The Union Mission is requesting the public’s help to donate Christmas care packages to those who are homeless or otherwise in need this holiday season. Too often, essential items like socks, winter caps and gloves, and toiletries can be overlooked. Guidelines for what to include in the care packages and how to wrap them can be found here. They’re asking that the donations be dropped off at the Mission (383 Poplar) by Wednesday, December 21, and they will start distributing the packages Christmas Eve. No amount of packages is too small or too large to drop off – 1 or 100, whatever you feel like giving.
Month: December 2011
Free Rock & Soul admission tomorrow
You can get in free at the Rock & Soul Museum tomorrow, Thursday, December 15. In honor of the 10th anniversary of Rufus Thomas’ death, they are offering free admission to residents of Shelby County or of Cayce, MS. Also, the first 100 residents who do the Funky Chicken will receive a free gift from the museum. Hours are 10 AM to 7 PM.
That’s all for now… this is one of those slow news days. Today at work I got a programming project extremely close to the finish line, so it’s time to go celebrate with beer.
New food truck serving Southern fare to Downtown Memphis
A new food truck called Revival Southern Food Company has hit the streets of Downtown. They serve sliders, tacos, and blue plate specials, as well as sides and desserts. According to their website, “Owners Crash and Adam rely on influences from New Orleans, Charleston, and other regions across the deep-south to bring you a unique culinary experience on the streets of Memphis and surrounding areas.” Follow the truck on Twitter at @Revival_Food to keep up with what’s on the menu and where the truck is parked.
Tue update: Gasol signed, 4K beer run, Mud Island stalker, SMA, Redbirds Twinterview, ArtSpace
The Grizzlies have signed restricted free agent center Marc Gasol to a new contract. It’s a 4-year deal worth almost $58 million, and he’ll make $12.9 million this season. GREAT MOVE by the Grizzlies organization. Grizzlies-Thunder in the Western Conference Finals? Bet it happens within the next two years. Funny how Marc is now the Gasol in demand – the Houston Rockets were trying to get him for 4/$55M – while the Lakers are looking for a place to dump Pau.
Yazoo Brewery will hold a Barely a 4K run that will start and end at South of Beale at 10 AM this Saturday. Your $15 sign-up fee gets you a T-shirt and two complimentary Yazoo beverages. This is not a formal, organized run like many of the 5Ks you see down here – streets will not be shut down, and really, they don’t care if you actually run or not, you still get the shirt and beverages if you don’t. However, it is a good opportunity to jog around some of the historic parts of Downtown Memphis with friends.
Ladies who live and/or exercise on Mud Island: Be careful. ABC 24 reports that a creepy stalker has been harassing women on Mud Island. I hate reporting negative stuff about Downtown in this blog, but it’s important to get the word out. Hope this guy gets caught soon.
The South Main Association will vote on its slate of candidates for the 2012 board tonight at the Arcade. Wait, didn’t they do that last month? Well, yes, but they screwed it up so they get to do it again. They’ll vote whether to amend the bylaws (because you can’t just suspend them, as they learned last month), and then if they amendment passes they’ll vote on the slate. It’s also their holiday celebration, so if you’re a member come on by for some holiday cheer ‘n’ shit. Social at 6, meeting at 6:30.
The Redbirds will hold their third Twitter interview this Thursday at 2 PM. It will be with 2011 Redbird Attam Ottavino, and topics discussed will include the off-season, coach movement, the farm system and general baseball topics. To see the interview, follow both @memphisredbirds and @AdamOttavino on Twitter. To submit interview questions in advance, tweet them to @memphisredbirds with the hashtag #twinterview.
The Memphis Business Journal reports that ArtSpace, a nonprofit that builds affordable housing for artists, is purchasing the United Warehouse at 138 St. Paul for its latest project. What a great neighborhood to do it, right there in the South Main Arts District with galleries and the MCA grad school nearby. Read the full MBJ article here.
Time to grab some lunch at a new BBQ spot. I’ll be out somewhere after work, Saucer most likely.
Tam O’Shanter @ Brass Door
Saturday I had an hour to kill before the pet parade, so I stopped in The Brass Door for a PBR or two. I didn’t have enough time to eat, but I heard there was a new menu and asked if I could see a copy.
