Month: August 2017

One of the biggest and best street festivals of the year happens Sunday

The late summer/fall festival season begins this Sunday, August 20, with the Breakaway-Bardog 5K and Monroe Avenue Festival, raising money to support the great work done at St. Jude. No child’s family ever receives a bill for their cancer treatment at the children’s hospital.

The 5K, which happens at 9 AM, has become one of the biggest in the city, with 1500 runners. After they get done running, they enjoy one of the best after-parties around.

At noon the Monroe Avenue Fest starts, stretching from Front to all the way on the other side of Main this year. Once upon a time this party fit in the alley next to Bardog. Not anymore! Way too much going on!

All day long they will be collecting money toward the head-shaving of Taylor, one of the bartenders at Bardog. They are hoping to raise $10,000 for St. Jude just from the head shaving alone. Taylor is new to Bardog and it is awesome that she jumped right in and volunteered to have her head shaved. Please drop some money in the bucket to support her! If you can’t be there Sunday but want to donate toward her fund, you can drop by donations to Bardog this week. If you want to get your hair cut for St. Jude as well (you don’t have to shave your head), Dabbles will have a pop-up salon.

There’s also the dunk tank, where you can donate to St. Jude to buy balls in an attempt to dunk local celebrities as well as various folks from Bardog, Slider Inn, and both Aldo’s Pizza locations.

New this year will be a food truck court including STIX, Fuel Cafe, Bedrock Eats, and more.

You can buy an entry to a special craft beer tent and enjoy samples from over 20 different brewers thanks to Eagle Distributing. Bell’s and Sweetwater will be among the brands represented.

The Michael Brothers, Me & Leah, and Marcella and her brothers will provide the live music at the festival. DJ Superman will also be on hand.

Face painting, cotton candy, The 901 Balloon Guy, Sache T-shirt truck, Amurica photo booth, Rockey Redbird, the Grizzline… there will be no shortage of things to do. Be sure to buy raffle tickets, because fabulous prizes donated by the events sponsors will be given away throughout the afternoon.

If you want to really do this festival in style, buy a ticket to the VIP tent. It will be catered by McEwen’s, Felicia Suzanne’s, Bardog Tavern, Aldo’s Pizza Pies, Jameson, Fireball, and Old Dominick.

In the late afternoon the fun kicks into overdrive, as it will be time for Grandma’s Meatball Eating Contest. Perhaps you have tried the meatballs with spaghetti or on a sandwich at Bardog, or on a pizza at Aldo’s Pizza Pies. Those meatballs are Aldo’s grandmother’s recipe, and will will see who can eat the most balls with their hands behind their back in a set period of time.

Then it will be time to take the electric shaver to Taylor! You’ll get one last chance to drop in a donation before the clippers are turned on.

This is a fun, fun, fun event and I encourage all of you to come out. I will be there for the entire duration of Monroe Fest, noon to 6, and I plan on taking some pictures for the blog. Every year this festival raises more and more money for St. Jude. Together we can kick the amount raised into six figures for 2017!

VERY IMPORTANT PBR NEWS: LYFE Kitchen has $2 PBR at the bar all the time

This is the breaking story I had to confirm via investigative research today. Yes LYFE Kitchen has $2 PBR happy hour 4-6 PM. However, if you sit at the bar it’s always happy hour.

There you go: Be seated at the bar any day, any time and enjoy happy hour pricing. Above are their other specials. All domestic beers are #2 but why would you want anything other than PBR?

I had the parmesan encrusted chicken for dinner at LYFE. It comes with black bean relish, quinoa, smoky pepper aioli, and seasonal vegetable.


LYFE had beers from three of the best local craft breweries in Memphis, Wiseacre, Memphis Made, and Ghost River, as well as regional offerings.

Elvis Week events at LYFE

Huge thanks to my friend Ariel who bartends there for making me aware of this. LYFE was not really on my radar before. It definitely is now!

Sleepy time. Back tomorrow with more news.

