Author: paulryburn

Wednesday update

Smithsonian.com has an excellent article on the 1968 sanitation workers’ strike that brought Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Memphis, as well as how Memphis has progressed since 1968. If you’re a fan of history and/or of Memphis, this article is worth a few minutes of your time to read.

It’s not going to affect us, but a major weather event is brewing off the East Coast today. A storm will bring snow to Florida and Georgia, then will intensify into what weather people call a bomb cyclone in the next 24 hours as it makes its way up the coast. Forecast models have pressure dropping up to 53 millibars in 24 hours, creating hurricane-force winds. Some models have the pressure dropping as low as 950 millibars, comparable to what was seen with Hurricane Sandy. Fortunately it is believed that the worst of the storm will remain out to sea.

This is a great deal! Tickets to a Memphis Hustle game, a Memphis Grizzlies game, and WWE Monday Night Raw all for one low price.

The Brass Door still has tickets available to its women’s only event Saturday 11-2. Boozy yoga, appetizer buffet, a la carte brunch, back and neck massages.

My friend Angela Copeland of Copeland Coaching recently had one of my favorite authors, Joe Navarro, on her podcast recently. Navarro is a body-language expert and will help you understand how to send the right signals with your body in business situations.

Max’s Sports Bar has expanded their list of whiskeys.

Food Truck Thursday in Court Square has been canceled for tomorrow due to cold weather. The event will return January 11.

A friend of mine posted a link last night, and since his story is similar to mine I wanted to share it too. He commented that his parents gave him a Commodore Vic-20 computer when he was 11 or 12 and it opened up a world of opportunities for him. Same for me, except I got an Atari 400 for my 13th birthday. Code Crew is a great organization that helps make sure kids from all backgrounds in Memphis are opened up to those same opportuntities, providing computer science training, serving as a resource for educators, and spreading the word about the importance of diversity in tech.

Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States of America.

I have no words for this so I’ll just post Brian Klaas’ analysis on CNN. It may be time for Pence to get together with the Cabinet and think about invoking the 25th Amendment.

Now Trump and Bannon are bashing each other… time to pop some popcorn. Back tomorrow with more news.

Tuesday update

Well, I guess I lied about more posts to come yesterday. Shortly after I published the New Year’s Eve recap, I saw a tweet that Bardog was serving their brunch menu until 2. For some reason I thought they were one of the bars that didn’t open until 5 on New Year’s. “I better get down there!” I thought, and hurriedly showered and got dressed and enjoyed Monday Fun Day with friends.

The main thing I was going to do in the second post that never happened yesterday was wish Max’s Sports Bar a happy 10th birthday. December 31, 2007 was the day they opened. One of my Facebook friends said it better than I could – the place is the true definition of a neighborhood bar. Congratulations to Max and the staff there and I hope there are many more years to come.

Also a happy birthday, today being the actual day in this case, to my buddy Rahul. I mess with him a bit on here and on social media, but he is a good guy and a true friend.

After Bardog yesterday, I walked over to the Blind Bear and discovered that they had a New Year’s blackeyed peas, collards, and cornbread plate. I got it for my troll so she’ll have good luck this year.

Apologies for not letting my readers know about this special but I didn’t know about it myself until I got there. Here’s a Southern Living article on why we eat blackeyed peas on New Year’s.

Outback is giving away free Bloomin’ Onions today. Just say “Outback Bowl” to your server.

The Rendezvous is closed for repairs and vacation this week. It will reopen Tuesday, January 9.

Two teams that lost to Auburn in the regular season are going to play for the national championship. A team that had a perfect season, including a win over Auburn, is not.

Back at work. Thinking about taking MLK Day off so I can have one last three-day weekend. Back tomorrow with more news.

New Year’s Eve dinner @ Itta Bena

After my Nashville plans fell through, I figured I wouldn’t do much for New Year’s Eve. My plans were to do Sunday brunch then go home about 5 and hibernate into the new year. However, things took an unexpected turn Saturday afternoon.

I was sitting at the bar at the Blind Bear Saturday afternoon, my troll standing next to my beer as always. Owner Jeannette, having traded shifts with B-RAD, was tending bar. “Hey Paul, would you be interested in going to dinner with us for New Year’s Eve?” she asked. “A group of us are going to Itta Bena. We have the private room reserved. It seats 25 and so far we only have 16, so you’re welcome to come. After dinner we have the back room reserved here.”

I pulled up Itta Bena’s New Year’s Eve menu on my phone, and it looked good. Four courses with options for each course. Having private rooms at both the restaurant and the bar sounded good too. We’d have a barrier between us and the amateurs who come out to “party” on New Year’s Eve. I told Jeannette I was in. Some of us met up at the Bear a little before 7 and walked over together. Here’s a look at dinner.

