Tag: Young Avenue Deli

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Those About To Rock

CREDIT: Photo by Averill R. Conway Photography

Old rockers ought to be scared. When I was a kid, there were only so many of us whose parents were even open to the thought of playing an electric instrument. Looking back on it, it’s amazing how we ever found each other to form bands in the first place. No Craigslist, no Facebook, no texting. I’m still not sure how we scheduled band practices in the 1990s. All that’s changed. These days, old rockers are the parents, and it seems like all the kids are rocking.

But it’s different … and better. At School of Rock, kids get music lessons and then are placed in groups to learn how to play together. That last bit is the greatest hit. Plenty of old-school kids who had lessons grew to be technically proficient, but floundered in the social atmosphere of a band. School of Rock gets kids playing together and performing onstage as part of the basic curriculum.

You won’t be surprised that Memphis fell pompodour over leather boots for the concept. Memphis’ chapter of the School of Rock took off like a pyrotechnics display, and, after one year, is ranked 10th in enrollment out of 120 schools worldwide. Thank ya very much.

You can hear the kids this weekend at the Young Avenue Deli in four performances over two days. “Pure Grunge” has pipsqueaks playing the songs from bands such as Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam, and starts at 3 p.m. on Saturday the 18th and at 6 p.m. on Sunday the 19th. “A Tribute to Led Zeppelin” is at 7 p.m. on Saturday and at 3 p.m. on Sunday. All shows are at the Young Avenue Deli. Admission is $10. Go raise a glass to progress and to never having to pull a phone number from the bottom of a flyer again.

School of Rock presents “Pure Grunge” and “A Tribute to Led Zeppelin” at the Young Avenue Deli on Saturday and Sunday, January 18th and 19th.

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Music Music Features

The .01 Percent

CREDIT: Rachel Hurley

Lord T & Eloise, the world’s first aristocrunk rappers, are back in Memphis with a show at the Young Avenue Deli on Saturday, October 12th. The duo is known for combining rap culture’s monetary braggadocio with crunk — Memphis’ distinct contribution to the hip-hop soundscape — into a meta consideration of wealth, celebrity, and partying your fool head off.

Lord T, the 18th-century aristocrat with the dirty-south drawl, is the alter ego of Elliott Ives. The harder-barking Eloise, allegedly covered in 24-karat gold skin, is the second self of Robert Anthony, the writer and editor responsible for this perhaps insane concept. Crazy as it may sound, Lord T & Eloise have been a success.

Ives, currently touring and recording as guitarist for Justin Timberlake, recalls the whole concept catching on faster than they ever planned.

“Robert came up with this crazy idea from the perspective of these two characters,” Ives says. “I never thought it would come out. I was like, ‘Man, don’t. Let’s not put that out. These [songs] are stupid.’ But we had 20 something songs.

“Next thing I know: ‘Man, let’s not do a show. We can’t do a show.’ We did a show, and all of a sudden we had a booking agent and were doing national tours. We were wondering what the hell happened. It was my side project at the time.”

The original lineup included DJ Witnesse — who is still part of the team — and Cameron Mann, recent head of the Music Resource Center for the Memphis Music Foundation and now the manager of development and communications at Shelby Farms Park. Mann’s father, Don, started Young Avenue Sound in 2001. (Cameron left the group in 2008.)

Ives was an upstart engineer at Young Avenue Sound in 2006 and orchestrated the purchase of an Akai MPC, the essential sampling tool that was the technological basis of hip-hop as digital technology replaced the hard-to-learn handwork and expense of turntables. The studio became a haven for local hip-hop.

“I convinced Don to buy an MPC, because the studio’s clients were rappers and producers. So I was just grinding out beats and learning that machine,” Ives says.

Aristocrunk, Lord T & Eloise’s 2006 debut album and manifesto, combined the sensibility of the .01 percent with a very heavy dose of Prince Mongo. The Flyer gave the album an A. The sound was essentially Memphian.

