Months ago, I teased that I heard a rumor about a business going into the former LYFE Kitchen space in the Chisca. I wrote that while I could not yet reveal the restaurant’s name, it wouldn’t be a place that’s posh or upscale, but it could be a word that’s similar. What’s a synonym for posh and upscale? Swanky.
The MBJ announced it this morning: Downtown is getting a Swanky’s.
Tonight Donald Trump gives the State of the Union address at 8 PM. The annual State of the Union drinking game, updated for 2019, has been posted. Best rule of the game: Rather than a number of drinks to take for “says something untrue,” it says, “nobody could survive drinks for this.”
Miraculously, the Grizzlies survived the road trip without any personnel changes. If you want to see the team with its current roster one more time, I would go tonight. The trade deadline is 2 PM Thursday and the front office would be crazy not to make any deals at all. The Grizzlies host the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight at 7.
There will be a Coffee Brewing 101 class at the 409 South Main food hall Sunday, February 24 from 6 to 8 PM. All are welcome, whether you are a coffee aficionado or have no knowledge of coffee at all. In addition to coffee itself, the class covers the basics of brewing. After a brief explanation and demo, you will get to put your knowledge to work by brewing a cup yourself. The class is presented by Sustain Coffee Co. and there is a $5 cover charge.
Grizzlies PG Mike Conley may not have been selected for the All-Star Game, but he’s still headed to Charlotte to participate in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge Saturday night of All-Star Weekend. I wonder if Conley will still be wearing a Grizzlies uniform by then.
Also making the trip to Charlotte will be Jaren Jackson Jr. The Grizzlies rookie has been invited to play in the Rising Stars Game featuring players in their first two years in the NBA.
Earnestine and Hazel’s is having a Locals’ Night Out on Thursday, where you can get a Memphis Made beer and a Soul Burger for $9.01. Your Memphis Made beer choices include Fireside, Junt, and Cat Nap. Music by Tiffany Harmon starts at 8 PM.
The social event of the season happens Saturday, March 2, as the Paradise Entertainment Center at 645 E. Georgia hosts the International Players and Playerettes Ball. $500 prizes to the Player and Playerette of the Year.
I didn’t make it to Saturday’s crawfish boil at Max’s Sports Bar, but I ran into one of Max’s bartenders Sunday night and got an update. Remember how I predicted they’d run out of crawfish early? Not a problem this year, apparently. “We had 600 pounds,” Mike told me. “Probably should have had more like 400 or 500.” They still had crawfish at the official end time of the event, 5 PM, so they put an offer on Facebook: All-you-can-eat for $25 until it was gone. This year they are using Crawfish Haven out of Horn Lake, which showed up with a crawfish cooking rig every bit as impressive as the cooking rigs you see at BBQ Fest. Mike told me they’re going to try to do it every Saturday for the next couple of months, weather permitting. Usually around Thursday of each week they make the decision on whether or not to do the Saturday boil.
The Soulful Food Truck Festival comes to Clayborn Temple Sunday, March 10 from noon to 6. Black-owned food trucks from multiple states will be there, as will a game truck for the kids, live music, and shopping. This event is part of Memphis Black Restaurant Week.
I absolutely HATE it when I visit a web page of a major media outlet like CNN or ESPN, and a video starts auto-playing without me pressing the Play button. Well, there’s good news. Starting next month, Firefox will free you from autoplay hell, offering the option to disable autoplay. I bet Chrome will offer something similar in the near future as well.
The Daily Memphian’s Daily Briefs column lists the winners of this year’s International Blues Challenge.
Although he’s leaving for Knoxville to be with family, historian Jimmy Ogle will give an Elmwood Cemetery Tour on April 6. Actually, he will give two tours that day, focusing on his favorite sites within the cemetery, and he will pick different sites for each tour. Many of Memphis’ historical figures are buried at Elmwood, so it’s a good way to learn a lot about our city.
Best Super Bowl tweet:
That was maybe the worst football game I’ve seen in my life, and I’m a Tennessee Vols fan.
— Jessica Taylor (@JessicaTaylor) February 4, 2019
Controversy reigned at the Puppy Bowl, shown on Animal Planet during Super Bowl halftime, when a puppy shit during the National Anthem.
Last night I watched a Georgia Tech-Notre Dame women’s basketball game at the Blind Bear. One of the Georgia Tech players had spiky green hair, which made my troll very excited. “Do you think I should apply for a scholarship there, Paul?” she asked. Given that Georgia Tech got blown out, they will probably take any help they can get.
That’s the news for now. 70 degree days don’t come along too often in February, so I’m going to get outside and enjoy this one. Back tomorrow with more news.