50 cent oysters at 117 Prime and Wednesday news

I had heard so many good things about the oysters at 117 Prime that I had to go in yesterday and give them a try myself. 117 Prime is the new steakhouse on Union in the building that used to be Belle Bistro, and before that Rio Loco. They have 50 cent happy hour oysters every day from 4 to 7, including Saturday and Sunday.

I sat down at the bar and inquired how the 50 cent oysters work. “Do I have to order them by the dozen?”

“You can order in any quantity you want,” the bartender replied. “You can order one if that’s what you want to do.” I decided 18 sounded like a good number. That put me out a whopping nine dollars.

While I was waiting for my oysters to be shucked, I took a few photos of the restaurant and the bar menus.

Click the menu images to view them in a larger size. You can view all of the menus on 117 Prime’s website.

The oysters came out a few minutes after I ordered them.

These were the first dozen, and the guy shucking the oysters brought out the other 6 a minute or two later. “These are Crimson Bay, Alabama oysters,” he told me. “I had to use two trays because these oysters are bigger than most.” He told me about the other types of oysters they carry, including ones from the east coast and the west coast.

Then he told me about the sauces that came with my oysters. There was cocktail sauce and horseradish, which are pretty standard at oyster bars. There were also two sauces called mignonettes. The ones they had yesterday were a jalapeno grapefruit and a red wine vinaigrette.

The oysters were outstanding, and I agree with something a friend of mine said, that they could charge $2-3 an oyster and people would still buy them.

My troll really liked the jalapeno grapefruit mignonette because the jalapenos were the same color as her hair.

Fantastic experience and it lived up to the expectations my friends had set. If you like oysters, get to 117 Prime at your earliest convenience. You will be glad you did.

On to the news… Nashville country artist Drew Parker plays a free show at Tin Roof tomorrow evening.

The Redbirds are back in town and it’s “Hit a Home Run for Reading” night tonight, sponsored by International Paper. Kids who completed the reading project earned a free ticket to the game and get to participate in a pre-game parade. Gates open at 6, first pitch 7:05. Sacramento is the opponent.

Tomorrow is National IPA Day and Memphis Made will celebrate with cans of Cat Nap IPA. This is the first time they have canned Cat Nap and six-packs will be available while supplies last when the taproom opens at 4. They’ll also have a keg of Hazing Brady, a New England IPA.

Gold Strike Casino in Tunica will start accepting legal sports wagers as of noon today.

Max’s Sports Bar is putting together a 7-week cornhole league that will run Tuesdays from August 14 to September 25. Last day to sign up is Sunday, August 12.

Ghost River Brewing Co. will have a Crystal Method Hefe Release Party all day Saturday. A German-style Crystalweizen, this beer has some of the flavors commonly associated with a Hefeweizen; however, they are more subdued because the yeast is filtered.

I had a great time making new friends yesterday at Teryn’s bar at Bardog. One of my new friends said my blog, especially the food photos, helped convince him to move down here. That makes 15 people that I am aware of, for who my blog played a hand in convincing them to move to Downtown Memphis. So proud of that. Well, I’m proud of 14 of the 15. The 15th, let’s just say I wish she’d found a nice Nashville blog to read back in 2009.

That’s it for now. Back tomorrow.

Seafood boil @ Brass Door and Sunday news

The Brass Door has a seafood boil Fridays and Saturdays before Redbirds games, and although I did not attend the Redbirds game, yesterday I decided to check it out. You get clams, mussels, shrimp, sausage, taters and corn, along with bread to sop up the juices, for $18.

It’s a meal worth changing your shirt for! Having ruined shirts eating crab legs with butter sauce, and given that I had my Moody Ques shirt designed by a retired Simpsons illustrator on, I stopped at home to change. The pinch-shirt made it through dinner just fine, though. Delicious! What a great Saturday afternoon meal!

The Brass Door, by the way, is moving their normal Monday oyster night to Tuesday because of Memorial Day. Starting at 3 PM, raw or chargrilled flavor of the week just $1 each.

Great article from the Tri-State Defender: Business is booming for local culinary tour guide. Cristina McCarter and her team offer 6 tours ranging from $45 to $75. They take you to different restaurants around town, and it’s all-inclusive with food and beverages. These tours have made several stops at Pontotoc Lounge on weeks I have been in there for Sunday Fun Day, and it looks to me like the tour participants have a blast and get more familiar with what Memphis restaurants have to offer. Check ’em out if you want to sample some great food. You’ll learn a few things too: For example, there’s a black history tour that takes you through Downtown and Soulsville.

