Well, here’s an announcement I was not expecting at all – the Flyer’s Hungry Memphis blog reports that Spaghetti Warehouse is closing its Memphis location. The Italian restaurant at Wagner and Huling has been there for as long as I have lived Downtown. November 19 will be its last day. Although I only went there a time or two a year, I will miss the place. I liked their chili spaghetti, their meat lasange Alfredo, their salads and their little loaves of bread with garlic butter. I hope a good restaurant concept takes over that building in the near future. It might have to be another chain restaurant though – that is a huge space.
There will be a grand opening party for a new company called Heritage Building Supply, 405 Monroe across from the old Wonder Bread bakery, Saturday, November 18 from noon to 4. Live music by Brandon Taylor, craft beers sold by TapBox, and food will be for sale from the JoyRide food truck. Heritage Building Supply is an architectural retail space affiliated with Memphis Heritage. Items sold there were donated by those interested in preservation, and include vintage doors, windows, mantles, lighting fixtures, columns, wood trim, and much more. Many of the items were rescued from historic buildings like Central Station and Anderton’s. The supply will be open 10 to 5 on Saturdays and by appointment otherwise.
Hmmm… the grand opening celebration is on my birthday… perhaps I will mosey on down Monroe and spend my birthday in The Edge!
More news on the Brass Door: This week they’ll be open for lunch only on the main side, and open on the sports pub side 4-11 PM. Next week they’ll expand to lunch and dinner on the main side. I’ll be in the sports pub side this evening. Let’s just say I’ve received inside information that the place will have a certain “flair” to it tonight. With sound on.
Recently I mentioned that the first weekend of December will be a huge celebration weekend down here for a variety of reasons, four of which are the St. Jude Marathon and Half-Marathon, the SEC Championship Game on TV at all the bars, a Memphis Tigers home game vs. Mercer, and the Stumbling Santa pub crawl, all on Saturday, December 2. However, I kept thinking, “Wait, isn’t there one more event too?” Indeed there is. The Memphis Holiday Parade will happen on Beale Street at 2 PM at Saturday the 2nd. Marching bands, floats, steppers, and of course, Santa. I plan on being there, most likely standing in front of the King’s Palace Tap Room.
Former Memphis Tigers coach and current Georgia Tech basketball coach Josh Pastner is being accused of underplaying self-reported NCAA violations. Not sure whether this is true or false, but in any case it is sad that Pastner’s longtime good friend turned on him. I feel ya on that, CJP. If the allegations turn out to be true, it just adds fuel to the argument that it’s not possible, or at least very hard, to field a successful D-I men’s college basketball team without paying players under the table.
For those of you who’ve read the book The 48 Laws of Power, Pastner’s relationship with his friend reminds me of the one between Byzantine emperor Michael III and chief advisor Basilius.
Bistro on the Bluff at 50 N. Front is hosting the launch of their new breakfast menu tomorrow from 7-10 AM. The expanded menu will offer cooked to order omelets and eggs in addition to their current menu items. They have been asked to have fresh cooked eggs, so they will try them for November and if popular enough, will keep them around.
There’s a Public Spaces for All meeting tonight at the Cossitt Library, Front and Monroe, 6 to 7:30. They will discuss the benefits that arise when people of all walks of life enjoy equal status at our city’s public spaces.
South Side Supper Club plays Belle Tavern tonight 7-10.
Coming up this Friday at South Main Sounds at 550 S. Main: Songwriter Night #71 with Michael Graber, Grace Askew, Brian Blake, and Mark Wiklund. 7- 9 PM.
That’s it for now. I will start off at Silly Goose happy hour this evening, then I will walk that aisle over to the Brass Door pub, stylin’ and profilin’. Back tomorrow with more news.