Thursday update

The Blind Bear moved its pool table!

They took a wall out in the very back of the bar, by the speakeasy photo wall, to make room for the table. It’s a bit of a tight fit, but it’s a good business decision because it will allow them to fit several more tables in the lower part of the restaurant. Bar and restaurant consultant Jon Taffer says each seat is worth $10,000 in revenue a year.

Only thing is, I tend to sit in the far end seat at the bar, now the one closest to the pool table. Am I gonna risk getting hit in the face with a cue ball? Maybe I should start wearing a catcher’s helmet up there. (I wouldn’t be the first person to wear a drinking helmet in a Downtown Memphis bar. Those who were regulars at Sleep Out Louie’s know what I’m talking about)

Later in the evening, the pool table became a dumping ground for Christmas ornaments.

One more piece of Blind Bear news: There’s supposed to be a large corporate party there 5:30-9:00 Friday, so if the Bear is your early evening spot, you might want to line something else up for tomorrow. For me personally, happy hour at Dani’s bar at Bardog sounds like a splendid alternate plan.

If you’re a foodie and you’re not following Edible Memphis on Facebook, you’re missing out. They recently reported on some new items at Edge Alley:

  • Garbanzo bean fritter hushpuppies
  • Knife & Fork pot roast
  • Panzanella salad
  • Pan-roasted grouper salad

The Peanut Shoppe at 121 S. Main (a couple of doors down from the Blind Bear) is now open 7 days a week to fulfill your holiday nut, candy, and Middle Eastern pastry needs.

Yesterday was the last day people could park at the garage at Front and Monroe. It’s about to come down to make way for the Brooks Museum.

Let’s have a look at the weather for the St. Jude Marathon on Saturday: Low near 50, 30% chance of early AM showers, high in the upper 50s. For early December, Memphis could do much worse. The low Saturday night will be in the upper 30s, though, so the Stumbling Santas might want to wear an extra layer under their suits.

Two Grizzlies were ejected in last night’s loss to Minnesota. I’m sure no one will be surprised to hear Dillon Brooks was one of the ejections. Ja was the other.

The Tigers did better on the court last night, rolling to an 87-68 win over North Alabama.

RIP Chuck Stobart, former Memphis Tigers football coach.

Eric Gales plays the Cannon Center tonight at 8.

I heard the GM of Bardog say they’re going to close Monday-Tuesday, January 2-3, for cleaning. Oh man… I totally get their desire to keep the place in tip-top shape, but I sure do hate to hear about Monday the 2nd. With the 1st on a Sunday, that Monday will be a work holiday for a lot of Downtowners, and you know what we like to do on those… we day drink.

Plus there are four bowl games – Reliaquest, Cotton, Citrus, and Rose – that day. Seems to me it’d make a lot of sense to open Monday the 2nd, both from a revenue perspective and a “making people happy” perspective.

Tonight at the Woodruff-Fontaine House: The Mesmerist, a performance from the golden age of magic.

The Crowne Plaza seeks a maintenance engineer.

That’s all I have for now. Back tomorrow probably.

Wednesday update

The US Men’s National Team did it! They topped Iran 1-0 yesterday, advancing to the knockout round of 16 in the World Cup. Their next opponent will be the Netherlands this Saturday at 9;00 AM.

At least two Downtown bars and a brewery taproom are responding to the date and time of the next match by announcing early opening times for Saturday. Blind Bear will be open at 8:30 with the World Cup match on and they’ll have water and food for the St. Jude runners. I think I heard them say Jessica will be the bartender (blonde Jessica who calls me Paulie-Waulie, not to be confused with brunette Jessica from Local who I burp at).

Down on the south side of Downtown, Max’s Sports Bar will also open at 8:30. Come grab a beer and cheer on the runners for half an hour, then come inside to watch the match. Bartender has not been announced but I tend to believe it will be Bjarni.

Max’s early opening time changes something else: The old coot who usually sits in front of his condo on S. Front St. handing out Miller Lite to runners likely won’t be there this year. He’ll be sitting at the corner table at Max’s with other old coots, drinking a Miller Lite bucket of his own.

Wiseacre Downtown will open at 7 AM Saturday. Your runner’s bib gets you 20% off your tab. They’ll be serving breakfast burritos and Brass Monkeys (that funky monkey! Memphis Sands + orange juice). Nearest convenient parking will be Danny Thomas and G.E. Patterson.

