Month: July 2011

The Memphis Police will conduct a “Sea of Blue” procession Downtown tonight at 8:15. The procession is in honor of patrolman Timothy Warren who was killed in the line of duty Sunday. It starts at the Pyramid and this is the route:

1. South on Front Street to Linden Avenue
2. East on Linden Avenue passing the E.D.U. Office (136 Linden)
3. Continuing on Linden Avenue to Danny Thomas Blvd
4. North on Danny Thomas Blvd. to Union Avenue
5. West on Union Avenue passing in front of the Double Tree Hotel (185 Union) to Third Street
6. North on Third Street to Poplar Avenue
7. West on Poplar to Front Street
8. North on Front back to the Pyramid

This is a good opportunity to find a spot along the route, and applaud and show appreciation to our police officers as they roll by.

Bike rider? Baseball lover? Combine the two activities on Sunday, July 17 with a bike ride from Midtown to AutoZone Park, including a lap around the field. Meet at the First Congo parking lot at 4:30; game begins at 6:05. $7 outfield seats for bike riders. If you want to be a part of it, there’s more info here.

Maggie Moo’s will host a fundraiser for the Memphis Music & Heritage Festival Tuesday, July 12 from 5 to 9 PM. The festival is held on the Main Street Mall over Labor Day weekend, put on by the Center for Southern Folklore, and is a huge celebration of regional music and culture. On the 12th Maggie Moo’s will have live music, and you’ll be able to go next door to the Center and sign up as a festival volunteer, and purchase items from the Folklore Store. A portion of all proceeds from Maggie Moo’s sales that evening will go toward the festival.

Widespread Panic has been announced for the FedExForum on Saturday, October 1. I remember when they played here a few years ago; I didn’t attend the concert but it made for some fascinating people-watching in the parking lots around the Forum.

Mudflap King is the featured entertainment for the weekly Peabody rooftop party tonight. $10 cover includes first drink; ladies free before 7; VIP passes for the rest of the season available for $50. Budweiser will be giving away a Port Paradise cruise; details about the cruise can be found here. Buffet theme this week is Sunset in Key West, with make-your-own fish tacos, tropical fruit and veggie trays. In VIP they’ll have Cuban sandwiches, seafood salads and rice and beans. After-party in the Corner Bar from 10 to 12, benefiting the Memphis Music Foundation, with DJ Luis Gee, sponsored by La Onda Magazine.

Over on the Madison rooftop, the Memphis All-Stars will play tonight. If you’re a student or employee of the U of M Law School, show your ID to get in free this week. $7 cover, sophisticated drinks and tapas menu available on the roof. Party starts at 5:30, sunset at 8:17.

Tomorrow, July 8, is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-a. Come in completely dressed in a cow costume and get a free meal. A partial costume gets a free entree. Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

Reader emailed asking for suggestions for interesting things to do Downtown Sunday evening. Memphis Jazz Orchestra practice at Alfred’s (6 to 9) and FreeWorld at Blues City (10:30) come to mind. Other suggestions? Email me at paul@paulryburn.com and I’ll pass them on.

Plans for tonight: Looks like a bunch of us will meet outside AutoZone Park around 8:15 to applaud the police procession as it passes. Will probably pre-game at the Saucer for a few beers, starting around 6. No poker at Max’s Sports Bar for me this week.

One of the people re-opening the Green Beetle has posted to Facebook saying they’re shooting for lunch Monday as the opening date. Sounds like a good idea. When you had a reputation as a late-night bar, you want to iron the kinks out before you open as a late-night bar again. A weekday lunch is perfect.

Based on email reaction I’ve received, a lot of folks are very excited about the rebirth of the Beetle. Best of luck and I’m sure I’ll see you soon.

I’ll start this lunchtime blog post with info about a condo for rent on South Main. It’s an 1800 SF, 2 full bath condo with oversized jacuzzi, open kitchen with bar, 16 foot ceiling with exposed rafters and brick walls, 1 or 2 bedrooms, all appliances, washer/dryer, private parking, private courtyard, all utilities included, $1050/month. It’s at 481 S. Main, right by a trolley stop and the MCA graduate school. If interested email princemongoformayor@yahoo.com. If you’re worried about having a landlord from the planet Zambodia, don’t be… other tenants have told me he’s a great landlord, and I’ve heard this is an amazing place to live.

The Peabody’s “Master Taster’s” wine club meets tonight at the Corner Bar. The first Wednesday of every month, the club gathers to sample four wines selected by Sommelier Jeremy Nash. The July event will showcase wines from Oregon and Chez Philippe Chef Jason Dallas will present a “Treasures of the Pacific Northwest.” Event is from 5:00 to 6:30. $15 if you want to attend this event, or $50 for a VIP membership through the rest of the year that includes valet parking.

