Month: February 2022

Last night I decided to partake of the “steak” part of Steak, Whiskey & Poker Night, the new Thursday night special at the Blind Bear. For $19.99 you get a steak, a baked potato with butter, and a salad. The cut of steak changes weekly. Yesterday it was a Creekstone 6 oz. sirloin.

Whoever thought up Steak, Whiskey & Poker Night deserves a Nobel Prize. This is one of the best ideas ever. The steak was perfectly cooked to my specification of medium rare. You have the option of adding cheese, sour cream, and chives to your potato for 99 cents, but I like to taste the butter on my potato so I declined.

Speaking of the Bear, the photos from their February 12 St. Valentine’s Day Massacre party are now online.

The NBA All-Star weekend kicks off tonight with the Rising Stars tournament. 4 teams will compete in games that will not have a game clock. The semifinals will be a race to be the first team to score 50, and the finals will be first team to score 25. Grizzlies star Desmond Bane will play on Team Isiah, coached by Isiah Thomas.

Collage Dance Collective presents RISE at the Cannon Center this weekend. The performance will be the collective’s return to the stage after 2 years and will be in conjunction with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. All audience members, including children, must wear medical-grade face masks. Cloth masks must be accepted. Audience members must show proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID test, and those 17 and up must show photo ID.

Speaking of masks, the CDC is set to relax its guidance on mask-wearing in the coming weeks.

Alton Brown Live: Beyond the Eats comes to the Orpheum Wednesday, March 16. Comedy, dangerous science, cooking demos.

Twin Soul plays the Tin Roof tonight at 6:30.

Jimbo Mathus and Them Durty Crooks play South Main Sounds tomorrow at 7.

Developer Henry Turley is unhappy that Uptown residents are being temporarily relocated while renovations take place to their public housing units. Turley says there is nothing wrong with the houses, which are only about 20 years old.

The 2022 Memphis Tigers football schedule has been released. Nonconference opponents include Mississippi State (the season opener on September 3), Arkansas State, North Texas, and North Alabama.

It’s the final weekend of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Random fact I learned from the Morning Brew newsletter: Olympic gold medals are at least 92.5% silver.

Today is National Drink Wine Day.

That’s it. Back tomorrow.

Beer lovers now have a new reason to get to the airport early when flying out of Memphis… the Memphis airport’s Concourse B has reopened and it includes a Memphis Made taproom! Enjoy a Fireside or a Junt while waiting for your scheduled boarding time.

The full lineup for the 2022 Beale Street Music Fest, to be held at the fairgrounds from April 29-May 1, has been released. Enjoy scenic views of the Liberty Bowl and asphalt parking lots while your favorite band performs.

Cerrito Trivia will host ’90s Pop Culture Trivia tonight at Old Dominick. The fun kicks off at 7 PM.

DJ Superman plays a free show at Downtown Wiseacre 6-10 PM Saturday.

Cafe Keough has a full-time barista position open. If you want to work in the Downtown core and have your afternoons, evenings, Sundays, and Mondays free, this could be the gig for you.

MemphisWeather.net reports that there is a threat of severe weather this afternoon including possible damaging wind and tornadoes. Noon to 4 is the most likely time for severe stuff and wind gusts could reach 35-45 MPH.

Congratulations to the Memphis Tigers’ Landers Nolley II, the latest Memphis athlete to sign an NIL deal. He’ll represent Boosted Biz, an e-commerce and monetization site where customers can build their brands.

The Grizzlies lost to the Portland Trail Blazers last night, 123-119. Good news: Golden State lost its most recent game, too, so Memphis remains only 1.5 games from catching them for second in the West.

Ja Morant All-Star jerseys have arrived in the Grizzlies’ store.

The @JaMorant @NBAAllStar jerseys are here ⭐️

Hit the Grizz Den to cop one or hit the link below ⭐️

⭐️: https://t.co/GB6f2hRyuZ pic.twitter.com/QUrrnjz83B

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) February 16, 2022

There will be a couple of street closures next week for the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show. Exchange Avenue will be closed between Main and Second, and Main will be closed between Exchange and Winchester.

Holly has a post about the Turkish coffee at Qahwa in the I Love Memphis Blog. Qahwa is on the ground floor of the Claridge House at N. Main and Adams.

