Go Memphis

Food writer Jennifer Biggs and deputy metro editor Peggy Burch dine out often, and sometimes together. When they do, they talk about the food, the service and the atmosphere, dialogues we'll share in reviews of favorite old Memphis restaurants as well as restaurants just making their debuts. This week, they visit Wang's Mandarin House on Park Avenue near Ridgeway. Full story »

It's the rare chocolate treat that tempts me: Instead, I'll take a creme brulee or a scoop of vanilla ice cream when I succumb to dessert. But the brownie at Fino's is going on my crave list. My daughter and I ducked in for a quick lunch, but we were victimized by a stroke of effective marketing when we glanced the brownie in the pastry case. Full story »

When I first heard Onix on South Main described as a "chicken-and-waffle restaurant" -- as if that was as common a term as "seafood restaurant" or "steak house" -- I got curious about the origin of that unlikely food combination. Waffles seem like breakfast fare. Fried chicken does not. At Onix in Downtown Memphis, the dish is done with Buffalo-style wing pieces and drummettes, with a $3 waffle on the side. Full story »

For weeks I've made the trek Downtown in the heat to find a hot dog vendor my friends rave about. Yet, I can't even confirm at this point that he exists, as I've never seen him. Foiled again earlier this week, we made our way to Hott Diggidy Dog to grab our red hots there instead. Full story »

When I ate lunch at Big John's Shake Shack in Marion, Ark., I brought back a sack of fried pies to share with my coworkers. (The truth was, we were too full after sampling the sandwiches to even think about pies until we got back to the office!) Full story »

As I know I've mentioned before, my grandmother's tea was divine, yet her tap water had an off flavor -- I think it's what made the tea so great (plus the sugar, of course). I take mine with lemon or lime, and a touch of fresh mint in the summer makes it even better. My daughter will only drink tea from McAlister's, half sweet and half unsweetened. Full story »

In Memphis, KFC's new grilled chicken was grounded before it got a chance to fly. That's why it's refreshing to find a restaurant where grills are smoking with fish, chicken, and vegetables. Full story »

I was down on the mall with friends, looking for a particular hot dog vendor they like. We couldn't find him and it was muggy and hot outside, so sitting inside Bach's Lunch sounded like a nice respite. I'll be going back, for sure. Take a look at this salad plate: It's anchored on one end by a lemony, slightly creamy pasta salad; in the middle, there's a tangy mix of marinated broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and onion; and I chose tender-crisp edamame to round out my three choices. Full story »

Twice now I've tried the rich, spicy and very, very green gumbo at On the River. And twice I've asked Don Scott what makes it so green. I was convinced, the first time, that there were collards or turnips in the gumbo. Nope, he said. It's a lot of chopped, cooked parsley. Also worth checking out at the restaurant on Main Street in Downtown Memphis: fish tacos, po' boys, grilled jumbo shrimp and spaghetti. Full story »

I used to shy away from The Pancake Shop because in the old smoking days, you couldn't breathe in the place. I grumbled when my daughter talked me into going last week, but I was pleasantly surprised. She wanted breakfast, but I was glad to find a retro diner selection on the reverse side of the menu. Full story »

The restaurant opened in April just off South Main and has already found a loyal following among the residents in the area. It might be the coffee selection or the fresh-anytime beignets that draws them. Either is a good enough reason, but what will get me there again and again will be the mac and cheese balls. Yeah, that's right. And they're deep fried. Full story »

I have friends who work Downtown, and they're always telling me about the two Sam's locations, one they call "hamburger Sam's" and the other they call "pizza Sam's" -- which are just a couple of blocks apart. Full story »

Whining & Dining blogger Carole H. has mentioned a time or two that Yang's Deli on Summer has a good muffaletta, so I decided to put her to the test. She passed. Full story »

These days I’m trying to follow a vegetarian diet about half the time. Several people posted that R.P. Tracks serves up good veggie fare, so it gave me a good reason to pay a visit to my old stomping ground. Full story »

When Flora Payne got married, she says she just wanted to be the best mother she possibly could. Along the way, she has become one of the leading barbecue cooks in the city. Her husband owned Payne's Bar-B-Q at 1762 Lamar. When he died, she took over the restaurant and, as they say, the rest is history. Now, son Ron is behind the counter too. Full story »