Ives had marinated in the horrorcore hip-hip of Orange Mound, with clients working in the shadows of Three 6 Mafia. Where Craig Brewer’s character Shelby from his hip-hop film Hustle & Flow — allegedly based on real-life math teacher and synth whiz Shelby Bryant — ventured alone into rap collaboration, Ives enjoyed a steady stream of hip-hop work through the mid-1990s, honing his sensibility and technical efficiency. Later, this work would inform his musical output in FreeSol, a rap-driven funk-pop outfit that backed Timberlake and which led to his current gig with the pop superstar.

Ives just returned home from touring with Timberlake.

“I have a couple days off,” he says. “We just finished a promo tour and we had a summer tour. It’s been crazy. We did Rio with 95,000 people. You couldn’t see the back. You couldn’t see the sides. It was absolutely insane. The people are so far away from you. It’s not like the Hi-Tone where you have 200 people right in your face. That’s hard to play.”

Lord T & Eloise return to the intimacy of Memphis this Saturday. Despite the recent highs of playing to tens of thousands, Ives is excited about this homecoming:

“It’s going to be really cool. We haven’t played for a while, but we were getting to a really cool place. We have a rotating cast of characters. We have Paul the Tailor playing drums. That’s going to be awesome. Biggs Strings is on bass. And DJ Witnesse.”

As time allows, the band will continue working on the next mixtape, which will be their fourth album, following 2008’s Chairmen of the Bored and Rapocalyse from 2010.

“We have a bunch of unfinished material for Blackout Crunk Vol. 1, which is not finished,” Ives says. “We have it all mapped out. The songs are there.”

Sadly, Ives reports that Anthony has become stuck in character and is receiving medical attention. Our request for an interview with Anthony was answered with a carrier-pigeon-delivered scroll offering financial-advisory services. But the show will go on.

Lord T & Eloise with Spaceface Young Avenue Deli Saturday, October 12th, 9 p.m.-2 a.m.

lordtandeloise.com

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Music Music Features

Scruffs and Fareveller Return

This weekend, local music fans will have two rare chances to see Memphis power-pop cult figures the Scruffs perform live. The band is scheduled to play on Saturday night at the Poplar Lounge and on Sunday night at the Hi-Tone Café.

The Scruffs is the brainchild of Memphian Stephen Burns, who’s been living and performing in Scotland for the last decade or so, collaborating with members of Belle & Sebastian and Teenage Fanclub, among others. Burns recently moved back to Memphis, which could complicate things for live shows in the future, as half of the band’s current line-up — bassist Bobby Kildea, who did not make this trip, and drummer Mark Rodgers — are based overseas.

(Guitarist Adam Hill and fill-in bassist Chris Gafford are based in Memphis and Nashville, respectively.)

“I’ve lived here, there, and everywhere,” Burns says. “It does not affect recording. It can make the live-show issue a bit more difficult. However, my family has lived here for over 45 years, and I have to demonstrate a tad bit of responsibility. Difficult for a perpetual teenager. On the positive side, I have found a house that I like very much, quite close to Ardent.”

The band’s shows this weekend will be its last before Rodgers returns to the U.K. Sunday night’s Hi-Tone performance has the added distinction of being the CD-release show for the Scruffs’ new album, Kill! Kill!, which might be Burns’ strongest collection of songs since the 1977 classic Wanna Meet the Scruffs?.

“Frankly, I think it is an excellent album,” he says. “As good as anything the Scruffs recorded. Exciting, gentle, beautiful vocal melodies. Great pop rockers.”

The Scruffs perform Saturday, March 24th, 10 p.m., at the Poplar Lounge ($5) and Sunday, March 25th, 9 p.m., at the Hi-Tone ($5).

For more information, visit thescruffs.com.

Also on tap for this weekend is the Fareveller Music Festival, which runs Thursday through Saturday at various venues around town.

Now entering its second year, this year’s Fareveller is a somewhat more focused affair, with last year’s sprawling overload of venues and artists giving way to a tighter schedule and a few bigger names in indie-rock, including Maps and Atlases, Those Darlins, and the Black Belles.