Delta Joe Sanders, Yubu Kazungu, and Amber Rae Dunn perform tonight in the Memphis Songwriters Series hosted by Mark Edgar Stuart at the Halloran Centre. Admission is $5.

Don’t forget, tonight is Steak, Whiskey, and Poker Night at the Blind Bear. Steak with salad and baked potato $19.99, Old Dominick whiskey specials, and Texas Hold’em with Charles, free to play.

Back tomorrow with more news.

The Memphis Union Mission serves approximately 175 men per night, providing them with a change of clothes, 3 hot meals, a shower, and hygiene products. Currently, though, they are out of razors. Here is an Amazon link to inexpensive razors that work well. If you can help out, please have them sent to

Memphis Union Mission
Attn: Dr. Randy Daniels
383 Poplar Ave.
Memphis, TN 38105

A Wordle-esque game for people who love geography: Globle. You type in the name of a country, and it highlights that country in a shade of red on a globe. The darker the shade of red, the closer you are to the country of the day which you’re trying to guess. It’s a fun way to learn the names and locations of the countries of the world.

Starting Thursday, February 17, the Blind Bear will start doing Steak, Whiskey, and Poker on Thursday nights. On the sites where I write professionally, I write a lot of listicles (articles that are lists). Allow me to present a mini-listicle here:

7 Reasons I Like Steak, Whiskey, and Poker Thursdays at the Blind Bear

1. It’s not a drag show
2. From 5 to 10 PM (or while supplies last) every Thursday evening, you can get a steak for $19.99 at the Bear. It comes with a salad and a buttered baked potato. Load the potato with cheese, sour cream, and chives for 99 cents more. The steak variety will change weekly. This week it will be a Creekstone 6 oz. sirloin.
3. It’s not a drag show
4. Support local with Memphis-distilled Old Dominick Whiskey specials!
5. It’s not a drag show
6. Texas Hold’em Poker hosted by Charles at 7:30. It’s free to play, and the top finishers receive Blind Bear gift cards. How cool is that? You sit down to play poker, you end up with all the chips, and you have enough Bear Bucks to pay for next week’s steak!
7. It’s not a drag show

Crawfish is back at Max’s Sports Bar this Saturday. The doors open at 11 and the first batch of the mudbugs come off at 12. They come with all the fixins – corn, taters, and sausage cooked in the boil. The price will be $12.50 for 1 pound or $21 for 2 pounds. They’ll also have boiled shrimp for $16 per pound. Sides do not count toward the weight of the box, but are included in the price.

@glazescrawfish will once again be doing the boils. I have had Glaze’s crawfish on numerous occasions and they are BETTER than any crawfish festival’s in Memphis. If you have never made it down to Max’s for some of Glaze’s ‘bugs, treat yo’self this Saturday.

The Memphis Tigers improved to 15-8 with a road win over Cincinnati, 81-74, last night. Joe Lunardi had Memphis as “first team out” in his updated Bracketology yesterday morning. The win last night may have been enough to get the Tigers on the right side of the bubble – but Penny and his team can’t stop to celebrate now. The Tigers are 1 game back of conference leader SMU – and they play on the road Sunday at SMU in a nationally televised game. A win in Dallas would almost surely put the Tigers into the projected field of 68.

Neither 2019 NBA #1 draft pick Zion Williamson nor 2020 Rookie of the Year/#1 pick in everyone’s 2019 do-over draft Ja Morant played in last night’s Memphis Grizzlies vs. New Orleans Pelicans game. Tyus Jones dropped 27 and JJJ added 23 as the Grizzlies rolled to a 121-109 win.

The Grizzlies are now only 1.5 games back from catching the Golden State Warriors for second place in the West. That’s important because the 2 seed is guaranteed to have home-court advantage in both the first round of the playoffs and the Western Conference semifinals.

The Grizzlies host Portland at FedExForum tonight at 7 in their final game before the All-Star break. Locally, the game will be televised on Bally Sports Southeast.

Cordelia’s Market will start doing Taco Tuesdays next Tuesday. $3.50 each, crunchy or soft, chicken or ground beef. Chef Muffin fries the crispy taco shells herself, in-house. The tacos will be made to order rather than sitting in the cafe’s hot box.

