IN 1948, CHARLIE VERGOS CLEANED OUT A BASEMENT BELOW HIS DINER, DISCOVERED A COAL CHUTE, AND STARTED A LEGEND.

The coal chute gave him a vent for his considerable talent over a grill, and allowed him to expand from ham-and-cheese sandwiches to ribs. Today, several thousand people on an average Saturday night pour into our basement and sink their teeth into a slab of what makes Memphis, well, Memphis.