Author: paulryburn

Probably the best part of writing my blog is meeting my readers. Last night I was hanging out at Max’s Sports Bar, my home away from home on the south side, and I heard “Hey Paul!” I turned around and a woman told me, “I read your blog.” We talked briefly and she told me she was from West Virginia.

“What part?” I asked.

“Morgantown, where the university is,” she replied.

“Do you burn couches?” I asked.

“How do you know about that?” she asked in astonishment. I know things. We got to talking and I told her about my Moody Ques teammate Aaron from around the corner in Wheeling. You know you’re a good BBQ team when vegetarians want to join. Aaron is our vegetarian.

Oh, by the way, since I brought up the Moody Ques… we brought home a couple of awards from Senatobia this weekend! We got 4th place in Ribs and 3rd place in Sauce at the Tate County Fair.

After I left Max’s Sports Bar, I caught a Lyft back to the Blind Bear, where I ran into Michael from the One901 blog. If you are not following that site, you need to. Lots of good information there.

If you’re free this Thursday, my friend Gwendolyn will be doing a live painting session at People’s, the pool hall on Beale Street. DJ Remy, diRty Avenue, and The Block Soul Band will perform and there will be open mic as well. The fun starts at 9 PM.

There will be a book signing today in the lobby of The Blues Foundation at 421 South Main. David Whiteis will sign copies of his book Southern Soul-Blues. The book examines the development and history of Southern soul from its roots in the 1960s and 1970s.

All right, that’s it for now, not a real newsy day but that par for the course for Sunday. It is time for D-RANKS with B-RAD at the Blind Bear where I will do a shot in honor of Katie (not Mac) who celebrates her birthday today (at work unfortunately). Time to hit Publish and then go update the Moody Ques website with the news from Tate County.

 

 

 

There is almost nothing that energizes me like telling people who don’t live here about my city and about my neighborhood. Last night I had a fantastic conversation about Memphis with two folks from out of town who are considering a move here. The more I talked about Memphis, the more I realized how truly good we have it here. I will talk about our conversation more toward the end of this post, but I realize most of you came here for the news, so let’s get to that first.

A classic Italian deli is coming to Downtown. Tuscany Italian Eatery will open at 116 S. Front. That’s across from AutoZone and hopefully they will succeed in a space where others haven’t.

The American Cancer Society Young Professionals Group is putting together a Downtown Memphis Putt-Putt Pub Crawl that will depart from the Flying Saucer at 1 PM on Saturday, June 25. Entry is $15 individual or $50 for a team of four. Participating bars include the Saucer, Silly Goose, Local, Oshi, Agave Maria, and Kooky Canuck. There will be nine holes of putt-putt with prizes for best-dressed team, best team score, and best hole. All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society. More information and registration here.

If you’d like to learn more about this young professionals’ group, visit their website.

On Stage at the Halloran Centre, a series of musical acts performing in the Centre’s 361-seat auditorium beginning in September, has been announced. The list includes soul artist Booker T. Jones, Taylor Hicks from American Idol, Grand Ole Opry member Pam Tillis, saxophonist Mindi Abair, Nitty Gritty Dirty Band on their 50th anniversary tour, Marcella Simien (Marcella and her lovers) opening for her father Terrance Simien, and Afro-Caribbean group Tiempo Libre. You can find more information about this series here.

Crazy Good Sauce has signed on as a sponsor for Best Memphis Burger Fest. Crazy Good sells sauces, seasonings and mixers around Memphis. I have a bottle of their ghost pepper sauce in my refrigerator, and have had several of their other sauces on my food at Bardog and they are all good. If you’re going to the Memphis Farmers Market this morning, look for Crazy Good’s booth there. Their sauces are also at City Market.

The Big 12 has approved a conference championship game in 2017. That may sound like possible good news for the University of Memphis, but not so fast – the NCAA granted the Big 12 a waiver to play a championship game with only 10 teams. So the conference is no closer to expansion than they were before.

Daniel posted a photo of the club sandwich that will soon be on the menu when the Silly Goose begins opening for lunch.

Random cool site that was linked in an email I subscribe to: Digital Harlem. It is a look at everyday life in Harlem from 1915 to 1930 as recorded in photos, newspaper clippings, legal documents, maps, and other published and archival sources.

