan G. Komen can provide that right here in Memphis.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY ED LEET

Why is it important for an organization like Susan G. Komen to be operating in Memphis?

16 • 2020 RACE FOR THE CURE

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SELLING MEMPHIS

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9/18/20 2:01 PM

Q&A

with Sharon Webb, Breast Cancer Survivor Memphis: You mentioned that you were homeless at the time of getting your initial mammogram. What was your relationship with healthcare like before your mammogram?

Sharon Webb: I didn’t really have a relationship with healthcare at all. I was homeless for nearly three years, so it wasn’t an option for me. I was able to overcome that, but healthcare still wasn’t really an option for me. It took someone coming out and reaching a hand out for me to grab before I was able to get myself checked out.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MANUELFROMMADRID / DREAMSTIME

Tell us a little bit about what the process was like. How did the mammogram screening go for you?

Your case wasn’t as simple as some others.

You were called back in for a second time.

When you went back in for more tests, what was going through your head?

I was so nervous. I did not know what was going to happen. The difference was I had been through the process before and I had people around me who were there to help me stay calm. I had my procedure done at the Baptist Women’s Hospital, and everyone there was very kind and empathetic. I think the fact that I wasn’t going through this alone made a huge difference for me.

Sharon Webb

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY BAPTIST MEMORIAL HEALTH CARE-BAPTIST MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

I didn’t think anyone was going to help me, because I was just someone living in the streets. Then I met Sandra Ferrel from Lisieux Community. She was one of the first people who came and talked with me.

When they first took me to the procedure, I was really nervous because I had never done anything like it before. I had no insurance or anything like that. But they kept telling me that it was something that could help me, and I wanted to keep myself healthy. I never would have gone if Sandra hadn’t talked to me. She gave me the courage to take care of myself and take care of my body as well. Without her, I wouldn’t have ever gotten a mammogram. I would have gone around with a spot on my breast for years without doing anything about it. Sandra and everyone at Lisieux Community are angels. They reach out to many young ladies that are trying to get help or have no one in their lives. They work to empower and mentor them. God put them in my life.

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We are dedicated to providing excellent care to all age groups.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY MANUELFROMMADRID / DREAMSTIME

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Susan G. Komen and Lisieux Community have obviously had a huge impact on your life. What is something that you love about them and how did their help change your life?

I think local and national organizations are doing a great job of reaching out to people. Some people will take the help and some will ignore it, but the thing that matters is that they are extending their love, affection, and attention to help somebody else. That’s beautiful to me. They brought me so far and honestly have changed me as a person. The little gifts and things that they gave me, I pass on to others.

The process changed me a whole lot. I’m no longer the person who needs help. I’m the one helping others now and that’s a blessing. To be able to have enough to give back to others is a great feeling.

When you think about your own experiences, what is something that you wish you could tell more women?

I wish more women would come forward because it’s so important. There are a lot of resources out there that people just don’t take advantage of. There are a lot of people and organizations that are ready and willing to help, but more people need to take advantage of them.

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2020 RACE FOR THE CURE • 19

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SPONSOR — BAPTIST Baptist and Komen Unite to Cure Breast Cancer in the Mid-South

R

ace for the Cure is a fall staple in the Mid-South.

Every October, no matter the weather, the race is held and local breast cancer survivors, their family members and friends, advocates, health care providers, and celebrities unite to raise awareness and funds for this important cause.

“Baptist Memorial Health Care has sponsored Susan G. Komen’s Race for the Cure since its early days,” says Nikki Gast, administrative director of Baptist Women’s Health Center. “Komen’s mission of providing quality breast care across ZIP codes and socioeconomic levels aligns so closely with ours,

TODD DYSON & LOUIS CLAY 866 RIDGEWAY LOOP ROAD • MEMPHIS, TN 38120 (901) 767-3600 • WWW.CLAYANDLAND.COM

and its commitment to local communities means the funds raised from our race stay right here and benefit our community.”

Since 1993, the Susan G. Komen Memphis MidSouth-Mississippi affiliate has awarded nearly $4 million in grant funds to Baptist Memorial Health Care’s breast health programs in Mississippi and Tennessee. These funds have made a difference and saved women’s lives in the Mid-South. In the metro-Memphis area alone, Baptist has used Komen grant funding to perform 1,000-plus screening mammograms, provide more than 1,000 diagnostic services, and diagnose numerous breast cancers since 2013.

“During these unprecedented times, many more families find themselves without health insurance or a steady income so they may delay essential screenings or health care,” said Gast. “But it’s more important than ever that women continue to perform their breast self-exams and be aware of what is normal breast tissue for them and make sure they are getting the screenings they need. Breast

901.833.YARD (9273) • theyardmemphis.com 1735 Thomas Road, Memphis, TN 38134 20 • 2020 RACE FOR THE CURE

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cancer does not stop — even for a pandemic.”

Under the grant, uninsured community members can receive a screening or diagnostic mammograms, biopsies, ultrasounds, treatment assistance, and even access to genetic counseling if they qualify.

To increase access to care, Baptist has a mobile mammography unit that travels to underserved communities, corporate offices, and retail locations to provide convenient access to cancer screenings.

In 15 minutes, women can be screened for cancer without taking time off from work or rearranging their schedules.

If a screening or diagnostic mammogram or ultrasound indicates further testing is needed or cancer is diagnosed, Baptist’s staff members refer patients to programs that can help with the cost of further diagnostic procedures, such as the Tennessee Breast and Cervical Screening Program or TennCare.

Baptist Medical Group physicians also receive Komen funding to provide breast cancer services and treatment for women who are uninsured, underinsured, or who do not qualify for the Tennessee Breast and Cervical Screening Program.

“I am glad that we can count on events, such as Race for the Cure, continuing despite the pandemic,” says Gast. “Thanks to the support of Susan G. Komen, Baptist Memorial Health Care Foundation and our physicians, we can continue this important fight and go beyond awareness and work to treat and eventually eradicate breast cancer.”

Go to baptistcancercenter.com to learn more about Baptist’s cancer services in the region.

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Since 2007, BrownDog Lodge has been the premier destination for the pampered pup, offering luxury boarding, grooming, and daycare in an environment designed for fun and safety. Last year, we expanded into veterinary care! BrownDog Lodge Veterinary is a full-service hospital with the BrownDog name and service you know and trust. Visit Dr. Jason Robinson and Dr. Lauren Fox at our Arlington location or let our shuttle service provide a true door-to-door experience for luxury care and comprehensive wellness! Our friendly team of pet-care professionals is waiting to offer your furry family member the very best!

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SPONSOR

Memphis Magazine’s

THE 2020

International Paper and HP Papers Go Pink!

FACE OF

COSMETIC DENTAL VENEERS

I

Miles C. Moore, DDS Creating beautiful smiles.

725 W. BROOKHAVEN CIRCLE MEMPHIS, TN 38117 901.761.2210 / BeautifulSmiles.org

nternational Paper and HP Papers are proud to Go Pink this October in support of Susan G. Komen and Race for the Cure. Each year, International Paper partners with Susan G. Komen Memphis-MidSouth Mississippi to increase awareness and raise funds for breast cancer research.

This year marks the company’s 13th year supporting the cause and being a local sponsor of the Memphis MidSouth Race for the Cure, donating $50,000 to the event. Throughout their partnership, International Paper has donated more than $750,000 to Susan G. Komen Memphis-MidSouth Mississippi.

International Paper educates employees about breast cancer and provides opportunities for support and engagement. Each October, the company holds “Pinktober” to promote breast cancer awareness, encourage employees to participate in Race for the Cure, and highlight their HP Papers Multipurpose20™ pink ribbon products.

In 2019, the HP Papers brand sponsored a variety of informative and engaging events to encourage employees to support breast cancer awareness and research and promote Race for the Cure, such as lunchand-learns and yoga classes in the office. As a result of these efforts, more than 165 employees showed their support by registering for Race for the Cure. They also organized a port-pillow sewing event where employees created and donated 150 port-pillows, which are tiny cushions that are placed over seatbelts to ease discomfort for breast cancer patients who have portacaths implanted in their chests to receive chemotherapy treatments.

With Race for the Cure going virtual this year, International Paper sees the event as an opportunity

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to spread awareness beyond its global headquarters in Memphis. The company is encouraging employees across the U.S. to join Team IPink in the virtual MemphisMidSouth Race for the Cure on October 31st, by racing from wherever they are.

“While many of us are still working remotely, this is a great opportunity for us to unite virtually for a cause we deeply believe in,” says Mandy Tenent, HP Papers brand manager.

International Paper also increases breast cancer awareness with consumers through commemorative pink ribbon packaging. Keep an eye out for the pink ribbon on reams of HP Papers Multipurpose20™ paper this fall. This paper product can be found for a limited time at Amazon, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Staples and other local retailers.

For more information about International Paper, its products, or stewardship efforts, visit internationalpaper.com.

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Have you looked at your trees lately?

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ethodist Le Bonheur Healthcare is extremely proud to partner with Susan G. Komen Memphis-MidSouth and Race for the Cure for the ninth year in a row.

“We’re honored to serve as the presenting sponsor for the 2020 Susan G. Komen Memphis-MidSouth Race for the Cure,” says Monica Wharton, MLH’s executive vice president and chief administration officer. “As the covid-19 pandemic continues to impact our community, now more than ever, it is important to continue providing breast health services.”

Locally and nationally, the covid-19 virus has disproportionately impacted people with underlying

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conditions. MLH’s partnership with Susan G. Komen helps bolster the fight against breast cancer — furthering the organization’s goal to establish outreach, advocacy, and education platforms, while also partnering with other nonprofits to provide breast health services.

Through its partnership with Susan G. Komen Memphis-MidSouth, MLH has been able to continue its commitment to reaching breast cancer patients in underserved communities in Memphis.

“MLH’s core foundation is to provide equal quality care to every member of our community,” says Wharton.

“For us, that means addressing and combating healthcare disparities, such as breast cancer mortality.

MLH has health facilities in all corners of our community to improve access to every patient who is in need.”

The hospital system credits Susan G. Komen as being the primary nonprofit it works with to help fund services like mammograms, diagnostics, ultrasounds, and public transportation to better serve these patients in need.

“So far, we’ve been able to provide almost 4,100 free screenings to women who are in need,” says Dr. Ashley Hendrix, a surgical oncologist with MLH. “With Susan G. Komen’s support, we’re working to bridge the gap in access to transportation through our mammography bus.”

Methodist Mobile Mammography features the latest mammography breast screening technology in the convenience of a mobile unit. Many women diagnosed with breast cancer show no signs or symptoms. This is why screenings are so important.

Since 2015, MLH has provided more than 9,800

24 • 2020 RACE FOR THE CURE

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mammograms through its mobile mammography unit to employees of more than 300 organizations, such as FedEx, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and International Paper. “This offers a more convenient opportunity for staff members to schedule screenings throughout their work day,” says Hendrix.

MLH offers the latest innovations in mammograms and breast cancer screening and detection technology at its Methodist Comprehensive Breast Centers in Germantown and Midtown, as well as at three other diagnostic and imaging centers in and around Memphis.

MLH’s Comprehensive Breast Center includes multiple biopsy navigators that work directly with patients to

Fundraising schedule biopsies immediately if there is an abnormal breast imaging report. The center in Germantown streamlines treatment for patients by collaborating with radiologists and surgeons — improving the time it takes from diagnosis to first treatment.

Because of these advancements in technology and medicine, Methodist has performed more than 27,000 mammograms so far this year.

“One out of eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime,” says Wharton. “But with early detection, the cure rate for breast cancer can be as high as 96 percent. So any opportunity to raise awareness of this issue and to raise funds is critical to ensuring that people within our community are getting the access to care that they need and which it is our mission to provide.”

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Ever Consider Making a Gift From Your IRA? Church Health donors 72 and older are using their retirement accounts to make gifts directly to Church Health. To learn how you can help with a gift from your retirement account, or add Church Health as a beneficiary, talk with your financial advisor or contact Brian Meyers, Church Health Planned Giving Officer, meyersb@churchhealth.org or (901) 701-2102.

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MM.IRA.OCT.20-OUTPUT.indd 1

The Official Top Doctor Directory: Empowering Patients to Choose with Confidence Methodist Mobile Mamography

Memphis Magazine’s

THE 2020

9/14/2020 8:23:49 PM

Castle Connolly, the trusted source of Top Doctors for over 25 years, is the proud partner and provider for Memphis Magazine’s Top Doctors List

www.castleconnolly.com 2020 RACE FOR THE CURE • 25

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WOMEN to WATCH CANDACE BILLINGS MSOM, LAC, FABORM

ANNA BISHOP

JESSICA CULVER APRN, FNP-C

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A Memphis native, Candace began her acupuncture and holistic medical practice after graduating with high honors from the National College of Natural Medicine. There she obtained a Master of Science in Oriental Medicine and is nationally board-certified in acupuncture and licensed by the state of Tennessee. While she is trained to treat a wide variety of conditions, she specializes in women’s health, fertility, prenatal and postpartum care, digestive and endocrine disorders, fatigue, and emotional health.

As a long-time Memphis resident, Anna Bishop is passionate about helping others love where they live and elevating the real estate experience for her clients. She is consistently ranked as a Top 5 Sales Leader for Crye-Leike.

Specializing in residential and land sells in Shelby County, she is one of the official REALTORS of the University of Memphis Tigers and was named one of Tennessee’s Top Agents by Real Trends magazine in 2018 and 2019.

Jessica graduated from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center with a Master’s in Science as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She offers comprehensive care for the whole family, offering wellness exams, physicals, problemfocused visits, school and sports physicals, and management of chronic conditions. Jessica specializes in treating and managing a wide variety of acute and chronic health conditions, but her primary focus is disease prevention and supporting the health and wellness of each person.

Sharonda Dobbins is a native Memphian and board-certified nurse practitioner. Her experience in adult health and wellness helped create her passion for the medical aesthetics and personal care industry. Sharonda began her career in cosmetic aesthetics in 2017 and prides herself in providing her clients with personalized care in an intimate and friendly environment.

This has gained her the title of Top Recommended Provider by The Best Aesthetic Injectors in America.

Sharonda’s southern hospitality, along with her extensive knowledge and skills, allows her to offer clients the best experience and life-changing results.

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SUSAN AKIL EWING

KAREN GARNER

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Susan Akil Ewing is Founder and Chief Navigator of Ewing Marketing Partners, a boutique marketing firm that helps organizations grow through practical, effective marketing strategies. Susan’s specialty is developing streamlined solutions for even the most complex marketing problems by using innovative thinking, extraordinary attention to detail, and more than two decades’ worth of experience.

Her business acumen, strategic expertise and collaborative relationships enable her to help clients build brands, increase visibility, and achieve sales growth while increasing market share.

Magnolia Homes Founder and President Karen Garner has been a staple in custom home-building in the Memphis area for over 33 years. Karen is thrilled that 2020 brought the long-awaited grand opening of Magnolia Homes‘ brand new Main Office and Design Center in Collierville!

This new space offers a redesigned home personalization experience that perfectly complements the tradition of quality and service that is the trademark of Magnolia Homes!

Karen is also very committed to serving Memphis, supporting numerous causes and actively participating as a member on the board of the Methodist Foundation.

Dawn Graeter, President and CEO of seven-branch Southern Security Federal Credit Union, has not only succeeded in the financial industry but she continues to lead a recordingbreaking team, year after year. Dawn has been with Southern Security since 2011. In that time, she has grown the credit union by 91 percent, increased the fulltime work force by 37 percent and increased overall net income by 226 percent. Dawn currently serves as Board Chairman of Confluent Strategies, Board Chairman of Hopeworks and on the Board of the Tennessee Credit Union League.

