Welcome to Table Talk, where The Daily Memphian writers and editors send the latest food news — along with a dash of this and that — directly to your inbox every Wednesday. Jennifer Chandler is off this week. 

Today, we take a moment to talk about the humble cheeseburger. 

Yes, today, Sept. 18, is National Cheeseburger Day. 

According to nationaldaycalendar.com, the cheeseburger dates back at least to 1928 Los Angeles when a place called O’Dell’s offered a cheeseburger — smothered in chili — for a quarter. 

But my question is this: Haven’t cheeseburgers and hamburgers become synonymous since then? 

A quick glance at the Huey’s Restaurant menu reveals 12 distinct burgers, from the Senor Huey to the West Coast to the Madison Avenue burger. Every single one, even the Beyond Burger, includes cheese. And an assortment at that: Monterey Jack, Swiss, pepper jack, smoked cheddar, blue cheese crumbles and gouda. 

Earlier this month, Bloomberg revealed that Americans on average consumed 42 pounds of cheese in 2022 — double the amount of cheese people were eating in 1975. U.S. dairy companies are even planning to build new facilities to meet record-breaking demand. 

Personally, I probably like the cheese better than the burger, if I’m honest. 

But National Cheeseburger Day definitely celebrates the sum of the parts, not the individual ingredients. And if you want to celebrate in style, I’ve got you. 

There’s the smash burger at Bain Barbecue, covered in melted American cheese, a smash burger at Louis Connelly’s Bar for Fun Times and Friendship and the Smash & Grab Burger Lab food truck. For a non-smash burger, there’s also the new Nashoba in Collierville, several locations of Tommy’s Burger California Style, Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint in Midtown, Tops Bar-B-Q and Burgers (both the Fireman and the Policeman are technically cheeseburgers) and, of course, Huey’s — among many others. 

That should get you started, but feel free to drop your favorite (cheese)burger place in the comments below. 

The Week on Memphis’ food and dining scene

In this week’s What to Order from Jennifer Chandler, she raved about the sesame chicken from East Memphis’ Mosa Asian Bistro. The popular dish is the same one served at Formosa restaurant on Summer Avenue for decades, and I have to co-sign her suggestion. 

When my family goes to Mosa, we always start with one order of the sesame chicken — but often end up having to ask for a second order because we just haven’t gotten enough. 

Sophia Surrett wrote about the Chi Phi food truck, an endeavor by husband-and-wife duo Lamar Dales and Aubrey Hampton because they missed the foods of their respective hometowns. 

Though I haven’t tried the Chi Phi food truck personally, I did try to order from them one day when they were at Grind City Brewing Co., but they had been cleaned out. That seems like as much of a recommendation for their food as anything else. 

Holly Whitfield re-introduced us to Swamp Bar, located where Panta once was. The concept was initially supposed to be a pop-up, but instead, the Asian-Creole fusion joint has stuck around. Swamp Bar is also a fave of Daily Memphian staffers. 

There is a new restaurant — the Overland — opening in Germantown tomorrow, despite the recent, abrupt departure of its executive chef. The restaurant is located in Thornwood but the inspiration lies in Montana. Think elk, bison and fresh fish. 

One of the most uplifting stories of the week was about 901 Community Fridges, which as Jane Roberts wrote “is exactly what it sounds like: A series of outdoor refrigerators open day or night, when feeding lines are closed or fast food is closed, with shelves stocked every day.” Prepared meals can often be found in the six fridges, giving those who need them healthy, nutritious food. 

I Love Pho Great Asian Eatery recently opened in East Memphis, in a building that once housed One & Only BBQ but other restaurants in the past, too, like a Johnny Rockets. The exterior definitely gives Johnny Rockets vibes, but the interior is light and airy. Joshua Carlucci wrote about I Love Pho’s beef noodle pho for his weekly $10 Deal and declared it excellent. 

My own pro tip: Try the fruit teas. I think I went with papaya. So good. 

Last thing. This week’s recipe was for souvlakia, but if you don’t want to make it at home, you’re in luck. This weekend is the Memphis Greek Festival, located at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church. Plus, they’ll have baklava and baklava cheesecake.