Author: Susan Ellis

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Now open: Inspire Cafe in Binghampton.

CREDIT: Photographs by Justin Fox Burks

Along one wall at Inspire Cafe, newly open in the Binghampton neighborhood, is the cafe’s menu. It is massive, covering nearly the entirety of the wall.

There are coffee and tea drinks, smoothies and ice cream. Breakfast, which is served all day, includes pancakes, egg scrambles, and puddings made with chia seed. For lunch and dinner, there are salads, chilis, quesadillas, nachos, and quinoa bowls. And because Inspire Cafe closes a little early, at 6 p.m., to allow their staff to go home to their families, they also offer Value Family Meals to Go, which feed four. Among the meals are Costa Rican black beans and roasted sweet potatoes over rice or quinoa with a salad and chipotle three-bean and beef chili served with corn chips and cheese, along with a salad. These meals run from $30 to $35.

Photographs by Justin Fox Burks

The food leans toward healthy but is otherwise hard to pin down. When pressed, Inspire Cafe’s co-founder and chef Terrence Whitley says, “It’s something for everyone.”

Emphasis on the everyone, for Inspire Cafe is a community space and was designed as such. Some of the restaurant’s produce comes from the Carpenter Art Garden’s community gardens. Likewise, all the works of art on the walls are by the Carpenter Art Garden’s kids. Bread is from La Baguette. The vegan cookies are from Araba’s, ice cream from Sweet Magnolia. The staff is paid a living wage and participate in profit-sharing. Ten percent of the cafe’s net profit will be donated to a local nonprofit committed to racial and economic justice.

Inspire Cafe

Owner and co-founder Kristin Fox-Trautman has a background in nonprofit work. She says it was a passion for the city that drove her to create Inspire Cafe and to nurture her coworkers. “People have worth,” she says of the fair wage. “They shouldn’t have to struggle to make ends meet.”

The restaurant has been pretty much packed since they opened a few weeks ago. But Fox-Trautman and Whitley say they were prepared for the rush. The pair ran a food truck for a year before opening the restaurant. The space is at Sam Cooper and Tillman in the Binghampton Gateway Shopping Center. Fox-Trautman’s husband had opened a Jujitsu studio in one of the center’s spaces and alerted his wife, it may be a good fit for a cafe. Fox-Trautman was encouraged by Binghampton Development Corporation’s commitment to places that only served for the betterment of the community.

The space is on the smallish side — cozy and homey with tables made by the staff. The look they were going for was something warm and welcoming but vibrant. “I want people to feel at home here,” says Fox-Trautman.

Whitley says that he and Fox-Trautman use the word inspire all the time, so it made sense as a name for the cafe. “We want to inspire people to have a good day and a good life,” he says.

Inspire Cafe, 510 Tillman, inspirecafememphis.com

Donuts!

Midtown Donuts, at the site of the old Donald’s Donuts on Union, is set to open February 1st, according to owner Ly Touch.

Touch’s family runs Howard’s Donuts on Summer, but Touch says that Midtown Donuts will offer more than Howard’s Donuts.

Touch says that Midtown Donuts will offer the same donut menu as Howard’s Donuts, but also offer breakfast sandwiches and salads and sandwiches for lunch. There will be iced coffee drinks as well.

The space will offer outdoor seating. The inside looks similar to Donald’s. There’s definitely more seating.

Midtown Donuts will be open from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. Midtown Donuts, 1776 Union

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Midtown Donuts Opening February 1st

Midtown Donuts, at the site of Donald’s Donuts, is set to open February 1st, according to owner Ly Touch.

Touch’s family runs Howard’s Donuts on Summer, but Touch says that Midtown Donut will offer more than Howard’s Donuts.

Touch says that Midtown Donuts will offer the same donut menu as Howard’s Donuts, but also offer breakfast sandwiches, salads and sandwiches for lunch. There will also be iced coffee drinks as well.

The space will offer outdoor seating. The inside looks similar to Donald’s. There’s definitely more seating.

Midtown Donuts will be open from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Rizzo’s Closing (temporarily) for Repairs

Obsidian PR

Rizzo’s on South Main will close for about a month for repairs. The last service will be Sunday (January 20th) brunch.

A tree growing into the north wall of the restaurant’s building necessitated the repairs to the wall and the floor.

But, Rizzo’s will go on in a series of pop-ups.

The first pop-up is at Fuel, Friday-Saturday, January 25th-26th. Rizzo’s Michael Patrick says that he hopes to do a vegan or vegetarian dish or two, “As a nod to Fuel and as a thank you.”

