Category: Uncategorized

Yesterday I visited Feast & Graze. You’ve probably heard of the company, known for making beautiful and delicious custom charcuterie boards that can be delivered to your door for your upcoming party or event. But did you know

• Feast & Graze now has a brick-and-mortar location, at 55 S. Main, next to Ben-Yay’s. It’s part of the Open on Main initiative
• They have a grab & go, convenient for Downtowners to stop and grab something to take back to their desk
• They have small charcuterie boxes for one person, called the “Just For Me”

I got one of the Just For Me boxes yesterday and it was delicious. So much variety in that little box!

They gave me a sample of their goat cheese too.

Check out their in-store menu to see what you can get to go there. Also, the menu has the lineup of in-store sampling they’ll have next week, March 22-26, for their grand opening.

Carolina Watershed has a fun outdoor bar games event coming up this Sunday, March 20 from 1 to 6 PM. Put your team together and compete in

• Volleyball
• Flip Cup
• Horseshoes
• Beer Pong

Prizes will be awarded for first-place finishes. It’s nice to see bar games back in South Main and it’s great to see them organized by a different group of people. The previous bar games event in that part of Downtown had gotten old and stale.

ESPN has announced that one of its top personalities, Stephen A. Smith, and NBA Countdown will be headed to Memphis. They are set to be here the day after the Slipknot concert at FedExForum, which would put them here for the Wednesday, March 23 home game vs. Brooklyn. The Grizzlies’ winning record and the show put on by Ja Morant are drawing the team national attention.

From Action News 5: Memphis guard turned grad assistant, Willie Kemp, is using his tournament experience to help Penny’s Tigers

The Memphis Songwriters Series returns to the Halloran Centre tonight. Hosted by Mark Edgar Stuart, this month the series features Marcella Simien, Rachel Maxann, and Louise Page. The cost is $5.

Here’s this week’s lineup for the Thursday food truck rodeo in Court Square.

Bass Pro at the Pyramid will hold a hiring event from 10 AM to 7 PM Friday.

Wiseacre Downtown and pizza kitchen Little Bettie will open at 11 AM today with March Madness on the big screens.

Max’s Sports Bar has announced that it will open at 11 AM today through Sunday so its customers can get’em a heaping helping of March Madness. That’s where I’m headed this morning. I plan to be there by 11:15 so I can cheer for my friend’s team Michigan in the opening game. I will stick around to cheer for Memphis at 12:45 and Longwood at 1:45. They have DirecTV and 12 flat screens, so you don’t have to miss a minute of the action.

But that’s not all… from 5 to 6 this afternoon, Max’s will have $3 car bombs and $1 jello shots while they last.

Let’s see what other St. Patrick’s specials we’ve got going around Downtown:

Bardog will have car bombs, corned beef and cabbage, and Jameson specials all day long.

SIlky O’ Sullivan’s will rock out the patio all day long. The lineup:

• Buddy Albert Nemenz 1-5
• Dueling Pianos inside at 7
• Even Odds on the patio 8-til

At Earnestine & Hazel’s, it’s not only St. Patrick’s Day, but also their birthday. They will open early at 1 PM with Chris Hill playing. $9.01 Soul Burger and beer specials.

Blind Bear will have St. Patrick’s specials today and March Madness specials all weekend. Today you can enjoy $5 Irish Whiskey, Guinness, Memphis Car Bombs, and Green Tea Shots. They’ll also have corned beef sandwiches today. They’ll open at 11 AM today through Sunday so you can watch March Madness. They’ll have game sound on until 7 PM, with $2 PBR, Bud, Bud Light, and Miller Lite when games are on.

Majestic Grille will have their famous fish & chips – normally a Friday-only special – today for St. Patrick’s Day.

Grind City Brewing Co. will open at noon with $3 pints of green Poppy’s Pils and $4 pints of Tiger Tail.

Soul & Spirits will have green beer all day. Irish food specials by the Smashed Eats food truck. Memphis Pipe Band will play the bagpipes at 7.

Cerrito Entertainment will host holiday-themed trivia at Old Dominick tonight at 7.

The Bugaloos play Slider Inn Downtown tonight 5-9.

That’s it for now. Go Tigers, go Longwood, and go Hogs. Back tomorrow with more news.

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood! Actually, it’s been a beautiful 2022 in Downtown Memphis. I just didn’t realize how beautiful until yesterday.

