Tag: Tacos

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Opinion The Last Word

Tacos and Labor Abuse

Taco truck immigration diplomacy is not going to cut it. (Photo: Nathan Dumlao | Unsplash)

Everyone loves tacos, but most of us don’t think too much about how they’re made, or who, in fact, makes them. That all changed here in Memphis, thanks to a recent story in the Commercial Appeal by veteran reporter Daniel Connolly, an expert on the local and national Hispanic community.

The Covid-19 pandemic dramatically shifted the labor market locally and nationally; employees asked for protection during the deadly phase of the infection, and many have since declined to return to unfulfilling — sometimes dangerous — minimum-wage jobs. As a result, ubiquitous “We’re Hiring” signs hang in windows across Memphis and the country.

Currently, with about 11 million unfilled jobs in the United States and an estimated 4 million workers “displaced” from the labor market due to Covid and the continued effects of “long-Covid,” employers are scrambling for employees who now don’t want to work under pre-Covid terms. Laborers are not returning to degrading low pay that doesn’t translate to a “living wage” — or at least compensation and benefits that fully acknowledge their contributions to the business.

Americans aren’t lazy — they’re just fed up. As American corporate profits soar, a South African megalomaniac (“the richest man in the world”) buys Twitter for $44 billion, and a Portuguese soccer player grabs $167 million per year in pay and endorsements, it’s understandable why there’s little motivation to return to a $7.25 an hour job here in the U.S. Congress refuses to move on a federal minimum wage, and the Tennessee General Assembly is content with its citizens earning a pittance. Each relies on the same old tired arguments: Raising the minimum wage, they tell us with neither conviction nor data, will lead to unemployment. Reminding our friends in Congress of the 11 million jobs that are unfilled, presently, doesn’t seem to register.

Hence, the long gaze south. Connolly’s report focuses on a local restaurateur/taco operation who, like most restaurant owners in our city, has struggled in the nearly impossible labor market outlined above. Why not open our southern border to allow for labor flow from Mexico? The minimum wage there is currently the equivalent of $8 per day — or $160 per month. Given that grim reality, $7.25 per hour sounds pretty damn good.

No workable legal pathway exists to bring “low-skilled” people from Mexico here. So people cross the border illegally. Many of these people are “pulled” here by unscrupulous business owners in the United States who need a stable labor force to stay in business and by offering, via Facebook, Twitter, or some other electronic medium that penetrates borders, “a 100-percent safe trip, but without a visa.”

Working without proper documentation (a visa) in the United States is not legal, and soliciting workers with offers of a visa-less “safe trip” sounds remarkably close to trafficking. It will certainly attract the attention of the United States Department of Labor in Washington, especially when the pay advertised clearly violates federal overtime laws.

In the end, taco truck immigration diplomacy is not going to cut it. We need leadership from Washington right now because only the federal government can set, change, and update immigration policy. If we want to avoid more potential employer trafficking, reduce the flow of unauthorized border crossings, and make a dent in the 11 million unfilled jobs in the U.S., Biden will need to lead on immigration reform.

The “other side” in Congress has focused on pure nonsense for the past two years: defending a lunatic who once was president of the U.S., spewing conspiracy theories about a stolen election, and working to take rights away from women. There’s no hope they will join in for a real solution, so before losing control of the House, Biden should push for passage of the Dream Act (filibuster be damned!), which would regularize the status of millions while permanently welcoming them into the labor force.

Biden should also work to modernize our 1960s-style (i.e. outdated) visa system to attack the long backlogs of pending applications.

Both moves would require federal action. The benefits: Our contemporary labor/immigration crisis could be managed out of Washington via responsible legislation rather than from the back of a taco truck parked on Summer Avenue.

Bryce W. Ashby is an attorney at Donati Law, PLLC. Michael J. LaRosa is an associate professor of history at Rhodes College.

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

“Anatomy Eats” Dinner Serves Up the Whole Animal

(Credit: Anatomy Eats)

Heart tacos. Kidney fried rice. Bone marrow ice cream. Not items that you would see on your traditional restaurant menu. But for those seeking something new to eat, Dr. Jonathan Reisman is bringing his Anatomy Eats dinner series to Oxford, Mississippi in October.

The doctor and foodie launched his Anatomy Eats series in Philadelphia, and has used the events as a platform to showcase how various animal organs function and are used in cuisine. In essence, it’s both a fine dining experience, and a lesson in anatomy and physiology.

