Author: paulryburn

A trolley caught on fire near Madison and Bellevue this morning. Four ambulances had to be called to treat passengers for smoke inhalation. The Madison Avenue line is expected to be closed for the rest of the afternoon.

If you want to take some Memphis Made beer home, you can bring a growler to Tamp & Tap and they will fill it for you. This is a limited-time offer, because when they get their wine license they will have to discontinue the growler sales due to state law.

Tiger Kuran Iverson has been suspended by the NCAA for the November 14 opening game against Austin Peay. This is a result of an unauthorized summer league game he played in.

Historian Jimmy Ogle will give one of his free Tuesday walking tours tomorrow, touring Court Square and the surrounding areas. Meet up with him at 11:45 AM if you want to participate.

Usually I don’t allow guest posts on this blog, but I am going to make an exception this month. The Nuh-Uh Girl has asked to do a guest post for Downtown Dining Week, and I think that is an excellent idea. However she wants to do it is OK with me, whether before, during, or after the week, or multiple times if she wants. I know of no one who takes full advantage of DDW more than she does, sometimes eating multiple dinners in one night.

The Grizzlies take on the Boston Celtics tonight at the FedExForum at 7. Fans who attend will receive a free magnet schedule for the 2013-14 season courtesy of First Tennessee.

The Dirty Dozen had over 500 attend their Halloween party at Earnestine & Hazel’s Friday night and raised a lot of money to help keep the bar in operation. Great job!

Back to work. I’m in my final week of training. After work I will be out, most likely leading off at Melissa’s bar at Bardog.

Starting off today’s post with a congratulatory message. Longtime readers of this blog will remember Brick who worked at the Flying Saucer and the Silly Goose in years past. Brick got married yesterday. I have not met her new husband, but according to Facebook she married her best friend and that’s usually a very good sign. Congratulations to Brick and Colby.

On to the news. Today is Memphis Farmers Market’s end-of-season celebration, the Barnyard Ball. There will be food from local restaurants as well as beer and wine on the Central Station pavilion. It will happen from 4 to 7 this afternoon and there will be a “boots and buckle” contest.

Speaking of the Central Station pavilion, there will be a recycling drive there on Friday, November 15 from 3:00 to 6:30 in the afternoon. Most items will be able to be recycled free of charge, although there will be a charge for some large items like wood console TVs. If you bring a computer to recycle, it will have its hard drive wiped according to Department of Defense standards, so no worries about someone else seeing your data.

Another event happening today is the SPAYtacular Gala and Silent Auction at the Jack Robinson Gallery on Huling, starting at 2 PM. This is the annual fundraiser for Mid-South Spay and Neuter Services. Ron Childers will emcee, and there will be a mimosa and Bloody Mary bar (it’s Sunday Fun Day!) and brunch food. Live music by Deering and Down and Vanessa Winter, wine and beer.

Next Saturday, November 9, Shelton Clothiers will hold its final event. For $5 you can enjoy BBQ, beer and wine and the money will go to the Memphis Union Mission. The store will close permanently on November 16, so this is a good chance to do some shopping while you eat and drink.

Finally, here are a couple of Halloween pictures.

That’s me on the left. I dressed up as Mike Miller this year. I bought his jersey at the FedExForum and wore a hair band and painted on a brown goatee. Well, I did Thursday night anyway. At some point Thursday I lost the brown makeup crayon so no goatee when I went to the Dirty Dozen party Friday night. As you can see my friends went to great lengths to dress up for Halloween.

Lacey and Wingsauce

That’ll do it for now. I’ll lead off at Blind Bear at noon today.

–end post–

October may be over, but there’s still one more Halloween party to go. The Dirty Dozen Does Halloween party is tonight in the back room of Earnestine & Hazel’s starting at 9 PM. In the past this has been a private party, but they gave me permission to go ahead and put the word out on the blog. It has been a fundraiser for several years, and this year it is fundraiser for Earnestine & Hazel’s itself. E&H is the Dirty Dozen’s favorite bar, and they want to help make sure it lives on after the death of owner Russell George. Minimum suggested donation $10. Rockasaurus Rex will perform, and there will be a photo booth, a costume contest, liquor, wine, and Jello shots. Party is 21 and up. This is Downtown’s best Halloween party of the season, so come on down.