Cordova’s first brewery, Meddlesome, is turning one year old. They will have a Born On party June 30 with a 0.5K benefiting ALZ, music from Goner Records, rare beer tappings and cask beer tappings, food by Yippie Trippie and the Pork Stars and Sushiside Squad, and more. Save the date!

Yesterday I walked to the Farmers Market, and on the way there I saw that the Explore Bike Share bikes were in heavy use. Good to see! That’s what you’ve got to do – try all types of different ideas and see what works. Explore worked, the Peabody re-striping didn’t. But there’s nothing wrong with trying and failing some of the time.

Shame that I couldn’t do the entire south loop and hit Clarence’s bar at Earnestine & Hazel’s and PBjaRni’s bar at Max’s Sports Bar post-Farmers Market, but I had to get back north to Bardog and tell people about the cooking trophy my team won at BBQ Fest.

On the way back north from the Farmers Market I noticed a new event space for rent on Front.

Brickwood Hall at 391 S. Front is a Downtown venue you can rent for a variety of events. Follow them on Facebook (click the link) or on Twitter at @BrickwoodHall.

The cleaners across the street from Bardog Tavern on Monroe, in the ground floor of the Shrine Building, is back open under new ownership. Here’s the 411:

I don’t know if I have any readers who do the “21-day cleanse,” but if I do, here’s a nugget of knowledge for you: Roach milk is the next superfood. Yeah I’ll be over here sipping my Mountain Dew and pretending not to judge you.

#judging

Gates open at 3:45 for the Redbirds today, MPD vs. Shelby County Sheriff softball at 4:15, Redbirds at 6:35. Police honored as part of heroes’ weekend with equipment and interactive displays around the park. $2 beers in the Plaza before the game and fireworks afterward.

A message to the people who organize the zombie walk: First of all, you guys make Memphis a more interesting place, and you raise money for charity. I’m glad you’re here. I also understand fake blood is involved and you can’t clean up every drop of it. That’s fine, it seems like it rains every other day this time of year. But: Would it be possible to clean the fake blood off Main Street between Huling and Butler? Here’s the thing: Look down, see fake blood. Look to the left (or right, depending on direction you’re walking), see the balcony where Dr. King was assassinated. See what I’m saying? I know it’s not intentional, but it’s a bad look for our city.

A new indoor skate park and restaurant is under construction in Midtown and they need carpentry people for the next 2 weeks. If interested hit me up and I will put you in touch with the people in charge. paul@paulryburn.com

Back tomorrow or maybe Tuesday with more news.

Bagel & Lox at Pontotoc Lounge brunch

Yesterday I went to Pontotoc Lounge for D-RANKS with B-RAD and their Sunday brunch. I gave their bagel and lox a try.

Every bit as good as it looked, and I posted the photo to Facebook and it brought more people up to Pontotoc to give it a try. I’m normally a PBR guy but after finishing off my food, my troll and I decided to order a mimosa.

A great start to the day, and a dish I will happily order again.

Unfortunately I got an unwanted babysitting assignment along with my brunch. Rahul was being a whiny little bitch because I sat in “his” seat, and Tony… well, let’s not even discuss Tony’s behavior because it might discourage people from coming to the restaurant. Let’s just say he referred to a certain bodily function throughout the course of the afternoon.

That’ll do it for now. Tired out from a big weekend. Back tomorrow with more news.

Donair Poutine @ Kooky Canuck

Poutine is a Canadian classic. French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy… it’s a dish you just can’t go wrong with. One of my very favorite things to order at Kooky Canuck.

A few years ago Kooky expanded their menu and added the Donair, a Halifax, Nova Scotia specialty. The Donair is house-made shaved Gyro meat inside a pita with tomatoes, onions, and a sauce. At one point Lana told me it was her favorite sandwich on the menu. It’s a great little taste of The Maritimes.

When Kooky expanded their menu again recently, they combined two of their signature dishes, creating Donair Poutine. It’s the fries, the cheese, the gravy, but topped with Gyro meat, tomatoes, and onions. A delicious treat to eat. If you take my suggestion to try the Donair Poutine today, be advised that their 34 oz. mixed drinks are only $5 on Tuesdays.