“We have made an effort to focus on the individual shows this year,” says Fareveller founder/organizer and local musician Brandon Herrington. “My talent buyer, Seth Fein, is a wise young man with a lot of experience. With our limited budget, we felt it very important to get the most bang for the buck by making each show stronger in terms of headliners. It will be a lot easier from a logistical standpoint as well.”

Despite scaling back in some ways, including the number of locals on this year’s bill, Herrington sees the festival continuing to grow and take root in the current Memphis-music scene.

“Memphis needs more progressive music things,” he says. “I keep saying this, but we are held back by our heritage so much. It is the coolest thing about Memphis, but it also infiltrates everything. Part of building the shows better this year meant upping our headliner level and reducing the total number of acts for each show and the total number of shows. The unfortunate side effect is less available spots. I hope that as this thing grows, we can increase the local participation. The local scene is still integral to my vision. It’s absolutely where my heart is.”

Fareveller Schedule

Thursday, March 22nd:

Young Avenue Deli

10 p.m.: Ume

11 p.m.: Maps and Atlases

Friday, March 23rd:

Young Avenue Deli

9 p.m.: Canon Blue

10 p.m.: The Rocketboys

11 p.m.: The Black Belles

Midnight: Mobley

Otherlands Coffee Bar

8 p.m.: David Ramirez

9 p.m.: Myla Smith

10 p.m.: Among the Cranes

Newby’s

11 p.m.: Mindelixer

Midnight: Eliot Lipp

Saturday, March 24th:

Young Avenue Deli

10 p.m.: Arma Secreta

11 p.m.: Youniverse

Midnight: Those Darlins

Otherlands Coffee Bar

7:30 p.m.: The Underhill Family Orchestra

8:15 p.m.: Greenside Manners

9 p.m.: Water Liars

10 p.m.: Jessica Lea Mayfield

Newby’s

11 p.m.: Luke “Glitchdoctor” Sexton

Midnight: Strooly

1 a.m.: The Hood Internet

Three-day wristbands are $25 at the door and good for every show of the festival. For individual show prices or more information on the line-up, visit fareveller.com.

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Music Music Features

Get Together

For years, Memphis’ place along touring routes into and out of Austin, Texas, has created a surge in club shows each March, when Austin hosts the South By Southwest Music Festival (see cover story, page 19).

If the density of SXSW-connected local shows has, at times, felt like a mini-festival, that relationship is being formalized this year with the first Fareveller Music Festival, which moved from a prospective fall date to this weekend in large part to take advantage of bands’ SXSW-based touring schedules.

“The fall is so packed, with the Cooper-Young Festival, Gonerfest, River Arts Fest, etc.,” says Fareveller organizer Brandon Herrington, who is booking roughly 40 acts in four venues across three nights. “Spring just made more sense. Picking the weekend after SXSW made it a lot more interesting in terms of artist availability. We had to pick and choose wisely because our budget is limited.”

A member of local rock bands such as Dora and This Is Goodbye, Herrington — who recently finished a stint with the South Main Association as president of the arts district — was looking for a different way to impact the local music scene. A friend he’d met while touring, Seth Fein, runs a similar multivenue festival — the Pygmalion Festival — in Champaign, Illinois, and Herrington talked to Fein about duplicating the Pygmalion fest in Memphis.

“I called him and said I wanted to do that same concept here. He handed me the golden book, so to speak, and is now acting as my talent buyer. His festival is a really cool niche festival, with about 6,000 people attending every year,” Herrington says. “I wanted to stay involved in making Memphis better. I thought that the easiest way to do that was to go deeper into the music scene and find something that isn’t happening and then do it.”

In addition to working with Fein, Herrington has sought advice locally from Louis Meyers, the Folk Alliance director who helped found SXSW.

“Indie music is so weird, and that term doesn’t really mean much these days, but that’s definitely our focus,” Herrington says. “I’ll probably focus the most on indie rock and singer-songwriter stuff, but there will also be electronic and some hip-hop.”  

