Lost dog: Male Rat Terrier (Dexter) about 10 months old – lost near Petco on Poplar and Highland in Memphis, ran towards the golf course. This happened Tuesday 06/24 in the Petco parking lot. No collar on. If found contact me at paul@paulryburn.com and I will put you in touch with the owner.
Friday night is the monthly South Main Trolley Night. The last Friday of every month, many of the galleries and shops along South Main and intersecting streets stay open late. Many will have live music on Fridays, and there will also be vendors along South Main. If you’ve never been, it is a fun way to get familiar with all the neighborhood has to offer, and to meet some of your neighbors. It will be near 90, so you will want to be comfortable as you walk from one shop to another. A tube top would be a good idea (and American Apparel sells them).
While you’re in the area for Trolley Night, check out my friends Dynaflow who will be performing at Earnestine & Hazel’s. They take the stage at 7.
If you want to know what the Brass Door is like during a USA soccer match, check out this video.
Both the Downtown and Cordova Flying Saucer will open at 10 AM tomorrow for the USA match. Sound will be on. Silly Goose will open at 10:30 sharp. As I mentioned yesterday, Local, Bardog, and Brass Door will also be open.
There will be a job fair Friday at 413 N. Cleveland from 10 to 1. Many industry leaders will be there looking to hire.
Last night I posted this pic to Facebook and commented, “If you’re a tube topster, I’ll buy you lobster” but no one took me up on it. The lobster po-boy was a daily special so it’s too late now.
Tonight is the first annual DNA Sports Forum, at Bleu in the Westin Hotel. Attendees will hear from Geoff Calkins, Carrie Anderson, Gary Parrish and voice of the Memphis Grizzlies, Pete Pranica for a unique perspective on Memphis sports. Cocktails and snacks at 6, panel begins at 6:30.
The Green Beetle is holding its second annual crawfish party this Sunday, June 29. There will be live music and the crawfish will be ready by 3 in the afternoon. Crawfish will be $10 a pound and will include corn and potatoes.
People who organize crawfish boils in Memphis have noticed that they go a lot longer before they run out of crawfish since about March 20 of this year. In other news, the Nuh-Uh Girl moved out of Memphis about March 20 of this year.
Speaking of the Green Beetle, Kevin Cerrito will host Memphis Grizzlies trivia at the Beetle Thursday night at 8. He will also host Grizzlies trivia at Tamp & Tap Wednesday night at 7.
Central BBQ will be closed Monday, June 30 for the restaurant’s annual employee party.
A couple of friends of mine walked up to the High Cotton taproom this past weekend. After a few beers they were hungry, and decided to walk across the street and give Kudzu’s a try. They had the tamales, and one of them said, “These might even be better than the ones at Blues City” which is a huge compliment, as you know if you’ve ever had Blues City’s tamales. The other said “I was just thinking the same thing.” One of them had a fried pork tenderloin sandwich, which they said was huge with the meat hanging way past the edge of the bun. I need to give Kudzu’s a try (and the taproom a second try) soon.
The High Cotton taproom, by the way, will be closed Saturday for a wedding reception. They will fill growlers Saturday from 2 to 4.
Local will be opening early Thursday for USA vs. Germany with game day specials at 10:30 AM. The Brass Door is opening at 10 AM every day through Thursday, so they’ll be open too. Bardog opens at 8 AM weekdays regardless of whether there’s a game. Any other Downtown restaurants or bars planning to open early?
Holly has a list of reasons why you should attend Friday’s Redbirds game on the I Love Memphis blog. The main reasons are that the first 2000 fans will get a replica NLCS ring, and the game is an Alzheimer’s benefit. Instructions on how to make sure part of your ticket’s price goes to the fight against Alzheimer’s can be found in Holly’s post.
Police are investigating a hit-and-run crash involving an 18-wheeler on Riverside Drive this morning. Trucks aren’t supposed to be on Riverside anyway! What was this driver doing?
Yesterday I went to Melissa Monday at Bardog for happy hour. I learned that there will be a special bonus Melissa Tuesday tonight, so that is where I will lead off after work. Should get there around 5:30. Plan after that TBD.
Tube Top Month just doesn’t get much better than this. Suzy in a tube top at Bardog.