Keep in mind that Bardog had already announced an 8 AM opening time for Saturday for the runners even before the USMNT advanced. Melissa and Allie Cat will be your bartenders. 20% off food with a bib or medal.

From Food & Wine: McDonald’s is giving out a dozen Gold Cards that will get you free food for life

The Gia Welch Trio (JD Westmoreland, Graham Winchester) and Raneem Imam will perform at South Main Sounds Friday 7 to 9.

New Wing Order has announced its December special, beginning a day early, today: Hot honey garlic wings. They start with a combo of Buffalo and Cajun hot sauces, then fresh garlic and spices are added, along with a finishing touch of honey. Get ’em at the Ghost River taproom on Beale or from the food truck.

Let’s have a look at college football games of interest this weekend: (Saturday unless noted otherwise)

  • 11 Utah vs. 4 USC, Pac-10 championship, 7:00 PM Friday in Las Vegas, FOX. If USC wins, it’s likely in the College Football Playoff.
  • 10 Kansas State vs. 3 TCU, Big 12 championship, 11:00 AM in Arlington, Texas, ABC. If TCU wins, it’s likely in the CFP.
  • 14 LSU vs. 1 Georgia, SEC championship, 3:00 PM in Atlanta, CBS. Georgia can afford a loss and still be in the CFP, provided it’s not a blowout loss.
  • 22 UCF at 18 Tulane, AAC championship, 3:00 PM, ABC. Winner likely represents the Group of Five in the Cotton Bowl.
  • Purdue vs. 2 Michigan, Big Ten championship, 7:00 PM in Indianapolis, FOX. Michigan can probably survive a close loss and still get into the CFP.
  • 9 Clemson vs. 23 North Carolina, ACC championship, 7:00 PM in Charlotte, ABC

If TCU and/or USC lose, or if Georgia or Michigan gets blown out, 5 Ohio State and 6 Alabama are waiting to move into the playoff.

This Thursday’s food truck rodeo in Court Square (11 AM to 2 PM) will feature performances sponsored by ArtsMemphis. SubRoy Movement, Opera Memphis, Young Actors Guild, and WYXR.

Memphis Tigers men’s basketball hosts North Alabama tonight at FedExForum at 7. TV: ESPN+

The Grizzlies are on the road tonight at Minnesota at 7. TV: Bally Sports Southeast

That’s it. Back tomorrow with more news.

Tuesday update

It’s a huge day for the U.S. National Men’s Team today. They play Iran at 1 this afternoon (TV: FOX) in the final match of the group round. The math is quite simple: A win over Iran today sends the USMNT into the knockout round. A loss or a draw sends the team home. Got to be aggressive out there, boys. Try to get out to a 2-goal lead in the first 30 minutes, then fight tooth and nail for the last 60 to defend it.

I’ll most likely watch the game at Bardog if anyone wants to join. Since 1 PM is right in the middle of the lunch rush, I plan on getting there a few minutes early to ensure I get a good seat at the bar.

(Those who know me well are reading this and thinking, “a ‘few’ minutes early? More like 300 minutes’)

Speaking of Bardog, I was in there yesterday and ran into Eric, the restaurant group’s social media manager. He told me that runners in Saturday’s St. Jude races will get 20% off on food Friday and Saturday. All they have to do is show their bib or medal.

Eric also reminded me that today and tomorrow are the last days of the gift card sale at Aldo’s Pizza Pies. Cards are half-off, minimum expense is $25 (which would buy you $50 in purchasing power), and they can’t be used until 2023.

I was sitting next to a couple yesterday at Bardog and what they told the bartender made me sad to hear. “We love our apartment building a couple of blocks from here,” they said, “but we’re moving. A new restaurant & hookah lounge moved into the ground floor of our building this month. They play music late at night so loud it rattles our windows. We can’t sleep.”

It reminds me of about 12 years ago, when my next-door neighbors got these two untrained, noisy little shitdogs. They would start barking at 4:15 every morning, waking me up hours before I was ready. The dogs’ owners seemed to realize they were bothering the neighbors, but they didn’t care. Their attitude seemed to be, “We pay rent here, so we can make as much noise as we want without consideration of others who also pay rent.” It’s a shitty attitude to have and out of line with what Downtown is all about.

Today is a day fit for a King. A very happy birthday to Memphis’ own Jerry Lawler!

