Yesterday I wondered out loud on this blog how, on the last full day of winter, sunrise was 7:05 and sunset was 7:10 – shouldn’t there be exactly 12 hours of daylight on the spring equinox, which is today? MemphisWeather.net published a blog post yesterday answering the question. The equinox, the moment at which the sun passes over the equator heading north, is not always the same as the equilux, the day with 12 hours of daylight. The equilux varies by latitude, and in Memphis, it happened Wednesday, which came in just 9 seconds short of 12 hours of daylight.
The Memphis Tigers are done for the year, but what a way to go out in style, hanging with Gonzaga for the entire game before falling 82-78 in an incredible showdown. Memphis led by 10 at the half, and they held projected lottery pick Chet Holmgren to 9 points before he fouled out. Great season, Tigers!
Next up for Gonzaga: The fourth-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks, who took care of New Mexico State 53-48 in a defensive struggle yesterday.
Just a few days ago, there were analysts claiming that Tennessee was criminally underseeded at 3 and was better than all the 2 seeds in the tournament. NOPE! Tennessee got booted out of March Madness by 11 seed Michigan yesterday, 76-68. Underachievement: It’s simply in the Vols’ blood.
Memphis 901 FC got its first win of the season yesterday, defeating Oakland Roots SC 2-1. The soccer club plays two on the road next before returning to AutoZone Park April 13.
Cordelia’s Market made a post clarifying what is happening with its cafe, which will no longer offer its made-to-order menu. All your favorite foods will still be available in the hot box and grab & go. They’re adding sushi, made fresh daily, from Ace Sushi. They’ll also offer a larger selection of made-from-scratch entrees, salads, and desserts.
South Point Grocery on Webster Avenue now carries a selection of over 200 wines. They’re working on the proper permits – but don’t have them yet – for you to be able to drink the wine you purchase on their front porch.
Crawfish is back at Max’s Sports Bar today. The first batch comes off at noon. Get 1 pound for $12.50, 2 pounds for $21. A pound of hot boiled shrimp is $16. Corn, taters, and sausage are included in the price but not the weight.
Flying Fish’s crawfish are not as tasty as Max’s, but you can get them any day of the week and they posted a great deal yesterday: 4 pounds for $25. At some other Downtown restaurants, you get only 1 pound for $25.
Okay. Someone explain this. Spring starts tomorrow, Sunday, March 20. So it’s technically still winter. But according to Weatherbug, today’s sunrise is at 7:05 AM and sunset is 7:10 PM. How do we have a winter day that’s more than 12 hours long? I thought the days were supposed to be exactly 12 hours on the spring and fall equinoxes.
The Grizzlies fell to the Atlanta Hawks 120-105 yesterday. The Grizzlies remain a half game ahead of Golden State for second in the West.
Two of the three official watch parties for the Memphis Tigers vs. Gonzaga game tonight are Downtown: The Hyatt Centric (33 Beale) and Grind City Brewing Co. (76 Waterworks). Tip-off is 8:40 PM.
Let’s look ahead to Saturday’s NCAA tournament matchups of interest:
9 Memphis plays 1 Gonzaga at 8:40 Saturday on TBS. It’ll be a battle of lottery picks: Jalen Duren vs. Chet Holmgren. Hopefully it’ll be Penny’s coming-out party as an elite-level coach, someone as savvy as Calipari but without the sliminess.
12 New Mexico State plays 4 Arkansas at 7:40 on TNT. Looks like the Hogs have a relatively easy path to the second weekend.
At 4:15 we are all Wolverines fans as 11 Michigan plays 3 Tennessee on CBS. The Vols are an embarrassment to college athletics and it would be nice if Michigan sent them home from the tournament.
The Flyer reports that Paula & Raiford’s Disco now has its own beer and seltzer. She partnered with Grind City Brewing Co. and they produced Hollywood Hustle, a tribute to Paula’s dad, the late Robert Raiford. The beer is a classic, easy-to-drink American pilsner. Paula has a seltzer of her own, Disco Dynamite, a gin & juice seltzer. The new beverages will have a preview party Monday, March 21 at Grind City from 5:30 to 8:30 PM. The date is significant because that’s Paula’s birthday and the next day is the anniversary of Mr. Raiford’s death.