Melissa King, Chief Credit Officer, is responsible for planning, organizing and directing Southern Security’s lending services including collections, mortgage, personal, and auto loans.

King has successfully implemented several new lending platforms and products that have increased efficiency, productivity and lending services to the 20,000+ members of Southern Security.

King has been working in financial services for banks and credit unions in Memphis, for the last 20 years and is very active in the Memphis community she has served as Fundraising Chair for West Fight On as well as Rotary President for NE Shelby County.

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765 W. Poplar Ave, Collierville, TN 38017 southernsecurity.org

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WOMEN to WATCH Affiliate Broker

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2020 marks the seventh year of Amanda Lee’s ascent into the upper echelon of Realtors in the city of Memphis. She is not your typical accounting major, but her awesome personality combines well with her love for data and the results speak for themselves. In her first year as a part-time agent, she won Keller Williams’ Rookie of the Year and followed that up with their Rising Star award in year two. This year she has qualified for lifetime membership in the prestigious Multi-Million Dollar Club recognizing top Realtors in our region.

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With 46 years of service to her bank and industry, Judy Long leads a $1.8 billion community bank with 26 Tennessee locations and 330+ teammates. Judy has provided community leadership through Rotary, American Cancer Society, Leukemia Society, Life Choices, Dyersburg State Community College, and United Way. As a strong advocate for financial education, Judy spearheaded “Smart Women,” a financial literacy program to educate and empower women to feel confident making difficult financial decisions. To learn more, visit FirstCNB.com/SmartWomen.

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Dr. Nishel Patel is the new partner at Wilson Dental Care. A native of London, Dr. Patel moved to Memphis in 2008 and completed an Advanced Standing Dental Program at the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry. Since 2011, she has been practicing general dentistry in the Memphis area while also serving as an Assistant Professor at the UT College of Dentistry. Dr Patel has been featured as a “Top Dentist” in Memphis magazine and was recently awarded the ‘Jack Wells 2020 Young Dentist of the Year’ award by the Memphis Dental Society. She’s dedicated to providing dental care for those in need through community dental screening programs and the MidSouth Mission of Mercy.

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Dr. Christina T. Rosenthal, owner/CEO of Paradigm Dental Center LLC in Memphis, TN, graduated magna cum laude from the University of Memphis, earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) degree from the University of Tennessee’s College of Dentistry, and a Master’s in Public Health from Harvard University.

She’s also the founder of globally recognized, non-profit, The 516 Foundation, with its primary initiative, Determined to be a Doctor Someday, created to encourage underrepresented students to pursue careers in healthcare. Her newest endeavor is a children’s book entitled You Can Become a Doctor Too.

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The firm’s core values—Integrity, Loyalty, Trust, and Winning Attitude— influence every aspect of her work. Angie was the youngest person ever to receive the Prudential North American Relocation Services Director of the Year award. In 2018, the Memphis Chamber recognized her as a Young Memphian Honoree. In her new role as co-owner, she continues raising the bar for women in real estate.

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Real estate is an intensely personal business and no one takes it more personally than Ashley Wisch. As a Memphis native and graduate of the University of Memphis, Wisch has developed the skills necessary to thrive in the challenging real estate market.

Her boundless energy and drive allow her not only to enjoy her faith and her four children but has allowed her to rise to the top of her field. According to the National Association of Realtors, Wisch ranks in the top 1% of the country for real estate volume and has sold over 17 million in 2020 YTD. Wisch combines southern grace with her extensive knowledge and skill to ensure her clients have the best possible results.

B.J. is “an area star” committed to serving the Memphis community. Her background — Booker T. Washington High School, LeMoyne Owen college, post-graduate work at U of M — reinforced her capacity to excel, lead and overcome challenges. 30 yr. church musician, past deacon at Lindenwood Christian Church, Pres. Memphis Silver Bullet Ski Club, charter member of River City Links, Inc. MIFA volunteer, 33 yr. life member of MAAR’s MultiMillionDollar Club. She will forever provide unparalleled trust, professionalism, real estate expertise, quality service, and communication.

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WOMEN to WATCH please contact Margie Neal at: 901.521.9000 or margie@ memphismagazine.com.

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GRANTS 1993 - MARCH 2021

Susan G. Komen Memphis-MidSouth Mississippi G RANTEE TOTAL AM OU NT GRANTED Alliance Charitable Foundation Baptist Healthcare Foundation Baptist Medical Group, Memphis Breast Care Baptist Memorial Hospital Booneville Baptist Memorial Hospital Cancer Center Baptist Memorial Hospital DeSoto Baptist Memorial Hospital East/Women’s Baptist Memorial Hospital Tipton Breast Cancer Institute Carpe Diem of the Mid-South Center for Healthcare Quality Children and Family Services Christ Community Health Services Church Health Center DeSoto Health and Wellness Center Healthy You Project Julie B. Baier Foundation Memphis Cancer Foundation Memphis Center for Reproductive Health Memphis Chapter of Hadassah Memphis Health Center Memphis-MidSouth Affiliate

$ 111,816.00 $ 34,105.00 $ 134,336.00 $ 138,795.00 $ 35,400.00 $ 484,062.00 $ 3,100,796.00 $ 30,000.00 $ 30,000.00 $ 8,950.00 $ 67,500.00 $ 417,663.00 $ 399,240.00 $ 1,379,175.00 $ 130,000.00 $ 40,000.00 $ 882,918.00 $ 206,831.00 $ 750.00 $ 1,100.00 $ 77,000.00 $ 10,000.00

Methodist Healthcare Mississippi Department of Health Pink Sunday Reach for Recovery St. Andrew AME St. Francis Hospital STAARS Tennessee Men’s Health Network Tennessee Department of Health The Good Samaritan Medical Clinic The Memphis Cancer Center Regional One Health (Regional Medical Ctr at Memphis) Tipton County Commission on Aging Tishomingo Health Services Total Women Body System/Necessities Bag University of Tennessee University of TN/West Institute for Cancer Research Urban Health Education & Support Services West Tennessee Area Health Education Center Wings Cancer Foundation YWCA of Greater Memphis Total

$ 851,708.00 $ 33,593.00 $ 74,472.00 $ 5,000.00 $ 8,000.00 $ 52,800.00 $ 61,900.00 $ 8,649.00 $ 109,550.00 $ 12,905.00 $ 30,453.00 $ 1,005,460.00 $ 78,014.00 $ 8,700.00 $ 5,000.00 $ 25,500.00 $ 258,300.00 $ 283,956.00 $ 717,155.00 $ 123,082.00 $ 141,655.00 $ 11,616,289.00

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PAG E S

Sheree Renée Thomas A conversation with the Memphis author, poet, and editor.

BY JESSE DAVIS

first memory is probably hearing if not Led Zeppelin, then hearing Parliament Funk in the house.”

About “Head Static,” one of the Nine Bar Blues’ stories in which the musical motif is most readily apparent, Thomas says, “I was thinking about what it might be like if your very existence depended on the ability to experience new music. … That constant innovation that humans have in expressing themselves through rhythm and tone.” Laughing, she describes finding a world-saving song like some hidden treasure out of Raiders of the Lost Ark, adding, “I also wanted to play on the quest story.”

“Claire had spent decades foraging through black vinyl, seeking black gold, the sound, the taste of freedom,” Thomas writes in “Head Static.” For Claire, the story’s protagonist, music is a sword and a shield, a way to connect and a path to forgetting. She and Animus are immortal alien music lovers on a quest to find The Great Going Song, “the one that captured the true spirit of a world, its story, its many stories.” They work as DJs, searching for songs to sample, and driving through deserts and rain, in search of underwater pyramids and ancient melodies of the future.

WRITING ON THE BORDERS OF THE NEW WEIRD SOUTH

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his spring, Sheree R enée Thomas released Nine Bar Blues, a new collection of short stories, via Jack White’s Nashville-based Third Man Books, the literary arm of the Raconteurs and the White Stripes rocker’s Third Man Records label. Just a month or so after the release of Nine Bar Blues came the publication of The Big Book of Modern Fantasy from bigwig sci-fi editors Jeff and Ann VanderMeer. The collection includes a short story by Thomas. She is the author of Shotgun Lullabies: Poems & Stories and the editor of the critically acclaimed collections Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora and Dark Matter: Reading the Bones. Thomas was also a recipient of a 2017 Artist Fellowship from the Tennessee Arts Commission.

ME AND MY MUSIC

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usic is central to NINE B AR B LUE S . It informs the title, the prose in its lyricism, and it acts as a recurring motif that ties the collection together. The pages practically snap, crackle, and pop — like old deep-cuts vinyl on a turntable — with the sounds of the South, from country to blues to gospel to funk. And it’s in the author’s embrace of multiple genres that she stands out as a keen observer of the multihued mosaic that makes up Memphis’ culture.

“I didn’t set out initially to write a book where each story has some exploration of a genre, but I realized that was what I was doing. And for me music is such a big part of my everyday world. I was born into a family that truly, truly loves music,” Thomas says. “I think my

he eclecticism of NINE BAR B LUES makes it refreshing, especially when compared with national depictions of the South. (Remember that ridiculous and short-lived Memphis Beat show where Jason Lee played a cop whose side hustle was as an Elvis impersonator?

Yeah.) Thomas’ genius is simply in tapping into the already existing strangeness.

“I like to say that I’m writing on the borders of the New Weird South,” she explains, “which is connected to the bridge to the Old.” “So many wonderful, truly iconic American contributions have come out [of Memphis and the South] that couldn’t have come from anywhere else. It’s just this strange alchemy of our dark and bright wondrous history and the way we have related The New Weird to the geography here. Just the music in our language that comes South is a body from all of the different cultures of work that that tried to carve out a living out of the land here,” Thomas is interstitial, says. “It’s not a static thing, what combining we do here. It’s always changspeculative fiction ing and moving.”

Thomas explains that the New with a Southern Weird South is a body of work Gothic feel. that is interstitial, combining speculative fiction with a Southern Gothic feel. It’s a subset of the New South, a literary movement away from the old “moonlight and magnolias and sticky, sultry, summer nights” clichés. Instead, in embracing the full spectrum of the Southern experience, the movement explores a more authentic, wilder, and weirder landscape.

“You hear echoes, some of our greatest hits, of course, Faulkner, Walker,” Thomas says. She notes that stories in the New Weird South mode are not necessarily linear, sometimes approaching their truth in a series of concentric circles. “It takes us in a space that is not rooted in the traditional modes of storytelling. There’s more space for strangeness,” Thomas continues. “It’s almost like a Southern magical realism, or the marvelous real.”

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY SHEREE RENÉE THOMAS

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A LIFELONG LOVE OF LITERATURE

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long with references to P-Funk and magical realism, Thomas mentions a multitude of writers and books in our conversation. “I have always been a reader. My mom taught me to read early,” Thomas says. Her father was in the Air Force, so the family traveled often, before resettling in Memphis when Thomas was 7 years old. Reading was a way to make sure a young Sheree would be caught up wherever they landed next — and to ensure she had easy access to entertainment to keep her occupied.

“The house was full of books,” she remembers. Her grandparents were great storytellers, too. “They were always sharing these amazing stories from their lives, which seemed like foreign lands to me because they were so different,” she says. “I learned about these different things. I learned about tent city when they were trying to vote and got kicked off the land.”

“My parents were big science-fiction fans,” Thomas recalls. “I found my way to Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov.” She particularly liked the Bradbury stories set in small towns, with the mythical hidden everywhere between a thin veneer of the mundane. That and Bradbury’s poetic prose surely influenced the speculative fiction Thomas would go on to one day collect in magazines and write herself.

“I remember the very first time they let me get a library card. It was at the Hollywood branch of the library,” Thomas says. “They would hand me science-fiction stuff because they knew I liked the scary stuff, the strange stuff.” Formative time spent at an Air Force base in White Sands, New Mexico, driving past replicas of rockets and surrounded by snow-white sands, which Thomas describes as looking like an “alien landscape,” surely made the science-fiction genre more appealing — and lent credence to the idea that the marvelous and the mundane were separated by the thinnest of barriers.

In high school and college, Thomas attempted to turn her studies toward more practical career paths — even

considering chemistry. “The lab cured me of that,” the author laughs. But an encouraging creative nonfiction professor and a stint working at an independent bookstore helped push her to follow her passions.

“At the time I had like 15 jobs,” she explains. “I was valedictorian in high school, but I was also one of the few young women who was already a mom.” One of those jobs was at Gallery 250, a bookstore and art gallery on South Main, “which was like heaven because I was surrounded by books and art.”

There Thomas met fellow writer Jamey Hatley, a coworker who gave her an issue of Black Enterprise magazine that focused on women publishers. For Thomas, it was eye-opening. So, she says, “I made a plan. I was like, ‘I’m going to New York.’”

While in New York, she worked at Forbidden Planet, a sci-fi bookstore across from The Strand. “I did that and every job you could think of when it comes to writing in a book publishing house.” She wrote jacket copy, drafts of sales copy, reviewed books, and did proofreading and copy-editing. She was totally immersed in a world of words.

AFTER THE BLUES

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ow, though, Thomas is back in the Bluff City. “I’m back home, and I don’t think I would have written quite the same collection if I wasn’t home,” she says, suggesting that her roots in Memphis and her time away — both as a child and working in New York — gave her perspective on her hometown.

As for what’s next after Nine Bar Blues, Thomas has a packed dance card. Along with Memphis music historian extraordinaire Robert Gordon and singer-songwriter Alison Mosshart, she will host a Zoom author event from City Lights Bookstore and Third Man Books at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, October 21st.

Thomas contributed a short story to the forthcoming collection Slay: Stories of the Vampire Noire, a collection of vampire-themed stories of the African diaspora.

If that’s not enough, Thomas is co-hosting the 2021 Hugo Awards Ceremony with Malka Older, where both authors will be special Guests of Honor. And she was recently honored as a finalist for the 2020 World Fantasy Award in the “Special Award — Professional” category for her contributions to the genre.

Even looking at a partial list of the imaginative author’s accomplishments, it’s clear that she has already left a lasting mark on genre fiction. Dabbling as she does in science-fiction, fantasy, and horror, Thomas’ strength is her versatility. She embraces the idiosyncrasies of Memphis and the Delta, wraps them in the cloak of fantasy, writing with musicality that makes her prose read like myths in the making. In her fiction, other realms merge with our world, and immortal record collectors and dancing dragons hidden in crystal computer caves are as real and immediate as anything in the waking world.

Perhaps, for some other hopeful young writer, Dark Matter will, like rocket replicas jutting out of white desert sands, point the way to the stars.

Maybe some other little girl will see herself in Nine Bar Blues and, in doing so, realize she, too, has stories to tell. Stories that need to be heard.

Memphis author Sheree Renée Thomas (opposite page) writes with musical prose in Nine Bar Blues; her short fiction was included in the new The Big Book of Modern Fantasy.

Find out more at shereereneethomas.com.

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Where else in Memphis could this possibly be?

I remember my older relatives talking about this memorable establishment, but they never took me there. I’m sure they thought it wasn’t a suitable place for a young Lauderdale, though perched on a real leather Our history expert solves local mysteries: who, what, saddle while enjoying an ice-cold Kentucky Nip would have been a treat. when, where, why, and why not. Well, sometimes.

I don’t know quite what to make of this photo. By that

BY VANCE L AUDERDALE I mean, why was it taken? Although a few people seem to be aware of the photographer, such as the lady standing DEAR T.J.: If someone bothered to write “Memphis” on DEAR VANCE: Where was at right, or the waiter behind the counter, nobody else the photo, as you say, then it seems they could have a bar located in our city is paying much attention. The well-dressed woman taken the time to write exactly where this place was. where the patrons sat perching side-saddle at the bar isn’t even looking at But it’s possible they were consumed with the same on saddles instead of the camera. In other words, it seems to me they are not obviously posing for the picture. dreadful lethargy that often overcomes me bar stools? The only clue For a while, But if it was taken so that — many years while I am writing one of my long-winded scribbled on the back of columns. Why, sometimes I’ll just drop into this old photo is “Memlater — readers of Memphis could admire Memphis called a deep slumber, while slumped in my La-Zphis.” — t.j., memphis. the distinctive interior of the Stockyards itself the “Mule Boy, and will turn in a story half-finished.

