Author: Hannah Sayle

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Cover Feature News

The 2010 Commandments

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

1. Thou shalt break bread.

Whether you plan on going on a wild champagne bender or you just want a nice New Year’s Eve dinner, be sure to get in a good meal. Here are some restaurants that know how to throw a dinner party:

Beauty Shop has Beauty shop has a prix fixe menu – $60 for 4 courses – and Gary Johns & His Mini Rat Pack Orchestra. 5:30 p.m. – until. For reservations (recommended), call 272-7111.

Currents at River Inn of Harbor Town is offering a four-course meal with a special New Year’s Eve menu. $85 per person. For reservations (recommended) or more information, call 260-3333.

Death du Jour Mystery Dinner presents Magnum Farce, an interactive mystery dinner. 7-10 p.m. at Spaghetti Warehouse. $35 per person includes dinner and entertainment. For reservations (required), call Phyllis at 210-0545 or e-mail Paappleby@aol.com.

Interim offers a four-course meal with a special New Year’s Eve menu. 5:30-10 p.m. $65 per person. For reservations (recommended) or more information, call 818-0821.

King’s Palace serves Cajun cuisine with entertainment by the Eric Hughes Band. 6 p.m.-1 a.m. $20 cover includes entry and a table. For more information, visit kingspalacecafe.com or call 525-3891, ext. 301.

Majestic Grille has dinner and live jazz by the Paul McKinney Band. Watch the ball drop on the big screen. 5 p.m.-until. For reservations (required with credit card guarantee) or more information, call 522-8555.

Mesquite Chop House offers a four-course meal and special New Year’s Eve menu at Union location. $65 per person. For more information, call 527-5337 or visit mesquitechophouse.com.

Paulette’s has a four-course meal with a special New Year’s Eve menu. 5:30-9 p.m. There is also a three-course meal for early diners from 4 to 4:45 p.m. For reservations or more information, call 726-5128.

Restaurant Iris serves a five-course meal with a special New Year’s Eve menu. $85 per person. For reservations or more information, call 590-2828 or visit restaurantiris.com.

Rum Boogie Café offers down-home cookin’ and live music from James Govan and the Boogie Blues Band. 6 p.m.-1:30 a.m. $20 per person for entry and a guaranteed table. For more information, visit rumboogie.com.

2. Thou shalt not hog all the fun (remember the children).

There are a lot of ways kids can enjoy ringing in the New Year that don’t involve tending bar at your party or watching over the coat closet. Check out these two kid-friendly activities:

New Year’s Eve Zoo Snooze: Overnight event for kids ages 6-12. Take a moonlight “safari” through the zoo, enjoy crafts and games, and count down to the new year with snacks and party favors. Register by Monday, December 28th. 6:30 p.m.-10 a.m. $85 per child ($75 for members). For more information, visit memphiszoo.org.

New Year’s at Noon: For an early New Year’s Eve celebration, take your tots to the Children’s Museum of Memphis from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Special music and games are included with regular museum admission. For more information, visit cmom.com.

3. Thou shalt not let it all hang out.

This means a couple of things: First, bundle up. New Year’s Eve might get chilly, and you never know when the short jaunt from the cab will turn into 10-minute trudge from one bar to the next.

Second, pace yourself and know your limits. Always remember who you’ll be “letting it all hang out” around. As a friend once said, “The last time I let it all hang out, I wound up wearing a kilt and sleeping in a broom closet.” True story. Don’t be another casualty of the open bar or open tab.

4. Remember the champagne and keep it chilly.

What’s a New Year’s celebration without the familiar pop of a bottle of bubbly? Since we doubt you can turn water into wine, here are two lists, by two guys who know, of top champagnes and sparkling wines to spice up your festivities:

Gary Burhop, Great Wines & Spirits of Memphis

For Feeding the Masses:

Segura Viudas Brut Rose Cava, a Spanish sparkler, $8.99
Louis Pedreier Brut Sparkling, French but not champagne, $8.99

Classy but Affordable:

Saint Meyland Brut Sparkling, French from just outside Burgundy, $15.99

Case Bianche Prosecco, Italian bubbles, $18.99

Dinner Party Bubbles:

Roederer Estate NV Brut Sparkling, American from a champagne company, $19.99-$22.99

Schramsberg Vintage Brut Rose, from California’s foremost bubbly producer, $39.99