Bogie’s Deli in Brinkley Plaza is back open following an 8-week closure due to a water main break. Here are their specials for this week: (click image to view in a larger size)

MemphisWeather.net Twitter says to expect showers here in Memphis starting in the late morning. They will intensify to heavy rain and storms in the afternoon, with the heaviest threat of severe weather (especially high wind and tornadoes) coming 4-10 PM.

Floyd Nation, a Pink Floyd tribute band, is coming to the Cannon Center on March 11. Hey, wasn’t Nick Mason himself scheduled for the Cannon Center last year, and the show had to be canceled due to stupid COVID bullshit? Did that ever get rescheduled?

Meet new Memphis 901 FC head coach Stephen Glass at The Brass Door Wednesday night at 7:00.

One more Bardog note: They’ve been running a Red Pozole soup special this week. What is red pozole?

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigeg will visit Memphis’ FedEx hub today.

Map of the world, made with chicken nuggets:

Today is Giving Tuesday and National Square Dance Day.

This sounds interesting: The Edwards Twins Present The Ultimate Christmas Variety Show at the Halloran Centre Sunday evening. It’s a play on the ’70s and ’80s TV Christmas variety shows, featuring impersonators playing Sonny & Cher, Neil Diamond, Johnny Mathis, Rod Stewart, Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli, and Tom Jones. Fun!

The CA has all the info you need about the St. Jude Marathon and related races this Saturday: routes, road closures, where to park. Bonus tip for the runners: There’s an old man who lives on Front near G.E. Patterson. Every year he sets up a table and hands out Miller Lite to people running by.

ABC 24 has a look at Feeding God’s People, an organization that provides warm meals, hygiene kits, and clothing to the homeless. Their meeting point is B.B. King Blvd. and Washington and their next giveaway will be Sunday, December 11.

YOGA! There’s Motherhood Yoga tonight at Downtown Yoga at 5:30.

Get your picture taken with Santa on Beale Street Friday from 5 to 7.

USA! USA! USA! Back tomorrow with more news.

Monday update

The fall colors on the Main Street Mall are beautiful this week!

It’s rare to have musicals at the Orpheum in back-to-back weeks, but that’s what we have going on right now. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas: The Musical just wrapped up its run last night, and now Deat Evan Hansen is headed to town tomorrow through Sunday.

It’s Cyber Monday at the Grizzlies for 24 hours beginning at 9:01 this morning. You can score some Terrace-level seats to a game in the first two weeks of December for up to 35% off. They’re also selling some Holiday Packs of tickets that are not subject to the 24-hour time limit.

The Tigers have a Cyber Monday special as well on gotigersgo.com today: Tickets to home games vs. Ole Miss (Dec. 3) and Texas A&M (Dec. 17) (meaning, you get tickets to BOTH games) for $15. Pretty screamin’ deal.

For those of you who are bummed out that it’s cold and dark outside, look at the bright side… 3 months from now, it’ll be crawfish season.

Blind Bear has another new flavor of Ole Smoky moonshine: strawberry. This is different from the white chocolate strawberry cream moonshine I blogged about earlier. It’s 65 proof. Don’t forget, today is Moonshine Monday at the Bear with $5 shots.

In other Bear news, Robert the GM told me he’s going in at 6 this morning to hard-wire the bar smart TVs to an Ethernet connection. I’ve been referring to the TV on the left as “Buffery” but it sounds like I’ll be calling it “Speedy Gonzales” starting today. That’ll be good news for folks who come there to watch MNF.

Speaking of which, who’s playing in tonight’s MN MF’N F game? …Pittsburgh and Indianapolis. Meh.

The Memphis Tigers secured 5th place in the ESPN Events Invitational with a win over Stanford yesterday. Next up: at home vs. North Alabama Wednesday at 7.

Today is National French Toast Day. The Arcade at S. Main and G.E. Patterson would be my pick to celebrate.

The Grizzlies downed the New York Knicks on the road yesterday, 127-122. The team gets a couple of days off before heading to Minnesota on Wednesday. The Grizz now sit in third place in the West, 1.5 games out of first, with a 12-8 record.

The KLOVE Christmas Tour comes to the Cannon Center Wednesday night. Performances by Crowder, Matt Maher, Jordan St. Cyr, and Katy Nichols.

