Plate party photos and Saturday update

I’ll get to the news in a minute… but first, congratulations to my BBQ teammate Jeremy on his second plate at the Flying Saucer!

The Saucer has a UFO Club you can join. You get a card you can scan in the computer each time you drink a beer. Drink 200 different beers and you get immortalized with your plate on the wall – well, now the ceiling because space on the wall ran out long ago. The Memphis Saucer has over 1000 people in the Ring of Honor.

If you go through the 200 beers multiple times, you don’t get multiple plates. Rather, your plate changes color. Most plates are black, indicating one trip to the Ring of Honor. On the second trip, the color changes to yellow.

I asked Brandey who works there for a beer recommendation.

I wanted something with a lot of flavor that wouldn’t break the bank on Jeremy’s plate party tab, and Brandey had an excellent recommendation.

The Ballast Point Aloha Sculpin and Moody Ques Deputy Director Perjorie T. Roll. Deputy Director Roll was the team member who recruited Jeremy onto the team one Saturday morning at Bardog in February 2017.

Congratulations Jeremy on the second plate and thank you for inviting me to your plate party.

Later in the evening I ended up at Blind Bear where another BBQ teammate, Mary Ann, introduced the Deputy Director around. There were kisses.

On to the news… 3 Kings perform an Elvis tribute at 3 at the Halloran Centre today. One King will play hits from the ’50s era of young Elvis. Another will perform hits from the leather era of the ’60s, and a third will perform hits from the jumpsuit era of the ’70s.

Looking for a great charity to donate to? Check out the Orpheum’s Mending Hearts Camp. This is a performing arts camp for children who have experienced the death of a parent. Kids take acting, singing and dancing classes and create a final performance. Adults from the community who lost a parent speak to the kids, and professional counselors are there for small-group sessions.

Couple more Memphis in May 2018 facts that were tweeted yesterday: The economic impact the festival had on the city was $137.7 million. It all could not have been done without the festival’s 915 volunteers.

As your number one source of news and information about the Edge District, it’s my pleasure to link to this great High Ground News article about a stationery company moving to the neighborhood.

The Flyer’s Meghan Stuthard lurked at the Green Beetle and wrote about their Bushwackers, their ghosts, and their regulars.

The Memphis Grizzlies’ 2018-19 schedule is out.

Breakaway Running is inviting the public to their run departing from St. Jude and their after-party on Thursday, August 16. This will be a warm-up for the Breakaway Bardog 5K and Monroe Avenue Festival benefiting the children’s hospital.

Speaking of Bardog, I found a new use for Evernote. Sit near the jukebox, and when a good song comes on, notice the CD number and track number under Now Playing. Put them in Evernote for a future playlist.

The South Main Association will have their monthly meeting Tuesday at ArtSpace Lofts at 138 St. Paul. Learn about the space that houses 63 affordable live/work spaces for artists. There will be four speakers and appetizers will be provided by ArtSpace, The Arcade, and The Vault.

Nine Bird scooters were found vandalized and dumped in the woods.

A new sound system is coming to the Liberty Bowl along with improvements to the home locker room.

That’ll do it for now. Back tomorrow with more news.

Friday update

Yesterday Memphis in May announced its 2019 honored country, and it’s not a country at all… it’s Memphis. Next year is Memphis’ 200th birthday and it’s the perfect time to honor our fair city. What a great decision.

Memphis in May had record revenue this year. That is great to read!

Peabody Deli & Desserts has mojito ice cream for a limited time. Must be 21 to indulge.

Belle Tavern will open at 2 today for the Manchester United game.

A couple of days ago I was up at Bardog, and Bloomers showed me one of the prizes that will be in this year’s raffle at Monroe Avenue Fest: PBR cornhole boards. Sweet! “We should auction off dates with people,” Bloom joked. Too bad we didn’t think of that in 2014, because I most definitely had a groupie who was following me around to bars around the time of Monroe Fest that year.

Swamp stomp blues come to the Brass Door tonight with the return of Iron Mike Norton. 7 PM show.

The Daily News has a good piece on the Hive Collective pop-up retail shop and co-working space that will occupy 100 S. Main for the next month.

