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YOUR. MEMPHIS. GRRRRRRRRRRIZZLIES are back at FedExForum tonight, hosting the Orlando Magic in a preseason game. 7 PM tip time.

In other Grizzlies news, the team has signed starting center Steven Adams to a multi-year extension. Excellent.

Did you know it’s possible to cheat in a fishing tournament? Competitors were caught stuffing lead balls into their fish to inflate their weight.

DGX at Main and Gayoso is hiring. Not surprised to hear it – they’ve closed early a few times recently due to being understaffed.

The DM reports that an old mattress factory at 80 W. Virginia, just north of Crump, is being renovated into boutique apartments. Better hurry up and get Momma’s reopened, Aldo, you’re about to have some new neighbors!

The DM also has a look at what’s next for Grecian Gourmet, which will leave South Main before year’s end.

The Mississippi River will reach its second-lowest level ever recorded by mid-month. The timing is especially bad because barges ship a lot of grain and we’re right in the middle of the harvest season.

A kitten dumped on a Mud Island street has been rescued.

Bike thieves were out in the Downtown core yesterday. A server at a neighborhood bar witnessed two teenagers cut through a cable “like butter” in an attempt to steal a bike. She shouted and they ran off.

On a related note: We all need to be more careful not to let our phones out of our sight Downtown. The reason is that DGX now has one of those machines that will instantly pay you for trading in a phone. A thief could snatch your phone and convert it into cash in mere minutes.

That’s it for today. Go Grizzlies!

Yesterday was an eventful day.

My plan was to lead off at Bardog, where our beloved bartender Dani would be celebrating her birthday behind the bar. But yesterday morning I got a text saying that the city was working on water main issues in the alley (AGAIN) and Bardog wouldn’t be able to open until 3 PM.

So I led off at Blind Bear.

Then I got a text saying Bardog would be open at 12. So I tabbed out at the Bear and walked up there at 12:05.

From the looks of Monroe Avenue, it was obvious the repair work on the water main was far from done. Bardog’s door was still locked, the “opening at 3” sign was still on the door, and there were several would-be customers standing outside looking like “WTF do we do now?”

I ran into my friend Randy and we returned to the Blind Bear.

Then Randy got a text that Bardog’s opening time had been moved back to 8 PM. So the employees, including birthday girl Dani, now had the day off. Not surprisingly, Blind Bear filled up with an assortment of Bardog regulars and staff over the next hour. Much merriment was had, as well as many shots.

Then we decided to go to Longshot.

But all the bar seats at Longshot were already full, so after 1 drink we decided a venue change was in order. We walked north to Slider Inn Downtown.

There was a table big enough to fit all of us at Slider, but it wasn’t ideal. It had bad views of the TVs and the Alabama-Arkansas game was on. The Hogs had pulled within five of Bama and at that point looked like they still had a chance.

So we left and went to Green Beetle, where we got a table with excellent TV views. I got the Gravy Baby, essentially a big version of one of KFC’s bowls with mashed potatoes, melted cheese, chicken breast, and plenty of gravy. I forgot to take a pic.

Then we got in Randy’s car and drove out to Molly’s La Casita in Midtown. I don’t think I’ve been there in 20 years. I wished I was hungry again because I love Mexican food, but I was too full to try anything on the menu. My troll ordered a frozen margarita.

Whew. I can’t remember the last time I made or attempted so many venue changes in one day. I was dead tired by 8 PM.

Randy’ll have to wait until next Saturday to play some Billy Joel on Bardog’s new jukebox.

I do have one piece of Blind Bear news: They’re experimenting with putting sound on during Saturday daytime football games. I was the first one there yesterday and the GM asked my preference of game to turn on the sound. Knowing that Memphis vs. Temple and Kentucky vs. Ole Miss were both 11 AM games, I had a tough choice. I tend to believe that our own city’s team should get preference for sound whenever they’re playing. However, I knew I’d potentially piss a lot of people off by not choosing a top-15 SEC matchup. I let someone else make the call on that one.

Don’t forget that Blind Bear has a 2-for $20 value menu for Saturday and Sunday brunch from 11 AM to 3 PM. They have some good stuff on there like breakfast bowls and biscuits & gravy.

I’m headed back to the Bear in a bit, where NFL games are on today. Ugh… time for a list.

Sports, ranked in order of my most-liked to least-liked to watch:

• College football
• Basketball (both college and NBA)
• Curling
• Gymnastics, but only if Romanian women are competing
• Hockey
• Baseball
• Soccer
• NFL football
• Tennis
• Golf

That’s it. I’ll try to have more actual news tomorrow.

