BREAKING NEWS: Rob Fischer (@thefishnation on Twitter) reported that the St. Louis Cardinals are close to an agreement to purchase the Memphis Redbirds and AutoZone Park. Talks are said to be moving quickly.
St. Louis Cardinals third baseman David Freese will join the Memphis Redbirds beginning April 4. He will be here on a rehab assignment. On March 4 in spring training Freese went tumbling into the stands trying to catch a fly ball, and he’s been sidelined with a lower back strain since then.
If you’re interested in the redevelopment of the Chisca Hotel into apartments and retail space, there are two upcoming events you should know about. First of all, there will be an update on progress at the hotel at the South Main Association meeting on Tuesday, April 9. Terry Lynch, the president of Southland Capital Corporation, will speak. The meeting is at the Arcade Restaurant at Main and G.E. Patterson Avenue. 6 PM social, 6:30 meeting. Cash bar, hors d’oeuvres provided by the Arcade. Free for SMA members; non-members welcome for a cover charge of $10.
On Friday, April 26, the official project launch will take place at the Chisca at 3 PM. Attendees will be able to view proposed renderings of the hotel, and meet the people who saved the site of Dewey Phillips’ “Red Hot and Blue” radio show where Elvis was broadcast for the first time. There will be music and entertainment.
Memphis Magazine has some very good photos of the 1960 Russwood Park fire aftermath. Russwood Park was located near Downtown and is where the AA Memphis Chicks played.
WMC-TV has an image gallery of conceptual plans for unused spaces on South Main. These were unveiled last Friday during South Main Trolley Tour.
Tonight the Flying Saucer will be doing a charity glass night for cystic fibrosis. In conjunction with Yazoo Brewery, they will have a special glass on sale beginning at 7 PM, and 100% of the proceeds from these glass sales will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The Cordova, Little Rock, and Nashville Flying Saucers will also participate in this fundraiser.
Yesterday I listed some of the many items for sale at Memphis Farmers Market. One thing to add to that list is breads and baked goods from Bluff City Bakery. You can find the bakery’s goods at Bluff City Coffee on South Main as well as at the market. Follow Chef Jason Doty on Twitter at @CraveMemphis to keep up with news from the bakery.
Bon Ton Cafe’s bar is now open. They’re licensed to serve beer, wine, and liquor.
My BBQ team The Moody Ques has now hit its membership cap and is done accepting new members for 2013. Last night at the Blind Bear we chatted with a new team member who used to live in Stockholm. It will be good to have his input, since we’re kind of in a creative funk for ideas to honor Memphis in May’s host country this year, Sweden. We will have several new people on the team who volunteer for Memphis Farmers Market. We also will have a new team member who wears a lot of tube tops. That’s the kind of person I like to have on the Moody Ques.
Looks like I have to do BBQ stuff after work, although I’m sure I’ll find time for a quick beer at the Flying Saucer first.