Stats site FiveThirtyEight has composed a list of the most popular songs currently played at wedding receptions, as evidenced by playlists received from 163 DJs. “Hey Ya!” is number one, played on 69 of the 163 lists.

 

Back to the conversation I had with my out-of-town guests… two things really stood out to me as we talked. The first was how easy it is to find places to volunteer here in Memphis compared to other major cities. Earlier this week I blogged about VolunCheers, an event that will introduce potential volunteers to nonprofits in a speed-dating type of environment. We have Volunteer Memphis which is a central source of opportunities around the city. There’s also an opportunity calendar (and a space to write about volunteer experiences) at Volunteer Odyssey. If you want to get active in the community here, it’s not hard.

Another big takeaway I got from the conversation – something I have known for years but never put into words before – is that more so than most cities, many of the best things that happen here are not born in marketing departments of big corporations. They begin with an idea from an average guy or gal like you or me, and then others climb on board and things grow organically. The Songwriter Nights on South Main come to mind here. They began with one person’s vision, then the musicians bought into it, then the public bought into it, resulting at packed houses at 550 S. Main every time they have an event. A marketing department could not have designed something like that.

Best Memphis Burger Fest would be another example. It started with a guy who believed that there are many alternatives to Huey’s if you want to eat a great burger here in Memphis, and he started a blog about it. As the blog got very popular, he started thinking about food festivals in other cities. The light bulb in his head came on again, and the burger festival was born.

(On a side note, Seth has a new review of the Bomba-B Burger from Sabor Caribe, the Venezuelan restaurant out in The Edge.)

I wrapped up the evening by saying the same thing I have said on here many times: Never in my life have I found a place where there is so much to do so close by, where it is so easy to find people, make friends, and build a fulfilling life, as it is in Downtown Memphis. Thank you Cooper and Nicole for dinner. I enjoyed the conversation thoroughly. If I can answer any other questions for you or point you to more information, you have my email.

I also want to thank Chef Patrick Reilly for coming over and introducing himself to my guests. That meant a lot. By the way, that was another point I made: Here in Downtown Memphis, the chefs are our friends, just regular people we hang out with apart from their restaurants. You don’t find that in Manhattan or L.A., at least not nearly as much.

I didn’t take a photo because I didn’t want to be pulling my phone out all the time at the dinner table, but last night I had one of the few menu items I had never tried, the seared tuna. It is served raw on a bed of jasmine rice with ginger soy sauce, with a side of green beans. Absolutely delicious.

I also had a drink I had never tried at the Majestic last night – Lisa’s Vanilla Bean Old Fashioned. It was made with Knob Creek, simple syrup, muddled vanilla bean, orange zest, and Fee Brothers orange bitters. You know, some people think of Monroe Avenue as “Restaurant Row” because McEwen’s, Flight and Felicia’s are all on the street or nearby. Perhaps the area around Main and Peabody Place could be called “Cocktail Corner” because the Silly Goose, Majestic, and Blind Bear are all places where you can get a well-made craft cocktail.

That’ll wrap up this post. I am skipping the Farmers Market this week because I am not confident the weather will hold up. There was a time in June 2015 where I walked there under sunny skies, and as soon as I bought my smoothie and got under the pavilion, the skies turned dark and opened up. I am not interested in getting trapped again! South Main will have to do without me this morning. I will be flying solo this morning at Bardog, because John D and the boys are cooking at the Tate County Fair, the final regional for the Moody Ques for the 2015-16 BBQ season. If anyone wants to keep me company at Bardog, come on up! Time to hit Publish and get outside.

 

 

Great news for Downtown: This afternoon, ServiceMaster announced that they are moving their headquarters Downtown. They have an employee meeting at the Peabody, and then are expected to announce their move to the Peabody Place Mall to the public this afternoon with the city and county mayors in attendance. Welcome to Downtown, ServiceMaster! If I can answer any questions about nearby amenities for you to enjoy at lunch or after work, shoot me an email at paul@paulryburn.com.

Hmmm… I wonder if this is why the Silly Goose, nearby, announced that lunches and a barista are coming soon.

