Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian | Sophia Surrett

Food Files: Plant Based Heat founder dies, restaurant lives on

ssurrett@dailymemphian.com (Sophia Surrett) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 04:00:07 -0500

Plant Based Heat, Tops Bar-B-Q and La Roche reopen, but a Downtown restaurant and an East Memphis liquor store are closing.

Local restaurant to open second location in Memphis Art Museum

ssurrett@dailymemphian.com (Sophia Surrett) — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 21:36:12 -0500

But the restaurant’s owner thought the opportunity was “too good to be true” at first.

Table Talk: Umami Amora, a night to remember

ssurrett@dailymemphian.com (Sophia Surrett) — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 14:54:58 -0500

Umami Amora was a seven-course dinner, each course created by a local Black chef who chose an emotion to inspire their dish.

Local sommelier earns Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence

ssurrett@dailymemphian.com (Sophia Surrett) — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 15:27:59 -0500

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?”

Food pop-ups keep popping up

ssurrett@dailymemphian.com (Sophia Surrett) — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 10:53:11 -0500

And the result is creative menus, more customers and, sometimes, new restaurants.

Membership has its privileges: Memphians launch card to promote local restaurants

ssurrett@dailymemphian.com (Sophia Surrett) — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 13:07:36 -0500

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.

Food Files: Harbor Town sports bar opens, TacoNGanas adding drive-thru location

ssurrett@dailymemphian.com (Sophia Surrett) — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 06:30:28 -0500

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.”

Table Talk: A mini food tour of Cuba without ever leaving Memphis

ssurrett@dailymemphian.com (Sophia Surrett) — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 06:23:42 -0500

Though a native Memphian, Kyle Garhain went to culinary school in Cuba, and he started leading food tours of the country in 2019.

Table Talk: Le Bon Appétit had the meats, sweets and more to eat

ssurrett@dailymemphian.com (Sophia Surrett) — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 16:37:20 -0500

Le Bon Appétit brought a crowd of hundreds to Downtown Memphis, where they sampled offerings from 28 chefs and drinks from four mixologists.

Around the world in 80 plates: How a woman and her grandpa are exploring Memphis' restaurant scene

ssurrett@dailymemphian.com (Sophia Surrett) — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 04:00:02 -0500

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.

As part of a longheld family dream, Viet Hoa owners opening large international market

ssurrett@dailymemphian.com (Sophia Surrett) — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:42:08 -0500

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.

$15 Deal: City Silo's SEC burrito

ssurrett@dailymemphian.com (Sophia Surrett) — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:41:38 -0500

City Silo’s Pantry + Table’s new SEC burrito includes a new protein option — chicken sausage — for the popular, health-conscious eatery.

Dr. Bean's Coffee opening new location in Arlington

ssurrett@dailymemphian.com (Sophia Surrett) — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:40:36 -0500

Dr. Bean’s Coffee & Tea, founded in 2010, will be sharing the building with coffee repair-and-maintenance shop Jambards Coffee Equipment.

After 27 years, The Blue Monkey is closing its doors in Midtown

ssurrett@dailymemphian.com (Sophia Surrett) — Mon, 8 Jun 2026 09:48:31 -0500

“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.

Here's the scoop on Sunday's ice cream festival

ssurrett@dailymemphian.com (Sophia Surrett) — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 11:48:20 -0500

Eight local ice cream venders. Four flavors each. Unlimited samples.

Food Files: Taco Prime, Petals of a Peony adding multiple locations

ssurrett@dailymemphian.com (Sophia Surrett) — Fri, 5 Jun 2026 06:55:04 -0500

While Taco Prime and Petals of a Peony expand, Peach Cobbler Factory opens and The Farm Table closes.

Chef Flavas' Bartlett location caught fire, but Downtown is ready for business

ssurrett@dailymemphian.com (Sophia Surrett) — Thu, 4 Jun 2026 05:51:29 -0500

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.

Table Talk: Sound the alarm for this chicken Parm

ssurrett@dailymemphian.com (Sophia Surrett) — Wed, 3 Jun 2026 14:55:17 -0500

Chicken Parmesan is one of food writer Sophia Surrett’s go-to dishes whenever she eats at a restaurant with it on the menu.

Moms raising kids in a restaurant: Math, taste-testing and time together

ssurrett@dailymemphian.com (Sophia Surrett) — Sun, 31 May 2026 09:27:14 -0500

For these three female entrepreneurs, their businesses grew as their families did, alongside challenges, memories and meals.

Pie, oh pie! Longtime Tonica staffer starts new bakery

ssurrett@dailymemphian.com (Sophia Surrett) — Sun, 31 May 2026 09:20:55 -0500

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.