The recent openings of seafood restaurants in Memphis reads like a Dr. Seuss rhyme. Bonefish, a St. Petersburg-based chain, has been drawing big crowds to its Cordova location for the past year. Bluefin recently opened on Main Street and features an extensive sushi menu and Asian-influenced entrées. And then there is Blue Fish, which adds to the evolving and eclectic variety of dining experiences in the Cooper-Young neighborhood.

The Blue Fish Restaurant & Oyster Bar occupies the corner spot on the same block as the Beauty Shop and Dó at the intersection of Cooper and Young. The windows of the main dining room allow a glimpse of the throng that has kept this restaurant packed since it opened a few months ago. Entry is off Young through a funky metal door, and the foyer is enhanced with a wall fountain. Turquoise paint, tile, and neon imbue a Caribbean feel to the restaurant’s interior, and the port windows and whimsical cutlery add to the theme. A free-standing oyster bar flanks the long bar. The decor is pleasing, but the noise level makes conversation difficult. A separate room in the rear of Blue Fish is much quieter.

Owner and chef Richard Grenamyer has long-established and jealously guarded relationships with fishermen from Alaska to the Gulf Coast. A daily appraisal of what’s available establishes the next night’s selections, and eight different preparations are offered for the fresh catch. For the non-fish-eaters in your party, token chicken and steak entrées are also offered.

In addition to raw oysters and boiled shrimp, starters include traditional soups and crustacean appetizers. On one visit, we enjoyed the gumbo — a large, seafood-heavy portion in dark broth that had a pungent filé flavor. We also tried the cioppino, a tomato-based fisherman’s stew. Like the gumbo, the cioppino was full of varied fish, clams, and scallops, but it could have used the traditional infusion of fennel. The Oysters Bienville lacked the crusty parmesan topping a tad more time in the broiler would have ensured, though the oysters were fresh and cleanly shucked. The special appetizer of the day, a grilled spicy shrimp with corn and black-bean relish, was delicious with its smoky and spicy kick. It was a favorite at our table.

Our daily-catch entrées were well-prepared and delicious. The quality of the fish was evident. The mahi mahi was prepared with a lightly jerked seasoning and topped with a mango salsa. It was also accompanied by the corn and black-bean relish. The spice on the fish and the sweetness of the salsa balanced well. The wild salmon, which was roasted on a cedar plank, was juicy yet firm. The woodsy flavor of the cedar was tempered with a tomato-basil butter sauce, and the garnish of flash-fried spinach leaves added a fabulous crunch.

We also ordered the blackened pompano, which was seared on the outside but tender inside. The dish was spicy but not overwhelmingly so. The sea scallops, lightly seared, were sweet and perfectly cooked. Red-eye gravy and mashed potatoes enhanced the flavor of the scallops.

There are not many restaurants I would journey to just for dessert, but Blue Fish is definitely one of them. Pastry chef and Richard’s wife, Evalee Grenamyer, has created several selections that are truly extraordinary. The Key Lime pie was a thick wedge of creamy tartness that cleansed the palate and awoke the taste buds — one of the best I’ve ever tasted. A chocolate pecan pie surprised with its rich chocolate morsels, and it didn’t have the syrupy blandness of so many pecan desserts. The blueberry bread pudding was bursting with fresh berries and a caramel custard. It was served à la mode, using blueberry ice cream. Orange carrot cake was a creative version of an old standard with a citrus zest boost.

A seafood-friendly wine list offers many Chardonnays, Pinot Gris/Grigios, and Sauvignon/Fumé Blancs by the glass. Prices for our entrées averaged $25, which, considering the quality of fish and the excellent preparation, was not exorbitant.

Blue Fish is open for dinner only, until 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. on weekends. Reservations are recommended but be sure directory assistance gives you the number for Blue Fish. You’ll want to be at the right place at the right time.

Blue Fish, 2149 Young, 725-0230

When wine blowhards begin flaunting fancy words, I duck out of the conversation. Now, with the huge popularity of the movie Sideways, these cocky connoisseurs are crawling out of every cellar, anxious for an opportune moment to release their jargon-laden rhetoric. My favorite beverage is so steeped in descriptors can’t we just drink it?

But let’s face it: The wine geeks won’t stop blathering anytime soon. So, even though all I really want is for you to run out and drink some wine, here’s my attempt to share the language so you too can become fluent.

