In my column Sunday, I told my tale of rescue and redemption on Poplar Avenue, and I’ve been amazed by the response. Lots of shout-outs yesterday at church, and I had a delightful message this morning from Howard Lee, whose wife uses a walker, and who was delighted and gratified by the help she got [...]Continue Reading »

Sometimes I hear a story that’s so sad, it’s almost unbearable, and this is one, sent by way of a friend in Florida. But grab a tissue and read it. Then, if you know or love a teen, find out more about Menactra, the meningitis vaccine, and get your kid vaccinated. Now. It was about a [...]Continue Reading »

Martha Hays sent me a  sad note last night: Tuscany is closing Nov. 4. There's an upside to this, but let's take a minute first and think about what Martha and Glenn Hays have done for the Memphis dining community over the years. At La Tourelle, they gave us Erling Jensen, Gene Bjorkland, Stan Gibson and Cullent Kent. They gave us a lovely little spot for a French prix fixe dinner for years--and even after they switched to Tuscany, they gave us possibly the best creme brulee around (Grove Grill's might be better; it's hard to say). Don't forget that they're the same folks who gave us Cafe 1912.

And even though they're quitting (they'll continue to run Cafe 1912; no changes there), the Hayses are still giving Memphis a gift. Kelly English, a protege of John Besh, is taking over and opening a new restaurant in December. (English was the chef at Nawlins in Tunica a while back.) We'll keep you posted.

Everyone give a shout-out to Martha and Glenn.

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They shouldn't be--I've got the full details--but I'm at home today and my notes are at the office. And, yes, I know I'm missing the movie crew in the newsroom, but I've got to have a day or two off to get caught up. (But if I get good movie stories, I'll pass them along, anyway.)

Anyway. Mortez Gerani's new restaurant opens for lunch on Tuesday. The menu is Italian and Mediterranean and lunch entrees are about $7-12. Dinner will follow, but there's no date set. The wine list is great, but right now he's still waiting for his liquor license. All this moves quickly, though. The restaurant (I have the name and the menu at work; sorry) is next to the Windjammer on Brookhaven Circle.

More details soon, I promise.

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My colleague TheoGeo, no huge sports fan, nonetheless is proud that her alma mater, Middle Tennessee, came away victorious this past weekend in the Board of Regents football showdown with the hapless University of Memphis.

What a great season to be a college football fan, no? Well, unless you're a Memphis, Ole Miss or Notre Dame fan ...

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Bob Mehr talks with Hosea "M-Town Luv" Mays Jr. about the new, improved MemphisRap.com, which I mentioned in this space a few days ago.

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If you are considering bariatric weight-loss surgery, the October issue of the Archives of Surgery includes some practical advice and a sobering finding.

Here's the advice. Don't wait until you have the surgery to start losing weight.

A study of 884 high-risk, morbidly obese patients found those who lost 5 to 10 percent of their excess weight before surgery had a better result than similar patients who did not. The report is from investigators at Geisinger Health System, in Danville, Pa.

They found patients who lost 5 to 10 percent of their weight before surgery left the hospital faster and were twice as likely as other patients to lose 70 percent of their extra weight within the year.

The study focused on older patients with medical problems, like diabetes, liver inflammation and circulatory problems, that push them into the high-risk category.

Earlier studies have suggested that even limited weight loss helps ease chronic health problems. But the study's authors said additional research is needed to understand how losing weight before surgery could help individuals shed pounds later.

Here is something else to think about. Weight-loss surgery patients had higher death rates, including rates of suicide, than the general population. That's the conclusion of a University of Pittsburgh analysis of 16,683 bariatric surgeries performed in Pennsylvania between 1994 and 2005.

The surgery patients were "substantially" more likely to die within five years of surgery than were other Pennsylvania residents who were the same age and sex. About 1 percent of surgery patients died within a year of the procedure. More than 6 percent were dead within five years, the authors noted.

The findings prompted researchers to recommend surgery patient receive better follow-up and support.

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