Paul Ryburn’s Journal

This morning I returned to River Time Market & Deli on the south side of Court Square. I knew what I wanted: One of their breakfast cornbread sandwiches. They come with

Your choice of meats

• Sausage
• Bacon
• Ham
• Turkey

Your choice of cheeses

• Cheddar
• Swiss
• American
• Pimiento

I ordered the ham and the pimiento cheese. Pam the co-owner asked if I wanted the regular pimiento cheese, or the bacon jalapeno pimiento cheese. Of course I wanted the bacon jalapeno!

Look at that beautiful sandwich! They loaded that thing up with ham, and the bacon jalapeno pimiento cheese was a good call for sure. The price is $4.99 and if you showed me the photo above, I would think that was a fair deal. But this was only HALF the sandwich! I pulled it apart for photographic effect. Half the sandwich easily filled me up so the other half is in the refrigerator for breakfast tomorrow.

By the way, you may be wondering why the troll has not appeared in any of my River Time sandwich pics. That’s because I submit the photos to the Memphis Sandwich Clique Facebook group, and I want the attention to be on the sandwich, not the troll.

While Pam was making my sandwich, I took an inventory of what is in their grab & go case.

• Vegetable soup
• Chicken salad
• Tuna salad
• Egg salad
• Tropical Delight fruit salad
• Pimiento cheese
• Bacon jalapeno pimiento cheese
• Cobber (looked like blueberry)

Yesterday I got an email from one of my readers saying, “You really weren’t kidding about River Time!” She got a sandwich from there and took it back to work, where she showed it to her co-workers. They immediately called in 4 orders. That makes me happy and is the very reason I write this blog. I don’t need to win the Memphis Flyer poll anymore; I’ve done that 4 times already. What gives me the fulfillment I need to keep writing is knowing that my posts make help those who live and work Downtown have a richer experience. It’s knowing that great local businesses do well because of what I wrote.

Really, though, the credit in River Time’s case should go to the Memphis Sandwich Clique. I know they are a polarizing group. I know some people get turned off by their insistence on locally-owned sandwich shops only, and the fact that the same restaurants (Sam’s, Mrs. B’s, RAWK’n Grub) get posted over and over again. But, the fact of the matter is, the Clique WORKS. Restaurants that might have gone out of business (and if not for the Clique, I would be seriously worried about that in River Time’s case) are now seeing lines out the door and making more profit than they ever thought possible. People are discovering sandwiches they never would have otherwise known about. I want to do everything I can to get River Time talked about on the Clique as much as Sam’s Deli is. And if my posts on my blog and on the Clique cause me to have to wait an extra 15 minutes in line to get my sandwich, you know what, I’m OK with that.

Yesterday some of us Downtowners were discussing the fact that in some years, the Southern Heritage Classic and Cooper-Young Fest fall on different Saturdays, while on other years (including this year) they fall on the same day. What steps could the organizers take to ensure that these two events never fall on the same day, avoiding traffic snarls in southeast Midtown and enormous Lyft and Uber upcharges?

In my opinion Southern Heritage Classic should not have to change dates in future years to avoid this conflict. As far as I can remember, it has always been the second Saturday of September, so the 8th through the 14th. Although Cooper-Young Fest is probably the more heavily attended event over the course of its 10 hours, Southern Heritage Classic has a much heavier economic impact on the city. Also, the Classic has to work around the Memphis Tigers’ schedule for booking the Liberty Bowl, and probably is already booked years out, making it harder to move. Whereas, I would venture a guess that very little planning has been done for next year’s Cooper-Young Fest.

Thinking back to previous years, and correct me if I’m wrong here, the organizers of Cooper-Young prefer a date in the teens, so September 13-19. Why couldn’t they always make their event the third Saturday of September, making it a day between the 15th and 21st? That way they’d never conflict with the Classic. The average high and low on the 21st are 83/63 I believe. There’s almost zero chance it would be so cold that people wouldn’t show up, and there would be a slightly greater chance that August-like weather with 90s and humidity wouldn’t stick around that late in the year.

