Hoodoo Highway

Blues City has the BLUES

A legend left us this past weekend. Chef Bonnie Mack, of Blues City Cafe on Beale in Memphis, died on Saturday August 16. "BonnieMack" (like it was all one word) was THE Chef on Beale Street since 1991.

I met Bonnie Mack in the 80s when he was working at Doe's Eat Place in Little Rock, Arkansas. We became acquainted more through his stint at Johnny's Market Cafe on Louisiana Street downtown Little Rock. Johnny's was an outstanding lunch place. The food was YUM. The menu varied but they always had a couple of items on the line, one of them being these "to die for" roasted potatoes. My coworkers and I would go through the line and we would all order those potatoes. Bonnie Mack would dish up 3-4 slices of those potatoes on everyone's plate but mine. When he got to me, I got that wonderful smile you see there in his picture, and 5 - 6 slices of those potatoes. I, being the pig that I am, ate those potatoes with much conviction. In fact, I can attribute some of these thighs to Bonnie Mack. When Johnny's closed we sorely missed the food and his smiling face. We could catch him at Doe's Eat Place but in 1991 - he moved to Memphis with Doe's. They opened up on a corner of Beale Street. Doe's eventually became Blues City Cafe and Chef Mack ruled Beale Street for almost 16 years. Whenever I would come over to Memphis and we made our way to Beale, I would always stop in and say hi to Bonnie Mack. He always tried to feed you or get you a drink. He was good that way.

He cooked for famous folks and the not so famous and treated each the same. President Clinton was a fan of his cooking back before he was President. There are many stories about how much of Bonnie Mack's cooking he did eat and enjoy! There were several obits and tributes to him in Memphis this week. This Saturday they will send him on with a service at the Baptist Church on Beale Street followed by a processional, complete with musicians, down Beale Street. A fitting send off for a heck of a guy. Memphis will not be the same without you Mr. Mack!

posted by Deb @ 8:58 PM