Month: June 2015

Crop Hop 5K, a race and fundraiser for the Memphis Farmers Market, was last night, starting and ending at the pavilion next to Central Station. The Market wanted to show its runners and participants how much they were appreciated for coming out and supporting, so the Market’s organizers turned to one of Memphis’ most well-known BBQ teams to feed everyone: The Moody Ques. We were looking to do a practice cook anyway, and we wanted to try out our new smoker, so we embraced the opportunity. We practiced our championship shoulder and cooked beef brisket as well.

“So you need me at the pavilion at 5 AM to help unload, I assume,” I texted head cook Frank a few days before.

“No,” Frank replied. “We need you in a different role this time. Think of the role James Harden played when he was with the OKC Thunder. When the opponents were worn out, Harden came in and unleashed a flurry of offense that they couldn’t handle. That’s what we need you to do today.”

“But Frank, this isn’t BBQ Fest, we don’t have opponents,” I protested.

“Just go with it,” Frank said, and so I did. I got there about 5:45 in the afternoon, 45 minutes prior to the start of the race.

Frank taking the last of the shoulders off the smoker

We shopped local when we purchased our new smoker. Check ’em out: Tucker Cooker Company at 122 W. Carolina in the south end of Downtown. Look at the thermometer! It’s holding temperature right at 250! Bevo couldn’t always do that!

We ran out of propane, so we couldn’t use the BBQ device I’m no longer allowed to mention to clean the smoker.

(I mentioned the BBQ device I’m no longer allowed to mention )

First fruits of the smoker

The bone came right out of our first shoulder.

Recently engaged team members Justin and Roglly in the buffet line

The Rowdy Friends Band. Any band that plays the theme song to “The Jeffersons” is all right in my book. I mighta busted out the George Jefferson strut, if you weren’t there, you don’t know.

All the volunteers at the Farmers Market were SO NICE. One of the volunteers at the beer stand walked over with a Memphis Made Ananda IPA for me. “Paul, I know you’re working hard, so I figured you’d like a beer to cool off,” she said. I really enjoy the Farmers Market, not only because of the diverse array of items you can purchase there, but because of the people too.

Congratulations to all the runners. Great job supporting a great organization.

About 7:20 I checked the radar, and saw that I had about 15 minutes until the next band of rain from the remnants of Tropical Storm Bill moved through. Not having time to make it back to the Downtown core where I live, I darted into my home away from home on the south side, Max’s Sports Bar.

About 30 minutes later, after the rain had passed, a runner came in. We recognized each other because we had been at the registration table at the same time. She told me that the last of the runners got caught in the rain. Ugh, that must have sucked. I told her I am on the BBQ team that cooked for the after-party. “Oh, really?” she said. “A lot of people were talking about how good the BBQ was. They were saying, you HAVE to try the brisket.” Sounds like we impressed some people. Frank told me he learned a few things cooking on the new smoker. There will be more practices before BBQ Fest ’16.

The runner was a relatively new Memphian and didn’t know what I meant when I said I live in the Downtown core. Maybe I need to do a post about Downtown neighborhoods for new Memphians.

As I walked home, I passed by two new businesses on South Main. The first was Snaps, a new comedy club at 414 S. Main, in the building next to Onix that has housed several restaurants over the years, including Wendell’s World Beat Grill. Nice to have something different in there. South Main is truly blossoming as a destination in 2015.

Farther north, at 344 S. Main, I saw another addition to South Main:

Guiltfree Pastries, a place that serves desserts that are all natural, grain free, gluten free, and vegan. Probably not a place where you will find me often, but a surprisingly high number of vegetarians and vegans read this blog, so it’s worth a mention.

On to the news…The City of Memphis has officially applied to rename Third Street after B.B. King. That is a move I have absolutely no problem supporting. He deserves to be honored.

The Juneteenth urban music festival is currently happening at Church Park, on Beale east of Fourth. The festival started yesterday and runs through tomorrow.