That’s not the only worthy cause you can support tonight. At 7 PM, Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band will host a benefit concert at the Memphis Cook Convention Center.  They are performing to raise funds to build a smarthome for wounded Marine CPL Christian Brown of Munford. Special thanks to American Airlines for flying the band in.

If you’re going to the Grizzlies’ home opener tonight at FedExForum, you’ll get one of these T-shirts. Memphis takes on the Detroit Pistons at 7 PM.

Speaking of the Grizzlies, they signed Quincy Pondexter to a 4-year, $14 million contract extension. SMART move by the organization.

New technology is being used to fight date-rap drugs. Cups, glasses, straws, and stirrers are being manufactured that change color when one of the common date-rape drugs is slipped in. Paula Raiford is on board and plans to buy the cups for her nightclub. She says it will help her know what is going on in her bar, and that customer safety is very important to her.

Off to work for half a day. I’ll be at the Dirty Dozen party tonight.

Okay, folks. Here’s a list of public Halloween parties I’m aware of that are going on tonight. Usually I try to be more descriptive than this in my Halloween posts, but I’m pressed for time today. You can assume that most of these places will have a costume contest with prizes.

Blind Bear (best bear costume contest)

Flying Saucer (mystery beer tub $3)

Bardog (hearse raffle at 11:59 PM)

Kooky Canuck

Double J

Twilight Sky Terrace (pirate party)

Peabody rooftop (Dr. Zarr’s Amazing Funk Monster)

Silly Goose

Don’t put your costume away after tonight… tomorrow I will post about one more opportunity to party for Halloween Downtown. This has been one of the best parties of the year and this is the first year they have opened it up to the public.

I’ll be out in costume around 6 tonight and I have tomorrow morning off so I will be out late. Not revealing my costume on the blog but I’ll give you a hint: I’m recycling a costume prop from a previous Halloween. The difference is, that year I was dressed as a giant douchebag, whereas this year I will be dressed as a really nice guy who we’re happy to have back in the city. Hope to see you out tonight!

The Memphis Flyer’s Hungry Memphis blog reports that Lunchbox Eats will start serving Saturday brunch from 10 AM to 3 PM. They will keep with the school lunch theme, and offerings will include the Cheerleaders’ French Toast Pyramid, the Snow Day Salmon, the Naptime Pig in a Blanket, and the Game Winning Quail Shot.

There’s a wine tasting at Belle Diner tonight at 5. Seasonal wines will be paired with Chef David’s Southern dishes. 901-433-9851 for reservations. It’s $10 per person. Belle Diner is in the old Rio Loco space on Union.

WMC reports that there was an incident outside K’Presha boutique last Friday at South Main Trolley Night. People were outside freestyle rapping and some were arrested by the police. It was caught on video and some claim that the police overreacted.

This isn’t a Downtown event, but it benefits a wonderful Downtown charity so I’m going to blog it anyway. On Friday, November 8, there will be an event called Musicians for the Kids at Young Avenue Deli. There will be four unique bands, and all money raised at the door goes to St.Jude. More info here.

Chef Kelly English intends to bring his food to the FedExForum’s Lexus Lounge. Details here.

An artist is painting a huge American flag on the new police station on Beale to honor an injured Marine.

The Tigers play Cincinnati tonight in a nationally televised football game on ESPN2. This is football, so Memphis’ chances of winning are slim to none.

The Grizzlies open the regular season on the road against San Antonio tonight. The Spurs swept us in the Western Conference Finals back in the spring, so a win tonight would kind of be a big deal.

Probably a good thing I’m pressed for time, or I’d comment on some behavior I observed last night that was absolutely pathetic. Plans for after work: Go to the Goose, where I may see a Duck.

