Author: paulryburn

Rizzo’s Diner has announced that it will be open this week, with its first dinner service tomorrow beginning at 5 PM. They don’t have their liquor license yet, so for the time being they will be BYOB. They will have liquor and wine soon, and will have Wiseacre on tap by this coming weekend. “Like” Rizzo’s on Facebook to keep up with the latest news.

Max’s Sports Bar has a new website and expanded menu. I knew they had a lot of TVs, but I didn’t realize the ratio was one flat screen to every three seats. Max absolutely nailed the description of his bar – it’s more than just a sports bar, it’s a hub for South Main residents and one of the friendliest bars in the entire city. As for the menu, Max has retained customer favorites like the BBQ nachos, the lunchroom pizza, and the wings. He has added 10 subs, made with Boar’s Head meats. There’s also a “build your own sub” option.

We have ANOTHER Winter Weather Advisory and could see up to an inch of snow 7 PM-3 AM tonight. The MemphisWeather.net blog has the details. I’m getting really tired of this stuff and am ready for March.

Interesting animated graphic from NPR: The most common job in every state 1978-2014. As a software developer, I would find a lot of jobs in Virginia, Colorado, Utah, and Washington.

Normally I don’t link to items from girl magazines but a friend of mine posted this to Facebook yesterday and it’s pretty awesome: 30 signs you’re a lucky girl dating a simple guy. This article is spot on. Guys who get jealous of their girlfriend’s friends, and who don’t give their girlfriends the time and space to pursue her own interests, are losers and douchebags.

GREAT High Ground News article (but then, has there every been such a thing as a bad High Ground news article? I don’t think so) about the Tennessee Brewery and the second round of Brewery Untapped. I’m very happy to hear that whatever is done with the brewery building, Billy Orgel plans to seek local input and make sure the use of the building is a good fit for the surrounding neighborhood.

Wow, I did not know this: According to this map, I could get in my car and drive to Appalachia in less than an hour.

Best Memphis Burger Fest has posted its charitable grant application form. Check it out if you run a charity that you think would be a good fit to benefit from the burger festival.

One of my Facebook friends posted a photo of kim chee fried rice from the Kiwk Check in Midtown. Wow. That would be worth a drive out there. Kim chee, like sriracha, is one of those universal condiments that makes everything better.

On another food-related topic, I ate at Bluefin recently and thought to myself, “You know, it’s time I tried something not on the sushi menu.” So instead of three rolls like I usually get, I got two rolls and crawfish fritters. Those were the best fried crawfish I have ever put in my mouth, even better than the ones Sleep Out Louie’s used to serve. Definite recommendation to try them if you like fried seafood.

I really want to post a Moody Ques team update, but I want to get with our team vice-president first and make sure I have my talking points correct. Hopefully I will get to do that today and will have a post tomorrow about the 2015 BBQ team. By the way, I ran into a member of the PorkOsaurus BBQ team yesterday and talked BBQ with him for a few minutes. That is one of the most fun things about being on a team – talking to people from other teams and learning what they do. Take a look at their Facebook page. If you click “See More” on the right you will see a team roster listing every member and even the associate members. That sends a message that every team member is important. I like it. Perhaps my team could take some time to church up our Facebook presence a bit.

It’s time for Sunday Fun Day! It will be the usual routine: Brunch with Bloom at Bardog at 11, D-RANKS with B-RAD at the Bear at 1. The WWE Fastlane pay-per-view is tonight so I will not be playing poker this evening. I think there may be some kind of awards ceremony tonight but I really couldn’t care less. Time to hit Publish and begin my Sunday workout of lifting a beer mug over and over again.

