Kudos to a couple of Memphis restaurateurs who have recently received national recognition.

Johnny Kirk, chef and co-owner of Stella, was featured as a “Rising Star of American Cuisine” by the James Beard Foundation, a nonprofit organization that recognizes talented chefs and food writers.

Kirk was honored with an invitation to prepare a dinner at the James Beard House, the late chef’s brownstone home in New York City, on June 2nd. His handpicked staff included Teddy Brantley of Grill 83, Michael Patrick of McEwen’s on Monroe, and Lee Craven of Madidi.

Frank Grisanti, owner of Frank Grisanti’s in the Embassy Suites and Bol á Pasta eateries, was reelected to a three-year term on the National Restaurant Association’s board of directors at the group’s annual tradeshow in Chicago, which was held May 21st through 24th. Through his position on the board, Grisanti, who started working in his family’s restaurants at age 13, keeps abreast of legislation and trends in demographics and marketing that affect the restaurant industry.

Grisanti has employed innovative marketing techniques through his Web site, FrankGrisanti.com, which allows people to schedule private events and choose catering menus on-line. He has also expanded his services downtown to provide restaurant service to the Hampton Inn.

The Medallion at the University of Memphis Holiday Inn will honor dads with a Father’s Day brunch Sunday, June 19th. Chef Edward Nowakowski will prepare a buffet feast fit for any king of the household.

Brunch will include a breakfast station with made-to-order omelets and waffles. Those with a heartier appetite can choose from an assortment of entrées, including prime rib, roast leg of lamb, country ham, and baked turkey breast. There will also be a special section with kid-friendly dishes. Reservations are required; call 678-5410. The cost is $24.95 for adults and $9.95 for kids ages 5 to 12.

Miss Cordelia’s in Harbor Town will host a “Beer-N-Brat Extravaganza” for Father’s Day beginning at 4 p.m. on June 19th. Wash down grilled bratwurst with some specialty beers. You can get the inside scoop on what you’re drinking from beer specialist Jeff Wilkerson. The cost is $5 per person.

The Medallion, 3700 Central (678-5410); Miss Cordelia‘s, 737 Harbor Bend Rd. (526-4772)

Cozymel’s has taken the shooter in a whole new direction. “Pequeños” may be served in a shot glass, but it’s a dessert, not a potent potion.

“We feel that while a lot of people decline dessert, they secretly want a little something,” says Helen Leflar, a representative of the Dallas-based chain. “We decided to add the pequeños to our menu because these little tastes offer a variety of flavors without the addition of too many calories. The shot glasses are only two ounces, so you don’t overdo it even when you indulge yourself with dessert.”

Memphis’ Cozymel’s introduced the new line of bite-size desserts June 1st. “The response has been tremendous,” says general manager Dave Odham. “It’s something that no one else does. After a big lunch you don’t want to have dessert and then go back to work tired, but with this you can satisfy your sweet tooth without getting stuffed.”

There are 18 varieties of pequeños. Each day, five choices, such as mango-raspberry cake, margarita cheesecake, banana pudding, piña colada pie, or Kahlua chocolate fudge cake, will be prepared fresh and brought to the table on a tray. Diners can choose one for $1.99 or an assortment for $7.99.

Cozymel‘s, 6450 Poplar (763-1202)

Now you can go to Café de France at night. Starting June 17th, the European-style café in Palladio Antique Mall will be open for dinner from 6 to 10 p.m. every Friday. Each week, owners Jeanell and Donnie Morris will create a selection of entrées, soups, salads, and desserts. There will also be live music on occasion. Guests are invited to bring their own wine. (Conveniently, Central Liquors is next door.)

The premiere dinner menu will feature lobster bisque, shrimp in spicy gazpacho, smoked pork loin, and roasted duck. Entrées are reasonably priced under $20. Customers can sign up for e-mail notices of the changing menu and featured entertainment. You can make reservations by calling 725-2212. n

Café de France, 2169 Central (725-2212)

Karen Blockman Carrier garners a lot of attention for her restaurants:Automatic Slim’s Tonga Club, Cielo, the Beauty Shop, Dó, and the catering company Another Roadside Attraction. For “Commemoreat,” a benefit being held Sunday, June 12th, Carrier will shift the focus to someone else — Kelly Wilson, who was murdered downtown May 31, 2003, after finishing his shift as grill chef at Automatic Slim’s.

“He was only 24 years old, and he was just walking to his car. They never found out who did it,” Carrier says.

In 2004, Carrier hosted the first “Commemoreat” for Kelly’s family, raising $10,000. Wilson’s mother, Susan, used the money to establish a culinary scholarship at Southwest Tennessee Community College, where she works. She also contributed a portion to Crime Stoppers, which is offering $14,000 for information about the crime.

