Month: August 2014

Runners: The Breakway-Bardog 5k is only three days away. Have you registered yet? Proceeds benefit St. Jude so it’s for an awesome cause. Today and tomorrow, race organizers will draw a random person registered to win a pair of Brooks Running shoes from Breakway Running.

As of this morning, Bardog only has two people signed up for the meatball eating contest that will take place at the alley party following the 5K. If you want to sign up, give the bar a call.

Tonight is the final Peabody Thursday evening rooftop party of the season. Ingram Hill is the headline act, with special guest Christian Seay. $15 cover, with ladies and hotel guests free until 7 PM. Admission includes a buffet of egg rolls with sweet & sour sauce and hot Chinese mustard and pork fried rice. If you’re in VIP there’s a second buffet of coconut shrimp, baked brie, beef Wellingtons, hummus and pita chips.

There’s Disney trivia at the Green Beetle tonight at 8. Winner gets tickets to see Mary Poppins at Playhouse on the Square.

There are a couple of Elvis Week events happening Downtown today. Todd Martin’s Elvis Show is at Wet Willie’s at 4. Elvis and Call-a-Cabs, can’t beat that! At 7 the finals of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest get under way at the Orpheum.

Taking another 4-day weekend with both Friday and Monday off. I’ll kick off the weekend at the Silly Goose a few hours from now.

Today I posted about the ceremony at the site of American Studios, Thomas at Chelsea, which got its historical marker today. That was the studio where Elvis recorded the Elvis in Memphis album. Here’s an NPR article with the forgotten story of American Studios.

AOL still has 2.3 million dial-up Internet subscribers. This FiveThirtyEight article pretty much lays out who is in AOL’s target market. Here’s a hint: The basic service plan comes with two free wills and an AARP membership.

If you’re a fan of the @midtownkrogers parody Twitter account, check out @FreshMraket. It parodies the Midtown Fresh Market that opened today. I hear there were a lot of free food samples at the opening. I bet the Nuh-Uh GIrl regrets moving to California sometimes.

Photographers are invited to come take photos of Elmwood Cemetery for one night only, Wednesday, August 20 from 6 to 8 PM. You must email kmccollum@elmwoodcemetery.org in advance to register.

Want to volunteer for Best Memphis Burger Festival on Sunday, September 21? You can get on Volunteer Spot and see what opportunities are available.

Home from work and on my way out for beer on what for me is an effective Thursday after work.

Today is National Filet Mignon Day. May I recommend my favorite filet? It’s at the Majestic Grille, on the Main Street Mall just north of Peabody Place. The Majestic’s filet comes in 8 ounce and 12 ounce sizes and is cooked to perfection. In addition to the basic filet cooked with Majestic butter, you can get Filet Oscar with lump crab and bearnaise, Filet Au Poivre with peppercorn crust and Jameson sauce, or Filet Gorgonzola with gorgonzola and a balsamic glaze. You can add bearnaise sauce, sauteed scallops, or sauteed shrimp to your filet if you choose. Here’s a link to the Majestic’s dinner menu.

The MBJ reports that LYFE Kitchen, one of the hottest restaurant startups in the country, is moving its headquarters to Memphis and will open two restaurants here, including one in the Chisca. Check out LYFE’s full menu here.

Memphis in May has announced Poland will be its honored country for 2015. My Facebook friend The Polish Princess must be very, very happy right now. I guess the Moody Ques can start researching booth ideas now. Let’s make it three in a row for Best Booth!

Here’s a video of The Dempseys getting their note on Beale Street. Congratulations again Brad, Joe, and Ron!

Elvis Week is in full swing, and there are many events happening in or near Downtown today. Let’s have a look:

B.B. King’s will have Elvis trivia, from noon to 6 PM on the hour, this afternoon. Show off your knowledge of the King and have a chance to win some free food.

At 2 PM today there will be a marker unveiling for American Studios, at the corner of Thomas and Chelsea. Over 120 hit records were recorded at the studio, including Elvis’ “Suspicious Minds.”

