Author: paulryburn

Monday update

Want a free preview of the August 20 Breakaway-Bardog 5K course? Join The Salty Dogs for a run this evening, departing from Bardog at 7 PM. There is no charge to participate and you get specials in The Underdog following the run.

Get ready for an influx of tourists to Memphis late this week as Elvis Week begins. The official dates are August 11-19 and here is the calendar. This should be a big year, marking the 40th anniversary of the death of The King.

A Flying Saucer manager told me that Stumblin’ Elvis is coming back Saturday, August 19. People dress up as Elvis and stumble from bar to bar. I will get more details on the list of bars and what charity they are supporting this year. I know the Tin Roof and Blind Bear are usually on the list of stops.

Loflin Yard will pay homage to the Blue Hawaii days of Elvis with the second annual Loflin Luau August 18-20. There will be a pig roast, live music, and tiki drink specials.

Sounds like a good idea. As many Redbirds have been called up to the majors this season, some of these cards may be worth some good money in 10 or 15 years’ time.

If you’ve thought about adopting a dog or cat, this is the month to do it. Memphis Animal Services is doing $20 adoptions during the month of August. Adoptions include spay/neuter, vaccines, microchip, a heartworm test for dogs, FIV/FeLV test for cats, a collar, a leash for dogs and a customized ID tag, so that is a heck of a deal.

The Redbirds are back in town for a short homestand, tonight through Thursday. They will play Omaha tonight with first pitch at 6:35.

Got word that an extremely bad-ass team is “about 95% sure” they will be entering Best Memphis Burger Fest this year. Going to hold off on naming the team until they confirm, but it’s a group that would immediately would be in contention for trophies.

In another “can’t yet disclose what I know” type of thing, I have reason to believe Cafe Pontotoc will not close in a few weeks after all.

Ten kegs were stolen from Silky’s Friday morning.

Memphis wrestling may be coming back to TV. Hear the details on this week’s Cerrito Live podcast.

More bad news for Comrade Trump:

A few things to note here: Schneiderman is the New York attorney general. State cases are not pardonable by the president. RICO is the law that brought down John Gotti and other high-ranking members of the Gambino crime family.

Probably going to hit Bardog for happy hour tonight. Melissa Monday is no more, but I want to see who takes over the bar shift. I also want to see if I hear any more news about Monroe Avenue Fest coming up on the 20th. Back tomorrow with more news.

HELLYEAH to play New Daisy tonight and more Sunday news

This is the most un-newsy weekend I have been through this year. At least today’s post isn’t about a Muppet but I don’t have much.

HELLYEAH plays the New Daisy tonight along with Kyng and Cane Hill. Tickets are $20-25 with the doors opening at 7 and show at 8.

The Memphis Gift & Jewelry Show is going on this weekend at the Cook Convention Center. From the event listing: “This event showcases products like metal jewelery, Crystal, cubic zirconia, rhinestone jewelery, Enamel, bead, shell and pewter jewelery, Semi-precious gemstone jewelery, Fashion Jewelery Materials, Loose polished semi-precious stones etc. in the Gems & Jewelry, Gifts industries.”

Miss Cordelia’s will have a back-to-school ice cream social from noon to 3 on Friday. $5 to build your own sundae. Tomorrow they will have Sushi Jimmi and MEMPops on site 5 to 8.

Article about my #1 celebrity sexual fantasy: Who is Lily from AT&T?

From The Daily Kos: The untold story of Trump Model Management

That’s it for now. Off to Hung Over Like a Bear brunch at the Blind Bear. Back tomorrow with more news.

Friday update: Vegetarian nachos, Pickin’ Party and more

Vegetarians have a new dish to eat Downtown. The Rendezvous teamed up with The Chubby Vegetarian to create a new menu item, vegetarian BBQ nachos. They top Brim’s corn chips with red beans and rice, then smother it in cheese sauce and pickled jalapenos. It’s a complete protein. They went through several iterations in the kitchen before coming up with the perfect recipe.

