Food News
Ghost River goes back to its beginnings — and adds music
“Really, Beale became redundant,” said Ghost River owner Bob Keskey after the company made a number of improvements at its original location.
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 754 articles by Sophia Surrett :
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May 2026
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Food News Briza adds Houston’s-style chicken tender special
“Because we haven’t had it in so long, it seems that much better. Nostalgia comes back in a way and is something to hold onto,” one customer said as Briza launched its new Houston’s-style chicken tenders.
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Food NewsDowntown coffee, cocktail bar to offer ‘pause’ in the day
The former longtime home of Downtown’s Bluff City Coffee will soon be home to coffee again, but this time, with cocktails, too.
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Table TalkTable Talk: It’s homecoming at Memphis in May
It’s the 48th year for the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, and it’s a homecoming of sorts for some of the teams that participated in rival barbecue festival SmokeSlam for the past two years.
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Food News MIM barbecue contest off to a saucy start
The Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest kicked off with the parade of champions followed by the event’s traditional sauce wrestling.
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Food NewsFood Files: Bain Barbecue to open Germantown location a little early
The restaurant will open a month early, while Kura House Asian Cuisine is closing and Downtown’s The Artist Table is looking for a new location.
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Food Wherever the barbecue is, that’s where these teams will be
For some barbecue teams, the annual Memphis competition is mostly about spending time with family and friends.
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Arts & Culture Memphis in May: Scenes from Ms. Piggie Idol
The winners performed to songs such as Wreckx-N-Effect’s “Rump Shaker” and Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer” in the contest at Liberty Park.
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FoodHoly Smoke! This live-fire team is just getting started
Atlanta-based pitmasters Dakari Akorede and Justin Robinson took on 19 other teams from around the world in Thursday’s Open Fire World Championship.
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Food News Memphis in May: Contestants’ stomachs grumble from the Rib Rumble
For Dude Wipe’s rib-eating contest, four contestants were lined up in front of tin dishes filled with 5 pounds of ribs and an extra pour of Cattleman’s BBQ Sauce.
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Table TalkTable Talk: Farewell barbecue week, it was nice to meat you
I polled The Daily Memphian’s staff on what our barbecue team’s name should be, if we had one. The answers were pretty incredible.
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Food NewsFood Files: The Melting Pot returns to East Memphis
After 12 years, the fondue restaurant is expected to return to the Memphis market in late 2026 or early 2027 inside a former Pyro’s Fire Fresh Pizza.
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Food News For the first time in 42 years, MIM has a back-to-back winner
For the second year in a row, Heath Riles BBQ claims top prize in the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. The team also won first in the ribs category.
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Food NewsHow three brain surgeries led to a 13-year-old winning at barbecue fest
Winning pitmaster Jacey Blurton, 13, began manning the grill five years old, taking up barbecue after three surgeries left her with limited mobility.
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FoodOh, sip! Dr. Bean’s Coffee is owned by an actual doctor, and his last name is really Bean.
Here’s the tea on Dr. Bean’s business and its eponymous founder.
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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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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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$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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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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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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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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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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June 2026
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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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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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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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