There’s a flurry of events and festivals in mid-May, and you need to get tickets now because they’re all pre-sale and they’ll be gone soon.

Jennifer Biggs joins Eric Barnes on this week’s episode of The Sidebar.

One variant linked to India’s recent COVID-19 surge was detected in Shelby County this week, said David Sweat, Shelby County Health Department deputy director.

Sullivan, Knox, Hamilton and Madison counties lift mask mandates; Davidson is waiting.

The Four Way’s owner Patrice Bates Thompson got a gift of $40,000 when she appeared on NBC’s “Today” show, and Gibson’s Donuts participated in The Kindness Revolution.

During an appearance on the ‘Today’ show this morning, Four Way owner Patrice Bates Thompson learned the restaurant was getting a grant courtesy of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express. 

The restaurant justifies its name with a list of fanciful “Signature Grit Bowls” that make use of the excellent stoneground grits from Oxford, Mississippi’s Original Grit Girl.

Taco Bell is relocating in Arlington, part of the changing landscape of convenience food options in the northeast Shelby County community.

Doughnuts were free for a while at Gibson’s Wednesday morning, the first local food giveaway campaign sponsored by The Kindness Revolution.

Villa Castrioti commits to The Lake District, Parish Grocery has a new location a few doors north of the intersection of Cooper and Young, and they’re selling tomatoes at Elwood’s Produce Stand on Saturdays.

Black Sheep Bottling sells its hot sauce at four local farmers markets in season: Downtown, Cooper-Young, Bartlett and Hernando. You can also find it on the shelf at the Curb Market, Tamboli’s, Oxbeau and Charlie’s Meat Market. 

Derk Meitzler talks about Backlot, the new sandwich shop to open in the Paramount building, also known as Strait & Associates in “Bluff City Law,” and what else he has coming up.

Parish Grocery has moved from Evergreen to Cooper-Young and they’re frying up oysters, and getting ready to serve frozen drinks on the patio.

Villa Castrioti has inked a deal to open a second location in The Lake District and plans to expand its Cordova restaurant to enlarge the bar area.

On Saturday mornings, the restaurant on Summer Avenue will become home to Elwood’s Produce Stand, starting April 17.

A small upside to the tragedy and travails of the past year is that for a few more weeks, you can eat food as simple as a cheeseburger in the lap of luxury.

Restaurateurs face a hiring crisis, yet restaurants continue to open and reopen around town. Also, Downtown gets a grocery store, everyone loves cheese dip, and Rajun Cajun returns this weekend.

Bryant’s Breakfast is back, the biscuits are hot, the bacon is crisp and the lines are long. It’s like it never closed.

Last year, Aaron Branch managed a valet service. The pandemic inspired his switch to a food cart, serving smash burgers, hot dogs and smoked sausage, sometimes on Beale and sometimes from a Mapco within sight of FedExForum.

The Kraft Heinz Co. is partnering with The LEE Initiative and Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice on the grant program.

A new cheese dip has launched in this cheese-dip-lovin’ city. Andrew Arbogast has taken his dad’s recipe and brought us Arbo’s.

Cash Saver and High Point Grocery owner Rick James is opening a small independent grocery in South Main.

With enhanced unemployment benefits and better-paying distribution jobs, restaurateurs don’t know when they’ll be fully staffed. Worse, they’re still uncertain when they’ll be back to 100% capacity.

Later this year, the new amphitheater will host concerts, weddings, birthday celebrations, family reunions, church functions and other events.

We’re opening up, literally. New restaurants are opening this week, old places — including Bryant’s — are reopening, and we have new locations, moves, and ticketed events coming.