Author: paulryburn

Hey everyone. If you’re wondering why there are two posts back-to-back within minutes, it’s because I had problems with the tool I use as a staging ground for this blog. I had both posts pretty much ready to go about 7 this morning, then there was an outage and I lost access for about an hour. So I’m flooding you with information on your lunch break.

How would you like to pick up a case of local craft beer for only $16? Sounds too good to be true, but it’s not. Ghost River is closing out Midnight Magic for the season and $16 a case is the deal until it’s gone. Get it at the dock at Main and Crump.

Good news for dog owners in The Edge. A variance is being applied for, in order to open a doggie daycare at 320 Monroe. Looking at Google StreetView, that appears to be about a quarter block west of Danny Thomas. There is an attached grassy lot that the developers want to use as part of the daycare. The lot is the subject of some debate.

Friday is South Main Trolley Night, with many businesses in the area staying open until 9 or later and some with snacks and beverages to give away. The Songwriter Night at 550 South Main will be back. Other live music will include Roger Wild at Rizzo’s, Tim Plunk at Double J, Larry Randolph outside Obsidian PR and a full band outside Guidingpoint Financial. Sue Layman Designs at 125 G.E. Patterson will unveil her latest collection, and there will be wine and live music by Davy Ray Bennett. SMA will be grilling burgers next to Bluff City Coffee (free for members, $10 for non-members). Should be a fun night and my plan is to spend my Friday evening on the south side.

RealClearPolitics has a very good article on the potential for Tennessee Senator Bob Corker as Donald Trump’s running mate. I would have to agree, Corker has the foreign policy experience and the ability to build coalitions, and would not be a bad choice at all. Of course, the man at the top of the ticket is such a horrible choice that Corker will never get my vote.

This Thursday’s Peabody rooftop party features Fifth Kind with special performance by Shawn Hook. $15 at the door or $150 for a season VIP pass. Doors at 6, entertainment starts at 7, first 200 ladies free. Admission gets you a buffet of mini meatballs and fried ravioli. If you hold a VIP pass you get a second buffet of gnocchi with shrimp and pesto cream, rosemary pork loin, and Caprese dip with Italian bread. Peach margaritas and Firefly apple pie moonshine are the drink specials, with an additional pina colada drink special for those in VIP. Also if you’re VIP, there will be a beer tasting for you in the Corner Bar from 5 to 6 featuring Sweetwater Goin’ Coastal.

Great article from Smart City Memphis about Martin Luther King Riverside Park. That is the park west of I-55 that stretches from South Parkway to Mallory.

Here’s the menu for Chef Ana’s wine dinner at Bleu tomorrow (Thursday) evening.

We need these in Memphis! This huge camera rig busts people for texting and driving from up to three-quarters of a mile away. There have been a couple of times recently when I have been tailgated on 240 at 60+ MPH by people texting and driving and not paying any attention to the road. Scary.

The Redbirds are having that sweet club level ticket offer for $40 once again Tuesday, May 31. Air-conditioned, indoor and outdoor seating, buffet including wine and beer as well as favorite ballpark foods. One thing I didn’t know: There are pool tables. This seems like the way to see the Redbirds in style!

That’s it for now. This is the second post, so keep scrolling to read about the awesome birthday party I attended last night.

One day in December 2005 I was walking down the Main Street Mall, on my way for a beer or two at the Saucer, when I ran into my friend Patrick Reilly. I had met Patrick two years earlier when he managed the Gibson Lounge and I attended several events there. Later Patrick managed Swig, the martini bar in the location that is now the Silly Goose. On that winter day, Patrick told me about his latest project. “Have you heard about the new restaurant?” he asked.

“No, not yet,” I replied. “Is it going to be Downtown?”

“Yes, in the old Gordon Biersch space,” Patrick told me. I had eaten at Gordon Biersch several times and while I did like their crawfish pizza, I hoped that their closing would make way for something local. Patrick began to tell me about the new restaurant that he and his then-girlfriend Deni were planning. “Did you know the building used to be a movie theater?” he asked. “It was called the Majestic. In the 1930s it was the place to be to watch the latest movies and shorts and newsreels. We’re going to keep the movie theater theme and call it The Majestic Grille.” Patrick said that it was going to be a place that while classy and elegant, would also be a place where diners would feel comfortable being themselves. The menu would be upscale American, but unlike some nice restaurants, the portions would be sizable, not skimpy. They were planning a bar where guests could get a cocktail on par with any cocktail lounge in town.

