#right in front of Riko's salad

[jeanmoreaue]

lmaoo Jean watching Riko get bitch slapped by Andrew live on tv during the championship game literally like “right in front of my salad?”

[nekojitachan]

Hmm, another chapter update! We’re starting to get somewhere. I think after the next chapter there will be a time jump (that or the one following). Yes, plotty things.

Anyway, here you go. More ‘The Real Thing’, the Andreil Raven soulmate fic that does or does not exist.

Some twinyard drama, some spilling of tea, some of Nathan’s terrible parenting skills.

Previous chapter can be found here (and which links to other chapters).

*******

“So, off to some fancy party this weekend?”

Andrew gave his brother a look of long suffering which made Aaron grin. “Right, try not to have too much fun,” Aaron teased before he ran off to catch up with his friends. Andrew clicked his tongue then went on his own way, displeased at being reminded about the damn banquet that weekend.

The Ravens would have their fifth game of the season on Friday, and it was time for the northeastern district’s fall banquet; Andrew wasn’t pleased to deal with either things, but at least the first was a home game (against Binghamton) and would only last a couple hours, while the second was an overnight ordeal at Penn State.

He suspected that Tetsuji wouldn’t let them off-campus to have ice cream and hit a few bars.

At least Andrew shouldn’t have any problems shutting the goal against the Bearcats, who weren’t nearly as good as they liked to think they were. He was mentally reviewing some of their players’ stats when he met up with Ben on the way back to the Nest, who complained yet again about the fact that they weren’t allowed to take any dates to the banquet (‘I mean no offense, if I was into guys you would be… okay, you’d still terrify me but you’re not half bad looking, but I’m nineteen and it’s such a waste of a paid hotel room’).

They studied in their room for a while then went off to practice; Andrew was surprised to find Nathaniel (and Moreau) hovering by his locker, both of them already in their uniforms, hair slightly damp and mussed as if they’d recently practiced.

“Ooh, look at the two lovebirds,” Loiseau called out, which made half the locker room snicker.

Federov leaned over from his own locker to leer at Nathaniel. “What, is shorty not giving it to you good enough, Nate? You need-“

Andrew didn’t look away from his soulmate as he grabbed the prick by the throat. “Do you have any complaints?”

Nathaniel’s blue eyes widened slightly, while Moreau was quick to hide a faint smile. “None, other than your snoring.” He had to speak up a little over the choking sounds Federov made.

Andrew huffed as he clenched his fingers deeper into Federov’s throat. “I told you, you’re imagining things.” He finally looked at the backliner, whose face had turned a bright red. “See, no complaints. Now go away before I cut your tongue out for lying.” He dug his fingers in even more for a moment before he let go then shoved a gasping Federov away.

There were various mutters of ‘crazy’, ‘headcase’ and the like, but Andrew didn’t care, not if the others finally learned to leave him and Nathaniel alone. “You need to get your hearing checked out,” he said as he pulled off his shirt.

Nathaniel was looking away with a slight blush to his cheeks when Andrew glanced back, his red undershirt in hand (interesting). “My hearing’s fine. Enough lame jokes.” Once the shirt was on, Nathaniel looked back at him and leaned forward. “Be careful,” he said in a quiet voice not meant to carry far. “Riko and Kev are already out on court, and it’s not going well.”

Andrew glanced at Moreau, who gave a slight nod, then grinned, the expression wide and a touch sharp, as he reached out to pat his soulmate on his tattooed cheek. “Later, sweetpea. Your honeypie has to work first before we can have our fun,” he said out loud to throw off the Ravens still watching on.

If Andrew was a more delicate soul, he might be a bit perturbed, even downright unnerved, by the chilling look Nathaniel gave him just then. “I know how to debone you as if you’re nothing but a big fish,” the redhead threatened before he spun around on his heel and stomped away.

Moreau didn’t bother to hide his smile (a true rarity) as he nodded. “He does, too.” He gave Andrew a jaunty wave before he went after his partner.

Aw, apparently, they’d moved on to the flirting stage, how sweet.

