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

You’ve read me rave about Bog & Barley, from how it looks to the food. Now I have some exciting news for someone looking for a special event.

Owner and whiskey aficionado DJ Naylor has held whiskey tastings and dinners at Celtic Crossing, his Cooper-Young restaurant, for years. But give a man a fine dining room and a top-notch chef, and he can get himself a master distiller, too.

Clockwise from left: roasted Scottish salmon, filet, cabbage steak, Brussels sprouts and fish ‘n chips served at Bog & Barley. (Jennifer Biggs/The Daily Memphian)

On Thursday, June 1, Naylor launches Bog’s Whiskey Dinner series at Bog & Barley, and the first guest is Harlan Wheatley, master distiller at Buffalo Trace.

Whiskey tastings and dinners are fun, no matter who’s leading them, but the Buffalo Trace guys always put on a good show — anyone reading remember the fabulous tasting we hosted with them at Sweet Grass in 2019? And master distillers really make it special.

I had the pleasure of meeting Wheatley when he was here for a fundraiser in 2016, though admittedly most of my attention was on Jimmy Russell of Wild Turkey, the longest-tenured master distiller in the world, with 57 years (though his son, Eddie Russell, is also a master distiller, and the elder Russell is close to 90).

Nonetheless, Wheatley shone past Russell’s homespun charm and will no doubt have plenty of fun stories and a wealth of whiskey knowledge to share. He’s been with Buffalo Trace for almost 30 years and been a master distiller, only the sixth for the distillery since the Civil War, for about 18 years.

There will be a private auction to benefit Girls with Goals, a cocktail hour, a three-course dinner prepared by chef Reny Alfonso, a swag bag and, of course, some fine whiskeys: W.L. Weller 12 year-old, Elmer T. Lee and Eagle Rare 17 year-old are the whiskeys with dinner. Premium whiskeys will be included in the auction, as will private tastings at Bog & Barley.

Steak salad served at Belle Meade Social. (Courtesy DCA)

Bog & Barley will close for the night so the tasting will be a private event. Get your tickets now; people love their bourbon, and these will go quickly. They’re $250, and you can purchase yours by clicking here. 

Looking for something a little more family or budget friendly? Go get you some fried chicken at the Germantown Performing Arts Center Fried Chicken Fest on Saturday, May 13, in the Grove. General admission is $10, or you can reserve a seat at a table for $20; feel free to bring blankets or chairs, but no outside food or drink is allowed.

You can purchase chicken from any or all of these vendors: Gus’s, Uncle Lou’s, Mike’s Hot Wings and Riko’s Kickin’ Chicken. MemPops will be there for a sweet finish to your meal, and drinks are available on site. Get your tickets by clicking here. 

A quick little word before we move on to the news: Belle Meade Social will open Tuesday, May 9, at 518 Perkins Extd. I’ll have a bit more for you before the doors officially open, so check back early next week. 

We’re all sick of crime, and you can count restaurateurs among people fed up with it. Some are paying thousands of dollars a month to hire private security; others are frustrated that while they have video footage, they don’t feel like the police follow up. Click here to read what a few folks have to say.

“We’re really just taking this time to make it our own,” said Belle Meade Social founding partner Jules Jordan. (Courtesy DCA)

And here’s a quote that didn’t fit in the story but is too good to let go unpublished, some perspective from restaurateur Kelly English: “It’s legal for anyone over 18 to carry a gun wherever they go, but it’s illegal for me to make crème fraiche in my restaurant.” 

Everyone loves a Chef Tam story, and seeing Tamra Patterson, owner of Chef Tam’s Underground Café, going back to Food Network — and this time competing against an Iron Chef — is pretty exciting. On Sunday, May 7, Patterson will be on “Alex vs America,” taking on Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli on her own show. 

I bought you a $10 Deal that makes me wish I lived closer to, or had frequent business in, Collierville. I went to Booya’s, had a great fried catfish taco and a few other things and left a big fan. 

Garden Brunch Café has opened on weekends in the old Rizzo’s space Downtown, and word is they make some mean Bananas Foster Pancakes. I’ll have to find out if that’s true and let you know, but don’t worry, I don’t mind doing it. It’s for you, after all. Make sure you read what Christin Yates has to say about the new place. 

Brava to Holly Whitfield for getting together a list of places to have brunch for Mother’s Day. If you know of another place, please add it to the comments. Don’t forget — it’s coming up Sunday, May 14.

National ramen chain Kyuramen offers nine different bowls of ramen, plus a diverse menu of appetizers, “rice and ramen” burgers and bubble tea. (Courtesy Silo Square)

Silo Square in Southaven is booming. I don’t know how often you head that way, but every time I drive around there, it looks like a dozen new places have opened. Beth Sullivan tells us about a few to expect in the near future. 

I finally managed to get a review of Restaurant Iris officially done. What I found was that this new place is so different from the old one that it’s not even like the same restaurant. And I also found that I like that; the new place suits me better. Have a read and see what you think.

Last thing: Yes, we’re having a Friday lunch this month, and it will be on May 19, despite that being the Friday of the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. But I was out all last week and need to iron out some details first, so check back here next week to find out where we’ll eat. Meanwhile, give it up for Patrick and Deni Reilly and their staff, who brightened a rainy Friday in April with one of the best lunches we’ve had in all these years!

See you next week. Be safe.

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