Patrick and Deni, you NAILED it.

When people ask me “What is your favorite restaurant?”, the Majestic is my answer.

When out-of-towners ask where they should go eat, the Majestic is my first recommendation.

There is no dish Downtown that says “comfort food” like the Majestic’s half roasted chicken, in pan juices with garlic mash and green beans. Of course I always ask for their focaccia bread and plenty of butter.

My favorite steak Downtown is the Majestic filet. I get it cooked medium rare with the garlic mash. Sometimes I will get the filet the simple way, topped with Majestic butter. Other times I will get it Au Poivre with a peppercorn crust and Jameson sauce. Like the chicken, it never disappoints.

When I want something more low-key, I might order the Majestic Burger, which can stand up to any burger in town. Other days I might decide on the Majestic’s Famous Grilled Cheese, with aged cheddar, bacon, tomato, and Creole mustard.

In 2007, the restaurant added Sunday brunch. Our regular brunch spot Sleep Out Louie’s just closed and the Majestic’s bar was a perfect place for us to relocate. Many a Sunday I would start my day with the smoked salmon hash or the breakfast flatbread. One of our group, my “DAWG” John D, even got a breakfast named after him. The Majestic is a very popular pre-theater and pre-ballgame destination, so much so that they eventually backed up their opening time to 10:30 AM on Sundays.

The holidays are always a special time. During the month of December the Majestic hosts Sunday suppers, family-style dinners that feed four. Diners are treated to classic Christmas movies on the big screen. The big holiday event every year is Clark’s Christmas, with National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation on the screen, with a costume contest and tacky sweater contest. This is one of the most popular Downtown events of the season and it always sells out with a long waiting list.

I have spent several New Year’s Eves with friends at the Majestic. Those were some of my favorite NYEs ever. They have their regular menu plus a few surprises from Chef Patrick, and it is an elegant but unpretentious spot to ring in the new year, a place for my friends and me to feel at home away from the craziness.

I’ve been to wedding receptions there. I’ve been to art openings there. I’ve been to rallies for my Congressman there. What an asset to Downtown. Our neighborhood just would not be the same at all without this lovely restaurant which, as of yesterday, has been open for 10 years. Last night I had the pleasure of attending a gala celebration of this milestone, a fantastic evening with good friends, good food, and good cocktails.

Congratulations Patrick and Deni. Downtown is so much richer a place because of the two of you.

Happy birthday to my Congressman, Steve Cohen! I first met Steve when I volunteered on his 1996 campaign when he ran against Harold Ford Jr. I lived in Midtown at the time and walked to his office on Union nearly every day that summer, mostly doing database work. I know Steve checks out this blog from time to time, so happy birthday if you’re reading this. I wish every member of Congress had the integrity that Steve has.

I have another “happy birthday” too but I will save it for later…

If you take Front Street home from work, figure out an alternate route for today’s drive home. The street will be closed between Union and Gayoso for Million Dollar Quartet filming.

The St. Jude Marathon happens the first Saturday of every December. Thousands run a marathon, half-marathon, or 5K to raise money for the children’s cancer research hospital. Have you ever wanted to support a Hero who runs the race, but didn’t know one? You can support my friend and St. Jude Hero Misty here. Not only has Misty been my friend for over a decade, but she does a fabulous job as treasurer for our BBQ team. #runmistyrun

For my out-of-town readers who have never seen the Peabody Hotel in person, Google StreetView has a HotelView with 360 degree angles.

From ForeignPolicy.com: Meet the Chinese Internet trolls pumping out 488 fake social media posts a year

Oh my God you can vote once an HOUR in the CA’s Memphis Most polling? That is the biggest sham ever. Skip this BS and wait for the REAL Best of Memphis poll, presented by the Memphis Flyer in the summer, in which you can only vote once (and you know what that vote should be for Best Blog).

ESPN is in the final stages of producing a 30 for 30 episode on the life of the “Nature Boy,” Ric Flair. Whoooooooooo!

My plans for this evening are to spend some time with some wonderful people. Well, that tends to be my plan every evening, but this one more so than most. Possibly a second post later today. Toodles!