Charges have been filed in the February 1 2:20 AM shooting at Main and Peabody Place in which a man was injured, shot in the back of both legs.
The Golden State Warriors say Steph Curry is out indefinitely with a foot injury. There’s said to be “optimism” Steph will return in time for the playoffs – which means he’ll be out for the rest of the regular season. The Grizzlies hold a 1-game lead over Golden State for the 2-seed in the West and Steph’s absence increases the chance they’ll hold on to it.
Flava House has expanded to a second Downtown location, at 302 S. Main near the intersection of Pontotoc.
The Grizzlies play the Atlanta Hawks at 6:30 tonight on NBA TV.
That’s it for today. Happy to watch a day of NCAA tournament basketball where I don’t have to be for or against any team. Back tomorrow with more news.
Yesterday I visited Feast & Graze. You’ve probably heard of the company, known for making beautiful and delicious custom charcuterie boards that can be delivered to your door for your upcoming party or event. But did you know
Feast & Graze now has a brick-and-mortar location, at 55 S. Main, next to Ben-Yay’s. It’s part of the Open on Main initiative
They have a grab & go, convenient for Downtowners to stop and grab something to take back to their desk
They have small charcuterie boxes for one person, called the “Just For Me”
I got one of the Just For Me boxes yesterday and it was delicious. So much variety in that little box!
They gave me a sample of their goat cheese too.
Check out their in-store menu to see what you can get to go there. Also, the menu has the lineup of in-store sampling they’ll have next week, March 22-26, for their grand opening.
Carolina Watershed has a fun outdoor bar games event coming up this Sunday, March 20 from 1 to 6 PM. Put your team together and compete in
Volleyball
Flip Cup
Horseshoes
Beer Pong
Prizes will be awarded for first-place finishes. It’s nice to see bar games back in South Main and it’s great to see them organized by a different group of people. The previous bar games event in that part of Downtown had gotten old and stale.
ESPN has announced that one of its top personalities, Stephen A. Smith, and NBA Countdown will be headed to Memphis. They are set to be here the day after the Slipknot concert at FedExForum, which would put them here for the Wednesday, March 23 home game vs. Brooklyn. The Grizzlies’ winning record and the show put on by Ja Morant are drawing the team national attention.
From Action News 5: Memphis guard turned grad assistant, Willie Kemp, is using his tournament experience to help Penny’s Tigers
The Memphis Songwriters Series returns to the Halloran Centre tonight. Hosted by Mark Edgar Stuart, this month the series features Marcella Simien, Rachel Maxann, and Louise Page. The cost is $5.
Here’s this week’s lineup for the Thursday food truck rodeo in Court Square.
Bass Pro at the Pyramid will hold a hiring event from 10 AM to 7 PM Friday.
Wiseacre Downtown and pizza kitchen Little Bettie will open at 11 AM today with March Madness on the big screens.
Max’s Sports Bar has announced that it will open at 11 AM today through Sunday so its customers can get’em a heaping helping of March Madness. That’s where I’m headed this morning. I plan to be there by 11:15 so I can cheer for my friend’s team Michigan in the opening game. I will stick around to cheer for Memphis at 12:45 and Longwood at 1:45. They have DirecTV and 12 flat screens, so you don’t have to miss a minute of the action.
But that’s not all… from 5 to 6 this afternoon, Max’s will have $3 car bombs and $1 jello shots while they last.
Let’s see what other St. Patrick’s specials we’ve got going around Downtown:
Bardog will have car bombs, corned beef and cabbage, and Jameson specials all day long.
SIlky O’ Sullivan’s will rock out the patio all day long. The lineup:
Buddy Albert Nemenz 1-5
Dueling Pianos inside at 7
Even Odds on the patio 8-til
At Earnestine & Hazel’s, it’s not only St. Patrick’s Day, but also their birthday. They will open early at 1 PM with Chris Hill playing. $9.01 Soul Burger and beer specials.