Soul & Spirits, the brewery on North Main, has released Mo’ Joe Workin’, an Imperial Coffee Stout that is a tribute to “Got my Mojo Workin'” by Muddy Waters. It’s brewed with local coffeemaker Dr. Bean’s Ethiopia coffee beans. 9.4% ABV, so you want to go easy on this one. It’ll only be available on draft in the brewery’s taproom.

The Daily Memphian uncovered that all the MLGW board members are serving on expired terms.

From Sports Teller: The top 5 Memphis Grizzlies concessions at FedExForum

That’s it for this post. Walking over to Rachel’s Salon this morning for a haircut – my first in 8 months and 8 days. Back tomorrow with more news.

This is gonna be a fairly quick one.

From CNBC: Every commercial that played during the Super Bowl

From the NFL’s YouTube: Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige & Kendrick Lamar FULL Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show

Two Saturday Night Live legends come to the Orpheum Saturday, September 24. Steve Martin and Martin Short will stop in Memphis as part of their You Won’t Believe What They Look Like Today tour. Get ready to shell out some money if you want to see them; tickets start at $95.

The Memphis Tigers play a road game at Cincinnati tonight at 6. TV coverage will be ESPN+.

That’s it. Back tomorrow.

About 9 PM last night, I became a BIG WINNER.

No, I didn’t have a bet through an online sportsbook. No, I didn’t hit my numbers on Super Bowl Squares.

I became a big winner because now I don’t have to watch a league I don’t care about on TV for six months.

If you want to celebrate today for some other reason than it’s a totally contrived holiday designed to sell flowers, candy, and fancy restaurant dinners, try celebrating National Poop Day or National Football Hangover Day. It’s Library Lovers Day but I won’t celebrate that until the Cossitt Library schedules an opening date less vague than “soon.” If the library near where YOU live is open, today would be a good day to go there and read the works of Frederick Douglass, because today is his day. (Here’s a library guide of Douglass’ works)

If you’re a Daily Memphian subscriber, don’t miss this article about Wendy McCrory, who opened the first Memphis franchise for Gus’s on South Front Street. She now owns all but two of the 36 franchises.

From the Washington Post: BUBBLE WATCH: Memphis rounding into form at the right time

Blind Bear has announced a Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball for Saturday, February 26. Guests are invited to wear masks and beads, although of course you don’t have to. The Mario Monterosso Band will perform. Jamie Harmon will take pics and mug shots for the wall and the Amurica photo booth will be parked outside. Drinks and specials will be announced as we get closer to the date of the party.

Play Some SKYNYRD, A Lynyrd Skynyrd cover band, plays the Hard Rock Saturday night. Hmmm… An alternate Facebook event listing suggests the name may be Play More SKYNYRD. Anyway, you get the idea.

That’s it. Short post as expected today. Back tomorrow if there’s any news to report.

It’s 8 PM on February 13, and you’re driving home from Galentine’s Day with a smile on your face. You’ve spent the evening showing the girls photos of the sexy red dress and heels you plan to wear tomorrow night when your boyfriend takes you to Porch & Parlor for dinner. You love ya girls but you gotta admit also loved it when you saw a twinge of envy in their eyes. Tomorrow night is going to be perfect.

You pull into the garage, walk into the house, and are immediately hit with the overpowering stench of deviled eggs, Ro-Tel dip, and Busch Light. It’s the middle of the third quarter and your boyfriend is on number 11 of the 12-pack he bought for the game. You walk over to the couch, noticing that your feet make a crunching sound due to all the spilled beer on the floor.

You sit next to your boyfriend and start to tell him about the delightful evening you had with the gals, but he cuts you off. “Hold on,” he says. “The Bengals have the ball, first and goal at the 7. I took the over at 37½ and if they score, I win.” Then he lets out a fart that registers 4.3 on the Richter scale. The Bengals take it to the end zone. Satisfied, he passes out on the couch. He’s too heavy to move, so after spending an hour cleaning up the mess, you leave him there. The sun rises on Valentine’s morning without the man you love snuggled up next to you.

He barely makes it to work. You’re not surprised when he texts you at 3 PM saying he’s fallen asleep at his desk twice. Then he drops the bomb. “Honey, I canceled our reservations at Porch & Parlor,” he said. “I’m so hung over that I just don’t feel like being out in public and eating all that rich food. I hope you understand. Let’s do a rain check for next week.”