The Grizzlies have their first preseason game TONIGHT! Well that sure snuck up on us. They’ll play a road game vs. the Milwakuee Bucks. The tip is 7 PM and it’ll be on Bally Sports Southeast. Grizzly Bear Blues has a preview.

The jukebox at Bardog is now working!!! Playing tunes on that machine soothes my soul.

YOGA! Fitness franchise YogaSix is coming to South Main, specifically 372 S. Main. They will offer six core classes: Y6 101, Y6 Restore, Y6 Slow Flow, Y6 Hot, Y6 Power, and Y6 Sculpt & Flow.

Today is International Day of Older Persons. I’m sure the people at the corner table at Max’s will celebrate the holiday with buckets of Miller Lite today, then they’ll probably walk down the street to South Main Sushi or Good Fortune Co. Their Vols are idle today but they still have Clemson to cheer for.

It’s also National Pumpkin Spice Day.

Happy 98th to former president Jimmy Carter.

The Grizzlies have announced their 2022-2023 promotional schedule. Notablee dates:

• October 19 vs. Knicks: All fans get a Grizzlies “Big Memphis” T-shirt
• December 31 vs. Pelicans: Dillon Brooks sunglasses to the first 5000
• January 14 vs. Suns: MLK Day game
• February 10 vs. Timberwolves: Scarf to the first 5000
• March 11 vs. Mavericks: Ziaire Williams water jug to first 3000
• March 24 vs. Rockets: Ja Morant “Griddy” bobble to the first 3000
• March 29 vs. Clippers: Steven Adams Hawaiian shirt to the first 3000
• March 31 vs. Clippers: Desmond Bane cooler bag ro the first 5000

The Grizzlies released their updated “Statement” uniforms Friday.

The MBJ reports that the Majestic Grille will start serving prix-fixe, 3-course meals on Friday lunch. The menu will change weekly and the meals will be $35/$47 with a two-glass wine pairing.

That’s the news for today. I’m headed out to brunch at bars named after animals. Back tomorrow.

The results of the Memphis Flyer Best of Memphis 2022 vote are out. Congratulations to Bardog on winning Best Bar!

Speaking of Bardog, look what’s back!

I’ve been told the CDs will be curated by one of the managers and changed out every 2 months. Unfortunately I couldn’t play any tunes on it yesterday because they brought the wrong cord and it wasn’t working.

The Memphis Grizzlies will hold an open practice Sunday, October 9. Things will kick off with a plaza party from 10 AM to noon, then the FedExForum doors will open for a 12:30 PM tip-off. The first 500 fans will get an autographed player photo, and one fan will win season tickets.

K.J. Wild plays the Memphis Farmers Market this Saturday. You don’t have to wait until then to catch this Nashville duo, though – they’ll be on the upper deck of Eight & Sand tonight.

The Downtown holiday tree lighting is set for Saturday, November 19. Every year they put up a 50-foot-tall Christmas tree at Main and Peabody Place.

Wiseacre Downtown will host Rolling Thunder Revue, a tribute to Bob Dylan, on Friday, October 14 at 7 PM.

Tandem Restaurant Partners is hiring. Downtown restaurants they run include Ben-Yay’s, Sugar Grits, Front St. Deli, and Carolina Watershed/Red Bones turkey legs.

Raneem + Better in Color plays the Downtown Slider Inn this Friday for Trolley Night.

RIP Coolio.

There was a possible arson on Mud Island yesterday morning.

Today is National Coffee Day. I recommend celebrating by pouring your coffee down the drain and popping open a Mountain Dew.

That’s it for today. Back tomorrow with more.

Great news for the University of Memphis basketball program. An independent review board has completed its investigation into Penny Hardaway, then the head coach at East High, giving James Wiseman’s family more than $10,000 so they could move from Nashville to Memphis and Wiseman could play for Penny at East. The outcome of the investigation:

• Memphis basketball is on probation for 3 years and has to pay a $5000 fine, but
• NO POSTSEASON BAN for the program!!! Time for the Tigers to get their boogie down on the court, because the path to March Madness is wide open!
• PENNY IS NOT SUSPENDED!!! Not even for one game!

Read the university’s response to the IARP’s decision

Reminder: Film crews for Young Rock will be active in the block of Main Street between Monroe and Union today. Maciel’s will be closed today, tomorrow, and Friday for the filming. I’m not sure if other businesses or pedestrian or trolley traffic on that block of Main will be affected.