I don’t know if I have any readers who are into yoga, but if so, MyHQ has a free class Wednesday evening at 6:30 at the park across Front Street from Raymond James. Hosted by Downtown Yoga, the free session will be followed by a picnic in the park. MyHQ will supply the mats (although you can bring your own), music, and wine; you bring whatever food you want to eat. There are only 40 spots, so RSVP here if you plan on attending. Free parking in the garage on Front with the large blue P (tell them you are there for yoga). This event is weather permitting. MyHQ is gauging interest in offering a free sunrise yoga class on Wednesday mornings. Sun salutation – isn’t that one of the poses?

News for Mud Island residents: By special agreement with the Riverfront Development Corporation, the Tamale Trolley food truck will be at the Mississippi Greenbelt Park every Tuesday until close.

From the MBJ: The folks in charge of the Medical Center District are looking to build on the creative culture of The Edge, the neighborhood encompassing Madison, Monroe, Union and Marshall that stretches roughly from Danny Thomas to Sun Studio.

Trying to decide where to treat Dad for Father’s Day? That weekend, Friday, June 17 and Saturday, June 18, Bleu will have Steaks, Suds, & Spuds. Pick your steak, pick your draft flight, and pick your tater. Sounds so yummy it makes me wish I had children so I would get taken there… wait, no it doesn’t.

Also, Bleu will have a wine dinner this Thursday featuring California wines and cuisine.

Project Green Fork’s Loving Local fundraiser will take place at Loflin Yard Thursday, June 16 from 5:30 to 8:30 in the evening. There will be food by many great local restauants, Wiseacre and Memphis Made beer, and music by Sons of Mudboy. This is a 21 and up event.

Registration is now open for Tubby Smith basketball camps.

Vets are protesting at Trump Tower this week, and there was a sign that reads, “Trumpty Dumpty didn’t serve. Trumpty Dumpty broke his word.” That. Is. Awesome.

The Majestic Grille will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday, May 24, and will resume normal hours on Wednesday.

Heading out to Melissa Monday happy hour at Bardog, then over to Blind Bear. Back tomorrow with more news.

Mid-afternoon yesterday I found myself on the Silly Goose patio with friends. It’s graduation season, and people were parking and walking to FedExForum. It’s interesting to see what Memphians think is appropriate attire to wear to a graduation ceremony. One woman who walked past the Goose had on a shirt that read, “Kinda Classy, Kinda Hood.” Geez…

Congratulations to Ed and Brittney from South of Beale on their soon-to-open second restaurant. Ed became a vegetarian, then a vegan, in recent years. When he took a trip to DC and ate at a build-your-own veggie bowl restaurant, he was inspired. He is opening Zaka Bowl at 575 Erin Drive out in East Memphis. Customers will be able to choose from ingredients like quinoa, tofu, wild rice, roasted corn, apple slaw and more to build their bowl. I don’t know if I have any vegetarians who read this blog, but if I do, this is certainly good news for you.

My friend Darrell Cobbins recommended this book yesterday and I am about to start reading it: Beale Street Dynasty: Sex, Song, and the Struggle for the Soul of Memphis. Preston Lauterbach tells the story of how the Church family built Beale Street in the years following the 1866 race riot, and in the 20th century faced tension with the Crump political machine. Sounds like a great read.

Tickets are on sale for Saturday’s 901 Fest. Some of my friends were under the mistaken assumption that admission would be free. It’s not; nine bucks to get in. I plan on going to the new festival, although I need to coordinate with my friends and find out who is going and when.

The Grizzlies have a Director of Youth Basketball position open.

Style Blueprint has a good article about super-volunteer Katie Midgley.

If you’re a Cardinals fan and you plan on making a trip north to see a game sometime this season, I have some good news for you. Stats site FiveThirtyEight ranked MLB teams on their discounted pizza deals. Many teams have some kind of offer where fans can buy pizza at a discounted price if their team hits a certain milestone during a game. The Cardinals have the easiest milestone to hit of any MLB team – all they have to do is win. Three other teams have the same milestone, but the Cards win more than they do, getting fans discounted pizza 52.9% of the time.

FiveThirtyEight also has an article on how do you feed a T. Rex? There has been some debate lately on whether the king of the dinosaurs even hunted at all; that it may have been a scavenger. However, statistics indicate that the mighty lizard would not have had enough access to food to survive simply by eating already-dead animals that it came across.

The Salty Dogs are running to Sun Studio and back tonight. It’s free to participate, just meet at Bardog at 7 PM ready to run. There are specials for runners afterward in the Underdog Room.