First course: Java Crusted Lamb Lollipops with red bell pepper jelly and a Balsamic reduction

Second course: Itta Bena’s famous She-Crab Soup. This is widely considered to be the must-get item at the restaurant.

Main course: Six-ounce filet, lobster claw and knuckle, smoky bacon potato hash, bordelaise, and hollandaise.

Dessert: Bananas Foster Bread Pudding with a rum and brown sugar butter sauce and vanilla ice cream

What a great dinner with awesome people. Service was excellent too. Afterward we walked over to the Bear and watched the ball drop in New York City at 11, then rang in the new year in Memphis at midnight. Couldn’t have asked for a better way to start 2018. Happy New Year everyone, and check back because I’m not done posting today.

Girl Scout Cookie @ Bardog Tavern and Sunday news

I don’t order a lot of mixed drinks at bars, but last night a friend introduced me to a good one. The Girl Scout Cookie at Bardog tastes just like my favorite flavor of ice cream, chocolate mint. If you’re in the mood for something sweet, give one a try.

In other cocktail news, Max’s Sports Bar has introduced a new cocktail menu. (Click to view a larger image)

The Maximilian Affair? My, my, Max has come a long way since the days of school lunchroom pizza and cheesy potato bites. Although, I’m pretty sure both of those are still on the menu.

The Brass Door will have an Irish New Year countdown live from Dublin tonight from 5 to 7. $2 Black Velvets.

The Daily Beast had a really interesting 3-part series this past week about the methods the Soviet Union used to recruit spies, even unknowing/unwilling spies. True, the Soviet Union dissolved almost 30 years ago, but remember that before his rise to power, Russian president Vlad Putin was an agent for the KGB. The methods discussed in these articles are very relevant to Russia’s attempts to influence foreign governments today.

LMAO at who attempted to friend me on Swarm yesterday. You know how Facebook has a Close Friends filter? Maybe Swarm needs a Fake Friends filter.

New Year’s Eve tips for those going out:

  • It will be cold. I mean really cold. Like, negative single digits wind chill. Dress appropriately. And if you fail to dress appropriately don’t be that person who ruins everyone else’s night with your constant complaining about how cold it is.
  • Parking Downtown will probably run you 20 bucks. Maybe even 30. And you will be in a traffic jam getting in and out of whatever garage or lot you park in.
  • Don’t tell the doorman you know people (the owner of the bar, owners of nearby bars, well-known people in the service industry) and therefore expect to get in free. Shut up and pay the fucking cover charge. Your attempt to show everyone what a big shot you are is not impressing anybody.
  • Be understanding if the bartender takes 10 minutes to get to you. This is their busiest night of the year. Don’t be the person constantly shouting “Hey!” and snapping your fingers and whistling to get the bartender’s attention. They know you’re there. Wait your turn.
  • If you have a $38 tab, leaving $40 is not acceptable. If you can’t tip 20% don’t go out.
  • Every New Year’s Day the regulars sit at the bar and talk about that person who had a breakdown and started yelling and crying uncontrollably the night before. Don’t be that person.
  • Don’t take shortcuts to your car down alleys or streets that are not well lit. Criminals know it is Amateur Night as well as you and I do.
  • Calling an Uber? Expect to wait two hours to pay $80 for your three-mile ride. Still better than paying for a DUI though.
  • Did I mention it will be cold?

Happy New Year!

 

Suggestion for the new food hall, respect to Iowa State, and Saturday news

Iowa State… regardless of what happens in the game today, I have to say I have much respect for you. Never in my life have I seen a school’s fans travel so well to the Liberty Bowl. The only other year that even came close was 2012… and that was Iowa State as well. Happy to have all of you in town, and in hindsight I wish I’d taken the past couple of days off so I could have met more of you. I hope you get invited back to the Liberty Bowl soon.

The Bluff City Fire & Ice Chili Cook-off and Polar Bear Plunge, hosted by Special Olympics of Greater Memphis, has been announced for Saturday, February 3 at Mud Island River Park.

The chili cook-off, beginning at 10 AM and costing $75 to enter (entry forms due by January 19) has divisions for red chili, salsa, and people’s choice, with additional prizes awarded for showmanship. If you don’t cook chili, you can pay $5 to be a people’s choice judge, taste-testing all the different chilis from the teams.

At 2:30 PM, hundreds of people will take an icy plunge into the Wolf River. $50 per individual to take part and you must fill out the waiver and wear shoes. $50 in pledges raised gets you the official T-shirt. Wackiest costume will win the Golden Plunger. More info about this event here.

