Author: paulryburn

A newsy Thursday update

Exciting news for the NBA and for the Memphis metro: The NBA’s developmental league, currently known as the D-League, will become the G-League next season thanks to an expanded partnership between the NBA and Gatorade. The Memphis metro will get a yet-unnamed team that will play its home games at the Landers Center in Southaven. The new team will be affiliated with the Grizzlies. Currently, the Iowa Energy are the Grizzlies’ D-League affiliate, but that agreement ends at the end of this season.

Soulful Food Truck Sunday will happen at Clayborn Temple on Sunday, March 12 from noon to 6. It’s an event to celebrate the final day of Memphis Black Restaurant Week. There will be five food trucks, serving everything from BBQ to southern comfort food. Local beer and wine will be on sale. There will also be a Soulful Concert featuring Jerome Chism, Keia Johnson and Courtney Little. Tickets will be $10 in advance. At the door they will be $15 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under, with children under 2 free.

Given where I live, I got some great news yesterday that I am excited to share with my neighbors. The CCDC has given a developer a $80,000 grant for improvements to the building at Madison Avenue and S. November 6th Street (119 Madison). That’s the four-story building next to the Goodwyn. The plan is to put a speakeasy-style cocktail bar, with alley entrance, on the ground floor.

Wait a minute… you know where else there is a door opening onto November 6th Street? The back door of my apartment building! We are going to have a bar just steps away from where we live! Construction is not set to start until summer, so don’t get too excited just yet… but just thinking about it, when my building has its holiday party in December 2018, perhaps we will be saying to each other, “You remember when we had to walk all the way to Bardog to get a drink?”

The ground floor of the building will also house a coffee shop. The upper floors will be converted into three market-rate apartments. Good plan for a building that has been vacant for a long, long time. With several boutique hotels opening on Madison this year, the timing is perfect for the ground-floor bar and coffee shop.

I do have to make one comment here, and I am not going to mince words. If the cocktail bar with the alley entrance is to be a success, something must be done about the bums who hang out on the block of Madison between Main and Second. No, I am not going to refer to them as “panhandlers” (which would be politically correct). I am not going to call them “homeless people” (they’re not). When you beg for money all day and then go to CeCe’s Liquors and buy rotgut booze and you drink it then toss the bottle on the sidewalk, and harass passersby and act in a disorderly manner and then start begging again so you can get another bottle, YOU ARE A BUM. End of story. They are terrible on that block. They hang out at the northbound Madison trolley stop on Main. They hang out in front of that convenience store at Second and Madison. They hang out in front of CeCe’s. Patrons won’t feel comfortable going in an alley entrance until their presence on the block is completely eliminated.

News on the event for kids at AutoZone Park on Saturday:

Wiseacre is having a My So-Called Beer, the 90s release party tomorrow, Friday, February 14, from 4 to 10 in their taproom. The beer is a pale amber ale, “the kind that ran wild in the pre-21st century world.” Nirvana will be playing on the big screen and there will be ’90s jams all night. Wear your best ’90s gear for beer discounts.

The NCAA is modernizing the way it picks March Madness teams, moving away from RPI in favor of more modern ratings systems. Congratulations, by the way, to my Arkansas Razorbacks, who probably punched their dance card last night with a road win over a top-25 team at South Carolina.

Bardog got creative with its special today:

Facebook alert: Beware of private messages from Facebook friends that read something like “(your name) is this you?” along with what appears to be a YouTube video with hundreds of thousands of views. Do not click on the link! It will take you to a fake Facebook login page that, if you fill it out, will give hackers your username and password. More information here.

I’m browsing the tweets about Trump’s press conference this morning and all the “messes” he inherited. George Takei had the best tweet of all, that Trump’s mission is to boldly go where Nixon has gone before.

I got a pleasant surprise at the Blind Bear last night. I was sitting at the bar watching TV when out walked the members of Squeal Street BBQ from the back room. They were having a full-team meeting. Smart of them to do that so early in the year! As for my team, the Moody Ques, we are having a board meeting on Saturday to take care of the legal business associated with being an LLC, and then we will plan a full-team meeting, probably for sometime in March. Deputy Director of Public Relations Perjorie T. Roll had an idea for the full-team meeting that I will discuss with the board on Saturday.

