The Restaurant That Forgot How to Cook

In 2019, a beloved diner in Memphis called The Four Way — famous for serving soul food to civil rights leaders since 1946 — faced a crisis. New management had invested heavily in renovations: gleaming countertops, fresh paint, a beautiful new sign. But somewhere along the way, they stopped making the cornbread from scratch. The greens came from cans. The sweet tea was premixed.…