Get ready to do the Time Warp. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is on the big screen at the Orpheum next Friday, June 10. There’s always a costume contest before the show and they sell props for audience participation. I’ve been to this and it’s a lot of fun, so come get down with the transvestites from Transylvania.

Speaking of the Orpheum, Beverly Hills Cop plays on the big screen tonight.

George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic play the New Daisy this evening at 9:00.

The MBJ has news on Ghost River’s updated look and its plans to open a taproom soon. Located at South Main and Crump, Ghost River was Memphis’ first brewery to open during the modern craft brewery era.

There’s a special Yadi Gnome theme ticket for the Redbirds game Saturday, June 11. Buy this ticket and get a garden gnome that looks like St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina.

The Flying Saucer is once again supporting Pints for Prostates in a month-long event. The organization raises awareness for men’s cancer, and last year the Saucer was its top fundraiser with over $30,000 donated among all the locations. The month will culminate in a drawing for a trip for two to the Czech Republic and Germany (Prague, Bamberg, Eck, and Munich) for Oktoberfest.

There’s live music at Loflin Yard this weekend! Tonight Electric Boogaloo with Logan & The 10-ft. TVs performs 6 to 9 PM. The group features Art Edmaiston on saxophone. Blues legend Earl “The Pearl” Banks performs Saturday 6 to 9, with members of the Hi Rhythm Section. Sunday is the weekly pickin’ party from 4 to 7, with bluegrass collective Tennessee Ripple. Hmmm I’ve never been to a pickin’ party before… may have to walk down there Sunday.

Also at Loflin Yard, there’s a fun and free Pure Barre class from 11 to noon tomorrow morning, Saturday, June 4. Sign up here. After the class, you can relax and purchase food from Loflin’s kitchen. Be sure to bring a mat, because the class will be done on grass.

There’s a planning manager position open at Youth Villages.

Those of you interested in Memphis being part of a potential Big 12 expansion may want to read this article from Cincinnati. The roadblock to expansion is the big dog of the conference, the University of Texas. The folks at Texas don’t seem to think that any of the potential TV markets, Memphis being one of them, will bring in enough of a revenue windfall to justify cutting the pie into twelve slices rather than the current ten.

I’m excited about this evening. Two of my readers from out-of-town have contacted me and asked if they could take me to dinner at the Majestic. They have been considering moving to Memphis for a while now and they want to pick my brain. I love doing stuff like that! I’m so happy that I can play a part in promoting the city and neighborhood that I call home. It reminds me of the Saturday when I was at D-RANKS with B-RAD at the Blind Bear and three people told me they moved to Downtown Memphis because of what I wrote. To this day it still weirds me out a bit (but in a fulfilling way) to think that condos have sold, people have found their groups of friends, markets and bars have picked up customers, pets have been adopted because of something I created.

On a side note, my phone autocorrects “Brad” to “B-RAD” now.

The Copa America, the biggest soccer tournament for the USA Team outside of a World Cup, kicks off tonight. The Brass Door will be showing USA vs. Colombia tonight at 8:30.

Memphis Italian Festival is happening this weekend out at Park and Mt. Moriah in East Memphis. It’s similar to BBQ Fest but with Italian food – teams compete, and there are food vendors that sell to the public and live bands. It’s also similar to BBQ Fest in that it rains every year and turns the place into a giant mud pit.

That’s all for now. I have plenty of time to hit happy hour before dinner. Undecided where to go it, so it’ll be a game time decision between Silly Goose, Blind Bear and Max’s.

Get Fresh with Us is the theme of the Memphis Farmers Market this Saturday. What better way to celebrate the beginning of National Fruit and Vegetable Month than a trip to the Market for some locally grown fresh produce? Kids can learn about animals on the farm by creating unique farm-animal visors from 9 to 11. Live music by Kayla Walker 8:30 to 10 and by David May 11 to 12:30. The Market is at the corner of Front and G.E. Patterson under the pavilion every Saturday from 7 AM to 1 PM.

This week’s vendor chitchat is with Erica Bodine, owner of Erica Bodine Pottery. Bodine’s parents were potters and taught her at age 12. She makes only utilitarian items, and one of her first for the Farmers Market was a 901 drinking cup. Later she expanded her line to include a 201 (Poplar) drinking cup that she sells at the Market.