Acidity: A substance in grape juice that makes you pucker when you sip, like eating a lemon. Acidity comes from the skins.

Aging: Aging mellows tannins (see definition below). Although 90 to 95 percent of all wine should be consumed within one year after it’s bottled, the remaining big boys — Bordeaux and Burgundy, Spanish and Italian reds, and some California Cabernet Sauvignons — need to be left alone in the bottle to chill out.

Balance: When everything in a wine comes together perfectly. The acids aren’t too strong, and the astringent tannins don’t kick you in the teeth.

Big: Mostly a word for red wines, meaning lots of beefy flavor and alcohol. Big wines normally need to age before most people would want to come near them.

Body: Wine is normally described as light-, medium-, and heavy-bodied, indicating how heavy the wine feels in your mouth. Kevin Zraly, famed wine educator, invented a way to teach people about “body.” Think of it as different grades of milk. Light-bodied wines imitate skim milk in the mouth; medium-bodied wines are like whole milk; and full-bodied equals heavy cream.

Complex: Complex wine has a lot of personality, and its flavor holds on through the entire sip — from the first taste of fruit to a long-lasting finish (see definition below).

Crisp: Sharp acidity in a wine. Normally a compliment for whites.

Dry: Not sweet. Dry wines have most of the sugar fermented out of them so there’s no sense of sweetness on the tongue.

Finish: Refers to the flavor lingering in your mouth after you take a sip. “A long finish” means the flavor lasts a few seconds or more.

Nose: The aroma of a wine. To really “get” the nose, stick your own nose all the way into the glass and breathe deeply.

Oaky: The wood taste imparted by the oak barrels or oak chips used during fermentation or aging.

Structure: The architecture of a wine: the smell, the feel in your mouth, the tannins, acidity, and fruit. “Good structure” is a fabulous compliment for a wine.

Tannins: The drying substances found in the seeds and skins of the grape, mostly in red wines. You can feel tannins as they suck the moisture from your mouth, just like strong-brewed tea. Tannins also enable wine to age.

Tight: Refers to a red wine’s reluctance to be friendly or fruity when you first pour it in the glass. A young wine high in tannins might be “tight” before it gets mixed with oxygen — achieved by swirling.

Recommended Wine

Morgan 2003 Twelve Clones Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands — Bright, fun cherry with firm acids and an earthy finish. Drink it with

a mushroom-laden stew. Mmmm. $22.

When wine blowhards begin flaunting fancy words, I duck out of the conversation. Now, with the huge popularity of the movie Sideways, these cocky connoisseurs are crawling out of every cellar, anxious for an opportune moment to release their jargon-laden rhetoric. My favorite beverage is so steeped in descriptors can’t we just drink it?

But let’s face it: The wine geeks won’t stop blathering anytime soon. So, even though all I really want is for you to run out and drink some wine, here’s my attempt to share the language so you too can become fluent.

Acidity: A substance in grape juice that makes you pucker when you sip, like eating a lemon. Acidity comes from the skins.

Aging: Aging mellows tannins (see definition below). Although 90 to 95 percent of all wine should be consumed within one year after it’s bottled, the remaining big boys — Bordeaux and Burgundy, Spanish and Italian reds, and some California Cabernet Sauvignons — need to be left alone in the bottle to chill out.

Balance: When everything in a wine comes together perfectly. The acids aren’t too strong, and the astringent tannins don’t kick you in the teeth.

Big: Mostly a word for red wines, meaning lots of beefy flavor and alcohol. Big wines normally need to age before most people would want to come near them.

Body: Wine is normally described as light-, medium-, and heavy-bodied, indicating how heavy the wine feels in your mouth. Kevin Zraly, famed wine educator, invented a way to teach people about “body.” Think of it as different grades of milk. Light-bodied wines imitate skim milk in the mouth; medium-bodied wines are like whole milk; and full-bodied equals heavy cream.

Complex: Complex wine has a lot of personality, and its flavor holds on through the entire sip — from the first taste of fruit to a long-lasting finish (see definition below).

Crisp: Sharp acidity in a wine. Normally a compliment for whites.

Dry: Not sweet. Dry wines have most of the sugar fermented out of them so there’s no sense of sweetness on the tongue.

Finish: Refers to the flavor lingering in your mouth after you take a sip. “A long finish” means the flavor lasts a few seconds or more.

