A Stash of Hope BUILDING A FAMILY’S DREAM HOME
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CONTENTS JULY 2017
28 HOME: The Spencers share with At Home Memphis & Mid South the incredible story of their struggle to start a family and how they found hope while building their dream home.
84 ENTERTAINING:
A Fourth of July barbecue simple enough to recreate just in time for the holiday.
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CONTENTS J U LY 2 0 1 7
50 F O R YO U
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16 healthy you "Let Food Be Thy Medicine"
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98 on a good note Project Green Fork
HOME & DESIGN 26 at home with Elizabeth Heiskell 28 home feature A Stash of Hope
T R AV E L & C U L T U R E 42 getaway St. Louis, MO
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50 travel Japan and the Pacific 62 experience this Memphis Zoo 70 social pages Mid South Happenings 76 wedding Anna and Colby Newton 82 arts Beth Hunt Calligraphy
FOOD & DRINK 84 entertaining Patriotic Picnic 90 dining out Salsa Cocina 92 happy hour Larry's #2 94 in the kitchen Grilled Corn and Bean Salad
IN EVERY ISSUE 14 | PUBLISHER'S NOTE 97 | SOURCES
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JULY 2017 • VOL. 16 NO. 4 PUBLISHER / EDITORIAL DIRECTOR MARGARET MONGER | mmonger@athomemms.com
ART DIRECTOR ANNA LEPPERT | aleppert@athomemms.com
EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION MANAGER GINNI JONES | gjones@athomemms.com
COPY EDITOR TERRI GLAZER
IMAGING COLOR MANAGEMENT CHARLES REYNOLDS | cr@colorretouching.com
ADVERTISING SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE HILARY FRANKEL | hafrankel@comcast.net
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES MEGAN EIDT | meidt@gmail.com BRITTANY MCDONALD | brmcdonald45@gmail.com CINDY SEMMES | c.semmes@aol.com
BUSINESS DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS TRIP MONGER | tmonger@athomemms.com
MARKETING AND CIRCULATION HARRIET W. DEATON | hdeaton@athomemms.com
HOW TO REACH US 320 South Walnut Bend, Suite 11 | Cordova, TN 38018 901.684.4155 | FAX 901.684.4156 WEBSITE: athomemms.com
At Home Memphis & Mid South doesn't accept unsolicited manuscripts. To inquire about freelance opportunities, send a letter, resume and three writing samples to—Editor, At Home Memphis & Mid South: 320 South Walnut Bend, Suite 11, Cordova, TN 38018.
SUBSCRIPTIONS Call 901.684.4155 or subscribe at athomemms. com. Annual subscription rate: $19.95. Single copy price: $4.99. At Home Memphis & Mid South is published 12 times a year. Postmaster: Send address changes to At Home Memphis & Mid South, 320 South Walnut Bend, Suite 11, Cordova, TN 38018. We make every effort to correct factual mistakes or omissions in a timely and candid manner. Information can be forwarded to Trip Monger; At Home Memphis & Mid South, 320 South Walnut Bend, Suite 11, Cordova, TN 38018 or to tmonger@athomemms.com.
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publisher’s note Welcome to the July issue! I am writing this letter just hours before going to print, last minute as usual! It is also my birthday and I received the best birthday present ever, a couple of days early. My son got married and gave me the most beautiful daughter-in-law, both inside and out, so I am feeling pretty blessed right now and a bit exhausted as well. Another day worth celebrating is just days away. On the Fourth of July, we will celebrate America! In our Entertaining section this month, we bring you ideas for a wonderful family friendly picnic at Shelby Farms. Thanks to the Shelby County Humane Society for bringing along a couple of four legged friends to join us. Puppies make picnics the best!! Our home feature this month is absolutely one of my favorites we have ever done. I can’t tell who or what is more beautiful, the home or the family that makes it. I am sure after reading the story and seeing the stunning photos, you will agree. I hope this July issue makes it into your beach or picnic bag for you to enjoy wherever you celebrate this 4th. Happy Birthday to me and America and I wish us both many more!!
Publisher
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healthy you
" Let Food Be Thy Medicine " Hippocrates 460-370 BC
Text by Michelle Johns
W
Text by We Michelle Johns e are the most developed civilization of all time and yet we are unhealthy due to our diet and lifestyle choices. eat too much fat from processed foods and we are more sedentary than previous generations. More people die today from chronic illnesses largely caused by poor diet and lack of exercise. The good news? According to over 35 years of research by Dr. Dean Ornish, we can actually reverse disease by eating healthy (whole) foods, exercising and making mindfulness a part of our daily lifestyle practices.
Summertime brings a great opportunity to make dietary changes. Wonderful produce of all kinds is in season and farmers’ markets are filled with vine-ripened fresh pickings. It’s a great time to support the local economy and take advantage of the foods with the highest concentration of nutrients. You can add your own stipulations regarding conventional vs. organic, pesticide- and hormone-free or not, etc. When the weather is hot we tend to indulge in sweet treats like ice cream, milk shakes and snow cones. More and more research is revealing the effects of white processed sugar on the growth of cancer cells and evidence suggests sugar also suppresses the immune system. However, the nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables designed to work with our body’s cells are indisputable. This month I am sharing knowledge gleaned from one of my favorite recipe books, Healing Smoothies by Danielle Chace, MSc CN. Using evidence from scientific studies on how foods work, the author creates recipes for smoothies that cancer patients can drink to fight the effects of nausea and inflammation from chemo. Our bodies are a field of healthy bacteria; when we feed our cells the right foods we give the healthy bacteria the energy and support it needs to fight cancer-causing cells and bad bacteria. Below are some of the ABCs of the healing properties of foods, according to the research cited in Healing Smoothies: Apples: contain phytochemicals that can reduce the growth of cancer cells Banana peels: contain concentrated amounts of antioxidant phenolics Citrus peel oil: contains tangeretin, a nutrient compound that has the ability to induce apoptosis in breast, colorectal and lung cancers 16 | At Home Memphis & Mid South • July 2017
healthy you A surprising and pleasantly delicious recipe from Healing Smoothies: Berry & Rosemary Healer - Rosemary contains a medicinal compound called carnosol that directly reduces cancer growth and development. This berry and herbal smoothie is a perfectly balanced blend of sweet, sour and bitter. Ingredients: 1 cup orange juice ½ cup pomegranate seeds ½ cup frozen wild blueberries ½ cup frozen blackberries 2 Tbsp. chia seed 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary Directions: Combine all ingredients in a high-power blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Drink immediately. Serves 2. Nutrition Facts (per serving) Calories 187 Fat 5 g Carbs 29 g Fiber 13 g Protein 5 g Khuda-Bukhsh AR, Das S, Saha SK. (2014) Molecular approaches toward targeted cancer prevention with some food plants and their products: inflammatory and other signal pathways. Nutrition and Cancer. I highly recommend the book Healing Smoothies and encourage you to discover the curative effects of fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs and water. Let food be thy medicine!
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at home with
At Home With
Elizabeth Heiskell debutantefarmer.com
Text by Ruthie George Photos courtesy of Elizabeth Heiskell
Q&A
At Home Memphis & Mid South: Tell us a little about
your background, both professionally and personally. Elizabeth Heiskell: I worked for a catering company in Memphis for Karen Carrier and Automatic Slim’s when I was in high school. Then when I was in college I would always go back and work with her on weekends and breaks from school. That’s where my culinary journey kind of really started, at Another Roadside Attraction catering company. I was really influenced by her and all of her talents, work ethic and creative sense. From there I started a business called Instead of Flowers, which delivered gift baskets or meals, for instance if somebody died. That took off quickly and morphed into a catering company under the same name (even though it didn't really fit) because that's how people knew us. We moved to the Delta and I started catering again almost immediately. After that I taught cooking classes at the Viking Cooking School in Greenwood, MS, for about eight years, while maintaining my catering company. Then we moved to Oxford to start Woodson Ridge Farms, a vegetable farm. We have a barn there and we do parties, events, weddings, rehearsal dinners and 26 | At Home Memphis & Mid South • July 2017
things like that on the property. For a while I helped selling the vegetables; I would go to the restaurants in Memphis and ask the chefs to buy our vegetables. I sold them for about four or five months and then I went back into catering, which is my love. So that's what I'm doing now: catering in Oxford and we still have the vegetables and sell those in Oxford, Memphis and also in Nashville. That business has grown tremendously and so has the catering company.
