Seeking Memphis Recommendations

I worked at Fino's and Cafe Society. I used to get my pre-shift meal at Squash Blossom before work at Cafe Society. I lived on Madison between Zinnies and Zinnie's East (that was trouble), and on North McNeal before it was gentrified (how many times did my car get broken into . . .)

I really liked Linda Waller's restaurant, Pucks, and I liked Don Fox's place in Cooper/Young. One of my go-to restaurants was Marena's.

of course, I ate a lot of burgers and drank a lot of beers at Alex's, and I liked Huey's as well.

you and i must know one another, unless you were there after i had gone. but, timing-wise, let's see...i left after wild oats bought us out and they closed the union ave location within a year, if memory serves correctly. hmmm... i LOVE fino's on the hill!!!! i still dream of the sandwich with the corned beef and marinated onions...i forget what it's called. SO delicious. that's also on the list for dallas when we go back. i really like linda waller! i loved erling jensen when he was at la tourelle. did you ever have the pizza at memphis pizza cafe? there was one that he would make with cheddar, jalapenoes and turkey-it wasn't on the menu but it was the best pizza. still dream of that, too. what did you think of cafe ole? and what about karen blockman carrier's restaurants?...cielo, automatic slim's and i think the beauty shop is the latest in cooper young. her husband (he's deceased now) and her little boy travis (when he was little) shopped in squash evergreen all the time when i was working there. nice people. what about molly's la casita? thomas boggs-huey's-was a classmate & boyfriend of my sister's in high school! i LOVE huey burgers!!! senor huey!

my car was broken into many times when i was living there also. funny thing with me was that there was never a thing in it! i came out one morning and the doors were standing wide open and nothing was missing. they had sat and smoked and ashed in my ashtray, though. i was humored by that!

you've totally got me tripping down memory lane. i hope i run into you sometime so we can meet and yack about memphis!

did you shop at deliberate literate? you know corey messler owns burke's books now! and jimmy lewis (squash blossom) is in the process now of rebuilding and moving into the original burke's books location opening jimmy's market. i've actually been offered the grocery buyer position there.

good gravy, i could go on for days...

I shopped at Deliberate Literate like a mad man. My dog was the grand-daughter of the dog (Chip?) that hung out at Burke's Books.

I ate a lot of Memphis Pizza Cafe, good stuff. I didn't hang much at cafe Ole, but I knew Karen Blockman pretty well, and would frequent the bar at Slims. I saw El Vez there twice. Cielo and Beauty Shop opened after I left. I also used to do restaurant night at the Bayou. Old Zinnies and Zinnies east were my mainstays, but I also hit Murphy's, P&H, Antenna Club, and Two Way Inn quite a bit. I ate my fair share of Molly's, but I was all about cheddar melt at Huey's. Memphis was starting to change a lot during my time there. Good memories.

my lord, El Vez. you know, when i was home last, i saw an ad for an upcoming show. i cracked up! i used to love to go to his performances. OH MY GOD the yams at bayou!!! i staged a revolt when they took them off of the menu. i really miss that place. not much really like it here. did you ever eat at that cajun place down on front street just across from butcher shop? i can't recall the name (obviously) but they always had some great blues bands playing there. did you like sleep out louie's? p&h reminds me that i talked to rob junkglas not too long ago. he plays there a bit now along with otherlands cafe. did you know otherlands? all-you-can-eat spaghetti night at p&h!! i had 5 plates once. that was when i was still a competitive triathlete. ha! and, as for antenna, that was also owned by a good friend of my sisters and rocky, the bouncer, was actually my babysitter when i was a small child. he & his family were neighbors of ours growing up in frayser.

this is just too much. i feel entirely sure i'd recognize you if i saw you.