Goodness and honesty and being genuine have driven wickedness out of our fair city.

I guess I can retire the troll now.

IYKYK.

On to the news… the Memphis Flyer has a look at Pontotoc Lounge’s newly-opened second floor. It’s a cozy, intimate dining space that offers the same menu as the downstairs.

In case I have anyone reading this who loses his debit card on an almost-daily basis: What really happens when you can’t pay your restaurant bill?

Yesterday I learned that my favorite reality TV host, Jon Taffer of Bar Rescue, has a podcast. Can’t wait to give that a listen. Yesterday I watched Jon rescue a strip club on South Dix Street in Detroit. Its name was Chix on Dix. Jon made them change the name.

ESPN ranked the NCAA tournament’s field of 68 based on each team’s head coach’s basketball playing career. Guess who came in at number one?

Couple of notes from Daily Memphian subscriber-only stories:

• Chef Joe Cartwright has returned to the kitchen of McEwen’s. He previously cooked there 2002-2005.
• Trek Bicycle is closing its South Main location and its store at 3548 Walker Ave. will serve area customers.

The Grizzlies demolished the Indiana Pacers last night 135-102. Memphis remains a half game ahead of Golden State for second in the West.

The Senate unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act yesterday. It would make Daylight Time permanent beginning in 2023 – no more falling back to Standard Time the first Sunday of November. The measure still has to make it through the House. If the bill becomes law, Memphis’ earliest sunset would happen at 5:47 PM. I am one billion percent in support of this idea.

Police say a burglar used a sling blade to break into a home in Uptown.

Food scientist Alton Brown comes to the Orpheum tonight.

Longtime readers of this blog may remember that I declared the first weekend of December 2017 a weekend of celebration. I hereby declare this weekend – let’s make it a long weekend, today through Monday – a WEEKEND OF CELEBRATION for very similar reasons. I plan on starting it off with a yummy lunch, a hidden gem of Downtown, in a few hours. Back tomorrow with more news and possibly a photo or two.

FiveThirtyEight has its March Madness predictions online, showing the probability every team has to win every round. Good news – the Memphis Tigers are a 54% favorite to beat Boise State Thursday. After that, the forecast is not so good.

There will be a team send-off today at the Laurie Walton Family Center at 1:15 today. Come out and wish the Tigers safe travel to Portland.

South Point Grocery announced that they plan to have wine on the shelves by the end of the week.

DJ 5-D returns to the lounge at Eight & Sand Friday from 9 to 1.

Weekly Food Truck Fridays return to Health Sciences Park beginning this Friday, March 18. They usually have a couple of food trucks and a DJ.

To celebrate March Madness, STIX is offering $5 Sake Slushies when you come in wearing the attire of your favorite team heading to the Big Dance.

The Flying Saucer is hiring servers.

Wiseacre Downtown is opening Thursday at 11 AM so you can watch all the games on the big screens. Wiseacre’s pizza kitchen Little Bettie has a new menu, and Wiseacre has a new beer, Love Light Passion Fruit Wit, a tribute to the song “Turn on Your Lovelight” by Bobby “Blue” Bland.

The Grizzlies play a road game at the Indiana Pacers tonight at 6. Ja Morant is said to be doubtful (back soreness) for the game.

South Main Trolley Night returns March 25. The shops and galleries of the South Main District will stay open late and it’s an opportunity to shop and mingle with your neighbors.

The CA has photos of Cane & Herb, a pop-up inside Stock & Belle (387 S. Main) that makes simple syrups.

1️⃣🏃 Memphis’ only ONE-mile road race is ONE month away!

⁠The Regional One Health ONE-Mile Run/Walk will take place on Saturday, April 2 at 8am at the Regional One Health main campus!⁠

Register today at https://t.co/ldwNMCrgLY

⁠📷 @jowen_ryfp#downtownmemphis #backdowntown pic.twitter.com/ZOM8jfxlc2

— Downtown Memphis (@DowntownMemphis) March 1, 2022

Today is the Ides of March. 2066 years ago today, Brutus betrayed Caesar.

Today is also International Eat an Animal for PETA Day, a holiday I support one million percent.

And if you needed one more reason to visit the newly reopened Peanut Shoppe at 121 S. Main, today is National Peanut Lovers Day.

That’s it. I’m out. Back tomorrow.