A friend of mine went to get her car tags renewed yesterday at the Downtown Wanda World AKA county clerk’s office (credit: Bruce V from the Memphis Flyer for “Wanda World”). She texted me “Still here” after she’d been there 2 hours, and she didn’t sound anywhere close to the front of the line. When I owned a car and the clerk’s office was in its pre-Halbert era, it never took me more than 25 minutes to get my tags. Oftentimes I was in and out in under 10 minutes

Taste of the District returns to the Memphis Medical Center District in Health Sciences Park on Tuesday, October 4. Neighborhood restaurant vendors will include

• Sunrise Memphis
• Riko’s Kickin’ Chicken
• Sabot Caribe
• Evelyn & Olive
• Alcenia’s
• Arnold’s BBQ
• Slim & Husky’s

Other vendors at the event will be

• Phillip Ashley Chocolates
• Pop-a-Roos gourmet popcorn
• Sweet Magnolia gelato
• Feast & Graze
• 901 catering

Clean Memphis and Memphis Transformed are organizing days of community cleanups followed by happy hour. First drink is on those organizations if you participate in the cleanups. They’ll give away swag and gift cards to those who pick up the most litter. Dates and locations are

• Thursday, October 13 at Old Dominick – cleanup 3-5 PM, happy hour 5-6 PM
• Saturday, October 22 at High Cotton – cleanup 10 AM-noon, happy hour noon-1 PM
• Thursday, October 27 at Grind City Brewing – cleanup 3-5 PM, happy hour 5-6 PM
• Thursday, November 3 at Downtown Wiseacre – cleanup 3-5 PM, happy hour 5-6 PM

Register for these Sip & Serve events

Clean Memphis will provide all supplies. Participants will need a fully charged cell phone because the event will use Literatti, a litter data tracking app. You’ll need to bring ID to be able to partake of the happy hour beverages.

South Point Grocery wants to be your starting point for Trolley Night this Friday, and they’ll have Bri Marie performing on the front porch beginning at 6 PM. Grab a beer or a sandwich inside then come out to the porch and listen.

Sad news: Grecian Gourmet on South Main will close. Its business never fully recovered from the pandemic. November 23 will be its last day. After that it will morph into Grecian Gourmet Kitchen in East Memphis, focusing on retail and catering.

The DM reports that NBA veteran Danny Green will be a Grizzly this season and he’s not here just to be trade bait. Green is a shooting guard and at 35 will provide lots of valuable experience to a mostly young team.

ABC 24 reports that Downtown sidewalks are lacking in accessibility. Which brings me to this photo I snapped on Monroe yesterday:

Folks, please THINK and BE CONSIDERATE and don’t just park your scooter any damn place you please. Someone in a wheelchair would not be able to get down this sidewalk.

Cat 4 Hurricane Ian will make landfall today in Florida. The expected spot is between Sarasota and Fort Myers, south of Tampa. Tampa could see significant flooding.

Today is National Drink Beer Day. I can hear the PBR at Bardog calling my name…

The Rock recently visited the Walls, MS trailer park where he lived when he was getting his start in the wrestling biz. The Rock is in Memphis working on the Young Rock sitcom. Might we see The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment on Main Street today?

Local on Main’s new-found regulars have been making good use of the TouchTunes jukebox. As much as I appreciate my “DAWG” John D’s taste in prog-rock, I feel the need for an alternative. So this week I’ve been composing a disco playlist. Here’s what I’m thinking:

• “I Was Made for Dancin'” by Leif Garrett
• “Do You Wanna Funk,” “Dance (Disco Heat),” and “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” by Sylvester
• “Love You Inside Out” by The Bee Gees
• “I Just Want to Be Your Everything” by Andy Gibb
• “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer
• “Get Off” by Foxy
• “It’s Raining Men” by The Weather Girls

I’m avoiding songs people might expect to hear on a disco playlist, like “Stayin’ Alive” and anything by the Village People. Purists will complain that “Do You Wanna Funk” is post-disco, but I’m going to let it slide.

And since we’re talking ’70s songs, let’s talk ’70s TV for a minute. Your A/C is out and you’ve gotta call the building super to fix it. Who you gonna call, Dwayne Schneider from One Day at a Time or Nathan (Buffalo Butt) Bookman from Good Times?

It’s a beautiful day. I’m going to go outside and see if The Rock is on Main Street. Back tomorrow with more news.

Construction work is complete at the Green Beetle and they will reopen at 11 AM today. They have a few new menu items and some old favorites.