 

If the Oscars bore you as much as they do me, there’s an alternate form of entertainment tomorrow night: The WWE Fastlane pay-per-view live at FedExForum. First match is at 6:30. If you can’t make it to the show live, you can watch it on the WWE Network. When I last blogged about this show a month ago, I was not excited about it because the main event was listed as a tag match with the aging Big Show as one of the participants. The card has since changed and it looks pretty good:

• Roman Reigns, who the WWE sees as the future of the business, won a shot at the WWE World Championship last month by winning the Royal Rumble battle royal. However, he has been ordered to put his title shot on the line against Daniel Bryan, the most popular wrestler in the WWE, who had to give up the championship last summer due to injury. Winner goes on to face Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania.
• John Cena, the face of the company for the last 10 years, will face undefeated Bulgarian brute and Russian sympathizer Rusev, managed by the beautiful Russian, Lana. Rusev plays the evil foreign heel role to perfection, even better than Kamala and Umaga did in the past. The match is for Rusev’s U.S. Championship.
• Bad News Barrett defends the Intercontinental Championship against “The Lunatic Fringe” Dean Ambrose. Ambrose is probably my favorite wrestler in WWE right now.
• It’s possible (but not confirmed) that The Undertaker may appear to set up a match with Bray Wyatt for Wrestlemania.
• Triple H will confront the vigilante, Sting. The story here is that Sting was the franchise of WCW in the 1990s, when that company almost forced WWE out of business and would have taken Triple H’s livelihood away. Sting has recently shown up in WWE and has been interfering in the matches of Triple H’s faction, The Authority.

It’s too bad Triple H doesn’t own a bar in Downtown Memphis. If he did, I bet he would do what’s best for business.

The Green Beetle is hosting a fundraiser called Pints for Pups tomorrow at noon. It’s to benefit foster and rescue dogs at ALIVE Rescue and your $6 cover includes one drink. You can purchase raffle tickets to win some really nice prizes, and if you choose you can drop off supplies or a donation to the rescue while getting a beer or something to eat.

The Silly Goose is starting what sounds like an awesome local beer night every Tuesday beginning March 10. Beginning at 7:30 on Tuesdays, the Goose will sell pints of local craft beers from Wiseacre, High Cotton, and Memphis Made for only $2. That’s not a typo, folks, TWO dollars. A live acoustic show will start at 8:30 featuring Jeremy Stanfill and Josh Cosby, and the Pat Fusco Jazz Trio.

Do you need advice on ways to improve your small business? Start Co.’s Upstart accelerator is offering free office hours at the Flying Saucer Wednesday, February 25 from 3 to 7 PM. You can sign up here for a 30-minute time slot (RSVP is required) and your first beer is on them.

Speaking of the Saucer, they will host their first of four beer dinners for 2015 Thursday, March 12 at 7 PM. The dinner will feature the beers of Schlafly and there will be five beers paired with four courses. Tickets are $30 if you’re in the bar’s UFO Club, $35 general admission. Beer dinners are one thing the Saucer does really well, and it’s a good chance to take some notes and really learn about the beers you are drinking.

Jason Wexler of the Grizzlies explained why some ticket sales information is withheld from the public. It prevents ticket scalpers from taking advantage of people on the street.

According to Weatherbug, in the time it has taken me to type this post the temperature has dropped from 52 to 42. What is up with this weather?

There’s a free trial of NBA League Pass today and tomorrow.

That’s the news. I’ll be at Panda’s bar at Bardog at 11, even if I have to walk through torrential rain to get there.

The Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team plays UConn tonight at 8 and you might be able to score some free tickets. An anonymous donor did not want to see an empty stadium due to this week’s weather, so he or she purchased tickets to be given away. Tickets can be picked up beginning at 7 tonight, first come first serve.

In other Tigers news, @WojYahooNBA reports that former Tiger guard Will Barton has been traded to the Denver Nuggets.

In even more Tigers news, the 2015 football schedule has been posted. Notable games include a road game at Kansas, a home game vs. Ole Miss, and a first-ever meeting with Navy.

The Lenten Preaching & Waffle Shop has begun once again at Calvary Episcopal weekday lunchtimes through March 27. You can view the schedule here.

Congratulations to Paula Raiford of Paula & Raiford’s Disco for being named Fireball bartender of the month.