Fuel closed in late December, though it still runs its food truck and catering operations. In Fuel’s announcement of its closing, they stated that they wanted to host pop-ups.

After Fuel, Rizzo’s will move on to the 409 Main food hall. This pop-up will run from January 29th through February 21st.

Patrick says that one of the reasons he’s doing the pop-ups is to keep his valued staff close by and employed. “I have a great team,” he says. “I don’t want to lose them.”

Patrick has no set menu yet for the pop-up. He says to check his Facebook page for updates on that point. The pop-ups will be prixe fixe, $50 for three or four courses.

Patrick says the goal of the repairs is to make the restaurant safe. He’s not planning any new, fancy bells and whistles.

Of the pop-ups, he says, “I encourage people to come see us.” 

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Westy’s Expands into Midtown

Having a late-night craving for some that famous Westy’s hot fudge pie, but cannot — cannot! — put on shoes?

Well, you’re in luck. Westy’s has expanded into Midtown and is now offering delivery.

Westy’s owner Jake Schorr says he recognized a transition in the restaurant industry and that meant delivery.

The restaurant, in the old Beeker’s space at 1607 Madison near Pho Binh, has a small dine-in area and offers pick-up as well.

Schorr says Westy’s Express will eventually offer the full Westy’s menu as well as some additional items, including a package meal, such as country-fried steak with three vegetables, and a number of dessert items.

Westy’s Express opens at 4 p.m., but will eventually be open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Westy’s is using its own drivers, but Schorr expects to sign up with Door Dash.

When asked why he’s opened an second location, Schorr jokes, “I don’t know better.”

He says, “I wanted to expand our presence but I couldn’t do that Downtown. That’s how I looked at it.”

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Details on Second Line’s Day of Warmth

On New Year’s Day, the Second Line is serving breakfast for anyone in need.

Details below …

For the second year in a row on New Years Day morning, Second Line Memphis will open its doors for breakfast to people who need a hot meal free of charge, from 9am to noon. They will serve breakfast, give free haircuts, and hand out coats to the guests alongside a team of volunteers and city officials.

MATA buses will have two pick up locations in midtown (Living Hope Church 815 North McLean) and downtown (The Carpenter’s House Room in the Inn 212 N Second Street Memphis) starting at 8:30AM (last shuttle at 11:30). Any mission group, ministry, etc. (who work with the homeless community) that would like to be involved that day should bring people to one of those locations. Anyone wanting to donate coats, jackets, socks, etc. can bring them to the Second Line now until the New Years Eve.

“Everyone deserves to feel special, to be given the basic dignity we all deserve. We want to be a part of spreading that kindness to others.” – Chef Kelly English

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Food News 2018

CREDIT: Photographs by Justin Fox Burks

Well, 2018 can go ahead and take a flying leap. It was sort of a grim year in general and for the Memphis food scene particularly.

We’ll start with the bad news.

RIP

Bud Chittom died in September. He was eulogized as a legend, the force behind some 50 area restaurants — Blues City Cafe and Earnestine & Hazel’s among them. Gary Williams, chef/owner of the Creole restaurant DeJaVu, passed away in early December. He was remembered for his kindness and sense of community and was sent out in style with a second line parade in front of his restaurant.

Photographs by Justin Fox Burks

Gary Williams

A number of restaurant breathed their last breath or were on life support as of press time. Places that closed include: LYFE Kitchen, The Kitchen, Fino’s on the Hill, Old Zinnie’s, and Fuel.

Ripped

It makes you want some booze, doesn’t it? You’re in luck as a new law passed last spring allowing wine and liquor to be sold in liquor stores on Sunday. Wine will be sold on Sundays in grocery stores starting in January.

Crosstown Brewing, selling their signature beers Siren and Traffic, opened in February at the Crosstown Concourse campus. Originally, they had planned to be inside the concourse, but logistics and those huge pillars made constructing a separate building to the west of the concourse a necessity.

Big River Distilling introduced its Blue Note Bourbon earlier this year. It’s from the folks behind Pyramid Vodka.

Media

Last spring, rumblings of a new media venture grew louder and louder. Details about the online-only nonprofit Daily Memphian came out slowly, as it was revealed that three big-name Commercial Appeal writers were jumping ship. Among them was the food writer Jennifer Biggs.

Jennifer Chandler, well-known in Memphis food circles, took over for Biggs at The Commercial Appeal.