St. Jude employees: Cocozza is set up inside Kay Kafe on campus this week serving red sauce favorites. Cocozza is an Italian restaurant that started as a ghost restaurant in the Majestic Grille space during the pandemic. It recently got a brick-and-mortar location on Mud Island.

On Thursday, October 6, AutoZone Striders will present Cards for a Cause at the Blind Bear at 6 PM. It will be a Texas Hold’em tournament on real poker tables, with all donations going to the American Cancer Society. Here’s how it will work:

• $20 donation gets you 2000 in chips
• $30 donation gets you 3000 in chips
• There will be an optional rebuy

The Grizzlies had their annual media day yesterday. They reported that forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. is still scheduled to return on the originally published timeline, which would have him back on the court sometime between Halloween and Christmas.

Be careful not to park at meters in the Downtown core with orange bags over them this week. They’re filming a TV series this week (I think it’s Young Rock) and have permission to use those spaces. I saw them aggressively towing cars on Monroe yesterday.

Toast thinks STIX and Molly’s La Casita serve the best chicken fried steaks in Memphis. This is what happens when you (poorly) program a bot to make restaurant teccomendations.

7:40 AM: Well damn… a report of a man attempting to rob a woman at gunpoint just came in at 40 S. Main. I think that’d be One Commerce Square. I just got home from a walk to Walgreens, a block to the north.

Hurricane Ian will be a Category 4 hurricane when it strikes Florida later this week. A direct hit on Tampa/St. Pete is still looking possible. I wonder if any Tampans will travel to Downtown Memphis to take shelter. (Is that what they call themselves? Or does that sound too much like “tampons”?)

The Pro Bowl is dead. Long live flag football.

A man is accused of vandalizing businesses in The Edge District. Oh, man, he damaged some of the equipment at the new Memphis Made brewery location. That sucks!

The DM reports that Memphis Tigers basketball will learn its fate at 10 this morning. The basketball program was investigated for infractions related to money Coach Penny gave James Wiseman’s mother so the family could move to Memphis, allowing Wiseman to play for Penny at East High.

FiveThirtyEight’s college football playoff forecast is back for 2022.

It’s National Crush a Can Day. Who can guess what kind of can I’ll be crushing later today? (Assuming the Blind Bear FINALLY ordered enough to not run out before its next end-of-week delivery. Stop drinking all my beer. EJ!)

This story is SO Memphis: Woman who lost her baby has car stolen from the ER’s parking lot

It’s time for our weekly look at Saturday’s college football games of interest to Memphians:

• 7 Kentucky at 14 Ole Miss, 11:00 AM, ESPN
• Temple at Memphis, 11:00 AM, ESPNU
• 2 Alabama at 20 Arkansas, 2:30 PM, CBS
• 9 Oklahoma State at 16 Baylor, 2:30 PM, FOX
• 22 Wake Forest at 23 Florida State, 2:30 PM, ABC
• 17 Texas A&M at Mississippi State, 3:00 PM, SEC Network
• LSU at Auburn, 6:00 PM, ESPN
• UL Monroe at Arkansas State, 6:00 PM, ESPN+
• 1 Georgia at Missours, 6:30 PM, SEC Network
• 10 NC State at 5 Clemson, 6:30 PM, ABC

Arkansas will most likely lose to Bama, fall to 2-2, and drop out of the Top 25, However, this year’s Crimson Tide has not looked as infallible as teams of the past, and the game is in Fayetteville. I think there’s about a 20% chance Arkansas wins this and shoots back into the top 10.

Overranked 8 Tennessee will be idle this weekend.

I don’t have a dog in the Kentucky-Ole Misss fight, but I will say that I don’t hate Ole Miss anymore. Lane Kiffin is just too damn funny to hate.

I’ll be cheering for NC State in the evening game. Cluck Femson.

The word of the day is “thaddledo.” Used in a sentence: Thaddledo it for this post! Back tomorrow with more news.

As I thought might happen, I don’t have any Downtown news to report today. But I will share a quick story.

Last night I let myself in the front door of my apartment building, as I have just about every day for the last 20 years.

But last night was different. I didn’t hold a key fob up to a reader to unlock the front door.

I didn’t punch a passcode into the call box.

I didn’t call a neighbor on the call box and ask to be buzzed in.

I opened an app on my Apple Watch and swiped myself in.

How cool is that?

I want to travel back in time and tell 1985 me that I will one day be able to do that.

That’s it for today. Hopefully I’ll have some news to report tomorrow.

