Author: paulryburn

Forbes magazine has a good article about the Cochon Heritage BBQ festival that will happen Downtown August 31-September 2. The festival will celebrate the pairing of heritage pork with fine bourbon. There will be events the entire three days including a rooftop party, a tailgating party, a distiller’s reception/dinner tour, a BBQ eating contest, a bourbon sampling at Felicia Suzanne’s, and of course the main event which is a heritage BBQ cookoff featuring two dozen all-star chefs. Good to see this new festival receiving some national coverage.

Tonight’s movie in the Orpheum Summer Movie Series is Blazing Saddles. The classic 1974 Western spoof will be shown on the big screen at 7:15 PM. If you bring a can of beans to donate to the Mid-South Food Bank, you get $2 off admission.

Next Thursday, August 2 is National IPA Day. This will be a celebration of India Pale Ale, a hoppy style of beer invented when beer makers added hops to keep the beer from going bad over the long transport to India. Participants are encouraged to share photos, videos, blog posts, tasting notes, recipes and thoughts with the world using the social media platform of their choice. There will be a Twitter hashtag, #IPAday, to help people keep track of the celebration going on around the world.

Not surprisingly, the Flying Saucer will participate in IPA Day. Saucer locations will be doing IPA specials, rare tappings, special flights, and food specials for the day (will vary by location – I’ll try to get more details about what the Downtown Saucer will be doing). The Saucer is also partnering with social beer-drinking app Untappd on a special “IPA Day at the Saucer” badge for attendees.

The theme at the Memphis Farmers Market tomorrow is Peas Be with You. From 9 to 11 kids can create their own miniature greenhouse to grow their own peas. They can take the greenhouse home, put it on the windowsill, and watch the peas grow limbs and leaves. There will also be a tomato canning demo at 10:15. From 9 to 12 the Hooper Troopers will demo hula hooping as a way to stay fit.

Rob Fischer tweeted a really good Grizzlies schedule cheat sheet. He notes things like TV games, Sunday afternoon games, tough stretches, home vs. away over particular stretches, and more. You can follow him at @thefishnation on Twitter.

Plans for tonight: Not sure. Maybe Trolley Tour, maybe Saucer, maybe Aldo’s Pizza Pies, maybe Blind Bear later in the evening.

Well, I didn’t deliver on that evening news post before I went out. I typed most of it and then forgot to hit Publish. Sorry. Extra long post today as a result.

Today’s big news, of course, is that Aldo’s Pizza Pies opens to the public at 5 this afternoon. They will sell 12-inch and 18-inch pizzas, made New York style, perfect for folding over and eating. I was in there Tuesday for Friends & Family Night (and unlike one person who showed up, I was an invited guest) and tried their pepperoni and garlic shrimp pizzas – really good. The white pizza is high on my list to try next. They will sell pizzas by the pie and by the slice. 29 good beers and Bud Light on tap. They’ll have PBR in 16-ounce cans. Bar area that seats about 30, patio with mist fans is under construction. Aldo’s is part of the Bardog/Slider Inn family of restaurants and is located in the ground floor of Barboro Flats, on Main Street just north of Gayoso and across the street from Local Gastropub.

Local social media rockstar Jessica Grammer is transitioning from a vegetarian lifestyle back into one that includes meat. She has not yet had a burger since beginning the transition. Seth from the Best Memphis Burger blog has set up a poll where you can vote for where Jessica should eat her first burger. If Jessica’s name sounds familiar, it may be because she’s one of the organizers of the Salty Dogs runners group that meets every Monday at Bardog, as well as a key organizer of the Bardog 5K.

The people who own 400 N. Front are looking for a new tenant. Currently the building serves as office space for Ericson Group Inc. However, the owners realize that with Bass Pro going into the Pyramid across the street, office space is not the best use of their building. A restaurant or retail space would make more sense, given the high volume of tourists that are expected to flock to the area. Major chain restaurants like The Cheesecake Factory are being explored as options. See this Daily News story for more details.

Congratulations to the Memphis Grizzlies and the Memphis Grizzlies Charitable Foundation on winning Beyond Sport’s Sport Team of the Year Award. This award is presented for outstanding community involvement. The Grizzlies may not have made a deep run in the playoffs, but they have made a profound difference in the community with their TEAM UP Youth Mentoring and other youth programs. Very well done! I could not be prouder to call the Grizzlies my team.

Who watches TV anymore? If you want to keep up with the Olympics, why not do it the modern way, following the event online. Mashable has 10 ways to do it.