“We always had liver when I was a kid and I hated it,” says Reisman. “But then in medical school, I started learning more about organs, how complicated and amazing they are, and how they function to keep us healthy. And the biology and complexity of these organs is similar between humans and animals. It got me thinking about all these kind of unorthodox parts of the animal that are used for cooking.”

At a barbecue, Reisman’s wife introduced him to chef Ari Miller (who runs Musi BYOB in Philadelphia), and the two got to talking about their medicinal and culinary backgrounds. They both had an interest in exploring underutilized parts of the animal, and eventually partnered to host several Anatomy Eats dinners together.

Dr. Jonathan Reisman (Credit: Anatomy Eats)

“Each dinner was based on a bodily system,” says Reisman. “For example, we did a cardiovascular-themed dinner, where we served hearts cooked in three different ways, and some bone marrow dishes. We’ve also done dinners focused around the digestive system, or the musculoskeletal system.”

After several successful dinners in Pennsylvania, Reisman is looking to connect with new chefs around the country to put their unique spin on future anatomy dinners. Next up on October 2nd and 3rd are dinners hosted alongside Halima Salazar and Dria Price of Gimbia’s Kitchen. As part of the event, Reisman will dissect a cow heart and discuss the other physiological aspects of the animals used as part of the courses.

“For the culinary side, Halima is Nigerian and Dria is from Mississippi,” says Reisman. “So, they’ll be exploring an overlap of West African and Southern cuisine, and how culinary styles of each background complement each other. The menu includes two kinds of tacos, with cow heart strips in either a peanut marinade or balsamic vinegar. There’s hog’s head cheese as part of a charcuterie board, and we’ve got a traditional Nigerian recipe called pepper soup, which will have intestines and liver in a spicy broth with calabash, nutmeg, and lemongrass.”

Other courses include beef kidney fried rice combined with sweet creamy honey beans, and Gbegiri and pounded yam: pureed black-eyed peas and beef tongue stew with crispy pounded yam balls.

So far, Reisman says that his Anatomy Eats dinners have garnered plenty of interest. For others, he recognizes that his dinner menus might seem unappealing. But he argues that diners don’t need an adventurous palate to enjoy one of the Anatomy Eats courses.

“I think liver is the most recognizable thing that we serve,” he says, “and it probably has the strongest taste of any internal organ. So, I think it’s a misconception that you need to be brave to try many of these things; heart, kidney, and bone marrow should all have tastes which are pleasing to people who eat more traditional meat dishes. So, you can still use the whole animal, be sustainable, and enjoy the whole experience.”

Looking forward, Reisman hopes to connect with many more chefs around the country who can share their unique culinary experiences. After all, says Reisman, there are so many different ways to sustainably cook animals that aren’t common in most of the United States.

“I’ve traveled a lot, both recreationally and for work,” says Reisman. “I toured through India volunteering at hospitals, lived in Russia at one point, and did some work as a doctor on ships in the arctic and near Alaska. Every place I’ve had the opportunity to see new approaches to food.”

Reisman was most impressed by traditional native Alaskan techniques.

“They take meat-based cuisine to an incredible extreme,” he says. While working in Alaska, he tried plenty of seal heart and seal blubber. “The blubber they render down into an oil, which is kind of used as an all-purpose dip, flavoring, seasoning.”

And another interesting dish? Whale meat.

“We had plenty of whale meat and blubber, much of it raw. There’s a traditional dish called Mikigaq that I had a lot, which is whale meat fermented in whale blood. There are just so many interesting ways to approach and create food, and Anatomy Eats hopefully will show people different ways to do that.”

Anatomy of Fine Dining with Dr. Jonathan Reisman will take place at Snackbar in Oxford, MS, on October 2nd and 3rd at 6:00 p.m. Click here for tickets and more information.

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Torchy’s Tacos Brings Tex-Mex to Town Next Year

CREDIT: Courtesy Torchy's Tacos

Courtesy Torchy’s Tacos

Memphis Flyer’s Taco Week may be well in the rearview mirror, but that doesn’t mean we can’t continue to celebrate the traditional Mexican dish. But each state has its own spin on what makes for a good taco, and Torchy’s Tacos are bringing its Tex-Mex approach to Tennessee for the first time.

The Austin, Texas-based “fast casual taco brand” has a wide variety of street-style options on its menu, built around chicken, carnitas, barbacoa, sausage, beef, salmon, and plenty of other interesting twists. For those with dietary restrictions, there’s a separate gluten-conscious menu. Torchy’s also keeps things fresh through a rotating Taco of the Month, with November’s Chili Wagon, for example, comprising “New Mexico red chile stewed chicken with fried poblano strip, onion, avocado sauce, fresh cilantro, and a lime wedge served on a corn tortilla.”