The 2022 NCAA men’s basketball tournament bracket was revealed yesterday, and it was not long before Memphis’ name appeared. After four years, Penny is taking his Tigers to the Big Dance.

Memphis is seeded 9th in the West, set to play 8 seed Boise State at 12:45 PM Thursday on TNT. If the Tigers win that one, their reward Saturday will be…

Gonzaga. The number-one seed of the entire thing.

Penny, that’s your chance. Beat Gonzaga and no one will ever be able to say “he’s a great recruiter, but he can’t coach” again.

Also in the West region bracket: Arkansas, a 4 seed. They play 13 Vermont at 8:20 Thursday evening, also on TNT. It’s possible Arkansas and Memphis could meet in the round of 16.

Two more notable teams in the region: 2 Duke and 6 Alabama. That’s gonna be the Wild, Wild West for sure.

Other notes:

• • Kentucky is the 2 seed in the East. They face 15 St. Peter’s at 6:10 PM Thursday on CBS.
  • AAC champion Houston is the 5 seed in the South. They face 12 UAB Friday at 8:20 PM on TNT.
  • Thursday we are all 14 Longwood fans. They face 3 Tennessee at 1:45 PM on CBS.
  • LSU is the 6 seed in the Midwest. They meet 11 Iowa State Friday at 6:20 PM on TBS.
  • Auburn is the 2 seed in the Midwest. They will play 15 Jacksonville State Friday at 11:40 AM on truTV. Auburn and LSU could potentially meet in the round of 16.
  • SMU didn’t make it into the field.

When Tennessee’s matchup with Longwood was announced, the geriatric high school clique at the corner table at Max’s Sports Bar started hooting and making penis jokes (“long wood” – get it?) Let’s take a moment to learn more about Longwood. It’s located in Farmville, Virginia, and has a student enrollment of 5096. Its nickname is the Lancers. The Ramones have performed on its campus.

Lancers, I want you to know you’ll have a lot of people in Memphis cheering for you Thursday afternoon. Go make that 14/3 upset happen. I could not put it any more eloquently than the guy sitting next to me at the bar yesterday – “Fuck Tennessee.”

I have sad news to report to my fellow pro wrestling fans: “The Bad Guy” Scott Hall is scheduled to be taken off life support this morning once his family has gathered. Hall had been hospitalized for a week with a broken hip, and yesterday he had three heart attacks. Hall wrestled in the WWF as Razor Ramon. In WCW under his own name, he was one of the founding members of the nWo.

EMORFIK will bring heavy bass to Carolina Watershed on April 22. Tickets

River Time Market & Deli will be closed today.

Last week I mentioned that a Downtown bar had started charging customers separately for sales tax and liquor tax, rather than including them in the drink price, effectively increasing the cost to the consumer. Their justification was, “EVERYONE Downtown is starting to do it.” Well, since then I’ve done a little research, and found:

• I visited Max’s Sports Bar yesterday, and they don’t do it
• I have it on good authority that The Vault isn’t doing it
• I’ve been to the Blind Bear multiple times and they don’t do it

So no, EVERYONE is not doing it. In fact, I’m curious if ANYONE Downtown other than one family of restaurants adopted the practice within the past three or so weeks.

The Shelby County Clerk’s Office is planning a new drive-thru location to renew licenses and tags. The hope is this would help reduce wait times. A friend of mine renewed his tags recently at the Downtown office and had to wait in line for two hours. In the past, the Downtown office has never been known for long waits.

Dillon the Villain is back and he led the Grizzlies to a 125-118 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Grizzlies remain in second place by a half game in the Western Conference.

The Brass Door will have an all-day-long St. Patrick’s Day celebration 11:00 AM-10:00 PM, with a cover starting at 2:00. Entertainment will include

• Local violinist Alice Hansen at 3:00
• Memphis Pipe Band at 4:30, followed by The Blessing of the Kegs
• The Blackwater Trio at 6:00

A vigil was held last night for a teen shot Downtown last week.

StyleBlueprint recently talked with Tessa Blakney, owner of fashion boutique Silk N Honey at 6 West G.E. Patterson.

Today is Pi Day.

Russia struck a Ukrainian military base less than 10 miles from the border with Poland.

The Bugaloos will play a St. Patrick-palooza Thursday at 5 at Slider Inn Downtown.

Psymon Spine will perform a DJ set Saturday at 7 PM at Downtown Wiseacre. Free to attend.

