Month: September 2016

Categories
Editorial Opinion

First Debate Was More Heat Than Light

About that presidential debate Monday night: What happened to the pre-ordained and carefully described format of what were to have been six carefully separate segments of 15 minutes each on as many different subjects?

It dissolved, that’s what, into a free-flowing game of the Dozens in which Democrat Hillary Clinton artfully baited Republican Donald Trump, matador-style, into more of the self-destructive bull rushes that have marked his post-convention campaign.

Trump was diverted by Clinton all too often into using his time for querulous self-defense on matters ranging from his unpublished tax returns to his bankruptcies to, God help us, his temperament. (Trump assured us his was just fine and, moreover, that he was “loved.”)

In the process, the New York real estate tycoon (who lamented that he made “only” $654 million last year and suggested he was “smart” to avoid paying federal taxes) lost the control he showed early on, when he made a few effective points about the harmfulness of NAFTA and other trade deals. Ultimately, he surrendered to his all too-familar debate habits of bombast and bullying, verbally overriding both moderator Lester Holt and opponent Clinton, who at one point smiled complacently and said, “Well, just listen to what you heard!”

What viewers heard was not nearly enough from either candidate on several vital issues of the day. Where was a discussion of health-care policy, and, in particular, of the troubling epidemic of health-care providers dropping out of participation in the current Affordable Care system? Where was any sort of useful debate on the major problem confounding our cities just now — that of police shootings of unarmed black males? What, for that matter, about the currently raging issue of athletes refusing to stand during pre-game playings of the national anthem? True, the issue is mainly symbolic, but therein lies its relevance and even a lightning-round treatment of it might have drawn some revealing comments from the candidates.

Moderator Holt, NBC’s evening news anchor, seemed determined to uphold the honor of his network and to prove that he was no Matt Lauer, who failed in the recent “Commander in Chief” forum to rebut Trump’s claim to have opposed the Iraq War folly of George W. Bush. Holt pushed Trump on the subject, and, again, valuable time was lost there. Trump does indeed seem to have been either silent or acquiescent on the issue in the key pre-war period, but let’s be fair. His  finest moment in this campaign may have come during one of the GOP multi-candidate debates when he publicly accused Bush of lying about the rationale for the unnecessary and disastrous war.

Except for one brief outburst from Trump on the subject of Hillary’s emails, that issue, for better or for worse, went unexamined.

And what is this notion, conceded to Trump even by many of his detractors, that he represents change, while Hillary stands for the status quo? The latter part of that would seem correct, but Trump’s blithe advocacy of a return to tax cuts for the rich and of trickle-down economics seems less like a change than a return to policies that have failed over and over again.

There are two more scheduled debates, two more chances to get it right. Let’s hope for the best. Or something better, anyhow.

Categories
News The Fly-By

Fly on the Wall 1440

InstaScandal

Gannett columnist and University of Tennessee Law Professor Glenn Reynolds (AKA Instapundit) was briefly suspended from Twitter last week after tweeting words of encouragement to motorists inconvenienced by Black Lives Matter protesters in North Carolina: “Run them down.”

In case you’re wondering if this is just a misunderstanding, here’s what Reynolds told radio talker Hugh Hewitt.

HH: Now let me do what I did with Donald Trump last week, ask you to expand. I think I know what you meant. If you are threatened, you can defend yourself. Is that what you meant, Glenn Reynolds?

GR: Yeah, I’ve blogged about that before where we’ve had other interstates blocked and people surrounded by mobs. I’ve always said I would just keep driving.

Reynolds later said if Twitter didn’t like him, he’d be be happy to stop providing the social media platform with free content. Gannett, which owns six daily papers in Tennessee including The Commercial Appeal, suspended Reynolds’ twice weekly column in USA Today for a month.

Beauty Jail

Has a hair-raising crime spree come to an end in Memphis?

Last week, police apprehended the five women who made two raids on Beauty Depot two times and B&P Wigs and Beauty Supply, stealing thousands of dollars worth of hair.

Still no word about what happened to the weaves or whether or not any of the hair was cursed or otherwise possessed by evil spirits, as some local news channels have suggested it might be. Ongoing.

Categories
Music Music Features

Slayer at the Horseshoe Casino

This Friday night, heavy metal legends Slayer will play the Horseshoe Casino in Tunica, alongside Anthrax and Death Angel. Yes, you read that right. The band responsible for the most metal song of all time — “Raining Blood” — is playing at a casino. Formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, Slayer are one quarter of the thrash-metal assault that took the world of heavy metal by storm in the mid-’80s, alongside Anthrax, Metallica, and Megadeth. You could also include hardcore band Suicidal Tendencies as an honorary member of that “core four,” as the Suicidal fan base exhibits some of the same characteristics as Slayer worshippers.

Slayer

Slayer’s insanely dedicated fan base will tell you that the band has never released a bad album, but it was the trifecta of Reign in Blood (1986), South of Heaven (1988), and Seasons in the Abyss (1990) that solidified Slayer as the world’s best metal band leading into the ’90s. The band has won two Grammy awards and influenced everyone from Slipknot to Pantera, but the California powerhouse has also had their fair share of controversy. In addition to being accused of being Nazi sympathesizers (Slayer’s iconic logo mimics a Nazi relic), the band has been accused of bringing thousands of teens to worship the Dark Lord by moms and dads who just don’t “get it.” Their lyrics deal with themes that are not exactly uplifting in nature, and their albums consistently feature grotesque, violent, and controversial cover art. Pentagrams tend to do that.

Taking all of these things into consideration, Saturday’s concert should make for one of the most historically significant shows the Horseshoe has ever booked, and with Anthrax on the bill, there’s a good chance the gig will sell out.

