A friend recently came into town from Jackson, Mississippi, and although she often visits Memphis for work, she wanted to try something new-to-her to celebrate another trip around the sun. For someone whose taste leans eclectic, runs to New Orleans every chance she gets and likes a restaurant with a vibe and a good menu, Swamp Bar was the natural choice for a birthday celebration.

The chicken soup dumplings are stuffed with ground chicken, so the texture is firm, and each dumpling is surprisingly heavy. But the dumplings never fall apart despite their hearty filling.

As my friend said about the first bite, it feels “like a warm hug.”

This is an excerpt of this story. To read more, please click here and subscribe.