Author: paulryburn

There will be a farm truck selling produce at the corner of Front and Nettleton tomorrow, Sunday, December 22, from 1 to 3 PM. The truck will have cabbage, broccoli, red taters, sweet taters, greens, Hagan oranges, grapefruit, and a few other items in limited supply. Nettleton is two blocks north of G.E. Patterson, and two blocks south of Gus’s.

If you park in any spaces Downtown where you pay the new electronic meters, better bring some change. There are reports that credit cards are not always working with the new machines.

In case you missed it: A survey out from Sharecare today says that Memphis women are the heaviest drinkers in America. Go Memphis! The more you drink, the harder it is for those tube tops to stay up.

Got a question for any of my readers who might know: A TV crew was interviewing people outside the Flying Saucer yesterday afternoon around 4:30. Anyone know what TV station? If the video is online I’d like to post a link.

Got a word of advice for Downtowners who park in garages and own external phone chargers: Don’t carry your phone charger in the same pocket as your parking pass. My PowerGen Juice Pack is one of the best purchases I have ever made. It fits in my pocket and has enough juice to charge my iPhone about 3 times. That allows me to text, Facebook, tweet, Instagram and check in to my heart’s content without ever having to worry about running out of battery power. I guess I could use the extra power to call people too, but I hardly ever do that.

Earlier this week I had to have the car serviced. I got it to a garage about a mile east of where I live, and started to walk home. For some reason I had my parking garage pass on me, and I brought the phone charger with me just in case. I almost never carry those two items at the same time, but this time I did. When I got the car back and tried to get into the garage, I couldn’t – the parking pass had been de-magnetized. Shout-out to the people at Republic Parking who just couldn’t have been nicer to me as I was getting it replaced. They had a rogues’ gallery of all the bums who run fake parking attendant scams, and I recognized nearly every photo. I had a good time exchanging notes on them with the security guard who was working. I found out that one of our top scammers is recently deceased. My sympathies to all who are sad that he’s gone – which probably include his crack dealer, and… yeah, that’s about it.

Have you been naughty or nice this year? Social Santa will analyze your tweets and tell you. I’m afraid to find out. Found on the same site: The Facebook Misery Index. Speaking of Facebook, I wish Miley or Kim K or somebody would do something stupid or controversial so people can move on from talking about Duck Dynasty.

The Tigers take on Southeast Missouri tonight at FedExForum at 7 PM.

AutoZone Park will show Home Alone on the video board this afternoon at 3 PM. Bring a blanket if you want to sit on the field. Might want to bring an umbrella too. Admission is free.

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra will perform their annual holiday concert at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts at 2:30 and 7:30 today. If you prefer something with more of an edge, there’s a Merry Metal Christmas at the New Daisy at 7.

Starting it off at Bardog at 11 as usual. Last Saturday was the first one without Panda at the bar. She’s given up her Saturday shifts until after she has the baby. We wondered who would take over Saturdays in her absence, and got a pleasant surprise – the substitute bartender is none other than Bardog’s original Saturday bartender, Brooke! Because she was back, I stayed longer than I usually do, leading to other bartenders complaining on Facebook that I wasn’t at their bar at the usual time. Geez. I’ll buy my “DAWG” John D a PBR if he shows up, since yesterday was his birthday. Right now, it’s time for laundry, a trip to Walgreens, and other exciting Saturday stuff, so I’m signing off.

The Grizzlies have a deal on tickets going on until 11:59 tonight. You can purchase tickets to the December 23 game (Utah), December 28 (Denver), or December 30 (Chicago) for up to 45% off. Get the deal here.

The Orpheum will have an open house beginning at 10 AM tomorrow. Tickets for the Tony Award-winning show War Horse (March 25-30) will go on sale. There will be a Wurlitzer Organ concert at noon. With a canned good or coat donation, you get free admission to a showing of Miracle on 34th Street on the big screen at 2. Historian Vincent Astor will give a presentation about Memphis movie theaters at 4:30, and will have a book-signing at 5. If you purchase the Orpheum’s Holiday 4-pack at the open house, you will get a free Orpheum calendar. Free coffee, hot chocolate, and donuts. Free donuts? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

There’s a good letter to the editor in this week’s Memphis Flyer by my friend Dennis James. Every year he and his wife Mary Pat travel to Memphis from Huntsville, Alabama to run in the St.Jude Marathon. Dennis commended the marathon organizers and pointed out that even though the marathon was called off due to ice, it was still a success because of the millions raised for the hospital. You can read the letter here (scroll down to the second letter, “Thanks, Memphis!”)

