The Early Word: Jennifer Chandler says bye, and Felicia Suzanne says hi
Are your grocery lists ready, Memphis? It’s Thursday, April 10, and the new Aldi in the Medical District opens today. That’s welcome news for Midtown and Downtown fans of Winking Owl wine.
We’re down to the third to last game of the Memphis Grizzlies’ regular season tonight with a match-up that really matters against the Minnesota Timberwolves. No pressure though.
We’re sad to report that The Daily Memphian’s Jennifer Chandler is stepping away from the table. In her last Table Talk column, Chandler said she’s leaving her food and restaurant writing job with us “to focus on my own health and my family.” And though she calls the moment “bittersweet,” she will admit that it’ll be nice to enjoy a restaurant meal “without an agenda.” J-Chan (as we like to call her) will certainly be missed around here, but she says she’ll be back on the food scene in some form in the future.
Felicia Suzanne’s is finally reopening in its new South Main Arts District location after being closed for three years. The Southern Low Country spot closed on Monroe Avenue in the fall of 2021 for a planned move to the old Spindini restaurant on South Main Street. But restaurant openings can take a while for a number of reasons. Fans of Felicia Suzanne’s signature Oysters of Love (served in a New Orleans-style barbecue sauce) won’t be disappointed, but new dishes that expand beyond Southern fare will be on the menu, too.
Plus, six people were shot at an anti-gun violence meeting, Memphis-Shelby County Schools is losing funds it needs for school repairs and xAI may be breaking the law.
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Bianca Phillips
Bianca Phillips is a Northeast Arkansas native and longtime Memphian who’s worked in local journalism and PR for more than 20 years. In her days as a reporter, she covered everything from local government and crime to LGBTQ issues and the arts. She’s the author of “Cookin Crunk: Eatin’ Vegan in the Dirty South,” a cookbook of vegan Southern recipes.
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