Month: October 2017

Tuesday update

Skinny, organizer of the Grilled Cheese Fest scheduled for November at the Hi-Tone, posted some bad news yesterday. Due to an unexpected and unavoidable oversight by the city permit office, the street closure that had been requested will not be possible. Therefore the festival has to be canceled. Ticket sales will be refunded as will money paid by teams, vendors, and food trucks. Although my team never competed in the event, I am sad to hear this news, knowing it was an event to which many of my friends looked forward.

The October Downtown Neighborhood Association meeting will be a good one. On Tuesday, October 24 at 6 PM, the meeting will be held at the new Pontotoc at 314 S. Main. The speaker will be Daniel Masters, new owner of Pontotoc and longtime owner of the Silly Goose. He will speak about his plans to carry on the tradition of the cafe. Catered hors d’oeurvres, DNA beer bar and wine bar.

In other festival news, Holly (@ilovememphis) tweeted that Southern Hot Wing Fest is moving to Tiger Lane and will be on April 21, 2018. Although I normally would hate to hear of Downtown losing a festival, the wing fest never really felt right on Riverside. Tiger Lane is a great spot for a food fest, and other festivals might want to consider moving there as well (BBQ Fest: I do NOT mean you).

South Main was recently named one of the most stylish streets in America by Thrillist.

Being a weather fan, and having taught math classes back in the ’90s that included a chapter on probability, I remember reading a statistic that in Memphis, there was a 1.4% chance of an October with at least one day with a high of 90 or above. What do you think that chance is now? 50% maybe?

Fun fact: In WWE 2K18, World Wrestling Entertainment’s next-generation video game scheduled for Friday release, you can play Colonel Sanders as a character.

What I learned today: If there have been several hours of heavy/torrential ran in the early morning, don’t take I-55 South out of Downtown. There was a foot of pooling water covering all three southbound lanes just south of the McLemore exit. I was amazed that no one had wrecked.

Don’t forget that the A. W. Willis bridge to Mud Island is closed through next Monday for work on the railroad tracks. There was said to be a 20 minute delay to get off the island via N. Mud Island Drive/Second Street this morning.

Burger teams: Best Memphis Burger Fest has posted complete score details where you can see how each judge graded each burger.

This week President Trump has said he has a higher IQ than his secretary of state, and has nicknamed the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee “Liddle.” Way to be a statesman there, Mr. Trump.

That’s it for now. Back tomorrow with more news.

More about Burger Fest results + Monday news

Yesterday I learned some interesting things about Best Memphis Burger Fest this year that I thought I would share.

The story behind the winning hot dog

I had heard that championship hot dog team Squeal Street had hand-made their hot dog, but yesterday I found out the full story. It was made by Mike, the Wednesday-Sunday night bartender at Max’s Sports Bar. After Burger Fest Squeal Street took the giant check down to Max’s and they had a big celebration. “If you had any doubt Max’s has the best hot dogs in town, now you know,” one of my teammates who was at Max’s Saturday night told me. They have a new hot dog menu that I have got to try soon.

One ten-thousandth

In second place in Specialty Burger with a score of 155.1434, Bluff City Burgers. In third place with a score of 155.1433, the Moody Ques. That’s right, we missed second by a ten-thousandth of a point. Seth said he had never seen a top-three finish that close before.

Distractions, distractions

Two weeks before Burger Fest there was a breakfast festival out at the Med Center. We were invited to compete but chose not to, believing that we needed to focus on burgers and get a third practice cook in that day. It was absolutely the right move – our third-place Specialty Burger would not have scored so high without that third practice.

“For every team competing in both the breakfast festival and Burger Fest, that’s one spot we’re going to move up in the overall Burger Fest standings,” I commented the week before the breakfast festival. Sure enough, that week people were talking about omelets, breakfast sandwiches, breakfast sweets. I smiled and thought, “You’re not talking about burgers. We’re talking about burgers.”

After the breakfast fest was over, members of one of the teams were up at the Silly Goose telling the bartender about their winning omelet. I smiled and took a sip of PBR as I thought, “You’re still not talking about burgers. And there’s less than two weeks until Burger Fest.”