Expect another food post soon, because I have lunch plans with two friends today. Time to get out there and enjoy the last day of my vacation! Back tomorrow with more news.

Fried green tomatoes with warm lump crabmeat and Creole caper remoulade @ Belle Tavern

Last night I went to Belle Tavern, the back bar of Belle Bistro with its own entrance on Barboro Alley, to hear my friends South Side Supper Club who play the first and third Tuesday of every month. They are starting to gain a following in the Downtown core, so I got there 30 minutes early at 6:30 to make sure I would get a seat at the bar. I got the seat with the menu right in front of me. We had a big lunch celebration at work so I wasn’t super hungry, but I decided I could use a snack.

I ordered the fried green tomatoes, topped with warm lump crabmeat and Creole caper remoulade. It was something different from the usual bar food – I wasn’t in the mood for the burger and fries, nachos kind of fare. About 10 minutes later my food came out, and my little troll hopped on the plate for a photo.

They did not skimp on the crabmeat at all – there was a generous portion of it atop four fried tomatoes. The remoulade was delicious. All the flavors and textures complemented each other very well. I thought it delivered value for the price charged, and I will be ordering this dish again.

I haven’t mentioned it because I am not a whiskey drinker myself, but Belle Tavern has a huge array of whiskeys and whiskys, all varieties. If you want to learn about whiskey or try a brand you haven’t had before, Belle would be a good place to go.

I am going to spend more time at this place. Given its location, I can see it being a last stop on the way home, a place I visit in the 10 to midnight range. By that point my friends in the service industry are starting to get off, so it’s a place to catch up with them, and also they don’t shut down the kitchen until 11:40ish, so I can still get the tomatoes when I am ready to have them again.

Back at lunchtime with a news post, most likely.

 

Beef sliders and caipirinha @ Belle Tavern

Wednesday night, I was in the mood for a late-night snack, having had a light lunch and no dinner that day. I remembered that Belle Tavern had several new menu items, and decided to give one of them a try. In the mood for something hearty, I ordered the burger sliders, three of them for $12.

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These are not just your typical sliders. When I think of burger sliders, I tend to think ground beef shaped into a small patty. When they came out, I was pleasantly surprised to find thinly shaved loose beef on my three sandwiches. It was a nice touch that felt like a bit of an upgrade.

Also, when I think sliders, I think of small square buns. These came out on what appeared to be half hoagie rolls. Again, a different take on the slider that makes the dining experience feel a touch more upscale.

The beef, which was quite juicy, came on the rolls with white cheddar and ketchup. On the side were cups of caramelized onions and Southern chow chow. My troll was especially a fan of the chow chow, so much so than when I got ready to take a picture of my food, she jumped onto the plate. Definitely don’t miss out on adding these delicious sides to your sliders! Try them separately or together, they’re good either way.

$12 is the upper end of what bars can reasonably charge for sliders in Memphis, but in my opinion Belle’s sliders are a good value for the price. They will satisfy your appetite even if you come in hungry, and they are a step above the average burger slider.

Thursday night I went back for happy hour. I had been advised I should ask Chris to make me a caipirinha, the national cocktail of Brazil. I’m not normally a mixed drink person, but that was good! “If you like margaritas, you’ll probably like caipirinhas too,” Chris told me. “Cachaça (the main ingredient) is similar to tequila.” I got that from the taste, for sure. However, because the caipirinha is made with sugar cane, the taste is primarily sweet rather than sour.

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For those of you who haven’t found the place yet, Belle Tavern is in the alley running from Main to Second half a block south of Union. Open 4-1 Monday-Saturday and noon-10 with brunch noon-3 on Sunday.

Caprese Salad @ Blind Bear

Hibernation Fries loaded with ground beef and cheese. The Jager BBQ sauce Bear burger. Colin’s famous chili. The Gangster Philly. All good stuff. But they’re all, I guess you could say, heavy. There needed to be something light on the Blind Bear’s menu to balance out all the heavy items. The Caprese Salad fills that void.

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The salad is an Italian classic, with thick slices of buffalo mozzarella cheese alongside sliced tomatoes and basil, drizzled with a balsamic reduction. I decided to order it mid-afternoon yesterday. I wasn’t hungry, but I knew I needed to eat. This was yummy and it didn’t make me feel full.

I have a feeling there may have been people, ladies in particular, who have thought in the past, “I like the Blind Bear but there’s nothing on the menu I can eat there.” Come check out the Caprese Salad. A menu option that will get more women in the place – I am all in favor of that!

