Memphis, TNItalian

Pete and Sam's is an old school Memphis Italian dining room where red sauce, pasta, pizza, and family habits matter more than contemporary styling. The menu also has a verified fried chicken tradition, making mixed tables easy to satisfy. Start with a familiar pasta or pizza, add a house specialty, and let the direct service and long local history define the evening.

Andrew Michael interprets traditional Italian cooking through seasonal Southern ingredients in a converted Brookhaven house. Handmade pasta and carefully handled meats anchor the menu, while vegetables and sauces change with the season. Share pasta before the main course instead of choosing between them, and let the intimate rooms support a paced dinner where details accumulate across several plates rather than one oversized entree.

Bari focuses on southeastern Italian cooking, with seafood, handmade pasta, cheese, cured meat, and an Italian wine list defining the Cooper Street room. The narrow regional identity gives the restaurant clarity. Begin with cheese or a small seafood plate, share pasta, and ask for a wine that matches the dish rather than defaulting to the most familiar bottle on the list.

Catherine & Mary's builds its menu around house-made pasta, with Southern produce and proteins folded into Italian forms. In the former Chisca Hotel, the kitchen moves from delicate stuffed shapes to fuller ragus and seasonal preparations without losing a clear point of view. Order contrasting pastas for the table, pay attention to texture as much as sauce, and close with an amaro or something sweet.

Hog & Hominy filters Italian cooking through Southern ingredients and a lively Brookhaven room. Wood fired pizza, small plates, vegetables, and house made specialties encourage the table to order broadly instead of centering one entree. Share a pizza, add a seasonal dish, and leave space for the kitchen's Beef and Cheddar Dog if the group wants to see how freely the restaurant moves beyond a conventional Italian menu.