Month: May 2019

Before I start with Thursday news, a public service message to my readers on BBQ teams. Next week is a busy week, but don’t let it cause you to forget what is truly important.

On Sunday, May 8, 2016, I sent an email. “Mama, happy Mother’s Day. I am too busy with the BBQ team to call today, but will call sometime this week.” It was Wednesday before I finally got around to calling her. I felt bad, but I rationalized it with, “I’ll do better next year.”

The next year, I didn’t have anyone to call.

I know Sunday is load-in day for a lot of BBQ Fest teams, but still… take the time to take your mom out to lunch if she lives in town. If she doesn’t, at least call her and talk as long as she wants to talk. The scaffolding and the Visqueen and the refrigerators will still be there when you get done.

Frankie Hollie and the Noise, at the intersection of country and rock, headline the Peabody rooftop party tonight (which will probably be moved indoors). Cover is $10, $20 for VIP. Admission gets you a buffet of tomato bruschetta and assorted hors d’oeuvres. If you’re in VIP you get an additional buffet of shrimp and oyster po’ boys, jamabalaya, and Mother’s Day cookies.

The Redbirds take the field tonight at 7:05 in their Memphis Chicks throwbacks. There will be $2 beers and $1 Polk’s hot dogs.

If you know any veterans in need of assistance, please tell them about Veterans Stand Down Saturday, May 18 9-3 at the Pipkin Building adjacent to the Liberty Bowl. Services offered will include

• VA eligibility assistance
• My Healthy Vet registration assistance
• Chaplain services
• Medical screening
• Homeless veteran services
• Housing assistance
• Employment assistance
• VA benefits counseling
• Haircuts and styling
• VET center
• Mental health counseling
• Legal assistance
• Burial registration assistance
• Dental screening
• Women’s services
• Drug and alcohol treatment information
• Entertainment
• Food

Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

Historian Jimmy Ogle is back in town with 90 minute walking tours this Saturday and next. He’ll do the manhole cover tour at 1 this Saturday and the Beale Street and Memphis Heritage Trail tour at 3. Next week it’ll be Court Square at 1 and South Main at 3.

The Memphis Local Music Festival returns Saturday. It’ll be at 10 N. Fourth in the field next to Downtown Elementary. Noon to 11 PM.

The Metal Museum will have yoga in the Sculpture Garden tomorrow morning at 9 AM. Cost is only $6 and the museum grounds are beautiful and serene. YOGA!

Don’t forget to be in front of a TV at 7:30 next Tuesday, when the NBA draft lottery will be on ESPN. The Grizzlies have a 12.3% chance of getting a top-two pick and therefore one of the prized talents in this year’s draft, Zion Williamson or Ja Morant. They have a 42% chance of dropping to 9th or lower even though they finished with the 8th worst record. If that happens they will CONVEY THAT PICK to Boston.

The Memphis Flyer has a Best Bet: chicken salad at Front Street Deli.

There’s a Save Tom Lee Park & the Festivals Facebook page for those of you who support that cause.

Insider tip for anyone planning to go to Memphis Brewfest this Saturday at the Liberty Bowl: Buy your ticket at an Aldo business (Bardog, Slider Inn, or either Aldo’s Pizza Pies) and avoid paying the convenience fees.

The Daily Memphian has a look at Tom Lee, the hero whose name is on the park many of us will be tromping around in next week.

The Memphis Flyer has the 1990 Great American Pyramid investor video.

Attention country music fans:

CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENT! Kix on Beale is back for their summer series! Come join us for a free show in Handy Park June 13th with @davidleemurphy and @adamhambrick 🎶 @KIX106 @BumpusHDMem pic.twitter.com/oVxJ6P2Vxn

— Beale Street (@BealeStreetMphs) May 8, 2019

The second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is coming to Memphis next Wednesday. At 7:00 that evening Memphis 901 FC will play the New York Red Bulls U-23 team at AutoZone Park. Winner will play in the third round on May 29.

A new festival, Memphis MOJO Fest, is coming October 5-6 this year. The festival will celebrate the memory of Memphis musician Omar Higgins who recently passed away.

