Welcome back to Table Talk, where The Daily Memphian’s food and dining editor Jennifer Biggs sends the latest food news (along with a dash of this and that) to your inbox every Wednesday.

Well, what an ugly week for my grandkids to come to town. Their sweet faces brightened it for sure, but the rain has kept us mostly confined to the house, where we’ve picked up some serious Monopoly skills and feasted on nutritious food such as pizza, cookies and cake.

More to come on those cookies and that cake in a minute. You’re going to want to know about them.

Meanwhile, we’ve kept you informed about what’s going on. On Thursday, Dave and Amanda Krog open Dory, the restaurant they envisioned and have worked hard on for the past three years. Read my story about how they got to this point and spoiler: Have the tissues handy. This story is about them; keep an eye out later this week for the story about the restaurant. 

Amanda Krog, right, with her husband and chef, Dave Krog, are opening Dory in East Memphis. (Brad Vest/Special to Daily Memphian)

Peggy Burch brought us a New Eats and I know I’ll be going soon, for the mushroom toast and tamago sando if not just to enjoy a place that can lift spirits dampened by the chaos of last week. She wrote that “an antidote to the blues glowed in the corner of the Arrive Memphis hotel lobby on South Main, in the form of a bakery with savory flourishes called Hustle & Dough and a Vice & Virtue Coffee counter.” 

Cynthia Daniels

Coming up: Memphis Black Restaurant Week returns March 7-13 with a different format. There are more restaurants this year, but it’s curbside or delivery. Read Peggy Burch’s story about it here and next week, listen to my podcast with founder Cynthia Daniels. We’ll talk it over.

Sad news during this dismal week too: Dan Brown is looking for a buyer for Leonard’s Pit Barbecue and if he doesn’t find one, the oldest standing barbecue restaurant in town won’t see its 100th birthday next year.

The sole remaining Leonard’s Pit Barbecue is for sale, a casualty of COVID-19. (Submitted photo)

COVID hit him particularly hard as the majority of his business was catering, which has essentially ended with no large crowds gathered, and he had to end his lunch buffet under Health Department restrictions. He’s looking for a buyer; let’s cross our fingers. 

Tom Bailey and I told you about the sale of Earnestine & Hazel’s, which was purchased by the group that also owns The Vault and The Paramount, soon to open. The Soul Burger is here to stay, they’ll be slinging drinks at Nate’s Bar upstairs, and the 5 Spot is coming back. One of the owners is Derk Meitzler, who owned On Teur and promises he’ll get the band of favorites back together at 5 Spot. 

The Lake District is shaping up to be an interesting place. The latest announcement is that Marshall Steakhouse, a huge place outside Holly Springs, will open there by the end of 2021. And it looks like more expansion is on the way. 

Chuck Burnette cooks steaks at Marshall Steakhouse. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Tom Bailey delivered the news that Tops Bar-B-Q has sold about half of its locations, but no worries: that effectively means nothing to us. It’s a real estate transfer, and the restaurants will remain open. Our cheeseburgers are safe. 

OK, last week I promised to tell you about the cake I ordered from Macaronagerie after reading about the bakery on Table Talk. Have mercy, y’all. First of all, this cake is huge. It’s beautiful, as you can see, and it’s delicious. It would easily serve 20.

Vanilla cake with browned buttercream icing from Macaronagerie. (Jennifer Biggs/The Daily Memphian)

The icing is sweet and buttery, and the cake has a nice crumb and is also very moist. I’m a big fan of the vanilla cake with browned buttercream icing and filling and will definitely try more of the cakes.

And the cookies! I didn’t even know I needed these until I had them. I generally prefer a light and crisp cookie, and these salted chocolate chips couldn’t be more opposite. They’re the size of my palm, maybe an inch thick in the center, and absolutely packed with chocolate chips. These are definitely next level and you can read more about them and see more photos on our Table Talk Facebook page, where they made a bit of a stir. 

Have a happy week, everyone! The kids are leaving and I’ll be back at work, but first I’ll enjoy myself Thursday evening at the Celtic Crossing and Wiseacre Irish tasting, where Irish whiskey and local beer come together for a couple of hours. Maybe I’ll see you there, but you can always participate by Zoom if you prefer to stay in.

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