My good friend Angela Copeland is launching her new business, Copeland Coaching. Angela has been mentoring job candidates for 9 years, and has shown job seekers how to get to the head of the pack. Her e-book Breaking the Rules and Getting the Job explains what to do. Angela is available for one-on-one mentoring, interview preparation, and resume tune-up. Angela was one of the organizers of the Memphis to Moore fundraiser that raised over $25,000 for the Moore Public Schools that were devastated by tornadoes. I have known Angela for over 10 years and have worked with her on many projects for MPACT Memphis, and I recommend her highly.

A new record eating the Kookamonga burger at Kooky Canuck has been set: Matt “Mega Toad” Stonie at the burger in 4 minutes and 43 seconds, beating the previous record by more than 2 1/2 minutes. The Kookamonga comes with a 4 pound beef patty and with the bun and all the fixins weighs in at more than 7 pounds.

Aldo’s Pizza Pies has announced a local draft night. Every Tuesday from 7 to 11 PM, pints of locally made beer will be only $3.

Rusty Lemon returns to town this week, and will play the Blind Bear Friday night at 10.

Memphis police need your help identifying a man who stole a $4500 laptop from the Doubletree Hotel at Third and Union. Photo here.

I’m back to work after an absolutely EPIC Sunday Fun Day. In my 10 years of doing Sundays Downtown, this one was in the top 5 for sure and maybe the top two or three. After Daniel nearly killed me with a spicy Bloody Mary at Blind Bear, I joined a couple of friends at the Flying Saucer for an in-depth conversation with bartenders Sara and Wingsauce, most of which they would kill me if I quoted here. Afterward there was a second trip to the Blind Bear, where I met Kim who organizes the local Dishcrawls. My BBQ teammate Buddha invited her to the Moody Ques BBQ team booth for 2014. That invitation is another thing I can’t quote here, or I will feel the wrath of team president/lawyer Moody. If you’re friends with me on Facebook you can read it on my timeline though.

I have a 5-cent PBR wooden nickel to cash in, so I’ll start at Melissa’s bar at Bardog after work. After that, Pint Nite at the Saucer for $3 drafts off the wall.

There are a couple of bars that have make your own Bloody Marys on Sunday. I have done it often enough that I claim given the right ingredients, I can make a better Bloody Mary than any bartender in Memphis. I have let other bartenders sample my drink after I have made one, and they have admitted, “That’s not bad. That’s not bad at all.”

Last Sunday I tried Daniel’s Bloody Mary at Blind Bear. For the first time, I had to admit, it was better than any Bloody Mary I have ever made. It is very very spicy, the way I like Bloody Marys and food in general, so if you’re not into spicy beware. If you are into spicy, though, come try what has won my vote as the best Bloody Mary Downtown. 12-6 PM is Daniel’s shift.

It’s 2:23 AM Sunday morning. Perhaps I stayed out a little late. Good night to all.

I’ll start off with a quick reminder that this is the last day for Memphis Farmers Market until spring (except for a one-day winter market in December). If you want to stock up on locally-produced food, you have until 1 PM to get down there. Yoga with Jackie O at 9, kids can make their own trick-or-treat bag from 9-11, and Contact Improvisation dance demo at 10.

A screening of Disney Halloween classic Hocus Pocus will happen tonight at AutoZone Park. The movie will be shown at 6, and guests are invited to bring blankets and sit on the field (no lawn chairs allowed though). There will also be seating in the lower bowl of seats along the third base line. From 5:00 to 5:55 there will be a Halloween party for kids, with trick-or-treating and hayrides around the warning track. Tickets are $10. Concessions will be available including hot dogs, popcorn, soda, apple cider, hot chocolate, and coffee. However, no alcohol will be served (BOOOOOOOO; this is why many Downtowners own flasks).

Seen on a photo of the underside of a bottle cap last night: “Condoms prevent minivans.” Hahahahaha so true. Did you know you can get free condoms in Memphis? Here’s a link. Follow @CondomMan901 for more info.