Edible Memphis

Also last spring came the news that the food-centric journal Edible Memphis was being revived by Bill Ganus. Ganus assembled a crack team, with Brian Halweil as editor in chief and Stacey Greenberg as managing editor. The first order of business was to create a social media presence for Edible Memphis. Its Instagram is newsy and has broken a number of stories. The first issue of the new Edible Memphis is set to hit the stands in January.

New Tunes

The Vault announced its new branding as a “gastropub.” With the new moniker comes new hours and new menus. Sleep Out Louie‘s is back. The bar, known for its laid-back Sleep Out Louie character and its cast-off ties, opened in Peabody Place last spring. Caritas Village reopened with a new executive director Mac Edwards, formerly of the Farmer. Like a phoenix, Pete & Sam’s emerged from a devastating fire, with a classy new look and a full bar. Judd Grisanti paid tribute to his late father by reopening Ronnie Grisanti’s in the fall. Restaurant Iris unveiled its new look and new menu in August. Old Venice morphed into Venice Kitchen earlier this fall. The new name came with an updated look and a new menu. Strano ditched its spot in Cooper-Young for the old Jim’s Place East site in East Memphis.

P.O. Press

‘Burbs

Collierville had its restaurant game upped with the addition of P.O. Press Public House and Provisions and Raven & Lily. P.O. Press is in the former site of the Collierville Herald and before that a post office. It serves upscale Southern food. At Raven & Lily, they serve what the owner describes as “modern Southern comfort” food.

Mac Edwards

And, finally — finally! — Trader Joe’s opened in Germantown after some doubt that it ever would. Its opening wasn’t wrinkle-free, however. There was some tiny hoopla about the store handing out reusable bags printed with “Nashville.”

Hot Mess

There was a bit of an uproar when Gibson’s Donuts opened its doors to and provided one of its precious donuts to the horrible Marsha Blackburn. The owners countered that they weren’t hosting Blackburn per se, and, in any case, Blackburn was treated like any other customer.

Racks, a Hooters-like barbecue restaurant, opened in Southaven.

From Scratch

The Crosstown Concourse has been the source of a lot of food news over the past year. Opened this year were Elemento Pizza, which adheres to Neapolitan standards, and Global Cafe, which serves a delightful selection of foods from Nepal, Syria, Sudan, under the supervision of refugees from those countries. Lucy J’s Bakery also opened. All its workers earn a living wage. Saucy Chicken took over the space once occupied by the all-organic, vegetarian restaurant Mama Gaia.

Also opened this fall is Today and Always, a plant-based cafe which feeds participants of Crosstown Arts’ resident program for free. Chef Raymond Jackson has noted that working under the no-meat edict has stimulated his creativity, which shows in such dishes as its vegan pimento cheese dip and the chicken fried tofu. Bart Mallard is in charge of Crosstown’s Art Bar, which serves creative drinks, such as the Meditation of the Copulating Lizards, in the loungiest of lounge spaces.

Milk Dessert Bar serves over-the-top desserts as well as sentimental favorites. Featured on the menu is a cookie dough flight. Fam, a casual noodle restaurant, opened Downtown recently, and Mahogany, an upscale Southern restaurant with a movie theme opened in East Memphis in November.

Gray Canary, the latest from Michael Hudman and Andy Ticer, opened in January in the same building as Old Dominick Distillery. Its m.o. is that everything is cooked over an open fire. The setting, with a river view, is smokin’ hot, too.

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Traditional tea service at TreeLeaf Tea Room.

CREDIT: Photographs by Justin Fox Burks

Morgan Lee moved to Memphis from L.A. to pursue teaching. The city surprised her, as it wasn’t super Southern-y, as she was expecting. About a year later, her mother Stacy Brooks joined her and, together, the pair opened TreeLeaf Tea Room in Bartlett in mid-August.

TreeLeaf offers Cream Tea ($5.99) with a pot of tea and a scone served with Devonshire cream; Light Tea ($10.99) with a pot of tea, the scone, and assorted savory snacks; and Afternoon Tea ($16.99) with a pot of tea, the scone, savory treats, dessert, and fruit. A plate on a recent visit included finger sandwiches, a sandies cookie, melon and grapes, and a pie bar.

Photographs by Justin Fox Burks

Morgan Lee (left) and Stacy Brooks of TreeLeaf Tea Room

Teas include black and herbal. There are the classics — Earl Grey, English Breakfast. There are also seasonal teas like a cranberry hibiscus. There are a dozen offerings in all.

The prices are kept affordable. They want everybody to feel like they can stop in for some tea. For comparison, the afternoon tea at the Peabody is about $45.

