Welcome to Table Talk, The Daily Memphian’s weekly food and dining newsletter for subscribers only.

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Table Talk is now coming to you from me, Sophia Surrett, and my circa 2018 sticker-covered computer.

You may have seen my byline on restaurant coverage before as I’ve been writing about local restaurant real estate since I was hired at The Daily Memphian.

I’m now The Daily Memphian’s new food and restaurant reporter, with a side of hospitality and tourism coverage.

July 10 will be my three-year anniversary here in the Bluff City after The Daily Memphian took a chance on this spring chicken fresh from the University of Alabama. I was hired as a business reporter to cover restaurant and residential real estate, hospitality and tourism. 

Since then, my byline has touched every single business beat in some capacity, but restaurant real estate, hospitality and tourism were always mine. Food Files, our column about restaurant openings, closings and expansions, is my baby. I even named it when it started running weekly in October 2023.

Ritzie's Barbecue serves a one-meat-and-two-side-plate with pulled pork, cheesy potatoes and chips and green chile cheese dip with an additional two rib tips and honey gold ribs. (Sophia Surrett/The Daily Memphian)

In the beginning, as a 21-year-old from Birmingham, Alabama, I was nervous about tackling a city as a baby journalist with such rich culture, music and history.

But I was ready for the food scene.

I’m a carnivore. I specifically love and frequently eat red meat, and I love barbecue, too. I was raised on dry-rub and ribs, pulled pork, barbecue chicken, A.1. Sauce, deer meat in every form (thanks, Dad) and brisket.

Ritzie's Barbecue serves a one-meat-and-two-side plate with brisket, dill pickle pasta salad and apple poppyseed slaw. (Sophia Surrett/The Daily Memphian)

Oh, and baked beans are my go-to side with a slice of bread.

My favorite places were Dreamland Bar-B-Que in Downtown Birmingham, Jim ’N Nicks Bar-B-Q in Trussville (hometown suburb) and Archibald’s BBQ in Northport while in college.

Cozy Corner, however, made me rethink barbecue from home. 

I also tried Ritzie’s Barbecue food truck this past weekend and can report it offers a similar fall-off-the-bone experience as Cozy Corner. 

I was at the Grind City Amp for its grand opening night, and my friends and I were doing a lap around the field scoping out the tacos, Mempops and classic Pronto Pups when I saw a green food truck with a pig logo. Winner, winner, barbecue dinner.

My roommate and I decided to both get one meat and two side plates and got two rib tips and honey gold ribs. We also got the brisket with dill pickle pasta salad and apple poppyseed slaw and the pulled pork with cheesy potatoes, chips and green chile cheese dip. 

I love a good, burnt, crunchy piece of meat, so the rib tips were a favorite of mine. The honey gold ribs, though, were out of the amphitheater world. 

Ritzie’s didn’t have baked beans, so that might be my one food request when I see them again. However, those cheesy potatoes, the kind you would find at a Southern Thanksgiving dinner table, made up for it.

My one recommendation: Make sure you have a toothpick and a moist towelette — or two. 

On the food scene this week

Last week, former longtime owner of Owen Brennan’s restaurant, James “Jim” Baker Jr., died at the age of 75. I walked through the story of his life with his three kids, wife and a couple of friends he made along the way.

Over Keel, a new wine bar in the Snuff District, plans to open in mid-May, offering several affordable, high-quality wines and light bites. The wine bar was built out inside the 30,000-square-foot industrial event space The Kent.

Over Keel is a new wine bar. (Courtesy Toni Williams)

Jody Callahan reported on the latest Collierville restaurant news: Belly Acres is closing Thursday, April 30, leaving the Southaven location as the only Belly Acres remaining. In a statement, the owners said the closing was strictly performance-based.

In more suburban news, Michael Waddell reported AJ’s Fish & Chicken opened at 6337 Stage Road in Bartlett, offering grilled shrimp, chicken tenders, loaded fries topped with assorted meat options and much more.

AJ's Fish & Chicken at 6337 Stage Road in Bartlett opened in April. (Michael Waddell/The Daily Memphian)

Down in DeSoto County, Brandon LaGrone II reported on the expansion of 2 Crazy Fellas, a local Cajun restaurant, with a second location in Hernando expected to open this summer. The restaurant’s first location is in Olive Branch.

Jennifer Chandler brought the penne alla vodka recipe from Bardog Tavern to the table. Don’t worry, any vodka used evaporates during the cooking process.

And for those whose budget isn’t mushrooming, Erica Horton brought us several recommendations at Shroomlicious Baby, located at The Artist Table Downtown, as part of this week’s $15 Deal. But for those able to splurge, she recommends the spicy shroom lo mein.

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