This year’s event will be from 4 to 8 p.m. at Automatic Slim’s, 83 S. Second St. For $30 each, people can enjoy an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord with food from the Rendezvous, Huey’s, Grove Grill, Lolo’s Table, Stella, Felicia Suzanne, Cafe 61, Molly’s La Casita, Texas de Brazil, Dish, Cafe Society, Erling Jensen, the University Club, and McEwen’s on Monroe, as well as Carrier’s restaurants. The all-girl band the Zippin’ Pippins will perform. All proceeds from tickets and bar sales will go to the Wilson family. “It’s wonderful for the family. We think they should decide what to do with it,” Carrier says. “Kelly’s being honored by his peers. People really felt his death, and this is a way to celebrate his life. It’s wonderful that everyone wants to participate. It touches our hearts.”

Corky’s has created a scaled-down version of the original to offer quick, convenient lunches for downtown workers and tourists.

“We are called Corky’s Express because this is somewhere people can get something really fast,” says manager Andy Shoup. “They can fax a bulk order, and we have delivery for $10. Or they can just send someone to pick it up.”

The restaurant features a counter where customers can place their order to-go or to eat-in at one of the tables in the restaurant. There is also sidewalk seating.

“Most tourists would probably still like to go to the original Corky’s for the whole experience, but this will be convenient and have the same great barbecue,” Shoup says.

The menu is also scaled down from the original, but it’s only a few of the fried appetizers and extras like shrimp, spaghetti, and tamales that won’t be available.

The restaurant opened May 13th, only 10 days after co-owner Barry Pelts first saw the location, formerly Fat City Beignet’s, in the Hampton Inn.

“It was an idea that we’d been thinking about for a couple of years,” says Pelts. “We wanted to do a small Corky’s environment down there, and they had this 630-square-foot space. At first I thought we wouldn’t like it, but we saw it and it had everything we wanted.”

Pelts says they will be testing the hours. “For the next couple of weeks, we’re going to try staying open until midnight Friday and Saturday, but we may end up at 10 p.m. or even 8, depending on the crowd. Sunday, we’re thinking 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” he says. The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Corky’s Express in the Hampton Inn & Suites, 175 Peabody Place (529-9191; fax 529-9931)

The Silver Spoon opens June 13th, with the goal of serving soul food with style. Brothers Curtis and Corliss Givens wanted to create a restaurant modeled after upscale restaurants like Justin’s in Atlanta or Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club in New York City.

During the week, the brothers will be offering a traditional down-home lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with “greens, catfish, and, if somebody wanted neck bones or something like that, we’d sure get it done,” says Dominique Pryor-Anderson, president of VIDA PR and Marketing Group.

At night there will be a totally different ambience with a 25-and-older club setting featuring soft and acid jazz and eventually some spoken word. The dinner menu, served from 5 p.m. until midnight, will feature an assortment of light foods.

“Happy hour will be from 5 to 8 p.m., and there’s a different theme each night, like Wine Down Wednesdays, where people can relax and enjoy some wine,” says Pryor-Anderson. “They’ve created some special drinks like the ‘Al Green,’ which is green, and ‘Sex and the City.’” ¥

The Silver Spoon, 6063 Mt. Moriah Rd.

It’s time once again for the Memphis Italian Festival, being held at Marquette Park at the corner of Mt. Moriah and Park Avenue, June 2nd through 4th. In its 16th year, the festival continues to evolve. Among the old favorites, such as grape-stomping and bocce, there will be some new attractions.

“One thing that we’re doing this year is the People’s Choice Awards,” says festival chairman Paul Volpe. “In the past, people have asked how they can get a taste of the gravy. Saturday afternoon only, 12 of our cooking teams will be competing. Our patrons will be able to sample four spaghetti gravies and judge for themselves.”

The contest will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the wine and cheese garden. The garden features tables, where guests can purchase a bottle of wine, relax, and enjoy their afternoon with a meat and cheese tray provided by Lucchesi’s. There is even a wait staff.

Chefs from area restaurants, including the Half Shell, Zoe’s Kitchen, Owen Brennan, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, Bari, and Theresa’s Italian Café, will give cooking demonstrations on Friday and Saturday.

Friday night, the festival goes country with Phil Vassar. “This is the first time we’ve had a country performance,” says Volpe. “Phil won the CMA Songwriter of the Year Award. Saturday, we’ll have Chuck Negron, formerly of Three Dog Night, and Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad.”

The hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Admission is $4 Thursday and $8 Friday and Saturday. Advance tickets can be purchased at any Memphis location of Little Caesar’s Pizza for a $1 discount. All proceeds benefit the Holy Rosary parish school.