Wiseacre has announced its Oktoberfest celebration for Saturday, September 29th. Gourmade food truck, Mighty Souls Brass Band, Memphis Beer Choir, Rogue Chefs will all be there. Beer specials and costume contests to be announced.

Music Export Memphis is looking for musicians to perform at venues around the region in a series of concerts in fall of 2018. The goal is to expose residents of other cities to all that Memphis has to offer musically.

Just City Memphis’ Plunge to Expunge returns August 30 at Memphis Made. Dunk local celebrities to raise money to expunge criminal records to give people a second chance.

Do you have the voice? The University of Memphis marketing team is looking for public address announcers for each of its eight major sports.

Southern California native Elvis Tribute Artist Jacob Roman and 2009 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest winner Bill Cherry will remember the King at noon today at the Halloran Centre. This is the first of five Elvis tribute shows at the Centre over the next five days.

Steel Magnolias plays the Orpheum tonight as part of the Summer Movie Series. The movie begins at 7, with the lobby open at 6 for movie-themed fun and drinks.

This November will mark the 10th year of Downtown Dining Week. Visit the website to see how your restaurant can get involved. This is a big chance to introduce people who might not even be aware of your restaurant to what you have to offer.

If you graduated from the University of Memphis in the past year (December 2017 or later) with a graduate, professional, or doctoral degree, you are eligible for two free football tickets for the 2018 Tigers season. The athletics department will send out an email soon to those eligible.

Congratulations to my former neighbor across the hall and former Downtown Memphis Commission president Paul Morris on being named part of county mayor-elect Lee Harris’ transition team. Also on the team: former Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins.

If you missed the episode of Classic Memphis Wrestling dedicated to Brian Christopher Lawler, the video is now online.

Bill Stanek, Merit Koch, Sarah Williams and BJ Banks will perform tonight at Songwriter Night 94 at South Main Sounds, 550 S. Main.

Sorry for the lack of news in yesterday’s post. I was just down in the dumps a bit and needed to vent. Special thanks to a friend who was a very good listener yesterday.

Well blast… I have been waiting on the weekly Memphis Farmers Market email so I can fill you in on happenings there, but it hasn’t shown up yet and I have a time-sensitive item in this post (the Elvis thing at Halloran Centre at noon) so I can’t wait any longer. The Market runs every Saturday 8 to 1 at Front and G.E. Patterson. Produce, meat, live music, food trucks, and beer by TapBox. I haven’t made it there the past couple of weeks but will probably go tomorrow.

Back tomorrow with more news.

Current state of mind

Is it possible to be madly in love with your life and deeply depressed at the same time?

Yesterday a friend asked me for a restaurant recommendation to take people from out of town. I gave him one, and later in the day my friend told me his guests had the time of their life at dinner. That made me so happy to hear. That made my day, knowing others had a great time because of my suggestion.

A couple of nights ago, I was talking to another friend of mine, who owns a recent startup business Downtown that is doing quite well, even better than expected. He heard I mentioned him on my blog and he checked it out. “I’m not a person who reads blogs, but I read yours for over an hour,” he told me. “I went back three or four months. You have your own unique way of explaining things.” It makes me happy to be told that I bring something unique to the world.

A couple of years ago, I was at Bardog the Friday before the Monroe Avenue Fest. Aldo was there making last-minute plans, and was rather annoyed that the company renting him their PA system was charging him a hefty amount, not giving him even a little break considering the event was raising money for the kids of St. Jude. I reached out to a few people and found someone who gave him a much better price. Knowing I contributed to the festival’s success pleased me greatly.

It’s not just Downtown stuff either. In 1997, I had an English major add my Computer Literacy class at the last minute, needing to get a general-education requirement out of the way. By the end of the semester, however, she loved working with computers so much that she changed her major. After she graduated, I took her with me to the local computer users’ group so she could network. She is now a highly-sought cybersecurity consultant living in Las Vegas and I remain in touch with her. I am so proud to have influenced the course of her life, and I know she is not the only student I had that kind of effect on.

I’m a writer. I’m a teacher. I’m a connector of people. I’m an inspirer. I’m creative. Those are the greatest gifts I bring to the world.