New Sunday brunch menu at the Silly Goose starts today

One of the reasons the Silly Goose went nonsmoking indoors beginning yesterday is that they are rolling out new menus, and they want the food to be properly enjoyed. The new brunch menu is available 11-5 today. Here it is (click the image to view in a larger size):

They have a Pomme Rosti for $16. If your first reaction to this is, “WTF is a Pomme Rosti?”, you’re in good company. PBS ChefSteps to the rescue.

They also have fried rice, a bacon and egg entree, and a “basic lady” for vegetarians. They also have a variety of sweets. Solid menu that I think I will be a big hit.

They’re rolling out new bar and dinner menus too. I didn’t get photos but there was a duck entree and a friend chickpea appetizer.

Good day yesterday… I led off at Bardog, where Panda played the entire Dark Side of the Moon album on the jukebox. It had been many years since I heard it all the way through. Pure musical genius.

Later in the day I was up at the Silly Goose. You remember those peanut butter cookies that showed up in the Moody Ques’ booth at BBQ Fest? They were back yesterday. Our teammates Jeremy and Jeana brought them, from a bakery in Kennett, Missouri.

A little Internet research revealed that the bakery is named Causby’s and it seems to be pretty famous. Those of you traveling north to catch a Cardinals game might want to make a quick detour to Causby’s to pick up some goodies. Of course it goes without saying that you need to stop at the home of the throwed rolls too.

Almost time for D-RANKS with Jeannette today at the Blind Bear. B-RAD suffered an injury playing football with his son and his friends, so he will be out for a few weeks. I will be at the Bear for a few hours then I have to leave to go conduct some research. I got a lead on a major news story yesterday that will be of interest to people who appreciate the finer things, but I want to check it out for myself before reporting it on here because it sounds almost too good to be true. That’s it for now. Back tomorrow with more.

Saturday update

Breakfast is good this morning! My buddy Clay cooked up a batch of his legendary Italian beef this week. Last night I was hanging out at the Blind Bear and he brought me a package.

The Stumblin’ Elvis Pub Crawl has been announced for next Saturday. Dress up as Elvis or Priscilla and meet up at the Flying Saucer at 7 PM. There will be a costume contest and Big Wheel races. They didn’t publish the list of bars they will crawl to on the Facebook event listing, but a Saucer manager told me the stops are the Saucer, Club 152, and Blind Bear.

This is a fun event, but I will warn you… every 10 feet you walk, someone will stop you and say, “Elvis, can I take your picture?” Because of this, I created my Elvis tourist gimmick a few years ago. I dress up in an obnoxious pink ELVIS hat, an Elvis shirt, and I put on Elvis stickers and buttons and carry around a pink Elvis coin purse. At the pub crawl I chase the other Elvises around and ask if I can take their picture.

Undecided if I will do the pub crawl this year, but I like all the bars and I like it that the crawl only goes a quarter block down Beale. Pro tip for whichever Saucer manager leads the crawl: Don’t start drinking at 11 AM that day.

Speaking of the Flying Saucer: Those of you with connections through DFW will soon be able to fly the Saucer while you’re waiting to fly the friendly skies.

Even the fire hydrants dress up for Elvis Week here.

For those headed to the Memphis Farmers Market this morning, here’s an article about the wartime origins of farmers markets.

Did you know that The Corner Bar at the Peabody serves brunch-y food from 11 to 2 on Saturdays?


Click the photo to view it in a larger size. Sorry about the glare. Stupid sun. Hey moon, can you do anything about this sometime soon?

This Thursday’s all-you can eat special ticket at the Redbirds includes tacos and all the toppings, along with hot dogs and one Coca-Cola product or bottled water per person. The buffet runs from 6 to 8 PM.

Comedy and beer collide this Thursday night as the Comma Comedians return to Memphis Made Brewing at 7:30 PM.

Jam for Justice benefiting the Community Legal Center happens tonight at Loflin Yard 7-10 PM. John Paul Keith, Low Country Nationals, and The Outcry will be among those performing. Your $20 donation includes a complimentary koozie and will help serve those with limited means and those unable to obtain legal help in other ways.