From The Guardian: Why you’re seeing so much stoppage time in the World Cup

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

Sunday update

RIP Irene Cara. “Fame” was one of my very favorite songs of the disco era.

I’m thinking it’s Georgia, Michigan, TCU, and USC in the next CFP poll. If Ohio State had kept it close in their loss to Michigan, I’d have them edging out USC for the 4 spot. 45-23 was not close.

The DM has an update on what bowl the football Memphis Tigers could go to. Independence Bowl (Shreveport) reps were in town for this week’s game, but the Tigers’ loss failed to impress.

Who’s projected to come to the Liberty Bowl?

Today is Small Brewery Sunday. Plenty of choices Downtown to celebrate: Two Ghost Rivers, Wiseacre HQ, High Cotton, Soul & Spirits, Grind City.

Memphis is in the Enhanced Risk zone for severe storms on Tuesday. The afternoon/night is the time frame.

The Union Mission is accepting Christmas box donations for their men’s shelter.

From U.S.News: Downtown Memphis still working on comeback from pandemic

I heard Bardog is going to open at 8 AM Saturday (three hours earlier than normal) for the St. Jude marathon. Melissa and Allie Cat will be your bartenders.

Any other bars gonna open early Saturday? I don’t do Bardog on race day (way too crowded) but if Jessica could be talked into opening Local early, I’d strongly consider going there.

Yesterday was the last day the Saturday brunch gang will be together for a few weeks. My friends Randy and Theresa are off to Melbourne, Australia for a Billy Joel concert. It’ll be late spring there, equivalent to early June where we are. Just for kicks, let’s check out Melbourne’s weather forecast for tomorrow:

Partly sunny, high 65, low 53

Wow, I would have guessed 90 for the high. Looks like Melbourne has a climate similar to San Francisco. Looking at it on the map, it very much is in its own “Bay Area.”

Safe travels to Randy and Theresa. I hope you two see many kangaroos and wallabies and dingoes and koalas and bandicoots and numbats. And I hope you don’t see any saltwater crocodiles.

I hope you see a thylacine too and get a photo. I’m convinced they’re not extinct.

Randy and Theresa were going to put their two adorable papillons, Zorro and Bella, in doggie daycare while they were overseas. However, Butt Slut #1 offered to stay in their house so the dogs can remain in the comfort of their own home. “That’ll save us $600,” Randy and Theresa said.

I pulled them aside. “Are you sure you want to do that?” I asked. “Because it absolutely won’t save you $600. I’ve been to your house. You have way more than $600 worth of alcohol in there. And let’s face it, you give that girl the keys for 2 weeks and not a drop of it will be left when you get home.”

“That’s okay. We’ll buy more,” Randy replied.

For the first time ever, I actually upset Butt Slut #1 for a brief moment yesterday. (Keep in mind, I routinely address her as “BUTT SLUT” in a roomful of strangers and that doesn’t upset her.) I commented that the USA-England 0-0 (nil-nil) draw in soccer was kinda boring.

“ARE YOU SAYING SOCCER IS NOT A REAL SPORT???” she asked, repeating our friend Shrek’s comments from this week. “THAT IT’S JUST A BUNCH OF PEOPLE RUNNING UP AND DOWN A PITCH FOR 90 MINUTES WHO NEVER SCORE?”

“I wasn’t saying that at all,” I backtracked. “I enjoy watching soccer. I don’t hate watching it the way I do tennis or golf or that stupid horse racing channel some of the regulars put on the TV here (at Bardog). It’s just that USA-England wasn’t the most exciting match I’ve ever seen.”

Then Butt Slut #1 revealed to me that she had a full ride to college on a soccer scholarship. She might still be playing today if not for her knees. So that explains her passion for the sport.

For the benefit of my single male readers, I’ll start a “keys to Butt Slut #1’s heart” list on here. Here’s what I have so far: 1) Feed her lentil soup; 2) Watch soccer with her. I’ll add to this list as I figure out more.

Time to put on my “I (heart) Sunday school” shirt and head to Sunday school at the Blind Bear. I haven’t figured out how to turn water into wine like Jesus did, but I’m quite adept at turning PBR into urine. Back tomorrow with more news.

Saturday update

My Bardog buddy Shrek is a man of strong opinions. One of those opinions is about soccer. “Is soccer even a real sport?” he asked this week. “People run up and down a field for 90 minutes and no one ever scores any points.”

