Good morning, Memphis! ☀️
Grab your coffee (and maybe a biscuit), because today's issue is jam-packed. We've got breakfast, we've got trivia, we've got robots learning courtroom manners… it's a lot, in the best way.
Here's what’s cooking:
🍳 A 52-spot breakfast guide (bring your appetite)
⚖️ Memphis Law teaching AI some courtroom etiquette
🌱 A grown-up plant party this Friday
🐾 Shelter dogs throwing a gala on Saturday
🔤 And a dictionary update with some very 2026 new words
Let's get into it.
Guides
🍳 The Ultimate Memphis Breakfast Guide Just Dropped
September is National Breakfast Month, so we mapped 52 verified spots for biscuits, pancakes, bottomless mimosas and more, all across the Memphis metro.
🥓 Biscuit business. From The Arcade (Memphis's oldest café, where Elvis's favorite fried peanut butter and banana sandwich is still on the menu) to cash-only Bryant's Breakfast and its famous white gravy, we hit the classics, plus every neighborhood's go-to greasy spoon.
🥂 Brunch, but make it bottomless. Need mimosas? One11Madison's mimosa tower serves up to 10. Want something new? Big Bad Breakfast opens its Cooper-Young location Tuesday, September 29.
Get the full guide here.
Education
⚖️ Memphis Law's New Institute Puts AI on the Stand
University of Memphis School of Law
The University of Memphis's law school just launched the Delta Institute for AI and the Law, a new hub aimed at making artificial intelligence work fairly in courtrooms and law offices.
🤖 Objection, overruled. Law students are running an AI lab where they train real, licensed attorneys on how to use AI tools responsibly with clients. Students teaching the teachers… we love a plot twist.
⚖️ The verdict? The Institute wants Memphis to become a go-to hub for legal AI, with a new AI and Internet Law certificate program and a mission to make AI tools work fairly for everyday people in court, not just big law firms.
Read the full scoop here.
Events
🌱 Memphis Botanic Garden's Plant Parties Are Back This Friday
Memphis Botanic Garden
Plant Parties at the Memphis Botanic Garden return Friday, September 25, from 6-8 p.m. It’s a grown-up, hands-on plant craft night (21+, ID required).
🪴 Dirt therapy. Tickets include a take-home plant project plus snacks and drinks for purchase.
🌿 Repeat offenders welcome. This is a regular series that happens roughly once a month, so if you miss Friday, there's always the next one.
Grab a ticket here.
Good News
🐾 Paw Prints Party Raises a Glass for Shelter Pups
Photo: Tim Wheat
The Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County's Paw Prints Party is this Saturday, September 26, at 5 p.m. at the shelter itself.
🍽️ Tickets get you dinner with an open bar, and a live and silent auction, with proceeds going straight to the shelter's lifesaving work.
🐶 Say hi to the residents. Guests get shelter tours and a chance to meet adoptable pets, though this party's about raising money, not adopting them out on the spot.
Get tickets here.
Daily Picks
🗞️ Other News Around the 901
🔤 Word up. Merriam-Webster just gave its dictionary a glow-up, adding 1,400 new words and definitions including": "looksmaxxing," "parasocial," "vibe coding," and "trash panda" (that's a raccoon, for the uninitiated). Read more here.
🖼️ Last call. The Brooks Museum's free admission for Shelby County residents at its Overton Park home wraps up this Sunday, September 27. This is its last weekend before the move downtown. Plan your visit here.
🎻 Orchestra, but make it hip-hop. Orchestra Noir brings its Culture 2000 Tour II to the Orpheum on Friday, September 25 at 7:30 p.m., remixing 2000s hip-hop and R&B hits with a live orchestra. Get tickets here.
🍣 Fresh catch. Ahi Asian Bistro is now open in Lakeland, serving sushi, sashimi and hibachi Tuesday through Sunday. See their menu here.
🎃 Tote-ally spooky. Trader Joe's Halloween mini canvas totes hit shelves Wednesday, September 30, running about $3 each, in-store only. They've sold out fast in past years, so don't dilly dally. See the collection here.
✈️ Runway ready. The Airport Runway 5K let 1,200 runners loose on an actual MEM runway and raised $130,000 for the airport's Community Foundation. Read more here.
💛 Here for young Memphians. For Suicide Prevention Month, the Heal the Hood Foundation is spotlighting its mentorship programs for young adults across Memphis. If you or someone you know needs help, you can call or text 988 any time, day or night. Read more here.
🚲 Pedal to the people. Germantown wants your take on e-bikes on its parks and greenways — a quick survey will help shape future trail rules. Take the survey here.
📋 Tell us about you, win dinner on us. Take our 901 Today reader survey and you'll be entered to win a $50 gift card to the Memphis-area restaurant of your choice. Ends 9/30. Take the survey here.
📚 Catch up anytime. Missed a 901 guide or a past newsletter issue? Browse everything here.
🤝 Want to reach Memphis? Become a 901 Today community partner and get your brand in the inbox of 13,500+ Memphis metro readers every morning. Holiday/Q4 campaigns are booking now. Learn more here.
Trivia
🧠 Wednesday Trivia
That's it for today!
Thanks for spending part of your morning with us.
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Have a great Wednesday, Memphis. We'll see you tomorrow.
— 901 Today