AHMMS: What was the inspiration behind the Debutante
Farmer brand? EH: We had a HUGE crop of tomatoes our first year and not as many restaurants were buying them, so I had to figure out something to do with them. Kind of like turning lemons into lemonade, I turned tomatoes into Bloody Mary mix and it was a huge success. It just shows that at a point when I couldn’t see any way to get out of where we were and I couldn't figure out what I was going to do with all these tomatoes that were rotting around us, I had this idea. Make Bloody Mary mix. It was the solution to that problem and now it’s become a really amazing product that I’m proud to say we make. It's about having a huge amount of adversity and turning that adversity into something positive.
at home with AHMMS: What is your favorite memory from building your business? EH: When we first built the barn, we had a really hard year. It was hard starting the farm; we were completely unprepared for what we were doing. We had never done this before and there were so many challenges being thrown at us. At the end of the season, we had worked all summer really hard and I had a beautiful tomato dinner. Tomatoes were in every single course. We had 150 people who paid money to come. It was in our barn. It was a magical night. We had this great band from Memphis that came down to play. I looked out at all those people who were there celebrating, loving what we’re doing, and understood our mission; it was such a reassurance that hard work does pay off. It was incredibly gratifying to see all that, that night. The lighting was perfect. The flowers were perfect. The food was incredible and people sat and stayed for hours. You could just tell that they were so happy and it was just such a wonderful night for them. AHMMS: What inspires you? EH: Nature. I know that sounds ridiculous, but seasonal food
and the changing of the seasons are incredibly inspiring to me. Right now, everything’s blooming, all of our seeds are being planted right now and all these baby plants are coming up. It’s absolutely magnificent. That inspires me. I also love to read. So many chefs inspire me daily. Oxford Floral...Greg at the Garden District...I’m inspired by the people I get to work with. I’m inspired by my clients. It’s kind of like, what am I not inspired by?
AHMMS: What’s your favorite thing about your job? EH: I think it’s the gratification at the end of the night when
an event is finished and the clients are happy. You just feel so good. You feel like you did well for another person and helped shape their life or their event. A lot of things we work on are huge, they’re memories of a wedding or a rehearsal dinner or a baby shower, things they will never forget. We get to be a part of that every single weekend and it’s such an honor that our clients trust us.
AHMMS: What advice would you give to people who want
AHMMS: What do you do when you aren't working? EH: I don’t know if that ever happens! Just kidding, but when
I’m not working we have these great exercise classes here in Oxford that I love to do. I have three children and we love to do things together—tomorrow we’re going to Alabama for a volleyball tournament. So mainly hanging out with my children and my husband. We also love Ole Miss baseball. So basically family and friends when I’m not working. Between the catering, vegetables, the Today Show and I just finished my second book, so it’s been a little crazy around here.
AHMMS: What are your favorite places in the Mid South? EH: I like everywhere! That’s the thing about Mississippi and
Tennessee, they’re so unbelievably versatile. You have the ocean in the south and you have Oxford which is very sophisticated. You have the Mississippi Delta which is beyond cool. It has so much depth to it. It’s hard for me to pick one place that I love the most, but I would have to say what I love most about the Mid South is its diversity. AHMMS: What are your plans for the future? EH: Because the catering company has gotten so large, we just moved from the barn kitchen to a new venue called the Jefferson. We have a huge, beautiful, expanded kitchen and that has helped tremendously since now we have space to grow and be efficient. The catering kitchen we had at Woodson Ridge Farms will be turned into a cooking school so we will be teaching cooking classes there. My book What Can I Bring? will come out on Oct. 17. It’s seven foods for any occasion life has to serve up—very reminiscent of what I did with Instead of Flowers. It covers what to bring to if you’re going to a tailgate or what to bring if someone dies, or if someone has a baby or if you're going to a potluck or out of town for the weekend. I don’t think there’s anyone who’s not ever asked that question. If you’ve ever been invited anywhere you’ve asked, “What can I bring?” This book will answer that question; even if you don’t cook, we have great ideas that will give you something wonderful to bring and you don’t even have to turn on the stove. It reaches the gamut of people so it’s very versatile and it’s going to be a very beautiful book. Time, Inc., is my publisher and Southern Living magazine is the imprint.
to succeed in their dreams? EH: Don't ever, ever stop focusing on it. I wanted to be on the Today Show for 17 years. I thought about, dreamed about and planned to be on the Today Show. I didn’t know how I was going to get on the Today Show. I didn’t know where, when or what, but it didn’t matter. My end goal was to be on the Today Show. And I did! After 17 years it was the right time for it to happen and now I’m the Today food contributor. After being there for a year I’m signed and contracted and I go back once a month to do the show. That is all from deciding something, believing in it and not ever getting discouraged. July 2017 • athomemms.com | 27
home feature
A Stash of Hope
Memphis Couple Finds Hope and Healing While Building Their Dream Home Text by Jordana White | Photos by Steve Roberts and Anna Haley
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home feature
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home feature
F
or Chad and Kelley Spencer, building a family was not easy. The couple had tried unsuccessfully for years to have children; as Chad explains, “After multiple failed pregnancies, we felt called to adoption.” Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans. Though they quickly found an infant in need of a home, Hurricane Katrina struck, and in the upheaval that followed the birth mother decided to keep her baby. This was devastating news for the couple who had already prepared the nursery for their baby girl's arrival. In the interim, the Spencers found comfort in a new doctor. Nine months later they joyfully welcomed Shaw, now seven, after an almost 10-year-long journey filled with so much disappointment. Still, the couple pursued the idea of adoption but at this point moved their paperwork internationally to Russia. This pursuit ended in 2012, when the Russian government enacted the Dima Yakovlev Law banning American citizens from adopting Russian children. It was yet another emotional blow after years of waiting. Fortunately, the couple was able to welcome a second child—Tate, now 4—shortly thereafter. Now a family of four, the Spencers, still pursued their original vision of adoption, moving their international adoption paperwork to Ethiopia. The time was right to make a true home for their family. “We took forever to find the right property,” says Chad, “Once we found it, we took our time working with our architect." Over the next 10 months that architect, Jeff Bramlett, helped the couple design a British-style Arts and Crafts home with five bedrooms, five bathrooms and approximately 7,800 heated and cooled square feet. As construction was ready to begin, with the Longtown Company at the helm, another unexpected surprise arose. Chad, president and part owner of the Dufresne Spencer Group, the 31st largest furniture chain in the country, which locally includes Ashley Furniture HomeStores and Stash, recalls that one of his employees approached him with a unique request. “She told me she needed a bed because she had taken a young girl into her home to care for until the arrival of her baby." Chad and Kelley decided not to stop at just giving her a bed but also agreed to adopt the baby that she carried. Just as their dreams of adopting seemed to be working out, another curveball came along. “We discovered the fetus had gastroschisis (a condition where an opening in the baby’s abdominal wall allows the bowel to push through and develop outside the baby’s body). I just didn’t know if I could take in a sick child. I didn’t know if I, as a father, had enought to give a child with such great needs, given the demands of running a business and raising two other young boys.” says Chad. “We retreated into building the house,” Chad recalls. “So much of our healing came about as we envisioned our healthy family in the spaces we were creating.” Our builders, Jarod Wilder and Sammy Stover, knew the stresses that we were facing and worked tirelessly to ensure every detail was captured and executed. They became more than our builders. They became our dear friends." It is perhaps no surprise, then, that each element of the home reflects the Spencers’ dreams for the future. Bramlett says, “We used Hope steel windows and doors that were imported from Europe.” And if the Hope products weren’t enough, Bramlett also incorporated salvaged timber and iron from an old Memphis factory into the house, giving the almost-discarded materials a new lease on life. 30 | At Home Memphis & Mid South • July 2017
home feature
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home feature
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home feature
At the same time, Fran Keenan, an interior designer based in Homewood, AL, was working her magic on the inside. “When the project began,“ Keenan says, “Chad and Kelley both knew they wanted something different, a real pendulum swing from the traditional Southern decorating vernacular.” To that end, Keenan took her license to make design choices as unique and bold as the Spencer family. From intricately patterned wallpapers that the designer says provided “the big, bold brushstrokes we needed for the stylish pattern play with colored details,” to special pieces like the living room bookcases and the custom limestone mantel inspired by a photo of an 18th-century one the Spencers fell in love with, every inch of the house became a celebration of the family who would come to call it home. July 2017 • athomemms.com | 33
home feature
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home feature
Just as finishing touches were being placed on the house, another surprise came along, baby Joseph "Mack" entered the world seven weeks premature. Â Still unsure of his ability to adopt such a sick baby, Chad grabbed a book on prayer in hopes of finding peace on how to proceed. He then rushed to LeBonheur Children's Hospital to comfort the baby after he had undergone his first of eight surgeries to repair his intestines. That very book led Chad to Romans 8:15-16, the truth that he needed to confirm that this was, in fact, their baby.