Categories
Music Music Features

Gonerfest 13

In 12 years, and coming up on 13 iterations, Gonerfest has firmly established itself as one of Memphis’ signature live-music events. Initially created on a DIY whim, the festival has grown from an impromptu collection of bands crossing through Memphis on a particular weekend to a more than bona fide tourist attraction. According to a 2014 University of Memphis study, Gonerfest nets over a half of a million dollars each year for local businesses. Organizers and Goner Records big-wigs Eric Friedl, Zac Ives, and Madison Farmer spoke to the Flyer this week about Gonerfest 13 and beyond.

The Memphis Flyer: Why did you create Gonerfest?

Zac Ives: We did the first one in January 2005. We had just put out that first King Khan and BBQ Show album, and the King Louie One Man Band album, and Mark and Khan were going to do a tour. We called a few other bands, got Louie up too, and tried and make a big weekend of it. Everyone we called wanted to come up and play. We booked two nights at the Buccaneer. We had no idea if anyone would come in town to see it, but the shows were packed and completely wild. We moved to the Hi-Tone that September and made it an annual thing.

Did you have any idea that it would become a regular thing?

Eric Friedl: We had no intention of throwing a festival. “Gonerfest” was sort-of a joke name — but people really wanted to come to Memphis.

Zac Ives: We really wanted to bring bands and rock-and-roll fans here to Memphis. The idea was Memphis deserved to see these great bands from all over the place, and these folks deserved to see Memphis and all these great bands we had. I think it’s probably exceeded our expectations. I think the international aspect of it has been surprising and a lot of fun.

What is the booking process like?

Zac Ives: We have to agree that a band is a good idea, then whoever makes the initial contact usually takes care of the coordination of that band. Madison helps with press, promotion, volunteers, and a lot of the coordination as well.

Eric Friedl: We all propose bands and ideas for the festival. We try to figure out a budget in our heads — which bands we can afford, what kinds of different sounds or locales we should try to work in. I try to get the program guide done. Somehow that is the biggest hassle every year.

What bands are you excited about?

Madison Farmer: I can’t wait to see Fred & Toody. Total heroes of mine.

Eric Friedl: I’m really excited to have Tom Lax from Siltbreeze DJ-ing Saturday night. He’s sort of an underground legend, and the fact that he digs the festival makes me really happy. Tom Scharpling, too, who does The Best Show podcast. We’re so proud these people want to come to hang out in Memphis. Every year I’m surprised by some band that just blows my head off. That’s really what I’m looking forward to.

Do you think you’ll keep doing it?

Zac Ives: I don’t see any reason to stop. It’s a rock-and-roll reunion in Memphis.

Madison Farmer: I’m down as long as the guys are! Even if it turns into a backyard cookout with a couple bands, I’m in for life.

Eric Friedl: I don’t know what Gonerfest looks like when I’m 90, but for now, there’s no stoppin’ us!

Categories
News The Fly-By

Lipscomb, Greensward, and Lance

Lance Strikes Back

Former Christian Brothers High School student Lance Sanderson and his parents have filed a lawsuit against CBHS that asks the school to pay damages of $1 million for sexual discrimination and failure to fulfill a school contract.

Lance Sanderson

The school barred Sanderson from bringing a male date to prom in 2015. His full complaint against CBHS was filed last week. It lays out the timeline of events leading to his prom date request being denied and actions prior to the event that were alleged to be discriminatory.

Lipscomb Prosecution Dropped

Time ran out on prosecutors to charge Robert Lipscomb, the former city leader, on allegation of rape from six accusers.

Documents released Monday showed the statute of limitations expired on the cases, which stretch back to 1988, before Lipscomb could be charged.

All of the charges against Lipscomb were dropped last week, according to a spokesman in the Shelby County District Attorney General’s (SCDAG) office.

Robert Lipscomb

Larry Buser, a SCDAG spokesman, said “prosecution has been declined” in the case and said his office would offer no further statement.

A spokesman in Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s office said last week “this administration has no involvement with any issue facing Robert Lipscomb, and we have no comment.”

Then-Mayor A C Wharton fired Lipscomb as director of Housing and Community last year when the accusation came to light last year. Wharton said he and then-Memphis Police Department director Toney Armstrong spoke to an adult male “who made a criminal complaint of a sexual nature” against Lipscomb. According to the story, the accuser would have been a minor at the time of the alleged rape.

At the time, Wharton said he was going to refer the matter to the SCDAG’s office. He did. But Lipscomb was never arrested or even formally charged with anything.

Lipscomb’s attorney Ricky Wilkins said: “I don’t expect Mr. Lipscomb to provide any public statements with regard to this matter. As you know, he’s a very private man, and I’m sure he is happy about this announcement so that he can put this issue behind and move on with his life.” 

Parking Plan Pooh-Poohed

The city’s concept for the Memphis Zoo’s expanded parking plan got a big thumbs down from park advocacy groups, reviews that can be summed up in three words: “Nope, nope, nope.”

Get Off Our Lawn filed an open records request for the proposal (so did the Memphis Flyer to no avail) and the group published it on Facebook Thursday.

“Approximately two acres of public parkland would be paved and converted to private use,” said the group’s Facebook post. “Nope, nope, nope.”

The city’s concept plan for new zoo parking.

An equally stinging review of the plan was published by GOOL’s parent group, Citizens to Protect Overton Park (CPOP).

“We oppose this land grab,” read a Facebook post from CPOP. “There’s no good reason to sacrifice two acres of irreplaceable public parkland for a handful of private parking spaces.”

But the Overton Park Conservancy (OPC) and the city of Memphis urged patience in the process and explained that the plan published Thursday was a concept and is by no means final.

Categories
Opinion Viewpoint

County Commission Moves to Safeguard Independence of County Employees

Two ordinances introduced Monday for a first reading by the Shelby County Commission could be, and have been interpreted as such, measures to curtail the power of Mayor Mark Luttrell and to give the commission a leg up on the mayor.

