Muddy’s magic began with an accident, a ‘crisis of certainty,’ a lot of prayer and, ultimately, a leap of faith on Leap Day.

Native sons Andy and Michael have been nominated as semifinalists for–guess what?–Best Chef: Southeast by the James Beard Foundation.

We can still cross our fingers for more of NBC’s “Bluff City Law,” but should it return to the air, Elijah will need a new office building: Strait & Associates at Front Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard will soon be home to a restaurant, a sandwich shop and up those stairs where a beer or two was consumed on the show, a speakeasy.

The pizza will set you back $8-$10, depending on which one you order. The crust was perfect, puffed around the edges, a bit of chew in the center.

Soup Sunday is back for its annual event that has filled bellies with warm soup for 31 years and the coffers at Youth Villages with more than $1.5 million.

Shawn Danko has been named the Restaurateur of the Year and will be honored at Sunday’s annual Memphis Restaurant Association banquet; February events still to come; tamales are back at Elwood’s Shack.

From computer science to the culinary arts, a chance meeting at The Peabody led Steven Leake to his passion. Now he's an award-winning chef at Southwest Tennessee Community College.

Memphian Phillip Ashley Rix makes it to the final round of "Chopped Sweets" but doesn’t win; maybe next time? He hopes to return.

The candy company is back on Main Street, near the site where its first store opened in 1902.

Phillip Ashley Rix competes on ‘Chopped Sweets’ and Tamra Patterson goes back to ‘Guy’s Grocery Games’ on Food Network.

Elemento will close in less than two weeks, but Crosstown's co-leader Todd Richardson hinted that the restaurant's space may not be empty for long.

Front Street Deli, the tiny sandwich shop at Front and Union, is on the market. The place was featured in “The Firm” and all the sandwiches are named for Tom Cruise movies.

It’s time to start thinking about Valentine’s Day, whether you need reservations or a box of local chocolates. And it’s time for tickets for The Daily Memphian’s Friday lunch and Caritas’ February dinner.

McEwen's offers a soup-and-salad deal for $9.50 that warms you on a cold day and gives you plenty of fresh greens on the side.

The executive chef for Flight Restaurant Group never attended a day of culinary school, but trained kitchen staff for a national chain. He sold street tacos and now builds seafood towers. And every morning, he brews the coffee for his employees.

Jennifer Biggs and Kelly English talk about rude diners, reminisce about last year’s funeral for the Saints at The Second Line and go off topic. 

Jimmy Sinh, aka Sushi Jimmi, is in the kitchen at Saltwater Crab, the menu is new, and it's under new ownership.

There are Grisantis all over, but only one in Collierville. David Grisanti is operating smoothly in the back of Sheffield Antiques Mall, serving up all the family favorites.

Tandem Restaurant Partners will reopen Robilio’s Side Car Cafe within a couple of months.

Tickets are still available to two events at Caritas and our Friday lunch at Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza; reserve now.

Chocolate Fantasy is back for its 35th year at Agricenter on Saturday. If you have a taste for something else, pasta, pizza, hot dogs, cheese and brews are on the menus at other events this week. 

Moondance Grill is Tommy Peters’ latest restaurant, and there’s plenty to like about the new place in Germantown’s Thornwood development.

When you can’t take the beach cure, there’s always more soup. At Mosa, a bowl of yuan bao is one way to combat the gray-day sniffles.

Domenico Canale would be 177 and a birthday party to celebrate him is Thursday at the Old Dominick Distillery, steps away from the warehouse where he started selling whiskey generations ago.

Cold or wet days lend themselves to a pot of soup; book your seat for Friday lunch; get to Napa Cafe for a piece of buttermilk pie and someone else will get one, too.