Sage (Serving a Great Experience), the soul food bistro on Main between Gayoso and Peabody Place, is temporarily closed for remodeling. They plan to be back open and once again serving a great experience soon. If you’ve never seen the line for Sunday brunch right when Sage opens at 11, let me tell you, it can get as many as 60 deep. It’s the place to be.
Did you know you can get Miami-style brioche donuts at the Memphis Farmers Market? Look for the Artesanal de Tela booth.
Today is National Mint Julep Day. I often have restaurant or bar recommendations when I post these lesser-known holidays, but this one has me stumped. I can’t recall anyone ever ordering a mint julep at any of my favorite Downtown spots. Maybe the Peabody lobby bar or Corner Bar?
Higher humidity is on the way with the heat index hitting the mid-90s in Memphis by midweek. Ugh. It’s that time of year. Better make sure your A/C is in good working order.
Giant panda Ya Ya, a Memphis Zoo resident for 20 years, has made it to her new home in the Beijing Zoo.
The CA’s Jennifer Chandler has a list of June food events in Memphis. Of interest to Downtowners:
- The Loving Local festival in The Edge on June 15
- The Memphis Vegan Festival in Fourth Bluff Park on June 18
- Craft Food and Wine Festival benefiting Church Health at The Columns on June 25
- There’s also a Memphis Coffee Shop Hop lasting from June 1 to September 30. The hop includes Downtown coffee shops Boycott Coffee, Comeback Coffee, Crazy Gander, Dr. Bean’s Coffee and Tea Emporium, and Vice & Virtue. If you visit all 12 stops on the hop (including several that are far from Downtown) and get your card stamped, you get a free coffee from your favorite stop on the hop.
If you’ve been playing around with ChatGPT, as I have, here’s a list of golden prompts to get the most out of the AI tool.
YogaSix in Downtown Memphis seeks a yoga/fitness sales associate, a position they refer to as a Wellness Advisor. Part-time (20-35 hours a week) with some evenings and weekends. Perks include a complimentary YogaSix membership and 30% off all retail items.
The Church of the River (Unitarian) seeks a director of religious education.
Richard Wilson plays The Central BBQ Sessions at Central BBQ Downtown tonight from 6 to 9.
Graber Gryass plays Live at the Tracks at Central Station Hotel Thursday evening from 6:30 to 9:30.
There’s a beginner bachata class at Cat’s Ballroom tonight at 6.
901 Live! will showcase local musical talent at the Halloran Centre this Saturday at 7 PM. Tickets are $45.
There will be an all-levels yoga class in the Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel exhibit in the Renasant Convention Center at 9 AM. $20 cost includes the class and entry to the exhibit. Bring a yoga mat.
Grind City Brewing holds Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader trivia this Wednesday at 6:30 PM.
Congrats to my former trivia teammate the Nuh-Uh Sister, who got married last weekend.
Got a menu tip about the Blind Bear last night: Get a side order of Nate’s Tater Tots and a cup of tomato bisque. Dip the tots in the bisque.
My buddy Chico was bartending Blind Bear for happy hour yesterday. He shared with me a snack pack he got from the Asian market on Cleveland:
Clockwise from top right: Black sesame bar, “soft” peanut butter bar, peanut butter bat, white sesame bar.
About that so-called soft peanut butter bar: Asians must have a different concept of the word than we do, because the bar was so hard that I had to attempt several bites before I finally got a piece of it.
Chico said the other peanut butter bar was like peanut brittle. Given that I have crowns on my front upper teeth, I decided to pass on that one.
I believe the market Chico is talking about is Viet Hoa Market at 48 N. Cleveland, near the intersection of Court Avenue. Cleveland is on the eastern boundary of the Groove on Demand shuttle service if you don’t feel like driving there.
That’ll wrap it up for now. Back tomorrow with more news.