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design home feature
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home feature
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home feature
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home feature The next 11 months at the hosptial were comparable to riding a roller coaster. "One day he would look so healthy and have such a good report and the next we would find ourselves on our knees praying for his life," says Chad. "Our village that consisted of our family, our small group at church, close friends, our amazing LeBonheur team, and even strangers who had heard our story came alongside us and served, loved, and prayed for us tirelessly. Mack is not just ours, he belongs to this village, this beautiful village that resides all over our city." Today, Chad says, "Mack is doing better than ever. What a joy to do life as a healthy family of five in this home."
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home feature
"So
much of our healing came about as we envisioned our healthy family in the spaces we were creating." —Chad Spencer
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getaway
Meet Me (and my family) in St. Louis
Inspired by the title of the 1944 film starring Judy Garland, Meet Me in St. Louis, our family decided to explore the Gateway City. An affordable regional destination, St. Louis proved to be an ideal family getaway. Text and photos by Tracy Louthain 42 | At Home Memphis & Mid South • July 2017
After enjoying the spotlight as the host city for the 1904 World’s Fair, St. Louis has evolved into a city known for entertainment, art, culture, sports, casinos, beer and barbecue. St. Louis has also produced its share of talented celebrities, including Chuck Berry, Jackie Joyner Kersee, Jon Hamm, Nelly and Tina Turner, among many others. So what’s the draw of this Midwestern city? For some, an event lures them to town. The St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Blues entertain thousands of baseball and hockey fans each year. And whether you love the Cardinals or not, watching the live action at Busch Stadium is never dull. Not a sports fan? The city hosts live performances throughout the year. From concerts to Broadway productions at the Fox Theater, acclaimed shows make St. Louis a stop on national and international tours. But the real heartbeat of the city is the blues, and on any given week there are up to 300 live musical performances representing many genres. We traveled to St. Louis on a mission to discover what it offers families. Our hotel was near Forest Park, a 1,300-acre urban park that is home to a variety of attractions. Forest Park is the seventh largest urban park in the United States and is 450 acres larger than New York City’s Central Park, a statistic that locals are proud to point out. But unlike those in Central Park, the attractions located throughout Forest Park are free and open to the public, including the St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis Art Museum, Missouri History Museum and the St. Louis Science Center.
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getaway
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We started our family adventure at the St. Louis Zoo. We were impressed by its size, natural enclosures and focus on protecting endangered animals. In accordance with its mission to ensure that people and endangered species can survive and thrive together, the zoo cares for 18,000 exotic animals and is home to dozens of endangered species, including Amur leopards, Amur tigers and snow leopards. Thanks to free admission, our family made several visits, including a specific trip just to see the penguins and polar bear. If you think all science museums are the same, think again. Another of the city’s free cultural attractions, the St. Louis Science Center was named one of the “10 Best Science Centers for Families” by Parents magazine. Featuring three floors of hands-on, interactive science exhibits, the Science Center offers something for every interest. From space to engineering to live experiments, the center encourages exploring and learning. Visitors can build a replica of the Getaway Arch, don a lab coat and study life science, explore the journey of food from farm to fork in the outdoor GROW gallery and cross the bridge to the Boeing Space Station within the SLSC’s McDonnell Planetarium to enjoy an out-of-this-world experience. Our day concluded with an explosive program on energy from CenterStage. Another of St. Louis’ exceptional free cultural attractions, the Missouri History Museum, presents handson exhibits, live reenactments and presentations that help history come alive. Colorful exhibitions brimming with authentic artifacts allow visitors to travel back in time to the fabled 1904 World’s Fair, experience Charles Lindbergh’s “Spirit of St. Louis” flight, and walk through the world of fur traders, Civil War soldiers and explorers Lewis and Clark. A special exhibit featuring the history of Route 66 is on display through July 16. Guests can enhance their visit by dining at Bixby’s restaurant, overlooking Forest Park.
Trolley Tour
Davenport House
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getaway
The inscription “Dedicated to Art and Free to All” is carved in the stone above the main entry of the St. Louis Art Museum and serves as a reminder of the facility’s commitment to artistic excellence and public accessibility. A leader in arts education, the St. Louis Art Museum strives to connect the works of art in its collections and exhibitions with audiences of all ages. With so much to see, we focused on modern art as well as the Impressionist collection with original works by Monet, van Gogh, Matisse and Picasso. No trip to St. Louis is complete without a visit to the Gateway Arch, the most recognizable icon of the city. Part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, a 90-acre park along the banks of the Mississippi River, the Gateway Arch is a national monument honoring Thomas Jefferson, the Louisiana Purchase, the Native Americans, and explorers, including Lewis and Clark, who shaped the American West. The arch was closed for repairs this winter and has reopened to offer its popular aerial views of the city. Journeying to the top of this 630-foot monument is a memorable experience. In addition to updates to the arch itself, the surrounding area is undergoing a major transformation. Greenways are being added, the North Gateway park will add 7.5 acres of usable park space for festivals, concerts and community events, and the riverfront is being refreshed to include a 1.5-mile promenade for activities and commerce. The City Museum is a funhouse, a jungle gym and an art gallery rolled into one with hands-on art workshops, a food court and more. This whimsical warehouse of artsy fun features manmade caves to explore, funky hands-on art projects, performances by an in-house circus troupe and an unusual aquarium. Recycling is truly an art form at City Museum, even the facility is a masterpiece of recycling. The building was originally a shoe factory and warehouse, now restored and filled with items that might otherwise have ended up in a landfill. Six Flags St. Louis features more than 100 rides and attractions throughout the park, including the new Boomerang roller coaster and wet and wild Tsunami Soaker. Admission to Six Flags St. Louis also includes the Hurricane Harbor water park. Six Flags St. Louis is open from April through early November. Ted Drewes Frozen Custard is an institution in St. Louis. Serving frosty treats since the 1920s, Ted Drewes is renowned FeathersaCafe forGoose the “concrete,” milkshake so thick it can be turned upside down without spilling a delicious drop. 46 | At Home Memphis & Mid South • July 2017
getaway For the Parents It’s easy to forget that Budweiser was originally a local brew. Nestled in the historic Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis is one of the largest and oldest breweries in the nation. Today the facility produces millions of cases of beer a year. The free Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour includes stops at the Brew House, Budweiser Clydesdales’ stables, the lager cellar, packaging plant and Biergarten, where tour participants receive a free sample of the AnheuserBusch brand of their choice. Craft beer enthusiasts will also enjoy sipping and sampling their way through St. Louis’ new slew of local microbrews and specialty beers. There are several casinos in St. Louis, including Lumiere Place Casino downtown and the River City Casino, located approximately 10 miles south of downtown along the Mississippi River. Both offer a variety of gaming options as well as accommodations, restaurants and shows. The Spa and Salon at the Four Seasons Hotel has been voted the best spa in St. Louis by Alive magazine. An indulgent array of treatments, relaxation lounges, steam rooms and whirlpools make it easy to see why this spa took top prize.
