Author: paulryburn

Funeral service for Russell George of Earnestine & Hazel’s has been set. Service will be Friday at 11 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church Downtown. Afterward there will be a celebration in Russell’s memory at E&H.

The Memphis Farmers Market has been named the 7th best Farmers Market in the U.S. Congratulations to all those who organize the market. Well deserved!

The Brass Door is having a second anniversary party and “Halfway to St. Pat’s” weekend Friday-Sunday. Friday they will have The Pistol and the Queen in the Cavern at 9 PM. Saturday they will open at 6:30 AM for EPL, and at 5 there will be an alley party with drink specials and costume contests, followed by a 9 PM party in the Cavern. Sunday there will be a jazz brunch with Stand By for Mars.

Double J will have the entire FreeWorld band play their parking lot Saturday night from 8:30 to 12.

Here’s something different for weekend brunch: Twilight Sky Terrace atop the Madison is doing “Beatles Sunrise Weekends” Saturdays and Sundays from 6:30 to 11:30 AM. You can enjoy the sounds of John, Paul, George and Ringo while dining from a Beatles-themed menu.

Oskar Blues, a Longmont, Colorado brewery that was the first to can craft beer, has brought their product to Memphis. Last night they had a roll-out at the Flying Saucer. Beers include Dale’s Pale Ale, the first canned craft beer; Old Chub, an 8% Scotch ale brewed with seven different malts including crystal and chocolate malts; and Ten FIDY, a 10% imperial stout. They started their canning process in a barn in 2002. Since then over 150 craft breweries have joined the canning revolution.

Shout-out to all the firefighters, police officers, and emergency responders keeping us safe this 12th anniversary of 9/11. Much thanks and respect to you.

You know what Twitter needs? A “temporarily block news sources live-tweeting the County Commission meetings” widget. For about 3 hours yesterday my timeline was all crapped up with detailed accounts of the commissioners’ bickering. If I wanted to know what clowns were doing, I’d buy a ticket to the circus.

I’ve learned of two more places that have NFL Sunday ticket: The Green Beetle has the package and has added a new TV. Also, George Paul’s Last Call, the back bar of Blues City Cafe, has the package and five TVs. Those are in addition to Max’s, Double J, and Mad Earl that I reported yesterday.

Grizzlies owner Robert Pera has challenged guard Tony Allen to a game of one-on-one before fall camp gets started. If Allen wins, Pera will donate $100,000 to a charity of TA’s choice.

The Brass Door will show two soccer matches today: England vs. Ukraine at 1:45 and USA vs. Mexico at 7.

Randomly-selected Yellow Cab and Checker Cab passengers will be treated to free rides as a way to say thanks. Passengers won’t know until they reach their destination, when they will be told, “Your ride is on us.”

Adams Avenue will be closed from Front to Third tomorrow during the daytime. The reason will be a September 11 rememberance of fallen firefighters.

Unexpectedly entertaining Monday last night. I started off at the Silly Goose for a few celebratory beers with a friend. Then I walked next door to the Flying Saucer for Pint Nite, where I watched someone complete Level 289 of the game of Stupid. I was not aware there were more than 200 levels. It’s funny how some people don’t understand GO AWAY but we didn’t have an English-to-dumbass translator.

It’s Tuesday and that means I’ll be at Blind Bear poker at 8. It’s free to play and the PBR is cold.

BREAKING: A body was found inside Earnestine & Hazel’s this morning. Police are investigating. The Flyer reported that the cause of death, according to MPD, appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It is not yet known if the victim was male or female. Employees Miss Karen and Peewee have been seen outside the building this morning so they are alive and safe. (Edit 1:37 PM: The CA is now reporting that they bod found was Russell George, longtime proprietor of E&H.)

Tonight is the first night of regular-season Monday Night Football. Kooky Canuck does an NFL special on Monday and Thursday nights: $4 34-ounce Bud Light draft, and 50-cent wings (minimum 10). The specials are during the game only and are dine-in only. Any other restaurants or bars Downtown doing MNF specials? Probably won’t have time to post before tonight’s game but I can get them up next Monday.

