Welcome to our Best of Memphis issue! This annual special edition includes the city’s favorite restaurants, shops, services, venues, and more — all chosen by you! Nominations for this year’s Best of Memphis ballot were open between May and June. Voting ran July through August, with more than 19,000 voters participating. Within these pages — and at tonight’s BOM event (September 24th) — we share those results and celebrate the people, places, and things that make the Bluff City so special. Memphis would not be the thriving, cultured, cool place it is without each and every one of you. We submit a heartfelt thank you to the winners, voters, our sponsors, and readers for your parts in making Best of Memphis possible.
SHARA CLARK Editor-in-Chief
ABIGAIL MORICI
Managing Editor
JACKSON BAKER, BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN
Senior Editors
TOBY SELLS
Associate Editor
KAILYNN JOHNSON News Reporter
CHRIS MCCOY Film and TV Editor
ALEX GREENE Music Editor
MICHAEL DONAHUE, JON W. SPARKS Staff Writers
JESSE DAVIS, EMILY GUENTHER, COCO JUNE, PATRICIA LOCKHART, FRANK MURTAUGH, STEPHANIE PAINTER, WILLIAM SMYTHE, KATIE STEPHENSON Contributing Columnists
JANICE GRISSOM ELLISON, KAREN MILAM, DON MYNATT, TAMMY NASH, RANDY ROTZ, LEWIS TAYLOR, WILLIAM WIDEMAN Distribution
KENNETH NEILL Founding Publisher
THE MEMPHIS FLYER is published weekly by Contemporary Media, Inc., P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101 Phone: (901) 521-9000 Fax: (901) 521-0129 memphisflyer.com
CONTEMPORARY MEDIA, INC.
ANNA TRAVERSE Chief Executive Officer
LYNN SPARAGOWSKI Controller/Circulation Manager
JEFFREY GOLDBERG Chief Revenue Officer
MARGIE NEAL Chief Operating Officer
KRISTIN PAWLOWSKI Digital Services Director
Deep thanks also, from me, to our dedicated team of brilliant minds. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes on this issue and its coinciding party (open to the public this year!). From careful category selection to final designed pages, our small staff is all-hands-on-deck in the run-up to BOM. It’s our busiest time of year. Within recent weeks, we’ve carefully combed through everyone who placed in every section, spread out responsibility on writing the many winners’ blurbs you’ll see here, and took a lot of crap from a few folks wondering why so-and-so did or did not make the ballot (they have to be nominated!). And that’s just the editorial side — ad sales, art, email newsletters, social media, marketing, and lots of important decisions by the bosses support these efforts. We’ve been hosting Best of Memphis since 1994, and we’ll continue to do it as long as we’re here.
And I want to talk about that a little, too, while I’ve got you. I was thinking the other day, during an email exchange with Bruce V. about life stuff, that I truly have grown up with this paper. I was in my mid-20s when I walked through the doors of the then-office Downtown on Tennessee Street, nervous about meeting the coolest people ever and possibly getting to write for the coolest paper ever! Now here I am, in my early 40s (don’t tell anyone!), still here, the same but different. A lot of growth and change have happened in my life, as one might expect in nearly 20 years. And I’ve had the opportunity to learn and grow with the Flyer, also the same but different. I’ve been right here to see it through many shifts in the ways we consume and disseminate news, and through a rough decline in print media.
What happened in 2020 as a result of the pandemic was said to be an “exinctionlevel” event that fueled the fall of alternative newsweeklies — a fall that began nearly a decade earlier with the internet boom. What had already been a hard market for us free, independent, fully ad-supported papers — with many businesses choosing to advertise online, on radio, billboards, or TV over print — became nearly impossible when our current and potential advertisers all shut down. The Flyer stayed afloat, barely, with a print edition only every other week and alternating online-only issues (remember that?). We had to cut the number of papers printed (for cost and) because there weren’t many places open to deliver them to. When the world finally bounced back, ours may have been more of a scoot than a bounce.
I’ve worked with most of the people whose names you see on this masthead for almost half my life, and for almost half of the Flyer’s. The rest have been here probably five, 10-plus. I’ve been to weddings, showers, and house parties with them; celebrated births and mourned deaths with them; and with them welcomed and bid farewell to dozens of talented people who’ve graced our staff through these years. The people who bring the Flyer to you — from the sales team who bust butt to get advertisers in these pages and on our website, to the writers whose unique voices bring you news, snark, and insight week in and week out — are people just like you. We’re passionate about this paper and this city. And we want to keep doing this for us, for you, and for Memphis as long as we can.
Yes, a lot has changed. One thing that has not is that the Flyer is free for everyone — in print and online, always. If you want to see us forge on for another 35+ years — an institution right alongside the Huey’s and Raiford’s — please point a friend to a print copy of the paper, share our news articles online, or consider becoming a Frequent Flyer with a one-time or monthly monetary contribution.
AI and misinformation are aimed at destroying real journalism. Wellresearched, fact-checked content is no longer the norm. Support our continued work in being an honest, human voice for our city when it needs it the most by visiting memphisflyer.com/ page/FrequentFlyer. And while you’re on the site, get your tickets for the BOM bash.
Tonight, we celebrate, as long as we’re here.
Shara Clark shara@memphisflyer.com
THE fly-by
MEM ernet
Memphis on the internet.
MARINA FOR SALE
e Riverside Park Marina was listed for sale on Facebook Marketplace last week. For $60,000 the site on McKellar Lake Drive can be yours.
NATIONAL GUARD PTSD
Memphis comedian Zach Williams was killing it last week with his Instagram series about the National Guard deployment here. In it, Williams is a Guard veteran telling a grandkid about his tour in Memphis. Stationed at the Liberty Bowl, his platoon explores Cooper-Young, gets lost in the Overton Square theaters, and cleans up at the University of Memphis.
President Donald Trump’s crime plan for Memphis, a city he said is “su ering from tremendous levels of violent crime,” includes 13 federal agencies and the Tennessee National Guard and targets everything from immigration to tra c violations.
Here’s what you need to know:
• National Guard: Tennessee Governor Bill Lee will pick the number of troops deployed here. He’ll decide how long they will stay.
• Why? Background from the memo:
“ e city of Memphis, Tennessee, is su ering from tremendous levels of violent crime that have overwhelmed its local government’s ability to respond e ectively. is situation has become dire in one of our nation’s most historic cities.
‘HELLA WONKY’
Hunter Demster called out a “clearly AI-generated” image of federal troops here that oated through the MEMernet last week.
“Notice the out of place Bass Pro Shop sign, the tra c lights only have 2 lights, the license plate is hella wonky, the trolley doesn’t come out that far out and hasn’t even run at all in a year,” Demster wrote on Facebook.
“ e city, a beacon of American culture that was Elvis’ home and is o en called the birthplace of rock and roll and the blues, should be safe and secure for all of its citizens and Americans who visit its historic landmarks such as Graceland, Beale Street, and the Memphis Pyramid.”
• Name: “Memphis Safe Task Force”
• What it will do: “end street and violent crime in Memphis to the greatest possible extent through the promotion and facilitation of hypervigilant policing, aggressive prosecution, complex investigations, nancial enforcement, and large-scale saturation of besieged neighborhoods with law enforcement personnel …”
• What crimes?
illegal immigration, applicable quality-of-life, nuisance, and public-safety laws, assault, battery, larceny, gra ti, vandalism, unpermitted disturbances and demonstrations, noise, trespassing, public intoxication, drug possession and sale, vagrancy, tra c violations
STATE DISMANTLING DEI
A legislative committee voted last week to remove references to women, minorities, people with disabilities, and veterans from Tennessee’s equal employment opportunity plan, which has long guided the state in tracking its own employment practices and rectifying discriminatory practices.
Beginning October 7th, Tennessee will no longer formal-
ly track or publicly report on the demographics of individuals interviewed, hired, or promoted to jobs in the executive branch of state government.
Also eliminated is a requirement that state agencies take steps to recruit, promote, and hire women and minorities if they are underrepresented in the state government workforce.
MSCS ENROLLMENT DOWN
Student enrollment in Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) has declined by over 9 percent in the past decade, far outpacing statewide and national trends.
MSCS lost more than 10,000 students in its traditional and charter schools between 2014 and 2024, according to a Chalkbeat analysis of data from the Tennessee Department of Education. roughout Tennessee, public school enrollment dropped by just under 2.5 percent in the 2014 to 2024 time frame, which mirrors national rates.
It’s not clear exactly where local students have gone in recent years, with total enrollment dropping from around 116,000 to 105,000 in the decade span. Some nearby suburban districts have grown since a controversial 2014 “de-merger” where six smaller independent school systems broke o from the county district.
Tennessee Lookout and Chalkbeat Tennessee contributed to this report.
Visit the News Blog at memphis yer.com for fuller versions of these stories and more local news.
PHOTO: LEVI MEIR CLANCY | UNSPLASH
Governor Bill Lee will pick the number of National Guard troops deployed here and how long they’ll stay.
Black Fintech {
Q&A: ALFRED MILAN CEO, EXPRESS WAGES
Express Wages, the rst Black-owned business in the nancial technology space, helps employees get their payday funds earlier.
E
mployers can help their employees access payday funds early thanks to a Blackowned ntech company in Memphis.
Express Wages allows employees to access their wages to cover expenses before disbursement.
e ntech company, headed by CEO and founder Alfred Milan, is the rst Black-owned business in the earned wage access (EWA) eld.
Milan spoke with the Flyer about Express Wages, breaking into ntech as a Black-owned brand, and more.
— Kailynn Johnson
Memphis Flyer: Tell us about yourself.
Alfred Milan: I am the founder and CEO of Express Wages. I used to be a CEO of a healthcare company here in Memphis for about ve years, had about 200 employees, and ended up selling that company back in January, and that was the spark of Express Wages.
One of my employees simply asked me about having access to their funds every day, about two years ago, and
that sparked the innovative side of me. ere were no African-American companies in this space at all, so we’re the rst in the United States, and we’re excited about that.
How did you pivot from healthcare to nance and tech?
It was pretty simple because I knew that with all the employees I had, access to capital was an issue. e stats show that 79 percent of Americans are [living] paycheck-to-paycheck.
We knew it was an issue — it still is an issue right now. I just kept saying there has to be a better way to do this where people have access to their own money but also value-added services as well.
You mentioned that you’re the rst AfricanAmerican business to do this. What does it mean to be an innovator not only in the national space but Memphis as well?
Being the rst is good, but it’s really sad in the same sense. It’s 2025; why am I the rst? So it’s good in a sense, but we’re still making progress. e bottom line is
to not just be the rst, but be a great company — to be a trailblazer for other companies to come behind us. I don’t want to be the only one. I’m hoping somebody else will innovate and create something better than what we have. at’s what the goal is — to create a great company — and that’s what we’re trying to do.
Were there any barriers that you faced that maybe showed you why you were the rst and why it may be harder for African Americans to break out in tech and entrepreneurism?
PHOTO: ALFRED MILAN | LINKEDIN
Less than 1 percent of Black ntech companies get funded.
It’s a very di cult space and the reason why is because of the lack of Black and brown people in the space. e stats show that less than 1 percent of Black ntech companies get funded. So why would someone get into something when they know they’re not going to be funded?
We have a phenomenal team of people who’ve done a great job. We have great
advisors. We’re in the process of having something special, but it was a lot of hard work. It wasn’t given to us. We pitched to a lot of people to get funds. It was all nos, even though we knew we had something that was great. Even though other companies had pooled out the space and had billion dollar evaluations, they just wouldn’t give us access to capital.
By Jackson Baker
Les Was More
e passing of journalism icon Les Smith le a mark on us.
Les Smith: May 27, 1950-September 17, 2025
I always wanted to see a billboard set up on one of the city’s major thoroughfares with a giant mugshot of TV reporter Les Smith underscored with the legend “Les Is More.” Because he was.
I had the privilege of working with him for some years as one of the original co-panelists on the WKNO-TV show Behind the Headlines and, later on, welcomed him as a fellow columnist on this newspaper, as he was spinning down his career as a TV reporter on local Fox 13. For years Les had graced that station — and this community — with top-notch reportage on political and civic a airs, along with compelling, raconteurish features that were simultaneously homespun and auteur-like in their originality.
On BTH, if things slowed down in the journalist-roundtable format that pre-
vailed at that time, Les could be counted on to improvise one of his sketches seemingly out of thin air, mounting it securely on whatever topical subject we were fumbling toward. He was a storyteller.
He had also been a sports journalist of satisfying speci city and spark, working in that vein for years at WREG-TV And there was a stint in the ’80s with WMC-TV. He was many things. Les was — more.
As a newsman, working in a trade in which bias of one sort or another is always suspect, he feared nor favored not, telling it like he thought it was — hey, telling it like it was.
And he enjoyed what he was doing — you could tell. Which made it a surprise to some of us when he decided, a few years ago, to hang it up and move with his wife Lisa to Belize. Now, I got the happy-couple/Caribbean Isle of Joy thing, but — retirement? Going down there took Les away from a world of a airs here which he knew so well and had documented so splendidly. And indeed he would stay in touch in various
ways, using the internet to forward in our direction queries about various local matters and an occasional proposal to do an analysis of a Memphis-related event. Bottles in the water.
Now and then there would be an online post suggesting a visit back from him and Lisa. A couple of times when he made it aground, I was happily able to catch up with him for a drink or two.
Along the way. Lisa took ill, which I knew about. She passed, and it would devastate him. at he himself was ailing, I hadn’t known about until this week.
Lung cancer was what took him. But for many of us, Les remains, still a secure icon in the historical memory of our time and place.
• Talk about lowering the temperature! Ninth District Congressman Steve Cohen’s turn at interrogating FBI director Kash Patel last Wednesday on the House Judiciary Committee turned into something of a lovefest, though Cohen
had been critical of the administration’s plan to send National Guard troops to Memphis.
But Cohen carefully distinguished between the FBI and other federal agencies, on one hand, and the National Guard on the other, regarding their training for crime control. He heaped praise on Patel, who had been instrumental, as the congressman noted, in the “Operation Viper” program, which of late had collated local, state, and federal elements in a strike force that achieved signi cant results.
“ at was good,” said Cohen, and from there, the two of them went on to enumerate positive aspects of the Blu City — the Blues, Elvis, the National Civil Rights Museum, Beale Street — and ended in a joint expression of love for Memphis and regard for her place in the heart of the nation. May this be an omen.
PHOTO: COURTESY BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN
Bruce VanWyngarden, Les Smith, and Jackson Baker
YOUR NEW NEIGHBORHOOD
Live where most of the neighborhood is owned by one single entity providing SAFETY, CONSISTENCY, LOCAL OFFICE, ON-SITE MAINTENANCE
Part of the Memphis Medical District www. peabodyvalley.com by FPMemphis
AT LARGE By Bruce VanWyngarden
Cruise Control
Learning to stay the course.