Regardless of how these measures might affect the principle of checks and balances or the relative balance of power in county government, those are not their primary purposes. What they mean to do, quite simply, is to ensure stability and balance for the county’s workforce.

The first ordinance involves setting guidelines for the interim appointments of senior cabinet-level members in the county administration. It received five yes votes and six abstentions at this week’s commission meeting on Monday. That result, signaling a desire to produce a compromise ordinance before the third and final reading, was in conformity with the commission’s general agreement, during debate, on its merits.

Currently, our rules provide that an interim appointment shall serve in that temporary role for a “reasonable amount” of time.  The intent of the ordinance is to define “reasonable.”  

The probationary period for a new county hire is six months. I believe that the commission and the administration can agree that this is a reasonable time period for an interim tenure, with the possibility of an extension if one is necessary and requested by the administration. That would involve a modest change in the language of the ordinance, which, as originally written, specified a 90-day limit. County CAO Harvey Kennedy indicated on Monday the administration could live with a limit of 180 days.

Van Turner

The proposed ordinance is unrelated, in my mind, to Mayor Mark Luttrell’s recent decision to seat attorney Kathryn Pascover as the interim county attorney.  I will support her ratification as permanent county attorney when a resolution to that effect is presented. Attorney Pascover comes highly recommended from a very reputable firm, and I think she will do well as our county attorney.  

To be sure, there is a need for more diversity among the administration’s senior cabinet positions, particularly in the case of African Americans. Of the nine specific appointive positions directly named in the ordinance, only two are served by African-American men, and there are no African-American women. However, I am convinced that Mayor Luttrell is committed to the principle of diversity, and I have expressed my willingness to work with him going forward to make sure that his senior cabinet fairly reflects the nature of our whole community. 

The second ordinance introduced on Monday originally proposed classifying all attorneys subordinate to the county attorney as civil service employees. On Monday, however, commission debate turned away from reclassifying these lawyers as civil service employees toward the idea of echoing a referendum that will be on the ballot in November. That referendum, if approved, would establish the right of the commission to ratify or deny a decision by the administration to terminate an attorney on the county payroll.  

Currently, the county attorney is selected by the mayor and ratified by the county commission. All subordinate attorneys to the county attorney are hired, fired, and serve at the will and pleasure of the mayor. The goal of the ordinance is to protect the county attorney’s office from the sometimes unpredictable political fallout that may occur based on the opinion of one of the county attorneys.  

The intent is not to protect attorneys who are performing badly. The ordinance simply seeks to ensure that a county attorney’s considered legal advice does not subject the lawyer to the danger of termination, should either the administration or the commission object to the advice.

The point is to allow attorneys in the county attorney’s office to practice their craft without fear of political retribution. The county attorney’s office should serve the entire county — including the administration and commission — without intimidation, fear, or threat of termination based on legal advice.  

As in the case with the ordinance on appointments, this one will return to committee for further discussion and will achieve its final form between now and its third and final reading.

However it finally reads, the ordinance would ensure that attorneys working in the county attorney’s office can practice law without fear of job loss because of how that attorney decides an issue. We want sound legal advice from the county attorney’s office, and we don’t want the politics of the day to affect that advice adversely.

Van Turner is a Democratic member of the Shelby County Commission and a co-author, with Republican Terry Roland, of the two ordinances described above.

Categories
News The Fly-By

Gimme Shelter

CREDIT: Joshua Cannon

Two by two, protestors marched from Morris Park down North Orleans Street and gathered at the steps of the Memphis Housing Authority (MHA) last week, holding signs that read “access is a civil right” and chanting “no justice, no peace.”

As MHA representatives arrived outside, they were met by homeless advocates kneeling in prayer led by Rev. NaKeesha Davis of St. James A.M.E. Church.

“God, we pray today that you will fill the hearts of all mankind with the fire of love and desire to ensure justice for everyone,” Davis said. “For those who don’t have a voice … for those who have been pushed aside.”

About 30 people rallied to address issues affecting the homeless community in an event organized by Mid-South Peace and Justice Center’s (MSPJC) Homeless Organizing for Power and Equality (H.O.P.E.) advocacy group, including members of OUTMemphis and Memphis Center for Independent Living.

H.O.P.E. organizers said there are no free shelters for men, no inclusive shelters for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, and less than 70 beds in the city for women without children.

MeeMee Scruggs, a homeless transgender woman, said she found shelter in a rooming house but can barely afford rent. After spending three days in jail for driving without a license, Scruggs said her landlord ordered her to pay a $56 late fee. In order to make ends meet, according to Scruggs, she sells her body.

Joshua Cannon

Housing protest at Memphis Housing Authority

“I have to do a lot of uncalled-for stuff to pay my rent,” Scruggs said. “I have to go out here in the streets and jump in cars with different men.”

With the impending demolition of the Foote homes, as well as the Warren and Tulane apartments, H.O.P.E. members called on Mayor Jim Strickland to delay the process until all residents have been relocated and 448 units of replacement housing are online. The mayor does not plan to delay the demolition, according to a spokesman in his office.

“We can’t afford to lose any housing when we’ve only got 50 units of affordable housing for every 100 people in the city of Memphis who need it,” said Paul Garner, an organizing coordinator with the MSPJC.

The demolition will occur in phases, said MHA director Marcia Lewis, with the first scheduled for October 10th and the second at the end of January. But it will only happen after all residents are relocated, and, according to Lewis, the plan is on schedule.

“Although people are still living there, they are already going through relocation,” Lewis said. “We’re talking about a process that is moving as we speak. It’s not going to be demolished while people are living there. It just doesn’t work like that.”

On the site of Foote Homes, 712 units of new mixed-income housing will replace the current 420 units, said Memphis Housing and Community Development (HCD) Director Paul Young. At least 480 of those units will be replacement units to serve families eligible for public housing.

