There was a little bit of smoke on the river early on Wednesday, but plenty more to come. The 2021 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest was about to begin.

Two old friends and longtime Memphis in May volunteers take a few minutes to talk about this year’s festival and about some memorable times in the past.

Bhan Thai, Molly Smith’s restaurant on Peabody Avenue that opened in 2002, has closed its doors for the last time. Smith officially shut down on the day she usually hosted the fundraiser Cinco de Thai-O.

Where there’s smoke, there’s 🔥🔥🔥 when it’s in Tom Lee Park. Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest returns after a forced 2020 hiatus, proving you can’t keep a good festival down. 

A deep clean and purge of the kitchen might not spark joy, but can cause an existential questioning of time. And as the world moves on, festivals are planned and Hog Wild East opens.

Ernie Mellor opens Hog Wild East for takeout only in the former Garibaldi’s location on Yates Road on Wednesday.

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. 

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

A recap of the week that was, plus a little talk about what’s safe to eat and where you draw the line, particularly when it comes to leftover Easter eggs.

Joes’ Fried Chicken, Joes on Highland — whatever you wanted to call it — is closed for now but will open again as soon as the owners find a new place.

Before the pandemic, the Memphis Farmers Market brought out as many as 2,000 visitors on a Saturday in peak season. This year, 61 vendors have signed up to sell goods in the pavilion.

Dining at Ecco, a secret about Slim Chickens, Memphis in May Barbecue is back, and The Majestic Grille is opening this week.

The Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest is back after sitting out 2020. 

For its fifth birthday, MemPops offers a $2 birthday special in its three brick-and-mortar locations this weekend.