1. So both Pat Os and Silky's have dueling piano bars. I personally prefer Pat Os because it is roomier and has more tables to sit at enjoy the music. Both bars play roughly the same songs and both can become extremely crowded but Silky's is too crowded because the main bar is located in the same room as the pianos which make it quite an annoyance on busy nights whereas one can get away from the crowd at Pat Os by getting a table plus there is a doorman if the room gets too crowded. (Advantage: Pat O's)

2. Pat Os also has a main bar area which is comparable to Silky's Oyster Bar. Both of these areas have a feeling of a small dive bar. The Plus on Silky's side is that it is a long room which gives it the feeling of being bigger even though both rooms are about the same size. All in all both are relatively the same and a good area if looking to get away from the bustle of the more crowded areas in each place. (Tie)

3. The patio is where Silky's ties the score. Even though Pat Os patio is covered with a giant tent top, Silk'y patio is what makes it a landmark on Beale and not just because of the goats which live in a pen next to the patio. In the summer, nothing beats sitting on Silky's patio listening to the band playing and enjoying a dance or two with the ladies. While Pat Os patio is fun and sometimes has bands, it holds nothing on Silky's patio. (Advantage: Silky's)

4. Specialty Drinks is the last chance for either to pull away. And once again we are tied. Silky's sports the diver bucket which is a huge fruity concoction that requires multiple drinkers to finish. Pat O's specialty is the Hurricane which it claims its brother in New Orleans created. Both are great and this is a tie because both taste good and will get you where you want to go in a hurry at that. (Tie)

So how do we decide a winner. I call it a tie. In the end, it depends on whether or not you want to pay cover. Silky's is $5 to $10 cover every weekend while Pat Os is free almost every night. Here is what I recommend. Below 65, go to Pat O's and above 65 degrees then go to Silky's for the patio. Either way I promise you win.

1. Grove Grill: Located in Laurelwood shopping center at Grove Park and Poplar, the Grove Grill offers more than just your typical brunch items. The Grove still offers an array of items from their normal menu including their stellar appetizers as well as outstanding brunch items. My date had the crab cakes eggs benedict which she loved. The eggs sit on top of two fried green tomatoes and is served with asparagus and a crab cake. I had the salmon which was excellent and not over cooked. One unique dessert was the grillswith sundae which is a glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut served with whipped creme and ice cream covered in chocolate sauce.

2. Ya Ya's: Located on Poplar in the famed Saddle Creek Lifestyle center in Germantown, Ya Ya's offers a champagne buffet style brunch for a hefty but tolerable price. While the price might be high in the 20's, it is well worth it when you see the vast amounts of food to choose from at the various stations. From breakfast foods to various meats, side items and desserts, you can stuff yourself with food and Mimosas to your heart's desire.

3. Owen Brennan's. Located off Poplar just past Ridgeway if heading east towards Germantown, Owen Brennan's is a cheaper version of it's sibling Brennans in New Orleans. While cheaper, it still delivers on what you pay for with a variety of  traditional New Orleans style brunch items to cajun dishes. Basically it is what you think of when you think of Sunday brunch.

4. Cafe 1912: Located at the corner of Cooper and Peabody in Midtown Memphis, Cafe 1912 is a small restaurant with quite a brunch punch. On my recent Sunday trip, I had an oyster Po Boy while my date had a grilled Tuna sandwich and both of us left more than satisfied. The bread was a great french roll and came with shoestring fries. I started with the special which was rabbit stew which was amazing. The menu's breakfast specialty is the Lobster benedict. The menu is limited but creative. Drinks are limited to mimosas.

5. The Beauty Shop: Located off Copper in the cooper young area in Midtown Memphis, the Beauty Shop offers a simple Brunch Menu in terms of size, but excels in creativity with traditional dishes. What the Beauty Shop definitely has over any place in Memphis is atmosphere and the desert crepes which are fantastic. The decor in the Beauty Shop is the most unique in Memphis and has a small restaurant feel while offering enough tables to hold the brunch crowd. Basically it does the most with its space in the city.

The Memphis Zoo was founded in 1905 when a bear named Natch, the mascot for the Memphis baseball team, was chained to a tree in Overton Park.

Throughout the past century, the Memphis Zoo has grown and now bears the distinction of being one of only 4 US zoos to host a pair of Giant Pandas, Ya-Ya and Le-Le.

In 2006, the zoo opened its highly anticipated Northwest Passage Exhibit which allows zoo visitors to get "up close and personal" with its 3 Polar Bears: Cranbeary, Payton, and Haley. Visitors can watch the bears and sea lions swim and play in an underwater viewing building. There are also daily sea lion shows in the 500-seat ampitheatre.