Nose: The aroma of a wine. To really “get” the nose, stick your own nose all the way into the glass and breathe deeply.

Oaky: The wood taste imparted by the oak barrels or oak chips used during fermentation or aging.

Structure: The architecture of a wine: the smell, the feel in your mouth, the tannins, acidity, and fruit. “Good structure” is a fabulous compliment for a wine.

Tannins: The drying substances found in the seeds and skins of the grape, mostly in red wines. You can feel tannins as they suck the moisture from your mouth, just like strong-brewed tea. Tannins also enable wine to age.

Tight: Refers to a red wine’s reluctance to be friendly or fruity when you first pour it in the glass. A young wine high in tannins might be “tight” before it gets mixed with oxygen — achieved by swirling.

Recommended Wine

Morgan 2003 Twelve Clones Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands — Bright, fun cherry with firm acids and an earthy finish. Drink it with a mushroom-laden stew. Mmmm. $22.

When wine blowhards begin flaunting fancy words, I duck out of the conversation. Now, with the huge popularity of the movie, Sideways, these cocky connoisseurs are crawling out of every cellar, anxious for an opportune moment to release their jargon-laden rhetoric. My favorite beverage is so steeped in descriptors can’t we just drink it?

But let’s face it: The wine geeks won’t stop blathering any time soon. So, even though all I really want is for you to run out and drink some wine, here’s my attempt to share the language so you too can become fluent.

Acidity: A substance in grape juice that makes you pucker when you sip, like eating a lemon. Acidity comes from the skins.

Aging: Aging mellows tannins (see definition below). Although 90 percent to 95 percent of all wine should be consumed within one year after it’s bottled, the remaining big boys — Bordeaux and Burgundy, Spanish and Italian reds, and some California Cabernet Sauvignons — need to be left alone in the bottle to chill out.

Balance: When everything in a wine comes together perfectly. The acids aren’t too strong and the astringent tannins don’t kick you in the teeth.

Big: Mostly a word for red wines, meaning lots of beefy flavor and alcohol. Big wines normally need to age before most people would want to come near them.

Body: Wine is normally described as light, medium and heavy-bodied, indicating how heavy the wine feels in your mouth. Kevin Zraly, famed wine educator, invented a way to teach people about “body.” Think of it as different grades of milk. Light-bodied wines imitate skim milk in the mouth; medium-bodied wines are like whole milk; and full-bodied equals heavy cream.

Complex: Complex wine has a lot of personality, and its flavor holds on through the entire sip — from the first taste of fruit to a long-lasting finish (see definition below).

Crisp: Sharp acidity in a wine. Normally a compliment for whites.

Dry: Not sweet. Dry wines have most of the sugar fermented out of them so there’s no sense of sweetness on the tongue.

Finish: Refers to the flavor lingering in your mouth after you take a sip. “A long finish” means the flavor lasts a few seconds or more.

Nose: The aroma of a wine. To really “get” the nose, stick your own nose all the way into the glass and breathe deeply.

Oaky: The wood taste imparted by the oak barrels or oak chips used during fermentation or aging.

Palate: The flat part of the tongue. Sometimes broken into “front,” “mid,” and “back.”

Structure: The architecture of a wine: the smell, the feel in your mouth, the tannins, acidity, and fruit. “Good structure” is a fabulous compliment for a wine.

Tannins: The drying substances found in the seeds and skins of the grape, mostly in red wines. You can feel tannins as they suck the moisture from your mouth, just like strong-brewed tea. Tannins also enable wine to age.

Tight: Refers to a red wine’s reluctance to be friendly or fruity when you first pour it in the glass. A young wine high in tannins might be “tight” before it gets mixed with oxygen — achieved by swirling. Oxygen helps release its flavors and relax its aroma and flavor. •

Recommended Wine

Morgan 2003 Twelve Clones Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands. — Bright, fun cherry with firm acids and an earthy finish. Drink it with a mushroom-laden stew. Mmmm. $22.

Approach this business via Carolina Street, and you may drive right by. The white metal building, with its loading docks and accompanying big rigs, blends right in with all the other warehouses in south downtown.

Take Second Street, however, and you can’t miss the giant red letters spelling “Wayne’s Candy Company” painted across the side of the building. It’s those letters, according to Vice President Dave Wilkes, that draw customers into Wayne’s massive showroom, where bulk candy is sold at discount prices.