Dinner is a 10-pack of Taco Bell Doritos Locos Tacos at the kitchen counter. As he crunches into his 4th taco, he lets out a fart that registers 4.8 on the RIchter scale. You know ya girls are surfing Instagram, waiting to see pics of you at P&P enjoying a sumptuous dinner in that hot red dress. Should you upload a photo of a crumpled taco wrapper?

Dejected, you fall asleep that night wondering if your boyfriend loves football more than he loves you.

Scheduling the Super Bowl the second week of February is going to increase the divorce rate. I guarantee it.

How ’bout those Memphis Tigers!!! Max’s Sports Bar was packed yesterday as we saw them hand Houston a 69-59 loss, the Cougars’ first loss at home in 38 games. It’s the Tigers’ first true road win against a Top 10 team in 17 years.

One stat said it all: The Tigers are plus-18 this season when DeAndre Williams is on the floor and minus-13 when he’s not. Penny took the hint and kept Williams on the floor.

And they made their free throws! 18 of 19. That is how you win games.

The win improves the Tigers to 14-8 overall, 8-4 in conference. They are now only 1.5 games back from conference leaders SMU and Houston.

There is still work to do. Memphis’ win caused bracketologist Joe Lunardi to move them onto the bubble, but they’re projected as “next four out.” So the Tigers need to move past another 5 to 8 NCAA teams to be projected in the field of 68. Next up for the Tigers:

• at Cincinnati, 6 PM Tuesday. TV: ESPN+
• at SMU, 2 PM next Sunday. TV: ESPN

Both games are must-win, but the SMU game is particularly important. SMU is seen as a team that’s not quite good enough to make the NCAA tournament, so Memphis doesn’t want to be losing to that kind of team. Also, a win would move Memphis closer to a 1 seed in the conference tournament.

Memphis Made is running a special at its taproom 1-5 today for game day: Buy one six-pack, get a second at half price.

South Main Sushi has adjusted its hours for this week only to accommodate the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day.

• Sunday: 12:30-6:00 PM
• Monday: 5:00-9:30 PM
• Tuesday: Closed

I confirmed with the bartender at Max’s that the first Saturday it’s projected to be 60 or above, the sports bar will do a crawfish boil.

Fellas, don’t forget that February 15 is Side Piece Day. Memphis hotels with a listed address on Lamar Avenue see a 41.2% increase in room bookings that day, so don’t delay – make a reservation for you and your side piece now.

At the beginning of the season, who’da thunk the Grizzlies would hit 40 wins BEFORE the All-Star break? They did exactly that last night, beating Charlotte on the road, 125-118.

The last time I stuck around for the Friday night burlesque show at the Blind Bear, they turned off the TVs during the performance. I wonder if they’re going to turn off Desmond Bane in the NBA Rising Stars game?

Nextdoor reports that there’s a hurt possum at the corner of Island Place and Island Drive.

The Kent, a meeting and event space, will be the first part of the Snuff District redevelopment to open, hosting Soup Sunday next week.

Here’s a link to James Aycock’s COVID Week-in-Review.

POLITICO Playbook is reporting that Wednesday the 16th may be the day Russia invades Ukraine, possibly preceded by missile attacks and cyberattacks. Secretary of State Blinken has promised a coordinated transatlantic response in that event. WWIII?

Ja Morant has a sister, a junior in high school, who is training to follow in his footsteps of basketball stardom.

Eight & Sand hosts Puppy Hour, an event benefiting ALIVE! Rescue Memphis, this afternoon from 3 to 6. There will be food, cocktails, merchandise, and a kissing booth. Tickets are $25.

Tootsie has a six-day run at the Orpheum Tuesday through Sunday. The Wednesday, February 16 performance will include a Beyond the Stage experience after the show at no additional cost, featuring a Q&A with the cast and crew.

Pro wrestling fans, current Impact Knockouts champion and 2022 WWE Royal Rumble entrant Mickie James will make an appearance in Memphis today for Championship Wrestling sponsored by Pro Shingle.

Ginuwine will perform at 645 E. Georgia, formerly the Paradise Entertainment Center, this Friday.

Moxy Memphis on N. Front Street hosts Brushes, Bottles & Bae Monday night from 7 to 9. Whether with your sweetheart or a group of friends, come join this paint & sip class by crew member Moxy Matt. Ticket includes a canvas, paint, two glasses of red wine, and entry into a raffle to take home a bottle of champagne. $35 singles/$50 couples

That’ll do it for this post. I could not care less about either the Super Bowl or Valentine’s Day, so I’m staying home today and tomorrow to get some writing done. Back tomorrow if there’s any news to post.