What a crap day of college football yesterday was. At least Memphis won.

Today is National Quesadilla Day.

The Vegan Goddess, LLC, Rich Health, LLC & Chef ENT Production, LLC are putting together a six-course vegan dinner on Saturday, October 1. Tickets for the dinner are $75 and it will be held at 10 N. Second. The courses will be made with high-quality seasonal ingredients and there will be cocktails as well.

The Soulful Food Truck Festival happens today at Tiger Lane.

CoComeleon Live: JJ’s Journey comes to the Orpheum Monday night.

More for Memphis will have a launch party Tuesday at Central Station from 4:00 to 6:30 PM. Harlem Children’s Zone founder and president Geoffrey Canada will speak. Attendees will hear from community partners about initiatives in the fields of art, education, health, justice and safety, economic development, and community development.

Hope Clayburn’s Soul Scrimmage and STAX Music Academy will headline Sunset at BRIDGES, a free concert celebrating BRIDGES’ 100-year legacy in Memphis, Thursday evening. You’re welcome to bring a blanket or lawn chair, and food trucks will be on-site if you’re hungry.

The Flying Saucer will host It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia trivia Tuesday at 7.

Bob Boccia performs live at the Hard Rock tonight from 7 to 10.

Denver Massey plays the Tin Roof today from 4 to 7:30.

Grind City Brewing Co. will host a combination Oktoberfest and 2nd-anniversary party this Saturday. Festivities will include

• Bratwurst Toss competition
• Axe Throwing competition
• Beer Sliding competition
• Stein Holding competition
• Live music by Mighty Souls Brass Band, Max Kaplan, and Benton Parker & the Royal Reds
• Food trucks
• Vendor market
• Cornhole, giant Jenga, hook and ring game, horseshoes

The Broom Closet hosts an introduction to runes Saturday at 1 PM.

I was accused yesterday of an instance of plagiarism in my Tuesday Update post. OK, let’s give credit where credit is due.

Pools are fun. Summer is fun.

-Allison

Back tomorrow or maybe Tuesday, depending on how much news there is to report.

Confirmed – the GM of one of the restaurants that were going to enter Beale Street Wine Race got a call to let him know it was canceled. So if Wine Race was your plan for tomorrow, go ahead and make another plan.

Safety tip – if it’s late at night and you need to get from Main to Front on foot, don’t walk down Gayoso. Use Union or Peabody Place instead, even if it means some extra footsteps. Gayoso is a narrow street with tall buildings with few windows with street visibility on either side. Robbers have been known to park on that street and then target people leaving the bars in the wee hours.

South Main Trolley Night is next Friday, September 30. Shops in the area will stay open until 9 or later, many offering appetizers, beer, wine, and/or specials. The forecast for Trolley Night is looking beautiful, with plenty of sunshine and a high around 80.

Due to upcoming film activities, Maciel’s will be closed Wednesday, September 28-Friday, September 30. I wonder if that’s Young Rock, and if other businesses on that block of Main will be affected?

There will be a Back to the Light Fall Turnout free concert at Wiseacre Downtown on Saturday, October 15 featuring

• The Subteens
• J.D. Reager and the Cold Blooded 3
• Rosey
• S p a c e r
• Loose Opinions

The U of M will retire linebacker Danton Barto’s jersey, number 59. Barto played for the Tigers from 1990 to 1993 and died last year.

Some good football on today. Check my Tuesday post for info on games of interest to Memphians.

From Fox 13: An extinct Mississippi volcano could lead to a nationwide beer shortage

St. Louis Cardinal Albert Pujols hit his 700th home run last night, joining Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and Barry Bonds in the 700 club.

A tropical storm named Ian is expected to strengthen to a hurricane and make landfall in Florida next week. The current projected path has it making a direct hit on Tampa Wednesday night.

There’s a vegan fest happening at Grind City Brewing today.

Jeff Hulett plays the front porch of South Point Grocery today at noon.

Something called a Glamitzvah is happening in Court Square at 1 tomorrow. It’s said to be a small business hair & fashion festival.

My presence has been requested at Bardog at 11 today, so I will lead off there this morning. Later (if there aren’t too many shots) I’ll head down to Blind Bear and catch DJ Tree. Back tomorrow with more news.

A GM of one of the restaurants planning to participate said he got a call saying Wine Race had been canceled. I’m going out this morning on a fact-finding mission about this and a few other things, so I’m going to cut this post short.

But if Wine Race was your plan for Sunday, might want to come up with a Plan B.