I don’t know that I agree with Shrek, but the draw the USMNT had against England yesterday kind of supports his argument. It was absolutely boring. 0-0 or nil-nil as soccer fans say. Then again, drawing with possibly the best team in the world is a strong accomplishment. USA’s goalkeeper was a badass in that match.

I was a bit surprised yesterday when Bardog turned on the sound for yesterday’s match, a directive I heard came straight from Aldo. Normally his stance is “we’re not a sports bar,” although he’ll make exceptions for truly big games like the Super Bowl. I guess either Aldo is a soccer fan or he was afraid he’d lose business to The Brass Door a short walk away.

Next up: USA vs. Iran Tuesday at 1 PM. I plan to be back at Bardog for that one.

Know what makes me sad? There are going to be a lot of people who say “We’re playing terrorists Tuesday.” When I worked in computer support at the University of Memphis, I had both a boss and an employee I supervised who were Iranian. They were both great to work with. When I taught math at the university, two of my best and funniest students were Iranian. Don’t judge individuals just because their country of origin’s government sucks.

Speaking of the U of M, they rebounded (in both senses of the word) nicely to put away Nebraska 73-61 in the ESPN Events Invitational yesterday. Next up: vs. Stanford in the Tigers’ final game of the Invitational at 10 AM Sunday. Any bars gonna open early for that one? TV will be ESPNU.

As for the Grizzlies, they whooped dat ass on the New Orleans Pelicans last night, 132-111. Next up: A visit to the NY Knicks at 5 PM Sunday.

Today is Small Business Saturday. I recommend

Rain is likely after 3 this afternoon into the evening hours. At least it will be mild for this time of year with highs in the 60s and lows in the 50s.

DJ Bizzle Bluebland plays Wiseacre Downtown tonight at 8.

There’s an acrylic pour painting class today at South Main Artspace Lofts today at 2.

NutRemix, a modern version of the ballet The Nutcracker set on Beale Street, will be performed at the Cannon Center today and tomorrow.

I found a link where you can order that 4-in-1 piecake I had for Thanksgiving (pecan pie, pumpkin pie, spice cake, apple pie). See yesterday’s post for a photo.

Let’s have a little fun. Bardog usually runs 4 specials for Saturday brunch and they’re usually pretty predictable. Let’s see if I can guess today’s specials 3 hours in advance:

  • Blueberry or Strawberry Pancakes
  • Chicken-N-Waffles (spelled EXACTLY that way on the special board)
  • Grilled or Fried Pork Chop
  • Blackened Snapper

(keep in mind these are GUESSES. Over/under is I get 2.5 right.)

That’s it! It’s a rare Saturday when I hit the Publish button before 10 AM. Back tomorrow.

Friday update

Happy You’re Welcome Giving Day. Yes that’s a thing. The Internet says so.

Posting this morning from Eads, TN, where I spent the night at my friends Randy and Theresa’s house. Randy is out getting his car serviced this morning and Theresa went to work, so I have the place all to myself for a couple of hours.

Check out this yummy cake we had for dessert yesterday:

It’s pecan pie, pumpkin pie, apple pie, and some other dessert (can’t remember what) all rolled into one. It was delicious. Randy had it shipped from Brooklyn.

Thanks to Randy and Theresa for having us all over for Turkey Day (and Ham Day as well) and for being such kind and generous hosts. I may or may not be sampling your vodka as I type this (at 7:37 AM).

Which reminds me… I found the Bible of Downtown Memphis out in Eads.

Cheers to my fellow Thanksgiving guests, Dani, Donald, and Butt Slut #1. I cannot think of 3 people I’d be happier to break bread (and do shots) with.

I accidentally called Butt Slut #1 by her real name as I hugged her goodbye and she seemed a little disappointed that I didn’t say “Happy Thanksgiving, butt slut” instead. You never can tell what makes some people happy.

Well, the basketball Tigers lost yesterday in a buzzer-beater to Seton Hall. That sucks. The Tigers play Nebraska today at 4:30. It’ll either be on ESPN2 or ESPNews.

Damn this is some good vodka. Think I’ll pour myself another…

Team USA plays England in the World Cup group stage today at 1.

I’ve been forgetting to mention that How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The Musical is ongoing this week at the Orpheum. The show is in town through Sunday.

JustLarry’s epic “intimate” variety show happens at the Clover Club tonight and tomorrow. It’s modern-day vaudeville.