I’m also making a list of bars Downtown that carry NFL Sunday Ticket. The three I know of are Mad Earl, Max’s Sports Bar, and Double J. Any others? Shoot me an email at paul@paulryburn.com or hit me up on social media if you know of any. Does that bar inside the Holiday Inn on Union still have it?

If you’re looking for fun stuff to do with kids Downtown, tickets for the 2013-2014 Orpheum Family Series went on sale today. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Sid the Science Kid, and Frogz! are among the season’s highlights.

This is very cool: archer > malmo has built a bike garage for employees. Many people who work there live Downtown or Midtown and bike to work. They also have a communal bike employees can borrow for errands. Way to encourage environmentally-friendly commuting! Great job!

In “what are the crazy people up to” news, Kim Jong-un has asked Dennis Rodman to train North Korea’s basketball team for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Rodman hopes to bring some of his old teammates over in December for a game against the locals, and Kim has given Rodman permission to write a book about him.

The weekend just ended, but I’m already looking ahead to next Saturday. There are two good options for Saturday morning and I’m trying to decide which to do. Option A is to watch the Arkansas-Southern Miss game at Max’s Sports Bar. It’s an 11:21 kickoff. Morning games are a lot of fun at Max’s and I haven’t had the experience yet this season.

Option B is the Cooper-Young Festival, a huge half-mile long festival in Midtown’s Cooper-Young neighborhood with live music, vendors, and food. This is one of the best festivals of the year. Weather looks ideal. The only problem is, I don’t drink and drive so I would have to deal with taxis there and back. Given that the Southern Heritage Classic is the same day, it may be harder than usual to get a cab in Memphis.

Yeah, I know that I could watch the game at Max’s and then cab it to Cooper-Young, but that’s not how I work. If I park myself at Max’s it’s very unlikely that I will get up and leave when the Arkansas game is over, unless it’s to go to another bar Downtown. Besides, Cooper-Young Fest is best in the 11 AM-1 PM time period before it gets super busy.

Anyway, I have five days to figure it out. Tonight I’ll do Pint Nite at the Saucer, then decide whether to stay there or relocate to Blind Bear for MNF. If I hear anything more about the situation at E&H I may do an update post after work.

OK, I want to start this blog post off with a question for my readers. Last night there was a party on my rooftop. The hosts were serving some booze but invited guests to bring their drink of choice. My drink of choice, of course, is PBR. I surveyed my fridge yesterday afternoon and determined there were enough cans that a run to City Market was not necessary. So about 9:00 I grabbed a can and rode the elevator up there. I popped it open and took a few sips. “This doesn’t taste right,” I thought. I examined the bottom of the can and read “AUG1511.” Well that’s why.

I have several more of these cans with a similar expiration date. How does one dispose of PBR? It’s like an American flag that has lived out its useful life. You don’t just dump it in the garbage with the morning’s coffee grounds. You dispose of it with respect. What’s a respectful way to get rid of PBR?

From The Daily News: The Little Tea Shop has earned its “institution” tag. Yes, it has. Those of you moving into the One Commerce Square building, please take a walk down Monroe and get to know “Miss Su” at lunchtime.

Speaking of the move: Paul Morris who runs DMC wants the building the state is leaving, the Civic Center Plaza Hill building, occupied soon. City officials are looking at the space as a possible way to centralize employees scattered about the city, and/or to stop paying rent for two floors of 201 Poplar.

Insider tip about the Flying Saucer’s Oktoberfest, which I mentioned in yesterday’s post: Admission will be $15 but for the next few days you can buy a ticket at the Downtown Saucer for only $10. I got mine yesterday. I’ll have to hope that Arkansas-Texas A&M is not the 5:00 game.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the City of New York declared last Wednesday to be Elie Tahari Day. Tahari invented the tube top in 1973.

More tube top news: Which sexy reality star is popping out of her tube top?

Skipping brunch at the Majestic this morning… the 10:30 start time just didn’t work with my sleep schedule. I’ll hit the Blind Bear at noon now that it’s opening early for NFL.