A Special Celebration:

A Margaine NV Brut Champagne, a small family operation, $49.99

Veuve Cliquot La Grande Dame Vintage Champagne, about $190

Krug NV Brut, the real thing, $200

John Vego, Buster’s Liquors & Wines

Top 10 for 2010

1. Segura Viudas Brut Cava, $8.99

2. Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut, $11.99

3. Riondo Spago Nero Prosecco, $12.99

4. Saint-Hilaire Brut, $16.99

5. Simonnet-Febvre Cremant de Bourgogne Brut, $17.99

6. Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut, $21.99

7. Chandon Rose California, $19.99

8. Zardetto Zeta 2007 Prosecco, $23.99

9. Taittinger La Française Brut Champagne, $39.99

10. Nicolas Feuillatte Rose Champagne, $49.99

5. Honor thy wild side and make the scene.

New Year’s Eve at the Peabody is two parties under one roof. The “WildSide Party” includes entertainment by Saving Abel with Al Kapone and DJ Mark Anderson, Grand Ballroom, 8 p.m.-2 a.m. $45 per person, advance online purchase, $50 at the door. The “Scene Party” has Andy Childs with DJ Cody Rogers and John Felix Trio, Grand Lobby, Continental Ballroom, and Corner Bar, 8 p.m.-2 a.m. $35 per person, advance online purchase, $40 at the door. For more information, call 529-4000 or visit the website peabodymemphis.com.

6. Thou shalt get down.

Arguably one of the most important commandments and fortunately one of the easiest to follow — just check out the many dance parties and live music events lined up around town:

Clark Tower: Dancing and four-course gourmet dinner. Jazz by the Kelley Hurt Trio. Cash bar. Two seatings: 5:30-7:30 p.m, $50 per person; 8 p.m.-1 a.m., $65 per person. For reservations (required) or more information, call 767-8776.

The Cove: New Year’s Eve bash features DJ Raga and drink specials. No cover charge. 5 p.m.-until. For more information, call 730-0719 or visit thecovememphis.com.

Coyote Ugly Saloon: Offers $2 Budweiser long necks all night long. $10 cover includes one Bud or Bud Lite for the first 100 people in the door, party favors, appetizer buffet, and special toast at midnight. Party starts at 7 p.m. For more information, call 888-UGLY or visit coyoteuglysaloon.com.

Flying Saucer downtown location: Features live music from Deep Shag, 9:30 p.m. $10 for U.F.O. Club members and $15 for nonmembers. Cordova location features DJ Twinkie. 9:30 p.m, $10. Both events offer party favors and a champagne toast at midnight. Both locations also offer reservations for $60, plus the cover charge for each customer. For more information, call 523-8536 for downtown and 755-5530 for Cordova.

Hi-Tone Café: Davila 666, Magic Kids, and River City Tanlines play plus a champagne toast at midnight. Cover is $10, and doors open at 9 pm. For more information, call 278-8663 or visit hitonememphis.com.

Huey’s downtown location features live music from the Billy Gibson Band, 9 p.m., 77 S. Second. Midtown location will feature the band Beat Generation, 9 p.m., 1927 Madison. Cordova location hosts Corn Fed Mafia, 9 p.m., 1771 N. Germantown Pkwy. All three events are free. For more information, call 527-2700 for downtown, 726-4372 for Midtown, and 754-3885 for Cordova.

Quetzal: First Kiss: 2010! DJs spin everything from hip-hop, to mashups, to rock. $20 ticket includes a bottle of champagne. A variety of group packages are also available. The best part for locals: If you live within three miles of Quetzal and need a ride home, rides are free of charge. For more information, call 521-8388 or visit quetzal.org.

Side Car Café: New Year’s Eve party with Patty Harper & Faultline Band, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. $25 a couple, $15 single. For more information, call 388-0285 or visit sidecarcafememphis.com.

7. Thou shalt not take Lord T’s name in vain.

Last year they headlined at the Peabody New Year’s Eve party. This year Lord T & Eloise get “aristocrunk” at the Handy Pavilion, 200 Beale Street. Powdered wigs and Baroque bling? Check. A decadent gentleman’s take on Dirty South rap? Check. A penchant for bringing the party? Why, they wouldn’t leave the estate without it. Ring in the new decade with a taste of centuries past.

