It all started in Ireland. A band of community college students from all over Tennessee signed up to study abroad for three weeks. We were all complete strangers when we left America, and by the time we had touched back down, I had made my best friend. Thankfully, she lived only a couple of hours away from Memphis. With half the summer still up for grabs, we knew we wanted to see each other’s towns at least once.
After we settled on a Saturday for her to visit, it got me thinking: What is my perfect Saturday? I could write a book about all the places to visit in Memphis, but eventually I focused on the places I keep coming back to as a local. She fell in love with Memphis so hard that a couple of years later, she became a resident. Here are all my top spots to prepare you for the next time a friend or family member stops by.
The Cooper-Young Farmers Market is the only way to start now that the weather is warming up. On the side of First Congregational Church, you’ll find rows and rows of vendors making everything from hand-painted mugs to creamsicle-filled cruffins. Often, I’ll find an ingredient I’m not familiar with and challenge myself to create something. This week was bright-green lemon balm. Farmers are always eager to help explain what something is and even offer ideas for how to prepare it. They recommended tea, and I instantly envisioned it iced with lime juice and homemade strawberry syrup. A half-carton of strawberries in the back of my fridge was relieved to finally have a purpose, combined with sugar.
A farmers market haul
Summer is a popular time to be part of the farmers market culture. Who can deny a juicy heirloom tomato? But please don’t skip out on the spring season produce either. Along with the lemon balm, I also got fresh chives with purple flowers still on the tops, a big bag of fresh spinach, pecans, carrots, and beeswax candles. The bouquets of poppies alone are enough reason to go, but seeing the community get together on a warm day can’t be beat.
If you turn the corner at the front of the church and walk straight for about three minutes down Cooper Street, you’ll find Burke’s Book Store. This charming family-owned business has a massive selection of books and a whimsical atmosphere. What makes this place truly unique is what you’ll find while flipping through the pages. Each book has been lovingly owned by another, and you’d be surprised how creative people will get with bookmarks. I’ve found notes, letters, business cards, photos, and once I even discovered a recipe for salted chocolate shortbread in a Jane Austen book that turned out to be some of the best cookies I’ve made in a while.
Somehow, I always find myself at Lulu’s Café after filling my tote bag full of goodies. Although I’m not vegan, I am a fan of homemade chili crisp, sourdough bread, and amazing coffee. Everything is made from scratch, and it’s only about five minutes from the market. Get a sweet treat and caffeinated bevvy and enjoy the creative space with your company. I recommend either a brown sugar maple cappuccino or the Aquarius latte, which is scented with lavender, orange, and sage. This unique syrup combination became so popular they started selling it by the bottle.
The Dixon Gallery is next. Free admission is reason enough to stop by, but it’s hard not to fall in love with the beautiful gardens full of spring-blooming plants and a full art gallery at the heart of the garden. They organize up to 10 exhibitions every year and even host art programs for seniors and kids.
By this point, you’ll be more than ready for lunch. Grey’s Fine Cheeses has five handcrafted sandwiches, each with a careful blend of cheese (this is the one time a grilled cheese won’t be the boring choice). Their cheesemongers always have a recommendation for you to bring home and incorporate into your own cooking. If you walk in knowing little about cheese or you want to try something new, they can pair what you like with a cheese worth trying. I got a jar of feta marinated in thyme, peppercorns, and garlic olive oil. The intense salty taste and velvety smooth texture was like nothing I’ve ever had. This could easily be crushed with a loaf of crusty bread, but I ended up roasting carrots for dinner with honey and topping them with the cheese and pecans. I also can’t promise this, but if you sit by the bar, you may find yourself eating free cheese samples while the staff crack open new wheels.
Memphis is home to some of the most creative souls I’ve seen. One of the great joys of writing for this city is getting to speak with them about their businesses and dreams for this town, and you can see the passion transforming Memphis. I hope this guide is your gateway to exploring all that it has to offer.
Gracie Driver is a Flyer editorial intern and incoming senior at University of Memphis.