Month: October 2025

Well, that menu I linked to yesterday for the Moxy Hotel bar may be out of date. My buddy Shrek is staying there this week and he tells me the flatbread section of the linked menu doesn’t match up with what he saw onsite.

He did give me his recommendation, though – the naan with three dipping sauces – hummus, tzatziki, and romanseco.

Shrek and our friend Allison and I met for lunch at the Majestic Grille yesterday and I got that mushroom flatbread I’d been craving.

A marvelous confluence of flavors. If you like shrooms but have never had this Majestic creation, go there and treat yo self.

Shrek used to be a producer for Grizzlies broadcasts. Allison asked, “How come you never hooked me up with Steven Adams when he was on the team?” Geez.

Undecided how to celebrate the holiday tonight? Consult the DMC’s list of Downtown holiday happenings.

Good news! Tulane lost to UTSA last night. That means one less team to vie for that CFP Group of 5 berth that will hopefully be filled by the Memphis Tigers.

The Grizzlies host the Los Angeles Lakers tonight at 8:30. TV: Amazon Prime

The Flyer has the story of the new Downtown Tonica location. Go see the #baldbeardedbartender there.

The DMC has deemed Saturday, November 8 to be Family Day downtown including Downtown Dining Week. From the email they sent:

National Civil Rights Museum
Memphis & Shelby County residents receive $2 off admission with a valid ID. Each adult ID allows discounts for up to 5 children.

Sun Studio
Half-off tour admission for all Memphis & Shelby County residents.

Edge Motor Museum
Half-off admission for Memphis & Shelby County residents.

Stax Museum of American Soul Music
Free admission all day.

Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum
Half-off admission for Memphis & Shelby County residents.

Explore Bike Share
Use promo code DDW25 for a free 3-day pass during Downtown Dining Week.

Backbeat Tours
Buy One, Get One Free admission for Memphis & Shelby County residents.

Blues Hall of Fame
$5 off adult and student admission; children 12 and under are free. For Memphis & Shelby County residents.

Fire Museum of Memphis
50% off admission.

A Tour of Possibilities
$22 off each ticket for the Essence of Memphis Tour. Use promo code ATOP50.

Back tomorrow with more news.

Trick or treat! I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

Longtime readers of this blog know I’m a big fan of Indian food, including their bread, naan. If you are also a fan, you might want to visit the bar in the Moxy Hotel on Court Square. Their menu contains a selection of flatbreads made on naan, including

• tandoori chicken
• red hot chicken + pickles
• eggplant + peppers
• BBQ pork + peppers
• cheese + fruit + nuts
• a breakfast flatbread
• a S’mores dessert flatbread

Memphis Art Museum now has  a month set for its opening: December 2026. They say it will share a plaza with the Cossitt Library. I wonder if that means the Front-Riverside block of Monroe will close permanently?

Cordelia’s Market has $6 specials on select sushi rolls every Tuesday.

Brief post today because I have lunch plans with friends. Back tomorrow with a Frupdate.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

This week The Majestic Grille announced the launch of Majestic Catering. On 24 hours notice they can deliver hot and cold boxed lunches, sandwich and salad platters, and hot entree platters to your office or house. Their service is drop & go and makes the process seamless. Check them out!

Speaking of the Majestic, guess who’s going there for lunch tomorrow? It’s been more than a year and I’m super excited. I’ve got my eye on that mushroom flatbread with tomato onion jam, garlic olive oil, and goat cheese.

Memphis Chess Club now has Pub Quiz trivia at 6:30 and 7:30 PM Thursdays. The games are part of Sporcle’s Globe League.

Joe is back at Bardog after a couple months off to heal his back. If the schedule remains the same – and I think it will – he’ll be behind the bar Thursday-Friday morning and lunch.

Choose901 has a look at JEM Fine Dining’s creative new cocktail list.

Flying Fish head honcho Shannon Wynne said he misspoke when he blamed his recently-closed restaurant’s decline in sales on civil unrest. Shannon. You need to put a PR firm on retainer.

Today is National Cat Day.

The Grizzlies are on the road vs. the Phoenix Suns tonight. 9 PM tip. TV: FanDuel Sports

WalletHub named the best U.S. cities for Halloween. Topping the list were New York, Jersey City, and L.A. Memphis came in 100th.

From the Memphis Flyer: The Grizzlies found a breakout rookie in Cedric Coward

Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

RIP Flying Fish. I walked by there yesterday and they were taking all the Big Mouth Billy Bass off the walls. The Downtown seafood restaurant lasted 18 years.

The Fish’s sibling restaurant Flying Saucer is still open.

Today is billionaire/Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates’ 70th birthday. billg was a mere 19 when he and Paul Allen founded what was then spelled Micro-Soft. INSIDER TIP: Learn to play bridge (the card game) and one day you might find yourself sitting at a table with Bill.

