Tag: Beauty Shop

Categories
Cover Feature Food & Drink News

Burger Bonanza: Celebrating Burger Week with 10 Bluff City Burgers

The Bishop Burger at Bishop (Photo: Justin Fox Burks)

Everybody loves Burger Week. At least, everyone on the Flyer editorial team certainly seems downright hungry to devour a burger (and write about the experience) for this annual cover story.

And why shouldn’t they be? Hamburgers are the black T-shirt of American cuisine — they go with almost everything. Whatever your palate, you can dress them up or down to your taste, even eschewing the meat if that’s what floats your burger boat (and as 20 percent of this story’s samplings do). This roundup of 10 Bluff City burgers runs the gamut, from the classic to the most gourmet of garnishes.

Whet your appetite with these helpings of hamburger, and then see page 17 for a full list of the Burger Week specials available around town. In the meantime, if, like Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, you find yourself “Cruisin’ for Burgers,” we hope this list will be your burgerific guide.

The Bishop Burger at Bishop
Bishop, inside Central Station Hotel at 545 South Main, feels both familiar and otherworldly: You’re in the heart of historic Memphis, but with a French twist. A light Eurodisco take on Françoise Hardy’s “Le Temps De L’Amour” echoes through the room when the burger enters, buttered brioche buns gleaming, a steak knife plunged into the center, and all else is forgotten. Much care has gone into this creation, which some food-savvy friends have dubbed the best burger in town.

The double patties are made with beef from Evans Farms, blended with filet and short rib trimmings, topped with cheddar cheese and “all natural, humane” bacon from Niman Ranch. And then there are the enhancements: a B1 sauce, “a play on A1 sauce,” essentially a red wine and butter demi-glace incorporating more bits of filet, and a tomato aioli. The latter is made with tomatoes fermented for several days in the Bishop kitchen, adding a subtle tartness to the profile.

If you opt for pommes frites, try them with the garlic and dijon aioli, which takes the French penchant for mayonnaise with fries and throws a mustardy bite into the proceedings. Merveilleuse! — Alex Greene

Bishop, 545 S. Main Street #111

Steakhouse Burger at RP Tracks (Photo: Shara Clark)

Steakhouse Burger at RP Tracks
“Proud loser of the Best Burger in Memphis award for what, 30 years now?” That’s the text on an advertisement RP Tracks ran in this publication a few months back, poking fun at the fact that they’ve never made it to the top in the Flyer’s Best of Memphis “Best Burger” category. That may well be true, but their burgers are the business.

The standard RP Burger is a good go-to if you’re looking for a classic (8-oz. Angus patty and your choice of cheese, alongside a setup of lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles), but don’t stop there. The bacon cheddar and jalapeño burgers are both solid choices, but — being a fungi fanatic — I opt for the steakhouse. A thick, juicy beef patty is topped with grilled red onions and mushrooms, covered with melted Gouda shreds, and sandwiched in a potato bun. You can add the fixings to it, if you’d like, but with or without the extras, you’re gonna need to take a tip from Guy Fieri and do “the Hunch” — cradle it from underneath to hold it all together, tilt your head to the side, and open wide to get all that goodness in one bite. Any of Tracks’ burgers can be made with a Beyond Burger veggie patty, and they’re served with hand-cut fries. I go for the tots because that’s how I roll. — Shara Clark

RP Tracks, 3547 Walker Avenue

The Fye Junt at Plant Based Heat (Photo: Samuel X. Cicci)

The Fye Junt at Plant Based Heat
It’s fire, fire, everywhere with one of Plant Based Heat’s signature burgers. The new vegan restaurant by Ralph Johnson brings in all the traditional flavors of Southern cooking, just without the meat. For burger time, I emerged slightly singed, but none the worse for wear, after diving into the Fye Junt burger.

The Beyond Meat patty is simply the canvas for the firestorm to come. Jalapeño peppers? Check. Vegan pepper jack cheese and spicy mayo? Absolutely. But instead of a simply overwhelming heat wave, PBH’s secret sauce, coupled with Memphis Sweet Heat BBQ sauce, brings the spice back down to a manageable level just before things get out of hand. For good measure, toss in fresh spinach, tomato, and caramelized onions.

The Fye Junt fresh off the grill sure feels like messy and greasy goodness, with a texture akin to biting into a regular ol’ beef patty. Even if you’re a devout carnivore, like me, the Fye Junt will satisfy, I promise. Just maybe make sure there’s a glass of water nearby. For it’s all in the name: The Fye Junt truly brings plant-based heat. — Samuel X. Cicci

Plant Based Heat, 669 S. Highland Street

Ostrich Burger at Off the Hoof (Photo: Julie Ray)

Ostrich Burger at Off the Hoof
I’d heard about two great places for a burger in Arlington — Off the Hoof and Slingshot Charlie’s. I planned to try both and the best burger would get a write-up. By default Off the Hoof won the competition. Slingshot Charlie’s was shuttered for the week so that the owner and staff could celebrate the Fourth of July. Don’t fret, Charlie should be slinging shots by the time you read this.

At Off the Hoof, I had planned to have the $5 house burger. But then I saw the “Big Game” menu. I had to go there. It boasted buffalo, elk, wild boar, ostrich, and venison burgers. I was informed that fresh ostrich meat was shipped in on Tuesdays and Fridays. This tasty trek was on a Friday. Score.

I made a mistake. It tasted like beef. I expected more. There were some interesting sides ordered — Frito Pie (Fritos corn chips, chili, and cheese) and Freta Fries (hand-cut battered fries with feta cheese and buffalo sauce).

I wish I’d tried the $5 burger. The place was full of regulars. You don’t get regulars with a $19 ostrich burger that tastes like beef. Google informed me that ostrich was a lot healthier than beef and an ostrich looks like Big Bird.

My apologies to Sesame Street, but I took that as a win. — Julie Ray

Off the Hoof, 12013 US-70, Arlington, Tennessee

Mr. Good Burger at Roxie’s Grocery (Photo: Chris McCoy)

Mr. Good Burger at Roxie’s Grocery
“I hope you don’t have any work to do this afternoon.”

I’m standing next to Daris Leatherwood, chef and owner of the Sum Light Bistro food truck. We’re in line at Roxie’s Grocery, waiting for our orders. The cooks are presiding over a full griddle. It’s lunchtime, and we’re behind a big order destined for workers at nearby St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Roxie’s is an Uptown landmark, the kind of place where you take time to talk to your neighbors. Leatherwood’s been telling me about launching his food truck when he asks what I ordered. I’m getting the Mr. Good Burger, the H-bomb of the Bluff City burger scene. I tell him I’ve got to write about it once I’ve eaten it. “You’re gonna have to take a nap,” he says.

The Mr. Good Burger comes wrapped in a foil package that’s bigger than both my fists — and I’m a bass player with long fingers. It’s a double bacon cheeseburger with all the trimmings, but that generic description doesn’t convey the sheer magnitude of this classic. The four strips of super-thick bacon are bent double and inserted between the patties. I have to unhinge my jaw to take the first bite and blast off to carnivore heaven. They call it “Mr. Good Burger” for a reason. This is the Platonic ideal of the two-patty griddle burger, a mixed-meat masterpiece.

Now I’ve got to lay down. The things I do for journalism … — Chris McCoy

Roxie’s Grocery, 520 N. 3rd Street

The Bshop Wagyu Burger at the Beauty Shop (Photo: Jon W. sparks)

The Bshop Wagyu Burger at the Beauty Shop

My burger of choice, the Bshop Wagyu Burger at the Beauty Shop, is daunting, understandably pricey, and a thing of wonder. The $12 delight comes with a tasty special sauce, lettuce, tomato, cheese, pickles, and onions. I ordered bacon, avocado, and mushrooms on top of that (75 cents each) because I could. Cheeses available are American (my choice), cheddar, pimento cheese, provolone, and gruyère. And you can get an egg in the mix for another buck.

Once you’ve outfitted it, you’ll find it difficult to deploy in the traditional way. There is a top and bottom torta roll, but everything in the middle makes it difficult to chomp without dislocating a jaw, so you may want to have utensils at the ready. Still, going at the mushrooms with fingers or the avocado with a fork doesn’t diminish the pleasure in the slightest. The beef is sublime and the veggies are yummy. It is fairly typical of what you get at the Beauty Shop — or any of Karen Carrier’s eateries — in bringing forth the freshest ingredients and splendidly prepared dishes. — Jon W. Sparks

The Beauty Shop, 966 S. Cooper Street

Firecracker Burger at Clancy’s Cafe (Photo: Michael Donahue)

Firecracker Burger at Clancy’s Cafe

I can’t resist saying the Firecracker Burger at Clancy’s Cafe bursts with flavor. But it really does. It’s delicious.

