The Health Department released Health Directive 13 yesterday afternoon, and it went into effect at midnight. The biggest changes for restaurants and bars:
- They can now serve until midnight and must have everyone out by 12:30 AM; this is a gain of two hours from Health Directive 12
- They can now seat parties of 8 together; previously it was parties of 6
However, they did not relax the food-related rules, meaning the stupid requirement that you must purchase food to be served alcohol, and the stupid rule that food service should not exceed two hours. I had hoped these rules would end up in the dumpster.
Bar seating is still closed, but that’s less of a concern since table seating is now allowed at bar areas.
Restaurants are still required to take contact tracing information. I want to point out a minor thing I have observed restaurants doing wrong here. They are letting customers write their own names and phone numbers on the tracing sheets. That means multiple people are handling the same pen without it being sanitized between uses. I know it’s extra work, but you really gotta have an employee write down the names.
Dancing is still prohibited unless it’s outdoors and six feet of space is maintained between parties from different households.
Good news for sporting event attendees though… the distance between groups at venues has been reduced to 6 feet. As a result, the U of M will increase capacity at Tigers home games to about 12,000.
County Mayor Harris announced a 901 Student Passport program, allowing students to visit museums for free since they won’t be going there on field trips this year. Participating museums include
- The Fire Museum of Memphis
- Memphis Rock ‘n Soul Museum
- National Civil Rights Museum
- Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum
- Lichterman Nature Center
- Dixon Gardens & Gallery
- Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
- Pink Palace Museum of Science and History
Present your student passport at each location and get it stamped. You can send in your completed passport with all 8 stamps to receive a gift from Mayor Harris.
As part of the program, the Dixon is offering free memberships to Shelby County teachers.
The Memphis Flyer profiles The Big Guy, Chef Keun Anderson, a name well known in South Main kitchens. He runs his own business selling cheesecakes and other cuisine online, including a meal prep program he started during the pandemic shutdown. Currently the kitchen manager at Slider Inn Downtown, he has previously worked at Belle Tavern, Loflin Yard, and Arrive Inn/Longshot.
Give 901 Shelf Life a “Like” on Facebook. It’s a Downtown business featuring custom-made farmhouse-style woodwork. Among its offerings are
- Wall hangings
- Wine bottle holders
- Dog feeding stations inscribed with the dog’s name
- Cat sitting posts
- Tables
- Benches
- Storage boxes
- … and as the name implies, shelves
Here’s an organization I did not know existed: Tennessee Association of Railroad Passengers. They advocate for better access to passenger rail service and public transportation. The organization has been around for 41 years.
Keith Paluso, lead singer of Blood, Sweat & Tears and known from “The Voice,” will play an intimate session at South Main Sounds Friday at 6:30 PM. Limited seating inside, unlimited seating online.
Amber Rae Dunn and Shufflegrit play the Central Station patio next to the railroad tracks Saturday 7:30-9:30 PM. There will be plenty of safe, social distanced seating.
Turnstyles plays the Slider Inn Downtown patio Sunday 1-4 PM.
Nick Scott, owner of Alchemy, discusses making it through pandemic shutdowns and also his new restaurant, Salt | Soy, on The Daily Memphian’s Sound Bites podcast. Sound Bites will be broadcast every Thursday on WYXR 91.7 FM. More about WYXR
Here’s a drinking game for the Mike Pence-Kamala Harris vice-presidential debate tonight. There’s a bingo card for those who want to play along without drinking. The debate will be at 8 PM in Salt Lake City, moderated by USA Today’s Susan Page. It will be broadcast on ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, and PBS, and streamed online.
The DM’s Jennifer Biggs headed Downtown this week for a $10 Lunch pick: Lab gyro with pita chips and hummus from Grecian Gourmet. She and her colleague ate at the new Huling Station outdoor dining area, where you can order from your table.
Guitar legend Eddie Van Halen passed away yesterday at 65.
Hurricane Delta has hit Cancun and Cozumel in Mexico. Weather.com’s latest prediction map has the hurricane regaining strength to 130 MPH then making landfall on the middle Louisiana cost Friday afternoon. Memphis will see the worst of the weather Saturday PM, and it looks like what’s left of the eye is predicted to go right over Oxford… hmmm, does Ole Miss have a home game Saturday? Yep, they sure do, hosting #2 Alabama at 5 PM. Wonder if that will have to be moved up to an 11 AM slot somehow.
No going out for me today… I want to stay home and watch the debate. Back tomorrow with more news.