If you go in the Silly Goose today, there’s something you won’t find: ashtrays. The interior of the Goose is going nonsmoking effective today. You can still smoke on the patio or on the Peabody Place promenade. Excellent, excellent decision by Daniel.

“We’ll all be outside starting next week,” commented one of my friends. Yes I most definitely plan on sweltering in 100 degree heat indices so you can indulge in your cancer causing habit. If my friends choose to sit on the patio that’s fine. I guess I’ll have Jessica all to myself at the air conditioned bar on Wednesday and Thursday happy hours then.

Developers of the former Wonder Bread factory out in The Edge already have verbal agreements from tenants to occupy more than half of the 150,000 square feet of office space. The 286 apartments that are part of the package make the renovation a value for developers.

Time to get this day started! Plans for today TBD but I see a visit to Max’s Sports Bar happening at some point in the next 12 hours. Back tomorrow with more news.

 

Friday update

Important message to my readers with whom I’m friends on Facebook: If you see anything from me that doesn’t seem like something I would post, don’t respond to it and especially don’t click on any links. This morning about 11:15, I received a notification that someone was trying to log in as me from an unrecognized device. I clicked Continue and it showed the location of the attempted login – near Kirkuk, Iraq. I clicked “that wasn’t me” and it asked me to put in my password – which no longer worked. I requested it send a code to my registered email address that would let me reset my password – but the email never arrived. Argh. Trying to figure out what to do. I’m still logged in to Facebook on all my devices, but if I log out I won’t be able to log in again. If any of my readers have been through something similar and got it straightened out, I would love to hear from you.

I checked my activity log and the person has not done anything since the attempted login.

The honored country for Memphis in May for 2018 has been announced: The Czech Republic. That should be a fun one. Memphis in May also announced a $278,000 surplus for 2017.

Beer Pairing Roulette comes to the Wiseacre taproom Thursday, August 17 from 7 to 9 PM. Learn about beer pairings and food interactions to enhance the enjoyment of both – a 1 + 1 = 3 kind of thing, as Wiseacre put it. Six 7-ounce beers will be sampled along with nuts, chocolate, cheese, and olives. You will learn how combinations can affect perceptions in taste. $10 to attend, which sounds like an excellent value for what you get. Space is limited. Reserve your spot now. Hmmm, I’m off Friday the 18th. I wouldn’t mind grabbing a Lyft out to Wiseacre if I had a partner in crime or two. Anyone want to go?

Max’s Sports Bar seeks a part-time barback/cook for football season. Some kitchen experience is preferred and you must be able to work weekends. Great place to work and the menu is simple so cooking there would not be hard. If you’re an outgoing person, you will make many new friends working there.

Ghost River now has gift cards for those who want to give the gift of great local beer.

Guess who went on a Twitter rampage yesterday around lunchtime yesterday? No, not our Toddler-in-Chief. Downtown Yoga tweeted links to several upcoming workshops for those interested in gaining a better understanding of the human body.

  • Yoga for Upper Back, Neck and Shoulder Care, Saturday, September 16 11:30 AM-12:30 PM, will have instructor Adelene will guide participants on an exploration of the upper body, and tension release poses will be practiced.
  • Yoga for Lower Back Care, Sunday, September 17 1-4 PM, will have Adelene go through a sequence of selected yoga poses and breathing practices for those experiencing lower back pain. There will be tension release and relaxation techniques.
  • Yoga for Scoliosis: An Introductory Workshop, Saturday, September 30 4:30-7:30 PM, will be an exploration with Adelene of how one can have a yoga practice with scoliosis.
  • Organic Yoga Asana, Sunday, October 1 1-4 PM, will be a journey through your organs to find and place them in your body.

All classes will be held at Downtown Yoga’s studio, 515 S. Main. YOGA!

Redbirds playoff tickets are now on sale. AutoZone Park will host playoff games September 6 and 7, and if the Redbirds win the first round, there would be two more games September 12 and 13, for the Pacific Coast League Championship. Times are TBA and in both series, these games are game one and two of the series. Starting at $32, fans can get one ticket to each of the four games. The first 5000 fans at the games on the 6th and 7th receive a new logo Redbirds hat, and there will be $2 select beers throughout the playoffs. Purchase playoff tickets here.