“Matt Joyce: An Evening with Elvis” happens at Club 152 tonight at 7.

The Flying Saucer puts its 2014 Elvis pint glass on sale tonight at 7. There is a limited supply of glasses available, so best bet is to get there by 6:45 and let your bartender or server know in advance that you want one when the time comes.

Brad Birkedahl and the Burnin’ Love Band play Blues City Cafe at 9:30. This isn’t really a special Elvis Week event. Brad’s band is the house band at Blues City most weeks Wednesday through Saturday. However, if you’re in town for Elvis, believe me, this is a show you will want to see. (Brad, by the way, used to be lead guitarist for the Dempseys who I mentioned earlier in this post.)

I didn’t play poker last night, but I got a real treat: The final table of the Big One for One Drop ($1 million buy-in) Texas Hold’em tournament was on ESPN, and in my opinion the best poker player in the world right now, Daniel Negreanu, was playing. It was so interesting to watch him call with hands that didn’t appear to have much potential – and to think through the reasons he might be calling (pot was offering him good odds, stack sizes, ability to out-play an opponent post-flop). He was looking for good situations more than good cards. It was an excellent learning experience and I am glad I watched it. Daniel made it to heads-up and won more than $8 million for second place. Another Daniel, Daniel Colman, took the $15 million first prize.

It’s Wednesday, so I’ll lead off after work at Jessica’s bar at the Silly Goose. If it’s like most Wednesdays, weird creepy guy will come in about 20-50 minutes after I do, and pull out a bar stool about 3-4 seats down from where my friends and I are. He won’t sit though; he’ll turn sideways toward us, standing, leaning against the bar, staring at us intently as we talk. If we mention any subjects of particular interest (like either of the two BBQ teams we are on) he will twist his head this way and that and lean in and try to hear what is being said. Not exactly sure what satisfaction he gets from that, but whatever floats your boat, weird creepy guy.

It’s looking very probable that there will be enough news for an after-work post, so check back.

If you read my lunchtime blog post, you saw that I had the pleasure of talking to some of Start Co.’s startup founders last night at the Blind Bear. I’d like to start off this evening’s post by mentioning another company I learned about. Phase is an app for people who play games of all types. Its motto is “Never miss a game.” You can set up your game, giving it a name, location, date and time, and list of friends to alert. Your friends get notifications with one click. There are reminders so you and your friends don’t forget game times. Phase will recommend games, and will help you find events, tournaments, and LAN parties in your area. It hasn’t been rolled out yet, but you can get early access by subscribing on Phase’s site.

The MBJ reports that a new Subway will open Downtown soon – at 201 Poplar. For those not familiar with “Club 201,” that’s the Shelby County Jail.

Tamp & Tap has announced a special drink for this week only, Elvis week: The Velvet Elvis mocha. It’s a frozen peanut butter and banana mocha, in honor of Elvis’ favorite sandwich.

Big news for wrestling fans: Longtime Memphis wrestling host Lance Russell will be on MemphiSport Live on AM Sports 56 and FM 87.7 Saturday. The show is from 11 AM to 1 PM. “Ol’ Banana Nose,” as Jerry Lawler used to call Lance, is considered one of the greatest wrestling announcers of all time.

From the MBJ: Staff writer Ryan Poe interviews developer Lauren Crews about the redevelopment of the French Fort neighborhood. The full interview will be out in Friday’s issue, but a few interesting snippets are in the linked article.

Home from work and out for beer. I was planning to lead off Flying Saucer but it looks like I’m being talked into Silly Goose instead.

Before I get to the news, I want to start off with a quick story. Last night I was in the Blind Bear. Around 9 Eric Mathews brought in some of the entrepreneurs participating in Start Co.‘s accelerators. They’re less than 10 days away from Demo Day and no doubt they had been putting in long hours at the office up the street, practicing their pitches and doing other preparation.