Among the touring acts hitting town as part of Fareveller is Portland’s psychedelic roots-rock band Morning Teleportation, who got some nice buzz in Austin. They’ll be at Newby’s on Friday. There’s Indianapolis’ chamber-pop band Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s, who are playing the Hi-Tone Café on Thursday. And there’s New Zealand guitar band Surf City, who will be playing the Hi-Tone Saturday.

Though there are lots of out-of-town touring acts at the festival, the lineup is 60 to 70 percent local.

“There has to be a lot of local artists,” Herrington says. “Memphis isn’t that big, but we’re cliquish. I hope this creates more connections in the local scene. I definitely want local bands to take some ownership of this festival.”

Among the local acts are folk-rockers Star & Micey (Young Avenue Deli, Saturday), newish shoegazer/metal band American Gods (Newby’s, Friday), and emerging rapper Cities Aviv (Young Avenue Deli, Thursday).

“I don’t have overly inflated hopes and dreams for it,” Herrington says of his goals for what he hopes will become an annual event. “I just want it to be a part of everything, much in the same way Live From Memphis, Goner Records, and the Hi-Tone are permanent fixtures in this scene. I want to give people something to look forward to every year and, hopefully, bring some amazing talent to this city.

“My personal opinion is that festivals appeal to a new generation of people who are inundated by technology, media, etc. People don’t commit anymore until the last minute, because there are always so many options. Festivals bring all that together. They satisfy that A.D.D. urge to have a lot of choices. They let you preview lots of music. And there’s usually beer involved. In my mind, Fareveller is a no-brainer.”

Thursday, March 24th

Hi-Tone Café: Mobley, Dignan, Young Buffalo, Margot &

the Nuclear So and So’s

Young Avenue Deli: Cities Aviv, Total Savage

Friday, March 25th

Hi-Tone Café: Greenside Manners, While I Breathe I Hope, Pezz, The Subteens, Mouserocket

Newby’s: American Gods, Youniverse, The Oldest Profession, Nicos Gun, Morning Teleportation

Young Avenue Deli: Andrew Bryant, The Wealthy West, Damien Jurado, Chase Pagan

Saturday, March 26th

Hi-Tone Café: Rainy Saturdays, Modern Convenience, Death on Two Wheels, Surf City, Bare Wires, Pujol, Turbo Fruits

Newby’s: Electrocity

P&H Café: Animal Sounds, Holly Cole & the Memphis Dawls, Andrew Kelley Simons, Jeremy Stanfill, The Near Reaches

Young Avenue Deli: Myla Smith, The Sheriffs of Nottingham, Rainy Day Manual, Jamie Randolph and the Darkhorse,

Star & Micey

Individual show tickets range from $10 to $15; three-day festival wristbands are $25. For set times and more info, see fareveller.com.

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Music Music Features

Teen Acts Stepping Up

At a hip-hop showcase at the Center for Southern Folklore a few weeks ago, a microphone was handed into the crowd, and a few of the aspiring artists there as fans took turns with their own freestyle verses.

The best of the bunch, by far, came from Tim “Royal’T TopMC” Love, a hulking 19-year-old who charmed the crowd with a flow that was warm, easeful, and engaging.

I’d met Royal’T earlier in the evening, when he was passing out flyers for a show he was promoting the next night at downtown’s Club Escape. The show featured a long list of like-minded, new-generation Memphis rappers, whom Royal’T was unofficially dubbing “The Young Alliance.”

“I do the shows just to give people good hip-hop,” Royal’T says. “My goal is to really put myself out there and bring people together.”

This weekend, at Young Avenue Deli, Royal’T is rounding up much of the same crew — rappers such as Cities Aviv, Preauxxx, Taktix, and Virghost — for a show he’s dubbing “’90s Hip-Hop Reloaded,“ a tribute to the hip-hop style of that decade, with attendees encouraged to dress in ’90s styles.

Given that Royal’T was born in the early ’90s and that hip-hop culture tends to be present tense and forward-looking, it’s odd that the young Memphis rapper — who once performed as part of a more conventionally modern group called Mic Runnaz — should obsess over what he refers to as hip-hop’s “golden age.”