If you run into a six-foot armadillo named Andy, you must be at the Texas Roadhouse. Andy is the ambassador of the restaurant, which heavily supports community involvement. In addition to working with Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, and other nonprofit organizations, Texas Roadhouse sends Andy to visit area schools to read to the students.

“It was their commitment to quality and Andy’s outreach program that brought me back to Memphis,” says manager/partner Steven Schaifer. Schaifer has lived in Nashville and moved to Memphis in 1995 while his daughter was attending the University of Memphis. While here, he worked for the Olive Garden and helped open Amerigo. He returned to Nashville in 1999. He says he’s pleased to be back in Memphis, not only because of his partnership with Texas Roadhouse but also to spend time with his 16-month-old grandchild.

Andy is not the only celebrity guests may see at the location that opened near Wolfchase on May 16th. The restaurant, a chain based out of Kentucky, has a partnership with Willie Nelson, who’s been known to stop by some of the restaurant’s 200 locations in 37 states. But if Nelson’s not in town, guests can pay homage to the country-music legend by sitting in Willie’s Corner, a booth decorated with Nelson memorabilia. A second location will be opening July 4th on Goodman Road in Horn Lake.

When it comes to food, guests can choose among hand-cut steaks, fresh trout or catfish, chicken dinners, and a number of home-cooked side items. Texas Roadhouse hours are 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4 to 11 p.m. Friday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday. Guests can make reservations by calling 382-5547.

Texas Roadhouse, 2810 New Brunswick

“A lot of area restaurants are stepping to the plate to help senior citizens in need,” says Bert Kelly, director of public relations for MIFA. Throughout the month of June, local restaurants and businesses will partner with MIFA to support the organization’s Empty Plates campaign. “The MIFA meals program is one of the largest Meals on Wheels programs in the country, and we’re heavily dependent on the community to keep the program going,” says Kelly. Memphians can support the program, which delivers 3,100 meals each day, by purchasing a paper plate for $1 at participating businesses.

The campaign also includes a radiothon on Infinity stations — FM 100, 93X, and AM 790 — as well as direct mail marketing. Last year, $70,000 was raised.

“When people donate through the mail or donate on the radiothon,” Kelly says, “they will qualify for grand prizes, such as roundtrip tickets on Northwest Airlines and autographed guitars signed by Switchfoot, the Killers, or Lisa Marie Presley.”

Last week, Andy Grooms celebrated the fifth anniversary of his liquor store, the Corkscrew, by opening Alice’s Urban Market next door.

Grooms took over the space that once housed Fratelli’s at 513 S. Front about a year ago. He envisioned a deli that would not only serve the professionals downtown during the day but would also give the growing residential community a casual spot to eat at night or grab a few groceries.

Plus, he says, “I want to become the grilled-cheese king.” Among the many sandwiches Alice’s serves, the grilled cheese can be ordered every way imaginable. For example, the “drunken goat” is made with Wensleydale Cheddar, caramelized onions, and bacon bits on fresh bread.

Amelia Carkuff of Carkuff Interiors helped Grooms remodel the space. She created a small market section for fresh veggies, milk, sushi, and other specialty items, as well as a small café. John Pearson, a local chef who has worked at many Memphis restaurants and most recently the Glass Onion, helped Grooms create the lunch and dinner menu.

“I think John’s passion is fine dining, so I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep him, but he’s helping me create recipes for my slaws and salads,” says Grooms.

Pearson and Grooms also want to create meals-to-go. Some dinner entrées will include rotisserie Cornish game hen, duck, and free-range chicken and take-and-bake pizza made fresh to order on a self-rising sourdough crust. The dough for the pizza and a number of specialty breads are baked daily by another friend, Sheri McKelvie, who formerly worked at City Bread Co. McKelvie joined Grooms and created her own wholesale bread company, Alice’s Artisan.

Grooms plans to pair his businesses for wine tastings a couple times a month. “For the first time in Memphis, there’s wine, bread, and cheese — the trinity — all in one place,” he says.

Alice’s will also serve breakfast and will be open 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday.

Alice’s Urban Market, 513 S. Main (575-9979).

Another downtown eatery, Alcenia’s, may have been open since 1996, but it looks like a whole new restaurant. With owner BJ Chester-Tamayo in charge, however, it still feels like home. Customers who walk in the door don’t just get some Southern comfort food. They also get a big hug.

“Food is half the process. The other half is the feeling they get when they eat here,” Chester-Tamayo says.

To that end, Alcenia’s has a new logo, new menus, and new décor designed to bring cheer.

“I’ve always loved color,” says Chester-Tamayo. “I chose colors to make people feel better.”