Historian Jimmy Ogle is leading a free lunchtime tour of the Pinch tomorrow, Tuesday, May 24. Meet at Westy’s at 11:45 AM.

That Kentucky Hot Brown special is back at Bardog today. Good stuff.

Happy birthday to my Blind Bear buddy Nate. Nate’s hobbies include drinking moonshine, naps, and eating French fries off the plates of complete strangers. Other than his own bed, Nate’s favorite spot to nap is Best Memphis Burger Fest.

Got a ton more news, so there may be a second post after work before I head to Melissa Monday at Bardog. Check back about 5:30 for more.

Before I get started, let me say happy 40th anniversary to my friends Gary and Boo. When I think of people who make Downtown the special neighborhood that it is, you two are among the first to come to mind. Love you guys.

One Sunday in June 2003, I was hanging out at Sleep Out Louie’s with my friends Kit, Kelly, Shane, Leigh, and Aunt Terry. It had been an extremely long day, but the sun was still up and we didn’t feel like going home. “Let’s go over to the Flying Saucer and throw some darts,” Shane suggested.

The Saucer is known for the girls who work there, but the bartender that night was a man. “We have Sunday Night Swill for a buck fifty,” he told me. “PBR, Schlitz, or Old Mliwaukee for $1.50 a can, and we give you a paper bag to put it in.” I knew from college that Schlitz and Old Milwaukee were pretty nasty, but I was willing to give PBR a try.

“The name’s Jim,” he told me, shaking my hand. Over the next 13 years I would see Saucer girls come and go. Some would only be there a brief time, some for years. They would eventually, though. Through it all, Jim was the constant.

Well, folks, Elvis has left the building. But that’s a good thing.

Yesterday Jim announced that starting in a few weeks, he will be bartending the coach house by the stage at Loflin Yard on Friday and Saturday nights. If Jim has ever served you a beer, go by and see him – and not just to see Jim, but because the yard is one of the neatest spaces in Memphis.

Lunch yesterday was tamales from Maciel’s Tortas and Tacos.

Like everything else at Maciel’s, these are the real deal. Chicken or bell pepper (rajaz) tamales wrapped in corn shucks, with lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado on the side. I ordered two of each, and sides of rice and beans (not pictured). If that sounds like a lot of food, it is. The reason I got so much is that Maciel’s is closed on Sunday, and so I wanted enough to last two days. I’m eating leftovers as I type this post.

I don’t know if I have any vegetarians who read this blog, but on the off-chance that I do, I will mention that the bell pepper tamales were even better than the chicken. Not that carnivores should not branch out and try the rajaz tamale too – you definitely should.

They recently got the second floor open for expanded dining. I will get up there soon and get photos. I should have done it yesterday but my mind was on nothing but tamales.

I will say it one more time – Maciel’s is not a “I hear it’s good, one of these days I will get around to trying it” type of restaurant. It is a GO IMMEDIATELY, YOU ARE MISSING OUT type. The food there really is that good and the prices are quite reasonable. I have friends who eat there five or six times a week.

Joe Walsh is coming to the Mud Island Amphitheatre Saturday, August 13. Along with the former Eagle, JD & The Straight Shot will perform. Tickets go on sale June 3 at 10 AM.

Therapy Session Tour featuring NF with Social Club comes to the New Daisy this evening. Doors at 6, show at 7. Tickets start at $9.

The Redbirds host Fresno in a 2 PM game this afternoon. The first 2500 kids will receive a free ice cream treat.

As expected, yesterday I got to introduce two new customers to the Memphis Farmers Market. They enjoyed the fruits of the Fuel food truck, having a breakfast burrito and some bison tacos. Afterward they bought some strawberries and flowers. Chicken Fried Steak Rodger, one of the Market newcomers, told me yesterday evening that those were about the freshest strawberries he ever had, and he regretted not buying two boxes instead of just one. We also had The Bad, Bad Man with the Smoothie in his Hand times two, as Otto joined us and paid a visit to the So Fresh juice truck. I’ll be back at the Market next Saturday, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel.

By the way… Market customers, if you have never wandered behind the pavilion to where Bluff City Coffee is set up, you need to go check them out. Those pastries looked out of this world! Next week I am going to get in a breakfast kind of mood before I go up there and get a cinnamon roll or muffin or something else yummy.

First stop today is D-RANKS with J-NETTE. I was told last night that B-RAD will be out of pocket. The substitute is more than acceptable, though. It’s time for Sunday Fun Day!