And now I once again find myself hunting for a job – in a field that really doesn’t use any of those gifts. It depresses me greatly. I know many of you see me out and I seem happy. And I am happy when I’m with the friends that I love dearly and who love me.

What you don’t see is the person who wakes up at 6 AM and lies there for two and a half hours, horrible thoughts rushing through my head, paralyzed with fear. The person who finally gets up and paces the floor for an hour, getting nothing productive done.

I really wish I could say more about those thoughts, but this is a public blog and I can’t control who sees it.

Time to hit Publish and get the day started. I should spend the rest of today looking for recruiters and job applications and talking about things like controllers and scrum and Angular and SQL.

But today, I just can’t. Maybe tomorrow.

National Night Out photos and Wednesday news

I attended the South Main National Night Out at the 409 South Main market last night. Here are some photos.

One thing surprised me a bit – there were no cops there! I guess that they were all at the Court Square National Night Out event, which would make sense, I suppose, since the precinct is on North Main now. I didn’t get a chance to thank any officers for their service.

National Night Out is the one day a year I get Jack Pirtle’s chicken without having to get in the car. Love those tenders I had last night… and especially that big cup of gravy for dipping! You know, it’s funny, for 25 years I thought Pirtle’s was just another corporate chain. In 2012, however, on the opening night of Double J, I met Cordell and Tawanda Pirtle, the current owners and operators of the business, son and daughter-in-law of founder Jack Pirtle. They are wonderful people and very involved in the community. We’re friends on Facebook where I frequently see them singing the praises of their employees who go above and beyond for customers. When you eat at Pirtle’s you are definitely shopping local.

Ghost River is brewing a new beer called Happy Herd IPA, named after the herd of bison that live in Shelby Farms. A percentage of the sales of this beer will be donated to the park. It will be released August 24, but they are currently taking pre-orders in the taproom.

Comma Comedians present 1, 2, 3, Comedy! at Local Gastropub tonight at 7:30. This is a bi-weekly Wednesday event.

The 2019 Memphis in May honored country will be announced tomorrow.

Speaking of Memphis in May, local BBQ team Porkosaurus tweeted yesterday that its new slaw sauce is now available on Amazon.

The Hive Collective opened yesterday in the pop-up space at 100 Peabody Place (formerly the Life Is Good space). The collective offers a combination of retail and a co-working space. There is 1700 square feet of space with 4G Wi-Fi in which you can work for $10 a day or $25 a week, with coffee provided by Vice Virtue Coffee, a design library, and a printer/scanner. Hours are Tuesday-Sunday 11 AM-7 PM, and there will be a grand opening party this Friday.

The Memphis Grizzlies Regional Caravan kicks off later this month with an August 17 stop at AutoZone Park for Grit and Grind Night. The caravan will then make stops in Little Rock, Jackson, MS, Birmingham, Jackson, TN, and Nashville later this month and into early September. Grizz, the Grizz Girls and the Claw Crew will be there, and the Jackson, TN and Nashville stops will feature Grizzlies guard/forward Dillon Brooks.

The Daily Memphian, the online newspaper by locals, for locals, is getting a home Downtown. The newsroom will operate out of a building at 254 Court Avenue.

It’s fantasy football time and Max’s Sports Bar is here to help. Have your fantasy league draft at Max’s and get a free draft kit plus 15% off your entire tab. Call 528-8367 to book.

Memphis Redbirds manager Stubby Clapp has been named the manager of the Arizona Fall League Surprise Saguaros. The Cardinals will supply prospects along with Kansas City, Texas, Pittsburgh, and Toronto. Play begins October 9.

Greenspace, the new owner of Memphis Park and Mississippi River Park, is looking to re-imagine the parks now that the Confederate statues are completely gone.

High Ground News has a good story about Harvest Creative, a branding firm in the Pinch.

A personal note about me: I am no longer with the company out in Germantown with which I started in March. We parted ways a couple of weeks ago. I signed an NDA so I don’t want to say more about it than that. They are a great family company that takes great care of their employees and provides a superior level of customer service. I sincerely wish success and growth for them in the future.

So anyway, I am once again looking. Here’s a link to my resume and I’m also on LinkedIn.