Hotel (or the café), it doesn’t show much, Trading Capital Most times, nobody even notices. [We have does it? If I squint, I can make out some noticed, Vance. Stop it. — Ed.] cattle horns mounted on a back wall, an of the World.”

I can’t say with 100 percent certainty, but electric fan, floral wallpaper, and what I believe your old photo shows the unusual interior of is either an old cabinet radio or a jukebox, but that’s the Stockyards Hotel, located in South Memphis at all. The place wasn’t very large, with barely a dozen the northwest corner of West McLemore and Kansas. seats — or saddles — along the bar. With its simple Either that, or it depicts the adjoining Stockmen’s Café. furnishings and lots of bare wood, it definitely had a

AS K

VA N C E

Bar patrons perched on genuine saddles at the old Stockyards Hotel.

PHOTO CREDITS: FENCE PHOTO BY VANCE LAUDERDALE, LICENSE PLATE PHOTO COURTESY H.G.

Stockyards Hotel

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rustic atmosphere, as you might expect from an establishment catering to customers and employees of our city’s stockyards.

Yes, stockyards. Memphis was never in the same league as, say, Kansas City or Chicago, but in the early 1900s we had a booming livestock business here. For a while, in fact, Memphis called itself the “Mule Trading Capital of the World,” though that wasn’t a motto that the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau bandied about too much. Downtown, a stretch of Monroe Avenue was lined with rows of “mule barns,” quite handsome brick structures where sales took place throughout the year. Those old buildings, most of them vacant for decades, came tumbling down when AutoZone Park was constructed, so you could say the mules made way for the Redbirds.

But the really big stockyards were clustered along McLemore, Trigg, and Kansas in South Memphis. They were mainly trading centers for horses, cattle, mules, hogs, and even sheep. As far as I know, they didn’t operate as slaughterhouses or meat processing centers. The oldest of these, located at 465 W. Trigg, was Burnette-Carter Company, which claimed it was “one of the South’s largest commission firms.”

Others included the Memphis Union Stockyards, Dixie National Stockyards, T.D. Keltner Livestock,

Lightfoot-Howse, William Lundy Company, Wade Tribble, and South Podesta Horse and Mule. At one time, there was even a street called Stock Yards Place, running south off McLemore. Other firms were located across town, such as the Dixie National Stockyards on Hollywood.

In 1923, a Mrs. Blanche Stoner purchased the property at 150 West McLemore and opened the Sterling Hotel. Two businesses — a grain company and chemical firm — occupied the site, but neither one seems (to me) easy to convert to a hotel, so I assume she built a new structure. The Sterling only remained in business until 1929, when Edward A. Laughter bought the hotel and changed the name to the Stock Yards Hotel (later melding that into one word: Stockyards) while also occupying one of the rooms.

I don’t want to say what year he added the Stockmen’s Café to his enterprise, because I’m not sure of it, but Laughter ran the place until the early 1940s, when other owners took over. If this photo was taken after 1945, by then James B. Goodbar was running the hotel, and Morris and Lula Gammon were in charge of the café.

In 1955, the old hotel became the Terminal Hotel and

Café, though I don’t know why it was called that. No railroad or barge terminals are in that area. The name was appropriate, though, in another way. By 1960, the hotel was gone. That entire block of West McLemore was cleared to make way for Gordon’s Transport, a national trucking company.

Over the years, the stockyards also closed, and Memphis lost its claim as a mule-trading center. Their former locations are now parking lots, trucking and shipping firms, and home to other industries. At certain places along McLemore, though, old concrete fence posts around empty lots stand as reminders when cattle, hogs, and sheep jammed the stockyards of South Memphis.

Mystery Plate

DEAR VANCE: I recently bought a vintage Memphis license plate, which is unusual because it also carries the letters LE and BH. What were these extra initials for — the car owner’s name? — h.g., memphis.

This wasn’t actually a license plate. It wouldn’t make sense for everybody in our city — not the way we drive! — to have car tags that spelled out “Memphis.” Just think of the chaos if you were reporting a wreck, or trying to identify a runaway car. What you’ve purchased was called a “plate topper,” probably dating from the early 1950s, and you bolted it above the regular license plate on your car.

And those LEBH initials? They stood for Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. Now, I know you might think they should instead be “LBCH” but no, that’s how the good folks at the hospital wanted it, and it was one of their most profitable fund-raising campaigns. You paid extra for those plates, with the money going to the hospital.

I don’t have space here to share the incredible success story of one of this city’s most remarkable hospitals. For that, I recommend The Power of One: Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare: Our First Century (the two hospitals merged in 1995, you see).

But I have space to share this. What began in the 1920s as a women’s sewing circle, which produced sheets and garments for the Leath Orphanage, developed into the Le Bonheur Club — meaning “the good hour.” Throughout the 1930s and ’40s, the group came up with innovative ways to raise money to help this city’s needy children, and in 1952 their efforts paid off with the grand opening of Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. The “plate topper” campaign began in the early 1950s and eventually expanded into special Le Bonheur bumper stickers and decals that were sold for the same purpose.

Thanks to other successful fund-raising efforts — the Le Bonheur Charity Horse Show (which became a nationally recognized event), profits from a popular toy store on Union Avenue called the Doll House, the hard work of the still-active Le Bonheur Club, and other special events — Le Bonheur ultimately transformed from a one-story building in the Medical Center into the nationally recognized hospital that treats hundreds of young patients every single day. In its own small way, H.G., your old plate topper played a role in that success.

DEAR H.G.:

left: Old posts and fences remain from the city’s stockyard district. above: A Le Bonheur license plate topper from the 1950s.

Got a question for Vance?

EMAIL: askvance@memphismagazine.com MAIL: Vance Lauderdale, Memphis magazine, P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38103 ONLINE: memphismagazine. com/ask-vance

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Zayde’s NYC Deli Whether it’s delicatessens, baked goods, or sushi, Marisa Baggett is keeping it kosher.

BY SAMUEL X. CICCI

Zayde’s owner Marisa Baggett

W

hat do kosher New York-style deli meals, wedding cakes, and sushi rolls have in common? All are foods, true, but the common ground doesn’t go much further — until you meet Memphis’ own Marisa Baggett. Throughout a long and varied career, the Mississippi native has dived into each and every food experiment that caught her eye. Baggett puts her eclectic experiences and cooking skills to work as the proprietor of the kosher catering company Zayde’s NYC Deli.

Baggett herself keeps kosher, but when she looked around Memphis for New Yorkstyle deli meats, she didn’t see many options.

Noticing that everything was imported, she thought, why not create it herself? “When we make pastrami, we start with a brisket,” says Baggett. “Then we brine it and cook it ourselves. That’s New York-style made right here in Memphis.”

Zayde’s was founded last summer, and currently operates out of the Anshei Sphard – Beth El Emeth synagogue in East Memphis.

Two separate menus circulate on a regular basis. The artisanal deli menu offers all the kosher deli cuts by the pound you might want: pastrami, corned beef, turkey, and smoked salmon. Baggett has developed other kosher staples as well. Her kitchen churns out plenty of knishes (the traditional Ashkenazi Jewish baked snack) stuffed with potatoes, spinach, and onion, and babkas (enriched sweet bread that has swirls of cinnamon, chocolate, or Baggett’s new mocha flavoring).

One of the most popular items, however, is

the challah dog. “It’s an all-inclusive hot dog that’s covered in a really nice sweet bread,” she says, “and it has a pinch of salt on top.”

While the deli menu is popular, her special menu of Shabbat meals is what pushed her to make this a full-time gig. “This really got started because I was working full-time,” says Baggett, “and every week getting ready for Shabbat dinner is like the equivalent of getting home from work on a Friday afternoon and cooking a big Sunday dinner.

“And I thought there had to be a better way. Especially for people like me and my husband, who don’t want to have to buy a full pan of this or a full pan of that just to make dinner for two people. I started the first monthly meals menu in June of last year, and then by the middle of August, I had quit my full-time job as the Judaic Specialist at Temple Israel to continue with Zayde’s.”

The company’s small crew accepts orders all week until Thursday night, and then begins delivery each Friday. There are also plenty of catering requests for small weddings and bar and bat mitzvahs. Zayde’s also frequently sends condolence meals. “When there’s been a loss in someone’s family, we send meals,” says Baggett. “We also get requests from people saying, ‘I have a relative, or I know someone who is sick, please prepare this and that for them.’”

One of the deli’s quirks is that there’s no phone number to call, a marketing strategy that has worked in its favor. “I’ve noticed there’s been this fun little game in the community where people are saying, ‘Where can I find Marisa’s number?’ And so it kind of becomes this little mystery like, ‘Oh, how can I place an order?’ But you can always reach me by email.

“But also, the other reason is that we spend so much time in the kitchen,” she continues.

“I’m in there with the people who help me prep, and we’re really focused on cooking.

With hours all over the place, I figured it was much better customer service-wise to keep everything online, and it’s worked out very well for us so far.”

The community response to Zayde’s has been enormous, according to Baggett. Plenty of people are interested in ordering Shabbat meals and deli items by the pound, or signing up for one of Baggett’s … sushi nights? While sushi might seem like a non-sequitur on a kosher deli menu, Baggett is no stranger to new and varied projects.

That type of adventurism can probably sum up her whole culinary career. While attending high school in Starkville, Mississippi, she landed her first restaurant job, joining a small Chinese establishment as a server.

From there, she rotated to designing wedding cakes, then to baking full-time, and ultimately opening her own restaurant. “It was a Southern-style bistro,” she says, “with upscale

PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVE CONROY

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY MARISA BAGGETT

sandwiches and plenty of desserts.”

But it was a chance request from a client that really expanded Baggett’s cooking repertoire. Knowing she offered catering services through the bistro, an acquaintance approached the versatile chef about throwing a sushi party. “I said, ‘Oh yeah, no problem, let’s do it,’” she recalls with a laugh. “But I’d never had sushi before. We didn’t have anything nearby for miles, and there were no good sources on the internet back then for how to do this.” With resources at a minimum, she hit the books at the local university library.

But most of the literature covering Japanese cuisine had only a few pages on sushi. “So I had to get creative and make my own stuff.”

The party went off without a hitch, and soon, other hungry diners were knocking on the door to see if Baggett had any leftovers. A promise to host a monthly sushi night quickly turned into multiple nights per week, and eventually, she decided sushi was her calling.

She closed the doors to her restaurant and

Baggett puts a Southern twist on some of her Japanese creations, such as Pickled Okra Sushi.

Chocolate, cinnamon, and mocha babkas

Zayde’s catering platter

Pastrami sandwich

spent a year at Tsunami in Memphis before packing her bags for the California Sushi Academy in Los Angeles. “Everybody was like, ‘You’re crazy,’” recalls Baggett. “‘You’re a black woman from Mississippi, is this even possible?’”

The answer was an emphatic yes. With only $300 to her name, she started training under two sushi masters, Toshi Sugiura and Nobuo Kishimoto, and several months later became the first female African-American graduate of the school. And while her unique path to the traditional cuisine has given Baggett a distinctive style in how she envisions her sushi rolls, she believes that her approach stays true to the craft’s origin.

“I would say I honor the spirit of Japanese cuisine by focusing on what sushi is supposed to be,” says Baggett. “It’s not ingredient-specific, but using things that are in season and local. In Japan, you would go to the nearest fresh fish market and you would get what they have, and you would use whatever vegetables or pickles that you make. And I feel that I’m honoring that spirit by using what’s available to me in my environment.”

Pressed on what makes up the perfect sushi roll, Baggett points to a basic, yet crucial, ingredient: rice. “The word sushi itself

means rice,” she explains. “And so the most important part of any sushi-making process is to make sure you’re cooking the rice properly.

You can have the best piece of ahi tuna rolled in, but if the rice is mushy or flavorless, you have to drown it in soy sauce, and you’re really not experiencing the wonderfulness that you could have if the rice were properly cooked.”

While making sushi might seem daunting to beginners, Baggett has written several cookbooks explaining the craft, such as Sushi Secrets: Recipes for the Home Cook and Vegetarian Sushi Secrets: 101 Healthy and Delicious Recipes. After working with Karen Carrier at Do Sushi she pivoted to becoming a traveling itamae (a Japanese word for “cook” that can literally be translated as “in front of the board”). Recalling the lack of information and her late nights in the library, she wants to make sushi more accessible. “The whole point of my first book was to say, ‘You can do this at your house, and here’s how.’”

Baggett’s approach to sushi changes even more when factoring in her kosher base.

Shellfish are out, but she wanted to provide people with more options than just imitation crab, tuna, and salmon. “I brought in some of those local elements” she says, “like pickled okra, and other types of Southern-style sushi.

When I was younger, before being a vegetarian was as much a thing, the options were always something like, ‘Here’s your vegetarian burger, but it’s just a mushroom.’ So I always try to think of how we can make something more exciting.”

Just like with her menu at Zayde’s, Baggett’s philosophy is all about making the food accessible. She isn’t teaching as many classes while running the deli, but she’s still working to share her experience with Memphis and the Mid-South. There are plans for the deli to eventually open its own brick-and-mortar location. One final mystery remains: Who is Zayde?

“Some people always ask me, ‘Are you Zayde?’ It’s kind of an inside joke for anyone who knows Yiddish,” says Baggett, “since it’s the word for ‘grandpa.’ So sometimes I’ll just go with it and say, ‘Sure, why not, I’ll be grandpa.’ When I was thinking of a name, I wanted it to sound fun, but I also wanted it to sound Jewish without being too hard to pronounce.”

Zayde’s NYC Deli menus can be downloaded at zaydesnycdeli.com. For catering and order inquiries, contact info@ zaydesnycdeli.com O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 87

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TH E M E M P H I S D I N I N G G U I D E

A Curated Guide to Eating Out

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plates and entrees cooked on an open flame. Oysters, octopus, and hearty steaks are among the menu options at this eatery in Old Dominick Distillery. Closed Mon. 301 S. Front. 466-6324. D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ GRECIAN GOURMET TAVERNA—Serves traditional favorites like spanakopita, pastitso, moussaka, and hand-rolled dolmathes, as well as lamb sliders and pita nachos. Closed Mon. 412 S. Main. 249-6626. L, D, X, $ GUS’S WORLD FAMOUS FRIED CHICKEN—Serves chicken with signature spicy batter, along with homemade beans, slaw, and pies. 310 S. Front. 527-4877; 215 S. Center St. (Collierville). 853-6005; 2965 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 373-9111; 730 S. Mendenhall. 7672323; 505 Highway 70 W., Mason, TN. 901-294-2028. L, D, X, MRA, $ HAPPY MEXICAN—Serves quesadillas, burritos, chimichangas, vegetable and seafood dishes, and more. 385 S. Second.

529-9991; 6080 Primacy Pkwy. 683-0000; 7935 Winchester.