Nancy Apple’s Pickin’ Party, a staple at Kudzu’s for many years, has returned on Thursday nights at a new location, The Dirty Crow Inn, 8-11 PM. It’s musicians playing all original music. Just bring your guitar and join the circle on the patio, and wait your turn to play a song or jam along with others.

James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt perform live tomorrow night at FedExForum.

Celebrate National Farmers Market Week this Saturday at the Memphis Farmers Market. Great chance to thank a farmer for bringing their locally grown food to us. Live music by Steve Smith 8:30-10 and Megan Carolan 11-12:30. The Farmers Market happens under the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson every Saturday from 7 AM to 1 PM.

There will be a block party at Memphis Farmers Market Squared this coming Wednesday, August 9, 4-7 PM in Court Square. There will be a live performance by Charles Streeter and The People. There will also be live painting by Siphne Sylve, MEMpops, free photos at the Amurica photo booth, a beer garden, fun games, and of course sales by Memphis Farmers Market vendors.

Congressman Steve Cohen will host a Town Hall meeting 10 AM tomorrow, Saturday, August 5, at the Callicott Auditorium at Memphis College of Art. Steve will discuss health care and other issues that matter to Ninth District residents.

Thrilled to receive the receipt of payment for entry email for the Moody Ques into Best Memphis Burger Fest. We are discussing having two or three practice cooks between now and October. We tend to do well at Burger Fest, especially in the Bloody Mary and Veggie Burger categories. I’m not a cook but as a former judge at the festival, I will assist any way I can.

As has been the case with almost every week of the presidency, Trump has had his worst week ever. Forced to sign a veto-proof Russia sanctions bill. The Russian prime minister called him weak and incompetent. News that Trump wrote Don Jr.’s statement about meeting with the Russians. Approval ratings hit an all-time low. Announcement came out that a grand jury was impaneled several weeks ago to look into Russian interference in the 2016 election. And those are just the highlights. Trump supporters said the de-wussification of America would begin once Trump took office. Hey, how’s that going?

Week’s almost over. This could be an interesting weekend. Back tomorrow with more news.

Thursday update

Yesterday I posted an Action News 5 article that said an arrest had been made in the Downtown Creeper case, but a South Main resident commented that it is not the same man as the one who has been lurking in that neighborhood. Their creeper is said to be a white male in his mid to late 40s.

The extremely popular beginner sushi class returns to Memphis Made this Sunday from 2 to 4. This is a hands-on class. You’ll learn how to make the perfect sushi rice. They’ll teach you to make popular sauces, including eel sauce, Bang Bang sauce, and more. You’ll get two rolls to eat, one made by the teachers and the other made by you. You’ll learn where to shop, what to buy, and how to serve raw fish and seafood at home according to health department standards. You’ll get a cheat sheet to take home that is filled with tips, tricks, and recipes. Register for the class here.

There are plans to redevelop a ravine in The Edge, once a rail line, to be a community space and amphitheater.

WALRUS is the featured entertainment tonight at the Peabody rooftop party. $10 to get in, ladies and hotel guests free before 7. Admission includes a buffet of items from the Capriccio Grill menu. Drink specials will be Mystery Margaritas and Firefly cherry zing moonshine.

Side Street Steppers will perform tonight at Tacos & Tunes on the patio at Felicia Suzanne Restaurant. $2 tacos, $5 drinks.

Ghost River at Main and Crump will have a first-time food truck tonight parked outside their taproom: Lynnie’s Links and Drinks. Geeks who Drink trivia at 7 tonight.

It’s the final weekend for RiverPlay, the pop-up park on Riverside. You have until Sunday to come out and play.

DeNeuville Learning Center is hosting Brains, Brews & BBQ at their center at 190 S. Cooper Saturday, August 19 from 6 to 9 PM. This will be a trivia night (max 6 people per team) and participants get BBQ and beer from local home brewers and Memphis Made as well. Buy tickets here ($30 per person). DeNeuville is a non-profit learning center providing education and support to women with limited financial resources.