I have an unspoken understanding with Eric that he’s welcome to send his entrepreneurs over to talk. It’s good for them to practice talking about their businesses in casual conversation, and they might get a mention on the blog. So, Eric sent a few people over. There was one entrepreneur I talked to for about 30 minutes. We got to talking about where she was from, how she started her business, how she found Start Co.

“I’m from Brooklyn,” she told me. “There were accelerator programs in New York that I could have joined. But I really liked what I saw in Memphis. So I decided to come here.” What a huge compliment for our city and for Start Co. Not many cities can compete with New York in that respect. Not many cities offer startup businesses the resources that Memphis does. We really have something special going on here.

Her business is called Play-tag. Play-tag is a smart tag for your dog. It lets you set a roaming range of 0-150 feet. If your dog gets outside of that range, you get notified via mobile app. Also, when the dog is out of range the tag activates a highly visible LED paw print, so people can see your dog and know it is missing. The tag stores vital information about your pet, and you can set an in-app monetary reward. There’s no monthly fee, and since Play-tag does not rely on cell phone networks it works almost anywhere.

Sounds like a pretty useful invention. I have two friends whose dogs went missing for a week this year, and I wonder if they’d have recovered their pets more quickly if the dogs were wearing Play-tag.

I learned about another startup last night as well and will mention it in a future post.

Speaking of entrepreneurship, it will be discussed at the South Main Association meeting tonight. Carlton Crothers, the CEO of Emerge Memphis, will speak. Where Start Co.’s startup businesses are just getting off the ground from the idea stage, Emerge is an incubator for startups that have grown to the point that they can pay rent for office space. The meeting will be at Cafe Pontotoc, 6 PM social, 6:30 presentation. Free for SMA members, $10 non-members.

From the Daily Beast: Meet the beer bottle dictator, the one man who approves every beer label in America.

The social media, smartphone era version of Kitty Genovese. (Look her up on Wikipedia if you don’t know who Kitty Genovese is)

A couple of friends of mine went to Midtown last night to try the new Robata Ramen and Yakitori bar, and I thought I’d pass along a tip they shared: Get the king mushroom skewers. “I didn’t even know there was a such a thing as a king mushroom,” my friend said. “But they were delicious. They taste like butter.”

Out-of-towners considering traveling to Memphis in the next two weeks: Might want to check out this deal at the Doubletree. You get two tickets to the Redbirds (who play across the street) and a bucket of four local beers.

Couple of Elvis events happening Downtown today: Ben Portsmouth: Acoustic Elvis is about to start playing right now (1 PM) at Jerry Lee Lewis Cafe. The semifinal round of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest happens tonight at the Orpheum at 7.

IMPORTANT PBR NEWS: The Madison Growler shop inside Cash Saver on Madison has growlers of PBR for $4 today.

Getting a lot accomplished at work today. I will lead off at Flying Saucer today around 5:30, with Silly Goose as a backup location if needed.

The State of Tennessee is threatening to take away the Pinch District’s historic district status. The area between Front, Second, A.W. Willis, and the I-40 was the original heart of Memphis. However, few of the historic buildings remain. Some are speculating that this will make it easier for developers to develop the area around the Pyramid once Bass Pro moves in.

A Facebook event listing has been created for the 2014 Memphis Music and Heritage Festival. This is one of the best festivals of the year, with local and regional music on multiple stages, cooking demos, and activities for kids, as well as food and beer. It’s on the trolley tracks between Union and Gayoso the Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend, August 30 and 31.

Speaking of Facebook, Zac’s Bar and Grill at Third and Peabody, in the ground floor of the Hamption inn, has a new fan page.

Memphis will be hosting one of only a handful of Startup Weekend Women’s Editions September 12-14. Teams of women will form to pitch business ideas then start up the ideas that are voted the winners in a 48-hour time frame. The event is sponsored by Start Co., the Commercial Appeal, and Google for Entrepreneurs.

Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph got married yesterday. Here’s the story and photos.

Home from work. Time for a PBR at Bardog. Back tomorrow.