Some days this blog just writes itself…

Bodine’s pottery can also be found at Trolley Stop Market if you can’t make it to the Farmers Market.

The public is invited to wear orange tonight to Loflin Yard to observe National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Speakers will include Moms volunteer Tara Johnson, Mayor Jim Strickland, Sen. Lee Harris, and Terri Lee Freeman, President of the Nat’l Civil Rights Museum. The program begins at 5 PM.

There will be a Creole and Patio Party at Church of the River tomorrow night, Friday, June 3. Gumbo and other New Orleans favorites will be served in the church’s courtyard and Great Mississippi River Room as Marcella and her Lovers entertain. $75.

My friend Chicken Fried Steak Rodger has confirmed for me that Uber and Lyft will take you to Southaven/Olive Branch and come pick you up from those cities and take you back to Memphis. Now, I know what you’re thinking… “Why the F would anyone want to go to Olive Branch?”, but our friend Mandy Marie teaches really fun classes at Painting with a Twist out there. Now I will be able to go without worrying about transportation.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade will play at the Orpheum tonight at 7, the first of the summer classic movie series.

The Harbor Town 5K is tomorrow night, Friday, June 3. Race is at 7 with a 1 mile fun run for kids at 6. Proceeds raised benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis.

I’ll be leading off at Silly Goose tonight after work. Keep scrolling for this morning’s post if you haven’t seen it yet.

Just barely enough time to fire off a post before work. Let’s do this thing…

Million Dollar Quartet is back Downtown filming once again. They will occupy the alley next to Bardog (formerly known as Scratchy’s Alley) today through Saturday.

Want to volunteer somewhere in Memphis but haven’t found the perfect fit for you so far? Come to VolunCheers at Emerge Memphis on Wednesday, June 15. It’s a “Minute Match,” kind of like speed dating where nonprofits and potential volunteers find each other. Food and Wiseacre beer will be provided.

The Dantones headline tonight’s Peabody rooftop party.. $10 to get in or $150 VIP for the season, first 200 ladies free, doors at 6, entertainment at 7. Admission includes a buffet of mini meatloaf and tater tots, and if you’re in VIP you have a second buffet of chicken & waffles, onion rings and mini cheesecake. Cherry margaritas are the drink special. Those with VIP passes have a beer tasting in the Corner Bar 5-6 PM featuring New Belgium Heavy Melon.

MyHQ is once again hosting Sunset Yoga at Memphis Park (formerly Confederate Park) Wednesday, June 8. The session is free and there will be a wine tasting by Quench afterward. If you don’t have your own mat they can supply you one. YOGA!

South Main Book Juggler will host a Simplifying Chords Book Signing Saturday from 1 to 3 in the afternoon. Elizabeth Goodline will sign her book, a textbook for the classroom and a reference for the road. Afterward she will play a set at South Main Sounds.

Claybrook Farms is now advertising its June Bundle: five 12 ounce ribeyes, five 12 ounce strip steaks, two 24 ounce sirloin steaks for two, and two 1.5 pound packages of ground beef. This collection retails for $185 but you can get it as a bundle this month for $150.

I expect to be back later today with Farmers Market news and more, so check back.

I am sad to report that Roxie’s, the grocery at Third and Mill that is known city-wide for its great burger, was damaged in an overnight fire Monday night/Tuesday morning. However, the building was not a total loss and the burgers will be back on the grill as soon as they can.

On Saturday, June 18 there will be a soul food cooking contest at Slave Haven, the Underground Railroad museum in the 800 block of North Second. The museum is celebrating its 160th anniversary and the contest is part of its Juneteenth events. You can compete for the best of the best in sweet potato pie, bread pudding, hot water cornbread, tea cakes, and biscuits.

Saturday, August 28 is Go Topless Day at Overton Park. Everyone, including men, is encouraged to wear pasties and celebrate the day. This is also the day of Best Memphis Burger Fest and the Bardog alley party, so people are going to be spread thin around town.

The folks at the Hungry Memphis blog tried the deep fried ribs at King Jerry Lawler’s new cafe on Beale Street. Those look really good, and something different from the rest of the ribs you can find Downtown.

