Author: paulryburn

In the lunch recommendation post earlier this morning, I mentioned Flight.  You can now keep up with Flight’s lunch and dinner specials online.  They asked noted downtown foodie the Nuh-Uh Girl to help them with their online presence.  Wonder how much free food she’s getting for this?

You can become their fan on Facebook by searching for “Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar.”  They’re already posting specials there.  Thursday night they had a filet flight special which sounded delicious.

You can also follow them on Twitter at @flightmemphis.

To view their menus and wine flights, check out their website at flightmemphis.com.

As I typed the previous post listing lunch recommendations, I realized that maybe I should do breakfast too.  Here are a few places near the law school where you can grab something good for breakfast.

Elliott’s (Second between Madison and Monroe): My absolute top pick. Breakfast burritos, sandwiches, and bowls. I like the burrito with sausage, potatoes, and jalapenos. I forget its name. The “Tribute to Bill Saba” makes my health guru AL shudder, consisting of sausage, bacon, ham, cheese and egg on buttered Texas toast. If you eat Elliott’s breakfasts, you probably won’t be hungry when lunch rolls around. They serve breakfast until 10:30 I think.

Bardog Tavern (Monroe between Front and Main): Bardog might be even better than Elliott’s, but I don’t work Downtown anymore so I haven’t had a chance to try their breakfasts yet. I believe they also serve until 10:30.

Blue Plate Cafe (Court Square): Huge selection of breakfast items – pancakes, waffles, omelets, egg breakfasts, sausage biscuits, you name it. They serve breakfast even during lunch hours, all the way up to their 2 PM close.

I’m finally getting around to posting lunch recommendations for the U of M law students who started classes Downtown this past Monday.  With one exception, these are all within a two-block radius, so they’re a quick walk for when you have a break between classes.

Bardog Tavern (Monroe between Front and Main): Way, way better than your average bar food. Burger sliders, hot dog sliders, the “island club” sandwich, spaghetti and meatballs are all outstanding. Heck, the entire menu is. Since it’s a bar, you can have a beer with lunch if you want, and you can watch TV or play the jukebox. It’s over 21, so smoking is allowed inside.

Little Tea Shop (next door to Bardog): Meat and two, veggie plates. This lunch-only diner is a Downtown institution. Owner Suhair is a great person to know Downtown.

Court House Deli (Main between Madison and Monroe): Really good chili, crawfish etoufee, jambalaya. They also have good sandwiches and burgers, and they pre-cook burgers so they can handle the lunch rush fast. I like the mushroom Swiss burger a lot. Very affordable, very friendly.

Blue Plate Cafe (Court Square): Meat and two, meat and three, veggie plates, and they serve breakfast during lunch hours.

On the River Seafood (Main between Monroe and Union): Fish dinners, crawfish, frog legs. Excellent sides, especially the spaghetti.

Flight (Main at Monroe):  This is more of a fine-dining place, so expect to pay a little more than the other places on this list, but it’s worth it when you want to treat yourself.  Sandwiches, salads, and entrees based on trips to different cities in the Western Hempisphere.

Elliott’s (Second between Madison and Monroe): Great burgers. The only salad bar in the Downtown core. Good sandwiches. When I worked Downtown I loved their grilled chicken sandwiches.

Leonard’s BBQ Buffet (Main between Adams and Jefferson): If you’re hungry, they have a full lunch buffet with ribs, pork shoulder, BBQ chicken, smoked sausage, veggies, breads, and dessert.

Lenny’s (Front at Court, in the Falls Building): Sandwiches, salads. The Philly Cheese Steak sub is my favorite.

Front Street Deli (Front and Union): Sandwiches, bratwurst, knockwurst. Inexpensive. Like the Little Tea Shop, this is one of those places that has been there for years and years.

Majestic Grille (Main between Gayoso and Peabody Place): Okay, this is a little farther than the two-block radius I was trying to stick to, but I can’t help but mention it. Follow them at @MajesticGrille on Twitter to get their lunch specials, and if they sound good, by all means, go.  I would probably rate the Majestic as my favorite restaurant down here.

That should be enough to get you started… and again, welcome to Downtown.

Tonight I walked into the Saucer, and got punched on the arm.  Brick was not happy with her recent quote about the space program.  Here it is:  “Obama’s going to bomb the moon to see if there’s water.  But that could mess up gravity.”

After punching me, she said, “Paul. You always try to make me look stupid in your blog.  You know what I meant.  I meant. if the moon got thrown off course, it would screw shit up.”

OK, thanks for clarifying, Brick.  Now it all makes sense.

Automatic Slim’s is the latest restaurant to get in on the beer dinner action.  They’ll have one Wednesday, February 10, at 6:30 PM.  Here’s the menu:

GREENS : Grilled Romaine Salad – Ginger & citrus vinaigrette, fresh pear, feta cheese & toasted pecans
paired with ~ Ale Mary Winter Seasonal
FROM THE SEA: Prosciutto-wrapped seared diver scallops over wild mushroom & roasted pumpkin risotto
paired with ~ Dogfish Head Punkin Ale
AIRMAIL: Smoked duck sliders with a fig BBQ sauce & warm fennel slaw
paired with ~ Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier
FROM THE SEA: Citrus-encrusted swordfish with mango gastrique & smashed new potatoes
paired with ~ Bellhaven Twisted Thistle IPA
SWEET TOOTH: White chocolate bread pudding
paired with ~ Rogue Mocha Porter

Cost is $45 per person. Call 901-525-7948 to make reservations.