Anna Benson plays The Vault at 124 G.E. Patterson tonight at 8.

I walked through the 409 S. Main food hall last weekend, hoping to have a drink at The Civil Pour, the bar in there run by Daniel Masters from the Silly Goose. It wasn’t open at the time I went in though. Neat space with about 7 food vendors and it looks like there are room for plenty more.

I especially like what Java Cabana did in the food hall, testing the Downtown waters with Java Cabana West in a small, affordable space, and I want to put a bug in the ear of restaurant owners across the city. I would love to see owners of successful ethnic restaurants experiment with a small second location in 409 S. Main. Indian, Ethiopian, Vietnamese, and Filipino are a few cuisines available in other parts of the city but not Downtown that I think would be very well-received here. Downtowners who agree with me, I encourage you to sound off on social media and let people know there’s a desire for those kinds of foods in this neighborhood.

The Little Rock food hall I visited in January had an Indian vendor:

Two entrees, basmati rice, and naan at a very reasonable price. Believe me, every time I visit Little Rock from now on I will go there. I would love to see something like this in Downtown Memphis.

The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Chill Advisory for Memphis Sunday night/Monday morning with the wind chill dropping to -4F.

I had a trip to Nashville planned for this weekend, but it fell through, so I’m headed out to D-RANKS with B-RAD at the Blind Bear. Go Tigers. This should be a great game.

Friday update

The Daily News has a fantastic interview with Memphis Tigers head coach Tubby Smith that is a must-read if you follow the team. He responds to common criticisms on talk radio and social media, and discusses how he instills the values players need to succeed on the court and off. For anyone who has listened to Gary Parrish’s recent discussions of the Memphis program under Tubby, you need to read this. I’m not saying you have to stop agreeing with Parrish (nor have I), but you need to be fair and hear both sides. It’s amazing how some people come to judgment having heard only one side of a story.

Got hungry all of the sudden while composing this post. Can’t decide what I want though, probably either breakfast food or hot dogs.

I’m not Downtown for lunch break, so this is not an option for me today, but if you are Downtown, you can now order online from Lisa’s Lunchbox. Just fill out the online order and it’ll be ready when you get there. Then you have the choice of grabbing a table or taking your food with you. They call it the “No Stress Lunch Break.” The East Memphis location has online ordering too.

Two Girls and a Whip at Front and Huling will have Boozy Suzy Brunch (GOSH I wonder who that is named after) tomorrow from 11 AM to 1 PM. There will be courses of savory and sweet cupcakes, each paired with a brunch drink. They will start off with that awesome chicken and waffles cupcake that was served at my building’s Christmas party:

Then the next three courses will be a cornbread cupcake with maple syrup and bacon, a Sausage Baller cupcake, and a Poinsettia cupcake. Space is limited so call 901-472-CAKE or email info@twogirlsandawhip.com to save your spot. $25 per person.

Trolley Stop Market will be serving a Hoppin’ John family meal New Year’s Day 11 to 8. This dish is made of purple hull peas, greens, cabbage, pork, and organic rice with homemade cornbread, all from locally sourced products. Good news for vegetarians – there’s a meatless option for you too. $7.99 a plate, $5 for a kid’s plate.

FreeWorld plays The Dirty Crow Inn tonight 9-12.

The Gray Canary, the new Hudman-Ticer restaurant going into Old Dominick Distillery, has set up Facebook page. “Like” the restaurant on there to receive updates.

Liberty Bowl parade and pep rally on Beale Street today:

ESPN’s matchup predictor has Memphis as a 57.1% favorite to beat Iowa State in the Liberty Bowl tomorrow.

Don’t forget, New Year’s Eve falls on a Sunday so liquor stores will be closed. Get your booze today or tomorrow.

Thursday update

If you have plans on New Year’s Eve, you will definitely want to keep a watch on the weather. Forecasts are varying, with MemphisWeather.net predicting a chance of flurries. WREG, however, calls for a 40% chance of a wintry mix. The high will be 33 and the low 13 according to WREG, so anything that falls will have a high likelihood to stick.

Wintry Mix on Amateur Night, when thousands come Downtown to party and many people drive home drunk? That is going to be a shitshow. Let’s hope the MemphisWeather. net forecast turns out to be the correct one.

Tonight is the last holiday movie Thursday at the Ghost River taproom, with a special boozy cupcake by Two Girls and a Whip.