I’ve been informed that when I refer to Chef David Scott Walker by his initials, I need to type “Chef DSW” rather than just “DSW.” Apparently women think of a shoe store when they see that. Chef DSW is our BBQ team pitmaster and the executive chef at the Blind Bear.

A live broadcast of “A Prarie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor” happens this afternoon at The Orpheum at 4:45. Tickets are $42.50-$87.50.

Most bars are waiting until the actual day to throw their Halloween parties this year, but there are a couple happening tonight. It’s “Halloween at the Disco” at Paula & Raiford’s Disco. This is always a wild night and of course, the sexier the costumes the better.

Down at Earnestine & Hazel’s, there’s a Halloween party and classic rock tribute. The Spiders, an Alice Cooper tribute band, will headline, with opening act Flaming Youth, a KISS tribute band. Cover is $10 and costumes are encouraged.

This next event isn’t a Halloween party, but it fits in well with this time of year. Spaghetti Warehouse is holding “Death du Jour Mystery Theatre” tonight. The performance will be “Wild Ghost Chase,” an original, interactive mystery. $38 includes dinner; call 901-210-0545 for reservations.

The 8th annual Costume Twilight Tour happens at Elmwood Cemetery this afternoon with walking tours departing between 4:00 and 5:30. More info here.

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra will perform Haydn, Britten, and Brahms tonight at 7:30 at the Cannon Center. Tickets are $15.

Plans for today: Got some shopping to do. Our office is having a chili cook-off on November 8, and the flyer reads “Come Dressed in Your Best Western Wear.” So I have to drive to the nearest Best Western hotel and ask how much they would charge me to buy one of their uniforms. I’ll also have to decide whether to dress as a front desk clerk, a valet parker, or a member of the housekeeping staff. I tend to make better decisions when I’m drinking a PBR, so I guess I’ll lead things off at 11 at Panda’s bar at Bardog. Later in the day I may walk down to RiverArtsFest.

Tonight is the kickoff of RiverArtsFest, which will stretch down South Main from Huling to Georgia. The centerpiece of the festival is a juried artists’ market with 180 artists participating. There will also be 50 bands on three stages, and you can create your own art at a free interactive station. Of course, there will be beer and food vendors too. PRO TIP: If the guy selling the cinnamon roasted pecans is back, get them, even if you’re not into nuts. Just do it.

There’s another Groupon for a Downtown restaurant. This time it’s for Monsieur DeMarcus French Creperie. You can get $40 worth of food for $20 or $80 worth of food for $40.

Another Dishcrawl event is coming to Downtown: Cocktail Wars. Thousands of mixologists across North America will compete to see who can create the best drink. Out of many applicants, five will be chosen to compete at this event, at Alfred’s on Thursday, December 12 from 7 to 10 PM. Winner of the event will move on to the national competition. If you want to apply to compete as a mixologist, you have until October 30.

Felicia Suzanne’s is hiring hostesses. Details here.

There’s a new Downtown-Whitehaven express bus route. The bus got from Downtown to Whitehaven in 33 minutes, which for a MATA bus is pretty impressive.

Congratulations to radio host Chris Vernon, who will be joining the Memphis Grizzlies TV broadcast team. He’ll be on the pre-game show before every Grizzlies home game.

There’s a nasty piece of computer malware going around called Cryptolocker. Once it makes its way onto your computer, it encrypts your files using public-private key encryption, making them unusable. It then tells you that you need to pay $300 to obtain the private key to decrypt your files. There is currently no known way to undo the damage caused, other than to pay. Be very careful about opening email attachments, particularly those that appear to be shipping notices. It’s also a good idea to do regular backups to a device that does not remain attached to the computer when not backing up. This malware affects computers running Microsoft Windows.

Fun night beating my buddy Pete at pool at the Blind Bear last night. Staying out until 1 was maybe not the best decision though. Taking next Friday morning off so I can stay out late for Halloween parties. That’s it for now. I’ll be out at the usual spots around 5:30. Probably not going to RiverArtsFest tonight due to the cold, but I will get there tomorrow or Sunday.