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

Tuesday update

Today is the first Tuesday in August, which is always National Night Out day. This year, at 6 PM there are not one, but two, National Night Out celebrations Downtown. The DNA is hosting an event in Court Square, and the SMA is hosting an event at the 409 South Main food hall. Pick whichever one suits your fancy, grab some grub, thank a police officer, and learn about how the community and the police can partner together.

Even though it’s farther away from where I live, I will be at the South Main NNO event. Two reasons why: Jack Pirtle’s chicken and air conditioning.

I didn’t make it to the Silly Goose this past Sunday for their pop-up brunch with Wok’n in Memphis, but I am told it went very well and is going to be a weekly thing. Follow the food truck on Twitter to get an idea of what they serve. Looks delicious!

For those of you wondering about all the people marching down Main Saturday afternoon wearing purple, WREG has a report. It was a church group marching for nonviolence in Memphis.

Something new has been announced for the Monroe Avenue Fest (aka the Bardog alley party) on Sunday, August 19. In the past, Bardog employees and regulars have shaved their heads to raise money for St. Jude. This year, instead of a head shaving, Bardog/Slider Inn bartender Colin will get tattooed for St. Jude if $5000 can be raised. Donations in any amount are accepted, and if you can’t make it on the 19th you can donate online or take your money by Bardog. Donate $100 or more and get your name on the Big Baller Board above the bar.

New Wing Order posted photos of their new food truck:

Looks snazzy! The truck will hit the road for the first time next month.

Bird scooter crashes are causing an uptick in ER visits. Yeah, not surprised by that at all. Several of my friends have injured themselves on those things.

Bass Pro has a bartender position open at The Lookout Restaurant high atop the Pyramid.

The Rock posted a tribute to his friend Brian Christopher Lawler yesterday. When Dwayne Johnson broke into the business in 1996, he was sent to the Memphis territory to get some seasoning. He adopted the ring name Flex Kavana and Brian Christopher was his first tag team partner.

The fan-made man, Corey Smith, will be live in concert at the Tin Roof Thursday night.

THIS IS VERY COOL: 10-year-old raises $2000 to donate to St. Mary’s soup kitchen.

That’ll do it for now. See you at National Night out this evening, I hope!

Sunday update

I want to start off this Sunday post with a couple of pieces of national recognition for our city. First of all, chef and foodie Andrew Zimmern Instagrammed the following: “@rendezvousmemphis is famous for their ribs. But if you don’t snarfle up their famous sausage you are really missing out”

I would agree!

Hero Sports named Memphis the #29 Top College Football Town. Football town! How far we have come in just a few years.

Kooky Canuck’s double-your-dollars gift card sale returns August 29. Any increments in which you want to purchase, with a $10 minimum.

A couple of hours to our west, Little Rock hosts the World Cheese Dip Championship on October 20 at the Clinton Presidential Center. $10 gets you chips and sampling of all the cheese dips that are competing.

A woman jumped into the Mississippi River at the foot of Beale Street Friday night.

For my fellow pro wrestling fans, here’s a video of an angle I had heard about my entire life, but never saw until yesterday. Junkyard Dog and Buck Robley vs. Fabulous Freebirds Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts with Michael Hayes at ringside, no-disqualification match for the Mid-South Tag Team Championship, June 9, 1980, New Orleans. The Freebirds blind JYD with Freebird Hair Cream.

Gordy was easily the best worker in that match. He was NINETEEN at the time.

Poynter has an excellent article about the soon-to-come online publication The Daily Memphian.

Drink & Draw returns to the Ghost River taproom August 10. I’m just going to paste in the description:

Drink-N-Draw Gameshow is back at Ghost River this month with night of fun, drawing games, and gold-spray-painted prizes. What is Drink-N-Draw? Hosted by Eric C, it’s part Gameshow, part Art Class, and ALL GOOD! Great for artists, non-artists, singles, couples, and your mom. Lots of Prizes for Best and Worst drawings. $5 to play, we’ll supply everything you need ;)

Counterchekist, one of my favorite Twitter follows in the intelligence community, tweeted this yesterday:

When Counterchekist announces a FEATHERS mission, it’s usually a sign that an indictment or plea deal in the Mueller investigation is about to come down. Runway 1 indicates a major figure – Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort were runway 1. I’m guessing FEATHERS24 is Roger Stone. I would love for it to be Don Jr. though.