“I feel that in the ’90s, there was more soul,” says Royal’T, who cites A Tribe Called Quest, Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, and Nas as his favorite hip-hop artists of that era. “Not just the lyrics, but also in the beats — you can feel more love than you can today.”

Royal’T’s introduction to classic hip-hop was also influenced by a couple of music-making uncles, Memphis’ Ennis “Fathom 9” Newman and Chicago rapper HB Sol.

Fathom 9 will also be on the bill at Young Avenue Deli this weekend and is among the many veteran local rappers who join Royal’T on Raw Gospel Muzik, the strong, free Internet album Royal’T released last December. Along with Fathom 9, who connects early-’00s local hip-hop crews the Genesis Experiment and Iron Mic Coalition, the album features Genesis Experiment’s Mike P., IMC’s Empee and Jason Da Hater, and other local vets such as MaxPtah and Infinito.

“I reached out to bring everybody together. They weren’t doing it for a while,” Royal’T says of getting so many local scene vets together.

Given the subculture of “gospel rap” that Royal’T’s music doesn’t belong to, the album’s title is a little misleading: “I wanted to start a controversy,” he says. “A lot of people are going to see the title and turn it on and hear something different. But I see all the people I worked with as a hip-hop choir.”

Royal’T produced most of Raw Gospel Muzik, with help from Fathom 9 and Max Ptah. It’s his second release, following an earlier work, The Throwback Novel. But Royal’T considers these releases “prequels” to a true debut album, the more solo-performed and mostly Fathom 9-produced 4 All Seasons, which he says is “more personal, with more neo-soul and experimental beats.” Royal’T hopes to have the album ready sometime this summer.

“Royal’T TopMC Presents: ’90s Hip-Hop Reloaded” takes place at Young Avenue Deli on Friday, March 18th. Showtime is 9 p.m. Admission is $5. You can download Raw Gospel Muzik for free at royalttopmc.bandcamp.com.

Another local teen act celebrating a new release are Arlington-based rockers Deadfall Rd., a preternaturally polished hard-rock quartet consisting of David Hoffman (vocals/guitar), Blake Leonard (guitar), Preston Jones (bass), and Eric Graham (drums).

The band’s second EP, the locally produced One Bullet at a Time, showcases a rock-radio-ready sound on crunchy, guitar-driven songs such as “Adrenaline” and “Riverbed.” The band will celebrate the release Friday, March 18th, at the New Daisy Theatre, with Aurora and Planet Ink. Showtime is 7 p.m. Admission is $11.

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Music Music Features

Bringing the Scene Together

CREDIT: Dan Drinkard

The Memphis rap and hip-hop scene is thought of nationally in terms of Three 6 Mafia, Yo Gotti, and 8Ball & MJG, all roughly similar artists. But the scene has grown more diverse — and, as a consequence, more fragmented — in the past decade.

This weekend, Friday, January 14th through Sunday, January 16th, independent promoter Kaviar Lewis seeks to put the spotlight on the local scene by bringing artists from different strands of the Memphis hip-hop scene together for three showcases at three local venues in a self-described “unification summit” dubbed “Mic Check.”

“I started to see the same people [at every show] and wanted to reach out,” Lewis says. “I made it a point to slowly start integrating the scene. Lots of guys are sitting at home making record after record and no one is seeing them. And I don’t care how many Facebook friends and YouTube hits you have, you have to be able to get onstage and move the crowd. Be an MC. That’s what it’s about.”

A quick primer on the schedule concerts:

Friday

The lineup Friday night at the Center for Southern Folklore was designed to “show the diversity of the hip-hop scene,” according to Lewis. A couple of the acts are more tangentially rap-related.