Let’s have a look at college football games this weekend of interest to Memphians. Remember, we want other Group of 5 teams contending for a CFP spot to lose.

Tuesday

• James Madison at Texas State, 7:00 PM, ESPN2

Thursday

• Tulane at UTSA, 6:30 PM, ESPN

Friday

• 25 Memphis at Rice, 6:00 PM, ESPN2

Saturday

• 9 Vanderbilt at 20 Texas, 11:00 AM, ABC
• Navy at North Texas, 11:00 AM, ESPN2
• 5 Georgia at Florida, 2:30 PM, ABC
• Mississippi State at Arkansas, 3:00 PM, SEC Network
• South Carolina at 7 Ole Miss, 6:00 PM, ESPN
• 18 Oklahoma at 14 Tennessee, 6:30 PM, ABC
• Kentucky at Auburn, 6:30 PM, SEC Network
• Arkansas State at Troy, 7:00 PM, ESPNU
• 17 Cincinnati at 24 Utah, 9:15 PM, ESPN

Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium is hiring an event manager.

Penny Hardaway’s Memphis Tigers lost 99-75 to Arkansas yesterday, but there’s good news. It was an exhibition game… so it won’t count! Coach Penny got many teachable moments on film. Plus, money was raised for St. Jude. That loss was in many ways a win for Memphis.

Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

Memphis stormed its way back into the AP Top 25 with its win over South Florida Saturday. At 25, Memphis is the highest-ranked Group of 5 team. Also receiving votes were Navy (would-be 26), Tulane (27), South Florida (29), San Diego State (30), James Madison (32), and North Texas (33). Those are the teams we should want to LOSE this weekend (along with Tennessee, of course).

Millington-based Jay’s Coffee and Cuisine will take over the former Tamp & Tap location on Gayoso, the CA reports.

The weekly burger special at Momma’s is The Paul Revere, with sautéed mushrooms and onions, cheddar cheese and horseradish aïoli.

Did you know that “The Queen of Gospel,” Mahalia Jackson, once had a chain of chicken joints and the first location was in Memphis? Action News 5 enlightens us.

Clocks fall back an hour Sunday. Hello, 5 PM sunsets.

It’s American Beer Day, and no beer says “America” like PBR.

I had the sourest candy I’ve ever had in my life yesterday. It came from a WARHEADS Specialty Sour Box.

Back tomorrow with more news and a college football preview.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

OUR MEMPHIS TIGERS inserted themselves back into the CFP conversation yesterday with a 34-31 win over the South Florida Bulls. Memphis is back in ESPN’s projections for the playoffs, seeded 12th and playing 5 Georgia in the first round.

All four of Memphis’ remaining games are must-win, of course, but the biggest game is Friday, November 7 vs. Tulane, a school that is also in the CFP conversation.

Next up for Memphis: at Rice, 6 PM Halloween night (ESPN2).

How cool is it to see Vandy in the CFP projections!!!

Friday night is the final South Main Trolley Night of the year. Come mingle and meet your neighbors. Costumes encouraged.

Flyway Brewing will have a Freaky Friday rave Halloween night. Sets by Andy Chance, Dale, Delyrius, FERB, Obiscuithead, and Raxx.

It’s Chicken Fried Steak Day.

Broadway musical The Notebook comes to the Orpheum this week.

The Hoops for St. Jude Tip-Off Classic happens Monday at FedExForum.

• Memphis vs. Vanderbilt women 5:30
• Memphis vs. Arkansas men 8:00

Both games will be on ESPNU.

TOAST, a tribute to the band Bread, is at the Cannon Center Thursday.

My Cash App debit card is no longer having problems. I suspect the canceled pending charges were caused by the AWS outage last week.

That’s it for now.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

The Brass Door will present a Samhain Irish Festival next Saturday, November 1, at the pocket park across the street. It’ll be a fun and free day filled with traditional Irish music, dancing, and culture, and of course food and drink.

We may be near the end of the age of potholes.

The Grizzlies host the Indiana Pacers tonight at 7. The $25 ticket deal celebrating 25 seasons is still in effect. Fans attending get a Grizz trick-or-treat bucket. TV: FanDuel Sports

What Now Memphis has the info on Good Fortune Co.’s upcoming expansion.

New Edition, Boyz II Men, and Toni Braxton are coming to FedExForum March 19.

Today is Hug a Sheep Day.

Because of rain in the forecast, I’m not sure I’ll be able to get out and do a post tomorrow. See you Monday.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: something weird is going on with that account, please use one of the other payment methods until I get it figured out
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

Today is National Food Day. Celebrate with a delicious bowl of boiled cabbage.

