Month: November 2022

Announcers Pete Pranica and Brevin Knight logged an assist last night as the Grizzlies beat San Antonio. When the clock failed to start, they threw off the headsets and alerted the officials. Thanks for the help, guys!

Treasure hunters are finding Civil War artifacts as the Mississippi River reaches record lows Downtown.

COGIC announced the construction of 20 affordable housing units Downtown at its convocation yesterday.

Amy LaVere, Will Sexton, and Wyly Bigger headline this month’s Memphis Songwriters Series hosted by Mark Edgar Stuart tonight at the Halloran Centre.

Next door at the Orpheum, Champions of Magic perform tonight and tomorrow. (Not to be confused with Butch Jones’ 2016 Tennessee Vols football team, who were Champions of Life.)

Normally I’m a fan of all things Mountain Dew, but their new fruitcake flavor? I can’t go for that. No can do.

Bogie’s Deli posted an update, and it’s not what fans of that restaurant hoped to read. Brinkley Plaza management hoped to have electricity restored by this week, following an October 1 water main break that flooded the building. However, that timeline has not been met and it’s now looking more like late November or early December. The deli assured its customers that it will be back when the time is right.

In better lunch news: Miss Helen at Local on Main is cooking an entire turkey for lunch today. It comes with two sides and you can get it from 12 to 3.

Those of you who work for ALSAC or St. Jude, look for the Grecian Gourmet food truck on your campus for lunch every Wednesday.

Today is Sesame Street Day. It premiered 8 days before I did. Oscar was orange back then…

OH FOR FUCK’S SAKE… Legislation filed to criminalize public drag performances in Tennessee. Can this state possibly be any more backward? I’ll admit I’m not a huge fan of drag shows, but that doesn’t give me the right to stop other people from enjoying them. And I don’t see ANYTHING wrong with letting children be around drag queens.

Get the winter coats ready. Memphis is expected to hit freezing Sunday morning and maybe Monday.

Corey Smith plays Loflin Yard tonight.

Cheley Tackett plays South Main Sounds Saturday at 7.

The Metal Museum holds a holiday artist market Saturday.

The former Family Dollar on Main will be converted into apartments with commercial space in the ground floor and basement,

The CA has a list of Memphis restaurants open on Thanksgiving in Memphis.

Let’s have a look at college football games this weekend of interest to local Memphians. Games are on Saturday unless otherwise noted:

• Tulsa at Memphis, 6:30 PM Thursday, ESPN
• Indiana at 2 Ohio State, 11:00 AM, FOX
• Missouri at 5 Tennessee, 11:00 AM, CBS
• 7 LSU at Arkansas, 11:00 AM, ESPN
• 20 Notre Dame at Navy, 11:00 AM, ABC
• Vanderbilt at Kentucky, 11:00 AM, SEC Network
• UMass at Arkansas State, 2:00 PM, ESPN3
• Nebraska at 3 Michigan, 2:30 PM, ABC
• 9 Alabama at 11 Ole Miss, 2:30 PM, CBS
• 22 UCF at 17 Tulane, 2:30 PM, CBS
• 1 Georgia at Mississippi State, 6:00 PM, ESPN
• 25 Washington at 6 Oregon, 6:00 PM, FOX
• 4 TCU at 18 Texas, 6:30 PM, ABC
• Texas A&M at Auburn, 6:30 PM, SEC Network

That UCF-Tulane game could very likely determine which Group of Five school makes it to a New Year’s Six bowl this year. Looking at bowl projections, it appears that bowl would be the Cotton Bowl. The Peach and Fiesta are the CFP playoff bowls this year.

You may wonder why I listed Big Ten vs. unranked games (Ohio State and Michigan) as games of interest to Memphians. That’s because it is imperative that the current CFP top 4 teams win out and keep 5 Tennessee out of the playoffs. Besides, I do have readers (Randy & Theresa and possibly Jason) who are Big Ten fans.

That’ll do it for today! Back tomorrow with more news.

I tried something new at Moonshine Monday at the Blind Bear yesterday. This is a Razzle Dazzle shot, consisting of Ole Smoky Blue Razz moonshine (the razzle) and a piece of pineapple that had been smoked in moonshine (the dazzle).