It’s a big night for Seth and Tim, organizers of Best Memphis Burger Fest. Tonight they will present a big portion of the festival’s proceeds to Mid-South Spay and Neuter Services. The festival is growing and hopefully they’ll get to write an even bigger check at the end of 2014.

Botto Jewelry Market is getting a new facade thanks to a 1-to-1 matching grant from the CCDC. The Main Street Mall will look better once this gets done. The folks at the jewelry market are good people and this is where I go to get my watch battery changed.

I had a wonderful time at Clark’s Christmas last night at the Majestic Grille. The two other judges and I had filets for dinner, then walked around and judged the tacky sweaters and Griswold costumes. It’s always such an honor to be asked to judge what has become a Downtown holiday tradition. Thanks to Patrick and Deni for having me.

Plans for this evening: I’ll lead off at the Silly Goose about 5:30, if the Goose’s renovations are complete and it’s back open. I ran into someone who’s helping with the renovations last night and he showed me photos. It’s going to look good when complete.

Today is one of my favorite days of the holiday season. Tonight is “Clark’s Christmas” at the Majestic Grille. The restaurant shows National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation on the big screen, featuring the holiday misfortunes of Clark Griswold and his family. During the movie there is a costume contest, with Majestic gift cards as prizes for the best movie-themed costume and best ugly sweater. I’ve once again been asked to serve as a celebrity judge for the contests. My honorarium for being a judge? All the PBR I can drink and a holiday meal. Reservations had been booked for a month in advance, but yesterday the Majestic tweeted that a few tables were available, so give the restaurant a call if you want to go.

Blind Bear news: The pepper jack mac & cheese is returning. After it won an award on Yelp for best mac & cheese, the owners decided it was time to bring it back.

The Silly Goose has been doing some remodeling. They are re-doing the bar area and also ripping out the bookcase to create more room for seating. The Goose was closed Monday and yesterday while they did the work. Not sure if it will be open today. When I walked past the place about 5 last night, it looked like they still had plenty to do.

The MBJ has a good article about New York Pizza, the new pizza place on Main between Union and Monroe. It’s in between Family Dollar and Jewelry Market. The owner, Saleh Ahmed, said “I just want to serve my neighbors.” Businesspeople who think like that, wanting to be part of the community, usually do well Downtown.

There’s also a good MBJ article about new South Main businesses including bookstore/gift shop South Main Book Juggler and several pop-up shops.

We’re getting a new hotel Downtown – MAYBE. It’s planned for Union and Fourth, on the site of an old parking garage. However, the new hotel is a Hilton, and two previous plans to build Hiltons have fallen through in the last five or so years. Don’t get your hopes up.

Dishcrawl’s Cocktail Wars winners have been announced. Many Downtown bartenders were on the list.

The Grizzlies have been active in the community this week. The Lakers were in town yesterday for a game, and Pau Gasol joined his brother Marc to visit the kids of St.Jude. Meanwhile, Tony Allen and Zach Randolph took 200 kids Christmas shopping. Each kid received a $100 gift card and an hour to spend it.

If you’re going to Clark’s Christmas tonight, I will see you there! I will probably pre-game with a couple of beers at the Flying Saucer, where their annual Christmas glass (“Yule Fuel”) goes on sale at 7.

Sorry for no post yesterday… had car trouble, and it’s still being looked at, so I’m working from home until they call and say it’s ready.

If you’re looking for stuff to do on New Year’s Eve, Holly from the I Love Memphis Blog has a guide.

The Grizzlies host the L.A. Lakers tonight at the FedExForum at 7. Prior to the game, former Memphis Tiger and NBA star Penny Hardaway will sign autographs and take photos with fans. Penny’s appearance is compliments of NBA League Pass. Also tonight, the first 3000 fans get these Memphis Grizzlies headphones, so come early.