Let’s talk for a minute about the Memphis Tigers’ chances of receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament; meaning, they get in even if they don’t win the AAC tournament in March.

Coming into today’s showdown at Houston, the Tigers’ record is 13-8. Teams have gotten at-large bids into the tournament with records as bad as 18-14 in recent years. But, those 18-14 teams

• Had top-5 strength of schedules
• Had quality wins against highly ranked teams
• Did not have any “bad” losses to lousy teams

The Tigers’ strength of schedule is not great and they have several bad losses. If they finish the season with 14 losses, they can forget the NCAA tournament and probably won’t even make the NIT. Realistically, they need to limit their losses to 10 if they want an NCAA at-large bid. That means they can eat a loss in the AAC tournament plus one other.

And it can’t be today’s game at Houston. This is Memphis’ chance to get a road win against a team that is likely a top-four seed in the Big Dance. The committee won’t be able to deny that’s a quality win. Bracketology-wise, the Tigers will move from “not even in the conversation” to “on the bubble” with a win today. Probably Penny’s team would land on the “first four out” line with a win, and then they’d have the rest of the season to do work to move to the right side of the bubble.

I may have been critical of Penny at times this season – particularly, his negligence educating his team on the benefits of getting vaccinated – but I am one hundred percent Team Penny today. I want a Memphis win. I want a blowout Memphis win. I want to watch the Tyler Harris Show. I want Duren to be a monster at the rim. I want DeAndre Williams to be the baddest version of himself.

Oooh… it’s National Lost Penny Day though… hope that’s not a bad omen for the Tigers.

You can catch the Tigers vs. the Cougars on ABC at 2:30 this afternoon.

Hmmm… with my Bardog brunch buddies in New York for a Billy Joel concert, today would be an ideal day to do something different. I haven’t watched a Tigers basketball game at Max’s Sports Bar yet this season. Maybe today should be the day.

By the way – I heard from a part-time employee that Max’s Sports Bar is gearing up to do crawfish on Saturdays – not today, but soon.

There was a report of a man armed with a gun at Huey’s in the 10:00 hour last night.

Today is the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre party at the Blind Bear, starting at 8. 93 years ago this weekend, the Chicago Outfit headed by Al Capone murdered 7 members of Bugs Moran’s North Side gang in an attempt to solidify control of Chicago’s illicit liquor business. The Bear will celebrate with

• Prizes for best gangster and flapper outfits
• Photographer Jamie Harmon will be there to take your pic to hang in the dining room and your mug shot to hang near the front door

My mug shot

• The Amurica photo booth will be parked outside so you can climb in and take fun pictures (tips appreciated)
• FreeWorld will return to the Bear – the FULL BAND, not a Kaleido subset of the band
• Set dinner menu that includes a bottle of champagne – $45 for 1 person or $90 for 2 people

The Grizzlies are on the road at Charlotte tonight for a 6:00 game. Local TV coverage on Bally Sports Southeast.

Ja Morant was drafted onto Team KD Thursday night for the NBA All-Star game. Here’s a look at the teams:

Team KD

• Starters: Joel Embiid, Ja Morant, Jayson Tatum, Trae Young, Andrew Wiggins (team captain Kevin Durant will not be able to play)
• Reserves: Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns, Zach LaVine, Dejounte Murray, Khris Middleton, LeMelo Ball, Rudy Gobert

Team LeBron

• Starters: LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Jokic
• Reserves: Luka Doncic, Darius Garland, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell, Fred VanVleet, James Harden.

I’ll be rooting for Ja Morant and Team KD, of course, but it looks like LeBron drafted a much stronger team. Makes me think, ten years from now when these guys’ playing days are over, I’d much rather have LeBron in my front office than Kevin Durant.

Wonder how Team KD will work it with two starting point guards? Make Trae Young the primary ball handler while Ja plays off the ball?

Prediction: Team LeBron 182, Team KD 165 (All-Star Games are rarely defensive masterpieces)

Elite Total Wellness is seeking a Medical Assistant for their office on South Front Street. Must be a team player with a willingness to learn new things. Tina would be an awesome person to work for!