HCD is searching for a developer to rehabilitate the Warren and Tulane apartment complexes, which were privately owned developments,Young said.

“We know that housing is a dramatic need,” Young said. “We have essentially 700 families who are looking for housing or will be over the next couple of months. We want to get as many units online as possible.”

Categories
Best of Memphis Special Sections

Best of Memphis 2016 – Nightlife

Justin Fox Burks

Levitt Shell

Best Place To See Live Music

1. Levitt Shell

2. Lafayette’s Music Room

3. Minglewood Hall

The Levitt Shell recently celebrated its 80th birthday, and the Midtown venue is still rockin’ with a summer and fall music series that features great regional and national talent. Perfect for music fans of all ages, the Levitt Shell is the best place to catch live music in Memphis.

Best Band

1. North Mississippi Allstars

2. Lucero

3. Dead Soldiers — tie — Star & Micey

The North Mississippi Allstars are once again the best band in Memphis. The Allstars have been busy with side projects like the Sons of Mudboy as well as Cody Dickinson releasing his debut solo album Leeway for the Freeway, but they’ve still found time to be the top music act in the city.

Best Singer

1. Alexis Grace

2. Yo Gotti

3. Amy LaVere

A DJ at Q107.5 by day and a pop star by night, this is the first time Alexis Grace has been named the best singer in Memphis. Grace wowed American Idol judges with her enchanting voice, and Memphians have been eager to see her perform ever since.

Best Comedian

Readers’ Choice

1. Katrina Coleman

2. Joshua McLane

3. Richard Douglas Jones

Katrina Coleman is the mastermind behind the Memphis Comedy Festival and has helped shape the Memphis comedy scene into what it is today. She’s also very funny. Check her out at the monthly You Look Like insult show at the P&H.

Best Comedy Venue

1. Chuckles Comedy House

2. P&H Café

3. Hi-Tone

The historical record is clear: Running a dedicated comedy venue in Memphis is hard. We’re in the midst of a comedy boom not seen since the 1980s. Chuckles Comedy House in Cordova is riding the top of that wave. You know the old saying: Dying is easy; comedy is hard.

Best Karaoke

1. Windjammer Restaurant & Lounge

2. P&H Café

3. Blue Monkey

Sure, you got a good voice. You’ve polished your version of “Jolene” to a tearjerking sheen. You’ve killed with it at karaoke nights all over town. But you don’t know how good you really are until you’ve stepped into the arena at the Windjammer.

Best College Hangout

1. RP Tracks

2. Newby’s

3. Alex’s Tavern

Can we just go ahead and grant landmark status to RP Tracks? This is the kind of bar and grill that defines a neighborhood. It’s a great place to hang out, familiar and friendly, but unafraid to change with the times. Who would have predicted 20 years ago that Tracks would become legendary for its barbecue tofu? The University of Memphis is a better place because of RP Tracks.

Best Pick-up Joint

1. Peabody Rooftop

2. Paula & Raiford’s Disco

3. Flying Saucer

The Peabody’s been a good place to meet your beaux for more than a century. But in this century, the place where the Delta begins has taken the elevator from the lobby bar to the rooftop. The tunes and the scene are as hot as the summer nights.

Best Margarita

1. Molly’s La Casita

2. Babalu Tacos & Tapas

3. Las Delicias

Molly’s Margarita Monday is the calming oasis after your work-week kickoff trauma. It was probably the half-frozen, half-rocks version of the tequila cocktail that put Molly’s over the top. We think we’ve just talked ourselves into wanting one.

Best Craft Cocktails

1. Alchemy

2. Hog & Hominy

3. The Beauty Shop

The name says it all: It’s the careful mixture of ingredients that spark a dramatic change, a transformation into something beautiful. Alchemy is the favorite destination among Flyer readers who want something special in their libations.

Best Happy Hour

Readers’ Choice

Alchemy

Bardog Tavern

Blue Monkey

Boscos Squared

Brookhaven Pub

Flying Saucer

The takeaway from this six-way, too-close-to-call race is that everybody loves happy hour. There are plenty of quality places to go for your after-work comedown, from downtown to East Memphis.

Best Dance Club

BOM 1. Paula & Raiford’s Disco

2. Club 152 Beale

3. Rum Boogie — tie — Rumba Room

Best After-Hours Club

1. Paula & Raiford’s Disco

2. Earnestine & Hazel’s

3. Alex’s Tavern

Get up to your get down at the Bluff City’s premiere dance emporium. It’s the center of downtown nightlife, and now that downtown is booming, the center is fun. Lighted dance floor? Check. Smoke machine? You got it. Discrimination? NO! Disco forever!

Best Jukebox

1. Earnestine & Hazel’s

2. Alex’s Tavern

3. Young Avenue Deli

Best Hole-in-the-Wall

1. Earnestine & Hazel’s

2. Alex’s Tavern

3. The Cove — tie — P&H Café

Of course, Earnestine & Hazel’s is the best hole in the wall. It’s the Platonic ideal of the Memphis bar, favored hangout of Howlin’ Wolf and Rufus Thomas. Of course, the jukebox at the best hole-in-the-wall is going to be an encyclopedia of R&B history. That’s just the way these things work.

Best Sports Bar

1. Fox & Hound

2. Rec Room

3. Alex’s Tavern

When you go to the sports bar, you want to know that your game is definitely going to be on. In addition to an extensive beer list and finger-licking pub grub, the Fox & Hound has, as one online reviewer put it, “a kazillion TVs.” If there’s a game, it’s going to be on.

Best Strip Club

1. Gold Club

2. Pony

3. Purple Diamond

Why has it taken this long for the Flyer to have a Best Strip Club category? In this city? It defies logic. But we’ve rectified that oversight just in time for Gold Club to prove it is the gold standard of Memphis shake joints.