Bartender Ashley pointed out the new items for me. There was one in particular she raved about. “The Tam O’Shanter is so good,” she said. “It’s ham and turkey, topped with bacon, a tomato, Swiss cheese and Mornay sauce. We serve it open-faced on our Brioche bread.” I had to admit I had no idea what Mornay sauce was. “It’s similar to the sauce on Eggs Benedict,” Ashley explained (more on Mornay sauce here). It sounded really tasty. I love a good open-faced sandwich.
Sunday I started with mimosas at the Majestic, followed by beer at the Flying Saucer. Around 4 I started to get hungry, and decided the time was right to give the Tam O’Shanter a try. I walked up to the Brass Door and put in my order. This is what came out:
Oh man, was this ever good. The creamy, fluffy Mornay sauce really brought out the flavor of the meats, and worked well with the Swiss. The sandwich was served with a side of the Brass Door’s fries, which may be the best fries Downtown.
Normally I don’t post pics of half-eaten food, but this time I’m going to make an exception, so you can see what’s underneath the sauce.
As you can see, they just piled on the ham and the bacon, and there’s turkey under there somewhere too. For $9.50 this sandwich will fill you up. The Tam O’Shanter will probably join the Fish & Chips as my go-to items when I eat at the Brass Door. Definitely worth a try next time you stop in.
Vote for your favorite nonprofit to receive free PR services from local firm Obsidian
25 Mid-South nonprofit organizations compete this week for the chance to win six months of free PR services from Obsidian PR. You can vote for your favorite nonprofit on Obsidian’s Facebook page. Voting runs through 5 PM Wednesday, December 14. The top five vote-getters will move on to a run-off December 15 and 16, and the top two in the run-off will receive six months of PR services in 2012. The organizations are:
DeNeuville Learning Center
Vollintine Evergreen Community Association
Hattiloo Theatre
Project: Motion
Veritas College Preparatory Charter School
South Memphis Alliance
Memphis Roller Derby
FuelFilm:Memphis
Fayette Literacy
Alzheimer’s Day Services
Mid-South Spay & Neuter
Friends for Life
On Our Own
Playhouse on the Square
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Memphis
The Blues Foundation
Les Passees, Inc.
Brooks Museum of Art
Crosstown Arts
Pink Palace Family of Museums
Special Olympics Greater Memphis
The Women’s Foundation of Greater Memphis
Concord Academy
Creative Aging Mid-South
Center for Southern Folklore
Vote by “liking” the logo of your favorite nonprofit. I just went in and voted. I won’t say who I voted for, but I will say that Labor Day weekend would be a lot less interesting if this organization wasn’t here.
Time to grab some lunch… possibly another blog post after work, about a new sandwich I tried at Brass Door yesterday. Plans for tonight are the usual: Pint Nite at the Saucer, then poker at the Goose at 7:30.
FreeWorld changes Sunday start time at Blues City
Going back to the 90s, FreeWorld has jammed every Sunday night at the Blues City Cafe’s Band Box from 10:30 until close. This winter, though, they’re backing up the start time to 9:30, in response to comments like, “We want to come see you but you start so late.” Now you can come catch their first set, get a full night’s sleep, and make it to work on Monday. Come hear a Downtown Memphis tradition!
Jambalaya and Bucket House Greens @ Johnny G’s Creole Kitchen
Yesterday evening after the Downtown pet parade, I was hungry. I was going to go back to Brass Door, where I’d been earlier in the day, and try one of their new menu items. They had been bought out by Corey B. Trotz for a private party, though, so I headed south to Beale Street for some Creole food at Johnny G’s.
As usual, I sat at the bar, and before I even got a menu I saw that one change had taken place since I’d last been in: PBR had been added to the draft beers! I ordered a 32 oz. PBR and took a look at the menu.
I was tempted to order their signature item, the Drunken Chicken, but since Johnny G’s is a relatively new restaurant, I hadn’t made it through the entire menu yet. So I was determined to try new and different things. I hadn’t yet had their jambalaya, so I ordered it. I wanted something else on the side, and after searching the menu I settled on a bowl of “Bucket House Greens.”
Oh my God… those GREENS!!! They were amazing! Just the right amount of meat to add flavor, and just the right amount of black pepper to spice things up. I was so glad I ordered a bowl of them, instead of the smaller cup. Honestly, if the bowl had been twice the size it was, I think I still would have finished all my greens. One of the best vegetables I have ever had Downtown.
