Every Thanksgiving I get emails of the form, “Is such-and-such bar/restaurant open on Thanksgiving, and if so, what time?” I haven’t had time to compile a complete list this year, and probably won’t have time today or tomorrow, but I can give you a general rule of thumb:
If a place is more bar than restaurant (examples: Goose, Max’s, Bardog, Saucer, etc.), they will likely open at 5 PM on Thanksgiving. If a place is more restaurant than bar, they will likely be closed all day, unless they are open specifically to serve Thanksgiving dinner. Two exceptions: Wang’s and Westy’s can almost always be counted on to stay open regular hours, serving their regular menu on Thanksgiving.
There are now 4 trivia nights, and 5 trivia games, that you can play Downtown on Tuesdays. The newest is the Green Beetle, which starts at 7 PM. Mike who runs the game emailed me. He said it’s more oriented toward group fun than brain-burning questions. He also said that his company, Nite Out Trivia, has done trivia nights around Memphis for a while, but this is their first foray into Downtown.
Other trivia games tonight include Flying Saucer (7:30 and 10:00 games), Silly Goose (8:00), Ferraro’s Pizzeria and Pub (8:00, with $1 PBR).
The Brass Door has announced some post-shopping Black Friday entertainment. WALRUS will play their underground music venue, the Cavern, this Friday night the 25th.
Couple of pieces of Redbirds news. First of all, Ron “Pop” Warner has been named the team’s new manager. He was previously the skipper of the Springfield team, the Cardinals’ double-A affiliate. Also, the ‘birds announced that the merchandise in Backstop Baseball Emporium, the team shop next to AutoZone Park, can now be purchased on the Redbirds’ website. Now you can buy Christmas gifts for Redbirds fans without even leaving your computer.
I tried Poker Jon’s 7:30 poker game last night at the Silly Goose. He’s doing two games every Monday, with the 7:30 game added to the previously existing 10:00 game. I like the early game, because I have a chance to win points in the league without having to stay up past midnight. And on the nights when I do feel like staying up, I have two chances to win.
The Goose’s sliders, by the way, were my to-go food order and they seriously might be the most underrated sliders in all of Memphis. Thick, juicy patties topped with a pepper salsa, with tomato, pickle and mustard on the side for those who choose to add them, with a side of chips and salsa for $9.
Plans for tonight: Getting a tour of EmergeMemphis. When I was on the board of MPACT Memphis, I was in there numerous times. However, I never really got to see it from the viewpoint of a typical startup business (if there is such a thing) located there, so maybe I’ll come out of this with something cool to blog about. After that it’ll be bar time – my streak at the Saucer stands at 115 days, and I’m sure I’ll extend it to 116 tonight. Might sneak in a Bardog visit too (it’s their $3 pint night) to attempt to regain the mayorship there.