BBQ restaurant Cozy Corner is the latest Downtown business to apply for a Mission Main Street grant. Vote for Cozy Corner here.

Stats site FiveThirtyEight has an article about the winners and losers of the Women’s World Cup group stage. Team USA are most definitely winners: They are projected at 33% to win the Cup. Germany is technically a slightly stronger team, but they face Sweden and France en route to the final match, while USA won’t see anyone in the top 10 in strength until at least the semis.

If you’re a fan of Fire Eater, the cinnamon competitor to Fireball, I have a tip for you. Fire Eater left the market recently (which does not surprise me, it tastes horrible) but Max’s Sports Bar still has some. If you’re a fan of one of the most godawful liquors ever poured in this city, you can go there to get it. I watched people order it the three times I have been there this week and watching them drink it makes my stomach turn inside out.

Question from one of my neighbors who reads this blog: Is any Downtown business showing the Grateful Dead 50th reunion? It’s going to be on July 4 on pay-per-view. If anyone knows shoot me an email at paul@paulryburn.com and I will pass the info along.

Red Velvet, the vintage shop at 509 S. Main, celebrates its one-year anniversary today. 15% off purchases, Batlash Pop-up Shop, Red Velvet Cake Pops, rum punch.

Qahwa is having a Hookah Night tonight at 9 with hookahs, coffee, food, and belly dancers.

Time to hit Publish and get this day rolling. The laundry is not going to get dry in time for a morning trip to the Farmers Market, so Panda Time at Bardog at 11 will be the first stop. I’ll figure out the rest of the day – and really, the rest of the weekend – from there.

(eating Zaxby’s as I type this, apologies if typos)

I was very excited to receive an MMS from my BBQ team’s head cook, Frank, last night. It was a photo of our team’s new smoker being hauled Downtown to the Farmers Market pavilion.

Our old smoker, Bevo, has had trouble holding temperature the past two years, and with our new goal of being a serious competition team as well as a party team, Bevo had to go.

If you’re attending the Crop Hop 5K after-party, here’s a photo of your dinner being brined shortly before its date with the new smoker:

This morning I received a text from Frank. “Having problem with the temperature.” Oh no, I thought, not again. Then I got a second text. “It’s too hot!” I smiled. Too hot is a problem that can be fixed.

Here’s head cook Frank lighting it up:

And here’s dinner on the new smoker:

We have yet to name the new smoker. “As long as it’s not Bevo II I’m happy with it,” I commented.

So, so, so happy with this new direction the Moody Ques are taking. Most years in June, the team leaders aren’t even speaking to each other, and if they are they’re sure as hell not talking BBQ. This year we’re cooking for a great charity event. Things are going in a good direction!

I led off at the Silly Goose last night. There I ran into my friend Ashley, who I haven’t seen in three years.

Ashley is a former Memphian who now lives in Birmingham, and whose sales job occasionally sees her travel to Memphis. I’m lucky she still speaks to me, after a 2012 invite to the Moody Ques booth ran off the rails. She had a one-shoulder dress on, and teammate “Mr. Inappropriate,” who had been hitting the team liquor stash pretty hard all day, decided to start a conversation with her.

“You’re wearing a tube top.”

“No, see, it has a strap.”

“Ahhh……. Take your shirt off.” At that point I ushered “Mr. Inappropriate” away, and he went back to his business of consuming every drop of booze he could find behind the bar. You know things are bad when I’m the voice of reason at BBQ Fest.

Ashley wanted to play the Giant Jenga game that sits on the Goose’s coffee table, and for the first time in my life I played. It was the shortest Giant Jenga game in the history of the Goose, lasting less than two rounds before the tower toppled. I was very pleased that I was not the one who lost. I’m 1-0 in Giant Jenga!

About 8 I went next door to the Flying Saucer. I don’t go there every day anymore and getting my ninth plate on the wall is taking forever. I decided to knock a few beers off the list. I got a pleasant surprise: They’ve replaced the old UFO member kiosk with two new kiosks!