Artistik Approach, which pairs recent transplants Brandon Tolson (East St. Louis) and Siphne Sylve (New Orleans), incorporates R&B elements, doo-wop, and human beat box in a vocal-based style that, based on what I’ve seen and heard, is more lively than the band’s rather stiff name. And solo artist Ify is a Memphian of Nigerian descent whose music stands at the intersection of rock, pop, reggae, and R&B. Her look and style is reminiscent of Santogold.

Artistik Approach and Ify will share the stage with three more conventional rap acts. Knowledge Nick is a University of Memphis student and promising pure hip-hop MC whose dexterous flow can, like a lot of self-consciously “conscious” MCs, get a little wordy at times. UndenYable is “more street-oriented, but lyrical,” according to Lewis. And rounding out the bill is Detroit transplant Promise.

Dubbed “The Hip-Hop Happy Hour,” the night will include a meet-and-greet period from 7 to 8:30 and a panel discussion with local music-industry figures from 8:30 to 10. The music starts at 10. There is no cover for this event.

Saturday

The Saturday night lineup at Young Avenue Deli is meant to be a showcase for lyrically advanced pure hip-hop acts, according to Lewis.

The highlight here might be Cities Aviv, a young MC with punk roots who has put out a series of terrific internet singles (citiesaviv.bandcamp.com) in recent months, the best of which, “Coastin’,” will be released as a seven-inch single next month by the local Fat Sandwich label.

Total Savage is an energetic young white rapper who has toured with Lord T & Eloise and opened for Girl Talk at Minglewood Hall last year. New Orleans transplant Preauxx is a promising young MC who comes across, stylistically, in much the same way as emerging Memphis hip-hop contender Skewby.

Reggie Bean is an Orange Mound rapper with a smooth flow who scored a local radio hit of sorts a year ago with “All 4 U,” which was produced by Free Sol’s Elliot Ives. “He’s the most lyrical street dude I know,” Lewis says.

Rounding out the bill are Dutchess, whom Lewis describes as a fixture on the spoken-word and battle rap scenes, and Taktix, who emerged earlier in the decade as a member of the group Poisonous Dialects and is now a veteran of the local underground hip-hop scene. Last year, Taktix, Cities Aviv, and Ify all contributed to “Pushin’ Buttons,” a single from local DJ Homework.

Music starts at 10:30 p.m. Cover is $7 for under 21 and $5 for over 21.

Sunday

The Sunday night lineup at Murphy’s is devoted to local rap crews and features longtime stalwarts the Iron Mic Coalition alongside several crews in the more traditional Memphis rap vein, including the promising young bunch Team Black Embassy, whom Lewis describes as “Iron Mic for the ghetto.” Other crews on the bill are the INM Music Group, 3MK, and The Heavy Chevvy Boyz. Showtime is 10:30 p.m. Cover is $10.

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Brew City Bottle Caps at Young Ave. Deli

jalapenos.jpg

I was at Young Avenue Deli the other day when I noticed the on-table advertising for Brew City Bottle Caps. It read, “Stay warm this winter with our spicy, beer-battered jalepeno slices!!!”

Three exclamation points? How could I resist?

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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 Nightlife

CREDIT: Alex Harrison

There was a new category in this section that threw readers for a loop in this year’s ballot: “Best ‘Cougar’ Bar.” Several voters noted they weren’t familiar with the term,

so we’ll oblige: A “cougar” is an older woman who prefers the company of younger men.

A few put it on record that this is an offensive category, while two voted “Your mama’s house,” and another added helpfully, “Any bar my wife is in.”

Best Local Band

READERS’ CHOICE

The Dempseys

Lord T & Eloise

Lucero

Newcomers to this winning category, Lord T & Eloise clearly have won over Memphians with their clever rap lyrics and innovative stage show. The Dempseys held onto our ears and hearts with classics from decades gone by. Ditto for Lucero and their heartland whiskey tunes. All in all, eclectic is the only way to describe our readers’ tastes.