Purple, orange, yellow, and green adorn tablecloths, placemats, uniforms, hand-painted chairs, and the menu. Many of the menu choices are the same — recipes she learned from her mother while growing up in Meridian, Mississippi.

Chester-Tamayo has also added some other favorites from her youth. “We’re getting ready to do fried sweet potatoes as an appetizer,” she says. “My mom used to do them with pork chops.”

The food isn’t the only way she pays homage to her mother. She’s planning to unveil a portrait of her mother and granddaughter soon.

Alcenia’s, 317 N. Main (523-0200)

There’s a new leader at the helm of the Memphis Restaurant Association. After 10 years on the MRA board of directors and four as the president, Christian Georgi, owner of East End Grill restaurants, resigned. Vice president of the MRA, Jeffery Dunham, chef and co-owner of the Grove Grill, will succeed Georgi.

“I am the first chef to be installed in this position,” Durham says. “Most of the other presidents have come from the front of the house or ownership side of the restaurant business. I want to refocus on some different things, specifically membership. I want to make our meetings more interesting to draw more members and to continue to do the things that MRA does, which is acting as a liaison to city, county, and state government and [supporting] local charities.”

Cooper Street will soon fea- ture a Celtic Crossing. That’s the new name Josephine “Jo” Delahunty has planned for the Glass Onion, which will continue to operate until it can be turned into an Irish pub in early June.

“We’re doing a gradual transition until we’re ready to open,” Delahunty says. “Until then, we’re going to keep the Glass Onion menu.”

Delahunty and her partners already have expanded the patio area, where they’re considering having live entertainment. Irish music will be playing inside, and they may bring in pipers for the grand opening.

“We’re trying to create a true authentic Irish pub with a homey atmosphere with rich woods and a big fireplace a solid, earthy feel,” Delahunty says. “Two lads who have designed pubs in Ireland and in America — including the James Joyce Pub in Chicago — will bring bric-a-brac, pictures, and even a bar from Ireland.”

Delahunty was born in County Laois in the Irish Midlands. Since coming to Memphis, this popular waitress, who’s well known for her gregariousness and curly red hair, worked at Kudzu’s for almost a decade and then at Dan McGuinness for three years.

“I’ve always wanted to open up me own pub,” she says. “We’re going to change the menu completely. We’re going to have shepherd’s pie, corn beef and cabbage, and boxty, a potato pancake stuffed with vegetables. We’re planning to do really strong lunches. Lunch was kind of slow at the Glass Onion, so we’re going to have a variety of sandwiches.”

Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to about 11 p.m. or midnight. The bar will be open until 3 a.m. daily. Bar manager David Laird says he’s planning to add more Irish beers, whiskies, and bourbons, and an Irish vodka called Boru.

If the scents wafting out of Tom Lee Park during this weekend’s Memphis in May Barbecue Cooking Contest aren’t enough to tempt you, visit Lawry’s Live demonstration tent for some interactive fun. You can sniff oxygen scented with garlic and barbecue at the Aroma Bar or the kids can try tongue-painting to learn how taste buds work. There’s also “Feel Factor,” where visitors try to guess what they’re touching while blindfolded.

Lawry’s also will host cooking demonstrations with “Dr. BBQ” Ray Lampe and Rick Browne, host of the TV show Barbecue America. In addition, visitors can cast votes in Lawry’s People’s Choice Awards or take a guided tour of three top cooking teams with the Cooker Caravan.

And don’t forget to Battle to the Bone at Frank’s Red Hot Hot Wings Eating Contest, sponsored by Cattlemen’s Barbecue Sauce at 4:30 p.m. Friday on the main stage.

While you’re hanging out downtown, you might want to have a seat at Lolo’s Table, located where Aristi’s used to be at 126 Madison.

Lee Holliday left McEwen’s on Monroe, where he worked for about five years, to open the bistro. Holliday says Mac Edwards, owner of McEwen’s, supports the move. Another downtown restaurant, Stella, also was opened by a former McEwen’s staffer.

But where McEwen’s focuses on Southern fare and Stella specializes in fusion, Holliday and his partner Eric Bush have created a menu influenced by southern Europe.

“The fusion thing has been done, and we wanted to do something different, with a little flair — no Southern and definitely no Asian,” Holliday says. “The menu is low-country European with Tuscan influences and a little Spanish and French.”

The menu offers a mix of sandwiches, salads, and grilled entrées, such as the “coquilles à la nage,” sea scallops caramelized with sautéed capellini and a tomato-saffron broth.

Holliday also is trying to keep prices low: “So many people live in this neighborhood, we wanted a place people could come to once or twice a week, rather than once a month.”