Back tomorrow with more news. I plan to be out at the Silly Goose for happy hour as usual, drinking alcohol because I can.

Wednesday update

Today is one of the best shopping days of the year, as Walgreens marks down all their Valentine’s candy 50% off.

The community is invited to a public meeting at the Cannon Center Thursday from 4:30 to 7 PM, the first meeting to discuss creating a historic district on the north end of Downtown Memphis. This new district’s creation is designed to coincide with St. Jude’s $9 billion investment into the area, the revitalization of the Pinch District that began with Bass Pro, the renovation of the Cook Convention Center, the development of Fourth Bluff, and the redevelopment of Mud Island.

The Peabody has a number of jobs open including a Marketing Coordinator and a Communications Coordinator.

A Food Network show will be filmed at Bedrock Eats and Sweets next Monday, February 20. The name of the show has to be kept a secret for now. The filming will happen between 11 AM and 1 PM. Also note that the restaurant will be closed 2 PM-3 PM for some quiet interview time. Bedrock Eats is a healthy dining restaurant at South Main and Vance.

The Grizzlies host the New Orleans Pelicans tonight at 7 at FedExForum. This is the last game before the All-Star break.

If you want to get the full BBQ Fest experience without the responsibility of being on a team, VIPit Passes are now on sale for 2017 for $495-595. The pass gets you admission to all the public days of BBQ Fest (it says all three but aren’t there four this year?). You will get invites to up to 6 team booths to sample their BBQ, get grilling tips, and learn what it’s like to be on a team. A Memphis in May certified judge will give you tips on what it takes to win. You’ll have your own special booth with light snacks, soft drinks, beer and wine, and you will get a complimentary goodie bag.

Rep. Steve Cohen approves of the presidential appointee to be VA Secretary, Dr. David Shulkin. Gotta love Steve’s sense of humor:

In other political news, there’s this:

I have started the 2017 roll call of members on the sidebar of the Moody Ques website. Teammates who don’t see your name on there: Pay your dues and your name will be added within 48 hours. You can pay via PayPal widget on the site sidebar, or you can email moodyques@gmail.com to arrange payment by check or cash. If you’re viewing the site on a mobile device, the sidebar appears on the bottom of the page. The team leaders are meeting this weekend to discuss plans for 2017, so I will probably have a website post and team email out next week. If any new people are interested in joining, I will find out this weekend if we are taking new members and if so, how many spots we expect to have open. I do expect us to have at least one spot, as Trump’s wall will prevent team member Mardoqueo from attending this year.

That’s it for now. I’ll be out at the Silly Goose happy hour after work.

Valentine’s Day update

Happy Valentine’s Day! One of the most unique and fun ways to enjoy Valentine’s Day happens tonight at Bardog Tavern at 8 PM. It’s a burlesque show! Performer Kitty Wompas and her troupe of dancers will tantalize the crowd. From what I hear, the windows will have to be blacked out for this performance, if that gives you an idea what you can expect. There will be shot specials during the show.

Electronic dance music legend Paul Oakenfold comes to the New Daisy’s Daisyland Saturday, May 20 from 10 PM to 4 AM. Before you buy your ticket, keep one thing in mind… that’s the Saturday of BBQ Fest.

The Redbirds are hosting a Seasonal Job Fair Monday, February 20 (10 AM-2 PM) and Tuesday, February 21 (1 PM-5 PM) at the Home Plate Club in AutoZone Park. Positions open include bat boys/girls, box office ticket seller, field crew, ushers, and usher supervisors. All positions are part-time and seasonal.

The Downtown Neighborhood Association has announced a Mardi Gras-themed monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 28 at the Center for Southern Folklore, 119 S. Main. Phil Trenary, President and CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber, will speak on the topic of “The Magic is in the Mix,” the people and places that make Memphis a world-class city. There will be king cakes, compliments of the Center for Southern Folklore. There will also be culinary lagniappes, compliments of Cafe Pontotoc. Of course there will be booze as well, with donations to DNA appreciated. Free for members, $10 non-members. Social at 6:00 with the program starting at 6:30.