MemphisWeather.net posted a blog on tomorrow’s predicted ice event in Memphis yesterday afternoon. As of this morning, they said “it’s still in pretty good shape,” meaning the information they posted yesterday, not the expected conditions of the roads tomorrow! Freezing rain and sleet, primarily in the afternoon, with 1/4-inch ice accumulation expected. Sounds like a good day to work from home if you can, and if you can’t, keep a close eye on the radar (put it in Winterize mode) and be prepared to hit the road early if any seriously threatening ice makes a move toward Memphis.

That’s it for today. Time to brave the cold and get some lunch.

We may not be done with icy weather yet. MemphisWeather.net’s forecast calls for a chance of light snow late Thursday night with a low of 20. Friday, sleet and freezing rain are expected with an accumulation of a quarter inch of ice, with the precip converting over to rain Friday night. The high is predicted to be 33, only one degree above freezing. Ugh. This could be one of those scenarios when people get up Friday morning and say, “Well, it’s clear now, I’m not going to not drive to work because it MIGHT sleet or snow” and then it does and the interstates become a skating rink nightmare as everyone tries to get home while they still can. Be sure to check the weather Friday morning and use common sense.

The big buzz this morning is that Gus’s is going national. New locations are planned for Atlanta, St. Louis, Knoxville, Los Angeles, Fort Worth, Kansas City (Kansas), Chicago, and Philadelphia. Here’s an article about the planned Chicago location from Chicagoist.com.

Beck will play the Mud Island Amphitheater Saturday, May 16. That could create a conflict for some people; it’s the Saturday of BBQ Fest.

There’s a free professional development workshop called “Branding Yourself” next Tuesday, February 24, at Buckman Hall on the Christian Brothers University campus. Career coach Angela Copeland will discuss dressing for success, resume writing, and branding yourself online. It’s a good way to prepare for the upcoming Multicultural Career Expo. More info and a link to sign up for the workshop here.

The Eric Hughes Band plays the Hard Rock Cafe Saturday at 9, with no cover. Share the event on Facebook to receive your choice of an Eric Hughes Band sticker, or a pony.

Elmwood Cemetery is hosting its first-ever Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 28. The hunt is for kids 10 and younger, admission is free, and the Easter Bunny will be on hand.

Ever ordered a drink with mint in it and wondered why the bartender smacks the mint before putting it in your glass? This article explains why.

Single-digit temperatures tonight. PLEASE bring your pets inside! The cold won’t stop me from being out and about this evening.

Volunteer Odyssey is having its annual Mix-Odyssey fundraiser Saturday at Visible Music College from 7 to 10 PM. It’s a craft drink contest with seven amazing mixologists, each vying for your vote. They will also have a fortune teller who will predict your future as a volunteer. They even have free cab rides so you can sample to your heart’s content without having to worry about getting home. Here’s a video recap of last year’s event:

Tickets are $60, but if you use the promo code Ryburn901 at checkout you can get $10 off.

(Full disclosure as required by the FCC: They gave me a ticket)

I’m getting an unexpected 4-day weekend. Yesterday the office was closed due to all the sleet and freezing rain that fell in the morning. Today we had the option of getting there by 10 AM, or taking one of our floating holidays, to which I said FLOAT, BABY, FLOAT.

Seems like I run into the most interesting conversations on snow days. I popped into Blind Bear about 2 yesterday and found Chef Michael Patrick sitting at the bar. He is in the process of opening the new, larger Rizzo’s Diner in the former Cafe Soul space at Main and Butler. As soon as the health department signs off on everything, the doors will be open, so it will be a matter of days, most likely. Here’s a look at the menu. Mike told me that the Lobster Pronto Pup that I loved back in the EP’s days is on the menu. They have a brunch on the weekend, and although I have never had it I’ve been told that the catfish eggs benedict is really yummy. Mike also told me they have a vegetable plate that changes daily, and several other meatless options on the menu – good information to know in case I ever take someone there who has dietary restrictions. As for myself, the chorizo meatloaf, chicken pot pie, and ancho chile brisket are among the dishes I plan on trying at the diner this year.

A new craft brewery, Crosstown Brewing Company, will open in Memphis within a year. It will be Memphis’ fifth craft brewery.

The Beale Street Mardi Gras parade is today at 5:30. Since I’m off work and will be out long before 5:30, I may have to check this out. Never seen it before. As I understand it, this is more of a parade for adults than kids.