Yesterday I was at the Blind Bear with team president John D, and he said we need to find something to compete in this spring. I was very happy to hear his next words… “a regional, maybe?” YES! Not the Pineapple Lovers Fest, not the Vienna Sausage Fest, not the Chicken Necks Fest or some other festival that would distract us from our main mission. A BBQ team practicing for BBQ Fest by competing in a regional BBQ festival – well, that sounds like a good idea.

The results

We got 3rd in Bloody Mary, getting on stage to collect a trophy.

We finished 12th in Veggie Burger. That result absolutely shocked me, because our Veggie Burger entry was the best meatless burger I have had in my life. Pretty much everyone else on the team agreed. We were sure that was the burger that was going to get us on stage to collect a trophy. I find it really hard to believe that 11 teams turned in something better than we did, and I feel horrible for head veggie burger cook Staci who poured her heart and soul into the burger. I wonder if it got jostled on the walk to the judging building and messed up our presentation.

The Classic Cheeseburger was the one where I had no idea where we would finish. At the first practice cook there was a suggestion that we keep it simple. “I think the judges would appreciate that,” said a team member.

As a former judge, I knew that while the judges may appreciate a simple burger, it won’t get 9s on their scorecard. I advised the team if they wanted to keep it simple, that’s fine, but have an angle – have one or two things about the burger that stand out and command attention. Thus the Fontina Brioche Burger was born. It apparently didn’t command attention enough though – it finished 18th out of a field of 26 teams that turned in entries, our only bottom-half finish. So clearly we need to re-think things there. Perhaps it is time to abandon “keep it simple” and push the boundaries as hard as we can given the rules of that category.

We got 3rd in Specialty, and another .0001 of a point would have tied us for second.

In the overall score, we finished 12th out of a field of 26 teams. Top half – happy enough with that, although the goal I had in mind was top 7. We were surrounded by familiar teams – Flying Saucer finished one spot ahead of us at 11. Dirty Crow Inn finished one behind us at 13. In 16th place was championship hot dog team Squeal Street.

The winning Specialty Burger

The Flying Saucer made its 1st-place Specialty Burger its burger of the day yesterday, and we got a list of the ingredients: Mushroom truffle aioli, bacon onion marmalade, whiskey cheddar, bib lettuce, and heirloom tomato

Air fryer on sale today

Half the team wants an air fryer after seeing Staci’s success cooking curly fries with one Saturday and at the practices. Kinja Deals posted that there is one on sale for $40 today.

On to the news

A building next to Sun Studio is being redeveloped. It will hold five studio apartments and three retail bays. The developer is looking to recruit retailers that are “very Memphis” and which will attract attention from tourists next door. This is certainly good news for The Edge neighborhood.

Max’s Sports Bar will open at 3 this afternoon for the Cubs game.

The SMA’s monthly meeting is tomorrow evening (social at 6/presentation at 6:30) at Ghost River Brewing at Main and Crump. Chuck Mitchell, RiverArtsFest director, will speak about the logistics of South Main’s largest event of the year. Wine and catering courtesy of RiverArtsFest, and there will be a cash bar in the Ghost River taproom. There will be a drawing to win a bottle of wine from The Corkscrew. Free for members, $10 for non-members.

The Grizzlies play an away pre-season game tonight at Atlanta. Tip-off is 6:30 and the game will be on Fox Sports Southeast.

B-RAD, the Sunday bartender at Blind Bear for the past 2 1/2 years, is moving back to his original day, Saturday, starting this week. This will allow him to have two days off in a row. So D-RANKS with B-RAD will be on Saturdays now. He was the Saturday bartender from the time he was hired in 2013 through January 3, 2015. If you’re wondering how I remember that exact date, his last Saturday shift was the day he told me I had an “admirer.” (no, not Rahul or Tony)

Bardog: Don’t worry, I will still lead off there on Saturdays. That’s a tradition I refuse to mess with.

I have a feeling Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker is going to be one of the most quoted politicians the next 15 months. Yesterday he said that the White House has become an adult day care. LOVE IT.

Probably going to head to the Silly Goose after work and tell Monday bartender Brittani about our adventures at Burger Fest. Members of championship hot dog team Squeal Street hang out there too, so perhaps she’ll get to hear the stories of two teams. Back tomorrow with more news.