8. Thou shalt secure a place to crash.

You could try to negotiate your way onto a sliver of couch in a friend’s apartment, or you could ball up and sleep in a broom closet (see Commandment 3). But wouldn’t you rather carouse and crash all under the same roof? Here’s what area hotels and casinos are offering on New Year’s Eve:

Harrah’s Tunica: The “Ultra Lounge Party” features world-renowned DJ Jazzy Jeff, champagne, party favors, and more handed out for the countdown. The party starts at 10 p.m. in the Harrah’s event center. Dress code strictly enforced. For hotel reservations, call 1-800-WIN-4-WIN or visit harrahstunica.com. For more information, call 1-800-745-3000.

Hollywood Casino: The casino’s New Year’s Eve party includes party favors and a midnight balloon drop on the casino floor plus special offers at Fairbanks Steakhouse (a four-course dinner for two with champagne, $125 per couple) and Epic Buffet (a steak and seafood meal, $26.95 per person). Hotel rooms are $299 per night, with a two-night minimum for December 30th, December 31st, and January 1st. Call 1-800-871-0711 for reservations.

Big Boys perform on the Safari Lounge stage on Thursday, December 31st, from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. At midnight, they lead the New Year’s Eve countdown accompanied by a balloon drop and party favors. For more information, visit hollywoodcasinotunica.com.

Grill 83: A New Year’s Eve menu, served from 5:30 to 11 p.m, is $60 per person for three courses or $69 per person for four courses, plus tax and gratuity. For reservations (recommended), call 333-1224.

The Madison also offers a one-night stay in a deluxe king room with a New Year’s Eve dinner for two and a gourmet buffet breakfast on New Year’s Day for $435 or a two-night stay in a deluxe king room with the dinner and gourmet buffet breakfast on New Year’s Day for $670. For more information, call 333-1200 or visit madisonhotelmemphis.com.

Memphis Marriott: Memphis Bop Club New Year’s Eve Bash features dancing to the sounds of bop, swing, shag, and country. The party starts at 8 p.m. and includes party favors, a champagne toast at midnight, and breakfast at 1 a.m. $45 per person. Party-goers can reserve a room at the hotel for $79. For more information, visit memphisbopclub.com.

9. Thou shalt not drop the ball.

Drop a guitar instead at the Hard Rock Café’s New Year’s Eve party on Beale Street. New Year’s Eve on Beale begins with a Tigers basketball pep rally in Handy Park at 1 p.m. (before the 3 p.m. tipoff against the University of Tennessee at FedExForum). Then start the evening celebration around 8 p.m. with free concerts in Handy Park, live bands in every Beale Street venue, fireworks, and the Gibson Guitar drop at midnight. For more information, call 525-0110.

10. Thou shalt not toil on New Year’s Day.

Even if you’re not too hung over to move, you can still use a day of rest. Start 2010 off right by treating yourself to some good food, good fun, and good football. But, please, for the love of Tebow, don’t do any real work.

Capriccio Grill Peabody Hotel: Breakfast buffet 6:30-10:30 a.m. and brunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. $21.95 per person. For reservations (recommended), call 529-4199.

Hollywood Casino: Champagne and mimosa brunch at Epic Buffet, 7 a.m.- 2 p.m., $13.50 per person.

Liberty Bowl Parade: Beale Street, 3 p.m. For more information, call 795-7700 or visit libertybowl.org.

College Football Games

Outback Bowl: Northwestern vs. Auburn, 10 a.m. on ESPN

Capital One Bowl: Penn State vs. LSU, noon on ABC

Gator Bowl: Florida State vs. West Virginia, noon on CBS

Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Oregon, 4 p.m. on ABC

Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. on FOX

Categories
Film Features Film/TV

Football’s Back Pages

At the beginning of The Damned United, a film whose title
refers to the colloquial name for Leeds United, the team is in the
First Division, at the top of the English Premier League. The year is
1974, and the team’s famous manager, Don Revie, has just been tapped to
take over the England National Team, leaving open one of the most
coveted managerial positions in football (or what most Americans know
as soccer). Enter the tenacious Brian Clough, newly appointed to the
job and still spewing residual vitriol about Leeds. Over the next hour
and a half, the film connects the dots of Clough’s career and pieces
together his rivalry, perceived or otherwise, with Revie.