Just a quick note that Colin texted me to say that the Blind Bear will open at noon tomorrow, rather than its usual 3 PM opening time, for NFL. Come enjoy some of the best PBR in town while you watch.

Sorry there was no post yesterday. A friend came in town unexpectedly and I had to go met up with him. I’ll make up for it in today’s post, which is loaded with good stuff.

I happened upon a very cool website yesterday: WhatWasThere. You can see what modern streets looked like 20, 30, 60 years ago. Coverage is best in San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, and the Northeast, but there are some photos of Memphis. Anyone got more photos they want to add of our city? There’s an iPhone app too.

Felicia Suzanne’s is adding a new outside bar and is asking for your help to name it. Suggest a name between now and September 13, and then they will let Facebook vote on the top three names. The person who suggests the winning name will receive dinner for two.

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra will debut their new performance “The Lost Christmas Eve” in Memphis at the FedExForum. The show will be Friday, December 6 at 8 PM, and tickets will go on sale next Saturday.

The South Main Association is bringing back one of its best parties, Oktoberfest, on Sunday, September 29 from 3-7 PM. G.E. Patterson Avenue will be closed from Main to Mulberry for the event, and there will be music by Pam & Terry. Free to SMA members, $20 for non-members. Catering, beer and wine will be provided by the SMA.

That’s not the only Oktoberfest party happening that weekend, though. The day before, on Saturday the 28th, the Flying Saucer will host Memphis Oktoberfest from 5 to 10 PM. There will be live music by the “Oom-Pah-Stars,” as well as specialty beers, a beer brat eating contest, and a souvenir glass. $15 cover. The party will support Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy.

Local Gastropub has announced that two new flat screens have been ordered and will be installed on the Downtown patio soon, for those who want to watch football while dining outdoors.

The state has picked One Commerce Square for 900 workers who are moving out of their Civic Center Plaza office. Excellent choice. If any state workers are reading this, you are going to love working in the heart of the Downtown core, I can promise you that.

Wine ice cream is the newest food fad these days. South of Beale has had it for a while. This morning I went on my Mountain Dew run to City Market, and I noticed this display:

(Click the image to view in a larger size) City Market has six flavors of wine ice cream in its freezer. Since I’m not a big wine drinker I didn’t take any home. I wonder if anyone makes PBR-flavored ice cream?

Getting ready for my usual visit to Panda’s bar at Bardog at 11 AM. Tonight I’m going to a party in one of my favorite locations that should be a lot of fun. Happy Saturday, Go Tigers, and IT’S TIME TO CALL THOSE HOGS!!!

Last night I stopped by happy hour at the Silly Goose and noticed a new special. From 4 to 7 PM on weekdays they have Pie & PBR for $6. By pie I mean one of their 8 specialty pizzas, along with a PBR draft. I saw someone order the Pie & PBR and the pie that came out was full-sized. Pizzas are normally $10 at the Goose. With PBR at $1.50 for happy hour, you’re effectively getting a pizza for $4.50, a 55% discount. That’s a very good deal.

The Cavern Club, the downstairs of the Brass Door, is going to open up as “a loud club” (those were the words in the email Diamond Dave sent me) on Friday and Saturday nights when they don’t have live music. They’ll have $3 domestic drafts, well liquor and house wine. Fireball and moonshine will be $4, and Jameson $5. For those who appreciate the finest of beverages, they will have $2.50 PBR cans. Check The Cavern Facebook page for schedule.

Couple of music recommendations: First of all, Jeremy Stanfill and Josh Cosby play the Blind Bear tonight at 9. Tomorrow, the Eric Hughes Band will have an “Act a Fool Blues Party” at Double J from 8:30 to 1.

Rock for Love 7, a three-day event benefitting the Church Health Center, begins today. Details here.

Stacey Greenberg has a great article about last weekend’s Cochon Heritage BBQ on the Flyer’s Hungry Memphis blog. There are photos of the menus and all the food. Each team had to enter four entrees and two sides.

News for my Little Rock readers: A second Gus’s could be landing in the city soon. The first Gus’s in Little Rock, in the River Market district, has been doing very well.

