Month: July 2009

Not a whole lot to talk about today… this should be quick.

I’ve been asked to point people here to vote for Victoria’s Secret to include the University of Memphis in their new Pink collegiate line.  That’s a link I’m more than happy to post.

Just got the monthly newsletter from Envision Memphis, the health club on the top floor of the Cadre Building.  Featured classes for July include Pilates with Val Russell and the Push Pilates team, Yoga Therapy with Amsa, and an early-morning Hollywould boot camp.  Click through to their website for more details.

It’s Tuesday night tonight, which means the 34 oz. mixed drinks are on sale for $5 at Kooky Canuck.  Those would be good to wash down their new Maple Flank Steak.  Terry usually bartends on Tuesday, so, great service at the bar.  Remember, that 34 oz. mixed drink normally costs twice as much, so make sure you tip him extra well.

I usually don’t talk about work on my blog, but a rather cool thing happened this morning so I’ll make an exception… we’re moving to a new building in Horn Lake next year, and the architects came around and asked each of us our wants and needs.  Wow what a novel concept, asking the employees what kind of workspace would allow them to be most productive… as opposed to assuming management knows best and designing a one-size-fits-all space without any input from the staff, which is what happens in most offices… I like it.

After work I have to see about lining up tracking services for my websites… they’ve now reached the point where I need to pay for premium web tracking to be able to better search-optimize them.  This is a high-class problem to have.  One of my sites is selling cornhole boards like crazy this week and I need advanced tracking to understand what I did right, so I can duplicate it on other sites.  After I get that done I’ll head to the weekly trivia match at the Saucer, where Mikey the Trivia Guy is filling in for Pete this week.

And with that, I’m outta here… be sure to let me know if you see any new Romanians out and about Downtown.

Kooky Canuck just added some new menu items. One is the King Kookamonga, a supersized version of their Kookamonga burger. 6 pounds of meat, 12 pounds total with bun and fixins. Free if you and a friend finish it in under an hour, $34.99 otherwise.

Elsewhere on the menu, I see a 6 ounce maple flank steak that’s new.

(Edited to add: they also have a new half pound hot dog.)

Not there by the way… Still at Pint Nite, surfing their menu from my phone.

At Pint Nite at the Saucer, blogging from my phone… A girl just interviewed with one of the managers and was probably wondering why I was staring at her throughout the interview.

I was trying to figure out if she was Romanian. Every year around this time, Memphis sees an influx of Romanians, Russians, Serbians, and other college students who have come here on their summer break on a 4 month work visa. They usually get restaurant and hotel jobs.

Of all the girls who come over here from Eastern Europe, the Romanians are by far the hottest. We had several a few years ago but they graduated.

If you have any Romanian sightings, e-mail me at paul@paulryburn.com and let me know.

This just in:  King Willie to delay resignation until July 30.  And then on July 29, I’m sure we’ll have another press conference announcing a further delay.  Sigh… will we ever get rid of him?

The monthly SMA meeting will be July 14, a week from this coming Tuesday, at the Orpheum.  The featured speaker will be Pat Halloran, president of the Orpheum.  Social begins at 6, meeting at 6:45.  There will be a cash bar available, and free hors d’oeuvres available compliments of the theatre.  Free food… wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up?

It’s 10:30 in the morning and I’m getting ready to walk to Sole to try their brunch.  Later in the day, the usual Sunday fun.

A couple of new cigar stores have opened Downtown within the past month.

There’s a Smokers’ Outlet at 6 S. Main which has a walk-in humidor.  They also carry some basic convenience-store items and apparel for sports teams in the area.

There’s another new cigar lounge on Second across from the Peabody, next door to Kooky Canuck.  Looks like they have a real comfortable lounge area with leather couches and TVs – good environment to enjoy cigars, I would imagine.

And, of course, there’s the first and the finest, Tobacco Bowl on Madison between Second and Third which has been Downtown for years and years.  Huge selection, owner with lots of knowledge of cigars, a very comfortable lounge upstairs, coffee bar downstairs.

I don’t smoke cigars, but I can tell that it is certainly a good time to be a smoker in Downtown Memphis.

(Edit 10:38 AM: More info on the Richard Johnston filming here.  Free performance in front of the New Daisy at 8, after party inside at 10:30 with a $5 cover.)

The July 4 show in Handy Park featuring Muck Sticky begins at 5 PM tonight and is free.

I saw on Facebook that local hill country bluesman Richard Johnston is filming on Beale Street tonight.  From looking at his website, it looks like he’ll be in his usual spot outside the New Daisy.

Also, for those of you who miss superstar bartender Jamie who used to work at the Black Diamond, he’s back on Beale, at the King’s Palace patio bar.  Good to have Jamie back on the street.

Hmmm… despite having a free pass into the Peabody’s July 4 rooftop party, I’m now leaning toward Beale tonight.  Of course, it’s a short walk, so I could easily do both, I guess.

I’ll end with my usual quote – “He who goes forth on the Fourth with a fifth, may not go forth on the Fifth.”  When the Fifth is Sunday Fun Day, though, you better believe I’m going to go forth on the Fifth.  Hmmm Sole is doing brunch tomorrow and bartender Melissa is back in town.  Boobs!  That may be a plan for tomorrow morning.

The competition among Saucer bartenders to see who can sell the most New Belgium products continues today.  I’d like to encourage everyone to go there and order Fat Tire, 1554, Mighty Arrow, or Mothership Wit from Marci after 3 PM today.  Here’s a pic of Marci in case you don’t know what she looks like… wow, do I really not have a pic of her anywhere on my hard drive?  Hang on, I’ll steal one from her Facebook page.

There ya go.  That’s Marci.  I hope she doesn’t mind the unauthorized use of her pic, given that I’m doing it to help her sell beer.  I don’t recommend getting there before 3, because there won’t be anyone at the bar worth ordering from.

News on some new beers at the Saucer:  They are now carrying Victory products.  If you like hoppy beer, they have a couple you should try.  Hop Devil is an IPA that they carry in bottles, weighing in at 6.7% alcohol.  If you want to take things even farther, Hop Wallop is a double IPA on draft at 8.5% ABV.  Because it’s a high-alcohol beer, it won’t be on the Pint Nite special on Mondays.  Whirlwind Wit is an interpretation of the Belgian white beer style, and is described by the maker as a “swirling dynamo of flavor.” 5% ABV.  The Victory website says this one is only available April through August, so if you are working on a plate at the Saucer, you better get this one before it disappears.

I also saw a comment from the Saucer’s GM that New Belgium Skinny Dip will be at the Downtown Saucer starting Monday (the one in East Bumblefuck already has it).  It’s described as “something a little lighter than the rest of” the New Belgium portfolio, a nice, refreshing summer beer.  A restaurant owner recommended a twist of lime with it.  I’ve tried this one at the Little Rock Saucer and it’s pretty good.  The Saucer GM commented “you have to finish Mighty Arrow first,” so it looks like Mighty Arrow will be gone to make way for Skinny Dip.  If you want a last taste of Mighty Arrow you better order it (from Marci) today.

Up early upgrading all my Amazon storefronts to the latest version of the software… will be in front of the computer for a while, so if I think of anything there will be another post.

Here’s a pic of the Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles) with beef that I had at Bangkok Alley today for lunch:

Correction from a previous post: Old Lazy Ass isn’t bartending at the Saucer day shift today – Marci is. She’s in a contest to see who can sell the most New Belgium beers. So please come by before 5 and order a Fat Tire, Mothership Wit, 1554, or Mighty Arrow from Marci.