751-5353. L, D, X, $ HU. DINER—An extension of Hu. Hotel, diner serves such fried chicken sandwich, burgers, and more. Closed Mon.-Thurs. dishes as country-fried cauliflower, cornflake-fried chicken, and 141 E. Carolina. 321-5553. L, D, WB, $-$$ octopus and grits. 3 S. Main. 333-1224. L, D, X, $-$$ CATHERINE & MARY’S—A variety of pastas, HU. ROOF—Rooftop cocktail bar with superb city views serves grilled quail, pâté, razor clams, and monkfish are toasts with a variety of toppings including among the dishes served at beef tartare with cured egg, cognac, and DINING SYMBOLS this Italian restaurant in the Chisca. 272 capers or riced cauliflower with yellow S. Main. 254-8600. D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ curry, currants, and almonds. Also salads, B — breakfast CHEF TAM’S fish tacos, and boiled peanut hummus. 79 UNDERGROUND CAFE—Serves L — lunch Madison. 333-1229. D, $ Southern staples with a Cajun twist.

D — dinner HUEY’S—This family-friendly Menu items include totchoes, jerk SB — Sunday brunch restaurant offers 13 different wings, fried chicken, and “muddy” mac WB — weekend brunch burgers, a variety of sandwiches, and cheese. Closed Sun. and Mon. 668 and delicious soups and salads. 1927 X — wheelchair accessible Union Ave. 207-6182. L, D, $ Madison. 726-4372; 1771 N. Germantown MRA — member, Memphis CHEZ PHILIPPE— Pkwy. (Cordova). 754-3885; 77 S. Second.

Restaurant Association Classical/contemporary French 527-2700; 2130 W. Poplar (Collierville). $ — under $15 per person without cuisine presented in a luxuri854-4455; 7090 Malco Blvd. (Southaven). ous atmosphere with a seasonal menu drinks or desserts 662-349-7097; 7825 Winchester. 624-8911; focused on local/regional cuisine. The $$ — under $25 4872 Poplar. 682-7729; 7677 Farmington crown jewel of The Peabody for 35 $$$ — $26-$50 Blvd. (Germantown). 318-3030; 8570 years. Afternoon tea served Wed.-Sat., $$$$ — over $50 Highway 51 N. (Millington). 873-5025. L, D, 1-3:30 p.m. (reservations required).

X, MRA, $ Closed Sun.-Tues. The Peabody, 149 HUSTLE & DOUGH BAKERY & CAFE—Flaky, Union. 529-4188. D, X, MRA, $$$$ baked breakfast goodness every day with fresh pastries, COZY CORNER—Serving up ribs, pork sandsandwiches, and more at Arrive Hotel. 477 S. Main St., wiches, chicken, spaghetti, and more; also homemade 701-7577. B, L, X, $ banana pudding. Closed Mon. 745 N. Parkway and ITTA BENA—Southern and Cajun-American cuisine served Manassas. 527-9158. L, D, $ here; specialties are duck and waffles and shrimp and grits, along CURFEW—An elevated sports bar/American tavern with steaks, chops, seafood, and pasta. 145 Beale St. 578-3031. D, concept by Top Chef contestant Fabio Viviani at the X, MRA, $$-$$$ Canopy Memphis Downtown hotel. 164 Union Ave. B, KOOKY CANUCK—Offers prime rib, catfish, and burgers, L, D, X, $-$$ including the 4-lb. “Kookamonga”; also late-night menu. 87 S. EVELYN & OLIVE—Jamaican/Southern fusion cuisine Second. 578-9800; 1250 N. Germantown Pkwy. 1-800-2453 L, D, includes such dishes as Kingston stew fish, Rasta Pasta, and X, MRA, $-$$$ jerk rib-eye. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun.-Mon. 630 THE LITTLE TEA SHOP—Downtown institution Madison. 748-5422. L, D, X, $ serves up Southern comfort cooking, including meatloaf FAM—Casual Asian restaurant serves sushi rice bowls, noodle and such veggies as turnip greens, yams, okra, and tomabowls, sushi rolls, and spring rolls. Closed Sun. 149 Madison; 521 toes. Closed Sat.-Sun. 69 Monroe. 525-6000, L, X, $ S. Highland. 701-6666. L, D, X, $ LOCAL—Entrees with a focus on locally sourced products include FELICIA SUZANNE’S—Southern cuisine with lobster mac-and-cheese and ribeye patty melt; menu differs by low-country, Creole, and Delta influences, using location. 95 S. Main. 473-9573; 2126 Madison. 725-1845. L, D, WB, regional fresh seafood, local beef, and locally grown X, $-$$ foods. Entrees include shrimp and grits. Closed Sun. and Mon. A LOFLIN YARD—Beer garden and restaurant serves vegetarian downtown staple at Brinkley Plaza, 80 Monroe, Suite L1. 523fare and smoked-meat dishes, including beef brisket and pork 0877. L (Fri. only), D, X, MRA, $$-$$$ tenderloin, cooked on a custom-made grill. Closed Mon.-Tues. 7 W. FERRARO’S PIZZERIA & PUB—Rigatoni and Carolina. 249-3046. L (Sat. and Sun.), D, MRA, $-$$ tortellini are among the pasta entrees here, along with pizzas THE LOOKOUT AT THE PYRAMID—Serves seafood and (whole or by the slice) with a variety of toppings. 111 Jackson.

Southern fare, including cornmeal-fried oysters, sweet tea brined 522-2033. L, D, X, $ chicken, and elk chops. 1 Bass Pro Dr. 620-4600/291-8200. L, D, X, FLIGHT RESTAURANT & WINE BAR— $-$$$ Serves steaks and seafood, along with such specialties LUNA RESTAURANT & LOUNGE—Serving a limited as bison ribeye and Muscovy duck, all matched with menu of breakfast and lunch items. Dinner entrees include Citrus appropriate wines. 39 S. Main. 521-8005. D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ Glaze Salmon and Cajun Stuffed Chicken. 179 Madison (Hotel FLYING FISH—Serves up fried and grilled versions of Napoleon). 526-0002. B, D (Mon.-Sat.), X, $-$$$ shrimp, crab, oysters, fish tacos, and catfish; also chicken and MACIEL’S—Entrees include tortas, fried taco plates, burgers. 105 S. Second. 522-8228. L, D, X, $-$$ quesadillas, chorizo and pastor soft tacos, salads, and THE GRAY CANARY—The sixth restaurant from more. Downtown closed Sun. 45 S. Main. 526-0037, X, chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman, offering small MRA, $

emphis magazine offers this curated restaurant listing as a service to our readers. Broken down alphabetically by neighborhoods, this directory does not list every restaurant in town. It does, however, include the magazine’s “Top 50” choices of must-try restaurants in Memphis, a group that is updated every August. Establishments open less than a year are not eligible for “Top 50” but are noted as “New.” This guide also includes a representative sampling of other Bluff City eating establishments. No fast-food facilities or cafeterias are listed. Restaurants are included regardless of whether they advertise in Memphis magazine; those that operate in multiple locations are listed under the neighborhood of their original location. Suggestions from readers are welcome; please contact us at dining@ memphismagazine.com. editor’s note: As Memphis continues to navigate covid-19, some restaurants are open for socially distanced dine-in, while others are focusing on takeout and delivery. Please call ahead to confirm hours, adjusted menus, and available services.

CENTER CITY 117 PRIME—Restaurateurs Craig Blondis and Roger Sapp team up with Chef Ryan Trimm to recreate the traditional American steakhouse. Serving oysters on the half shell and a variety of surf and turf options. 117 Union. 433-9851. L, D, WB, X, $-$$$ ALDO’S PIZZA PIES—Serving gourmet pizzas — including Mr. T Rex — salads, and more. Also 30 beers, bottled or on tap. 100 S. Main. 577-7743; 752 S. Cooper. 725-7437. L, D, X, $-$$ THE ARCADE—Possibly Memphis’ oldest cafe.

Specialties include sweet potato pancakes, a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich, and breakfast served all day. 540 S. Main. 526-5757. B, L, D (Thurs.-Sat.), X, MRA, $ AUTOMATIC SLIM’S—Longtime downtown favorite specializes in contemporary American cuisine emphasizing local ingredients; also extensive martini list. 83 S. Second. 525-7948.

L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ BARDOG TAVERN—Classic American grill with Italian influence, Bardog offers pasta specialties such as Grandma’s NJ Meatballs, as well as salads, sliders, sandwiches, and daily specials. 73 Monroe. 275-8752. B (Mon.-Fri.), L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ BEDROCK EATS & SWEETS—Memphis’ only Paleocentric restaurant offering such dishes as pot roast, waffles, enchiladas, chicken salad, omelets, and more. Closed for dinner Sun. 327 S. Main. 409-6433. B, L, D, X, $-$$ BELLE TAVERN—Serving elevated bar food, including a butcher board with a variety of meats and cheeses, as well as daily specials. 117 Barboro Alley. 249-6580. L (Sun.), D, MRA, $ BISHOP—Ticer and Hudman’s newest venture at the Central Station Hotel features upscale dishes in a French brasserie style. 545 S. Main St., 524-5247. L, D, X, $$-$$$ BLEU—This eclectic restaurant features American food with global influences and local ingredients. Among the specialties are a 14-oz. bone-in rib-eye and several seafood dishes. 221 S. Third, in the Westin Memphis Beale St. Hotel. 334-5950. B, L, D, WB, X, MRA, $$-$$$ BLUEFIN RESTAURANT & SUSHI LOUNGE— Serves Japanese fusion cuisine featuring seafood and steak, with seasonally changing menu; also a sushi bar. 135 S. Main.

528-1010. L, D, X, $-$$ BRASS DOOR IRISH PUB—Irish and New-American cuisine includes such entrees as fish and chips, burgers, shepherd’s pie, all-day Irish breakfast, and more. 152 Madison.

572-1813. L, D, SB, $-$$ CAFE KEOUGH—European-style cafe serving quiche, paninis, salads, and more. 12 S. Main. 509-2469. B, L, D, X, $ CAPRICCIO GRILL ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE—Offers prime steaks, fresh seafood (lobster tails, grouper, mahi mahi), pasta, and several Northern Italian specialties. 149 Union, The Peabody. 529-4199. B, L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$$ CAROLINA WATERSHED—This indoor/outdoor eatery, set around silos, features reimagined down-home classics, including fried green tomatoes with smoked catfish, a buttermilk

We celebrate our city’s community table and the people who grow, cook, and eat the best Memphis food at M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M / F O O D 88 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0

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THE MAJESTIC GRILLE—Housed in a former silent-picture house, features aged steaks, fresh seafood, and such specialties as roasted chicken and grilled pork tenderloin; offers a pre-theatre menu and classic cocktails. Wellstocked bar. 145 S. Main. 522-8555. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ McEWEN’S—Southern/American cuisine with international flavors; specialties include steak and seafood, sweet potato-crusted catfish with macaroni and cheese, and more. Closed Sun., Monroe location. 120 Monroe. 527-7085; 1110 Van Buren (Oxford). 662-234-7003. L, D, SB (Oxford only), X, MRA, $$-$$$ MESQUITE CHOP HOUSE—The focus here is on steaks, including prime fillet, rib-eyes, and prime-aged New York strip; also, some seafood options. 5960 Getwell (Southaven). 662-8902467; 88 Union. 527-5337; 3165 Forest Hill-Irene (Germantown).

249-5661. D, SB (Germantown), X, $$-$$$ MOLLIE FONTAINE LOUNGE—Specializes in tapas (small plates) featuring global cuisine. Closed Sun.-Tues. 679 Adams Ave. 524-1886. D, X, MRA, $ MOMMA’S ROADHOUSE—This diner and dive at highway 55 serves up hot and crispy fried chicken wings, among other solid bar food options. 855 Kentucky. 207-5111. L, D, MRA, $ THE NINE THAI & SUSHI—Serving authentic Thai dishes, including curries, as well as a variety of sushi rolls. Closed for lunch Sat. and Sun. 121 Union. 208-8347. L, D, X, $-$$ PAULETTE’S—Presents fine dining with a Continental flair, including such entrees as filet Paulette with butter cream sauce and crabmeat and spinach crepes; also changing daily specials and great views. River Inn. 50 Harbor Town Square. 260-3300. B, L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ PEARL’S OYSTER HOUSE—Downtown eatery serving seafood, including oysters, crawfish, and stuffed butterfly shrimp, as well as beef, chicken, and pasta dishes. 299 S. Main. 522-9070; 8106 Cordova Center Dr. (Cordova). 425-4797. L, D, SB, X, $-$$$ PONTOTOC LOUNGE—Upscale restaurant and jazz bar serves such starters as alligator filet fritters; entrees include Mississippi pot roast with jalapeño cornbread and tagliatelle with braised beef. 314 S. Main. 207-7576. D, X, $-$$ PUCK FOOD HALL—Food hall featuring a variety of vendors serving everything from bagels and beer to comfort food and healthy cuisine. 409 S. Main. 341-3838. $-$$ REGINA’S—New Orleans-inspired eatery offering po’boys, Cajun nachos topped with crawfish tails, catfish platters, oysters, and more. Closed Mon. 60 N. Main. 730-0384. B, L, D, SB, X, $-$$ RENDEZVOUS, CHARLES VERGOS’—Menu items include barbecued ribs, cheese plates, skillet shrimp, red beans and rice, and Greek salads. Closed Sun.-Mon. 52 S. Second. 523-2746. L (Fri.-Sat.), D, X, $-$$ RIZZO’S DINER—Chorizo meatloaf, lobster pronto puff, and lamb belly tacos are menu items at this upscale diner. Michael Patrick is among the city’s best chefs. 492 S. Main. 304-6985. L (Fri.-Sat.), D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$ SABOR CARIBE—Serving up “Caribbean flavors” with dishes from Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. Closed Sunday.

662 Madison. 949-8100. L, D, X, $ SAGE—Restaurant and lounge features daily lunch specials and tapas with such dishes as braised short ribs, teriyaki pulled pork, and the Sage burger made with Angus beef, avocado mash, fried egg, and flash-fried sage. 94 S. Main. 672-7902. L, D, WB, X, $-$$ SLEEP OUT LOUIE’S—Oyster bar with such specialties as char-grilled Roquefort oysters and gulf oysters on the half shell with Prosecco mignonette; also serves flatbread pizzas and a variety of sandwiches. 150 Peabody Place, Suite 111. 707-7180. L, D, X, $ SOUTH MAIN SUSHI & GRILL—Serving sushi, nigiri, and more. 520 S. Main. 249-2194. L, D, X, $ SPINDINI—Italian fusion cuisine with such entrees as woodfired pizzas, Gorgonzola-stuffed filet, and fresh seafood; large domestic whiskey selection. 383 S. Main. 578-2767. D, X, $$-$$$ SUNRISE MEMPHIS—From owners of Sweet Grass and Central BBQ. Serves breakfast all day, including house-made biscuits, frittatas, kielbasa or boudin plates, and breakfast platters.

670 Jefferson. 552-3144. B, L, X, 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, X, MRA, $$

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TEXAS DE BRAZIL—Serves beef, pork, lamb, and chicken dishes, and Brazilian sausage; also a salad bar with extensive toppings. 150 Peabody Place, Suite 103. 526-7600. L (Wed.-Fri.), D, SB, X, $$-$$$ UNCLE BUCK’S FISHBOWL & GRILL—Burgers, pizza, fish dishes, sandwiches, and more served in a unique “underwater” setting. Bass Pro, Bass Pro Drive, 291-8200. B, L, D, X, $-$$ THE VAULT—Oysters, shrimp beignets, flatbreads, stuffed cornish hen, and Smash Burger featured on “Late Nite Eats” are among the dishes offered at this Creole/Italian fusion eatery. 124 G.E. Patterson. 591-8000. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$ WESTY’S—Extensive menu includes a variety of wild rice dishes, sandwiches, plate lunches, and hot fudge pie. 346 N. Main. 543-3278.L, D, X, $

COLLIERVILLE CAFE EUROPE—From Italian chef Michele D’oto, the French, Spanish, and Italian fusion cuisine includes a variety of dishes like Rosette al Forno, fish ceviche, and sole meuniere. Closed Sun. 4610 Merchants Park Circle, Suite 571. 286-4199. L, D, X, $$-$$$$ CAFE PIAZZA BY PAT LUCCHESI—Specializes in gourmet pizzas (including create-your-own), panini sandwiches, and pasta. Closed Sun. 139 S. Rowlett St. 861-1999.