Happy New Year to all my readers! I will be on the way to the Blind Bear here in a couple of hours, for Sunday Hung Over Like a Bear Brunch, also known as D-RANKS with B-RAD. It’s bonus day – a Sunday without a Monday behind it – so who knows what kind of mischief there is to get into? The amateurs have consumed their $18 martinis and gone “woooooooo” and now they’re back in Collierville where they belong. Time for the pros to come out!

Pastrami nachos @ Belle Tavern + Wednesday news

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Yesterday evening I stopped by Belle Tavern for a snack. They had nachos for $12. You could get them topped with Tavern chili, brown sugar beef brisket, or pastrami. “Which one should I get?” I asked Q.

“The brown sugar brisket,” she replied.

But for some reason I just wasn’t feeling brown sugar on nachos. “Other two,” I said to Q.

“Pastrami,” she advised, and that was my order.

A big plate of nachos came out about 10 minutes later. At first I wasn’t sure it was pastrami. I always thought of pastrami as a thinly-sliced deli meat (and therefore was wondering how that was going to work on nachos) rather than the bite-sized hunks shown here. Q assured me it was pastrami, and sure enough, it was. I liked it. Something different than the traditional ground beef or chicken nachos (or, given that it’s Memphis, BBQ nachos) that you see many other places. Variety! The nachos are $12 and are big enough to share or to take leftovers home for a second snack later.

On to the news… Art 101.3 will happen at The 101, 101 S. Main, tomorrow, Thursday, December 1 from 6 to 8 PM. Works of abstract artists Chuck Johnson and Tom Murray will be on display. Live music, wine, hors d’oeuvres.

High Cotton is having a board game night Tuesday, December 13 in the taproom 5 to 8 PM. It’s an opportunity to de-stress from the holidays. If you bring your own board game, you get a discount pint. Hey, I did a little Amazon surfing and discovered there’s now a Trolls version of Operation! Maybe I will bring that! Don’tcha just love those crazy trolls?

Trolley Stop Market will have a pizza party with Santa and Mrs. Claus Saturday from 5-8 PM. Bring your camera for pictures! Live music, kids’ crafts, pizza specials, and vendors.

Also Saturday, there will be an Urban Art Gallery at the Exchange Building at Second and Madison at 6 PM. Art gallery by Johnny Meant and local photographers, music by Ryan Haskett, open bar (!!!!!), and rooftop access.

Want to learn more about career opportunities and concepts? Love basketball? You need a ticket to the new Memphis Grizzlies Keynote Speaker Series. Ticket package includes entry to an Afternoon Keynote, a Grizzlies game ticket, and a Spalding notebook. Tickets range from $79 to $109.

A car ran off Danny Thomas and slammed into the Pentecostal Temple Church of God yesterday morning. It hit a gas line and caught on fire. The driver died from his injuries and damage to the church was estimated at $107,000 as the fire burned the fellowship hall.

That’s it for now, off to work. I will be late getting out because I am going to do the car shopping I didn’t get done yesterday.

Mexican dinner @ Cafe Pontotoc + Sunday news

Two years ago, I made a promise to my friend Captain Sparkles. A pilot, he had recently taken a job in Indonesia, and he had brought me a batik shirt from the island country. In return, he asked that I visit Cafe Pontotoc, and if I liked it, to blog about it. “The owners are such nice people,” he told me.

Yesterday it was finally time. Yesterday afternoon I did Tour de South Main, hitting Earnestine & Hazel’s to see what was going on in Clarence’s world, then over to my “home away from home on the south side,” Max’s Sports Bar. On the way back north, I stopped in South of Beale so Kaylea could lay eyes on the man of her dreams for a bit, then continued my walk back to the Downtown core. As I passed Pontotoc, I remembered my unfulfilled promise. “Why not?” I thought. It turned out to be an excellent decision.

They have a tacos & tamales plate, where you can choose tacos (chicken, blackened catfish, steak, blackened shrimp, or vegan) and tamales (traditional chicken or pork delta hot) 3 for $10. I got a chicken tamale, a blackened shrimp taco, and a chicken taco.

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After two days of turkey and ham, this was exactly what the doctor ordered. Delicious and just the right amount of spice. They had a large collection of hot sauces to select from, which I used to spice up my rice and beans.