Bar None starts their Fat Tire promo today. Come drink New Belgium Fat Tire for $3.75/pint, and get an entry to win a Fat Tire bike with every Fat Tire purchase.

Memphis has its first electric vehicle charger. It’s located at the Peabody Hotel. More detals on MLGW’s Bird on a Wire blog. There will eventually be 60 public charging stations located here.

Following Sunday’s shooting of an officer at the Doubletree Hotel, City Council is reconsidering a 4.6% pay cut for police officers. I know the city is in financial trouble, but find the money somewhwere else! Our police officers don’t deserve to lose one penny of their salary. Heck, the way they’ve kept my neighborhood safe for the past year, I’d argue that a 4.6% RAISE is more in line with what they deserve.

Another beer dinner is coming to Downtown, and this one has a different twist. It will pair beer with chocolate. It will be at Spindini next Tuesday, July 12 at 7:00. Here’s the menu:

Lindeman’s Framboise paired with
Fresh raspberries served in a lattice cookie cup with white chocolate sabayon

Murphy Irish Stout paired with
Abuelita Mexican chocolate and caramel tart with a chocolate espresso sauce

Rogue Mocha Porter paired with
White Chocolate truffle coated with extra brut cocoa served with a port reduction

Friuli Strawberry paired with
Milk chocolate covered strawberries injected with Grand Marnier

Yazoo Sue paired with
Dark chocolate flourless torte with a white chocolate anglaise

$40 per person, $30 if you’re a 38103 Society member (no idea what that means), plus tax and gratuity. Reservations required. Call 901-578-2767 to make them, or get on their website. Dinner is limited to 40 people. If your girlfriend likes beer, I bet this would be a great way to score points with her.

Facebook just released the ‘big news’ they promised this week: Video chat powered by Skype. You can also start group chats instantly.

The Rapscallions placed third at trivia last night. Ya know, I called the Saucer out on this when we played there… gotta be fair and do the same to the Goose. You guys need to get trivia started on time. Some of my teammates were complaining that it started at 8:25 and ended at almost 10, half an hour late. Staying out until 10 isn’t a big deal for me, but it is for them. I hope the team doesn’t end up being just me next week.

Time to hit Wendy’s and the gas station real quick. I’ll probably be at the Saucer about 6 tonight for some smoke-free beers. It’s possible I’ll play Bardog’s 7:30 poker tournament, but as of yet I’m undecided.

Very tired today, a result of staying out later than I expected last night. About 10:15 PM I was at the Saucer, about to pay my tab and head home, when several police cars roared down Second, blue lights flashing. About 10 minutes later I saw a swarm of teenagers – hundreds, it seemed – walking off Beale Street. Apparently some kids had been shooting fireworks on the street. The police, in no mood for shenanigans after losing one of their own Sunday, cleared Beale about 10:20.

That sent hundreds of teens, rather ticked off and some carrying fireworks, onto the streets of Downtown Memphis. I watched at the Saucer window for the next hour and a half as the cops closed off streets. They intercepted the large groups and told them to go home. MPD was not messing around. By about 11:40 the streets were clear, and it was time to get to-go food and call it a rather late night. Some of the restaurants on Second closed early because of the mobs of kids, but thankfully Bardog’s kitchen was still open. The Dog of the Day was once again my late-night snack.

Speaking of Bardog, the Salty Dogs running club that meets there every Monday is having an interesting event next week. They’ll be doing a Mud Island Planking Run, a 3-6 mile course. On the way runners will stop and find interesting places to plank. Planking, also known as the lying down game, involves lying face down, arms touching the sides of the body, feet pointed face down, in an unusual place. Photos must be taken of the planking event and posted to the Internet. The craze started in Australia earlier this year, and became a big deal at Bardog a few weeks ago. Glad to see the runners’ group has adopted planking. Meet at Bardog at 7 PM Monday, July 11. New runners are always welcome.

Thinking about making a major purchase – a computer, a refrigerator, a car? For today only, the entire Consumer Reports review archive is free to the public.

It’s Tuesday and that means trivia. Kevin Cerrito continues trivia in the party room at Ferraro’s (8:00), with $15 all-you-can-eat-and-drink pizza and PBR. The Silly Goose has trivia at 8 as well, with Charles calling questions in a style similar to the old Saucer format. Weekly prizes and points toward a cumulative $300 summer prize. I’ll be at the Goose. Will probably pre-game at either the Saucer or Bardog (I’ll decide after seeing where people are checked in on Foursquare) from about 6 to 7:30. It’s Pint Night at Bardog with all drafts $3 from 7 PM to 3 AM.

That’s it for now. About to go grab lunch, even though that will only make me more sleepy.