The film flashes back to 1968, when Revie (Colm Meaney) was the
ever-prosperous manager of the First Division Leeds, and Clough
(Michael Sheen), along with his humble and underappreciated assistant
Pete Taylor (Timothy Spall), were managing the Derby County squad,
flailing at the bottom of the Second Division. In a random lottery
pick, Leeds is chosen to play against Derby, a fact that thrills the
provincial Derby County team. But when an exceedingly enthusiastic
Clough feels that he has been slighted by Revie, the scene is set for
Clough’s rivalry against Revie, Leeds, and anyone or anything that
stands in his way.

Some British critics have panned the film, both for toning down
novelist David Peace’s depiction of Clough’s superiority complex and
for adjusting the facts. It should come as no surprise that the Brits
are more than a little touchy about their nation’s most beloved sport
and its history. For our part, the film can stand alone more easily as
a fascinating biopic about a character whose blind ambition, unchecked
arrogance, and ham-handed approach to managing is ultimately
destructive. (“I wouldn’t say I’m the best manager in the country, but
I’m in the top one.”)

Only after a hearty helping of humble pie do the tides turn in his
favor, and then only with the help of Taylor. Clough’s ego having
apparently clogged his brain for years, he suddenly realizes he cannot
go without Taylor. One of the best scenes involves some deserved
groveling and a tinge of well-intended humiliation. Having abandoned
Taylor in Brighton to become the manager of Leeds, Clough comes
crawling back, where Taylor gets him to beg, “Please, please, baby,
take me back.”

Massaged facts and unfamiliar subject aside, the film is highly
enjoyable for all moviegoers, football fans or no. Director Tom Hooper
makes the most of a sometimes bleak, retro scene. In the 1970s,
Britain’s economy was suffering. As a working-class sport, football did
not always boast the best facilities, and let’s not mention Britain’s
penchant for rain and cloud-cover. But Hooper makes something beautiful
from this palette. The acting is superb, particularly Sheen and Spall.
The always excellent Jim Broadbent does a sharp, bristling turn as the
often undermined owner of the Derby County team.

For those of us who are football fans, the film highlights a time
when the sport was financially challenged; when the perfect green pitch
of today was a mud pit; when the thought of paying a professional
footballer 300 quid a week was preposterous. But the film makes it
clear that British football was on the cusp of all those things, and
these changing times provide a fitting backdrop for the vicissitudes of
Clough’s career.

Categories
Film Features Film/TV

Woman’s Picture

Amelia is the kind of Oscar bait that leaves me somewhere between warm and lukewarm.

On the warm side, the story of Amelia Earhart is as endlessly compelling as Hilary Swank is charming. Swank has mastered the intonation, accent, and poise of the silvery voices from old films and recordings. Her smile and effervescence are effortless. She inhabits the character masterfully. Even when her character’s sheer pluckiness becomes tedious, Swank holds forth. It couldn’t have been easy.

And warmer still are the great swathes of open sky and sea and land, which capture the immensity of Earhart’s singular achievement. Director Mira Nair wisely opted out of CGI special effects and instead chose to film authentic vintage planes in flight over the Serengeti and around the coast of Nova Scotia. The set design and costumes (Earhart was a sort of style icon as well) make for an irresistible period piece: Those halcyon days when fur-lined coats and plumed hats didn’t fear the red paint of PETA.

In the end, though, this broad-strokes biopic falls prey to its genre. Frequently superficial and sentimental, the final scenes are significantly less tear-jerking than they should have been, possibly because the crashing plane seems to carry not a complex, flesh-and-blood person, but a historical icon. The predictable romantic thread proves another pitfall. True, Earhart’s relationship with George Putnam, her agent and lover, is an interesting one, unique to its time and an indication of Earhart’s defiant character. But Nair gives it too much space in the film, and it fails to establish the profound emotional appeal it was perhaps intended to.

The story spans from Amelia’s first meeting with Putnam in 1928 to her final flight in 1937. In between are a few of the classic struggles and successes of a young woman in a male-dominated field. In one of her first flights, Earhart is told to ride as passenger, not pilot, a proposal to which she objects. From then on, the film is split into equal parts flying, keeping drunken co-pilots in line, juggling two romances at once, and photo shoots.

Earhart was an inspiration to men and women from every country she passed over or touched down in. She lived by the power of her own will. She was relentless in her passion for flying. These above all are the characteristics that demand attention. Nair has said she admires Earhart’s humility; after all, she began as a simple girl from the Kansas plains. But with a sweeping score, soppy romance, intrigue, and a script made up of pithy quotes like “I want to be free,” the film itself is anything but humble.