It’s Ja vs. Zion as the Grizzlies host the New Orleans Pelicans tonight at 7. NBAtv will be the channel.

That’ll do it for today! As soon as Randy gets back from getting his car serviced, we’re headed Downtown to Bardog. Back tomorrow.

Thanksgiving Day update

It’s time to have a look at college football games this weekend of interest to local Memphians. Games are on Saturday except where noted otherwise.

  • Mississippi State at 20 Ole Miss (Egg Bowl), 6:00 PM Thanksgiving, ESPN
  • 19 Tulane at 24 Cincinnati, 11:00 AM Friday, ABC
  • Arkansas vs. Missouri, 2:30 PM Friday, CBS
  • Georgia Tech at 1 Georgia, 11:00 AM, ESPN
  • 3 Michigan at 2 Ohio State, 11:00 AM, FOX
  • Auburn at 7 Alabama (Iron Bowl), 2:30 PM, CBS
  • 9 Oregon at 21 Oregon State, 2:30 PM, ABC
  • Memphis at SMU, 2:30 PM, ESPN2
  • Troy at Arkansas State, 2:30 PM, ESPNU
  • Iowa State at 4 TCU, 3:00 PM, FOX
  • 5 LSU at Texas A&M, 6:00 PM, ESPN
  • 22 UCF at South Florida, 6:00 PM, ESPN2
  • 15 Notre Dame at 6 USC, 6:30 PM, ABC
  • 10 Tennessee at Vanderbilt, 6:30 PM, SEC Network

Local on Main will open at 2 PM today. Jessica will be bartending, and Miss Helen’s turkey and dressing will be available. I like turkey & dressing at Local because they put the cranberry sauce in a plastic cup. Cranberry sauce should NEVER touch any other item on a Thanksgiving dinner plate.

Check out this PBR lamp they have at Local. It’s straight outta 1965 when PBR was popular the first time around.

“That looks like something Mr. Furley would have had in his apartment,” I commented to my friend John D. Jessica didn’t know who Mr. Furley was.

From Action News 5: Westy’s prepares to feed those in need on Thanksgiving

Cerrito Trivia will host A Very Merry Quizmas at Stix Downtown on Thursday, December 8. There will be questions about Christmas food, movies, music, current events, and history. Questions about Elf, Home Alone, and Christmas Vacation are guaranteed. Prizes include gift cards and Starry Nights tickets.

The DM has a subscriber-only article about Ibis, the successor to Pontotoc Lounge. It’s owned by Jeremy and Matthew Thacker-Rhodes who had been partners with Daniel Masters in Pontotoc.

The Memphis Flyer’s 2022 holiday gift guide is out. Some great suggestions to shop local are in there.

So last night I was in a grouptext with my Thanksgiving co-host Randy and fellow guests Dani and Butt Slut #1. He informed us that we’re going to get to try Ole Smoky cookie dough whiskey at his house in Eads today. Very excited about that.

If you don’t want to wait for my blog post tomorrow to get a recap of what happened out in Eads, go to Bardog tonight. Dani will be bartending from 5 PM to 3 AM. They’ll have a $20 turkey dinner special.

Off to Eads I go. I’ll PROBABLY be back tomorrow morning with a Thanksgiving recap and whatever news pops up.

Wednesday update

The Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team is headed to Florida for the ESPN Events Invitational early-season tournament. This is a chance to pick up some quality wins that will impress the NCAA tournament selection committee in March. Other teams in the ESPN tournament field include

  • Florida State
  • Nebraska
  • Oklahoma
  • Ole Miss
  • Seton Hall
  • Siena
  • Stanford

The Tigers’ first game is 6:30 Thanksgiving night vs. Seton Hall. ESPNews will be the channel the Blind Bear bartenders can’t find on their new smart TVs.

Speaking of the Blind Bear, if you’re into karaoke, you might want to check out their karaoke night with DJ Superbrad tonight from 9 to 1. Why? Because several of the best singers up there are teachers, but they tend to only show up when the next day is not a school day.