L, D, X, $-$$ CIAO BABY—Specializing in Neapolitan-style pizza made in a wood-fired oven. Also serves house-made mozzarella, pasta, appetizers, and salads. 890 W. Poplar, Suite 1. 457-7457.

L, D, X, $ COLLIERVILLE COMMISSARY—Serves barbecue sandwiches, sliders, ribs, shrimp, and nachos, as well as smoked barbecued bologna sandwiches. 3573 S. Houston Levee Rd. 979-5540. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ DAVID GRISANTI’S—Serving Northern Italian cuisine and traditional family recipes, like the Elfo Special, shrimp sauteed in garlic and butter, tossed with white button mushrooms and white pepper, and served over vermicelli with ParmigianoReggiano. Closed Sun. 684 W. Poplar (Sheffield Antiques Mall).

861-1777. L, D (Thurs.-Sat.), X, $-$$$ EL MEZCAL—Serves burritos, chimichangas, fajitas, and other Mexican cuisine, as well as shrimp dinners and steak.

9947 Wolf River, 853-7922; 402 Perkins Extd. 761-7710; 694 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 755-1447; 1492 Union. 274-4264; 11615 Airline Rd. (Arlington). 867-1883; 9045 Highway 64 (Lakeland). 383-4219; 7164 Hacks Cross Rd. (Olive Branch). 662890-3337; 8834 Hwy. 51 N. (Millington). 872-3220; 7424 Highway 64 (Bartlett). 417-6026. L, D, X, $ EMERALD THAI RESTAURANT—Spicy shrimp, pad khing, lemongrass chicken, and several noodle, rice, and vegetarian dishes are offered at this family restaurant. Closed Sunday. 8950 Highway 64 (Lakeland, TN). 384-0540. L, D, X, $-$$ FIREBIRDS—Specialties are hand-cut steaks, slow-roasted prime rib, and wood-grilled salmon and other seafood, as well as seasonal entrees. 4600 Merchants Circle, Carriage Crossing.

850-1637; 8470 Highway 64 (Bartlett). 379-1300. L, D, X, $-$$$ JIM’S PLACE GRILLE—Features American, Greek, and Continental cuisine with such entrees as pork tenderloin, several seafood specialties, and hand-cut charcoal-grilled steaks.

Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. 3660 Houston Levee.

861-5000. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$$ MULAN ASIAN BISTRO—Hunan Chicken, tofu dishes, and orange beef served here; sushi and Thai food, too. 2059 Houston Levee. 850-5288; 2149 Young. 347-3965; 4698 Spottswood. 609-8680. L, D, X, $-$$ OSAKA JAPANESE CUISINE—Featuring an extensive sushi menu as well as traditional Japanese and hibachi dining.

Hours vary for lunch; call. 3670 Houston Levee. 861-4309; 3402 Poplar. 249-4690; 7164 Hacks Cross (Olive Branch). 662-8909312; 2200 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 425-4901. L, D, X, $-$$$ RAVEN & LILY—Eatery offers innovative Southern-inspired cuisine with such dishes as crispy shrimp and cauliflower salad, spiced lamb sausage and parmesan risotto, and bananas foster pain perdu. Closed Monday. 120 E. Mulberry. 286-4575. L, D, SB, X, $-$$ STIX—Hibachi steakhouse with Asian cuisine features steak, chicken, and a fillet and lobster combination, also sushi. A

specialty is Dynamite Chicken with fried rice. 4680 Merchants Park Circle, Avenue Carriage Crossing. 854-3399. L, D, X, $-$$ ZOPITA’S ON THE SQUARE—Cafe offers sandwiches, including smoked salmon and pork tenderloin, as well as salads and desserts. Closed Sun. 114 N. Main. 457-7526. L, D, X, $

CORDOVA BOMBAY HOUSE—Indian fare includes lamb korma and chicken tikka; also, a daily luncheon buffet. 1727 N. Germantown Pkwy. 755-4114. L, D, X, $-$$ THE BUTCHER SHOP—Serves steaks ranging from 8-oz. filets to a 20-oz. porterhouse; also chicken, pork chops, fresh seafood. 107 S. Germantown Rd. 757-4244. L (Fri. and Sun.), D, X, $$-$$$ COASTAL FISH COMPANY—Upscale offerings of international fish varieties utilizing styles ranging from Carribbean, East Coast, West Coast, Chinese, to Filipino, and more. 415 Great View Dr. E., Suite 101. 266-9000. D, X, $$-$$$ GREEN BAMBOO—Pineapple tilapia, pork vermicelli, and the soft egg noodle combo are Vietnamese specialties here. 990 N. Germantown Parkway #104. 753-5488. L, D, $-$$ KING JERRY LAWLER’S MEMPHIS BBQ COMPANY—Offers a variety of barbecue dishes, including brisket, ribs, nachos topped with smoked pork, and a selection of barbecue “Slamwiches.” 465 N. Germantown Pkwy. #116.

509-2360. L, D, X, $ JIM ’N NICK’S BAR-B-Q—Serves barbecued pork, ribs, chicken, brisket, and fish, along with other homemade Southern specialties. 2359 N. Germantown Pkwy. 388-0998. L, D, X, $-$$ EL MERO TACO—This food truck turned restaurant serves up Mexican and Southern-style fusion dishes, including fried chicken tacos, chorizo con papas tacos, and brisket quesadillas. 8100 Macon Station, Suite 102. 308-1661.

Closed Sun.-Mon. L, D, WB, X, $ MISTER B’S—Features New Orleans-style seafood and steaks. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. and Mon. 6655 Poplar #107. 751-5262. L, D, X, $-$$$ PEI WEI ASIAN DINER—Serves a variety of Pan-Asian cuisine, including Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Thai.

Noodle and rice bowls are specialties; a small plates menu also offered. 2257 N. Germantown Pkwy. 382-1822. L, D, X, $-$$ SHOGUN JAPANESE RESTAURANT—Entrees include tempura, teriyaki, and sushi, as well as grilled fish and chicken entrees. 2324 N. Germantown Pkwy. 384-4122. L, D, X, $-$$ TANNOOR GRILL—Brazilian-style steakhouse with skewers served tableside, along with Middle Eastern specialties; vegetarian options also available. 830 N. Germantown Pkwy.

443-5222. L, D, X, $-$$$

EAST MEMPHIS

(INCLUDES POPLAR/ I-240) ACRE—Features seasonal modern American cuisine in an avante-garde setting using locally sourced products; also small plates and enclosed garden patio. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. 690 S. Perkins. 818-2273. L, D, X, $$-$$$ AGAVOS COCINA & TEQUILA—Camaron de Tequila, tamales, kabobs, and burgers made with a blend of beef and chorizo are among the offerings at this tequila-centric restaurant and bar. 2924 Walnut Grove. 433-9345. L, D, X, $-$$ AMERIGO—Traditional and contemporary Italian cuisine includes pasta, wood-fired pizza, steaks, and cedarwood-roasted fish. 1239 Ridgeway, Park Place Mall. 761-4000. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ ANDREW MICHAEL ITALIAN KITCHEN— Traditional Italian cuisine with a menu from two of the city’s top chefs that changes seasonally with such entrees as Maw Maw’s ravioli. Closed Sun.-Mon. 712 W. Brookhaven Cl. 347-3569. D, X, MRA, $$-$$$ ANOTHER BROKEN EGG CAFE—Offering several varieties of eggs Benedict, waffles, omelets, pancakes, beignets, and other breakfast fare; also burgers, sandwiches, and salads.

6063 Park Ave. 729-7020; 65 S. Highland. 623-7122. B, L, WB, X, $ 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

Cl. 590-2585; 2150 W. Poplar at Houston Levee (Collierville).

854-8748. L, D, X, $-$$ BENIHANA—This Japanese steakhouse serves beef, chicken, and seafood grilled at the table; some menu items change monthly; sushi bar also featured. 912 Ridge Lake Blvd. 767-8980.

L, D, X, $$-$$$ BLUE PLATE CAFÉ—For breakfast, the café’s serves old-fashioned buttermilk pancakes (it’s a secret recipe!), country ham and eggs, and waffles with fresh strawberries and cream.

For lunch, the café specializes in country cooking. 5469 Poplar.

761-9696; 113 S. Court. 523-2050. B, L, X, $ BROOKLYN BRIDGE ITALIAN RESTAURANT— Specializing in such homemade entrees as spinach lasagna and lobster ravioli; a seafood specialty is horseradish-crusted salmon. Closed Sun. 1779 Kirby Pkwy. 755-7413. D, X, $-$$$ BRYANT’S BREAKFAST—Three-egg omelets, pancakes, and The Sampler Platter are among the popular entrees here.

Possibly the best biscuits in town. Closed Mon. and Tues. 3965 Summer. 324-7494. B, L, X, $ BUCKLEY’S FINE FILET GRILL—Specializes in steaks, seafood, and pasta. (Lunchbox serves entree salads, burgers, and more.) 5355 Poplar. 683-4538; 919 S. Yates (Buckley’s Lunchbox), 682-0570. L (Yates only, M-F), D, X, $-$$ CAPITAL GRILLE—Known for its dry-aged, hand-carved steaks; among the specialties are bone-in sirloin, and porcini-rubbed Delmonico; also seafood entrees and seasonal lunch plates. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. Crescent Center, 6065 Poplar.

683-9291. L, D, X, $$$-$$$$ CASABLANCA—Lamb shawarma is one of the fresh, homemade specialties served at this Mediterranean/Moroccan restaurant; fish entrees and vegetarian options also available.

5030 Poplar. 725-8557 ; 7609 Poplar Pike (Germantown). 4255908; 1707 Madison. 421-6949. L, D, X, $-$$ CIAO BELLA—Among the Italian and Greek specialties are lasagna, seafood pasta, gourmet pizzas, and vegetarian options.

Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. 565 Erin Dr., Erin Way Shopping Center.

205-2500. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$$ CITY SILO TABLE + PANTRY—With a focus on clean eating, this establishment offers fresh juices, as well as comfort foods re-imagined with wholesome ingredients. 5101 Sanderlin.

729-7687. B, L, D, X, $ CORKY’S—Popular barbecue emporium offers both wet and dry ribs, plus a full menu of other barbecue entrees. Wed. lunch buffets, Cordova and Collierville. 5259 Poplar. 685-9744; 1740 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 737-1911; 743 W. Poplar (Collierville). 405-4999; 6434 Goodman Rd., Olive Branch. 662893-3663. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ ERLING JENSEN—For over 20 years, has presented “globally inspired” cuisine to die for. Specialties are rack of lamb, big game entrees, and fresh fish dishes. 1044 S. Yates. 763-3700. D, X, MRA, $$-$$$ FLEMING’S PRIME STEAKHOUSE—Serves wetaged and dry-aged steaks, prime beef, chops, and seafood, including salmon, Australian lobster tails, and a catch of the day.

6245 Poplar. 761-6200. D, X, MRA, $$$-$$$$ FOLK’S FOLLY ORIGINAL PRIME STEAK HOUSE—Specializes in prime steaks, as well as lobster, grilled Scottish salmon, Alaskan king crab legs, rack of lamb, and weekly specials. 551 S. Mendenhall. 762-8200. D, X, MRA, $$$-$$$$ FORMOSA—Offers Mandarin cuisine, including broccoli beef, hot-and-sour soup, and spring rolls. Closed Monday. 6685 Quince. 753-9898. L, D, X, $-$$ FOX RIDGE PIZZA & GRILL—Pizzas, calzones, sub sandwiches, burgers, and meat-and-two plate lunches are among the dishes served at this eatery, which opened in 1979. 711 W Brookhaven Cir. 758-6500. L, D, X, $ FRATELLI’S—Serves hot and cold sandwiches, salads, soups, and desserts, all with an Italian/Mediterranean flair. Closed Sunday. 750 Cherry Rd., Memphis Botanic Garden. 766-9900.

L, X, $ FRANK GRISANTI’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT— Northern Italian favorites include pasta with jumbo shrimp and mushrooms; also seafood, filet mignon, and daily lunch specials.

Closed for lunch Sunday. Embassy Suites Hotel, 1022 S. Shady Grove. 761-9462. L, D, X, $-$$$ HALF SHELL—Specializes in seafood, such as king crab legs; also serves steaks, chicken, pastas, salads, sandwiches, a ”voodoo menu”; oyster bar at Winchester location. 688 S.

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Mendenhall. 682-3966; 7825 Winchester. 737-6755. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ HIGH POINT PIZZA—Serves a variety of pizzas, subs, salads, and sides. Closed Monday. A neighborhood fixture. 477 High Point Terrace. 452-3339. L, D, X, $-$$ HOUSTON’S—Serves steaks, seafood, pork chops, chicken dishes, sandwiches, salads, and Chicago-style spinach dip.

Farmous for first-class service. 5000 Poplar. 683-0915. L, D, X $-$$$ INTERIM—Offers American-seasonal cuisine with emphasis on local foods and fresh fish; daily chef specials. Closed for lunch Sat. 5040 Sanderlin, Suite 105.

818-0821. L, D, SB, X, $-$$$ LA BAGUETTE—An almond croissant and chicken salad are among specialties at this French-style bistro. Closed for dinner Sun. 3088 Poplar. 458-0900. B, L, D (closes at 7), X, MRA, $ LAS DELICIAS—Popular for its guacamole, house-made tortilla chips, and margaritas, this restaurant draws diners with its chicken enchiladas, meat-stuffed flautas, and Cuban torta with spicy pork. Closed Sunday. 4002 Park Ave. 458-9264; 5689 Quince. 800-2873. L, D, X, $ LIBRO AT LAURELWOOD—Bookstore eatery features a variety of sandwiches, salads, and homemade pasta dishes, with Italian-inspired options such as carbonara and potato gnocchi.

Closed for dinner Sun. 387 Perkins Ext. (Novel). 800-2656. B, L, D, SB, X, $-$$ LISA’S LUNCHBOX—Serving bagels, sandwiches, salads, and wraps. 5885 Ridgeway Center Pkwy. 767-6465; 2650 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Suite 1200; 730-0064; 6070 Poplar. 2335875; 50 N. Front. 574-0468. B, L, $ LOST PIZZA—Offering pizzas (with dough made from scratch), pasta, salads, sandwiches, tamales, and more. 2855 Poplar. 572-1803; 5960 Getwell (Southaven). 662-892-8684. L, D, X, $-$$ LYNCHBURG LEGENDS—This restaurant with a Jack Daniels’ theme and Southern cuisine serves such entrees as Bourbon Street salmon, buttermilk-fried chicken, and grilled steak and wild mushroom salad. DoubleTree Hotel, 5069 Sanderlin. 969-7777. B, L, D, X, $-$$$ MAGNOLIA & MAY—The family behind Grove Grill cooks up Southern-inspired casual dining at this country brasserie, with popular menu items like peach gazpacho and low country shrimp n’ grits. 718 Mt. Moriah Rd. 676-8100. D, $$-$$$.