In case you missed this morning’s post: Blind Bear rolls out new lunch menu and loyalty card program

The Memphis Flyer has a really good article about the new Lansky Clothier to the King store that opened at 126 Beale, in the building that also houses Hard Rock. The entrance is actually on Second, around the corner from Beale. Don’t forget that Brad Birkedahl, formerly of The Dempseys, performs at the store from 6 to 8 tonight.

Also tonight, there will be an “Images of the King” contest, round 1, at the New Daisy Theater beginning at 8. Tribute artists will compete in five divisions for over $10,000 in prize money. The artists will be backed by the Change of Habit tribute band. Tickets start at $20.

The Flyer also has Stumblin’ Elvis pub crawl photos by photographer Frank Chin. Frank always does such a great job documenting these events.

The Woodruff-Fontaine House is having a sale in its carriage house from 8 AM to 3 PM this coming Saturday. They’ve cleaned out their closets after 50 years and there are all kinds of finds including glassware and kitchen items, gently worn children’s clothes and shoes, decorative items, hardware and furniture. Sales benefit APTA which preserves the mansion. At the sale you will be able to get information on volunteering for APTA or joining as a new member. More info here.

Former Moody Ques pitmaster David Scott Walker posted some good news recently: His restaurant Schweinehaus, in the old Paulette’s location on Overton Square, is almost ready. Their certificate of occupancy has passed. Now all they have to do is get the beer and liquor licenses and they will be ready to go. They are shooting for a Labor Day opening.

My friend Air Traffic Mike posted an interesting link recently: Live ATC. You can listen to air traffic controllers, live on the radio doing their jobs.

Yesterday I stopped by the Blind Bear and Kaylea reminded me that for future Sunday Fun Days, the Bear will be open at 11 AM, one hour earlier than in the past (they go to 11 AM-3 AM every day starting tomorrow). Kaylea said that she will be covering the Sunday day shift behind the bar this fall. That is excellent news, because Kaylea is one of my very favorite people to pick on. Usually her BFFs Hanin and Lisa police my behavior, but neither of those two is known for being awake at 11 AM, so I will have carte blanche. I will pre-game for the Bardog alley party at the Bear this coming Sunday.

Song currently stuck in my head: “The Sound of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel. That song has been stuck in my head for four weeks now.

The Salty Dogs runners’ club departs from Bardog on a run at 7 tonight, so I’m sure you have no doubt where I’ll be… sitting at Melissa’s bar ordering another beer.

Starting tomorrow, Tuesday, August 12, the Blind Bear will be open every day from 11 AM to 3 AM. The Bear will be rolling out a new lunch menu tomorrow, the centerpiece of which is a $6 combo. For $6 you get to choose any two of

• Half a sandwich, from the “sammiches” section of their menu below, or grilled cheese
• A cup of soup
• Any side item

The combo includes your choice of coffee or tea.

Here’s the full lunch menu: (Click to see larger size)

 

There’s more news: The Blind Bear is also rolling out a loyalty card program. With the loyalty card, every 6th, 12th, and 24th lunch is free. (Then it starts over with a new 6th, 12th, and 24th) Also, any other food you buy, not just lunch (although it excludes the lunch combo) when $50 is spent, you get an entree in the $10-12 range for free. For the next $500 spent, you get a free entree every time you spend $100, then it starts over.

PRO TIP: If you’ve never had the pepper jack mac & cheese, get it as a side. Even if you don’t like mac & cheese in general. Just trust me on this one.

Last night was the Stumblin’ Elvis pub crawl to support FedEx Family House. I decided to do a little pre-gaming at Bardog. I had company at the bar.

Candyce started drinking a little earlier than I did. I have to give her credit on her choice of drink, though. Bardog does make good martinis.

I hope Panda checked her ID.

OK on to the Stumblin’ Elvis pub crawl. First stop was the Saucer.

OK I’m going to have something to say about this next picture. There is a lesson to be learned from it.

