Thursday update

Great news for Downtown convention business: There is a plan to build a new 600-room hotel on a plot of land at Front and Poplar, adjacent to the Cook Convention Center. Hotel rooms near the convention center are badly needed and may help attract additional conventions to Memphis. In addition to the rooms, the hotel will offer 120,000 square feet of meeting space.

Done deal: The building at 363 Mulberry and the adjacent lot have been sold to a group including Aldo from Bardog, Slider Inn, and Aldo’s Pizza Pies. The location has been rumored to become a second Slider Inn this year.

The January 15 concert by the Bar-Kays and ConFunkShun at the Cannon Center has unfortunately been canceled. If you already bought a ticket, please return to your point of purchase for a refund.

Names have been announced for the Cardinals Caravan program coming to the Home Plate Club at AutoZone Park on Friday, January 13. Current players Randal Grichuk, Luke Weaver, Sam Tuivailala and Austin Gomber will be there, as will Redbirds manager Stubby Clapp and Cardinal alumnus Danny Cox. Cardinals broadcaster Mike Claiborne will emcee the event, which is free to attend. A ticket system will be implemented for autographs. Doors will open at 5:30, first come first served, program at 6:30.

If you’re a huge fan of fresh produce like I am, you probably miss having the Memphis Farmers Market as a shopping resource on Saturdays during the winter months. Here’s an option for you: the deep winter subscription from Bring It Food Hub. For $20 a week, you can get a bag of local produce and grains for 8 weeks (January 10-March 3). The produce is planned to include onion scallions, kale, collards, parsley, cilantro, swiss chard, carrots, radishes, beets, head lettuce, salad mix, arugula, bok choi, turnips, cauliflower, celery, spinach, and broccoli. You can also get add-ons like eggs, bread, cheese and coffee, and you can purchase Pay It Forward bags to help get fresh produce to people experiencing food insecurity in Memphis.

The Daily News has an article on Mutt Island Doggie Daycare, a 10,000 square foot space that opened in The Edge recently at 320 Monroe. The space allows dogs to have a yard to play in while their owners are at work, and there are separate areas for large and small dogs. They also offer overnight boarding with doggie suites that do not involve crates or cages. They have full grooming services as well.

The Daily News also has a chat with Penelope Huston, the new vice president of marketing for the Downtown Memphis Commission.

A food truck selling cereal will hit the streets of Memphis in early 2017.

The Blind Bear is having its 5 year anniversary party Friday night. If you’re a fan of those Prohibition Era-style photos on the dining room wall, you can be in one – photographer Joey Warner will be back to take pictures.

A few people have reported flurries in Memphis this morning, causing people to go “BREAD AND MILK AND MILK AND BREAD…” (suburbanites) and “$2 Fireball at Bardog!” (Downtowners)

Gotta agree with the CA’s Michael Donahue at his Best Bet for dining this week: The duck fried rice at South of Beale. That is some good stuff.

That’s it for now. Probably I’ll be out at Silly Goose happy hour after work.