Downtown restaurant holiday hours and more Thursday news

Let’s start off with a list of what restaurants are open today and tomorrow.

Bardog Tavern 8 AM-10 PM Christmas Eve, 5 PM-10 PM Christmas Day

Blind Bear 10 AM-10 PM Christmas Eve, 3 PM-10 PM Christmas Day

Blue Monkey 11 AM-5 PM Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day

Flying Saucer 11 AM-8 PM Christmas Eve, 4-10 PM Christmas Day

Green Beetle closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Huey’s 11 AM-8 PM Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day

Local closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (but the Midtown location will be open)

Max’s Sports Bar closed Christmas Eve, open 4 PM-10 PM Christmas Day

Momma’s 6:30 AM-4 PM Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day

Silly Goose 12 PM-10 PM Christmas Eve, 12 PM-10 PM Christmas Day

Wiseacre2 11 AM-4 PM Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day

I’m sure any of the restaurants listed above would be happy to sell you a gift card for a last-minute Christmas gift, or as a way to treat yourself next year once the pandemic is a little closer to winding up.

Also, one more reminder:

Y’all, the lack of tourist foot traffic and Downtown office employee foot traffic has really hurt the Peanut Shoppe’s business this year. If you have any need for Christmas chocolate, nuts, or candy, please get by there and see them today.

And now, a few announcements local restaurants posted to Facebook recently.

Blind Bear:

Hey cubbies so we’re not totally going into hibernation with the new directive but we are limited to 25% capacity. So you can still come try our new sandwiches, soups or one of your all time favorites. But if you don’t wanna risk the crowds we’re offering our Hungover Like A Bear Brunch Box or our Hibernation Helper Meals, which includes our house made Lasagna, that feeds 4-6 with Salad and Garlic Bread. So either way we have the Bear essentials you need during this Difficult time.

Aldo’s Pizza Pies:

Still looking for stocking stuffers? Of course you are, and we’ve got you covered.
For our annual stocking-stuffer sale, we’re offering 20% off all gift card purchases (min. $25) thru 12/31/20. This means $25 gift cards for $20, $50 gift cards for $40, and so on & so forth! Come in today to get yours.

Carolina Watershed:

Hey Memphis we’re back open 2pm till 10pm with limited menu options with the full menu coming soon! We have a new fully enclosed heated patio to keep you warm on cold nights! We also have fire pits ready if you want to sit outside and enjoy the waterfalls! House wine specials all week $3.00 house red and white! We’re offering the entire Cutwater canned cocktail line too! #cutwater #watershed #chasingwaterfalls #winelover #tuesdayfunday #datenight #tipsytuesday #memphisbar #saveourrestaurants #socialdistancing #maskup

Public service announcement: If you go out to these restaurants, please think twice about taking photos of you and your buddies who don’t live in the same household, not socially distanced and without masks, and posting them to social media. The goody-goody preachy-preachy Facebook/Instagram “health experts” who think we should lock down until June see these and forward them to the health department.

Mayor Strickland: “I probably would have handled restaurants a bit differently” in the most recent health directive. Strickland thinks the overall intent of Health Directive 16 is correct, but he would have kept restaurants at 50%. Thank you, Mr. Mayor!

In-person court appearances have been suspended through the end of January.

The Memphis Tigers football team got a win in the Montgomery Bowl yesterday, topping FAU 25-10.

The Grizzlies lost their season opener to the San Antonio Spurs, but Ja Morant had a career-high 44 points. Remember about 10 years ago, when Steph Curry was the hot new point-guard in the NBA, and there was that commercial with Chris Paul riding down the escalator and encountering Curry on the way up? Ja appears to be on the way up that escalator now.

Ja has his own mural now, on the side of Slim & Husky’s in The Edge District. Must be nice to be only 21 and already have a mural and a ‘raffe.

Ja stole a record last night: He surpassed Shaq to become the youngest player to score 40 or more points on a team’s opening night.

Downtown’s Slave Haven Underground Museum has announced a temporary closure due to COVID-19. Also closed until further notice is the W.C. Handy Home at Fourth and Beale.

A rogue road sign, installed by an artist on the 800 block of North Parkway and taken down by the city, has found a permanent home at the Metal Museum. The sign was one of about a dozen installed by the artist in cities across the country. It reads, “When you were still young / Did you ever dream about / Being who you are”

If there’s any news tomorrow, I’ll be back with it. Otherwise, Merry Christmas and I’ll see you Saturday.