Blind Bear will have St. Patrick’s specials today and March Madness specials all weekend. Today you can enjoy $5 Irish Whiskey, Guinness, Memphis Car Bombs, and Green Tea Shots. They’ll also have corned beef sandwiches today. They’ll open at 11 AM today through Sunday so you can watch March Madness. They’ll have game sound on until 7 PM, with $2 PBR, Bud, Bud Light, and Miller Lite when games are on.
Majestic Grille will have their famous fish & chips – normally a Friday-only special – today for St. Patrick’s Day.
Grind City Brewing Co. will open at noon with $3 pints of green Poppy’s Pils and $4 pints of Tiger Tail.
Soul & Spirits will have green beer all day. Irish food specials by the Smashed Eats food truck. Memphis Pipe Band will play the bagpipes at 7.
It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood! Actually, it’s been a beautiful 2022 in Downtown Memphis. I just didn’t realize how beautiful until yesterday.
Goodness and honesty and being genuine have driven wickedness out of our fair city.
I guess I can retire the troll now.
IYKYK.
On to the news… the Memphis Flyer has a look at Pontotoc Lounge’s newly-opened second floor. It’s a cozy, intimate dining space that offers the same menu as the downstairs.
Yesterday I learned that my favorite reality TV host, Jon Taffer of Bar Rescue, has a podcast. Can’t wait to give that a listen. Yesterday I watched Jon rescue a strip club on South Dix Street in Detroit. Its name was Chix on Dix. Jon made them change the name.
ESPN ranked the NCAA tournament’s field of 68 based on each team’s head coach’s basketball playing career. Guess who came in at number one?
Couple of notes from Daily Memphian subscriber-only stories:
Chef Joe Cartwright has returned to the kitchen of McEwen’s. He previously cooked there 2002-2005.
Trek Bicycle is closing its South Main location and its store at 3548 Walker Ave. will serve area customers.
The Grizzlies demolished the Indiana Pacers last night 135-102. Memphis remains a half game ahead of Golden State for second in the West.
The Senate unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act yesterday. It would make Daylight Time permanent beginning in 2023 – no more falling back to Standard Time the first Sunday of November. The measure still has to make it through the House. If the bill becomes law, Memphis’ earliest sunset would happen at 5:47 PM. I am one billion percent in support of this idea.
Food scientist Alton Brown comes to the Orpheum tonight.
Longtime readers of this blog may remember that I declared the first weekend of December 2017 a weekend of celebration. I hereby declare this weekend – let’s make it a long weekend, today through Monday – a WEEKEND OF CELEBRATION for very similar reasons. I plan on starting it off with a yummy lunch, a hidden gem of Downtown, in a few hours. Back tomorrow with more news and possibly a photo or two.
FiveThirtyEight has its March Madness predictions online, showing the probability every team has to win every round. Good news – the Memphis Tigers are a 54% favorite to beat Boise State Thursday. After that, the forecast is not so good.
There will be a team send-off today at the Laurie Walton Family Center at 1:15 today. Come out and wish the Tigers safe travel to Portland.
South Point Grocery announced that they plan to have wine on the shelves by the end of the week.
DJ 5-D returns to the lounge at Eight & Sand Friday from 9 to 1.
Weekly Food Truck Fridays return to Health Sciences Park beginning this Friday, March 18. They usually have a couple of food trucks and a DJ.
To celebrate March Madness, STIX is offering $5 Sake Slushies when you come in wearing the attire of your favorite team heading to the Big Dance.
Wiseacre Downtown is opening Thursday at 11 AM so you can watch all the games on the big screens. Wiseacre’s pizza kitchen Little Bettie has a new menu, and Wiseacre has a new beer, Love Light Passion Fruit Wit, a tribute to the song “Turn on Your Lovelight” by Bobby “Blue” Bland.
The Grizzlies play a road game at the Indiana Pacers tonight at 6. Ja Morant is said to be doubtful (back soreness) for the game.
South Main Trolley Night returns March 25. The shops and galleries of the South Main District will stay open late and it’s an opportunity to shop and mingle with your neighbors.
The CA has photos of Cane & Herb, a pop-up inside Stock & Belle (387 S. Main) that makes simple syrups.
1️⃣🏃 Memphis’ only ONE-mile road race is ONE month away!
