Bianca Phillips and Joe Yester (Photos: Michael Donahue)

Loving Local returned this spring in a new location : Grind City Brewing Company.

And, to make things even more festive, tap room manager Ashley Creecy created a special drink, โ€œPeach, Please,โ€ for the Project Green Fork event. Itโ€™s made with black tea, peach juice, lemon juice, and a Grind City seltzer base, all garnished with a lemon wheel and fresh mint sprig.

โ€œThe staff was fantastic to work with,โ€ says Leann Edwards, Clean Memphis/Project Green Fork program director. โ€œAnd the location is a great backdrop, with a lot of places for people to roam.โ€

Guests also dined in the tap room where they could โ€œget a respite from the heat.โ€

About 300 people attended the event, which featured fare from Biscuits & Jams, Good Fortune Co., Kitchen Laurel, Luluโ€™s Cafe & Bakery, and Shroomlicious Meals.

โ€œOur chefs really love to be part of this event,โ€ says Edwards. As a press release states, โ€œThis community event celebrates the creativity of Project Green Fork certified chefs, breweries, and bartenders who create custom, small-plate appetizers, desserts, and cocktails for the evening.โ€

Michael Donahue began his career in 1975 at the now-defunct Memphis Press-Scimitar and moved to The Commercial Appeal in 1984, where he wrote about food and dining, music, and covered social events until...