If you’re not going to the Grizzlies game, turn the TV to ESPN at 8 for #16 Florida Gators vs. #15 Memphis Tigers.

Frank Murtaugh had an excellent commentary on whether the city should buy AutoZone Park yesterday. In case you missed it, the St.Louis Cardinals want to buy the Memphis Redbirds, but it’s contingent on the city buying AutoZone Park. The mayor is for it but some of the city council members aren’t so sure. Here are a few of the points in Murtaugh’s commentary:

• Memphis is Cardinal country. It has been for many years. The Cardinals know this and they want to be here. They want to improve the park and make the Cardinals’ relationship with Memphis an even better one.
• If you think the Redbirds don’t generate enough revenue, imagine if they leave and a triple-A affiliate of San Diego or Minnesota moves into the park. Nobody here cares about those teams. Worse, what if we got downgraded to a double-A affiliate?
• If the park did not get a new tenant, it would cost millions to demolish, and then we’d have a big gaping hole to fill at Third and Union, one of the prime corners in the city.
• The park is a civic asset, and we need to see it that way. Downtown Memphis is better with the park and the Redbirds here. Downtown Memphis would be worse without the park and the Redbirds.

The Downtown Neighborhood Association has invited all Downtowners to its “Island Christmas Party” tonight. There will be music, prizes, a special drawing, and food from the party’s host, the Arcade Restaurant at Main and G.E. Patterson. Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up. This is an opportunity to meet the DNA board and find out what the organization is all about. Party starts at 6.

The Blind Bear has announced a 2nd Anniversary Party for next Monday, December 23. It will start at 8 PM with the Michael Brothers from 8 to 11, and DJ Eric Hurston from 11 to 2. There will be many $3 drink specials and prize giveaways, so come celebrate.

Pianist John Felix is playing in the lobby of One Commerce Square tonight. The public is invited to stop by on their way home from work.

Johnny Mathis plays the Orpheum Saturday, December 21. Here’s a link to a Flyer interview with the singer.

That’s all the news for now. Most likely I will be at the Blind Bear’s Tuesday poker night at 8.

You know, I’m coming to the conclusion that Valerie is the best person in the entire history of the human race. Yeah, I know, Martin Luther King, Ghandi, Mother Teresa, but none of those people looked good in a tube top.

As a bonus I became “mayor” of Purple Haze last night on Foursquare. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t accomplish great things at 4:30 AM. According to Kaylea from the Blind Bear Purple Haze is “my favorite place” so I guess it is appropriate that I am mayor.

All right, Sunday news, let’s make this quick. The Grizzlies play the Minnesota Timberwolves at home at 5. Best bet is to go to the House of Grace Christmas show at the Double J this afternoon (don’t forget a toy, new women’s clothing, or a cash donation) and let Mikey give you a ride to the game in the limo. The Tri-State Defender will have a parade down Beale at 2. The Majestic Grille will host Sunday Supper & a Movie featuring “Holiday Inn” tonight at 6:30. British Invasion cover band Jeffrey & the Pacemakers will play Huey’s at 8:30.

As for me, I’ll start the day at the Bear at noon, head over to the Saucer around 2 when Wingsauce will be bartending, back to the Bear for poker at 6:30, and if I get knocked out early I’ll check out the band at Huey’s. Sunday Fun Day y’all.

Last night was my apartment building’s Christmas party, and this year was a real treat – we had it in the soon-to-be-open Cafe Keough at 12 S. Main, in the Number 10 Main building just south of Madison. The space had been vacant for years, last occupied by the artist Dr. Bob who temporarily relocated here from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. It looked very different since the last time I had been in, elegantly decorated with candlelight and roses. There was a long bar, which is good because I prefer bar seating to table seating. Up front there was a stage where Amy LaVere performed.