Note that Blue Razz is not the same as the 128-proof Blue Flame moonshine. Blue Razz is actually tasty. I’d rather drink Malort or tequila or Jager or Coors Light than ever take another Blue Flame again.

You can’t fix stupid: Customer calls police over “pink pork” at historic Raleigh, NC BBQ joint. The pink is a sign it was cooked slow and low, the proper way.

Memphis Made Brewing Co. will hold MALTED, their annual dark beer festival, at their Cooper-Young taproom Saturday, November 19 from 1 to 10 PM. They have some special beers brewed up and they will be unveiled throughout the festival. The Stick’em food truck will be onsite. Live music by San Salidas and HEELS. The first 100 customers get a souvenir glass.

Today is Election Day, of course, but it’s also National Harvey Wallbanger Day. Everyone should have a few Wallbangers before they go vote. If they did, I bet we’d end up with Prince Mongo as our mayor.

The Grizzlies lost 109-106 to Boston last night.

The Tigers beat Vandy on the road, 76-67.

The DM’s Jennifer Biggs has a first look at Penny’s Nitty Gritty, the new restaurant in the Westin.

Developer Chance Carlisle says the Grand Hyatt is dead.

Active duty military and veterans get free throwing at Civil Axe Throwing Friday.

From ABC 24: A new bakery, 350 Baked, brings vegan and non-vegan options Downtown. Their grand opening will be on the afternoon of Saturday the 19th. They’re at 18 N. Second.

So yesterday I had lunch with my Wed-Thur-Fri bartender Jessica, Butt Slut #1, and Downtown’s resident astrology expert. I saw an opportunity to get a question answered that has long been on my mind.

“Scorpio runs from October 23 to November 22,” I said. “My birthday is November 18. How long is a cusp? Is 5 days away too far to be on the Scorpio-Sagittarius cusp?”

“Well, if you’re 1 or 2 days out, you almost definitely are,” said our expert. “But 5 days out, it’s more subjective. Do you identify with a lot of Sagittarius traits?”

“No, not at all,” I replied. “I identify heavily with Scorpio traits. And my chart backs that up. Not only is Scorpio my sun sign, but my moon and three planets (Mercury, Venus, and Pluto) are in Scorpio.”

Our expert replied that I’m not on the cusp, and that I have what’s known as a stellium in Scorpio, where three or more planets are in the same house (counting the sun and moon, I have five). That means I am particularly influenced by that sign. Interesting!

That’s it. Back tomorrow.

I know, I know… I said I was taking the day off from posting. But I just can’t stay away from this blog.

The Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team hits the road to Nashville today to open the regular season at Vanderbilt. According to gotigersgo.com, TV coverage will be on SEC Network+. I didn’t even know that network had a “plus” level. Crap, I guess that means it won’t be on TV at the bars tonight.

Speaking of basketball on TV at bars: Can someone who is a smart TV genius PLEASE come to Blind Bear and help them figure out how to tune into Bally Sports Southeast? The TV had the Bally Sports app when they first got it, but one day it disappeared. We’re missing our Grizzlies!!!

There was a report of a group of 40 people fighting near the First Horizon building at B.B. King and Madison shortly after midnight. WTF? That’s a random place to have a fight.

The 114th COGIC Holy Convocation kicks off tomorrow in Downtown Memphis. Curious what happens at a holy convocation? Download the program guide.

PRO TIP for those of you who live or work in the northern Downtown core/the Pinch District/St. Jude: In the past, when the COGIC convocation has been in town, a lot of food vendors have set up shop on Exchange Ave. between Main and Second. Interesting lunch options, especially if you love soul food.

With their win last night, the Grizzlies (7-3) find themselves in sole possession of third place in the Western Conference. They host the Boston Celtics at 8 tonight.

Feelin’ Memphis’s Lovin and Livin South Main party is tonight from 5:30 to 8:30.

The annual Howl at the Moon party, a fundraiser for Streetdog Foundation, returns to The Warehouse at Front and G.E. Patterson this Saturday. That is always a fun event.

Corey Smith plays Loflin Yard Thursday night.

There’s Santa Claus Bingo at Grind City Brewing today from 5-8 PM.

JD Westmoreland plays Local on Main 1-4 Saturday.

Memphis 901 FC’s owner Craig Unger recently weighed in on the possibility of the club getting its own soccer stadium.