Time for D-RANKS with B-RAD at Pontotoc Lounge brunch. Back tomorrow with more news.

A return to Felicia Suzanne’s Restaurant for 25 cent martini lunch

Felicia Suzanne’s is only open for lunch one day a week, but oh my goodness, what a lunch it is. When you order lunch, you can get up to three martinis at only 25 cents apiece. Yesterday my friend Stacey and I went there for the martini lunch.

You can get the martinis with gin or vodka, and you can get them dirty or with orange or cranberry juice. Stacey got a gin martini with orange juice and I got a dirty vodka martini with an olive.

The food on the lunch menu is quite reasonably priced, with entrees ranging between $9 and $16. I didn’t bother taking a photo of the menu because it changes from week to week, but there are certain menu items I suspect are constants: the short rib grilled cheese, for example, and Lake’s catfish in some form or fashion (yesterday, in the form of tacos).

Stacey got the fried chicken.

It came on a bed of Hoppin’ John with Flo’s chow chow. You can buy Felicia’s line of Flo’s products at the restaurant or at the Memphis Farmers Market. You can also buy them online.

I had a harder time deciding. The salmon croquette sounded good, as did the lump crab crepes. Eventually, though, I chose the chicken enchiladas.

Tres chicken enchiladas topped with a cheese sauce and a red enchilada sauce, along with avocado and cilantro with a side of mixed greens. Absolutely delicious.

Stacey got a side of potato salad that she couldn’t finish, and our server asked if she wanted it in a to-go container. The server took the potato salad to go wrap it up, and this is what came back:

It’s little elegant touches that make the dining experience at Felicia’s so special.

I will mention that Friday lunch is very casual. I was not the only person in the restaurant to have shorts on, something I would never do at dinner there. The vibe is upbeat and fun.

As for the martinis, they were small but they were quite strong. I do not recommend making afternoon plans that require serious thought if you have the limit of three martinis.

A delightful experience and one I hope to have again soon. Check out Felicia’s for lunch on Friday sometime if you get the chance. They did have walk-ins but it’s best to call ahead and get a reservation.

Back tomorrow with more news.

Friday update

If you’re Downtown for lunch you’ve got a few extra options this Friday. Sushi Jimmi, El Mero Taco, MemPOPS and Awesome Dogs will be on the FedExForum plaza for Food Truck Friday along with a DJ, the Grizz Girls and the Claw Crew.

Rizzo’s at South Main and Huling is collecting school supplies for our local Downtown Elementary School through the 11th. Needed items are wide ruled paper, Ticonderoga #2 pencils, watercolor markers, Fiskars scissors, non-spiral composition books, pocket folders (no brands), copy paper, black dry erase markers, paper towels, hand sanitizers, Kleenex, and backpacks.

Congratulations to Lee Harris in his victory in the county mayor election yesterday. Also congratulations to Tami Sawyer on her win in the District 7 County Commission race. It’s time for fresh faces and new ideas in county government.

The Dirty Crow Inn is hiring prep cooks. Come in and apply between 2 and 4 PM Monday through Friday. The Crow is at the corner of Crump and Kentucky.

The Grizzlies are getting new jerseys and a new court. The Memphis Business Journal has a slideshow.

There will be a Back to School Edition of Sunset Skate this evening at the pop-up park at Beale Street Landing from 7:30 to 9. Free skate rental and free school supplies (while supplies last). There will be a DJ, food trucks, and a Memphis Roller Derby demonstration. The GrizzFit crew will be there to assist with skates.

Maze featuring Frankie Beverley with special guest Regina Belle play the Orpheum tonight at 8. One other Orpheum note – tomorrow night’s show, Vishal & Shekar Live in Concert, has been canceled.

This Saturday at 11 AM on local TV station CW30, there will be a special edition of Classic Memphis Wrestling, remembering the life of Brian Christopher Lawler. Lawler passed away this week at age 46. He wrestled under the stage names of “Too Sexy” Brian Christopher and Grandmaster Sexay.