Moody Ques win trophies at Best Memphis Burger Fest

The venue didn’t change this year, but it seemed like the Moody Ques had to do considerably more walking than we did at past Memphis Burger Fests. We had to walk up the steps to the stage to accept a trophy not once, but twice! Other than a little rain and wind, it was a splendid day on Tiger Lane.

We only cook with the best. Thanks to our sponsor Royal Oak Charcoal for supplying us with top quality charcoal.

Not bad neighbors to have… the Memphis Grizzlies.

Our neighbor to the left was a vendor encouraging people to play some kind of game. One of the prizes was a George Foreman grill. Not the first time there’s been a George Foreman in the booth next to us.


King Arthur

Chad making the Bloody Mary turn-in. Appearance was a big part of the score, requiring a last-minute run to Kroger. The team across the road from us put an entire crab in their Bloody Mary.

Part of the score for each of the Burger Fest entries was Execution. You had to write a name and a description for your entry on a note card, as though you were listing it on a menu. Drew handled the Execution note card while Chad made the Bloody Mary entry.

We put out burger samples to the public in exchange for donations to Memphis Paws. People were generous to the point that the Burger Fest squad had to come get our donation box and give us a second one.

Appearance is a part of the total score, and our handmade Moody Ques buns helped us make a great first impression on the judges.

Prepping the Veggie Burger entry. Vegetarians love the Moody Ques!

The Bean-Wah Burger, our Veggie Burger entry. This was a black bean and quinoa patty, held together with blue cheese, topped with avocado, curly fries, a buffalo cheese sauce, and blue cheese sprinkles on a pretzel bun.

Beautiful burgers, ugly cooking gloves. Mac commented that he hopes Tennessee will lose next Saturday so they’ll go ahead and fire Butch Jones.

At our second practice cook three weeks ago, instead of melting the cheese on to the burger, we had the team sample cheeses to top our entry for Classic Cheeseburger. We had 2 year old aged Cheddar, Fontina, Gouda, Havarti, and Gruyere. Fontina emerged as the clear favorite.

P1080420.jpg – Head Classic Cheeseburger cook John D assembling our entry for that category.

The Fontina Brioche Burger, our Classic Cheeseburger entry. Sirloin patty topped with Fontina, pickle, onion, mustard and mayonnaise. Although the rules stated that ketchup was an acceptable topping, we elected to leave it off.

After the Classic Cheeseburger was submitted, it was time to begin work on the Specialty Burger. Rules for this one were anything goes: Any type or blend of ground meats, any toppings, any type of bun.

Some of the teams did exotic meats like lamb or ostrich. While thinking outside of the box, those meats don’t necessarily fit the palate of every judge. That’s why we went with the people-pleasing beef and bacon blend. We did a stuffed burger with more bacon and pepper jack cheese on the inside. What’s not to love about that?

Staci stepped away from the caramelized onions for a minute to mix a drink, and asked me to stir. I COOKED! I helped! I imagined I was Clarence at Earnestine & Hazel’s grilling onions for the Soul Burger. After that experience I’m thinking about permanently joining the cook team. I can promote the troll to Director of Public Relations to cover that position.

Specialty Burger head cook Drew getting ready to assemble his masterpiece

Man o’ War, our Specialty Burger entry: Beef/bacon blend stuffed burger with bacon and pepper jack cheese on the inside. Topped with purple cabbage, caramelized onions, and a sauce made with Portuguese Piri-Piri sauce on a pretzel bun.

By the way, there was some hesitation to use the pretzel bun for two of our entries. This is where my experience as a former judge came in. “There are different judges for each category,” I explained, “So they won’t know.”

At 5:30 it was time to hand out the awards.

The very first team called up to the stage, winning 3rd in Bloody Mary, was the Moody Ques.

Congratulations Chad!

We weren’t done though; Man o’ War was good enough to get us back on stage for a 3rd place in Anything Goes.

We were a very happy team at the end of the day.

On the Lyft ride back Downtown, Staci told me that she thinks my troll is stupid and sometime we’ll sit down over drinks and she’ll tell me why she hates my troll so much.