FreeWorld will celebrate the 89th birthday of its member Dr. Herman Green with a concert at Blues City Cafe’s Band Box on Sunday, May 26. For those of you who have heard FreeWorld but never at Blues City, GO… more than any other place, that is their home where they jam out the most.

Moody Ques: Our Mexican teammate Kao is coming back to BBQ Fest this year, and I think he said a couple of his buddies are jumping over Trump’s wall and coming with him. Hopefully they will bring us some good firearms and narcotics since that’s what all Mexicans do.

JUST KIDDING. I will get a frantic text from a redhead if I don’t mention that I am just kidding.

That’s the news for now. Back tomorrow.

A judge has ruled it’s illegal for the Blue Suede Brigade officers to write parking tickets Downtown. The officers often targeted people parked in alleys. Yesterday I watched a different officer – not MPD, he was wearing a shirt that identified him being an officer with private company CDA – write tickets in the block of Monroe between Front and Main.

A $5 cover is being reinstated for Beale Street for the rest of the month, following crowd surges and a shooting on the street the nights of Music Fest.

Sold-out crowds caused cell service problems at Tom Lee Park during Music Fest. The problems were said to affect some vendors who were taking credit and debit cards. If anyone from Memphis River Parks Partnership is reading this: I think we can all agree that Wi-Fi in Tom Lee Park would be nice to have and would make people want to spend more time there.

For the first time ever, October festival RiverArtsFest will have an emerging artists program. Artists will receive mentoring from people involved with the festival. Apply here and use the code RAFEMERGE.

City Councilman Berlin Boyd, at times a controversial figure and a target of criticism by activists, will have challengers in the upcoming election, most notably Jerred Price.

Urban Art Commission is seeking two summer interns. These will be paid positions. Must be a rising junior or senior living in, or going to school in Memphis, and must be FAFSA eligible. Graphic design, photography, or curatorial skills are a plus.

Paris has banned electric scooters from sidewalks. Those things are vehicles and belong on the streets.

I’ll let you in on a little secret as to why our BBQ team has run so well the past couple of years: We’ve started using project management software called Basecamp. It is great. We can have discussions, assign to-dos, share PDFs when we discuss things like T-shirt design. Every day it sends out a recap of what happened the day before, so everyone stays in the loop. It prevents “oh, we decided that at the bar the other night, you weren’t there” problem which we sometimes had in past years, and which I see affecting other teams.

The Redbirds play a day game today at 11:05 AM. It’s an Education Day and there will be robotics demonstrations from local schools.

Robert Stock, the founder and designer of the Robert Graham line of clothing, will make an appearance at Lansky Bros. on Saturday, May 18 1 to 4 PM. Robert will introduce guests to his latest business venture, Robert’s Club.

One-fourth of the new Forum Flats apartments, 55 of 205 units, were destroyed in a Sunday morning fire. The apartments were not yet occupied.

Jennifer Biggs of the Daily Memphian has a look at the new Soi No. 9 permanent location in the Medical District. The Thai restaurant will continue to operate its food truck, a favorite at the Thursday Court Square food truck rodeos.

Also in the Daily Memphian today, Tanja Mitchell has an excellent piece about creating a Downtown for everyone.

Memphis musician Tav Falco recently had his signature Hofner electric guitar stolen. Falco’s band was loading a minivan with equipment for a tour out West. They went inside for only a few minutes, and came back to find their stuff gone.

From the Washington Post: Open-office plans don’t work. Nope. Thanks to Copeland Coaching for sharing this article on social media.

Jamie Baker will play The View on the Residence Inn’s rooftop tomorrow evening from 5 to 8.

Bedrock Eats & Sweets at Main and Vance is hiring a part-time front of house position. You get easy hours, competitive, pay, and waffles. Email diana@bedrockeatsandsweets.com if interested.

Mud Island River Park, now open for the season, has received some upgrades and now allows dogs.

The former Gibson building caught fire yesterday. The building is the future home of FedEx Logistics, and the area of the building that was damaged was set to be demolished next week anyway. FedEx plans to move into the space April of next year.