Breaking news: A 171-room Hotel Indigo is going into 100 N. Main. InterContinental Hotels has made the committment, the Memphis Business Journal reports.
The Memphis Flyer is accepting nominations for Best Bartender and Best Server through June 29. Those selected will appear as choices on the Best of Memphis poll next month. (You’ll still be able to write a name in if your favorite doesn’t make them list.) Nominate here.
There will be a wine reception at Sue Layman Designs, 125 G.E. Patterson, during South Main Trolley Night this Friday from 6 to 9. Guests will be able to view her newest collection of paintings, entitled “Adventure of Love.” Free to attend. More information about Sue Layman can be found here.
Have you ever thought about joining the urban chicken movement, raising your own chickens instead of buying frozen processed ones? Tomorrow night, Tuesday June 24, there will be a presentation about urban chickens at the Main Library, 3030 Poplar, Meeting Room C. Master Gardener Patsy Courtright will talk about how she got started with urban chickens. She’ll cover feeding and watering, predators and protection, cleaning the coop, children and chickens, dance of the chickens, and more. The presentation will start at 6:30.
Broadway musical The Book of Mormon plays the Orpheum Tuesday through Sunday this week.
It looked like the USA soccer guys were going to kick the ball in the net one more time than the Portugal soccer guys, but then the Portugal soccer guys kicked the ball in the net again and it was a tie. Now the USA soccer guys need to make sure that the German soccer guys don’t kick the ball in the net more times than they do on Thursday. If the USA does that then they’ll advance and get to play some more soccer people.
Got a few more hours at work then it’s time for Melissa Monday at Bardog. Melissa had a tube top on when she worked last night, and hopefully she’ll have another tube top for today.
Michele has posted that Max’s Sports Bar will open early, at 2 PM both today and tomorrow, for those who want to watch the World Cup.
From WREG: A man is charged with sexual battery after allegedly groping a woman at a bus stop at Front and Monroe. He is said to have stuck his hand down the back of the woman’s jeans, as well as sticking his hand down her shirt and grabbing her breast. Normally I shy away from posting news like this that casts Downtown in a bad light, but I’m making an exception this time to post his mug shot so that all women Downtown can be aware of what he looks like.
WREG also has a really nice piece on the Nettleton Community Orchard. Neighbors took a piece of land at Tennessee and Nettleton that really wasn’t good for much and are turning it into something attractive. Fruit is already growing on the trees that have been planted, and next week AutoZone employees are volunteering to put in flower beds and plant more fruit trees.
The Flying Saucer has Moscow Mules back. The Moscow Mule is a refreshing summer drink made with vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice on ice. The Saucer got rid of the drink for a while because the copper mugs kept getting stolen, but now they have a system in place to prevent that.
I posted about the Moscow Mules on Facebook and got a tip from a Silly Goose bartender: The Goose has the Mules too and they’re $4 during happy hour.
I just surfed my Facebook timeline for the past week to see if there was anything I posted on there that needs to go on the blog too. As I re-read my posts I realized something – only one of my past 25 Facebook posts has mentioned tube tops. What has become of me lately? Quite disappointed in myself. The ratio of worthwhile information to tube tops should be more like 50/50 this time of year. I apologize to all my Facebook friends and I promise to try to do better.
Relaxing night last night for the most part… I had a good conversation with one of the main Squeal Street guys at the Saucer about that team’s plans for Best Memphis Burger Fest. Well, it was a good conversation until the Angry Turd barged in and ruined it. I also made plans for where I’m going to watch the USA-Portugal game on Sunday.
It’s Saturday so you know the drill. Panda’s bar at 11. Probably flying solo today because my friends are away on a canoe trip. If anyone wants to put on a tube top and come join me, feel free.
Author Craig David Meek sent me a publisher’s copy of his book Memphis Barbecue: A Succulent History of Smoke, Sauce & Soul so I could write a review for the blog. I’ve been reading it on lunch breaks this week. Today I got to the beginning of chapter 13, and the Moody Ques got mentioned!!!!! Nice! BBQ Fest is discussed in several chapters.
Memphis Made Brewing Co. will be hosting a beer dinner at Local (the Downtown one) early next month. The Tuesday, July 8 dinner will feature Memphis Made beers and tickets will be $35. To purchase, contact Kari Marshall at 901-581-0541 or at kari@localcaters.com.