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

Tomorrow is the beginning of Downtown Dining Week, where you can enjoy some incredible multi-course meals at fabulous restaurants for $20.22. I’ve been through all the menus and my picks for the best spots are below. First, though, a few tips to help you, as well as other diners and people serving you, have the best experience possible:

If you can’t make a reservation, call and cancel it. Don’t just not show up. No-showing a reservation is rude to both the restaurant and to fellow diners who could have had that empty table.

Be patient with your servers. Many restaurants will be booked solid this week, and servers will be running around trying to keep up. Be understanding if it takes them an extra couple of minutes to get you what you need.

Tip well. A lot of places Downtown add 20% to the bill (it’s called autogratting) just to make sure servers are well-compensated in this post-pandemic era. Ask your server if their restaurant does this. If not, please add 20% or more to your bill. In this day and age when everyone has a calculator on their phone, there’s really no excuse for not knowing what a good tip is.

All right! On to the picks.

• Arcade: Breakfast for dinner and drink specials! Get the Elvis sandwich (peanut butter and banana) as your appetizer.
• Automatic Slim’s: That ribeye topped with Old Dominick sweet bourbon butter sounds amazing. They have some yummy appetizers too.
• Edge Alley: Smoked pimiento appetizer followed by fresh panzanella loaded with blackened shrimp. Creative!
• Feast & Graze: 2 sandwiches 2 sides for $20.22 is a heck of a value. Perfect for you and a co-worker to bring back to the office.
• Majestic Grille: You can always count on Patrick & Deni to knock it out of the park for Downtown Dining Week.
• Mesquite Chop House: The barramundi and the New Zealand lamb sound interesting.
• Rendezvous: Sampler platter for 2 comes with beef brisket, pork shoulder, sliced BBQ chicken strips, beans, and slaw. Good way to explore several of this legendary restaurant’s offerings.
• Sabor Caribe: Excellent opportunity to try a variety of Venezuelan foods for a reasonable price. I’m going to call this my number-one overall Paul’s Pick.
• Slider Inn Downtown: Argentinian-style sliders have my curiosity piqued. You get an app of fried pickles too.
• Slim & Husky’s: Two signature pizzas for $20.22 is quite a deal. Probably my number-two pick behind Sabor. The Edge District is stepping up for DDW this year.
• South of Beale: A curry item on the menu? Speakin’ my language! The Jack & Coke – a dessert not a drink – sounds interesting too.
• Stix: Ginger salad, either the Riverside or Downtown sushi roll, and teriyaki chicken or hibachi shrimp for $20.20. That’s a good value.
• Westy’s: I’d have trouble deciding between the #4 Dos Mex Tamales and the 4 rib basket. One thing’s for sure, though, if I chose the rib basket, the tots would be my side item.

So there you have it. Many outstanding options to try new things this week.

On an unrelated note: CONGRATULATIONS to my friends Randi & Robert who are getting married today. Two of the nicest people I know and I am honored to be included in their celebration.

Unless there’s time-sensitive news, I’ll probably take tomorrow off from posting. Back Tuesday.

Happy College Football Saturday everyone!

The big news Downtown this morning is that there was a fire yesterday around 11 AM in the 99 N. Main apartment building. It was contained to one unit, and although there was considerable smoke, MFD quickly put it out. I was talking to a resident of the building last night and he was concerned that the elevators would be out all weekend, leaving him with a 20+ flight walk up the stairs to get home. I can’t imagine…

Cocozza, the red sauce Italian restaurant in Harbor Town, is hiring

• Servers
• Bartenders
• Expos
• Cooks

They’ll have open interviews from 1 to 4 PM Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of next week. If you can’t make any of those times, you can apply online. 108 Harbor Town Square is the address. Benefits include health, dental, vision, paid time off, and paid training. For those not familiar with the Cocozza name, it’s the Majestic Grille’s sister restaurant. So you’d be working for Patrick and Deni Reilly, two of the kindest and most caring bosses you’ll find in the Downtown service industry.

Central Station Hotel is now hiring for the following positions with AM and PM shifts available:

• Line cooks
• Hosts
• Bartenders
• Servers
• Backservers

Benefits for these jobs include

• Competitive pay
• Health, vision, and dental insurance
• Opportunity for growth
• Hilton travel benefits
• Paid time off for all positions
• 401(k) with employer matching
• Employee referral bonus program

Email dstephens@centralstationmemphis.com to apply. Thrillist has an article about the hotel, by the way.