Whew.  Home from work and I’ve decided I’m too tired to attempt poker tonight – just not in the kind of mental state that leads to profitability.  So, if I’m tired, am I going to bed?  No, of course not, I’m going to the bar.  Blue Moon is the Fire Sale.  The Saucer’s been on a “hey, we finally realized we should Fire Sale beers that don’t suck” kick for the past few weeks, so I figure I better take maximum advantage of it.

One final thought:  The Hot Chicks with Douchebags blog did a post on orange female douchebags earlier this week.  Those of you who hang out in bars in the Downtown core, does this remind you of anyone we know?

Lots of news to report today.  Let’s get to it.

First of all, this would be a good week to buy a Memphis Business Journal if you’re interested in keeping up with Downtown development.  Downtown-related stories this week:

• Aldo of Bardog Tavern plans to open a second restaurant, Aldo’s Pizza Pies, serving New York-style pizza at 64 S. Main.
• A new Lenny’s will open in the old Viking space at Main and Peabody Place.  This one is expected to do weekend and night sales, unlike the Lenny’s in the Falls Building.

There will be a parade Monday to celebrate MLK Day from 10 to noon.  Parade will start at Main and Auction, heading south to Exchange, then east on Exchange to Second, then south on Second to Beale, then east on Beale to W.C. Handy Park.  If you have to work Downtown Monday, might want to figure the parade into any driving you do for lunch.  If you don’t have to work Monday, come watch the parade!

The Center for Southern Folklore will have three blues Brown Bag lunch concerts Wed-Fri of next week to celebrate the International Blues Challenge.  Son Jack, Jr. on Wednesday, Mark “Muleman” Massey on Thursday, Slidin’ Clyde Roulette on Friday.  Concerts are noon to 1 PM, they’re free, and you can bring your own lunch or buy lunch from the Folklore Store.

Looking for stuff to do this weekend?  The I Love Memphis blog has some suggestions.  Bonus tip:  I’ve heard that Main Street Hound Dogs will be at the Rock’n’Romp.  Come buy a “U Dirty Dog!” chili dog.

Soup Sunday, the annual fundraiser for Youth Villages where you can sample 70 different soups from area restaurants, is coming up.  It will be at the FedExForum on Sunday, February 28.  Tickets on sale here.

If you’re a fan of the Young Guns, catch them on WREG Live at 9 Monday morning.

That’s all for now.  I’ve got absolutely no plans for tonight.  Debating whether to stay home and play on PokerStars, or go out and see what I can find to get into.

I was at the Saucer where Dos Equis Lager was the Fire Sale… and I had way too many of them.

While there, I received a text from the bartender at Kooky Canuck.  “Come down, ur friends are here,” said the text.   Unfortunately I had a full beer, and by the time I finished it I received word that they had left.  “Well, come get food after you leave the Saucer,” texted the bartender.

It’s good to be wanted, and I will stop in Kooky very soon.  However, before I even stepped out the door of my apartment pre-beer I had my stomach set on a West Coast Burger from Huey’s.  I had one earlier this week, and tonight I wanted the same thing again, but as a turkey burger, with fries.  When I walked in and ordered, the bartender asked, “Ranch instead of ketchup?”  Which I had totally forgotten about, but that’s how I ordered the fries earlier in the week.  Awesome suggestion.

It’s funny how we can be in the Downtown of a metro area of over a million people, and yet this is truly the place where everyone knows your name.  I wouldn’t live anywhere else.

Thanks to Huey’s and Kooky for reminding me why I love this neighborhood so much.

I’ve posted links to several netbook sales on Woot.com in the past month.  Not sure if anyone has ordered one, but if you have, check out this Lifehacker post on making the most of your netbook.

I’ve received word that Dos Equis Lager is the Fire Sale, so it looks like I’m in for an extended beer-drinking run after work today.  Well, I’d probably be in for an extended beer-drinking run in any case, but at least tonight it’ll be cheap.  I’m probably going to regret publicizing this Fire Sale… it’s a popular beer, and I bet they run out and switch the Fire Sale to Dos Equis Amber at some point in the evening.  Maybe next time they run Dos Equis Lager, I’ll post that Turbo Dog is the Fire Sale so everyone will stay away.

If you want to donate to help those whose lives were devastated by the Haiti earthquake, Mashable.com has posted a list of legitimate sites here.  These have been verified not to be scams.

There’s also a fundraiser dinner for Hati tonight at Bari in Midtown.  Details are below.

WHO: Helping Haiti: Bari Ristorante Partners with American Red Cross – Midsouth Chapter

WHAT: Fundraiser for the American Red Cross International Response Fund – 2010 Haiti Disaster Relief

WHEN: TODAY – Thursday, January 14, 5 pm – close (11 PM)

WHERE: Bari Ristorante, 22 S Cooper (901) 722-2244 (Cooper & Madison)

HOW: Cash, check or credit card donations to the American Red Cross International Response Fund: 2010 Haiti Disaster Relief

Patrons will receive 10% off bill with a $10 minimum donation to the American Red Cross.

I just can’t hold this one back until Sunday… it’s too good.  Yep, it’s time for a Bonus “Brick” Quote of the Week.

I don’t have to issue a profanity warning for this one, but I do have to issue a general warning:  After you read this, your mind will go completely blank for about two minutes (and thus you’ll get to experience what it’s like to be Brick) as you stare at the computer screen.

Ok, you’ve been warned.  Ready?

“Obama’s going to bomb the moon to see if there’s water.  But that could mess up gravity.”

See, I told you.

I wonder if they make the “It’s not rocket surgery” shirts in female sizes.  She should wear one every day.