South of Beale is now delivering to Downtown and Midtown via Chef Shuttle. Here’s the menu.

Very cool for our local university: The University of Memphis is sending 14 journalism students to cover the Olympics. The games open August 5. Man oh man… the Summer Olympics back on TV… you know what that means…

ROMANIAN GYMNASTS!

I am still waiting to hear whether Catalina Ponor has accepted my marriage proposal.

For Max’s Sports Bar patrons: You may remember Lauren who tended bar during day football games several years back. She will be working Michele’s shifts for the month while Michele is on vacation, so come see her! I will definitely be spending some time at Max’s this weekend.

Max’s is mentioned in this post by the Flyer’s Frank Murtaugh about five tips for new Grizzlies coach David Fizdale. “Forget white collar or blue collar… Memphis may be America’s only no-collar town.” Love it. And Coach Fiz, if you’re reading this, you really should visit Max’s and meet the regulars. One of the friendliest bars in the city and they love their sports there.

And after you visit Max’s, be sure to go cat-a-corner across Main and G.E. Patterson and check out Earnestine & Hazel’s, a spot where a certain former Grizz coach used to take his 23-year-old dates.

Damn. Two Mr. Greens in one post. That hasn’t happened in a while. I think the only time it has ever happened before is when I mentioned the BBQ device that I’m no longer to mention on here.

(I mentioned the BBQ device I am no longer allowed to mention )

Three. A hat trick of Mr. Greens.

For my readers who are casual wrestling fans but don’t follow the action on a weekly basis, you gotta watch the clip below. John Cena returned Monday night after a 6+ month absence due to injury. WWE newcomer AJ Styles, already a legend in TNA and Japan, came to the ring to greet Cena. Last week AJ asked the other members of The Bullet Club (now just “The Club”) to stop interfering in his matches and they agreed to go their separate ways. However, The Club was none too happy about Styles sucking up to John Cena last night, and they came to the ring to express their objection. Probably the most important segment on a WWE show since Seth Rollins turned on his fellow Shield members two years ago.

I want to thank Moody Ques pitmaster Frank and his lovely wife Laura for having us over to their house on Memorial Day for a cookout. There were ribs and wings and sides, and it was all so good. The team is a shoulder team at BBQ Fest but we compete in ribs in some of the regionals, so this was good practice.

Vote for BBQ Fest as one of USA TODAY’s 10 best BBQ festivals here. You can vote once a day through June 20.

I’ll be at the Silly Goose for happy hour. Possibly a second post, check back.

You know, when something negative happens Downtown I always question whether I should blog about it. I love my neighborhood and I want people to come down here and visit and enjoy the amenities and even consider moving here. For years I have been saying that there is no other part of Memphis which has so much to do in such a compact space; there is no other area of Memphis in which it is so easy to make friends and find where you fit in.

On the other hand, I like to paint an honest picture of Downtown. No one pays me to write this blog so I can say whatever I want on here, and I generally do. Downtown is not perfect. Sometimes pointing out its imperfections, the things that get swept under the carpet because no one wants to talk about them, is the only way to get them addressed.

Sunday at 11 I grabbed a seat at B-RAD’s bar and got ready to enjoy a Sunday without a Monday behind it. I made my usual “D-RANKS with B-RAD” checkin on Facebook then scrolled through my news feed to see what was going on. There were multiple reports of a stampede on Beale Street just before 1 Saturday night/Sunday morning. Hundreds of people ran east on Beale from Second Street, then south on B.B. King/Third. A few minutes later, people stampeded in the area of Rufus Thomas and Beale. People were injured, a police car had a window busted out, and a section of iron fence surrounding Handy Park was damaged. This happened almost to the minute one week after there was a shooting at Second and Peabody Place just north of Beale.

I was sitting there debating whether or not to talk about this, when a friend came up and convinced me that I should. So I will.

Downtown Memphis Commission: You manage the street. I know it is only temporary until you find a company to take it over. However, the time to act is now. You need to do something to get this crap under control.