Food and Wine has a list of the most popular liquors in every state. Not surprisingly, Jack Daniel’s is the most popular in Tennessee. In Arkansas and Mississippi, it’s Fireball.

The National Civil Rights Museum has won a prestigious award. The National Medal for Museum and Library Service is given to museums and libraries that have made exceptional contributions to their communities. The award will be presented in DC next month.

Before I hit Publish, I want to thank my many incredible friends and blog readers for their support this past week. You all mean the world to me. Good news – I am caught up on rent, I have spending money, and the debit card works again. I have a consulting project I’m working on this week, and next week will be all about the Moody Ques.

Life’s gonna be all right. Back tomorrow with more news.

 

 

If you’re looking to hear some live music tonight, Tin Roof would be a great place to do it. Mark Parsell’s Backline Memphis starts at 7 and tonight the artists will be Patrick McGee, City Silos, Bobby Stacks, Jack Rowell, Caleb Walker, Amber Rae Dunn, and possibly others.

Cousins Maine Lobster will make its debut at the Court Square food truck rodeo this Thursday. If you can’t wait until then, the truck will be at Juvenile Court, 616 Adams, for lunch Wednesday and the public is welcome to come.

Reminder: It’s $4.99 sandwich week at Lenny’s through Friday. Yesterday I got a roast beef sub with lettuce, mayo, salt and pepper, black olives, onions. and bell peppers.

Sunrise Memphis is giving 25% off to nurses, hospital, and health care workers this week. Just show your badge.

It will be Nurses Appreciation Night tonight at the Redbirds as well. First pitch 7:05.

If you have trouble shooting toothpicks into the ceiling at Huey’s, this device can help.

I went down to Loflin Yard and checked out Cerrito Bingo last Sunday at 4. So much fun! Moms get an extra bingo card this Sunday for Mother’s Day. Every bingo winner gets an automatic entry into the Turtle Races following bingo. The winning turtle gets their person a $40 gift card.

The biggest international soccer friendly ever held in our city has been scheduled. Memphis 901 FC will host Liga BBVA Bancomer powerhouse C.F. Pachuca on Saturday, June 22 at 7:00 PM.

Edible Memphis recently profiled a true Downtown legend, Nate who tends the upstairs bar at Earnestine & Hazel’s.

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra will play alongside Harry Potter this fall. The November 30 event will feature the movie Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on the big screen with MSO performing the musical score.

MPD posted a photo of items left at Tom Lee Park during Beale Street Music Fest. If you lost items, contact the North Main Station’s GIB at 901-636-4099 to check and see if your item was recovered.

Get a St. Louis Cardinals vest with a special ticket to the Redbirds this Friday.

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

May the fourth has been with us now, and we move on to May 5, Cinco de Mayo. I’ll start this post off with a couple of tips on places to go Downtown to celebrate.

First of all, it’s Kooky de Mayo at Kooky Canuck, and they will celebrate with $5 34 ounce margaritas all day long. Championship Wrestling hosts Dustin and Maria Starr will be there at 5 if you want to have a beverage with them.

Over at Brass Door, Chef Carlos will observe Cinco de Mayo with authentic chicken mole for an Irish-Mexican brunch.

Loflin Yard will have Cinco de Bingo today at 4. Enjoy queso and $5 margaritas while you play bingo. If you bingo on a cinco, you get an additional prize of free tacos. Bingo should wrap up around 6 and will be followed by turtle races.

Primas Bakery and Boutique is hosting a pop-up Cinco de Mayo festival today in the open space next to their shop at 523 S. Main, 10 AM to 3 PM. Confirmed vendors include

Mobius Theory
The Faint of Heart
Hometown Design Co.
Riverside 1844 Artisanal Foods
Somersault Designs
Marie Ryan Art
The Crystal Sisters
Memphis Metals Malas and More
Eny’s Tamales
Art by Jo
Por Fuego Lento
Miles Flower Truck

I learned of two new “sports” yesterday that I had never heard of. ESPN2 was broadcasting the college championship round of a sport called spikeball. It’s similar to two-person volleyball, except the net is a trampoline-like device that sits on the ground.