I was one of the first guests there, and as a result I got to talk with Kevin, the owner of the cafe, before it got busy. He explained his philosophy about the place. “I don’t want to do haute cuisine,” he told me. “Everybody’s doing that. If you want a steak, there are plenty of good places nearby to get one. You can go to Felicia Suzanne’s, or McEwen’s, or Local for that. I want to do something different. I want you to come in here and feel like you’re in Paris, or Brussels, or Prague.” Having never traveled to Europe, I can’t tell if he got it right or not, but I liked the vibe of the place for sure. I commented to Kevin that it feels like the kind of cafe that belongs in a 100-year-old building.

Cafe Keough is a coffeehouse as opposed to a coffee shop. Starbucks is a coffee shop, whereas a coffeehouse serves beer, wine and liquor as well. They have their beer license and are currently waiting on their liquor license. Last night they were serving Memphis Made Fireside Ninja, which they will carry on tap. Kevin showed me the menu and I liked its simplicity, with salads, sandwiches, and tapas.

Given that it was a Christmas party, there was a food buffet for Number 10’s residents. About 8:00 the Nuh-Uh Girl came in. “RIP buffet,” I posted to Foursquare. Before long she’d come back with a plate of food.

She told me that her sister the Nuh-Uh Sister will be in L.A. to tape an episode of Jeopardy! on January 15. The Nuh-Uh Sister was one of the strongest contributors on our old trivia team at the Flying Saucer, and I have no doubt she’ll do well and score her third game show win. When I find out when the show will air, I will be sure to post it.

Back to Cafe Keough for a moment. I was very interested to compare the place to Tamp & Tap, a place that also serves both coffee and beer. While I like Tamp & Tap very much, it feels like a coffee shop. It’s a place I might go for one beer while reading a book on my iPhone Kindle app, but it just doesn’t strike me as a place I’d stay for several hours, the way I do the Saucer and the Blind Bear. Cafe Keough, on the other hand, is a place where I would hang around and socialize. It has hit that delicate balance between coffee shop and bar, and actually I’d describe it as neither. It’s a place like no other, and when it opens, you have to come see it for yourself.

Having that place 10 feet from my apartment building’s front door is going to cause me to make a major change to my schedule once it opens. You know, back in 2003-05 I knew probably half the people in my 112-unit building. Now I know maybe 15% of my neighbors better than “Hi, how’s it going” on the elevator. Part of the reason I knew so many people was that there was a coffee shop, Empire Coffee, on the corner of Madison and Main in the spot that is now Winfield’s. I hope to spend significant time at Cafe Keough and get to know my neighbors better. I was pleased to meet a few of them last night at the party.

You know, since I mentioned Winfield’s, let me talk about it for a minute. It’s a clothing and shoe store at 2 S. Main, and my buddies Pete and Josh used to work there. One Sunday I was at the Blind Bear beating Pete in yet another game of pool, and he told me, “You know, Pauly, a lot of people walk by Winfield’s and don’t realize what they have there. But we get tourists from Europe and they walk by and see the stuff in the window and they know that’s the real deal.” Tourists from places like London and Paris spend quite a bit of money in Winfield’s, according to Pete. He mentioned singer Robert Plant among the famous people who have shopped at the store.

All right, let’s get on to the news. The House of Grace charity Christmas show has been rescheduled for tomorrow, Sunday, December 15, starting at 2 PM. This is a fundraiser for a house that protects battered women and their children. Admission is free, but you are asked to bring an unwrapped toy, new women’s clothing, or a cash donation. Entertainment includes Lance Strode, “The Piano Man” Gunnar Sansom, Nancy Apple, RT Scott, Jack Rowell, Nick Garrison, Brady Riales, Chris Scott, Delta Joe Sanders, and special guest Keith Sykes. Silent auction 2-9 PM. The event is at the Double J Smokehouse and Saloon on G.E. Patterson Avenue.

John Elkington, who has managed Beale Street for 30 years, is parting ways with the street this month. The city will take over management. For the short term the city has asked the Downtown Memphis Commission to manage the street until a long-term manager can be hired. Excellent move on the part of the city. Managing an entertainment district isn’t easy though – I bet Paul Morris who runs DMC will be putting in a lot of extra hours the next few months.