Best Gay Bar

1. Dru’s Place

2. The Pumping Station

3. Club Spectrum

This little neighborhood gay bar is a home away from home for so many in Memphis’ LGBTQ community. It’s no wonder since Dru’s Place has it all — karaoke, drag shows, live music, beer busts, pool, darts, and a spacious patio for warm summer nights. And any time a member of the community is in need, owner Tami Montgomery is quick to throw together a fund-raiser to help out.

Best Bartender

Readers’ Choice

Allan Creasy, Celtic Crossing

David Parks, The Cove

Justin “Frenchie” Workman, Mollie Fontaine Lounge

Vincent Hale, Bari Ristorante

A good bartender isn’t just the person who pours your beer. No, the bartender is also your friend, therapist, relationship counselor, and, occasionally, drinking buddy (because who doesn’t buy their bartender shots from time to time?). He or she knows exactly what you want (dirty martini with vodka, three olives — extra dirty) and gets the drink going the minute you walk in the door. These four Memphis bartenders exemplify everything that makes an excellent bartender.

Justin Fox Burks

Loflin Yard

Best New Bar

BOM 1. Loflin Yard

2. Canvas

3. Dirty Crow Inn — tie — The Lookout at the Pyramid

This new downtown nightspot has a waterfall on the patio, for god’s sake. Of course, it won best new bar! Oh, and that patio? It’s more of a yard (hence the name), complete with seating under a grove of trees and a grassy green space for lounging with a bottle of wine from Loflin Yard’s grab-and-go case. There’s a giant barn in the back for special events. Meats are smoked on-site and featured on charcuterie plates and po’boys. Barrel-aged cocktails, such as the Tennessee Whiskey Old Fashioned, are the highlight of the drink menu.

Best Bar

Readers’ Choice

Bardog Tavern

Loflin Yard

P&H Café

What do Bardog Tavern, Loflin Yard, and the P&H Café have in common? Each of these casual watering holes has a loyal base of devoted regulars who come back again and again. In central downtown, Bardog is the place to go for after-work beers and meatball dinners. In downtown’s South End, crowds gather at Loflin Yard for handcrafted cocktails and cool breezes from the patio. And in Midtown, P&H regulars gather for cheap pitchers, live music, and karaoke.

Introduction | Food & Drink | Nightlife | Arts & Entertainment | Media | Goods & Services | Staff Picks 

Categories
Best of Memphis Special Sections

Best of Memphis 2016 – Food & Drink

Best Chef

Justin Fox Burks

Kelly English

1. Kelly English, Five Spot/Restaurant Iris/The Second Line

2. Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman, Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen/Hog & Hominy/Porcellino’s Craft Butcher

3. Erling Jensen, Erling Jensen the Restaurant — tie — Patrick Reilly, Majestic Grille

Flyer readers can’t get enough of Chef Kelly English. The Louisiana-raised grand master of finely tuned Southern comfort foods has topped this list for eight years running. If the man offers to give you a knuckle sandwich, let him. (Unless you’re allergic to delicious lobster.)

Best Breakfast

1. Brother Juniper’s

2. Bryant’s Breakfast

3. Blue Plate Cafe

The real Brother Juniper — sometimes called “Juniper the Jester” — was a friar famous for being charitable with things that didn’t belong to him, then making a strong case for why his light fingers were as much a blessing for those who unwittingly provided as it was for those who so gratefully received. “Would that the forest were full of such Junipers!” Saint Francis proclaimed. That goes double for the popular U of M area diner, where weekend crowds are thick watching beautiful Greek omelettes and brilliant fist-sized biscuits go by. Would that the city were full of such Junipers.

Best Brunch

1. Owen Brennan’s Restaurant

2. Beauty Shop

3. Majestic Grille

With beautiful portions of wild game sausage, crispy fried catfish in a creamy crawfish sauce, lovely shrimp and grits, you might as well unbutton the top button on your pants when you walk into brunch at Owen Brennan’s. Bananas Foster for breakfast!

Best Shared/ Small Plates Menu

1. Babalu Tacos & Tapas

2. Alchemy

3. Bounty on Broad

Someone should coin a new word for the custom tableside guacamole preparation that happens at Babalu. It’s like Hibachi-style guac. Hibachimole, maybe? Perfect with a top-shelf margarita and some crispy pork belly tacos, whatever you call it.

Best Wine List

1. Flight

2. Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House

3. Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen — tie — Bari Ristorante

Fall is here. It’s the perfect time to sit outside on downtown’s Main Street mall watching all the tourists pass by while slowly draining a bottle of Castello D’Albola chianti, which happens to be on the list at Flight — along with about 200 other choices.

Justin Fox Burks

Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House

Best Steak

1. Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House

2. Ruth’s Chris Steak House

3. The Butcher Shop

Folk’s Folly is serious — sturdy, steel gray walls, heavy wooden chairs, dark but not too dark, famous for ice-flecked martinis mixed to make Don Draper swoon, and pornographic cuts of aged beef cooked to order.

Best Date Night Restaurant

1. Flight — tie — Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House

2. Restaurant Iris

3. Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen

Snuggles over a perfectly done rare steak. Sweet nothings and a sweet flight of desserts. Piano music. The ideal glass of wine. When it comes to romance, Flight and Folk’s Folly have our readers swooning.

Best Barbecue

BOM 1. Central BBQ

2. The Bar-B-Q Shop — tie — Germantown Commissary

3. Corky’s

Best Ribs

1. Central BBQ

2. Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous

3. Corky’s

What is it that makes Central BBQ so good? Is it the smoky shoulder? The fall-apart ribs? The fat wings slathered in spice? The mountainous nachos? Is it the very nice brisket or the tangy array of sauces? Or is it all of that? It’s probably all of that.