The Green Beetle has posted updated standings in its 7-week trivia tournament. This is all-sports trivia hosted Thursday nights at 8 by Kevin Cerrito. The team with the most cumulative points at the end wins 6 tickets to the Colts vs. Titans game on October 28. Currently the team “I’m Not Gay, But 5 Bucks Is 5 Bucks” is in the lead. Tonight is only the third week, so there’s plenty of time to catch up if you want those tickets. Food and drink specials during trivia.

Downtown is a very bike-able neighborhood, but when you park your bike, don’t use a combination lock to secure it. Lifehacker has a video that shows how to crack a bike combination lock in under 30 seconds. The article also has a link to tips about more secure types of bike locks.

It’s Thursday night outdoor party night. Rockabilly band Hilbilly Casino will headline the Peabody rooftop party tonight from 6 to 11 PM. $10 cover, ladies free before 7.

John Paul Keith and the 1-4-5s bring a timeless mix of rock, country, blues, and R&B to the Madison Hotel rooftop tonight. 7-11 PM, $7 cover, cash bar and small plates available on the roof.

The Rebel on Beale Country Series continues this week. Frankie Ballard will play the stage at Handy Park, Third at Beale, tonight at 7:30. Free admission, and it’s an all-ages show.

Plans for tonight: I’ll make my usual walk down the Main Street Mall about 6. If I see people I know or an open bar seat at Aldo’s Pizza Pies, I’ll go in. If not, I’ll do the Saucer first and come back to Aldo’s later in the evening. If anyone who has my number plans on hanging out at the bar and wants some company, hit me up.

A very cool and unique concert will come to Central Station this fall. Willie Nelson will headline the Railroad Revival Tour, on which musicians travel by train to their concert venues. They will stop at the train station October 22. Most of the venues are outdoors, but Central Station is certainly appropriate, given that Willie is on the tour and the train they call the City of New Orleans stops here. Band of Horses, Jamey Johnson and John Reilly & Friends are also on the tour. For more info, check out this Rolling Stone article.

The Memphis Daily News reports that the lawsuit about Beale Street is still unresolved after 2 years. There were a couple of interesting tidbits at the end of the article:

1) John Elkington and city planners have talked about expanding the Beale Street entertainment district to the north, south, or both. Hmmm… if they expanded north to Peabody Place, then Hooters would be part of the district. That would be kind of odd. Purple Haze, a block to the south, is already considered part of the Beale district and can therefore stay open until 5 PM.

2) Not only is there going to be a new police substation on Beale starting next month, but the police museum is returning too. The museum used to be housed in the space that is now Superior Bar. Glad to see it return – one more fun and free thing to do Downtown.

The Peabody has announced the lineup for its remaining rooftop parties of this season:

• July 26: Hillbilly Casino
• August 2: Kid Ego (with special guest DJ Raiford!!!)
• August 9: Gary Escoe and the Atomic Dance Machine
• August 16: Ingram Hill with special guests Boys Like Girls and Graffiti 6

Cover charge for each party is $10, except for the one on the 16th which is $15.

Friday the 27th is the last Friday of the month, and that means it’s time for South Main Trolley Tour. Many of the galleries and shops of South Main will stay open from 6 to 9, and there will be sidewalk performances as well. Performers will include Adams Avenue Camerata, Lee Garret, Kris Acklen, Red Planet, Fire Tribe, The Dancing Fire, Nava Sanctum, and Danza Xochitquetzal.

Purple Haze, the nightclub in the former Red Rooster space on Second a block south of Beale, emailed me about a new special they are doing. Starting Friday they will open at 7 Friday-Saturday and 8 the other days of the week. Every day except Thursday, they will have a special until 10 PM where drinks are $2 and draft beer is $1. No cover charge, so it’s a great place to come in and start your evening.

On Thursday they do something different at Purple Haze – Devin Steele and K97 broadcast live for several hours, and when that’s happening they have $4 martinis and margaritas.

Purple Haze also offers a 15% across-the-board industry discount.

I heard I missed some drama last night at the Saucer. One of the people who was there overheard that I and another friend were at Aldo’s Pizza Pies for friends & family night. He proceeded to get his panties all in a wad, mad that he had not received a personal invitation. Not that it stopped him: About 8:00 he showed up anyway. Geeeez. I guess we all need to make sure we have his contact info in our phones, so anytime any of us have an event he won’t miss out on the chance to mooch free food and beer.

Words of wisdom: If you don’t get invited to parties, don’t work extra hard to find out about them and show up anyway. Work extra hard to become the type of person people want to invite to parties. From what I’ve heard about last night’s outburst at the Saucer, someone has a lot of work to do.