The Flying Saucer is having a couples beer dinner ($40) tonight at 7. The appetizer will be cheese fondue, the entree will be braised beef, and there will be chocolate fondue for dessert. Of course, each will be paired with beer. You know the drawing of Disney’s Lady and the Tramp sharing a strand of spaghetti? The Saucer poster advertising the dinner has that drawing… except with Trump and Putin.

Is your favorite restaurant crowded on Tuesday and Wednesday nights? It may be Tinder’s fault. Those are the most popular date nights for people who met on dating apps.

High Cotton is running a couple of specials at their taproom today. Their saison is $1 until the keg is empty. They are also doing a buy two pints, pay only $3 for the second pint special. Hours today are 4 to 9 PM.

Cafe Eclectic has announced that its Harbor Town location will begin closing at 4 PM. The Midtown location still stays open until 9.

Congressman Steve Cohen has been appointed to the House Ethics Committee. An excellent appointment in a year where there may very well be ethics investigations.

That’s it for now. Getting my hair cut after work, then over to the Blind Bear for some Valentine’s Day PBR.

Monday update: Delivery place that serves breakfast all day, and more news

Downtowners are always on the lookout for restaurants that deliver, especially ones that serve food other than pizza. This past weekend I came across a menu for a place called Duffies at 212 N. Fourth Street. They are open 8 AM to 10 PM (I guess every day, the menu didn’t say), they deliver Downtown, and they serve breakfast all day. So if you want a waffle delivered to your home at 6 PM, there you go. They also have wings, salads, sandwiches, and yes, they do have pizza as well. Click the images below to view the menu in a larger size.

Got a couple of pieces of Monday-specific news… the Flying Saucer is now doing Songwriter Night with Roland and Friends every Monday night at 7 PM. I am assuming this is the same Roland who is co-organizer of Stumbling Santa.

Cafe Pontotoc is now open on Mondays, and they have some good specials. Every Monday night that will have $5 margaritas, $2 tacos, and $2 tamales.

From Lifehacker: A James Beard Award-winning chef has tips on building the perfect plate of nachos.

Astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson comes to the Orpheum tonight at 7.

Lisa’s Lunchbox will not be coming to the Front Street Deli location after all, the CA’s Jennifer Biggs reports. The deal fell through last week, which is why Lisa’s Lunchbox acquired the Tuscan Italian Eatery space a block away.

Experimental rules have been approved for the postseason college basketball tournament that determines who is the 69th best team in the country, the NIT. The Tigers may be headed there, so you might want to take a minute to get familiar with the rules.

That’s it for now. Probably going to hit happy hour at Bardog this evening, then over to Blind Bear to watch college basketball. Back tomorrow with more news.

New food festival: Jalapeno popper throwdown comes to Memphis March 25

For the past few weeks, Seth from Best Memphis Burger Fest and a few other folks have been working on putting a new Memphis food festival together, and yesterday they made the announcement: 901 Popper Throwdown is happening Saturday, March 25. This will be a cooking competition to determine who makes the best jalapeno popper in Memphis. Here are the rules if you want to enter. Entry fee is $60, $65 counting credit card fees. The event will be held at High Cotton Brewing Co. at 598 Monroe. Teams will be able to hand out samples in exchange for donations to Memphis Paws, Inc., an organization that provides funds to animal rescues. There will be live music, a jalapeno eating contest, and great craft beer.

A few minutes after Seth announced the popper fest, he made another announcement: He’s looking for judges. With a regional in Atoka the following weekend, I knew the Moody Ques wouldn’t be competing in Popper Fest. I texted the team president and asked if the team had anything scheduled for March 25.

“Nope,” he replied.