Pints for Proceeds: Every time you drink a Coors Light at Blind Bear during the month of November, Ajax (the beer’s distributor in Memphis) will make a donation to St. Jude.

Today is National Wine Tasting Day.

Quote from a tourist I talked to yesterday: “Malort tastes like a 1970s shag rug that got flooded and then dried out.”

Tip from a bartender I talked to yesterday: Get a Bushwacker frozen drink at the Green Beetle and add a shot of banana pudding moonshine. Or a shot of Skrewball peanut butter whiskey. Or both.

The South Main Association will hold its final South Main Social of 2022 Tuesday. It will be at 6 PM at Jack Robinson Gallery at 44 Huling. Complimentary cocktails and light fare will be served. There will be nominations for the 2023 SMA board of directors. Free for SMA members, $20 for non-members. (Join the SMA here)

This Thursday at the Memphis Tigers football home game, it’ll be Wrestling Night. Jerry Lawler, Lex Luger, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, Dave Brown, “Dangerous” Doug Gilbert, Downtown Bruno, Koko B. Ware, and Jerry Calhoun will be there. There’ll be wrestling in Tiger Lane at 5:30 followed by the game at the Liberty Bowl at 6:30.

Lex Luger? Now that’s a name I didn’t expect to pop up at a Memphis wrestling event. He does have a Memphis connection though. Under his real name, Larry Pfohl, he played for the USFL’s Memphis Showboats in the mid-1980s.

The Grizzlies beat the Charlotte Hornets 130-99 last night. That puts Memphis in 4th place in the Western Conference, half a game back from league leaders Portland, Phoenix, and Utah. Next up for the Grizz: A home game vs. Washington at 5 PM tomorrow.

GO DAWGS!!!!! Back tomorrow with more news.

The Grizzlies are back from their road trip out west. They host the Charlotte Hornets tonight at 7 at FedExForum. Tonight is Military Appreciation Night and the first 10,000 fans get a Grizzlies magnet schedule.

The CA’s Jennifer Chandler has lunch and dinner picks for Downtown Dining Week next week.

The CA also has photos of new restaurant Penny’s Nitty Gritty.

Advice for owners/managers of Downtown restaurants that automatically add a 20% gratuity to guest checks: You need to PROMINENTLY display that fact near your front door next week, where customers CAN’T MISS seeing it. If you don’t, I guarantee you are going to have a lot of heated arguments about it.

Elevation Memphis and Jamie Lynn Vessels play South Main Sounds tonight at 7.

Cognac Cars & Cigars happens tomorrow at Fourth Bluff Park from 5 to 9 PM.

Happy National Chicken Lady Day to my friend Tawanda Pirtle!

Finally, The Rock has come back to WMC.

UPS is hiring 450 seasonal workers.

Fieldaze, a festival celebrating the great outdoors, returns this weekend.

I think I’ve mentioned Quora on here before. It’s a website where anyone can ask a question and anyone can answer a question, This morning I received an invitation to join their Partner Program and get paid to write answers. Pretty excited about that. I’ve been on kind of a “fall break” from writing (other than this blog) for about 2 months and Quora could be just what I need to get back into a groove.

Too bad Bardog doesn’t have a partner program where I can get paid for drinking PBR, because that’s my plan for today. Back tomorrow with more news.

 

 

 

The DM’s Inked column reports that Ferraro’s Pizza in the Pinch District will open under a new name, Cheesy Corner. Its main focus will be grilled cheese sandwiches, although the restaurant will still offer simple pizzas.

Al Kapone will perform a live DJ set at Wiseacre Downtown Friday, November at 5:30 PM.

Your Christmas tree can serve you beer. Yes that’s a thing.

The jukebox at Bardog has been fixed.

I deleted the Weatherbug app from my iPhone and now I come home each night with 30 to 40 percent more battery life. It’s a shame, because that is a great app. Too bad it’s such a battery hog.

Today is National Sandwich Day. I recommend you celebrate it with my friends Pam and Bill at River Time Deli on Court Square.

A new canopy which will be the centerpiece of Tom Lee Park is being installed this week.

