I can still remember when Houston’s opened.

Yes, I just admitted how old I am!

I was in junior high school, and my friends and I would often have our parents drop us off at the East Memphis restaurant for a meal. My orders back then were either the club salad topped with those famous chicken tenders, a hickory burger or a club sandwich. A spinach and artichoke dip always started the meal, and a five-nut brownie a la mode or an apple cobbler ended it.

Houston’s Restaurant closed their Memphis location Dec. 5. (Jennifer Chandler/The Daily Memphian)

Throughout the decades, my order changed as Houston’s took items off the menu and added new ones.

But despite the changes, the restaurant remained a favorite of mine. 

I have a lot of good memories made during a meal in that building at 5000 Poplar Ave. And from the outcry on social media last week, it seems it was the same for many of you.

Amid numerous posts about Houston’s closure, there was one that struck me in particular:

Patrick Reilly, chef and owner of The Majestic Grille and Cocozza, reminded us to focus on our community.

Cocozza is located at 106 Harbor Town Square. (Joshua Carlucci/Special to The Daily Memphian)

“Let’s instead look out for, support and celebrate all the local restaurants (and, yes, some of the national chains) that, day in and day out, give back to the community they serve. That strive to make the city better for us all. The ones that host or participate in food festivals, golf tournaments, that donate wine dinners or gift cards. That feed the homeless and the first responders. Give away gift cards for school fundraisers or little league teams. Or even those that just give their time. That list is long and quite distinguished,” Reilly’s post said. 

Reilly was a fan of Houston’s, just like the rest of us. He even dined there the Saturday before it closed.

“I’ll miss Houston’s for sure — the spinach dip, the French dip, the salads — we all know the menu,” he told me this week. “There was a reason chefs like me liked to eat there. It was a very well-run operation that is highly respected within the industry.”

While he was a regular customer, he is quick to point out the restaurant didn’t support the Memphis community.

“As my feed fills up with laments about Houston’s closing and what a terrible blow it is to Memphis, it’s worth noting that in its 40-year existence in the city, Houston’s, a Phoenix-based chain restaurant, never meaningfully engaged with or gave back to the community it purportedly served, never joined the Memphis Restaurant Association, never participated in any of the food festivals or chef/restaurant fundraisers that raised thousands for so many charities including St Jude (Children’s Research Hospital) and Le Bonheur (Children’s Hospital). Never donated as much as a gift card,” he said in his post.

Houston’s Restaurant, near the intersection of Poplar Avenue and Mendenhall Road, announced its permanent closure Dec. 5. (Izzy Gould/The Daily Memphian)

“My issue is that people were holding them up to a status they never had. Yes, they had been open for 40 years, but I would not call them a great pillar in the community,” Reilly told me. 

As Houston’s fans lament its closure, I think he has a good point.

My holiday resolution is to go out and support the restaurants, both locally owned and chains, that do a lot of community service: to give back to those who give back.

And I hope whatever takes the place of Houston’s in that prime piece of real estate is a restaurant that not only is a place to eat great food and make new memories but a place that gives back to our hometown.

Holiday and other upcoming food events

Magnolia & May and Memphis Made Brewing Co. have joined forces to bring Memphians some holiday cheer. “Santa’s Flights” will happen Sunday, Dec. 15, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at Magnolia & May on Mount Moriah Road. Attendees can have a flight of four beers with food pairings for $45 or a flight of four hot chocolates with food pairings for $40. Santa will be stopping by for photos.

The Majestic Grille will once again host its annual “A Camerata Christmas” on Monday, Dec.16. Listen to holiday favorites sung from the mezzanine by Memphis Camerata during your meal. There are two performances: at 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Reservations are recommended.

Celtic Crossing regularly hosts Whiskey Tasting Dinners curated by owner DJ Naylor. (Courtesy Celtic Crossing)

Celtic Crossing is hosting a Whiskey Pairing Dinner on Thursday, Dec. 19. On the menu are three rare whiskeys carefully selected by owner DJ Naylor, paired with a three-course menu from Chef Reny Alfonso and Chef Darius Hudson. The cost is $80 per person and tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite.com.

Archives Bar & Bistro is hosting an evening with Casamigos Tequila on Saturday, Dec. 21. Chef Phillip Dewayne has prepared a three-course menu paired with a signature Casamigos Tequila cocktail. The cost is $125 per person plus a 20% gratuity fee, and tickets can be purchased at exploretock.com.

The Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest has announced its annual Judges Seminar. Set for Feb. 8, 2025, at Old Dominick Distillery, the seminar is a requirement for anyone wishing to be a new judge at the competition. Registration is now open at memphisinmay.org, and there is limited availability.

This Week on Memphis’ restaurant scene

The big news last week was the closing of Houston’s restaurant. Jody Callahan and I reported on the closure as soon as we heard the news last Thursday. 

That afternoon, Jody and I also spoke with several Memphians about their memories of Houston’s and what the closure meant to them. From Gibson’s Donuts owner Don DeWeese to former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton to Memphis Tourism’s Kevin Kane and more, here’s what they had to say.

A Big Sur pizza served at Hampline Brewing Company on Nov. 27. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)

Hampline Brewing Co. has added a state-of-the-art Forno Piombo oven to its taproom, giving it the ability to make wood-fired pizza perfectly paired with the craft brewery’s beers. In this week’s ‘What to Order’ column, I shared which pizzas are my top picks.

It’s also time to eat, drink and be merry. The latest in our Holidays in Memphis newsletter focused on recipes from The Daily Memphian’s files. From Delta tamales to spaghetti squash casserole to latkes, we’ve got a recipe for just about every tastebud.

Caramelized founder Cara Greenstein joined me on “Sound Bites” to talk about her tips for stress-free entertaining during the holidays, and the rest of the year, too. 

In last week’s Food Files, Sophia Surrett reported that after just two weeks of being open, TacoNGanas closed its Olive Branch location due to code issues. The chain hopes to reopen in DeSoto County soon. Surrett also reported that two new restaurants — Jackson, Tennessee-based Rama Pizza and a Fat Boys Burgers and More — will be coming to Memphis in 2025. 

For his $10 deal this week, Joshua Carlucci recommends the rib tips at Malia’s. This small, yellow-and-black shack has been a staple in the Messick Buntyn neighborhood for more than a decade, serving up smoky, tender meats — but only on Fridays and Saturdays.

Pia Mitchell has been a vocational coordinator at Youth Villages for 20 years. Her Sweet Potato Cupcakes are a popular item for the program participants to make and eat. (Courtesy Youth Villages)

Pia Mitchell’s sweet-potato cupcakes with cream-cheese frosting are a popular treat at Youth Villages. For 20 years, Pia Mitchell has been teaching area youth how to cook as well as other skills needed to work in the food industry. Here is her beloved recipe.

Lastly, Michael Waddell reported on the impact the Lions Club and its annual pecan sale has for the Bartlett community. The pecans are on sale now for the holiday season.

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.

.....