Inside, there’s enough candy to give all the kids in Memphis a sugar rush that would last well into the next year. If candy isn’t enough, customers can also buy pickles, potato chips, beef jerky, frozen popsicles, and sno-cone syrup.

“Throughout the course of a year, we offer 2,000 to 3,000 products,” says Wilkes. “We deal a lot in close-outs where the company we buy from may only have 20 cases of an item and then it’s gone. Those close-out items are sold very cheap.”

Wayne’s Candy Company, founded in 1946, is a family business in the truest sense. Wilkes and his brother, Gary, inherited the business from their father, Wayne, who died in 1999. The brothers grew up helping out around the warehouse. When there was downtime, Wayne would allow the boys to build forts using the cardboard boxes the candy was shipped in.

Their father began selling neckties and watermelons at age 9 to support his family after his own father’s death. As the oldest son, he had to play dad to his younger siblings, and he was forced to drop out of school.

“He hitchhiked to Memphis in the mid-1930s, and he only had a dime to his name,” says Wilkes. “He bought the driver some coffee and pie with it.”

Once he arrived, Wayne borrowed $60 from his brother who worked at a bakery. He put $40 down on a truck and bought cookies, peanuts, and snack foods with the remainder of the money. He sold the products, bought more, and eventually built a business that way.

“He was operating at a place across from where the Blue Monkey is now, and it was so tiny, they called it the piano box,” Wilkes says. “He had to expand and move to this location in 1954, and my mom told him he’d never fill this place up.” (The company has had to expand four times to make room for all their stock.)

“It’s still an old-time family business,” Wilkes says. “My nephew works here, and so does my sister and also my niece, my aunt, and my uncle. At one time, my wife and sister-in-law worked here.”

The showroom, which was added in the 1970s, services mostly individual candy lovers and convenience-store owners who don’t need to order large amounts of candy. Wilkes says many walk-in customers come in to buy candy to fill their kids’ lunch boxes or the office candy dish.

But the real heart of the operation lies in distribution. Behind the showroom are four large warehouse rooms filled with towers of candy in cardboard boxes. Convenience stores, movie theaters, and candy shops throughout Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi get their sugar stash from Wayne’s. Wilkes says most of their clients are located within a 200-mile radius of Memphis.

That’s a lot of candy over a lot of miles, but the folks at Wayne’s don’t track inventory or do invoices with computers — just ink pens, paper, and the occasional smidgen of Wite-Out. Their philosophy: “When the stack looks low, order more.” •

Wayne’s Candy Company is located at 164 E. Carolina (527-4370). Showroom hours are 6 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and 6 to 9:45 a.m. Saturday.

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. •

On a recent Friday night during happy hour at Molly’s La Casita, 2006 Madison, a friendly raccoon was greeting visitors in the back parking lot. Meanwhile, a woman in a business suit was walking through the lot, headed for dinner. She elected to take the front door to avoid the animal, however genial.

The point: It takes all kinds to make up a good happy hour, and those kinds — singles, couples, groups, families, suits, slackers, and raccoons — seem to fit right in at Molly’s.

Molly’s celebrated its 30th anniversay last month. Founder Molly Gonzales opened her first casita in Memphis at 1910 Lamar and then partnered with now-owner Robert Chapman to move to the present location in 1982. Gonzales died in 1997 at age 95.

When happy hour starts at 4 p.m., there are just a handful of customers. But by 6 p.m., the place is nearly filled. At the bar there are conversations about work and conversations about travel. Two patrons are discussing a washing machine they either have or wish they did. No one, however, appears to be meeting each other for the first time.

“It sounds cheesy, but this is their Cheers, where everybody knows your name,” says bartender/manager Conan Robbins, who has worked at Molly’s for 12 years. When one regular walks in, Robbins starts pouring a strawberry margarita and then puts in a request for chicken enchiladas — the regular’s usual. As for the Cheers thing, Robbins says he knows about 100 customers by name.

And everybody knows Phil Brown. In fact, says general manager Kelly Johnson, “If he’s not here, he better tell us he’s out of town, or we worry.” Brown shows up almost every day and has been for about 15 years. “Camaraderie” is how he sums up the appeal of Molly’s happy hour.