The Downtown Memphis Commission recently published a list of “Dirty Dozen” properties they’d like to see redeveloped. One of those properties, 107 South Main, has had its price reduced to under $600,000. This would be a perfect spot for conversion to apartments with retail on the ground floor.

That’s the news for now. I’ll probably get out to the Bear tonight and hear Jeremy Stanfill and Josh Cosby and watch the NFL game.

Since yesterday’s post I’ve heard from two reliable sources that the wheel thieves that left cars on blocks Downtown this past weekend have been caught – at least three of the four, anyway. One of the sources told me that Elvis masks were found near the scene of one the cars they burglarized. Empty PBR cans were also found next to the car. IT WASN’T ME, I PROMISE!!!

I woke up to some surprising news on Twitter this morning: Kerry Crawford is leaving the I Love Memphis blog effective September 30. It sounds like a positive thing, with Kerry having a chance to work for herself. The I Love Memphis blog will live on with a new writer, Holly Whitfield. Thanks Kerry for all you’ve done to promote this city the past four years. It’s made a ton of difference waking people up to all there is to do and experience in Memphis.

The Carnival of Madness is coming to Mud Island tonight. Shinedown, Skillet, Papa Roach, We As Human, and In This Moment. General admission tickets are $62 and gates open at 5.

If you are still trying to figure out where you stand on Syria, this article has five things you should know. It’s hard to know what to think. There are arguments both in favor of bombing and against bombing. It’s not really breaking down along party lines, either.

Speaking of Syria, Sen. John McCain was caught playing poker on his iPhone during the Syria hearings.

Not Downtown news but worth a mention: There’s a new snow leopard cub at the Memphis Zoo.

The Fire Museum on Adams is using a grant to develop fire safety video games for kids. That’s pretty cool.

I came in second at Blind Bear poker last night. Ellen had a huge stack after surviving a 4-way all-in involving everyone but me, and there was no way I could stage a comeback. Congratulations to her. Although I didn’t win a prize, those points I picked up toward the league final table are quite valuable at this point in time. Some of the plays I saw at my initial table were “creative” to say the least, especially during the first five blind levels.

Got more news on deck so it’s possible there will be another post after work. Outta here for now.

Servers in the Memphis area are finding super-generous tips being left, along with notes explaining why. The tips are random acts of kindness that are part of Operation Tucci, in memory of David “Tucci” Santucci, a male nurse who recently died in a senseless murder in the South Main area.

There is also a Tucci Foundation that is being set up as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Tucci’s memory.

There have been a rash of wheel thefts reported Downtown. I first heard of this a week ago when a friend who lives in River Row found her car up on blocks, with all four tires removed. This past weekend it happened to another friend of mine who lives in South Bluffs (a gated community!), the Bardog delivery vehicle while parked in a garage at Front and Monroe, and several others. With the right tools it’s possible to remove a car’s wheels in 30 seconds.

We’re done with baseball at AutoZone Park this season. The Redbirds lost the season finale, and as a result will miss out on the playoffs.

On to better news: There’s a new website, main2main.com, where you can keep up with news on the Main-to-Main project connecting Memphis and West Memphis.

The Peabody is hosting a special dinner on Saturday, August 14, to celebrate the 375th birthday of Dom Pierre Perignon, the spiritual father of champagne. The 7 PM dinner will have a four-course menu and of course, Dom Perignon. $85 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Call 901-529-4188 to make reservations.

A fun Memphis Music & Heritage Festival weekend has come to a close. I wish I had gotten out to see more bands, but it was just so damn hot. A server in a nearby bar asked me if I thought they’d get a lot of business from the festival. “If it’s 80, your bar will be dead because everyone will be outside,” I replied. “If it’s 95, you’ll be busy.” It was 95. Sunday evening after the sun went down, I finally got outside to hear the Swamp Katz:

The Swamp Katz play classic rock and have a new album out. They play frequently at the Center for Southern Folklore and also the Brass Door.