Justin Fox Burks

Huey’s

Best Burger

BOM 1. Huey’s

2. Belly Acres

3. Tops Bar-B-Q

Best Lunch

1. Huey’s

2. Central BBQ

3. Elwood’s Shack

Best Service

1. Huey’s

2. Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House

3. Restaurant Iris

Best Late-Night Dining

1. Huey’s

2. Alex’s Tavern

3. Earnestine & Hazel’s

Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant

1. Huey’s

2. Belly Acres

3. Memphis Pizza Cafe

Best Hangover Food (restaurant)

1. Huey’s

2. Slider Inn

3. Bardog Tavern

“Let’s just go to Huey’s” has probably saved more relationships than any other sentence in the Southern language. Tasty burgers, fast lunches, and great service make it the perfect default restaurant when nobody can agree on where to eat. It’s kid-friendly, but you can order food till last call, and a round of afternoon bloody marys with a basket of thick-cut red onion rings can slap your tongue and knock the hangover clean out of your body.

Best Hot Wings

1. Ching’s Hot Wings

2. Central BBQ

3. D’Bo’s Wings n’ More

Ching’s Honey Gold wings are one of those things you force on out-of-town foodie friends who think they’ve been around a little and seen everything the spiced appendage has to offer. There’s an extra-hot version too, for more adventurous souls.

Best Fried Chicken

BOM 1. Gus’s Fried Chicken

2. Jack Pirtle’s Chicken

3. Uncle Lou’s Fried Chicken

Memphis is a fried chicken capital, and Gus’s spicy, crispy, piping-hot bird provides diners with what may be the single most perfect bite in the flavorverse.

Best Place for Dessert

1. Beauty Shop

2. Flight

3. Paulette’s

With the Beauty Shop, owner and executive chef Karen Carrier has created a perfectly modern mix of country, funk, and rock-and-roll. She knows diners delight in little plates artfully strewn with dainty, delicious things. But sometimes they crave something more substantial — like a big horking slab of caramel cake with ice cream. Or strawberry cake. Or red velvet cake. Or one of each to share. Or not share. Get your own damn cake.

Best Frozen Treat Shop

1. Jerry’s Sno Cones

2. La Michoacana

3. MemPops

Few things are more Memphis than standing in line at Jerry’s Sno Cones, the city’s other pink palace. Like Memphis, Jerry’s is a little quirky and a little off-the-beaten-path. But once you’ve gotten a taste of it, you know you’re home.

Best Smoothies/Juices

1. Smoothie King

2. Tropical Smoothie Café

3. Cosmic Coconut

Memphis is a city of kings — Elvis, Lawler, and B.B. But make way for another. Smoothie King is our readers’ king of juices and smoothies. Over 43 years, the company has built its kingdom of more than 650 locations on three continents.

Best Italian

1. Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen

2. Pete & Sam’s

3. Coletta’s

Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen remains white hot even eight years after its 2008 opening. Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman opened the Brookhaven Circle restaurant to give “a fresh perspective on traditional Italian.” The menu includes everything from macaroni to ocean trout.

Best Middle Eastern

BOM 1. Casablanca

2. Kwik Chek

3. Petra Café

Casablanca’s menu hits the mark with Middle Eastern favorites like shawarma, hummus, and baba ghanoush. But don’t miss the Casablanca special like chicken schnitzel sandwich or the Falafel “Big Mac” of the Middle East.

Justin Fox Burks

Hog & Hominy

Best New American

1. Hog & Hominy

2. Beauty Shop

3. Majestic Grille

“Italian cooking, Southern roots” is the guiding ethos of Hog & Hominy. Chefs Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman opened the restaurant on Brookhaven Circle in 2011. It’s far more casual than the chef pair’s flagship Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen. But Italian cooking with Southern roots? How about biscuit gnocchi or grits al forno? Just go. You’ll get it. Then, you’ll go back for more.

Best Ethiopian

1. Blue Nile Ethiopian Kitchen

2. Abyssinia

3. Ethiopian Restaurant & Coffee

Aromas of savory wat mingle with barbecue smoke on Madison Avenue now that Blue Nile Ethiopian Kitchen opened next to the Bar-B-Q Shop last year. Ethiopian food fans have rejoiced at the mounds of Blue Nile’s many wats (or stews) on injera bread. Kabobs and burgers are on the menu, too.

Best Mexican

1. Las Delicias Mexican Bar & Grill

2. El Mezcal

3. Las Tortugas Deli Mexicana

House-made tortilla chips. Fresh guacamole. Handmade tamales. Las Delicias has built a massive fan base in Memphis on these core menu items. But its entire menu is built on Mexican authenticity and a commitment to quality. And it keeps Memphians headed to its three locations to get more.

Best Cajun/Creole

1. Bayou Bar & Grill

2. DeJaVu

3. Owen Brennan’s Restaurant

Po-boys? Check. Oysters? Check. Gumbo, muffulettas, and jambalaya? Check, check, and check. Back in 1987, Chef Michael Cahal wanted to bring a New Orleans neighborhood bar and grill to Memphis. Check on that one, too. The Bayou has ridden Overton Square’s boom and bust cycles and remains one of the best places in Memphis to celebrate Mardi Gras.

Best Chinese

1. Mulan

2. Wang’s Mandarin House

3. A-Tan

Mulan’s menu offers Chinese-American favorites like General Tso’s chicken but also a lineup of authentic Szechuan dishes. The menu, the locations, the friendly delivery service, and the beautiful dining space ensure Mulan will be around for years to come.

Best Thai

1. Bhan Thai

2. Bangkok Alley

3. Pho Binh

The beautifully plated (and delicious) dishes and the posh decor make Bhan Thai a one-of-kind dining experience in Memphis. Thai favorites like Pad Thai, curries, and spring rolls have been lovingly prepared and artfully presented at Bhan Thai since it opened in 2002. Also, Bhan Thai’s patio bar is not to be missed.