This is great. Now people can stand there for 5 minutes scrolling through the beers thinking “what do I want” without holding up the line.

The deal with the kiosks, in case you haven’t heard of them before, is that UFO Club members can print out receipts, with bar codes, for the beers they purchase. At the end of the night those receipts are scanned and members get credit for the beers they drank (max 3 beers a day). When you hit 200 different beers, you get a free party and your plate on the wall.

I can’t remember the name of the beer I purchased, but it was on the Just Landed board above the bar under Drafts. It was a high-gravity beer, at 13% alcohol, in an 11-ounce glass for $8. That’s a Value Drinking Index of 17.875 (13 * 11 / 8), very good (anything over 15 is good), so I ordered it. Unfortunately I overlooked one fact: 13% beers knock me on my ass! By the time I finished the beer the room was spinning. I had to cancel my planned third stop, Blind Bear, stop by the grab & go at City Market and call it a rather early night.

The Saucer, by the way, turns 18 today and will celebrate with a menu of rare beers beginning at 5 this afternoon.

I noticed that City Market now carries Spicy Thai chips. Going to have to try those sometime. I love spicy.

Bluff City Coffee has added salads to go along with their breakfast and lunch sandwiches.

Mamma Mia! returns to the Orpheum tonight through Sunday. Tonight’s performance is at 8 PM.

The race voted “Best Race in America” by Paddler Magazine, the Outdoors Inc. Canoe and Kayak Race, happens tomorrow at Mississippi River Park. Over 500 canoes and kayak paddlers will participate. The event benefits the Church Health Center.

Dads who dine Sunday at Texas de Brazil get a gift certificate for a free meal for their next visit.

The MBJ was on the scene last night at the Cookies on Tap fundraiser at High Cotton Brewing. Here’s a recap and photos.

Interesting fact I learned from @MBJArnold this morning: City Gear has more in annual revenue than the Grizzlies.

Random thing I learned this morning: There’s a dog meat eating festival in China. 10,000 dogs will be tortured and killed over a weekend. Just terrible. The link I have here is a petition to end the festival.

See you at Crop Hop 5K, I hope! I should be down there by 6.

Tickets are now on sale for the Memphis Tigers Alumni game on June 27. Antonio Anderson tweet a photo of the lineup of blue and gray teams and it appears to be players who played mainly under John Calipari vs. players who played mainly under Josh Pastner. Should be a good game.

Dads: If you’re looking for something to do for a father-daughter night with your little girl, I have a recommendation for you. Monday, June 29 will be Princess Night at AutoZone Park, a special night when storybook princesses will come to life. Purchase a special ticket and not only will you be able to meet the princesses, but you will get a tiara and a special 5:30-7 PM pre-game buffet. First pitch is at 7:05 and the opponent is Colorado Springs.

Another place to take the kids is Sesame Street Live: Make a New Friend at the FedExForum this weekend.

“Reel in the Big One” is the theme at Memphis Farmers Market this Saturday. You won’t need a fishing pole, though, to get a fresh catch at the Market, with farm-raised catfish and seafood from the Gulf available for purchase from vendors. You can get seasonings and sides to complete your meal there too. Cooking demo with Felicia from Felicia Suzanne’s at 10, and she’ll cook with her Flo’s sauce to create a delicious Father’s Day meal. Kids can make Father’s Day cards 9 to noon, and Master Gardeners will be at the Market at 9 to answer your questions. Live music by Bruce Barham 8:30 to 10. Corner of Front and G.E. Patterson under the pavilion, 7 AM to 1 PM Saturday.

2 GB ducky flash drives will soon be on sale at the Peabody gift shop. My friend Katie Mac needs one of these.

By the end of this decade, the Wolf River Greenway will be extended all the way to Downtown. The greenway will run 18.4 miles total within the city limits.

@CopelandCoach reported that the Memphis Zoo has a job opening for Director of Conservation and Research.