Highway 64 runs straight as a Pentecostal preacher, aimed at the shadowy Ozark hills far across the at belly of Arkansas. I hardly have to turn the steering wheel to stay in my lane. Cruise control is set on 65. It’s early morning and I can hear Olive so ly snorting in her sleep on the passenger seat, legs restless and scritchy as she dreams of squirrels, just out of reach. Good dog.
Driving is a great time to think. I think about age a lot. I’m still learning how to be old. ere’s all the usual stu people talk about that happens to you: You walk into a room and forget why you were going there. You suddenly can’t remember the name of the drummer for Genesis or that ridiculously famous actor who starred in Pretty Woman. It drives you crazy and you refuse to google. en you wake up to pee at 2:37 a.m. and it comes to you. Richard Gere! But he’s just another old guy now. Probably peeing somewhere in Bel Air.
but, you know, age rings some new bells. You might think twice about getting a pet that could outlive you. And lots of things have a potential to become a “lifetime supply” — a box of 100 plastic 30-gallon trash bags, a 24-roll package of jumbo paper towels. Shopping at Costco is for optimists, I say to my wife. She laughs. Or she used to. Even my jokes are old.
I have a friend in his early 80s. He’s bought three cool cars in the past 10 years, each on the excuse that it would be his “last car.” at’s the way to game the system. Also, shout-out to the admissions guy at the Children’s Museum last Saturday for questioning whether I was eligible for the senior discount. You rock.
When do we move from “late middle-age” to “early old”? When do we stop being surprised by our re ection in a store window? Is that wrinkly face really mine? I can’t tell you. It’s a surprise every time, so far. One thing I do know is that how you may feel at 70 can be a lot di erent than how someone else may feel. e number of years we’ve lived is an odometer, not a watch. Some of us are Volvos, some of us are Kias. Your mileage may vary. As will your number of trips to the repair shop. e writer Penelope Lively wrote, “chronology bores me,” as well it should. Burn the days. ey’ll spill into years soon enough.
You begin to notice how age is an invisibility cloak, unless maybe you’re Richard Gere. No one cares what clothes you wear or what kind of car you drive or how your hair looks. Store clerks and waitresses call you “sweetie,” like you’re 6. ey o er to carry your wine out to the car at the liquor store. Punks.
People give you books: Better with Age: e Psychology of Successful Aging; e End of Old Age: Living a Longer, More Purposeful Life; Women Rowing North: Navigating Life’s Currents and Flourishing as We Age. ey can’t hurt, I suppose, though reading the subtitles can eat up valuable days. You can also get lots of books on how to stay healthy. Don’t buy them. ey all say the same thing: Exercise, eat a balanced diet, stay mentally active, socialize o en. Good advice. It also helps if you have longevity in your genes. Just ask my 101-year-old mother.
It strikes you how blithely younger people assume the years ahead are guaranteed. My young neighbor says of her toddlers: “I can’t wait to see what they’ll be like as teenagers.” A TV analyst discusses possibilities for the 2028 presidential election — three years away — like it’s tomorrow. Yeah, well, you think, I might not be around for that stu . It’s entirely unavoidable, and no one does it meaning to be cruel
And I think driving with your dog to a trout stream in Arkansas is a great way to stay young. You wade in, you think and you don’t think, you’re in the mist, in the moment. Alive. And tonight, I’ll so ly snort in my sleep, my legs restless and scritchy as I dream of trout, just out of reach. Good boy. A version of this column rst appeared in a January 2024 edition of the Flyer
PHOTO: BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN Good girl, Olive
By Katie Stephenson
Building Women’s Wealth
Living longer and making less: These strategies can help fill the gaps.
Recent data shows the gender pay gap is still alive and well.
In 2025, women earn $0.83 for every $1 men make. This gap widens as women age, becoming $0.72 per $1 for women age 45 and older.
This pay gap can have a detrimental impact on women’s ability to build longterm wealth. Add to this the additional wealth-building challenges women face, and achieving long-term financial success can be an even larger uphill battle. Women typically have longer lifespans, which means they must save more than men to cover the costs of retirement and healthcare. Women are also more likely than men to take time away from work to care for children and/or aging relatives, which decreases their lifetime salary potential even further.
These disparities make it even more important for women to actively negotiate for higher pay and take steps to build wealth throughout their lifetimes. The following tips can help.
1. Know your worth.
The first step in negotiating for a higher salary is to do some research. Look up salary ranges for your position and industry, and gather information about your company’s compensation policies. This data can help you determine an appropriate salary range.
Once you have an idea of a salary range for your position, take time to consider how your skills and performance add to your value as an employee. Take stock of your accomplishments, skills, experience, and background. Write down any unique expertise you have and results you’ve delivered for the company. Use this information to establish a realistic salary goal, and be ready to articulate why you believe you deserve this pay increase.
In addition to negotiating your salary, consider also negotiating your benefits, such as life and health insurance, employer matching contributions to retirement, health savings account deferrals, etc. Negotiating for the best possible benefits can greatly benefit your family in the long run. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for flexibility in your schedule, work-from-home options, professional development opportunities, and/or additional vacation days, if these benefits are important to you.
2. Be direct and confident. It’s important to be up-front, direct, and confident when asking for a raise. Take time in advance to rehearse what you’re going to say when you negotiate. You’re more likely to be successful if you ap-
proach the conversation with confidence and provide data to support why you believe you deserve a higher salary. Be ready to provide quantifiable evidence to demonstrate how you add value.
Keep in mind that, in order to access this information, you’ll need to maintain an ongoing list of your accomplishments. Start a document or spreadsheet where you track your progress in real time. Doing so allows you to be prepared for discussions as they arise.
3. Save early and often.
Hopefully your salary negotiations are successful and result in higher pay. However, this doesn’t fix the challenge of planning for a longer lifespan. As of 2023, women’s average life expectancy is 79.3 years, while men’s is 73.5 years. That means women may need to plan for an additional six years of retirement and healthcare expenses. Consider what this means for a woman who’s trying to save for retirement. If she intends to live on $100,000 per year, she’ll need access to $600,000 more than the average man.
One of the best ways to plan for the added cost of retirement is by saving early and consistently throughout life. By starting earlier, women can take advantage of compounding interest, a powerful ally in any investor’s efforts to combat the longterm impact of lower wages.
4. Plan for time out of the workforce. Women are more likely than men to take extended time out of the workforce. Often, this time away is to care for others, such as young children or aging relatives. In fact, women are five to eight times more likely than men to have employment affected by caregiver responsibilities.
Women can plan for time out of the workforce by implementing strong saving, investing, budgeting, and retirement planning strategies to help cover periods of lost income. A professional wealth manager can run projections based on various life expectancies and employment scenarios to help ensure you’re prepared to live a comfortable lifestyle long into the future. Katie Stephenson, JD, CFP, is a Private Wealth Manager and Partner with Creative Planning. Creative Planning is one of the nation’s largest registered investment advisory firms providing comprehensive wealth management services to ensure all elements of a client’s financial life are working together, including investments, taxes, estate planning, and risk management. For more information or to request a free, no-obligation consultation, visit CreativePlanning.com.
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The MemphisFlyer’s annual Best of Memphis readers’ poll has returned. In these pages, we reveal the winners you chose for all of our many, many categories — from the best sandwiches (yum!) to best lingerie stores (ooh la la!) to the best place to get waxed (ouch!). Winners with a star next to their name dominated the category, while ties have been noted. Remember, please, for the love of all things 901, that these winners are a reflection of our readers’ votes. We just put out the call and count up the votes. If you don’t like what you see, blame your fellow Memphians. We aren’t in the game of playing favorites, we promise — unless it’s staff picks because that’s where we can wield our bias for good. Best of Memphis 2025 was written by Shara Clark, Michael Donahue, Alex Greene, Kailynn Johnson, Chris McCoy, Abigail Morici, Toby Sells, Jon W. Sparks, and Bruce VanWyngarden. It was designed by Carrie Beasley, and our cover photograph of Best of Memphis winner Paula Raiford is by Jamie Harmon. Thank you to our readers for their votes and nominations, our advertisers who keep the Flyer free, and congratulations to our winners!
FOOD + DRINK
★ = Best Of Memphis
BEST BAKERY
1. Muddy’s Bake Shop
2. Frost Bake Shop
3. Hive Bagel & Deli
Muddy’s takes the cake once again for Best Bakery. What can we say, our readers love to have their cake and eat it too, whether that’s the Prozac, Truman Capote, or Plain Jane.
BEST BAR FOOD
1. Huey’s
2. Young Avenue Deli
3. Bardog Tavern
BEST BURGER
1. Huey’s
2. Earnestine & Hazel’s
3. Tops Bar-B-Q & Burgers
BEST KID-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT
1. Huey’s
2. Belly Acres
3. Loflin Yard
Ragin Cajun Seafood & Po’Boys
Once again, Huey’s tops a few BOM categories. With a fun family atmosphere, a solid bar food menu (loaded cheese fries, please!), and a variety of burger options, it’s no surprise this Memphis mainstay wins.
BEST BARBECUE
1. Bain Barbecue
2. Central BBQ
3. Germantown Commissary
Texas-style barbecue tops our list of best barbecue in Memphis? Bain’s food truck burst on to the scene and has been a slow-smoking success in its Cooper-Young brick-andmortar ever since. How? One plate of perfect brisket (or ribs, or Texas Twinkies, or smoked turkey) at a time.
BEST BLOODY MARY
1. The Beauty Shop
2. Sunrise Memphis 3. Slider Inn
BEST BRUNCH
1. The Beauty Shop
2. Sunrise Memphis
3. Owen Brennan’s
You don’t need to chant in the mirror to get your Bloody Mary fix when you’re at this CooperYoung establishment — and let’s face it: The Beauty Shop’s Best of Memphis cocktail is much less scary, though it is as scary good as its brunch.
BEST BREAKFAST
1. Brother Juniper’s
2. Sunrise Memphis
3. Kinfolk
Tradition is part of the magic at Brother Juniper’s. The alwayshoppin’ university area breakfast spot has perfected its simple yet satisfying recipes, and Flyer readers never fail to clean their plates at this BOM fave.
BEST CAJUN/CREOLE
1. The Second Line
2. Bayou Bar & Grill
3. Owen Brennan’s Ragin Cajun Seafood & Po’Boys
Get a taste — literally — of New Orleans at The Second Line, which is owned by a New Orleans transplant, Kelly English. And you’re in the perfect spot to wander around Overton Square before or after dinner.
BEST CHEF
1. Erling Jensen, Erling Jensen The Restaurant
2. Harrison Downing, Hard Times Deli
3. Cole Jeanes, Kinfolk
“Erling Jensen” is synonymous with elegant, fine dining. Just stepping in the door makes you feel like something special is about to happen. It will. It’s the food and the atmosphere. And, if you want a casual tone, visit the great bar.
BEST CHINESE
1. Petals of a Peony
2. Mulan Asian Bistro
3. Mosa Asian Bistro
This is one of the newer restaurants in Overton Square, but it’s already a favorite of diners who want delicious Chinese food in an elegant, di erent setting.
BEST COFFEE ROASTER
1. Cx eeblack
2. French Truck Co ee
3. Ramblin’ Joe’s Co ee Ethnos Co ee Roasters
They started out as a plucky little co ee shop that broke the mold of gentrifying latte slingers. Over the last few years, Cx eblack has grown into a go-juice powerhouse. They’ve even got a documentary film about them!
BEST DATE-NIGHT RESTAURANT
1. Coastal Fish Company
2. Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar
3. Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen
BEST SEAFOOD
★ 1. Coastal Fish Company
2. Half Shell
3. Tsunami
Coastal Fish Company is a great catch if you’re looking for wonderfully prepared seafood or if you want to impress your date — or both — with its terrific ambience and an unbeatable view of Hyde Lake.
PHOTO: ALEX SHANSKY | MEMPHIS TOURISM
Best Donut Shop Gibson’s Donuts
PHOTO: JUSTIN FOX BURKS
Best Bar Food; Burger; Kid-Friendly Restaurant Huey’s
BEST BEST DOG-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT/BAR
1. Loflin Yard
2. Slider Inn
3. Brookhaven Pub & Grill
Have you gotten your tickets to the 2025 Best of Memphis party yet? Good news, you can bring your dog! We’re having our biggest shindig at Loflin Yard, and you chose the sprawling Downtown staple as the place to have a brew with Spot. No, we didn’t plan it that way, but we’re glad it happened!
BEST DONUT SHOP
★ 1. Gibson’s Donuts
2. Midtown Donuts
3. Howard’s Donuts
Stop by Gibson’s and you’re bound to run into somebody you know. They’ll be scanning a glass case trying to decide whether they want a maple bacon doughnut or just go with a glazed. And the co ee is great, too.
BEST FINE DINING/NEW AMERICAN
1. Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House
2. Porch & Parlor Prime Steakhouse
3. Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar
BEST STEAK
1. Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House
2. Porch & Parlor Prime Steakhouse
3. Side Porch Steakhouse
Since 1977, Folk’s Folly has been serving prime meat in an elegant setting. It looks and feels like a steak house with its dark interior. And the laid-back piano bar is one of the best settings for a drink and on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, a ground beef hamburger that is over-the-top good.
BEST FOOD TRUCK
★ 1. TACOnganas
2. Byway Co ee Company
3. El Mero Taco
BEST TACO
1. TACOnganas
2. Maciel’s Tortas & Tacos
3. Las Delicias
Since it began, TACOnganas has drawn lovers of Mexican food to its food truck window. Drive by the location on Central Avenue at Cooper Street and you’ll see.
continued on page 14
PHOTO: ALEX SHANSKY | MEMPHIS TOURISM Best Fried Chicken
Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken
BEST OF MEMPHIS 2025 • FOOD + DRINK
Best Hot Wings; Ribs Central BBQ
continued from page 13
BEST FRIED CHICKEN
★ 1. Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken
2. Superlo Foods
3. Uncle Lou’s Fried Chicken
This is where people tell out-oftowners to find great chicken in Memphis. That tantalizing taste of Gus’s spicy chicken makes and/or keeps fans every day.
BEST HOME COOKING/ SOUL FOOD
1. Soul Fish Cafe
2. The Cupboard Restaurant
3. Patrick’s Neighborhood Bar & Patio
It’s hard to go wrong with anything on the menu at Flyer readers’ favorite home-cooking spot. The catfish is particularly stellar, the side dishes are solid, and the atmosphere is as fresh as the cuisine.
BEST HOT WINGS
1. Central BBQ
2. Crumpy’s Hot Wings
3. Ching’s Hot Wings
BEST RIBS
1. Central BBQ
2. Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous
3. The Bar-B-Q Shop
Wet. Dry. Naked. Jerked. Hard. While the old, delightfully tacky phrase describing Central’s wing variety may be gone,
those wing varieties remain. That’s what matters. Winning the wing category in a wing town? That matters, too.
BEST INDIAN
1. India Palace
2. Bombay House
3. Golden India
If I could bottle and drink the tomato-butter sauce smothering India Palace’s lamb meatballs, I would. It is that good. The naan, palak paneer, chili chicken … (checks watch) maybe there’s still time to get to the bu et.
