Tip for anyone with tickets to the Grizzlies game versus Houston tonight at 7 at the FedExForum: Get there early. If you’re one of the first 3000 fans in the arena, you will be given a Grizzlies scarf, always one of the most coveted giveaways of the season.
Also tonight is South Main Trolley Night, where many shops and galleries stay open late into the evening, and several have live music. If you’re a beer lover attending Trolley Night, one stop you will want to make is Cafe Pontotoc. Today, Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday, the cafe is having a Beer Bottle Blowout. Most bottles are only $3, with a few $4 bottles, one $2.50 bottle, and high-gravity bottles for $6. The cafe is at 314 S. Main between Pontotoc and Vance, on the northern end of the South Main neighborhood.
I got an email from Prince Mongo this morning that there is a rare opening at one of the “Mongominiums” at 487 S. Main. The apartment is 900 square feet with oversized Jacuzzi and shower stall, and all utilities and appliances are included in the rent of $900 a month. The building is very secure and you would have some really cool neighbors; Mongo is hoping to find someone who is a good fit with his other tenants. You can email him at princemongoformayor@yahoo.com if interested, or if you prefer contact me and I will give you Mongo’s phone number. Mongo closed out his email with “Thanks good Spirit and may the PBR and tube tops be plentiful today and everyday!!!”
The Hungry Memphis blog reports that a BBQ preparation class will be coming to Downtown Memphis in January. Troy Black, who is a nationally known pitmaster and cookbook author, will teach the day-and-a-half long class called Real BBQ Know-How. It will cover selecting your meat, seasoning and prepping it, techniques on different kinds of grills and smokers, and more. Tuition for the class is $250.
Texas A&M and West Virginia fans have started to arrive in town for Monday’s Liberty Bowl game. The Liberty Bowl parade will be this Sunday at 3 on Beale Street, with a pep rally in Handy Park to follow at 5.
St. Louis Cardinals legend Ozzie Smith turns 60 today. Wow. How time flies.
@ESPNSteinLine reports that the Houston Rockets have waived former Memphis Tiger Tarik Black to make room to acquire Josh Smith. They were unable to line up a trade for Black that would work. Hopefully another team will claim him off waivers so he won’t be finished in the NBA.
Thanks to my friends the Bartons for inviting me over for Christmas dinner last night. Our friend Mardoqueo from Monclova, Mexico is in town for the holidays and he cooked authentic Mexican paella with shrimp, crab, clams, sausage, chicken, green beans, peppers, and rice. It was nicely paired with a 2000 bottle of red wine from the Riola region of Spain.
After dinner my buddy Chad and I talked about video games. We’re about the same age so we played the same games growing up, but he told me about one that I somehow missed – M.U.L.E. It’s a game where you cultivate land on an alien planet, and obtain things you need in the open market. It indirectly teaches you a ton about economics. I was too busy playing Qix, Pengo, Pole Position, Zaxxon, and Dig Dug to notice M.U.L.E. when I was a teenager. If I had kids I would absolutely buy this game for them. The Wikipedia page says it’s available for iOS.
Social media tip for bar managers: Post to your Facebook page whether you are going to be open or closed for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, and if you’re opening what time. I had people texting me all day long asking if I knew anyplace that would be open on Christmas, and I had a rather incomplete list. Posting to Facebook is free and it only takes half a minute or so. You could be missing out on business by not letting your customers know your schedule!
It’s Boxing Day but I hope no one gets punched in the face tonight. No definite plans for the evening but I’ll be out at the usual places after work. It feels like we just had a weekend but it’s time for another one!