The Gift of a Legacy (Humphrey's Memphis)

Folk's Folly, Memphis' original (and only local) prime steak house, is our family favorite. It's where we savored my final meal in Memphis before heading off to college, and it's where we have celebrated too many birthdays among the five of us to count. It is where I can count on a fabulous filet a la duxelle (butterflied with a rich mushroom demi glace) or classic lobster tail (candle-lit butter and all). It's where I most appreciate Memphis' fine southern hospitality.

Next door's prime cut shoppe has always been fueled by the legacy of founder Humphrey Folk. Only now, he's at the forefront of the picture. The new name proudly reflects off of the redesigned retail space, where you can take the same filet from the Folk's Folly dining room to your own dining room. Or, if not for your home, for someone else's.

Humphrey's offers fresh (never frozen) prime cuts for overnight delivery anywhere in the Continental United States. Yes, that means you can ship to any relative or friend! Every recipient receives a finely crafted packaging suite (hand-signed by the butcher) with cooking instructions and the works.

If you're still in need of a Christmas or Hanukkah gift, and you're past the standard shipping deadline, take a sigh of relief. You've got Humphrey's. Your friends and family will not forget this fine gesture of quality, thoughtfulness, and hospitality, especially compared to generic, go-to gift ideas. Take my word for it. Order now.

Humphrey's rebranding was crafted by doug carpenter & associates. Check out our company's portfolio here.

photos by sarah rossi and john david dowdle

Mosa Asian Bistro

Thursday, the beloved calendar date we are all itching to arrive, provides the time and space to stop everything -- work and the daily grind, especially -- and celebrate family. Whether around a table, in a football stadium, or over video chat, we collectively pause our routines to appreciate those whom are most special to us. Those who are the reason we're here today.

One family, in particular, celebrates and appreciates such values; not just on Thanksgiving, but every single day. It's apparent as soon as you walk through Mosa's doors on Poplar and White Station. You're greeted by Michelle or Alex, most likely, and then you peek over the 25 sauce-studded bar to find the man behind it all: their father, Eddie Pao. He's whipping up a fabulous lo mein that he's mastered since beginning the business 37 years ago.

Eddie and the Pao family represent one of the few long-standing, family-owned Memphis restaurant businesses that has sanctified tradition yet evolved through the generations. After sitting for coffee with Michelle, I witnessed her continuous commitment to updating the menus, refreshing the space, and perfecting the customer service that keeps diners on the meal plan for years and years to come. The face-to-face value creates loyalty, in my opinion. It's why I love grabbing basil rolls and sautéed vegetables to-go, just so I can catch up with sweet Michelle at the register. It's why my family deems it our go-to spot while everyone is out and about and in need of a centrally-located, reliable, and enjoyable setting for dinner.

Just as we value the family dinner table as routine, Mosa seeks to be a routine, everyday experience for its customers. With its price point, menu variety, and Asian farm-to-table specials, you can come to Mosa on a weekly basis without getting sick of it or breaking the bank. Personally, I go between the pad see ew, shrimp and broccoli with brown rice, and mushroom lettuce wraps. Always a basil roll or spring roll to start. Dumplings if I'm feeling extra hungry. The dozens of choices are fantastic for families, large parties, or a party of one on a weeknight.

The fresh vegetables, brought in weekly through a CSA program, are prepped for hours before the restaurant even opens. I'm in awe of Michelle's description of her team's day-to-day duties, which I hope to experience soon in-person. The bok choy and broccoli never arrive pre-cut. Eddie and his team hand chop the vegetables, formulate the 25 sauces, and prepare for catered affairs, take-outs, and tables seven days a week. It's remarkable!

For the party of five who has transformed customers into "family" for almost four decades, I encourage you to try the consistently delicious Pan-Asian fare, especially once Thursday passes and we'll all be sick of cooking! You'll be impressed with Mosa's fresh focus. It's about great food and great service.

photos by Sophorn Kouy

Downtown Memphis Dining Week on StyleBlueprint

Memphians: Mark your calendars for Downtown Dining Week from November 16-22! "While I have always been inspired by Memphis’ dining scene, new restaurants are popping up left and right, and old establishments are re-marking their culinary territory among loyal and interested guests. Our restaurants are booming in both quality and publicity, as the nation is starting to realize that our city’s culinary creativity goes well beyond barbecue spaghetti and ribs. So make your reservations and let the 40 participating chefs carry you through extra exclusive meals. Almost all of the menus are available on Downtown Dining Week’s website, but here are a few that grabbed our attention for their creative twists and fancied deals. . ."