But I won’t say “explode” because it’s not one of those so-hot-it’s-inedible food items.

“It is two 8-ounce patties, ground beef, that’s stuffed with our homemade pimento cheese and pickled jalapeños,” says Tyler Clancy, owner of the Red Banks, Mississippi restaurant.

“And then we fry the burger, of course. It’s on a toasted sourdough bun with our hand-breaded onion rings. The onion rings are on the burger. And then we do our in-house queso cheese dip on all of it.”

The burger is just one of those things that was so good it stayed around. “This was like a Fourth of July special probably five, six years ago. It had great success. People really liked it. It eventually made its way on the menu.”

And, again, this isn’t some fiery burger that will make you run for water. “I would just describe it as more of a mild to medium heat. The jalapeños aren’t very hot. So it’s more of a spiciness than it is a real tongue-burner.” — Michael Donahue

Clancy’s Cafe, Hwy. 178 West, Red Banks, Mississippi

Chipotle Black Bean Burger at Evelyn & Olive (Photo: Abigail Morici)

Chipotle Black Bean Burger at Evelyn & Olive
As a Catholic, I’ve made my fair share of mandatory confessions, but this is, perhaps, my most embarrassing one yet: I tried my first burger in 2019, not as a curious toddler but as a semi-functioning 20-year-old picky-eater. It was a veggie burger on a certain local college campus, where my options were limited, my standards sinking, my expectations low, and, man, that burger was sinfully bad. Thankfully, I had the wherewithal not to give up just yet on expanding my palate, and I tried the Chipotle Black Bean Burger at Evelyn & Olive. And hallelujah, what a delight!

The ciabatta bun is lightly toasted, and the black bean patty, topped with tomato and lettuce, has just the right amount of crisp. But the mango-barbecue sauce is the real star of the show with a smoky but sweet flavor. Plus, the dish came with a side, so I also devoured some fried plantains, which mmmm, I could snack on all day and night and the next morning, too. Overall, the black bean burger is pretty simple compared to the other Jamaican and Southern dishes on the menu, but Evelyn & Olive can never disappoint. — Abigail Morici

Evelyn & Olive, 630 Madison Avenue

No.1 Farm Burger at Farm Burger (Photo: Courtesy Farm Burger)

No. 1 Farm Burger at Farm Burger
The eponymous sandwich at Farm Burger in Crosstown Concourse is exactly what you’d want something called a “farm burger” to be — fat, juicy, but tight enough in its bun to be easily managed by hand. Cooked to your order (I like mine medium well), the patty I had was topped with cheddar and a generous layer of caramelized onions and marinated in the establishment’s “f.b. sauce” (mayonnaise, garlic, and a touch of chili were some of the recognizable components). The bun encasing all these goodies was an integral part of the package, as well, its breaded halves neither melted on nor floppily separate.

The burger, which is served in a basket, can be further customized more or less to the customer’s taste, and a variety of sides is available. I was happy enough with the basic Farm Burger as normally prepared, but I was curious enough about what was billed as “pimento cheese fries” to give that menu item a try. It turned out to be a delectable (and generously proportioned) selection of french fries smothered in melted pimento cheese and crowned with sliced jalapeños. Forks are available. You can eat as many of the peppers — or as few — as you choose. It may depend on what your drink choice is; mine was a glass of a refreshingly light pilsner beer. Standard teas and soft drinks can be had as well. — Jackson Baker

Farm Burger, 1350 Concourse Avenue #175

Assassin Burger at Wally Hatchet’s (Photo: Toby Sells)

Assassin Burger at Wally Hatchet’s
Drive east past the Malco Summer Drive-In, cross the Wolf River, pass Golf and Games, and drive past the Shoney’s graveyard of Summer and Sycamore View. Find self-control enough to pass Elena’s Taco Shop, cross Elmore Road, and you’ll find Wally Hatchet’s, nestled in a strip mall with a how-can-this-still-be-Memphis address.

The lunch-rush crowd was finishing up as I entered. Customer graffiti covered the walls in between colorful prints of Hank Jr., Merle Haggard, and the like. The aesthetic was NASCAR-dad man-cave with a collage of art (like a painted board that reads “rock me baby”), a dented piece of a race car, a giant Harley-Davidson sign, and a toilet-roll holder shaped like a revolver. One wall was dedicated to military veterans.

Given the drive, I wanted the wildest burger Wally Hatchet’s had to offer. The Assassin Burger was tasty but mild, given an ingredient list that included pepper jack cheese, grilled jalapeños, and pepper sauce that tasted an awful lot like A1.

Wally Hatchet’s won’t become my next burger obsession. But, if you’re out that way, give it a try. — Toby Sells

Wally Hatchet’s, 6439 Summer Avenue

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Beauty Shop Restaurant Reopens for Lunch

CREDIT: The Beauty Shop Restaurant/Facebook

The Beauty Shop Restaurant/Facebook



The Beauty Shop Restaurant will reopen for lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays beginning February 8th.

“We haven’t been open for lunch since last March,” says owner Karen Carrier.

Fare from Hazel’s Lucky Dice, the delicatessen Carrier launched during the pandemic, will be part of the Beauty Shop menu. “Instead of being to-go, now it’s going to be inside the Beauty Shop. You can still order online, but you can also dine inside the Beauty Shop.”

The Beauty Shop Restaurant at 966 South Cooper Street will continue to be open between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. for Saturday brunch and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for Sunday brunch.

Karen Carrier

Categories
News The Fly-By

MEMernet: I-240, Beauty Shop, and Cohen

Never Stop

A little Sunday motivation from r/memphis

MEMernet: I-240, Beauty Shop, and Cohen


That Poor Kid

Memphis Beauty supply store starter pack from r/memphis

MEMernet: I-240, Beauty Shop, and Cohen (2)


Masked Men
This video of Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Memphis) originally appeared on Reddit’s r/publicfreakout subreddit. In the short, but fiery clip, a purple-gloved Cohen pulls no punches on Republicans. Cohen said they refused to pull $100 billion in federal money that would go, largely, to wealthy Americans.

Then he goes off on masks and Jesse James and thievery, and then throws Trump and Pence under the bus for good measure.

The clip would also feel right at home at r/whoadude sub.
    

MIC DROP from r/memphis

MEMernet: I-240, Beauty Shop, and Cohen (3)

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

The Beauty Shop at 15

Some folks still think Beauty Shop restaurant is a beauty salon.

“People call and ask if they can get an appointment,” says owner/chef Karen Carrier. “I say, ‘Do you want a reservation?’ And they go, ‘No. An appointment.’ And I go, ‘No, this isn’t a beauty shop.’ We should start calling our reservations ‘appointments.'”

Beauty Shop (with its slogan “Look Good/Eat Good”) at 966 Cooper will celebrate its 15th anniversary July 14th and 15th. For those two days, the dinner menu will be the same as the one when the restaurant opened in 2002. The Wild Magnolias from New Orleans will perform at 9:45 p.m. July 15th, following a second line from Beauty Shop down Cooper and back.

Carrier, who also owns Mollie Fontaine Lounge, Bar DKDC, and Another Roadside Attraction caterers, didn’t have a beauty shop theme in mind when she began looking for a space for a new restaurant. At the time, she owned Automatic Slim’s (which she sold in 2008) downtown and Cielo (which later became Mollie Fontaine) in Victorian Village. “I wanted to be in a neighborhood,” she says. “I wanted to get out of the touristy part of downtown. I’d done it for so long.”

And she says, “I get bored every six to seven years and re-invent myself.”

Karen Carrier’s Beauty Shop is celebrating 15 years in business.

While looking at another spot in Cooper-Young, Carrier discovered a “For Rent” sign on the space that once was the old Atkins Beauty and Barber Shop.

She “flipped out” when she walked inside and saw the big cone-shaped hair dryers, the mirrors, and the avocado green sinks in the old hair-styling areas that were separated from each other by glass bricks. “Everything was here,” she says. “And I was like, ‘Oh, my God.'”

Carrier went back to her phone and called the owner. “Her father had started Atkins Beauty Salon back in 1942.”

Carrier put down $1,000 as earnest money. “And that was it.”

She knew she could make a restaurant out of a beauty shop. “I can just walk into a place and have this weird feel if it will work or not.”