Little Italy Downtown is looking for part-time and full-time help. They need someone who can perform basic tasks like food prep, taking customer orders, and cleaning with little supervision. Experience is a plus, but if you’re willing to learn, they’re willing to train. They’re closed Monday and Tuesday and there are no late nights – they close at 9 (giving you plenty of opportunity to walk across the street to Max’s for a beer). Fill out an application and meet the owner (Ricky) and the manager (Jeff) 2-4 PM Thursday or Friday. Generous pay and daily tips.

The Washington Post has a statistical analysis of Super Bowl squares. Basically, if your square is any combination of 0, 7, and 3, you’re in line to make that money; any other number and you’re screwed. The square with the highest expected value is 0/0; if you have that square it’s time to abandon team loyalty and root for whichever team is playing defense.

I was in the Blind Bear for lunch yesterday and a local author was showing off copies of her new book: Have You Ever Been This Girl by Deon Smith. It’s the story of three women’s ups and downs and is available in paperback or on Kindle.

I mentioned that there’s a onesie bar crawl today, but I can’t recommend it much because it’s organized by out-of-towners. Well, good news: There’s now a Onesie Day by locals, for locals, on the Downtown calendar. It’ll be Sunday, February 20 at Atomic Rose. Start off at 11 with a chef-prepared brunch in your pajamas. At 12:30 Bella DuBalle will host a delightfully diverse drag show, followed at 2 by bingo with Pattie O’ Furniture with great prizes for the winners.

Mayor Jimbo from Mempho sent out his weekly newsletter yesterday and raised the possibility of selling MLGW in order to take power lines underground. Nine days after the ice storm, there are still thousands without power, and this is hardly the first time in recent history such a thing has happened. Jimbo makes it clear he’s not advocating for such a move yet, but the idea at least needs to be explored.

Deion Sanders’ Jackson State team will play the 2022 Southern Heritage Classic after all.

Professional Bull Riders are in Memphis at FedExForum tonight.

As I posted earlier in the week, poker has returned to the Blind Bear Thursday nights at 7:30. One hand I played exemplified everything I love about poker. The blinds were 400/800 and I had about 8000 in my chip stack. Action was folded around to the man to my right, who bet 2000. I looked down and saw

Ace-King

“Big Slick,” the best unpaired starting hand. in Texas Hold’em. I sure as hell was not folding that. But with 3200 already in the pot, I didn’t have enough chips to play the flop, turn, and river properly. In that case, the best move is all-in. I moved in with my 8000 chips, my opponent called, and he flipped his cards over.

His hand: Ace – Queen

“Big Chick,” the second-best unpaired starting hand. His call was a great one – he just happened to run into one of the very few hands that has A-Q dominated.

The flop: 3- Queen – 6

Ouch! One of the three cards in the deck that could have helped him showed up. He took the lead with a pair of Queens.

The turn: King

I improved to a pair of Kings, taking the lead. I’m about a 91%-9% favorite to win the hand.

The river: Queen

My opponent hits his trip Queens and I’m out of the game. But at least I went out in style! That hand was poker at its finest and made me realize how much I missed it. I’m not saying I’m gonna play every Thursday – particularly if the Grizzlies or Tigers are on TV – but that was fun!

Plans for today: Yeah the more I think about it, a trip to Max’s Sports Bar feels like the right move. I’ll have to deal with falling temperatures, north wind, and flying monkeys, but it feels like I’m overdue for a visit. I’ll bring Perjorie T. Roll to bring the Tigers good luck and to ward off evil. Back tomorrow with more news.

The NBA trade deadline passed at 2 PM yesterday, and the Grizzlies did not make a move, one of only a handful of teams to do so. Memphis went on to beat Detroit last night, 132-107. The win pulls the Grizzlies within 2.5 games of Golden State for second place in the West.

I haven’t checked FiveThirtyEight’s statistical NBA model since the first of the season. It’s updated after every game. Let’s see what it says… Memphis is >99% to make the NBA playoffs. They’re at 12% to make the NBA Finals and 4% to win the championship.

BarWare will offer a four-course Valentine’s Day dinner for $69 this weekend, with seatings at 7 PM tonight and 6 and 8 PM Saturday. Check the restaurant’s Facebook page to view the menu.

