Paul Ryburn’s Journal

My job starts at 9 in the morning, so ideally I like to sleep until about 7:30. That didn’t happen this morning though, and it hasn’t happened several other mornings lately. About 6:15 someone who lives in my building or nearby takes a barky little dog out to do its business on the Main Street Mall. Since I’m still in bed at that hour, I’ve never seen the dog but it has to be a chihuahua or similar size breed. That thing barks constantly for 5 or 10 minutes. By the time its owner finally takes it back inside, I’m awake enough that rolling over and trying to get back to sleep is pointless. I wonder how many of my neighbors get woken up by that dog as well.

On a better note… as I lay in bed wide awake post-dog, I realized something… I’m actually excited that I get to go to work today! It’s not that today is a special day or anything. It’s just that I realized, there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about this job that frustrates me, that makes me dread coming there. I just show up, turn on the computer, and grind away. I spend my time there indexing tens of thousands of documents so the lawyers can quickly find the ones that are important. I won’t go into details of the particular cases, of course, but it is really interesting work.

The Daily Memphian’s Jennifer Biggs came back Downtown for this week’s My Favorite Things column, with a visit to Maciel’s Tortas and Tacos. There she had the caldo tlalpeno, the chicken chipotle soup served over rice with crumbled tortilla chips and avocado slices. Yum! I have seen someone get this soup delivered to their workplace, and let me tell you, the large bowl ($7.50) is giant, easily enough for two people to share.

It’s one of the few items on the menu there I’ve never had. Hmmm…. you may see a photo of a troll standing next to caldo tlalpeno this week. That’s one thing I have that the Daily Memphian doesn’t, a troll. Maybe they should get one. Might increase their subscriber count. Everything’s better with trolls.

The Grizzlies were on TV last night, and I finally got a look at the new additions to the team. Man… Brandon Clarke made the front office look like geniuses for trading up two spots in the draft to get him. The talent he displayed was way above the #21 pick level where Memphis got him. Ja Morant dazzled at times – there was a sweet pass to Jaren Jackson Jr. for a made three – but he struggled, as would any 20-year-old with no NBA experience would when being asked to be a team’s starting point guard. The loss to Charlotte was disappointing, but this year the excitement is more about building toward the future than winning now.

Jaren Jackson fouling out is not good though. Nor was the Grizzlies falling apart in the fourth quarter, something we saw all too frequently last season.

If you’re the type of person who forgets to charge your phone, here’s a link you might want to bookmark: How to send a text from your computer to any phone. It’s done through something called an email-to-SMS gateway. Very handy when you need to text someone right away but your phone is at 0% and you don’t have time to wait for it to charge.

Loflin Yard will host a fall dog show Saturday, November 2 from noon to 6. Dog talent show, puppy games, and an obedience training demonstration (wish the owner of 6:15 AM barky dog would come to that and decide to sign up his animal for some obedience training). Mutt Mafia will be there doing adoptions. Costume contest, ugly dog contest, photo booth. Drink deals for humans and dogs.

Jello shot Jenga is now a thing. Looks like an item is going to need to be added to the agenda of our next BBQ team meeting.

Penn and Teller come to the Orpheum Friday night. Tickets are $32.50-$80.

That’ll do it for today. Time to head to work. After I get off maybe I’ll walk over to Maciel’s and get a bowl of that caldo tlalpeno.

Folks, I have big news. If you want Chester’s Fried Chicken and you live Downtown, you will no longer have to drive across the bridge to the truck stop at Exit 272 to satisfy your hunger.

Yesterday I saw this sign on the door of Bluefin’s side bar, formerly Bluefin Diner, Bluefin coffee shop, and Bluefin deli. Yep, they’re going to be slingin’ chicken out of that space now. This is probably the smartest thing the new owners have done since they took over a few years ago. Man, you know the folks over at Gus’s a few blocks away must be shakin’ in their boots at the thought of the intense competition.

The Grizzlies host the Charlotte Hornets at 7 this evening in a pre-season game. This will be our first look at the 2019-2020 Grizzlies versus an NBA opponent. The game will be on NBA TV.

Edible Memphis has a new sandwich guide, curated by a member of the Memphis Sandwich Clique.

There’s a bar in St. Louis with a new concept: They charge by the hour, not by the drink. So, for example, if you want to drink Bud Light, you pay $10 an hour and you can drink all you want during that hour.

Only in Texas: A man brought a steer to Petco to test their “all leashed pets are welcome” policy

Time to get this week started. Back tomorrow with more news.