I like Rob. I used to go watch the Great Indoorsmen a lot, and I used to go see Todd Snider at the Daily Planet.

did you just admit to growing up in Frayser? That was the butt of every joke I heard in Memphis.

rob junkglas was a great friend & is a great musician. he and mary divorced and he just released a new album. he's on MySpace. i remember seeing todd snider for the first time when i was serving at newby's in my first year of college. he played at the tiny bar just two doors down on highland. i was fascinated with him because he didn't wear shoes! yes, i'm that odd. i actually just reviewed his peace, love & anarchy: rarities & b-sides cd for LEO. did you happen to read the piece i wrote for them last summer called "where is the local love?". having lived in memphis, you'd appreciate it especially, i think.

yes, i grew up in frayser. i like to think that i'm living proof that not everything which comes out of frayser is entirely tainted or pot-bellied with day-glo neon accessories. my family is hysterical - when we moved, we literally crossed the tracks and moved into scenic hills. technically, that was raliegh. i still shake my head at my parent's rationalization over that one. of course, they live in collierville now. of course. you should see that part of town! when i was growing up, germantown road was 2 lanes with no street lights whatsoever. these days, it looks like mini-atlanta. i am astounded every time i visit.

i swear i knew your name rung a bell. do you & your wife (i think i remember reading a blog post of yours where you mention your wife?) eat at volare much?

http://www.leoweekly.com/?q=node/2333


here's the link, if you want to read it.

I can't give any recommendations on Memphis, but I can relate a Memphis story, with a "foodie" connection.

Did you know that Elvis is buried in the barbeque pit at Graceland ?

Let me tell ya how I found out this most interesting tidbit of information.

The wifey and I were away for our wedding anniversary and were staying at the Old Crow Inn B&B in Danville, KY (which has an attached winery called "Chateau du Vieux Corbeau" ["Old Crow Inn" in French]).

Another couple, Gay and Franklin from Scottsville, KY had come up for the graduation of their daughter Rachel from Centre College, and were staying in the same B&B.

As we were seated around the breakfast table one morning, making the usual idle chit-chat small talk, Franklin mentioned that a friend of theirs (who normally stayed in the same room in which we were staying), with the eccentric but absolutely Southern name of Battle Manassas Brown III, had a great-aunt Grace who was the original owner of the Graceland property.

It was from her that Elvis had purchased the property, and for which he re-named the property as “Graceland” in honor of Miss Grace.

Anyway, after Elvis had died, Battle and some others of his family visited Graceland one day. As he was standing on the porch looking toward Elvis’s grave, it suddenly dawned on him where the gravesite was located.

That site was the location that Miss Grace had used as the family’s barbeque pit.

Somehow, in a warped sort of way, I find this to be a fitting story that is associated with the legacy of Elvis.

Wonder if they put a bottle of BBQ sauce in his casket with him ?

And as Paul Harvey would say, "And now you know, 'the rest of the story' ”.

You just can't get this sort of trivia while staying in hotel chain accommodations.

p&h reminds me that i talked to rob junkglas not too long ago. he plays there a bit now along with otherlands cafe.

Rob Junkglas, wow. I won tickets from WLRS for his show at Tewligans (now Cahoots). He had a big hit and was on tour. Must have been three or four years ago

rob junkglas was a great friend & is a great musician. he and mary divorced and he just released a new album. he's on MySpace. i remember seeing todd snider for the first time when i was serving at newby's in my first year of college. he played at the tiny bar just two doors down on highland. i was fascinated with him because he didn't wear shoes! yes, i'm that odd. i actually just reviewed his peace, love & anarchy: rarities & b-sides cd for LEO. did you happen to read the piece i wrote for them last summer called "where is the local love?". having lived in memphis, you'd appreciate it especially, i think.

yes, i grew up in frayser. i like to think that i'm living proof that not everything which comes out of frayser is entirely tainted or pot-bellied with day-glo neon accessories. my family is hysterical - when we moved, we literally crossed the tracks and moved into scenic hills. technically, that was raliegh. i still shake my head at my parent's rationalization over that one. of course, they live in collierville now. of course. you should see that part of town! when i was growing up, germantown road was 2 lanes with no street lights whatsoever. these days, it looks like mini-atlanta. i am astounded every time i visit.

i swear i knew your name rung a bell. do you & your wife (i think i remember reading a blog post of yours where you mention your wife?) eat at volare much?

I usually eat at Volare with my father as it is one of his favorite restaurants.

I went down to Memphis with some friends to a UofL football game.
My friends wanted to see Graceland so I pointed out there it is but they insisted in seeing the thing...taking a tour so they did.

I sat out in the car because when we first arrived I got out and heard "Hound Dog" playing over loud speakers in the parking lot. I got a really weird feeling after I toured the Lisa Marie.

UofL lost the game that day and I told my friends that Elvis was bad luck.

No one spoke on our way home.