So I filled out the judging application! I love spicy food. One of the questions was “what is the spiciest food you have ever eaten?” I gave two answers: One is that I have a bottle of Crazy Good ghost pepper sauce that I sprinkle on fries and whatever else needs to be taken up a notch. Also, one time I ordered a seafood curry at Bangkok Alley and asked them to make it spicy. They asked how much on a scale of 10 and I told them 9 out of 10. YIKES! I only did that once. I have since settled at 6/10 as my comfort zone there. Given that I’m not a certified food contest judge, there’s no guarantee that I’ll be accepted, of course. However, I do have judging experience (the first Best Memphis Burger Fest), 10 years experience on a BBQ Fest team, and 4 years experience on two Burger Fest teams. We’ll see what happens. Maybe all the certified judges will be busy that day.

On to the next subject… I went to the crawfish boil at Max’s Sports Bar yesterday, and having eaten a box, I have no problem making this statement: The crawfish at Max’s Sports Bar’s crawfish boils are better than the crawfish at any public crawfish festival in Memphis. They are better than Rajun Cajun. They are better than the Overton Square crawfish fest. A guy named Glaze cooks the crawfish, and they have the perfect amount of spice, and each box comes with corn, taters, and smoked sausage that have been cooked in the crawfish boil.

I decided to visit Clarence at Earnestine & Hazel’s yesterday morning, then got to Max’s a few minutes after 11 to get a good seat. Good thing I did – an hour later the place was PACKED! By 1 PM every square foot of Max’s was filled with people waiting in line to get tickets for boxes of crawfish, and for beer.

The crawfish are big for this time of year!

This must be one of the best crawfish seasons ever. Normally you don’t see crawfish in Memphis until the last week of February. Not only are they here ahead of schedule, but they’re already the size of the ones usually served at the crawfish festivals in April. I wonder what they will look like at the boils at Max’s at the end of the season in June. At what point do they stop being crawfish and start being lobsters?

Due to the size of the crowd, they ran out of crawfish about 2. Glaze told me that he brought 4 bags of crawfish. They’re going to do the next boil at Max’s two Saturdays from now, and Glaze is bringing 6 to 8 bags.

The Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team has a home game this afternoon, hosting Temple at FedExForum at 1:00.

That’s it for now. I’m going to catch up on my WWE Network subscription (new episode of Legends with Stan Hansen just dropped) then off to D-RANKS with B-RAD at Blind Bear at 11.

 

Saturday update

Pam & Terry love posing for photos with their fans. Last night they played Blind Bear and their newest fan, Perjorie T. Roll, got her photo opportunity.

About a week ago, I was sitting in Max’s Sports Bar watching TV, and a man named Duncan introduced himself. He told me he was opening a new restaurant in the former Double J building across the street. He said it would be called The Vault (because at one time that building was a bank) and that he would serve Creole and Italian food, and maybe some steaks. The cat is out of the bag now, with the Flyer reporting on The Vault yesterday. It could be open as soon as the beginning of next month. Each booth will have its own TV, and both downstairs and upstairs will be open.

Yesterday was the last day for Tuscan Italian Eatery on Front Street. The location has been sold to Lisa’s Lunchbox, which is odd considering Lisa’s is taking over Front Street Deli a block away. The Tuscan Italian Eatery location inside 200 Jefferson (the Darth Vader Building) will continue to operate.

archimania, the award-winning architecture firm currently located at 356 S. Main, has dropped plans to move its headquarters to a building at Main and Carolina. They apparently feel that their business would stick out like a sore thumb in a neighborhood that has unexpectedly blossomed with new apartment dwellings. They will seek a location elsewhere Downtown, or in Midtown.

Not much news today, but that’s all right; it’s going to be beautiful outside! Time to go hit the usual spots and celebrate a very productive week.

Good deal on local beer and more Friday news

Got some news today for my readers who like craft beer and who also like saving money. Ghost River has a nice little collection of short cases. These are cases of beers that either aren’t completely full, or whose labels were put on crooked. They are selling these cases (four 6-packs) for $20. That’s less than a dollar each. It’s like going to the outlet mall, but BEER!

High Cotton Brewing Co. is bringing back a popular event:

Memphis Made is bringing back their popular beginner sushi class on Sunday, February 26.

Yesterday Mayor Strickland delivered his annual State of the City speech at the Impact Club at Frayser Baptist Church. You can read the speech or watch the speech in its entirety.