Despite the threat, Andrew appreciated the warning when he finally got out on court, where he found a scowling Riko and a quiet Day doing drills; it appeared they had a contest going to see who could knock over the most cones. Judging from the numbers Akagi called out, Riko was in the lead… but Andrew saw at least one shot that Day usually had no trouble nailing any other time that he somehow flubbed just then.

Oh well, Kevin Day wasn’t any concern of his.

Tetsuji seemed to be ignoring the contest going on between his nephew and protégé, and called the Ravens forward to start practice; after warm-up exercises and drills, Andrew found himself part of a scrimmage with Nathaniel and Moreau in front of him while Engle and Saunders attempted to score goals.

It wasn’t so bad when Andrew didn’t have to deal with Riko, but he wisely kept that thought to himself, especially when he could hear the way that Riko’s ‘teasing’ remarks to Day crossed the line from friendly to vicious. He noticed how Nathaniel would tense at the mocking laughter and the various versions of ‘you suck’s, but for once the redhead seemed to be listening to his own advice since he kept his mouth shut and focused on Exy.

Riko and Kevin were still whacking balls when practice was over.

Andrew caught up with Nathaniel on the way to dinner to (slowly, making his intent clear all the while) ‘pin’ his soulmate to the wall, a scant inch between their bodies and Moreau a glowering presence nearby. Pretending to nuzzle Nathaniel’s left ear with his hands on the wall next to the younger man’s hips, he breathed out the question that had been on his mind the last few hours. “What’s going on with them?”

Nathaniel drew in a slow breath and raised his left hand toward Andrew’s head, only to loosely cup it when Andrew nodded. “Press asked Kevin more questions after their pro game last night,” he whispered. “He got more airtime.”

Andrew arched an eyebrow at that ridiculous bit of information, which prompted a slight nod from his soulmate. Well, someone had a fragile ego, didn’t they? Before he could say anything, though, he fought not to shudder as Nathaniel’s fingers tentatively slid into his hair.

That… shouldn’t feel so damn good.

“If you two don’t mind, I would like to eat soon, while I still have some miniscule appetite left,” Moreau sneered.

Andrew jerked away from Nathaniel, whose face flushed with embarrassment while he snapped something sharp in French at his haughty partner. “How about you try to eat with a broken jaw?” Andrew asked with a ‘smile’.

“Fillet you like a fish,” Nathaniel warned as he motioned for Andrew to follow him and Frenchie into the dining hall.

“I knew you liked me,” Andrew taunted as he tagged along.

“You have a death wish,” Moreau muttered while he shook his head.

Perhaps.

So did Ben; he gave Andrew a bright smile and a two thumbs-up gesture when he noticed that Andrew ate at the same table as Nathaniel and Moreau, even if he had to suffer through the two of them talking about the statistics of various teams and how best to manage the new drills that Tetsuji had sprung on them. Used to being ignored (at least by his soulmate), he was surprised when Nathaniel pulled him aside after dinner to talk to him privately.

“Be careful at the banquet this weekend,” he murmured while Moreau stood guard. “Riko always has to put on a show, to prove he’s in charge. Don’t give him a reason to do that to you in front of everyone.”

Before Andrew could say anything, Nathaniel whisked himself away, leaving only a feeling of warmth and a craving behind – a craving for Andrew to dig his fingers into dark auburn hair, to brush his lips against a full bottom lip that taunted him….

Perhaps it would be a good thing, to get away from his soulmate for at least a night.

Nicky sent along various types of articles on how to behave at a social gathering, which Andrew basically deleted without reading.

Friday’s night game went the way he expected it to go; the Bearcats played dirty, but they weren’t anywhere near the Ravens’ skill level so were sent home with an embarrassing loss. Andrew once again put in more effort than he liked while out in the goal, but somehow it was worth it when Nathaniel sat next to him on the bench during the game and joined in on mocking the opposing players, when he let down that prickly guard of his and acted like an almost normal teenager.

When he teased Andrew about his snoring when they were back in Nathaniel’s (and Moreau’s) room later that night, when he once again reminded Andrew to be careful at the banquet and (jokingly – Andrew realized that by the way the left corner of Nathaniel’s mouth hitched the slightest bit) asked him if he knew the difference between a salad fork and a teaspoon (one has these spiky bits and one is all smooth, you know) until Andrew threatened to smother him with a pillow.