Dmitry Medvedev, prime minister of Russia and number 2 behind Putin, called President Trump an “incompetent player” who will be “liquidated” by the U.S. establishment. Medvedev pretty much called Trump a bitch and he isn’t wrong. As the Washington Examiner points out, this is more or less a traditional Russian threat and it came from Putin. The sanctions vote in Congress proves that Putin’s useful idiot in the White House is no longer useful.

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

Wed update: Slider and beer deal, big news for The Edge, Grit Grind Night, arrest made in Downtown Creeper case and more

A new Wednesday night beer and burger promotion begins at the Flying Saucer tonight. On Flight Night 2.0 you can get 3 beers and 3 sliders for $16.

Looks like a pretty good deal! Speaking of the Saucer, you can catch the Eric Hughes Band there at 9:30 Saturday.

Ghost River Brewing Co. at Main and Crump is doing a Flight Night of their own on Wednesdays, when you get 4 flights for the price of 3 4-7 PM. Hot’N’Heavy Dogs will be on site at the Ghost River taproom this evening.

Huge. huge, huge news for The Edge District this week. The developer who re-made the Chisca Hotel into apartments and retail space plans to remodel the old Wonder Bread bakery at 400 Monroe into 286 apartments and a 480-space parking garage, along with 150,000 square feet of apartments and retail. The developer, who sees The Edge as “the hole in the donut” between Downtown and the Medical Center, owns several other parcels in the area.

Pam & Terry make their debut at The View rooftop bar atop the Residence Inn by Marriott at the corner of Main and Monroe Saturday 6-9 PM. They’ll have Shuffle Grit Thursday and Friday.

Grit Grind Night returns to AutoZone Park on Saturday, August 30. The Redbirds will celebrate the Memphis Grizzlies that evening. Mario Chalmers and Tyreke Evans will be out at the ball park to sign autographs and throw out ceremonial first pitches. Grizz, the Claw Crew, the Grizzline, the Grizz Girls, and Grizzlies Grannies & Grandpas will be there too. The Redbirds will be wearing special Grizzlies-themed jerseys which will be auctioned off after the game, the proceeds benefiting the Redbirds Community Fund. Gates will open at 5 with first pitch at 6:30.

Work Local, the partnership between the city and Hospitality HUB to connect the homeless with opportunities to work to clean up litter and blight, is expanding. Previously the program operated on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Now they are adding Mondays. 217 people have participated in the program so far, with 12 going into job training programs and 5 being placed in permanent jobs.

An arrest has been made in the Downtown Creeper case. The Creeper had a history of driving a white truck around South Main, parking it when he saw a woman, following her, saying inappropriate things, touching himself. This is believed to have happened to at least three different victims.

An exterior renovation is planned for 47/49/51 S. Main, which houses Family Dollar and DeJaVu.

In Good Company, a monthly event where you can meet up with other creative types, happens tomorrow night 5:30-7:30 at Cafe Keough.

The Sandlot will be shown for free at the Orpheum tomorrow afternoon at 3:30.

Defense Secretary and former Marine General Jim “Mad Dog” Mattis was recently interviewed by a high school newspaper. The young journalist did a killer job asking questions and Mattis offered so much wisdom. Whether you are liberal or conservative or somewhere in between, this is a fascinating read.

There is a movement on Twitter to draft Mattis to run for president in the next election cycle. Not only would he be a great choice, but there’s also this:

That’s it for now. Few more hours of work then Silly Goose happy hour. Back tomorrow with more news.

Tuesday update

Clayborn Temple has announced more films in its schedule for the 15 Film Series. Thursday’s Film is Entre Nos, exploring a Colombian mother’s journey with her two children to Queens, New York, to be with her husband. However, her husband abandons her, leaving her and the kids to fend for themselves. Eventually she finds an unusual way to make money via the city’s recycling. The film is hosted by Midsouth Immigrant Advocacy, and was chosen to highlight the many struggles and obstacles immigrants face in the U.S. There will be a block party at 6 Thursday prior to the showing of the film.

