Pay it forward during lunch at reopened Caritas Village
“Caritas” is Latin for “love for all people.” It is the perfect name for the loving neighborhood community that Onie Johns created back in 2006.
Located in the heart of Binghampton, Caritas Village was built to be a safe place for people to eat, meet, serve in the community and share life. It has hosted countless events like social justice meetings, Bible studies, festivals, art openings and provided meals to those who can’t afford them.
In June 2017, the beloved neighborhood gathering spot closed its doors as it underwent an extensive renovation. The building, which was originally a Masonic Lodge, was in dire need of upgrades and repairs. After a year of planning and another for construction, Caritas Village reopened Aug. 25 with a new interior and new leadership.
Johns has retired from her role as executive director and has chosen Mac Edwards to be her replacement. Edwards is a longtime Memphian and veteran restaurateur. His first foray into the restaurant business was McEwen’s, which was followed by the popular The Farmer and Pharm-to-Fork restaurants.
“Mac was by far the most qualified person that applied,” Johns said of her choice of successor. “It is exciting to have him on board. And I have to tell you, the gardeners in the neighborhood are looking forward to his farm-to-table menu.”
A founding board member of the Memphis Farmers Market, Edwards will bring his farm-to-table philosophy to
the cafe at Caritas Village.
“I have partnered with local farmers like Caleb Curlin of Marmilu Farms to give us a break on price so we can serve local, grass-fed proteins. Ray Tyler of Rose Creek Farms in Selmer is also working with us so we can afford to bring in fresh produce.”
For opening day of the cafe, the handwritten menu consisted of longtime favorites such as quesadillas, soup, a veggie plate and burgers. New items include a collection of dishes that had been popular at The Farmer, such as the Chicken Tostada Salad, the Sloppy Joe and Edwards’ signature Roasted Potato Salad side.
Serving lunch six days a week, the café is open to everyone.
“You will see people from the neighborhood, business people, politicians — people from all walks of life,” Edwards said.
The idea behind the nonprofit is that it is a gathering place. It provides meals for those who can afford to dine there and those who can’t. “We are a ‘pay as you can’ restaurant,” Edwards said. “Some people even ‘pay it forward’ and purchase extra meals for those who can’t.”
Edwards is looking forward to this new chapter for Caritas Village and himself. “I think this new role is a great way for me to do something good for my hometown. Memphis has been awfully good to me.”
At lunch on opening day, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal, but the best part was the feeling I got from adding a “pay it forward” meal to my bill. Try it — I think you’ll like it, too.
Caritas Village, 2509 Harvard Ave., is open from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Lunch is served from noon-3 p.m. For more information, call 901-327-5246 or visit caritasvillage.org
Art on the Rocks
Dixon Gallery and Gardens will host a new event called Art on the Rocks from 6-9 p.m. Friday. This new event will take the place of its popular Art on Tap.
“Beer events have become so much more common since Art on Tap started 22 years ago,” said Chantal Drake, director of communications. “Since the gardens are a major part of who the Dixon is, we wanted to create a new event that better represented our brand and who we are. A botanical cocktail tasting is fresh and new for Memphis, and gives us the opportunity to better incorporate our garden space and plants into the event.”
The event will feature Dixon-grown herbs in mixed drinks with gin, tequila, vodka, whiskey and rum, craft beers and mocktails, as well as food from local restaurants and live entertainment from local artists.
Tickets are $40 for Dixon members and $50 for non-members. For tickets, visit Dixon.org.
Zoo Rendezvous
The Memphis Zoo will host its 35th Zoo Rendezvous on Saturday. With more than 80 restaurant and bar participants and an expected 3,000+ guests, this year is shaping up to be one of the largest yet.
“It is the zoo’s largest single-evening fundraiser,” said Tim Dalfiume, Memphis Zoo director of events. “It is popular as it kicks off the fall season and has evolved into a culinary and cocktail experience. It is known as ‘Memphis’ largest party.’”
As in past years, the event will feature tasting portions from Memphis’ most popular dining establishments, which are placed at tables spread all throughout the zoo grounds. Tickets for this year’s event are $200 and available at memphiszoo.org.
REI and Ghost River Brewing Co. partner
For its grand opening, REI Co-Op partnered with local brewery Ghost River Brewing Co. to create a new beer to celebrate the outdoor chain’s first store in Memphis.
“Our goal was to partner with a local brewery that shared our love for the outdoors and was up for doing a fun collaboration to benefit the community,” said Jim Doyle, REI local marketing specialist. “Ghost River fit the bill and we had a blast working with them to celebrate our new store in Memphis.”
Made with eureka, denali and lemon hops, the Happy Herd IPA is a citrusy beer that Suzanne Williamson at Ghost River calls “adventure-ready.” It gets its name from the buffalo at Shelby Farms Park as 10 percent of proceeds from the sales of the beer will go to Shelby Farms Park Conservancy. This special beer had limited production, so look for it this month at grocery and liquor stores across the city and on tap at the Ghost River Tap Room, 827 S Main St.
Contact Jennifer Chandler at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal .com. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.