Memphis Chess Club will now be open 7 days a week (but not on Thanksgiving) with the following hours:

  • Monday: 7 AM-8:30 PM
  • Tuesday: 7 AM-8:30 PM
  • Wednesday: 7 AM-9 PM
  • Thursday: 7 AM-9 PM
  • Friday: 7 AM-9 PM
  • Saturday: 7 AM-9 PM
  • Sunday: 8 AM-8:30 PM

Headline seen on Memphis Nextdoor: “Creepy white guy steals my cushion in a weird way”

Stephen Glass has been named Memphis 901 FC’s new head coach. Read the soccer club’s official statement.

Out in The Edge, Stop 345 and Craft Axe Throwing this week are holding a Black Friday market with about 20 local vendors this Friday the 25th.

Brass Door is opening at 7 AM every day for World Cup action. That includes Mondays, although as is the case with the Chess Club, I doubt it includes Thanksgiving.

Wear your Grizzlies gear on game day and get 10% off st Stix.

Feast & Graze is now offering a variety of holiday meat & cheese baskets starting at $29.99. Choices include brie from Marin French Cheese, Foustman’s salami, infused oils by Chef Raneisha, Roth Cheese smoky Bleu, Crane’s Nest Honey, F&G’s made-in-house nuts, and many more selections.

Wear your country’s jersey to Slider Inn Downtown during the World Cup for $1 off your drinks (5 max).

Thanksgiving opening times: 5 PM Bardog, Max’s Sports Bar, and Slider Inn Downtown. 6 PM Blind Bear. I’ll check on Local on Main when I’m in there burping at Jessica today.

Bardog will have a Thanksgiving special: turkey, dressing, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce.

Former State Sen. Brian Kelsey pled guilty to two counts of campaign fraud. Enjoy prison and remember not to drop the soap.

Today is Blackout Wednesday and Tie One On Day. It’s also National Jukebox Day, celebrated locally at Bardog as Bartender’s Phone Day.

Y’all send positive energy my way. Our Nate is out of town for the next 7 days and I will have to cover his activities at the Blind Bear as well as my own. It’s gonna be rough but I’m a total team player.

I do plan on posting on Thanksgiving morning, so check back.

Tuesday update

Whoever invented electronic document signing is a genius. I was able to go online and sign my lease documents at 4:15 this morning. No waiting for the leasing office to open at 9:00. No having to interact with people.

Inflation, man. Since the pandemic, it’s hit everything from rent to ice cream to car prices. Now it’s even hit an item most of us would never think of: LETTUCE. A restaurant employee told me yesterday that the wholesale price of lettuce is so high right now that they may have to temporarily take salads off the menu.

Save the date: Blind Bear and Ole Smoky moonshine are having a Sweaters & Onesies Christmas party Saturday, December 10 from 7 to 11 PM. There will be prizes and giveaways and the following specialty cocktails:

  • Winter Wonder Mule – hunch punch moonshine, cranberry & lime juices, and ginger beer
  • Blackberry Spritz – blackberry moonshine, raspberry liqueur, bubbles
  • Hot Apple Pie – apple pie moonshine, spiced simple syrup, and hot cider
  • Chocolate Strawberry Martini – Shine Nog moonshine cream, white chocolate strawberry moonshine cream, cookie dough whiskey (HOLY SH*T I WANT THIS ONE!)

They’ll also have some specialty shots:

  • Peppermint Mocha – peppermint moonshine, java moonshine cream
  • Snow on the Mountain – Shine Nog moonshine cream, cookie dough whiskey

Black Friday gift cards are available at Aldo’s Pizza Pies tomorrow through November 30. They’re 50% off and the minimum purchase is $25 (for a $50 gift card). The only thing to know is that you can’t use them before January 1, 2023. The cards have no expiration date.

ATTN BARDOG REGULARS: There’s this obnoxious group of old people who do a pajama pub crawl the Sunday before Christmas, and they lead off at Bardog right when it opens at 11. If you want to claim your regular seats, better be outside the door at 10:50. My best guess is that the crawl will happen on December 18 this year.

Frank Bonner II (wonder if he’s the son of Herb from WKRP in Cincinnati) of the DM has Tigers bowl projections.

Anyone else getting nose bleeds because of the extremely dry air outside? The past two days, I’ve had to excuse myself to the restroom about once an hour to blow my nose.

That’s it for today. Not sure if I’ll post tomorrow. Thursday I head out to Eads for Thanksgiving with my friends Randy & Theresa. We’ll be joined by one of my all-time favorite bartenders and one of my top 3 favorite butt sluts. I plan on taking the MacBook, so it’s possible I’ll post from Eads.