Germantown Commissary

BBQ joints are a dime a dozen in Memphis, which naturally means they cannot be all good. But, I find that BBQ preferences are so subjective that you just have to figure out which establishment makes your heart sing. Now, I haven't done an exhaustive search of the most notable spots in Memphis, but I know there are quite a few who vie for locals' favorites (my sister's number 1, Central BBQ, the Neelys of Food Network fame, Jim Neely's Interstate BBQ (he is Pat Neely's uncle) and on and on).

My go-to supplier of bbq deliciousness has been Germantown Commissary, a small shack located near railroad tracks (and yes, trains will pass by while you're eating and in Memphis, having to wait for a train to pass is a regular occurrence when driving). According to their website, the Commissary used to be a country store (I'm guessing like a general store) for over 90 years before it was purchased in 1981. So, that's a lot of history and the restaurant looks like it was frozen in time, which is one of its many charms.


Kinda love this horse artwork.


A full rack of ribs with charred bits. Very good.


Charles ordered the half rack ribs plate and really loved the baked beans.


My pulled pork plate. Pork was tender, fantastic and got a good dose of BBQ sauce (regular and hot, which are kept on the table). Their deviled eggs and coleslaw were spot-on.

The pork is life-affirming, the servers are warm and friendly, and the sweet tea comes in plastic cups with the saying "BBQ So Good Yull Slap Yo Mama." So, yeah, I love this place. And that's it for the Memphis posts! Back to your regular LA programming.

Germantown Commissary
2290 Germantown Rd S
Germantown, TN 38138
(901) 754-5540

Blue Plate Cafe

Blue Plate Cafe is one of my family's go-to spots for breakfast and lunch. The restaurant is located inside a converted house and I adore its down-home atmosphere with sunny yellow decor and vintage blue plates on the walls. I usually go for fried chicken with a waffle, but Charles and I actually made it here early enough that breakfast was the only option, which was fine by me.


Wondrous sweet tea with lemon.


Charles had scrambled eggs and a strawberry waffle. Fresh berries are so delightful, I don't know why I ever go the IHOP Rooty Fruity route. Charles had no complaints, so I guess it was solid (maybe I should ask him more about what he thinks about his food).


I got chicken fried steak with eggs and grits (the breading was crisp and well-seasoned, loved it). Charles had never eaten grits before, so though I generally do not order them, I had to give him the full Southern breakfast experience! After I doctored them up with butter and a good dose of salt, we were in biz with the grits.

If you're looking for a bonafide Southern experience for breakfast, Blue Plate Cafe is where it's at. They've also got a bunch of options for meat and two or three (sides) for lunch and dinner; you can't go wrong no matter the time of day. Long live Blue Plate!

Blue Plate Cafe
5469 Poplar Ave
Memphis, TN 38119
(901) 761-9696

Memphis Pizza Cafe

I'm from a family that loves to eat. Many of my fondest memories are associated with really good meals (some homemade, some at restaurants), so it should come as no surprise that during our visit, we were perpetually dealing with food hangovers (we also drank but not as much as we ate!). I didn't snap photos of all the food we ate while Charles and I were in Memphis because it was a vacation and I was in maximum relaxation mode (plus my camera's memory could not hang with the amount of food we ate).

First up is Memphis Pizza Cafe, which holds a dear place in my heart. My sister and I usually eat here while I'm home; this was the first time I ate at the Overton Square location (there are a handful of locations scattered throughout the city).


Greek salad. Love the tangy dressing and pepperoni + pepperoncini = love.


Half Cajun chicken, half BBQ chicken. I am not a pizza purist and I don't care. This stuff was damn good and made me happy.

Notable: Charles had his first sweet tea at this meal! I really liked their version, although our first glasses were pretty sugary (our refills were less wickedly sweet).

Just writing this post makes me want to book it back to Memphis immediately. More to come!


Memphis Pizza Cafe
2087 Madison Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
901-726-5343

A Memphis Thanksgivin' - Part Four

This post is the last installment of my Thanksgiving trip, it's been quite a extravaganza of food per usual. I also drank a lot of wine and apple cider, very festive! Here is a round-up of more food that graced our table this week:

Korean seasoned crab

Galbi (Korean short ribs)

Steamed lobster

Braised short ribs

Seafood pancake


I relished my time at home and look forward to the next round at Christmas!

A Memphis Thanksgivin' - Part Three

I spent most of Thanksgiving day cooking and it was time for dinner before I knew it! We do a mishmash of American and Korean food for our holiday meals (I have to admit kimchi and cabernet together was a bizarre flavor combo). Hope you all had a wonderful day of eating and lounging about. Without further ado:

Korean style ribs

Chestnut and apple stuffing*

Cucumber kimchi

Fried chicken

Jellyfish salad (!)

Turkey breast (store-bought)

Yams with marshmallows*

Green bean casserole*

My cranberry conserve I make every year (Ina Garten recipe)*

Giblet gravy (store-bought)

Mashed potatoes*

*Dishes made by me

A Memphis Thanksgivin' - Part Two (or Dos)

I never underestimate my family's capacity for unusual social events. But, a Spanish chef cooking dinner for us was not something I was expecting. Chef Ramon Fernandez-Salgueiro is from La Coruna, Spain where he has a tapas restaurant called A Roda. Every year, he closes the restaurant for about 20 days and takes a vacation. Lucky for us, this year, he was visiting our family friend, James, and was gracious enough to prepare some authentic Spanish tapas for us. The rundown:


Tomato and melted fresh mozzarella


Goat cheese with prosciutto


Spanish omelet with potato


An omelet slice


Brandy shrimp


Garlic bread (seasoned with the juices of the shrimp)

All that with a couple bottles with Spanish white wine made for an immense and very satisfying meal. It was such a wonderful experience and of course, made all of us want to visit Spain as soon as possible. Thank you, Ramon!

A Memphis Thanksgivin' - Part One

Whenever I come home, I have grand plans of eating here and making this, but of course, they never come to fruition; I am usually too busy sleeping a lot and catching up on DVDs. But, I'm in town for a bit longer than usual and will strive to do better.

So far:



Mid-day snack at Chick-Fil-A. Waffle fries with Polynesian sauce with sweet tea, of course! I am not a big fast food person (although I guess no one forced me to get a Burger King Croissan'wich at the airport a couple days ago), but I love Chick-Fil-A. And then... mulled apple cider! I used Martha Stewart's recipe as a guide.


The spices were: cinnamon sticks, allspice berries and whole cloves.



I threw in some clementine peel with the cider and brought it to a boil. Then, I let it cool a bit before drinking. Very fragrant and very good! I highly recommend jazzing up your apple cider in some fashion; it really adds oomph and gives you that special something.

Stay tuned for more Mtown fabulosity!