The $150 prize money we won pales in comparison to the bonding as a team we have experienced over the three practice cooks and Burger Fest. After nearly falling apart, the Moody Ques have come back stronger than ever. We are ONE HUNDRED PERCENT committed to doing BBQ Fest 2018 and are starting to put a plan in place already.

The good news for Downtown teams didn’t stop with the Moody Ques, however. When the SCA steak competition results were announced, The Dirty Crow Inn got second, hauling in $500. However, they got another surprise as well. The first-place finishing team had already qualified for the SCA Steak Championship in Fort Worth later this month. So the golden ticket to the championship went to the highest-placed team not already qualified, sending the Crow team to Texas.

In the ’30s, Babe Ruth promised a little boy a home run. He stepped up to the plate and got two consecutive strikes. Then he pointed to center-right field, and proceeded to knock one out of the park exactly where he pointed. He called his shot. The Flying Saucer totally called its shot at Burger Fest, saying they were going to take home a 1st and doing so in Specialty Burger. Congratulations to them, and I hope it helps people realize that the Saucer is now a great burger bar as well as a great beer bar.

Our sibling team Squeal Street BBQ became a championship hot dog team, winning the SCA’s hot dog competition. For the second time in three weeks, they took home $200 in prize money. They didn’t win any more Skillets of Greatness yesterday though. Looks like they had a good day. We could see their booth across the lane and it looked like things didn’t get as crazy over there as I thought they might.

Full photo album of the Moody Ques at Burger Fest here.

As for today, it’s humid and sticky with a 50% chance of rain… good day to be indoors. Come join me for D-RANKS with B-RAD, or Hung Over Like a Bear brunch, at Blind Bear today. Brad is back behind the bar today and there will be a brunch menu until 6 PM. Drink specials as well. Some of the Moody Ques will be there celebrating, and we’d love for you to join us! Back tomorrow with more news.

Burger Fest Day update

Quick post then headed out to Best Memphis Burger Fest at Tiger Lane! I’d like to invite (almost) all my readers to stop by the Moody Ques booth and say hello (no crazies please). $10 admission gets you burger sampling, two live bands, a DJ, a slider eating contest, a cornhole contest, celebrity bobbing for burgers, and a kids’ zone. New this year is a steak competition, and I hear the samples passed out at these steak cookoffs are really, really good.

Late yesterday afternoon I finally saw the map of the park. Sushi Jimmi is our across-the-lane neighbor! Excellent! Flying Saucer is very close by as well. I like our little section of Tiger Lane!

Seen on Twitter yesterday: “Why isn’t there a Memphis drag queen named Forest Hill Irene?” That’s a really good question!

More info about that free wrestling card at Handy Park on October 19 at 7 PM. In addition to the main event of Jerry Lawler vs. Buff Bagwell, Dustin Starr, Bill Dundee, Grandmaster Sexay, Doug Gilbert, and Koko B. Ware will be there. I wonder if Frankie the parrot will be there with Koko?

Interesting fact I learned while thinking about this: The large red parrots that we normally think of when somebody says “parrots” are macaws too. I thought only the blue parrots with the yellow underbodies were macaws. Thanks, Wikipedia!

Check out the new Memphis Hustle website. Best looking website and best looking logo apparel in the G-league.

Info about a Tigers game later this month:

Richard Murff of the Memphis Flyer sampled some Meddlesome beers, including the 201 Hoplar.

Off to Best Memphis Burger Fest! Hope to see you there!

Kalua Pig!

I wasn’t going to do a lunchtime post today, but Ghost River tweeted something that is news you need to know.

I knew they had raw-fish bowls at the Friday Ono Poke Pop-ups (noon-3) at the Ghost River taproom, but they also have a hot plate: Kalua Pig. When I lived in San Diego there was a Hawaiian restaurant that served this dish and it is seriously good. Roast pig (traditionally cooked in an underground oven) served with cabbage over rice. It is the kind of pig often served at luaus. I don’t know if I have any readers who are fans of pork (like, you know, my BBQ team or other BBQ teams), but if I do, I highly recommend you check this out.

That’s all for now. I posted a lot of news this morning so keep scrolling if you haven’t seen it.

