Las Delicias

Posted on March 23, 2017 by Trevor Knight

Las Delicias – a family favorite for dining on the cheap, we can get a family of 2 and a highchair fed and out the door for about $20.00. The chips they load the table with are the day-old tortillas that they’ve sliced and fried. The guacamole is fresh made to order. The tamales and the grilled chicken burrito are excellent and the tortas (sandwiches) are also very popular with my friends.

The waitstaff are super nice (especially with little ones who attempt to say Hola and Gracias) and don’t roll their eyes when you practice your Spanish with them. For more celebratory evenings, like Thirsty Thursday, they sell excellent margaritas and beer in a glass big enough to make your mother-in-law blush.

Local’s choice: Guacamole y un burrito con pollo y una cerveza Dos Equis con lima, por favor.

Memphis Bicycle Paths & Mountain Bike Trails

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Trevor Knight

Memphis has experienced a bit of cycling renaissance in the last several years. There are bike lanes criss-crossing the city and a sprawling rails to trails system that will eventually connect Overton Park to Shelby Farms Park and beyond. Here’s a short list of the places that you can ride in the Memphis area.

Shelby Farms Park – Shelby Farms is literally exploding with things to do. However, in this segment, we’ll focus on the riding. With the Shelby Farms Greenline running through a large portion of East Memphis, Shelby Farms Park is accessible by bike to anyone who lives in Binghampton, High Point Terrace, Pidgeon Estates, Avon or any area in East Memphis between Sam Cooper and Walnut Grove. Using bike lanes, you can get there from the University District as well. Shelby Farms Park offers great cross country riding through the Wolf River bottoms as well as paved bike paths for cruising. There’s also a BMX track here too. This is a great place to go for a pretty day to ride.

Stanky Creek – Stanky Creek is in Nesbit Park in Bartlett and offers some of the most technical Cross Country mountain biking in the Memphis area. With lots of drops, tight chutes and trees, this will be a more challenging trail day.

Lakeland Trails – Memphis Arlington Rd and Canada Rd. These are another set of technical cross country mountain bike trails.

There are LOTS more trails than these in and around Memphis, but this will get you started, and I’d recommend checking out the Mobile App called Midsouth Greenways which has more current information on the everchanging state of the trails in Memphis.

Gear to Go: Memphis Bike Shops

Peddler Bike Shop has been around Memphis forever. I can remember going in there while I was in school and watching their bike techs work in sheer awe. These guys know biking and they know the area. I bought my last bike from them and have been really happy with it and their support. They’ve three locations in Memphis, so they aren’t that far away.

All About Bikes – I stumbled into All About Bikes when I was looking for a kiddy trailer to ride the Greenline with. All About Bikes is relatively new, but they’re located between Broadway Pizza and the Belmont Grill, both of which I eat at frequently. I had a great experience. The owner’s name is Victor Ghosheh and he is as knowledgeable and nice as can be. We bought the trailer and have loved it. There’s an added benefit for All About Bikes because anytime I eat at either of those two restaurants, I stop by and browse for stuff that I NEED.

City East

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Trevor Knight

City East is the local kosher style bagel shop and deli. Great bagels. Great breakfast skillets, and some of the best pancakes I’ve had in Memphis.

If you’re staying east of the loop in Memphis, this is a great place to go eat.

I used to be a regular here for a weekly breakfast before I moved further away. I miss how those days started in their cozy little cafe with warm bagels and other great breakfast choices.

Local’s Choice: Pastrami Skillet, Pancakes and Bagels of Course

Hog and Hominy

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Trevor Knight

Hog and Hominy – Founded in the shadow of Clark Tower by the kind of rowdy Ole Miss frat boys that your mother warned you about, Hog and Hominy is an epicurean delight. It merges two of the heaviest styles of cooking in the world, Southern and Italian. The menu changes with the seasons and includes masterpieces like biscuit dough gnocchi carbonara with thick sliced bacon. The Pizza Bianca that we had was wonderful. Except for pizza, all dishes are served on small plates meant for sharing, so order half a dozen and pass them around.

Locals choice: Moscow Mule to drink, Biscuit Gnochi, Poutine (fries, gravy, cheese curd, caputo and chili oil) and the Pizza Bianca, Peanut Butter Pie, then a cab ride home, blanket, pillow and teddy bear.

Oh and for you Skinny-Mini’s out there, do not fear, I hear they have a wonderful mixed greens salad with a delightful vinaigrette and chicken skins- now go sit in the corner until such time as you are called upon. We know this is not healthy, its what Elmo from Sesame Street calls a “sometime food”. Its meant to be enjoyed. I actually witnessed a woman order their peanut butter pie which is a homemade graham cracker crust, a layer of thick banana pudding, peanut butter mousse and fresh merengue, then proceed to complain about the calories in the dish. The waiter was much more patient than I would have been.