Let’s get on to the news…

The Memphis Union Mission will start accepting requests to volunteer for their annual Thanksgiving Feast on October 1. The feast will be Wednesday, November 27, the day before Thanksgiving. The times for which volunteers are needed are

9:30 AM-12:45 PM
10:30 AM-12:45 PM
12:45 PM-1:00 PM (bet that’s a typo; probably 3 or 4 PM)
4 PM-7 PM

They ask that each person bring a cake or dessert in a disposable container (meaning, you won’t get the container back). Not every volunteer will have direct contact with those being fed; some will wash dishes, sweep up, or do other non-contact work. Email rdaniels@memphisunionmission.org if interested in volunteering, and provide the following information:

• Name
• Email
• Phone number
• Time
• Number who want to serve (maximum 4 per family/group)

You will receive a confirmation email, and a week before the event you will receive a phone call. The Mission is located at 383 Poplar, just east of Danny Thomas.

Atomic Rose restaurant & nightclub has announced that beginning next weekend, they will have drag shows every Friday and Saturday night from 10:30 to midnight. They encourage everyone to come out and see their new Saturday night performer, Bella DuBalle.

Meet Jason March, the new coach of the Memphis Hustle, the Memphis Grizzlies’ developmental G-League team. Follow the coach on Twitter at @jasonlmarch.

There will be a gin tasting at The Greyhound Bar on Tuesday, September 17 from 6 to 8 PM. Appropriate for newbies and experts alike, you will taste 4 different gins and each will be paired with a small plate. Tickets are $55 plus tax in advance and include up to 3 hours of complimentary parking. Seating is limited, so get your tickets early. The Greyhound is at 201 Union in the hotel across from the ballpark, its name a nod to the bus station that preceded it in that location.

Eric Gales is getting his note on Beale Street, and there will be a celebration at B.B. King’s today at 4.

If you need duck feet for your recipe, there’s now a place in Memphis where you can get them.

Avoiding the hustle and bustle of the festival and football game? It’s a great day to be Downtown, which will be much deader than usual. My recommendation? Come to the Silly Goose, and no I am not about to post another picture of my troll looking at one of their wood-fired pizza pies. We have a couple of guest bartenders today. First of all, Jessica, who normally bartends Wednesday-Friday happy hour and Saturday nights, will be behind the bar. She has a big following and a lot of the happy hour crowd is likely to make an appearance to see her. However, she’s not there just to pour drinks; she’s there to train another bartender from the Daniel Masters family of bars to work at the Goose. Who, you ask? Well, just let me say this…

Saturday is BRADURDAY!

Yes, that Brad. B-RAD. Currently the Sunday bartender at Pontotoc Lounge, formerly the Sunday/Saturday bartender at Blind Bear which is where I met him. He’ll be there from 2 to 8. There was a thread about it this week on Facebook, and they were trying to get the South Main clique to come up to the Goose after they get done at Cooper-Young. Betcha one of the people in that group will be vehemently opposed to entering any bar which Brad tends, even if she is 100% certain I am not there.

All right, time to get in the shower and start my day. For the first time in over a year, it feels like I have earned my Saturday, having put in a 5-day week. Back tomorrow with more news, if I can find any, and I will catch you up with what’s going on with me personally and where my mind is at.

I went back to River Time Market & Deli on the south side of Court Square yesterday to try another sandwich. After a minute studying the menu I ordered the Full of Bologna.

This sandwich is made of fried beef bologna with your choice of cheese, on your choice of a sandwich roll or Texas toast. It is then heated, making the cheese all nice and melty, and it’s topped with lettuce and tomato and your choice of mustard or mayonnaise. I got Swiss cheese, the sandwich roll, mustard, and I asked them to hold the tomato.

This sandwich was delicious. The meltiness of the Swiss was out of this world and the flavor of the bologna was on point. I would recommend this to anybody who likes a good fried bologna sandwich. As with all sandwiches at River Time, you get a pickle spear and your choice of chips or potato salad.

The couple who owns the deli and who makes all the sandwiches introduced themselves to me. Apparently yesterday, the day after I posted a photo of their Memphis Walker sandwich to the Memphis Sandwich Clique Facebook group, they got really busy, and people told them they discovered the place because of my post. The owners are Downtowners too. They said they live right around the corner from the deli.

The official announcement came yesterday: Raymond James is leaving Downtown. Approximately 800 employees will be relocated to office space in the Poplar-Ridgeway area. Sucks for all those people who bought homes Downtown so they would have a quick commute to work, and now they’re going to spend an hour in traffic every day.