Georgia defeated Texas A&M to win the collegiate championship. They give college scholarships for this? It looks like a sport that I would have invented in my living room when I was 8 years old.

This wasn’t on TV (would have been better than spikeball though), but I was told about a new form of beer pong called Roomba beer pong. It’s what it sounds like – the cups into which you attempt to bounce the ball sit atop Roomba robotic vacuum cleaners.

I wonder if Skinny from the Hi-Tone has seen these sports? If so, maybe he’s got a couple of new options for The Bar Olympics on Sunday, June 23.

A big announcement came out this weekend: Facebook has been announced as the major sponsor for Music Fest and BBQ Fest this year. I know that not everyone loves Facebook, but this is a big get for Memphis in May. They weren’t the only surprise big get for them either, as Miley Cyrus was a last-minute addition to Saturday’s Music Fest lineup.

There are free samples of Corky’s BBQ nachos and Wing Stop wings being handed out at the festival. Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

Cordelia’s Market beer rep, Angelina, will lead a wine and watercolor class on Tuesday, May 14 at the market. Cost is $15. There will be wine samples, and you are welcome to BYO bottle.

I found out something I didn’t know yesterday: You can download your entire purchase history from Amazon.

The Memphis Union Mission is looking for a few volunteers to help with its 14th Annual Memphis Union Mission Classic Heritage Gold Tournament. They need people to verify holes-in-one, check in, and be beverage cart drivers. If interested email hterada@memphisunionmission.org.

The Daily Memphian has an article about how even the pouring rain can’t stop the enthusiasm for Memphis 901 FC.

Back at Best Memphis Burger Fest ’17, the Moody Ques fell in love with the versatility of air fryers. Food & Wine has 7 brilliant ways to use your air fryer for food prep.

You just can’t make this stuff up: Metro Vancouver, Canada has two new mascots called Pee and Poo.

I hate to lecture my readers, but after a couple of things I saw yesterday, I can see it’s time for a reminder how to tip. Some people seem to think rounding a $57 tab up to $60 or a $135 tab up to $140 is tipping an appropriate amount. No. It is not. Here’s an easy way to compute a reasonable tip on your tab.

• If your tab is between $10 and $99, take the first digit of your tab and double it.
• If your tab is $100 or more, take the first two digits of your tab and double that amount.

So, for the $57 tab, take the 5 and double it, a tip of $10. For the $135 tab, take the 13 and double it, a tip of $26. This method will let you easily compute a tip in the 18-20% range, which is the custom in America where most servers and bartenders make $2.13 an hour.

Personally, I like to add a bit more to the tip if the person serving me is a friend of mine, which is often the case. I also tend to tip a bit more if I ran the bartender around a lot, requesting extra this and that or making substitutions to dishes on the menu.

I did not make it to my intended first stop at Bardog yesterday. I walked there about 10:50 – 10 minutes prior to opening – and there were already 25 people waiting outside the door. I probably wouldn’t have even got a seat at the bar. F that, I went to Blind Bear. I hate it that I didn’t get to see Panda while she’s in town. Maybe I’ll try again today.

I may take a day off tomorrow. One thing I learned many years ago is that you can’t live Downtown and expect to get a good night’s sleep Sunday of Music Fest, because people will be screaming “WOOOOOOOO!” into the wee hours. I figure, if I can’t beat ’em, I might as well join them. Back tomorrow or Tuesday with more news.

Surprisingly, BlocBoy JB made his scheduled performance last night at Music Fest after being arrested Thursday night for being a felon in possession of a weapon. A search warrant was obtained for his home, and loaded guns, drugs, and a scale were found.

Sports Illustrated has a really good story on what happened to the AAF, the conference in which defunct pro spring football team the Memphis Express played.

SpinCult will host a 901 Community Ride in Health Sciences park this coming Wednesday, May 8 from 5:30 to 6:15 PM.