She visualized how it would look. Booths would be installed in the hair-styling areas. The green sinks would be moved behind the bar. “I saw the hair dryers becoming chairs where you can sit.”

Carrier removed the old drop ceiling to add more height. She had a double kitchen built. “Up front, we took that wall out and opened the whole bar up. I hung the curtains.”

Sculptor Wayne Edge made the bar and the wormwood tables. “He built a banquette, and I covered it with an old Turkish rug.”

She also rented the space next to the old beauty salon. “We had the ‘Beauty Shop General Store.’ We sold old Vespas. We sold refurbished bikes. We sold Dinstuhl’s chocolates. All kinds of cheeses. We sold prepared foods to-go from Roadside. We sold men’s and women’s Giraudon shoes from Italy, my favorite shoe shop in New York.”

Food at Beauty Shop was Americana Caribbean. “I love that spice, but not that heat. I like that flavor. The big, bold flavors. It’s very much influenced by that sun-drenched cuisine: Mexico, Jamaica, Israel, Louisiana.”

In keeping with the 1960s theme, Beauty Shop servers wore beehive wigs. “My friend, who was doing hair in the ’60s, had a place down on Perkins. So, she created 10 beehives in 10 different colors. The servers got to pick them and put them on their heads. It was hilarious.”

Beauty Shop’s opening night was a hit. “This place went nuts. It was just mobbed from the time we opened at lunch through the end of the night.”

Servers in beehives prepared guacamole tableside, Carrier says.

“Everybody wanted to sit in the booths. They wanted to sit under the dryers. I said, ‘Don’t pull it down!’ ‘Cause we had rigged lights in them so they would light up pink.”

Over the years, customers from Atkins Beauty and Barber Shop dined at Beauty Shop restaurant. “Do you know how many people have come in here and said, ‘I used to have my hair done here back in the ’50s’?”

Priscilla Presley was one of them. “She’d come here to get her beehive, her big hairdos, done at Atkins in the first booth. She came in one day, and she goes, ‘You know, that’s the booth where I used to get my hair done.'”

Changes have taken place over the years. Beauty Shop General Store closed and became Do Sushi. It’s now Bar DKDC (Don’t Know Don’t Care), a restaurant/bar/music venue featuring street food from around the world.

Menu items changed at Beauty Shop, but customers celebrating the restaurant’s anniversary can dine on original menu items, including Ying/Yang Carpaccio of Red and White Tuna, Tuna Pizzette, Bangkok Salad, and Crispy Salt and Szechuan Pepper Scrimps.

Servers stopped wearing beehives years ago. “The waitresses started bitching, ‘This is hot.'”

But they’ll wear beehives during the anniversary weekend, Carrier says.

And maybe longer. “I don’t know. That might stick. We might not let that go again.”

Beauty Shop 15th Anniversary, July 14th-15th

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

#Hashtag

Beauty Shop Country Ham Hash

Beauty Shop, 966 S. Cooper (272-7111)

The Beauty Shop starts serving brunch at 10 a.m., and I recommended getting there early or making a reservation if you want a seat. On a recent Sunday, sidewalk seating was full by 11 a.m. — and it was 54 degrees outside.

Inside, it’s warm, welcoming, and totally funky in the best way. From the mismatched mugs and salt and pepper shakers to the repurposed hairdryers, there’s nothing institutional about it. The Beauty Shop is undeniably full of beautiful people — from young, urban couples (not hipsters) to fashionable forty- and fifty-somethings who appreciate that the waitress half their age calls them darlin’ rather than ma’am.

The menu is expansive and has everything you ever wanted in a brunch. If it’s hash browns you want, there are three choices: Country Ham Hash, Chicken or Beef Tenderloin Hash, and Pastrami Hash. All sell for $13.

I went for the Country Ham Hash, which, according to the menu, features: potatoes, sweet potatoes, red peppers, onions, and cracked eggs with mustard chipotle sauce. Once cracked, I asked for the eggs over hard. Smothered in the spicy sauce, they were the perfect topping for the potatoes. I don’t love sweet potatoes and wasn’t sad that there were maybe only three mixed in. I did love the addition of red peppers. The country ham is cured, so it’s drier and saltier than regular ham, which is fine by me, and there was just the right amount of it. A touch of cilantro on top gave the dish that little something extra.

The coffee is good, and the mimosas are immense.

Alchemy’s Pimento Cheese Hash

Alchemy, 940 Cooper (726-4444)

Down the road at Alchemy, the brunch scene is decidedly less “eat and be seen,” and much more “drink, eat, and relax.” If you have a hangover or like to spend your Sundays day-drinking, this is the place for you.

The separate drink menu features the most extensive list of Bloody Mary options I’ve ever seen. There’s a house-made vegan mix, 12 kinds of garnish (including the day’s pickled treat), and special add-ons like blue cheese olives. If Bloody Marys aren’t your thing, then there’s also a Bellini bar (with “Surprise me!” as an option), house-made sangria, and a variety of coffee-booze concoctions. Bartender David Parks is also happy to throw together fancy non-alcoholic beverages, which he dubs “prenatal cocktails.”

Food starts coming out of the kitchen at 10:30 a.m., and the bar closes at 4 p.m.

In terms of hash browns, there are two options, and I had to try them both. The Pimento Cheese Hash Browns, which can be ordered as a side, come in a small skillet. It’s filled with crispy diced potatoes (that look as though they were originally meant to be fries) and topped with a large dollop of house-made pimento cheese. The cheese gets a little melty when added to the hot potatoes, and the result is simply delicious. It could easily be a meal and would be the best $5 you spent all day. Trust me.

Alchemy’s Shrimp & Bacon Hash

For a fancier start to the day, there’s the Shrimp and Bacon Hash ($18), which features poached eggs on toasted French bread with salsa fresca and cotija cheese. The shrimp are plump and juicy, the bacon is thick, crispy, and crumbled, and the eggs are cooked to perfection. The French bread is slender, yet has no problem providing the perfect base for this dish. The hash browns are the middle man and make it a satisfying, hearty meal. The Shrimp and Bacon Hash makes me wish every day was Sunday.

The Kitchen Sink from Three Angels

Three Angels Diner, 2617 Broad (452-1111) If low-key is what you are looking for, then head over to Three Angels on Broad, which starts serving brunch at 10 a.m. It’s part diner, part bar and attracts a mixed bag of hipsters, families, and hipster families. By far, it has the most hash brown bang for the buck in town.

The Kitchen Sink ($11) includes beef brisket hash, homemade sausage, bacon, garlic cheese grits, flat top potatoes, cheese, two fried eggs, and homemade salsa. This has to be the most serious brunch offering in the city. I dare say there should be a food competition built around it.

The grits are smeared across the bottom of the plate. There’s at least two or three cups worth of brisket hash, full strips of bacon, sausage patties cut in half —you get the picture. My serving even included a few boiled red potatoes.

It’s a man’s dish. Or, at the very least, a roller derby girl’s.

Photographer Joey Miller, who happened to be sitting next to me at the bar eating the most beautiful blueberry pancakes I’d ever seen, said, “Last time I got the Kitchen Sink, I drank nearly a whole bottle of Jameson the night before, with no Taco Bell.”

The coffee’s nothing special, but there’s local beer on tap, and the French 75s are perfect.

Categories
Music Music Features

Memphis Punk Goes West

CREDIT: Andrew J. Breig

The distance between the San Francisco and Memphis music scenes shrinks as local punk rockers Ex-Cult head to California to record their first full-length album produced by Ty Segall, all on an advance from Goner Records.

“It’s kind of exciting to take a band from Memphis and send them out to some friends of ours in San Francisco and see what winds up happening,” Goner co-owner Zac Ives says.

The label has released several albums by the San Francisco-based Segall, who has emerged as one of the garage/punk scene’s signature artists. Goner has also released Ex-Cult’s first seven-inch single under the band’s original name, Sex Cult. After a like-named New York record label delivered a cease-and-desist letter to Goner, the band changed its name to Ex-Cult.

Chris Shaw (Vile Nation, Achtung! zine) and Michael Peery (Hail Maria!, Magic Kids) decided to start a band over beers at Midtown’s Lamplighter Lounge. During their first practice, they called guitarist J.B. Horrell (Moving Finger, Noise Choir). Shaw and Peery weren’t sure at first what form the band would take.

“We knew certain things. We should make it Syd Barrett meets the Angry Samoans,” Peery says.