1939 classic movie Gone with the Wind plays tonight at 7 PM on the big screen at the Orpheum. Keep in mind that this movie is a whopping 3 hours, 58 minutes long, so you’ll be getting out of the movie around 11.

This is not a Downtown event but it sounds so freakin’ cool that it’s worth a mention: There will be a pop-up food vendor, Kunal’s Indian Pizza Pop-Up, at The Cove out on Broad Avenue from 4 to 8 Sunday. It will feature pizzas, nachos, and salads inspired by traditional Indian cooking, and all the proceeds will be donated to charity.

Yesterday I did happy hour at Jessica’s bar at the Silly Goose with the burger/BBQ team president and the deputy director of public relations. “Can I join your team for Burger Fest?” Jessica asked. Even more proof that discerning palates prefer the Moody Ques. Team members, expect an email soon. John D wants to open up all three practice cooks to the entire team. Don’t expect us to be real organized for the first one and maybe even the second one and it will be BYOB, but if you want to come be a part of things, you can.

Just a reminder:

National security expert John Schindler, @20committee on Twitter, has a good article on what China will do if hostilities break out between the United States and North Korea.

That’s it for now. I took a half-day and came home to figure out what to do about the potential hack. However, I’m not getting much figured out so I guess I’ll go to Bardog. Back tomorrow with more news.

Thursday update #2

Good live music at the Ghost River taproom this Saturday as The Rusty Pieces play 6-9 PM. I have heard them several times at the Blind Bear and they are definitely worth checking out. Their style is not easy to put into words so I’m just going to steal a description from Facebook:

“Two long time singer songwriters converged, and out sprang a crop of soulful, earthy, catchy ear candy. Stomp box, cajon, washboard, shakers, and foot percussion join in with guitar and rich vocal harmonies to create a surprisingly huge sound. Their goal is to create music that defies genre and gets stuck in your head after the first listen. The Rusty Pieces music has been called bluesy pop, soulful pop, indie-pop, front porch pop, pop rock, old timey, high energy, and the list goes on. I just call it damn good music, and I think you’ll agree.”

You can now pre-order your Survival Package for the August 21 solar eclipse watch party at the Ghost River taproom.

Klinger is coming to town! Well, not Corporal Klinger from MASH, but Jamie Farr, the man who played him. He will be starring in “Tuesdays with Morrie” December 2-3, the first of a new theatrical series at the Halloran Centre. I’m pretty sure Farr will not be wearing a dress in these performances.

JustLARRY’s Mayhem!, a burlesque show, is coming to the Evergreen Theater Saturday, August 25. It will be an evening of sexy schoolgirls, dark damsels disrobing, stand-up comedians sitting down, magic, acrobatics, a carnival of curiosities hosted by the pompadoured performer JustLARRY. My neighbor Kitty Wompas is performing in this and has told me it’s going to be quite the show. Shows will be at 8 PM Friday, August 25 and Saturday, August 26. Tickets are $20. Purchase tickets here.

Look what I found yesterday evening:

To clarify, Bluefin is not turning the entire restaurant into a sports bar, just the bar on the right-hand side that was last operated as a coffee and donut shop. Hmmm… despite the 9-block farther walk, I think I’ll continue going to Max’s.

By the way, I saw this sign on my way back from a brief meeting with Moody Ques president John D. Someone who won a Top 3 in one of the categories at Best Memphis Burger Fest last year has expressed an interest in helping our team this year at that event. We’ve had another very talented cook inquire about helping as well. We are assembling a cooking superteam and with nothing before Burger Fest distracting us, I predict we’re gonna make some noise at Tiger Lane on October 7. By the way, Seth from Burger Fest messaged me last night and told me there are still a few team spots open, if anyone wants to get in on the action.

Remember the Titans will be on the screen at Clayborn Temple for tonight’s installment of the 15 Film Series.