Barbecue When in St. Louis, travelers are never far from blues, brews and barbecue. Here are a few of the pits that put the city on the barbecue map. Order at the counter and prepare for a feast. Sugar Fire Smoke House – A delicious option for St. Louis barbecue. Choose one of several homemade sauces (St. Louie Sweet BBQ, Texas Hot BBQ, White Horseradish, Sugarfire 47, Coffee BBQ or Cider Vinaigrette) to give the meat a little something extra. 9200 Olive Blvd. #114, St. Louis, MO 63132 Bogart’s Smokehouse – Located in the Soulard neighborhood, Bogart’s was born from the desire to raise barbecue to a higher level. From the succulent pulled pork, smoky beef brisket and apricot bruleed ribs to the moist turkey and melt-in-your-mouth pastrami, the freshest, most flavorful dining experience around. 1627 S. 9th St., St Louis, MO 63104 Pappy’s Smokehouse – Serving Memphis-style barbecue, Pappy’s slow smokes their meats up to 14 hours over sweet apple or cherry wood. Diners may pick from four signature sauces: Pappy’s Original, Jane’s Sweet Sauce, Holly’s Hot Sauce and HooDoo Sauce. 3106 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63103 The Olde Pink House July 2017 • athomemms.com | 47
getaway
Forsyth Fountain 48 | At Home Memphis & Mid South • July 2017
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travel
JAPAN Experience the culture and traditions of one of the world’s oldest societies
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travel
Text by Debbie Jarvis, Regency Travel, Inc. Photos courtesy of Regency Travel, Inc.
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travel
Storytellers will say that Japan is like a woman in love; she is strong and her life is woven together with love of country, family and a traditional culture that has survived for tens of thousands of years and has emerged as a thriving land of endless contrasts that make it unique and timeless.
Japan has managed to combine history, culture and ancient traditions with modern technology and a Western, contemporary way of life to become one of the world’s largest economic powerhouses. A study in contradictions, there is simply no way to describe Japan in a few words. It is a blend of tradition and a thriving democracy that has shaped one of the world’s greatest countries. Japan is simply an anomaly. No two people ever have the same vision of this country because it can be interpreted and viewed in many ways. When people envision Japan they think of ninjas, Nissan and Toyota, Buddhist shrines, Geisha, gardens, cherry blossoms, the traditional tea ceremony, distinctive architecture, Mikimoto pearls, beautiful calligraphy or the technological wonders of Sony. The Japanese people have led the tech revolution and built their country into one of the most technologically advanced societies in the world. Japan’s official name is Nippon. The country is a constitutional monarchy which consists of two legislative houses, the House of Councillors and the House of Representatives, and is very similar to our U.S. government. The capital of Japan is Tokyo, and the country is ruled by Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. The currency is the yen. The population in 2016 was well over 126 million people. Heavy emphasis is placed on education, making Japan one of the world’s most literate countries. English is a required subject starting in the second grade, and even though most Japanese people do not speak or understand spoken English, they can read English. The Western world is fast encroaching on Japan’s way of life, but the society still strives to preserve the customs and proud traditions that have made them who they are. Generational legacies of loyalty and beliefs continue to pass down from family to family. The history of Japan dates to 10,000 BC. Historians believe the Japanese culture is the result of emigration from Siberia to the north, China and Korea to the west, and possibly Polynesians from the south. Thirteen different historical periods combined to make Japan the culturally rich country that it is today. 52 | At Home Memphis & Mid South • July 2017
Each new historical period brought significant changes to Japan, some good and some bad. As with any growing country, politics forced its way into the governing body of power and growth. The mid-sixth century brought Chinese influences and Buddhism and put in place a centralized state which was headed by a single ruler under the Yamato court. The Nara period from 710-794 introduced the promotion of Buddhism and the construction of the Golden Buddha statue which can still be seen today in Nara. Toward the end of the eighth century, the Buddhist clergy had become too politically active so the emperor moved the capital to Heian (now known as Kyoto) to break the ties between Buddhism and government. Japanese monks returned from China and introduced two new sects, Tendai and Shingon, which formed the new Japanese Buddhism. During this same period in the outer provinces a new power was being formed, the Samurai (warrior class), and it moved in to muscle the emperor’s court. The Kamakura period ushered in domination through military rule and the rank of a shogun (military leader), which lead to the feudal system. During this time, Japanese monks who were returning from China introduced a new sect, Zen, which appealed to the Samurai class and the shogun who wielded much power from the late eighth century to the 12th century. The seven centuries thereafter remained a period of domination by military rulers and warring that culminated in almost total isolation from the outside world from the early 17th to the mid-19th century. The reopening of the country and its contact with the Western world brought about changes. Japan fought to become an industrialized nation by acquiring large overseas empires in Korea and China. In the latter part of 1941, national policies caused a new confrontation with the U.S. and its allies which resulted in defeat for Japan during World War II. After the war, the country experienced a thriving economic revival which led to the greatest economic growth of any nation during this period. Japan became the world’s foremost leader in manufacturing and trading goods as well as a prominent stakeholder in the new global order. July 2017 • athomemms.com | 53
travel
JAPAN’S CITIES
The two largest cities are Tokyo and Kyoto. The surrounding countryside outside these cities offers a glimpse into tradition and the proud life of the Japanese people. Tokyo is truly one of the great cities in the world; however, Kyoto is also a must-see destination rich in Japan’s unique culture and traditions.
