Note: This is a continuation of our list of 40 Memphis Quintessentials, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Memphis magazine. The whole list can be found here.
Dreamstime
Elvii
Elvis Impersonators on Elvis Week
Elvis Week, the most sacred of Mid-Southern holidays, takes place every year in August, and memorializes the late King of Rock-and-Roll. There are many events (the most famous of which is the candlelight vigil at Graceland), but locals note the passage of the week with an extreme uptick in Elvis-ish personas hanging out in our local bars and diners. Height, gender, nationality: The truth is, none of these matter when it comes to playing the King. It’s all in the hips. — Eileen Townsend
Pete & Sam’s
This 60-year-old Memphis eatery is a classic. Founded by Italian-American cousins Sam Bomarito and Pete Romeo in 1948, the menu is simple and hearty. The restaurant’s distinctive wooden paneling and low lighting might trick a diner into thinking nothing ever changes in Memphis, and, at least when it comes to pasta, that can be a good thing. — Eileen Townsend
Eileen Townsend
National Ornamental Metal Museum
National Ornamental Metal Museum
Home to a working forge and foundry, sculpture-filled grounds on the Mississippi bluff, contemporary galleries, historic collections, and an artist-sourced gift store, the Metal Museum is one of Memphis’ hidden gems. The Museum is unique in purpose and presentation, and has some of the best sunset watching in the area. — Eileen Townsend
Tunnels Beneath the Memphis Zoo
Part of a network of rainwater ditches that eventually empty into the Mississippi River, the concrete tunnels beneath the Memphis Zoo are home to graffiti murals, lost shoes, and — if you are brave enough to traverse them on foot — the occasional glimpse of an African animal behind the Zoo’s fences. Just don’t venture too far on a rainy day. — Eileen Townsend