The 2017 Russell George Memorial Benefit will happen 7-11 PM Saturday, September 9 at Earnestine & Hazel’s. This event, celebrating the life of E&H’s late owner, will raise money for the Church Health Center and will feature the Earnestine & Hazel’s Band.

The Memphis airport is hiring a manager of accounting.

FedEx is hosting a job fair to 800 positions in the hub. Let me remind everyone once again – throwing boxes part-time may not seem like a dream job, but if you stay there 12-18 months and do a good job you’re probably going to get promoted. Even better, you’ll have a chance to bid on internal corporate jobs at FedEx that aren’t even advertised to the public.

Memphis could have a pro soccer team, playing at AutoZone Park, as soon as 2019. They would play in the United Soccer League, one tier under Major League Soccer.

Uh oh: TMZ reports that former Grizzly Zach Randolph was arrested on marijuana charges in Los Angeles. He was reported to have enough on him that he will be charged with felony attempt to deliver. I don’t smoke weed but it is so ridiculous that it is illegal in this day and age.

Today is the last day to purchase a Teacher Appreciation special ticket for the August 18 game at the Redbirds. Ticket includes a Teacher Appreciation T-shirt in your choice of size.

That’s it for now. This is the second post today, so keep scrolling down for more Thursday news. Doing happy hour at the Silly Goose again. Back tomorrow with more news.

Thursday update #1

Memphis Made Brewing and 901 Comics will present a Game Night at Memphis Made’s taproom on Sunday, August 27 from 1 to 7 PM. There will be role-playing games, board games, and of course, beer. 901 Comics will have a pop-up shop for all your gaming needs. All levels are welcome and tables will be available for open game play. There will be a gaming workshop with character creation help, and single day campaigns for beginners. Keep up with Game Night’s Facebook event listing for all the news about this event.

Scientists have named a species of prehistoric crocodile, said to be one of the nastiest sea creatures ever to roam the earth, after late Motorhead frontman Lemmy.

The Grizzlies have two public address system announcer positions open for 2017-18. One is for the Memphis Grizzlies and the other for the Memphis Hustle. To apply you need to submit a resume, YouTube link, and MP3 file attachment by August 25.

From Bleacher Report: Tony Allen finally revealed the origin of the now famous term Grit & Grind. It was to make fun of Rudy Gay for sitting out a game.

Hillbilly Casino will provide the live music at tonight’s Peabody rooftop party. $10 to get in, ladies and hotel guests free before 7. Admission includes a buffet of BBQ sliders and BBQ nachos. If you’re in VIP you have a second buffet of Memphis ribs, cole slaw, BBQ spaghetti, and banana pudding cupcakes. Drink specials tonight are a Memphis Blues margarita and Firefly blackberry lemonade moonshine.

I’ve already told you about the special ticket that gets you an all-you-can-eat burger buffet tonight at the Redbirds, but there’s more going on than just that. DJ Epic, one of Memphis’ top party DJs, will perform in the right field picnic area beginning at 6 PM. $5 left field bluff seating for college students with valid ID. It’s Thirsty Thursday with $2 select drafts around the park.

Off to work. I already have enough remaining news to warrant a second post at lunchtime, so check back.

Wed update: Bar Rescue scouting Memphis, Grizzlies and Hustle news and more

I heard some interesting scuttlebutt last night at one of my favorite bar’s happy hours. Bar Rescue called the bar’s owner and inquired if he would like his bar to be “rescued.” Bar Rescue is a show on Spike TV starring industry expert Jon Taffer. Taffer and his team travel the country, finding bars that were once the place to go but which have since fallen on hard times. Taffer’s team comes in, tackles the core problems, often re-brands the bar, gives it a grand re-opening, and reports on how the bar is doing weeks later.

The show works because of Taf’s brutal honesty. If the owner is too drunk to know what is going on in his own bar, Taffer will call him out on it. He’ll call out staff that are comping so many drinks that they drive the bar into the red. He’ll call out kitchens that have food costs of 60%, or worse, don’t know what their food costs are. He’ll call out cooks, bartenders, and servers who claim to be big shots but who clearly are full of BS. However, Taffer also recognizes raw talent. There have been shows where he will look at a line cook making $7.25 an hour and maybe six months out of jail, and see someone who works hard and takes pride in what he does. Taffer will reward that effort with a chef’s jacket and hat and tell him, “You’re the new kitchen manager.” I am not a TV person but I will binge watch Bar Rescue.