I asked the bartender for a beer recommendation to pair with my meal. She suggested a couple of options, and I decided on the Wiseacre Ananda IPA. “This would be really good with something cinnamon,” I told her. “I could buy Cinnamon Toast Crunch and have the Ananda with it for breakfast. It would go well with pumpkin pie too.”

After dinner I walked north to the Blind Bear, where I watched the Tennessee-Vanderbilt game with bartender Mac. “Did you ever watch Gomer Pyle USMC growing up?” I asked Mac. He said yes. “Don’t you think Butch Jones looks like the offspring of Sergeant Carter and a special needs child?” Mac went through a range of emotions last night, from laughter at my witty observation to utter dejection as his team lost to Vanderbilt.

If you’re a fan of Pancho’s cheese sauce, visit The Dirty Crow Inn on Crump this week. They have a special that is a chicken Philly with Pancho’s cheese sauce on top.

From The Onion: Vacationing Man Excited to Try Fast Food Franchise Not Found in Hometown. YES. I remember visiting Austin in 2000, and although it is one of the most vibrant cultural blends in the US, I could not wait to go to Quizno’s, which Memphis did not yet have. I tried the turkey bacon guacamole sandwich, in case you were wondering. I bet there are a lot of people who plan West Coast trips with In & Out Burger being the main reason for their travel.

If you live in Albany, Oregon, you can do yoga with goats. If someone could pass this message on to the people who run Downtown Yoga, I’d appreciate it: Normally your studio is not something that would be on my radar. However, if you offer a “yoga with sheep” class, I am SO THERE. I will sign up for a monthly plan with you!

#sheep

YOGA!

Tin Roof is doing an Ugly Sweater Ball on Beale Tuesday, December 13. They will have a build your own sweater booth, whatever that means, and there will be live band karaoke and holiday-themed drink specials.

United Against Violence 901 will hold an interfaith prayer vigil tonight at Clayborn Temple at 6 PM. There will be a discussion about the recent outbreaks of violence.

Breeze Cayole and New Orleans play Downtown Huey’s tonight at 8:30.

I am issuing a HIDE YOUR FOOD WARNING through midnight tonight. The Nuh-Uh Girl is in town for the holiday and has announced that she will be out for Sunday Fun Day today. If you eat in public Downtown today, don’t be surprised if a girl shows up at your table and says “can I have a bite? :-)” then proceeds to devour two-thirds of your food. If you’re tired of turkey, she will gladly take Thanksgiving leftovers off your hands.

Time for my weekly Sunday school lesson with B-RAD at the Blind Bear. Today’s lesson is about customers who get a couple of mimosas in them and start to feel emboldened and get mouthy. Brad used to have a regular like that, but I ran her off last year and she hasn’t been back since. The Blind Bear should give me a “Director of Quality Control” title. Pay me a dollar a year like the country is going to do with President Cheeto. That would allow me to use my employment to get industry discount on drinks at the other bars.

Time to go embrace the last day of avoiding adulthood for a while! Come join me at D-RANKS with B-RAD!

 

Tiger Nachos @ Max’s Sports Bar, a visit to the Ghost River taproom, and Saturday news

What a fun-filled day yesterday! Before I get to the recap, however, let me start off with a piece of news. I don’t know if any of my readers are dog owners who travel frequently, but if they are, a new doggie daycare has opened Downtown. It’s near Downtown Elementary and has 12,000 square feet of space for your pups to play. Click the image below to see details in a larger size.

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I led off the day at Bardog, where they did something that I thought was really smart. People who don’t do Thanksgiving at home miss out on one of the best parts of the holiday – leftovers the next day.

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Bardog had a leftovers plate for lunch – turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce and all the trimmings. It was a popular menu item. With a Friendsgiving dinner that evening at 7, I knew it was too much for me to eat though. I’d spoil my appetite if I tackled that plate.

I didn’t try it, but Bardog has a New Belgium Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ale that sounds like it would be mighty good.

Next stop was Max’s Sports Bar to watch the Memphis-Houston game. By then I was starting to get a little hungry, with more than 6 hours to go until dinner. I grabbed a menu. “Not the BBQ nachos,” I thought. “Even a half order is enormous.”

 

However, I found a new item on the menu: Tiger Nachos for $4.

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Simplicity. It’s a bag of nacho cheese Doritos covered with melted pepper jack, baked in Max’s oven. They did it right, too. It’s not just the top chips that are covered in pepper jack. Nearly every chip, all the way to the bottom, had cheese on it. This was the perfect sized snack to get me through the afternoon hours without filling me up.