WREG has a look at the immigration court in Brinkley Plaza and the steps involved in becoming a U.S. citizen.

World Series game 1, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Toronto Blue Jays (Shohei Ohtani vs. Vladimir Guerrero on the mound), 7 PM CDT tonight. TV: FOX

Y’all. I’m exhausted. I stayed out all night last nigh and was at Earnestine & Hazel’s until 1. Two different groups sang that “all she found was Earl” song. It was awesome. Not the song itself (which is terrible), but the fact that bartenders Dani and Allison couldn’t get on stage and sing it because it had already been done.

There’s an Edgar Allan Poe speakeasy going on at the New Daisy this weekend.

There’s a Fall Fun Fest in Tom Lee Park Saturday 4-8. Face painting, lemonade, and all that other crap kids like. Maybe there’ll be balloon animals or a pony or something. $10 adults/$5 kids.

Dinstuhl’s will have candy apples beginning Tue 10.28… not to be confused with caramel apples, which are already in stock.

Too tired to type more. I contemplated taking today off from posting, but Frupdates gotta frup.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: something weird is going on with that account, please use one of the other payment methods until I get it figured out
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

Hello readers, I’ve got my sleuth hat on today and I could use your assistance. Has anyone else had a debit card transaction canceled in the past week or so?

I don’t mean declined. I made a purchase last Friday, there was enough money in the account to cover it, and the transaction completed successfully. Then yesterday – Wednesday, 5 days later – I got a notification on my phone that the purchase had been canceled. I checked and found that the money had been credited back to me.

As luck would have it, I was in the very same business when I got the notification. I told the manager and he was unaware of any reason that would happen. The item I purchased was food, so I couldn’t exactly return it.

Has anyone else had a recent similar experience? If so, could you email me at paul.ryburn@gmail.com and tell me

1. The issuer of the debit card you used;
2. The business where you made the purchase;
3. The time between purchase and cancellation – was it also 5 calendar days/3 business days for you?

Embarrassing news for the NBA today: Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups has been arrested on gambling charges involving an illegal poker operation tied to the Mafia. It’s believed more arrests could be coming. Fraud amounts are estimated in eight figures and the Genovese, Gambino, and Bonanno crime families are suspected of involvement.

In better NBA news, Ja Morant put up 35 last night as the Grizzlies won their regular-season opener against New Orleans. Please let us have this version of Ja for a full 82 games!

Next up for the Grizz: Home against the Miami Heat at 7:00 Friday. There’s a $25 (for 25 seasons) ticket deal.

WREG looks at how Meal on Main brought the community together last night, drawing 200. Other neighborhoods are already talking about replicating this very successful event.

An action plan for the neighborhood was announced yesterday at the DMC’s State of Downtown event.

Aldo’s Pizza Pies Downtown has a deal on Grizzlies game days: Show your ticket to the game for $5 glasses of wine all day, as well as $1 off slices and drinks.

Don’t have a ticket to the Grizz game? Enjoy $5 drafts while it’s on TV at Bardog.

Springhill Suites is hiring a front desk agent.

Curious about those Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way signs you’ve been seeing Downtown? Click the link.

Learn about the ways you can celebrate Thanksgiving at the Peabody (or have a Peabody Thanksgiving at home)

Back tomorrow with a Frupdate.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com

The final Alley Dayz party of the year, presented by the Downtown Memphis Commission, happens tonight 5-7 on Beale Street. Live music by DJ A.D. and Da M-Town Band. Local vendors. Free to attend and a short walk to the Grizzlies’ season opener.

From Memphis magazine: Mud Island, the muddy elephant in the room

Action News 5 looks at crime and arrest data since the Memphis Safe Task force came into existence. The task force’s primary mission is said to be to arrest criminals with outstanding warrants for violent crimes.

School of Rock seeks a studio coordinator.

Renasant Convention Center seeks a maintenance technician.

ChatGPT is launching its own web browser. It’s available for Macs now and will be out for Windows soon.

Recently I’ve posted photos of dinner at the Union Mission on a couple of nights when very generous sponsoring churches supplied the food. That led to a reader request: “Paul, can you show us what dinner looks like on an AVERAGE night, when there is no partner church providing the meal?”

Sure. Here ya go. Taken last night.

A baked chicken leg quarter, dinner roll, rice, green beans, and a Rice Krispy treat for dessert. As you can see, even an “average” meal at the Mission is a step above what you’d find at a soup kitchen. My only complaint would be that the portion sizes are a bit small. Overall, though, I’m very thankful for dinners like this one.

Back tomorrow with more news.

I gratefully accept tips: 
Venmo: @Paul-Ryburn (8113 if it asks for digits)
Cash App: $PaulRyburn1
Zelle: paul@paulryburn.com
Apple Pay: paul.ryburn@gmail.com