River Time Market & Deli, the little shop on the south side of Court Square next to Blue Plate Cafe which has gained a reputation for its incredible sandwiches, is expanding its menu to include soups. They are going to start with two soups a day on the weekdays and will have four a day by the end of October. Once they get there, they plan for the soup menu to include

Monday
Broccoli & Cheese
Chicken Tortilla
Lobster Bisque (early November)
Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup

Tuesday
Vegetable Soup
Chicken & Dumpling Soup
Jambalaya
White Bean & Ham

Wednesday
Chicken Noodle
Chicken Chili
Minestrone
Vegetable Beef or Owner’s Choice

Thursday
Chicken Gumbo
Italian Raviolini
Ultimate Baked Potato Soup
White Rice Chicken

Friday
Chili
Chicken Enchilada
Clam Chowder (late October)
Corn Chowder

Road from the Biscuit Blues Festival happens today on Beale Street. Bands that performed at the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, AR will perform on 13 stages in clubs on Beale.

The Boos & Brews Bar Crawl benefiting Ronald McDonald House will happen Saturday, October 26. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Tickets get you free cover at all of the venues and drink specials. The crawl will begin at 8 PM at Bar 409 inside the Puck Food Hall. After that stops will include Slider Inn Downtown, Cafe Pontotoc, Silly Goose, and Bardog Tavern. The after-party will be at Momma’s Roadhouse. Best male, female, and couple/group costume will receive a prize. You must be at the first stop, Bar 409, to enter the costume contest. This event is organized by Red Shoe Society, a group of young professionals whose goal is to build awareness of Ronald McDonald House.

Also on October 26, Tin Roof will have its Haunted Asylum Halloween party. They’ll have Andrew Caibgao at 6 PM and Alex Butler Band at 10 PM. Over in the Green Room DJ Epic will perform a scary set. Costume contest with $250 cash prize, free candy and more.

There will be a port & chocolate tasting Tuesday, October 22 at 6:30 PM at Texas de Brazil. TdB will team up with the Fladgate Partnership and local chocolatiers for this event. Participants will enjoy bites of TdB’s meats paired with port and an educational evening with tasting notes and gourmet chocolate. Note that regular dinner is not included in the ticket price, but those who want to stay and have dinner after the tasting will get 25% off the purchase price.

Shelby County’s first lactation pad has been installed at FedExForum. At Grizzlies games, mama bears will now have a quiet and sanitary room where they can go to breast feed.

Raymond James is seeking a $3.2 million handout from the city to help pay for its move from its Downtown headquarters to the Poplar/Ridgeway area. The company is claiming that 100 new jobs will be created paying an average of $63,970 annually, but that average is skewed by a handful of executive and managerial jobs. The median salary will be $50,000.

When I was a teenager in Little Rock, my mom would get in the car on Sunday mornings and drive out to Broadway, returning home from a fast-food restaurant called Bojangles with the most amazing sausage biscuits and steak biscuits. Well, yesterday I saw an ad stating that Bojangles is looking to move into available markets and a search revealed that one of those desired markets is Memphis. Somebody needs to make this happen!

As your #1 source of news and information about The Edge District, it’s my pleasure to inform you that Juke in the Box happens today at 1 and will happen every Sunday at 1 at Kickspins Memphis, one of the stores in BOXLOT next to the former Kudzu’s on Monroe. They invite you to come spin your favorite record.

It’s Bring Your Dog to Bingo Day presented by Cerrito Bingo at Loflin Yard. Those with a dog get an extra bingo card. There will be prizes and treats from Hollywood Feed and a dog costume contest as well. 10 rounds of bingo from 4 to 6 PM.

Sunset Jazz returns to Court Square today from 5 to 7 PM. Today’s music will be by Neptune’s Army featuring Ed Finney, AKA Jupiter Sky-Fish. Food trucks will be onsite and picnic baskets and blankets are welcome.

Monster Market, the pop-up at 618 S. Main, will have a Whisks of Doom Chicken Biscuit Brunch today at noon. Your alternative to that other chicken place that closes on Sundays, they will have fresh marinated fried chicken on buttery Whisks of Doom Biscuits. I don’t know if I have any vegetarians who read this blog, but in case I do, I will mention that they will have vegetarian chicken available as well. Proceeds from biscuit sales will benefit Friends for Life.

Michael W. Smith performs at the Cannon Center this evening at 7:30.