MAHOGANY MEMPHIS—Upscale Southern restaurant offers such dishes as coffee-rubbed lamb chops and baked Cajun Cornish hen. Closed for dinner Sun. and all day Mon.-Tues. 3092 Poplar, Suite 11. 623-7977. L, D, SB, X, $-$$$ MARCIANO MEDITERRANEAN AND ITALIAN CUISINE—Veal Saltimbocca with angel-hair pasta and white wine sauce is among the entrees; also steaks, seafood, and gourmet pizza. 780 Brookhaven Cl. 682-1660. D, X, $-$$ DAN MCGUINNESS PUB—Serves fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, burgers, and other Irish and American fare; also lunch and dinner specials. 4694 Spottswood. 761-3711; 3964 Goodman Rd. 662-890-7611. L, D, X, $ MAYURI INDIAN CUISINE—Serves tandoori chicken, masala dosa, tikka masala, as well as lamb and shrimp entrees; also a daily lunch buffet, and dinner buffet on Fri.-Sat. 6524 Quince Rd. 753-8755. L, D, X, $-$$ MELLOW MUSHROOM—Large menu includes assortment of pizzas, salads, calzones, hoagies, vegetarian options, and 50 beers on tap. 5138 Park Ave. 562-1211; 9155 Poplar, Shops of Forest Hill (Germantown). 907-0243. L, D, X, $-$$ MOSA ASIAN BISTRO—Specialties include sesame chicken, Thai calamari, rainbow panang curry with grouper fish, and other Pan Asian/fusion entrees. Closed Mon. 850 S. White Station Rd. 683-8889. L, D, X, MRA, $ NAM KING—Offers luncheon and dinner buffets, dim sum, and such specialties as fried dumplings, pepper steak, and orange chicken. 4594 Yale. 373-4411. L, D, X, $ NAPA CAFE—Among the specialties are miso-marinated salmon over black rice with garlic spinach and shiitake mushrooms. Closed Sun. 5101 Sanderlin, Suite 122. 683-0441. L, D, X, MRA, $$-$$$ NEW HUNAN—Chinese eatery with more than 80 entrees; also lunch/dinner buffets. 5052 Park. 766-1622. L, D, X, $ ONE & ONLY BBQ—On the menu are pork barbecue sandwiches, platters, wet and dry ribs, smoked chicken and turkey platters, a smoked meat salad, barbecue quesadillas,

Brunswick Stew, and Millie’s homemade desserts. 1779 Kirby Pkwy. 751-3615; 567 Perkins Extd. 249-4227. L, D, X, $ ONO POKÉ—This eatery specializes in poké — a Hawaiian dish of fresh fish salad served over rice. Menu includes a variety of poké bowls, like the Kimchi Tuna bowl, or customers can build their own by choosing a base, protein, veggies, and toppings.

3145 Poplar. 618-2955. L, D, X, $ OWEN BRENNAN’S—New Orleans-style menu of beef, chicken, pasta, and seafood; jambalaya, shrimp and grits, and crawfish etouffee are specialties. Closed for dinner Sunday. The Regalia, 6150 Poplar. 761-0990. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ PARK + CHERRY—The Dixon offers casual dining within the museum. Seasonal menu features sandwiches, like rustic chicken salad on croissant, as well as salads, snacks, and sweets.

Closed for breakfast Sun. and all day Mon. 4339 Park (Dixon Gallery). 761-5250. L, X, $ PATRICK’S—Serves barbecue nachos, burgers, and entrees such as fish and chips; also plate lunches and daily specials. 4972 Park. 682-2852. L, D, X, MRA, $ PETE & SAM’S—Serving Memphis for 60-plus years; offers steaks, seafood, and traditional Italian dishes, including homemade ravioli, lasagna, and chicken marsala. 3886 Park.

458-0694. D, X, $-$$$ PF CHANG’S CHINA BISTRO—Specialties are orange peel shrimp, Mongolian beef, and chicken in lettuce wraps; also vegetarian dishes, including spicy eggplant. 1181 Ridgeway Rd., Park Place Centre. 818-3889. L, D, X, $-$$ PHO SAIGON—Vietnamese fare includes beef teriyaki, roasted quail, curry ginger chicken, vegetarian options, and a variety of soups. 2946 Poplar. 4581644. L, D, $ PYRO’S FIRE-FRESH PIZZA—Serving gourmet pizzas cooked in an open-fire oven; wide choice of toppings; large local and craft beer selection. 1199 Ridgeway. 379-8294; 2035 Union Ave. 208-8857; 2286 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova). 207-1198; 3592 S. Houston Levee (Collierville). 221-8109. L, D, X, MRA, $ RED HOOK CAJUN SEAFOOD & BAR— Cajun-style array of seafood including shrimp, mussels, clams, crawfish, and oysters. 3295 Poplar. 207-1960. L, D, X, $-$$ RIVER OAKS—Chef Jose Gutierrez’s French-style bistro serves seafood and steaks, with an emphasis on fresh local ingredients. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. 5871 Poplar Ave. 683-9305. L, D, X, $$$ RONNIE GRISANTI’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT— This Memphis institution serves some family classics such as Elfo’s Special and handmade ravioli, along with house-made pizza and fresh oysters.

Closed Sun. 6150 Poplar #122. 850-0191. D, X, $-$$$ RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE—Offers prime steaks cut and aged in-house, as well as lamb, chicken, and fresh seafood, including lobster. 6120 Poplar. 761-0055. D, X, $$$-$$$$ SALSA—Mexican-Southern California specialties include carnitas, enchiladas verde, and fajitas; also Southwestern seafood dishes such as snapper verde. Closed Sun. Regalia Shopping Center, 6150 Poplar, Suite 129. 683-6325. L, D, X, $-$$ SEASONS 52—This elegant fresh grill and wine bar offers a seasonally changing menu using fresh ingredients, wood-fire grilling, and brick-oven cooking; also a large international wine list and nightly piano bar. Crescent Center, 6085 Poplar.

682-9952. L, D, X, $$-$$$ STAKS—Offering pancakes, including birthday cake and lemon ricotta. Menu includes other breakfast items such as beignets and French toast, as well as soups and sandwiches for lunch.

4615 Poplar. 509-2367; 7704 Poplar (Germantown). 800-1951. B, L, WB, X, $ SUSHI JIMMI—This food truck turned restaurant serves a variety of sushi rolls, fusion dishes — such as kimchi fries — and sushi burritos. Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Mon. 2895 Poplar.

729-6985. L, D, X, $ 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, X, $ THREE LITTLE PIGS—Pork-shoulder-style barbecue with tangy mild or hot sauce, freshly made coleslaw, and baked beans. 5145 Quince Rd. 685-7094. B, L, D, X, $ TOPS BAR-B-Q—Specializes in pork barbecue sandwiches and sandwich plates with beans and slaw; also serves ribs, beef brisket, and burgers. 1286 Union. 725-7527; 4183 Summer.

324-4325; 5391 Winchester. 794-7936; 3970 Rhodes. 323-9865; 6130 Macon. 371-0580. For more locations, go online. L, D, X, $ VENICE KITCHEN—Specializes in “eclectic Italian” and Southern Creole, from pastas, including the “Godfather,” to hand-tossed pizzas, including the “John Wayne”; choose from 50 toppings. 368 Perkins Ext. 767-6872. L, D, SB, X, $-$$ WANG’S MANDARIN HOUSE—Offers Mandarin, Cantonese, Szechuan, and spicy Hunan entrees, including the golden-sesame chicken; next door is East Tapas, serving small plates with an Asian twist. 6065 Park Ave., Park Place Mall. 7630676. L, D, X, $-$$ WASABI—Serving traditional Japanese offerings, hibachi, sashimi, and sushi. The Sweet Heart roll, wrapped — in the shape of a heart — with tuna and filled with spicy salmon, yellowtail, and avocado, is a specialty. 5101 Sanderlin Rd., Suite 105. 421-6399. L, D, X, $-$$ WOMAN’S EXCHANGE TEA ROOM—Chicken-salad plate, beef tenderloin, soups-and-sandwiches, and vegetable plates are specialties; meal includes drink and dessert. Closed Sat.-Sun. 88 Racine. 327-5681. L, X, $

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

552-3041. D, X, $-$$$ FOREST HILL GRILL—A variety of standard pub fare and a selection of mac-and-cheese dishes are featured on the menu.

Specialties include Chicken Newport and a barbecue salmon BLT. 9102 Poplar Pike. 624-6001. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$ GERMANTOWN COMMISSARY—Serves barbecue sandwiches, sliders, ribs, shrimp, and nachos, as well as smoked barbecued bologna sandwiches; Mon.-night all-you-can-eat ribs.

2290 S. Germantown Rd. S. 754-5540. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ KOHESIAN SOKO STYLE EATERY—KoreanAmerican eatery serves up fusion-style dishes like bibimbap burgers or gochujang marinated loaded spicy pork nachos. 1730 S. Germantown Rd. 308-0223. L, D, X, $$ LAS TORTUGAS DELI MEXICANA—Authentic Mexican food prepared from local food sources; specializes in tortugas — grilled bread scooped out to hold such powerfully popular fillings as brisket, pork, and shrimp; also tingas, tostados. Closed Sunday. 1215 S. Germantown Rd. 751-1200; 6300 Poplar. 623-3882. L, D, X, $-$$ MISTER B’S—Features New Orleans-style seafood and steaks.

Closed for lunch Sat. and all day Sun. and Mon. 6655 Poplar #107.

751-5262. L, D, X, $-$$$ MOONDANCE GRILL—From the owners of Itta Bena and Lafayette’s. Serves steak cooked sous vide and seafood dishes including Abita-barbecued shrimp and pan-seared sand dab, in addition to an extensive wine and cocktail list. 1730 S. Germantown Road, Suite 117. 755-1471. L, D, X, $$-$$$ NOODLES ASIAN BISTRO—Serves a variety of traditional Asian cuisine, with emphasis on noodle dishes, such as Singapore Street Noodles and Hong Kong Chow Fun. 7850 Poplar #12. 755-1117.

L, D, X, $ PETRA CAFÉ—Serves Greek, Italian, and Middle Eastern sandwiches, gyros, and entrees. Hours vary; call. 6641 Poplar.

754-4440; 547 S. Highland. 323-3050. L, D, X, $-$$ PIMENTO’S KITCHEN + MARKET—Fresh sandwiches, soups, salads, and plenty of pimento cheese at this family-owned restaurant. 6540 Poplar Ave. 602-5488 [Collierville: 3751 S. Houston Levee. 453-6283]. L, D, X, $ RAW GIRLS / CITY & STATE POP-UP— Hannah and Amy Pickle offer plant-based dishes and cold-pressed juices alongside Lisa and Luis Toro’s coffee bar. Hours vary. 2055 W. Germantown. L, X, $ RED KOI—Classic Japanese cuisine offered at this family-run restaurant; hibachi steaks, sushi, seafood, chicken, and vegetables.

5847 Poplar. 767-3456. L, D, X $-$$ ROCK’N DOUGH PIZZA CO.—Specialty and custom pizzas made from fresh ingredients; wide variety of toppings. 7850 Poplar #6. 779-2008. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $$ ROYAL PANDA—Hunan fish, Peking duck, Royal Panda chicken and shrimp, and a seafood combo are among the specialties. 3120 Village Shops Dr. 756-9697. L, D, X, $-$$ O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 91

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RUSSO’S NEW YORK PIZZERIA AND WINE BAR—Serves gourmet pizzas, calzones, and pasta, including lasagna, fettuccine Alfredo, scampi, and more. 9087 Poplar, Suite 111. 755-0092. L, D, WB, X, $-$$ SAKURA—Sushi, tempura, and teriyaki are Japanese specialties here. 2060 West St. 758-8181; 4840 Poplar. 572-1002.

L, D, X, $-$$ SOUTHERN SOCIAL—Shrimp and grits, stuffed quail, and Aunt Thelma’s Fried Chicken are among the dishes served at this upscale Southern establishment. 2285 S. Germantown Rd. 754-5555. D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ WEST STREET DINER—This home-style eatery offers breakfast, burgers, po’boys, and more. 2076 West St. 757-2191. B, L, D (Mon.-Fri.), X, $ 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. L, D, X, $-$

MIDTOWN (INCLUDES THE MEDICAL CENTER) ABYSSINIA RESTAURANT—Ethiopian/Mediterranean menu includes beef, chicken, lamb, fish entrees, and vegetarian dishes; also a lunch buffet. 2600 Poplar. 321-0082. L, D, X, $-$$ ALCHEMY—Southern fusion, locally grown cuisine features small and large plates; among the offerings are pan-seared hanger steak, quail, and lamb chops; also handcrafted cocktails and local craft beers. 940 S. Cooper. 726-4444. D, SB, X, $-$$ ART BAR—Inventive cocktails feature locally foraged ingredients; snacks include house-cured salt & vinegar potato chips and herb-roasted olives. Closed Mon. 1350 Concourse Avenue #280. 507-8030. D, X, $ BABALU TACOS & TAPAS—This eatery dishes up Spanish-style tapas with Southern flair; also taco and enchilada of the day; specials change daily. 2115 Madison. 274-0100; 6450 Poplar, 410-8909. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$ BACK DO / MI YARD—A revamped patio space behind The Beauty Shop features rotisserie meats and fishes via Brazilian-style outdoor grill. Dinner Wednesday-Saturday, weather permitting. 966 S. Cooper, 2727111. D, X, $$ BAR DKDC—Features an ever-changing menu of international “street food,” from Thai to Mexican, Israeli to Indian, along with specialty cocktails. 964 S. Cooper. 272-0830. D, X, MRA, $ BAR KEOUGH—It’s old school eats and cocktails at the new Cooper-Young neighborhood corner bar by Kevin Keough. 247 Cooper St. D, X, $ BAR-B-Q SHOP—Dishes up barbecued ribs, spaghetti, bologna; also pulled pork shoulder, Texas toast barbecue sandwich, chicken sandwich, and salads. Closed Sun. 1782 Madison. 272-1277. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ BARI RISTORANTE ENOTECA—Authentic Southeastern Italian cuisine (Puglia) emphasizes lighter entrees.

Serves fresh fish and beef dishes and a homemade soup of the day. 22 S. Cooper. 722-2244. D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ BARKSDALE RESTAURANT—Old-school diner serving breakfast and Southern plate lunches. 237 S. Cooper. 722-2193.

B, L, D, X, $ BAYOU BAR & GRILL—New Orleans fare at this Overton Square eatery includes jambalaya, gumbo, catfish Acadian, shrimp dishes, red beans and rice, and muffalettas. 2094 Madison. 278-8626. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ BEAUTY SHOP—Modern American cuisine with international flair served in a former beauty shop.

Serves steaks, salads, pasta, and seafood, including pecan-crusted golden sea bass. Perennial “Best Brunch” winner.

Closed for dinner Sunday. 966 S. Cooper. 272-7111. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ BELLY ACRES—At this festive Overton Square eatery, milkshakes, floats, and burgers rule. Burgers are updated with contemporary toppings like grilled leeks, braised tomatoes, and sourdough or brioche buns. 2102 Trimble Pl. 529-7017. L, D, X, $ BHAN THAI—Authentic Thai cuisine includes curries, pad Thai noodles, and vegetarian dishes, as well as seafood, pork, and duck entrees. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. and all day Mon. 1324 Peabody. 272-1538. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$

BLUE NILE ETHIOPIAN—Kabobs, flavorful chicken and lamb stew, and injera (flatbread) are traditional items on the menu, along with vegetarian options. 1788 Madison. 474-7214.

L, D, X, $-$$ BOSCOS—Tennessee’s first craft brewery serves a variety of freshly brewed beers as well as wood-fired oven pizzas, pasta, seafood, steaks, and sandwiches. 2120 Madison. 432-2222. L, D, SB (with live jazz), X, MRA, $-$$ BOUNTY ON BROAD—Offering family-style dining, Bounty serves small plates and family-sized platters, with such specialties as chicken fried quail and braised pork shank. 2519 Broad. 410-8131. L (Sat. and Sun.), D (Mon.-Sat.), SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ BROADWAY PIZZA—Serving a variety of pizzas, including the Broadway Special, as well as sandwiches, salads, wings, and soul-food specials. 2581 Broad. 454-7930; 627 S. Mendenhall.