The Grand Hyatt, a 350-room hotel planned for the corner of Riverside and Beale, is once again on hold. The city of Memphis declined a $5 million request for capital to keep the project moving.

A site called GoSslo has a good article about The Peanut Shoppe.

The PRVLG play a happy hour concert in Health Sciences Park today at 5. Food trucks and a mobile bar will be on site.

Every year I hear people get this wrong, so let’s summarize:

• We are currently, like, as of the time I’m typing this, on Central Daylight Time.
• Sunday at 2:00 AM our clocks will “fall back” to 1:00 AM.
• Then it will be Central Standard Time and will remain so until the second Sunday in March.

In other words, we are not switching TO Daylight Time this weekend. We are switching OUT of it.

Just walked to Walgreens and noticed a real estate agency’s sign on the Fat Tuesday location that has yet to open. Does that mean it’s not happening?

That’s it for today.

I was told about the neatest-sounding party yesterday, and one that is perfect for fall weather: A chili dump. Everyone brings a pot of chili, and they all dump it into one big pot and mix it up. Why have I never heard of this before?

…. And then, the day after the chili dump, you have a second chili dump in the privacy of your own bathroom.

Congratulations are in order for our friend, bluesman Eric Hughes. I was told yesterday that Eric will get his Brass Note on Beale Street Sunday, November 13 at 2:00 PM. Well-deserved and a bit overdue.

Grizzlies on national TV alert: They play a road game at Portland with a 9 PM tip. It will be on ESPN.

There will be a free salsa class at River Garden from 6 to 7 PM Saturday. You don’t need dance experience or a partner to participate.

Wiseacre Downtown will host the Grind City Coffee Xpo this Saturday from 9 AM to 3 PM. Tickets are $25-$35 and proceeds benefit Protect Our Aquifer. WKNO has info about the event.

One of the FCC commissioners wants to ban TikTok. He says the Chinese company is a threat to U.S. national security.

The Brooklyn Nets fired head coach Steve Nash yesterday.

The Memphis Veterans Day parade will return on November 11 after a couple of years off for COVID. The parade will gather at Second and Market at 9 AM.

Let’s have a look at college football games of interest to Memphians this Saturday

• Florida at Texas A&M, 11:00 AM, ESPN
• 1 Tennessee at 3 Georgia, 2:30 PM, CBS
• 25 UCF at Memphis, 2:30 PM, ESPN2
• Liberty at Arkansas, 3:00 PM, SEC Network
• 6 Alabama at 10. LSU, 6:00 PM, ESPN
• 24 Texas at 13 Kansas State, 6:00 PM, FS1
• 4 Clemson at Notre Dame, 6:30 PM, NBC/Peacock
• Auburn at Mississippi State, 6:30 PM, ESPN2
• 21 Wake Forest at 22 NC State, 7:00 PM, ACC Network

GO DAWGS!

That’s it for this morning. Tomorrow is run-errands day so the post may be a bit late or pushed until Friday.

I had a cheese quesadilla at the Blind Bear yesterday and it was really good. Probably the best quesadilla I’ve had since I’ve been down here. I don’t think it’s on the current printed menu, but they have them.

Cheers to Memphis 901 FC on their best season yet. They were eliminated by Tampa Bay in the second round of the playoffs Sunday.

Not a Downtown thing, except it kinda is because Historical Haunts and The Broom Closet are listed as hosts: There will be a Yule Masquerade Ball at Black Lodge on the afternoon of Saturday, December 10.

Harvest Hosts plans to pay to send someone on a two-year tour of breweries and distilleries across America.

Primas Bakery and Boutique is hosting a gingerbread house decorating party Sunday, December 11.

Chinese Connection Dub Embassy plays Wiseacre Downtown Saturday night.

Blue Man Group is at the Orpheum today and tomorrow.

It’s National Cinnamon Day, a day to celebrate the bartender who works Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday happy hour at Blind Bear.

Breakfast with Santa at the Memphis Fire Museum on Adams returns December 10.

New Twitter owner Elon Musk plans to start charging users $20 a month if they want to keep that blue “Verified” check mark.

The Grizzlies dropped to 4-3 with a loss to Utah last night. They’re now tied for 6th-7th-8th in the West.

That’s it for today. I hope everyone survived Halloween. Back tomorrow.