Hog and Hominy – Memphis Flyer

Guests could jot down notes on the “method” and “tasting” of the coffee they sampled at the Grind City Coffee Xpo, a fundraiser for Save Our Aquifer held November 6th at the downtown Wiseacre Brewery. The list of coffee purveyors included Frothy Monkey, Honest Coffee Roasters, Dr. Bean’s Coffee & Tea Emporium, Ugly Mug, and others.

This year’s event, which drew around 600, was “100 percent successful,” says event co-host Daniel Lynn. “It was incredible. Just the support from both the coffee community and the Memphis community at large was awesome.”

Daniel Lynn, Harrison Hickok, and Angie Arnold at Grind City Coffee Xpo (Credit: Michael Donahue)

Event participants included coffee roasters, coffee shops, a tea shop and vendor, a coffee-mug maker, a T-shirt maker, a coffee frozen-treat business, and a farm.

The previous Grind City Coffee Xpo was held in March 2019 at the Memphis College of Art. Lynn is looking forward to next year’s event. “It’s definitely going to be in the fall again. I can’t remember why we had it in March the first time, but fall is the time for coffee, man. So, that’s what we’re doing.”

And, he says, “The first year we had it the day before ‘spring forward’ daylight savings. And this time, the day before ‘fall back’ daylight savings. Maybe to keep the good voodoo going I’m going to find out when the next fall back is and have it then. I believe in these little signs in the universe. Not to be too hippie about it.”

Ibrahim Carson, Adil Abdurahaman, Lina Khalafalla, and Amanda Ibrahim at Grind City Coffee Xpo (Credit: Michael Donahue)

Hog and Hominy Returns

Hog and Hominy chef/owners Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman (Credit: Michael Donahue)

The eagerly-awaited return of Hog & Hominy restaurant took place with soft-opening events before the restaurant opened its doors to the public November 5th.

Shane and Jana Soefker and Joan and Jacob Biddle at the November 3rd Hog and Hominy soft opening. (Credit: Michael Donahue)

I tried the sweet breads, chicken liver mousse, poutine, octopus, and a couple of pizzas, including the classic Hog and Hominy Thunderbird during the November 3rd soft opening dinner. Everything was wonderful.

The restaurant at 707 West Brookhaven Circle has been widened in all directions after a 2020 fire. The beautiful bar area with booths and the dining room are elegant looking, but the restaurant still has that casual Hog and Hominy vibe.

Hog and Hominy November 3rd soft opening (Credit: Michael Donahue)

Trolley Night Finale For the Year

Kristen Herring-Hurd, Stoney Butler, and LaGina Mitchell Scott at Trolley Night (Credit: Michael Donahue)

Bands performed on stages on Main Street on October 29th — the final Trolley Night of the season.

“It was actually kind of a partnership with the Downtown Memphis Commission and Memphis Tourism Board for piecing that together,” says South Main Association president Eric Bourgeois. “They reached out to us and made sure it was going to be a feasible activation. And we knew the community would be 100 percent behind it. It was kind of a no-brainer for us.”

Trolley Night returned last June after a 19-month absence. “With the exception of the return of Trolley Night this spring, this was essentially the most attended Trolley Night over the last couple of years. So, we’re excited about that.”

Matt Borg and Kodi Estep at Trolley Night (Credit: Michael Donahue)

Stages were set up at G. E. Patterson Avenue and Main Street, Slider Inn Downtown on South Main, and Main Street and Beale Street. Trolley Nighters were treated to shows by performers including Al Kapone and the North Mississippi All-Stars. “We had equidistant stages,” says Bourgeois. “Something for everyone throughout the night, with the addition of several small shows at many of our businesses up and down Main Street.”

Stages won’t be set up at every Trolley Night, Bourgeois says. “While it was awesome and exciting for everyone, it was a large undertaking.” But, he adds, “It certainly was a success.”

Cooper McElroy and Walton during Trolley Night (Credit: Michael Donahue)

Halloween at Black Lodge

Dylan Powell and Matt Martin at the Halloween Masquerade Ball at Black Lodge (Credit: Michael Donahue)

The Halloween Masquerade Ball at Black Lodge celebrated its 20th anniversary on Halloween Night.