“Or the Victims,” Shaw says, citing another early punk influence.

“We told that to J.B., and he didn’t look at us like we were insane. So it worked out.”

Shaw (on vocals) and Peery (drums) also knew they wanted another guitar player, but nothing fit until they thought of Alec McIntyre (Di Di Mau), another local musician with whom they were already friends.

“I just got a text that was like, ‘You wanna be in a punk band?,'” McIntyre says, mocking the cliché. Natalie Hoffman (NOTS, Bake Sale) entered on bass after the band’s second show in February 2011.

Some months later, Ex-Cult landed on the bill at Gonerfest 8, where Segall first told the band he really liked what they were doing. Within a week, Goner released the band’s debut single, “Errand Boy,” a record full of head-bobbing energy and orchestrated chaos. It received a ton of good press, and the band continued to play local shows a few times a month at the Buccaneer, Poplar Lounge, Lamplighter, and Hi-Tone Café, with a brief tour at the end of October. The band has always been selective about who they’ve opened for — acts from Memphis like True Sons of Thunder (which includes the other Goner co-owner, Eric Friedl) and Moving Finger, Nashville’s Useless Eaters, Total Control from Australia, and Segall.

This January, Goner saw the momentum the band was gaining and decided to release their debut album, featuring the band at the Goner showcase at Austin’s South by Southwest Music Festival this spring. Segall again approached the band but this time with the desire to produce their album.

“Ty liked their show. They liked the way Ty recorded stuff, and they wound up talking a bunch about maybe recording,” Ives says.

Shaw was nervous about asking Ives, not knowing what to expect from the label. “I thought there was going to be some spreadsheets and Microsoft Excel, but there were some beers and it was done,” he says.

Goner offered the band an advance to record at a studio run by San Francisco scene stalwart Eric Bauer, where the Sic Alps, Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segall, and Rank/Xerox have sought asylum and creative freedom.

While Ex-Cult admitted its songs are a bit more rehearsed than some of the looser stuff that Bauer has recorded, Ives thinks it will be a good fit.

“Taking the sounds that Ty was getting out of his recordings [with Bauer] and trying to meld them on top of how Ex-Cult is doing things is kind of this neat way of throwing two things together and seeing what could happen,” Ives says.

That same collaborative spirit is part of what attracted Goner to Ex-Cult in the first place.

“It’s a bunch of different people who had been doing different kinds of music, and it came together,” Ives says. “They all brought their own kind of piece to it, and I think they created something pretty neat and unique.”

Most of the album’s songs have been written in the last two months, with the band building on riffs delivered by individual members. Shaw polishes the musical product off with narrative, stream-of-consciousness lyrics.

“Most of the lyrics tell a story about things that young people think about: cops, being angry, feeling isolated,” McIntyre says, with an ironic edge. “Plenty of murder fantasies.”

The band plays high-energy shows: Horrell freaks out on the guitar, Shaw freaks out on the mic, Hoffman and Peery hold steady on bass and drums, respectively, and McIntyre fixates on the guitar strapped high to his chest before he, too, loses it.

This weekend will be the last chance to see the band live before they head to California to record.

Ex-Cult, with Cities Aviv

The Beauty Shop

Saturday, August 11th

10:30 p.m.; $3

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Sunday Brunch in Cooper Young

CREDIT: David Meredith

Last weekend was my friend Victoria’s birthday, and we celebrated with drinks and brunch in Cooper Young. We started at Blue Fish, where the Bloody Mary bar is part of the restaurant’s new brunch menu. It was a sight to behold: martini glasses filled with green tomatoes, olives, white asparagus, pepperoncini, pickled green beans, and large stalks of celery so you could have a little crunch with every sip.

bloodymary.jpg

  • David Meredith
Categories
Best of Memphis Special Sections

Best of Nightlife

CREDIT: Alex Harrison

Alex Harrison

For a long time, people went to Earnestine & Hazel’s for another kind of box. But now that it’s no longer a brothel, they go there for the jukebox and its selection of classic Motown, blues, jazz, and soul. It goes great with a Soul Burger.

The category “Best Pick-Up Joint” is a fount for interesting
responses. To wit: There were two votes for No Regrets Tattoo
Emporium (second-place winner of “Best Tattoo Parlor” in Goods &
Services). “I always did well at Young Avenue Deli,” one voter
helpfully responded. 201 Poplar got a vote, as did a couple of
places that were too disturbing (and potentially illegal) to include
here. For the voter who entered ”You tell me,” see below.

Justin Fox Burks

Minglewood Hall, 1st place: ‘Best Place To See Live Music’

Best Place to See Live Music

1. Minglewood Hall

2. Hi-Tone Café

3. Mud Island Amphitheatre

Minglewood Hall, located in the old Strings & Things building on
Madison, bounced onto the Memphis music scene with a bang. Boasting a
massive seating area, a fancy raised stage, and plenty of room for
dancing or headbangin’, Minglewood is Midtown’s largest rock venue in
decades. Since opening in February, Minglewood has hosted MGMT, Gwar,
Lucinda Williams, and Of Montreal. Expect plenty more huge acts in the
years to come.

Best Local Band

1. The Dempseys

2. The Sheriffs of Nottingham

3. Lucero

This unique local rockabilly trio is no stranger to fame. Members
Joe Fick, Brad Birkedahl, and Ron Perrone portrayed Johnny Cash’s
back-up band in the 2005 biopic Walk the Line. They even
performed for Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi when he was in
town with President George W. Bush in 2006. So it should come as no
surprise that these local faves placed number one in the Best of
Memphis poll.

Best Local Singer

1. Amy LaVere

2. Harlan T. Bobo

3. Valerie June

Amy LaVere’s trademark Southern twang, accented by the deep rumble
of her upright bass, has made her an unforgettable staple on the
Memphis music scene. She entered the Bluff City in the early ’90s as
part of the Nashville-based Gabe & Amy Show, but she quickly broke
free, establishing her own place in a scene deficient in rootsy
Americana music. These days, she’s all over the place — Craig
Brewer films, the Americana Music Conference, the Austin City Limits
Festival, and tons of local gigs in bars across the city.

Best Karaoke

1. Windjammer Restaurant & Lounge

2. Yosemite Sam’s

3. P&H Café

Despite the tragic shooting of DJ Donald Munsey last year, karaoke
lovers still tout this bar as the best place in Memphis to sing along
to their favorite tunes.

Best Hole in the Wall

1. Earnestine & Hazel’s

2. P&H Café

3. Alex’s

Downstairs, this ages-old bar offers pool, a generous dance floor,
and a jukebox loaded with the classics. Upstairs, curious customers can
explore the rooms that once played host to ladies of the night during
the building’s brothel days. Thankfully, the whole place is very dimly
lit. The sheer age of the building, doubled with years of serving
greasy burgers, gives the place a dingy vibe. Of course, isn’t that
what makes dive bars so special?

Best College Hangout

1. Newby’s

2. RP Tracks

3. Blue Monkey

Newby’s bills itself as the “college bar you never graduate from.”
Truer words have never been spoken. This roomy Highland Strip hangout
attracts an even mix of University of Memphis students, college grads,
and likely a few college dropouts. The crowds gather to hear live
music, play pool, watch the game, or down Newby’s energy cocktail: the
Rock Star.

Justin Fox Burks

Tara White, 1st place: ‘Best Bartender’

Best Bartender

1. Tara White at Celtic Crossing

2. Brian “Skinny” McCabe at Newby’s

3. Brad Pitts at Bari — tie —

Michael Luckey at Ciao Bello

Every Monday night at Celtic Crossing, beer lovers descend on the
tiny Midtown pub for $2.50 drafts. Despite the shoulder-to-shoulder
crowds, bartender Tara White manages all the drink orders on her own.
With 15 years experience in bartending, White knows what she’s doing.
Co-workers describe her as a “high-volume bartender” with a loyal
following.

Best After-Hours Club

1. Earnestine & Hazel’s

2. Blue Monkey

3. Alex’s

After a night of sipping wine and gazing at local art on the South
Main trolley tour each month, patrons cram into this downtown dive for
a cold beer and a Soul Burger. Though it’s not open any later than many
downtown bars, Earnestine & Hazel’s makes for the perfect gathering
place after a Beale Street blues show.

Best Pick-up Joint

1. Peabody Rooftop

2. Flying Saucer

3. Blue Monkey

Patrons dressed to impress, a steady flow of cocktails, and live
music to dance to set the stage for seduction at the Peabody’s rooftop
parties.