Sun Studio was on the Today Show this morning. View the video.

In the news: A woman will be on the $10 bill by 2020, the U.S. Treasury announced. It’s about time.

Home from work, PBR time. Goose then Saucer then Bear is my likely running order.

I want to remind everyone that tomorrow is the Crop Hop 5K, starting and ending at the pavilion next to Central Station at Front and G.E. Patterson. This 5K is a fundraiser for Memphis Farmers Market, which has been said to be one of the top farmers markets in the nation. $25 to run (includes T-shirt). If you just want to hang out at the after-party and not run, you can register for that too – $25 if you want the T-shirt, $15 if not. Register here.

Now, about that after-party… it’s going to be awesome. There will be live music by the Rowdy Friends, and great local beer by Memphis Made. However, the biggest reason you want to be at the after-party is the food, cooked by none other than The Moody Ques BBQ team. Yep, we’re going to feed you. Come on down and meet the people you have read about on this blog, including head cook Frank, vice-president Clay, and team workhorse “Mr. Load-in.” Registration at 5:30, race at 6:30, after-party afterward.

The DMP Band headlines the Peabody rooftop party tonight. $10 to get in, doors open at 6, ladies free until 7. Your admission includes a Father’s Day themed buffet of beer cheese dip with warm pretzels and beer battered catfish with tartar dipping sauce (7-8 PM). If you’re in VIP, from 7 to 9:30 there will be a second buffet of Jack Daniel’s glazed tenderloin, garlic bread, corn on the cob, and watermelon wedges. Cranberry margarita specials. There will be a raffle to win a Master of Mixes “Beach Party in a Bag.” The price of VIP passes that get you in all the weekly parties plus other perks has been slashed to $100 for the second half of the season.

There will be a meeting at 6 PM tonight at the National Civil Rights Museum to explore how bike sharing in Memphis might work. If you like to ride, check out this Memphis and Shelby County bike map showing all bike paths in the area.

Tacos & Tunes will be back on Felicia Suzanne’s patio tonight from 7 to 10, with $2 tacos, $5 margaritas, and live music. Also don’t forget that Felicia’s is open for lunch on Fridays, and if you have lunch at the restaurant you can order up to three martinis for 25 cents each.

From Lifehacker: Spice up your cocktails by adding grilled fruit. Hmmm… I remember the early years at the Silly Goose when Daniel would get the grill out on the patio and cook burgers. Maybe he needs to get it back out and grill some fruit for his craft cocktails.

There’s an International Paper Money Show this weekend at the Cook Convention Center. $20 family pass, $7 one-day one-person ticket.

The County Commission approved a new 300-space parking garage for the South Main area. With lots happening soon at Central Station and the Tennessee Brewery, it will be needed.

For the second day in a row, I have way too much news. Going to cut it off here so I have time to grab lunch. Expect a second post with lots of good stuff after work.

Yesterday after work I decided to lead off at Max’s Sports Bar. I had good green trolley bus karma as I walked out my building’s front door; a bus was approaching. Good, because I really didn’t feel like walking the mile to Max’s in a heat index of nearly 100. That was a dollar well spent.

Thanks to the bus, I got to Max’s earlier than usual, about 5:45. They had the Gary Parrish Show, the drive-time sports talk show on FM 92.9, on the speakers. I’ve never heard a bar play a radio show before, but it makes a lot of sense, given that GP is a sports show, Max’s is a sports bar, and at 5:45 there aren’t likely to be any events on TV worth putting on sound. I liked it. Plus all the regulars were there discussing the show, adding another element.

I took a seat next to my friend Billy, who had just returned from AmeriVespa, the largest gathering of vintage and modern scooters in the country, in Indianapolis. He said about 550 attended. Next year the event comes to Memphis and he expects an even better turnout, in the 600-800 range.

Janet Jackson’s Unbreakable Tour comes to FedExForum Tuesday, September 29. The tour is in support of her upcoming album.