207-1546. L, D, X, $-$$ CAFE 1912—French/American bistro owned by culinary pioneer Glenn Hays serving such seafood entrees as seared sea scallops with charred cauliflower purée and chorizo cumin sauce; also crepes, salads, and onion soup gratinée. 243 S. Cooper. 722-2700. D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ CAFE BROOKS BY CITY & STATE—Serving grab-and-go pastries, as well as lunch items. Menu includes soups, salads, and sandwiches, such as the Modern Reuben and Grown-Up Grilled Cheese. 1934 Poplar (Memphis Brooks Museum of Art). 544-6200. B, L, X, $ CAFE ECLECTIC—Omelets and chicken and waffles are among menu items, along with quesadillas, sandwiches, wraps, and burgers. Menu varies by location. 603 N. McLean. 725-1718; 111 Harbor Town Square. 590-4645. B, L, D, SB, X, MRA, $ CAFE OLÉ—This eatery specializes in authentic Mexican cuisine; one specialty is the build-your-own quesadilla. 959 S. Cooper. 343-0103. L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$ CAFE PALLADIO—Serves gourmet salads, soups, sandwiches, and desserts in a tea room inside the antiques shop.

Closed Sun. 2169 Central. 278-0129. L, X, $ CAFE SOCIETY—With Belgian and classic French influences, serves Wagyu beef, chicken, and seafood dishes, including bacon-wrapped shrimp, along with daily specials and vegetarian entrees. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. 212 N. Evergreen. 722-2177. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ CELTIC CROSSING—Specializes in Irish and American pub fare. Entrees include shepherd’s pie, shrimp and sausage coddle, and fish and chips. 903 S. Cooper. 274-5151. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ CENTRAL BBQ—Serves ribs, smoked hot wings, pulled pork sandwiches, chicken, turkey, nachos, and portobello sandwiches. Offers both pork and beef barbecue. 2249 Central Ave. 272-9377; 4375 Summer Ave. 7674672; 147 E. Butler. 672-7760 ; 6201 Poplar. 417-7962. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ THE COVE—Nautical-themed restaurant and bar serving oysters, pizzas, and more. The Stoner Pie, with tamales and fritos, is a popular dish. 2559 Broad. 730-0719. L, D, $ THE CRAZY NOODLE—Korean noodle dishes range from bibam beef noodle with cabbage, carrots, and other vegetables, to curry chicken noodle; also rice cakes served in a flavorful sauce. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. 2015 Madison. 272-0928. L, D, X, $ THE DOGHOUZZ—It’s both bark and bite at the Doghouzz, which pairs a variety of gourmet hot dogs alongside local craft beer and one of the city’s most extensive whiskey selections. Open for lunch, dinner, and latenight. Closed Sunday. 1349 Autumn Ave. 207-7770. L, D, X, $ ECCO—Mediterranean-inspired specialties range from rib-eye steak to seared scallops to housemade pastas and a grilled vegetable plate; also a Saturday brunch.

Closed Sun.-Mon. 1585 Overton Park. 410-8200. 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 #175.

800-1851. L, D, X, $ FINO’S ITALIAN DELI & CATERING—The newly revived Fino’s offers the old favorites such as the Acquisto as well as a new breakfast menu. 1853 Madison. 272-FINO. B, L, D, X, $ FRIDA’S—Mexican cuisine and Tex-Mex standards, including chimichangas, enchiladas, and fajitas; seafood includes shrimp and tilapia. 1718 Madison. 244-6196. L, D, X, $-$$

GLOBAL CAFE—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 #157. L, D, X, MRA, $ GOLDEN INDIA—Northern Indian specialties include tandoori chicken as well as lamb, beef, shrimp, and vegetarian dishes. 2097 Madison. 728-5111. L, D, X, $-$$ GROWLERS—Sports bar and eatery serves standard bar fare in addition to a pasta, tacos, chicken and waffles, and light options. 1911 Poplar. 244-7904. L, D, X, $-$$ HATTIE B’S—Fried chicken spot features “hot chicken” with a variety of heat levels; from no heat to “shut the cluck up” sauce. Sides include greens, pimento mac-and-cheese, and black-eyed pea salad. 596 S. Cooper. 424-5900. L, D, X, $ HM DESSERT LOUNGE—Serving cake, pie, and other desserts, as well as a selection of savory dishes, including meatloaf and mashed potato “cupcakes.” Closed Monday. 1586 Madison. 290-2099. L, D, X, $ IMAGINE VEGAN CAFE—Dishes at this fully vegan restaurant range from salads and sandwiches to full dinners, including eggplant parmesan and “beef” tips and rice; breakfast all day Sat. and Sun. 2158 Young. 654-3455. L, D, WB, X, $ INDIA PALACE—Tandoori chicken, lamb shish kabobs, and chicken tikka masala are among the entrees; also, vegetarian options and a daily all-you-can-eat lunch buffet. 1720 Poplar. 278-1199. L, D, X, $-$$ INSPIRE COMMUNITY CAFE—Serving breakfast all day, in addition to quesadillas, rice bowls, and more for lunch and dinner. 510 Tillman, Suite 110. 509-8640. B, L, D, X, $ LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM—Serves such Southern cuisine as po’boys, shrimp and grits, and wood-fired pizzas. 2119 Madison. 207-5097. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$ LBOE—Gourmet burger joint serves locally sourced ground beef burgers, with options like the Mac-N-Cheese Burger and Caprese. Black bean and turkey patties available. 2021 Madison.

725-0770. L, D, X, $ THE LIQUOR STORE—Renovated liquor store turned diner serves all-day breakfast, sandwiches, and entrees such as Salisbury steak and smothered pork chops. Closed for dinner Sun.-Mon. 2655 Broad. 405-5477. B, L, D, X, $-$$ LITTLE ITALY—Serving New York-style pizza as well as subs and pasta dishes. 1495 Union. 725-0280; L, D, X, $-$$ MARDI GRAS MEMPHIS—Fast-casual establishment serving Cajun fare, including an etouffee-stuffed po’boy. Closed Mon.-Tues. 496 N. Watkins. 530-6767. L, D, X, $-$$ MAXIMO’S ON BROAD—Serving a tapas menu that features creative fusion cuisine; entrees include veggie paella and fish of the day. Closed Mon. 2617 Broad Ave. 452-1111. D, SB, X, $-$$ MEMPHIS PIZZA CAFE—Homemade pizzas are specialties; also serves sandwiches, calzones, and salads.

2087 Madison. 726-5343; 5061 Park Ave. 684-1306; 7604 W. Farmington (Germantown). 753-2218; 797 W. Poplar (Collierville).

861-7800; 5627 Getwell (Southaven). 662-536-1364. L, D, X, $-$$ MIDPOINTE FROM EDGE ALLEY—Edge Alley’s sister cafe at the Ballet Memphis headquarters focuses on freshness for its breakfast, lunch, and happy hour tapas. Closed Sunday-Monday. 2144 Madison Ave. 4252605. B, L, X, $ MOLLY’S LA CASITA—Homemade tamales, fish tacos, a vegetarian combo, and bacon-wrapped shrimp are a few of the specialties. 2006 Madison. 726-1873. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ NEXT DOOR AMERICAN EATERY—Serves dishes sourced from American farms. Menu features chorizo bacon dates, spicy gulf shrimp, and dry-aged beef burgers. 1350 Concourse Avenue, Suite 165. 779-1512. L, D, X, $ PAYNE’S BAR-B-QUE—Opened in 1972, this family-owned barbecue joint serves ribs, smoked sausage, and chopped pork sandwiches with a standout mustard slaw and homemade sauce. About as down-toearth as it gets. 1762 Lamar. 272-1523. L, D, $-$$ PARISH GROCERY—Shrimp? Roast beef? Oysters?

Whatever type of po’boy you want, the New Orleansthemed eatery has got it. Closed Monday. 1545 Overton Park Ave. 207-4347. L, D, X, $-$$ PIZZERIA TRASIMENO—Small pizzas baked in wood-fired clay ovens along with a selection of small salads. Menu is soon to include desserts, local beer on tap, and Umbrian wine. 1350 Concourse Ave., Suite 181. 308-1113.

L, D. $

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PHO BINH—Vietnamese, vegetarian, and Cantonese specialties include lemon tofu and spring rolls. Closed Sunday.

1615 Madison. 276-0006. L, D, $ RAILGARTEN—Located in a former rail station space, this eatery offers breakfast items, a variety of salads and sandwiches, and such entrees as short rib mac-and-cheese and fish tacos.

Also serves shakes, malts, floats, and cream sodas. 2166 Central.

231-5043. B, L, D, $-$$ RED FISH ASIAN BISTRO—In the former Nineteenth Century Club building, serves sushi, teriyaki, and hibachi.

Specialties include yuzu filet mignon and Chilean sea bass. 1433 Union. 454-3926; 9915 Highway 64 (Lakeland). 729-7581; 6518 Goodman (Olive Branch). 662-874-5254. L, D, X, $-$$$ RESTAURANT IRIS—French Creole-inspired classics, such as Gulf shrimp and rice grits congee served with lap chong sausage and boiled peanuts, are served at this newly remodeled restaurant owned by Chef Kelly English, a Food and Wine “Top Ten.” 2146 Monroe. 590-2828. D, X, $$-$$$ ROBATA RAMEN & YAKITORI BAR—Serves ramen noodle bowls and Yakitori skewers as well as rice and noodle dishes. 2116 Madison. 410-8290. L, D, X, $ SABROSURA—Serves Mexican and Cuban fare, including arroz tapada de pollo and steak Mexican. Closed Sun. 782 Washington. 421-8180. L, D, X, $-$$ SALTWATER CRAB—Offers an array of seafood dishes including boils with blue crab, crab legs, lobster tails, and more, and specialty sushi like the Dynamite or Royal King rolls, in addition to signature sangrias and cocktails. 2059 Madison Ave. 922-5202. L, D, X, $$ SAUCY CHICKEN—Specializes in antibiotic-free chicken dishes with locally sourced ingredients, with such items as hot wings and the Crosstown Chicken Sandwich, and a variety of house-made dipping sauces; also, seafood, salads, and daily specials. 1350 Concourse, Suite 137. 203-3838. L, D (Mon.-Fri.), $ THE SECOND LINE—Kelly English brings “relaxed Creole cuisine” to his newest eatery; serves a variety of po’boys and such specialties as barbecue shrimp, andouille shrimp, and pimento cheese fries. 2144 Monroe. 590-2829. L, D, WB, X, $-$$ SEKISUI—Japanese fusion cuisine, fresh sushi bar, grilled meats and seafood, California rolls, and vegetarian entrees. Poplar/Perkins location’s emphasis is on Pacific Rim cuisine. Menu and hours vary at each location. 25 Belvedere. 725-0005; 1884 N. Germantown Pkwy. (Cordova).

309-8800; 4724 Poplar. 767-7770; 2130 W. Poplar (Collierville).

854-0622; 2990 Kirby-Whitten (Bartlett). 377-2727; 6696 Poplar.

747-0001. L, D, X, $-$$$ STONE SOUP CAFE—Cooper-Young eatery serving soups, salads, quiche, meat-and-two specials; and daily specials such as Italian roast beef. Closed Monday. 993 S. Cooper. 922-5314. B, L, SB, X, $ SOUL FISH CAFE—Serving Southern-style soul food, tacos, and po’boys, including catfish, crawfish, oyster, shrimp, chicken, and smoked pork tenderloin. 862 S. Cooper. 725-0722; 3160 Village Shops Dr. (Germantown). 755-6988; 4720 Poplar.

590-0323. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ SWEET GRASS—Chef Ryan Trimm takes Southern cuisine to a new level. Low-country coastal cuisine includes such specialties as shrimp and grits. Closed Mon. Restaurant’s “sister,” Sweet Grass Next Door, open nightly, serves lunch Sat.-Sun. 937 S. Cooper. 278-0278. D, SB, X, $-$$$ TAMBOLI’S PASTA & PIZZA—Pasta Maker Josh Tamboli whips up Italian soul food with seasonal menus featuring dishes like crispy fried chicken or creamy bucatini with pecorino cheese. Serves dinner TuesdaySaturday. Pizza only menu after 9pm. 1761 Madison. 410-8866.

D, X, $-$$ TAKASHI BISTRO—Fusion restaurant with an open kitchen that lets customers watch chefs prepare a variety of Japanese and Thai cuisine. 1680 Union Ave. Ste. 109. 800-2936. L, D, $-$$.

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, X, MRA, $$-$$$

ZINNIE’S—Dive bar classic reopens with a makeover and signature Zinnaloni sandwich. 1688 Madison.

726-5004. L, D, X, $

SOUTH MEMPHIS (INCLUDES

PARKWAY VILLAGE, FOX MEADOWS, SOUTH MEMPHIS, WINCHESTER, AND WHITEHAVEN)

COLETTA’S—Longtime eatery serves such specialties as homemade ravioli, lasagna, and pizza with barbecue or traditional toppings. 1063 S. Parkway E. 948-7652; 2850 Appling Rd. (Bartlett). 383-1122. L, D, X, $-$$ CURRY BOWL—Specializes in Southern Indian cuisine, serving Tandoori chicken, biryani, tikka masala, and more.

Weekend buffet. 4141 Hacks Cross Rd. 207-6051. L, D, $ DELTA’S KITCHEN—The premier restaurant at The Guest House at Graceland serves Elvis-inspired dishes — like Nutella and Peanut Butter Crepes for breakfast — and upscale Southern cuisine — including lamb chops and shrimp and grits — for dinner. 3600 Elvis Presley Blvd. 443-3000. B, D, X, $-$$$ DWJ KOREAN BARBECUE—This authentic Korean eatery serves kimbap, barbecued beef short ribs, rice and noodles dishes, and hot pots and stews. 3750 Hacks Cross Rd., Suite 101. 746-8057; 2156 Young. 207-6204. L, D, $-$$ THE FOUR WAY—Legendary soul-food establishment dishing up such entrees as fried and baked catfish, chicken, and turkey and dressing, along with a host of vegetables and desserts. Around the corner from the legendary Stax Studio. Closed Monday. 998 Mississippi Blvd.

507-1519. L, D, $ HERNANDO’S HIDEAWAY—Hernando’s Hideaway–No one cares how late it gets; not at Hernando’s Hideaway. Live music, killer happy hour, and plenty of bar fare at this South Memphis hang. 3210 Old Hernando Rd. 917-982-1829. L, D, $ INTERSTATE BAR-B-Q—Specialties include chopped pork-shoulder sandwiches, ribs, hot wings, spaghetti, chicken, and turkey. 2265 S. Third. 775-2304; 150 W. Stateline Rd. (Southaven). 662-393-5699. L, D, X, $-$$ LEONARD’S—Serves wet and dry ribs, barbecue sandwiches, spaghetti, catfish, homemade onion rings, and lemon icebox pie; also a lunch buffet. 5465 Fox Plaza. 360-1963. L, X, $-$$ MARLOWE’S—In addition to its signature barbecue and ribs, Marlowe’s serves Southern-style steaks, chops, lasagne, and more. 4381 Elvis Presley Blvd. 332-4159. D, X, MRA, $-$$ UNCLE LOU’S FRIED CHICKEN—Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives for good reason: fried chicken (mild, hot, or home-style); jumbo burgers four patties high; strawberry shortcake, and assorted fruit pies. 3633 Millbranch. 332-2367. L, D, X, MRA, $

SUMMER/BERCLAIR/ RALEIGH/BARTLETT ASIAN PALACE—Chinese eatery serves seafood, vegetarian items, dim sum, and more. 5266 Summer Ave. 766-0831. L, D, X, $-$$ ELWOOD’S SHACK—Casual comfort food includes tacos, pizza and sandwiches. Specialties include meats smoked in-house (chicken, turkey, brisket, pork), barbecue pizza, and steelhead trout tacos. 4523 Summer. 761-9898. B, L, D, X, $ EXLINES’ BEST PIZZA—Serves pizza, Italian dinners, sandwiches, and salads. 6250 Stage Rd. 382-3433; 2935 Austin Peay. 388-4711; 2801 Kirby Parkway. 754-0202; 7730 Wolf River Blvd. (Germantown). 753-4545; 531 W. Stateline Rd. 662-3424544 (check online for additional locations). L, D, X, MRA, $ GRIDLEY’S—Offers barbecued ribs, shrimp, pork plate, chicken, and hot tamales; also daily lunch specials. Closed Tues.

