Next stop… Memphis. Picture intenstive!
We got into Memphis late, got checked into our hotel. It was kind of chilly and looked like rain, so we decided to just grab something light (we had had two barbecue lunches already) across the street at Flight, 39 S. Main Street. We all just ordered small salads – two of us this iceberg wedge with red onion, bacon, grape tomatoes, and blue cheese dressing. The other was a mixed greens salad with blue cheese (subbed in for goat cheese), cranberries, bacon, pecans, and white balsamic. A small bowl of lobster bisque – too thick, but nice and flavorful. Nice place, we actually wanted to go back but couldn’t get a reservation on our free evening. The have multiple “flights” of food you can order that are three related food items, or wines, or you can mix and match your own. Fun!
We wandered down to the famous Beale Street to take a look. Unfortunately for our timing, it was Bikers on Beale night, and the street was just packed with bikers and bikes. We did go back two nights later, but let’s just say it’s not my thing.
Oh, how we were looking forward to Helen’s Bar BQ, 1016 N. Washington, Brownsville, TN. We drove an hour to get there. Oh, how disappointing. If I say that the only thing any of us wanted to eat more than about one bite of was the potato salad, that probably makes the point. Smoked pulled pork, ribs, and bologna, with sides of cole slaw, beans, and potato salad. I get the background story of Helen’s as an icon of the community, but that’s not enough reason to keep giving this place accolades. Give them to her, not to the food.
Sorry about the photos – there was some sort of smudge on the lens and I didn’t notice until reviewing the photos in the car afterwards. We weren’t planning to go the Payne’s Bar-B-Que, 1764 Lamar Ave, Memphis, but we ate so little at Helen’s, and we practically had to go past this place. They’re famous for their smoked sausages, so we got one to split. Nicely spiced, deeply smoked sausage and an intensely mustardy slaw on top. Two of us loved it, one thought it was just okay – I think the yellow mustard was a bit much for him.
Two of us headed out on a walk, and we stumbled upon the Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art, 119 S. Main St, Memphis. The Asian collection is spectacular and stunning – mostly a collection of Qing and Tang dynasty carved ivory and jade. The Judaic collection is less museum-like and more of a gallery of contemporary Jewish artists. And we got treated to two older local women wandering through behind us, one of them suddenly exclaimed, “Oh, I forgot one part of this is Jew art.”, to which the other replied, “We’ll just walk fast through here.”
And a great, and informative visit to the National Civil Rights Museum, 450 Mulberry Street. It’s not a full on history of the civil rights movement. Given that it’s housed at the converted motel that was where Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot, other than a brief look at the beginning about the slavery period of American history, it sort of jumps to the start of his activism, and follows on through to his death and the manhunt to find his killer. So pretty much early 1950s to 1968. It felt like a lot was missed, particularly the last 50 some years. And a near 100% focus on the black community’s civil rights struggle, not on any other groups.
We’d reserved weeks earlier a night out for something lighter than barbecue, figuring on having more than it turns out we’ve been up to eating. A lovely night out at Magnolia & May, 718 Mt. Moriah Rd., Memphis. Great service, nice vibe – the kind of place you wish was in your neighborhood. I had some grilled oysters topped with mushrooms, and a tasty salad of mixed greens, grilled seasonal vegetables, all dressed in a habanero infused green goddess dressing. My brothers had a plate of shrimp and grits with tasso ham gravy, and sauteed trout with crabmeat and fried green tomatoes. All really quite good.
Next morning I took some “me time” and took a walk around the center of town while my brothers headed to Sun Studios for a tour. First stop, the Fire Museum of Memphis, 118 Adams Street, which included a fascinating exhibit on the history of the local fire department from the early 1800s.
On to the The Cotton Museum at the Memphis Cotton Exchange, 65 Union Avenue. Now, the actual history of the cotton trade and the exchange was pretty interesting. But I have to admit, I was pretty astounded that they were able to put on an entire museum devoted to cotton and nearly ignore slavery. Oh, yes, there were some display cases in the center of the museum that talked about the 400,000 slaves who worked at the plantations (after “migrating to the southern United Colonies” as it was phrased in the video presentation). But each of the displays then related how important those slaves were to the development of the blues, jazz, and rock music scenes. It was sort of “yes, it was terrible, but look at all the great music and art we got out of it!”
Met back up with my brothers at Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous, 52 S. Second Street for lunch. A cavernous basement level place seating dozens of people, certainly had it been full, well over a hundred. They’re famous for their dry-rubbed ribs. We tried those and some brisket with beans and a mustard slaw. It was all… fine.
Disappointed again, we took a walk to Central BBQ – Downtown, 147 E. Butler Street, across the street from the civil rights museum, for second lunch. Here we had their jerk wings – delicious and spicy, plus a pulled pork sandwich – okay, onion rings – very good, and collard greens – so bitter we couldn’t eat them.
Then it was off to the Blues Hall of Fame Museum, 421 S. Main Street. Interesting place with memorabilia and recordings of a huge number of blues musicians. And we got a little impromptu concert on the sidewalk out front from Gaye Adegbalola, formerly of Saffire. Fun stuff!
Since we couldn’t get back into Flight, we ended up with dinner (hours later) of blackened catfish and a side of smoked gouda grits at Sage, 92 S. Main Street. Fish overcooked, grits good, but heavy, service was indifferent, at best.
And that seems like a good spot to end for Memphis. Next morning, up and on the way to Mississippi and Alabama….
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