Just City is looking for a few good people to be volunteer court watchers. Court watchers encourage transparency and accountability in the legal system. Volunteers must take a three-hour training class and must be able to do at least one three-hour (9 AM to noon) session per month. Professional attire is requires, and phones must be turned off while in court.

Tipsy chess comes to Loflin Yard Thursday, May 16 at 7 PM. Given the location, a block away from BBQ Fest on what is considered by most to be the biggest party day of the festival, that is going to be some very tipsy chess indeed.

Gates open for Music Fest at 1 today with the first bands at 2:15 and 2:30. I hear tickets for Sunday are already sold out. Beware of buying tickets from people you do not know on the streets. Often those printed tickets scalpers sell are copies, and the bar code on them will only scan once.

I’m not going to any of Music Fest but it’s a shame they booked Cardi B and The Killers at practically the same time on two different stages. Those are two acts a lot of people want to see, and now they’ll have to choose.

The Saturday, June 8 Memphis 901 FC home game vs. the Indy Eleven will have a special ticket which is a Bluff City Sports Association fundraiser. $3 of every ticket’s cost will go to programs by OUT Memphis to help LGBTQ youth in the city.

If you’d like to hear live music but don’t want to get anywhere near Music Fest, Memphis Made Brewing Co. in Cooper-Young has a full slate of live music today.

The Cousins Maine Lobster food truck will be at the Ghost River taproom at Main and Crump today from 1 to 8 PM. Stop and get you some good grub before you head to Music Fest.

That’s it for now. Back tomorrow with more news. I’m headed out to Bardog this morning. For those of you who are fans of the place, Panda is back in town and working the bar this weekend.

This week St. Peter Catholic Church hired me to compile a list of resources. They have homeless people come by now and then asking for help, and they are looking to expand their outreach program. I spent two days doing research and built them a comprehensive document of all the kinds of resources available. They have given me permission to post it on my blog. Here it is:

St Peter listing of downtown resources for those in need

A 3-alarm fire happened in the South of Forum neighborhood this morning, but fortunately no one was hurt. A fire broke out in the Forum Flats apartment construction project at Danny Thomas and Pontotoc about 5:45.

I’m hearing that the nightclub formerly known as Purple Haze will reopen mid-May as an LGBTQ-friendly club. It will be open until 3 Tuesday-Thursday and 5 Friday-Sunday.

Memphis 901 FC hosts Birmingham Legion FC at AutoZone Park at 3 PM tomorrow, Saturday, May 4. Prior to the game, Tim Howard and the Bluff City Mafia will march to the park from the Brass Door, and Tim Howard will perform the ceremonial guitar smash.

I got to try Sage for the first time yesterday. I had lunch with my friend Staci there.

This was the lunch special yesterday, a chicken curry dish. Great combination of flavors. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Staci gave me one of her Soul Rolls, which are a thing I have been wanting to try since Sage opened. This is an egg roll filled with fried chicken, greens, and mac & cheese. Yummmm! I enjoyed lunch at Sage and will return for a second visit soon.

Staci hooked our BBQ team the Moody Ques up with a liquor sponsor, Great Wagon Road distillery. She showed me a photo of whiskey bottled just for us:

I’m told this is a single-malt whiskey that has won awards. It’s said to be similar to Jameson, but smoother. Only the best for the Moody Ques!

Ghost River has a new beer on tap that sounds delicious: Lost Hive Honey Wheat Ale. You can get it at their taproom and it’s also in stores.

The Mississippi River Museum on Mud Island is now open for the season. Come tour a full-sized riverboat replica, listen to music inspired by the river, and explore 10,000 years of river history. The museum is open 10 AM to 5 PM Thursday through Sunday.

The Mesmerist by Jeffrey Day will happen in the ballroom of the Woodruff-Fontaine House Wednesday, May 8 at 7:30 PM. This will be a 19th-century style magic show, featuring tricks from the Golden Age of Magic rarely seen by audiences or even magicians today. $45 admission and this is an age 16 and up event.

The Commercial Appeal has a photo gallery of one of Downtown’s most hidden gems, the Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum. The house on N. Second Street was a stop on the Underground Railroad in the 1850s.