Admission prices at the Memphis Zoo are comparable to those at other major zoos. Admission for those 12-59 is $13, 12-and-under are $8 and Seniors are $12. Children under 2 are free. There is a $3 fee to park.

The Memphis Zoo has a wonderful membership program that allows members to visit reciprocal zoos throughout the country for free or at a discount. If you plan to visit the Memphis Zoo again during the year or if you plan to visit one of their reciprocal zoos, it is quite beneficial to buy the membership. A list of reciprocal zoos can be found HERE.

A quote: The downtown former Tennessee Trust Bank combines "New York style with Southern warmth." "Sleek yet comfy rooms" have marble baths, Italian linens, and down duvets. Take drinks and listen to live bands on the rooftop terrace, which has "a stunning panoramic view of the mighty Mississippi." "Everyone had a smile, from the doorman to housekeeping."

Check Rates for other Memphis Hotels

Top 5:

1: San Jose, Calif.
2: Honolulu, Hawaii
3: Madison, Wis.
4: San Diego, Calif.
5: Fremont, CA

Bottom 5:

100: Memphis
99: Charleston, W.Va.
98: Toledo, Ohio
97: Louisville, Ky.
96: Tulsa, Okla.

But the food in Memphis is sooooo worth the risk!

Elliott's - this is a breakfast-and-lunch restaurant on Second between Madison and Monroe. You can order a hamburger or cheeseburger and then dress it the way you want on their fixins' bar/salad bar.

Big Foot Lodge - their Four Cheese Burger is my current addiction. I like to spend 50 cents extra and get it topped with mushrooms. Alternately, you could top it with bacon. Definitely not recommended by the American Heart Association as a healthy dining choice, but who cares? It's so good. Big Foot is located on Second, in the row of restaurants across from the Peabody.

The Majestic Grille - what really pushes the Majestic's burger into the land of hamburger superstardom is the parmesan shoestring fries that come with it. The Majestic is on Main just north of Peabody Place, perfectly located for dining before or after a show at the Orpheum or a Grizzlies game.

Dyer's - the Double-Double is about as close to perfection as a hamburger can come. Their patties are very, very thin, so a Double-Double (double meat, double cheese) is about right for normal-sized appetites. If you're hungry, get a Triple-Triple. Dyer's is located on Beale between Third and Fourth, and is one of the best values for the money on the street.

Zanzibar - you wouldn't expect the hamburger to be one of the standouts on their eclectic, arty menu, but stand out it does. The "Z-Burger" is one of the best I've had downtown. Zanzibar is in the South Main Arts District near the intersection of Main and Huling.

Earnestine & Hazel's - you ain't been to Memphis until you've had a "Soul Burger," the lone item on E&H's menu. My recommendation for a perfect Saturday night: Hit E&H about 11 for a Soul Burger, a cold beer, and some tunes on their legendary jukebox; then cruise about four blocks north on Main and turn right on Vance for dancing and a cold 40 at Raiford's. E&H is at the corner of Main and G.E. Patterson in the South Main arts district.

He's on target. They're all good spots to grab a burger, but don't forget the Bluff City is known for its barbecue.

(Yes, use your imagination.)

In three months, the doors of hospitality will open once again at that corner -- across from the FedExForum, where the National Basketball Association's Memphis Grizzlies play -- for the Westin Memphis Beale Street Hotel. 

It's a $40 million, 203-room hotel, the first "Westin" in the Mid-South, this slice of the U.S. better known as Western Tennessee, Northern Mississippi and Eastern Arkansas. OK, call it Memphis. 

Owned by Starwood Hotel & Resorts Worldwide Inc., it will be the first upper-upscale branded hotel to be built in the Memphis metro area in more than twenty years.

The city is abuzz. It'll be a prime spot for autograph seekers.

The hotel's upper floors are being tailored for NBA-sized bodies: people at least 6-6 and who weigh more than 240 pounds. To that end, this oasis will have "a special floor with taller ceilings and doors, shower heads mounted to accommodate NBA players and a configuration of suites to serve the special needs of an NBA team."

It will also have the nationally acclaimed and upscale Daily Grill restaurant. The hotel is eyeing conventions, business meetings and other social gatherings.

As for the corner's imaginative history, the hotel might mark that too. Discussions are still being held to have a display of artifacts that give a peek into that corner of Memphis's past. 

(Photo: Commercial Appeal)