Thanks a lot, Nate

Thanks a lot, Nate. Up until yesterday, the weather was looking perfect for this weekend. However, Tropical Storm Nate is strengthening in the Gulf and should make landfall near New Orleans as a Cat 1 hurricane early Sunday. Showers are possible Saturday, although it doesn’t look bad enough to affect Burger Fest. The heaviest and most constant rain appears to be coming through here on Sunday. For anyone planning on attending an outdoor event that day, that’s certainly going to suck! Thank goodness Mempho Fest is only today and tomorrow. Keep an eye on the MemphisWeather.net forecast for the latest.

For the people who run in the same circles I do, don’t forget that B-RAD is behind the bar at Blind Bear on a Sunday once again this weekend! He’ll be there from 11 AM to 6 PM. Come see him! It’s dry, there’s air conditioning, and you don’t have to worry about transportation to things going on in other parts of town.

Lisa Michaels plays Sunday Evening Slowdown at the Ghost River taproom this Sunday. This weekly series, hosted by Tiffany Harmon, is all about relaxation, singer/songwriters, and great local craft beer. (The event listing adds “preparation for the work week,” but really, who wants to think about Monday on Sunday?) Lisa will be joined by the Midtown Queers (Paul Crum, Darcie Polson, and Drew Sherrod). This is a family-friendly event. Another event Sunday that will keep you out of the rain bands from tropical storm/hurricane Nate, it’s air conditioned, and the price is right: FREE!

Speaking of Ghost River, the Dock Party Concert Series kicks off tonight with Kelley Anderson and Suavo J the Hip-Hop Trombonist. Just Wraps food truck will be on site. $5 cover, family-friendly, dog-friendly patio.

The Po’ Boys make their debut at The Vault on G.E. Patterson tonight at 9.

Local Talent: Memphis, Tennessee opens tonight at Marshall Arts gallery, 639 Marshall.

It’s the first weekend of Flocktoberfest at Bass Pro at the Pyramid, “the world’s greatest hunting expo and sale.” Moon Pie eating contest, duck calling contests, retriever competition, seminars with the pros, and much, much more.

Trolley Stop Market will host a kid’s brunch and story time featuring the new book Memphis Boo Saturday, October 21 from 11 AM to 2 PM. Beale Street bluesman Mojo Bones will be your tour guide through historical Memphis, and on the way you will meet a few ghosts.

Soccer fans may want to start planning a road trip for 2026: Nashville is under consideration to be a World Cup host city.

Meet the Grizzlies’ new PA announcer Marcus Tucker in this video introduction by Grind City Media’s Alexis Morgan.

That’s it for now. Off to work. Possibly a second post at lunchtime, so check back.

Thursday update #2

Kooky Canuck will be serving Canadian Thanksgiving dinner this coming Monday, October 9. Canadians celebrate their Thanksgiving a month and a half earlier than Americans, but the fare is much the same – turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, green beans, potatoes. If you don’t feel like waiting for November to get your turkey on, you don’t have to.

There will be a celebration of the opening of the Downtown section of the Wolf River Greenway Saturday, October 21 from 10 AM to 2 PM where the Wolf River meets the Mississippi. The Greenway, when complete, will be 23 miles of trail for non-motorized transportation connecting Downtown, the neighborhoods of north central Memphis, Shelby Farms, Germantown and Collierville.

There will be lots going on at the Wolf River Greenway celebration. Historian Jimmy Ogle will lead tours at 10:30, 11:30, and 12:30. There will be two free yoga sessions – 10 AM yoga with Laurie Allen Hedges of Evergreen Yoga, and a 1 PM hip-hop yoga session with Kandace Stewart of Your Inner Yogi. There will also be a stroller strides class, remarks from officials, chalk art by MCA students, beer by the TapBox, Amurica photo booth, food trucks, and more.

Loflin (Grave)Yard will happen at Loflin Yard (well, duh) Saturday, October 28 from noon to midnight. No cover, spooky specials, DJ in the Coach House, costume contest at 9. Bring a decorated Jack-O-Loflin to the Yard by the 28th and get a spooky treat.

Seen on Twitter this morning: “Bitch, is your name Bellhop, because you sure come with a lot of baggage.” LOL!

The FedExForum floor is being iced down to make way for Disney on Ice performances this weekend.

