Business
Food Files: Plant Based Heat founder dies, restaurant lives on
Plant Based Heat, Tops Bar-B-Q and La Roche reopen, but a Downtown restaurant and an East Memphis liquor store are closing.
Sophia Surrett
Reporter
Sophia Surrett is a University of Alabama graduate, where she received her B.A. in news media and M.A. in journalism and media studies. She has been with The Daily Memphian since July 2023, first starting as a business reporter covering various beats. Now, she covers food, restaurants, and hospitality and tourism.
There are 765 articles by Sophia Surrett :
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June 2026
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Food News Local restaurant to open second location in Memphis Art Museum
But the restaurant’s owner thought the opportunity was “too good to be true” at first.
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Table TalkTable Talk: Umami Amora, a night to remember
Umami Amora was a seven-course dinner, each course created by a local Black chef who chose an emotion to inspire their dish.
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Food NewsLocal sommelier earns Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence
When the leadership at Amelia Gene’s asked their liquor distributor if he knew anyone who could be their sommelier, he replied, “What do you think about me?”
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Food NewsFood pop-ups keep popping up
And the result is creative menus, more customers and, sometimes, new restaurants.
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Food Membership has its privileges: Memphians launch card to promote local restaurants
The Local Card will help generate publicity for Memphis-area restaurants and offer deals for customers, “creating a win-win for everybody,” said This is Memphis co-founder Gabriel Kisber.
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Food NewsFood Files: Harbor Town sports bar opens, TacoNGanas adding drive-thru location
Local taco trailer chain TacoNGanas will soon have its first drive-thru location, while a Harbor Town resident said his sports bar is a “natural fit.”
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Table TalkTable Talk: A mini food tour of Cuba without ever leaving Memphis
Though a native Memphian, Kyle Garhain went to culinary school in Cuba, and he started leading food tours of the country in 2019.
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Table TalkTable Talk: Le Bon Appétit had the meats, sweets and more to eat
Le Bon Appétit brought a crowd of hundreds to Downtown Memphis, where they sampled offerings from 28 chefs and drinks from four mixologists.
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Food News Around the world in 80 plates: How a woman and her grandpa are exploring Memphis’ restaurant scene
Almost every Friday, Mara Daniele and her grandpa, Doug Duncan, meet for lunch for their “Around the World in 80 Plates” series. So far, they are about a fourth of the way around the world.
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Food NewsAs part of a longheld family dream, Viet Hoa owners opening large international market
Han Square is opening, in part, in a former Life Church space in Cordova and will include the international market, a Southeast Asian food court, retail tenants and full-service restaurants.
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$15 Deals $15 Deal: City Silo’s SEC burrito
City Silo’s Pantry + Table’s new SEC burrito includes a new protein option — chicken sausage — for the popular, health-conscious eatery.
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Food NewsDr. Bean’s Coffee opening new location in Arlington
Dr. Bean’s Coffee & Tea, founded in 2010, will be sharing the building with coffee repair-and-maintenance shop Jambards Coffee Equipment.
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Food NewsAfter 27 years, The Blue Monkey is closing its doors in Midtown
“It’s been difficult for quite some time, but it just got to the point where, you know, we just really didn’t have much of a choice,” said partner and general manager Mike Johnson as the restaurant closes its first of two locations.
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Food News Here’s the scoop on Sunday’s ice cream festival
Eight local ice cream venders. Four flavors each. Unlimited samples.
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Food NewsFood Files: Taco Prime, Petals of a Peony adding multiple locations
While Taco Prime and Petals of a Peony expand, Peach Cobbler Factory opens and The Farm Table closes.
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BartlettChef Flavas’ Bartlett location caught fire, but Downtown is ready for business
Owner Chris Moore said they weren’t planning to open the Downtown location of Chef Flavas until mid-June, but now they are offering to-go orders from the new restaurant.
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Table TalkTable Talk: Sound the alarm for this chicken Parm
Chicken Parmesan is one of food writer Sophia Surrett’s go-to dishes whenever she eats at a restaurant with it on the menu.
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May 2026
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Spirit of MemphisMoms raising kids in a restaurant: Math, taste-testing and time together
For these three female entrepreneurs, their businesses grew as their families did, alongside challenges, memories and meals.
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FoodPie, oh pie! Longtime Tonica staffer starts new bakery
Bob’s Bakery will focus mainly on sweet and savory pies but will also offer pastries such as brownies, cookies, mini pound cakes and hand pies.
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Food NewsFood Files: Local Insomniacs get a third Memphis location
The late-night cookie chain Insomnia Cookies will soon open its third Memphis store on Winchester Road. Tekila Group opened its newest concept in Senatobia. A Downtown patio area up for debate.
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Food NewsRestaurant Remix: No Comment is staying ’80s-themed but with a twist
“We know we can do oysters. We want to make sure this new menu crushes,” said the co-owner of No Comment as it transitions to a restaurant with an Indian-Italian flavor.
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$15 Deals $15 Deal: Harry’s three-topping pizza
Head to Harry’s Italian Restaurant, owned by the family behind Olympic Steak & Pizza, for this $15 deal available on Thursdays.
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FoodTable Talk: Etowah goes back to the beginning
Kinfolk owner Cole Jeanes was the chef for both the first and the most recent Etowah Collective Dinner.
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Food NewsAfter six years, a new Enjoy A|M restaurant to open
“We’ve always wanted a cocktail, steakhouse-y kind of restaurant,” said Andy Ticer of the second-floor bar at his and Michael Hudman’s new restaurant.
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