The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 37,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 9 Film Festivals
Dear Friends,
As most of you know, I love Memphis. I mean, I really love Memphis. One of the few things I love as much as my hometown is eating. These two passions, alongside a class project initiative, are the two reasons I began this blog to being with. I wanted to show exactly what a great culinary scene thrives in Memphis.
As you may have noticed, I have not been writing much lately for this blog, and I have been reviewing restaurants even less. This is not to say I haven’t been trying new places and eating as much. I most definitely have been.
However, for some time now, I have been contemplating this future of this blog. As much as I would love to continue with the format I have had though promoting local restaurants, several conflicts of interest have come about. I have taken on a more prominent role in the Memphis restaurant community through my work, and I love every bit of it. I have a leadership role at a major local restaurant and have started some marketing efforts for the Memphis Restaurant Association. I am excited about taking on new projects and new roles to further promote the local Memphis restaurant community. However, in good conscious, I cannot write positively about some restaurants in Memphis, while also commenting on my not-so-happy experiences as well, when my job is to be a liaison among Memphis restaurants and promote them all. Not to mention, it is not possible for my opinion to continue to be unbiased for every situation.
However, I still want to do what I can to keep this project going. I love it, and I stand behind what it stands for. Therefore, I am opening up for suggestions on what you all think I should do. Is it possible to change the format of this blog, but still keep its core values? What should I write about? Should I focus on local foodie events, only write about positive experiences at local establishments, or keep everyone up-to-date with local foodie news? Do you have other suggestions? I am really open to anything.
Let me know what you guys think.
Love,
Shannon
I encourage you all to go to this event. It’s going to be a blast!
It’s Sunday, November 4th, from 4pm-7pm. Rain or shine. Tickets are $35 in advance and $45 at the gate. This includes lots of yummy food, Ghost River Beer, and wine.
This post is a bit off topic for me, but I felt it was a great story I wanted to share with you all.
Last Friday on October 19th, a week after their show here in Memphis, The Avett Brothers and Cheerwine joined together to do the Legendary Giveback charity concert in Charlottesville, VA. Fans could pay to see the show live, and all the proceeds would be donated back to charity. Or, if you could not make it to the show, it was streamed live on the internet for all to watch.
For those who don’t know (like I didn’t), Cheerwine is a cherry drink, mainly sold in the South, but has expanded to a national level as well. It is sold in several stores throughout Memphis. Cheerwine is a soft drink, but doesn’t contain any cola. Tom Barbitta, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Cheerwine, describes it as “an iconic brand. It’s been around since 1917 with a flavor all of its own. We therefore do not consider ourselves an ordinary cherry soda. Our flavor that always surprises is probably the main reason the brand has been around for 95 years”. You heard right. 95 years. Cheerwine was founded in 1917 as an independent, family owned company, which they still are today.
The Avett Brothers grew up drinking Cheerwine. As Seth Avett explains, “One of the greatest treats of my time at home in North Carolina is going to a small gas station out in the country of Rowan County and getting Cheerwine in a glass bottle. It has been for many years”. The partnership between the band and the company has grown over the last few years, as they realized they share similar values.
One of the main shared values is community involvement and giving back. Cheerwine was looking to do something nice for their fans, and they saw The Avett Brothers as a model philanthropic group in which to partner. Barbitta says, “The people who drink Cheerwine are so important to us and we wanted to do something special for them to show them how much we truly care”. This charity show raised money for three organizations, of which both parties were proud to represent: Operation Homefront; Big Brothers, Big Sisters; and The University of Virginia Children’s Hospital. The organizations were chosen based on the diverse groups they serve, in order to help as many different people as possible.
This concert featured several classics, but many songs focused on the new album The Carpenter. The new album is a focus on where the guys are in their lives now. They say they do not write for albums. “Since we are writing constantly, we never think in terms of ‘writing for a record’. We just take our most current chapter into the studio and do our best to let those ideas which excite us the most take us on a trip that will lead to a piece that make sense to us and is something we are proud of,” Avett says.
Cheerwine and The Avett Brothers say this is certainly not their last charity endeavor. Be on the lookout for future charity concerts and ways to get involved and give back as well.
I am usually behind on the trends when it comes to trying the latest, hot restaurant. However, I prided myself on checking out Aldo’s pizza Pies Downtown within the first week they opened. Behold my review, semi-timely.
I went to Aldo’s with a couple of friends recently for a light bite to eat for the evening. I admit I was pretty skeptical about this place, knowing it’s the same people behind Bardog and Slider Inn. I don’t really care for Bardog, and I have only had decent experiences at Slider Inn. However, I went in with an open mind.
It was Wednesday at around 8:30pm when we went, and they were packed, as expected. Despite the chaos, we were quickly seated. Service was a tad slow, but I could tell our server was overwhelmed with the traffic and trying hard. That’s what counts in my book: attitude and trying.