Quench, the new upscale liquor and wine store on Second across from the Peabody, has announced its grand opening: Saturday, June 27, at 2 PM. So excited that I will no longer have to leave the Downtown core to purchase quality spirits and wines.

Holly’s blog has news of a cool event coming to the High Cotton Brewery taproom tomorrow night from 4 to 7. The Memphis chapter of the Girl Scouts is launching a new young professionals’ group called Troop 901 whose goal will be to raise money for scholarships for young women. To kick things off, they are holding Cookies on Tap at the taproom tomorrow afternoon, pairing High Cotton beers with Girl Scout cookies.

Holly also has a preview of Agave Maria with many more photos of the food than the MBJ preview I posted yesterday.

The third floor of the Downtown YMCA building will be renovated to create additional amenities to appeal to Downtown residents. Possible things to be added include a hot yoga studio, kitchen classroom space to teach healthy cooking, and additional space for exercise and meetings.

eighty3 chef Max Hussey is among those interviewed in the Daily News’ Memphis restaurants love their patios. It is the first full year for eighty3’s patio on the Main Street Mall. Hussey has $8 food and drink pairings specifically for patio diners.

WWE Monday Night RAW was in Cleveland this week. World Champion Seth Rollins held up his title belt and told the audience that this is the only chance Cleveland would have to see what a world championship would look like. His words proved prophetic last night.

Congrats to the USA soccer team on winning Group D last night. They advance to the Round of 16 in the Knockout Stage. According to the Women’s World Cup Wikipedia page, the team will play on June 22 in Edmonton, and will face either Thailand, Spain, or France.

I have way more news, but I need to use the remainder of my lunch break to run errands, so there will be a second post after I get home from work. Watch for it between 5:30 and 6.

Got enough news for a second post before I get out today. Let’s get going:

Redbirds fans who order BBQ nachos at games at AutoZone Park: The chicken or pork shoulder atop your nachos will now be cooked on-site. Construction was recently completed on a BBQ shack in right field, which has a smoker that can handle all the park’s BBQ cooking needs.

That operation is going to require a lot of heavy lifting, so I would like to offer the team my services. “Mr. Load-in” would be happy to sit in a right field seat and drink a beer while other people do the lifting. Provided the Redbirds pay for my ticket and beer, of course. I’m so good at coming up with agreements that are a win-win for both parties.

The MBJ has a sneak peek of Agave Maria, the new Mexican restaurant that will open on Union within days.

Lansky Bros. Clothier to the King at 126 Beale Street is hiring Sales Associates for full and part time positions. Interested candidates can e-mail sales@lanskybros.com for more information.

A 28-year-old man from Illinois is charged with severely beating a guard at the Doubletree early this morning.

The Flying Saucer has announced that several Dogfish Head beers have arrived: Tweason Ale, Festina Peche, and Namaste. I need to get in there and resume work on my 9th plate.

MemphisWeather.net’s blog has a post on how the remnants of Tropical Storm Bill will affect the Mid-South. Friday morning looks like the most likely time.

That’ll do it. PBR and Women’s World Cup time.

Free Tuesday movies return to Beale Street Landing this evening. Raiders of the Lost Ark is tonight’s free movie, and Holly has the entire list for the season here.

Urban Bicycle Food Ministry is having its second annual silent auction Friday at the Downtown Central BBQ. Get more details on the event’s Facebook listing and buy tickets here.

Men’s Journal made a list of the 20 best pilsners in the world, and a locally produced pilsner made the list. Wiseacre Tiny Bomb scored a place in the top 20. Yep that is indeed a tasty beer.

The Memphis Flyer has a look at Oxn, the new men’s clothing store at 488 S, Second.

The Commercial Appeal has a review of Robert Plant’s concert last Friday. He showed up at Lafayette’s the next night to hear some live music.

From Thrillist: How to make a watermelon keg

Use LastPass to manage your passwords? Well, guess what. The service that was supposed to keep you from getting hacked, got hacked. Change your master password ASAP.