So anyway, I started a thread on Facebook, and found out from another bar’s GM that the Bar Rescue people have cold-called over 100 bars in Memphis. That makes sense because the bar I was in when I found this out is in no way failing (nor is the bar where that GM works). I’d like to see a Memphis episode but I can’t think of anywhere Downtown that needs that kind of help.

D’oh! Likely starting Grizzlies point guard Ben McLemore is out 12 weeks with an injury from a pickup game. The Grizz traded for McLemore in the off-season. We’ll have him back by November, but still, we are one injury away from the draft lottery. Some analysts already have Memphis projected as a lottery team.

In better news, the Grizzlies have announced their pre-season schedule. They will start off at home vs. Orlando on October 2, and will have home games vs. Houston October 11 and New Orleans October 13. They’ll have road games at Philadelphia October 4 and Atlanta October 9. The season will start mid-October, a little earlier than past years. I wonder if they’re doing that to eliminate some back-to-backs, particularly ones where a coach might sit a star player to rest him.

News about former Tiger Austin Nichols:

That would be good, for the Hustle to have a known name. Maybe Nichols can regain his passion for basketball.

The Memphis Flyer’s Best of Memphis voting is now open.

Last night I stopped by Bardog Tavern, curious to see who got Melissa’s Tuesday happy hour shift. While there, I noticed a new promotion they have going on: Buy a shot of Breckenridge bourbon and be entered in a drawing to win this snowboard.

As for who got the Tuesday happy hour shift, it was Taylor. Taylor is a relatively new bartender but she is jumping into the Bardog family with both feet… she has volunteered to have her head shaved at Monroe Avenue Fest on Sunday, August 20, with all donations going to the kids of St. Jude! There will be donation buckets at the festival, but you can also donate online or bring money by Bardog and tell them it’s toward Taylor’s head shaving. Any amount is appreciated but if you donate $100 or more, you get your name on the Big Baller Board.

By the way, I am going to be talking about Breakaway-Bardog 5K and Monroe Fest a lot the next two weeks… it’s a cause I believe in, an event put on by good people who have always been good to me. It is my pleasure to give this event my support.

The I Love Memphis Blog has great suggestions on where to get oysters in Memphis, including several places Downtown.

The Peabody will hold an eclipse viewing party on the rooftop 11 AM-2 PM Monday, August 21. A minimum donation of $5 to St. Jude gets you a pair of eclipse viewing glasses. Also available for purchase: boxed lunch, eclipse cookies, moon pies, novelty ice cream bars, assorted beverages, and a full bar.

The Redbirds play Omaha tonight at 6:35. There’s a $15 off special on the all-inclusive Owner’s Seats next to the dugout.

Book swap party today at Cossitt Library, 5-6:30 PM. It’s in celebration of National Book Lovers Day.

A little Twitter humor to close out this post:

That’s it for now. Hitting the Silly Goose happy hour after work. Back tomorrow with more news.

Tuesday update #2

A team has been selected to create the I Am A Man plaza to be constructed next to Clayborn Temple. The plaza will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Memphis Sanitation Workers strike and the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and will be complete by April 2018.

Memphis Pets Alive! is out of cat supplies. Can you help? Here’s their Amazon wish list.

Minibar Delivery, delivering wine, liquor and spirits to your home, launches in Memphis tomorrow.

The Downtown Memphis Commission’s CCRFC granted a tax break today who wants to redevelop The Edge District, including a $70 million project bringing apartments to 400 Monroe on the site of the Wonder Bread Bakery, as well as a $6 million parking garage. The proposal will now go to the City Council for approval.

