The Honeybee's Lifestyle

Tag: 901

  • Diner En Blanc

    Hello Honeybees,

    The inaugural Diner En Blanc Memphis is termine` & this Honeybee is tired. I’ve always wanted to attend a Diner En Blanc event especially after seeing them in other cities. Thanks to Instagram I’ve watched Diner En Blanc in NY, NJ and Baltimore but there is nothing like having my own personal experience.

     

    First things first. What exactly is Diner En Blanc? That’s a blog post in itself. Click on this link to read about the history of the event and it’s traditions, which includes keeping the location secret.

    Unless I’m waaaay out of the loop Memphians didn’t share the secret location, although I KNOW people had to know. Great job 901! Being in this public space overlooking the mighty Mississippi was symbolic. Thank you Victoria Young for bringing Diner En Blanc to not only Memphis but to Tennessee. Every detail was simply beautiful.

    Second. This event is not for procrastinators. There is A LOT of planning that goes into making DEB an enjoyable experience. My table mate was my blogger boo Desiree at Mocha Divas. Our process was to divide & conquer. We split the preparations so that no one would be overwhelmed. We purchased our table,chairs & food from the e-store so that we wouldn’t have to transport them. Next year I’ll probably still get the table & chairs from the e-store but I’ll bring my own food.

    Third. You must wear white. I was lucky that I had several white dresses to choose from so that part was easy. Next year I’ll look for something more flowly, it was H-O-T but that’s Memphis in the summer. Here are few of my favorites from the night

     

     

    My shoe game happened by accident. I love it when that happens. What do think?

    Fourth. There are rules to this process:

    Transportation- we meet our awesome table leader at our designated location & WALKED to our secret location. It wasn’t far but… walking….in Memphis…in August, but it was all part of the experience & I enjoyed the sea of white walking through downtown. The tourists were really curious & we stopped several times to explain our adventure.

    The tables. The tables are lined up to look like one super long picnic table. Every table is covered with a white tablecloth. Creativity really came out in the centerpieces & table settings.

    The beginning & the end. After everything is set up dinner starts with the waving of the napkins (while there’s still daylight) & it’s officially over with the lighting of the sparklers (when it’s dark).

     

    The Honeybee is NOT an outdoors person AT ALL but I am so glad that I put that aside and attended Diner En Blanc. Life is about living and enjoying every experience and I must say I really enjoyed this one.

     

     

    Beewisdom- I’m just enjoying my life at the moment

  • 901 to 504

    Hello Honeybees,

    Despite the title this post is not about me taking my son to college in New Orleans. In fact it has absolutely nothing to do with our college drop off experience. This 901 to 504 has everything to do with a new boutique that just opened this past week in the Edge District in Memphis.

    I had the privilege of interviewing the owners Stephanie and Lisa and attending an event a few days before the grand opening.

    What does the name mean? Where did it come from?

    Nine01 II Five04 is a combination of area codes from Memphis and New Orleans. 
    Two best friends separated by area codes and the Mississippi River came together 
    in Memphis to open our first boutique. 

     

     

    How did you find each other?

     

    We met in a really odd way about ten years ago. Let me preface by saying, both of us are southern women who say please and thank you and hold doors for people. We were both walking into a building and a woman in front of us let the door slam right in our faces. Lisa and I both started talking about how rude the occurrence was and then the conversation continued. We are talkers so it went on for a while and we realized we had so much in common. I told Lisa I was a stylist and we started shopping together. Not that she needs my help picking out clothes, it was just a fun way for us to hang out. 

     

    What made you open the store?

     

    Owning our own store is something we both have wanted before we even knew one another. 
    Stephanie started working in retail at age 15 and it became her dream to have her own store because of her love for fashion, merchandising and styling people to make them look and feel their best. Lisa has always loved fashion and shopping. She is a business owner in New Orleans so she has the expertise with the paperwork and financial aspect side. Together, we have an excellent balance to create a successful retail business. The dynamic just works for us. We are both only children and have found a sisterhood with each other. It’s so amazing to come to our store 6 days a week, build something we’ve both dreamed of and work with your best friend. 

     

     

     

    Why this location?

     

    After a few years of talking about opening our own business, we decided to make the leap and ventured out to find the perfect space. We started looking in late 2017 and it took about a year to find what we wanted. We picked the 676 Marshall Ave location for the high foot traffic and proximity to Sun Studios. There is so much happening in the Medical District / The Edge and we wanted to get in on 
    the ground floor of development to make our mark in the area. Lisa and I looked in several areas of Memphis but The Edge District just felt right. You know when you get that feeling that everything is going to fall into place? That’s the feeling we had when we saw this building. It was important to us to find a space where we felt at home and we found that at 676 Marshall. Also, the cross street is South Orleans Avenue so we agreed that was a great plus side and would help to encompass the 504 area code in our business name. 

     

     

     

    What brands do you carry? How much is local?

