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

Between Christmas and New Year’s Day, Memphis restaurants settle into a familiar hush. Dining rooms feel looser, even more casual than normal. The calendar says pause even if the kitchens don’t.

It’s in this in-between space that the year’s food conversations start to make sense, not as headlines or trends, but as a series of small decisions made at the table.

This year, Memphis ate through inflation, regulation, potential military occupation, openings, closings and more than a few pivots. Sometimes all in the same week. 

Alcohol, for one, has lost some of its dominance nationally. According to a 2025 Gallup poll, alcohol consumption across the country is down to 54% of American adults in 2025, from 62% in 2023. The shift away from traditional spirits has made way for non-alcoholic and THC-infused beverages to claim some of the market share. Bars have adapted without fanfare. 

Convenience has lost some of its assumed permanence. Delivery came and went. What remains is the simple act of showing up — to a bar, to a counter, to a neighborhood joint that still knew your order.

The places that navigated the year best weren’t always the flashiest. They were the ones that stayed true — to their staff, their suppliers and their diners. They listened. They adjusted. And when something didn’t work, they let it go.

Restaurants have gotten more intentional. Fewer menus and more QR codes (love it or hate it). Fewer days. More specials that actually make sense. Prime rib once a week instead of every night. A smaller footprint, executed well, proves more sustainable than chasing scale for scale’s sake.

As the year closes, the table remains what it has always been — a place to gather, to recalibrate, to keep going. And whatever 2026 brings, Memphis will meet it the same way it always does: one plate, one barstool, one conversation at a time.

This week on the Memphis food scene

Hard Times Deli’s Turkey Bacon Ranch sandwich. (Courtesy Hard Times Deli)

First things first, The Daily Memphian’s various foodies — freelancers, editors and podcasters — told us about their best meals of the entire year, and if you want to start a list of places to go to and dishes to have, this is it. 

Now, Jennifer Chandler’s favorite meal of the year was the turkey bacon ranch sandwich from Hard Times Deli, which comes with a buttermilk-herb ranch. And the buttermilk herb ranch is key to that sandwich, so you’ll be happy to know that Hard Times gave us the recipe for it and it’s in this past week’s recipe exchange. 

We also spent some time with Memphis-based Monogram Foods. The company, which is located in Crosstown Concourse, has 3,500 employees around the country and provides private label goods for major restaurant brands and fast-casual food franchises. And all of those foods start in Memphis. 

Blackberry Molasses is at 1014 E. Broadway Ave. in West Memphis. (Ellen Chamberlain/The Daily Memphian)

We also spent some time on the road, bringing you a list of restaurants around the Mid-South that are worth the drive. And, as some of them are in DeSoto County, they may not be much of a drive for some readers. 

For those on the road to a deal, Erica Horton tells us about the half-portion pastas at Libro, located inside East Memphis’ Novel bookshop. Horton had the carbonara, but other options include pesto genovese and shrimp fettucine.

In this past week’s Food Files, Sophia Surrett reported on the very appealing idea of a Mid-South Cava location — and the Cordova resident who is on a quest to make it happen — as well as the next resident of The Artist Table. 

And if you’re going to Belle Tavern, might I suggest the prime rib, which is a throwback in the best of ways? But, be warned, the prime rib special is only served on Thursdays and it’s first-come-first-served. 

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