What is a food artisan? Wikipedia defines a food artisan as a person who produces “foods and edible foodstuffs that are not mass produced but rather made by hand.”

I define food artisans in Memphis as talented cooks sharing their love and passion for their signature foods. 

It’s people making breads and baked goods, charcuterie, fruit preserves, cured meats, beverages, sauces and vinegars to sell.

Justin Goettsch, right, speaks with Richard Murphy at the Church Health booth at the Craft Food & Wine Festival Downtown at the Columns June 23. (Ziggy Mack/Special to The Daily Memphian)

It really is inspiring to see how talented home cooks have turned their signature recipes into a business. It’s also exciting to see how this side of the food industry is growing, with dozens of new products and small companies being launched each year.

I often joke that when people were stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, they got cooking and dreaming. But in all seriousness, Memphis has seen a boom in new craft foods launched since 2020.

The Craft Food & Wine Festival is an event at which I have been able to discover some of my favorite locally made artisan foods.

Here are some of my favorite bites I discovered at the fifth annual festival last Sunday, June 23. 

South of the Caribbean Cuisine won the Favorite Foodprenuer award, and I am not surprised. The Jamaican Jerk Pineapple Chutney was one of my favorite bites. The family behind this company embraces their Jamaican roots and combines Caribbean spices with Southern recipes.

Da Guilty Vegan’s samples included vegan seafood salad at the Craft Food & Wine Festival Downtown at the Columns June 23. (Ziggy Mack/Special to The Daily Memphian)

Mae’s Gourmet Jams had a beautiful display demonstrating creative ways to use their homemade jams for entertaining. Their flavor-packed Blackberry Fig and Smoked Peach jams could be used on everything from biscuits to a cheese board.

A surprise bite was the seafood salad from Da Guilty Vegan. The offering from this food truck made with hearts of palm surprisingly tasted just like a crab salad you would get at the beach. I can’t wait to try more of their vegan creations.

One of my favorite dessert bites was the butter cake from Lemdaddyz Kitchen. This buttery and rich treat, made by a family-owned bakery company, is worth every calorie.

And speaking of dessert, or should I say breakfast, the cinnamon rolls from Rollin Cafe in Bartlett were divine. My favorite was the coffee flavor.

This wasn’t a new discovery this year, but it’s always a standout: I first tasted Cane & Herb at the festival years ago, and their signature cocktail and mocktail, made with handcrafted simple syrups, wow me at this event every year. This time around, they served a refreshing lavender and lychee cocktail.

Look for these handcrafted locally made items online, in local gift shops and at our area farmers markets. One bite and you will taste the love that goes into these Memphis-made originals. 

What happened this past week on Memphis’ restaurant scene

Why have so many Memphis restaurants closed recently? Well, the answer is complicated. There are a lot of factors, from rising food and labor costs to staffing issues and crime, impacting both locally owned and chain restaurants. I sat down with the owners of several Memphis restaurants that recently announced closures, and here’s what they had to say.

In related news, we reported more closures this week: Buckley’s Grill has been a popular neighborhood steakhouse for three decades. The East Memphis restaurant closed Tuesday.

Buckley's Grill has closed, along with many other Memphis restaurants lately. (Nick Lingerfelt/The Daily Memphian)

Fino’s deli closed its Germantown location earlier this month. 

On a more positive note, there are several new restaurants opening soon, too.

Michael Waddell reported that Belly Acres will be opening a restaurant in Bartlett. The restaurant will open a location in the forthcoming Union Depot mixed-use development under construction on the former site of the Tennessee Baptist Children’s Home.

There’s also a Scooter’s Coffee headed to Horn Lake as well as a Raising Cane’s Chicken coming to Germantown Parkway. Sophia Surrett also reports on new locations of Cookie Plug, Groovy Gratitude and Chipotle.

And for this week’s $10 deal, Joshua Carlucci recommended the shared plates at Andalusia, a Mediterranean restaurant in East Memphis.

Thanks for joining me for this week’s Table Talk. Be sure to look for this column weekly for all the latest food news in Memphis.

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