BEST ITALIAN
1. Pete and Sam’s
2. Villa Castrioti
3. Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen
It’s been in the same spot since the late ’40s serving Italian fare to your parents and grandparents as well as to you. In addition to Italian, the restaurant features great steaks and, over the years, newer items including crab cakes. And that tiramisu …
BEST JAPANESE
1. Red Koi Japanese Cuisine
2. Sekisui
3. Sakura Japanese Restaurant
Red Koi has figured out how to make the best sushi and have the most pleasant servers. That always helps make that special night out into a charmed event.
PHOTO: ALEX SHANSKY | MEMPHIS TOURISM
BEST LOCAL BREWERY
1. Wiseacre Brewing Co.
2. Ghost River Brewing Co.
3. Crosstown Brewing Company
Wiseacre made news this year with its purchase of the beloved Bearded Iris brand. That news surfaced a fact that surprised some: Wiseacre is the biggest craft brewery in Tennessee. You can taste how they got there in every can of precision-brewed Tiny Bomb, Ananda, or anything else.
BEST LOCAL COFFEEHOUSE
1. Ramblin’ Joe’s Co ee
2. City & State
3. Otherlands Co ee Bar
Get ready to safari with this “fast craft co ee for bold adventures.” These are “quality brews made for explorers.” Once you’re fully ca einated, you’ll be ready to boldly go where no latte has gone before.
BEST MARGARITA
1. Babalu
2. Las Delicias
Molly’s La Casita
3. Los Comales
Our BOM voters love the margaritas at Babalu, and there are lot to choose from, including the house Baba Rita, the Spice Guava Rita, and the Top Shelf, which features a splash of Grand Marnier. Caramba!
BEST MEXICAN
1. Las Delicias
2. Los Comales
3. Maciel’s Tortas & Tacos
What’s in a name? Well, when it comes to Mexican food in Memphis, our readers say Las Delicias lives up to its moniker, with fresh and creative southof-the-border dishes that always hit the spot.
BEST MIDDLE EASTERN
1. Casablanca Restaurant
2. La Roche Lebanese Cuisine
3. Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant
Sufi’s Mediterranean Grill & Bar
Mediterranean food lovers know this is a great spot for their kind of fare. With the accent on healthier eating, Casablanca also gains points keeping healthy food delicious.
BEST NEW RESTAURANT
1. Hard Times Deli
2. Petals of a Peony
3. Ragin Cajun Seafood & Po Boys
BEST SANDWICHES
1. Hard Times Deli
2. Elwood’s Shack
3. Young Avenue Deli
This relatively new place with its young owners and amazingly good food was popular from the get-go. You won’t have a hard time finding something you like.
continued on page 16
BEST OF MEMPHIS 2025 • FOOD + DRINK
continued from page 15
BEST PATIO
1. Slider Inn
2. Loflin Yard
3. Brookhaven Pub & Grill
Slider really is patio perfection. Downtown or Midtown. Di erent vibes but perfect hangouts. Midtown’s mists invite you to a huge deck party. Downtown’s spacious lawns, huge TVs, and live music beckon friends for long catchups or get-to-know-yous.
BEST PIZZA
1. Memphis Pizza Cafe
2. Aldo’s Pizza Pies
3. Hog & Hominy
Anyway you slice it, our readers love Memphis Pizza Cafe. You can go with the mozzarella cheese, vegetable supreme, or barbecue chicken, and you’ll be in a pizza of heaven.
BEST RESTAURANT
1. Bog & Barley Irish Pub
2. Porch & Parlor Prime Steakhouse
3. Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar
Bog & Barley is dramatic dining, with an approachable menu, at price points for all. The cathedral
dining hall of dark wood glows from within from chandeliers and lamps. Colcannon runs alongside the B&B burger on the menu as do rivers of di erent whiskeys and beers. All of it makes Bog & Barley a place to impress or to unwind.
BEST SERVER
1. Calvin Bell, Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous
2. Allison Hultman, Bardog Tavern
3. Matt Doyle, Owners Box Sports Grill
Calvin Bell has won this category multiple times, and there’s a reason for it. He’s been bringing out those ribs to you for 35 years and knows a thing or two about barbecue and how to present them with style.
BEST SMOOTHIES/JUICES
1. City Silo Table + Pantry
2. Tropical Smoothie Cafe
3. Smoothie King
BEST VEGETARIAN/VEGAN
1. City Silo Table + Pantry
2. Good Fortune Co.
3. RP Tracks Restaurant & Bar
Our readers know a juicy secret — City Silo is pretty smooth at what they do, o ering creative clean eating and drinking, whether that’s a Super C Boost smoothie, a wellness elixir, or a delightful vegetarian breakfast.
PHOTO: JULIAN HARPER | MEMPHIS TOURISM
Best Restaurant
Bog & Barley Irish Pub
BEST THAI
1. Bangkok Alley
2. Takashi Bistro
3. Thai Bistro
In the 23 years since Thera and Dottie Burana started their own restaurant because they couldn’t find decent Thai food, the 901 culinary scene has come a long way. But Bangkok Alley still rules the roost with unbeatable pad Thai and tom yum to die for.
BEST VIETNAMESE
1. Bao Toan Kitchen & Bar
2. Pho Saigon
3. Pho 64
Bao Tan’s website says it all. It’s a place “where you feel at home — where stories, traditions, and new experiences come together at the table. Whether you grew up with these flavors or are tasting them for the first time, we’re so glad y’all are here.”
PHOTO: JALYN SOUCHEK | MEMPHIS TOURISM
NIGHTLIFE
BEST AFTER-HOURS SPOT
1. Earnestine & Hazel’s
2. Alex’s Tavern
3. Lafayette’s Music Room
BEST HOLE-IN-THE-WALL
1. Earnestine & Hazel’s
2. Alex’s Tavern
3. The Cove
Earnestine & Hazel’s is a “ragged but right” cornerstone of this city. That ethos is a city aesthetic and, perhaps, a mantra. It’s expressed in the way we can love a thing that may look humble to outsiders. Stay here long enough, though, and you’ll know that raggedness is, indeed, just right.
BEST BAR
1. Bardog Tavern
2. Cameo
3. Celtic Crossing Irish Pub
You’re barking up the right tree if you head to Bardog Tavern for a good time in a laid-back watering hole.
BEST BARTENDER
1. Pedan Vennemann, Villa Castrioti
2. Brookelyn Culley, Cameo
3. Amber Carey, Brookhaven Pub & Grill
Pedan Vennemann is the woman to see behind the bar at Cordova’s Italian fine-dining restaurant. She’ll serve you a fine cocktail and a side of good conversation, and put you in a good mood for dinner.
BEST BEER SELECTION (IN A BAR)
1. Flying Saucer Draught Emporium
2. Young Avenue Deli
3. Huey’s
Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint
The Saucer was craft beer before craft beer was cool. The Spice Girls and Hanson were Billboard chart toppers in 1997 when the bar opened its doors in Memphis. It remains with an ever-evolving suds menu that promises something new for the craft-brew true.
BEST COLLEGE HANGOUT
1. RP Tracks Restaurant & Bar
2. Young Avenue Deli
3. Newby’s
A quick haiku for this perennial winner: Barbecue tofu. Plus pool, beer, and good people. Long live RP Tracks. (Not our best work, but we love you.)
BEST CRAFT COCKTAILS
1. Cameo
2. Memphis Whistle
3. Villa Castrioti
Tucked away in an apartment building at the corner of Union and McLean, Cameo is well worth a visit (or several). Their craft cocktails are creative, clever, and above all, delicious. Give ’em a try.
BEST GAY BAR
1. Dru’s Bar
2. The Pumping Station
3. Bar DKDC
BEST KARAOKE
1. Dru’s Bar
2. Young Avenue Deli
3. Alfred’s on Beale
On Wednesdays, we go to Dru’s for karaoke. Oh, and on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays (Tuesdays are for line dancing). Dru’s was created as a space for people to be themselves and have fun — free of judgement. The bar is home to some of the city’s best game nights and fiercest drag shows.
BEST HAPPY HOUR
1. Huey’s
2. Bardog Tavern
3. Cameo
What do you want in a happy hour? Is it two locally crafted beers for the price of one, served in a comfy local institution by some of the best bartenders in the biz? Obviously, yes! Memphis Flyer readers find that every day at one of Huey’s 10 locations.
BEST NEW BAR
1. Bar Limina
2. Cooper’s
3. Nashoba
Josh Conley describes his bar as a “technique-driven cocktail bar. Just really well-executed cocktails. Some plays on classics.” And it’s in the Edge District. Which makes it even cooler.
BEST NIGHTCLUB
★ 1. Paula & Raiford’s Disco
2. Lafayette’s Music Room
3. Tin Roof
B.B. King’s Blues Club
There’s no place on Earth like Paula & Raiford’s Disco. The red carpet entrance, the smoke, the lights, the music — we’re
PHOTO: JAMIE HARMON
Best Nightclub Paula & Raiford’s Disco
PHOTO: ALEX SHANSKY | MEMPHIS TOURISM Best Bar Bardog Tavern
all stars there. And that’s why Memphis loves it!
BEST PLACE TO SEE STAND-UP
1. Minglewood Hall
2. Hi Tone
3. Orpheum Theatre
Comedy is busting out all over town these days — a very good thing. And nowhere beats the mix of big-time acts and casual, come-as-you-are vibes that you’ll find at Minglewood Hall.
BEST PLACE TO SHOOT POOL
1. Young Avenue Deli
2. Absinthe Room
3. Blue Monkey HighPockets
Keep this readers’ pick in your back pocket the next time you’re ready to rack and roll.
BEST SPORTS BAR
1. Brookhaven Pub & Grill
2. Max’s Sports Bar
3. Owners Box Sports Grill
Hey mane, the game’s on! Where do you want to watch it? Somewhere with a big screen, obviously. The more screens the merrier, so you can be sure that the game you want to watch is on. Maybe a patio. No, wait — TWO patios! Drink specials are a plus, and food that’s not just your usual pub grub. Our readers found what they’re looking for on Brookhaven Circle.
BEST STRIP CLUB
1. Gold Club
2. The Pony
3. Purple Diamond
Memphis’ gentlemen’s clubs have always supported the Flyer, and we support them right back! When you want to take a load off while watching someone take their clothes off, our discerning readers choose the corner of Summer and White Station.
Mended Therapy
Combining mental health with a love of fashion, creativity, and sustainability, Mended Therapy was born. Ashley wants to show that although things may seem like they cannot get better, there is hope. Just like a mended piece of clothing is brought new life, the same can be said of us. She is here to walk with you through this journey with laughter, creativity, and challenging your beliefs about yourself. She is MENDED (and constantly mending). She hopes you will let her join you as you MEND.
Ashley specializes in working with LGBTQ+ populations and mood disorders.
For more information or to book an appointment, visit mendedtherapypllc.com.
She currently accepts Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, and Quest Behavioral Health insurance plans. She does provide a superbill for out-of-network clients if they want to submit to their insurance. Selfpay is $125 for individual sessions.
Hours of Operation: Mon-Wed 12pm-3am • Thurs 12pm-4am • Friday 12pm-5am Sat 4pm-5am • Sun 4pm-3am Happy Hour: 12pm-7pm
ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
BEST MEMPHIS TOUR
1. Stax Museum of American Soul Music
2. Graceland
3. Sun Studio
It’s impossible to overstate the importance of Stax Records. The museum bearing the Stax name is part time machine, part church. The vivid permanent collection and thoughtprovoking new exhibits make this museum a master class in music, entrepreneurship, and community.
BEST LOCAL RAPPER/ HIP-HOP ARTIST
1. GloRilla
2. Three 6 Mafia
3. Al Kapone
We’re in love with Glo. Memphis’ favorite North Memphis princess continues to capture our hearts and playlists with her charisma, flow, and virality. (And this year we got the interview to prove it!)
BEST PLACE TO SEE LIVE MUSIC
1. Overton Park Shell
2. Lafayette’s Music Room
3. Orpheum Theatre
A pillar of the music community here for decades, the Shell’s nearly 90 years hardly show due to its impressive upkeep. The variety of the curated performers is always on point, and who can forget seeing Kraftwerk there this year?
BEST PERFORMING ARTS VENUE
1. Orpheum Theatre
2. Overton Park Shell
3. Playhouse on the Square
BEST LIVE THEATER
★ 1. Orpheum Theatre
2. Playhouse on the Square
3. Theatre Memphis
The Bard said all the world’s a stage, and if he were in Memphis, he’d go to the Orpheum, which boasts touring Broadway shows, top music acts, family fare, classical performances, and transformative theater.
BEST PARK
★ 1. Shelby Farms Park
2. Overton Park
3. Tom Lee Park
Shelby Farms Park is a perennial winner in this category, and what’s not to like? You can kayak, hike, fish, skate, ride horses, look at grazing bu alo, and top it all o with a nice dinner by the water.
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PHOTO: ALLEN GILLESPIE | MEMPHIS CONVENTION VISITORS BUREAU
Best Park
Shelby Farms Park
PHOTO: CRAIG THOMPSON
Best Local Rapper/Hip-Hop Artist
GloRilla at Beale Street Music Festival
PHOTO: ALEX SHANSKY | MEMPHIS TOURISM
Best Memphis Tour Stax Museum of American Soul Music
Best Dog Park
e Outback at Shelby Farms Park
continued from page 20
BEST DOG PARK
1. The Outback at Shelby Farms Park
2. Overton Bark
3. Sea Isle Dog Park
The Outback at Shelby Farms Park is Mecca for dogs and their humans. The o -leash area features acres of rolling hills, ponds, trails, and forest. It’s ranked as one of the top 10 dog parks in America, and it’s easy to see why.
BEST MUSEUM
1. National Civil Rights Museum
Now more than ever, we need what the National Civil Rights Museum has — an unflinching view of history with interactive exhibits plus topical speakers and events that remind us how far we’ve come and how far we have to go.
BEST LOCAL SINGER
1. Alexis Grace
2. Joyce Cobb
3. Cyrena Wages
Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-don’t you want to listen to Alexis Grace?
Her latest single “West Coast” brings all the right sunny vibes, and her debut album is on the way. We can’t wait!
LIAM KAZAR
2. Pink Palace Museum & Mansion
3. Children’s Museum of Memphis
continued on page 24
PHOTO: BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN
PHOTO: BRAND USA | MEMPHIS TOURISM Best Museum
MARC H. MORIAL
SUZMAN
VELMA LOIS JONES
Thanks, Flyer readers, for voting Overton Park one of the best!
Every Wednesday Yoga in the Formal Gardens, 8:15 AM Wednesday Walks near Rainbow Lake Pavilion, 4:15 PM
Saturday, October 4
Volunteer Day of Service, 9:00 AM Children’s Critter Crawl, 10:00 AM
Tuesday, October 7, 5:30 PM Science Café at Memphis Zoo
Thursday, October 9, 11:00 AM 65+ Nature Journaling with Creative Aging
Friday, October 10, 8:00 AM Songbird Stroll at East Parkway Pavilion
Saturday, October 11
World Migratory Bird Day Walk, 7:30 AM Fall Fetch Fest at Overton Bark, 10:00 AM
Sunday, October 12, 2:00 and 3:00 PM Opera at Rainbow Lake Playground
Join us in October for a month of connecting to nature.