TOKYO
Tokyo is a modern, cosmopolitan hub where old and new worlds collide. Culture and energy seem to explode in this thriving city. Skyscrapers and office buildings soar across the sky. Some of the world’s largest and most lavish department stores grace this fashion mecca. Restaurants are endless. Entertainment abounds. Crowded expressways and train lines run throughout the city late into the night. The fringes of Tokyo offer relics of wooden houses, kimono shops and Japanese inns. Old women in kimonos still sweep the pavement with straw brooms. The melding of new with old is what makes this city so alive and interesting. Highlights of a visit to Tokyo should include the Meiji-jingu Shrine, one of Japan’s finest, shopping in the Ginza, a performance at the world famous Kabuki-za theater, (the actors are all men who wear makeup and dress as women), a visit to the Asakusa Senso-ji Temple (the liveliest place of Buddhist worship in all of Japan), a moment of quiet reflection in the beautiful East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, a look at the collection of ceramics, lacquerware and Japanese dolls at the Craft Museum, and a trip to the Tsukiji Fish Market, the largest in the world. The inner market is a very lively place where wholesale business and the famous tuna auctions are held. During a walking tour of the market visitors learn how to prepare their own sushi! (Tourists are advised to wear old shoes due to the muck and water on the market floor.) The market is closed on Sundays and public holidays. Numerous sushi shops in the area make the perfect place for breakfast after a visit to the fish market. The Tokyo National Museum, Japan’s largest, houses over 87,000 items including the world’s largest collection of Japanese art. Only part of the museum’s vast collection is on display at any one time. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed on Mondays, as are most museums in Tokyo. The Ueno Park area has some of Japan’s best museums and galleries and the park is also famous as the city’s most popular site for hanami (cherry blossom viewing) in early to midApril each year. Tokyo Disneyland, Sesame Place and other attractions cater to children. Plan to spend plenty of time in Tokyo as there are more museums in Tokyo than in New York City; a carefully planned itinerary will allow time to see and do as much as possible. WHERE TO ST AY
Tokyo is very expensive and hotels tend to be costly depending on location in the city. Most hotel rates in central Tokyo range from mid to high, although business hotels offer better rates in most cases. 54 | At Home Memphis & Mid South • July 2017
Reservations are mandatory as finding accommodations at the last minute can be a nightmare that could result in having to stay in the wrong part of Tokyo. Top accommodations include the Akasaka Prince, the New Otani, the Hotel Okura, the Keio Plaza and Le Pacific Meridien Tokyo. The Imperial in central Tokyo is probably the best-known hotel in the city. There are less expensive hotels but prices are based on location, location and location! Tourists who prefer the local Japanese types of lodgings enjoy the Ryokans but booking in advance is crucial as there is always a waiting list for this type of accommodation. This is the traditional Japanese accommodation, minus Western-style amenities found at larger hotels—beds are not always an option. Japanese public bath houses offer an experience like no other. The baths are often taken at night before dinner and are gender based for each sex. A bath followed by a soak in the soothing hot waters is a great form of relaxation after a long day of sightseeing and shopping. July 2017 • athomemms.com | 55
travel
HOW TO GET AROUND
Japan’s major cities offer a wide variety of public transportation. Day passes called “one-day open tickets” or furii kippu provide unlimited travel on bus, tram or subway systems. Tokyo’s mass transit rail system includes a loop line around the city center and radial lines into the central stations and the subway system. It is usually the fastest and most convenient way of getting around the city. Subway and local train tickets are sold from machines. Stations are easy to navigate and English information and maps are posted in all the major stations. The famous bullet train rail network boasts the fastest trains in Japan. Taxis are convenient but can be expensive—never whistle for a taxi, a wave of the hand should bring one to a halt. Don’t open the door when the car stops, the driver does that from inside the taxi. Drivers are very polite as are most Japanese people and they don’t always speak English, so the best thing is to have a business card or the name and address of your destination written in Japanese. Tipping is not necessary unless you have lots of baggage. Taxis add a surcharge of 20 percent after 11 p.m. Travelers who prefer to drive themselves should know that driving is on the left side of the road and an International Driver’s License is required. CUISINE
Restaurants abound in Japan’s major cities with international choices including French, Indian, American, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Thai, Korean and Indonesian cuisine. (Note: Eating in the Ginza area of Tokyo is more expensive at night than during the day.) For a good hamburger, the Hard Rock Café is still very popular. An Izakaya is the Japanese equivalent of a pub. It’s a good place to find a casual meal. Patrons can choose to dine at the counter, at a table or on a tatami-mat floor at these traditional eateries usually identified by the red lanterns outside their doors. They offer the usual Japanese cuisine as well as Western foods such as beef stew and French fries. Alcohol is plentiful here and beer sales have overtaken sake, though the traditional rice wine is still very prominent. Be forewarned, drink sake in moderation as it is quite potent, especially when served warm!
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KYOTO
Kyoto has a population of over 1.4 million people and was formerly the imperial capital of Japan. The thriving city is firmly planted in the future but it has a rich past, as evidenced by its 2,000 temples and shrines, multiple palaces, serene gardens and museums. Kyoto attracts over 40 million visitors a year during holidays and festivals. The city is most beautiful in the spring and fall. This important cultural and educational center has seen rapid industrial growth in recent years. Getting around Kyoto is easy; its transportation routing is based on the classical Chinese concept of a grid system. Numbered streets run east to west and avenues run north to south. Excellent bus services cross the city and the quickest way to get from north to south is to take the subway. The MK Taxi is a convenient way to travel the city. Fares are reasonable and the drivers are polite and can often speak some English. Kyoto is also a great city to explore on a bicycle. RECOMMENDED HOTELS
Kyoto is home to a wide variety of hotels. Some favorites are the Kyoto Hotel Okura, Hyatt Regency Kyoto, Ritz-Carlton Kyoto, Arashiyama Benkei and the Westin Miyako Kyoto. Central locations and excellent staff make a stay at any of these lodgings a joy. Accommodations in Kyoto are less expensive than in Tokyo.
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travel
TOURS AND SIGHTSEEING
A Unesco World Heritage site, Nijo-Jo Castle was built in 1603 as the residence of Tokugawa shoguns. The wide moat, massive stone walls and elaborate gates are still impressive and the palace has several masterpieces of Japanese art (painted screens in the main chamber), painted by the artists of the Kano school. The grounds are quite beautiful and have lovely gardens with groves of plum and cherry trees. The palace’s famous Nightingale Floors were designed to squeak when stepped on and were meant to alert guards of intruders. Kinkaku-ji, the famous Golden Temple, is one of Japan’s bestknown sights. The structure was built in 1397 as a retirement villa for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu; his son later converted it into a temple. In 1950, a young monk was so consumed with the temple that he set fire to it and burned it to the ground. Five years later a full reconstruction was completed which followed the original design but also added the gold-foil covering to the lower floors. Kyoto is known for beautiful landscape paintings, arts and crafts, classical no` Kabuki drama, flower arranging (ikebana) and the traditional tea ceremony. In the Goin District visitors can uncover the secrets of Japan’s elegant Geisha during an evening dining experience in a private Kyoto restaurant. Expert guides translate guests’ questions for a Maiko, or apprentice Geisha, about her profession and the life of a Geisha. The experience can be expensive but it is worth the cost. With their porcelain painted faces, scarlet red lips and exquisite kimonos, Geisha girls are an iconic symbol of Japan’s devotion to tradition, elegance and etiquette. The artistic movement of the hands, fan and dance weave the unspoken story. In Tokyo these young women are called Geisha and in Kyoto they are known as Geiko and the apprentices are called Maiko. It takes a minimum of five years in training to become a Geisha; they are skilled entertainers in the ancient Japanese arts of the tea ceremony, music, singing, dance, games and conversation. Geisha kimonos are often handmade from silk and cost around $50,000. Many Geisha prefer to wear each kimono only once. Geisha must read newspapers daily to keep up to date with current affairs so they can make engaging conversation with influential clients—modern technology is strictly forbidden. Geisha entertain some of Japan’s richest and most powerful people, therefore they must adhere to a strict code of conduct and are sworn to secrecy to instill confidence in their clients.
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WH AT ABOUT SPORTS?
Sumo wrestling and baseball are two of the most popular sports in Japan, with baseball being the top choice for both spectators and participants. Japan is also renowned for its martial arts such as aikido, kendo, karate and judo. Golf is a game for the wealthy. Skiing caught on in Japan and the country has over 300 ski resorts. Cycling and hiking are also popular. The Japanese are keen hikers and many of the national parks have well-planned routes of various difficulties. Mt. Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain at 12,388 feet, is great for climbing. The composite cone or stratovolcano was formed by violent eruptions and has layers of rock, ash and lava. The best time to climb Mt. Fuji is July and August; only experienced mountaineers may attempt the climb during the winter months. Sunrise from the top of Mt. Fuji is spectacular and may require overnighting at a group hostel along the climbing path. The views are usually best in winter and early spring when a snow cap makes Mt. Fuji a spectacular destination.