Don’t get sick: FiveThirtyEight’s Significant Digits reports that hospitals make, on average, 1 error per patient per day regarding medication.

Wow: St. Louis Cardinals front office employees accused of hacking Houston Astros, FBI investigating

I led off at happy hour at Blind Bear last night, with new bartender Mary. She’s been trained by Colin, she’s been trained by Jeannette, she’s been trained by B-RAD… now it was time for the regulars to train her, to tell her about the cast of characters she’s going to encounter at her bar. Fellow regular Nate and I took on that responsibility last night. “You’re going to have an Indian guy named Rahul come in here,” Nate told her. “He likes fruit in his drinks. You have to go to Memphis Farmers Market and buy fruit for Rahul on Saturday mornings, or he’ll get all pouty.”

Jeannette took over night bar at 7. “I knew your blog was powerful, but I didn’t realize it had THAT much power,” she told me. “In one weekend’s time you totally brought duck farts back.” Apparently the Bear sold a massive amount of duck farts over the weekend. I thought it would take an entire month, at least. Sounds like my work is already done.

The USA women’s team plays Nigeria tonight. Weather permitting for my walk down there and back, Max’s Sports Bar sounds like an ideal place to watch the match. I like being in there on Tuesdays because Max himself usually bartends and it is good to catch up with what has been going on in his world. I should be down there by 6 if anyone wants to meet up.

Possibly a second post after work, so check back.

I got to check something off my bucket list yesterday. I got to teach B-RAD at Blind Bear, who is about a consummate pro in the world of bartending as I have ever met, how to make a drink. He had never heard of a duck fart before, and I gave him the recipe. My promotion of duck farts on the blog worked apparently, and he was making them all afternoon.

It was Mary’s first Sunday shift at the Bear, and she got to learn how to make duck farts too.

The Bear has a new topping you can ask to be put on your burger or sliders. It’s Bourbon Bacon Jam. I tried a taste of it last week and it is really, really good.

I didn’t get to Bardog yesterday, but apparently Bloom’s new thing is stealing people’s phones and posting “I’m a little birdy” to their Facebook timeline. Watch out when she’s bartending.

Shout-out to my new friend that I introduced to duck farts yesterday afternoon: I had a blast talking with you. Let’s hang out soon. I will text you.

Shout-out to the person who said hello and asked how the blog was going Saturday at Max’s Sports Bar: Nice to meet you, and glad we got a chance to talk, if only briefly. In a slightly different parallel universe we would’ve become good friends.

Shout-out to the person I invited to come have D-RANKS with B-RAD at the Bear and who responded by blocking me on Facebook: Despite the way you have treated me the past few months, I have not a bad word to say about you. I wish you happiness, health, and inner peace. You deserve those things so much.

I’ll be out and about after work. Probably going to take a week off from Melissa Monday at Bardog (Melissa, I will explain why next time I see you, there’s a very good reason) and go somewhere else instead. Not sure where, will figure it out after sending a few “you gonna be out tonight?” texts.

“Paul, we’ve never met, but I just wanted to come talk to you for a minute. Eight years ago, I met a woman I really liked. I wanted to ask her out on a first date but didn’t know where. Thanks to a recommendation on your blog I found the perfect place to take her.”

“Three years later, I married her.”

THAT. That kind of thing is what I live for. This blog has really been through three phases in the 11 years it has been operating. There was the “Oh my God, people really read this thing?” phase in the early years. There was the “Oh my God, I’m winning the Memphis Flyer poll” phase in the middle years. For the past 5 years or so I’ve been in the “Oh my God, this blog really affects people’s lives for the better” phase. I would be happy to remain in the current phase for the rest of my life. Stories like the one above make my heart sing. I have to admit, I have been dancing around the apartment for most of the past hour thinking about it.

If something I have written on here has had a major effect on your life in some way, and you see me out and about, please come talk to me. I live for that stuff. I promise you, I am one of the least scary people in Memphis to approach and meet.

