If you checked this blog for a lunchtime post, you may have got a database error… or nothing at all. GoDaddy’s servers were hacked this morning, and it took the web hosting company several hours to get service working again. Below is the post that I typed into Notepad and saved at lunchtime, since I couldn’t get to my blog.
I want to start off this Monday blog post by dispelling a myth that was prevalent this past weekend. Time and time again I heard, “You don’t want to get within about a quarter mile of Beale Street on the night of Southern Heritage Classic. It’s scary and it’s not safe. You could get robbed, you could get shot, you could get run over trying to cross through the heavy traffic.”
Well, Saturday night I decided to see if this was really true. I left the Brass Door about 10:30 (the costume contest I was to judge kind of didn’t happen, at least not while I was there) and I walked south. I reached the Flying Saucer about 10 minutes later. The doors and garage windows were open and people were having a good time. So much for the rumor that all the bars within a block or two of Beale lock the customers in for their own safety about 10 PM. I walked past the Silly Goose and they were letting people in too. No problems at all. I stayed at the Saucer until they turned the lights on at 2:15 and never felt the least bit unsafe. Then I walked to the Blind Bear, had a beer there, and got home about 3. I saw no evidence that Downtown is any more unsafe during Southern Heritage Classic weekend than it is during any other busy weekend. Of course, I didn’t go on Beale Street itself, but then again I rarely go to Beale most weekends anyway.
Due to my late finish Saturday night, I didn’t get out until noon Sunday. I had a couple of new options, with both Max’s Sports Bar and the Blind Bear opening at noon for NFL games. Because of that, I decided to delay my Saucer visit until 5 and try something new. I pulled up Foursquare on my phone and saw the Sunday brunch crew checking into the Bear. That sounded like a plan to me, so in I went.
The Bear was a good call indeed. Sound was on for the game, but it wasn’t so loud that we couldn’t hear each other talk. Neither private room was in use for football viewing, so people might want to keep those in mind for future weeks. Cold PBR at the bar (can’t get that at the Saucer), great service, and damn Kalista can rock a black skirt. I ordered a BLT and pepper jack mac & cheese to try and clear out the cobwebs from Saturday night. About an hour after I finished my meal, kitchen manager Michael Bean came over and said, “Paul, I’m going to bring you another bowl of mac & cheese. I didn’t realize how salty that last batch was. I’m sorry you had to eat it and I threw it out and am bringing you some from the new batch.” I didn’t really think the bowl I had was that bad, but it was a nice gesture that is indicative of how the Bear treats its customers. If the brunch crew makes the Bear its regular noon stop on Sundays, I will really have no choice but to demote the Saucer to mid-afternoon.
After a brief Saucer visit, I came back to the Bear for poker night at 6:30. As I expected, it was much more laid-back than the Tuesday game, with a crowd of about 20. Most of the night we were playing six-handed, where it’s a lot easier to get creative with your hands than at a full table. I came in third, earning some league points.
Because I was at the Brass Door Saturday night, I didn’t get a chance to see the ULM-Arkansas game. Probably a good thing. After entering the season being talked about as a national title contender, the Hogs lost in overtime to a Sun Belt team. As a result, Arkansas fell out of the top 25 after being ranked 8th last week. I guess this illustrates that top-level players need a top-level coach. There’s no way we would have lost to ULM had Petrino been coaching. Then again, we couldn’t have kept Petrino without becoming a program where the coach runs the university (see Penn State football, Ohio State football,, and Kentucky basketball in the past five years). My God. Alabama is going to kill us on Saturday, and then we’ll be 1-2. On the bright side for Arkansas fans in Memphis, the Hogs’ chances of ending up in the Liberty Bowl just got a lot better. If we can get 6 wins, that is.
Important PBR news: Double J Smokehouse and Saloon will have $2 PBR 5 to close tonight as a Monday Night Football special. Other specials include $3 Fireball and a French Dip sandwich with au jus and hand-cut fries.
More important PBR news: Max’s Sports Bar has PBR Monday going on right now, with $1 PBR and hot dogs from open until 7.
In Downtown news, the Hard Rock Cafe has announced Lil’ Rocker Tuesdays. Every Tuesday from 5-10 PM, kids 10 and under will eat free off the menu from the Hard Rock scratch kitchen. They’ll be adding area attractions to the night in future weeks – everything from ice cream socials to live music by kids. Two free kids’ meals per adult entree purchased.
All right. Site is back up. Today’s post has been published. Time for a beer. Pint Nite at the Saucer at 6, poker hosted by Muruako at the Goose at 9.