Best “Cougar” Bar

1. Spindini

2. T.J. Mulligan’s

3. Blue Monkey

Mature ladies on the prowl know they can find hot young hunks at
this South Main restaurant. Spindini boasts upscale dining and
signature cocktails. It’s the kind of place you don’t frequent unless
you’ve got some cash to plop down, making it even more conducive to
attracting young professional men. Ladies, don your best animal print
cami, order a glass of Caldora Pecorino, and reel ’em in. Roar!

Best Beer Selection

BOM 1. Flying Saucer

2. Boscos Squared

3. Young Avenue Deli

Um, duh. Of course the Flying Saucer was voted “Best Beer
Selection.” With more than 200 beers on tap, both the downtown and
Cordova locations have a huge leg over the competition. Need a pale
ale? Check. How about a lager? Got it. Sample trays of beers from
around the world? No problem. Beer and cheese pairings? Got it.

Justin Fox Burks

Peabody Lobby Bar, 1st place: ‘Best Place To Get a Martini’

Best Place To Get a Martini

1. Peabody Lobby Bar

2. Side Street Bar & Grill

3. Beauty Shop

Not only does this historic Memphis hotel serve a tasty dirty
martini, it offers some of the best downtown people-watching. Order a
‘tini and plop down in a comfy chair in the hotel lobby. You won’t even
need a friend to chat with or a newspaper to scan. Just watch the
tourists and rooftop partygoers as they amble about the hotel.
Fascinating!

Best Place To Get a Margarita

1. Molly’s La Casita

2. Happy Mexican

3. Café Ole

Molly’s La Casita is a Midtown institution when it comes to Mexican
food, so it’s only fitting their margaritas would find a place, as
well.

Best Happy Hour

1. Chili’s Grill & Bar

2. Flying Saucer

3. Boscos Squared

Okay, yes, Chili’s is a chain restaurant. But if that’s a problem,
you just need to get over it, because their happy hour is two-for-one
and it lasts all day. And you don’t even have to ask. Finish one drink,
and before you even nod at the bartender, there’s another.

Best Dance Club

1. Hollywood Disco

2. Club 152 Beale

3. Backstreet

Is it the light-up dance floor? The lone pole in the corner? The
smoke machines? All of it. It’s the Hollywood Disco

Best Place To Shoot Pool

1. Fox & Hound English Tavern

2. Young Avenue Deli

3. RP Billiards

Want a casual place to make a nice, clean break? According to
Flyer readers, the Fox & Hound English Tavern is the place
to go for eight-ball, nine-ball, and all sorts of billiards. Fox &
Hound has good grub, multiple pay-by-the-hour tables, and a full bar.
What more do you need? Just remember to call your pocket.

Best Sports Bar

1. Fox & Hound English Tavern

2. Buffalo Wild Wings

3. T.J. Mullligan’s

Maybe it’s because our readers consider pool a sport, or maybe it’s
because of all the televisions. Either way, the Fox & Hound is also
the “Best Sports Bar.”

Best Gay Bar

1. Backstreet

2. The Pumping Station

3. Metro

Backstreet has been our readers’ fave for years, but don’t try to go
right now. The Midtown bar was closed at the beginning of September
after a police operation uncovered gambling and the unlawful sale of
alcohol. At press time, the court date for Backstreet owner Shane Trice
had been re-scheduled, but he’s vowed that the club will reopen.

Best New Bar

1. Bardog Tavern

2. Silly Goose

3. Dru’s Place — tie —

Paula and Raiford’s Disco

Sometimes you just want to sit and stay. Bardog is a perfect place
to do just that. A new favorite downtown, Bardog is a two-story bar
with a neighborhood feel, an Italian-influenced menu, and a cute
logo.

Categories
Best of Memphis Special Sections

Best of Food & Drink

CREDIT: Alex Harrison

Alex Harrison

Buttery tikka masala, tender tandoori, spicy vegetable dishes, and all other manner of Indian specialties are served at Midtown institution India Palace in its airy, comfortable Poplar Avenue location.

We’ll admit we find it adorable when, in the “Best Chef” category,
you write in “My Wife,” “My Husband,” or, better yet, “My Mom.” (The
answer “Your Mom’s House” for “Best Romantic Restaurant” is not so
cute.) Chef Boyardee didn’t stand a chance with only two votes for
“Best Chef,” but at least he’s got bragging rights over Mrs. Winner
who, despite the name and the chicken and biscuits, got only one
vote.

Justin Fox Burks

Kelly English, Restaurant Iris, 1st place: ‘Best Chef’

Best Chef

1. Kelly English, Restaurant Iris

2. Erling Jensen, Erling Jensen the Restaurant

3. John Bragg, Circa

Last October, Food & Wine magazine named Kelly English
one of the Top 10 “Best New Chefs” for 2009. That was quite the honor.
Now Flyer readers have vaulted English to the top spot for the
first time.

Best Lunch

1. Huey’s

2. Soul Fish

3. Lenny’s

Hey, you know all those other restaurants that were in the running
for “Best Lunch” in Memphis? Stick a toothpick in ’em. They’re done.
Huey’s gets the nod for lunch nosh this year.

Best Breakfast

1. Brother Juniper’s

2. Blue Plate Cafe

3. Bryant’s Breakfast

Oh Brother, Wherefore Art Chow? Sorry. Brother J. has won “Best
Breakfast” many times, and it’s because they offer delicious,
innovative, homemade food in an eclectic space crammed with interesting
people, especially on weekend mornings.

Best Romantic Restaurant

1. Paulette’s

2. Le Chardonnay Wine Bar & Bistro

3. The Melting Pot

Maybe it’s the desserts. Or maybe the soft tinkling of the ivories.
Or maybe just the wonderful menu, nice wine list, and warm ambience.
Paulette’s is a classic.

Best Sunday Brunch

1. Owen Brennan’s Restaurant

2. Boscos Squared

3. Peabody Skyway — tie —

Beauty Shop

Owen Brennan’s sits at the cusp of Germantown and East Memphis, but
it draws Memphians from all over for its New Orleans-themed Sunday
brunch: the best in town for 2009.

Best Wine List

1. Le Chardonnay Wine Bar & Bistro

2. Texas de Brazil

3. Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse

Le Chardonnay moved across Madison Avenue a couple years ago, but it
has retained its dark, ski-lodge-y charm, its extensive wine list, and
first place for “Best Wine List” in your hearts.

Best Steak

1. Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House

2. Ruth’s Chris Steak House

3. The Butcher Shop

Folk’s Folly valets meet you at the curb. Once inside, you hear
sweet piano-bar stylings and the sound of cold drinks and cocktail
chatter. But who are we kidding? It’s all about the steak here, and
Folk’s Folly’s steaks sizzle!

Best Barbecue

1. Central BBQ

2. Corky’s

3. The Bar-B-Q Shop

Central BBQ takes top honor in what is probably the toughest
category in this poll: “Best Barbecue.” No matter how you spell it
— barbecue, BBQ, Bar-B-Q, whatever — Central’s on top
again.

Best Ribs

1. Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous

2. Central BBQ

3. Corky’s

The Rendezvous is sometimes derided as a place where tourists go to
eat Memphis’ most famous food group (16 barbecued ribs), but the
Flyer‘s poll makes it clear that locals love the Rendezvous as
much as people wearing Elvis T-shirts. And well they should.

Best Burger

BOM 1. Huey’s

2. Earnestine & Hazel’s

3. The Belmont Grill

That “BOM” designation means Huey’s has won “Best Burger” for so
long that it’s not even fair to anybody else in the running. Lots of
places in Memphis make good burgers, but only one takes the top spot,
year after year after year.

Best Hot Wings

1. Buffalo Wild Wings

2. D’Bo’s Buffalo Wings-n-Things

3. Central BBQ

With five Memphis-area locations, 14 sauces (ranging in heat from
“Blazin'” to “Sweet Barbecue”), and TVs set to sports everywhere you
look, Buffalo Wild Wings is leading the city’s wing scene.

Best Fried Chicken

BOM 1. Gus’s Fried Chicken

2. Popeye’s Chicken & Biscuits

3. Jack Pirtle Fried Chicken

If you want to eat lunch at Gus’s, you’d better get there early.
Folks line up for the crispy, smoky, spicy uniqueness that makes Gus’s
fried chicken better than anybody’s in Memphis. Or in the world.