Lolo’s Table has been open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. since March. The restaurant recently expanded its hours to offer dinner Monday through Saturday.

As for the name of the restaurant, Holliday only had to look across the table at his wife Lori, whose sisters nicknamed her Lolo when they were kids. •

Jim Matson chose the name for his sandwich shop 33 years ago when he was a teenager working in New Jersey near Rutgers University.

“I learned how to make sandwiches from my friend’s dad who had a shop in New Brunswick, New Jersey, called Greasy Tony’s,” Matson says. “I was about 15 when two real pretty college girls came in one day. I didn’t want them to just get their sandwiches and leave, so I turned the flame down real low so they would stay longer. One of the girls said, ‘This sandwich is really juicy, Jim.’ I decided right then that if I ever opened a shop of my own, I’d call it Juicy Jim’s.”

In February, after almost 25 years in the casino business, Matson opened Juicy Jim’s at 546 S. Highland, a location close to the University of Memphis and its students.

“Most of my business is college kids, and they don’t have a lot of money, so I make my money from volume,” Matson says. “I’m supposed to close at 4 a.m. on the weekends, but it’s standing-room-only most nights, and I won’t turn anyone away.”

Whether it’s for lunch, dinner, or a 4 a.m. snack, Matson is always ready to slow-cook one of his freshly made sandwiches. “Fresh ingredients are as important as how you cook it,” he says, adding that the best deli meats come from the New Jersey area. He imports all of his capicollo, salami, and pastrami from New York, but he buys his bread locally from the French Bakery. He also takes the time to slice the tomatoes, onions, and lettuce fresh for every sandwich. Even the french fries are cut from fresh potatoes every morning.

Can’t wait until October to enjoy bratwurst, sauerkraut, pretzels, and hotdogs and to wash it all down with more than 40 varieties of beer?

Join the Grand Krewe of Luxor at the Agricenter International April 23rd for Oktoberfest in April. The nonprofit organization is one of the 12 krewes of Carnival Memphis. The fund-raiser will support the Carnival Memphis Kid’s Café which opened this month at the College Park Boys & Girls Club. Kid’s Café is a national program that provides children with hot, nutritional meals. The College Park cafe is the fourth location to open under the auspices of the Memphis Food Bank.

Area restaurants, beverage distributors, artists, and performers are donating products, time, and talent. Guests will be able to purchase artwork donated by local artists.

Musicians such as James Austin of the Platters, Pat Register, J.P. Netters, Eddie Smith, and the Memphis Ice Breakers also will keep everyone entertained from 6 to 10 p.m.

Tickets are $25 at the door or $20 in advance at TechsPerts, 923 S. Yates. The price includes five drink coupons and a souvenir beer stein.

“I’m putting a new dress on an old girl,” says Joe Young, who recently purchased the Cottage located at 3297 Summer Avenue. “We’re going to spruce it up but keep the nostalgic feel of the restaurant, because it is what it is.”

The Cottage, best known for its home cooking, has been around for nearly 50 years and has been operated by the Sutton family for more than half of that time. However, when Anthony Sutton took over the restaurant two years ago following his father’s death, he decided it was time to turn it over to someone new.

Young, a former stockbroker, was looking for a good investment and decided the Cottage was a business opportunity with a lot of potential.

“It’s the best place to get a home-cooked meal, and I am fortunate that the staff stayed with me,” he says. “One cook has been here for 30 years and another one for 25 years.”

One change that Sutton implemented earlier this year has been tremendously successful: The restaurant now serves breakfast any time of the day.

The Cottage is open from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. •

After months of renovation, Miss Cordelia’s Grocery in Harbor Town is ready to reveal a whole new look.

Developer Henry Turley first opened the neighborhood grocery store and deli in 1998 to service the rapidly growing residential community on Mud Island. He named the store after his mother, Cordelia Jones Turley, who died March 26 at age 93.

The expansion, which began in November 2004, will nearly double the size of the store from 4,000 to 7,000 square feet.

“The neighborhood led the expansion because we wanted to offer a more full-service grocery,” says Henry’s wife, Lynne Turley. “In the last five years, the island has increased 10 percent a year.”

The most notable use of the extra space is “Cordelia’s Table,” an eat-in dining area where customers can enjoy sandwiches, fresh-baked breads, or some of the new items from the deli’s expanded menu. Cordelia’s Table also offers selected breakfast items.

“It gives our customers a place to mix and mingle, because Cordelia’s is really a meeting place for the community,” says Lynne. “It also gives us a place to offer more services such as wine tastings and cooking demonstrations.”

With added lighting, brighter colors, and improved displays, the store offers a more inviting décor. And thanks to the new wine and beer permit, customers can sit down and enjoy a glass of wine or a frosty cold one with friends and neighbors.

