Month: December 2022

The short-handed Grizzlies (with Ja, Des, and JJJ sitting the game out) handled the Miami Heat last night, 101-93. The win notches the Grizzlies up to 3rd place in the Western Conference. More good news – conference leader Phoenix lost its last game, putting the Grizz only one game out of 1st.

Next up: Memphis hosts the Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday night at 7.

Action News 5 reports that Ja Morant is about to join LeBron, The Greek Freak, CP3, and Luka in the club of NBA players who have their own signature Nike shoe.

LOL that reminds me of when I was a sophomore in college, and my roommate was going on and on about how people who wear NBA player signature shoes are materialistic and absorbed in the culture of “havin’ stuff.” I promptly drove to the Mall of Memphis and bought a pair of Air Jordans just to piss him off. Those were great shoes.

Congrats to the Memphis Medical District Collaborative, which turns 7 years old this month. Read the collaborative’s report on what it accomplished in 2022.

Reminds me… stay tuned to this blog, because we have another, HUGE birthday announcement coming up soon.

Want to go out and experience the Downtown Memphis nightlife, but don’t want to get a DUI on the way home? No probs, the Blind Bear’s got you. They now carry Heineken 0.0 and non-alcoholic wine.

The Memphis Tigers play UALR at FedExForum tonight at 7. I remember my days at Little Rock Hall High when we called UALR “University of Absolute Last Resort.” Little Rock is a fantastic town but I had to get out. I could not have been my own true self there.

Deck the Hall Ball Tour comes to the Orpheum Wednesday. Camino, Andy Grammer, Dermot Kennedy.

We have reached the time of year when the sunset in Memphis is at its absolute earliest (4:47).

There’s a Holiday Open House at Cordelia’s Market Wednesday from 5:30-7:30. Come enjoy holiday cheer and treats from these vendors:

Dancing Peppers Salsa
Las Delicias
Boars Head
Chef Flavas
Muddy’s Bakeshop
Oh Grate
Thistle and Bee
Wolf River Popcorn
Imagine Vegan
Tom’s Tiny Kitchen
Elise Dessert Company
Made from Scratch
Flipside Asia
Sovereign Tea
Kaye’s Pints & Scoops
Beer – Cross Town Brewery
Wine – Athens Distributing

The Memphis Flyer’s Memphis Holiday Cocktail Spirits Festival is at The Kent, the event space at Keel and N. Front, Friday from 6 to 9. Your ticket includes 12 sample-sized cocktails and proceeds benefit Volunteer Memphis.

Devil Train plays Memphis Clover Club Saturday night.

There will be a Wine & Design event this Saturday at Feast & Graze at 55 S. Main. Wine tasting, charcuterie boards. Design your own wine bottle and take it home.

Pentatonix: A Christmas Spectacular comes to FedExForum Saturday.

The deadline to get a REAL ID for air travel has been pushed to May 7, 2025. Thanks, COVID!

That’s it for today. Back tomorrow with a special announcement.

I’m going to start off this post with something I don’t think I’ve ever done before: a soup recommendation!

Red pozole, a traditional Mexican soup, has been on Bardog’s special board for about a week now. Yesterday curiosity got to me and I ordered a cup.

OMG it was this huge hunk of flavorful pork in a red broth. There was so much pork in that little cup that I thought for a minute I was at BBQ Fest. Is there an ancillary competition for soup?

It’ll probably roll off the special board soon, so if you want to try it, I recommend going by Bardog today. If this were a permanent menu item, I’d email Jennifer Biggs of the Daily Memphian and recommend it for an “under $10 deal” food column.

WTF… Rice, traditionally the worst program in D-1 college football, made it to a bowl this year? They’re usually so bad that even Vanderbilt could beat them. They play Southern Miss in the LendingTree Bowl on December 17.

The projection held up and it’s Arkansas vs. Kansas in the Liberty Bowl at 5:30 on Wednesday, December 28. As I said yesterday, no fan base travels better than the Hogs. And Kansas is a huge party school, from what I’ve heard. That week is going to be a blast.

