Food Traveler Magazine Winter 2016 | Page 46

Good Eats! AUTHENTICITY - IT ALL CAME FROM MEMPHIS, TN Craig Thompson This is the place where fall-off-the-bone barbecue is a way of life, and innovative culinary trends have taken off. Real, honest food is what we do. Memphis’ reputation for mouth-watering barbecue is well earned. From dry rub ribs to pulled pork sandwiches, the smoky smell of pit barbecue fills the air, drawing you in for some of the best food around. With more than 100 barbecue restaurants peppered throughout the city, we invite you to come find your favorite. There’s something about Memphis that draws people in. Its music, energy and authenticity create a magical mix of people that you just can’t experience anywhere else. This is the place you can trace the roots of your favorite songs - blues, soul, rock ‘n’ roll, R&B - and then hear who’s making musical history today. Looking for new ways to find your own beat in Memphis? There are more reasons than ever to love Memphis right now, as we celebrate the launch of new outdoor wonderlands, an intimate arts center and hotly anticipated cuisine, hotels and the ultimate place to shop. By day, choose your own adventure at Shelby Farms Park, freshly reimagined with an expanded lake, trails and so much more: rent a kayak, canoe, stand-up paddleboard or bike to cruise past restored wetlands, a live music pavilion, splash pad and two farm-to-fork restaurants. Or, strike out on Big River Crossing, the country’s longest active rail/bicycle/pedestrian bridge. The historic pass lures you over the Mississippi River along a 5,000-foot trail that connects Downtown Memphis with Arkansas. If destination-shopping is your thing, don’t miss the only IKEA in the Mid-South region, brand new in fall 2016. By night, step out in Downtown Memphis with dinner at Catherine & Mary’s. The fourth local concept from acclaimed Memphis chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman, Catherine & Mary’s balances Italian cuisine with the flavors of the American South—plus spot-on selections for wine and cocktails. And, it’s located inside The Chisca on Main, a gorgeous example of architectural reuse—with a connection to Elvis Presley. After dinner, catch a show at the Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education. This intimate outpost of Memphis’ historic Orpheum Theatre hosts an On Stage performance series 44 FoodTraveler l Winter 2016 Larry Kuzniewski / Brian Groppe Allen Gillespie highlighting veteran musicians from across the world. When it’s time for bed, tuck into Downtown Memphis’ new boutique property, Hotel Napoleon, a sleek reimagining of a century-old building with its own restaurant and easy access to Beale Street and other downtown attractions. Or, stay steps from Graceland at The Guest House at Graceland, where glints of gold and deep blues in the décor exude the swagger of Elvis himself (in fact, select suites were designed under the supervision of Priscilla Presley).