Major League Baseball plans on experimenting with a pretty radical rule change in its rookie leagues and the World Baseball Classic. If the change proves successful, the new rule will make its way up through the minor leagues, eventually reaching the majors. The rule has to do with extra innings when the game is tied after 9: Each inning beginning with the 10th, the batting team would start out with a runner on second. The rule is designed to get extra-inning games over more quickly.

Chris Johnson, who got deep into the American Idol season and who has performed all over town, will play The Dirty Crow Inn tonight from 9 to midnight.

There are nasty women in The Edge! The Memphis exhibit of NYC’s Nasty Women Art Exhibit opens today at Marshall Arts, 639 Marshall, and runs through February 19. The subject matter is left up to each artist who either is a Nasty Woman or supports one. Funds raised from this will support women’s causes in the era of the Trump Regime.

Steph, Klay, Dray and KD come to town tonight as the Memphis Grizzlies host the Golden State Warriors tonight at 7 PM at FedExForum.

The Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau has opened an office in Auckland, New Zealand to serve Australia and New Zealand.

That’s the news for now. It’s been a long but productive week, and I am ready for the weekend!

Thursday update

Big score for AutoZone Park! Major League Baseball’s Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) will hold its Institute at the park February 16-19. The institute is a training conference for coaches and league administrators affiliated with RBI. From 4 to 6 PM on Saturday, February 18, RBI and AutoZone Park will host a free PLAY BALL event for children ages 6 to 13. Kids who want to participate should wear sneakers, and no gloves or bats are needed. Register here. At the event, MLB will present a check to Pitch In For Baseball, to be used for purchasing baseball and softball equipment to benefit kids in local public schools.

Here, kitty, kitty, YOGA! Memphis Animal Services is teaming up with Crosstown’s Cross-motion Studio to present two sessions of cat yoga February 25. What’s that you ask? As participants in the class do yoga, ten adoptable cats will wander the room. After the class, you can adopt a cat for $35, half the normal Animal Shelter fee. Price includes vaccination, collar, a goodie bag, and more. Those not interested in yoga are still invited to attend the session and meet the cats.

Job news: The Fourth Bluff is seeking a programming curator. If you want to put together quality events that encourage people to make use of Downtown’s public riverfront space, this could be the perfect place for you to work.

Holly has a post about her construction tour of the Old Dominick Distillery on S. Front Street, as well as what to expect when it opens this spring.

Here’s an article on how to discourage Windows tech support scammers. If you get a call from “Windows support” saying viruses or malware have been detected on your computer, it’s a scam. My mom fell for these all the time when she was alive.

Belle Tavern is starting a trivia night on Mondays at 8 PM beginning this coming Monday, the 13th. $50 gift certificate for first place, $25 certificate for second place, $10 for third. Also on the announcement was the following: “Beginning February: Happy Hour 10 PM to 12 AM. $2.50 domestics, $3.50 imports, $3 well drinks, $3 house wine, $1 other drinks.” Tonight I’m going to try to get by there and get clarification on whether the happy hour is just on Mondays, or every night.

The Metal Museum is having Champagne Sunday from noon to 2 this Sunday, February 12. It’s a good chance for you to run by the gift shop and pick out a special gift for Valentine’s Day. Check out their exhibit Rounding the Edge while you are there.

DowntownMemphis.com has a list of things to do Downtown on Valentine’s Day.

Sucks to be the Saint Louis Billikens men’s basketball team. Not only did they lose to St. Bonaventure 70-55 Wednesday night, but while they were playing the team’s bus driver got drunk and abandoned them. The bus was found 35 miles away and the driver was found to have a .22% BAC.

Pearl’s Oyster House is opening a second location out in Cordova.

Tomorrow, Friday, February 10, the New Daisy will host We Are One!, a benefit for Mid-South Pride and Out Memphis. There will be burlesque, belly dancing, drag, and go-go dancing.