As for Memphis, they’re headed to the First Responder Bowl in Dallas on December 27. Their opponents will be the Aggies of Utah State.

Today is Bathtub Party Day.

If you’re looking to stay out late while Santa visits your house on Christmas Eve night, the Blind Bear has plans for you. It’ll be DJ Tree’s birthday party with Mylon, dudecalledrob, Saint, and Taz. 10 PM to 2 AM.

There was an unwanted musical performance at Blind Bear this past Saturday. Nate sang an entire One Direction song at the bar. “That was as loud as it was terrible,” I told Nate.

“Now I’m sad Nate,” he replied. “You won’t like sad Nate.”

“I sure would like quiet Nate,” I responded.

The Grizzlies defeated Detroit on the road yesterday, 122-112. Next up: at home vs. Miami tonight, 7:00.

The Colorado Buffaloes poached Coach Prime from Jackson State.

The Trumpster wants to end parts of the Constitution. This is some Josef Stalin-level shit, y’all.

I really enjoyed brunch at Bardog yesterday. I haven’t done an extended stay there on a Sunday in a while. It’s the one place left Downtown where the Sunday brunch crowd still feels like family. Every other place since the pandemic, the crowd has become so random. Too much of a restaurant crowd and not enough of a bar crowd.

It’s a foggy Monday. I just looked out of my living room window and I can’t see the I-55, Big River Crossing, and Frisco bridges.

I guess that’ll do it. Back tomorrow if I can scrounge up any news to report.

It’s college football bowl selection Sunday, and there are several questions to be answered!

Where will Memphis (6-6) go? The Bleacher Report article I just read projects the Tigers are headed to Shreveport to play UConn in the Independence Bowl two days before Christmas.

Who will play in the Liberty Bowl on Wednesday, December 28? Bleacher Report has an awesome projection: Arkansas vs. Kansas. No team’s fans travel better than the Hogs. Memphis is gonna be awesome the last week of December if that projection holds.

Will TCU get into the CFP? They were ranked #3 last week but lost the Big 12 title game to Kansas State. BUT: The score was close (31-28) and TCU’s only loss was to a top-10 team. If the committee slots two-loss Bama at #4 ahead of TCU, it’ll look like the good ol’ boy system is fully in play. Plus you’d have two same-conference matchups in the semis. I’d like to see the Horned Frogs remain at 3, giving us Georgia-Ohio State and Michigan-TCU.

The Grizzlies are on the road today at 5 vs. the Detroit Pistons. TV will be Bally Sports Southeast.

Ja Morant has been fined $35,000 for confronting a game official and for failing to leave the court in a timely manner after being ejected Friday.

The basketball Memphis Tigers put away Ole Miss 68-57 in a game that was never close. The Tigers improve to 6-2 and are looking like a 6-7 seed NCAA tournament team. Next up: They host Little Rock on Tuesday.

It is with great sadness that I report that Blue’s Clues and YOU! Live at the Orpheum, scheduled for Tuesday, has been canceled.

There’s a performance of Clara & The Nutcracker this afternoon at the Cannon Center.

The St. Jude Marathon and related races raised more than $12 million for the kids yesterday.

The 2022 Memphis Holiday Parade is set for Beale Street at 3 Saturday.

There’s a regional futsal showcase at the Renasant Convention Center this coming weekend. What is futsal? It’s like soccer, but on a smaller pitch and generally played indoors. Put it this way… if soccer was a goose, futsal would be a duck. If soccer was a rat, futsal would be a mouse. If soccer was a kangaroo, futsal would be a wallaby.

A bunch of third-shifters who work for a large industrial company have been talking to the Bardog staff about opening early Saturday for their Christmas party. So don’t be surprised if you get there at 11 Saturday morning and find the place already packed. They are SUPER nice people; it’s just that there are a lot of them.

So I’ll probably miss 2 Saturdays at Bardog in a row (I missed yesterday due to runners crowding the place). Hmmm… should I use today as a make-up Bardog day? Maybe I’ll text Dani and see if she’s working the upstairs or downstairs bar today. Of course, going to see Dani means I’ll also see Butt Slut #1. Dani is seen without Butt Slut #1 about as often as Corey Haim was seen in ’80s movies without Corey Feldman.