Caribbean Queen Bee (she did not want to give her name) is dressed in bright red and is sitting at the corner of the bar. She’s another 15-year veteran of happy hour. She comes for the tamales, shrimp, and hot wings, she says, and, of course, for the company of the staff and other regulars.

At one of the tables, Reggie Whitney is sitting with three friends. He remembers when he first became a regular — yep, 15 years ago. “That’s when we came into the knowledge of Molly’s margaritas,” he says.

But it is more than margaritas and tacos at Molly’s. Staff and customers go beyond the standard business relationship. Manager Johnson says it is not unusual for the customers and staff to send each other Christmas cards and to invite each other to parties. Robbins says many meet up to go to baseball games, and he once went on a trip to Europe with some of his customers. Patron Gene Lee invited the staff to see him play guitar with his band at Printer’s Alley a couple years ago. About nine of the staff showed up.

The regulars have memories good and bad. Brown remembers the day when an intoxicated woman broke a glass and cut her hand. She refused to let anyone help her and then tried to attack the employees. She was gone before the police arrived. On Halloween night 2003, Beckii Lee, Gene’s wife, helped bartender Robbins get into his Joan Crawford/Mommie Dearest costume. “He had a cocktail in one hand and a wire hanger in the other,” she recalls.

When Gene started coming to Molly’s in the mid-’80s, he would bring a book to read during happy hour. But not anymore. “The thing turned into a party,” he says.

Others regulars say they have vivid memories too, but those stories aren’t fit to print. •

Molly’s, 2006 Madison (726-1873). Happy hour is 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays. Margaritas are $4; well drinks are 75 cents off.

Tower Room American Grille opened last month in Clark Tower. The restaurant is on the 33rd floor of the Memphis landmark building and was once home to the Summit Club. The space has been completely transformed, and the only thing that remains the same is the spectacular view. In-Rel, the company that owns Clark Tower, hired interior designers from the Crump Firm to give the restaurant an elegant, contemporary feel. The designers chose warm, rich colors of butterscotch with accents of eggplant. The decor also features new carpeting, chandeliers, and a state-of-the-art kitchen, including an open-flame grill to prepare the steaks and chops that make up a large portion of the dinner menu.

Though the name says “American,” executive chef and general manager Ben Wilson employed global influences when creating the menu. From the sesame-crusted sashimi tuna to the Tuscan turkey focaccia panini, the lunch menu offers something to suit all tastes. The full bar features an extensive wine and champagne list.

The restaurant also features banquet facilities to serve parties from 25 to 600. “With experience at hotels in Dallas and casinos in Tunica, Chef Ben enjoys doing events where he can create special menus,” says David Simmons, development consultant for the restaurant. “He won first place in a regional chef’s competition last year and third place nationally, so he’s really an up-and-coming chef.”

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch Monday through Friday and for dinner from 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, call 767-8776 or see TowerRoom.com.

Senses may be best known for its music, drinks, and dance — what happens after dark. But now there’s the “Before Dark” experience, which launched on April 8th. With the addition of sushi chef Mike Yeh to the staff, the ultramodern Orange Bar will be transformed into a sushi bar Monday through Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. Yeh, who worked for Sekisui for about 12 years, revamped the entire menu. Guests can choose from a wide assortment of appetizers or tempura à la carte or opt for a complete salad and entrée. Dinner options range from traditional dinners to specialties, such as sea bass, coconut-curry shrimp, or Kobe steak. Yeh also created more than 20 sushi rolls specifically for Senses. One of them is the “Techno Roll,” which features eel and shrimp tempura topped with avocado. To go along with the pan-Asian theme, the bar has added more than 10 premium sakes to the drink menu.

Senses is located at 2866 Poplar, 454-4081.

Take a tour of South Africa’s wines at Seasons at the White Church April 14th. Chef and co-owner Brian Harwell will pair Cape Classics’ wines with a four-course dinner. The meal will begin with Laura Chenel goat-cheese ravioli with crispy chicken thigh, followed by blue-nose bass with a frisée lettuce, crispy potato, and prosciutto salad. The main course will feature Niman Ranch flatiron steak. For dessert, Harwell will serve strawberry and lemon trifle. Carter Nevill of United Liquor Distributors will be on hand to discuss the Blanc Stellenbosch and Shiraz wines, as well as the Canton Ginger Liqueur served with dessert. The dinner is the second installment in the Collierville restaurant’s 2005 Wine Series. The cost is $49 per person.