As something that teeters on the edge of grandiosity (flying into the vast unknown, free from earthly tethers), Earhart’s adventure should have been handled more carefully, steering us away from the easy, inspirational epic into something grittier, something more substantial, something befitting a woman who defied all expectations of her gender. My suggestion? Less romance, and more emphasis on the women Earhart looked up to and the women who looked up to her. Something tells me that’s what she would have wanted.

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Product Test: Haagen Dazs’ Vanilla Bee

haagen-dazs-loves-honey-bees-2.jpg

I came across the Vanilla Bee flavor of Haagen Dazs when I was actually searching for something more along the lines of “ChocolateAtrocity” … something with more chocolate related add-ins than ice cream. But Vanilla Bee caught my eye instead, and I very graciously decided to give it a chance.

It’s now my favorite flavor, and I’m not just following my taste buds on this one.

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Bank on It

CREDIT: Hannah sayle

Hannah sayle

Susan Sanford, president of the Mid-South Food Bank

With the Mid-South Food Bank food drive coming up this weekend, the
arrangement atop Susan Sanford’s filing cabinet could get a little
cramped.

Sanford, president and CEO of the Mid-South Food Bank, has collected
what could be the contents of a gag gift basket, although she assures
me that each foodstuff was once a sincere food-bank donation. A can of
“Spotted Dick Pudding” with a broken seal, doggie breath mints,
candy-dispensing pigs that, ahem, excrete little chocolate pellets came
tucked among the cans of string beans and tomato soup. In her 18 years
at the Food Bank, Sanford has added this to her list of
responsibilities: plucking unusable donations from the pile and
occasionally electing interesting ones to a Donation Hall of Fame on
her filing cabinet.

What does Sanford do with the other offerings, the ones that don’t
make it to the Hall of Fame? Does she ever take them home for herself?
Sanford quickly relays her “no tolerance” policy on pilfering food from
the donation pile, rejects or no.

“I have fired an employee for taking a jar of peanut butter,” she
says. Sanford makes no apologies for taking a hard line: “This food is
for the needy.”

And there is no shortage of needy people in our city.

“From our last hunger survey,” Sanford says, “just in our emergency
agencies, 20,500 people a week relied on this food bank for their very
next meal.”

“We’re serving people for a lot of different reasons,” says Sanford,
explaining the recent upswing in demand. “Someone had a medical
emergency. They had an extra-high utility bill. They couldn’t make
their mortgage payment. About three weeks ago, two very nicely dressed
women walked in the door, and I asked if they were here to volunteer. I
made an assumption from looking at them. They said, ‘No. We’re looking
for food assistance.'”

The women were then directed to a not-for-profit agency with a
feeding program. The Food Bank does not distribute donated goods
directly to individuals in need of assistance but rather serves as a
collection and fund-raising hub for food pantries, youth programs, soup
kitchens, and shelters.

Donations collected at the Food Bank come from a variety of sources,
including community food drives, FEMA, Operation Feed (a workplace food
drive), and the local food industry. And donations aren’t just canned
foods: fresh produce, bread products, and cereals complete the
donations that lead to balanced diets. Master gardeners at Shelby Farms
donate about 8,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables a year, and
individual stores donate whenever they have available produce.

One interesting source for fresh produce is the “Sow to Grow”
program at the Shelby County Correctional Center. Inmates have planted
a garden with crops that they maintain, harvest, and donate to the Food
Bank.

The majority of food still comes from the local food industry,
although advancements in canned food production have negatively
affected the scale of industry donations: Fewer mistakes at the cannery
means fewer opportunities for the Food Bank to profit from minor
imperfections.

“The national food industry will never have surpluses again like
they did when food banks were founded,” Sanford says. “There are just
not as many mistakes, overruns, label changes — all the things
that we used to thrive on. So we depend more and more on our
community.”

The food drive, from September 11th to September 13th, is one of
many such calls for community help. While the Donation Hall of Fame is
a charming homage to quirkiness, you should save your doggie breath
mints and opt for high-protein foods, such as canned meats and peanut
butter, which are always in short supply.