The Regional One Health ONE-Mile Run/Walk will take place on Saturday, April 2 at 8am at the Regional One Health main campus!
The 2022 NCAA men’s basketball tournament bracket was revealed yesterday, and it was not long before Memphis’ name appeared. After four years, Penny is taking his Tigers to the Big Dance.
Memphis is seeded 9th in the West, set to play 8 seed Boise State at 12:45 PM Thursday on TNT. If the Tigers win that one, their reward Saturday will be…
Gonzaga. The number-one seed of the entire thing.
Penny, that’s your chance. Beat Gonzaga and no one will ever be able to say “he’s a great recruiter, but he can’t coach” again.
Also in the West region bracket: Arkansas, a 4 seed. They play 13 Vermont at 8:20 Thursday evening, also on TNT. It’s possible Arkansas and Memphis could meet in the round of 16.
Two more notable teams in the region: 2 Duke and 6 Alabama. That’s gonna be the Wild, Wild West for sure.
Other notes:
Kentucky is the 2 seed in the East. They face 15 St. Peter’s at 6:10 PM Thursday on CBS.
AAC champion Houston is the 5 seed in the South. They face 12 UAB Friday at 8:20 PM on TNT.
Thursday we are all 14 Longwood fans. They face 3 Tennessee at 1:45 PM on CBS.
LSU is the 6 seed in the Midwest. They meet 11 Iowa State Friday at 6:20 PM on TBS.
Auburn is the 2 seed in the Midwest. They will play 15 Jacksonville State Friday at 11:40 AM on truTV. Auburn and LSU could potentially meet in the round of 16.
SMU didn’t make it into the field.
When Tennessee’s matchup with Longwood was announced, the geriatric high school clique at the corner table at Max’s Sports Bar started hooting and making penis jokes (“long wood” – get it?) Let’s take a moment to learn more about Longwood. It’s located in Farmville, Virginia, and has a student enrollment of 5096. Its nickname is the Lancers. The Ramones have performed on its campus.
Lancers, I want you to know you’ll have a lot of people in Memphis cheering for you Thursday afternoon. Go make that 14/3 upset happen. I could not put it any more eloquently than the guy sitting next to me at the bar yesterday – “Fuck Tennessee.”
I have sad news to report to my fellow pro wrestling fans: “The Bad Guy” Scott Hall is scheduled to be taken off life support this morning once his family has gathered. Hall had been hospitalized for a week with a broken hip, and yesterday he had three heart attacks. Hall wrestled in the WWF as Razor Ramon. In WCW under his own name, he was one of the founding members of the nWo.
EMORFIK will bring heavy bass to Carolina Watershed on April 22. Tickets
River Time Market & Deli will be closed today.
Last week I mentioned that a Downtown bar had started charging customers separately for sales tax and liquor tax, rather than including them in the drink price, effectively increasing the cost to the consumer. Their justification was, “EVERYONE Downtown is starting to do it.” Well, since then I’ve done a little research, and found:
I visited Max’s Sports Bar yesterday, and they don’t do it
I have it on good authority that The Vault isn’t doing it
I’ve been to the Blind Bear multiple times and they don’t do it
So no, EVERYONE is not doing it. In fact, I’m curious if ANYONE Downtown other than one family of restaurants adopted the practice within the past three or so weeks.
The Shelby County Clerk’s Office is planning a new drive-thru location to renew licenses and tags. The hope is this would help reduce wait times. A friend of mine renewed his tags recently at the Downtown office and had to wait in line for two hours. In the past, the Downtown office has never been known for long waits.
Dillon the Villain is back and he led the Grizzlies to a 125-118 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Grizzlies remain in second place by a half game in the Western Conference.
The Brass Door will have an all-day-long St. Patrick’s Day celebration 11:00 AM-10:00 PM, with a cover starting at 2:00. Entertainment will include
Local violinist Alice Hansen at 3:00
Memphis Pipe Band at 4:30, followed by The Blessing of the Kegs
The Blackwater Trio at 6:00
A vigil was held last night for a teen shot Downtown last week.
StyleBlueprint recently talked with Tessa Blakney, owner of fashion boutique Silk N Honey at 6 West G.E. Patterson.