Roll into Watermelons is the theme at this Saturday’s Memphis Farmers Market. Watermelons get their name from being 98% water. They’re rich in vitamins A and C, magnesium, and potassium. The Market folks posted their favorite roasted watermelon seed recipe.  Operation Heart, a group of UT Health Sciences students, will be at the Market from 8 until 12 to talk about the risks of cardiovascular disease and how to prevent it. Live music all day long. The Market runs from 8 AM to 1 PM every Saturday under the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson.

Elvis Week is right around the corner. If you want a look at Elvis Week from the perspective of someone who is an active participant, check out this Deena’s Days post recapping Elvis Week of last year. Deena is a former Memphian who now lives in Baltimore.

This year Elvis Week is going to be a particularly big celebration because it is the 50th anniversary of the ’68 Comeback Special.

Meeting some friends for 25 cent martini lunch at Felicia Suzanne Restaurant. Back tomorrow with more news.

 

Thursday update

Season tickets are now available for the inaugural season of professional soccer in Memphis. USL Memphis season tickets will include at least 17 home games at AutoZone Park, as well as select U.S. Open games and preseason games. To reserve season tickets, all you have to do is select your seating area and put a 20% down payment. Prices range from $170 to $500 for the season. Section types include Club Premium, Midfield, Sideline, and Supporters. The Supporters sections are general admission and will be subject to excessive noise, drum-beating, flag-waving, and just extreme fandom in general.

When you put down your 20% down payment, you will receive a ticket to the September 1 exhibition game for each season ticket purchased. This game will feature Tim Howard and the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer versus the United Soccer League’s Tulsa Roughnecks FC. Order tickets here. Single-game tickets to the September 1 exhibition will go on sale Saturday at 10 AM.

Voting is now open in the Memphis Flyer’s Best of Memphis 2018. Although there are other polls/votes about the best of Memphis, the Flyer’s poll is generally the one that is most respected. You can only vote once (as opposed to once per day/hour/etc.) and the poll is operated by an editorial department rather than a marketing department. I’m very proud to be a former winner in Best of Memphis, having taken Best Blog 2006-2009.

ESPN FPI has predicted the 10 college football teams most likely to go undefeated this season and look who made the list:

Yesterday I blogged about the 50 cent oysters at 117 Prime for happy hour every day from 4 to 7. I forgot to mention that the oysters are not the only screaming deal 117 Prime has. Every day for lunch they have a Draper Special: soup or salad, lunch special of the day, and a drink (iced tea, soda, lemonade, or a MARTINI!!!) for $16 including tax and tip. Follow 117 Prime on Twitter to find out what the Draper Special is each day. Here’s today’s Draper:

My friend Jason Davenport at the Sunday Slowdown songwriter showcase at the Ghost River taproom this Sunday at 5 PM. If you ever saw South Side Supper Club perform, Jason was the guy playing the accordion. A solo accordion act should be interesting.

Those of you who went to EP Delta Kitchen back in the day surely remember house band The Garry Goin Group, also known as G3. They’ll be back downtown tonight playing the weekly Peabody rooftop party, with R&B tunes from the ’50s through today. $10 admission, $20 VIP with hotel guests and ladies free before 7, and your admission includes a buffet of Sloppy Joes and chips. Those in VIP will have a second buffet of chicken, sliders, beef sliders, steak fries, and a cheese tray.

The Silly Goose kicks off a new Sunday brunch this Sunday 11 AM-3 PM featuring Wok’n in Memphis and London Underground-inspired DJ Maverick. The bunch cuisine will be Asian-themed with drink pairings.

The Civil War replica cannons were removed yesterday from Fourth Bluff Park by Greenspace, the new owner of the park. The cannons were sold to Sons of Confederate Veterans.

There’s an all-you-can-eat specialty ticket for tonight’s Redbirds game featuring sweet and sour chicken, fried rice, spring rolls, and hot dogs. $2 Thirsty Thursday beers around the park.

