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.

What a week for Memphis culinary classics, from Pancho’s to Pantà. And sure, Pantà is brand new and maybe it’s premature to call it a classic, but let’s take a beat.

I’ve lived in Memphis all my life and have been writing about food here for roughly 20 years. I know what it was like when going to dinner at Pancho’s was exciting and I was working, writing about it, when Kelly English and Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman were opening their first restaurants in 2008.

That was when a new generation of chefs came in and shook things up a bit, and it was good for Memphis. Now these guys are successful restaurateurs in their 40s, not the hotshots in their 20s who were all working every day to get Restaurant Iris (English) and Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen (Ticer and Hudman) going.

With luck and pluck, they’ve all done well and this week English’s Pantà opens, serving Catalan food in the house where Restaurant Iris once lived, where La Tourelle hung its shingle before that. I can’t wait to get inside and see what interior designer David Quarles has done; the glimpses I’ve seen in photos show a bright and festive new place. 

David Quarles poses for a portrait inside of Restaurant Iris Sept. 9, 2021. Quarles has been selected as the interior designer for Kelly English's new Pantà restaurant. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian)

On Nov. 5, Ticer and Hudman reopen Hog & Hominy after 22 months, and wow, who knew that a January 2020 fire was only the beginning of a really bad year? Despite numerous supply chain issues, the Hog & Hominy they’ve created after a devastating fire is worth the wait. Designer Natalie Leiberman of Collect + Curate has delivered a contemporary restaurant with warmth, and the food and drinks will no doubt be as good as the other Enjoy A|M restaurants. 

The newly renovated East Memphis restaurant Hog & Hominy on Friday, Oct. 22, 2021, will soon open, after a fire hit the building in January 2020. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

And purely self-interest: It’s so nice to have H&H reopening in East Memphis, just like I love having Erling Jensen Small Bites in the neighborhood and am eagerly awaiting the spring(ish?) opening of Restaurant Iris in The Grove Grill’s former spot in Laurelwood. We’re already blessed with good restaurants around here so maybe I’m being greedy, but I say bring ‘em. English talks a bit about when Iris will reopen in this week’s podcast about Pantà; have a listen.

Also on the podcast: John Mullikin from Museum of Science & History is joined by Rizzo’s chef/owner Michael Patrick to talk about the Nov. 4 Science of Wine event at the Pink Palace; there’s a link in the story for tickets.

Now to Pancho’s. What a shame to see a 65-year institution close; if you’re a Memphian, it was no doubt a part of your childhood like it was part of mine. At one time there were at least a dozen locations open, possibly more, but now it’s down to two — including the original in West Memphis — and it looks like they’re closing.

Pancho’s customers waited over an hour seated at the East Memphis location on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021, after rumors swirled that local Mexican restaurant will closed its doors soon. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Why won’t I just come out and say they are? Because no one in charge has confirmed it to me. Yes, the employees will tell me they’re closing, but they haven’t heard it from corporate. A corporate employee told me last week that it was nothing but rumors, so even running the story about the rumors was something we had to think about.

Journalism is about facts: Confirm, then publish. But this had gotten so big that we decided to write about the crowds at the restaurants and just tell what we knew for sure. I believe it’s closing, but as I write this, no one with any ownership in the company has told me that. Folks aren’t taking chances, though; they’re out in droves. On Tuesday, the East Memphis location was turning would-be diners away from the line by 5:30 p.m. 

I’m sure there’s more to come with this story. Meanwhile, I’m sharing a couple of recipes with you. You can buy the cheese dip at grocery stores all over and I feel certain there’s no danger of that stopping. You can find the Tropicale dressing sometimes, but it’s not as easy. I have a recipe for both and you can find them here. Feel free to tweak the “green” dressing to your taste; that’s what I’ve done over the years and have ended up with what I’m printing. 

Another opening: Sugar Ghost. Chris Herrington gave it a try with some kids this weekend and tells us all about the ice cream, made right there in the Broad Avenue shop, and I know I’ll be visiting soon. Ice cream is not a seasonal treat for me; I’m up for it any time and ready to give it a try. 

Sugar Ghost offers nine flavors of scoopable ice cream, all made in-house. (Chris Herrington/The Daily Memphian)

More restaurant news is official. It’s not exactly been a secret for the past few months, but Felicia Suzanne’s formally announced this week that it’s moving to the former Spindini location on South Main in the first quarter of 2022; more on that as the time draws near. The current location is still open, so no worries about being about to get your Felicia’s fix for now. 

And big news from the Grisanti family this week: The father/son team of Frank and Larkin Grisanti are opening GoGrisanti in Germantown in January. It’s going to be takeout only, in a small strip center called The Stables at Farmington and Exeter, and will feature the popular Grisanti line-up: Elfo Special, Miss Mary’s salad, toasted ravioli, meatballs and so on. 

Have a great week, be safe, eat well.

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