Tin Roof hosts a St. Patty’s Crawfish Boil Saturday at 3 PM. Tickets are $25 and include all-you-can-eat crawfish, corn, and taters, plus a drink ticket for a draft beer of your choice. Live music by Adam McClelland and Ethan Willis. $25 is a very reasonable price for all-you-can-eat crawfish – some other places Downtown only give you one pound and no beer for that price.

Kids can fish in the kids’ catch & release pond at Bass Pro at the Pyramid Saturday and Sunday. Free photo download.

Vampire Poets Guild of Memphis (didn’t know that existed) hosts an evening of dark poetry at The Broom Closet Saturday.

Tom Brady has changed his mind about retirement. He’ll return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his age-45 season.

Perjorie T. Roll made a new friend at Max’s Sports Bar yesterday:

That’s it for this post. Back tomorrow with more news.

Last week I mentioned that some Downtown Memphis bars are now passing on sales tax and liquor tax costs on to the customers as line items rather than including them in the prices of drinks. It’s an effective 25 or so percent price increase. They hide behind the excuse “Everyone is doing it,” which is bullshit – not everyone is. Yesterday I was invited to meet someone at a bar that follows such practices, a bar I often frequent on Saturdays. I declined the offer. We gotta vote with our dollars and show bar owners how we feel.

A car got shot up near MLGW on Main Street about 1:30 this morning. A victim, said to be a teenager, was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

The Memphis Tigers finally lived up to their potential in an SMU game yesterday, beating the Mustangs 70-63. Memphis rolls on to the AAC tournament final today at 2:15 against Houston, which they beat in both regular-season games.

The Tigers remain an 8 seed in Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology. Of course, today is the reveal of the actual bracket – tune into Selection Sunday at 5 PM (or after the conclusion of the last tournament) on CBS.

Texas A&M pulled off another upset to advance to the SEC title game. Later yesterday afternoon, Tennessee beat Kentucky in the second semifinal. Aggies vs. Vols at noon on ESPN. Go Aggies!

Memphis 901 FC spent most of yesterday’s game short-handed after a first-half red card sent a man off the field. They lost to Pittsburgh 3-0.

The Grizzlies play a road game at Oklahoma City this evening at 6. Local TV coverage on Bally Sports Southeast. The DM reports that Dillon Brooks could play tonight. He has been out with an injury since early January.

Action News 5 has a look at the first Beale Street St. Patrick’s Day parade since 2019 without COVID restrictions.

Speaking of COVID, here’s a link to James Aycock’s COVID Week-in-Review. It’s mostly good news here in Shelby County, but he ends the thread with a warning: There’s a new COVID wave in Europe.

Russia-Ukraine news: The Russians are turning their attention to Lviv in western Ukraine not far from the border with Poland. Previously they had left that part of the country alone.

New Edition – The Culture Tour comes to FedExForum tonight.

3 Degrees plays Downtown Huey’s 3-6 today.

Go Aggies and Go Tigers. Back tomorrow with more news.

One last reminder that The Peanut Shoppe opens in its new location at 11 AM today! 121 S. Main.

The Memphis Tigers beat UCF in the quarterfinals of the AAC tournament last night, 85-69. Jalen Duren set a tournament record with 20 rebounds. Today at 4:00, Memphis has a chance for sweet revenge against SMU, who beat the Tigers in both regular-season games. The game will be on ESPN2.

In the other AAC semifinal, Tulane will take on Houston at 2:00.  That game will be on ESPN2 as well.

The SEC semifinals kick off at noon today with Texas A&M vs. Arkansas on ESPN. The Aggies sent top seed Auburn home from the tournament early yesterday.

The second SEC semi is set for 2:00 with Kentucky taking on Tennessee, also on ESPN. Today will be a rare day when I root for a Calipari-led team.

Joe Lunardi Bracketology updates after yesterday’s games:

• Memphis has moved up to a projected 8 seed. Any doubt they’d be in the field was erased with last night’s win
• Auburn’s loss yesterday wasn’t enough to knock it off the 2-seed line
• Texas A&M got into Next Four Out with its upset of Auburn
• Arkansas is a 4 seed
• Tennessee is a 3 seed
• Kentucky is a 2 seed
• Memphis’ opponent today, SMU, is listed as Last Four In, projected to be in a play-in matchup with Wyoming for a 12 seed

From Yahoo! Sports: Rise and Fall: What’s next for Emoni Bates

The Grizzlies came back in the fourth quarter to score a win against the New York Knicks, 118-114. Memphis remains in second in the Western Conference by half a game over the Golden State Warriors.