Today is National No Bra Day.

Off to Silly Goose for D-RANKS with B-RAD. That’s his new Sunday home, it seems! I plan to stick around for the pizza party.

By the way, although it says 5 on the flyer, Daniel said the party would get started more like 3.

Back tomorrow with more news.

Football fans, be sure to turn on ESPN2 this morning at 11. The Memphis Tigers-Temple Owls game will be broadcast nationally. ESPN has the Tigers at about a 64% chance to get the W, but a lot of analysts are saying Temple’s home field advantage will make this the Top 25 upset of the week. Hopefully ESPN’s computers know better than the analysts.

Job news: Slider Inn Downtown will host an onsite job fair from 4 to 6 PM tomorrow, Sunday, October 13. They are hiring for all front of house and back of house positions. This would be a great place to work. The thing about Aldo is, he expects you to bring your A-game every day and deliver an awesome customer experience, but if you do that he takes great care of you. Look no further than Bardog for proof – many of the people who were there on opening day 11 years ago still work there. The new Slider Inn is at the corner Talbot and Mulberry, one block east of South Main Street.

Aldo has been known to move people to his other restaurant locations, often at their request, so if you really want to work at Slider Inn Midtown, or one of the Aldo’s Pizza Pies locations, or at Bardog, this might be a foot in the door.

Oh, speaking of Aldo’s Pizza Pies… they’re hiring too! The Downtown location is looking to bring on kitchen staff, a server, and delivery staff. Apply in person at 100 S. Main.

The Memphis Business Journal has a look at the trivia and bingo empire that Kevin Cerrito has built. His themed trivia nights have proven so popular that sometimes he draws 100 people or more. Restaurant GMs say that Cerrito trivia often brings in an extra $1000-$2000 in revenue on what might otherwise be a slow night.

Cedric the Entertainer has announced an Orpheum show the night of Thursday, November 21.

Edible Memphis has a Familiar Faces column about people in the food service industry who you might have seen around town, but whose story you probably don’t know. As your #1 source of news and information about The Edge District, it’s my pleasure to link you to this week’s Familiar Faces, where they sit down with Noah Couch, a server and host at Edge Alley.  Besides his obvious love for food, Couch shares his tastes in fashion and his passion for fighting for equality in the interview.

Lime scooters are leaving Memphis. Buh-bye! Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out! This week I’ve seen two scooter riders run red lights. MPD needs to crack down on that.

Have you ever wanted to learn to read tarot cards? Rev. Omma will host a Tarot 101 class at The Broom Closet, 546 S. Main, on Saturday, November 9 from 2:0o to 4:30 PM. There’s a $10 energy exchange for this event.

The Majestic Grille rolled out its fall cocktail menu yesterday. Here’s a look:

Yesterday I told you about the Pink Out the Pitch drive for Saturday, October 19’s final Memphis 901 FC home match of the season, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t also tell you about a couple of things happening at THIS Saturday’s (October 12) home match. First of all, all fans who attend the match receive a team photo, courtesy of Southern Security Federal Credit Union.

There are also a couple of specialty tickets for tomorrow’s match. One gets you an inaugural season scarf and the other gets you an inaugural season pin.

Loflin Yard will host a modern art market tomorrow at noon.

There will be an event called Cocktails and Cornsticks Thursday evening, October 17, at Felicia Suzanne’s. Suggested donation of $25 or more gets you tea sandwiches, cornsticks, and cocktails and supports the making of a documentary about the legendary Little Tea Shop restaurant.

The deal has been signed: Loews will open a convention center hotel on party of the Civic Center Plaza and in the former Memphis Police building at 128 Adams. It leaves out the 100 N. Main building, the tallest in the city, which once again finds its fate swinging in the wind. This is a big deal for Memphis’ ability to draw conventions to town, putting a significantly larger number of hotel rooms within a short walk of the convention center.

Memphis Symphony Orchestra celebrates the greatest hits of rock & roll tomorrow night at 7:30 at the Cannon Center. They will play tunes by Marvin Gaye, Earth Wind & Fire, the Commodores, Issac Hayes, Stevie Wonder, Outkast, and more.

I found a very cool link this week, quite by accident. Patrick always releases his categories for Blind Bear trivia a day or two in advance. This week, one of the categories was Whistleblowers. That would imply “people who expose corruption,” but one thing I’ve learned about Patrick is that he likes to throw curveballs on some of these questions and you have to think outside the box. Whistleblowers… whistle blowers… referees! I suspected, being football season, he might ask a question about referees. I found this link that explains what each official on the field in an NFL game does: referee, umpire, down judge, line judge, field judge, side judge, and back judge. It didn’t help me win trivia but was nonetheless interesting and I thought I’d share.