 

I have a lot of chores I need to get done around the house, and so I had planned to take a week off from the Farmers Market this morning to catch up. However, last night as I paid a visit to the Blind Bear, my friend Chicken Fried Steak Rodger said, “Paul, I want to go to the Farmers Market with you tomorrow. I’ve never been and I want to see it. I want some strawberries!” There are as few things as fun as showing a new person around the Market, so I’m in! I mentioned it on Facebook and a couple of other people commented they may be interested in joining too. I plan on getting down there 9:45-10ish and staying until 10:40 when I will make my walk north to Bardog. If anyone wants to join, bring it on! I usually do the Market by myself and it would be fun to have a posse with me for a change.

Great news for those who like dive bars: The Dirty Crow Inn has obtained its liquor license. They will have a limited selection of liquor this weekend and a fully-stocked bar on Monday. For those who haven’t been paying attention, Dirty Crow is a new “5 star dive bar” that has opened at the corner of Crump and Kentucky, on the far side of Crump. I went in there the week of BBQ Fest and it easily earned my stamp of approval. It is open 11 AM to 3 AM every day. One of my Facebook friends proclaimed last night, “That’s it. The Dirty Crow is the Alex’s of Downtown.”

I love the Downtown core and will probably never leave, but I have to admit, I am a little jealous of the people who live in South End. I would be at Dirty Crow and Loflin Yard all the time. Only thing is, I have to wonder how drunks are going to navigate the walk across Crump at 3 in the morning. The speed limit is 45 at that point and drivers aren’t going to be looking out for pedestrian traffic. Also, the most direct way to get there from South End involves stepping over railroad tracks with “no trespassing” painted on them. I need to ask my friend who works for the railroad how seriously they take that “no trespassing” warning. I sure as hell ignored it when I walked to the Dirty Crow.

Booze news: Bailey’s introduces Almond Milk Liqueur

Nice to see my friends over at Start Co. expanding. The accelerator for startup businesses is moving its administrative offices to the sixth floor, leaving the entire second floor open for the businesses Start Co. is helping along. Some of the businesses that have hit important milestones will get their own dedicated space, giving them more room to operate until they reach the point when they can seek their own commercial space. As president Andre points out, this is important not only for the startups themselves, but for the economy of the entire Downtown core. People will be visiting restaurants for lunch and dinner, looking for residential space near work, and shopping in the area.

For the first time ever, Memphis has made the list of the 50 most walkable cities. Memphis comes in at number 49 this year. Of course, Downtown plays a big part (probably the biggest part) in Memphis’ walkability score.

Bon Jovi tribute band Slippery When Wet plays the New Daisy tonight at 8.

That’s it for now. I plan on leaving the house at 9:30 and walking south to the Market if anyone else wants to join. I want to get down there a little early since I am showing a new person around. Bardog, Blind Bear after that.

 

Best Memphis Burger Fest is taking applications to be a judge. The festival will be held at Tiger Lane Sunday, August 28. Fill out the judging application here. You must be over 21 with no food allergies, willing to consume all food toppings and condiments, and must agree that you will be in the judging area on time with no alcohol consumed beforehand.

For those new to the area, let me say a little about Best Memphis Burger Fest. Teams compete in four categories: Bloody Mary, Veggie Burger, Specialty Burger, and Best Memphis Burger. Any team can enter, whether you are a guy with a grill in his back yard (or even a George Foreman Grill, as one team last year demonstrated), or a 600-restaurant chain. There are also eating contests and a cornhole tournament. In addition to competing, cooking teams will be giving samples of their burgers away to the public for a small suggested donation to Memphis Paws. Admission is $10 and there is also a $50 VIP ticket.

My team The Moody Ques competed in this last year, along with our sibling teams Weekend at Porky’s and Squeal Street BBQ. It was a lot of fun and there were shenanigans all day long. I spoke to our team president yesterday and he said it is very, very likely (although not yet 100%) that we will be back competing at Burger Fest this year.

High Cotton Brewing Co. is looking for silent auction items for their Sunday, June 12 fundraiser (1-6 PM) for Streetdog Foundation. No item is too big or small, so email taproom@highcottonbrewing.com if you have something you want to donate. The party will feature adoptable dogs, food trucks, pint discounts, and beer grain treats for dogs as well as the silent auction. By the way I have met the founders of Streetdog Foundation on several occasions, and they are wonderful people who find foster homes and forever homes for dogs that might otherwise be put down.