Elwood’s Shack

Posted on January 25, 2015 by Trevor Knight

Elwood’s Shack Let me start with a few observations. Yes, its in a Lowe’s parking lot. Yes, there is limited seating inside. We saw people in their Sunday best after church waiting for a table out in the sleet on a freezing day. If the movers and shakers of Memphis will wait in a Lowe’s parking lot in the freezing rain, then Elwood’s is clearly doing something right.

We took the family for Sunday brunch and had a wonderful Dixie Eggs Benedict (on a biscuit vice English muffin). Little Bit’s grilled cheese was a stout affair with a serious layer of cheddar and soft whole wheat bread–she was all over it, The Wife’s Avocado Turkey sandwich on a croissant was a great as well. This place has legendary brisket, a great smoked chicken Philly and the smoked turkey sandwich are great.

Oh by the way, their cinnamon rolls are a level up. It tastes like they’ve used honey as the sugar base for the glaze.

Locals Choice:

Breakfast:Dixie Benedict and Cinnamon rolls

Lunch: Chicken Philly or Brisket

Frost Bake Shop

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Trevor Knight

Frost Bake Shop is a model of culinary excellence. Their cakes are sold commercially in restaurants throughout the Mid-South. Their wedding cakes are magnificent and are truly wonderful tasting. Oh by they way, they sell cupcakes, cookies and regular birthday cakes too, which means its a weekly stop for my family to get a treat. I could talk more about it and what they offer, but you’d rather just see these pictures and stop by for some sweets.

Bride’s Cake

Groom’s Cake

Floral Heart Cake

Psychadelic Flower Fondant Cookies – my daughter’s favorite.

Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies – my favorite

Local’s Choice: All of It and a glass of milk

Cheffie’s

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Trevor Knight

Cheffie’s is a great low key salad and sandwich joint. Everything is made fresh. If you’re looking for fresh healthy options then this a great place to go. Since they’re about 400 yards off the Greenline, if you live anywhere near the walking trail, you’ve got a great little activity for the family.

After you’ve gotten all that activity under your belt and eat your salad or panini, you can blow that all out of the water with local beers, wine, gelato and magic cookie bars. They’ve got a great porch to sit outside and enjoy great spring or fall days. We love it because we can have a casual dinner and not worry about our kids making too much noise or running around the tables at our feet.

Local’s Choice: Spinach Salad or Crunchy Roast Beef Sandwich

Brooklyn Bridge Italian Restaurant

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Trevor Knight

Brooklyn Bridge Italian Restaurant – If you and your spouse have a rare break for a date night and are looking for a quiet place to catch up with each other away from the hustle and bustle of life, then…

This. Is. Your. Place.

Get an appetizer like the Parmesan spinach artichoke dip. Get a glass of Italian wine or a Birra Moretti and enjoy time unwinding and reconnecting. Split an entree like the Chicken Parmesan or the Lasagna and save room for tiramisu or caramel pie.

Of all the places I’ve dined in Memphis, this has some of the best food, most pleasant atmosphere and is low profile enough that you can be comfortable and relax.

Local’s choice: anything + caramel pie

The Ugly Mug

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Trevor Knight

The Ugly Mug is the original local Memphis coffee shop and coffee roasters. If you’re a Memphian and you like coffee, this is where you get your coffee. If you’re looking for a great local alternative to the Green Mermaid from Seattle, then swing by the Ugly Mug Coffee shop at Poplar and Perkins to get a latte or a bag of high quality locally roasted coffee.

The original Ugly Mug was a cavernous hangout near the University of Memphis campus full of used couches. The new location is a former drive through Fox Photo film developing kiosk. Its compact with a couple of bistro tables and a bar, but the legacy of great local coffee lives

Pyro’s Fire Fresh Pizza

Posted on September 5, 2014 by Trevor Knight

Pyro’s Fire Fresh Pizza – If Henry Ford had a pizza joint, it would look like Pyro’s. Their sweet spot is made to order, personal sized, thin-crust pizzas. All the ingredients are fresh and they build your pie in front of your eyes. Its like a burrito bar or sub shop, they start with you crust, and give you a choice of sauces, cheeses, meats, followed by a Farmer’s Market worth of fresh vegetables. Each station has its own attendant, and your pizza comes together in about 2 minutes while you wait in line. You pay then sit, while they fire your pizza in an oven the size of an industrial kiln.

Typically, I’m not a thin crust guy. I was skeptical that I was going to need to double down since most thin crust pizzas are like a pita chip with sauce and cheese. However, the BBQ Pizza was loaded with enough pulled pork and bacon to carry its own man card.

Oh, by the way, they serve beer too, and they have a few TV’s to keep you in the loop on SEC football developments.

Local’s Choice: BBQ Pizza + the seasonal Wiseacre Beer on Tap

Memphis Like a Local

Go Where the Locals Go

Category Archives: East Memphis