Visit overtonpark.org/naturezenmonth for info
Thursday, October 16, 4:00 PM Third Thursday Trek
Saturday, October 18
Tuesdays starting October 14, 4:30 PM Nature Journaling near East Parkway Pavilion
Super Saturday: Art in the Park in the Formal Gardens, 10:00 AM Workshop: Winterizing Native Gardens, 2:00 PM
Friday, October 24, 12:30 PM Mindfulness Walk near Rainbow Lake Pavilion
Saturday, October 25, 8:00 AM Songbird Stroll at Rainbow Lake Pavilion Five Mile Classic at East Parkway Pavilion
Sunday, October 26, 1:00 PM Guided Nature Walk: Fungi of the Old Forest
Thursday, October 23 65+ Nature Journaling with Creative Aging, 11:00 AM Happy Hour at the Brooks Museum, 6:00 PM
2025-2026 SEASON
13 albums,
T. GRAHAM BROWN
OCT. 17 / 7:30P.M.
– T.
Chair,” plus music from his newest album From Memphis to Muscle Shoals
BOOKER T. JONES
NOV. 8 / 7:30P.M.
Leader of Booker T. & the M.G.’s, Memphis native Booker T. Jones is a living legend with Grammy Awards - the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – pioneering career at STAX Records – Hammond B-3 hits like the iconic “Green Onions.” As a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, & producer he’s collaborated with the artists Questlove, Lou Reed, Otis Redding & Elton John. Welcome Booker T. back to his hometown…get your tickets now!
ELISABETH
VON TRAPP
/ HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
NOV. 22 / 7:30P.M.
Celebrate the holidays & the 60th anniversary of The Sound of Music with Elisabeth von Trapp! The granddaughter of Maria von Trapp, Elisabeth continues the musical tradition of the famous Trapp Family Singers. With her clear vocals & classical guitar, Elisabeth performs classic Christmas music alongside enchanting folk songs. You’ll leave BPACC with a smile in your heart!
THE WEDDING SINGER
DEC. 5, 6 / 7:30P.M. • DEC. 7 / 2:00P.M.
Hopeless romantic Robbie Hart dreamed of being a rock star but fi nds fulfi llment in his career as a wedding singer. Heartbroken & lost after his fi ancée leaves him, Robbie fi nds himself accidentally falling in love with Julia, who’s set to marry a guy who doesn’t treat her right. Based on the hit comedy fi lm starring Adam Sandler & Drew Barrymore, this musical is full of laughs & lots of Hart.
continued from page 22
BEST LOCAL COVER BAND
1. Almost Elton John 2. Landslide
3. Your Mom’s New Boyfriend
Jerred Price is not just an entrepreneur and the president of the Downtown Neighborhood Memphis Association; he also does a mean Elton John impression! With his crack band, he’ll take you on a stroll down the yellow brick road.
BEST GOLF COURSE
1. TPC Southwind
2. Overton Park 9
3. Windyke Country Club
OR
Southwind is such a great course that even the PGA pros like it. Its fairways are immaculate, its tee boxes range from challenging to manageable for amateurs, and its greens are perfect (and tricky). Fore!
BEST PLACE TO VIEW ART
1. Dixon Gallery & Gardens
2. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
3. Crosstown Arts
With eight to 10 exhibitions each year, highlighting surveys of art, local artists, and interactive displays, the Dixon Gallery & Gardens has a lot of art to see. Like a lot. And that’s not counting its permanent
continued on page 26
300 Grand Ole Opry shows, CMA Award
Graham Brown is the real deal! T’s played with The Oak Ridge Boys, Tanya Tucker, George Jones, & more. He’ll perform hits like “Don’t Need Your Rockin’
PHOTO: ERIN AUSTEN ABBOTT | MEMPHIS TOURISM Best Place to View Art Dixon Gallery & Gardens
Join us for a fantastic evening of great tastes and great fun, bringing together bourbon and whiskey distillers from around the region PLUS great bites from some of your favorite local restaurants! VIP Admission starts at 5pm, GA at 6pm.
TICKETS
AND MORE INFO
BEST OF MEMPHIS 2025 • ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
continued from page 24
collection on view. And now you can see it all for free.
BEST FESTIVAL
1. Cooper-Young Festival
2. World Championship
Barbecue Cooking Contest
3. Memphis Italian Festival
Each year thousands of Memphians flock to the Cooper-Young Historic District for a mix of art, music, and crafts — no matter how hot, no matter how crowded, they show up because it’s worth it, and our readers know it, too.
BEST FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT
★ 1. Memphis Zoo
2. Overton Park Shell
3. Orpheum Theatre
Memphians will brag they’ve never been to Graceland. But they’ll brag on the Memphis Zoo to anyone who will listen. It’s undoubtedly amazing and — with an eye on constant
improvement — the zoo gets better all the time.
BEST CASINO
1. Southland Casino Hotel
2. Gold Strike Casino Resort
3. Horseshoe Casino
Hollywood Casino Tunica
Odds are, you’ll have a blast at Southland. With tasty dining options plus enough games to keep the fun going all night, our readers don’t mind a ride across the bridge for this “best” casino experience.
BEST LOCAL ORIGINAL BAND
1. Lucero
2. Ghost Town Blues Band
3. Tennessee Screamers
Lucero is the gift that keeps on giving. Their truest fans have followed them for 25 years, and every album has looked unflinchingly at the hard truths of this American life and the characters we meet along the way.
PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE
HOLIDAY LINEUP
PHOTO: JULIAN HARPER | MEMPHIS TOURISM
Best Family Entertainment Memphis Zoo
PHOTO: ALEX SHANSKY | MEMPHIS TOURISM
Best Festival Cooper-Young Festival
MEDIA + PERSONALITIES
BEST BROADCAST REPORTER
1. Chelsea Chandler
2. Joe Birch
3. Joyce Peterson
BEST TV NEWS ANCHOR
1. Chelsea Chandler
2. Joe Birch
3. Joyce Peterson
BEST TV WEATHERPERSON
1. Chelsea Chandler
2. Ron Childers
3. Trevor Birchett
Chelsea Chandler is a broadcast triple-threat. Whether she’s on the scene covering hard news or preparing the city for severe weather, Chandler is devoted to delivering information and her journalistic skills to the MidSouth.
BEST LOCAL ATHLETE
1. Ja Morant
2. Jaren Jackson Jr. Penny Hardaway
3. Desmond Bane
Ja Morant is a human highlight film on NBA basketball courts, and despite some issues o the court, he’s still number one in the hearts of Flyer readers. And those shoes!
BEST LOCAL INSTAGRAM
★ 1. @ilovememphisblog
2. @memphisflyer
3. @bitchbopz
I love Memphis. You love Memphis. We all love I Love Memphis, which keeps folks up-to-date on what’s what and who’s who in the 901.
BEST LOCAL RADIO SHOW
1. Ron and Karen Morning Show
2. The Geo Calkins Show
3. Latty & Courtney in the Mornin’
Who doesn’t love Ron Olson and Karen Perrin? They’re always there for you when you’re trying to get your day started and they know just how to set the tone to keep you in good spirits.
BEST NEWSPAPER COLUMNIST
1. Geo Calkins
2. Michael Donahue
3. Abigail Warren
BEST WRITTEN REPORTER
1. Geo Calkins
2. Michael Donahue
3. Bill Dries
In a summer interview with the Flyer, Geo Calkins said, “It feels like I’m the Huey’s hamburger of journalists.” And that’s probably my favorite quote of the year. Keep doing you, my man!
BEST RADIO PERSONALITY
1. Ron Olson
2. Andrew “Latty” Latimer
3. Stan Bell
Ron Olson has been around for a hundred years, or maybe it just seems that way since we’ve been hearing him since time immemorial. He’s engaging, funny, informative, plus an artist (those guitars!) and a great fundraiser.
BEST RADIO STATION
1. 104.5 The River
2. WEVL 89.9
3. WYXR 91.7 FM
As one of the top adult contemporary stations in the Memphis market, 104.5 The River knows how to bring in the listeners and has the numbers to show for it. People want to tune in to a station that makes them feel good, and we all go with the flow at The River.
BEST SPORTS TEAM
★ 1. Memphis Grizzlies
2. Memphis Tigers Basketball
3. Memphis Tigers Football
This city loves those Beale Street Bears. Kids proudly sport jerseys with “Morant,” “Edey,” or “Jackson Jr.” on the back. The Grizz, too, o er grown-ups a civic pride on a national level that supports Memphis as a “real city.”
PHOTO: COURTESY CHELSEA CHANDLER
Best Broadcast Reporter; TV News Anchor; TV Weatherperson Chelsea Chandler
BEST TV SPORTSCASTER
1. Doc Holliday
2. Pete Pranica
3. Mike Ceide
When Flyer readers want to get the latest in sports news, they turn to Doc Holliday of WMCTV Channel 5. Holliday, who doubles as the station’s sports director, brings a fresh and lively touch to his reporting.
PHOTO: WES HALE Best Local Athlete Ja Morant
PHOTO: ALEX SHANSKY | MEMPHIS TOURISM Best Local Instagram
GOODS
BEST ALTERNATIVE SMOKE SHOP
1. Whatever Shops
2. Ounce of Hope
3. VaporWize
We know you, Memphis. Your need for smoking implements goes way beyond what mere normies require. So when you tapped Whatever’s twin locations as the best place to purchase your pipes, vapes, papers, and more, we know you know what you’re talking about.
BEST ANTIQUES STORE
1. She eld Antiques Mall
2. Antique Warehouse Mall
3. Palladio Interiors & Garden
Fewer things are more enjoyable than digging through vintage treasures. For furniture, lighting, collectibles — you name it — Flyer fans head to She eld Antiques Mall.
BEST BEER SELECTION (IN A STORE)
★ 1. Buster’s Liquors & Wines
2. Joe’s Wines & Liquor Cash Saver
3. Cordelia’s Market
BEST LIQUOR STORE
1. Buster’s Liquors & Wines
2. Joe’s Wines & Liquor
3. Bartlett Wine & Spirits
Buster’s is a beer Disneyland. Mouths gape as a seemingly endless row of lit refrigerated cases promise a seemingly endless variety of cold beer. Heads turn and then swim
as they realize all the rows of shelves they just walked through. … Those are filled with beer, too.
BEST BICYCLE SHOP
1. All About Bikes
2. Victory Bicycle Studio
3. Bikes Plus
What’s it all about? Peddling (and coasting), that’s what. And if you’re going to bike around Memphis, our readers say the best place to start is at All About Bikes.
BEST BOOKSTORE
★ 1. Novel
2. Burke’s Book Store
3. 901 Comics
Memphis Flyer readers like to read (thank goodness). For an
extensive selection — including books from local authors — Novel is the go-to. (It doesn’t hurt that they serve wine there, too.)
BEST BUTCHER
1. Buster’s Butcher
2. Triangle Meat Market (formerly Charlie’s)
3. Louie’s Deli & Meat Market
Meat-eaters love this place for high-quality cuts and ethically sourced meats, which include not just the usual o erings but also duck, bison, and elk. A great selection and knowledgeable sta make this the town’s prime butcher of choice.
BEST CAR DEALERSHIP
1. Jim Keras Subaru
2. Wolfchase Toyota
3. Chuck Hutton Toyota Landers Ford Collierville
Jim Keras Subaru is a repeat winner and has earned it with top-notch inventory and attentive service, which is exactly what you want when you pay good money for reliable transportation.
BEST CBD STORE
1. Ounce of Hope
2. Whatever Shops
3. South Main Hemp
From their locally grown and produced hemp products to their impeccable customer
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PHOTO: COURTESY NOVEL Best Bookstore Novel
PHOTO: ALLISON STUKENBORG Best Butcher Buster’s Butcher
PHOTO: COURTESY ALL ABOUT BIKES Best Bicycle Shop All About Bikes
A SHADY LAWN? NEED
BEST OF MEMPHIS 2025 • GOODS
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service, Ounce of Hope has earned our readers’ trust. When you need to chill — I mean, really chill — they’ve got you covered.
BEST FARMERS MARKET
1. Memphis Farmers Market
2. Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market
3. Agricenter Farmers Market
This Downtown destination for those who love fresh produce, crafts, and live music has been a Memphis institution since it first opened in 2006. A great way to start your weekend of cooking your favorite dishes.
BEST FLOORING STORE
1. America’s Floor Source
2. Kiser’s Floor Fashions
3. Tim Hogan’s Carpet & Floors
The options for high-quality flooring at America’s Floor Source will floor you — carpet, hardwood, luxury vinyl plank, tile, laminate, concrete. It’s groundbreaking stu .
BEST GARDEN CENTER
1. Urban Earth Gardens, Nursery & Market
2. Memphis Botanic Garden Digger O’Dell Nursery
Dan West Garden Center
3. Midtown Nursery
The Urban Earth Gardens, Nursery & Market is more than a place to shop. It’s also a place of community and learning, hosting many helpful classes on topics like backyard composting and terrarium design. It’s earthy and urbane — the perfect blend for city horticulturalists.
BEST GIFT SHOP
1. Paradox at PeCo
2. Cooper-Young Gallery + Gift Shop
3. Babcock Gifts
Things get curioser and curioser when you step into the magical realm that is Paradox at PeCo., where all sorts of unique goods have charmed our readers.
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PHOTO: COURTESY URBAN EARTH
Best Garden Center
Urban Earth Gardens, Nursery & Market
While you shop, enjoy seasonal brews and good vibes in our Crafts & Drafts Beer Garden, plus all the festive fun Crosstown has to offer. SAT NOVEMBER 8 10a-4p CROSSTOWN CONCOURSE
It’s the holiday shopping event with serious personality! Meet some of the Mid-South’s most creative makers, crafters, and artists - just in time to find the perfect, not-so-basic gifts.
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BEST GROCERY STORE
1. Trader Joe’s
2. Aldi
3. Cordelia’s Market
Shopping at Trader Joe’s is simple: no list — just vibes. From their incredible orange chicken to TJ’s Curry Chicken Salad, Trader Joe’s proves to be the city’s favorite place for oneof-a-kind cuisines and treats.
BEST HOME DECOR
1. HomeGoods
2. Palladio Interiors & Garden
3. Southern Vintage Co. Bella Vita Gifts & Interiors
Cottagecore, coquette, and cozy — oh my! It can be hard to stay on top of all the latest
home trends, but HomeGoods makes it easy. From the perfect co ee table to niche adornments, the retailer has you covered.
BEST HOME FURNISHINGS
1. Bartlett Home Furnishings
2. Palladio Interiors & Garden
3. Southern Vintage Co.
This locally owned gem has been serving the Mid-South since 1974. Bartlett Home Furnishings is determined to provide a shopping experience that brings your furniture visions to life.