The Flying Saucer will host a Father’s Day Seafood Boil on Saturday, June 18 from 3 to 5 PM. This will be a Cajun-style boil with mussels, crawfish, scallions, corn, and potatoes. There will also be canned beer specials for those at the boil. $35 if you’re a UFO Club member, $40 otherwise. 901-481-4066 to order tickets, or just ask your beertender or server about the event next time you’re in the Saucer.

Last year the Burger King across from The Brass Door on Madison was torn down to make way for a small pocket park. Plans have now been revealed for the little park.

The Memphis Flyer visited Jerry “The King” Lawler’s new bar and grill on Beale Street. Be sure to check out the deep-fried ribs. Also, the crawfish corn chowder is Lawler’s favorite.

Appetite for Destruction, the premier Guns ‘n Roses tribute band, plays the Tin Roof Friday, June 17 at 8 PM.

If I die, I would not mind being buried in one of these.

Come out to the river and watch the St. Jude Dragon Boat Races Saturday, May 21.

Mayor Strickland is close to naming a director of the Memphis Animal Shelter after conducting a nationwide search. He said that the shelter has operated pretty well in the absence of a director, with adoptions up and euthanasias down. Very good to hear. UPDATE: Strickland has appointed Alexis Pugh, formerly the executive director of Mid-South Spay and Neuter Services, to the position.

The weekend is just a few hours away! My plans for the evening are as of yet undetermined. Jessica at the Silly Goose says I am required to be at her bar for happy hour since I missed all last week. The Blind Bear happy hour is always entertaining (or should I say its regulars are). Then again, it’s Fireball Friday at Max’s Sports Bar with perfect weather for a trip to the south side. It’ll be a game-time decision. Time to go get some lunch, see you this weekend.

I did an early post this morning, so if you haven’t seen it, keep scrolling after you read this one.

The CA’s Michael Donahue has a food Best Bet: The Soy Ginger Hot Wings at the Dirty Crow Inn, the “5 star dive bar” at Crump and Kentucky.

This is pretty cool: The Harahan Bridge, the 1917 bridge which will soon be ready for pedestrian and bike traffic between Memphis and Arkansas, will have LED lighting which can change for special events. The lighting is thanks to private donors.

The Memphis Farmers Market is feeling the flower power this Saturday. From 9 to 11:30 kids will be able to “plant” their own garden with stickers on an oversized grassy scene. Stickers will include flowers, butterflies and more. The Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE), the largest nonprofit study-abroad and intercultural exchange program, will be on hand and you can talk to them about hosting international students. Live music by Dillard and Garmon 8:30-10, Karen Waldrup 11-12:30. The Streetdog Foundation will be on hand doing adoptions. The market runs from 7 AM to 1 PM every Saturday at the pavilion at Main and G.E. Patterson.

This week’s vendor chitchat is with Carolyn Dodson-King of Dodson Farms Jams & Jellies in Forrest City, Arkansas. The farm has been with the market since the first year. Fun fact: They are working with the brewer of a local IPA on a “beer jam.” Can’t make it to the Farmers Market to get their products? No problem, you still don’t have to leave Downtown to get them; Trolley Stop Market carries them.

Tacos & Tunes returns to Felicia Suzanne’s patio tonight at 7 with the Side Street Steppers.

Follow @901eats on Instagram to discover tasty food in Memphis.

The great thing about BBQ Fest is stories you hear even days later about things that happened in your team’s booth, that you missed. We had a mid-afternoon lunch of wings, Friday I believe, and a woman came into our booth and proceeded to grab an entire platter of wings and try to walk out with them. She did it with such authority that she almost got to the door when we realized, “Wait, that isn’t a team member,” and we stopped her. I guess she figured she’d grab some free lunch for herself and her friends, rather than paying one of the park vendors for food! Moral of the story: Put your serving table far away from the door and have team members keep an eye on it.

We also had someone grab half a pan of smoked Gouda mac & cheese off the serving table and take it upstairs. I think that may have been a team member or at least a guest, but the thing is, anyone other than a sponsor really should be getting permission from the cooks before doing that.

Wonder if I will hear more BBQ stories tonight? Heading to the Silly Goose after work for happy hour. Back to work!

The amount of news I have this morning matches my insomnia level, so let’s do this.