(He may have fallen to sleep with the sound of his soulmate’s laughter ringing in his ears.)

Tetsuji, the bastard that he was, made the team do their usual workout and morning practice before they cleaned up and piled into the buses that were to drive them out to the middle of bumfuck PA for the banquet. Nathaniel fussed over Moreau and, surprisingly, Andrew before they left (Tetsuji also made them dress in their black and red dress clothes since they were to appear ‘perfect’ upon arrival), and snuck a few of the ‘good’ energy bars into Andrew’s left pocket before he walked away.

It wasn’t often that Andrew gave much thought to the whole ‘soulmate’ bs, but… but maybe there was a reason why he was stuck with Nathaniel Wesninski.

Maybe.

He slept most of the time on the bus, and read one of Nicky’s ‘suggested’ books the rest of the trip (it was another A/B/O novel, a sappy affair about a strong, blond Alpha swooping in to protect a struggling brunet omega which in no way reminded Andrew of Erik and Nicky). Once they reached Penn State, Riko made them line up per their numbers and inspected them, demanded that they straightened out their clothes and fixed their hair until they were ‘Raven’ perfect before he ordered them to fall in step per the way they’d practiced (actually practiced, oh how Andrew had blamed his laughter on the meds that day) before they headed into the stadium.

(The prick also took a moment to remind them to be on their best behavior that night, his attention lingering on Andrew as he tapped three fingers against his chin.)

Riko was arrogance personified to Penn State’s captain, who didn’t appear to care for him (or the Ravens), either. Yet they were stuck at the same table as their division ‘rivals’, which meant that Andrew sat next to Moreau while Riko and Day (along with various other Ravens) traded insults with the pussycats. It was almost enough to make him want to stab salad forks into his ears (and yes, he knew what a fucking salad fork was).

Better yet, stab a salad fork in someone else’s ear….

He was picking at his bland chicken breast and steamed vegetables (he would gladly maim someone for a pizza right then) when the pussycats’ captain gave a mocking laugh and nudged the young woman sitting at his side. “What did I tell you? No one wanted to come as dates for these stuck-up bastards.”

She laughed as well, as did the majority of the pussycats; Andrew noticed that most of the players had a guest beside them, which meant there were almost double the amount of people on their side of the table compared to the Ravens’. “Probably don’t even have any soulmates. Who would be unlucky enough to be stuck with someone like them?”

“Yeah, tied to an Exy-playing machine that doesn’t know how to have any fun for the rest of their lives, who would want that?”

“How could they even tell which one is their soulmate? All their symbols would probably be an Exy racquet or something equally boring!”

Andrew propped his chin up on his right hand while the pussycats continued to make fun of the Ravens, while beside him, Moreau huffed quietly but didn’t show any emotion. However, Riko didn’t seem to be handling the jabs as well (perhaps because prick knew he was a piece of shit and didn’t have a soulmate of his own).

Normally, anything that made Riko feel bad was a good thing in Andrew’s book, but he inwardly tensed when that one smile came over the prick’s face; judging from the murmured curse in French and the way Day stilled, he wasn’t the only one to realize that things had taken a turn for the worse.

Riko leaned forward as if to tell a secret. “The reason we’re champions, unlike your team, is that we know when to remain focused and when to indulge ourselves. Right now?” He cast a disparaging look at the young woman in the deep blue dress who sat next to the pussycat’s captain. “Even though you and the others don’t present much of a challenge,” he sneered, “we don’t allow ourselves to be distracted during the season.”

One of the pussycats’ backliners scowled and shook his head. “You just won’t to admit that no one wants you.”

That prompted a laugh from most of the Ravens. “No one wants us?” Riko clapped Day on the back, who scoffed at that statement. “When we’re already on a pro team, unlike any of you? When our seniors already have teams offering them contracts?” Federov and others grinned and nodded while more pussycats scowled. “We could have our choice of dates and already have our soulmates waiting for us, but this is work and so there’s no need to inflict so much boredom upon them when it’s not necessary. It’s bad enough that we have to do endure it.”