PHOTO: COURTESY BARTLETT HOME FURNISHINGS
Best Home Furnishings
Bartlett Home Furnishings
PHOTO: COURTESY TRADER JOE’S
Best Grocery Store
Trader Joe’s
BEST LINGERIE SHOP
1. Coco & Lola’s
2. A Fitting Place
3. Trousseau
Ooh-la-la. Looking for something a little racy for that special someone? With corsets, teddies, chemises, and more, our readers look to longtime winner Coco & Lola’s.
BEST LOCAL ATHLETICGOODS STORE
1. Outdoors Inc
2. Fleet Feet
3. Breakaway Running
You basically have two choices in this life: to be inside or outside. And if you’re going to be outside, you’ll be much happier if you stop first at Outdoors Inc to pick up some of their top-quality gear.
BEST LOCAL FINE JEWELRY STORE
1. Mednikow Jewelers
2. Sissy’s Log Cabin
3. James Gattas Jewelers
You’ll shine brighter than a
diamond thanks to the good folks at Mednikow Jewelers, who have been adorning Memphians for the past 134 years with the best bling out there.
BEST LOCAL STORE FOR MEN’S CLOTHING
1. Oak Hall
2. Oxbeau
3. James Davis
The best-dressed men in Memphis shop at Oak Hall because, from tailored suits to sport coats to casual wear, BOM voters say their fine apparel is second to none.
BEST LOCAL STORE FOR SHOES
1. Fleet Feet
2. Kaufman Shoes Breakaway Running
3. Joseph
Memphis streets are filling with feet as runners prepare for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon
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PHOTO: COURTESY OAK HALL Best Local Store for Men’s Clothing Oak Hall
BEST OF MEMPHIS 2025 • GOODS
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(and a number of fall races). It’s a fair bet that many of those feet have been to Fleet Feet. The store’s variety and expertise has made it an iconic hub for runners and walkers for years.
BEST LOCAL STORE FOR WOMEN’S CLOTHING
1. Indigo
2. Stock & Belle
3. Pickering Boxwood
You’re never fully dressed without a smile … and a good outfit from Indigo. With gameday pieces, one-of-a-kind accessories, and dresses galore, you’re bound to curate a closet that even Carrie Bradshaw would be jealous of.
BEST MUSIC EQUIPMENT STORE
1. Amro Music
2. Memphis Drum Shop
3. Martin Music
If you play music, you know selecting and maintaining your instrument is no joke.
That’s why Amro Music hires well-informed sales sta — often some of the city’s best professional musicians — who really know what you need to get out there and wail.
BEST PET STORE
★ 1. Hollywood Feed
2. House of Mews
3. Three Dog Bakery
This best of the best pet store o ers more than just toys and food. With a knowledgeable and attentive sta and a selection of top brands, pets and their parents love the Hollywood Feed experience.
BEST PLACE TO GET VINTAGE/USED CLOTHING
1. Flashback
2. City Thrift
3. Goodwill
Flashback gives customers the opportunity to “shop the decades of the 20th century.”
The “Vintage Department Store” makes shopping the latest cyclical trends both easy and sustainable.
PHOTO: COURTESY FLASHBACK Best Place to Get Vintage/ Used Clothing Flashback
BEST RECORD STORE
1. Goner Records
2. Shangri-La Records
3. River City Records
Goner, the store, the label, and the way of life, has a reputation for spotlighting the region’s purest punks, but they go way beyond any one genre. They’re on the lookout for anything inventive, and then they bring it to you.
BEST SHOPPING CENTER
1. The Shops of Saddle Creek
2. Laurelwood Shopping Center
3. Carriage Crossing
I cannot live without my Sticky Dates body wash from Lush or my favorite perfume from Sephora. Let’s not forget how Altar’d State saved the day
for my Cowboy Carter outfit. Luckily, The Shops of Saddle Creek have our fashion and beauty needs all in one place.
BEST SPECIALTY TREAT SHOP
1. Frost Bake Shop
2. Dinstuhl’s Fine Candy Company
3. Sugar Ghost Ice Cream and Bubble Tea
Frost yourself with cupcakes, cookies, pies, cheesecakes, and boxed desserts; they’re our readers’ go-to treats when they need a pick-me-up. Eat up!
Best Shopping Center
e Shops of Saddle Creek
PHOTO: COURTESY FROST BAKE SHOP
Best Specialty Treat Shop
Frost Bake Shop
PHOTO: CALVIN L. LEAKE | DREAMSTIME.COM
BEST AUTO REPAIR
1. Christian Brothers Automotive
2. Steve’s Tire and Auto
3. Barton’s Car Care
In a sprawling city with a mass transit system that can best be described as “troubled,” you can’t a ord car problems. Christian Brothers Automotive is trusted by our readers to keep it on the road.
BEST BARBER SHOP
★ 1. 1776 Men’s Grooming Parlor
2. Baron’s Man Cave
3. Painted Lady Barbershop Sharp Society Barbershop
Maybe 1776 Men’s Grooming Parlor is the BOM because of their generations of experience. The hair stylists there are masters of old-world hair care, like hand-whipped shaving cream from a mug and straightedge razor shaves.
BEST HOME IMPROVEMENT SERVICES
1. ContractingPRO
2. Blu City Exteriors
3. Renewal by Andersen Midtown Remodel & Repair Blu City Stoneworks
Homeowners, we know you love your domicile. But let’s be honest — you could love it more. When you’re ready to freshen up your biggest investments, you have a wide choice of businesses to call. ContractingPRO came out on top in this extremely competitive category.
Best Independent School Christian Brothers High School
BEST HOTEL
1. The Peabody
2. The Memphian
3. ARRIVE Memphis
There are plenty of good hotels, but legendary ones? That’s where The Peabody takes the cake. Or the ducks. It’s iconic as a landmark, a place of history, a center for notable (and fun) events, and a place where you can lay your head and get a good night’s sleep. And the ducks.
BEST HVAC
1. Conway Services
2. Choate’s Air Conditioning, Heating, Plumbing, and Electrical
3. Waller Heating & Air Precision Air Conditioning & Heating
Conway Services has been a trusted Memphis brand for 35 years. Founded by Raymond Conway Sr. with one truck and a pole barn for an HQ, they’re now ubiquitous with 150 full-time employees and more than 90 trucks keeping it cool through the sweltering Memphis summer.
BEST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL
1. Christian Brothers High School
2. St. George’s Independent School
3. Briarcrest Christian School
The longtime institution of Christian Brothers High School
takes in boys and turns out young men who go on to make their marks in the community in all walks of life. Its motto is Virtus et Scientia, meaning “Character and Knowledge,” and it has delivered on that for decades.
BEST INSURANCE AGENT
1. Larry Crum III, Larry E. Crum & Associates
2. Steve Womack, State Farm Kathy Thurmond-Edwards, State Farm
3. Carrie Moore, Allstate Insurance
Larry Crum III is a thirdgeneration insurance agent carrying on the family legacy at Larry E. Crum & Associates. The firm has protected clients’ homes, cars, businesses, and more for over 50 years. “Helping people protect what matters most to them has truly been a blessing,” Crum III said on LinkedIn recently.
BEST LAW FIRM
1. NST Law
2. Ballin, Ballin & Fishman
3. Baker Donelson
Longtime Memphians no doubt recall the brilliant billboards of yesteryear featuring Corey B. Trotz. After that era of roadside omnipresence, Trotz helped found Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz to exclusively represent injured clients.
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PHOTO: COURTESY CHRISTIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL
PHOTO: COURTESY NST LAW
Best Law Firm NST Law
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BEST LAWN CARE/ LANDSCAPING
1. Herbi-Systems
2. Bartlett Landscape Spray
3. Fairway Lawns
For 40 years, Herbi-Systems has combined a commitment to excellence and state-of-theart lawn care and landscaping with a personal touch and individualized attention to your lawn, trees, and shrubs of all kinds.
BEST LOCAL BANK OR CREDIT UNION
1. Orion Financial
2. First Horizon Bank
3. Bank of Bartlett
Count Orion’s Best of Memphis stickers for proof of how much and for how long Memphians have loved this credit union. This is the ninth year Orion has topped our list. The streak speaks for itself.
BEST MOVING COMPANY
1. Two Men and a Truck
2. Big League Movers
3. Grind City Moving Black Tie Moving
When it comes time to move your precious possessions, Two Men and a Truck bring what you want: professionalism, friendliness, e ciency, communication, and pricing. They’ll take care of you — and your stu .
BEST PET BOARDING/ DAY CARE
1. Walnut Grove Animal Clinic
2. BrownDog Lodge Camp Bow Wow
3. 901 PetSitting
BEST VET
1. Walnut Grove Animal Clinic
2. The Pet Hospitals
3. Germantown Animal Hospital
Your pet’s your best friend, and they deserve the best care
because they’re the best boy/ girl. Aren’t they? Aren’t they? That’s why our readers choose Walnut Grove Animal Clinic for vet care, day care, and boarding.
BEST PLUMBER
1. Smith’s Plumbing Services
2. Choate’s Air Conditioning, Heating, Plumbing, and Electrical
3. Mr. Rooter Plumbing
One refreshing thing about Smith’s: They’re dedicated to up-front pricing and estimates, avoiding the hidden costs and fees that can make a plumbing bill skyrocket. They even o er financing options for those big jobs that cause your wallet to leak big bucks.
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BEST PIERCER
1. Sydney Barakat, Trilogy Tattoos and Piercings
2. David Yancy, Ink Therapy
3. Erika Inger Owens, No Regrets Tattoo Emporium
Ears, nose, lips, and privates — there are many places to pierce, if you’re brave enough. Flyer readers trust Trilogy’s Sydney Barakat to poke ’em properly.
Best Realtor
Peterson Wellford, e Firm
BEST PIERCING STUDIO
1. Trilogy Tattoos and Piercings
2. Ink Therapy
3. No Regrets Tattoo Emporium Rose Quartz Body Adornment
The U of M area anchor has been piercing folks long before I was a college student. (Which was a pretty long time ago, okay.) With years of experience in all-things-piercing, our readers know where to go when they want new holes.
With a wealth of local expertise as well as modern marketing, Peterson Wellford knows who he’s selling for and who he’s selling to, and tailoring the transaction to the benefit of everyone involved. The result is a host of satisfied clients.
BEST REGIONAL COLLEGE
★ 1. University of Memphis
2. Rhodes College
3. Baptist Health Sciences University
A university with a beautiful campus, great academic programs, talented sports teams, and a home in the grit-and-grind capital of the world: no wonder Flyer fans love the U of M.
BEST TATTOO ARTIST
1. David Yancy, Ink Therapy
2. Maddie Caldwell, Hand of Mercy Tattoo Parlor
3. Abby Brooks, Trilogy Tattoos and Piercings
BEST TATTOO STUDIO
1. Ink Therapy
2. Trilogy Tattoos and Piercings
3. Hand of Mercy Tattoo Parlor
If you liked it, then you should’ve put some ink on it. And who better to ink it than David Yancy, our readers’ go-to tattoo artist? And where better to go than his Ink Therapy, our readers’ go-to tattoo studio?
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Best Tattoo Artist
David Yancy, Ink erapy
PHOTO (RIGHT): DAVID YANCY
Best Tattoo Studio Ink erapy
PHOTO (LEFT): SAVANNA SCOTT
PHOTO: CALVIN L. LEAKE | DREAMSTIME Best Regional College University of Memphis
WELLNESS
BEST CLINIC INJECTABLES/ FILLERS 1. Levy Dermatology 2. Germantown Day Spa 3. Skin Studio
BEST COSMETIC SURGERY CENTER
Levy Dermatology 2. Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis 3. Germantown Day Spa
NuBody Concepts
Wallace Plastic Surgery
BEST MEDICAL AESTHETIC SPA
1. Levy Dermatology
2. Germantown Day Spa
3. Skin Studio
BEST SPECIALTY MEDICAL SERVICES
1. Levy Dermatology
2. MOJO Pelvic Health
3. ZüpMed
McDonald Murrmann
Beautiful Medicine 360°
The team at Levy Dermatology is equipped to handle all of your skin care needs. The clinic o ers a number of medical and cosmetic dermatology services such as acne treatments, preventive skin care, Botox, and more.
BEST DAY SPA
1. Gould’s Salon Spa
2. Germantown Day Spa
3. Levy Dermatology
The Well by Pavo
BEST MASSAGE CLINIC
1. Gould’s Salon Spa
2. Germantown Day Spa
3. The Spa Midtown
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PHOTO: CONTENTCREATED901
Best Clinic Injectables/Fillers; Cosmetic Surgery Center; Medical Aesthetic Spa; Specialty Medical Services
Levy Dermatology
Best Nail Salon
Nail Bar & Co (Saddle Creek and Harbor Town)
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BEST PLACE TO GET A FACIAL
1. Gould’s Salon Spa
2. Germantown Day Spa
3. Levy Dermatology
Since 1932, Gould’s has left their mark on the community with their signature hair, body, and spa services. O ering a large variety of treatments and packages, Gould’s is the perfect self-care destination.
BEST HAIR SALON
1. Pavo Salon
2. Gould’s Salon Spa
3. Sage+Honey Hair Co.
Leave it to the experts at Pavo Salon to give you the best hairstyling experience. The team is dedicated to giving you a look you’ll love with their artist match service. Whether you’re in need of a quick trim or color that wows, Pavo’s got you covered.
BEST HAIR STYLIST
1. Lauren Watts, Pavo Salon
2. Wallis Ashley, Sage+Honey Hair Co.
3. Kaylen Webb, Biscuits the Barber
This stylist of 12 years knows that healthy hair is the prettiest hair. Known for lived-in colors, dimension, and vivids, Watts is who clients turn to when they need a refresh.
BEST HEALTH/FITNESS CLUB
1. ATC Fitness
2. The Salvation Army Kroc Center Memphis
3. Memphis Jewish Community Center
Want to go work out at midnight? No problem! ATC Fitness has you covered. With 18 Mid-South locations that are open 24 hours a day, you can work up a sweat 24/7.
BEST NAIL SALON
★ 1. Nail Bar & Co (Saddle Creek and Harbor Town)
2. Gloss Nail Bar
3. Gould’s Salon Spa
In need of a mani, a pedi, or just some really awesome nail art because you deserve it? Well, Nail Bar & Co nails it every time.
PHOTO: COURTESY NAIL BAR & CO
PHOTO: COURTESY PAVO SALON
Best Hair Stylist
Lauren Watts, Pavo Salon
BEST PLACE TO GET A TAN
1. Honey Skin and Body Bar
2. Palm Beach Tan
3. SkinBody Memphis
If you want a sun-kissed glow without sun damage, head to Honey Skin and Body Bar, where the solutions are natural, vegan, vitamin-enriched, and not orange.
BEST PLACE TO GET WAXED
1. European Wax Center
2. Gould’s Salon Spa
3. Sage+Honey Hair Co.
We don’t care what you put wax on or wax o , but our readers say European Wax Center is the place to go.
BEST SALON FOR HAIR COLOR
1. Pavo Salon
2. Sage+Honey Hair Co.
3. Gould’s Salon Spa
Whether you need to touch up your roots or want a whole new color (pink anyone?), Pavo Salon knows just what you’re dying (dyeing?) for.