Russia struck a Ukrainian military base less than 10 miles from the border with Poland.
The Bugaloos will play a St. Patrick-palooza Thursday at 5 at Slider Inn Downtown.
Psymon Spine will perform a DJ set Saturday at 7 PM at Downtown Wiseacre. Free to attend.
Tin Roof hosts a St. Patty’s Crawfish Boil Saturday at 3 PM. Tickets are $25 and include all-you-can-eat crawfish, corn, and taters, plus a drink ticket for a draft beer of your choice. Live music by Adam McClelland and Ethan Willis. $25 is a very reasonable price for all-you-can-eat crawfish – some other places Downtown only give you one pound and no beer for that price.
Kids can fish in the kids’ catch & release pond at Bass Pro at the Pyramid Saturday and Sunday. Free photo download.
Vampire Poets Guild of Memphis (didn’t know that existed) hosts an evening of dark poetry at The Broom Closet Saturday.
Tom Brady has changed his mind about retirement. He’ll return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his age-45 season.
Perjorie T. Roll made a new friend at Max’s Sports Bar yesterday:
That’s it for this post. Back tomorrow with more news.
Last week I mentioned that some Downtown Memphis bars are now passing on sales tax and liquor tax costs on to the customers as line items rather than including them in the prices of drinks. It’s an effective 25 or so percent price increase. They hide behind the excuse “Everyone is doing it,” which is bullshit – not everyone is. Yesterday I was invited to meet someone at a bar that follows such practices, a bar I often frequent on Saturdays. I declined the offer. We gotta vote with our dollars and show bar owners how we feel.
A car got shot up near MLGW on Main Street about 1:30 this morning. A victim, said to be a teenager, was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
The Memphis Tigers finally lived up to their potential in an SMU game yesterday, beating the Mustangs 70-63. Memphis rolls on to the AAC tournament final today at 2:15 against Houston, which they beat in both regular-season games.
The Tigers remain an 8 seed in Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology. Of course, today is the reveal of the actual bracket – tune into Selection Sunday at 5 PM (or after the conclusion of the last tournament) on CBS.
Texas A&M pulled off another upset to advance to the SEC title game. Later yesterday afternoon, Tennessee beat Kentucky in the second semifinal. Aggies vs. Vols at noon on ESPN. Go Aggies!
Memphis 901 FC spent most of yesterday’s game short-handed after a first-half red card sent a man off the field. They lost to Pittsburgh 3-0.
The Grizzlies play a road game at Oklahoma City this evening at 6. Local TV coverage on Bally Sports Southeast. The DM reports that Dillon Brooks could play tonight. He has been out with an injury since early January.
Speaking of COVID, here’s a link to James Aycock’s COVID Week-in-Review. It’s mostly good news here in Shelby County, but he ends the thread with a warning: There’s a new COVID wave in Europe.
Russia-Ukraine news: The Russians are turning their attention to Lviv in western Ukraine not far from the border with Poland. Previously they had left that part of the country alone.
One last reminder that The Peanut Shoppe opens in its new location at 11 AM today! 121 S. Main.
The Memphis Tigers beat UCF in the quarterfinals of the AAC tournament last night, 85-69. Jalen Duren set a tournament record with 20 rebounds. Today at 4:00, Memphis has a chance for sweet revenge against SMU, who beat the Tigers in both regular-season games. The game will be on ESPN2.
In the other AAC semifinal, Tulane will take on Houston at 2:00. That game will be on ESPN2 as well.
The SEC semifinals kick off at noon today with Texas A&M vs. Arkansas on ESPN. The Aggies sent top seed Auburn home from the tournament early yesterday.
The second SEC semi is set for 2:00 with Kentucky taking on Tennessee, also on ESPN. Today will be a rare day when I root for a Calipari-led team.
Joe Lunardi Bracketology updates after yesterday’s games:
Memphis has moved up to a projected 8 seed. Any doubt they’d be in the field was erased with last night’s win
Auburn’s loss yesterday wasn’t enough to knock it off the 2-seed line
Texas A&M got into Next Four Out with its upset of Auburn
Arkansas is a 4 seed
Tennessee is a 3 seed
Kentucky is a 2 seed
Memphis’ opponent today, SMU, is listed as Last Four In, projected to be in a play-in matchup with Wyoming for a 12 seed
The Grizzlies came back in the fourth quarter to score a win against the New York Knicks, 118-114. Memphis remains in second in the Western Conference by half a game over the Golden State Warriors.