Can you imagine how Tiger Nachos would sell if it were legal to smoke weed in bars here like it is in Denver?

After the Tigers scored a fine victory, I walked down Main to the Ghost River taproom, where my friends South Side Supper Club were playing.

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You know, I’ve heard South Side Supper Club before at Earnestine & Hazel’s, the Farmers Market and other venues, but yesterday was the first time I really listened to them. This is a group with a clarinet, accordion, bass, and banjo, and there’s a certain range of songs you would expect them to stay in. They did play those songs – “This Land is Your Land” for example – but they have an uncanny ability to take songs from other genres and make them their own. I was blown away when they covered “Material Girl” by Madonna. These guys are really, really talented. They play Earnestine & Hazel’s every Thursday at 9 if you want to check them out.

As for the taproom itself, it is gorgeous.

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There are 12 taps, so you are bound to find a style of Ghost River beer that you will like. I chose the Grindhouse, a cream ale. There is no shortage of seating inside and out, and whether you are by yourself or with a party of 20 you will find seating that works for you.

I thought there would be maybe 6 or 7 people inside the taproom. As i walked down Main, I soon realized I was wrong! There were parked cars lining Main all the way up to Virginia Avenue to the north. There were maybe 20 people (and the Monkey Train Grazing Co. truck) outside on the patio, and another 75 or so inside. The place wasn’t completely packed, but it was busy, especially as people who had been at the Tigers game arrived. I never thought I’d see the day when so many people would congregate at Main and Crump.

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My, how Downtown has grown! “By 2022 I bet the north and south boundaries of Downtown will be Chelsea and McLemore,” I told a friend. That sounds ambitious but remember, as recently as 8 months ago there was just about nothing to do south of G.E. Patterson.

I did have one awkward moment at the taproom. The woman who stood me up on Valentine’s Day 2015 came in. I smiled and waved at her from a distance, letting her know there were no hard feelings and she was welcome to come join my friends and me. She stayed put, though. Back at the long table where our group was sitting, a mutual friend offered a possible explanation. “Paul, it isn’t your fault, but you may be making her self-conscious. Your hair is just so much more fabulous than hers.” Yeah, I kinda can understand that.

By the way, thanks so much to my Squeal Street friends for inviting me to come sit with them. There’s just no telling who would’ve ended up in that empty seat if I hadn’t come over.

About 5 I tabbed out and walked back up to Max’s for a bit, then at 7 I was back in South End for our Friendsgiving dinner.

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(Photo stolen from B-RAD’s Facebook timeline)

There was turkey, ham, meatballs, more meat, even more meat, side dishes, beer and Fireball. Of course B-RAD wanted to hear all about my visit to the taproom. Thanks so much to our hosts Staci and Darin, and to everyone who helped organize Friendsgiving.

By the way, I also want to thank my hosts Stevie G and Sarah for inviting me to Thanksgiving dinner at their house on Thursday. The food was delicious and I ate way too much of it. I got to meet Stevie G’s family and talk Tiger football with his dad, a season ticket holder for over 50 years. When I got there, my friend Katie (not Mac) was in the kitchen with Sarah getting things ready. “I smoked a turkey and a pan of mac & cheese.” YASSSSS! Mac & cheese fans who read my blog, don’t be jelly that I got Katie’s smok’d mac & cheese and you didn’t!

:mrgreen:

This is really cool: With one simple gesture that went unnoticed by most people, Tubby Smith proved he is a player’s coach. With the Tigers way up in the second half vs. McNeese State, there was no need to have the Lawson brothers on the floor. However, Coach Smith looked at the stats and saw that Dedric and K.J. each had 9 rebounds. Smith put each brother back in briefly, letting them earn one more rebound so they could each have a double-double. It’s the little things that earn players’ loyalty. Josh Pastner never would have thought to do that.

Stock & Belle at 387 S. Main is having a holiday vendor market today from 10 to 6. Custom holiday wreaths, artist demos, a holiday card workshop, popcorn samples, El Mero Taco truck 12-4, and a mimosa and bloody Mary bar.

Susan Boles signs her book Death of a Wolfman at South Main Book Juggler tonight from 6 to 9.

Back to my regular rotation of Saturday bars today. Bardog at 11, Blind Bear 1ish, rest of the day to be determined.