Best Cajun/Creole

1. Bayou Bar & Grill

2. Owen Brennan’s Restaurant

3. Pearl’s Oyster House

The Bayou, like its sister restaurant, Le Chardonnay, hasn’t missed
a beat by moving across Madison. It’s bigger, but it still has a nice
patio, cold beer, stellar gumbo, and lots of other Cajun
delectables.

Justin Fox Burks

Petra, 1st place: ‘Best Mediterranean’

Best Mediterranean

1. Petra

2. Casa Grill

3. Petra Cafe

What’s more Midtown than this: Greek-Korean fusion in a restaurant
housed in a former gas station/garage, with patio seating right next to
the pumps? Spanikopita, moussaka, falafel — Petra is Greek
delicious. And the Korean soups and kimchi are fabulous too.

Best Dessert

1. Paulette’s

2. Beauty Shop

3. Kooky Canuck

Restaurants come and go, but Paulette’s “K-Pie” is a constant. Rich
coffee ice cream in a pecan-coconut crust, topped with whipped cream
and Kahlua, the Midtown institution’s Kahlua-mocha parfait pie is a
classic but not their most popular dessert. That designation apparently
belongs to the restaurant’s hot chocolate crepe. With crème
brûlée, Key lime pie, and other desserts dotting the menu,
Paulette’s is where Memphians go for post-dinner sweets.

Best Italian

1. Ronnie Grisanti & Sons Restaurant (now closed)

2. Pete & Sam’s

3. Bari — tie —

Ciao Bella Italian Grill

Long synonymous with Italian dining in Memphis, Ronnie Grisanti’s
closed its doors in August after a 25-year run at its Chickasaw Oaks
Plaza location on Poplar. But Memphians won’t be without the Grisanti
family’s authentic Tuscan cuisine, which has delighted local diners for
generations. Most of the restaurant’s staff — including Ronnie
himself — will relocate to the family’s Germantown location,
Elfo’s, which will be renamed simply Grisanti’s.

Best Mexican

1. El Porton Mexican Restaurant

2. Happy Mexican

3. Taqueria La Guadalupana

In an increasingly saturated local Mexican food scene, El Porton
maintains the top spot with five area locations, quick, reasonably
price lunches, a diverse menu, a full bar, and happy-hour specials.

Best Chinese

1. P.F. Chang’s

2. Wang’s Mandarin House

3. A-Tan

National chain P.F. Chang’s became a big local hit when it opened
its lone Memphis location — on Ridgeway in East Memphis — a
few years ago. In P.F. Chang’s large, opulent dining room, patrons can
feast on a diverse array of Chinese classics such as Mongolian beef,
ginger chicken, and spicy dumplings.

Best Thai

1. Bhan Thai

2. Bangkok Alley

3. Jasmine

Located in a large, converted Midtown house (the former home of
restaurant Maison Raji), Bhan Thai offers intensely flavorful Thai
dishes — masaman curry, pad thai, crispy duck, coconut-milk-based
soups, etc. — in an elegant atmosphere full of character, from
its small, intimate dining rooms to its popular patio in the back.

Best Vietnamese

1. Saigon Le

2. Pho Saigon

3. Pho Hoa Binh

This no-frills Midtown eatery has a loyal clientele because of its
focus on the food, which includes authentic Vietnamese specialties
— fresh spring rolls, great pho soups, vermicelli and tofu
dishes, and plenty of vegetarian options.

Best Japanese/Sushi

1. Sekisui

2. Blue Fin

3. Sekisui Pacific Rim

Restaurateur Jimmy Ishii has come to define Japanese cuisine, and
particularly sushi, in Memphis. The local chain is celebrating its 20th
birthday this year, first opening its Humphreys Center flagship
restaurant in 1989 and now covering the city with five locations.

Justin Fox Burks

Soul Fish, 1st place: ‘Best Home Cooking / Soul Food’

Best Home Cooking/Soul Food

1. Soul Fish

2. The Cupboard

3. Blue Plate Café

For exquisite catfish and hush puppies and a big daily selection of
veggies, it’s hard to order anything else off of Soul Fish’s menu. But
try their smoked half-chicken, and you’ll be doubling up on meals to
satisfy all your menu urges.

Best Vegetarian

BOM 1. Whole Foods Market

2. The Cupboard

3. Jasmine

Whole Foods Market, a foodie oasis on Poplar Avenue in East Memphis,
is more than a grocery store. Its large prepared-foods section —
pizzas, sandwiches, salad bar, bakery, coffee and juice bar — and
dining area make it a popular lunch and dinner spot for vegetarians and
health-food enthusiasts, in particular. Whole Foods also offers cooking
classes to help you find interesting things to do with the fresh and
healthy items they sell.

Best Seafood

1. Tsunami

2. Bonefish

3. The Half Shell

The anchor restaurant of Cooper-Young does it again, taking “Best
Seafood” for the millionth year in a row. Scallops, sea bass, mussels,
you name it, Chef Ben Smith and crew deliver a ship full of great taste
in a sophisticated atmosphere.

Best Pizza

BOM 1. Memphis Pizza Cafe

2. Garibaldi’s Pizza

3. Old Venice

Memphis Pizza Café was an instant hit when it opened in 1993
and has since expanded its local pizza empire to five locations, all
serving tasty, crispy pizzas, including such faves as the white-sauce
“alternative” and the zesty Cajun chicken.

Best Deli

1. Fino’s from the Hill

2. Bogie’s Delicatessen

3. Young Avenue Deli

What says Midtown more than the intersection of Madison and McLean?
And what says a great deli sandwich better than Fino’s from the Hill,
on that very Midtown corner? In addition to the popular made-to-order
sandwiches — cold cuts, cheeses, toppings, all on good crusty
bread — Fino’s offers pasta dishes and grocery items. That’s
Italian!

Best Server

1. Jeff Frisby, Restaurant Iris

2. Michele Fields, Calhoun’s Sports Bar

3. Jean Pruett, Bardog — tie —

Brent Skelton, The Kitchen

Jeff Frisby at Restaurant Iris must be doing something right. Last
year, he was named one of the city’s best servers in our Best Of poll.
This year, he’s done it again. Must be that Frisby knows not only how
to serve, he knows what to serve when it comes to vino: He’s Restaurant
Iris’ wine manager. (Factoid: All our winners in this category work in
Memphis’ new or newish restaurant/bars. Good to see Flyer
readers appreciate the city’s evolving food scene.)

Best Service

1. Chick-Fil-A

2. Texas de Brazil

3. Houston’s

Drive-thru or in-store, the crew behind the counter at any of
Memphis’ Chick-Fil-A locations have it down pat: your order in your
hands — fast. More amazing (and given the volume of business),
they do it, hands down, with the friendliest service in town.

Justin Fox Burks

Chick-Fil-A, 1st place: ‘Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant’

Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant

1. Chick-Fil-A

2. Chuck E. Cheese

3. Huey’s

We forgot to mention (see “Best Service”) that the crew at
Chick-Fil-A must have nerves of steel. As a new winner in the
kid-friendly restaurant category, these folks have what it takes when
children combine with fast food. Call it grace under pressure.

Best Local Late-Night Dining

1. Huey’s

2. Earnestine & Hazel’s

3. Young Avenue Deli

And we mean late. We’re talking, at several of Huey’s
multiple locations, a kitchen that’s open until 2 a.m. Don’t deny it.
At that hour and after some damage, what your body’s craving is a
burger and onion rings.

Best Place for People-Watching

1. Flying Saucer

2. Young Avenue Deli

3. Celtic Crossing

The corner of Beale and Second: The wide-open windows at downtown’s
Flyer Saucer aren’t there for no reason. Whether you’re in the
restaurant or passing on the sidewalk, this place was tailor-made for
people-watching. Evidence: During the Memphis Music and Heritage
Festival a few weekends ago, the place was jamming, inside and out.

Best Patio

1. Celtic Crossing

2. Boscos Squared

3. Cafe Olé

In a word: trivia. Celtic’s popular Wednesday-night tournament this
past summer had the patio packed. Any night, any season, though, will
do for a Guinness and some major hanging-out in Cooper-Young. Bonus
attraction: On this patio, you’re only a few steps from the scene on
the street.

Best Local Place That Delivers

1. Garibaldi’s Pizza

2. Young Avenue Deli

3. Camy’s

Another new winner in our Best Of poll: Garibaldi’s Pizza —
established 30 years ago by owner Mike Garibaldi — has three
locations for handmade pizzas, pastas, salads, wings, sandwiches,
sweets, and more. Garibaldi’s caters to not only what you’re hungry
for, according to readers, it really delivers.