Best Specialty Fitness Studio Club Pilates
BEST SALON FOR HAIR EXTENSIONS
1. Sage+Honey Hair Co.
2. Pavo Salon
Gould’s Salon Spa
3. Lauren Logan Hair Studio
If you’re like Goldlilocks and are looking for a length that’s juuuuust right, let the team at Sage+Honey Hair Co. do their thing. You say, “More,” they’ll add more.
BEST SPECIALTY FITNESS STUDIO
1. Club Pilates
2. CycleBar
3. Dose Hot Pilates & Yoga
Make like Olivia Newton-John and get physical at Club Pilates, where our readers like to get fit and strong.
PHOTO: COURTESY CLUB PILATES
WEDDINGS + EVENTS
BEST BRIDAL BOUTIQUE
1. The Barefoot Bride
2. Maggie Louise Bridal
3. Low’s Bridal
Shopping for a wedding gown doesn’t have to be overwhelming. To ensure Bridezilla never appears, Flyer readers choose the patience, expertise, and selection o ered at The Barefoot Bride.
BEST CATERING COMPANY
1. Pink Flamingo Catering
2. Hog Wild & A Moveable Feast Catering Co.
3. Paradox Catering & Consulting
Just the description on its website makes you feel confident about choosing this place: Owner Amber Lovell “has a unique sta standing behind her that will bring life to any party. We are committed to staying on the cutting edge of catering and food preparations. We will work day and night to develop the perfect plan for each and every event.”
BEST DJ
1. DJ A.D.
2. DJ Tree
DeepBlu Entertainment
3. 2 Types Of Passion
BEST FLORIST
PHOTO: COURTESY JOHN MARK ENTERPRISES
Best Florist
John Mark Enterprises
DJ A.D.’s passion is “truly good music,” and it shows. Whether she’s celebrating Queen Bey’s birthday or curating an immaculate set for a summer in the city, DJ A.D. is the ultimate master of the turntables.
BEST EVENT PLANNER
1. Kaymen Herrera - Wrecking Ball Events
2. Purple Door Planning
3. Pineapple Processions
Sure, you could rent the hall, book the band, send the invites, find the caterer, draw up the seating chart, hire the photographer, and pay the preacher yourself. But you’re the one getting married, so you
should enjoy it! Wrecking Ball Events is our readers’ pick to take the stress o .
BEST
EVENT RENTAL VENUE
1. Memphis Botanic Garden
2. Orion Hill
3. Dixon Gallery & Gardens
If you’re inside Hardin Hall or outside marveling at nature’s bounty, the Memphis Botanic Garden provides the perfect setting for whatever you’re celebrating, whether a wedding, a reception, a concert, an art show, or corporate events. It grows on you.
1. John Mark Enterprises
2. Lynn Doyle Flowers & Events
3. Holliday Flowers
Roses are red — and pink and white — at John Mark Enterprises, where John Mark Sharpe and his team are the best at arranging fresh and faux floral arrangements and seasonal trimmings for weddings and receptions, school graduations, baby showers, parties, corporate functions, and more.
BEST PLACE FOR HAIR STYLING
1. Sage+Honey Hair Co.
2. Pavo Salon
Gould’s Salon Spa
3. Salon 387
Turn your hair-don’t into a hairdo at Sage+Honey Hair Co., whose stylists can turn any hair situation into something beautiful. Whether you’re looking for loose curls, mullet management, or a twisty updo, you’re in good hands with Sage+Honey.
BEST MAKEUP ARTIST
1. Kasey Acu
2. Matt Gossett
3. Kayleigh Bodily
The key to a great selfie is confidence … and a good brow. Luckily, Kasey Acu ’s
artistry can achieve both. Her brush touches beautiful brides, the glamorous Grizz Girls, and others. Did we mention that she’s been certified by celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic?
BEST PLACE FOR REHEARSAL DINNER
1. Acre Restaurant
2. Bog & Barley Irish Pub
3. Jim’s Place Grille
Acre’s soothing interior and patio, which makes you feel like you’re in a woodland setting, is the perfect romantic spot for a rehearsal dinner or just dinner with your significant other. Add the delicious food and you’re all set.
BEST WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
1. Kelly Ginn Photography
2. Alyssa Jeanes Photography
3. Incredibly Wee Photography
Everyone wants to look good on their big day. After photographing more than 400 weddings in her decade-long career, Kelly Ginn has earned our readers’ trust. As she says, “Kelly Ginn Photography isn’t a person; it’s a family!”
STAFF PICKS
MOST IMPROVED DIVE BAR
The Lamplighter is a Midtown institution. It’s been in its Madison Avenue location for decades and gone through several di erent incarnations. Owners Chuck “Vicious” Wenzler and Laurel Cannito have kept the legendary dive’s decor and vibe largely intact since the days when Miss Shirley used to keep a swear jar on the bar, while expanding the footprint with a performance space and a comfy back patio. After a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for improvements, the owners added a new sound system and lighting, which have greatly elevated the musical presentation. In a city where a good place for local and small touring bands to play is becoming increasingly rare, The Lamp is a ray of light.
— Chris McCoy
BEST FILM SERIES
With the Indie Memphis Film Festival missing in action this year and Black Lodge no longer with us, the mantle of non-mainstream film screening has fallen on Crosstown Theater. Their programming has included a mixture of beloved classics and art house selections. Among their upcoming programming is a 20th anniversary screening of Hustle & Flow on September 25th. — CM
BEST FAN OF MEMPHIS MUSIC
When the Soulsville Foundation recognized Public Enemy’s Chuck D with its new Power of Music Honors “Reverb Award,”
he made it about more than his own innovation and activism, which the award aims to salute. Instead, he praised Stax Records and sat with Carla Thomas for a long spell after the ceremony. The two had a grand old time. “I grew up on my mom’s Stax records,” he said, “and to this day am still in total and complete awe of the talent, the genius, and the legacy that came out of the soul of Memphis.”
— Alex Greene
BEST GROWN-UP BAR
There are a lot of places to get a drink in the 901. One of the most chill is Bar Keough on Cooper. If you’re looking for a no-fuss, no-muss beer or cocktail and some pleasant conversation, you could do a lot worse. — CM
BEST GROUP SINGING AND SWINGING
When the Central High School Jazz Band visited Jazz at Lincoln Center to vie with dozens of other bands in the Essentially Ellington contest, they started each day singing together — as they walked up Broadway from their hotel each day. These student instrumentalists weren’t singers, per se, but they were laser-focused on their parts in the big band arrangements they would be playing. And it paid o : The Central team was named the
best high school jazz band in the world. — AG
BEST CRACKERS
Everything the Ginger’s Bread & Co. on Union Ave. makes is good, but their sourdough olive oil crackers will change your life. All other crackers will seem tasteless and inferior after you sample one of these crispy masterpieces. — CM
BEST DOG IN HEALTHCARE
O cially the chief joy o cer at Midtown Chiropractic, Dr. Lindsey Carr’s labradoodle Divot Vokey Carr greets all the patients with enthusiasm and love. Divot favors friendly
librarian glasses and sometimes sports a little tie, for that professional look. The little tail-wagger even has his own Instagram account: @dood_its_ divot. — CM
BEST CRANIALLY COMPROMISED ANTHROPOMORPHIC STATUES
Whenever I chance down the V&E Greenline, near North Watkins and North Parkway, I see my big little pals, those blissfully blasé blue people with gaping cavities in their craniums. The statues, portraying humanoid figures lounging on the lawn, have had the tops of their heads sliced o , poor dears, but for an excellent reason: Their noggins are the perfect vessels for cacti, decorative grasses, and other plantings that help keep the Greenline whimsical. — AG
MOST FAVORITE MEXICAN RESTAURANT ON MADISON Picking a favorite Mexican restaurant in Memphis is getting to be almost as di cult as picking a favorite barbecue joint. They’re everywhere, from Downtown to the furthest reaches of Shelby County. I’ve had a few favorites through the years, but lately I’ve found myself returning to Los Comales in Midtown. It’s tucked into a nondescript section of Madison, near Cleveland, but the place is surprisingly capacious. The real draw, aside from the strong and tasty margaritas, is the menu, which is wide and varied, o ering authentic fare such as street tacos (try the carne asada) and excellent ceviche dishes. The sta is friendly and attentive, and frankly, supporting a Mexican/ Latin American restaurant in these troubled times for the immigrant community is a good thing to do. You have dozens of choices. Pick one, amigo.
— Bruce VanWyngarden
PHOTO: CHRIS McCOY
Ginger’s Bread & Co.’s Jimmy Hoxie
PHOTO: @DOOD_ITS_DIVOT | INSTAGRAM Joy O cer Divot Vokey Carr
PHOTO: MAGGIE TRISLER Laurel Cannito and Chuck Wenzler
steppin’ out
We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews
New Household Name
By Abigail Morici
If you haven’t heard of Susan Watkins before seeing the Dixon Gallery & Garden’s latest exhibition, that’s okay, says Julie Pierotti, the museum’s Martha R. Robinson curator.
Watkins (1875–1913) is the central gure in “Susan Watkins and Women Artists of the Progressive Era,” but as Pierotti says, she’s not a household name. “ ere’s a few reasons for that. One, she’s a woman artist, and a lot of them have been sort of erased from art history. Two, she died young. She died in her thirties. And the third reason is, when she died, she lived in Norfolk, Virginia, and her husband gave the contents of her studio to what is now the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk. So almost all of her work is in one location, in one museum. It very rarely comes on the market, and there’s not a lot of museums around the country that own her work.”
Yet during Watkins’ life, at the turn of the 20th century, she was quite successful, having studied in Paris, regularly exhibited at the Paris Salon, and earned accolades from the American art press. As opportunities for women in art education progressed, more so in Europe than in America, she sought nancial independence through art as a woman when that wasn’t the norm. Her commissioned portraits, which o ered that nancial stability, straddled the in uences of academicism and aestheticism, demonstrating her unique vision and artistic prowess. “In a lot of her work, she’s focused on the female form in her works,” Pierotti says. “ en there’s some of her later sketches, plein air sketches that she made around Paris that are in the exhibition, and those are really charming, too. ere’s a lot who think of Susan Watkins as just a gure painter, but there’s a lot of variety in the exhibition.”
Her story, Pierotti adds, is similar to other American women artists who went to Paris to study art, women who embraced traditional styles and frequently focused on the female form and interior, domestic spaces. ey, too, have been le out of histories, but in this exhibit, some nally have the chance to have their work positioned as belonging in the canon.
“We think that this moment of rediscovering forgotten women artists has been around a long time. It really hasn’t,” Pierotti says. “ ere’s a lot of work le to be done. And what this exhibition shows is, there’s a lot of artists in this show who really need what the Chrysler has done for Susan Watkins, who need their own major exhibition.”
28.
53rd Pink Palace Cra s Fair
Audubon Park, Friday-Saturday, September 26-27, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, September 28, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., $10.75/one-day pass, $20.75/weekend First held in 1973, the Pink Palace Cra s Fair has been the high point of the fall season in Memphis for 50 years. e rst fair featured around 30 cra smen. Now it’s the largest juried arts and cra s fair in the Mid-South. Visitors will nd a variety of eclectic pottery, jewelry, 2-D art, glass, wood, leather, sculpture, ber, and so much more. Adding a festival feel are demonstrations by master cra smen and live music. Food and drink vendors, including cra beer and wine, will be on hand with popular treats and beverages. Kids can visit the petting zoo, ride the popular choo-choo train that circles the park, take a pony ride, or try the climbing wall.
Come As ou Art: Shakespearean Masquerade
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, 1934 Poplar Avenue, Friday, September 26, 7-10 p.m., $27.30/ general admission, $100.83/VIP Step into a magical world where Shakespearean spirits come to life at Memphis’ art museum’s fall fashion event, featuring a masquerade ball, runway show, and the chance to wear that out t that’s been hiding in your closet. Purchase tickets at brooksmuseum.org.
e Vincent Astor Celebration
Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar Avenue, Saturday, September 27, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Join the Memphis Public Libraries for this family-friendly event and hear from local nonpro ts, sit in on story time, create cra s, play games, learn about local history through Memphis
Public Libraries’ Vincent Astor Collection, and participate in a ra e for the chance to win prizes.
Mio Fratello Rincorre I Dinosauri Screening
Malco Paradiso Cinema, 584 Mendenhall Road, Saturday, September 27, 12:30 p.m., free See the award-winning Italian lm, Mio Fratello Rincorre I Dinosauri. e screening is part of the one-year-old Film Exchange between Italy’s Porretta Terme, Bologna, and Memphis. Free popcorn and soda come with free admission to see this story of learning to accept people, including family members, who di er from us. Children under 12 must be accompanied by a parent.
Two short, locally shot lms by Memphis-Shelby County lmmakers will precede the feature. Register to attend at tinyurl.com/yc62bfah.
“SUSAN WATKINS AND WOMEN ARTISTS OF THE PROGRESSIVE ERA,” DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS, 4339 PARK AVENUE, THROUGH SEPTEMBER
Susan Watkins (American, 1875–1913), Le Five O’Clock (Tea), ca. 1903; Oil on canvas; Mr. and Mrs. Edward T. Miles
JAREKUS
MUSIC By Alex
Greene
Causing Havoc
Gonerfest 22 brings W.I.T.C.H. and other gems to new venues and new sonic frontiers.
Even when all hell is breaking loose, we’ll always have Gonerfest. Hundreds ock to that distinctly Memphian communal gathering for some respite every year. And with the wide stylistic net they cast for their music festival, Goner Records truly embodies an inclusive, inquisitive spirit. is year, the festival’s 22nd, will be no di erent, with all-overthe-map headliners like Lightning Bolt, Radioactivity, Silkworm, and Snooper.
But the nal headliner is literally from all over the map: Zambia. Goner has been on a roll in bringing heretofore unheard African music to the city, as when Nigeria’s Etran de L’Aïr caused a sensation at last year’s fest with the gallop of their hypnotic-yet-rousing sound. is year, Goner brings us W.I.T.C.H., short for “We Intend to Cause Havoc,” a band dating back to Zambia’s rough-and-tumble post-independence era of the ’70s, now enjoying a spectacular comeback. But while Etran de L’Aïr’s uniquely cascading guitar attack was built on a foundation of more familiar Nigerian Afrobeat rhythms, W.I.T.C.H. hits very di erently. W.I.T.C.H. at-out rocks.
radio station for all three countries, in what was called Salisbury, now Harare [Zimbabwe]. ey played Top of the Pops, the U.K. hits, American hits. en we learned about James Brown, who eventually visited Zambia in 1970 and we had a chance to watch him perform. And we listened to bands: Deep Purple, Grand Funk Railroad, e Rolling Stones, many others.”