The South Main Association has announced its August meeting on Tuesday, August 8 at The Front Porch, 251 Riverside Drive. Dorchelle Spence, vice-president of the Riverfront Development Corporation, will speak on topics including the natural beauty and resources of our riverfront. She will take questions as well. Light snack buffet from 6 to 7 PM, and a cash bar will be available. Free for SMA members, $10 for non-members.

Downtown Yoga posted that a new six-week introductory Ashtanga class begins Saturday, August 6 at 3 PM at a cost of $60. Only problem is, August 6 is not Saturday. If interested, call the studio and ask if the class is Saturday or Sunday. YOGA!

South Side Supper Club (the band, not a supper club) is back at Belle Tavern tonight from 7 to 10, as they are the first and third Tuesday of every month.

Saw this on Facebook: Best boyfriends according to zodiac signs. Ranked number one of the twelve signs: Scorpio! Yep we are awesome! Line forms to the left, ladies!

Neat thing I discovered recently: You can use Google StreetView to explore the Shelby Farms Greenline. This is excellent! Now I can travel the Greenline while sitting at the Blind Bear sipping on a PBR, without having to do all that running or biking!

Don’t forget that National Night Out is tonight at Front and G.E. Patterson. Free food and beverages, with donations to the MPD North Main Precinct appreciated. I may have to miss it due to a friend in town. I guess standing outside in near-90 degree temperatures and Pirtle’s Chicken would be as good as a “remember what you missed about Memphis” as anything, but she’d probably prefer something indoors. Outta here for now, back tomorrow with more news.

Monday update: Eclipse parties, National Night Out and more

A solar eclipse will happen on Monday, August 21, with Memphis getting about 90% coverage. Over the weekend I learned of two watch parties celebrating the eclipse. Ghost River will have a free watch party from 11:30 AM to 2 PM. Bring your own chair, lawn chair, or blanket. Memphis Mojo Cafe and MEMPops will be on site, and the taproom will be open if you’re thirsty. Starting August 4, they will be selling eclipse-watching glasses for $3. At 5 PM they will have an “I Survived the Solar Eclipse” party.

By the way… over the weekend Ghost River posted a list of beers they currently have at the taproom, and they came up with one of the most clever beer names ever. They have a gose on tap, which they named Howzit Gose. Great name, great style of beer. I need to get down to the Ghost River taproom to drink some Gose soon.

On the 21st, LYFE KItchen will host a twilight luncheon from noon to 2 to celebrate the eclipse with a thematic menu and a champagne toast. More info

I strongly suggest taking the 21st as a vacation day, not only because it is the eclipse, but also because it’s the day after the Breakaway Bardog 5K and Monroe Avenue Fest. It will be nice to have that as a recovery day. I’m taking Friday the 18th off too, because a four day weekend is nice to have every once in a while.

I learned a little inside secret at a great Downtown business. Saturday a friend offered me a spicy cashew which was really good. “It’s from the Peanut Shop,” he told me. “They don’t normally carry them, but if you call them in advance they can make a batch. They can make any nut spicy. It’s a Mediterranean seasoning they use.” Hmmm, useful information to know. I love spicy food.

The SMA sent out a list of vendors donating food to National Night Out tomorrow from 6-8 PM under the Farmers Market pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson: Aldo’s Pizza Pies, A Moveable Feast & Hog Wild, The Arcade, Café Pontotoc, Cash & Carry Wholesale Grocery, Dirty Crow Inn, Jerry Lawler BBQ & Grill, LYFE Kitchen + Chisca Bar, Majestic Grille, Malco Theaters, Margie’s 901 Homemade Ice Cream, Cakes & Treats, Memphis Farmers Market, Pirtle’s Fried Chicken, Pyramid Wine & Spirits, Rizzo’s, and Stepherson’s On The Go. Michael Clayton will perform a magic act, and Semi-Average Joe and Taylor grace will perform live. The food and entertainment are free but donations to the North Main MPD substation are appreciated. Be sure to thank a police officer if you attend!

Cafe Pontotoc has officially confirmed that the restaurant will indeed close in several weeks, after their employees have had time to find other jobs. They are looking for someone to make Cafe Pontotoc their own.