Back tomorrow or whenever there’s more Downtown news to report.

Today is “Lots Going On” day in Downtown Memphis. Here’s a summary:

• St. Jude Marathon, half-marathon, 10K, 5K, and kids’ race. The first runners depart at 7:00 and people will be running through Downtown and Midtown into the early afternoon
• Netherlands vs. USA in the World Cup knockout round of 16 at 9:00 AM. Many Downtown bars are opening early for the match and the runners: Brass Door (6:30), Bardog (8:00), Blind Bear (8:30), Max’s Sports Bar (8:30), Silly Goose (9:00)
• College football conference championship games on TV all day. See my Wednesday post for a summary
• Dear Evan Hansen at the Orpheum, 2:00 and 8:00 performances
• The Memphis Tigers host Ole Miss at FedExForum tonight at 6:30. It’s a white-out – wear white if you’re attending. The first 5000 fans get a Memphis rally towel. National TV: ESPN2
• The annual Stumbling Santa pub crawl. Every year 1000 Santas meet up at Flying Saucer (7 PM) and stumble to various bars around Downtown

My point is, I don’t recommend driving Downtown today, especially before noon. If you have to, prepare to be frustrated and allow extra, extra time.

I see the Tigers-Ole Miss game as a barometer game for Memphis, one that will offer a hint as to how the rest of this season will go. A win and we’re good. A loss and we’ll find ourselves fighting for an 11 seed in the NCAA tournament.

There has already been a college football result this weekend that will shake up the playoff picture: 11 Utah 47, 4 USC 24. Bye USC. That opens the door for 5 Ohio State (who doesn’t play today) to re-enter the conversation.

The Grizzlies defeated Philadelphia 117-109 last night. At 13-9, they sit in 4th place in the West, trailing Phoenix, Denver, and New Orleans, 2 games out of first.

The DM’s Drew Hill and Chris Herrington have a new podcast up breaking down the Grizzlies’ first 20 games.

Today is National Green Bean Casserole Day!!! My favorite!

It’s also National Apple Pie Day. I recommend you celebrate with a shot of apple pie moonshine at Blind Bear, only $5 all weekend long for the anniversary of Prohibition’s repeal.

Music Fest passes are now on sale. The event will be back in Tom Lee Park May 5-7. The lineup will not be announced until February, but right now you can buy a 3-day pass at a discounted price.

30 years ago today, the first text message was sent.

With Blind Bear, my normal happy hour spot, closed for a private event, I happy houred at Bardog for the first time in several months… and I had a blast! Dani was slingin’ the PBR. I got to see my friend NightHawk, then later I had great conversations with my friends Jenn and Ian and Donald. And our friend Allison came in after she got off work. I hadn’t seen her all week, which is unusual to the point that I wondered if she was mad at me. (She wasn’t.) I had such a good time that I’m going to consider making Friday happy hours at Bardog a regular thing.

Since I have a very early start today, I called it an early night, departing Bardog at 9. Right as my head hit the pillow, I heard a text notification go off in the other room. It was Allison, sending me a photo of her receipt.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Off to the Blind Bear to watch soccer.

Earlier this week I posted that St. Jude runners can get 20% off food at Bardog today and tomorrow if they show a runner’s bib or a medal. I have now found out that offer also applies to Downtown’s other Aldo restaurants, Slider Inn and Aldo’s Pizza Pies.

Monday is the 89th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition, and the Blind Bear is celebrating. From tonight beginning at 9 PM through close of business Monday, you can get the following specials:

• $5 moonshine shots
• $5 Bear Balls
• $10 Jager BBQ fried bologna sandwich with a side of pepper jack mac & cheese
• Friday 9-midnight: Mario Monterosso Band
• Friday 10-midnight: Velvetina’s Speakeasy Burlesque
• Saturday 9-midnight: The Red Feather

Don’t forget, the Bear is bought out for a private party from 5:30 to 9:00 this evening. I recommend happy hour with Dani at Bardog as an alternate, and that’s where I plan to be.