The trouble is, there is really no good solution. One thing that has been suggested is an earlier closing time for the street. I hate that idea. Beale Street bars currently can stay open as late as 5; all other bars have to be closed by 3. I have many friends in the service industry who get off around 3 and go to Beale to unwind after work. They need that. I don’t want it taken away from them.

Another solution that has been proposed is to charge a cover to get on the street in the entertainment district. Maybe a refundable cover of sorts – you pay $10 to get on the street, but then are given back $10 in tokens to spend there. I don’t know… I have mixed feelings about this one. It may be the least bad of a number of bad solutions, but I do understand the claims of classism that arise from this idea, that you have to have a certain level of wealth to be able to enjoy a public city amenity.

The real problem is that parents need to teach their damn kids how to act in public, but identifying that as the problem doesn’t bring us any closer to a solution.

This coming Friday night I am having dinner at the Majestic with a couple who lives out of state, who have been considering a move to Memphis for years and have been reading my blog. They think the time may be right and they want to pick my brain. I hate to say it but I am going to have to tell them that I don’t recommend going to Beale after 9 on the weekends.

I’m just fed up. I rarely go to Beale on the weekends anyway so it’s not like I feel like something has been taken away from me. It’s just that I hate the black eye these idiots put on my neighborhood and my city.

Off my soapbox and on to the news. The Dirty Crow Inn has a special for active or retired members of the armed services today for Memorial Day. Show a valid military issued ID and get one free order of pickle chips or onion straws, and 10% off your entire bill today only.

The National Hot Dog Council says to never use ketchup on your hot dogs. I didn’t know where was a National Hot Dog Council, but I agree completely with their advise. Mustard all the way.

You can purchase a special ticket for Thursday’s Redbirds game that includes an all-you can-eat wing buffet. $12 bluff, $16 fieldbox, $19 dugout, $23 club level. The buffet will be in the left field area and will run from the time the gates open through one hour into the game.

Fun day at the Blind Bear yesterday. It was good to have B-RAD back (he was sick the previous Sunday) and the bar was filled with members of two of Downtown’s best BBQ teams, Porkosaurus and The Moody Ques. Sarah from Porkosaurus wanted to take a photo “for England” so I guess she is going across the Atlantic to visit family soon. I wedged between Sarah and Katie (not Mac) and we took the photo. “It’s a sandwich with Porkosaurus bread and Moody Ques meat!” I exclaimed, eliciting a few “ewws” on Facebook. Anyway, just a superb crowd at Brad’s bar. Stacey who works there has a shirt that says “Drinks Well with Others” and I thought to myself, that describes every person here.

A Monday where the office didn’t open at 8 and Bardog did… my kind of day! Seriously, I had people texting me at 8:17 and ask, “Why aren’t you here?” I’ve got a blog to write, people! On my way as soon as I take a shower. Five hours at Teryn’s bar sounds like exactly the right amount of time to pre-game for a cookout at our BBQ team pitmaster’s house this afternoon. Wearing my Friend of the Market shirt since both he and our vice-president are on the board of the Memphis Farmers Market. Fun weekend so far and it shows no sign of stopping!

Yesterday I walked down to the Memphis Farmers Market about 9:45. After checking in to retain my Farmers Market mayorship on Foursquare/Swarm, I looked around. “Not as many people here as I expected,” I thought. Then I walked to the back and realized where all the people were – standing in line at the food trucks! It was jam-packed back there.

I realized I made a stupid, stupid, stupid mistake. When I made my caffeine run to City Market earlier in the morning, I got a sausage, egg & cheese biscuit to eat. Not that there’s anything wrong with their biscuits, but it spoiled my appetite for the Farmers Market. The tandoori truck had added a new item – bison kabobs! I wanted to get them so bad, but I just wasn’t hungry enough to justify the $9 price. Maybe next week.

I turned my attention to the So Fresh juice truck, source of my weekly smoothie. There were seven people in line and it looked like another fifteen standing around waiting on orders. Based on experience, I knew I was looking at a 20-minute wait if I went up there. With little patience for crowds and no shopping list, I decided I was done with the Market for the week. I walked over to Earnestine & Hazel’s (love the 10 AM opening time) and had a couple of PBRs at Clarence’s bar. By 10:35 I was on my way back to the core. It doesn’t take 25 minutes to get to Bardog from South Main, so I had a little time on my hands.

