Hot takes, date ideas and breakfast opinions are all on the menu for this week’s special edition of Sound Bites, featuring quick interviews with Daily Memphian staffers.

901 Hot Pot is expanding its Bartlett location and also moving into the East Memphis market. Crave Sweets Bake Shop is looking for a third location, maybe in Southaven or Franklin, Tennessee.

Zio Matto Gelato, the popular gelato that has been seen in grocery stores, restaurants and even FedExForum, now has a storefront on the ground floor of the Central Station Hotel. 

Joshua Carlucci’s order at Bob’s Barksdale is simple, but it always delivers. It’s a short stack (two pancakes) with country ham as well as two eggs — sunny side up — on the side, if he’s really hungry. 

A new law would let some Tennessee barbershops and salons sell and serve drinks, but they’d also need to serve food and have seating. Some Memphis places are interested, while other say it’s a hair don’t.

In February, the legislature adopted the state’s first official food: hot slaw, a dish popular in the Cleveland area of East Tennessee. But its second official state food is Memphis-based. 

With a West Coast flavor and a secret sauce, Tommy’s Burger California Style will open its second local restaurant in Bartlett later this month.

Pizza and pasta in the park? No problem. Pizza Dis Pasta Dat will be at the Shell all year long. 

In the pizza place’s newest location, the team wanted something that would make it a destination. Something like duckpin bowling. 

Bounty on Broad closed, Wholey Goods has its grand opening, a new Dunkin Donuts will be on Kirby Road and more.

The Orpheum Theatre might get string lights, Hotel Pontotoc might have a new restaurant, a new construction trades space on Decatur Street and safety repairs and improvements to come at The Businessmen’s Club.

Holly Whitfield and Chris Herrington discuss recent Downtown restaurant news, including the Front Street Deli reopening, Huey’s renovations and the Frank’s Biscuits & Briskets coming to South Main.

When I see a hot pastrami sandwich on a menu, it’s tough to stay away. While ordering one at The Mad Grocer when I noticed a crispy boudin po’boy and nearly switched. Then I thought: Why not both?

St. Paul and the Broken Bones will headline the inaugural SmokeSlam barbecue contest. The lineup also includes rap, rock and funk.

Even more shoppers across the southeast will be able to find Memphis barbecue in their grocery stores soon.

The team behind The Green Beetle is opening a breakfast place next door, in the former Bedrock Eats and Sweets space.

Sakura, a Japanese restaurant with three Shelby County locations, has added an extensive new section to its menu. 

Hookah, Southern brunch and lavish decor are on the menu at EnV. 

Darren Phillips learned how to make sushi at Downtown’s Bluefin about a decade ago, but it’s only recently that he began Yokai, a pop-up concept of his own. 

“You can buy lobster, crab legs and shrimp cheaper than crawfish,” said a crawfish supplier currently navigating the mudbug shortage.

Related content:

Celebrate crawfish, wings and wine at Memphis’ April festivals

Teams competed at the DeSoto County Wings and Ribs Festival in Olive Branch April 6.

Huey’s Downtown will temporarily be closed for renovations, Church’s Texas Chicken on Third Street has reopened and Comeback Coffee has new to-go cans.

“We pick up a lot of the nostalgic places in Memphis to try to keep them the same and a little bit of the history as much as we can,” said one of the new owners. 

Petals of a Peony offers lunch specials on some of its most popular dishes, and if you throw garlic into a recipe without noticing the amount called for, at least one of them is for you.

This week on Sound Bites, Holly Whitfield and Chris Herrington take in the breaking news that a location of the Texas-based fast-food franchise Whataburger could be Midtown bound.