“You’re an asshole,” Captain Pussycat snarled, which was the truth but not much of a snappy comeback.

“An asshole who’ll beat you yet again this year,” Riko said with a pleased smile.

“An asshole who probably doesn’t have anyone to celebrate the victory with,” a dealer shot back as she rubbed the soulmate mark on her arm; she was too far away for Andrew to make out the symbols. “You need a soul for that to happen, and it’s clear that you Ravens don’t have any.”

Riko’s smile took on a too-sharp edge while various Ravens laughed. “Again, why inflict losers like you upon them? Since they’re our soulmates, they’re just as driven as us and are busy, but you’ll see one of them soon enough. Isn’t that right, Andrew?”

What the hell was the prick doing now? Andrew sat up, the drugged smile flattening as he gave his ‘captain’ a blank look. “It’s right that there’s no need for him to have to deal with these assholes,” he said, a clear warning in his voice.

“Hmm, but dear Nate will have to deal with them next season, just like Thea dealt with them until she graduated, isn’t that right, Kevin?” Riko sat there and outed their soulmates as if it wasn’t a big deal, when he had no right to; Andrew’s left hand clenched around the pathetic knife provided for dinner when he felt a kick to his right ankle.

“Don’t,” Moreau whispered. “Nat.”

Andrew almost stabbed the French bastard for interfering, almost told him to mention his soulmate’s name… but the damage was already done, wasn’t it? Riko had deflected the pussycats away from the fact that he didn’t have a soulmate, and now the other team (and soon the rest of the division once word spread) was busy talking about which other former Ravens might be soulmates.

Andrew would much prefer everyone was busy talking about Riko’s ‘unfortunate’ death, but was held back (barely) by the clear warning to Nathaniel (and by extension, to Aaron).

(He was also disgusted about how part of him felt a bit smug over how everyone knew Nathaniel was his soulmate.)

Ben took one look at him when they were finally allowed to return to the hotel at the end of the too long night and didn’t ask him to share any of the alcohol he’d brought along.

Moreau made certain to stay between him and Riko the entire time they were at Penn State and on the drive back to Edgar Allan. It was a good thing (for everyone stuck on the bus with him) that Andrew had just taken a fresh dose of his ‘happy’ meds before he received a text from Aaron, who had somehow heard about him finding his soulmate (word traveled fast, it seemed).

There was a lot of swear words and angry emojis, and eventually Aaron got to the point; if Andrew was messing around with his soulmate (he wasn’t), then Aaron was free to search for and have a relationship with his soulmate (when found). Andrew reminded his twin about his many terrible decisions made in the past, about how Andrew had to clean up so many messes, and received another furious text.

/U can’t keep me from her/

Andrew turned off his phone, unwilling to deal with such stupidity at the moment.

He just wanted to crawl into his bed and sleep the rest of the day (actually, he wanted to beat the shit out of something), which was unlikely since Tetsuji would put them through at least one practice before calling it a day, but upon entering the Nest, Moreau mumbled something about finding Nat and went off in such a rush that Andrew found himself following without any thought.

(Just for the hell of it, he wasn’t worried or anything.)

Nathaniel was in the room he shared with Moreau, seated at his desk as he studied. At first, he didn’t react to them entering the room, then finally raised his head from the book he’d been reading when Moreau called out his name. His partner hissed as if in pain upon seeing the bruises which marred Nathaniel’s pale skin, the blackened left eye and split lower lip, while Andrew felt a rare fury rail against the drugs swirling around in his veins.

“Nat, what-“

“Get out,” Andrew told Moreau as a manic smile tugged the corners of his lips upward as if hooks had been implanted in them. When Moreau stared at him in confusion, he grabbed a fistful of black material and shoved Moreau toward the door. “Get. Out.”

“Who do you-“

“Jean, just go,” Nathaniel said, his voice quiet and stripped of almost all emotion except a hint of exhaustion. “It’ll be fine.”