A Downtown bartender, Austin Moore of Felicia Suzanne’s, was featured in this week’s “Meet the Bartender” column on GoMemphis.com.

After the Christmas party last night, I walked over to the Flying Saucer, where I noticed this flyer:

My friend Bicycle Bobby who owns over 150 Hawaiian shirts will be very excited about this. Or maybe not, because I think he has to work that night. Good to see live music back at the Saucer for one night, and FreeWorld is a fine choice.

Southern Creed, a band that was popular in Memphis many years ago, has a reunion show tonight at the New Daisy at 7 PM.

That’ll wrap it up for now. I’ll hit Bardog about 11 as usual. Panda is off on Saturdays until after she has the baby, but nevertheless, Bardog is still a fine place to hang out. I’ll probably stop by Blind Bear after that then figure out the rest of the day.

From now until Christmas, if you bring in a new, packaged toy to Bluefin, they will give you a free appetizer or sushi roll. Maximum $10 value.

Lots going on today. The biggest event Downtown will be at the FedExForum, where the Tigers take on the UALR Trojans. Despite having grown up in Little Rock, I will be rooting for the Tigers tonight.

Ballet Memphis’ performance of The Nutcracker is tonight at 7:30, with additional shows through Sunday.

Tonight is also “Holiday Happenings” at the Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum. See this beautiful Victorian mansion trimmed with lights and attention to the tradition of a Victorian Yuletide. Reception and entertainment provided. Minimum suggested donation $20. Call 901-526-1469 to make reservations.

Beer news: The new growler shop opens at the Cash Saver on Madison today. Bring your own growler and get it filled up with beer, or purchase a growler for $5 if you don’t have one.

I also want to touch on a couple of events that will happen tomorrow before I have time to get out of bed and make a post. I was very excited when I read the Downtown Memphis Commission’s weekly email newsletter and saw “poker class.” I’m always up for learning more about poker! Then I re-read it, though, and realized it said “fireside poker class.” For $90 (members)/$100 (non-members), a blacksmith at the Metal Museum will teach you how to make a poker for your fireplace. Class time is 9 AM tomorrow morning.

Also tomorrow morning, the Cotton Museum on Union will host Gimme Some Holiday Fun: A Family Day. Cookbook author Laurie Triplette will be demo. There will be sing-alongs, crafts, treats, and an appearance by Santa. The event is free and open to the public. Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

When the Flying Saucer has a special glass for its Wednesday glass night, they send out an email the previous week to the bar’s UFO Club members. There’s a video previewing the glass, followed by a quiz you can take for $5 off your tab. Today there was a video for the Christmas glass, followed by a quiz with the following question:

Which barleywine is most representative of the English style?
A) Sierra Nevada Bigfoot
B) Avery Hog Heaven
C) Anchor Old Foghorn
D) Bud Ice

On this blog I try to provide helpful tips that will make your Downtown Memphis experience more fruitful. Today I have one such tip: The quiz answer is NOT D) Bud Ice.

Very excited about tonight. My apartment building is having a private holiday party for its residents, and they’re holding it in Cafe Keough, the soon-to-open coffeehouse at 12 S. Main. We’ll get a sneak preview. The cafe is getting beer and liquor licenses and will serve a lot more than coffee. Should be a fun evening. It’s nice to be an invited guest to Christmas parties.

Oh, and since the Nuh-Uh Girl lives in my building… Free food? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up. That’s all for now. Looking forward to seeing my neighbors this evening.

Several events are happening Downtown tonight. Dishcrawl’s Cocktail Wars is tonight at Alfred’s, where several mixologists compete to make the best drink in the city. Ticket information can be found here.

A concert of French music happens tonight at River Hall in Harbor Town. Marie-Stéphane Bernard, soprano and Tony Silva, pianist, will perform. General admission tickets ($35) are available at the River Inn, 50 Harbor Town Square. Show time is 8 PM.

Also at 8 PM is the Blind Bear’s ugly sweater/funny hat/dirty Santa Christmas party. John Paul Keith will perform at 10. I don’t own an ugly sweater, and while I do own funny hats, they’re not Christmassy. So I guess I’ll go as Dirty Santa. Considering I spend an entire month a year writing about tube tops, I’m pretty sure I don’t need to do much more than put on a Santa hat to qualify as Dirty Santa.