Speaking of the Saucer, they have people from corporate in town this week. I’d love to ask someone from corporate why the Memphis Saucer does not carry PBR like six of the other locations.

Plans for tonight: It’s Wednesday night, and the last night for the forseeable future that I won’t have Aldo’s as an option. Maybe I’ll hit Brass Door Bingo (7 PM). Maybe I’ll do trivia at the Blind Bear (8 PM). Or maybe I’ll just hang out at the Saucer and continue work on my 7th plate. We will see. I have more news than I could fit into this post, so check back tonight for an update.

Tonight I went to the preview opening of Aldo’s Pizza Pies for friends & family. They open to the public Thursday at 5 and will be in a “soft opening” situation until August 12.

So, tonight I was invited to the “friends & family” party at Aldo’s Pizza Pies. This is the precursor to the public opening night Thursday; after that they’ll be in soft opening mode until August 12.

Pizza was outstanding, but even better was the service. Kyla, Brooke, and particularly Josh held another beer up when I was about 3 sips from finishing the one I was working on. If that sounds familiar, it’s the way Bardog operates, which pretty much sets the standard for service. I was never wanting for anything.

I asked Aldo about the pizza parlor’s weekend hours and he told me it will open 11 AM Sunday. That could shake up Sunday Fun Day plans. I won’t cheat on the Majestic and come there at 11, but I might cheat on the Saucer and show up at noon. If not noon, shortly thereafter.

All right I’m tired and these pics have taken forever to download. I’ll be at Aldo’s Thursday night. See you there?

Last night I took a walk down the Main Street Mall, and was quite pleased to see people installing the railing for Aldo’s Pizza Pies patio. More patios on Main Street = a Very Good Thing, not only for the people who will be dining there, but for the street and Downtown as a whole. Patio dining increases the perception that Main Street is walkable and safe. I can’t wait for the day when patio dining on Main stretches all the way from Peabody Place to Adams.

Hmmm… I wonder what time Aldo’s will open on Sundays? That could have very interesting implications for Sunday Fun Day. If I don’t like the Fire Sale at the Saucer, I could walk down to Aldo’s, pop open a PBR, have a slice, and see a couple of my favorite ex-Saucer girls. This is the most excited I’ve been about a new place opening since Blind Bear opened last December.

Also while walking down Main Street, I saw a (possibly homeless) guy on the other side of the street, saying, “Hey buddy, how you doing today, what’s been going on, good to see you.” He didn’t seem to be talking to anyone in particular, and I wondered if maybe he had one of those Bluetooth headsets on and I just couldn’t see it. Then I realized he was talking to A SQUIRREL. No kidding, he was carrying on a conversation with that squirrel, although the conversation seemed to be quite one-sided. We have some weird people Downtown.

Last night the band in Handy Park on Beale honored the memory of America’s first female astronaut by singing, “All you wanna do is ride around, Sally. Ride, Sally Ride.” I thought that was a nice touch.

There will be a food truck rodeo in Court Square this Friday, July 27. Good news for those who work Downtown who want something new and different for lunch!

On Saturday the Flying Saucer held its drawing in the Pints for Prostates raffle. Customers at the 14 Flying Saucers could enter the raffle by buying a Belgian beer in a special glass on Wednesday nights. They could also purchase raffle tickets in the amount of 1 for $10, 3 for $25, or 7 for $50. All proceeds went to Pints for Prostates, a nonprofit that raises awareness of men’s health issues. The holder of the winning raffle ticket would receive a week-long beer trip for two to Belgium, with stops in 3 cities and plenty of brewery tours, a $6500 value.

…And the winner selected from all 14 Saucers was a Memphian. Not just any Memphian, either; a Memphian who has 18 plates on the wall, meaning he’s been through the Ring of Honor (drank 200 different beers) 18 times. Memphis’ own Gary Smith is going to Belgium. He leads the Downtown Saucer in number of plates, and I cannot think of a more deserving person to win. Congratulations Gary, and I hope you have a great time overseas.

You have five days left to vote in the Memphis Flyer’s Best of Memphis poll. Vote here.

If you like Max’s Sports Bar and are a fan of Michele, you’re going to be seeing a lot of her. Last night was her first of either 12 or 16 days straight (I’ve heard conflicting reports on this), covering while Max and Cayley are out of town. Don’t forget that Max’s has a full bar now. They’ve really been working the happy hour specials lately.