Need something to wear to a holiday sweater party? Feelin’ Memphis at 509 S. Main has you covered:

Food & Wine has a list of the best apres-ski towns in America. That means. “fun things to do after skiing.” Park City, Utah made the list. If you go out there, be sure to check out the wineries and wine bars – my friend the Nuh-Uh Girl is a sommelier out there. Just don’t bring food with you… she’ll eat it!

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum called the state of Memphis Tigers football embarrassing.

Random fact I learned yesterday: Dutch people are the tallest in the world

The Grizzlies have a home game vs. Philadelphia tonight at 7. It’s Social Media Night and the first 5000 fans get a free Grizzlies phone holder.

From the DM: A local architect has hundreds of thousands in liens against Downtown developer Tom Intrator

Today is Bartender Appreciation Day.

Check out the CA’s local holiday gift ideas for foodies.

OMG I tried the candied yams as a side on Local on Main’s $12 lunch (noon to 3 Monday-Friday). They are SO good. Do not miss out on them.

That’s the news for now. Not sure if there will be a post tomorrow since I’ll be getting out super early for a Saturday.

The Blind Bear moved its pool table!

They took a wall out in the very back of the bar, by the speakeasy photo wall, to make room for the table. It’s a bit of a tight fit, but it’s a good business decision because it will allow them to fit several more tables in the lower part of the restaurant. Bar and restaurant consultant Jon Taffer says each seat is worth $10,000 in revenue a year.

Only thing is, I tend to sit in the far end seat at the bar, now the one closest to the pool table. Am I gonna risk getting hit in the face with a cue ball? Maybe I should start wearing a catcher’s helmet up there. (I wouldn’t be the first person to wear a drinking helmet in a Downtown Memphis bar. Those who were regulars at Sleep Out Louie’s know what I’m talking about)

Later in the evening, the pool table became a dumping ground for Christmas ornaments.

One more piece of Blind Bear news: There’s supposed to be a large corporate party there 5:30-9:00 Friday, so if the Bear is your early evening spot, you might want to line something else up for tomorrow. For me personally, happy hour at Dani’s bar at Bardog sounds like a splendid alternate plan.

If you’re a foodie and you’re not following Edible Memphis on Facebook, you’re missing out. They recently reported on some new items at Edge Alley:

• Garbanzo bean fritter hushpuppies
• Knife & Fork pot roast
• Panzanella salad
• Pan-roasted grouper salad

The Peanut Shoppe at 121 S. Main (a couple of doors down from the Blind Bear) is now open 7 days a week to fulfill your holiday nut, candy, and Middle Eastern pastry needs.

Yesterday was the last day people could park at the garage at Front and Monroe. It’s about to come down to make way for the Brooks Museum.

Let’s have a look at the weather for the St. Jude Marathon on Saturday: Low near 50, 30% chance of early AM showers, high in the upper 50s. For early December, Memphis could do much worse. The low Saturday night will be in the upper 30s, though, so the Stumbling Santas might want to wear an extra layer under their suits.

Two Grizzlies were ejected in last night’s loss to Minnesota. I’m sure no one will be surprised to hear Dillon Brooks was one of the ejections. Ja was the other.

The Tigers did better on the court last night, rolling to an 87-68 win over North Alabama.

RIP Chuck Stobart, former Memphis Tigers football coach.

Eric Gales plays the Cannon Center tonight at 8.

I heard the GM of Bardog say they’re going to close Monday-Tuesday, January 2-3, for cleaning. Oh man… I totally get their desire to keep the place in tip-top shape, but I sure do hate to hear about Monday the 2nd. With the 1st on a Sunday, that Monday will be a work holiday for a lot of Downtowners, and you know what we like to do on those… we day drink.

Plus there are four bowl games – Reliaquest, Cotton, Citrus, and Rose – that day. Seems to me it’d make a lot of sense to open Monday the 2nd, both from a revenue perspective and a “making people happy” perspective.

Tonight at the Woodruff-Fontaine House: The Mesmerist, a performance from the golden age of magic.

The Crowne Plaza seeks a maintenance engineer.

That’s all I have for now. Back tomorrow probably.