On to non-basketball news: Memphis in May has announced that The Spin Doctors will play Friday night at BBQ Fest after the ancillary awards are handed out.
I heard through the grapevine that Harbor Town may be the home of some yumminess soon. It’s a name that’s already familiar.
Due to sanctions put in place because of the Ukraine invasion, U.S. aircraft manufacturers like Boeing will no longer be able to supply airplane parts or maintenance to Russian airlines, CNN reports. That will cripple the Russian airline industry in about a year’s time. Imagine having to drive from Moscow to Vladivostok (4000 miles) because planes are no longer reliable.
There will be a rally in the alley for Memphis 901 FC next to Brass Door today beginning at 3 PM. Memphis’ soccer club hosts the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the season opener at 6.
Leanne Morgan brings her Big Panty Tour to the Orpheum today with 4:00 and 7:00 shows. Tickets are $29.75-$49.75.
Daaaang… here’s a troubling statistic… last year, only 14% of second-graders in Shelby County could read at their grade level.
Set your clocks forward before going to bed tonight. Daylight Time returns tomorrow morning.
That’s all for now. In the process of deciding if I want to walk all the way to Max’s Sports Bar to watch all the games. Back tomorrow with more news.
A new event called the Memphis Tequila & TacoFest will happen in Court Square Saturday, March 26 from 2 to 6 PM. The event is organized by the Tennessee Bone Marrow Foundation. Your ticket ($25) will include 8 tequila tastings, gift bags, a live performance, and a performance by K97 DJ Houston. Taco vendors Mexico in Memp and TACOnganas will be on site.
Construction begins this spring on the interchange at I-55 and Crump. The plan is to separate highway traffic from interstate traffic, and eliminate situations where drivers have to take a winding, single-lane exit to remain on the interstate.
AAC tournament: 3-seed Memphis takes on 6-seed UCF tonight at 8 in the quarterfinals. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.
The Grizzlies are also in action tonight, playing the New York Knicks at FedExForum at 7. That game will be broadcast on NBAtv.
Chicago soul DJ Ayana Contreras plays Central Station Hotel Saturday at 9 PM.
The Friday daytime bartender at Silly Goose, who is a huge Arkansas fan (there’s a video of her calling the Hogs on Facebook), has assured me she’ll put the Arkansas vs. LSU game on TV with sound. It’s on ESPN this afternoon at 1:00.
Carolina Watershed will host the Bluff City Blues & Crawfish Festival Saturday, April 16. $10 general admission. $50 VIP admission includes all you can eat & drink.
Hard Rock Cafe has announced a limited-time Messy Burger in partnership with Leo Messi. Beef, cheese, chorizo, red onions, smoky sauce, lettuce, tomato, and a fried egg on top.
If there’s grass on the field, play ball! Major League Baseball owners and players have reached a tentative agreement. The full 162-game season will be preserved and Opening Day looks to be April 7, only a week later than originally planned.
Central Station Hotel seeks a Director of Sales & Marketing. The successful candidate will lead a sales team, rep the hotel’s brand around the world, and create effective campaigns.
Come by Earnestine & Hazel’s after the St. Patrick’s Day parade Saturday for
$9.01 beer + Soul Burger
$3 Jello shots / 2 for $5
$5 green tea shots
Giveaways
Cordelia’s Market now carries Comeback Coffee coffee soda.
MemphisWeather.net’s latest on the forecast for today:
Winter’s last gasp arrives today! ❄️ Clouds and north wind increase with temps peaking in the low 50s at noon then falling to the mid 30s by sunset. Afternoon rain chances then snow this evening, some heavy. 1-2″ on everything but roads by midnight. HRRR model 4pm-12am shown 👇 pic.twitter.com/qzutLdDisf
Memphis Made Brewing Co. has brought back limited-release Zambodian IPA Prince Mango just in time for spring. This time they canned it, so it will be available where beer is sold around Shelby County.