If any Daily Memphian staff are reading this, I have a suggestion for a Food Fight article: The meat and cheese plate at Belle Tavern vs. the meat and cheese plate at the Silly Goose. There are a lot of good meat and cheese plates Downtown (Blues City Cafe, Hueys, etc.) but these are two additions to Downtown dining that go above and beyond.

If you’re in the mood for a hot wing festival, you don’t have to wait until spring. The Bluff City Hot Wing Festival supporting Compass Community Schools will happen Saturday, October 26. The event will be at 61 N. McLean, admission is only $5, and there will be activities for the kids.

Next week is fall break for local schools and the Grizzlies Youth Basketball Program is hosting a fall break basketball camp for kids 6-16. For $75 you get 90 minutes of instruction and contests on the floor where the pros play. You also get a special T-shirt, two tickets to that night’s Grizzlies vs. Charlotte pre-season game, and courtside access pre-game to watch the players warm up. You also get two bonus tickets to opening night.

Carolina Watershed will host the Halloween version of Electric Watershed Friday night, October 25. Electronic dance music by DJ Ben Murray, Don Twan, Kelvin, Kaos, and more to be announced.

Buy a Brick for the Blues and become a part of Blues Foundation history, your name and message on a brick on the sidewalk outside the Foundation’s Blues Museum.

That’s it for now. Trying to decide whether it’s worth it to take an umbrella for my 20-second walk across Main Street that is my commute to work. After work I’ll stop at Blind Bear, and then (weather permitting) I’ll head down to Max’s Sports Bar to spread a little sunshine. Back tomorrow with more news.

Before the Cardinals-Braves NLDS finale yesterday afternoon, analysts were on TV discussing the betting lines. I wonder what the odds were on “The Braves will walk in more runs than they will score”?

Tin Roof on Beale Street has a job opening for a production sound mixer. This person will set up and reset the stage, including for touring bands. 3 or more years of experience and you need to be current on trends in production and sound equipment. If interested email justinbralts@tinroofbars.com.

The Mersey Beatles, the Beatles cover band from Liverpool, perform tonight at the Halloran Centre.

There’s a new Facebook group called Dogs of Majestic where you can post pics of your pups enjoying the patio of the Majestic Grille.

As your #1 source of news and information about The Edge District, it’s my pleasure to inform you that Jamaican restaurant Evelyn & Olive (630 Madison) now has Sunday brunch and dinner. Brunch is from 12 to 2 and dinner 2 to 8. There are unlimited mimosas (I wonder if that’s just for brunch) and dishes will include cornmeal porridge, oatmeal porridge, ackee & saltfish, fried dumplings, shrimp & grits, and chicken and waffles.

A medical clinic is seeking a grant to open a Downtown location at 119 S. Main. Florida-based We Care will begin construction next month in a vacant 6700 SF bay if the grant is approved.

KIX on Beale returns to Handy Park tonight at 7:30 with a free show featuring Rodney Atkins and Caylee Hammack.

There will be a free screening of the movie Moonlight tonight at Fourth Bluff, 51 N. Riverside Drive, at 7 PM. Get there early for a DJ set by Kid Maestro.

Memphis 901 FC will Pink Out the Pitch for Saturday, October 19’s game. Game time is 7:00 but gates open at 5:30, and you will want to be there early because the first 5000 fans will receive a pink T-shirt with the 901 FC crest on it, courtesy of Baptist Cancer Center. In addition, the team will be wearing special pink jerseys that will be auctioned off after the game. Tickets and more info

That’s it for now. Back tomorrow with more news.

Good eats, good vibes, and a good cause are coming to South Main… Farm Fest tickets are now on sale. This event, the largest annual fundraiser for the Memphis Farmers Market, will be held at Puck Food Hall (409 S. Main) Sunday, November 3 from 5 to 8 PM. There is always plenty of good food from local area restaurants, many of whom buy from Memphis Farmers Market vendors. This year the food is being coordinated by Felicia of Felicia Suzanne Restaurant. Shufflegrit will provide the live music. By attending this festival, you are showing your commitment to shopping local farmers and vendors. Tickets are $50. Kids’ tickets (7-13) are $30 and can be purchased at the door or at the Farmers Market and kids 6 and under are free.