Here’s the Memphis Tigers 2017 football schedule:

Last night I played (well, actually my troll played) the Silly Goose’s new promotion for Grizzlies games, where each person gets four free squares on a Squares board, with prizes of $10, $25, $10, and $50 being awarded for the winning square for the 1st quarter, halftime, 3rd quarter, and final score. I didn’t win but I spent extra $ on beers and stayed around until 9:30. It’s a promotion that makes a lot of business sense. By the way, they played “It’s Raining Men” by The Weather Girls on the sound system at the Goose last night.

I’ll be back at Silly Goose tonight for happy hour. Back tomorrow with more news.

February in Memphis problems and Wednesday news

This morning, I had to put in a call to my apartment building’s office. My air conditioner wasn’t cooling the apartment well, and I needed maintenance to come service my A/C with Freon. On February 8.

I also encountered a second February-in-Memphis problem last night, one that is unique to me. For the past two months Perjorie (my troll) has lived comfortably in my jacket pocket, ready to make appearances when requested (and there were requests this weekend; she’s getting popular). However, yesterday it was way too warm to wear a jacket out. So Perjorie had to share a shorts pocket with my iPhone, a bunch of loose change, and a container of breath strips. I understand they’re a fashion no-no but I may have to invest in some cargo shorts.

Normally I don’t post Cordova news but this is a pretty unique job opportunity: They’re looking to hire a carousel operator at Wolfchase.

The Grizzlies host the Phoenix Suns tonight at FedExForum at 7. I looked at the promotional schedule to see if there’s a giveaway tonight. There’s not but I was pretty surprised at the time they’re giving away at the March 11 game – a GRILL! A Marc Gasol grill. Well, this is the BBQ capital of the world, so it makes sense I guess.

Bathroom accessory that Downtowners might want: toilet paper holder that also holds a beer

Regional farm Whitton Farms is offering a limited number of produce and floral CSAs (community-supported agriculture). These are subscriptions where you get fresh produce or flowers dropped off at a location convenient to you every week or every other week. Downtown pickup locations include the Memphis Farmers Market and Trolley Stop Market. Order your subscription here.

The Orpheum has announced a student/teacher rush for the Friday night performance of The Illusionists. This offer applies to students, teachers and school staff. It also applies to members of the military, as well as police, firefighters and other heroes and their families. Show up at 6 PM and buy tickets for only $20 on a first-come, first-served basis. Must show valid ID.

The Break-up Show 6 happens at the New Daisy Saturday. This is a celebration of how much love sucks, featuring stories submitted anonymously by Memphians.

Rep. Steve Cohen is hosting a town hall meeting at East High Saturday from 10 AM to 1 PM. He will discuss his legislation and work in Congress, and he wants to hear his constituents’ concerns and ideas.

That’s it for now. I’ll be out at the Silly Goose for happy hour after work. Back tomorrow.

Tuesday update #2

The Memphis Tigers host Tulsa in a 6 PM game tonight at FedExForum. The Tigers, currently in 3rd place in the American conference, need to stop the skid they experienced Saturday at UCF. Every game counts as Tubby and the team look toward a good seed in the AAC tournament next month.

A debate a lot of people have wanted to see is going to happen tonight. Senators and former presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz will debate on CNN tonight at 8 PM. The topic is the future of Obamacare. One tweeter described this debate as Yoda and Darth Vader resurrected for one last fight.

Local BBQ team Porkosaurus, one of the winningest teams at BBQ Fest, has a new product in their online store: their original recipe BBQ sauce. For those of you who have always wanted to sample a BBQ Fest competitor’s sauce but have never had access, this would be an excellent one to try.

Mayor Strickland’s office has released the Mayor’s Dashboard Review for the month of December 2016. See for yourself how our city is doing.

Congrats to the Shelby County Commission for doing the right thing by voting for funding for a free condom program. The vote was 7-5. Shelby County has the highest HIV rate in the state.

Here’s more info on that Blue Suede Brigade job fair next week. I did not realize one of the fair locations would be Downtown, at 480 Beale.

Hot rumor from the Memphis Flyer: Nashville hot chicken restaurant Hattie B’s may be coming to Midtown.

This is my second post today, so if it’s your first visit here today keep scrolling for more news.