The Downtown Neighborhood Association has announced its February meeting. It will be at Grind City Brewing Co. on Tuesday, February 22. Enjoy river views while hearing from City Councilman Mickell Lowery, a former DNA president. Members get one free beer and there will be a food truck on site.

You need some New Wing Order snacks in your life for the Super Bowl! They’ll be at Soul & Spirits on N. Main 1 to 5 PM Saturday, and in addition to their usual menu, they’ll be selling Jalapeno Popper Dip and Buffalo Chicken Salad for $10 each.

There’s a flaw in Tennessee’s new license plate which renders them unreadable by police license plate readers.

ABC 24 has a look at the evolution of Memphis Jookin.

The Westin hosts The Pre-Valentine’s Day Jazz Jam tonight from 6 to 9. The first 25 ladies will receive a gift from Strictly Jazz.

That’s it for this post. Tired today. Stayed up late playing poker. Back tomorrow.

I’ve confirmed with the owner that poker will return to the Blind Bear tonight at 7:30. Texas Hold’em on real felt poker tables, free to play, Bear Bucks for the top finishers.

Do you need to get some great local craft beer in the house for that football championship game that’s happening on Sunday? Downtown brewery Wiseacre can help with that! They’ll deliver beer to your door on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Deliveries go out at 5 PM. They deliver within a 10-mile radius and there is no delivery fee. Order beer for delivery

Cordelia’s Market has edible flowers just in time for Valentine’s Day. They’ve also done a produce reset, adding items like organic rainbow chard and organic bok choy.

The Memphis Tigers got an 80-69 win over Tulane at home last night. That win improves Memphis to 13-8 and 7-4 in-conference. That jumps the Tigers to 3rd in the AAC, 2.5 games back of league leader Houston and 1.5 games behind second-place SMU. The Tigers can’t let their foot off the gas, though, because three teams (Temple, Cincinnati, and Tulane) trail Memphis by only one-half a game.

Next up for the Tigers: A trip to #6 Houston, where they will play on ABC at 2:30 Saturday. Memphis might still have a slim chance at getting an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament if they can pull off a road win against a Top 10 opponent. Houston suffered an unexpected loss to SMU this week and hopefully they’ll still be reeling from that loss Saturday.

The Grizzlies travel to Detroit Rock City tonight to take on the Pistons at 6. The game will be televised locally on Bally Sports Southeast.

From WREG: How do Super Bowl squares work? I got introduced to squares early in life. When my mom worked at the Arkansas Gazette, the employees there did squares for Arkansas Razorbacks football games. One Saturday, the second quarter ended with the Hogs’ score ending in 7 and Baylor’s score ending in 4 and my mom won $25.

City Councilman Worth Morgan wants to change city ordinance, allowing MPD to pursue super speeders, drivers going more than 25 MPH over the posted speed limit.

Old Dominick is planning a crawfish and cocktails on the rooftop event for Saturday, March 5.

Elmwood Cemetery is hosting Memphis Street Names: Part 2 this Saturday at 10. Learn the story behind street names like A.W. Willis, Kate Bond, Overton, Austin Peay, Park, and more. Wait, Park was named after a person? I always assumed it was so named because it borders Audubon Park. Tickets are $20 and masks are required for admission.

Shelby County’s 7-day rolling average for new COVID cases per day fell to 501 yesterday. When we drop into the low 460s – which could happen today – we’ll be below the 50 per day per 100K population threshold at which the CDC recommends even fully vaccinated people mask. Several states – blue states, even – are announcing an end to mask mandates.

That’s the news for today. Not sure if I’ll return to the poker table tonight. Depends on who shows up. Back tomorrow with more news.

The Memphis Flyer reports that The Peanut Shoppe is getting close to opening in its new location at 121 S. Main. That’s next door to Margie’s 901 ice cream shop in the Pembroke Square building on the Main Street Mall. If all the inspections and government red tape happen on time, it should be about 3 weeks.

B.B. King’s club on Beale will be closed this coming Sunday through the following Wednesday as they will be installing all-new walk-in coolers.

Sugar Grits posted a construction alert saying that for a little while, customers will have to enter through Peabody Place rather than through its main entrance on Second Street.

The plans to build a convention center Loews Hotel on the Civic Center Plaza have been scrapped, the DM reports. If you’re a subscriber, Rob Moore has an analysis of why the deal didn’t happen. Long story short: Costs rose to the point where it was no longer feasible to move forward with the project.