By mid-April, the store will offer a new check-out area and an on-site butcher shop with a wider selection of fresh meats and seafood and imported cheeses. Plans for May include remodeling the porch to create a farmer’s market with an expanded selection of locally grown produce.

Miss Cordelia’s also offers products grown or produced in the Mid-South, such as Delta Grind grits and cornmeal, Dinstuhl’s candies, Café Francisco coffee, and Robert Hodum Honey.

Miss Cordelia’s, 737 Harbor Bend Rd., 526-4772

The goal of the staff at Geeker’s Gourmet Coffee Bar isn’t just to provide a good cup of joe but also to support the artistic community. From those just getting started to established local performers, everyone is welcome on stage at this coffeehouse that opened February 28th in High Point Terrace.

Tuesday nights are open-mic, and Wednesdays are set aside for poetry. Just call 323-3339 to schedule a performance. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are for live music.

On April 2nd, Rick Murphy of the local band B Generation will do a solo acoustic performance. Also in the lineup for upcoming weeks are Michael Kerr, Paige Thorton, Joe Sanders, and Kim Richardson.

A musician himself, Geeker’s owner Ben Wolfe wanted to create an environment where college kids can use their laptops for a study session or kick back and enjoy a little artistic expression.

“I want to help support local artists, not only musicians,” Wolfe says.

The painted pottery of Mark Ramirez, whose work is heavily influenced by trips to Mexico and Spain, is on display, and the coffeehouse’s warm yellow and cherry walls are adorned with black-and-white photography by Becky House.

When it comes to food, there’s the usual coffee-house fare — coffee drinks, pastries, and smoothies — but Geeker’s also offers sandwiches and soups. As the weather warms, Wolfe plans to add outdoor seating and hopes to host a few block parties.

Though Wolfe resides near Shelby Forest, he says he chose the High Point Terrace location because “it’s a cool area. It’s like its own little Mayberry. Everybody’s real supportive of the neighborhood business.”

Geeker’s Gourmet Coffee Bar, 477 High Point Terrace, Suite 1, 323-3339

Throughout the month of April, indulging ice cream cravings at any Cold Stone Creamery will help Make-A-Wish Foundation fulfill the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. The proceeds from Wish Stars, which customers can purchase for $1, will be donated to the local chapter of the organization.

The celebration culminates with the “Ice Cream Cake Social” on April 25th from 5 to 8 p.m. During this fourth annual event, customers who makes a donation to Make-A-Wish will receive a free slice of ice cream cake created especially for the organization. Last year the national event raised more than $600,000. n

Spring will a busy time for the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, one packed with art, wine, and food.

The museum’s primary fund-raising season kicks off with the Brooks League Designers and Artists Showcase at the Agricenter International April 1st to 3rd and culminates on May 6th with the black-tie Patrons Dinner, the final event in the annual “Art of Good Taste” series.

The event at the Agricenter will feature a wine-tasting Friday night, a Latin fiesta on Saturday night, and the Mimosa Brunch Sunday. Fascinating Catering will prepare a buffet-style brunch and guests will be entertained with a fashion show by Chico’s.

Throughout April, the museum will host wine tastings, auctions, and dinners, including First Wednesday’s “Escape from the Ordinary” on April 6th. The evening will feature a lecture on pre-Impressionism and the “Quilts of Gee’s Bend” as well as food prepared by the Brushmark restaurant’s Penny McCraw.

For an overview of upcoming events, see BrooksMuseum.org.

Sunday, March 27th, is Easter and that means Easter brunches.

Since we’re already at the Brooks, let’s start there. There will be a buffet at the Brushmark on Easter Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person and $10 for children 12 and under. McCraw will prepare a feast of Grecian-style petite lamb chops, Gorgonzola and potato gratin, and haricots verts with almond butter.

At the Holiday Inn at the University of Memphis, “Helga,” a three-foot mermaid carved out of chocolate, will reign over the dessert table. Chef Edward Nowakowski will also be carving ice vases that will be lit and filled with fresh flowers to decorate each of the buffet stations. More than 700 people are expected for the three seatings from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom. Reservations are required (678-5410). The cost is $25.95 for adults, $22.95 for seniors, and $11.95 for children ages 6 to 12.

Equestria will host a brunch buffet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Easter Sunday, featuring a selection of fresh fruits, meats, and seafood as well as homemade breads and pastries. The cost is $24.95 per person and $9.95 for children.