For information on a vacation in Japan call the travel advisers at Regency Travel, Inc., at 901.682.9065 or visit www.regencytravel.net.
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experience this
Oh, Baby! The Memphis Zoo’s Baby Boom
Text by Claire Peeler | Photos courtesy of Anna Haley
Twice named the country’s best, the Memphis Zoo is always a fascinating place to visit, but this summer it’s a particularly exciting destination. Thanks to six offspring born this past year, the Memphis Zoo is experiencing a baby boom! Bogey and his Momma
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Rowan with his Momma
Winnie and her Momma
experience this One of the more popular (and adorable) of the newborns at the Memphis Zoo is Baby Winnie, a Nile hippopotamus. This big bundle of joy received her name after almost 23,000 people voted during a contest held by the zoo to pick her moniker. Winnie and her mom Binti are on exhibit most days, but they rotate their display time with two other adult hippos. To see if Winnie is on exhibit the day of your visit, check memphiszoo.org/ hippo. The Memphis Zoo is also proud to announce the birth of Baby Donovan, the third yellow-backed duiker to be born at the park. Donovan and Winnie make their homes in the zoo’s newest exhibit, Zambezi River Hippo Camp. Another favorite among the zoo’s many baby animals is Rowan, a Sumatran orangutan born in March of 2016. Baby and mom are currently rotating on and off their exhibit, but mornings are the best chance for visitors to see them.
Only recently joining the rest of his herd on exhibit is baby boy Bogey, the newborn giraffe. As the nation waited ever so patiently via viral Facebook posts for April the giraffe’s blessed event in New York, Memphis had one of our own! Bogey was born, quite suddenly, as mother Akili was on exhibit. For a chance to meet Akili and the rest of the full-grown giraffes, visitors can feed the herd from 11 a.m. to noon and 2 to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday for a small additional fee of $5. Baby Lua, a Linné’s two-toed sloth arrived on March 17. Since she is the first successful two-toed sloth birth for the zoo, Lua is currently being handraised behind the scenes. She’s not yet on exhibit, but the public can learn more about her by visiting memphiszoo.org/sloth. July 2017 • athomemms.com | 63
experience this The most recent additions to the Memphis Zoo are two baby warthogs, Abraham and Sarah, announced to the public June 5. Mother Daphne gave birth at the end of April. The two rambunctious piglets and their mother can be seen at the Round Barn. The zoo recently welcomed another new addition through the arrival of three white-bellied tree pangolins, an endangered species. Though this night creature is not a newborn, it is an important part of the zoo’s conservation efforts. The park is partnering with five other U.S. zoos and Pangolin Conservation, a Florida-based nonprofit organization, to initiate a conservation plan and assure the future of pangolins around the world.
Budgie Room
While visiting with the adorable baby animals this summer, be sure to also enjoy the zoo’s seasonal attractions. In addition to the giraffe feeding deck, visitors can ride camels, feed stingrays at Stingray Bay, and feed colorful birds in the Budgie Room (open Memorial Day through Labor Day) for a small additional fee.
Abraham the baby warthog
Sarah with her Momma
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Stingray Bay
After exploring the exhibits, stop by the Cat House Café, the Memphis Zoo’s unique restaurant. The Café features three stations that offer a variety of food choices. Each menu includes kids’ meals, as well as healthy options like fresh fruits and vegetables, and vegetarian entrees.
experience this
For delicious grab-and-go items stop by The Outpost. Menu favorites include hot dogs, nachos, Icees and ice cream, all of which can be easily carried from one exhibit to the next. The Outpost is open year round and located by the rhino and zebra exhibits in the African Veldt. Other seasonal food options include carts and kiosks throughout the park. It’s easy to make a weekend out of a visit to the Memphis Zoo by taking advantage of the park’s many local hotel packages. The zoo has partnered with The Peabody Hotel, Fairfield Inn & Suites and Quality Suites Thousand Oaks to offer a family fun day and night in Memphis. For more information about the local hotel packages, visit www.memphiszoo.org/ localhotelspackages. Perhaps the best deal in the city is a Family Membership to the Memphis Zoo. The $99 annual membership includes free admission for two adults from the same household and all their children under the age of 21 for a full year. Individual and dual memberships, grandparent memberships and guest add-on packages are also available. Along with free zoo admission, other membership benefits include free parking, gift shop discounts and reduced admission to select special events such as Zoo Boo and Zoo Lights. The Memphis Zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. with ticket prices ranging from $10-$15. The park offers free admissions to Tennessee residents on Tuesdays from 2 p.m. until closing with a valid state ID. July 2017 • athomemms.com | 65
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social
TUPELO ELVIS FEST IVAL 2017
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social The Tupelo Elvis Festival is a celebration designed to honor Elvis Presley, Tupelo’s native son, and the impact that his music has on the world. The 20th annual Tupelo Elvis Festival was held on June 1-4. Each year's festival features local, regional, and national artists along with a Sunday Gospel Concert and a Tribute Artist Contest that serves as a preliminary round of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest. Fans come from near and far to see who will be chosen to represent Tupelo in Memphis during August. In addition to all of the great music, the festival features a number of local food vendors, a pet parade, a 5k run, a movie poster exhibit, living history on Main Street, and much more. Photos courtesy of Tupelo Main Street
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social
CHAMPAGNE & COFFEE CHAT Cruise enthusiasts enjoyed a Champagne and Coffee Chat with Jan McMullen at Regency Travel on Tuesday morning, May 23. Crystal Cruises provides the finest all-inclusive luxury travel experiences by ocean, yacht, river and air. The choice is CRYSTAL CLEAR! Photos and text courtesy of Regency Travel
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social
The River Oaks Garden Club's
May Luncheon The River Oaks Garden Club May Luncheon was held at the Memphis Country Club. The tables were beautifully decorated with centerpieces of azaleas, begonias, greenery and ferns. The theme of the luncheon was "Birds and Butterflies." Co-chairs of the event were Karen Emmett, Candy McIntyre and Denise Williams. Five new members also helped chair this luncheon: Leslie Dunavant, Glenna Flautt, Nicole Harris, Joan Heflin and Kara Preston. The River Oaks Garden Club honored their Carnival Princess, Elizabeth Owen, new incoming officers, and their 2017-2018 president, Judy Van Steenberg. Upon leaving, each guest received an Agnes Stark pottery bird. Text and photos courtesy of the River Oaks Garden Club
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social
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social
2017 St. Jude Dream Home
Grand Opening
The 2017 St. Jude Dream Home was opened to the public on May 20. Valued at $465,000, the house is truly a dream! The winner of the Rossville, TN home was announced on June 25. For more information about this year’s St. Jude Dream Home please visit www.stjude.org/give/dream-home/memphis.html Photos courtesy of Sara Ann Green Photography
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wedding
Anna Adair Colby Newton April 29, 2017 Holly Springs, Mississippi Parents of the Bride: Anna Margaret & William Adair Parents of the Groom: Wendy Douglas & Reed Newton 76 | At Home Memphis & Mid South • July 2017
wedding
WEDDING SOURCES
Ceremony & Reception: Montrose Arboretum
Rehearsal Dinner: Kirkwood National Golf Club Photographer: Melanie McCranie Mansfield Videographer: John Elliott Studio Florist: Mother of the Bride (Anna Margaret Adair) & Friends Caterer: Diane Greer & Maia Miller Holly Springs, MS Wedding Cake: Cathy Elrod Memphis, TN Groom's Cake: Kerry Barnett Tuscaloosa, AL Band: Doctor Zarr's Amazing Funk Monster Dress: Madison James from Lowe's Bridal Invitations: Vistaprint Engagement & Wedding Rings: Robert Irwin Jewelers Tent & Rentals: Regel and Company LLC Wedding Director: Lisa Smith Childers of Regel and Company LLC