Moreau paused for a moment before he clicked his tongue and yanked his t-shirt free from Andrew’s grip. “Don’t hurt him,” he warned before he left.

As if that was possible; oh, Andrew wanted to hurt someone, all right, but not his soulmate. Oh no, he wanted to tear apart whoever had left those bruises on Nathaniel.

“Who was it?” he demanded to know as he forced himself to go sit on Moreau’s bed instead of on Nathaniel’s desk; he suspected that his soulmate needed the space right then (he needed the space right then).

Nathaniel was quiet while he bookmarked the page he’d been reading then leaned back in the chair; he began speaking before Andrew repeated the question. “My father was here this morning.” He winced as he skimmed his fingers over his bruised cheek. “Word got out fast about us being soulmates soon after someone posted it on an Exy forum last night.”

Andrew considered that for a moment while his hatred for Nathan Wesninski grew even more potent. “He beat you because I’m your soulmate.” Nathaniel gave a slight nod. “Why?”

“Because… because,” Nathaniel sighed as he got up to fetch something from the minifridge between his and Moreau’s desk; a fresh ice pack, which he wrapped with the towel he’d used on an older pack set on the desk. “He already knew you were my soulmate, Tetsuji told him after you were recruited, he was just… annoyed, I guess you could say, that the news got out.” He didn’t look at Andrew as he applied the pack to the left side of the face.

There were likely one or two explanations for that. “Is he angry because of my past or that I’m a guy?”

The question made Nathaniel look at him. “Uhm, the latter.” He toyed with a pen left on his desk as if nervous. “I mean, it’s not a big deal, two guys being soulmates, but he’s… well, even though he’s washed his hands of me, I guess he still thinks it makes him look bad. Makes him look like less of a man, somehow.”

So he made himself feel better by coming here to beat up his son, what a ‘man’. “My cousin’s father is like that,” Andrew confessed. “Has some weird belief that Nicky’s soulmate being a guy is a bad thing. He’s doing much better now that he’s living with Erik in Germany.”

For some reason, that bit of truth made Nathaniel smile, just a sliver of a curl. “Really? Are… are they happy together?”

“Disgustingly so,” Andrew admitted. “Once he finds out about you, he’ll be hounding me for information because he believes all soulmates should be happy together.”

“Oh.” That seemed to confuse Nathaniel; he glanced down at his lap and attempted to nibble on his bottom lip before he remembered why that was a bad idea. “Jean… Jean told me that there were good soulmate bonds, but I only know my parents and….”

“And it’s not good,” Andrew guessed; he better understood why Nathaniel had freaked out on him that one day.

“No.”

“Nicky and Erik have a good one.” Such a good one that he thought that the universe was mocking him with his own mark, was showing him something so perfect that could never be his.

Now… now he was beginning to wonder.

As the anger gave away to something warm and aching, he found himself on his feet, which made Nathaniel stare at him. “I have to go unpack.” He motioned to his duffel bag, which he’d left by the door.

“Yeah, practice will start soon.” Nathaniel gave him a weak smile. “Back to Penn State for an away game.”

More fun time with the pussycats; Andrew would have to put some real effort into that game, and wouldn’t get much time alone with Nathaniel while off his drugs.

Still, everyone knew Nathaniel and him were soulmates now (for good and bad), knew that Nathaniel was off-limits. He just… he just needed to figure out what do next.

(He knew what part of him urged him to do, which didn’t help things. He needed to be smart about what he did next, and for some reason… he didn’t feel very smart when around Nathaniel.)

*******

Yep, we’re getting somewhere.

Did you know that the pro team that Kevin and Riko played on while in university was called the Baltimore Wildcats? How many times I’ve read the Kathy Ferdinand interview scene and hadn’t realized that Nora did actually name that team? Oops. Which makes one wonder WHY Baltimore, hmm? Weren’t they signed with another team as well? Besides the US Court (which wouldn’t have demanded time until the Olympics). This is another reason why I don’t think the whole 18 hour days make any sense....

Anyway, thanks to those who do read this.

[notcorrectlovelive]

Riko and You: *having eye sex*

Chika: Are you guys serious? Right in front of my salad?