Read more on the StyleBlueprint website, where I will be guest-writing monthly!

Muddy's Grind House (Memphis)

Rise and shine. And grind.

Memphis' famed Kat Gordon seems to sprinkle magic on all that she touches: her cupcakes, cookies, cakes, and the entire community, for that matter. Now, the magic has entered an extra hot vanilla soy latte, which I enjoyed last Friday at the new Midtown Muddy's Grind House before heading to work.

The space has quickly become Memphis' "happy place." While the color scheme isn't as bold as Kat's assortment of vivacious wigs, the pastel accents, dainty flower arrangements, and walls of curated merchandise (Paper & Clay and Flo's, to name a few) bring a fresh breath of air to the city's coffeehouse scene. You can't help but smile when walking through the yellow door on Cooper and Vinton.

I decided upon a few favorite details while sipping my latte and savoring my blackberry almond oat bar:

1. The to-go packaging (below). Maybe it's just my advertising/PR hat, but how fabulous is that logo? I love the mix of the Muddy's established frill and the bolder, masculine approach to coffee brewing.

2. The fireplace. Emphasizing the "house" in coffeehouse, the light brick fireplace at the front entrance is just wonderful. The patio is lovely for summer and autumn, but I can just picture visiting the Grind House in the cold of winter to cozy up by the fireplace and write.

3. The chalkboard of customer suggestions. Kat truly wants to hear customer feedback. The list has already begun with suggestions (I second the chai latte!). I admire Kat's commitment to customer satisfaction. Perhaps that is why she's the winner of Best Bakery and Best Dessert in the Memphis Flyer's Best of Memphis awards. Best Coffee next year?

Go give the Grind House a shot -- It's open from 6 a.m.-9 p.m. on Mondays-Saturdays. Let the staff know what you think!

Why The Memphis Food Scene Matters

Well, we're halfway through another month (how?), and the seasons are clearly a-changin'. I haven't experienced a true autumn in years and am already embracing the fall transition in and out of the kitchen. Yesterday afternoon, I whipped up a few heirloom tomato recipes and a fruity cobbler. . .Look out for those recipes soon. Last week, I was honored to attend the National Association of Food Journalists' annual conference in Memphis. As one of fewer than ten Memphian attendees, I took full advantage of the conference location and strolled from my apartment to the Peabody Hotel for three packed days of thought-provoking panels, empowering conversations, and first-class meals. Seriously, the food lineup was more impressive with each bite or taste of Memphis, if you will.

While I could write a novel about my new perspectives on the changing landscape of food journalism, new media, iPhone photography, restaurant transformations, etc., I will share five new lessons about my city's food scene. Despite previous dispositions or judgments on your behalf or mine, this city has a lot of history. And a lot to offer.

1. "All good Southerners do come home." -Chef Karen Carrier, Beauty Shop, Bar DKDC

It's true. There's a reason why Memphis-raised Karen Carrier left her Chelsea, New York restaurant (where Phillip Seymour Hoffman ate his last meal) and committed herself to never-seen-before Memphis dining and catering at the Beauty Shop and beyond. A gravity seems to pull us back to the place where we tasted our first homecooked meal, rich with history and passion and quality and purpose. Heck, it worked for me.

2. "Cooking is our cultural currency." -Kim Severson, New York Times

Cookbooks are still selling. Recipes are still circulating. People want touchstones to that tribal fire of cooking and eating in a community. Memphis is providing that cultural currency with inter-generational restaurants that value tradition above all else. Orange Mound Grill's 60-year-old sweet potato pie recipe will continue, according to founder Ms. Daisy Miller's granddaughter. The Folk and Boggs families are committed to refocusing Memphis' original steakhouse, Folk's Folly. Kat Gordon shares her mom Jan's toffee bar recipe with the entire city in Muddy's bake shops. The city is committed to continuing that "cultural currency" element that clearly holds us all together.