I didn’t get the name of the restaurant that guy took his future wife to, but I will give you my 2015 Downtown Memphis recommendation. You want to take a girl on a first date and really impress her? Rizzo’s Diner, corner of Main and Butler. It’s elegant and shows you think a lot of her, but it’s not going too far considering you just recently met her. If you get a chance, discreetly tell the host that you would like Chef Michael Patrick to come out and say hello if he’s in the building. I promise you, she will not be disappointed with the food. Also, the menu has a fun, playful side to it (e.g. lobster Pronto Pups) that is the kind of vibe you want to establish. Here’s Rizzo’s website where you can see the menu and learn about the restaurant.

Now that I think through this a little more, here’s my idea of an ideal first date (keep in mind I almost never go out on dates, so take this with a grain of salt): Dinner at Rizzo’s, then walk down the street to Earnestine & Hazel’s to hang out and play the jukebox. If she has a problem with either place, you should consider kicking her to the curb. If she dances with you at E&H she may be a long-term keeper.

Yesterday was a day of accomplishment.

Bardog has a couple of new toys, two water-filled globes with a golf ball and a tee in the middle. The challenge is to get the ball on the tee. Sounds simple, but it is incredibly hard to get that ball to balance on the tee, and Bardog is creating a Wall of Fame for people who do it. As of yesterday it had 25 members. Moody Ques head cook Frank (who will be cooking at Memphis Farmers Market’s Crop Hop 5K Friday night) became the 26th. A few minutes later, team vice-president Clay became number 27.

“This is making me look bad,” I thought after they left. “Everyone knows I am the hardest-working member of the Moody Ques. My teammates have figured out this golf ball thing and I haven’t. This is going to hurt my reputation.” I picked up the globe and wrestled with it, and a couple of minutes later team workhorse “Mr. Load-in” became number 28 on the wall of fame. Panda snapped my picture for the wall.

The Redbirds close their homestand vs. Round Rock tonight. First 2500 kids in the gate receive a free ice cream treat, and they can run the bases after the game.

The movie Letters from Iwo Jima will be played at the Belz Museum in Pembroke Square at noon.

Max’s Sports Bar will be opening at 4:30 on the weekends until football season starts. I found that out the hard way when I walked down there around 4 to watch the College World Series. “Oh well, I’ll go to Central BBQ and have nachos,” I decided. I think I’m pretty good at devising alternate plans on the spot. Afterward I went to now-open Max’s and stayed past 10 PM. Michele was having problems with a female panhandler who rolled a suitcase up and down the street and yelled at her through the window. I so wanted to see Shell get the baseball bat out, but it didn’t happen.

That reminds me of a story I’ve been meaning to tell on here: The new green benches on the Main Street Mall are perfect for avoiding panhandlers. You get a bench between you and them and it forces them to guess which direction you’re going to go. Will he go left? Will he go right? You watch their body language, and as soon as they commit to a direction, you take the opposite direction. It’s like the pick-and-roll, but bums instead of basketball.

B-RAD, we are going to teach Mary how to make duck farts today. I will be at your bar at 11 AM. Folks, if you get out to Sunday brunch, support the return of the duck fart. Order them, post pics to social media, use the #duckfart hashtag. DUCK FARTS!

Last night about 7:15 I walked into the Blind Bear and had a seat at the bar. “Those three people to your right just ordered duck farts,” Colin said. “They wanted to see what all the hype was about.”

The duck fart revolution has begun!

For those of you who missed yesterday’s blog, a duck fart is a drink made with Bailey’s, Kahlua, and Crown (or similar whiskey). It used to be a popular drink at Sunday brunches about 10 years ago, then died out. My new mission this summer is to bring the duck fart back. Why wait until Sunday brunch? You can have a duck fart today at your favorite bar.