Wish I’d stayed out at the bar a little later Saturday night than I did. I hear I missed a bit of drama. Let me just make this comment: One bar owner did what was best for business a few weeks ago, and maybe it’s time for other bar owners to consider following suit. This is at least the fifth such/similar incident involving the same person in six months. Some people belong in anger management classes, not bars.

A friend of mine has an apartment for rent in Midtown in the Poplar/Garland area. All utilities are included, the rent is very reasonable, and I know that the owner is an awesome landlord.

I said FLOAT, BABY, FLOAT and that means it’s time for DRANKS, BABY, DRANKS. Plans subject to change but I’m tentatively running with Bardog as the first stop at 11, over to the Blind Bear at 1, Flying Saucer around 3ish, Silly Goose sometime between 4 and 5, then back over to Blind Bear at 7. Not playing poker tonight for a reason alluded to elsewhere in this post. It’s very unlikely I will get a third day off tomorrow, so I may make it an early night.

People bewilder me.

Everyone needs to keep an eye on the forecast for the end of the weekend and the beginning of next week. MemphisWeather.net has the following for Sunday night: “Snow likely overnight, some accum. possible.” YESSSSS! Overnight Sunday is the absolute best time for snow.

I mentioned this a couple of weeks ago, but just a reminder… the Say Cheese food truck, serving gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, makes its debut this evening at the High Cotton taproom at 598 Monroe. View the menu and photos here.

From Gizmodo: These are the songs you have sex to, according to Spotify.

The Peabody is having a modern bridal expo this Sunday at 12:30. The event will include hors d’oeuvres, gourmet tastings from chefs, a fashion show, and 65 wedding vendors. 850-332-0105 for more information.

The Peabody is also doing a March of the Ducks special during the month of March. For $179 you get duck cookies, a Duckmaster gift, a $30 restaurant credit, wifi, and parking. The hotel didn’t mention it in their tweet but I assume you get a room as part of this deal too. 1-800-PEABODY if you want to make a reservation.

From Lifehacker: This cheat sheet shows you how to make every “official” cocktail (75 of them)

Attention cougars: L’oreal now makes hair colors for maturing hair.

Couple of pieces of food porn from the Hungry Memphis blog: Vegetarian bahn mi from Local and fried deviled eggs from South of Beale.

A few weeks ago I ran into Richard, founder of e-bookseller Screwpulp, and he told me a name change was coming. It has happened: Screwpulp is now leafless.

You can view the NCAA’s Men of March episode featuring Josh Pastner here.

That’s it for now. No definite plans for tonight but I’m sure some dranks will be involved.

Not much time today, so this is going to be brief.

Bob Dylan will perform at the Orpheum on Thursday, April 30. Tickets will be $62-92 and will go on sale on Ticketmaster February 27.

Monster Jam is tomorrow and Saturday at FedExForum.

The Cooper-Young Beerfest folks tweeted a job link today: Craft beverage jobs. Coffee, non-alcohol, and wine are covered as well as craft beer. Currently nothing in Memphis listed but it might be a good site to bookmark.

Friends of mine who went to the Lion King performance at the Orpheum last night have said it is absolutely worth the money, even if you have never seen the movie. The show is in town until March 1.

That’s the news for now. Time to grab some unhealthy junk food and get back to an afternoon at work.

A friend of mine has a very nice condo for rent in the South Main district, in The
Lofts at Tennessee and G.E. Patterson. It’s a 1 bedroom/1 bath, loft style, hardwood
floors, 18-foot ceilings, all appliances including washer and dryer. 1100 square
feet. Includes two parking spaces and a storage unit. There’s a gym on the top floor
with all modern equipment, and a rooftop with a river view and lap pool. I believe
the rate is $1500/mo. If interested email thomcla1278@gmail.com, the landlord’s
representative here in town who can show you the place.