3. Barbecue may be our official food, but it's not our only specialty.

You can find an unbelievable slab of ribs at Charlie Vergos Rendezvous or a classic barbecue pizza at Coletta's; but the truth is, Memphis chefs are not settling with old-fashioned headliner dishes. They're making new headlines. They're pushing the envelope with innovation and recirculation of the city's most prized delicacies, such as two I just mentioned. Wednesday night's Taste of Memphis event at Stax illustrated the resurgence of culinary creativity and the rare unity found in a city's restauranteur scene. I walked past Coletta's barbecue pizza paired with Andy Ticer's modernized barbecue pizza popper (a take on our childhood frozen midnight snack). I watched Wally Joe take a gorgeous spin on Jonathan Magallanes' traditional-style quail tamale. Craft beers and Relevant Roasters are making a new name for Memphis' beverage offerings. Such creativity is placing Memphis on a much higher level than ever before. I only hope the public recognizes its quality as much as the James Beard house, who hosted a slew of my beloved Memphis chefs for a "Made in Memphis" dinner last Spring.

4. In Memphis, "Food is medicine." -Dr. Scott Morris, Church Health Center.

This city of soul views the family table as more than a literal dose of nourishment -- food is a tool of spiritual fulfillment, too. Chef Miles McMath of St. Jude has transformed a "cafeteria" approach into a farm-to-table creative warehouse for thousands of people every single day. The Church Health Center is teaching the alphabet to low income children through healthy foods. Baptist churches are changing the statistic and elevating the ritual of the meal through healthier options at social and religious events. People are clearly committed to making food a reference point -- and a game-changer.

I'm proud to be a part of this place.

Felicia Suzanne's Lunch (Memphis)

Felicia Willet and I go way, way back. She's the culinary goddess of Memphis and one of the first chefs who captured my teenage attention beyond the television screen. I spent my sixteenth birthday dining in the Felicia Suzanne kitchen and remember the private meal's spacial intimacy and flavor intensity almost perfectly. I became infatuated with the restaurant's behind-the-scenes perspective and, clearly, have never turned back.

Felicia then cooked my high school graduation dinner at my home, making my favorite short rib grilled cheese and peppermint ice cream mini ice cream sandwiches like no one's business (healthy, I know).

And now, I live directly next door to Felicia's magical Memphis-meets-New Orleans restaurant and patio. Could it be more perfect? I think not.

I have dined at Felicia Suzanne's countless times without taking the appropriate photographs. I cannot stand to scroll through my Critiques page anymore without seeing her name under the "Memphis" category, so here is a taste of the Southern kitchen. I plan to step back into Felicia's fairly soon and taste/photograph some house favorites. But for now, I will discuss my favorite Friday lunch items that keep me going back. Besides the 25 cent dirty martinis.

1. SHORT RIB GRILLED CHEESE. I am not afraid to claim this sandwich as a top 10 dish I have ever and will ever taste. Tender short ribs on the inside and melted, toasted cheese on the outside. That's right; there's a generous sprinkle of cheese in between the bread, but the outside Sweetwater cheddar cheese kicks this up so many notches.

2. GUMBO. Did you know that Felicia trained under Emeril Lagasse, to whom I attribute my pretend cooking shows as a little kid? She clearly learned his gumbo secrets, because the andouille sausage and chicken roux is legitimate. Felicia's country gumbo is much more savory than a seafood gumbo, but it's well-rounded, especially with a dollup of (not too creamy) potato salad right in the middle.

3. FSR SALAD + FRIED OYSTERS. The oysters are plump and piping hot, melting blue cheese underneath. The tartness of the muscadine grapes inspired me to buy my own crate at the Memphis Farmers Market last weekend, where I ran into Felicia herself selling her precious Flo's line (homemade bread and butter pickles, you guys). Oh, and her cornbread croutons make sourdough croutons look defeated and flavorless. Hers are crispy and slightly crumbly in the center. And sweet. . .just like every touch in her Downtown Memphis restaurant.