I hear I missed some shenanigans at Blind Bear while I was outside though. I commented yesterday that Downtowners need a “where’s the shitshow” smartphone app so we don’t miss anything.

Yesterday I tried the two new local Wiseacre Brewing Company beers at the Flying Saucer. It was the first day on tap for both the Tiny Bomb and the Ananda IPA.

Both were outstanding. Descriptions of both beers, from the Saucer’s UFO computer, are below (click to see the image in a larger size).

I had the pleasure of having a beer with a retired Navy SEAL and his wife at the Saucer, whom I met at the Blind Bear and decided to come over with me. He had some great stories. Thank you for your service to our country, sir.

That’ll do it for now. Out at the usual places after work, including Blind Bear poker at 8.

Yesterday I walked down to the Blind Bear about 1:30. The Bear is opening at noon this weekend (including Monday) to accommodate festival-goers for the Memphis Music & Heritage Festival. I planned to have a few beers, then go outside at 3 to hear Mouserocket. About 2:50 I was finishing up, sitting in front of the far TV at the bar. Colin grabbed the remote.

“You wouldn’t mind if I changed this to the Arkansas game, would you?” he asked.

Would I MIND??? That change of the channel managed to keep me at the Blind Bear for an additional three and a half hours and six PBRs. The Hogs looked good in their 34-14 victory over Louisiana, and the Bret Bielema era started off with a bang. I’m looking over Arkansas’ schedule as I type this, and I’m thinking it’s going to be a really good year for the team if they get to 7-5 and a bowl appearance. It’s not that the Hogs aren’t very good; it’s that they’re in the SEC West, the toughest division in college football. They can get to 7-5 if they sweep the nonconference schedule (Rutgers isn’t going to be easy though), beat Auburn and State, and upset one of the following three: A&M, Ole Piss, or LSU.

Later in the day, I finally made it out to the festival, and got these:

BBQ nachos from Central BBQ! Their food truck is parked at the festival and will be serving nachos, pulled pork and other yummy BBQ treats today.

I still haven’t seen a cooking demo schedule, so I never tweeted it yesterday. I heard that the Nuh-Uh Girl showed up for a free sample as the chicken fried rice demo concluded.

Here are a few music recommendations for today.

• Banjo workshop, Folklore Store stage, 1 PM
• The Sheiks, garage punk, Peabody Place at Main stage, 4:45 PM
• Tonya Dyson, neo-soul, Folklore Store stage, 6:15 PM
• Sonny Burgess and the Pacers, rockabily, Peabody Place at Main stage, 6:45 PM
• Swamp Katz, rock, Union at Main stage, 8:30 PM
• Joyce Cobb, honored performer, Peabody Place at Main stage, 9:45 PM
• FreeWorld, although not at the festival; go see them in their native habitat at Blues City Cafe, 10:30 PM

With no meaningful football games on today, I plan to spend considerably more time outside.

Watching past episodes of WWE NXT while waiting for the bars to open. That’s the WWE’s developmental territory where the stars of tomorrow learn their craft. It’s really good, especially the women’s division. When I first watched Emma I thought she sucked but I’ve since come to the conclusion that she’s hilarious and I am enjoying her feud with Summer Rae, who is Fandango’s dance partner on the main roster. Check it out if you get a chance. They moved it from Hulu Plus to regular Hulu, so you can watch for free.

Good move by the New England Patriots on retaining Arkansas alum Ryan Mallett at backup QB while cutting Tim Tebow. Mallett is a true NFL quarterback who just needs a little seasoning. Tebow is a sideshow act. Have fun playing in Canada, Tim, and you might want to buy a winter coat, I hear it gets cold up there.

I’m not going to make it to the Majestic’s new Sunday brunch time of 10:30 very often, but this week I’m up early enough. I want to catch up on the latest WordPress news from my friend Otto, who has been traveling to a lot of WordCamps the past month. And of course my “DAWG” John D will be there too. Rest of the day TBD, but I plan on spending a lot of time at the music festival and Blind Bear. I will not be playing poker tonight at 6:30 though. Time to enjoy a Sunday without a Monday behind it!