That time ended up being well spent. As I walked past Stock & Belle at 387 S. Main, I saw a sign in the window advertising shoes with the Mid-South Food Bank logo on them. “The purchase of 1 pair feeds 150 people,” the sign said. I went inside to inquire about the shoes. “We have them through Wednesday,” the cashier at 387 Pantry next door told me. “Sizes 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. The awesome thing about these shoes is that 100% of the proceeds go to the food bank.” Knowing I probably would not be back in South Main before Wednesday, it was now or never to get these shoes. I needed shoes anyway, and if they were $60 or less I decided I would get them. The price was $50. “Ring ’em up,” I said. Nice looking shoes and a great conversation starter about the food bank.

I showed off my shoes at Bardog then moved on to the Blind Bear. My BBQ teammate Tripp joined me. “Want to check out 901 Fest?” Tripp asked. I knew Tripp was of a like mind – we could give a crap about the bands, but we wanted to check out the food trucks. We finished our beers and headed down there.

Food truck success! I never expected to be eating chicken & dressing at an outdoor festival, but I did and it was really good. I didn’t get the name of the truck unfortunately. Tripp went to Sushi Jimmi and gave me an extra egg roll. That was just about the best egg roll I have had in my life! Sushi Jimmi, please come back Downtown soon! I want some more of those egg rolls!

On to the news… I don’t have a lot of news today, but what I have is pretty good, involving some updates to the Downtown bar scene. First of all, Friday afternoon Daniel from the Silly Goose posted to Facebook that lunches and a barista are coming soon. Daniel travels regularly to New York and keeps up with the latest bar trends there, and as a result he is always innovating at the Goose.

The Brass Door has some things happening. They have a new management team and they are rolling out a revised lunch menu with specials Monday through Saturday. Mid-summer they will be rolling out a full dinner menu and also a wine and cocktail menu by Brad Pitts, formerly of Bari.

The tube top burglar I wrote about Friday has been captured in Cape Coral, Florida. Cape Coral officials: If you’re short on jail space, feel free to use my bedroom as an annex.

Sunday Fun Day! D-RANKS with B-RAD at the Blind Bear is first on the agenda. With no Monday Work Day behind it, this Sunday is going to be extra fun. Back tomorrow with more news.

A new event is coming to Tom Lee Park in October. The organizers of Delta Fair want to bring something similar to our side of town, so the first-ever Riverfront Fair & Festival will happen October 7-9. It will be family-friendly with a Ferris wheel and other carnival rides, as well as carnival games and food.

Food Truck Fridays are returning to the FedExForum in June. Here’s a list of dates and what trucks will be there.

In a previous post I wrote about all the things happening at the Friday, June 3 Redbirds game, most of which are related to the upcoming St. Jude Classic golf tournament. I have since learned that there is one more giveaway at that event which is not tournament related – first 1500 fans in the gate get a replica 1946 St. Louis Cardinals World Series ring.

Do you want to help develop and promote Downtown Memphis? The DMC has two positions open – a Planning and Development Analyst, and a Development Coordinator.

Volunteer opportunity: Pack produce bags for Bring It Food Hub, a nonprofit that serves lower-income Memphians and those who want to lead a healthy lifestyle. You can sign up for as many hours as you like anytime between now and November 17, Tuesday-Friday, 9 AM-2 PM. Of course, given my love for fresh produce, it is killing me that I can’t sign up for a bunch of shifts, but thanks to BBQ Fest I am short on vacation time at work. Bring It is at 694 Madison in The Edge.

Felicia Suzanne’s will be closed for lunch and dinner today (Friday, May 27) for a private event.

A burglar wearing a tube top has been stealing purses, jewelry, and perfume in Cape Coral, Florida. Hey, now! She can come burglarize my apartment anytime! Preferably when I’m home!

Starting Saturday, June 11, the World Food Championships will be shown on Destination America. Watch and you may catch a glimpse of local Memphis team The Fabulous Burger Boys who qualified for the event at Best Memphis Burger Fest last October.

Another team on TV: Life in Memphis Episode 1 featuring BBQ Fest is on YouTube, featuring our friends from Squeal Street BBQ.