I texted my sister, a current Dallas resident, for her thoughts. “It’s good! A bit trendier than your average taco chain,” she said. “Their street corn is really good, and so is the green chile queso.”

Torchy’s Tacos recently signed a lease for 711 S. Mendenhall Road in East Memphis, and is set to open in either the spring or summer of 2021. (There are plans to bring further locations to Tennessee in the future, as well.) That’s a long way off, but there are plenty of excellent local taco joints to try in the meantime.



Categories
Cover Feature News

Taco Time! Eleven Memphians Share Their Favorite Local Tacos

CREDIT: Jesse Davis

Ah, tacos. Who doesn’t love ’em? A hard shell or a soft corn or flour tortilla can be the perfect, handheld vessel for any number of fillings. With the simplest of ingredients (black beans, lettuce, tomatoes) to the more unique (lamb, goat), local restaurants are making some damn-good, flavor-packed delights. We’ve asked a few folks to share their favorites. Read on, and you’ll see why every day can be Taco Tuesday in Memphis.

Fried Fish and Shrimp Tacos at Elena’s Taco Shop

Kim Vodicka — poet

This is tough because, though I love the tacos at pretty much any hole-in-the-wall restaurant or busted-ass taco truck on Summer Avenue, I wanna say Elena’s is my fave just because it stands out the most. It’s a totally different thing because it’s beach tacos, but like wow the fried fish and shrimp are excellent, especially if you get decadent and combine the two on one taco.

Jesse Davis

Their tacos remind me of the ones I had on tour in San Diego a few years ago, which were exceptional.

Maybe the best part of the whole thing is they have, like, 17,000 sauces to choose from. Pre-virus, they would set the sauces out on their own little buffet-like setup, and that’s really what made me fall madly in love. I am a fool for some sauce.

Elena’s Taco Shop is at 6105 Summer Avenue; 417-7915

Justin Fox Burks

Juan’s Tacos with Black Beans at Global Café

Justin Fox Burks — cookbook author, food blogger, photographer

There’s no magic tricks, no smoke, and no mirrors involved in this straightforward dish, and with just five ingredients, there’s nowhere to hide. Juan’s Tacos ($8.95 for four vegan tacos) feature perfectly seasoned vegan black beans inside a double layer of super-soft corn tortillas. These stellar tacos are topped with spicy house-made tomatillo salsa, red onion, and fresh cilantro. Ask them to add avocado because … avocado.

Don’t sleep on the fried plantains and a side of rice to round out your meal. If you want something “wow” to wash it all down, you can’t beat The Messy MangoRita (also a Juan specialty), which features a whole dang mango doused in hot sauce as a garnish. And hey, it’s all vegan, too!

I’m the Chubby Vegetarian, and I approve this taco.

Global Café is at 1350 Concourse Avenue, Suite 157; 512-6890

El Mero Taco/Facebook

Fried Chicken Taco at El Mero Taco

Cristina McCarter — owner, City Tasting Tours

My favorite taco is the fried chicken taco from El Mero Taco. It’s the combo of juicy fried chicken and that damn queso with that pop of fresh jalapeño pepper for me. It’s tacos like that that I will randomly crave. You know it’s good if you drive to the ‘Dova for it. But they are in my neighborhood a lot, too. So I’ll grab a six pack of beer while picking up my tacos and brisket quesadilla. Now I want a taco!

El Mero Taco is at 8100 Macon Station #102, Cordova, or elmerotaco.com/foodtruck; 308-1661

Enrique Reyes with the asada taco from La Guadalupana

Asada Taco at La Guadalupana

Enrique Reyes — Mexican wrestling promoter

The asada taco at La Guadalupana Mexican restaurant is Enrique Reyes’ favorite taco when he and his wife go out to eat.

“La Guadalapuna is my favorite restaurant,” says Reyes, who organizes La Lucha Libre wrestling matches in Memphis, as well as makes the colorful masks worn by wrestlers. “The food is so delicious there.”

He likes to eat at home. “My girl cooks for me, but when she doesn’t cook, I go straight to La Guadalupana … once a week, something like that.”

Carne asada, Mexican steak, is his favorite dish there, but if Reyes orders a taco, it’s the asada taco, which is “just steak and onions and cilantro.” He puts guacamole on top, “’cause that makes the difference in the flavor.”