On to non-basketball news: Memphis in May has announced that The Spin Doctors will play Friday night at BBQ Fest after the ancillary awards are handed out.

I heard through the grapevine that Harbor Town may be the home of some yumminess soon. It’s a name that’s already familiar.

Due to sanctions put in place because of the Ukraine invasion, U.S. aircraft manufacturers like Boeing will no longer be able to supply airplane parts or maintenance to Russian airlines, CNN reports. That will cripple the Russian airline industry in about a year’s time. Imagine having to drive from Moscow to Vladivostok (4000 miles) because planes are no longer reliable.

There will be a rally in the alley for Memphis 901 FC next to Brass Door today beginning at 3 PM. Memphis’ soccer club hosts the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the season opener at 6.

Leanne Morgan brings her Big Panty Tour to the Orpheum today with 4:00 and 7:00 shows. Tickets are $29.75-$49.75.

Daaaang… here’s a troubling statistic… last year, only 14% of second-graders in Shelby County could read at their grade level.

Set your clocks forward before going to bed tonight. Daylight Time returns tomorrow morning.

That’s all for now. In the process of deciding if I want to walk all the way to Max’s Sports Bar to watch all the games. Back tomorrow with more news.

A new event called the Memphis Tequila & TacoFest will happen in Court Square Saturday, March 26 from 2 to 6 PM. The event is organized by the Tennessee Bone Marrow Foundation. Your ticket ($25) will include 8 tequila tastings, gift bags, a live performance, and a performance by K97 DJ Houston. Taco vendors Mexico in Memp and TACOnganas will be on site.

Construction begins this spring on the interchange at I-55 and Crump. The plan is to separate highway traffic from interstate traffic, and eliminate situations where drivers have to take a winding, single-lane exit to remain on the interstate.

AAC tournament: 3-seed Memphis takes on 6-seed UCF tonight at 8 in the quarterfinals. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.

The Grizzlies are also in action tonight, playing the New York Knicks at FedExForum at 7. That game will be broadcast on NBAtv.

SneakFest Sneaker Expo comes to FedExForum this Saturday 1-6 PM.

Chicago soul DJ Ayana Contreras plays Central Station Hotel Saturday at 9 PM.

The Friday daytime bartender at Silly Goose, who is a huge Arkansas fan (there’s a video of her calling the Hogs on Facebook), has assured me she’ll put the Arkansas vs. LSU game on TV with sound. It’s on ESPN this afternoon at 1:00.

Carolina Watershed will host the Bluff City Blues & Crawfish Festival Saturday, April 16. $10 general admission. $50 VIP admission includes all you can eat & drink.

Hard Rock Cafe has announced a limited-time Messy Burger in partnership with Leo Messi. Beef, cheese, chorizo, red onions, smoky sauce, lettuce, tomato, and a fried egg on top.

The DM has an article on tomorrow’s return of the Beale Street St. Patrick’s Day parade.

If there’s grass on the field, play ball! Major League Baseball owners and players have reached a tentative agreement. The full 162-game season will be preserved and Opening Day looks to be April 7, only a week later than originally planned.

From Food & Wine: Diners are tipping less than they did before the pandemic

Central Station Hotel seeks a Director of Sales & Marketing. The successful candidate will lead a sales team, rep the hotel’s brand around the world, and create effective campaigns.

Come by Earnestine & Hazel’s after the St. Patrick’s Day parade Saturday for

• $9.01 beer + Soul Burger
• $3 Jello shots / 2 for $5
• $5 green tea shots
• Giveaways

Cordelia’s Market now carries Comeback Coffee coffee soda.

MemphisWeather.net’s latest on the forecast for today:

Winter’s last gasp arrives today! ❄️ Clouds and north wind increase with temps peaking in the low 50s at noon then falling to the mid 30s by sunset. Afternoon rain chances then snow this evening, some heavy. 1-2″ on everything but roads by midnight. HRRR model 4pm-12am shown 👇 pic.twitter.com/qzutLdDisf

— MemphisWeather.net (@memphisweather1) March 11, 2022

Memphis Made Brewing Co. has brought back limited-release Zambodian IPA Prince Mango just in time for spring. This time they canned it, so it will be available where beer is sold around Shelby County.