Hasan Minhaj, the host and creator of Netflix’s The Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, is coming to the Orpheum April 4. This will be a mobile phone-free show and you must place your phone in a Yondr pouch to attend.

Speaking of mobile phones… any MacBook/iPhone owners out there whose texts aren’t syncing to their computer since upgrading their iPhone to iOS 15.3? Maybe I need to check and see if there’s a MacOS upgrade I need to install.

I saw a Valentine’s Day Challenge on Facebook yesterday: Swap phones with your spouse for the day to prove your transparency in the relationship. LOL I bet I know one husband who would be terrified to take that challenge.

February 24 is World Bartender Day, and Memphis Spine & Sport at 372 S. Main is offering a special deal to those in the service industry on that day. Receive a new patient appointment for $39, plus you get a free laser treatment with your first adjustment. Call 901-453-6080 to make an appointment. (Hat tip to Jeannette from Blind Bear for the information)

For those of you who are addicted to world geography game GeoGuessr, I composed a list of cheat sheets that can help you figure out where you are. Stop signs are your friend!

I got a pleasant surprise yesterday. I had heard that rates for heating were going up 30-40% this winter. Given that it was cold nearly all of January, I expected a huge MLGW bill. But no – it was only $4 more than my December bill, and remember, it was 70 outside for much of December.

Paulette’s has posted its Valentine’s Weekend Menu available Friday, Saturday, and Monday, February 11, 12, and 14.

Soul & Spirits brewery on North Main has released Thirteen, inspired by Big Star’s song by that name. Here’s what the brewery had to say about the new beer:

Our Czech Style Pilsner is a light lager beer with a rich malt character that resembles rustic bread. We use Czech floor malted barley and Memphis’ perfect water in a traditional decoction. A firm bitterness from t

he Czech hops and a slight grassy note, that is well balanced and refreshing.  Our standard pour is smooth liquid to the pour line with a creamy big head. This lager originates from Plzeň, in the Czech Republic; however Pilsner Urquell is the only beer that can truly be called a Pilsner as it is located within the city,

The DM reports that for the second time in 20 years, residents in public housing in Uptown are being temporarily relocated. Many residents love their current homes and don’t want to be forced to move.

Former DNA president Jerred Price reported on Nextdoor that 2300+ letters have been sent by concerned citizens to the mayor and City Council. The concern is about the new hills being installed in Tom Lee Park, specifically that they will impede river views from Riverside Drive.

The Grizzlies pummeled the L.A. Clippers last night, 135-109. In 3rd place in the West, Memphis retains 4 games of separation from both the 2nd-place Warriors and the 4th-place Jazz. Marcus Morris of the Clippers was ejected from last night’s game for punching Ja Morant.

Second-year Grizzly Desmond Bane, having already been picked to play in the NBA’s Rising Stars competition, will also participate in the 3-point contest during All-Star Weekend. Bane is shooting 41% from beyond the arc this season.

The Memphis Tigers host Tulane tonight at FedExForum. Tonight is the Military and First Responders Game. It is also the Silva Foundation Game for prostate cancer research. The tip-off is at 7 and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+. One thing I got wrong in a previous post: The Top five teams, not four, in the AAC will get first-round byes in the conference tournament. That makes tonight’s game and the next three games on the road (Houston, Cincinnati, SMU) very important.

South Main Hemp is doing a Valentine’s Day Giveaway. One lucky person will receive a basket ($100 value) filled with CBD, Delta 10, and hemp goodies. How to enter

Memphis Physical Therapy on N. Front has a full-time medical receptionist position open.

Good read: Beale Street – A Witness to History

Starbucks fired 7 Memphis employees, including at least one from the Downtown store, who had plans of starting a workers’ union. Starbucks claims the workers were fired for rules violations not related to their plan to organize. The Downtown worker claimed the company rarely enforced the policies he was accused of violating, and has brought a case to the National Labor Review Board.

Today is Chocolate Day and Pizza Pie Day and you can get it all done on the Main Street Mall. Hit DInstuhl’s near Peabody Place for chocolate then walk about a block north to grab a pizza pie at Aldo’s.

I try to publish these posts by 9 every morning, but this one was so chock full of news that I had to go into overtime. Back tomorrow with more.