We know hunger exists in our city, but every once in a while we need
to be reminded. September is Hunger Action Month. Here’s your reminder,
Memphis: “Give a Little, Feed a Lot.” On September 11th, look for a
truck in Poplar Plaza in front of Kroger, and bring your cans to help
the Food Bank volunteers stock it. Throughout the weekend of September,
many local restaurants will be asking for canned food or monetary
donations in honor of Hunger Action Month. A list of participating
restaurants will be posted at midsouthfoodbank.org. Questions?
Contact David Stephens at dstephens@midsouthfoodbank.org.

Categories
We Recommend We Recommend

Amazing Race

The Memphis Riverfront International Championship Regatta: That’s
quite a mouthful. But the title befits the event, which boasts an
extensive list of attractions and hopes to draw a sizable crowd to Tom
Lee Park July 31st through August 2nd. The regatta is not only the
first in Memphis, it is the first on the Mighty Mississippi — a
stretch of river that boat racers have been clamoring to tackle for
years.

Jesse Briggs, event coordinator, says this race will make Memphis a
major player in the powerboat arena. Whereas high-speed boat races
usually bring in around 20 boats, Briggs expects to have 40 boats
contending for the championship. Powerboat contestants will race around
a rectangular track, reaching speeds of up to 125 mph. Between races,
the waterway is cleared to accommodate passing barges, something Briggs
touts as a sort of slow-paced interlude. In addition to high-speed boat
races, the regatta will feature live music, food vendors, kiddie park,
kayak races, and jet-ski acrobatics. Radio station Rock 103 is covering
the event, along with Fox Sports South.

This is the inaugural race of what is slated to be a yearly event.
“We have a five-year contract with the APR Powerboat Super League to
make their championship cup destination the great city of Memphis, with
an option for an additional five years,” Briggs explains.

The festivities begin each day at 10 a.m. and end at 7 p.m. After
the races on Saturday, head over to Primetime Sports Bar and Grill for
an after-party with the drivers, V.I.P.s, and sponsors. And as for
tickets? “The event is free,” Briggs says. “It’s what we like to call
financially friendly.”

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Isa’s Pistachio Cake: a Story of Community

ce6a/1248797504-isa.jpgIsa’s Pistachio Cake is as much a product of Isaura Amill‘s present community as it is a tribute to her heritage. The recipe for this buttery sweet specialty hails from Puerto Rico, where Isa was born and where her mother began selling the cakes 15 years ago. Seven years later, when Isa came to the United States, she brought the recipe with her but wasn’t necessarily interested in baking the cakes for sale. “It’s just always been the Christmas gift that I give to people,” she says.

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

What’s the Score, Andy Wise?

ec1d/1248283641-andywise.jpgAndy Wise recently took over the “Restaurant Scorecard” segment for Action News 5. But before Andy, restaurant visits were not always pleasant for the Channel 5 Scorecard crew. They were less than welcome in many area restaurants. Persona non grata. Not on the guest list. Don’t let the swinging kitchen doors hit you on the way out.

Which is why Andy and his crew added a positive element to the segment: a glowing review of worthy restaurants. Guided by viewer input, the “Restaurant Scorecard” highlights at least one successful area restaurant each week. Now, Andy gives us the good with the bad with the pink-slime ugly.

How long have you been a restaurant watchdog?
Not very long. I took over the “Scorecard” segment the first week of January this year, but it’s been a mainstay on Action News 5 for years.

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Lunch at Riverside Grill

d96d/1247773281-riversidegrill.jpg

“Whatcha hungry for?” asks Doug Ballinger, manager of the Riverside Grill, a breakfast and lunch spot located in the BP on Riverside Drive. Customers behind me face the same question, and like me, they find it’s not easy to decide.

Riverside Grill offers traditional Southern fare on the cheap, from frog legs to chicken wings, baked beans to banana pudding, fried okra to fresh, homemade biscuits.

I decide to go with the daily special, and since I’ve shown up on a Thursday, a “Riverside Roulette” day, the featured plate is left up to chance.

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Mama D’s Italian Ice

471f/1247497795-ice.jpgFour years ago when Dee Moore moved to Memphis, she and her husband noticed a hole in the frozen treats market. Both natives of the Northeast (Dee from Baltimore, her husband from Philadelphia), the couple grew up with the cool delight of Italian ice, and they decided to share this delectable summer staple with Memphians by founding Mama D’s Italian Ice.