earnestine & hazel's

After two and a half hours walking around the Civil Rights Museum, we were hungry! Since we were downtown, I suggested that we knock another restaurant off of my list and grab lunch at Earnestine & Hazel's. I saw it make a cameo in the movie "Elizabethtown" and just last week I was reminded of it again when I saw it on Design Sponge's Memphis City Guide. It's known for its interesting history as a brothel, then drug store, now restaurant/bar.

I was surprised that when we walked in at the peak time for lunch, nobody was there except for the waiter/bartender/cook. We definitely got a sketchy vibe, so Brian whispered to me, "You want to go?" If it weren't on my list, I think we would have left, haha. I'm glad we stayed though, it was definitely a unique experience.

It started by the waiter not asking us what we wanted to eat, but telling us, "So, two soul burgers." Us- "Uh, yeah?" 

I still don't know if there is even anything else on the menu, that is, if there is a menu at all.

The burgers weren't anything to write home about. 

The "special sauce," aka mustard, was pretty overwhelming. 

We could barely even taste the grilled onions on it. 

As we were checking out, I asked the guy if it was true about the brothel history. He was much more blunt and said, "Yeah, it was a whore house. You guys can go up stairs if you want." I had no idea there was an upstairs. Obviously, being curious, we went and checked it out. And I thought downstairs was dumpy...  

They kept the rooms upstairs. There were red lights in some of them, random chairs and tables, a fridge, even a claw foot tub in the bathroom. Weird. But also fascinating. We were told that it was a functioning brothel all the way up until 1991. Definitely had character.

National Civil Rights Museum

#44 Go to the National Civil Rights Museum. Check! Saturday wasn't too crazy busy, so we decided to take some downtime (rare lately) to tour the museum. I'm glad we did! I'd been outside many times, but had never been in. It was very informative and moving. About a year ago, I met one of Brian's coworkers, Gerald (an older black man in his 60s?), who recommended that we go. He grew up in Memphis and clearly remembers the racism and definitely when Martin Luther King Jr. was shot. I guess it shouldn't have, but somehow this surprised me, because it seems crazy to me that it really wasn't that long ago when there was so much hatred and inequality for blacks. I know we still have a long way to go, but I guess I'm encouraged that in just 2 generations, we have come so far.

tourist shot

just hanging with Rosa 

King was shot in front of room 306

Across the street, there is another part of the museum where James Earl Ray shot from. This was interesting because the exhibits showed a lot of the evidence, and explained how Ray was caught. I wish we hadn't been so hungry, because I think I would have spent more time here. The theories, clues, timeline, and investigations were fascinating.

Here is the (approximate) view of where the shots were fired from. The wreath is where MLK was.

To round out the day, we watched "The Help." Talk about a theme day, huh?! 

beauty shop and wiles-smith drug store

Seeing the title, you'll probably be surprised to find out that this blog post is about food. This weekend Brian and I knocked two more restaurants off of the "places to eat list" (#100). First up was The Beauty Shop in Cooper-Young on Friday night. In a previous life, this space was a bustling '60s(?) beauty salon. Now, however, it has been reenvisioned into a hip little restaurant. What's cool about the decor is that they've incorporated some of the beauty pieces (the hair washing sinks are used at the bar, hair dryer chairs are used for diners, etc.), but some modern, local artist flavor is also mixed in.

We had a massive pile of onion straws for an appetizer. 

So good! The sauce was really the kicker.

Jolly Brian perusing the menu.

THAI STEAK SALADDDDD. yum. period.

Brian's Steak Sandwich. Open-faced? 

Or did they forget to bring the top bread? :]

The second new food experience this weekend was the Wiles-Smith Drug Store Saturday afternoon. This is one that I've read about in must-try Memphis articles, so I figured just that, that I must try it! Unlike the Beauty Shop, this one's name is really what it is, a drug store. That's not all though, there is also an authentic old-time soda fountain/restaurant inside as well, which is what we went to try. I heard the milkshakes were the thing to get, but I felt a hankering for a straight up sundae. However, Brian did go the shake route. When we sat down at the counter, he heard a regular customer order a malted chocolate shake. Brian, trying to sound like a fancy regular himself, ordered the same. Little did he know that malt flavoring is like Whoppers which he doesn't like, haha.

Not the most amazing sundae/shake I've ever had, but the experience was definitely worth it.

The ambiance was especially great which included a stuffed porcupine sitting high in a corner.