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I made it to Memphis, the hometown of B.B. King and the Blues, I decided it was time for a break.
It was hard to believe that I found a truckstop within city proper. A buck and three quarters was all it took to catch the MATA to downtown and before you knew it I was riding a vintage trolley to Beale Street
These trolleys, nearly a century old, were delivered from Australia and its service had just been restored after a couple engine fires in 2014.
I was excited to be here – hadn’t been to Memphis since my early 20’s and though the music is just as soulful, much of the city had changed.
Upon wandering around and soaking the carnival-like atmosphere, I became a bit famished so I managed to grab a burger at Dyer’s – not your typical grass-fed gourmet burger with mounds of fixings, but a thin, fried Southern burger deep-fryed in 100-year-old grease .
Even though it looks like it’s ready for the bottom of the barrel, the grease is so highly treasured that it had to get escorted by an armored truck when the venue relocated to Beale. And the grease is strained to remove any contaminants and impurities, everyday since 1912.
A half pound of raw ground beef is held on the cutting board under a spatula and the spatula is whacked a few times with a heavy hammer, flattening the meat into a semi-compressed patty at least four inches wide. Then the patty is submerged into a deep, black skillet full of bubbling-hot grease. It’s almost the same principal as a cast iron skillet. The skillet absorbs savory flavors over the years, and you can taste it in the food. As amazing as the burger was, the fries also garnered much praise. The fries are also submerged in old grease, albeit not the same batch. It’s the grease that gives the spatula-flattened burger a consummately juicy interior while it develops a crust exterior
Had a great time, people wandering the street were approachable so I made new friends. But finally, past midnight and fatigue got the best of me, and it was time to return to my cab. A $12 uber ride and 15 minutes later I was tucked comfortably away in my cab-side comforter. It was great to see Memphis on a dime without having to shell out a couple hundred for a hotel.
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