About 200 attended, says creator and a co-owner Matt Martin. “Normally, for the last 10 to 15 years that number has been closer to 500 or 600,” Martin says. “We knew this year would be smaller, as every show is now. But we were impressed with the turnout, all things considered. There’s still a lot of hesitation on the part of the public to go to events even when we’re requiring proof of vaccination and masks required.”

Sairen Moss at Halloween Masquerade Ball at Black Lodge (Credit: Michael Donahue)

What makes the Black Lodge Halloween event so special. “Besides the fact that it’s our anniversary — we opened three days before Halloween in 2000 — Memphians look forward to it every year.

“Also what makes it extremely special is that after doing it so many years, in 2020 was the first time we didn’t do it. There were many markers for us that year that were painful. We all felt this (party) was so special. It was finally time to ask people to come back. It’s safe now. Let’s all visit and reconnect. And it’s a time when people need to reconnect now more than ever. It was an important event, not just for Black Lodge, but for the art community in Memphis.”

Sam Hendricks and Gabriela Locoasta at Halloween Masquerade Ball at Black Lodge (Credit: Michael Donahue)

On entering the newly rebuilt and redesigned Hog and Hominy the other night, co-owner Michael Hudman told his wife how the restaurant has an “old Art Deco diner feel.”

From the silver metal lettered sign out front to the fluted light fixtures in the dining room and just the general vibe, the new Hog and Hominy indeed has a diner feel — a diner that serves Neapolitan-inspired pizzas instead of patty melts.

The new Hog and Hominy opens to the public Friday, November 5th.

After a fire January 9th, 2020, the new Hog and Hominy, one of the many restaurants owned by Hudman and Andrew Ticer, was rebuilt. It’s about twice as large, says general manager Evan Potts. They expanded the restaurant as far as it would go in all directions, he says. Now, entering the restaurant on the right front instead of on the left side, diners will see the bar in a separate but open area on the right and the dining room on the left.

The new Hog and Hominy (Credit: Michael Donahue)

J. D. Caldwell with Carlton Edwards Architects was lead architect. Natalie Lieberman of Collect + Curate did the interior design.

Ticer loved the fact they had a “blank slate” to work with. They were able to “reimagine” the restaurant without being confined to the former “three bedroom house” they originally had with the pre-fire structure. They were able to “think out of the box.”

Nick Talarico instructs the staff at the new Hog and Hominy (Credit: Michael Donahue)

Front patio at the new Hog and Hominy (Credit: Michael Donahue)

Interior of the new Hog and Hominy (Credit: Michael Donahue)

Justin Solberg is chef de cuisine at the restaurant. The fare will include “Neapolitan-inspired pizza,” Potts says. “We like to have that wood fire crust that has that little bit of toothsome-ness to it. The chew, if you will. And super thin in the middle to showcase what we put on top.”

There will be new pizzas as well as old favorites, including the Thunderbird and Red Eye.

Meet the Hog and Hominy kitchen and staff (from left): Trevor Anderson, Evan Potts, Michael Hudman, Ryan Jenniges, Ryan Dunn, Justin Solberg, Andrew Ticer, Zach Hart, Jamie Lawrence, and Ronnie Roberson. (Credit: Michael Donahue)

The pizzas will be the entrees. They also will serve snacks and small plates — “Little things to share for the table.”

And, Potts says, “We do a lot of fun takes on traditional Italian fare. We like to twist it. Like taking the idea of eggplant parmesan and substituting pork belly. Italian ideas and twisting them and putting the little Southern spin on it like we do.”

They will continue to serve their craft cocktails, which Hog and Hominy is known for. For instance, Potts says, “The same old fashioned where we make the orange bitters in house.”

They also got their own barrel of Maker’s Mark whiskey from Empire Distributors to make their old fashioned cocktails.

Hog and Hominy also does its own take on the dirty martini, but instead of the usual olive juice, they make their own brine using shishito peppers, which gives it more of a “vegetable flavor,” Potts says. “You’ll still have the salty flavor, but it adds a whole other depth of flavor to it.”

Hog and Hominy is at 707 West Brookhaven Circle; (901) 207-7396