Paul Ryburn’s Journal

I had a fun night at the Grizzlies watch party at the Blind Bear last night. We killed the Hawks, and showed everyone why we’re leading the league in steals per game. I ended up sitting only a few feet away from a Board of Directors meeting of my new BBQ team, the Moody Ques. I [...]

List updated to include Blind Bear, Max’s, Tug’s, and Kooky Canuck.

Bardog Tavern: 25 cent wings, $2 Bud and Bud Light longnecks, $2 Fireball. Game on 4 HDTVs including a new 60″ TV downstairs in the Underdog Room.

B.B. King’s: $4 wells, $5 house wines, $2.50 domestic bottles, half price apps. Also a food/drink deal: Pitcher of domestic [...]

Yesterday I posted about the Memphis Business Journal’s “Vote for the Best Chef” competition. Many chefs were displeased with the format of the vote, in which they were placed against one another, single elimination, bracket style. Apparently the MBJ suggested the chefs “smack talk” one another on social media to create a buzz (Edit: The MBJ [...]

The Memphis Business Journal has started a new “vote for the best chef” competition that is creating some controversy. Rather than voting for your favorite in all of Memphis, the chefs are pitted off one versus the other, bracket style, single elimination. At least two prominent Downtown chefs have expressed their displeasure on Twitter. They see [...]

The Memphis Daily News has reported that the Great American Steamboat Company will host a job fair here the third week of February. The steamboat company moved into its new headquarters at One Commerce Square last fall, and their maiden voyage from the Beale Street Landing will happen in April. To prepare for the new cruises, [...]

I haven’t written much about it, but Cochon555 is coming to One Commerce Square this Saturday. Five chefs compete, each cooking a whole hog. One of the main purposes of the event is to raise awareness of heritage pork. Thomas of the Eat Local Memphis blog has a fantastic interview with Brady Lowe, creator of the [...]

The big event happening Downtown this week is the 28th annual International Blues Challenge. Blues musicians from around the world come to Beale Street to compete for awards in various categories, as well as to show record labels what they can do. Last year there were 110 bands and 83 solo/duo acts in the Challenge, and [...]

Speak [...]

The Super Bowl is one week away, so it’s time for me to start collecting info about bars throwing Super Bowl parties for a future post. If you run a bar Downtown, shoot me an email at paul@paulryburn.com (or hit me up on Facebook if that works better for you) and let me know what you’ve [...]

So, in last night’s Z-boING photo I had red, white and blue beads. I said I’d come back and post why.

It was because yesterday, my friend Patrick Reilly, who co-owns the Majestic Grille with his wife Deni, took his oath as a United States citizen. Patrick grew up in Ireland. He became a citizen yesterday morning, [...]