Well, I just had to scrap a post I had saved in Drafts.

I was going to talk about how I hadn’t spent enough time on this blog expressing my gratitude to those who have served this country. Soldiers, Marines, airmen, sailors, those in the National Guard and Coast Guard. Our police officers, firefighters and EMTs. I even had an image of a hottie in an American flag tube top dress.

But last night, we got a chilling reminder of what it means to serve. A reminder that happened all too close to home.

About 7 PM, there was a disturbance at the Doubletree Hotel at Third and Union. Officer Timothy Warren, one of the EDU (Entertainment District Unit) police officers, responded. As Officer Warren was in a stairwell, a suspect stepped out of a connecting doorway and shot him in the head. The officer was pronounced dead at the Med. He was the first MPD officer to die in the line of duty in seven years. He’d been on the force since July 2003.

My condolences and prayers to Officer Warren’s family and friends, and especially to his fellow officers. I simply cannot imagine how it must feel.

My deepest appreciation for the officers of the EDU and all the officers of the Memphis Police Department. Thank you for keeping Downtown safe, allowing me to go out and do the things I do every day.

More on the shooting can be found here.

My friend DJ David the Worm debuts his new night at Sky Grille tonight. It’s called Alternative Nation and it’s in the space formerly known as Quetzal, now Sky Grille, at the corner of Union and Marshall. Here’s what he had to say about the new night:

“Alternative/Indie/Electronic Body Music/Post-Punk/Futurepop/Nu Rave/Indietronica/Dark Wave . . . there’s only one place (SKY GRILLE), one night (SUNDAYS) and one dj (DAVID THE WORM) who brings them all together for you. Wrap up your weekend at the main room bar and dancefloor or under the stars on the rooftop patio listening to Arcade Fire, Editors, Cruxshadows, Hurts, Crystal Castles, etc. and some classics like Depeche Mode, New Order and The Cure. It all gets started at 8 pm. NO COVER!!!”

It’s a long holiday weekend, so throw on a tube top (unless you’re a guy) and come check out Alternative Nation.

Right now, though, it’s 10:24 AM, which means Sunday Fun Day is 36 minutes away. No change in plans. Majestic Grille at 11, smoke-free Flying Saucer at 12. Whiny crybaby smokers can go elsewhere if they choose, but it’s business as usual for Sunday Fun Day.

Since this blog tends to be of interest mainly to guys during Tube Top Month, I thought it would be appropriate to do a post for the ladies.

Delphinium, the boutique on G.E. Patterson in the Arcade building, is running its biggest sale since the store opened 5 years ago. The deals below run through July or while supplies last.

Bare Escentuals Eye Shadow Pots & Eye Liner Pots~Buy One, Get One FREE!

Bare Escentuals Lip Glosses~40% Off

Snoot Scents Lotions, Bath Gel, & Body Sprtiz~Buy One, Get One FREE!

Wry Baby Snap Suits~50% Off

Miss Oops!~75% Off

Napa Shaving Soap Travel Sizes~75% Off

Archipelago Milk Bath Products~50% Off

Hand Woven Fair Trade Belts~50% Off

Select Jewelry~50% Off

75% Off Accessories Sale Table

Thursday night I played poker at Max’s Sports Bar, in their regular Thursday night Buzztime hold’em tournament. Didn’t win, but I came away with a couple of pieces of news that I wanted to share.

First of all, Max’s now sells the table rub that they use on their BBQ nachos. It would be good on beef, chicken, poultry, pork, pretty much any meat. I imagine it would even be good on tofu, if you can get past the fact that tofu kinda sucks. Here’s a picture of Michele holding the table rub:

It sells for $5.50 a bottle.

In other news, Max’s is giving away a golf bag.

Wouldn’t you be proud to walk around the golf course broadcasting the message “I drink shitty beer” with this lovely bag? Get an entry to win every time you drink a Mich Ultra between now and July 30. $2.75 Mich Ultra on Mondays.

And in closing and in keeping with the month’s theme on this blog, here’s a pic of Max’s Sports Bar regular Gloria in a tube top. (pic wasn’t taken at Max’s though)

I started last night at the newly SMOKE-FREE Flying Saucer. It was wonderful. The air in the Saucer no longer resembled the sky in Los Angeles. I could BREATHE. It was so different. As for people’s claims that the Saucer would be dead now that it’s no-smoking, I arrived to find about 10 of my friends there. They’d been there all afternoon. Some had taken a half-day off; others had their laptops and were using the Saucer’s Wi-Fi to work (must be nice).

At 8:00 I moved down the street to Kooky Canuck for their Canada Day celebration. They had a poutine eating contest and my friends Joe and Jason were in it.