OK people. On the left in the photo above. THIS IS HOW IT’S DONE. You may look at her outfit and think, “What does this have to do with Elvis?” The thing is, it doesn’t matter, because, TUBE TOP. This is an outfit that is universally appropriate. She could wear this to Stumbling Santa four months from now and it would work just as well.

At the third stop, Cafe Keough.

We made a quick walk through the Peabody. As we got back on Second one of the other Elvises said, “I really don’t feel like taking 20 minutes to walk a block down Beale because everyone is stopping us to take pictures. You want to skip Alfred’s and just go back to the Saucer?” That sounded like a plan to me, so we crossed the street and finished the evening there.

If you missed the chance to get your Elvis on at the Saucer yesterday, you should come Wednesday. It will be Elvis glass night. The glasses will go on sale at 7 PM.

All right, let’s do a Sunday news update before I hit Publish…

There will be a Parade of Kings down Beale Street this afternoon at 4. Elvis tribute artists from all over the world will march down Beale Street at 4 in honor of the King.

The finals of the “Last Chance” Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist contest are tonight at 9 at the Hard Rock. $10 cover.

All right. That’ll do it. I’m headed to Bloom’s bar at Bardog for Sunday brunch. Most likely I will play poker tonight at Blind Bear’s 6:30 game. Check back tomorrow morning, because I have another post scheduled for a little after 7 AM.

Warning: Watch out for this guy tonight (on the right, in the photo below).

He’s an Elvis tourist and he is SUPER annoying. He runs around, chasing after people dressed up as Elvis, saying, “Can I take your picture? Elvis, can I take your picture?” over and over again. I overheard him tell people that he will be at the Flying Saucer tonight about 7, and he also plans to stop by the Blind Bear, Cafe Keough, Alfred’s, and Purple Haze, then he’ll probably visit the Saucer a second time. So you definitely will want to avoid the Stumblin’ Elvis Pub Crawl or you will have to put up with this guy all night.

PRO TIP: He’s somewhat less annoying when he’s drinking beer, so you might want to buy him a Dos Equis Lager or a PBR.

South Main lunch news: The first Food Truck Friday, held at Emerge Memphis at Tennessee and G.E. Patterson, was a smashing success. As a result, they are doing it again next Friday, August 15, from 11 AM to 1:30 PM. The Millie’s Garden food truck will be on hand to serve a delicious lunch.  This food truck specializes in salads. I found a picture of their menu here, although this pic is from December 7 so it’s possible the menu has changed. Looking at the Facebook page, I see that Millie studied at the University of Arkansas. Go Hogs!

Oh, by the way: Friday is a VACATION day for me so I will be Downtown! I hope to see you at Emerge!

If you want to catch some live music this morning, Lamar Sorrento will play Cafe Keough at 11 AM.

Other Elvis stuff going on today besides Stumblin’ E: There’s a Hound Dog tour departing from Backbeat Tours at 2:30. “Black Elvis” Robert Washington plays Blues City Cafe at 5. It’s Elvis Night at the Redbirds (AutoZone Park, first pitch 6:05, with fireworks after the game. The second round of the “Last Chance” Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest happens at the Hard Rock tonight at 9.

The Grizzlies’ 2014 pre-season schedule has been announced. The biggest game on the list will be an October 22 home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. We’ll get to see how Cleveland’s “Big Three” of LeBron James, Kevin Love, and Kyrie Irving fares against our own “Big Three” of Mike Conley, Zach Randolph, and Marc Gasol.

There’s going to be an event called Pianos in the Park: JazzFest 2014 at Handy Park (Third and Beale) on Sunday, August 31, which is the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. There is a Groupon for discounted tickets currently running. Click the link for event information and a lineup of who will be playing. You can get two tickets for $39 ($73.74 value) or four for $69 ($147.48 value).

Time to get started. Going to make quick stops at Panda’s bar at Bardog and Brad’s bar at the Blind Bear, then will rest up for Stumblin’ Elvis tonight. Come stumble with us!