[rikouchi]

@shuutakao  ‘s drabble request since i am a horrible friend who has never done mido/taka for her before

“Whoa~ what a great day to test out new regimens,” Riko hummed, packing up the last of her papers before slipping her shoes on. She sent a text to Takao, saying that she was on her way to his house, before closing the door behind her.

It was days like this where she was glad that the other was a willing guinea pig in her experiments. Of course, they were ethical and done with the other’s consent, and they both benefited from it! Riko made note to perhaps do more to help Takao, especially since he seemed to be having trouble expressing his true feelings regarding Shuutoku’s ace.

Riko was a good wingman (or eye-woman) for one of her closer friends, after all! Piece of cake. It was only a few bus stops away before she arrived in Takao’s neighborhood.

“I should probably buy some snacks...” She muttered, eyeing the convenience store that was near Takao’s house. Thus, taking a small detour, she hurriedly purchased a salad and a few onigiris. She could treat Takao to a more filling lunch later.

There was a skip in her step as she walked, excited at the prospect of improving upon her techniques for Seirin. Admittedly, sometimes using someone of the opposing team was more prone to secrets being exposed, but why should she exhaust her boys when there was a willing subject in front of her~? Plus, she wasn’t foolish — she did change it up so that Takao wouldn’t be able to bring any tips over to his own regimen.

Riko’s stomach grumbled, so she sighed and dug into the bag. Well, it couldn’t hurt to eat before they started, right? Pulling the plastic lid off the salad container, the coach stabbed at a few pieces as she made her way up to Takao’s house. “I wonder if his little sister’s home?” She mused, knocking on the door with a foot (she wasn’t going to just barge in!).

However, when she knocked, the door creaked open slightly. Ah, it had been slightly ajar before she had knocked on it. Did that mean she was allowed to go in? With a shrug, Riko pushed open the door with a shoulder and continued to eat her salad, making her way to the living room as a guest.

But when she arrived in that room, there she found Takao making out with the ace of Shuutoku, Midorima. Riko paused in her salad eating, blinking once in confusion. Wait, that was Midorima, right?

Her presence alerted the two on the couch. Midorima was the first to pull away, face flushed as he fumbled for his glasses and stared aghast at the brunette.

“Really? Right in front of my salad?” Riko asked, wrinkling her nose.

And then she left. 

[tyleroakley-obsessed]