TBS is showing the first six episodes in the Star Wars series beginning at 5:40 tomorrow. I hope to catch the only one of the movies I have never seen, the third episode where Anakin turns to the dark side and becomes Darth Vader. YODA!

April 30 was Court House Deli’s last day. Thanks to Brad for running a great place to get a quick and good lunch for 17 years. Best wishes for the future and I know you will land on your feet.

The Cossitt Library now has an Eventbrite listing for the final lunch and learn tour of the building on Tuesday, May 14 from 12:00 to 12:45. Learn about the history of the building and the big plans they have for the space when it re-opens in 2020 – and share your vision for the library. You’re welcome to bring a lunch, and if you don’t they will have snacks and refreshments for you. Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

Bardog Tavern is giving away a bike this month:

Enter to win the bike each time you purchase a Yuengling beer. The drawing will be held May 31.

Memphis Tigers men’s basketball will host SEC power Georgia this coming season at FedExForum. The game will feature the #1 and #2 recruits in the country, James Wiseman and Anthony Edwards.

There’s a new I Love Memphis banner by artist Allie Mounce at 209 Beale:

Proud to officially announce the new #ILoveMemphis sign at 209 Beale Street!
Artist: @alliemounce pic.twitter.com/Jo1tm808Km

— Holly ❤️ I Love Memphis (@ilovememphis) May 2, 2019

It’s official: Sports betting is coming to Tennessee. Let’s get it on Beale Street ASAP!

Edible Memphis has an Instagram post about the Goat Grit & Grind ball at Rizzo’s. This is a grit ball stuffed with goat cheese, topped with Creole tomato sauce and then deep fried.

That’s all I’ve got for now. Back tomorrow with more news.

I’m going to have something really valuable for my readers in a few days. This week I’ve been doing some consulting work for a local church, building a list of resources to aid the homeless. It’s very comprehensive and goes beyond just food and housing, covering things like where they can do laundry, where they can use the Internet, and where they can get clothes to wear to a job interview. I’ve asked for, and received, permission from the church to share this document with my readers. As soon as I put the finishing touches on it, I’ll have it online.

I had so much fun compiling that list. I wish I could make a full-time living picking up writing gigs. Do any of my readers do that? I’d love to get some advice on how to break into that field.

3rd and Court, the new restaurant being opened by Ryan Trimm in Hotel Indigo at B.B. King Blvd. and Court, is now hiring servers and bartenders.

The Brass Door will pay tribute to the Kentucky Derby by putting a Kentucky Hot Brown on the menu tomorrow and Saturday. Y’all. If you have never had this dish, you simply MUST. It’s an open-faced turkey sandwich, with bacon, tomato, and a cheese sauce, served piping hot. It was created by the Brown Hotel in Louisville in 1926. When I was a traveling corporate trainer, I made several trips to Kentucky where I had Hot Browns. Absolutely delicious.

For those of you going to Music Fest this weekend, don’t forget that there’s an official Beale Street Music Fest app you can download to help plan your time at the festival.

For those of you wondering about the weather for Music Fest, MemphisWeather.net has a blog post about it. Wet pattern through Saturday… it figures. This happens every year. Of course, I’m not going to Music Fest, but this will guarantee a muddy park when we load in for BBQ Fest next weekend.

Motel Mirrors will headline tonight’s Peabody rooftop party, along with a special performance by four-piece New Zealand band Drax Project. $15 to get in, $30 VIP. Admission includes a buffet of chicken taquitos with tortilla chips and dip. If you’re in VIP you get a beef and chicken taco bar, chicken enchilada dip, and cinnamon churros.

Swanky’s Taco Shop opened yesterday in the Chisca at Main and MLK. It’s in the former LYFE Kitchen space.

Here’s something fun to do with your kids: Sign up for a Family Metalsmithing class this Sunday at the Metal Museum.