There will be a Memphis Chinese Heritage & Culture Festival in Handy Park on Beale 2 to 5 Sunday. Arts and crafts, demonstrations, music, and a dragon dance will be among the events.

My friend Corey Hollywood’s catering company The Kitchen Guru is having a brunch this Sunday from 1 to 4 in the afternoon. Your ticket includes bottomless mimosas, a brunch buffet, and specialty drinks. The brunch will be held on a Downtown rooftop and ticket holders will be emailed the location and instructions for how to get in. Go to The Kitchen Guru website to purchase your tickets.

The Memphis Flyer reports that a documentary on The Little Tea Shop is in the works. The restaurant on Monroe, featuring meat-and-two lunches, is popular among businesspeople.

Birdhouses on the Bluff happens tomorrow, Saturday, September 14, from 11:30 AM to 1 PM at River Garden park on Riverside. Come assist in building 100 birdhouses that will be placed at various locations around Fourth Bluff. In urban areas, it is explained, it is hard for birds to find suitable places to rest, and most will choose an enclosed structure if one is available. This event is sponsored by Cossitt Library.

In other Cossitt news, every Friday they have a Rock, Paper, Scissors Series at the pop-up library in the Puck Food Hall, 409 S. Main. Come learn about this game and play the staff.

Yup, that exists: Golden Girls Chia Pets

The Commercial Appeal has 5 things you need to know about the future of Downtown parking.

The Broom Closet on South Main will host an Are You Psychic? workshop on October 19. Cost is $40 and the two-hour workshop will be based on the award-winning workbook “Soul Exercises for the Open Mind” by John Cappello.

New life is coming to the building that formerly housed The Pier restaurant. 99 and 105 S. Front will be renovated into 112 apartments and 2 ground-floor retail spaces. There is parking underneath the building.

Early voting starts today, and the mayoral race is making national news. From the Huffington Post: Tami Sawyer battles racist caricatures and threats in bid to become Memphis’ first female mayor

A Vibe on the Island is back tonight at Mud Island River Park beginning at 6 PM. Trap jazz is tonight’s theme.

That’s it for now. Time to get to work. This weekend I’ll try to catch my readers up on what’s been going on with me personally lately.

 

Fun night at Blind Bear trivia last night. New trivia host Patrick has re-formatted trivia into four rounds, with questions worth 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and a bonus question of 10. The first round’s theme was patriots, and we ended the round tied for first place with a score of 24.

The second round’s theme was clowns, and we ended up tied for first place with a score of 44.

The third round’s theme was Manhattan, and we ended up tied for first place with the same team again, with a score of 64.

The fourth round’s theme was robots, and we absolutely fell apart, scoring only 11 points. I was sure we had surrendered the lead, and changed our team name to “We are the Tennessee Vols of trivia… we fall apart in the 4th.”

(Side note to our opponents: I am in no way implying that you are the Georgia State Panthers of trivia. Congratulations on a fine game.)

Anyway, after Patrick checked everyone’s 4th round bonus answers, he came over to us and told us we were STILL tied for first with the same team. I don’t think that’s ever happened before, a tie after each of four rounds… well, I know it hasn’t, because there have only been four rounds for two weeks.

We won the bonus question, which was the population of New York City (8.3 million) to win the game. With a record of 1-1 the past two weeks including an overtime victory, I guess I have to retract my statement that we’re the Vols of trivia.

On to the news… the Redbirds are partnering with I Love Memphis and Memphis Travel to offer $5 tickets to the Triple-A National Championship to be held at AutoZone Park next Tuesday. You must use this link to get the deal. All ticket purchases come with a free order of BBQ nachos, a drink, and a Redbirds hat. Now, that’s quite a deal!

Yesterday I blogged about Cooper-Young Fest, and what a massive event it is. If you’re looking for something smaller, check out Cooper-York Fest in the Memphis Made Brewing taproom and parking lot on Saturday. They’ll be open 9 to 7 with plenty of beers, and they’re bringing back Lime Junt and Red Handed Altbier for the occasion. Food trucks Soi Number 9, New Wing Order, and MEMPopS will be there. Live music starting at 1 by Unapologetic and Friends, Zero x Eillo, Magnolia, Jay Deskreet, Hannya, Kid Maestro, Aaron James, Hippy Soul, and Qemist. The Memphis Gaelic Athletic Association will perform demonstrations of their sport.