By the way, the landlord is a good friend of mine and one of the most solid guys I
have ever known in my life. He lived in the condo 2006ish-2010 when his work took
him out of town. I have been in the unit and can vouch that it is a very nice space.
You’d be within walking distance of the Memphis Farmers Market, the revival of
Brewery Untapped this spring, the National Civil Rights Museum, South Main Trolley
Night, and RiverArtsFest. You’d also be within walking distance of great restaurants
like Spindini, South of Beale, and Central BBQ, as well as plenty of shopping and my
favorite sports bar, Max’s.

The Downtown Neighborhood Association has announced a couple of February events. There will be a happy hour next Thursday, February 19 at wine and tapas bar Cafe Pontotoc. This is a casual event at which no DNA business will be discussed, and you can feel free to bring a friend.

The DNA’s monthly meeting will be on a special date – Thursday, February 26, rather than the usual fourth Tuesday of the month. The meeting will be at the National Civil Rights Museum, and that’s why the date was moved, to give attendees to purchase a tour at a discount price. You do not have to purchase the tour to attend the meeting, however. Chocolate chef Phillip Ashley will give a talk, and there will be a sampling of some of his treats.

Here’s a pic of Owen from the Flying Saucer with the Memphis Made Peanut Butter Chocolate Stout, on tap tonight at both Flying Saucer locations for their Valentine’s Day glass night. Glasses go on sale at 7. Owen, one of the managers at the Saucer, helped the Memphis Made folks brew the beer.

The Redbirds have a media relations assistant job open.

Little Rock has a brew bus now that offers tours of the Central Arkansas craft beer scene. Maybe one day Memphis will get something like this. By the way, the people behind the Little Rock bus are gauging interest on whether to take a field trip to Memphis Brewfest at AutoZone Park in April.

I’ll be out after work, leading off at Jessica’s bar at the Silly Goose and then walking over to Bardog at 7:30 to play their weekly poker game in the Underground Room. I consider myself fully back in the game at this point and while I may not play every Wednesday at Bardog, I plan on being there at least 60% of Wednesdays. It’s always a good game and has got even better these past two weeks, and I look forward to seeing everyone tonight.

I paid my Moody Ques BBQ team dues for 2015 this morning, and I have a team update. As I mentioned last week, we lost a sponsor and therefore have less money in the bank than we usually do this time of year – and we have to pay a large entry fee to Memphis in May on February 20. Our team’s board of directors is going to meet Tuesday, February 17 and decide whether we are solvent enough/expect to be solvent enough in the next three months to have a team this year. If it’s decided we are, we will write a check to Memphis in May for the entry fee. If it’s decided we are not, we will refund the money of everyone who has paid dues.

Right now, it’s looking promising, and I tend to believe there will indeed be a team. However, if a few more of you could vote with your dollars to keep the team going, it would sure help.You can pay dues here. If you’re not a member of the team but would like to be, shoot me an email at paul@paulryburn.com and I will put you in touch with the team leaders.

Programming note before I get started with the news: Blog posts may be a little skimpy through Friday. I have a co-worker leaving and may have to spend my lunch breaks doing knowledge transfer with him. So I may not have a lot of time for news posts. There is, however, going to be a long, introspective, personal post about practices I have gotten away from since my current friend group formed in 2005. I have that in Drafts and may finish it tonight after work.

A kind of gross thing I learned last night while talking a fellow beer lover: Guinness is filtered with fish bladders. Yuck. I don’t know how I’m going to get my next plate done at the Saucer knowing that. Guinness was never my favorite beer by any means, but having to drink 16 ounces of it to get plate credit, thinking “fish bladders” all the way through the beer, just sounds really, really disgusting.

Need a job? Home Depot plans to hire 180 in Memphis.

A new hotel may be coming Downtown. A permit has been filed to build a LaQuinta Inn on the former New York Suit Exchange site at the corner of Union and Danny Thomas.

From Mashable: Super rude hawk crashes through man’s window, poops on everything.

The Silly Goose is doing “Sweet Vicious Valentine’s” Saturday starting at 5, with all food items $5 from 5 to 9, $20 on select bottles of wine, $20 punch pitchers. Single people get free hugs.

That’s it for now. Back possibly as soon as tonight, although if I post tonight it won’t be Downtown news.