TDOT will close the two inner lanes of I-40 between Second and Third Friday 8 PM to Monday 5 PM for bridge deck repairs, as reported by @MEMtraffic.

RAWK ‘n GRUB food truck is bringing lunch back 11 AM-2 PM at CANVAS, 1737 Madison, beginning next Tuesday, October 10.

That’s it for now. A few more hours at work then out to happy hour at the Silly Goose. Back tomorrow with more.

“A quesadilla without cheese, that’s like, an egg roll”

That’s the kind of intellectual banter you’re missing if you’re not at the bar at the Blind Bear on Wednesday evening.

It’s also the annual AutoZone convention this week, and I was talking to a headquarters employee who has to give a brief speech today. I dared him to refer to his office as “corporate headquarters” in the speech instead of the “store support center.” He declined. Apparently that would be like the Doors being told they can’t sing “girl we couldn’t get much higher” on the Ed Sullivan Show and then doing it anyway.

More details about memorial plans for legendary Memphis wrestling announcer Lance Russell have been announced. His memorial service at Memorial Park on Poplar will be 11 to 1 Saturday and the public is invited. The time of Saturday at 11 AM was chosen because that’s when Lance was on TV calling matches for many, many years. It seemed appropriate for him to be with his fans at that time one last time, his family said.

Following the memorial service, there will be a memorial for Lance at Jerry Lawler’s Bar & Grill on Beale Street Saturday from 3 to 6 PM. The public is invited to that as well, and many Memphis wrestling stars will be there to pay their respects to the announcer who many feel is the greatest of all time.

Travel alert: Beginning Monday, October 9 at 9 AM and lasting for about a week, A.W. Willis Ave. will be closed between Front Street and Island Drive for railroad track repairs. During that time, Mud Island residents will need to use N. Mud Island Rd. for access.

Celtic Woman will return to the Orpheum with a show on April 28, 2018. Tickets will go on sale Friday, October 13.

Game Night returns to Memphis Made Brewing Co. on Sunday, October 22.

Memphis’ best beer festival, Cooper-Young Beerfest, returns on Saturday, October 14 from 1 to 5 PM in the Midtown Autowerks parking lot at 795 South Cooper. Why is this beer fest the best? Each brewery is required to send a rep from the brewery, rather than just have the distributor send someone. This ensures that you get to talk to the very people who made the beer you’re drinking, and there is an awesome education tent. Tickets are capped to ensure that you have time to enjoy your beer while talking to the brewers. CY Beerfest only accepts breweries (31 total this year) that are within a day’s drive of Memphis, so if you like what you taste you can road-trip for more. All of these things make the experience enjoyable for the brewers as well as the people attending. Buy tickets here with every cent of the proceeds benefiting the Cooper-Young Community Association. As I have said many times, if you attend one beer fest a year in Memphis, make it this one. This isn’t about getting your photo in a society magazine. This is about the beer, as it should be.

Time to go to work. Possibly back at lunchtime with a second post.

Good Buddy Day update #2

When I was in high school, we all installed CB radios in our cars so we could communicate when on caravans to football games or other trips. We learned to use the vernacular of the CB. There were “10-” calls which had various meanings. “10-4” was slang for “OK” or “affirmative.”

“That’s a big 10-4, good buddy!”

So 10-4, October 4, is Good Buddy Day. Hey, it isn’t any stupider than May the Fourth Be with You…

Good Buddy is also a starting hand in Texas Hold’em, a 10 and a 4. It isn’t a very good hand. It has no straight potential, and if you pair either card there’s a good chance you’re losing to a hand with a better kicker (this is known as a hand with reverse implied odds). Even suited, I would throw Good Buddy away most of the time, occasionally bluffing hard if I’m the dealer or in the small blind with action folded to me.

There’s a whiskey tasting tomorrow night at Belle Tavern at 7. It will feature J. W. Kelly, the first such tasting in Memphis. Pours start at 7 until supplies last. They will be making specialty cocktails with J. W. Kelly, and there will be snacks.

Memorial service for Memphis wrestling host Lance Russell will take place Saturday at 11 AM at Memorial Park on Poplar.