Soup Sunday is a Memphis tradition. Every year, thousands of Memphians fill the Concourse at FedExForum to enjoy samples of soups, appetizers, breads, dips, and desserts from 50 local restaurants. It’s a smorgasbord, really. It’s impossible to eat everything there, though many may try… Even better, all the ticket proceeds support Youth Villages. Soup Sunday 2019 is on February 17 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for kids. This week, I sampled some things you can try at this year’s event, plus talked to a few Soup Sunday vets. This year marks the 30th anniversary of this important fundraiser, one that supports Youth Villages’ mission to help children with emotional and behavior problems. Eat All The Good Memphis Food At Soup Sunday First: the food. You need to know that Soup Sunday isn’t just a bunch of soups, it’s a full menu of delicious soups, stews, and gumbos, plus other snacks, samples, bread, dessert, and more. It’s also totally family friendly, and there’s even a Kids Zone. Most of the big dining events in town are in the evenings and aren’t 100 percent geared towards families, which is something that makes Soup Sunday unique. Here’s what I tried. I stopped into Amerigo in East Memphis to talk with Chef Frank Loyd. He was kind enough to let me try what the Italian restaurant will serve this year: a hearty, beef broth-based vegetable soup with gluten free noodles. It’s a nod to Amerigo’s gluten free menu (something you don’t normally see at Italian places). Frank was born and raised in South Memphis, and has honed his culinary skills in several local restaurants over the years, including Cozy Corner’s original location on Watkins. Most recently he was at Char in East Memphis, before coming to Amerigo as chef six months ago. He’s inspired by his grandmother’s resourcefulness in cooking, “she’d use whatever she had in front of her, and she only cooked from scratch. Nothing came from a box.” Allison Williams from Amerigo was also on hand, and described the excitement of the initial rush at Soup Sunday at FedExForum. “They ring the bell, open the gate, and the crowd rushes in to get the setup with the sample cups. People are very enthusiastic; it’s three or four hours of excitement.” The soup (above) is pure comfort food, savory and packed full of veggies, perfect for a Sunday supper. I also went by Riko’s Kickin Chicken on Madison in the Medical District. Tiffany Wiley and her husband Meriko Wiley opened a food truck in 2014, serving his recipes for flavor-packed wings, tacos, and salads. They were so popular that they opened a brick-and-mortar 2017. At the moment, they’re doing some upgrades and renovations, though they’re still open for lunch and dinner. Tiffany tells me that one day they’ll do brunch. She says she’s known about Youth Village for years, and volunteered through her sorority Gamma Phi. Then, Riko’s food truck catered multiple events for Youth Villages participants over the years. It was only natural that they’d later join the list of local restaurants that participate in Soup Sunday. On Sunday, you can sample their boneless wings in four different flavors, including the Honey Gold, which is what I tried this week. I am here for this chicken, and you will be too. I especially liked how the sauce was less sweet than the usual honey-based sauces, and that they’re offering a small salad to lighten things up.  You’re going to need some napkins, though. Soup Sunday’s 30th Birthday Amanda Mullen, development coordinator for Youth Villages, told me about the first days of the fundraiser, which started in 1990 when supporters and Mid-South restauranteurs were looking for a way to support local kids who benefitted from the organization. “The original event organizers, Danny Sumrall and Mike Warr, brought the idea to Memphis after a similar event in Little Rock. After three decades, thousands of gallons of soup, and almost a million dollars raised, Soup Sunday is still going strong.” There were just 20 restaurants packed into Captain Bilbo’s downtown for the first event in ’90. Now of course, it’s more than 50 local eateries and caterers, plus more in the VIP area. It pretty much fills up FedExForum, which is not surprising. Memphis loves to eat almost as much as we love to give back to our community.    View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Youth Villages (@youthvillages) on Feb 26, 2018 at 5:08pm PST For the 30th birthday, Youth Villages will welcome in several new restaurants including Strano by Chef Josh (VIP area) and Forest Hill Grill in the downstairs Concourse, plus the guys from Memphis 901 FC will be there to hang out. “Soup Sunday is a bucket list type of event for the Memphis area, right?!” Amanda asks. Yep! I think it is. Tom Cassidy, III., is a longtime supporter for Youth Villages, and one of the 200 volunteers that help Soup Sunday run smoothly. He credits a couple different things with the event’s success. “I think the most obvious reason is the family atmosphere. Plus, you have up to 70 of the best places to eat in Memphis allowing you to sample a dish. It’s fun for the kids and a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon,” he says. “It is a larger task than people realize to prep and move all of the food, and get set up to serve. The setup starts up to 48 hours before the event.”   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by The Half Shell (@thehalfshell) on Aug 2, 2017 at 10:33pm PDT What booths should you be sure not to miss this year? Tom goes for Huey’s potato soup, Folks Folly she-crab soup, and The Half Shell’s seafood gumbo, all Memphis classics. Amanda has a few recommendations, too: “The Youth Villages Food With Class program is sure to be a hit; Miss Pia Mitchell and the young men from our programs who help her cook do such a delicious job,” she explains. She also mentions desserts from delicious places like Rizzo’s Diner (“Chef Michael Patrick knows how to make taste buds dance”) and the infamous lobster and shrimp bruschetta from the Half Shell (pictured above) probably the most famous thing to eat at Soup Sunday. Are you hungry yet? If so, go snag a ticket and we’ll see you filling up your samplers on Sunday! Go There:  Youth Villages’ 30th Annual Soup Sunday FedExForum, downtown Memphis February 17, 2019 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. $20 adults, $10 kids Website Are you a home owner in Memphis, with a broken garage door? Call ASAP garage door today at 901-461-0385 or checkout http://bit.ly/1B5z3Pc

http://ilovememphisblog.com/2019/02/30th-annual-soup-sunday-is-a-feast-for-a-good-cause/