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arts
Beth Hunt’s Flourishing Career
Text by Claire Peeler | Photos courtesy of Beth Hunt
W
hile the keyboard has become today’s tool of choice for communication, Beth Hunt prefers an older and more artistic means of making her point. She came to appreciate the beauty of calligraphy while living abroad and quickly discovered her own knack for embellished penmanship. The hobby eventually became a business that allows Hunt to channel her creativity and teach others the exceptional skill of calligraphy. Hunt was born and raised in Montgomery, AL, and attended the University of Mississippi, where she earned a business degree with a minor in French. With no career path in mind after graduation she followed advice from one of her professors who encouraged her to move to France and pursue truly mastering the language. Hunt recalls, “I moved right outside of Paris after college, and I taught junior high students English. I honestly had no idea what I was doing.” While in Paris Hunt came to appreciate the beautiful penmanship and paper favored by the French. When she returned to the United States, she began lettering wedding invitations for friends, but it wasn’t until 2009 that she decided to make a business out of calligraphy. She now offers beautiful calligraphy through invitations, envelopes, monograms and signage. The business has truly taken off in the past four years. Hunt credits the prevalence of visual and social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram for the surge in interest in the art form. 82 | At Home Memphis & Mid South • July 2017
Beth Hunt
arts Hunt has expanded her business to include online and in-person workshops. She says it is both an honor and a responsibility to teach calligraphy. “I am so fortunate to be able to share it with people. That’s the only way to keep an art form alive, especially something that, if you think about it, is somewhat antiquated. Now we have computers and smartphones, and typing has more emphasis than handwriting,” she explains. In fact, Hunt says the workshops are her favorite part of her job. She loves to see the surprise in her students’ faces when they realize that they are capable of calligraphy and the confidence they gain when they discover they can do something they never thought they could accomplish. “They think, ‘That looks so hard, so I couldn’t do that.’ Then they leave a workshop an hour and a half later and they can do it,” says Hunt. “I’ve never had anyone leave who couldn’t do it. You might not be a master at it, but you have the wherewithal to go home and enjoy it.” Hunt will host a calligraphy workshop in Memphis in the fall. For more information on classes, visit www.bethhuntcalligraphy. com/attend-a-workshop. In addition to calligraphy Hunt offers illustrations of churches and wedding venues that her clients can include on their wedding stationery. She has recently added to her collection a modern take on a classic silhouette, hand drawn and available in a variety of colors and gold foil. Visit Hunt’s website at www.bethhuntcalligraphy.com/shop for more information.
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entertaining
Patriotic Picnic
A simple yet fun barbeque to celebrate Independence Day! Text by Ginni Jones | Photos by Anna Haley
With the help of event planner Angela Mazanti, At Home Memphis & Mid South designed the perfect patriotic picnic to celebrate the Forth of July. Â
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entertaining
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entertaining
What was the inspiration behind the event? The inspiration behind the event was celebrating the Fourth of July.
The Decor:
The decor for this July Fourth picnic was extremely low key, no fuss and casual. Mazanti used lots of red, white and blue elements: from seersucker napkins, stars-andstripes napkin rings and burlap flag placemats, to the soda-bottle bud vases with red and white flowers.
The Flowers:
Mazanti kept the flowers simple so that the main focus of the party could be food, fun and family. She used Coke and Fanta soda bottles because of the red, white and blue color schemes on the logos and filled them with red gerbera daisies, red alstroemeria and white tulips from the grocery store. “They added the perfect pop of color, texture and height to the table without being ‘overdone,’” says the designer.
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The Menu:
The menu was traditional American
picnic food. The menu included cheeseburger sliders (catered by Owen Brennan’s), pigs in a blanket, baked beans, corn on the cob, watermelon, frosted sugar cookies and, of course, bomb pops!
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entertaining Tips on hosting:
Consider taking the party to a great picnic location like Shelby Farms. “The renovations that have taken place have really created a little gem for our city to enjoy. I don’t think most people realize how world-class our beautiful park is and how much there is to do there now—picnic pavilions, boating rentals, lakeside grassy areas, zip lines, top-of-the-line children’s playgrounds, horseback riding, etc. It is truly a treasure for our city and the perfect backdrop for your family’s next picnic!” says Mazanti.
Creating your own:
To create your own Independence Day barbecue, start by packing a few fun and easy decorations. Either prepare your hot dogs and hamburgers at home and bring them or take advantage of one of the many grills available at Shelby Farms and barbecue them on site. Add your favorite sides and just enjoy your time with family and friends. Don’t overthink this party; keep it simple. Let the kids bring their bikes, skateboards or roller skates; don’t forget a blanket and lawn chairs and some great tunes. You will swear you went on vacation!
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dining out
West-Coast Flavor from South of the Border
Salsa Cocina Mexicana
Summer has officially arrived in the South, but there’s no need to book a flight to satisfy your craving for a taste of SoCal
cuisine—just drop by Salsa and owner Cesar Parra will take care of the rest.
This Mexican restaurant, an East Memphis hot spot for 26 years, is an under-the-radar favorite that locals have long praised for its Southern California spin on traditional Mexican recipes. Parra, a native of San Diego, was eager to share his version of the popular cuisine when he established the restaurant back in 1991. “Mexican food in California is different than most of the more well-known styles in Arizona, New Mexico or Texas. California-style Mexican food uses a different variety of peppers, and the food isn’t as heavy. And with the whole Pacific Ocean at their disposal, there’s much more seafood involved,” says Parra. The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive in the local community, where the bright, fresh flavors have left a memorable impression on repeat customers and new diners alike. Menu items like Cesar’s personal favorites, the red snapper with salsa verde and the mahi-mahi with tropical chipotle sauce, along with standards like marinated fajitas and spinach queso dip, prove to be the magic combination for a menu that’s decidedly different, and even more delicious than run-of-themill Mexican fare. “I don’t think that there’s any other Mexican restaurant in the city that has the variety of fish and Californian flavors that we do,” Parra shares. But it’s not just the food that has kept customers coming back for over a quarter century, Salsa’s perfect blend of service and atmosphere factors in the equation, as well. Centrally located in the Regalia Shopping Center at the corner of Poplar and Ridgeway, Salsa’s spacious layout, tasteful décor and ambient lighting make it an enjoyable location for everything from weekday lunches to catching up with friends. Guests may reserve the balcony dining area, a perfect place for larger groups and private functions like rehearsal dinners, cocktail parties and birthday celebrations, to provide a unique retreat that creates a special dining experience. The restaurant’s loyal group of regulars will tell you that even beyond Salsa’s food and flair, it’s the friendly dedication of the owner that has them charmed. Parra, who’s been known to walk the restaurant floor almost daily, has become a welcome and expected sight for diners, a steady hand to guide the helm of the ever-popular eatery. On any given day, it’s not unusual to find him stopping at various tables to share a quick laugh with customers before carrying on to ensure Salsa’s day-to-day operations run smoothly. After a 54-year career in the restaurant business, it’s a natural extension of who he is.