    When we went to market, we wanted to find items that no one else really had in the city. We are the only retail store carrying Duck Head and are hosting a Memphis Tigers Tailgate with them on August 31 to promote the store and the Collegiate Duck Head line. We are carrying Psycho Bunny for men, 7Diamonds, Bed Stu and Duke Cannon. Our women’s selection is extensive. We have gorgeous handmade dresses from Spain, woven boots and backpacks from The Netherlands and handcrafted bags from Russia. Things you won’t find anywhere else in the city. We are also housing local art from our respective cities of Memphis and New Orleans with lines like Sarah Ott New Orleans, Estes Designs, Paper Cloth Glass, Hard Knot Designs, Cry Baby Club Gang, Jo Wayland-Smith Art, Antzee Magruder Fabric Art and we will be carrying Kristin Magdalene Knits for fall. 

    Who is your “customer”

    In a world that is divided there’s no room for more turmoil. We even have a doormat that reads, “All Are Welcome Here.” There is something in Nine01 II Five04 for every man and woman in sizes up to 3X. We have Memphis art starting at $3 and quality leather goods topping the chart at $600. There is something in here to fit any budget and lifestyle. We wanted to create a one stop shop. At our boutique you can pick up an inexpensive gift for a co-worker and treat yo self while you’re here. 

    There you have it. Stop by and visit the store and tell them that The Honeybee sent you.

     

     

    Beewisdom- Love Where You Live, Shop Local

  • My City Tasting Tour

    Hello Honeybees,

    If you ask anyone that has lived in Memphis for a while who has the best barbecue you will probably get the answer: my backyard or my uncle, brother, daddy or cousin etc. There are a lot, I mean a lot of folks in Memphis that can werk a barbecue grill. It’s a Memphis thing mane!

    But if for some reason you are like me, not a big barbecue fan but you love good food & Memphis then I have a treat for your palate. It’s called City Tasting Tours. This tour was on my 2019 bucket list and now I can scratch it off.

    Started almost 3 years ago, Cristina McCarter has definitely earned her title of culinary guide. She takes you on a guided tour of the South Main Arts District while sampling some of the best LOCAL food that Memphis has to offer.

    Our first stop was Pontotoc Lounge. I can’t tell you the number of times that I have driven past this restaurant & never knew it existed. Our first dish was the pot roast. This is not what I expected from this establishment but man oh man was it delicious. Just like grandma use to make.  You can add alcohol to your tour, which gets you an alcoholic beverage at every stop. Bottoms up!

    As we walk to our next stop, Cristina gives us some local history. Tunnels, ghost & brothels oh my!! And being that this is the arts district there is art all around you. Memphis has it all.

    Next up is the  409 S. Main Market Food Hall. This building houses several eateries, a coffee shop and a bar. I can say that I have been to this building but only for events on the 3rd floor, but never just to eat. I have been missing out. We enjoyed tacos from Venga and a turkey sandwich from City Block Salumeria. Y’all so darn good. The bacon on the turkey sandwich was thick and crispy and the bun was so soft. At this point I’m starting to feel a little full but we have 2 more stops to make.

     

    As we are walking down South Main St. we pass several local shops that I have heard about but never knew where to find them. We saw all of the new construction that is taking place, hotels, movie theater and yes another restaurant and of course the history that comes with the National Civil Rights Museum. We stop at The Vault, which use to be a, you guessed it….a bank. There we have a trio of fried catfish with a dill tartar sauce, a beet salad with goat cheese & candied pecans and a crab cake with remoulade sauce. My taste buds where in heaven I tell ya. But we STILL had one more stop.

    You can’t have all of this food without dessert. It’s Memphis mane! So of course we went to Makedas for Lemon Icebox pie made with Makedas famous butter cookies. OH..EM…GEE!! This pie was so good. Not to tart but with just the right amount of sweetness. I really, really wanted to purchase a whole pie but I bought some cookies for my sons. They have a variety of other cookie flavors. I think the iced oatmeal is my favorite, or maybe the chocolate pecan. Either way no one in my house was disappointed.

    After the tour I had a chance to sit with Cristina to get a little more background. Cristina wanted to start the tours years ago after having participated in ones in other cities but the restaurant options were just not available. But as downtown & especially South Main began to grow thankfully she acted on her vision and City Tasting Tours was born. Ironically she gets more locals than tourists, which is not a bad thing because this local learned so much about her city & found new places to enjoy on the regular.

    Be on the lookout for the Craft Food & Wine Festival at The Columns June 23rd hosted by Cristina. Early bird tickets are on sale here. I can’t wait to support her and her vision and eat. Also she has a Soul Food tour coming and you know you don’t want to miss that.

    Thank you Erica for the invite and thank you Cristina for a wonderful experience and for teaching me about my city. Head over the City Tasting Tours website to book your tour NOW!

     

    Beewisdom- Good Food, Good Mood