Chef Jeff Dunham will create a special à la carte menu for the Grove Grill’s brunch. An assortment of breakfast and dinner items such as eggs Creole, roasted sirloin, and fresh seafood will be served from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Paulette’s, voted as having the best brunch in Memphis magazine’s Readers’ Poll, will also offer a special à la carte menu, with eight different entrées served with fresh salads and the restaurant’s famed popovers from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For those planning on cooking Easter dinner at home, consider pairing the meal with wine from the Corkscrew. The downtown liquor store is having a spring closeout sale offering many wines at more than 50 percent off the usual price. The Corkscrew is located at 511 S. Front (543-9463).

Midtown’s Bar-B-Q Shop recently took Chili Pepper magazine’s “2005 Fiery Foods Challenge” and earned the top spot, first place in the Golden Chili Awards with its Dancing Pigs sauce.

Dancing Pigs was among 875 entries judged by the national food magazine.

“We’ve won awards before, but this is one of the biggest national awards that we’ve ever won,” says Eric Vernon, who owns the Bar-B-Q Shop with his parents Frank and Hazel. “One of the things that makes our hot sauce a winner is that it’s not only hot, it has a great flavoring.”

Though the Vernons have been using the recipe in their restaurant for more than two decades, the recipe originated at Brady & Lil’s, a well-known restaurant on South Parkway in the 1950s. The Vernons bought the restaurant and changed the name and location, first moving to East Memphis and then to its current Midtown address 17 years ago. The sauce, however, has stayed the same for more than 50 years.

“It was pretty famous in the day,” says Eric. “Mr. Brady taught my father and mother how to make the sauce.”

Ten years ago when the Vernons decided to market the sauce in Kroger grocery stores, the family once again took inspiration from Brady and Lil’s. The name “Dancing Pigs” came from the restaurant’s logo, which featured two dancing pigs.

Round 1 is a sports bar with a twist.

The concept was to combine sports with upscale dining, says partner Orlando Steward. The result is a contemporary-casual dÇcor with plasma televisions, so patrons can catch the game while enjoying grilled salmon or lobster tail. Also on the menu are fried gator bites.

“There’s a story to the gator bites,” says Chef Damien Ward. “I used to own an alligator, and it bit the tip of my finger off, so now I take any chance I get to cook an alligator tail.”

Although Ward was born in Memphis, he traveled extensively while his father was in the military and later during his own military stint. Ward learned to cook in restaurants all over the world.

“I took a chef’s apprenticeship in what was then Yorktown, Yugoslavia. I took jobs everywhere just to learn, not for money, because food is my passion, and to fulfill your passion you have to go to the source,” Ward says.

For Ward, cooking is a family thing. Two of his brothers are also professional chefs, and his uncle was on the culinary staff at the White House during the Johnson administration.

“For me, a black man coming up in the 1960s, it was a big deal to know that your uncle worked in the White House,” he says.

Ward says that the most important aspect of the Round 1 menu is that every item is an original recipe he created.

The restaurant opened February 4th at 6642 Winchester. The hours are 11 a.m. to midnight throughout the week and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, with a limited menu after midnight.

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After a long day shopping in Hernando’s Historic Town Square, take a seat in the Silver Chair, which opened February 10th. Will Rives, the former manager of the Daily Grind in downtown Memphis, decided to venture on his own with this deli-style cafÇ and coffee shop.

Rives named his restaurant for the sixth book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, written by C.S. Lewis. “In the book the main character is under the spell of a witch, except for one hour a night when he is himself. But the witch straps him to a silver chair during those times, so the only time he can be himself is in the silver chair,” Rives explains.

Rives, 25, moved to Hernando two years ago to get married. His wife, Whitley, is his business partner as well as the announcer and public-relations representative for the Memphis RiverKings. Together, the couple spent two months renovating the new restaurant. Modern accents of blues and greens and orange and yellows offset 100-year-old brick columns to give the cafÇ a fresh and chic feel.

Rives, with the help of manager and friend Melissa Hill, operates the gourmet coffee bar and serves up breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The menu features hot and cold sandwiches on an assortment of breads, pitas with hummus, soups, and salads.

Rives says that he plans to offer deliveries very soon and would like to open additional locations in DeSoto County. The cafÇ is located at 2476 Memphis Street and is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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Want to prepare 12 gourmet entrEes each month without having to shop, chop, or even clean up — all in less than two hours? That’s the concept behind Super Suppers, a Dallas-based franchise that opened February 15th at 4730 Poplar, #3 (763-1993).

Super Suppers was developed by Judie Byrd, founder of the Culinary School of Fort Worth. The idea is that with the hectic pace of today’s families, it is difficult to find time to prepare a complete meal. So Super Suppers does all of the meal planning, shopping, and prep work. For a $195 fee, customers come to the store, where 12 stations are set up with all the ingredients needed to make an entrÇe. Customers then rotate through all the stations, making meals such as barbecue meatballs, four-cheese manicotti, and apricot-glazed ham. Then they take the meals home and freeze them until it’s time to pop them in the oven for a away-from-home-cooked meal.