On New Year’s Day, Ghost River will have the taproom open for New Year, New You. Not Today. Put your New Year’s fitness resolutions off by a day and come enjoy some craft beer. Flying Sobies Hen House food truck will have a “Hen House NYD SPECIAL” which includes a crispy fried Cornish game hen with a side of southern-style greens, lucky black eyed peas, and cornbread. The Rusty Pieces will perform 2-4. They’ll have brunch drinks, and college football will be on the TVs all day.

Who else Downtown has blackeyed peas on New Year’s? Email me at paul@paulryburn.com or hit me up on Facebook. For those who don’t understand, it’s a tradition in the South that you eat blackeyed peas on New Year’s for good luck throughout the year.

THIS.

The Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team hosts LSU tonight at FedExForum. A win over a Power Five school would give the Tigers some needed momentum going into conference play.

The Flying Saucer is doing a roaring ’20s theme for its New Year’s Eve party. There will be music and cocktails from that era with a prize to the best-dressed partygoer. Champagne toast at midnight. $10 a person to reserve a table.

The Grizzlies have released photos of their MLK50 City Edition uniform. The design is a nod to the I AM A MAN signs carried by the sanitation workers in the 1968 strike that brought Dr. King to town. The uniforms will be worn by the team for the MLK Day game next month.

Loflin Yard’s New Year’s Eve party will include one s’mores package per guest and a champagne toast at midnight.

The Blind Bear’s New Year’s Eve party will feature live music by The Rusty Pieces from 8 PM to 11 PM and Blackwater Trio 11 PM-2 AM. $18 cover starting at 7 PM. Three course dinner menu available starting at 5 PM – $35 per person or $60 per couple.

That’s it for now. Back tomorrow with more news.

Wednesday update

Thanks for those of you who helped me get through my first Christmas without my mother. I have many wonderful people in my Downtown family.

Rizzo’s is having a New Year’s Eve party from 8 PM to 12:01 AM on Sunday. $20 gets you in the door and includes food, live music by Bobbie Stacks, and a champagne toast at midnight. There will be a cash bar with drink specials. Sounds like a good way to avoid Amateur Night that will be going on in most of the rest of Downtown.

Havana Mix, which is apparently known as Robusto by Havana Mix, is having a New Year’s Eve party as well. Cigar specials, raffles and giveaways, as well as food, live music, and a champagne toast at midnight.

Welcome to Cyclones fans making their way into town for the Liberty Bowl! If you’re looking for something fun to do Friday night, it’s South Main Trolley Night. Many of the shops of South Main and surrounding streets, between MLK Ave. and a couple of blocks south of G.E. Patterson, stay open until 9 in the evening or later. There’s much good shopping and mingling. Insider tip: Check out the live music at 550 S. Main from 7 to 9 that night.

Start Co. is holding a minority business workshop at the main library on Poplar on January 16. Learn about Elevator Pitching, Customer Discovery, and Business Model Canvassing. After the workshop from 1-2, you will be able to sit with mentors to get advice on different aspects of your business. I have gotten to know the people at Start Co. well and they are a fantastic resource. If you own a minority business that you’re looking to grow, this would definitely be worth your time to attend.

Uh oh… MemphisWeather.net’s extended outlook for January 3-9 reads “temperatures below average; precipitation above average.”

Eric Hughes Band plays The Dirty Crow Inn Saturday night from 9 to 12 on their covered, heated patio.

Volunteer opportunity Downtown:

Attending a wake after work, so I’ll be late getting out to the usual spots. Back tomorrow with more news.

Festivus update

The annual Mix-Odyssey party is just around the corner!

This is a fundraiser for Volunteer Odyssey, a fantastic organization that helps connect people with ways to volunteer here in Memphis. You’ll get to taste craft cocktails from some of the city’s top mixologists.

Pontotoc Lounge posted its New Year’s Eve menu (click for larger size):

Smoked trout deviled eggs? Yum.

A tweet yesterday confirmed that Max’s Sports Bar will be among the places opening in the evening on Christmas Day.

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial in Concert comes to the Orpheum February 10. Film on the big screen with music by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.

The XFL may be coming back. WWE owner Vince McMahon recently sold $100 million of stock and formed a company named Alpha Entertainment LLC. Alpha recently applied for five XFL-related patents. Could be big if Vinnie Mac allows college freshmen and sophomores to be drafted. Also could bring names like Manziel, Tebow, and Kaepernick to the league. Maybe could bring Rod “He Hate Me” Smart back too.

It’s a Festivus for the rest of us! I’m going to lead off the day at Max’s Sports Bar to watch the Tigers, and there might be a Festivus airing of grievances if the right people show up. After that I’m going to check out new bar The Civil Pour at the 409 S. Main food hall, then over to Blind Bear for D-RANKS with B-RAD. Back tomorrow with more news.