Best Local Singer

by Justin Fox Burks

Backstreet, 1st place: Best Gay Bar

READERS’ CHOICE

Harlan T. Bobo

Joyce Cobb

Amy LaVere

Susan Marshall

Di Anne Price

Women rule this category with jazz, rock, blues, Americana, and plenty of soul. From Beale Street staple Joyce Cobb to rising star Amy LaVere to the folksy intimacy of Susan Marshall to jazz stylist Di Anne Price, Memphis loves these women’s voices. The sole male on this list, Harlan T. Bobo, rises to the top once again in this category, drawing votes with his heartsick love songs.

Best Karaoke

1. Windjammer Restaurant & Lounge

2. Yosemite Sam’s

3. Alfred’s

When Flyer readers want to contribute their dulcet tones to the famous music of Memphis, they head to the Windjammer. Most local karaoke hotspots give guests only one night a week to belt out their off-key renditions of “Friends in Low Places,” but the good folks at the Windjammer face the music six nights a week. And our readers love that.

Best Hole in the Wall

1. Earnestine & Hazel’s

2. P&H Café

3. Alex’s

Sometimes the best place to go is underground, the place non-locals have never heard of and probably wouldn’t give a second thought to. That place, for readers, is Earnestine & Hazel’s. An ex-brothel, Earnestine & Hazel’s these days is known for its great burgers and cheap drinks.

Best College Hangout

1. Newby’s

2. R.P. Tracks

3. Flying Saucer

Open ’til the wee hours of the morning, Newby’s is the perfect spot for local collegians to congregate and converse. With beer specials, barbecue, Bike Night, and bands, Newby’s is the ideal place for young people to have more fun than they probably should.

Best Bartender

READERS’ CHOICE

Michele Fields, Calhoun’s Sports Bar

Jeff Johnson, Newby’s

Brad Pitts, Bari

When readers want to get their drink on, they turn to one of these three good folks. Sports-bar lovers flock to Michele Fields at Calhoun’s. The college crowd — among others — prefers Jeff Johnson at Newby’s. And last but not least, our readers show the love for Bari’s Brad Pitts.

Best After-Hours Club

1. Raiford’s/Hollywood Disco

2. Earnestine & Hazel’s

3. Blue Monkey

After its grand reopening in 2007, Raiford’s/Hollywood Disco is back on top. Offering live music, dancing, and drinks, Raiford’s/Hollywood Disco is where the crowd heads to “party like a rock star” as the night goes on. And just to be sure that you arrive in style, the disco offers guests limousine service.

Best Pick-Up Joint

READERS’ CHOICE

Blue Monkey

Celtic Crossing

Flying Saucer

Raiford’s/Hollywood Disco

Senses

Sometimes, you go to bars to drink and socialize with your buds. Other times, you have, um, another agenda. When the libido needs a little action, Flyer readers have plenty of options. Some look for love over a pint of Guinness at Celtic Crossing, while others prefer the casual atmosphere of the Flying Saucer or either of the Blue Monkey locations. For those who prefer to dance their way into someone’s pants, Raiford’s/Hollywood Disco and Senses top the list.

Best “Cougar” Bar

BOM 1. Spindini

2. Blue Monkey — tie —

Flashbacks

3. Cockeyed Camel — tie —

Raiford’s/Hollywood Disco

In Memphis, cougars find fresh meat at Spindini, where the younger men tend to be of the well-to-do variety. Hey, if you’re going after a young dude, you want one with a good salary and some ambition, right?

Best Beer Selection

1. Flying Saucer

2. Boscos Squared

3. Young Avenue Deli

With more than 100 beers on tap (and now two locations in the area), it’s no surprise this “beer nerd” bar won for best selection. Beer aficionados can choose between dark lagers, fruity pale ales, creamy stouts, or plain ol’ domestics. The Saucer folks will even combine your favorites in one of their tasty mixed beers such as the sinfully delicious Chocolate Truffle (Young’s Chocolate Stout and Linderman’s Framboise).

Best Place To Get a Martini

by Justin Fox Burks

Harlan T. Bobo

1. Side Street Grill

2. Peabody Lobby Bar — tie — Dish

3. Majestic Grille

An entire page on Side Street’s menu is dedicated to twists on the classic martini, and with names like the Coonass (a dirty martini prepared with Absolut Peppar) and Wedding Cake (vanilla vodka mixed with cranberry and pineapple), who can resist? The best part: All martinis can be supersized for a few extra bucks.