Asked how many he eats at a time, Reyes says, “Really, only four. You order with guacamole, it makes it a little bigger. I don’t eat too much. I’m good with four tacos.”

And Reyes doesn’t use any utensils when he eats tacos. “Just pick it up like a real Mexican. You never eat tacos with a fork.” — Michael Donahue

La Guadalupana is at 4818 Summer Avenue; 685-6857

Colin Butler

Al Pastor Taco at Picosos

Colin Butler — DJ for Big Ass Truck, radio DJ on WYXR at Crosstown Concourse

I’m partial to the tacos al pastor at Picosos. Pastor, I think it means “shepherd’s style.” Basically, they grill that pork on a spit, like gyro meat, and they slice it off. It’s based on lamb shawarma brought by Lebanese immigrants to Mexico. So some of the spices used in al pastor include coriander, hot pepper corns, cumin, chiles, garlic. They marinate the meat in that and then they pile it up on a spit and it rotates and cooks.

They hand-make their own corn tortillas there. And they use double tortillas. They stuff that full of meat, and then use chopped onion, cilantro, and jalapeño, which is typical for street tacos.

Between the homemade tortillas, doubled, the flavor of the meat, and the fresh toppings, to me, they’re the best tacos in town. It comes with your typical red salsa, a badass salsa verde, and more of a smoky, kind of chili-based sauce. They’ll give you all three if you ask for them.

It’s super simple. They’ll give you a small bowl of limes, too. And I always ask for crema, like sour cream but different. I like the way the sour cream contrasts with the more acidic stuff.

Picosos is at 3937 Summer Avenue; 323-7003

Katrina Coleman

Chorizo Taco at Tacos El Gordo

Katrina Coleman — comedian

I haven’t left my house much, lately. Working from home, I depend on my husband to bring treasures from the Outside. One day, he came home with five street tacos from Tacos El Gordo. The beef and chicken were good, but Memphis, THE CHORIZO.

On Madison, the lot of the Marathon has an orange box on wheels. I been sleepin’ on it.

Grilled corn tortillas filled with meat, onions, and cilantro. Served with cucumber and carrot slices that are pickled so lightly, it seems as if they heard of the concept once in a dream. The red chile sauce is good, but the green will light you up like Montag himself decided you were obscene. The sausage inside is perfectly seasoned. Tossed on the grill with the onions, the texture of the tortilla and minimal crisp of the meat makes such a delightful chewing experience that one might consider that no other food has ever been good.

If you haven’t been, I have to say: WAKE UP, SHEEPLE. Treat yourself to the only chorizo ever to be perfect.

Tacos El Gordo is at 1675 Madison Avenue; 801-0936

Bianca Phillips

Black Bean Tacos at Evelyn & Olive

Black Bean Tacos at Evelyn & Olive

Bianca Phillips — communications coordinator, Crosstown Arts

This year has been a wild one, and if there was ever a time to make sure you’re putting the cleanest, most wholesome food into your body, it’s now. Greasy comfort food may be calling, but whole-food, plant-based options will provide the nutrition you need to keep your immune system strong.

Lucky for you, the black bean tacos at Evelyn & Olive are both healthy and comforting. They’re like the taco equivalent of a grandma hug, which you can’t get right now thanks to social distancing, so accept a hug in the form of a vegan taco instead. Two crispy taco shells are generously stuffed with seasoned black beans, sautéed tofu, crunchy cabbage slaw, and sweet-and-tangy kiwi salsa. They’re served with sides of fluffy Jamaican rice and peas and cool, refreshing cucumber-tomato salad.

Evelyn & Olive is open for dine-in or takeout, and when you order to-go, they thoughtfully package all the taco components separately so you can avoid the dreaded soggy takeout taco. Build your own tacos at home, queue up Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds,” and enjoy with a stiff Jamaican rum punch for maximum comfort effect.

Evelyn & Olive is at 630 Madison Avenue; 748-5422

Julie Ray

Goat Taco at La Guadalupana

Noelia Garcia — associate artistic director at New Ballet Ensemble and School

Happy goats perform dramatic joyous dances to the glee of onlookers — much like the fancy footwork of a Spanish dancer. Perhaps the secret to Noelia Garcia’s dance superpowers is the $2.75 goat taco at La Guadalupana.