“You can get four to six servings out of each entrÇe,” says co-owner Bill Cunningham. “For single people or empty-nesters, you can prepare six entrÇes or 12 smaller entrÇes for $103, less than the average trip to a grocery store.”

Cunningham heard about Super Suppers from a former colleague in Texas. Says Cunningham, “We’ve already sold 50 franchises in the last five months, and we’re on target to be the fastest growing franchise with 100 locations this year.”

After extensive renovations, Mélange, which closed in January, has reopened with an updated look, a different menu, and a new name — Dish.

After four successful years, partners David Nestler and Chef Scott Lenhart decided to transform their restaurant at 948 S. Cooper into a hip tapas bar with an emphasis on Mediterranean flavors.

“When we opened Mélange, we did something different and it’s been successful, but I think the duality from late-night crazy business to fine dining confused people,” says Lenhart. “This is more of a modern approach. Tapas is really popular right now. It’s being done in a lot of cities, like Miami, Chicago, and L.A.”

Tapas is typically a Spanish style of dining, where friends share many small portions of appetizers, which, as seen on the new menu, can be as simple as olives or cheese cubes or as elaborate as sauté of frog legs Provençal or Syrah-poached figs with bacon. In addition, the Dish menu will feature some Mediterranean entrées such as Tagine of Cod served in a traditional, shallow earthenware tagine dish.

“We’ve changed our wine list to reflect that region, and we have a fun new drink menu,” says Lenhart. “We’re going to have sangria all the time, and we’ve expanded our sherry, Madeira, and port selection.”

Lenhart and Nestler completely revamped the interior of the restaurant to complement the casual, friendly tapas tradition of sharing food, drink, and conversation. They combined the dining room and bar into one large space with a variety of seating, including a banquette surrounding an open grill, comfy futons, and booths on raised platforms.

“We wanted to bring more life into the space, with seating at different levels and an open feel,” says Lenhart. “We used rich chocolate and cream accented with bright orange and lime-green.”

Jim’s Place East has hired a new sous chef, Keith Campbell. Campbell is a Memphis native whose first cooking influences came from hanging out in the kitchen with his Grandma Rosa. He sharpened his skills with on-the-job training at different upscale restaurants near St. Louis.

Having worked at both French and Asian restaurants, Campbell plans to work the varied influences of his career into the Jim’s Place menu.

“Customers can look forward to some nice citrus sauces, more seafood dishes, sautéed mussels, and new pasta dishes,” says Campbell. “I have a little black book that I have a lot ideas in.”

However, before Campbell’s creations even make it as a special of the day, the dish must earn the approval of the restaurant’s three partners, brothers Dimitri and Costa Taras and their brother-in-law Angelo Liollio.

“If I’m thinking of something new, I make it, and they try it out,” says Campbell. “They’re great to work for because they give me a lot of liberty in the kitchen.”

Cordova resident William Brumley has been cooking ribs competitively for almost 20 years, but in December he took a hobby and a dream and opened Beaver Creek Bar-B-Que in Gallaway, Tennessee.

His team, Barbro’s Smokers, used to participate in about six regional competitions each year and even won third place for ribs at Memphis in May’s World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest in 1992.

After 26 years working for a beer distributor, Brumley decided it was time to try something new and became his own boss, doing lawn service and remodeling for a few years. One day last fall, a simple afternoon drive on his Harley-Davidson brought Brumley to Gallaway, where he saw a for-rent sign on a building.

With the help of family and friends, he turned a free-standing building into a down-home barbecue joint.

“We’ve got it fixed up with old farm stuff for a real rustic look. We made a lot of major changes,” says Brumley. “If it hadn’t been for my family and my younger son’s friends, I probably wouldn’t have gotten the doors open.”

Brumley’s oldest son, Cliff, 36, is in the kitchen with William every day, while wife Barbara handles the finances. Though not directly involved in day-to-day operations of the restaurant, the couple’s youngest son, Chris, 27, carries the barbecue torch too. Chris took over his father’s cooking team and changed the name to Tam’s Smokers.

In addition to award-winning ribs and barbecue, Beaver Creek Bar-B-Que offers cafeteria-style plate lunches from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Ribs are only served Friday and Saturday night, but Brumley hopes to expand his hours once he hires more staff. Brumley says that a popular item on the menu has been one that he invented himself: the pork quesadilla.

Beaver Creek Bar-B-Que (901-867-1751) is located at 708 Hwy 70.