Dining Guides
What to Order: Libro’s meatloaf
When a good friend repeatedly encourages you to order a particular dish, you should listen.
Jennifer Chandler
A cookbook author and former restaurateur, Jennifer Chandler has been writing about food and dining for more than 25 years.
There are 295 articles by Jennifer Chandler :
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November 2026
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RecipesRecipe Exchange: Erling Jensen’s rack of lamb
You know a dish is good if it’s been on a menu for more than 30 years.
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Dining GuidesWhat to Order: Gussied Up’s smashburgers — and other unexpected surprises, too
The smashburger is what brought Harrison Downing, Cole Jeanes and Schuyler O’Brien together as business partners and helped establish them as familiar names on Memphis’ culinary scene.
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October 2026
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RecipesRecipe Exchange: ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’ baked cheese and Calabrian chile eyeballs
“This appetizer is as Halloween as it gets, but it’s so good you’ll want to make it for every party you ever have,” said cookbook author Andrea LeTard. “Maybe just leave the ‘eyeballs’ out for your non-Halloween gatherings.”
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$15 Deals $15 Deal: Valle’s Rebel Combination
A great way to introduce yourself to this beloved neighborhood spot is to try the Rebel Combination. At just $13.50, this meal is a feast, offering a little taste of all of Valle’s Italian specialities.
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Dining GuidesWhat to Order: Felicia Suzanne’s Oysters of Love
Jennifer Chandler has ordered this dish at every meal she’s ever eaten at Felicia Suzanne’s, and she has no plans to stop.
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Recipes Recipe Exchange: Jones Orchard pumpkin pie
Juanita Jones is best known for her jams and jellies, but her pumpkin pie has earned a following of its own.
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$15 Deals $15 Deal: Bryant’s Summer Avenue Sampler
If you can’t decide what to order at Bryant’s Breakfast, the Summer Avenue Sampler is a giant breakfast that includes many of Bryant’s most popular items.
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ReviewsWhat to Order: The Bar-B-Q Shop’s glazed ribs
In a town where you can get your ribs wet or dry, you might not even know there’s another option — glazed.
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RecipesRecipe Exchange: Tsunami’s pork and lemongrass meatballs
At Tsunami, the pork and lemongrass meatballs appeared on the menu as an appetizer. They also found their way onto a “secret” menu, thanks to an unexpected request.
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Dining GuidesWhat to Order: Bao Toan’s papaya salad and sea bass
The ingredients are simple, but it is evident that Bao Toan uses only the best at its Crosstown Concourse restaurant.
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RecipesRecipe Exchange: Bari’s orecchiette alla Pugliese
Like the nonnas in Bari, Italy, the team at Bari, the restaurant, make the orecchiette pasta by hand. But you don’t have to.
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$15 Deals $15 Deal: Garibaldi’s meatball sub is the best-kept secret on the menu
The family-recipe meatballs, made with beef and pork, are piled onto garlic-buttered, made-from-scratch bread for a sub that’s hard to beat at $11.
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Dining GuidesWhat to Order: Amelia Gene’s tasting menu — whatever is on it
Many times, a tasting menu is a collection of a restaurant’s specialties. But other times, these curated collections of dishes allow a chef to really show off their chops.
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RecipesRecipe Exchange: Mrs. Hippie Eats’ wild rice-stuffed acorn squash
“I love this dish because it reminds me of fall,” said the owner of Mrs. Hippie Eats in Hernando. “We’re trying to manifest cooler weather with dishes that feel more like Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday.”
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Food News Annual Southern Foodways event to be held in Memphis
The Memphis event is only the third time in almost 30 years the Southern Foodway’s symposium has been held outside of Oxford, Mississippi.
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September 2026
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Dining GuidesWhat to Order: Big Bad Breakfast’s Creole omelet
The second Memphis location of Big Bad Breakfast is set to open Tuesday, Sept. 29 at the former Mulan restaurant space at 2149 Young Ave. in Cooper-Young.
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Food NewsThe baker behind Moore Truffles pivots to cookies — and a bright purple shed
Kendra Moore Crawford has found the sweet spot for her bakery business — both figuratively and literally.
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RecipesRecipe Exchange: The Farmer’s mushroom sloppy Joe
The Farmer’s sloppy Joe helped bring national attention to the Memphis restaurant.
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ReviewsWhat to Order: JEM Dining’s chocolate cake
“There are so many times I go out to a restaurant and have this decadent, chocolatey dessert. There is nothing I want more with it than a glass of milk,” said chef Josh Mutchnick.
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Food NewsWhen diners want a meal with a side of conversation
Looking for a quiet meal? Here are some ways, and places, to find it.
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RecipesRecipe Exchange: Andrew Adams’ award-winning Delta adobo chicken tamale
Over the past few months, Acre’s Andrew Adams has been submitting recipes to national food competitions for professional chefs. Here’s one recipe that took the grand prize.
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Dining GuidesWhat to Order: MingXia’s soup dumplings
Xiaolongbao dumplings get their name from the steaming basket, called a “xiaolong,” and “bao” means “bun.” Or you can just call them delicious.
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RecipesRecipe Exchange: Caramelized’s sheet pan Memphis BBQ chicken fajitas
When Cara Greenstein is planning a weeknight dinner, she looks for shortcuts in two areas: prep time and cleanup.
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Dining GuidesWhat to Order: The Four Way’s cornbread dressing and catfish
The Four Way’s cornbread dressing is an old-school Southern version of this comfort food, served at one of Memphis’ oldest restaurants.
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