As your number-one source of news and information about The Edge District, I have links to two stories concerning the area. One is that the former Commercial Appeal building at 495 Union has new owners. When the CA moved their printing operation to Jackson last year, they no longer needed that much space. The CA will be moving into a 17,000 square foot space in the first floor of the Toyota Center, a space formerly occupied by Sullivan Branding.

The Memphis Business Journal has a first look at a building redevelopment in The Edge, at 647 Madison. The 12,000 square foot space is the new home of Karen Adams Designs.

Ongoing drama in the sports world: Prospect D.J. Jeffries decommitted from Kentucky, and it is believed that the reason he did that is because Penny Hardaway was named as Memphis men’s head basketball coach. Calipari has never had a recruit decommit at Kentucky. Wouldn’t it be sweet revenge if Memphis stole Jeffries from Cal? Remember, Memphis was on track to have Boogie Cousins and John Wall play for the Tigers, until Cal went to Kentucky and stole them away. Turnabout is fair play, Cal. Read more at SBNation.

That’s it for today. Back tomorrow with more.

50 cent oysters at 117 Prime and Wednesday news

I had heard so many good things about the oysters at 117 Prime that I had to go in yesterday and give them a try myself. 117 Prime is the new steakhouse on Union in the building that used to be Belle Bistro, and before that Rio Loco. They have 50 cent happy hour oysters every day from 4 to 7, including Saturday and Sunday.

I sat down at the bar and inquired how the 50 cent oysters work. “Do I have to order them by the dozen?”

“You can order in any quantity you want,” the bartender replied. “You can order one if that’s what you want to do.” I decided 18 sounded like a good number. That put me out a whopping nine dollars.

While I was waiting for my oysters to be shucked, I took a few photos of the restaurant and the bar menus.

Click the menu images to view them in a larger size. You can view all of the menus on 117 Prime’s website.

The oysters came out a few minutes after I ordered them.

These were the first dozen, and the guy shucking the oysters brought out the other 6 a minute or two later. “These are Crimson Bay, Alabama oysters,” he told me. “I had to use two trays because these oysters are bigger than most.” He told me about the other types of oysters they carry, including ones from the east coast and the west coast.

Then he told me about the sauces that came with my oysters. There was cocktail sauce and horseradish, which are pretty standard at oyster bars. There were also two sauces called mignonettes. The ones they had yesterday were a jalapeno grapefruit and a red wine vinaigrette.

The oysters were outstanding, and I agree with something a friend of mine said, that they could charge $2-3 an oyster and people would still buy them.

My troll really liked the jalapeno grapefruit mignonette because the jalapenos were the same color as her hair.

Fantastic experience and it lived up to the expectations my friends had set. If you like oysters, get to 117 Prime at your earliest convenience. You will be glad you did.

On to the news… Nashville country artist Drew Parker plays a free show at Tin Roof tomorrow evening.

The Redbirds are back in town and it’s “Hit a Home Run for Reading” night tonight, sponsored by International Paper. Kids who completed the reading project earned a free ticket to the game and get to participate in a pre-game parade. Gates open at 6, first pitch 7:05. Sacramento is the opponent.

Tomorrow is National IPA Day and Memphis Made will celebrate with cans of Cat Nap IPA. This is the first time they have canned Cat Nap and six-packs will be available while supplies last when the taproom opens at 4. They’ll also have a keg of Hazing Brady, a New England IPA.

Gold Strike Casino in Tunica will start accepting legal sports wagers as of noon today.

Max’s Sports Bar is putting together a 7-week cornhole league that will run Tuesdays from August 14 to September 25. Last day to sign up is Sunday, August 12.

Ghost River Brewing Co. will have a Crystal Method Hefe Release Party all day Saturday. A German-style Crystalweizen, this beer has some of the flavors commonly associated with a Hefeweizen; however, they are more subdued because the yeast is filtered.

I had a great time making new friends yesterday at Teryn’s bar at Bardog. One of my new friends said my blog, especially the food photos, helped convince him to move down here. That makes 15 people that I am aware of, for who my blog played a hand in convincing them to move to Downtown Memphis. So proud of that. Well, I’m proud of 14 of the 15. The 15th, let’s just say I wish she’d found a nice Nashville blog to read back in 2009.

That’s it for now. Back tomorrow.