So, middle of the afternoon yesterday, I was sitting at my desk, proud of the 43-minute-to-type super-long blog post I put up in my lunch break, when I realized, I completely FORGOT one of the biggest pieces of Friday news. Let me explain how my mind works when I write this blog… I take a tour of Downtown in my mind. Mud Island. The Pinch. Is there anything I need to talk about? Main Street Mall. Victorian Village. The Edge. Is there anything I need to talk about? Second Street. Beale Street. South Main. Is there anything I need to talk about?

Riverside Drive is not really on my radar, however, and therefore I forgot to mention that one of the most talented singers in Memphis, Charvey Mac, who rarely plays Downtown, was going to be at happy hour at Beale Street Landing. Having remembered it, I quickly rearranged by Friday evening schedule. That Shorty pasta bowl I had planned would have to wait until some other time. When I got home from work, I changed clothes and walked down to the Landing.

If you live in Midtown or East Memphis, you have an advantage over us Downtowners in getting some Charvey in your life. Places he’s played this week, other than the Landing, include Celtic Crossing, Elfo’s, Cafe Ole, and TJ Mulligan’s Quince. He’s at the Half Shell on Winchester tonight. Unbelievable vocal range and I wonder if there’s any song he can’t play. If you are into live music and you live in Memphis you need to catch Charvey at least once. You can “Like” his fan page here to keep up with where he will be playing.

Now, as for the venue itself, Riverfront Bar & Grill in Beale Street Landing. This is the first time I have been in there seeing it as a real restaurant – the only previous time I have been there was the Memphis Flyer Best Of party last October. Walking in, I didn’t know what to expect… and I really didn’t have very high expectations. My experience turned out to be a good one.

The first thing that surprised me was this: Attractive women at the bar. They were all tourists, but there were good-looking professional women in the 25-38 age range. Guys, if you’re single, you might want to put this place on your radar for happy hour now and then.

I had seen on Yelp that the service was hit or miss, but the service I experienced was a total “hit”. Bartender Robbie took excellent care of me, very friendly. He made me feel comfortable in a place where I wondered if I would be uncomfortable. Great job.

They have a pretty good beer selection, including craft beers. Since they didn’t have the Cadillac of beers, PBR, I went with a $3 happy hour Budweiser.

Better experience than I expected and I would not be opposed to going back. Here are a couple of photos I snapped.

The Main Street Cornhole Tournament is tonight at Life is Good starting at 6. $20 for teams to enter, which includes a $5 gift card, raffle entry for each team member, and a T-shirt. Prizes for top three teams. Benefits the Life is Good Kids Foundation.

Streetdog Foundation tweeted about an app you can use to raise money to support the foundation, which fosters and adopts out dogs that otherwise would be left to a life on the streets, or worse, being put down. The app is called WoofTrax and the idea is that you can take your walk for a dog. All you have to do is download the app on your iPhone or Android, select Streetdog from the list of shelters and charities, and start walking. You don’t even have to be walking a dog (select the “Walk with Cassie” option, or build your ideal dog). I think I will download this before I make the trek to Memphis Farmers Market later this morning.

Reminds me, I’m still batting a .000 in the “see the dog in pet-sitting, guess the owner” game at MFM, 2 1/2 months into the season. I realize I’ve taken over a month off, but still, I would have expected to recognize at least one dog by now.

Central BBQ retweeted a photo of what a customer thinks is the best item on the menu: The sampler plate with wings, BBQ nachos, and sausage and cheese. Damn, that looks good! I would definitely have to take a friend with me though. That’s a lot of food!

In case you missed the news yesterday, an Urban Land Institute panel recommended a $184 million plan for the fairgrounds that would save the Mid-South Coliseum.

Basketball players can be philosophers too. Former Memphis Tiger D.J. Stephens tweets some really good stuff that will make you think. Follow him at @DdotJAY30.

Following the Redbirds game vs. Round Rock (6:05 first pitch) this evening, there will be fireworks set to the music of STAX Records.

Time to head out and walk for a dog! Too bad I can’t drink PBR for a dog, because there will be plenty of that today!