A holiday dog parade will happen this Saturday. Registration is at 2 PM in Court Square, and dogs and their owners will march from there to AutoZone Park. More info here.

The city council vote on purchasing AutoZone Park has been delayed until January 7. Wasn’t the deadline December 31? I understand the need to have more time to study the proposal, but I hope the city council doesn’t wait so long to pull the trigger on this deal that the Cardinals back out.

That’s all for now. I’ll be at the Blind Bear party, with a couple of other stops before that.

There will be a Winter Farmers Market presented by Memphis Farmers Market this Saturday. It will be at the usual Farmers Market location, the Central Station pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson, between 10 AM and 2 PM. Good chance to pick up not only food, but crafts from local vendors that would make great holiday gifts.

The Union Mission plans to heighten its outreach during the Christmas season. On Christmas Eve, the mission will hand out shoe boxes filled with basic toiletries, a winter cap, a pair of gloves, some underwear, and some socks – the kinds of things the homeless need but often don’t have during the cold winter months.

If you’re good at holiday trivia, you should stop by Tamp & Tap tonight. That’s the theme of the weekly trivia night this week at 7 PM, with questions about Christmas and other December holidays. They will have the Grizzlies game on TV, and someone will walk out with Tigers tickets.

iPad and Android tablet users can stream free music on Spotify beginning today. Spotify has also acquired exclusive rights to stream Led Zeppelin’s entire catalog.

If you work in the service industry, you will probably have your hands full on Amateur Night, AKA New Year’s Eve, and won’t be able to properly celebrate the coming of the new year. However, Kooky Canuck has you taken care of with a service industry New Year’s Eve party Sunday, December 29. With proof of employment in the service industry (pay stub, work ID, uniform, etc.) you will get $3 “you call it” from 10 PM until at least 1 AM. Ball drop and champagne toast at 1 AM.

Congratulations to former Memphian the Nuh-Uh Sister, who got the call yesterday that she has been accepted to be on the game show Jeopardy! The Nuh-Uh Sister has previously won prizes on Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right. Her older sister the Nuh-Uh Girl told me the good news last night as she munched fries off other people’s plates at the Blind Bear.

That’s it for now. I’ll lead off at the Silly Goose after work like I normally do on Wednesdays, then figure out the rest of the evening from there.

This weekend, I had several people ask about something my iPhone does, and I figured I’d post about it. I have my phone set up so that the flash on its camera goes off any time I get a new notification – text, Facebook, whatever, I get the camera flash as well as the sound. This is very convenient when I am in noisy venues and might not notice the notification otherwise. People asked how to turn it on and I had to admit, I couldn’t remember how I did it.

This morning I looked it up. The reason I couldn’t find it is that it’s not in the Notification settings, but rather the Accessibility settings. To get there, go to Settings > General > Accessibility and turn on “LED flash for alerts.”

The only negative to this setting is that it can cause people to think you are trying to surreptitiously take photos of them, when you are standing there holding your phone and the flash suddenly goes off. I’ve had to explain that a couple of times.

A scammer has been calling Memphis businesses, saying there is an overdue bill and power will be cut off in less than an hour unless the person called gives them a credit card number. This person has been calling from an 804 area code number out of Richmond, Virginia. MLGW has verified that they do not call customers and ask for credit card information.

Need some wrapping paper for the holiday season? If you’re one of the first 5000 fans at the Grizzlies game tomorrow night at the FedExForum, you will receive free Grizzlies wrapping paper, courtesy of Mercury Printing.

The FuzzyBrew blog reports that Downtown brewery High Cotton plans to add a tap room in early 2014. The brewery is at 598 Monroe.

Here’s a link to a Stumbling Santa pub crawl photo album from last Saturday. Photos were taken by photographer Frank Chin and are on the Memphis Flyer’s site.

The City Council delayed its vote on purchasing AutoZone Park last night and essentially presented a counteroffer.

That’s it for today. Getting a couple of inches of hair chopped off after work, then will be out at the usual bars after that.