Miss Cordelia’s is hiring two office managers, a cafe team member, and a full-time prep cook. Apply in person. In other Miss Cordelia’s news, Kebob and El Mero Taco will be the food trucks on site there Wednesday from 5 to 8.

The Peabody is up for Best Historic Hotel in USA TODAY’s Readers’ Choice poll. Vote here.

That’s it for now. Today doesn’t seem as Monday-ish as most Mondays, which is good. Back tomorrow with more news.

Saturday recap: Big Baller Board, tour of Jerry Lawler’s on Beale

It’s that time of year. Yesterday I pulled up a seat at the bar at Bardog at 11 AM and slapped a Benjamin on the bar.

“I hope you don’t think you’re getting change for that,” said Bloom.

“No, it’s for the kids,” I said. Three weeks from today, the Breakaway Bardog 5K and Monroe Avenue Fest will raise money for St. Jude. They are taking donations in advance. Anyone who donates $100 or more gets their name on the Big Baller Board at Bardog. My donation got my name on the board.

If you can’t make it to Bardog to donate, you can donate online. Do me a favor… there are teams competing to see who can raise the most donations. If you don’t already have a team when you donate online, I would appreciate it if you would select “Send Bob to the Dunk Tank” from the “Are you donating toward a team?” dropdown list.

After Bardog I got lunch at Havana’s Pilon, the Cuban place at Madison and Second. I got the Picadillo, the ground beef, over Congri black beans and rice with a side of boiled yucca. Huge portion for $8. Great value.

After lunch I headed to the Blind Bear, where I was joined by my friends Jeremy and Jeana. Jeremy and Jeana were recruited to join the Moody Ques back in March by our Deputy Director of Public Relations. “We just went by Bardog,” Jeremy told me. They showed me a photo.

Not surprised at all to see a BBQ teammate join me on the Big Baller Board. The Moody Ques are the most giving, caring BBQ team in Memphis.

After we finished our beers, Jeremy and Jeana asked, “Do you want to walk around Beale Street with us?” I hadn’t been to Beale in a while and it was a beautiful day out, so I came along. On the way there I noticed that the Silly Goose, now able to serve drinks on its area of Peabody Place, had added umbrellas to the tables out there, providing much-needed shade.

We walked down Beale looking for a place to go. “King Lawler’s?” Jeremy suggested. Believe it or not, as big a wrestling fan as I am, I had actually never been in Jerry Lawler’s bar. Beale Street just is not on my radar very much. Happy for a chance to check the place out, I agreed.

“You’ve never been here? I’m going to see if Randy will give you a tour,” Jeremy said. I knew immediately who Randy was.

Randy Hales was the founder and booker of Power Pro Wrestling that operated in Memphis in the 1990s. He is currently the manager of Jerry Lawler’s place on Beale. While the servers went to get Randy, I ordered a large Budweiser (they didn’t have PBR on draft) and the Deputy Director of Public Relations tried on a crown.

Being a sports bar, there were many TVs at Jerry Lawler’s, most of which were tuned to the ESPN family of channels. However, a few of the TVs showed classic moments from Memphis wrestling. In 1982, NWA World Champion Ric Flair came to town and he got some company as Lance Russell interviewed him:

Randy came over and introduced himself and the four of us went downstairs. I was like a kid in a candy store, and having read Lawler’s autobiography, I had lots of questions. Randy told stories about Jackie Fargo and how “The King” got his nickname. He told us how “Soul Man” Rocky Johnson’s son wanted to break into pro wrestling in 1996. Not wanting to ride his dad’s coattails, he took the name Flex Kavana. His first match was in Kennett, Missouri, right down the road from Jeremy and Jeana’s farm. When he got good enough to get called up by the WWE, he took his dad’s first name and his grandfather Peter Maivia’s surname: Rocky Maivia. Eventually he would shorten his ring name to The Rock.

I got to sit on the set of The Jerry Lawler Show, which ran for many years on Channel 5. I interviewed the Deputy Director of Public Relations of my BBQ team, who chose to stand on the coffee table.

