The Memphis Business Journal has the full story.

In short, most of the chefs involved signed a letter stating that they would not like to take part.

Excerpted:

As the Memphis restaurant scene has continued to develop, especially with
the increase of Chef-Owned Restaurants, we as key players in this
development have worked to cultivate an environment of inclusiveness.
Luckily, this is an environment that is natural to the many of us who have
chosen to make Memphis our Restaurant Home. Instead of competing with each
other, we send each other business. Instead of poaching talented staff, we
share resources to ensure a future of talent. If one of us runs out of
lettuce, we run down the street and get a loaner from our neighbor. If one
of us receives national praise, the rest of us promote the great news to our
own customers. Is there a competitive spirit. Of course. We are, after all,
business people. But the people who have chosen to make Memphis their
culinary home in the past few years have done so with the forethought that
Memphis can be and is different than other cut-throat restaurant towns.

Personally, I think this would have been a lot better received had they elected to do a straight “Who is your favorite Memphis Chef?” poll, as opposed to going with the chef vs. chef “playoff” style.

I can see both sides.

I commend the chefs involved in refusing to take part in a contest that pits them against one another. I also have witnessed, and very much admire, the kindness and camaraderie mentioned in their letter.

On the other hand, I don’t think it was MBJ’s intention to foster ill will or animosity amongst Memphis’ best chefs. I think the decision to make it a “playoff” likely had a lot more to do with trying to drive traffic to their site every week to vote in the next “round”.

While I feel that this implementation was flawed, I feel there’s merit to the idea. I like the idea of highlighting the “Best of the Best”. If the involved chefs are interested, I feel this hiccup can be parlayed into something good.

How about a “Downtown Dining Week” style event in which the nominated chefs offer a fixed menu of the dishes they feel best represent them, and then have a vote for “People’s Choice”?

Shift the focus from “Who’s the best?” to “Look at the caliber of food available in Memphis”, with the crowning of a winner secondary to the idea of getting people to take a step outside of their national chain restaurant and experience the work of the local masters. This way everyone wins. All the restaurants get a bump in business, all the chefs get to showcase their skills, and the people of Memphis who might otherwise not be aware of the local offerings get to eat some amazing food.

Anyone interested? Leave a comment.

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/feature/best-chef-in-memphis-landing-page.html

And a direct link to vote for Chef Patrick:

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/2012/02/best-chef-in-memphis-round-1-match-10.html

In short, it would give the government the ability to take offline any site they feel might be guilty of hosting copyrighted material. It could effectively spell the end of any site with user driven content. Check the wikipedia page for more in depth information.

I urge you to contact your legislators and let them know in no uncertain terms that support of SOPA will be political suicide.

We started with the much acclaimed lobster pronto pups. Definitely a must try.

Next came something we didn’t order, the seared scallops with slaw. Chef Patrick sent them out for us all to try. Everyone loved them, lots of spice and perfectly cooked. The fresh slaw complimented the scallops perfectly and toned down the heat just enough. Fantastic.

Next came entrees. Almost everyone got the catfish special. It was a generously sized catfish filet crusted with seasoned cornmeal and bacon (yeah, bacon) served over cheddar grits. Two of my dining companions said they hated grits, both changed their mind after trying the cheddar grits. They’re that good. The sauce was especially fantastic, a remoulade with a decent amount of heat and lots of flavor that did an amazing job of contrasting the earthiness of the catfish.

My girlfriend got the pasta, but unfortunately I forgot to take a pic. I tried it and loved it though.

I was full at this point, so I threw in the towel, but two people at the table, Anthony and Mark, ordered a dessert. It amounted to a sundae on top of an ice cream sandwich. I tried a bite, and it was every bit as good as it sounds. I suggest splitting it though, it’s huge, especially after the generous portions at rizzos.

Overall, it was exactly what I expected. A cozy atmosphere that’s upscale without being pretentious. Service that’s meticulous but comfortably casual. Food that manages to be both innovative and approachable. Do yourself a favor and go try it for yourself.

Thanks for the reminder brobot!

http://www.matatransit.com/trolleyService.aspx

Me: First and foremost, does this decision represent the end of the fight for PP, or does PP intend to contest the decision?

We have lodged a formal protest with the Shelby County Contracting office protesting the contract with CCHS on a number of grounds, including the fact that CCHS does not have the personnel in place to provide the services and an official with CCHS has publicly stated that they will not abide by Title X regulations regarding referrals for abortion. We expect to hear about this official protest sometime this week. Depending on the County’s response, we may consider other options, possibly including legal action.

Me: Also, I assume it’s reasonable to say that PP will continue to offer Family Planning services. How will your services compare to the services of CCHS?

Planned Parenthood will continue to provide comprehensive reproductive health care and family planning services, including birth control. Under the Title X program, many of our patients were able to pay nothing out of pocket for their health care, but without the Title X funding, we will have to ask our patients to pay for part of the cost of their services. We have worked out a modified sliding fee scale that keeps costs minimal for patients with the least ability to pay.

Me: How would you like to see people show their support for PP? Donate money? Volunteer?

Donations from generous supporters are more important than ever now, in order to help us continue to keep costs as low as possible for the patients. PPGMR is a nonprofit and all donations are tax deductible. Here’s a link to donate online.

 We also have a volunteer program and use volunteers in outreach and education work, but what we need more than anything right now is people who will speak out in support of Planned Parenthood. Please ask your blog followers to write letters to the Commercial Appeal and the Memphis Flyer!  Share information about this outrage on the blogosphere and within your social networks. And most importantly, contact Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell or call him at (901) 545-4500 and let him know how unhappy you are with this decision.

Thank you!

So there it is. Stop being angry on the internet and do something. At least let people know that you oppose this idiocy. Donate to PP, vote with your wallet. Contact those who supported this measure, and let them know that they lost your vote, and why.