Deal Cancer Out, hosted by Call-to-Duty, returns for its 7th year Sunday, November 30 at 2 PM at Central BBQ Downtown. Join in the fight against prostate cancer while playing a Texas Hold’em tournament. The event will be run by River Rat Rounders to ensure that everything goes smoothly. Your buy-in is $50 and includes a BBQ buffet. Winner will score a 3-day trip to Las Vegas including airfare and hotel. Runners-up will receive prize packages from local restaurants and bars ranging in value from $400 down to $100.

Tonight is John Lennon Glass Night at the Flying Saucer at 7 PM. This is one of the glasses that usually sells out quickly, so I’ll repeat my usual advice. Get there a little before 7 and tell your bartender or server that you want to purchase a glass as soon as they go on sale.

There was a report on The Dirty Crow Inn’s Facebook page this week that the 5-star dive bar would be moving to a building at 612 N. Fifth in Uptown. That would place it at Fifth and Saffrans, about 4 blocks north of A.W. Willis Avenue, very well in keeping with the idea that it’s a dive bar on the very outskirts of Downtown. However, a comment by the owner of the building indicates that the Crow will not be moving into that location. The building owner says the Crow would not work there because of residential restrictions, and the property is set to become a commercial kitchen and AirBNB. So the Crow’s search for a new location continues, it appears…

Can I make a suggestion here? I’m assuming the people who run Dirty Crow want to keep much of the same feel as it had in the Crump-Kentucky intersection – not too big, and Downtown but on the very outskirts of the area. Seems like the old Kudzu’s building out on Monroe in The Edge District would be a perfect fit. It’s within a block or two of what I would call “not downtown” and as soon as the apartments in the former Wonder Bread building get open, you’ve got a built-in clientele within walking distance. I remember hearing there are developers who already have the former Kudzu’s in their plans, but why not move those plans up if you can get a bar and restaurant concept in there that already has a proven record of success?

Meanwhile, the Daily Memphian’s weekly New Eats column takes a look at the food at Momma’s Roadhouse, which took over the Crump-Kentucky location.

Loflin Yard will show the Memphis vs. Temple game on the big screen this Saturday at noon.

During the Mud Island River Park offseason, Memphis River Parks Partnership plans to contemplate the future of the park’s Gulf of Mexico replica, which proved more popular than expected this past summer.

Off to work. Later in the day I will head over to the Silly Goose to watch Game 5 of the Cardinals and the Braves in the NLDS. Sure is nice to be able to watch baseball at the Goose during happy hour. Go Cards! Back tomorrow with more news.

Wow, weird dream last night. I dreamed that I walked into a group of people, and they seemed nice and I started hanging out with them – until I realized they were a cult and were trying to indoctrinate me. I had to run for the hills – literally, in my dream there were steep hills – to get away. At the top of a hill I saw a highway overpass and knew if I could make it there, I’d be OK. I woke up before I got there though.

The Grizzlies are back at home at FedExForum tonight, hosting the New Zealand Sky Sport Breakers at 7. This game will be interesting because R. J. Hampton, a top prospect from the high school graduating class of 2019, chose to play overseas professionally rather than go to college and be a one-and-done, and he is playing for New Zealand.

There will be a so-called secret show of comedy downstairs at the Downtown Local Gastropub tomorrow night at 8. It’s hosted by the Comma Comedians, who have done a lot of shows out at the Memphis Made taproom in the past.

As your #1 source of news and information about The Edge District, it’s my pleasure to tell you that BOXLOT, the group of shops in the space next to the former Kudzu’s, will be celebrating National Sneaker Day tomorrow, October 9, from 4 to 8. Shops Majik & Co. and Kickspins will have fresh new sneakers for sale. You’ll be able to chat with other sneaker-heads and shoot some hopes. Featured at this event: DJ A.O., Joseph Boyd, Sneakfest, Rough Feathers Apparel, HEROS Footwear, Basketball Freeplay, El Mero & Cousins Maine Lobster Food Trucks, and a Fresh Kicks Contest.

Bass Pro is having a cornhole competition as part of its Flocktoberfest fall celebration this Saturday 9 AM to noon. First place team gets $500 cash and each member gets a night’s stay at Big Cypress Lodge. There are $200 and $100 Bass Pro gift cards for the second and third place teams.

Memphis Made will host a dog parade and costume contest on Halloween at 6 PM. It will be followed by Trick or Trivia and there will be candy and beer for the humans.