Garcia is the associate artistic director at New Ballet Ensemble and School who studied Spanish dance and flamenco at the Institut del Theatre i Dansa de Barcelona. She lived and worked in Spain, performed throughout Europe, in China, Israel, and the Philippines, and was a founding member of Barcelona’s Increpacion Danza company before landing in Memphis nearly 20 years ago. Her favorite taco is a heaping pile of perfectly seasoned goat meat on two soft corn tortillas topped with onions and cilantro. The meat of this beast has the tender juicy texture of a pot roast with a delightful tangy taste.

Try it. Ewe’ll like it. — Julie Ray

La Guadalupana is at 4818 Summer and 8075 Cordova Road; 685-6857

Laura Jean Hocking

Al Pastor Taco at El Burrito Express

Al Pastor Taco at El Burrito Express

Laura Jean Hocking — filmmaker

“For so long, I thought tacos only had hard shells, and had cheese and sour cream in them,” says filmmaker Laura Jean Hocking. “But a street taco, or a food truck taco, is all about the quality of the protein. It’s this little showcase for meat or chicken or fish with accents, instead of gloppy, Americanized crap all over it.”

Hocking’s favorite Memphis taco truck is El Burrito Express. Ubalto Guzman started the business six years ago. “I used to be a contractor,” he says. “We moved from California to Memphis to get into the food business. This is a family business. It’s me and my wife, son, and daughter.”

Laura Jean Hocking

An El Burrito Express taco plate includes five tacos with your choice of meat. Hocking’s favorite is al pastor, marinated pork said to descend from shawarma brought to Mexico by 19th century Lebanese immigrants.

“I like al pastor because I’m a big pineapple fan. I love the subtleness of the pineapple in pastor. It’s very savory and juicy. It’s a new discovery for me. I had never had pastor until we went to L.A. in September 2019. Generally, I’m a pescatarian, but when I run into meat products that are very good, like a Soul Burger or some Bar-B-Q Shop glazed ribs, I’ll have them. Now, pastor is on the list because life is short.” — Chris McCoy

El Burrito Express is at 1675 Madison Avenue; 428-9626

Samuel X. Cicci

Smoked Brisket Taco at Elwood’s Shack

Cara Greenstein — food and lifestyle blogger

Stretching or, as I would argue, elevating the definition of a “taco,” Elwood’s Shack delivers a singular sensation you simply can’t miss on its menu: the smoked brisket taco.

Upon placing in the pizza oven, a single flour tortilla puffs into a pillowy yet crispy foundation for an unconventional combination of delicate field greens (no shredded iceberg to be found here), sliced avocado, pico de gallo, shredded mozzarella, and creamy horseradish. A generous portion of smoked brisket, a perfected in-house recipe that takes center stage across Elwood’s menu, brings this open-faced phenomenon back to its barbecue Memphis roots.

If you ask how many tacos come in an order at the counter, don’t be underwhelmed when they tell you “one.” One taco from the Shack is just right.

Elwood’s Shack is at 4523 Summer Avenue; 761-9898

Jon W. Sparks

Barbacoa Lamb Taco at Tortilleria La Unica

The workers of R.E. Michel Company — HVAC distributors

Tortilleria La Unica recently moved across the street to its new home at 5015 Summer in a one-time Wendy’s. It still has the Mexican fare that made it popular, particularly among the working people out in that area. Among those is the crew at R.E. Michel Company, a distributor of HVAC equipment. One of the bunch is Dave Godbout, a self-described Destroyer of Tacos who is particularly fond of La Unica’s offerings. A recent lunch spread at the warehouse had half a dozen varieties from chicken to beef to lamb to pork.

“It’s a perfect combination of food,” Godbout says. “You’ve got salsa with tomatoes that has lycopene in it. You’ve got cilantro, which is good for detoxifying. You got a little bit of fat, a little bit of protein, a lot of carbs. It’s the perfect street food, and especially in our area, it’s the most readily available food you can get.”

“I love tacos, Americanized, authentic, it doesn’t matter,” says manager James Hoffman. “I didn’t even like cilantro until I got older and now I love it more and more. And we do a lot of business in the Hispanic community and they send us tacos from their local taco truck all the time. Man, this lamb taco is really good!” — Jon W. Sparks

Tortilleria La Unica is at 5015 Summer Avenue; 685-0097

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Now open: Sabrosura and Burrito Blues.

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

Sabrosura claims to serve Mexican and Cuban food; in fact, its scope is even broader. I spotted Peruvian and Ecuadorian dishes on the menu. But don’t let that scare you. The different strands are brought together in the person of Sabrosura’s owner, Karen Otero.

