Some of my friends made the CA this morning. CA dining reviewer Jennifer Biggs reviewed the Silly Goose, although she had more to say about the cheap Monday and Tuesday cocktails than the food. There were several photos and it looks like the whole gang was there, minus me – Mikey, Air Traffic Mike, Uncle Ray, and several others. Wonder if the photo was taken Monday, when I was doing my taxes and was late getting up there.
Biggs also listed Frank’s Market and Deli at Main and Vance as one of her “Best Finds” for sandwiches. I have yet to try one, perhaps because it’s slightly too far to walk and not far enough to justify a trolley ride (7 blocks from my front door). I’ve heard great reviews about Frank’s from my South Main friends though. That brisket sandwich sure looks good.
Kerry from The Memphis Blog e-mailed to tell me about a photo contest they’re doing. All you have to do is upload a photo or video of yourself doing what you usually do on a night out in Memphis, and readers will vote on the best photo or video. The prize is two tickets to the local $5 Cover premiere, and two VIP tickets to the Indie Memphis Film Fest later this year. More info here.
I’ve also been asked to remind everyone that the Memphis Farmers Market has its opening day tomorrow, in the parking lot next to Central Station on GE Patterson, 7 AM to 1 PM. Click the link to find out about all the food offerings, music, and kids’ entertainment. Note to whoever runs the MFM website – you ought to change the title of the main page to something other than “Home.” Page titles are one of the big things search engines look at when indexing sites. Could be missing out on some Google traffic.
I’ve been alerted to something disturbing on the Southern Hot Wing Fest website. It’s scheduled to happen Saturday, but the contact page lists Sunday as the rain date. And there’s a 60% chance of rain Saturday. If they push the hot wing fest back to Sunday, that would put it the same day as Rajun Cajun Crawfish Fest on the river. Which would SUCK. I’m really looking forward to both, but if both end up on Sunday and I’m forced to choose, Rajun Cajun will win, and nearly everyone I polled said the same thing. I hope the organizers of the hot wing fest will make every effort to go on with it Saturday as scheduled.
Last night: Walked down to the Main/Peabody Place block party. Of course, the Saucer was on the way there, so I stopped in for a beer. Then my friend Lee showed up and I had a second beer. So I didn’t get to the block party until 7:00, where my friend Susie told me “MAJOR, MAJOR FAIL” for not showing up early. Susie uses the word “fail” about as often as Brittney from the Saucer uses a variant of the word “fuck” in conversation. Which is to say, nearly every sentence. Anyway, due to the weather the block party wasn’t all that exciting. The Majestic’s patio was packed and there was a band, but not that many people were on the street. I decided to hit the Silly Goose instead, then back to the Saucer.
At the Saucer’s bar I found myself next to Boscos/Ghost River brewmaster Chuck Skypeck. He told be about a new beer he’d been brewing for the Arkansas Travelers baseball team over in Little Rock – Hook Slide Ale. I immediately knew how it got its name. I grew up in Little Rock, and in the ’80s I went to Travelers games all the time (they were then the St. Louis Cardinals’ AA affiliate). There was this guy named Willie who would do baseball slides – feet first, so they were called “hook slides” – down the aisle in front of the third-base bleachers. He’d set up a popcorn box as a makeshift base, and then people in the stands would buy him beers to do his hook slide. He was as much of an attraction as the team itself. He died sometime around 1985. He’d be thrilled to know there’s now a beer named after him that is being sold at Travelers games.
Then I went on to the Peabody rooftop party, but it was about 60 and windy and I only had a T-shirt on (my “NO BUMS” T-shirt, in case anyone cares to know). So I didn’t stay long – headed back to the Saucer for the Dempseys, where I only made it through one set before I decided to call it a night.
Plans for tonight: I’m going to take it very easy and get some rest, assuming I have a hot wing festival to attend tomorrow at 10. Maybe a few beers at the Saucer or the Goose, but I plan on being in bed by 11.