Justin Fox Burks

Muddy’s Bake Shop, 1st place: ‘Best Bakery’

Best Bakery

1. Muddy’s Bake Shop

2. La Baguette

3. Fresh Market

Again: a new winner. And, according to Muddy’s website, if you’re
rude, whiny, impatient, or otherwise unpleasant, forget stepping inside
this bakeshop. If you’re green-minded and egg-headed (Muddy’s uses eggs
from cage-free, free-range hens), you’re welcome! Plus, who’s to argue
with a cupcake called “Prozac?”

Best Local Coffeehouse

1. High Point Coffee (now closed)

2. Otherlands

3. Café Eclectic — tie —

Republic Coffee

High Point Coffee just closed. (It’s the economy, stupid.) But
Otherlands, Cafe Eclectic, and Republic Coffee — the hotshots
rounding out your picks for best local coffeehouse — havestill
got their vibe going and the caffeine coming.

Best Restaurant

1. Restaurant Iris

2. Tsunami

3. Huey’s

Iris: It’s in the eye of the beholder. Restaurant Iris, “Best
Restaurant,” according to Memphians who value fine dining. In the space
of a year, nationally recognized chef Kelly English has succeeded in
turning Restaurant Iris into the city’s go-to address for exceptional
French-Creole-inspired cuisine. Doesn’t hurt that the restaurant also
features first-rate service in an intimate, romantic atmosphere.

Best New Restaurant

1. Flight

2. Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen

3. Overton Park Pizze Stone

The interior’s gorgeous, but it’s the food at Flight that has
Flyer readers hooked — and voting. Flight’s “flights”
— a trio of tastings from the entrée, dessert, and wine
menus — make it a wonderful way to sample what’s cooking in the
kitchen. What’s on your table: small plates but great taste. Or you
want regular-size portions? No problem. You can order that way too.

Categories
Best of Memphis Special Sections

Best of Food & Drink

CREDIT: Alex Harrison

Memphians are becoming more discerning diners. How do we know? In the past decade or so, as the number of ethnic-cuisine categories has grown, the number of readers who write in “gross” or “don’t eat that” has shrunk.

One other aspect of the voting worth mentioning: “Best Barbecue” received the most votes of any category on this year’s ballot. Priorities (and wet naps), right?

Best Chef

READERS’ CHOICE

John Bragg, Circa

Jose Gutierrez, Encore

Erling Jensen, Erling Jensen,
the Restaurant

It’s true: Good things do come in threes. This trio of popular restaurateurs — two downtown and one in East Memphis — divvied up the ballots for “Best Chef,” with no one winning a clear majority. Which, when you think about it, means three times as much prize-winning food for Memphis diners.

Best Burger

BOM 1. Huey’s

2. Earnestine & Hazel’s

3. Big Foot Lodge

Hey, guess what? Huey’s won “Best Burger.” Again. The late Thomas Boggs’ culinary and civic legacy exemplifies the very Best of Memphis and always will.

Best Breakfast

by Justin Fox Burks

Owen Brennan’s Restaurant, 1st place: Best Sunday Brunch

1. Brother Juniper’s

2. Blue Plate Café

3. Cracker Barrel

Brother Juniper’s isn’t a big place. It’s tucked away near the Highland Strip, where no chain restaurant could survive. And it’s not easy to get a table on weekend mornings. That’s because Brother Juniper’s offers delicious homemade breads, breakfasts your mother never had the nerve to make, and a unique yet familiar charm.

Best Romantic
Restaurant

1. Paulette’s

2. The Melting Pot

3. Le Chardonnay Wine Bar & Bistro

Feel like makin’ whoopee? Well, don’t try it at Paulette’s. The other diners will get upset. But as a romantic prelude to makin’ whoopee? Flyer readers say you can’t go wrong at the little white restaurant on Madison. And don’t forget dessert.

Best Sunday Brunch

Alex Harrison

Flyer readers say Hueys is the best place to go for lunch. And who can blame them? Seven locations scattered all over the metro area offer great burgers, fries, chicken fingers, salads, po boys, and more. And most important, you can still shoot toothpicks at the ceiling tiles. Just remember to act innocent if one of yours falls into somebodys food at the next table.

1. Owen Brennan’s Restaurant

2. Boscos Squared

3. Peabody Skyway

Owen Brennan’s Sunday brunch offers six serving stations — one each for salad, seafood, bread, prepared entrées, cooked-to-order entrées, and dessert. Most brunch customers don’t eat again until Tuesday.

Best Wine List

1. Le Chardonnay Wine Bar & Bistro

2. Texas de Brazil

3. Ronnie Grisanti & Sons

Le Chardonnay crossed Madison Avenue this year, taking up larger quarters in the former Square Foods building. But they kept the great wine list and added a big fireplace. Don’t worry. It’s still dark as heck, perfect for a quiet rendezvous.

Best Steak

by Justin Fox Burks

Gus’s Fried Chicken, 1st Place: Best Fried Chicken

1. Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House

2. Ruth’s Chris Steak House

3. The Butcher Shop

Flyer readers are nothing if not loyal, and Folk’s Folly not winning “Best Steak” would be rare to medium-rare. It doesn’t take a medium to predict another meal well done by this East Memphis institution.

Best Barbecue

1. Central BBQ

2. Corky’s

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

Central BBQ has elbowed its way into the upper tier of Memphis barbecue joints. And that’s fast company, indeed.

Best Ribs

1. Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous

2. Corky’s

3. Central BBQ

Rendezvous takes the top prize for ribs again. After 60 years of luring diners down the best-smelling alley in the world to savor the ultimate Memphis dining experience, what else would you expect?

Best Hot Wings

1. Buffalo Wild Wings

2. D’Bo’s Buffalo Wings-N-Things

3. Central BBQ

Buffaloes are to wings what Chicken of the Sea is to tuna. Or something. We know buffaloes don’t have wings, but Buffalo Wild Wings does, and they’re really good.

Best Fried Chicken

by Justin Fox Burks

Brother Juniper’s, 1st place: Best Breakfast

BOM 1. Gus’s Fried Chicken

2. Popeye’s Chicken & Biscuits

3. KFC

Smoky, crispy, explode-in-your-mouth fried chicken is the trademark of this Memphis-area restaurant. Well, that, and red-check tablecloths, cold iced tea, friendly help, and big lunch crowds.

Best Cajun/Creole

1. Bayou Bar & Grill

2. Owen Brennan’s Restaurant

3. Pearl’s Oyster House

Bayou Bar & Grill may have moved to a new location on Madison Avenue, but this popular Midtown eatery and watering hole hasn’t budged from its number-one position in the mouths and minds of Flyer readers. You can still waste a beautiful day on the patio sipping beer (or café au lait) while nibbling at a perfect po’ boy sandwich or scarfing down a bowl of alligator chili. Just don’t forget the beignets.

Best Mediterranean

1. Yia Yia’s

2. Casablanca

3. Bari

At first glance, one might wonder why Memphians picked Yia Yia’s as their favorite Mediterranean restaurant. The menu boasts dishes like Idaho rainbow trout and fresh Atlantic salmon, which are, by definition, not Mediterranean. But despite some American main courses, Yia Yia’s menu is inspired by the cuisines of Italy, Spain, Greece, and France. It’s a place where you can have perfect gnocchi with your Cobb salad or nosh on duck confit with polenta while waiting for your flank steak.

Best Dessert

1. Paulette’s

2. Beauty Shop

3. Big Foot Lodge

The crème brûlée is fine, the Bavarian apple strudel is special, and the hot-chocolate crepe is wicked. But the K-Pie (aka Kahlúa-Mocha Parfait Pie), a gigantic wedge of coffee ice cream in a coconut-pecan crust topped with fresh whipped cream and Kahlúa, is a rite of passage. by Justin Fox Burks

Fino’s from the Hill, 1st place: Best Deli

Best Italian

1. Ronnie Grisanti & Sons

2. Pete and Sam’s Restaurant

3. Bari

What’s so great about Ronnie Grisanti & Sons? Imagine a grilled Bartlett pear drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette and topped with toasted walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese. Follow that salad with a potato-crusted salmon in cipollini-onion butter. Wash it all down with an Italian red as dark and chewy as licorice raisins. That’s what’s special.

Best Mexican

1. El Porton Mexican Restaurant

2. Taqueria La Guadalupana

3. Molly Gonzales’ La Casita

Mexican Restaurant

El Porton is like the Mexican Huey’s. It’s fast, affordable, and consistently delicious — and with enough locations to ensure that no matter where you are, there’s always a margarita close by.

