Alnova XV owner Luis Rivas blends Mexican spices and recipes with the techniques he learned from working at Japanese restaurants. 

Also: Memphis’ first Waldo’s Chicken and Beer is now open and Plant Based Heat Express is making some changes at its Downtown location.

In this installment of our Memphis Pizza Guide, we tip our caps to the chains, including a few that didn’t originate locally, while also stopping for a slice (or two) at some of the New York-style pizza counters around town.

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Local pizza owes some of its origins to Coletta’s and the rest to three restaurants — Exlines’ Best Pizza in Town, Broadway Pizza and Fox Ridge Pizza — with a common ancestor.

A survey recently said Memphis pizza wasn’t very good. But that isn’t true. Over the next few days, we’ll bring you a list of the local places we love and a lot of very good pizza. 

Collierville filed a response to the trustee of the proposed Chick-fil-A site. Chick-fil-A sued the town in March.

Chick-fil-A Uptown construction is moving forward, Villa Castrioti is expanding to Nashville, JamRack is now open and Belltower Coffee is serving food at Shelby Farms Park and introducing a membership program. 

Within six years of graduating from culinary school, Terry Taylor had owned and operated two restaurants. But he also had almost 40 years of retail experience under his belt. 

The new location for the chicken tender chain would be the first in the area.

The upcoming Downtown game bar will feature 20 arcade games, an 8-foot Lite Brite and an authentic Philly, with rolls shipped from Philadelphia. 

In the final installment of our barbecue series, we’ve got a look at winners from SmokeSlam and Memphis in May’s contest. Plus, we share recipes to extend barbecue month out all year. 

Crosstown Concourse announced in a release on Monday, May 20, that a new restaurant highlighting Vietnamese culture and cuisine will take over the Wolf River Brisket space, which concluded its operations on Sunday, May 19. 

“Everything I have been studying tells me that we are definitely going to be, within my lifetime certainly, back in a place that chocolate is something you will have for a very special occasion,” said Muddy’s founder Kat Gordon. 

One of only six Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles in the world is coming to two Memphis-area Krogers Sunday, May 19, and Monday, May 20.

The owner of Chloe’s Giant Cookies, who has 2.2 million followers on TikTok, has joined a federal lawsuit to try and overturn a recently passed law that would either ban the popular video app or force its sale.

“We didn’t want to split up,” Sweet Cheeks team captain Alex Boggs said. “Winning is great. That’s not what this week is about. This week is about cutting out from work for a little bit, hanging out with some of your best friends in the world.”

BBQ War is the team that traveled the farthest for this year’s MIM, and despite the team’s name, they’re making new friends left and right. But what they really want are the bragging rights.

You can find only two teams competing at both barbecue contests this weekend: Hank’s BBQ from Columbus, Mississippi, and Pork University of Clarksville, Tennessee. 

Several restaurants have opened in Memphis this week, including a “breakfast, lunch and brunch spot,” a high-end Mexican restaurant, a Taiwanese-style bakery and something new in the old Local on the Square. 

The Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is officially underway, with 129 teams from 22 states and four foreign countries vying for the crown.

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A first look at SmokeSlam on the river

Battle of the Barbecue: Where to eat Memphis barbecue

Barbecue teams, food vendors and cooking demos are set up in Tom Lee Park ahead of the inaugural festival’s opening day.

The Economic Development Growth Engine approved a loan to Chef Christopher Beavers, who is reopening his restaurant The Grilled Asparagus. 

“I didn’t want to leave,” said owner David Acklin. “That building is beautiful to me, the best in Memphis. I’ve had it for 20 years. I ran with it for as long as I could. I’ve fought and done everything I could to stay there.”