Back upstairs, I sat on The King’s throne.

Back at the bar following the tour, I thought to myself, WHY HAVEN’T I BEEN COMING HERE? How many lifelong fans of pro wrestling have a wrestling-themed bar, owned by a living legend of the business, a quarter mile walk from their home? I get it that the clientele is mostly tourists, but just think of the conversations I could have in there, trading memories and stories. I’m not saying I’m going to make it my main hangout or anything, but I can see myself in Jerry Lawler’s place a couple of times a month. I want to try the deep fried ribs sometime. My friend Eric Hughes plays live music there from time to time, so perhaps I will go see him.

Thank you so much Randy for the tour, and thanks to Jeremy and Jeana for the idea.

Excellent Saturday. Now it’s time to follow it up with an excellent Sunday.

 

Street drinking and Saturday news

The cold front has passed through and this weekend we can expect sunshine with highs in the mid 80s and lows in the mid 60s, unseasonably cool for Memphis this time of year. Great weekend for patio drinking… or street drinking! When the pedestrian promenade opened on Peabody Place last month, everyone was under the impression that the Silly Goose would be able to serve drinks to people sitting in their section of the promenade. However, a nearby business (gosh I wonder who that could be) complained to the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, who informed Goose staff that they had to apply for a separate permit to be able to serve on the promenade. Yesterday I was in there for happy hour, and the bartender told me the permit had just arrived.

If you haven’t made it out to Edge Alley at 600 Monroe yet to check out the biscuits, the coffee, and the shopping, Place at the Table has a review you need to read: Breakfast at Edge Alley

Clean Comedy Experience comes to the Halloran Centre with shows at 4 and 8 today (tickets $20-45). This is your chance to get some laughs without having to hear any offensive words (you know, the kind of words you would hear if you attended one of White House communications director Scaramucci’s press conferences). It’s comedy with honor, class, and dignity.

Bigger Music comes to the Ghost River taproom tonight from 6 to 9. Baily Bigger brings the acoustic guitar and vocals, and Wyly Bigger brings piano and vocals as they perform some of their originals as well as their favorite covers. There is no cover charge to get in and this is a family-friendly show.

The times for the 3-on-3 basketball tournament for the Memphis Police and Fire Departments have been announced: 4-7 PM today and 2-5 PM tomorrow. Come out and cheer the people who keep us safe.

Memphis Parkour will give a demonstration tomorrow, Sunday, July 30, at Your Inner Yogi, 10 N. Second #102, from 1 to 2 PM. The Parkour demonstration will be across the street in Court Square as part of their “Move Memphis!” weekend. The goal is to promote Parkour as a healthy and safe form of recreation that promotes fitness. Pre-register here to get in a raffle for prizes.

By the way, when I clicked on that link, I saw that Your Inner Yogi currently has an intro deal running: 2 weeks of unlimited classes for $19.

The area’s largest and most requested bridal show returns to the Cook Convention Center tomorrow: the Memphis Pink Bride Wedding Show.

The FDA is considering lowing nicotine levels in conventional cigarettes to non-addictive levels. So let me get this straight… right now I can go out and buy a product that is known to contain addictive levels of a drug, and the use of that product has been shown to take years off the average person’s life. But I can’t go to an online poker site, have them pull $5 plus a 50 cent table fee out of my PayPal account, and enjoy three to six hours of a poker tournament, with the chance to win more than my entry back if I survive into the money (potentially many many times more if I’m the last player standing)?

BBQ teammates, if you did not receive an email this week, let me know. We are restructuring the team a bit and gearing up to compete in Best Memphis Burger Fest. There were rumors that the team was finished, but that was merely a momentary lapse of reason.

The Mooch finally forced Reince Priebus out of the White House yesterday. Politico has the analysis. So much fun to sit back and watch all the infighting among the wackadoos. Donald, you’ve outdone yourself; this is the best season of The Apprentice yet, and great job getting it on all cable networks rather then just restricting it to NBC.

That’ll do it for now. Off to the usual Saturday spots.