Best Vietnamese

1. Pho Binh

2. Pho Saigon

3. Lotus Vietnamese Restaurant

The buffet is eyed. The goods are delivered. The faithful rejoice! A line is formed. Elbows are (sometimes) swung. Who knew such a fuss would be made over lemongrass tofu? The Pho Binh faithful do. And they’re crowding in to get it. Or the fried chicken. Or the green bean tofu. Or the Kung Pao tofu.

Best Japanese

1. Sekisui

2. Osaka

3. Sakura Japanese Restaurant

From a menu stocked with creative and diverse sushi to an expansive list of spirits that includes wine, sake, and shochu, Sekisui’s menu is paired with a devoted staff that’s earned the restaurant a winning streak for years.

Best Indian

1. India Palace

2. Golden India

3. Bombay House

India Palace wins again as the go-to spot for Indian cuisine in Memphis. Year after year, the restaurant builds on its faithful regulars who stand by the Palace’s menu.

Best Home Cooking/Soul Food

1. Soul Fish Café

2. The Cupboard

3. The Farmer

What makes Soul Fish so special? Let us count the ways: mouth-watering catfish, terrific hushpuppies, great veggies, and a fine beer selection.

Best Vegetarian

1. LYFE Kitchen

2. Café Eclectic

3. Fuel Cafe

Meat-free Memphians have found deliverance in first-time winner LYFE Kitchen’s vibrant and wholesome vegetarian dishes. Notable menu options: the quinoa crunch bowl or the quinoa crunch wrap. Add chile lime tofu. Go wild.

Best Seafood

1. Half Shell

2. Bonefish Grill

3. Tsunami

Self-proclaimed as the “best kept secret” in Memphis, the Half Shell opened in 1973 and has racked up awards ever since. The Baja Seafood Nachos are too good for this world.

Best Pizza

1. Memphis Pizza Café

2. Aldo’s Pizza Pies

3. Broadway Pizza

Memphis Pizza Cafe reclaims the throne this year. As restaurants continue to pop up in Overton Square, the Cafe holds its own with generous deals, cold beers on draft, and filling pies.

Best Sandwiches

1. Elwood’s Shack

2. Fino’s

3. Young Avenue Deli

We all know Summer Avenue has some of the best restaurants Memphis has to offer. Elwood’s Shack’s inaugural win is also a win for the street. Drop in and try the citrus-smoked salmon sandwich.

Best Server

Reader’s Choice

Brian Sutton, Molly’s La Casita

Danielle Fong, Flight

Heather Farwell, Belmont Grill, Local, Soul Fish Cafe

Jimmy Berry, River Oaks

Lila Bear, Mulan

Nikki Graham, Huey’s

Tony Dortch, Huey’s

Flyer readers deemed these seven servers as the best in Memphis. Pay ’em a visit, eat and drink up, and tip ’em well.

Best Place for People-Watching

1. Beale Street

2. Peabody Lobby Bar

3. Flying Saucer

Beale Street is Memphis’ own stretch of weird. Depending on the time of day, you can find whatever action you desire: blues in W.C. Handy Park, acrobats flippin’ backwards, and, when the sun goes down, club crawlers with bottomless beers ending their night at Dyer’s.

Best Patio

1. Lafayette’s Music Room

2. Slider Inn

3. Bhan Thai — tie — Celtic Crossing

Be it Saturday night drinks or Sunday brunch, Lafayette’s two-story patio leaves room for you, your mother, and just about everyone else you know too.

Justin Fox Burks

Say Cheese!

Best Food Truck

1. Say Cheese!

2. Fuel Café

3. Central BBQ

Gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches? That’s all you need to know. Say Cheese! wears the crown for the first time this year, serving up greased goodness like the Elvis Italiano sandwich: cookie butter, mascarpone cheese, and sliced banana on sourdough bread.

Best Bakery

1. Muddy’s Bake Shop

2. Frost Bake Shop

3. La Baguette

Best Coffeehouse

1. Muddy’s Coffee and Bake Shop

2. Otherlands Coffee Bar

3. Café Eclectic

Best Dessert Shop

BOM 1. Muddy’s Bake Shop

2. Cheesecake Corner

3. Frost Bake Shop

Muddy’s continues to be a local favorite. With a second location in Midtown that opened last year, the Muddy’s brand is growing, so stop in, grab some coffee, grab a treat, and see what all the hype is about.

Best Donut Shop

BOM 1. Gibson’s Donuts

2. Howard’s Donuts

3. Donald’s Donuts

Gibson’s is still the best in the business when it comes to quality donuts, no matter what time you’re in the mood for them.

Best Brewery

1. Wiseacre

2. Ghost River

3. Memphis Made

Wiseacre has been named the best brewery in Memphis, and with an amazing selection that boasts a little something for everyone — how can you disagree? Wiseacre recently celebrated their third birthday, and we can’t wait to see what else the brewery has in store.

Best Beer Selection (store)

1. Madison Growler/Cash Saver

2. Buster’s Liquors & Wines

3. Kroger

This one is a no brainer. The Madison Growler has a great beer selection and great prices.

Best Beer Selection (Bar/Restaurant)

1. Flying Saucer

2. Young Avenue Deli

3. Boscos Squared

The Flying Saucer has been the destination of tourists and local beer lovers for years, and with Monday Night Pint Nite being one of the best deals in town, it’s no wonder people from all over the world flock to this downtown staple.

Best Restaurant

Readers’ Choice

Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen

Flight

Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House

Huey’s

Restaurant Iris

This one is too close to call, folks. But it’s fair to say that our divided loyalties add up to some fantastic dining.