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Following 12 years of elite training in the world of French and Italian fine dining, Parra initially put his restaurant knowledge to work back in 1980. He arrived in Memphis and opened Gonzales’ & Gertrude’s in Overton Square on behalf of a new company he was working for. When he parted ways with the company, Parra used his inspiration from the experience, and Salsa Cocina Mexicana became a reality in 1991. Since then, Parra has worked hard with his team to create an ideal dining experience for his customers. “Unlike any other industry, the restaurant business utilizes every sense we have. Taste, sight, touch, smell and hearing—and, of course, how you’re treated. All of those things affect your dining experience, and our goal is to get that balance right. We want you to enjoy yourself when you come in more than anything,” he says. It’s a mentality that’s proven successful for Salsa, and one that customers appreciate; they find Parra’s place as comfortable for a girls’ night out as it is for a family dinner, The owner’s most satisfying moments come from successfully fulfilling the desires of his customers. “For me, more than anything, it’s about satisfying people’s wants and needs. People will always have a favorite place to go, and that’s important, no matter what it is. My goal every night is to ensure that everyone who comes here enjoys what they have, the service, the atmosphere, and has a good time. That’s what we always aim for.”
Open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., Salsa Cocina Mexicana is located at 6150 Poplar Ave. For more information, visit www.salsaatregalia.com or phone 901.683.6325. Text by E. Brooke Watson Photography by Anna Haley July 2017 • athomemms.com | 91
happy hour
Larry’s #2
Recipe by Brad Pitts | Photography by Anna Haley
Recipe • • • • •
1 1/2 oz. Absolute Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka 1/2 oz. St. Germain Liqueur Juice of 1 ruby red grapefruit, freshly squeezed and strained Splash of Prosecco Garnish with the peel of a grapefruit
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happy hour
Introducing... Brad Pitts
Photo by Yasmine Omari
Brad Pitts is a mixologist and beverage maven in Memphis. Over the last 20 years, he has been crafting cocktails for some of the city’s finest dining establishments and for private and charity events in and around the Memphis area. His knowledge extends beyond the back of the bar in that he has experience in the distributing, marketing and branding aspects of the wine and spirits industry. Currently he is the mixologist and the beverage manager at the Germantown Performing Arts Center. Pitts’ philosophy for making perfectly crafted drinks is based on simple principles: keep the components of concoction to a minimum, use the freshest available ingredients, and presentation. A native Mississippian and amateur historian and photographer, Pitts crafts his cocktails with an added shot of history they are an experience combining classic interpretations with local and regional folklore. July 2017 • athomemms.com | 93
in the kitchen
Grilled Corn & Green Bean Salad By Jennifer Chandler | Excerpted from Simply Grilling by Jennifer Chandler Photo by Justin Fox Burks | Food Styling by Jennifer Chandler
This easy summer side dish is a great addition to any backyard barbecue. I like to make the colorful and chilled side dish ahead so I am free to enjoy time with my guests. 94 | At Home Memphis & Mid South • July 2017
Ingredients • Vegetable oil, for the grates • 4 large ears corn, shucked • 2 Tbsp. butter, softened • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper • 1 pound green beans, trimmed, boiled until crisp-tender and cooled • 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved • ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion (1/2 small onion) • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard • 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil • ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese Directions Preheat a clean grill to medium-high with the lid closed for 8 to 10 minutes. Lightly brush the grates with oil. Brush the corn with the butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the corn on the grill. Close the lid and cook the corn, turning occasionally, until just tender and slightly charred on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes total. Transfer the corn to a cutting board to cool. When the corn is cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to carefully slice the kernels off the cob; discard the cob. Place the kernels in a large bowl. Add the beans, tomatoes and onion. In a small bowl whisk together the mustard, vinegar and oil until well combined. Add the dressing to the vegetables and toss to coat. Add the goat cheese and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4 to 6. July 2017 • athomemms.com | 95
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Sources 16 | HEALTHY YOU References:
Healing Smoothies, Chace, Daniella (201507-07). Healing Smoothies: 100 Research-Based, Delicious Recipes That Provide Nutrition Support for Cancer Prevention and Recovery (Kindle Locations 1999-2005). Skyhorse Publishing.
26 | AT HOME WITH Special thanks - Elizabeth Heiskell www.debutantefarmer.com 28 | HOME FEATURE Special thanks - Kelley & Chad Spencer Jeff Bramlett, Custom Residential Design jeffbramlettcrd.net, 901.619.1613 Jarod Wilder and Sammy Stover, Builders The Longtown Company LLC Fran Keenan, Interior Designer Birmingham, Alabama frankeenandesign@gmail.com frankeenan.com 62 | EXPERIENCE THIS Special thanks - The Memphis Zoo www.memphiszoo.org 84 | ENTERTAINING Special thanks - Angela Mazanti Owen Brennan's Memphis Humane Society Shelby Farms Park 90 | DINING OUT Special thanks - Salsa Cocina www.salsaatregalia.com 901.683.6325 92 | HAPPY HOUR Special thanks - Brad Pitts 98 | ON A GOOD NOTE Special thanks - Project Green Fork
July 2017 • athomemms.com | 97
on a good note
Dining for Change | Project Green Fork For local restaurants, green may be the new Memphis blue. Text by E. Brooke Watson Photos courtesy of Project Green Fork
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roject Green Fork, a sustainability initiative and the brainchild of founder and executive director Margot McNeely, is a local environmental conservation organization that is revolutionizing the way Memphis does dining. When McNeely, a passionate Memphian and longtime supporter of local restaurants, discovered that about 1.5 pounds of waste were produced for every meal served while dining out, she was immediately struck by the need for radical change in the local dining scene. In 2008, after identifying six key areas in which restaurants could become more environmentally supportive, Project Green Fork was born—but it wasn’t without its own set of challenges. Program manager Audra Farmer remembers that to make Project Green Fork a reality, McNeely first had to address a major obstacle. “Here in Memphis, we don’t actually have a commercial recycling program, we just have a residential recycling program, so that posed a problem almost right away. [McNeely] was able to combat that with another local company called Get Green Recycleworks, that now picks up all of the recycling for all of our certified restaurants.” However, the recycling component is just the first step of six that local eateries must accomplish to become Project Green Fork certified, a status that’s become covetable in the Memphis restaurant community. In addition to recycling all waste items that are marked as such and ensuring all disposable products are either recyclable, compostable, biodegradable or made from recycled products, restaurants must also develop a composting process, commit to using natural cleaning agents, properly maintain grease traps, and ensure a litterfree kitchen, front of house and outside areas, as well as 98 | At Home Memphis & Mid South • July 2017
completing a Project Green Fork energy audit. It’s a rigorous set of requirements, but one that promises a dramatic impact on the sustainability of local restaurants. After an initial test run at Tsunami, a Cooper-Young favorite specializing in Pacific Rim cuisine, Project Green Fork was deemed a success. It wasn’t long until the initiative began to pick up speed. To date, Project Green Fork’s roster of certified restaurants boasts an impressive number of 55 local eateries, and it’s growing all the time. Notable favorites on the list include Muddy’s Bake Shop, Central BBQ and Acre. Thanks to the combined efforts of every restaurant on the list Project Green Fork has achieved inspiring statistics. Since its beginning in 2008, 4,143,324 gallons of glass and plastic have been diverted from landfills and recycled, while 2,936,744 gallons of cardboard have been recycled, and 404,708 gallons of preconsumed food have gone to compost. It’s a community effort in every sense, and Memphians recently had an exciting opportunity to contribute to the cause at Loving Local, an annual fundraiser that supports the Project Green Fork initiative. Hosted at the Old Dominick Distillery downtown, the event featured live entertainment, a silent auction, a bottle pull and food donated by Project Green Fork certified restaurants. Though the fundraiser is important, Farmer says the best way Memphians can support Project Green Fork’s efforts is by patronizing certified restaurants. “Really, just dining at a PGF restaurant is contributing in a huge way. Ultimately, our mission is to support these restaurants and be their biggest cheerleader for what they’re doing, because what they’re doing is pretty fantastic.”
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