As your #1 source of news and information about The Edge District, it’s my pleasure to inform you that RECESS, an outdoor art experience, will take place in The Edge this Sunday. The exhibit will be in various locations around Monroe Avenue, Floyd Alley, and Danny Thomas Blvd. All participating artists; Krista Lebovitz, Kymi Warren, Quian Xu, Sara Lynn Abbott, Annie Grace Netterville, Ben Aquila, and Jack Kanterman are current Rhodes College art students. The event is organized by Wonder/Cowork/Create.

Wonder/Cowork/Create people – change your street address on Facebook! It has been wrong for some time now. It shows up as 3408 Monroe. That would be almost all the way to Highland!

It’ll be time for drunk haikus at Loflin Yard next Thursday, May 9. Awards for top three haikus.

If you were intrigued by my recap of the lunch & learn tour of the Cossitt Library this past Tuesday, you have a chance to take a tour yourself. The next lunch & learn is scheduled for Tuesday, May 14, 12:00 to 12:45 PM.

Pilates in the Park, a free Pilates class with Envision Memphis instructor Cora Pitt, will take place in Memphis Park, 51 N. Front St., on Wednesday, May 8 at 6 PM.

Brian Sabel will perform at brunch at Sunrise Memphis this Sunday from 10 AM to 1 PM.

The Arcade Restaurant has expanded, pushing its total number of seats from 123 to 208. Additional bathrooms have been added, as has a state-of-the-art sound system.

Guacamole cheese is a thing now and it’s made with real avocados. You can get it at Fresh Market.

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

Yesterday I had the pleasure of touring two Downtown institutions I have always wanted to know more about. I already blogged about one, my tour of the Cossitt Library at Front and Monroe, scheduled to reopen in 2020.

The Cossitt tour was merely out of personal curiosity. However, I took another tour related to work. I have a short-term consulting gig this week with one of the Downtown churches, compiling a list of resources for the homeless. In my research, I took a tour of the Hospitality HUB. The HUB is an organization that provides

• assistance getting birth certificates and photo ID
• vouchers for public transportation
• assistance arranging housing
• lockers for storage of personal items
• referrals to drug and alcohol treatment
• Internet access
• a mailing address
• phones, including long distance
• restrooms
• coffee

In general, if an individual is serious about ending his or her homelessness, the HUB will do everything they can to help. If you want to help the homeless, this is a much better use of your dollars than giving money to a panhandler on the street.

The HUB is in the news this morning. If a proposal is approved, their headquarters would move from 82 N. Second to the former auto inspection station at 501 Washington. The move would include a 32-bed women’s shelter. Some, including those at the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center, object to the plan.

For those who are fans of the two Downtown Lenny’s locations (Front at Court, Main at Peabody Place), good news: All 7 1/2 inch subs are $4.99 next week.

This article profiles three of Memphis’ top bar and nightclub doormen, including two from Downtown: Jason Miller of Bardog Tavern and Corey Hollywood of Paula & Raiford’s Disco.

Sign-ups have started for the summer cornhole league at Max’s Sports Bar. The games take place on Tuesday nights. Go by the bar if interested.

If you want to dress appropriately for BBQ season, South Main Sounds at 550 S. Main sells Pink Pig Apparel.

AutoZone Park will hold a midseason job fair for Memphis Redbirds and Memphis 901 FC jobs. It will be Wednesday, May 8 from 4 to 6 PM. Positions include Usher, Usher Supervisor, Field Crew, Bat Boy/Girl/Clubhouse Personnel, and Camera Operator. Applicants must be 18+ and must pass a background check and drug screening.

Jennifer Biggs of the Daily Memphian has a look at yaka mein, a fusion of Cajun and Asian flavors sold at Regina’s Cajun Kitchen on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Wiseacre is celebrating Memphis’ 200th birthday this Saturday, May 4. They will release their newest beer, 200 (in)famous, a nod to Elmwood Cemetery and all the good and bad that has led to the Memphis we know today. There will be a shuttle for those who want to take a field trip to Elmwood. Nonprofit partners United Way, Facing History and Ourselves, OUT Memphis, and Bridges will be on site. Tickets are $30 and include two beers, the shuttle, and cemetery tour. Shuttles leave at 12:45 (returning about 2:15) and 2:45 (returning about 4:15).

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