Kudos to Aldo’s for doing pizza by the slice for the dinner crowd. Every pizza place I have encountered in Memphis only does pizza by the slice for lunch. I was happy to know I didn’t have to purchase an entire pizza for myself. You have limited options when doing pizza by the slice, as I would assume, considering the effort in creating and keeping fresh so many different pizzas at once. Options are vodka cream, pepperoni, sausage, veggie, and their Slice of the Day.
The Slice of the Day sounded right up my alley, called “The Other Side” and loaded with Poblano Cream, Fontina/Trugole, Grilled Chicken, Tomato, and Spinach. (FYI: I’ll eat tomato and spinach on just about everything.) I went for it.
The slices were a good size. As for the taste? It was perfect. You could tell everything was made fresh, especially the bread. The crust was perfect, not too thin and not too thick. It was a thin crust for sure, but there was enough dough to taste the bread. Toppings were loaded on top. It wasn’t too greasy, and it was packed with flavor.
Greer ordered the Pepperoni Pizza slice, and agreed that everything tasted fresh.
Then, having heard nothing but rave reviews about the cheesecake from both friends and the media, I had to suck it up and try it. If people are raving about cheesecake at a pizza place, then it has to be worth a shot. Not to mention, I get weak in the knees for a good slice.
Let me tell you. I agree with Kerry when I say that, no doubt about it, this is the best freaking cheesecake I have ever had in my life. It has that dense texture that you want from cheesecake, but somehow miraculously also manages to be light and fluffy. The flavor combination is perfect. I had one of those “close your eyes and picture yourself on a tropical island eating this cheesecake” moments. There was one tiny drawback. I was told there was supposed to be a raspberry drizzle on top, but we didn’t get it. We asked our server for it, but no avail. Either way, it was amazingly delicious.
Overall, Aldo’s is worth a try. Don’t be surprised by their prices. They are a bit pricey for pizza, but it’s what you pay to get quality, fresh ingredients every time. It’s debatable whether Aldo’s is my new favorite pizza place, but it is definitely in my top 3. Memphis Pizza Cafe better watch their backs. They have competition.
I can’t seem to find a website for Aldo’s, but you can check out their Facebook page. You can also find more reviews at Yelp and Urbanspoon.
There are very few things in this world I adore more than ice-cream. It’s the only food to which I can never say no, and a very unhealthy addiction. It’s also delicious.
In honor of the 18th Annual Big Scoop Ice Cream Festival (!) Ronald McDonald House of Memphis will be holding their 1st ever Homemade Ice Cream Contest. They are looking for the Mid-South’s BEST ice cream and wanted me to help spread the word.
Ronald McDonald House is a great organization to get involved with, and I believe that making ice-cream has to be the easiest and most fun way yet to do so. I highly encourage everyone to participate.
R.P. Billiards is another one of those college hangouts that I actually never hung out in while I was in college. I had been to R.P. Billiards only once before my most recent time, and that is when one of my graduate school classes decided we wanted beer while we learned. Therefore, it was a good experience.
R.P. Billiards has never really been on my radar, but it was suggested by my friend Charlotte one night. Charlotte was in town from Germany, staying around the campus area with no car, so I agreed to meet her somewhere within walking distance.
Though we were meeting for drinks, I was ravenous when I got there. I could tell the bartender saw that look in my eye, and she was on the ball. She was very sweet and great at her job. Charlotte and I were there to catch up, and she knew it. She checked on us every now and then, but really left us to our own. My drink was never empty, and I left full and satisfied.
Charlotte ordered cheese fries, which were waffle fries smothered in cheddar cheese and bacon, served with ranch dressing and sour cream. It’s impossible to mess up fried potatoes with cheese, bacon, and ranch dressing, and R.P. Billiards had some decent cheese fries. They are not my favorite in town, but they were yummy.
As tempting as those cheese fries were, I erred on the more health conscious side with a blackened tuna sandwich. I did not know it came with fries, but I munched on a few of those as well. You know, for “research”. The tuna sandwich was great. The tuna was juicy, with great seasonings. The remolaude was perfectly sweet and tangy. They aren’t shy with it as well. This sandwich is a mess to eat, but totally worth it. I took a couple of bites of the sandwich, and between the sauces, flaky tuna, and toppings, it crumbled before my eyes. I gave up and ended up eating with a fork and knife. The fries were average fries, but the season them well, making them unique. They were crispy and crunchy.
I try to shy away from college hangouts, as that time in my life has passed. R.P. Billiards is not my place of choice to go for a drink. However, I think their food is overlooked by most. Yes, it’s mainly greasy bar food. Yet, the quality of some items will shock you. I recommend dropping in and seeing what they are all about. They stay busy during the school year, but it is way less crowded during summer and winter breaks.
R.P. Billiards does not have a website or social media presence, but you can find more reviews at Yelp, Urbanspoon, and Trip Advisor.
