Wine & Dine: Memphis food and drink events to mark on your calendar for March
From a week-long dining event featuring Black-owned Memphis restaurants to wine dinners to a popular burger pop-up, here are some Memphis-area food and drink events to attend in March.
Ruth’s Chris Steak House TasteMaker Dinner
Ruth’s Chris Steak House is kicking off its 2023 TasteMaker Dinner Series with a Belle Glos Wine Dinner, which will consist of a four-course meal expertly paired with a glass of wine to complement each dish.
The dinner series continues through this month, on March 1 and 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the Memphis (6120 Poplar Avenue) location.
When: 6:30 p.m. March 1 and 2
Where: Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 6120 Poplar Ave.
Cost: $125 per person
Reservations: Reservations required, call (901)761-0055
Crosstown Brewing Co. Boris Russian Imperial Stout Release
Crosstown Brewing Co. will be releasing its 2023 Boris Russian Imperial Stout on March 3.
This year's Boris was aged in barrels from Memphis-based Blue Note Bourbon.
For a twist, Crosstown Brewing Co. partnered with Vice & Virtue Coffee to also create a Bourbon Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout Blended with Bourbon Barrel Aged Coffee.
"It's a bourbon on bourbon project," said Crosstown Brewing Co. owner Clark Ortkiese. "Vice and Virtue's barrel aged coffee has a really unique flavor - and their beans are also aged in Blue Note barrels. Vice and Virtue brewed a big batch and we added it to the stout."
Both stouts will be available at the brewery on draft and in 500 ml bottles starting at noon on March 3. The release party will include live music from The Church Brothers from 6 - 9 p.m.
When: noon - 10 p.m. March 3
Where: Crosstown Brewing Company, 1264 Concourse Ave.
The Secret Smash Society Burger Pop-Up
Memphis chefs Cole Jeanes, Schuyler O’Brien and Harrison Downing are the team behind the now not-so-secret The Secret Smash Society. They are known for their killer smash burgers made with two crusty all-beef patties topped with Kraft singles on a Martin’s Potato Roll.
This will be their fourth pop-up. Go early! They always sell out.
When: 2 p.m. March 5
Where: High Cotton Brewing Co., 598 Monroe Ave.
Memphis Black Restaurant Week
The eighth annual Memphis Black Restaurant Week kicks off March 5. The dining week that features some of the top Black-owned eateries in Memphis runs through March 11.
Twenty-eight restaurants are participating this year, with a lineup that is eclectic and diverse in menu offerings and parts of town. The common denominator is that they are all minority-owned establishments.
Most will offer a two-course lunch for $15 or a three-course dinner for $25. Depending on a restaurant’s offerings there may be some variations in price.
When: March 5 -11
Where: 28 restaurants across Memphis; full list of restaurants at blackrestaurantweek.com
Enjoy A|M Wine Dinner
Enjoy A|M, the parent company behind restaurants like Hog and Hominy and Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, will host its next wine dinner at Catherine & Mary’s.
This month’s dinner will be focused on “zesty and energetic” whites and roses. The dinner starts with a welcoming glass of wine, then continues with wines paired with a four-course menu.
When: 6 p.m. March 8
Where: Catherine & Mary’s, 272 S. Main St.
Cost: $85 per person
Reservations: email tita@enjoyam.com
Celtic Crossing Whiskey Tasting Dinner
Celtic Crossing Irish Pub will host its monthly Whiskey Tasting Dinner on March 11. Each whiskey is hand selected by DJ Naylor, owner of Celtic Crossing.
The night's featured whiskeys are Bushmills 12, Tyrconnel 16 Old Oloroso and Moscatel Cask Finish and Glendalough Double Barrel. Each whiskey will have a paired dinner course selected and prepared by Celtic Crossing Executive Chef Reinaldo Alfonso.
When: 7 – 9 p.m. March 11
Where: Celtic Crossing Irish Pub, 903 Cooper St.
Cost: $75 per person
Tickets: Eventbrite.com
Soulful Food Truck Festival
The culminating event of Memphis Black Restaurant Week is the 8th Annual Soulful Food Truck Festival. The festival will take place on March 12 at Tiger Lane.
This family friendly event is open to all ages and features a variety of minority-owned food trucks.
When: noon – 6 p.m. March 12
Where: Tiger Lane, 450 Early Maxwell Blvd.
Cost: $12 for general admission and $22 for early admission at 11 a.m.
Tickets: soulfulfoodtruckfestival.com
Belltower Coffee & Wine Bar
Belltower Coffee & Wine Bar hosts a monthly wine dinner. Every month, they focus on a specific region or specific spirit. The dinners feature a guest speaker talking about the featured wines and spirits, as well as several food pairings.
Samya Foster of Samya's Kitchen is the head chef at these dinners.
March’s dinner will feature Spanish food and wine.
When: 6:30 p.m. March 16
Where: Belltower Coffee & Wine Bar, 525 S. Highland St.
Cost: $65 per person
Tickets: Visit resy.com to purchase tickets
St. Patrick's Day at Celtic Crossing Irish Pub
The St. Patrick’s Day festivities at Celtic Crossing Irish Pub kick off at 9 a.m. when the pub opens for a full day of celebrations.
Activities include a parade on Cooper St. at 10 a.m., live music on the outside patio and stage throughout the day and an Irish dance performance. Memphis Pipes Band bagpipers will perform throughout the day
When: 9 a.m. – 11 p.m. March 17
Where: Celtic Crossing Irish Pub, 903 Cooper St.
Cost: free
Memphis Vegan Brunch with Tabitha Brown
Celebrity chef Tabitha Brown is bringing her joyous and comedic personality to the Bluff City for the first time ever on March 26.
The Memphis Vegan Brunch will feature five chefs preparing more than 40 delicious plant-based brunch menu items. The event will also feature live jazz along with other celebrity guest appearances, plus a variety of entertainment segments and presentations.
Produced by former Memphis radio personality and vegan comfort food restaurateur, Ralph “RJ Groove” Johnson, Memphis Vegan Brunch is a public event highlighting the importance of health and wellness in our community through food and entertainment.
When: 1-5 p.m. March 26
Where: Renasant Convention Center, 255 N. Main St.
Cost: Tickets start at $80 per person
Tickets: memphisveganbrunch.com
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining Reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: March Food & Drink Events in Memphis to put on your calendar