Edible Memphis reports that Pasta 409, in the Puck Food Hall at 409 S. Main, has been renamed Pasta DiStrada and now offers half portions for $6.

Chris Ferri of Belle Tavern demonstrates how to make Buffalo cherry limeade for The Daily Memphian’s Bar Talk this week.

I tried another pizza from the Silly Goose wood-fired oven last night: The Spicy Boy.

Aribata, pepperoni, mozzarella, oregano, lunch box peppers, and parmesan make up this pizza. Very tasty, probably my third favorite behind the Big Cheese and the Sancho. You might want to stop and get some Tums before you order this.

For those who haven’t heard of lunch box peppers before, here’s a link.

Pizza chef Parker told me that although they took the pizza with pineapple on it off the menu, you can still request pineapple as an extra topping on any of their pizzas. I won’t be making such a request.

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

Yesterday I tried a new Downtown deli, River Time Market & Deli. This is a place that is easy not to notice because it’s tucked away on the south side of Court Square, in between Blue Plate Cafe and the former Cupcake Cutie location (111 South Court is the address). I found their menu on their Facebook page and decided to walk up there for lunch yesterday.

The first thing to know is, be prepared to take your sandwich or salad back to your home or office. The place is small and they only have 3 tables, two 4-tops and a 2-top. Secondly, don’t expect to be in and out of there in a few minutes (unless you hit the grab & go; more on that in a minute). This is not a bad thing. They hand-cut the deli meats and cheeses at the time you order your sandwich, and they prepare it with care.

My lunch yesterday:

This is the Memphis Walker: Pit ham, Genoa salami, smoked turkey and mozzarella heated and placed on a sub roll, then topped with lettuce, banana peppers, mayonnaise, and Italian dressing. You get your choice of chips or potato salad on the side. Very good and a much higher quality sandwich than you’d find at one of the chain sub shops nearby.

I will be back, and I tell you, what I want to try next is breakfast. They have biscuit sandwiches for $2.99, and the Deli Ham Cheeser (pit ham, pimiento cheese on a hot buttered biscuit) and the Walkin in Memphis (fried beef bologna and praline mustard on a hot buttered biscuit) are high on my to-eat list. Also on the agenda will be a cornbread breakfast sandwich, which you can build with your choice of meat (pit ham, sausage, bacon, turkey) and cheese (cheddar, Swiss, American, pimiento). Breakfast hours are 8:00-10:30 and the deli is open 8 AM-6 PM Monday-Saturday.

As for the “market” part, they do have a very small selection of groceries including peanut butter, hot sauce, cookies, and candy bars. They have a lot of cold drinks including Coca-Cola products, health drinks, and specialties like South American beverage yerba mate. They have a grab & go with pimiento cheese and various salads like potato salad and fruit salad. They don’t have sandwiches in the grab & go; it’s like a smaller version of the grab & go at Holiday Ham.

If this place has flown under your radar and you work Downtown, I encourage you to get in there this week and check it out. This place is a true mom-and-pop business that needs our support if it is going to make it in that somewhat out-of-the-way location.

PRO TIP: I bet Thursdays are River Time’s least busy days if you want to avoid crowds. That’s the day they have to compete with nearby food trucks.

Yesterday I pulled up The Daily Memphian’s website and saw a headline from sports writer Geoff Calkins that the University of Memphis is nationally ranked. I thought to myself, as much as Penny has loaded the men’s basketball team with talent, I would expect the U of M to be top 10 in that sport. Then I thought, I’m surprised the AP poll and coaches’ poll are out this early, though.

Then I realized, oh, wait, Memphis must have made the top 25 in football this week, following their thundering victory over Southern University last Saturday. But, no. Memphis did receive votes, but not enough to get into the top 25.

I re-read the Calkins article and learned that the University of Memphis is ranked not in a sport, but academically. For the first time ever, Memphis is in the top tier of universities by U.S. News and World Report. I am SO PROUD of my alma mater (grad school) and the place where I worked as a full-time instructor for 5 years. I have kept my eye on the university since my time there, and I have seen a dramatic improvement in all aspects of learning: facilities, quality of instruction, you name it. Heck, they’ve even built a pedestrian bridge so students can get past the damn train and get to class on time.