When I listed a few of my recommended places to watch the World Cup, I neglected the best place to get a filet while you watch soccer – the Majestic Grille. They’re showing the games on the TVs at the bar.
New at Best Memphis Burger Fest this September: a slider eating contest sponsored by Slider Inn.
A few days ago I blogged about a disabled homeless veteran, living in his car, who the VA said they couldn’t help. Good news. A Florida real estate broker is working to get the former Marine a place to live with free rent for a year and furniture.
The Daily News reports that Uber is cutting its prices in Memphis. A ride Downtown from the airport will cost about $17 using the ride-sharing service.
Also from the Daily News: The Flying Saucer was here for the beginning of Memphis’ craft beer explosion. 17 years later, the Saucer is still here. I’ll be in there at some point tonight for some Dos Equis Lager and hopefully some tube top watching.
The work week is over and it’s time for beer. With a lot of my friends out of town and no plans other than the World Cup game on Sunday, it’s a wide open weekend. Check back tomorrow morning, because there will be a post for sure.
Independence Day weekend (and the last weekend of Tube Top Month) is only two weeks away. Who remembers this? Best July 4 celebration ever!
This week’s free Friday concert in Handy Park, at Third and Beale, is a Goner Records takeover. NOTS plays at 6, Jack Oblivian & the Sheiks at 7, and Tyler Keith & the Apostles at 8.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail, remastered to the highest definition ever, plays on the big screen at the Orpheum tonight at 7. Come early for activities with the Society for Creative Anachronism.
Backbeat Tours is holding a Memphis Dive Bar Crawl tonight at 8. Participants will travel by bus to visit three of Memphis’ best dive bars. Bar names are kept secret until the night of the crawl. While traveling on the bus between bars, singer/songwriter Kathryn Brawley will perform original songs. $10 covers bus travel but not alcohol at the three bars. Drinking on the bus is allowed in moderation. Get tickets here.
The Memphis Farmers Market theme tomorrow is “Be a June Bug,” a celebration of the bugs that are beneficial to gardens. Master gardeners will be onsite to answer questions you have about plants, gardening, and bugs. Live music by Heather and Sam 7-8:30 AM, Mare Wakefield 8:30-11, Jojo Jeffries 11-12:30. The Streetdog Foundation will be onsite for pet adoptions. Front at G.E. Patterson, 7 AM-1 PM.
Follow @ObsidianPR on Twitter. On Monday they will tweet details on how to win a Downtown getaway package.
The new Hard Rock Cafe location at 126 Beale will open to the public on Thursday, July 3.
With most of my Downtown gang away on a canoe trip this weekend, I think I may walk down to Handy Park at 7 to see the Sheiks. Check back this evening, because there will once again be a second daily post.
Hey Squeal Street BBQ team: Now that the blogger who was so complimentary of you has found a job, maybe he’ll have the money to join your team for 2015. Just think, he’ll be there all day, every day! Have fun with that, guys! You might find a Best Booth trophy and a Best Microwave Popcorn trophy in the MQs booth, but you won’t find him!
All right. Time to hit Publish and hit the Goose. I hope Jessica has the Fireball iced down.
Late lunchtime post today because I was in a three-hour meeting from 11 to 2.
There’s a new brewery over in Little Rock called Moody Brews. I wonder if they stole the name from the same band we did, or if they heard about our BBQ team and stole the name from us. Blog reader Ptolemy Kat suggested that we bring them on board as a beer sponsor. Not a bad idea.
SEE Memphis is having a Ray-Ban party today at 5. You can check out the latest Ray-Ban styles while enjoying free wine, cheese, and live music. SEE Memphis is on the Main Street Mall between Union and Gayoso. Somewhere in the Bay Area of California there’s a sommelier who hates it that she’s missing out on free food.
The Memphis Flyer has a good article about the many projects of Local’s Jeff Johnson. It’s a good read with information about Oshi, the new burger bar to open next month in the former Dream Berry space. Alcoholic milkshakes? Yummmm! I remember the old days Downtown when Dyer’s used to have those. The article also talks about future Mexican restaurant Agave Maria and Johnson’s thoughts of expanding the Local brand to Nashville.
