Papi Joe’s Tennessee Pepper Sauce @ Memphis Farmers Market

2016-04-02 11.04.09

Farmers Market, Farmers Market, let’s go to the Farmers Market! I took my own advice and went down there yesterday morning.

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The first thing I did was walk straight to the back and check out which food trucks were there. I have some good news: The tandoori truck is back! I didn’t get anything from the truck this week, but believe me, as long as they keep coming I will be a frequent customer. They have all sorts of dishes including multiple varieties of naan bread as well as dishes made with rice, chickpeas, and chicken. More than half of their offerings are vegetarian. Trust me, if you eat meat, you will not regret a vegetarian meal at this truck.

Of course, I had to be the bad, bad man with a smoothie in his hand, so a visit to the So Fresh juice truck was in order.

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I got my favorite smoothie the Berry 4 Ever, made with raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, frozen yogurt, and cranberry juice.

Next door was the Rock n’ Dough food truck. That’s pepperoni pizza and breakfast pizza in the window.

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Also in the food court area was the Fuel food truck, serving its usual menu of bison tacos and other treats. Also there was Bluff City Coffee and Bakery, selling all kinds of baked treats. One of their items for sale was a kale and bacon loaf. “Well, that sounds half good,” I thought.

After leaving the food court, I walked around and sipped my smoothie and looked at the vendors. Remember that refrigerated food truck I mentioned earlier this week? I took a photo of what they had for sale. (Click to zoom in)

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If you thought the Farmers Market was just a bunch of termaters and kale, you got another think comin’. King crab legs!

It’s well known that I am a huge fan of fresh produce, but did you know that I am also a fan of spicy foods? One vendor caught my eye yesterday – Papi Joe’s Tennessee Pepper Sauce. I stopped to take a gander and Papi Joe offered me a bite of cheesy bacon dip with a dash of Papi’s on top.

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SOLD! I took out my wallet and bought a bottle. Papi Joe threw in two recipe cards. Not only was the recipe for the cheesy bacon dip on there, but also Spunky Warm Turnip Greens Dip, Spicy Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms, Pork Tenderloin Marinate, Devilish Eggs, Zippity Corn Dip, Pimiento Cheese, Tartar Sauce, Cocktail Sauce, Remoulade, and French Fry Sauce. There’s even a recipe for a sinfully spicy brownie. I have never heard of hot sauce in a brownie before but it sounds intriguing. Papi calls it “the gooey brownie with the surprise ending.”

Tonight I am going to stop by Huey’s for fries to go and make a mini version of Papi Joe’s french fry sauce recipe. He grows the highest quality peppers, slow-cooked in a country kitchen in Rossville, Tennessee.

In other market news, let me just say that the yoga pants watching is every bit as good as last year.

After I left the market, I walked north on Main, noticing a new business going into 414 S. Main that used to be a comedy venue:

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I led off at Bardog as usual after getting back north. Bloom is back for her usual Saturday shift and she asked me if I could pick up some mint for her at the Farmers Market next Saturday. Any recommendations for a vendor that sells mint? Hit me up at paul@paulryburn.com if you know of one.

While I was basking in the fresh produce at the Memphis Farmers Market, my BBQ team the Moody Ques were doing well in the Atoka Regional, taking 9th place in shoulder out of 49 teams competing. Pics are coming but I want to be careful not to give away any secrets, so I am going to have to go through the photos with a fine-toothed comb to determine what can be posted. I will be meeting team president Clay at D-RANKS with “Easter Dinner” B-RAD at the Blind Bear in a couple of hours to discuss this.

Although I was not at the Atoka regional with the team, I definitely had my Director of Public Relations hat on. We had a new team member join who is a very experienced bartender, and he and I are going to work on some ideas to streamline the bar and get the silver pig that sits atop it filled up more. I also have another idea, not yet approved by president Clay and vice-president Erik but I am pushing them, that will improve an aspect of team membership by 150%. More on that later.

From The Tab: Why people who drink PBR are right and everyone else is wrong

Kudos to Bluefin for encouraging the next generation of artists:

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It touches my heart that they were willing to pay for a 59 cent posterboard so a 7-year-old could design their sidewalk advertising. Let this be a lesson to other Downtown restaurants that it never hurts to open up the checkbook to spend a little on marketing.

Sunday Fun Day! Time to lead off with D-RANKS with “dinner for breakfast” B-RAD at the Blind Bear, then bocce. Our Sunday behavior seems to degrade to new levels each week, and I can’t wait to see what happens today.