As for the jambalaya, it was pretty good – it’s just that it was overshadowed by the awesomeness of the greens. The jambalaya was midly spicy, as compared to the set-your-mouth-on-fire spice of the jambalaya at Court House Deli. They have bottles of hot sauce, so you can season your jambalaya to taste at Johnny G’s if you want to turn up the heat.
If you have not yet been to Johnny G’s Creole Kitchen, I have now been enough times that I can make a recommendation for your first meal there: Get the Drunken Chicken and a bowl of Bucket House Greens. The Drunken Chicken is available three different ways – over rice, atop nachos, or on a sandwich. Choose whichever preparation suits you; all are good. As for the greens, get a bowl, not a cup. If you get the smaller portion, you will regret it once you taste those greens. It will cost you between $12 and $14 before tax and tip, depending on how you get your chicken. For Beale Street, that is quite a bargain.
All right, it’s a little after 9 on Sunday morning. Time to watch more Beavis and Butt-head videos on my Kindle Fire until 11 AM rolls around… then it’ll be time for mimosas at the Majestic. Lately I’ve been joining a few friends at the Goose after brunch, but today I’m not feeling it… will either be at the Saucer when it opens at 12, or possibly I’ll walk down to the Brass Door to try the new menu. If I make it to the Door, expect another food post soon.
“Howliday” Pet Parade and the grand opening of the Barking Lot
Yesterday I watched the first annual Pet Parade up the Main Street Mall, starting at One Commerce Square and ending at Court Square. Afterward I wandered up to The Barking Lot, the new dog walking park at Main and Jefferson.
Parade grand marshal Rockey Redbird
The parade ended in Court Square, where the Humane Society and other pet-related organizations handed out information.
The Barking Lot
Fuel Cafe’s food truck parked in the space in the Barking Lot reserved for food trucks.
Full photo album (27 pics) here. Quite a few dogs and children came out for the parade. I wondered if anyone would try to bring a cat, but I didn’t see any. The Barking Lot is a really neat concept. I hope the parking area will attract more food trucks Downtown.
After the parade I stopped at the Saucer for a couple of beers, then walked down to Beale Street where I ate at Johnny G’s Creole Kitchen. I’ll have a food post about my meal there later today.
The Memphis Tigers host the Murray State Racers today at 5 PM at the FedExForum. That should draw a good crowd Downtown this Sunday afternoon.
I found a new use for my Kindle Fire this morning. I’m watching full episodes of Beavis and Butt-head on it. Can’t nobody tell me the purchase of the Fire wasn’t money well spent!
Sat update: Kayak.com rocks, Memphis in May gear for cheap, Christine raises discount, Seger @ Forum
So, yesterday I booked my upcoming trip to Little Rock. The hotel I like best is called The Legacy Hotel in Downtown Little Rock. Longtime residents of the city will remember it as the Sam Peck. Nice rooms, views of the State Capitol, microwave, refrigerator and coffee maker in the rooms, Wi-Fi. Walkable to everywhere in Downtown Little Rock – a bit of a far walk, but if I get tired, there’s a trolley that runs down Markham Street/President Clinton Avenue where many of the bars are.
So, anyway, I got on the Legacy’s web site and did a search. The cheapest room they had was $81 a night. Then I got on Kayak.com and searched for the hotel. They had the same room for $55 a night. Needless to say, I booked it on Kayak. $55 a night for a Downtown hotel with all the amenities is not a bad deal at all.
Was there a shirt or hat you wanted to buy at Memphis in May, but didn’t get the chance? Well, check this out:
Memphis in May is selling past years’ T-shirts, polos, hats, cookbooks, posters and more at discount prices. They’re on sale 11-5 Monday-Friday next week at 45 S. Main. Great deal. Wish those who work far away from Downtown had some opportunity to buy the merchandise outside normal business hours though.
Christine by Shelton Clothiers has raised the markdown on the entire store to 60% off. Their final shipments came in this week.
Bob Seger plays the FedExForum tonight. Get tickets here.
Late getting out today… it’s past 1 PM. Been watching videos on my Kindle Fire all morning. Only thing I really have to do today is stop by First Tennessee to hit the ATM. Hmmm the Brass Door is across the street. And they have PBR. I want to get out on the Main Street Mall and check out the pet parade in a couple of hours, maybe check out the Barking Lot after that. I wonder if any food trucks will be parked at the Barking Lot this afternoon? No definite plans for tonight, but I’ll figure it out.