Walrus plays the Peabody rooftop tonight, with special guest Parmalee. $15 cover this week, with ladies and hotel guests free until 7. Doors open at 6. Walrus is one of the most popular bands in Memphis and should draw a nice crowd.
There will be a sing-along to the movie Mamma Mia! tonight at the Orpheum. Sing along with the stars to all your favorite ABBA tunes. Movie starts at 7. Show up at 6 for a showing of the latest cutting-edge fashions by MUSE. I hope these cutting-edge fashions include some tube tops!
That’s it for now. As always on Thursdays I’ll be at Jessica’s bar at the Goose after work.
Last week I posted some job opportunities at MIFA. Today there are a few more: Graphic designer, HR specialist and trainer, social service worker, ombudsman volunteer coordinator. View them here.
Last night at the Silly Goose, Daniel gave me a sample of one of the new menu items to try: Thai meatballs. They were very good and came with pita points which were good for dipping in the sauce. Give it a try if you like sweet and spicy.
Felicia Suzanne’s is having another Tacos & Tunes Thursday on the patio tomorrow evening. $2 tacos from 6 to 8, $5 margaritas, and live music 7 to 10. Any time you can get two dollar anything from Felicia’s, that is a heck of a deal. Might be some good tube top watching on the patio too.
My friends on Squeal Street BBQ have announced that they will be entering Best Memphis Burger Fest in September, They have secured the Double J limo for a ride back Downtown in style, and they are sending Bob to Cash Saver to pick up the Miracle Whip.
Good news about one of our local craft breweries. Wiseacre has expanded and has hired four new full-time and sixteen new part-time employees.
Congratulations to former Memphian the Nuh-Uh Girl, who passed her test and is now a certified Sommelier.
All right. On my way out for beer. Plan hasn’t changed: Goose first then Saucer for Sweetwater beer at 7:30.
Some like it hot
And some sweat ’til the heat is gone
Some feel the heat
And decide to put a tube top on…
I wonder if Power Station ever dreamed when they wrote that song, that 29 years later it would be parodied on a “Tube Top Month” blog? Probably not.
It’s Wednesday and I’m back with your daily distraction. Expect Downtown to be crowded tonight as Lionel Richie brings his “All the Hits All Night Long Tour” to the FedExForum. Special guest CeeLo Green. Showtime is 7:30.
Seth from Best Memphis Burger Instagrammed a BBQ sauce recommendation yesterday: Sweet Heat from Central BBQ Downtown, made with Thai chilis and habanero. “Game over! Best sauce ever!” he wrote. I am going to have to try some of that soon. I love spicy!
Last night I posted #rememberdave, in memory of tech innovator and connector of people Dave Barger. Dave left behind two young daughters. You can donate to their college fund here.
The app OfficeSuite Professional is free in the App Store today. Normally $15. View and edit Word and Excel files, view PDFs and PowerPoint files, save to your favorite cloud storage. Thanks Chad for the tip. More info here.
From the Daily Beast: Gertrude of Arabia, the woman who invented Iraq. Very interesting article if you’re interested in world history, women who made history, or how the modern Middle East took shape. She’s said to have had a larger influence on the Middle East than the much more well-known T.E. Lawrence.
If you like road trips and beer, check out the Great Arkansas Beer Festival next month in Little Rock. It’s on Colonel Glenn Road. There are hotels a couple miles north on Shackleford that would be a short cab ride there and back.
The folks at Sweetwater decided to hit the Cordova Saucer last night rather than the Downtown one, due to a huge trivia night that was happening out there. Apologies to anyone who read they’d be Downtown in my blog and went. They’ll be at the Downtown Saucer at 7:30 tonight. As far as I know there will not be a free beer giveaway there, although you never know. I heard they bought a lot of people beers at Local and Bardog yesterday.
Plans for tonight: There are bartenders, and then there are bartenders who post lots of photos of themselves in bikinis (and not just their damn feet) to Facebook. I prefer the latter, so I will be at Jessica’s bar at the Silly Goose about 5:30. A little before 7:30 I will wander over to the Saucer to meet the Sweetwater folks and learn about their beer.
Feel the heat
Torching the entire town
Feeeeeeel the heat
Sweating so much
Might bring the tube top down