Tuesday night stuff going on: Pint night at Bardog, 7-3; trivia with Kevin Cerrito at Ferraro’s, 8:00, trivia at Flying Saucer, 7:30 and 10:00; poker at Blind Bear, 8:00; $5 spaghetti and meatball dinner at Green Beetle, 4 to close.

If you’re Downtown after work and are looking for something to do, I have a suggestion: Go look at the Mississippi River. It’s at one of its lowest levels ever, 55 feet lower than in May 2011 when it flooded Tom Lee Park and Riverside Drive and forced BBQ Fest to move. Three more feet and the river will hit an all-time record low. Shout-out to my buddy Duck Finkley who works on a boat on the river. I hope the low water isn’t making it hard for him to do his job. Check Joe Spake’s blog for a contrast between May ’11 and July ’12.

The NCAA cracked down on Penn State’s football program this morning and delivered some severe penalties. Here are three articles that will give you an idea what happened:

• Analysis of the sanctions by a Central PA columnist
• Column by CBS writer Gregg Doyel
• Column by The Daily columnist and former CA columnist Dan Wolken

I’ve seen several videos of Jerry Sandusky being walked from the courthouse to a vehicle outside. Has anyone else observed his facial expression and body language and come to the conclusion that he doesn’t understand that he’s done anything wrong? I get the feeling he believes he had a “special” relationship with those children that the rest of the world can’t understand, and that he’s being persecuted for it. He probably fully believes the case will be overturned on appeal.

Soccer fans, you may want to put an upcoming Brass Door event on your calendar. Former Memphis Rogues and Newcastle United star Paul Cannell will make an appearance at the Downtown Irish pub Saturday, July 28 at 6 PM, to sign copies of his new book.

The Peabody has lots of jobs open. Click here to view them. You’ll have to scroll a little, because Little Rock and Orlando jobs are mixed in too. Cooks, servers and server assistants, rooms controllers, banquet personnel, stewards, security, valet parkers, athletic club attendants, bartenders, all kinds of jobs.

One other job listing I saw on Twitter: Overton Park is looking for a Communications Coordinator. Not a Downtown job but it would be a very fulfilling and rewarding position.

Looking for a place to grab a late-night snack or breakfast now that Cockadoos is closed? Miss Polly’s Soul City Cafe’s kitchen stays open all night on Friday and Saturday. The cafe is on Beale Street, next to Club 152.

Plans for tonight are to drink my 28th, 29th, and 30th beers for my 7th plate at the Flying Saucer. It’s Pint Nite all day and night and nearly all drafts on the wall are $3. Undecided on whether I’ll play the 7:30 or 10:00 poker game next door at the Silly Goose.

Okay. Whatever your plans are today, cancel them. The event of the year – perhaps even the decade – takes place this afternoon in Downtown Memphis. I am so fortunate to have read the weekly newsletter downtownmemphis.com sends out, because I almost missed this. Today at 3:30 at the Orpheum is “Super WHY Live.” Here’s the description: “Super Why, Alpha Pig, Wonder Red, Princess Presto and their puppy pal Woofster each take children on larger-than-life, imagination-stimulating adventures.”

WOW. I mean, just, wow. Memphis may not have a MLB or NFL team, but we’ve got this. Tickets are $29.50 and $39.50, but why would you not pay $39.50 for a better view of Woofster?

South of Beale has released their new weekend brunch menu. You can view it on SOB’s website. That blackened salmon omelet sounds interesting. So does the SOB Burger. I’ve never heard of a burger topped with salami before. One cool thing about SOB’s menu is that they mark which items are gluten free, making it easy for those on a diet to know what they can order.

SOB also adopts an “organization of the month.” On receipts, below the tip line is a line where you can write in a donation for the month’s organization. This month it’s the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County.

The Best Memphis Burger Fest has listed its categories in which burger cooks can compete: Best Burger, Best Veggie Burger, Best Anything But Burger, and Best Extreme Burger. Anyone can enter, whether you’re a guy with a grill or a full-service restaurant. However, space is filling up, so if you’re thinking about entering, do it soon. Festival will be in Minglewood Hall’s parking lot on September 30.

The Redbirds play Oklahoma City again tonight at 6:05. If you’re bringing kids, get there early – the first 2000 kids get replica Redbirds jerseys. After the game, kids can run the bases.

In other stuff going on today, local favorites Pam & Terry play Spindini’s patio from 5 to 8. Bleu has a “Sax on Sundays” jazz series from 6 to 10. There’s a jazz jam with U of M students at Earnestine & Hazel’s, 8 to 11. Memphis Soul Revue plays Huey’s tonight, 8:30.