WEEKEND! Office closed at noon. First stop is Bardog then to South Main for Trolley Night.

I’ll start off this post with some live music recommendations for tonight. On Felicia Suzanne’s patio, the South Side Supper Club will perform for the weekly “Tacos & Tunes” event. In addition to the music, there will be $2 tacos and $5 margaritas. The party kicks off at 7 PM.

Later in the evening, my friends Pam & Terry play the Blind Bear. This husband and wife duo is so much fun and there does not seem to be a song they don’t know. They take the stage at 10.

At Loflin Yard tonight, Chris Milam & Band have a CD release party from 6 to 9. Tomorrow night the Gayoso Bayou Boys will play the Yard, also 6 to 9.

Happy birthday to the Macs! My friends Katie Mac and Charvey Mac turn another year older today. No they are not twins. Don’t forget that you can catch Charvey every Wednesday night at the Silly Goose from 10 PM to 1 AM. Charvey also plays the Double J as half of Six String Lovers Friday nights from 9 to 1.

The St. Jude Classic, the golf tournament held in Memphis, is coming up June 6-12. In conjunction with the tournament, AutoZone Park will turn into an extension of the course on Friday, June 3. That evening, fans can purchase a special $30 theme ticket that will give them a Field Box seat to that night’s ball game and a one-day ticket to the golf tournament. The golf ticket alone is a $30 value. First 1000 fans will get “Hush Y’all/Loud Y’all” paddles. Fans are encouraged to wear golf gear. There will be golf-themed games and activities, and the Redbirds will be wearing one-of-a-kind jerseys which will be auctioned off after the game. Following the game there will be a special Friday edition of fireworks.

This could be useful: a wristband that measures how drunk you are. It transmits the information to your phone. It’s called BACtrack Skyn.

If you love BBQ Fest, here’s an exhibit you should check out at South Main Trolley Night tomorrow: High on the Hog: Ten Years in the Pits will be an exhibit by photographer Lawrence Jasud following 10 years of BBQ Fest. You can see it at Circuitous Succession Gallery at 500 S. Second from 6 to 9 tomorrow evening.

It’s Time for a Patriotic Picnic is the theme at this Saturday’s Memphis Farmers Market. You can pick up everything you need to grill out at the Farmers Market – steaks, fresh fish, veggies to put on the grill. You can also buy ingredients for a nice side salad at the Market, and chips and dips too. For the benefit of any vegetarians reading this blog, I will mention that meat vendor Pigasus sells grillable BBQ tofu. Master Gardeners are back this Saturday from 9 to noon to answer all of your questions.

Hmmm… the Market should find a master gardener named Mary to volunteer. Then we could ask her, “Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?”

… Okay, anyway, continuing with the Market… there will be live music by Emma Web 8:30 to 10 and Nick Parr 11 to 12:30. By the way, shout-out to Mark who books the music at the Market, the South Main Songwriter nights, and at various venues in the neighborhood. There is a lot more opportunity for musicians because of Mark’s vision. I appreciate all that you do for South Main, Mark.

The Memphis Railroad & Trolley Museum will have a booth at the Market this Saturday. Stop by and see them and learn about what they are doing for National Train Day on June 4, right around the corner at Central Station. Real Good Dog will be adopting dogs at the Market. Local blogger/Farmers Market Foursquare mayor Paul Ryburn will be at the Market from 9:40ish until about 10:40. The Market happens every Saturday from 7 AM to 1 PM under the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson.

As you all know, I am a HUGE fan of fresh produce. Therefore, I read every word of this week’s vendor chitchat with the folks from Roots Memphis Farm Academy, teaching the next generation of sustainable farmers. They currently have seven students growing at an “incubator” garden at Shelby Farms. They sell not only at farmers markets and through their CSA, but to Bleu, Bari, and Tsunami as well.

Seth from Best Memphis Burger has good things to say about the RAWK ‘N GRUB food truck. The truck named a burger after him, the Seth (I Hear Ya Callin’). DUDE!

That’s all for now. Tonight will be a bit of a late night, because I want to catch Pam & Terry at the Bear. With only a half day tomorrow, I should be able to deal with it. Possibly another post after work.