Calkins rightly points out that the top-tier ranking is not only a result of significant improvements in instruction and graduation rates, but a marketing campaign by University of Memphis president M. David Rudd. He wanted to make sure the U of M did not remain a hidden secret in the world of academia. Dr. Rudd is a great follow on Twitter at @UofMemphisPres. He’s clearly a great communicator and a real people person.

Get ready for extremely heavy traffic on Saturday, as two of Memphis’ premier fall events happen that day. The Southern Heritage Classic is an annual football game between two historically black colleges, this year Tennessee State and Jackson State. Kickoff is at the Liberty Bowl at 6 PM. Expect very heavy traffic in that part of town not just during game time, but all day (I’ll get to why in a moment). The Classic is more than just a football game; it’s a four-day cultural celebration beginning today. There’s a Classic Concert with Gladys Knight and Jeffrey Osborne tomorrow night at the Orpheum, and a Classic Music Festival with Keith Sweat, Joe & Tamia Friday at the Landers Center.

Post-game, tens of thousands of attendees will come Downtown to party. Expect heavy traffic on Second, Peabody Place, etc. 9:30 PM to about 2 AM.

The other huge event happening Saturday, not far away from the Classic, is the annual Cooper-Young Festival. Since the late ’80s this festival has grown, to the point that it now extends down Cooper from Central all the way to Walker (about 10 blocks) and a couple of blocks on Young each way from the Cooper intersection. This is a massive event that draws tens of thousands of people (and actually I would not be surprised if attendance is over 100,000). There are over 400 vendors, bands on multiple stages, and plenty of good food as well as beer and other libations. Of course all the restaurants in the area will be packed, as well as the taproom of Cooper-Young’s brewery, Memphis Made. A few things you know if you attend the festival:

• Dress for the weather. Temps Saturday are expected to be well above normal, with MemphisWeather.net predicting a high in the mid 90s. It is going to be sunny which will make it feel even warmer. A feels-like temperature in the 100s is possible.
• Wear comfortable shoes. You’re going to be doing a lot of walking. If you make a full circle of the festival, you’ll have walked two miles. Plus, don’t count on parking anywhere near the festival, so you’ll be walking even more.
• Don’t expect to have cell service at all during peak hours (around 1 to 5 PM). The cell towers simply can’t handle that many phones in such a condensed area. If you need to check your football scores or call a Lyft to get home, you’ll have to walk several blocks outside the festival boundaries to get service.

If you’re into electronic dance music, my friend DJ Scotty B will have a dance party at the far south end of the festival (Cooper and Walker).

Little Italy is looking for hard workers to open their new location on G.E. Patterson in the former Scoops location. If interested call Giovanni at 631-626-2509.

This Friday, a full moon will occur on Friday the 13th for the first time in almost 20 years. It won’t happen again until 2049.

The Grizzlies are refusing to talk buyout with Andre Iguodala and want him in training camp. I like it. Have him serve as a mentor for the young players for a few months, then still get some value for him at the trade deadline.

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

TV series Bluff City Law starring Jimmy Smits, which has been filming in Memphis the past several months, will premiere Monday, September 23 at 9 PM. To celebrate, the Downtown Memphis Commission is setting up a giant watch party in Court Square from 8 to 10 that evening. A DJ will spin for the first hour of the party, then it’ll be time to watch the show on the big screen. The Stix and Stickem food trucks will be there, and beer and wine will be available for purchase. Also on site: Pop-a-Roos gourmet popcorn, MEMPopS, Walking Pants Curiosities, and Rachel’s Salon and Day Spa.

I have more information about Kitten Yoga, taught by my friend Mary Patrick, at the Humane Society on September 21. (Click image to view in a larger size)

As the name suggests, kittens walk around while you do yoga, and all of them will be adoptable. More info/tickets

This is very cool: Brian “Skinny” McCabe, owner of the Hi-Tone, is starting a mobile axe-throwing business. Now you can have axe throwing competitions at your birthday party or corporate event. Or wedding reception, I guess, although that might be a bit weird…

Early voting begins Friday. Here’s a list of locations. Since Strickland refused to debate, I am going to do as I said last week and cast my early vote for Tami Sawyer. Downtowners, the Shelby County Office Building at 157 Poplar is your closest location.