Originally from Ecuador, Otero married a Cuban man and moved to Memphis, where she has worked in Mexican restaurants for the past 12 years. She says she decided to step out on her own because she knows the business and because you can’t get good Latin food in the Medical District. About the second point, at least, she’s right.

“I like Cuban food the best,” Otero confesses. “The way they cook is like the way we cook in Ecuador. Lots of bold flavors.”

Justin Fox Burks

Karen Otero

Despite having been open for just a month, Sabrosura seems to be hitting its stride. When I visited for lunch, there was a decent-size crowd of doctors and nurses from Le Bonheur, as well as construction workers and elevator mechanics from a site down the street.

When it comes to Tex-Mex, Otero has her bases covered. Want nachos? She’ll make you nachos. But if you’re interested in what sets Sabrosura apart, venture into the menu’s less-frequented quarters, especially the section marked “Specialty of the House.”

There you’ll find the Arroz Tapada de Pollo ($11.99), a fragrant rice dish of grilled chicken, mushrooms, onions, and poblano peppers. I should note that, like Peter Piper, I’m picky about peppers. Add too many and they take over, overwhelming other flavors with a sharp bitterness. But Otero’s Arroz Tapado is just right: piquant and sizzling and seasoned to perfection.

Or hey, why not order a steak?

Yeah, you read that right. Otero’s Steak Mexicano ($13.25) is one of the better things I’ve eaten this month. A skirt steak that’s been marinated in Mexican mojo criollo, it’s grilled à la ranchera and served with pickled onions and avocado. Squeeze a little lime over it, and remember to thank God — or your lucky stars, or whatever — for the geopolitical forces that bring talented cooks from Latin America to Memphis.

Picture this: It’s 11:30 p.m. You’re at a bachelor party on Beale Street. You’re tipsy, it’s noisy, you need a break. Where will you go?

You could definitely do worse than Burrito Blues. After the fashion of a Chipotle or a Qdoba, this fast-casual Mexican joint offers build-your-own burritos and bowls. The food is fresh; it’s made from scratch daily; and for Beale, it’s distinctly affordable. There’s even a local product on the menu — the rice is from Windmill in Jonesboro, Arkansas).

You know the drill. White or brown rice? Black or pinto beans? To top your burrito, you can choose from a variety of proteins — beef, chicken, sautéed veggies — but I liked the beef options best. The steak is salty and satisfying. And the brisket — seasoned with peppadew peppers and house-smoked — is actually kind of special.

The restaurant occupies the former site of Johnny G’s Creole Kitchen. With its earth tones, exposed brick walls, and relaxed blues music, Burrito Blues is a little oasis in the neon desert. Along Beale, the pace is frantic, but in here, the vibe is chill.

Burrito Blues is open for lunch during the week, and manager Richard Magevney says he’s already seeing crowds from AutoZone Park and FedExForum. On weekends, the dining room stays open till midnight. After that, they’ll serve burritos and margaritas to drunken stumblers through a service window until 3 a.m.

Because on Beale Street, that’s how it is. You have to do high-volume; you have to do sweet drinks. Considering the framework within which they’re operating, Burrito Blues has come up with a fresh, tasty, affordable option.

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Harbor Town Dog Show Eats, and more

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Sunday’s Harbor Town Dog Show is open to all dogs. Any pooch, no matter how questionable his pedigree, can compete for the top prize in such categories as “Least Obedient” and “Best Tail Wagging.”

What does this have to do with food? The event is a fund-raiser for the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby Country, and $20 gets you and your dog entry into its VIP area, where there will be a spread with food from Miss Cordelia’s, Paulette’s, Tug’s, and the Terrace. One Smart Pet Food will be donating treats for the dogs.

The event is from noon to 4 p.m.

Tickets for the VIP room can be purchased here.

The Memphis Farmers Market annual Barnyard Ball at the Central Station Pavilion is Saturday, from 4 to 7 p.m. There will be plenty of food from area restaurants plus beer and wine, but I’ve got my eye on that cake walk.

Get your tickets here.

But wait, there’s more …

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The Spellbound Halloween party, Halloween night, at the Madison Hotel will feature a Candy Corn Cocktail. It’s Kahlua, Licor 43, butterscotch schnapps, half & half, and OJ.

candy_corn.jpg

Nuff said.

Nearby at Felicia Suzanne’s, also on Halloween, is the Zombies, Tacos, & Tunes. There will be $2 tacos, spooky cocktails, plus a costume contest, which is open to dogs.

On Saturday, starting at 1 p.m., Slider Inn will host Paws for a Cause, another event benefiting the Humane Society.