Twin Soul will be the featured entertainment at this week’s Thursday rooftop party. Admission is $10 with the first 200 ladies free, or you can buy a season VIP pass for $150 at the door. Your admission includes a buffet of mini cheese & chicken hoagies and tater tots from 7-8 PM. If you hold the VIP pass there’s a second buffet in your private area where you will have Canadian bacon sliders, French-Canadian shepherd’s pie, and Waldorf salad. The margarita tasting this week will be coconut margaritas. For VIP holders only, there is an exclusive party in the Corner Bar with tastings of Goose Island 4-Star Pils.

I saw a post on Facebook about a planning meeting for the Breakaway-Bardog 5K and alley party (Monroe Avenue Fest), to be held Sunday, August 28. Daaaaaamn people gonna be havin’ some tough decisions to make. That’s the same day as Best Memphis Burger Fest at Tiger Lane. I was talking to some friends about it last night, and they were saying, “It lasts all afternoon, there’s enough time to do both.” That’s true in general, but not if you’re on a team cooking burgers! My team has discussed entering but we haven’t made an official decision yet.

By the way, it isn’t anyone’s fault these events got double-booked. It was pretty much bound to happen. The last Sunday of August is the traditional date of Bardog’s party, so they were just continuing to do what they do. It’s also hard to blame Burger Fest for their decision to move. Last year, it was on October 5, when the weather is usually warm and beautiful. However, this being Memphis, October weather is unpredictable. Last year temperatures were 20 degrees below normal, never making it out of the 50s, with wind gusts of 40 miles per hour. People didn’t want to be there and I couldn’t blame them. The event made thousands less in food vendor and merchandise sales than expected. I remember the poor ice cream vendor sitting there realizing he probably wouldn’t make one sale all day. The festival couldn’t afford to eat a loss again, so they had no choice to move it back, and with September already loaded with other festivals, August 28 was probably the first available day that worked.

Big night at the Redbirds this Saturday at 6:35 (opening pitch; gates at 5). The first 1500 fans get a replica St. Louis Cardinals Yadier Molina jersey, with a special Busch Stadium 10th Anniversary replica patch. There will also be a theme ticket that includes the Cards’ full-length hooded zip sweatshirt. Available in XL only. Call 901-722-0296 to purchase this special ticket. As always on Saturday, there will be fireworks after the game.

This story is a few days old but I love it and want to pass it on for those who missed it. Republican (remember, “the party of family values”) Congressional candidate Mike Webb, running in Virginia’s 8th district, posted a screenshot of his laptop to illustrate a point he was making about employment. The trouble is, he was screenshotting his web browser, with other tabs open as well – and two of them were tabs to porn sites he had open at the time.

There’s live music at Loflin Yard this weekend, with Marcella & Her Lovers 6-9 Friday, Rev. John Wilkins 4-7 Saturday, and Tennessee Ripple 4-7 Sunday.

The Madison Hotel is getting new owners. The current owners weren’t looking to sell, but an unsolicited offer was made by a firm so experienced in running boutique hotels, and it was such a good fit that the current owners agreed.

Bluff City Coffee has added to its lunch menu: You can now get their lunch sandwiches on focaccia bread or on any of their bagels.

The Bell Trilogy Book Signing with Steve Bradshaw happens at South Main Book Juggler Friday, May 27 from 6-9 PM. Here’s the description, which I grabbed from Facebook:

Steve is a mystery/thriller author drawing on life experiences as forensic investigator and biotech entrepreneur. He received a BA from University of Texas and trained at the Institute of Forensic Sciences. Steve investigated 3,000+ unexplained deaths for the Medical Examiner’s Office. As the founder-president/CEO of an innovative biomed company, he led development of an innovative meniscus implant now under FDA clinical review. Today, Steve places his readers on the front row in fascinating worlds of fringe science, modern forensics, and the pursuit of very real monsters. Other page- turner mystery/thrillers by Steve Bradshaw are the BLUFF CITY BUTCHER, THE SKIES ROARED, and BLOOD LIONS.

The 27th is South Main Trolley Night, so be sure to make Book Juggler one of your stops if you come to the neighborhood.

The Tennessee Brewery has posted an update on construction and renovations. The main building will contain 44 apartment units, with another 88 at the Wash House building to be constructed to the north. Adjacent to the 300+ space parking garage will be phase two of the Bottle Shop, with 18 more apartment units.

Time to head out to work. Most likely there will be a second post later today.