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Fall is here, bringing with it all the cooler temperatures I dread and the layers I grumble about and would rather avoid. What redeems it all for me is the undeniable glory of pumpkin.

Some Southerners will swear on their granny’s pie that sweet potatoes reign supreme, but for this Midwestern-made foodie, pumpkin is the real prize of the season. 

I have been thrilled to see that Memphians are going full pumpkin this fall — from lattes to dessert cocktails, and every delicious bite the day can bring in between. Trust me, I am making it my mission to find as many as I can. So much so, in fact, I chronicled all of the other fall flavors I encountered across the city while on my quest to find pumpkin. 

If you, like me, can’t wait to kick off your mornings with a hit of pumpkin, head to Monkeygrass Mayhem. Co-owners Amanda and Chip Dunham are leaning into autumn.

“Fall is easily my favorite season,” Amanda Dunham said, adding that her mom’s apple cake is the season’s signature for her. “I think pumpkin is a great blank canvas. You can do so much with it. You can go sweet with caramel and brown sugar or a more spiced route with clove, cinnamon (and) nutmeg.”

Monkeygrass Mayhem’s fall menu includes house-made pumpkin cold foam, perfect for topping any of the coffee trailer’s beverages, and a pumpkin-infused syrup with rich caramel notes.

And Amanda Dunham let slip a secret menu gem: the Pumpkin Patch Latte, made with their pumpkin syrup and topped with a dusting of cinnamon and a caramel drizzle — but the usual vanilla cold foam layer is swapped out for pumpkin cold foam.

“In my opinion, that would be (like a) liquid pumpkin pie with a little caffeine,” Dunham described. “But, hey, who am I to judge?”

Over in Midtown, Jacques Louise Bakery is showing the pumpkin who’s boss this season, turning the beloved gourd into all kinds of treats.

“It took me a while to fully appreciate pumpkin, but now I see the beauty that it can add to baked goods,” said Savannah Kenney, who co-owns the Overton Square bakery with her husband, Philip. “It offers a great source of moisture, (which is) very necessary in gluten-free baking, and pairs perfectly with all the beautiful fall spices that we have all come to love.”

All of Jacques Louise’s cookies, breads and pastries are gluten-free, and some are also vegan. But if you think pumpkin’s season-long takeover stops at baked goods and hot drinks, think again.

Chow Mein Kabocha at The Artist Table is served on a bed of pureed kabocha, also known as "Japanese pumpkin," topped with sauteed oyster mushrooms and drizzled with chili oil. (Ellen Chamberlain/The Daily Memphian)

At the newly opened Downtown chef residency space, The Artist Table, Daishu McGriff has launched a limited-time dinner residency called Momma Maitake. During the autumn residency, McGriff’s American-Chinese/soul food fusion concept features dishes such as Chow Mein Kabocha, which has chow mein noodles, traditionally prepared but with soul food seasoning, curled on a bed of pureed kabocha, a winter squash. The dish is finished with sauteed oyster mushrooms, a drizzle of chili oil and a sprinkling of shaved scallions.

Even Tamika Heard of Butteriffic Bakery & Cafe — a steadfast sweet potato advocate — is opening her heart, mind and palate to pumpkin this season.

“Black people and pumpkin spice is a hard sell, but the last time I baked pumpkin pies with the butter cookie crust, it was a success,” she said, noting that the pies will return to the bakery’s menu in October. “It’s important to mix it up a little.”

The bakery will also be serving up pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls and buttersnaps — gingersnap takes on Butteriffic’s signature silver-dollar-sized butter cookies — alongside other fall-inspired items. A special, limited-run collaboration with chef Eli Townsend promises a can’t-miss seasonal pairing: Heard’s buttersnaps with Townsend’s pumpkin “pate.”

“It’s, of course, a play on pate and (is made with) pumpkin, butter, cream cheese, bacon and chives,” Townsend said. “I love Tamika; I love Butteriffic; and collaboration is definitely the new currency.”

When asked about his opinion of pumpkin, Townsend answered almost immediately. 

“I plead the Fifth,” he said.

Townsend isn’t the only one choosing not to endorse pumpkin. Over at Crosstown Brewing Co., pumpkin isn’t on the menu — and they say they’ve intentionally kept it that way for the past seven years.

“Crosstown Brewing Company has been proudly pumpkin-free since 2018,” brewery co-founder Will Goodwin told me with a lightheartedness that can only be conveyed when someone is also being absolutely serious. Instead of embracing pumpkin, Crosstown Brewing is serving a blonde ale made from Hatch chili peppers, cleverly called Hatch Me Outside.

Old Dominick Distillery's house-made Toddy is shaken with maple syrup and pumpkin puree before being served in a rocks glass with a brown rock sugar rim to create The Harvest Moon cocktail. (Ellen Chamberlain/The Daily Memphian)

If you’re in the mood for a cocktail more than a beer, Old Dominick Distillery has you covered this fall — where, yes, pumpkin is on the menu.

The Harvest Moon is a dessert-worthy treat featuring the Memphis distillery’s house-made toddy shaken with pumpkin puree and maple syrup, served in a rocks glass with a brown rock sugar rim.

Many Memphians may argue for sweet potatoes and Crosstown Brewing may hold its pumpkin-free line, but I’m finding my season-long obsession all over this city. This is pumpkin’s moment, and yes, it’s every bit as indulgent, cozy and unapologetic as it should be.

This week on the Memphis food scene

The Farm Market Co-Op has fresh produce along with handmade goods. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

A new farm co-op aims to bring country goods and customer service Downtown.

Sophia Surrett has the latest on the expansions of a national drive-in and a local coffee shop across the city in Food Files, and the story behind a Taiwanese-style bakery’s new location in East Memphis.

A tray of Sweet Musings pastries can be paired with a passionfruit bubble tea. (Sophia Surrett/The Daily Memphian)

Explore beyond American culinary conventions with this week’s ‘What to Order’ at Curry N Jerk.

In Sound Bites, Holly Whitfield takes us back down memory lane with some of her favorite past episodes of the podcast. 

Erica Horton took on the tasty task of examining Boba Society’s menu for this week’s $15 Deal.

And if you’re considering becoming a pet parent of the feline variety, Brandon LaGrone II describes a new Southaven cafe where the beverages pair with the pastries, and the cats are available for adoption.

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