If you’re in the mood to brunch it up today, in addition to the aforementioned South of Beale brunch, I recommend Rizzo’s Diner (opens 10 AM), Majestic Grille (opens 11 AM), Bardog (opens noon), and Blind Bear (opens 3 PM). The Flying Saucer and Silly Goose both have build-your-own Bloody Mary bars. Both open at noon.

It’s a beautiful Sunday in Downtown Memphis. Time to get out and enjoy!

If you’re a fan of the TV show Big Brother, tune in to MemphiSport Live on AM 560 this morning. Show starts at 11. At 11:30, Sid Vicious (also known as Sid Justice and Sycho Sid) will be on to further discuss what’s happening with his son Frank on the show. From what Sid told us last week, Frank is a tremendously smart guy, and obviously in good physical shape since he’s been training with his dad his entire life. For that reason, Sid suspects Frank may be one of the first to be eliminated, because he’s too much of a threat to the others in the house. Sid will discuss Frank’s progress on this week’s show.

If you don’t live in Memphis, you can use TuneIn Radio to listen.

This morning, I walked out of my front door, on my way to get a Mountain Dew as I do every morning. I thought to myself, I have two options:

1) Walgreens, 1/4 block away, a chain. They close at 8 on the weekdays, even though there’s obviously demand for them to stay open later, both among locals and tourists in nearby hotels.

2) City Market, 1 3/4 blocks away. Locally owned by super nice people. Open until 10:30 weekdays and 11:30 weekends, and if Downtown is busy sometimes they stay open past their posted closing time.

I went to City Market, and am going to start doing so every day (except maybe when it’s raining or I’m in a huge hurry). Makes sense to spend my dollars with people who are part of the Downtown community. And yeah, it’s just a Mountain Dew that costs not even $2, but it’s really more than that. They have so many cool international snacks and prepared dinners that I often make impulse purchases while there. Over time it adds up.

By the way, if you’re a beer lover, when I was at City Market I saw six-packs of Magic Hat, Blackstone, and Shock Top beers that I have not seen elsewhere Downtown. Love those 18-packs of PBR too.

Speaking of shopping locally, I find it amusing that the person who had the nerve to “yawn” at my Foursquare checkin at Max’s Sports Bar checks in at Big League Grill in Southaven on almost a weekly basis. I guess some people would rather hang out in ‘burbia all the time than support good neighborhood businesses.

The other day I saw two huge 65 inch TVs in cases inside Aldo’s Pizza Pies. I assumed they were going up behind the bar, but I was wrong. They’re now up near the front door, displaying the menu. I didn’t get pics but if you walk by, be sure to look inside and see what Aldo’s will be selling. Aldo’s is on the Main Street Mall, in the ground floor of Barboro Flats just north of Gayoso. Latest word is that July 26 is the opening date. Displaying the menu on screens is a really smart idea. That will allow Aldo to change the menu as he pleases without incurring expensive printing costs.

I’ve been sent information on a possible restaurant that may fill the empty space in the Lincoln-American Tower on Court Square. I want to follow up and learn more info before I mention the name, but 1) It’s quite popular; 2) It’s not currently in what’s considered Downtown, but it’s close enough that I could ride my bike there; and 3) It very much needs a larger location. Years ago, I used to eat in the Yellow Rose Cafe in the Lincoln-American, so I’m sure when the new restaurant opens I’ll get that “seems like I’ve been here before” feeling.

If you have kids, tonight would be a good night to take them to see the Redbirds. Kids will be able to mingle with their favorite superhero and comic characters during the game, and after it’s over there will be fireworks. Opponent is once again Oklahoma City and game time is 6:05. If you get down here early, why not take the kids to Kooky Canuck for one of their gigantimous ice cream sundaes or a skillet cookie a la mode? If you get down here way early, the Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art is showing Mulan at 12:15 and 2:45 PM.

Last night I knocked out two tasty beers toward my 7th plate at the Flying Saucer: Abita Andygator (8.5%) and Victory Golden Monkey (9.4%). Not surprisingly, my memory of the rest of the evening is rather blurry. You know what I haven’t had there in a while? A Moscow Mule, the drink made with vodka, lime, and ginger beer in a copper mug. They still have the mugs, so they’re still serving them. Maybe I’ll have one this weekend.

Funny quote I saw on Twitter this week: “You don’t suffer from a personality disorder. Everyone else suffers from your personality disorder.” Heh. That brings a few people to mind.

That’ll do it for now. Time to play Zynga Poker on the iPad and wait for Bardog to open at noon.