Best Place To Get a Margarita

1. Café Ole

2. El Porton Mexican Restaurant

3. Molly Gonzales’ La Casita

Mexican Restaurant

If you haven’t spent a warm summer night on the spacious Café Ole patio with a tall icy strawberry margarita in one hand and a salty tortilla chip in the other, you haven’t really lived. Of course, most of you already have experienced Café Ole’s tangy tequila cocktail or the restaurant wouldn’t have won “Best Margarita.” Now if only we had a category for “Best Salsa.”

Best Happy Hour

1. Chili’s Grill & Bar

2. Flying Saucer

3. Blue Monkey

It may seem strange that a chain restaurant always lands in our top three for “Best Happy Hour.” But when a bar offers two-for-one specials all day long, well, that’s one heck of a happy hour. In fact, that’s more like a happy day.

Best Dance Club

1. Raiford’s/Hollywood Disco

2. Senses

3. Club 152 Beale

When owner/DJ Robert Raiford retired last year and closed his beloved disco club, the people spoke. They were upset, angry, depressed. Where, oh, where would they ever wear their silver polyester pantsuit again? But before folks could resign their retro Raiford’s digs to a yard-sale rack, some nice businessmen stepped in to save the day. Now the dance floor is more crowded than ever.

Best Jukebox

1. Earnestine & Hazel’s

2. Alex’s

3. Young Avenue Deli

With many bars jumping on the Internet jukebox wagon, it’s nice that Earnestine & Hazel’s is sticking to its old-school jukebox roots with a great selection of classic Motown, soul, blues, and jazz, including many influential local artists. There’s no bad music on this jukebox, so you don’t have to worry about listening to $5 worth of crappy songs.

Best Place To Shoot Pool

1. Fox & Hound English Tavern

2. Young Avenue Deli

3. P&H Café

Pool halls have come a long way. Remember when they were filled with overweight, scary biker dudes who’d beat you in the back alley if you looked at them wrong? Or wait, maybe that was in a movie. Anyway, the Fox & Hound is nothing like that. Decent folks in khakis and polos play pool there on pay-by-the-hour, oversized billiards tables. There’s nothing to be afraid of, really.


Best Sports Bar

1. Fox & Hound English Tavern

2. Buffalo Wild Wings

3. T.J. Mulligan’s

Alex Harrison

The Hi-Tone Caf is our readers favorite place to catch a great live show. With acts as unique and varied as the art on the walls, the Hi-Tone offers Memphians what they love most: a stripped-down, classic bar perfect for catching music and drinking with friends.

Wow, our readers love Fox & Hound. Probably because, in addition to having plenty of quality pool tables, the bar boasts multiple TVs so fans won’t miss a minute of the game. Sometimes, the bar even hosts pay-per-view UFC fighting matches.


Best Gay Bar

BOM 1. Backstreet

2. The Pumping Station

3. 1 More

As home to one of the largest dance floors in Memphis, a stunning drag show, and a slew of hot gay customers, how could Backstreet not win number one by a landslide? Now cue that Cher dance mix.

Best New Bar

by Justin Fox Burks

Side Street Grill, 1st place: Best Place To Get a Martini

1. The Cove

2. Calhoun’s Sports Bar

3. Blue Monkey, downtown — tie —

Red Rooster Bar & Music Hall

Last year, Jim Marshall put the famous ship bar, nautical paintings, and rustic chandeliers from the late Anderton’s East to a new use in his Broad Avenue oyster and cocktail bar. The retro décor was a big draw for first-time customers, but one taste of the Cove’s hand-mixed signature cocktails, and they were hooked. by Justin Fox Burks

The Cove, 1st place: Best New Bar

Best of Food & Drink

Best of Arts & Entertainment

Best of Media

Best of Goods & Services

& The Rest

Staff Picks

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