6842 Stage Rd. 377-8055. L, D, X, $-$$ LA TAQUERIA GUADALUPANA—Fajitas and quesadillas are just a few of the authentic Mexican entrees offered here. A bona-fide Memphis institution.

4818 Summer. 685-6857; 5848 Winchester. 365-4992. L, D, $

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

682-1151. D, X, $ MORTIMER’S—Contemporary American entrees include trout almondine, chicken dishes, and hand-cut steaks; also sandwiches, salads, and daily/nightly specials. A Memphis landmark since the Knickerbocker closed. Closed for lunch Sat.-Sun. 590 N. Perkins. 761-9321. L, D, X, $-$$ NAGASAKI INN—Chicken, steak, and lobster are among the main courses; meal is cooked at your table. 3951 Summer.

454-0320. D, X, $$ PANDA GARDEN—Sesame chicken and broccoli beef are among the Mandarin and Cantonese entrees; also seafood specials and fried rice. Closed for lunch Saturday. 3735 Summer.

323-4819. L, D, X, $-$$ QUEEN OF SHEBA—Featuring Middle Eastern favorites and Yemeni dishes such as lamb haneeth and saltah. 4792 Summer. 207-4174. L, D, $ SIDE PORCH STEAK HOUSE—In addition to steak, the menu includes chicken, pork chops, and fish entrees; homemade rolls are a specialty. Closed Sun.-Mon. 5689 Stage Rd. 377-2484.

D, X, $-$$

UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT (INCLUDES CHICKASAW GARDENS AND HIGHLAND STRIP)

A-TAN—Serves Chinese and Japanese hibachi cuisine, complete with sushi bar. A specialty is Four Treasures with garlic sauce.

3445 Poplar, Suite 17, University Center. 452-4477. L, D, X, $-$$$ THE BLUFF—New Orleans-inspired menu includes alligator bites, nachos topped with crawfish and andouille, gumbo, po’boys, and fried seafood platters. 535 S. Highland. 454-7771. L, D, X, $-$$ BROTHER JUNIPER’S—This little cottage is a breakfast mecca, offering specialty omelets, including the open-faced San Diegan omelet; also daily specials, and homemade breads and pastries. Closed Mon. 3519 Walker.

324-0144. B, X, $ CHAR RESTAURANT—Specializing in modern Southern cuisine, this eatery offers homestyle sides, char-broiled steaks, and fresh seafood. 431 S. Highland #120. 249-3533. L, D, WB, X, MRA, $-$$$ DERAE RESTAURANT—Ethiopian and Mediterranean fare includes fuul, or fava beans in spices and yogurt, goat meat and rice, and garlic chicken over basmati rice with cilantro chutney; also salmon and tilapia. Closed Monday. 923 S. Highland. 5523992. B, L, D, $-$$ EL PORTON—Fajitas, quesadillas, and steak ranchero are just a few of the menu items. 2095 Merchants Row (Germantown).

754-4268; 8361 Highway 64. 380-7877; 3448 Poplar (Poplar Plaza). 452-7330; 1805 N. Germantown Parkway (Cordova). 6249358; 1016 W. Poplar (Collierville). 854-5770. L, D, X, MRA, $-$$ JOES’ ON HIGHLAND—Specializes in fried chicken and comfort sides such as warm okra/green tomato salad and turnip greens. Entrees include salmon patties and chicken-fried steak. Closed Mon. 262 S. Highland.

337-7003. L, D, X, $ MEDALLION—Offers steaks, seafood, chicken, and pasta entrees. Closed for dinner Sunday. 3700 Central, Holiday Inn (Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality). 678-1030. B, L, D, SB, X, MRA, $-$$$ OPEN FLAME—This authentic Persian and Mediterranean eatery specializes in shish kebabs as well as kosher and halal fare.

3445 Poplar. 207-4995. L, D, X, $

OUT-OF-TOWN BOZO’S HOT PIT BAR-B-Q—Barbecue, burgers, sandwiches, and subs. 342 Hwy 70 (Mason, TN). 901-294-3400.

L, D, $-$$ CATFISH BLUES—Serving Delta-raised catfish and Cajunand Southern-inspired dishes, including gumbo and fried green tomatoes. 210 E. Commerce (Hernando, MS). 662-298-3814. L, D, $ CITY GROCERY—Southern eclectic cuisine; shrimp and grits is a specialty. Closed for dinner Sunday. 152 Courthouse Square (Oxford, MS). 662-232-8080. L, D, SB, X, $$-$$$

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COMO STEAKHOUSE—Steaks cooked on a hickory charcoal grill are a specialty here. Upstairs is an oyster bar.

Closed Sun. 203 Main St. (Como, MS). 662-526-9529. D, X, $-$$$ LONG ROAD CIDER CO.—Specializes in hard apple ciders made with traditional methods. Cafe-style entrees include black-eyed peas with cornbread and greens, chicken Gorgonzola pockets, cider-steamed sausage, and housemade ice creams. Closed Sun.-Wed. 9053 Barret Road. (Barretville, TN). 352-0962. D, X, $ MANILA FILIPINO RESTAURANT—Entrees include pork belly cutlet with lechon sauce, and shrimp and vegetables in tamarind broth; also daily combos, rice dishes, and chef specials. Closed Sun.-Mon. 7849 Rockford (Millington, TN). 209-8525. L, D, X, $ MARSHALL STEAKHOUSE—Rustic steakhouse serves premium Angus beef steaks, seafood dishes, rack of lamb, and more. Breakfast menu features griddle cakes, and lunch offerings include hamburger steak and oyster po’ boys. 2379 Highway 178 (Holly Springs, MS). 628-3556. B, L, D, X, $-$$$ MEMPHIS BARBECUE COMPANY—Offers spare ribs, baby backs, and pulled pork and brisket, along with such sides as mac-and-cheese, grits, and red beans. 709 Desoto Cove (Horn Lake, MS). 662-536-3762. L, D, X, $-$$

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JESSE DAVIS

Copy Editor

CASINO TABLES BOURBON STREET STEAKHOUSE & GRILL AT SOUTHLAND CASINO RACING—1550 Ingram Blvd., West Memphis, AR, 1-800-467-6182 CHICAGO STEAKHOUSE AT THE GOLDSTRIKE—1010 Casino Center Dr., Robinsonville, MS, 1-888-24KSTAY /662-357-1225 FAIRBANKS AT THE HOLLYWOOD—1150 Casino Strip Blvd., Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-871-0711 JACK BINION’S STEAK HOUSE AT HORSESHOE—1021 Casino Center Drive, Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-303-SHOE LUCKY 8 ASIAN BISTRO AT HORSESHOE—1021 Casino Center Drive, Robinsonville, MS, 1-800-303-SHOE THE STEAKHOUSE AT THE FITZ—711 Lucky Ln., Robinsonville, MS, 1-888-766-LUCK, ext 8213 NAGOYA—Offers traditional Japanese cuisine and sushi bar; specialties are teriyaki and tempura dishes. 7075 Malco Blvd., Suite 101 (Southaven, MS). 662-349-8788. L, D, X, $-$$$ PANCHO’S—Serves up a variety of Mexican standards, including tacos, enchiladas, and mix-and-match platters; also lunch specials. 3600 E. Broadway (West Memphis, AR).

870-735-6466. 717 N. White Station. 685-5404. L, D, X, MRA, $ PIG-N-WHISTLE—Offers pork shoulder sandwiches, wet and dry ribs, catfish, nachos, and stuffed barbecue potatoes. 6084 Kerr-Rosemark Rd. (Millington, TN). 872-2455.

L, D, X, $ RAVINE—Serves contemporary Southern cuisine with an emphasis on fresh, locally grown foods and a menu that changes weekly. Closed Mon.-Tues. 53 Pea Ridge/County Rd. 321 (Oxford, MS). 662-234-4555. D, SB, X, $$-$$$ SAINT LEO’S—Offering sophisticated pizzas, pastas, sandwiches, and salads. A James Beard nominee for Best New Restaurant in 2017. 1101 Jackson (Oxford, MS). 662-234-4555.

D, L, WB, $-$$ SNACKBAR—Billed as an intriguing mix of “French Bistro with North Mississippi Cafe.” Serving a confit duck Croque Monsieur, watermelon-cucumber chaat, pan-fried quail, plus a daily plate special and a raw bar. Chef Vishesh Bhatt was named as Best Chef South by the James Beard Foundation in 2019. 721 N. Lamar (Oxford, MS). 662-236-6363. D, $-$$$ WILSON CAFE—Serving elevated home-cooking, with such dishes as deviled eggs with cilantro and jalapeño, scampi and grits, and doughnut bread pudding. 2 N. Jefferson (Wilson, AR). 870-655-0222. L, D (Wed. through Sat. only), X, $-$$$

As the copy editor for the Memphis Flyer, I spend a fair amount of time just looking things up. So I can’t help but notice how many news sources are behind a paywall. Just like us, they have bills to pay, of course, so I understand. You’ve got to make money somehow. Still, I believe that people have a fundamental right to information about their communities.

O

n an individual level, we need to know what’s going on in our communities to make good decisions for ourselves and our families.

As a society, we need an informed populace in order to make wise choices for ourselves as a collective. In that sense, the Flyer provides a necessary community resource. Jackson Baker writes indisputably vital candidate coverage in the lead-up to local elections. Maya Smith and Toby Sells keep tabs on all the local news. And none of that is locked away behind a paywall.

Sure, when you see my byline in the Flyer (I write as well as proofread), I’m not likely to be reporting that kind of hard news. Books, music, art — that’s my beat. But I think that being engaged with your community means being aware of both civic and cultural happenings. It’s important to keep up with the politics and policies, and with the art and events. Besides, engaging with others’ stories encourages empathy and imagination. I like to think it makes us better and more creative problem solvers. And it’s my way of supporting the Flyer folks who do report the hard news.

It takes the whole package — the news, reviews, and advertisers — to make the Flyer what it is. And I like to think there’s something here every week (and every day online) for everyone. I love being a part of the cultural conversation in Memphis, and I love being a Frequent Flyer and a member of the Flyer team.

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Number 36

One hundred years ago, Tennessee played a key role in enfranchising women.

BY PAU L A F. CA S E Y

I

magine being born into a country where you were denied the right to vote just because you were a woman.

That was primarily the situation for American women prior to August 18, 1920, when Tennessee became the last state that could possibly ratify the 19th Amendment, which states: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” Not until 1968, however, would Black and other minority Americans — of any gender — be guaranteed the right to vote, under the Voting Rights Act. The 72-year struggle for women’s enfranchisement came closer to reality with Tennessee’s action, led by Memphis Rep. Joseph Hanover and a united Shelby County delegation, which enshrined in the U.S. Constitution their right to vote in all elections.

The Constitution grants the right to vote; however, the states implement policies and procedures, and that’s where discriminatory practices continued into the twentieth century.

The late Carol Lynn Yellin wrote: “Suff ragists had to win in no fewer than 36 legislatures, while their opponents, the entrenched and well-heeled Antis, could kill the amendment by squashing it in just 13 legislatures.

Behind the Antis’ formally organized battalions — a National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage (for ladies) and the American Constitutional League (for gentlemen) — stood the suffragists’ real and most powerful enemies, a shadowy conglomerate of special interests referred to as the whiskey ring, the railroad trust, and the manufacturers’ lobby.

“After passage in Congress on June 4, 1919, there were 34 state ratifications from June 10, 1919, until March 10, 1920. On March 22, 1920, the Washington state legislature was called into special session and unanimously completed ratification number 35. Where was number 36? With final victory so amazingly and

The Equality Trailblazers monument will stand outside the University of Memphis law school.

tantalizingly close, the ratificawon that competition and his tion campaign stalled. Six states, bas relief sculpture was unveiled all Southern, had already rejectbetween the House and Senate ed the amendment. Only seven chambers. LeQuire has been commissioned to create more states had not yet acted, and three of these — Florida, Louisiana, suffragist public art in Knoxville, and North Carolina — were also Nashville, and Memphis.

There is a nationwide dearth of from the Deep and Democratic public statuary honoring women; South. No chance there where memories of federally controlled statues of men account for over elections during the dark days of 90 percent of all such public art.

Reconstruction still rankled, and In 2012, Jim Strickland, then a city council member, told me he wantthe 19th Amendment, with its Section 2 granting enforcement ed a Memphis suffrage monument powers to Congress, was anathbecause he knew I was working on ema. There was no the Tennessee Wom“It fell to Tennessee, hope in Connecticut an Suffrage Monument in Nashville. or Vermont. a border state with After finishing the “It fell to Tenneswell-organized proNashville and Jacksee, a border state with well-organized son statues, we were suffrage groups — able to start working pro-suffrage groups National American — National Amerseriously on MemWoman Suffrage phis’ in December ican Woman Suffrage Association 2016.

Association and and National WomThe “Equalit y National Woman’s Trailblazers” monan’s Party stalwarts ument will honor — and anti-suffrage Party stalwarts — factions, to become 12 women — Ida B. and anti-suffrage ‘The Perfect 36.’ The Wells, Mary Church factions, to become reluctant governor, Terrell, Lide Smith A.H. Roberts, conMeriwether, Marion ‘The Perfect 36.’” venient ly cal led Griffin, Lulu Colyar a special session for August 9, Reese, Charl Ormond Williams, 1920, after his party primary. AfAlma Law, Minerva Johnican, Maxine Smith, Lois DeBerry, ter extensive heated debate and parliamentary maneuverings, the Frances Loring, Happy Snowden state Senate concurred 25-4. The Jones — and the unsung suffrage House vote was a cliff hanger. It hero, Rep. Joseph Hanover. The passed 50-46 on August 18, 1920, state historical marker for Elizand survived constitutional chalabeth Avery Meriwether, the lenges so that Tennessee’s ratifiearliest known suffragist in Tencation made votes for women the nessee, will be placed in close law of the land.” proximity.

Yellin, co-author of The Perfect Tennessee legislators changed 36: Tennessee Delivers Woman Sufthe course of American history frage with Dr. Janann Sherman, in 1920. We honor those who believed in democracy and the rule said the suffragists were the greatest politicians the world has of law with our public art. This ever seen because they won the monument, located on the bluff right to vote without having it. by the Cecil C. Humphreys School There were numerous heroes of Law, will be an important part and heroines in Tennessee. Priof the Memphis Heritage Trail, or to February 1998, nothing the Tennessee Woman Suffrage inside the state capitol building Heritage Trail, and the National Votes for Women Trail. depicted Tennessee’s important role in this nonviolent revolution.

Then-state Senator Steve Cohen, Paula F. Casey, co-founder of the Tennessee Woman Suffrage now our congressman, sought Heritage Trail, is a speaker on to rectify that. He understood the 19th Amendment, publisher the importance of public art of The Perfect 36: Tennessee and worked with the Tennessee Arts Commission to hold a blind Delivers Woman Suffrage, competition. Noted artist/sculpand committee chair of the Memphis Suffrage Monument. tor Alan LeQuire of Nashville

RENDERING BY ALAN LEQUIRE

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