Lee says she was too much of a tomboy to be into tea sets when she was a kid, but Brooks says she loved to play house. She liked serving people, and she liked cleaning. This extends to present day in the tea room, which is pristine and pretty with linens and tea sets, many bought at thrift stores.

While Lee manages the business side of the tea room, Brooks is in charge of the overall experience — how the space looks and how the table is set and how the food is placed on the plate. Lee laughs that when she plates the food, her mother tends to move it, even just a little. “It’s got to look nice,” insists Brooks.

The pair initially thought about a cookie business as Brooks loves to bake, but then the idea branched out to include a place to eat the cookies. Lee was taken to a tea room in L.A. as a birthday present from her sister. The idea set in.

Brooks says she figured out how to do the tea room by watching YouTube and checking out Pinterest.

Brooks stresses that it was God who put her on this path, steered her toward Tennessee, and led her to use her talents in this manner.

TreeLeaf is named after Brooks’ favorite psalm. She knew it was divine intervention when she came upon the idea and was ready to call her daughter, who had been bugging her about the name. But, first, she played a game on her phone. One of the questions from the game had to do with trees and leaves. Lee was just happy to have a decent name. “Sounds good to me,” she responded to her mother.

Brooks raised eight children in L.A., and there were plenty of struggles. But the mother-daughter relationship is relaxed and not fraught. “It’s a good thing we like each other,” says Brooks. Lee says even their squabbles are productive.

“Morgan sacrificed her life to help me with this,” Brooks says.

“It’s time for her,” answers Lee. “She sacrificed many, many times for her children. It’s a very small price to pay.”

TreeLeaf Tea Room, 2780 Bartlett Blvd. (512-5936), treeleaftearoom.com

Drunk Competition

After Miles Kovarik put up his post for a spelling bee event at a local bar, he was a bit astonished by the response. He says about 1,000 people were interested. “I thought we were onto something,” he says.

He then set about creating similar, nontraditional events for bars. Events he calls intellectual or boring.

And, thus, he established Drunk Competition, which puts on these events at Taylor Berger’s bars, Loflin Yard, Maciel’s, and Railgarten, about twice a month at each establishment.

The next event is Drunk Debate at Loflin Yard, December 27th.

The competitions begin with the easiest questions and increasingly get more difficult as they move along. At a recent math competition, Kovarik says that the first questions were of the most basic, two-plus-two variety, but the last question, he thought, was darn near impossible. But someone solved it.

Kovarik imagines all the directions Drunk Competition could take — Drunk Connect Four, Drunk Pictionary, Drunk Charades. The possibilities are endless.

Kovarik notes that you don’t actually have to be drunk to compete, it’s just whatever gets you comfortable enough to be in front of a crowd. “You can be drunk on water,” he says. “The emphasis is to have fun in your own capacity.”

But, if you want to drink, so be it. The bar usually offers drink specials, and the winner of the competition gets $100, “for more alcohol, if you like,” says Kovarik.

Sign up to compete via Facebook or eventbrite.

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

PETA At It Again

PETA, the animal advocacy group, is trying to start some shit, y’all.

The group recently posted a billboard on Summer depicting the three Wise Men. It reads, “Be Wise. Have Faith in Veganism.”

Justin Fox Burks

The billboard was placed near two churches at Christmastime.

From PETA’s press release:

“Going vegan is the perfect way to honor the Christmas message of peace on Earth and goodwill to all members of creation,” says PETA Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “PETA is encouraging everyone to celebrate with compassion by choosing a delicious vegan roast for the holiday table.”

That may be a tough sell in this city. But… but(!) … in sorta related news, the newly elected Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris held a VEGAN BARBECUE on Wednesday for staff and media as part of a kick off for his “Health and Fitness Initiative.” 

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Mahogany sets the scene.

CREDIT: Photographs by Justin Fox Burks

If you want to eat at the newly open Mahogany, it’s best that you make a reservation. It’s been packed since it opened on November 14th. In fact, one customer has vowed to dine in every seat to take in all the vistas. (It might take a while, as it has more than 120 seats.) It is the place to see and be seen.

Perhaps a more apt word is “scene,” as Mahogany is working a movie theme from its name to the decor and menu.

Mahogany is a nod to the movie starring Diana Ross at her (overwrought) chicest. “Rich, dark, beautiful, and rare” is how the day manager Jessica Miller defines Mahogany’s niche.

Photographs by Justin Fox Burks

Christopher Hudson, chef at the newly opened Mahogany

The restaurant is in Chickasaw Oaks Village in the old Just for Lunch and The Farmer space, near La Baguette. The ye olde country look has been ixnayed for something a bit more glamorous — modern grays, a dark bar, pretty green chairs for a touch of pizazz.