The Memphis Business Journal has details on Memphis’ plan to attract Amazon’s planned HQ2. This would be a game-changer for Memphis with $10 million invested to improve workforce readiness, to improve public transportation offered by MATA, and to attract direct flights from the Memphis Airport to desired cities not currently serviced.

Big Cypress Lodge at Bass Pro now has a bike rental program available to all guests.

The Grizzlies are looking to hire a Box Office Manager, Ticket Operations. This person would oversee the day-to-day operations of the box office, including sales of tickets to Grizzlies and Tigers games as well as concerts and family events.

Games on Wheels is tomorrow night from 6 to 7:30 on the bike lane outside the Silly Goose on Peabody Place. Cargo Bike Slow Races, Tiny Bike Sprints, and a Memphis Roller Derby performance. Come grab a drink and watch. If you need to park, there are bike racks out front, and the Goose will validate discounted parking in the garage.

Ghost River has announced that, after seeing the recent successes of two Ono Poke Pop-up Lunches, they will now offer the pop-up lunch every Friday from noon to 3.

Keep an eye on the weather this weekend. A tropical depression is expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Nate, and current track has it to hit the Panama City, FL area Sunday morning with all the force and fury of a man who’s had a few too many shots of moonshine.

Interesting… Ivanka and Don Jr. were nearly indicted in 2012. Things were not looking good for them when a top donor influenced the D.A. to decide the case was not worth pursuing. The Trump children were using inflated numbers to lie to potential Trump SoHo buyers.

That’ll do it for now. An afternoon of work then headed out to the Silly Goose happy hour. Back tomorrow with more news.

Wednesday update: Koozies for Boobies and more

Wet Willie’s is having Koozies for Boobies in October. A percentage of sales from pink drinks benefits The Cure all month long. On October 6 and 7, a percentage of ALL sales will go to The Cure. Last year they raised over $41,000. Come get hammered to fight breast cancer!

Blue October plays the New Daisy tonight as part of their I Want It Tour. This is an all-ages concert with doors opening at 7 and show at 8. Tickets $25-35. I wonder what they do the other 11 months of the year?

Why do people have to suck?

There’s going to be free wrestling coming to Downtown Memphis in a “Downtown Meltdown” at Handy Park, Beale at B.B. King Blvd., Thursday, October 19 starting at 7 PM. In the main event, Jerry “The King” Lawler will battle Buff Bagwell. Among Bagwell’s accolades is being voted Most Embarrassing Wrestler of 2001 by the readers of Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Oden & Associates will relocate their corporate HQ to South City early next year, in a building at 158 Vance that previously housed Color Craft Printing. The building is two blocks south of FedExForum.

More bad news for the Tennessee Vols: Since the 2013 class was signed, 32 players have transferred under head coach Butch Jones. OL Venzell Boulware became the latest, announcing his intent to transfer Monday.

The Commercial Appeal’s “Outside the Loop” blog might want to include this in their next post. Info for suburbanites who drink:

All right. Time to get to work. This morning I will check with my teammates and find out how the cooks’ meeting for Best Memphis Burger Fest went. I am getting so excited for this Saturday. Our burger game has never been tighter. Our Veggie Burger was ready to go by the end of our first cooking practice. In late September we turned down an invitation to piddle around in a parking lot with a few other teams, in favor of getting a third practice in, and plans for Classic Cheeseburger and Anything Goes came together nicely. Note that turn-in times have been adjusted to accommodate the addition of the steak competition. If you want to watch us cook a particular burger, I recommend showing up about 45 minutes before turn-in time. So, for example, turn-in for Classic Cheeseburger is 1:25-1:35, so we’ll probably start on that one around 12:40. I can’t promise we’ll have extras of our competition burgers to hand out, but we will be cooking regular burgers (maybe dressed up a bit because after all we are a BBQ team) for the public to sample. Be sure to bring a donation for Memphis Paws!

Okay this is weird… part of the steak cookoff is a hot dog cooking contest… WTF? I mean, nothing against hot dogs but it seems weird that they’d be part of a steak competition. Wonder if it’s too late for Weekend at Porky’s to throw their hat in the ring… they could bring the George Foreman for the steak and Rahul & Tony’s Special Sauce for the hot dogs.

Possibly back at lunchtime with another post… got a couple more news items in the queue already.