Yet the dominance of British culture, even a er independence in 1964, did not overwhelm local identities, and traditional Zambian music is also woven into the unique sound of W.I.T.C.H. “ ere are about 72 ethnic groups in Zambia, but I wouldn’t want to emphasize their di erences,” says Chanda. “We are Zambians, one nation. From there, I must pick the materials to construct and cra music that embraces all the 72 groups.”
Keyboardist Patrick Mwondela, who joined in 1980 at the “disco” end of the band’s rst run, says the blend they perfected 40-50 years ago still informs
is is equally true of their early work, most famously collected in an eponymous 2012 Now-Again Records box set pro ering “the complete works of Zambia’s legendary garagepsych-prog-funk-Afro-rock ensemble, 1972-77,” and their recent albums Zango and Sogolo, released in 2023 and 2025, respectively, partly in response to that box set’s popularity. Best of all, even the new albums exude the murky vibe of a dusty crate of Zambian LPs you might nd in a Lusaka ea market.
Yet the music cuts through all historical context. One minute, you’re grooving to winding guitar arpeggios akin to Zimbabwe’s megastar omas Mapfumo; then you’ll do a double take at the sound of chunky power chords and Far sa. It’s why such Zambian music earned its own tag, “Zamrock,” and for long stretches of a W.I.T.C.H. album, you may think you’re listening to Arthur Lee’s Love.
at’s partly due to Zambian radio. “Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi were all under the same British rule,” says singer Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda, who founded the band. “So the British exported their cultural activities into our country. We started drinking tea at 4 o’clock. We started driving on the le . And very di erent things came in, including the guitar. ere was only one
the music made by today’s version of the band, which now includes some European players. But new in uences are at work as well. “ e new music still has the crisscross rhythms, the call and response — all those characters that are in our music. We’re thinking about all those things, but also adding the in uence of the musicians that came to work with us, bringing references to the modern stu they’re listening to, including a bit of electronic music.”
Even the new songs deal with traditions that still haunt the country. “ ere’s one newer song called ‘Stop the Rot,’ in which we are condemning witchcra practices,” says Chanda. “We hope the people listen and try to change because it doesn’t bene t anybody, this bewitching one another. If you are ying naked at night on a broomstick, using human blood, maybe even that of a relative, whose bene t is that?”
Gonerfest 22 takes place ursday, September 25th, to Saturday, September 27th, at Wiseacre Brewery on Broad, and on Sunday, September 28th, at the Overton Park Shell. W.I.T.C.H. tops the bill on Friday, Saturday 26th.
PHOTO: HOLLY WHITAKER W.I.T.C.H.
CALENDAR of EVENTS: Sept. 25 - Oct. 1
Send the date, time, place, cost, info, phone number, a brief description, and photos — two weeks in advance — to calendar@memphisflyer.com.
DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS, ONGOING WEEKLY EVENTS WILL APPEAR IN THE FLYER’S ONLINE CALENDAR ONLY. FOR COMPREHENSIVE EVENT LISTINGS, SCAN OUR QR CODE BELOW OR VISIT EVENTS.MEMPHISFLYER.COM/CAL
ART HAPPENINGS
Artist Reception: “Edward H. Perry”
From Keith Sykes’ collection. Friday, Sept. 26, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
GPAC
Danse Macabre
Curated by Crystal Ferrari. Saturday, Sept. 27, 6-10 p.m.
THE UGLY ART COMPANY
Opening: Savannah White’s “Un Sospiro”
Meet the artist. Friday, Sept. 26, 7-8:30 p.m.
BUCKMAN ARTS CENTER AT ST. MARY’S SCHOOL
Like Really Creative Artist Walking Group
A walk through Overton Park with fellow creatives like BitchBopz and DJ Billi. Saturday, Sept. 27, 10 a.m.-noon.
OVERTON PARK
Whet Thursday: 901 on the Bluff
Celebrate the art of metalwork with Corey Lou & Da Village’s music. ursday, Sept. 25, 5-8 p.m.
METAL MUSEUM
COMEDY
Greg Henderson
A regular at Stardome, the Comedy Catch, Standup Live, and clubs all over. With Benny Elbows and Jane Haze. 21+. Saturday, Sept. 27, 8 p.m.
FLYWAY BREWING COMPANY
Crossword
Bread used for soup
Perspective
One to whom you might say “Boo!”
“Begone!”
Sports replay effect
Word after Great or before Street
Person behind the curtain?
Relatives of rhododendrons
—
Popular Samsung smartphone
“Net” preceder
— 26 South American landmark whose name means “old peak”
Jeong of “Crazy Rich Asians”
LIKE REALLY CREATIVE Stroll through the woods, making and imagining art as in the image above with fellow creatives.
COMMUNITY
2025 Friends of the Poor Walk
A walk/run for the St. Vincent de Paul Food Mission. $25/individuals, $50/family 3+ max
Edited by Will Shortz No.
0516
price. Saturday, Sept. 27, 9-11 a.m.
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL
The Voice of the People: WDIA and the Power of Community
A history of the station’s impact on community. Free. ursday, Sept. 25, 6-7:30 p.m.
Afro Pride is more than an event — it’s a movement. Sunday, Sept. 28, noon-8 p.m. COURT SQUARE PARK
Gonerfest 22
Featuring bands and DJs from around the world. ursday, Sept. 25-Sept. 28. WISEACRE OG , OVERTON PARK SHELL
Latin Fest 901
A day of music, dance, food from the vibrant Latin culture that unites us all. Free. Saturday, Sept. 27, noon-6 p.m. OVERTON SQUARE
Mid-South Fair
Rides, games, fair food, ground acts, live music, and more. Free. ursday, Sept. 25-Oct. 5. LANDERS CENTER
FILM
Hustle & Flow 20th Anniversary
Screening and Panel Discussion
With insider stories and re ections on the lm’s legacy. $5. ursday, Sept. 25, 7:30 p.m. CROSSTOWN THEATER
PERFORMING ARTS
Class with breathing techniques
[groan]
Hung pieces of art
Put in stitches?
Doofus
Wears pajamas all day, e.g.
Powder holder
—
Start of a polite request
Sound made while clasping oneself
Low-hanging clouds
Fruit named for a region of France
Japanese floor coverings
Try to win at auction 29 2008 animated film set in ancient China
Inert
57 Sgts. outrank them 58 Button-downs? 59 Kind of skirt 60 Cry accompanying a fist pump 61 Parent company of Kool-Aid 62 Not many tracks are found on them, for short
1 Superhero with a lightning bolt symbol 2 “Well, ain’t that fancy!”
“Three Days of the Condor” director 4 Test, in a way
Shout-Out Shakespeare Series: Much Ado About Nothing
An outdoor show, ideal for families and picnics. Free. Saturday, Sept. 27, 7-8:30 p.m. COLLIERVILLE TOWN SQUARE
TOURS
Woe Is Me: A History Tour of Tragic Tales
Destiny is sometimes untimely. $20/general admission. Friday, Sept. 26, 5:30-7 p.m.
ELMWOOD CEMETERY
PUZZLE BY JEFF CHEN
PHOTO: COURTESY
We Saw You.
with MICHAEL DONAHUE
Cooper-Young Festival was hot again this year — not only the weather, but the event’s popularity. People came out in droves to eat, drink, listen to music, and mingle.
About 100,000 attended this year’s festival, which was held September 13th, says Tamara Cook, Cooper-Young Business Association executive director.
“It was a great festival,” she says. “Looks like our demographics are changing. We had a lot of very young families there.”
“Lots of young people. Lots of kids. I’ve never seen so many kids before.” But, Cook says, “Glad to see those children.”
See more photos at memphis yer.com.
above: (le to right) Charlotte Grambergs and Garrett Sapp; Blake Beasley and Elaina Billings
below: (le to right) Samantha Bonema, Dylan Giddens, and Marguerite; Ashley Pannell and Jackson Ross; Zach Brummett and Amy Dempsey bottom row: (le to right) Chris, Quersten, Camden, and Rhys Green; Sydney Bridgeforth and Isaiah Henderson; James Alexander
PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE
FOOD By Michael Donahue
The ‘Schmommy’ Style
eresa Schuenke is cooking at Fawn.
T
A N K Y O U
MEMPHIS
1
Theresa Schuenke is one of those rare exceptions in Memphis high-end restaurants.
“I worked under a lot of female chefs,” Schuenke says. “It just worked out that way. It kind of shaped how I run my kitchen and my philosophy.”
Traditionally, in high-stress conditions in big kitchens there is a possibility of a lot of “negative emotions displayed. People get yelled at and things like that. I’m not a big yeller.”
Instead, as executive chef at Fawn, the new restaurant at 937 Cooper Street in Cooper-Young, Schuenke uses “the disappointed mom voice” when someone does something wrong in the kitchen. “Not so much focusing on the mistake that was made, but focusing on how to correct it moving forward.”
Schuenke, who grew up in the Milwaukee area, refers to her cooking style as “schmommy,” which is a blend of herself and her mom. “I’m a very nostalgic cook,” she says. She wants to take her customers back to “sitting around that table at my grandmother’s house and feeling that warmth and community. But take techniques from where I worked and apply it. A marrying of those two things.”
Her mother was a nurse and her father was a construction worker. “ ey were always working. I have two younger siblings. Really, at a pretty early age I’d make my family dinner. Food was always a creative expression for me.”
boss was Mary Oglesby, who now is coowner of Fawn with Paul Gilliam.
Schuenke moved to various restaurants, from Washington, D.C., to New Orleans, and back to Milwaukee in 2017 at Milwaukee’s Goodkind, where she was chef de cuisine. It was “new American fare. Small plates. Similar to Fawn. I got into nding what my style was.”
She was working at Uncle Wol e’s Breakfast Tavern in Milwaukee when she got a call from Oglesby, who told them she and Gilliam had an opportunity to acquire the Fawn space. She wanted Schuenke to be the executive chef. It was to be a farm-totable restaurant with the small plate format. Schuenke found Memphis to be “more in line with my Midwesterness. … It’s a little slower paced. A little more relaxed.” She told Oglesby, “I want to move to Memphis and do this thing.”
Her mother, who would “kind of recycle the same four or ve meals,” made “a really good pot roast in the slow cooker,” says Schuenke, who helped in the kitchen. “And she made an amazing mom lasagna. Best one I ever tasted. Although, it’s probably pure nostalgia.”
Sunday dinner with the family shaped her as a cook. “Every Sunday when I was a kid, almost up until I went to college, my family would go over to my grandmother’s house and have Sunday supper,” she says. “Sharing a meal together was so special to me. I always wanted to provide that for people. Be a part of people’s special moments and memories.”
In college, Schuenke cooked meals for herself and the other four women who lived in the same house. She majored in psychology but decided to pursue the food industry. “I really just felt so at home in it and really enjoyed it. And felt like it brought out the best in me.” She got a job at Milwaukee’s HiHat Lounge & e Garage, where she moved from server to the kitchen. Her
In addition to serving small plates, Fawn is “very focused on sourcing as local as we possibly can get.” A popular item on their summer menu was Schuenke’s Rarebit Tartine — “a tartine with Norwegian style caramelized cheese.”
She describes the overall style of Fawn’s food as “new American. All di erent kinds of cuisine.” Schuenke’s cooking lexicon includes Middle Eastern food, Spanish-style tapas, Southern Italy fare, and Creole and Southern food.
She’s already working on her fall menu, which will include a lot of squashes, turnips, radishes, fennel, celery root, and potatoes.
e look of Fawn is focused on the “farm-to-table kind of thing. Tying it to the meadow. ey want it to be very warm and cozy. When you come in you’ll see a lot of plants, a lot of earth tones. Dark greens and golds, di erent shades of brown. ings like that.”
e restaurant’s cozy atmosphere is another plus for Schuenke. It reminds her of her grandparents’ house, the site of those Sunday dinners. “It really kind of resonates with me.”
PHOTO: MICHAEL DONAHUE eresa Schuenke
Close Call
On June 25, members of the Seattle Kraken hockey team, on a fly-fishing trip at Brooks Falls at Katmai National Park, Alaska, drew the unwanted attention of a bear on the prowl for food. Multiple outlets reported that center John Hayden and the team’s mascot, Buoy — who was in full costume — were in the water when their guide spotted the bear and moved the group. The bear took a sudden interest in Buoy and charged toward him briefly before stopping and turning around. “I want to blame it on Buoy,” Hayden joked. “They were pretty interested in his look.” No one was harmed in the encounter, and other team members were unfazed. Meanwhile, the whole situation has drawn the ire of PETA, who sent a strongly worded letter filled with hockey puns, detailing the harm that fishing for sport does to fish, even when they are thrown back, and urging the team to “bench their fishing rods for good.”
[Fox News, 8/7/2025]
Never Heard of Him
St. Jude the Apostle Roman Catholic Church in Erie, Pennsylvania, holds a Corvette raffle every year to raise money for the parish, and in 2024, one “Martin Anderson” came away with the top prize. But on Aug. 6, the Erie Times-News reported that an investigation by the Erie County District Attorney’s Office discovered that no such person exists. Father Ross Miceli is under investigation for making up the name of the winner as well as winners of other prizes. The church declined to comment but acknowledged there was an active criminal investigation underway. The reverend has been placed on administrative leave. [Erie Times-News, 8/6/2025]
The Passing Parade
The South China Morning Post reported on Aug. 5 that adults in China are turning to pacifiers to ease their stress, improve sleep, and stop smoking. The adult binkies are larger than the infant models and come in different colors, and shops say they’re selling more than 2,000 each month. “It’s high quality, soft, and I feel comfortable sucking it,” said one buyer. “It does not impede my breathing.” But Chengdu dentist Tang Caomin isn’t a
fan: “By sucking the dummy for more than three hours a day, the position of your teeth might change after a year.” [SCMP, 8/5/2025]
Nope
• Talk about rodents of unusual size. A giant rat — perhaps the biggest ever caught in the United Kingdom — was recently captured in North Yorkshire, reported The Independent on Aug. 5. The rodent, removed by exterminators from a home in the Greater Eston area, measured 22 inches long and was described as “almost the size of a small cat.” (For reference, rats in the U.K. usually stay under 11 inches, on average.) Some local leaders say pest issues have dramatically worsened since the end of free services for residents in the area. Eston ward councilor David Taylor said the rodents were becoming “brazen,” adding, “The longer this is ignored, the worse it will get.” [The Independent, 8/5/2025]
• In Fort Collins, Colorado, residents have reported seeing rabbits with black, tentacle-like protrusions on their heads, KUSA-TV reported. Colorado Parks and Wildlife said the horny growths are caused by a virus that is not dangerous to humans or pets, but warned people not to touch them just the same. The “Frankenstein rabbits” are not in pain, CPW said, unless the spines grow on sensitive areas like the eyes. There is no known cure. [KUSA, 8/13/2025]
132 Days Until Christmas
Three Deutsche Post volunteers — or elves, you might call them — left St. Nikolaus, Germany, on Aug. 9 and started cycling toward Santa Claus Village in Finland, the Associated Press reported. The trio were carrying more than 30,000 letters and Christmas wish lists that had been delivered to the German village and were expected to arrive in roughly two weeks. The traditional journey dates back to 1967. [AP, 8/10/2025]
Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In Tonglen, a Tibetan Buddhist meditation, you visualize yourself breathing in the suffering, pain, or negativity of other people, then imagine breathing out relief, healing, or compassion toward them. The practice can also be done on your own behalf. The goal is to transform tension and stress into courage, vitality, and healing. I recommend this practice, Aries. Can you turn your scars into interesting tattoos? Can you find mysterious opportunities lurking in the dilemmas? Can you provide grace for others as you feed your own fire?