That touch extends to the menu, overseen by chef Christopher Hudson. The menu is divided into sections: the Extras (appetizers); the Props (soup and salads); the Wrangler (for kids); the Cast (entrees); the Stunts (sides); and the Finale (dessert).

The Cajun Chicken Egg Roll is among the extras, and it is extra. Hudson describes it as gumbo in an eggroll. The eggroll features okra and sausage. Another dish Hudson is proud of are the oxtails. He takes extra care with these, describing a two-day process that involves braising, then smoking. The Memphis Fried Chicken “feels like home,” says Hudson. It has buttermilk, hot sauce, oregano, and thyme.

Also on the menu are the Lasagna Roll; a Grilled Black Angus Burger; meatloaf; catfish; and salmon croquettes.

Hudson says what sets his dishes apart from other upscale Southern places is his gift with spices. He likes to use berbere and Creole spices, to work in Caribbean and African flavors.

Let’s move on the cocktail menu. Again, it’s a run through Hollywood with drinks such as the Etta James aka At Last, the Tom Jones aka Pussy Cat, and the Pam Greer aka the Foxy Brown.

The Edison aka Black Maria is a luminescent black drink. Vodka is soaked in black rice, which changes the color but not the taste, then a little pearl dust is stirred in. The Idris Elba aka American Gangster is $100 (and worth every penny, I’m guessing). It’s Remy Martin Louis XIII Cognac. The Bob Marley aka One Love is a multi-colored delight, which Miller promises will put you in a chill mood.

As for the desserts, Hudson says, “A lot of bourbon is used here.” It’s used in the Pecan Dessert Flight with Chocolate Pecan Pie, Pecan Ice Cream, and the Pecan Pie Cocktail. It’s used in Bananas Foster and the Peach Cobbler.

Mahogany is owned by Carlee M. McCullough, who is a lawyer. She recognized Hudson’s talent and wanted to showcase it, according to Miller. Hudson’s education was financially backed by Isaac Hayes. Hudson asked him if there was anything he could do for Hayes in return. Hayes’ answer? “Do great.” It’s worth noting that Hayes reached the peak in film. He won the Oscar for “Best Song” for “Shaft” in 1972.

Mahogany, 3092 Poplar, 623-7977, mahoganymemphis.com

Resilience IPA

Sierra Nevada is brewing Resilience IPA as a fund-raiser for Camp Fire Relief efforts, with 100 percent of beer sales going to the cause. The brewery has invited their cohort to get involved and have helped with donations of malt, hops, and yeast. More than 1,000 breweries nationwide have answered the call. Locally, two breweries have signed up: Crosstown Brewing and Memphis Made. The beer should be ready in a couple weeks and will be available until it runs out.

sierranevada.com/resilience-butte-county-proud-ipa

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Gary Williams’ Legacy

Sad news today. Gary Williams of DeJaVu has passed away.

Williams was a gentleman in the truest sense. He was kind and helpful. There was never an unreturned phone call. He was all positive vibes. When news came out that his restaurant DeJaVu on S. Main was closed, he said, “You know me, I’ll be back.” And he was. He reopened the restaurant in its original location on Florida earlier this year.

Williams has left a legacy of enthusiasm and good cooking, of being there when folks needed a little support. He will be missed.

In 2016, Williams wrote an essay for Memphis magazine about what it means to serve the community. A snippet is below, but the whole thing is worth reading.

I began my career like many chefs, learning from my mentors and developing the dream of one day owning my own restaurant. I didn’t have much growing up in New Orleans, but my life was abundant in love and support from my family and friends. I try to put a little of that magic in all that I do. Love and support goes a long way with people. It just so happens that I was blessed with the opportunity to own my own restaurants and catering services throughout the years. This career has allowed me to travel all over the country meeting athletes, celebrities, politicians, and travelers from all over the world. It also gave me the privilege to work with many young people side by side helping them grow into the wonderful people they have become or one day will be.

That is what this business is about: people, not just those who come in to enjoy the food and experience, but also the people that help make those magical moments happen. Many of us in this business spend more time at the restaurant than we do at home, so we’re a lot like family. There are so many different types of people in this business that I have had the pleasure of working with. You have college students, young professionals, career servers, and cooks, all bringing their personalities to this business. Everyone pulls together in the busy times with the sole focus of taking care of the guests that we are so blessed to have come into the restaurant. At the end of the day, we know we may have made a couple of mistakes but we did our best to make sure that our guests left happy.