Big Cypress Lodge, the hotel inside Bass Pro, is planning to open a new outdoor lounge this fall. It will be open 5-11 PM Thursday through Saturday and will be available for private gatherings. It will offer views of Mighty Lights on the Mississippi.

Ghostbusters will be shown on the big screen at Cemetery Cinema at Elmwood Cemetery on October 11.

I got to try another of the new Silly Goose pizzas last night:

This is The Sancho: duck, cream sauce, mozzarella, chipotle, tasso ham from Pontotoc Lounge, sweet drop peppers, lime zest, and green onions. This was extremely tasty and my second favorite after The Big Cheese. It’s going on the regular menu soon.

That’s all for now. Time to go to work. Back soon with more news.

They’ve got the signs up. The Downtown Jimmy John’s will be on Union next to Parking Can Be Fun, in the old Agave Maria space. As you can see they even have a dedicated parking area for Bird scooters.

Loflin Yard will have an all day summer bash Saturday, September 14. They’ll have the biggest waterslide they can find, and food and drink specials.

Joost Dijkema, a fingerpicking artist from Holland, plays the King’s Palace Tap Room on Beale tonight.

I saw on Facebook that Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt has a new nickname – Owen. As in, Owen Two.

Got to get to work. Back soon with more news.

With little time left in the BYU-Tennessee game yesterday, it looked like the Vols had the game in the bag, eager to avenge their loss to Sun Belt team Georgia State the week before. They were up 16-13 and were driving toward another touchdown to wrap up the win… but remember, this is Tennessee. They screwed up a run on 4th and 1, turning the ball over on downs. A little while later, BYU, facing a 3rd and 6 with 17 seconds left in the game, made a 60-plus yard play to get within field goal range. They kicked it, sending the game to overtime. Both teams scored touchdowns in the first OT, but in the second, Tennessee went first and couldn’t find the end zone, having to settle for a field goal. BYU then took their turn and scored a touchdown to win 29-26.

I checked ESPN’s site earlier in the week, and their BPI analysis had Tennessee the 72%-28% favorites to win the game. Yet they still managed to screw it up. Because that’s what Tennessee does. That is becoming their legacy. How ridiculous is it that Tennessee is in a Power Five conference and Memphis is not? Tennessee needs to drop down to the Sun Belt conference and let Memphis take its place. At least then Georgia State would get credit for a conference win when they beat Tennessee.

Jeremy Pruitt? More like Jeremy Blew It. I bet it was a depressing day for the “we all watch football together and root for each other’s teams” group that assembles at the corner table at Max’s Sports Bar. Here are some articles about Tennessee’s season thus far:

• BYU’s stunning double-overtime victory sends Tennessee to 0-2 for the first time since 1988
• Urban Meyer “shocked” by Tennessee program’s decline
• Week 2 winners and losers: Tennessee and Miami lead a surprising group of 0-2 teams
• The Bottom 10 means more with Tennessee and the SEC  Good ol’ Rocky Slop, Rocky Slop, Tennessee!
• Georgia State player says FCS’ Furman will be “tougher battle” than Tennessee

Next up for the Vollies: Chattanooga. ESPN has Tennessee as a 97.7% favorite in that game. Bet Tennessee blows that one too.

Let’s get on to the news:

Almost Elton John and the RocketMen will perform a sunset concert Thursday in Harbor Town starting at 6:30. How cool is it that we have an Elton John impersonator running for City Council?

Viva la Que (formerly Vin a Que) happens Thursday, September 19 at the Wiseacre taproom. This is to support the Brooks Museum and there will be open-flame foods paired with craft beers as well as pint glass painting, tours of the brewery, hair braiding, cornhole, and more.

Great news for my Cooper-Young readers: You’re getting a Maciel’s! The authentic Mexican torta and taco shop is coming to 820 S. Cooper, formerly Tart. It is said this location will resemble the Downtown location more than the Highland one. Never been to Maciel’s? Here are a few of my recommendations:

• Chorizo huarache (my very favorite)
• Chorizo cheese dip
• Tinga (spicy chicken) tacos
• Torta Milanesa (deep-fried steak sandwich)
• Elotes con crema (Mexican street corn)

I learned a lesson yesterday. You’ve got to be careful when you follow celebrities on Instagram. In the latest chapter of the Antonio Brown shitshow, he asked for his release from the Raiders on Instagram. Wanting to see what he’d do next, I followed AB on that platform. I immediately got hit with message requests from accounts named “Sexy Photos” and the like that had 0 posts, 0 followers, and were following 0.