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In a YouTube video, I watched Korean artisans make hanji paper in the same way their predecessors have for 1,300 years. It was complicated and meditative. They peeled off the inner bark of mulberry trees, then soaked it, cooked it, and pounded it into pulp. After mixing the mash with the aibika plant, they spread it out on screens and let it dry. I learned that this gorgeous, luminous paper can endure for a thousand years. I hope you draw inspiration from this process, Taurus. Experiment with softening what has felt unyielding. Treat what’s tough or inflexible with steady, artful effort. Be imaginative and persistent as you shape raw materials into beautiful things you can use for a long time.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Legendary jazz musician Sun Ra was a Gemini who claimed to be from the planet Saturn. He aspired to live in a state of “cosmic discipline” — not just in his musical training but in his devotion to self-improvement, aesthetic exploration, and a connection to transcendent realities. He fused outrageous style with sacred order, chaos with clarity. I invite you to draw inspiration from him. Put your personal flair in service to noble ideas. Align your exuberant self-expression with your higher purpose. Show off if it helps wake people up.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): In Inuit tradition, qarrtsiluni means “waiting in the darkness for something to burst forth.” It refers to the sacred pause before creativity erupts, before the quest begins, before the light returns. This is an apt description of your current state, Cancerian. Tend your inner stillness like a fire about to ignite. Don’t rush it. Honor the hush. The energies you store up will find their proper shape in a few weeks. Trust that the silence is not absence but incubation. Luminosity will bloom from this pregnant pause.
Rob Brezsny
deliberately, with conscious artistry. You’re being asked to embody the kind of leadership that inspires, not dominates. Be the sun that warms but doesn’t scorch! PS: People are observing you to learn how to shine.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): If humans ever perfect time-travel, I’m going to the Library of Alexandria in ancient Egypt. It was crammed with papyrus scrolls by authors from all over the world. It was also a gathering point for smart people who loved to compare notes across disciplines. Poets argued amiably with mathematicians. Astronomers discussed inspirations with physicians. Breakthroughs flowed feely because ideas were allowed to migrate, hybridize, and be challenged without rancor. Consider emulating that rich mélange, Virgo. Convene unlike minds, cross-pollinate, and entertain unprecedented questions. The influences you need next will arrive via unexpected connections.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In Venice, Italy, floods periodically damage books at libraries and bookstores. Trained volunteers restore them with meticulous, handson methods. They use absorbent paper and towels to separate and dry the pages, working page by page. I offer this vignette as a useful metaphor, Scorpio. Why? Because I suspect that a rich part of your story needs repair. It’s at risk of becoming irrelevant, even irretrievable. Your assignment is to nurse it back to full health and coherence. Give it your tender attention as you rehabilitate its meaning. Rediscover and revive its lessons and wisdom.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In classical Indian music, a raga is not a fixed composition but a flexible framework. It’s defined by a specific scale, characteristic melodic phrases, and a traditional time of day for performance. Musicians improvise and express emotion within that expansive set of constraints. Unlike Western compositions, which are written out and repeated verbatim, a raga has different notes each time it’s played. I think this beautiful art form can be inspirational for you, Sagittarius. Choose the right time and tone for what you’re creating. Dedicate yourself to a high-minded intention and then play around with flair and delight. Define three nonnegotiable elements and let everything else breathe.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
The ancient Mesopotamians believed each person had a personal god called an ilu who acted as a protector, guide, and intercessor with the greater gods. You’re in a phase when your own ilu is extra active and ready to undergo an evolutionary transformation. So assume that you will be able to call on potent help, Libra. Be alert for how your instincts and intuitions are becoming more acute and specific. If you feel an odd nudge or a dream insists on being remembered, take it seriously. You’re being steered toward deeper nourishment.
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will thrive by keeping spaces empty and allowing for the unknown to ripen. You may sometimes feel an urge to define, control, and fortify, but acting on that impulse could interfere with the gifts that life wants to bring you. Honor what is as-yet unwritten.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In West African Vodún cosmology, the deity named Lêgba guards the crossroads. He is the mediator and gatekeeper between the human world and spirit realm. He speaks all languages and serves as the first point of contact for communication with other spirits. In the weeks ahead, Aquarius, you may find yourself in Lêgba’s domain: between past and future, fact and fantasy, solitude and communion. You may also become a channel for others, intuiting or translating what they can’t articulate. I won’t be surprised if you know things your rational mind doesn’t fully understand. I bet a long-locked door will swing open and a long-denied connection will finally coalesce. You’re not just passing through the crossroads. You are the crossroads.
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Above all, thank you for being part of our community. We’re in this together.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You’re feeling the stirrings of a desire that’s at least half-wild. A surprising vision or opportunity has begun to roar softly within you. But here’s key advice: Don’t chase it recklessly. Practice strategic boldness. Choose where and how you shine. Your radiance is potent, but it will be most effective when offered
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In 1977, NASA launched two Voyager spacecraft into the abyss. Both carried a message in the form of a golden record to any extraterrestrial who might find it. There were greetings in 55 languages, natural sounds like whale songs and thunderstorms, music by Chuck Berry and others, plus over 100 images and diagrams explaining how to find Earth. It was science as a love letter, realism with a dash of audacity. I invite you to craft your own version of a golden record, Pisces. Distill a message that says who you are and what you are seeking: clear enough to be decoded by strangers, warm enough to be welcomed by friends you haven’t met. Put it where the desired audience can hear it: portfolio, outreach note, manifesto, demo. Send signals that will make the right replies inevitable. FREE WILL ASTROLOGY By
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In medieval European monasteries, scribes left blank pages in certain texts. This was not done by accident, but to allow for future revelations. Later readers and scribes might fill these spaces with additional text, marginalia, and personal notes. Books were seen as living documents. I recommend a metaphorical version of this practice to you, Capricorn. You
Rocky Horror Celebrates 50 Weird Years
Antici-pation builds for Barry Bostwick’s appearance at the Orpheum eatre on October 3rd.
One lm, released in the 1970s, surprised everyone by having a cultural impact far greater than its initial run in theaters would have suggested. e way it inspired a fervent cult audience changed popular culture forever. And though many have tried to capture the same kind of lightning in a bottle, none have succeeded so totally. Am I talking about Star Wars? e Exorcist? Jaws?
No, I’m talking about e Rocky Horror Picture Show. e story starts on the stage. Richard O’Brien, a struggling British actor, wrote the musical in the early 1970s. e show re ected his obsession with cheap sciand horror lms, glam rock, and the libertine energy of swinging London. is unlikely combo of in uences was an immediate hit with Chelsea audiences, who went wild for Tim Curry’s portrayal of the mad doctor Frank-N-Furter. e Rocky Horror Show would eventually play 2,960 performances in London. In 1974, it made the leap across the
Atlantic to play at the Roxy eatre in Los Angeles. at’s when a young Barry Bostwick rst encountered the role that would make him famous. “We had seen Tim on stage at the Roxy, doing the play, and I had two or three friends in that cast,” says Bostwick.
Bostwick had originated the role of Danny Zuko in Grease on Broadway, which earned him a Tony nomination. When rumors of a Jesus Christ Superstar-like lm adaptation started swirling around the cult hit, he and his friend Susan Sarandon got the call. “I didn’t have to audition; they just gave it to me,” he recalls. “ e casting director had seen some things I’ve been in earlier, and he was a powerhouse in Hollywood at the time. He actually put Susan and I together for a meet and greet with the people. We went in and just said hello, and then they asked Susan to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ because
Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick as Janet and Brad in e Rocky Horror Picture Show
she was very shy about singing. She did it, and the next thing I know, we’re on a plane for London.”
Bostwick and Sarandon played Brad and Janet, the normie couple whose car breaks down outside Frank-N-Furter’s castle, where they are pulled into a world of extremely weird — but totally
free — freaks.
Unlike the play, the lm took a while to catch on, until a 20th Century Fox executive decided to take a chance on midnight screenings, where fare like Pink Flamingos attracted young audiences. One theater at a time, the word spread. “It was very countercultural,” says Bostwick. “ e AIDS epidemic was starting up, so if you were gay, you were afraid all the time. We created, and I think I still create, a safe space to basically just let it all hang out and have some fun in an era that was fraught with danger. Because of that, the LGBTQ world took it into their heart. In the beginning, they created a Rocky Horror Party, seeing it on a Friday and Saturday night at the Waverly in New York.” e cult grew, and as audiences returned week a er week, they started dressing up as the characters, talking back to the screen, and bringing props.
PHOTO: COURTESY FOX
Newbies underwent a “virgin ceremony” to be introduced into the fold. “Sal Piro was the first guy to stand up and try to bring some order to the weird chaos that was going on,” says Bostwick. “He became the head of the fan club and was actually, I think, responsible for making the audiences love this movie so much that it became something more than the movie. They are the participants, and we are in the background. It’s all about the audience, and them having fun. Disney says that Disneyland is the happiest place on earth. Well, I think that being at a Rocky Horror show on a Friday or Saturday night is the happiest place on earth because there’s no judgment there. Everybody’s accepted. And you get to throw crap around!”
The Rocky Horror Picture Show has
never really been out of release. Every weekend, there’s a screening somewhere, usually with a live shadow cast playing the parts in front of the screen. It’s considered the longest-running film in cinema history. On October 3rd, Bostwick will headline a 50th anniversary screening at the Orpheum Theatre.
Memphis Rocky Horror shadow cast troupe Absent Friends will be on hand, as well as memorabilia, a costume contest, and more. “Rocky has changed lives, not just ours, and had a profound effect on how we accept our differences in this world,” says Bostwick.
“We were fitted for our corsets and high heels and enthusiastically started singing songs that have endured for all these years. And ‘dammit, Janet!’ I have made nerds cool.”
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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26
THE LAST WORD By
Stephanie Painter
The Porch Birth
Where’s the line between what deserves protection and what is deemed disposable?
Our suburban brick house is similar to the others that line the street, towering a bit over its neighbors but all in all tting in. at morning, it had been designated a safe house. I didn’t have much con dence in that status, though not all hope was snu ed out as I drove my car into the garage.
Like a real jerk, I had ed to a discount chain store for some escapist shopping. Before racing to T.J. Maxx, I dumped a responsibility on my husband. ree hours had elapsed, enough time for him to make a decision and to act. I dropped my purchases — the candles, earrings, and fast fashion dress — on the chair, and he showed no interest in the acquisitions.
en I walked to the kitchen window and inhaled mindfully, followed with one long, slow exhale. On our exterior screened-in porch, the ceramic tile was scrubbed clean, with no trace of beginnings or endings. Eight had nestled together, their sum equal to the content in a battery pack or box of crayons, and when my husband saw them in their blind and furless state, he closed his eyes to block out what he considered a grotesque display. It had none of the charm of an Impressionist painting, I had to agree. Inches from her pups, a mother rat sprawled in the residue of birth. ough our house had no special distinction, she had chosen our porch for the delivery, heaving across the dusty tiles, trusting us.
We were too late to observe the births, and the newborns squeaked as their mother recovered from the stress of delivery, the pale spots on their sides indicating stomachs full of milk. eir presence on our porch shocked my husband. is was our private space — our turf — and he considered the many strikes against rats, that they carry lice and eas that transmit diseases, and he hated them for their role in driving bird and reptile species to extinction by consuming their eggs. He worried about the rats’ proximity to our home — only three short steps from the door leading to our kitchen. Some folks keep rats as pets, but we are not those people, and my spouse knew where to nd the shovel and black trash bags.
I know that a rat is a rat, but my response to the situation was di erent. Maybe one rat could be disposed of without guilt. But a litter of eight vulnerable pups? I was fascinated with the number of pink newborns, identical in size and shape, each as light as the nickel in my purse. As children, our daughters wielded the crayons in a standard box like eight magic wands, making refrigerator art without commercial value that was nonetheless a treasure to us. Brain studies suggest that rats can dream of a desired future, and in her drowsy state, perhaps the mother rat imagined some sort of “ratopia” for her progeny, a rodent’s version of Mary Oliver’s musing, “Tell me, what will you do with your one wild and precious life?” I cannot say for sure.
During her six-hour estrus, a brown rat mates up to 500 times with a number of male partners. Charged with caring for pups for just a few weeks, she can give birth to seven litters annually, and with each of those young (and their own o spring) reproducing, a female rat may have 15,000 descendants in a year. While they mate recklessly, rat mothers are careful with their newborns, tenderly pulling away the placenta and birth sac, licking membranes to clear airways. A er cleaning each pup, the mother ingests the placenta and umbilical cord, restoring nutrients to her body.
On thousands of occasions, I have disrupted and ended life by walking over grass and on sidewalks, squashing insects and spiders without regard, and now I wondered about the line between what deserves protection and what is deemed disposable. When our nephew nursed an orphaned baby squirrel back to strength, my husband applauded his compassionate project, and when baby birds fall from nests, we cry together. Somewhere I’d read about a study nding that rats also can empathize. According to National Geographic, lab rats have given up rewards to help other rats that are in trouble, and they remember and reward peers that help them.
It was too late for my spouse, whose ght-or- ight response had activated, and his torturous review of the family tree showed in his face — contemplating 15,000 rats would make anyone nervous. I doubted that the rodents would win in our well-tended suburb, and that con dence provided me with time to process a Plan B option. Wouldn’t it be generous to save the rat who had sought a safe house for her pups?
I imagined my husband gently picking up the mother and babies with gloves or a small shovel and placing them in a box that t inside his van. “You could take them to a place where they will have a chance,” I said. “You could pick them up and drive them somewhere.”
He blanched.
“ ey have value to their mother. You could let them live,” I added in a nal push, leaving him to wrestle between the extermination plan or my suggested course of playing savior. It’s always easier to shi the burden of deciding what is right or wrong to others, whether it’s problems with the environment or other ills impacting human and animal life. And to be honest, I didn’t want to deal with the messiness of transferring the rodents and the logistics of nding a drop-o place out in the woods. So I stepped aside and went shopping.
Storing away the pile of cheap items destined for the land ll, I didn’t ask about the fate of the rats. I never asked whether he had thrown them in a trash bag, or alternatively, driven them to a place where they had a chance to survive. He never o ered any information, and I did not want to know which action he had chosen. Knowing my own history of accepting the awful, I didn’t want to con rm the same in him. Eight baby rats had nestled together, like bright and individual crayons. at evening, a dark and ugly silence divided us. Still, I appreciated that the ceramic tile was scrubbed fresh and clean — at least he had taken care of that.
Stephanie Painter works as a freelance writer and is the author of a children’s picture book. She lives in Germantown and writes for regional magazines.