White Church is located at 196 N. Main at Poplar in Collierville. Call 854-6433 for reservations.

Things are heating up in the parking lot of the Poplar Lounge, 2586 Poplar, during the Third Annual Hot Wing Contest April 16th. Joe Birch, WMC-Channel 5 newscaster, will be among the celebrity judges who will award cash prizes to the top three winners from 20 teams. The competition runs from 2 to 4 p.m., but the party goes on all day. Ten bands are scheduled to keep the music going from noon until 8 p.m. And it’s not just beer, wings, and music. There will also be a silent auction. Place a bid on dinners from area restaurants, such as Huey’s and Zinnie’s East, a stay at Sam’s Town Hotel and Casino, or an enormous bottle of beer from Buster’s. The event is to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House and Judge Tim Dwyer’s Drug Force.

“I started this thing about three years ago, because I love hot wings and I thought it would be a fun way to raise money for some good charities,” says Paul Gagliano, a sales representative for Wallace Development Co., one of the event’s sponsors.

For more information, call 274-0539.

Chocolate makes people happy. Some even claim it’s better than sex. So it should come as no surprise that the chocolate workshop at the Viking Culinary Institute in Peabody Place sells out nearly every time it’s offered.

On Saturday, April 16th, the workshop is being held again, but home-chefs-to-be should hurry because only a few spots are left. In fact, Viking cooking-school coordinator Karen Noriega says many of their classes fill up quickly. On the institute’s Web-site calendars for April and May, several classes are marked “Sold Out” or “Almost Sold Out.”

“We have some classes that always sell out, especially when they’re offered on Saturdays,” says Noriega, who teaches the majority of the classes at Viking. “Being Memphis, we have a hard time with vegetarian classes and some of the ethnic classes, though.”

In the popular chocolate workshop, students get hands-on training in how to make chocolate-dipped strawberries, three varieties of truffles, “molten” chocolate cake, and a chocolate paté. The workshop lasts three hours and includes a 30-minute demonstration on the science of chocolate.

“We talk about the differences in chocolate and why it pays to spend a little more versus going to the grocery store and buying Hershey’s,” says Noriega. “Students learn to appreciate why some chocolate costs $15 a pound instead of $2 a pound.” Higher-quality chocolate contains an elevated percentage of cocoa and less fat.

Students work with semi-sweet, bittersweet, and white chocolate. But as Noriega points out, certain cooking rules apply to all chocolates. “A lot of people don’t have much luck with it at home,” she says. “You have to measure properly and respect all the rules. That’s why many people don’t mind going to Godiva and paying $20 a pound for truffles.”

Students are divided into teams of three or four and spend at least two hours cooking. At the end, participants sit down together to enjoy their efforts.

This is the format of all the hands-on workshops Viking offers. Workshops are usually limited to 12 people to prevent the kitchen from becoming too crowded. Other classes include “Foods of Italy,” “Meat Cookery,” “Tapas and Sangria,” “Tuscan Dinner,” a sushi course taught by Sekisui’s Jimmy Ishii, “Thai Dinner Party,” “Bakeshop Basics,” backyard entertaining, and knife skills. Noriega’s favorite class to teach is “Girls Night Out,” a class with a menu where women learn how to make indulgences such as strawberry soufflés with chocolate sauce. Viking offers a three-day course in culinary basics as well.

The school also hosts cooking demonstrations in a room with tiered seating so that up to 40 students can view Noriega or a visiting chef. Earlier this month, Tim Creehan, author of Simple Cuisine and former chef for Cybill Shepherd, Amy Grant, and Vince Gill, taught a class at Viking. Next month, North Carolina’s Sara Foster, a former student of Martha Stewart’s, will stop in.

“Our classes are for the home chef,” Noriega says. “We don’t offer any kind of degree or certification. The classes are open to everyone. As long as you’re over 16, you can take a class.”

Many of the same classes are also offered at Viking Culinary Institute locations in New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Nashville, Atlanta, Dallas, and St. Louis, as well as several cities in California. Some classes vary by region.

Classes are repeated according to popularity. Some occur once a month, such as the chocolate workshop. (The next one after Saturday is May 23rd.) If a hands-on class doesn’t attract at least four people, it’s generally canceled. Demonstrations are canceled when fewer than 12 people register. For instance, the center tried offering a vegetarian course recently, but when only one person signed up, the class was not offered.