Best Chinese

1. P.F. Chang’s China Bistro

2. Wang’s Mandarin House

3. A-Tan

Monolithic horse sculptures, expertly mixed martinis, and Chengdu spiced lamb tossed with cumin and mint. What else do you want?

Best Thai

by Justin Fox Burks

Folk’s Folly, 1st place: Best Steak

1. Bhan Thai

2. Bangkok Alley

3. Sawaddii

Bhan Thai is coziness personified. The curries are exquisite, and the Singha is always ice-cold. Bhan Thai is veggie-friendly too.

Best Vietnamese

1. Pho Saigon

2. Saigon Le

3. Pho Hoa Binh

The spring rolls are nine-months pregnant with basil-wrapped shrimp. The flavorful noodle soups are as delicious as they are enormous. Pho Saigon is a no-frills operation with a vast, reasonably priced menu. The emphasis here is entirely on the food.

Best Japanese/Sushi

1. Sekisui

2. Bluefin

3. Sekisui Pacific Rim

Whimsy, flavor, and lots of locations make Sekisui Memphis’ favorite sushi bar. The eel-stuffed, mango-topped Pikachu roll is appropriately cute — and it kicks tail.

Best Indian

1. India Palace

2. Golden India

3. Bombay House

Two words: gulab jamun. After gorging on a lunch buffet of tandoori chicken, lamb korma, and a half-dozen samosas, there is always room for gulab jamun, those juicy syrup-soaked balls.

Best Home Cooking/Soul Food

1. The Cupboard

2. Soul Fish

3. Blue Plate Café

The fried green tomatoes and the divine cheese- and cracker-crumb-laden eggplant casserole at the Cupboard are truly good for your soul.

Best Vegetarian

1. Wild Oats Market

2. Jasmine

3. The Cupboard

Is it really fair to let Wild Oats, soon to be finally renamed Whole Foods, compete in this category? It’s the definitive whole-foods megastore for Memphis, and everywhere else, for that matter.

Best Tapas

BOM 1. Dish

2. Mollie Fontaine Lounge

3. The Brushmark

Sometimes it’s better to graze than to eat a huge meal. At Dish, the tapas menu features all sorts of yumminess, such as a Japanese pickle assortment with seasonal cheeses, wild mushrooms and goat-cheese wontons, and broiled scallops over edamame hummus.

Best Seafood

1. Tsunami

2. Bonefish Grill

3. Blue Fish Restaurant and Oyster Bar

With a menu featuring delightful dishes such as seared sea scallops with grilled pineapple salsa and cornmeal-crusted halibut with gazpacho vinaigrette, Tsunami once again placed first for “Best Seafood.” It looks like Flyer readers love sake-steamed mussels in Thai red-curry sauce, crispy calamari with chipotle aïoli, and … uh, we’ll be back … it’s time to eat.

Best Pizza

BOM 1. Memphis Pizza Café

2. Garibaldi’s Pizza

3. Coletta’s

Once again, readers say the best place for a mouthwatering slice is Memphis Pizza Café. Offering more than your typical slice of pepperoni with cheese, it’s the place to go for an out-of-the-ordinary and out-of-this-world pizza pie.

Best Deli

by Justin Fox Burks

Bhan Thai, 1st place: Best Thai

1. Fino’s from the Hill

2. Bogie’s Delicatessen

3. Young Avenue Deli

In a repeat win, the deli to take the cake in ’08 is Fino’s. Offering soups, cannoli, and tasty vegetarian and meaty subs in the heart of Midtown, there’s something delicious for everyone.

Best Bargain Dining

READERS’ CHOICE

Big Foot Lodge

Huey’s

Kwik Check


Pho Hoa Binh

Taco Bell

Everyone enjoys great meals on the cheap — especially when gas and groceries have reached their highest prices in years. Though voting was too close to call on this one, apparently Flyer readers like huge burgers and bar food, quick deli sandwiches, thrifty Vietnamese meals, and 79-cent tacos.

Best Service

1. Chick-Fil-A

2. Texas de Brazil

3. Houston’s Restaurant

Maybe it’s because they have Sundays off. But there’s always a smiling face behind the register at Chick-Fil-A when you want one of those tasty chicken sandwiches. And their drive-thru is pretty fast and efficient too.

Best Waiter/
Waitress

READERS’ CHOICE

Michele Fields, Calhoun’s Sports Bar

Jeffrey Frisby, Restaurant Iris

Tyler Lloyd, Mollie Fontaine Lounge

Chris Owens, Café Society

Everyone appreciates great service. Though voting in this category was too close to call, these people obviously do a great job serving up tasty food and drinks to their customers.

Best Kid-Friendly
Restaurant

1. Chuck E. Cheese

2. Chick-Fil-A

3. Huey’s

Think about it: Kids love Chuck E. Cheese. Whether they are afraid of the giant man-mouse or not, kids run wild playing games like Whac-a-Mole and Skee-Ball, and they love to bury themselves in the big ball pit after eating pizza.

Best Late-Night
Dining

READERS’ CHOICE

Alex’s

Earnestine & Hazel’s

CK’s Coffee Shop

Huey’s

Krystal

It looks like Flyer readers are satisfying late-night munchies with burgers, bar food, and breakfast. Whether it is fresh, hot, small, and square or covered with caramelized onions, burgers can generally kick a late-night craving. And who doesn’t love waffles, bacon, and eggs after a few too many beers or a long night of studying?

Best Place for
People-Watching

1. Flying Saucer

2. Beale Street

3. Young Avenue Deli — tie — The Peabody

Maybe it’s the hot girls in plaid skirts or the huge selection of beer. Or maybe it’s the prime location in Peabody Place one block over from Beale, where a constant stream of tourists wanders to and fro. Whatever the case, the Flying Saucer downtown is the best place to sit back and people-watch.

Best Patio

1. Celtic Crossing

2. Boscos Squared

3. Café Ole

Located in the heart of Cooper-Young, Celtic Crossing’s patio always has been a popular outdoor spot. With a newly revamped enclosed patio, the comfort level for dining and drinking was taken up a few notches, and Memphis likes the change.

Best Place That
Delivers

1. Young Avenue Deli

2. Garibaldi’s Pizza

3. Camy’s

Some days you don’t want to leave your couch. When hunger strikes, Memphians love a tasty “Sam I Am,” a hot roast-beef sandwich, or a California pita delivered right to their door. Oh, and don’t forget a side of Young Avenue Deli’s famous fries. It’s quick and easy, and there aren’t any pots and pans to wash.

Best Bakery

1. La Baguette

2. Atlanta Bread Company

3. Fresh Market — tie — Brother Juniper’s

Take a handful of local food lovers, add a dash of entrepreneurship, et voila! C’est magnifique! C’est délicieux! C’est La Baguette. High school French aside, readers love the traditional French pastries, breads, and croissants available near the main library on Poplar. After 25 years of bringing Continental confections to Memphis, La Baguette is still a favorite.

Best Local
Coffeehouse

1. High Point Coffee

2. Otherlands

3. Java Cabana

The aptly named High Point Coffee gives Flyer readers a nice alternative to that big, corporate coffee shop which shall remain nameless. With a wide selection of coffees, teas, and eats, High Point also has the environment of a warm, neighborhood coffee shop. Local art, Wi-Fi, and comfy chairs add to the ambience.

Best Restaurant

READERS’ CHOICE

Circa

Erling Jensen, the Restaurant

Majestic Grille

McEwen’s on Monroe

Tsunami

From the regional fusion food at McEwen’s and the Majestic to the Continental flair of Erling Jensen and Circa to the fantastic seafood at Tsunami, our readers like to keep their options — and mouths — open.

Best New
Restaurant

1. Restaurant Iris

2. Café Eclectic

3. Elfo’s — tie — Muddy’s Bake Shop

With a chef who hails from southern Louisiana, the authentic Creole cuisine at Restaurant Iris makes our readers’ mouths water. It could be chef Kelly English’s experience at the Culinary Institute of America and cooking in Spain and France. It could be the design of the restaurant by Memphis native Jackie Glisson, winner of HGTV’s Designers’ Challenge. Or maybe it’s that the restaurant serves the tastiest “knuckle sandwich” you’ll ever eat.

Best of Nightlife

Best of Arts & Entertainment

Best of Media

Best of Goods & Services

& The Rest

Staff Picks