There’s sunset jazz featuring Gerard Harris in Court Square tonight 5 to 7.

Edible Memphis has an article about cooking at home with Big Sue, the Downtown resident and K97 DJ who DJ’d the Blind Bear party last Sunday.

Here’s a look at FedExForum events happening this month:

• Nickolodeon’s Jojo Siwa D.R.E.A.M. the Tour Tuesday, September 10
• Kevin Gates – The Classic Mayhem Friday, September 13
• Attitude MMA FIghts XIX Saturday, September 28

There will be a White Claw Apocalypse party at Loflin Yard Saturday, September 21. White Claw is in short supply since it has become so popular, so this will be a day to mark the end of readily-available Claws and the end of summer.

That’s it for now. I stayed home for brunch this morning because I’m slowly starting to train myself that I don’t have to spend every moment other than when I’m at work or asleep at a bar. Writing in my personal journal and catching up on things I have let go for too long. I’ll probably get out around 4 though. Back soon with more news.

This week I got to try several of the new wood-fired pizzas coming out of the oven that the Silly Goose recently finished installing. First of all, let’s take a look at the menu (click image to view in a larger size):

They put a pizza with “Aldo” in the name on the menu. HAHAHAHAHA! That is trolling at its finest.

Now let’s have a look at the four pizzas I sampled this week. I’ll start off with my favorite:

This is The Big Cheese: roasted garlic cream sauce, feta, mozzarella, parmesan, and bacon. OMG that garlic cream sauce is SO good alongside all those cheeses. This immediately became one of my favorite pizzas ever. Vegetarians can request the bacon be left off.

This is The Katie: mozzarella, Calabrian chili, prosciutto, charred kale, parmesan, and olive oil. I was a bit skeptical about ordering a pizza with kale on it, but they assured me it was delicious and it was. Most likely this pizza is named for owner Daniel’s wife, although a lot of people think it is named for regular customer Katie Mac.

Here we have The Silly Goose: pulled pork, pineapple, tomato, mozzarella, cilantro, lemon, olive oil. This is a slice of a friend’s pizza that I was given, and as soon as I took the photo with Perjorie T. Roll I pulled the pineapple off. “What are you doing? The pineapple is the best part. It’s what makes the pizza,” said my friend, grabbing my discarded pineapple and putting it on his own pizza.

One note: If this pizza sounds like something you want to try, you better get down there soon. The pizza chef was talking to us last night, and he indicated he may replace it with something else soon; he’s a bit dissatisfied with it as the cocktail lounge’s namesake pizza. If you have tried this pizza and love it, as my friend did yesterday, you might want to get by the Goose and encourage Daniel to keep it around.

The chef brought out another pizza for us to try:

The City Block: Mortadella, brie spread, asiago, black pepper, Calabrian chili, and arugula. This pizza is named for City Block Salumeria in the Puck Food Hall at 409 S. Main, from which the Goose sources many of its pizza ingredients. This is quite tasty and one I would order again, although honestly I’m so in love with The Big Cheese that I may never order anything else.

The chef said the pizzas come out 10 to 12 inches in size, but he is shooting for a consistent 12 inches as he gets more experience with the oven. Daniel wants to add dipping sauces for the crust sometime soon.

The last few days, the pizzas have been coming out in to-go boxes even when the order is dine-in. I gotta tell you, I disagree with that. For one thing, it encourages people to leave when they’re done with their pizza rather than stick around for another drink or two. I also don’t think people eating out of cardboard boxes fits the cocktail lounge vibe very well.

That’s a minor gripe though. Go try these pizzas!

Well, here’s something totally different. That Golden Girls Show! comes to the Halloran Centre March 28. This show parodies some of the most memorable Golden Girls moments with puppets. Hmmm OK.

I’ve always said that Edible Memphis, an excellent source of food and restaurant news here in Memphis, should have “edibles” at one of its events. Well, they’re doing it. On Saturday, September 28, they are hosting a CBDinner at Comeback Coffee. This is a CBD-paired wine and food event, with food by Justin Hughes of Cafe 1912, and cocktails by Paul Gilliam of Lucky Cat Ramen. The courses will come with approximately 70 MG of CBD, curated by local store Ounce of Hope, whose experts will guide diners through the experience and talk about the products used. Each diner will take home an Ounce of Hope goodie bag with CBD products.