Best New Restaurant

1. Loflin Yard

2. LYFE Kitchen

3. Fino’s East

Loflin Yard has quickly become a go-to destination for Memphians of all kinds. With a giant lawn, great cocktails, and a great menu (try the brisket po’boy), Loflin Yard is one of downtown’s new jewels.

Introduction | Food & Drink | Nightlife | Arts & Entertainment | Media | Goods & Services | Staff Picks    

Categories
Best of Memphis Special Sections

Best of Memphis 2016 – Staff Picks

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Justin Fox Burks

Hollywood Feed

Best Spectator Seat

For more than a decade now, a solitary red seat has occupied the rightfield stands (now a grassy bluff) at AutoZone Park. This is the seat where Albert Pujols delivered a baseball on September 15, 2000, a home run that made the Memphis Redbirds Pacific Coast League champions in the ballpark’s inaugural season. Since then, Pujols has done all right for himself. A three-time MVP and two-time World Series champ with the St. Louis Cardinals, Pujols (now an L.A. Angel) has climbed to 9th on the all-time home run chart and should hit his 600th next spring. — Frank Murtaugh

Best New Bakery

The best new cupcakes in town aren’t made for humans. They’re created for dogs. Hollywood Feed Bakery uses high-quality (often organic) ingredients, which means these goods are also fit for human consumption. But Fido probably won’t be willing to share his zucchini and bacon quiche, pumpkin carob doughnuts, or strawberry almond layer cake. Sarah Nicholson, a chef who graduated from the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, creates the treats without wheat, flour, or sugar. — BP

Best New Hire

Mayor Jim Strickland made a campaign promise to hire a new Memphis Animal Services (MAS) director with a real passion for animals. And he made good on that a few months back with the hire of Alexis Pugh. Unlike the past shelter director, who had previously worked for the U.S. Postal Service, Pugh has years of experience working at animal organizations in Memphis. She previously served as the executive director of the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County and Mid-South Spay and Neuter Services. She’s already instituted a number of changes at MAS that will directly benefit the dogs, cats, and assorted farm animals in their care, and she’ll soon be working with Target Zero, a national group that aims to help shelters achieve no-kill status. — Bianca Phillips

Best Under-the-Radar Band/Best Band You Need to See This Sunday

Strange Wave Connection has been performing at venues around town for quite some time. You may have heard the group’s mesmerizing blend of indie rock/circus tunes (or their sweet cover of the Game of Thrones theme song) at the P&H, the Buccaneer, or Young Avenue Deli. Flying just under the radar, they’ve produced two albums and are beginning work on a third. Check them out at Lafayette’s Music Room this Sunday, October 2nd, at 8 p.m., and be among the few who can say you knew them before they got big. — Shara Clark

Best Jack o’ Lantern

Last spring, on the Law & Order-iest portion of VECA’s Greenline, parallel to Mignon Avenue, a man in a bright orange top dug in a trash can that sits about halfway through the trail. On closer inspection — DUN DUN! — it was not a man at all but a plastic Jack o’ Lantern oddly appearing out of nowhere, out of season. And then this great pumpkin moved to the other side of the trail. And then it moved again, where it now stays, up high on a tree outgrowth. Kudos, Jack. — Susan Ellis

Best Trend

Oh, Memphis, gotta love you for your devotion to barbecue and sno cones and fried chicken and burgers and stuff topped in nacho cheese. But, sometimes, a salad or something a little healthier is nice, too, and recently, there’s been more of it. Think Cheffie’s and LYFE and Wild Salad Beet Co. and the new Zaka Bowl. Options are a good thing! — SE

Best “Speaking Truth to Power” Moment

The Battle for the Greensward: When Midtown marshalled all its forces — field hippies, hackey sackers, wealthy limousine liberals, stoners, geezer golfers, art students, environmentalists, professors, hipsters, commies, and various assorted nuts — and backed down the Memphis City Council’s FedEx faction, council attorney Allan Wade, and the powerful Memphis Zoo board to stop parking on the Overton Park Greensward. — Bruce VanWyngarden

Best Memphis Version of Groundhog Day

“We are working hard to get the trolleys back on line, but we don’t yet have a target date.” — BV

Best Convenience-Induced Guilt

When you stick a bottle of Chardonnay in the bottom of your grocery cart and hope no one sees you cheating on your favorite liquor store. — BV

Best Day to Be A Memphian 2016

July 10th. That was the day Black Lives Matter protesters briefly shut down the Hernando de Soto Bridge. At a time when protests all over the country were turning violent and divisive, Memphis got it right. Seeing those protesters on the bridge, suspended between water and sky, surrounded by vehicles and police, it seemed that we were again being tested by history. But this time, we passed the test. Memphis still has a lot of problems, but the protest seemed to bring out the best in everyone. Maybe we took a step that day toward recognizing our shared humanity. — Chris McCoy

Best Reason to See Original Plays by Memphis Playwrights

Jerre Dye’s Cicada and Distance launched in Memphis and have found audiences, awards, and critical acclaim in Chicago. Evan Linder’s Byhalia Mississippi won Playhouse on the Square’s New Works@TheWorks competition and a clutch of Chicago’s Jeff Awards and just completed a successful run at the Steppenwolf Theatre. That won’t be the last we hear from that play or its Memphis-bred author, and folks in the know will be able to say they saw it here first. — Chris Davis

Best Ways to Experience Memphis on Netflix

Best of Enemies is right on time for election season. It’s a revealing look back at landmark political debates between Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley Jr., and it may be the best thing ever from the music historian Robert Gordon, author of It Came From Memphis. Take Me to the River‘s an intergenerational love letter to Memphis music with footage of artists like Skip Pitts, Booker T. Jones, and Teenie Hodges (and so many more) recording and making music with Eric Gales, Yo Gotti, the North Mississippi Allstars, and so many more. — CD

Introduction | Food & Drink | Nightlife | Arts & Entertainment | Media | Goods & Services | Staff Picks