Another dog event: Harbor Town Dog Day will happen Sunday, November 10. Doggy Palooza, live music, games, vendors, food, beverages. Proceeds raised will benefit the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County.

Daily Memphian New Eats column: Let It Fly. Normally I wouldn’t care about mentioning a sports bar in Germantown, but Mike Miller owns it. The Tigers assistant coach is passionate about the restaurant and is active in its management and direction.

That’s it for now. Off to work. Back tomorrow with more news.

Crosstoberfest comes to Crosstown Brewing Co. this Saturday. There will be German food, the best collection of German beers they could get their hands on, a bratwurst eating competition, live German music, a DJ, kids’ activities, vendors and more. Beer by

Crosstown Brewing
Bell’s
Sierra Nevada
Bitburger
Yuengling
Ayinger
Spaten
Schofferhofer

Food by

Flying Saucer
Next Door
New Wing Order Food Truck
Central BBQ
MemPops

Sounds like quite the shindig. Come on out and celebrate the season!

Reharvest Memphis, hosted by Edible Memphis, will happen at River Garden park on Riverside Drive Sunday, October 20. This will be a tasting of foods from local farms and Kroger that otherwise would have been headed to the dumpster, prepared by some of the city’s best chefs. Admission is free and there will be live music. “Waste not, want not” is the theme.

On Facebook yesterday, Edible Memphis introduced one of the Memphis Farmers Market’s newest vendors, the Black Sheep Bottling Company. They focus on hand-crafted smoked hot sauces made in small batches. Catch them at the Market through the end of this month.

The Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum out in Victorian Village will present The Magic Basement on Friday, November 15 and Saturday, November 16 at 7 PM. This will be magic performed in a “close up” setting, in which the audience is only a couple of feet from the artist. Magic tricks from the 1860s through the 1950s will be performed, and it’s possible there will be a visit from the house’s resident ghost. Tickets are $40.

Congratulations to the Memphis Tigers, who entered the AP poll at number 23 this week. The November 2 home game against SMU may well determine which Group of 5 team makes it to a Big Six bowl game this year.

Out of time, going to have to save the rest of the news until tomorrow.

Sunday has become known on this blog as the day I trash-talk the University of Tennessee men’s Division I Lady Vols powder puff football team. Today, however, I am taking a day off from that venture. I have bigger fish to fry. Specifically, the Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball program.

You may have heard that Kansas is under investigation. A year ago, a former Adidas consultant testified that he helped pay off recruits in exchange for directing them to enroll at Kansas. He claims Kansas coach Bill Self and his assistants didn’t know, but it’s looking more and more like he committed perjury. Self’s job could be on the line here.

So, you know how Penny held Memphis Madness a few days ago, bringing in nationally known rappers to impress recruits? Well, Kansas did kind of the same thing, bringing in the biggest Dogg of them all – Snoop Dogg. Snoop put on a killer performance, complete with stripper poles, SHOWERING FAKE DOLLAR BILLS over the heads of prospective recruits. Does anyone see a problem here?

A lot of people were disappointed when chili was taken off Bardog Tavern’s menu for the warm summer. Well, now that we’re in a month where the maximum temperature is no higher than 98, chili has returned to the menu. Bardog has some of the best chili in town and they can use it to top a hot dog too.

The Flyer has Mac Edwards’ side of the story about his recent removal as Caritas Village executive director. The former owner of McEwen’s was let go by the nonprofit’s board of directors. I don’t know Mac real well but I’ve always respected him, and even more so after reading this article.

District 7, which includes parts of Downtown, is headed to a runoff for its City Council seat. Get to know Michalyn Easter-Thomas, a Shelby County Schools teacher and founder of nonprofit Our Grass, Our Roots. Berlin Boyd has occupied that seat long enough and it’s time for some new blood.

Dear Evan Hansen, the 2017 Tony award winner for Best Musical, has a run at the Orpheum Tuesday through next Sunday.

There’s a Monsters Inc. party at Primas Bakery + Boutique at 523 S. Main today at 1:30. Petit Fours, cookies, donuts, macarons, coffee, tea, punch, and they will show the movie.

Hoops and Hops happens at 11 in Madison Avenue Park next to the First Tennessee building. Take a hula hoop fitness class with Heidi, then walk across Madison to the Brass Door for a pint of hops.

That’s it for now. Stayed out past midnight for the first time in a while last night and I’m definitely feeling it this morning. Back tomorrow with more news.