There’s going to be a specialty ticket at the Cooper-Young Beerfest this year. The 10th Anniversary High-Gravity Package, sponsored by Orion FCU, gets you a Beerfest T-shirt, a steel carabiner mug, and a koozie in addition to all-you-can-drink craft beer.

A friend of mine who works for Downtown agriculture tech firm Indigo AG has put the word out the they are looking for Strategic Partner Managers. The candidate needs to be Memphis-based with 3 to 7 years of business-to-business experience. A college degree is required, and Salesforce experience is preferred. This job is 30 to 50 percent travel. I’ve been told Indigo AG is a great place to work, with a lot of perks like free healthy lunches. If you’re interested email me at paul@paulryburn.com and I will get you in touch with my friend so you have an “in” to the job rather than just sending a resume to HR.

Chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman are opening a third Downtown restaurant. This will be in the new Central Station hotel. It will be called Bishop and will be a French brasserie in the northeast corner of the hotel. They are also opening Eight & Sand, “a bar that will be all things Memphis,” near the main entrance. Eight & Sand will be open when the hotel opens in early October, with Bishop opening the following month. Ticer & Hudman currently operate Downtown restaurants Catherine & Mary’s and The Gray Canary.

The MBJ reports that a mixed-use development is planned for three long-vacant buildings at 82, 86, and 88 South Main. There will be 38 apartments upstairs and ground-floor retail. This is great news and will go a long way to the further revitalization of the block of Main between Union and Gayoso.

There’s a bit of controversy in the world of professional wrestling right now, and it’s real, not a scripted angle. When someone is the very best at what they do, people often say he’s “the man.” Well, the best overall performer in the WWE right now is not a man – it’s RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch, who beat both UFC legend Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair at Wrestlemania. Having beat the other top two women in the company, Lynch acknowledged her status as the very best by nicknaming herself “The Man.” The name has been very successful. She uses it all the time in promos, and it has sold a ton of merchandise.

However, about a week ago wrestling legend “Nature Boy” Ric Flair filed for a trademark on “The Man,” claiming he has been saying, “To be the man, you have to beat the man” as far back as 1976. Needless to say, this has not made WWE officials (including his longtime friend Triple H) and Becky Lynch too happy. It also puts his daughter Charlotte in a terribly awkward position, since she frequently feuds with Lynch and “The Man” is used in promos. Charlotte is said to be not too happy with her father these days.

As for Ric’s take on all this, he says he likes Lynch personally and is a big fan of her work. He plans to let her keep using the nickname, whether he wins the trademark or not. He just wants WWE to fairly compensate him for the use of the name.

We’ll see how this all works out. The ironic thing is, Ric Flair stole the “Nature Boy” nickname from former NWA/WWWF champion Buddy Rogers.

That’s all for now. I’ll try to be back tomorrow with more news.

I just want to say thank you to those of you who have continued to come to this blog despite the fact that it’s been largely devoid of content the past three weeks. A lot of my readers have reached out just to tell me they care and I appreciate it.

First day at work was excellent. They had me on a project within 10 minutes of setting my foot in the door. It felt good to hunker down and put in some hard work after all the time I’ve had with nothing to do. Obviously I can’t go into details but I am helping someone who deserves justice obtain it.

I’ll try to get this blog back on track in the next couple of days.

Good news: I have been offered a job and start today. Last week, my blog was shown to a couple of friends of mine who have a law firm. They have a couple of very high-profile cases coming up, and they needed someone to help them sort through the paperwork. Although I have no prior legal experience, they saw that I write well and that I have past experience teaching at a university, and decided that I am bright enough to handle the work.

It’s a very short walk from where I live. It’s a three-month gig, and it’s only part-time, 9 to 1, but that will leave me time to interview for other positions. I am incredibly grateful to these people for believing in me and giving me a chance, and I intend to work really hard. Obviously I can’t talk about the cases I’ll be working on, but they are both quite interesting and I feel like the work I’ll be doing will help get justice for people who need it.

I’ll write more later.