White Station

Like several of the best contemporary eateries in Memphis, Porcellino’s is the creation of Hog & Hominy chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman. The team sources meats from local purveyors and focuses on whole-animal cooking, both at their butcher counter and on their menu. Delicious quiches, toasts, and sandwiches are served for lunch, and at night, you’ll find satisfying small plates and great wines to enjoy them with. Their coffee shop—which serves some of the best espresso drinks in the city—is open from 7am.

Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman’s first restaurant, Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, was the first place that put them (and, in some ways, Memphis’s food scene) on the map. But if you’ve only got one night in town, we recommend sister restaurant Hog & Hominy, which boldly blends flavors from their Italian upbringings with Memphis classics, like collards with pepper vinegar and hominy, grits al forno, and biscuit gnocchi. They don’t take reservations, so arrive early, especially if you’re coming with a large party.

Memphis is famous for barbecue, but the jury’s still out on where to find the best of the best. Our solution: Try as many of the top contenders as possible. Corky’s, which has two Memphis locations (and outposts all over Tennessee and Arkansas), brushes their dry ribs with sauce as they’re shifted from the smoker to the grill, for perfectly smoking half-and-halfs.