Viking doesn’t advertise. Noriega says most people hear about the classes when they visit the Viking retail store at Main and Peabody Place.

“Lots of people just trip over it,” says Noriega. “And many of our clients are repeat clientele, so once they come, they tell their friends. We rely on word-of-mouth rather than big-time advertising.” n

Viking Culinary Institute’s chocolate workshop will be held Saturday, April 16th, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 125 South Main. Cost is $79 per person. For more information, visit VikingHomeChef.com.

The other day I was at home studying a seed catalog when my friend Spice dropped by to borrow my drill. She just bought her first house, and she’s tearing into it with the fervor of a young missionary on her first assignment: bathroom renovation, new fence, wall removal.

“Gosh,” said Spice, eyeing my ambitious seed order. “I’d love to grow a garden this year, but I won’t have time.” Thus she steered clear of my seed catalog and kept her life simple.

But I know something she doesn’t. One sunny Saturday in late May, the air will smell like drying mud and fresh flowers. The trees will have new leaves, birds will be singing, and Spice will be strolling the Farmer’s Market, where she’ll see various baby plants for sale: kale, peppers, cucumbers, herbs, and the all-time champion seductress of spontaneous gardeners, the tomato start.

Spice will buy some starts. It’s just so damn easy to buy a start and think, Stick this in the ground and get free tomatoes.

Thus, my advice to Spice: Yes, forget about seeds but prepare for the impulse garden. Clean out the garden spot abandoned by the previous owners. Turn the soil, mix in some manure and peat moss. Then, when the inevitable seduction occurs, Spice can take her tomato plant home, stick it in the ground, and get free tomatoes.

I’m able to say these things with such confidence because I am a student of gardens and of those who work them. This is complex stuff, so to help sort out the myriad personalities found in the fields of dirt, I’ve created the GardenGram System.

The GardenGram System is based on the popular Enneagram Personality Type Indicator System (EnneagramInstitute.com), which includes a personality test that places people into one of nine categories: Reformer, Helper, Achiever, Individualist, Investigator, Loyalist, Enthusiast, Challenger, or Peacemaker.

Not to be outdone, my GardenGram System places people into categories based on their relationship with their gardens. Here are some examples:

The Hardly Variety has little intention of doing anything in the garden and is perfectly content buying all food enclosed in plastic. This isn’t to say that he/she disapproves of gardening. It just isn’t his or her bag.

The Butterfly flits around the garden — often with beer in hand — while others are gardening. He or she plucks a weed here, a strawberry there, but mostly just hangs out. While the Butterfly may appreciate the importance of gardening, he/she ultimately uses the garden for its socializing opportunities.

The Workhorse is the opposite of the Butterfly. The Workhorse keeps moving, leaving a wake of change. Unlike the Butterfly, the Workhorse is able to garden and talk at the same time. And unlike the Butterfly, the Workhorse is able to also exist happily in a silent garden. Workhorses tend to create straightforward, functional garden plans, which they follow to completion.

I belong to the category known as the Big Planner. The Big Planner starts the year with grand ambitions, buying enough seeds to start a small farm. He/she fills many greenhouse trays with potting soil and grows many seedlings, which the Big Planner transfers to laboriously prepared beds. By the time summer rolls around, the Big Planner has lost interest in the jungle he also has created. Lettuce goes to seed, tomatoes split, and weeds choke the fields.

The Produce Rescuer is unable to bear the thought of waste. He/she rescues the abandoned produce of the Big Planner, only to have it rot in the back of his/her fridge. Like the Big Planner, the Produce Rescuer has a problem with following through (i.e., doing anything with the rescued produce). Not surprisingly, the Produce Rescuer is a strong candidate for co-dependency with the Big Planner.

The Humble Yet Spontaneous Garden Warrior is the category to which Spice belongs. She is a warrior because she attacks the task at hand and follows through to completion. For this reason, she is hesitant to bite off more than she can chew, and thus she remains humble. Humble Yet Spontaneous Garden Warriors, like Workhorses, can get a lot done. But unlike Workhorses, they are impulsive. That’s why I encouraged Spice to create the opportunity to grow a spontaneous yet manageable garden.

Hopefully, these examples will help you examine yourself and arrive at your GardenGram type. Once you know which type you are, you should be able to prepare for a rewarding growing season.