You can help beautify Downtown later this month with a Paint the Block Party August 23-25. Artist Siphne Aaye will lead the effort to paint a mural on the wall securing the 100 N. Main building. 4-6 PM and 6-8 PM shifts are available Wednesday, August 23, Thursday, August 24, and Friday, August 25. On the 25th there will be a party to celebrate the mural’s completion.

There’s a big songwriter night at South Main Sounds this Friday, August 11 from 7 ti 9 PM. Ben Rocky Tallent who ran sound in South Main Sounds’ early shows will play, with newcomer Manzy Lowry from Texas. Australian Katrina Burgoyne, currently residing in Nashville, will perform too, as will regular Evan Farris. It will be a great night of original music.

FreeWorld will have its 30th anniversary CD release weekend October 13-15. On Friday October 13 they’ll perform at the Levitt Shell 7-8:30 PM. Saturday the 14th they’ll be at The Bluff on the Highland Strip 10 PM-2 AM with special guests Chinese Connection Dub Embassy. Sunday night they’ll be Downtown for their usual Blues City Cafe gig 9:30 PM-1:30 AM. Make sure to purchase a copy of the CD at one of these shows. The CD has a download card so you can download the music to your electronig devices.

Bleu has announced Chef Ana’s August wine dinner hosted by Bobby Maupin of West Tennessee Crown Distributors. It will be Thursday, August 24 6-9 PM. $60 plus tax and gratuity with free 3 hour valet parking. Ingredients from four of the five courses will be sourced from local producers in Tennessee and Arkansas.

Here’s the official Facebook event listing for the Breakaway-Bardog 5K and Monroe Avenue Fest. Let your friends know you are going.

Newsy day. Happy hour location for after work to be determined but I’ll be out somewhere. Back tomorrow with more.

Tuesday update

Last night I led off at Bardog Tavern. The past five years or so, I have referred to Monday happy hours as “Melissa Monday” because Melissa, one of the Bardog originals, had that shift. However, as of this week Melissa moved on to new adventures, opening up my Monday night to go wherever I want. However, I was curious who would get the shift, so I stopped by Bardog anyway.

“I want a trolly picture!”

It was Teryn! Teryn is one of my Bardog favorites, but up until now I have rarely got to see her. She worked day shifts on the weekdays, so I’d only get to sit at her bar on holidays and vacation days. With her smile and her infectious happy demeanor, she will be a great addition to Monday nights.

Looking for a place to have your fantasy football draft? Give Max’s Sports Bar a call. Bjarni posted last night that they’ve got you covered.

All-You-Can-Eat Thursday returns to AutoZone Park Thursday night. A specialty ticket gets you all you can eat burgers with all the trimmings and sides, along with hot dogs and one bottled water or Coke per person. The buffet starts at 6 PM and ends at 8 PM. Already got a ticket to the game? Upgrade to a wristband to get you into the buffet for $10 more.

As for tonight, it’s a doubleheader as the ‘birds play Omaha at AutoZone Park. First pitch of the first game is at 5:35. It’s dollar King Cotton hot dog night.

Wiseacre Brewing Co. is having a special for the solar eclipse on the 21st. The taproom will open at noon, with viewing on their deck. They’ll have a special solar eclipse happy meal that day for $12, consisting of a wrap or sandwich from Gourmade, Sun Chips, and a Moon Pie, as well as an Astronaut Status logo snifter and solar eclipse viewing glasses. Get tickets to the viewing party here. For groups (special rate of $10 per person for groups 10 more more), email crebs@wiseacrebrew.com. Friday, August 18 is the last day to reserve your spot if you want lunch.

High-tech updates including a new scoreboard are coming to FedExForum. The changes will be in place by the time the Grizzlies start their preseason.

And the hits just keep coming for the Trump administration… Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is under criminal investigation in the state of New York for financial fraud for manipulating Exxon Mobil’s stock price when T-Rex was CEO there. The case involves some emails Tillerson sent under a fake name, Wayne Tracker, to argue with climate change experts, then later deleted. USA TODAY has a report as well. Damn this one hit the mainstream media quick. Here’s a statement from the New York Attorney General himself:

Off to work. There may be a second post at lunchtime.