Follow @southpointgrocery on Instagram to keep up with their latest offerings.

That’s it for this post. Back tomorrow with more.

Rizzo’s by Michael Patrick is the latest restaurant victim of this post-COVID economy. After 11 years, Chef will close the doors at the end of this month. If he stayed open, he’d have to raise prices again. He’ll wind down around the end of this month and is in the process of trying to line up jobs for his employees so they don’t miss a single paycheck. If you want one last Lobster Pronto Pup, you better get by there soon. Thanks for 11 great years, Chef.

Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros perform tonight at the Orpheum. The band performs the tunes of the Grateful Dead (of which Weir was a founding member) as well as Weir’s solo albums. They are backed by The Wolfpack, a string and brass quintent.

The MemphisWeather.net blog has details on the snow that is expected to fall Friday night. Long story short: We’d get a couple inches accumulation between 9 and midnight Friday if the ground wasn’t so warm. Roads are expected to be fine.

Jennifer Chandler of the CA has a look at the new Peanut Shoppe location at 121 S. Main. It will be open this Saturday and Sunday at 11 AM.

Chandler also takes a look at the fish pudding sold at the Calvary Waffle Shop. She deems it a must-try. A volunteer at the waffle shop explained to Chandler that “pudding” is an English term for casserole.

I heard a guy got jumped after he left a popular Downtown nightspot not far from Beale Street Tuesday night and his wallet and camera were taken.

The Memphis Tigers collected quite a few American Athletic Conference year-end honors:

• Jalen Duren: Freshman of the Year, All-Conference First Team, All-Freshman Team
• DeAndre Williams: All-Conference Second Team
• Josh Minott: All-Freshman Team

Do you want to help people find their way out of homelessness? The Hospitality Hub is hiring. Open positions include Community Relations Coordinator, Emergency Shelter Manager. Facilities Manager, and shift supervisor for the Hub’s Work Local program.

An employee of Max’s Sports Bar told me they will likely open early on Sunday if any of the local teams (Memphis, Arkansas, or Tennessee) is playing in a conference final that day.

South Point Grocery has a special on fresh strawberries – 99 cents for a 1-pound container.

The Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team will compete in the ESPN Events Invitational November 24-27 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World in Orlando. Memphis won the invitational tournament in 2013.

The Tigers’ Lester Quinones has his own clothing brand, which is allowed under the NCAA’s new name, image, and likeness rules. There was recently a pop-up shop for the brand at Odds Atelier.

Major League Baseball has canceled two more regular-season series, postponing Opening Day until at least April 14. Owners continue to lock the players out as the two sides have yet to come to terms on a collective bargaining agreement.

Here’s an interesting primer on pricing psychology. (h/t Morning Brew)

Today is National Ranch Day. Get some with an order of fries at your favorite restaurant. It’s vastly superior to ketchup as a dipping condiment.

COVID Act Now‘s Risk Levels map of Tennessee shows Shelby County as the ONLY county in Tennessee not rated as a High, Very High, or Severe risk of spread of COVID. Shelby County is rated Medium at 6.5 cases/day/100K residents.

Pro angler Terry Byrd will be in the fishing department at Bass Pro at the Pyramid noon to 5 today to answer all of your fishing questions and help you pick out gear.

Dillon Carmichael plays Tin Roof tonight at 8 as part of the Nashville Hits the Roof concert series.

That’s all for this post. Back tomorrow with more news.

The 49th annual Silky O’Sullivan’s Beale Street St. Patrick’s Day parade happens this Saturday, March 12, at 3 PM. Watch floats and marching bands while catching beads, candy, and maybe a cabbage. Unfortunately the weather does not look cooperative this year: The day will start out in the mid-20s rising to a high of only about 40. Ugh.

I wonder if the geriatric clique that sits at the corner table at Max’s will venture north to stand outside the King’s Palace Tap Room as they usually do on parade days…

Holy crap… examining the MemphisWeather.net forecast further… Friday there is a chance of evening snow showers as the temp drops from the 50s into the 20s. Winter isn’t done with Memphis yet.

The Downtown Neighborhood Association has announced its March membership meeting. It will be on Tuesday, March 22 at The Avenue, 10 N. Second. It will be a DNA Business Expo, with Downtown businesses that are members of the organization having tables to provide information about their products and services. 5-7 PM. Free beer, wine, and food for members while it lasts. I haven’t made it to a meeting since re-joining DNA 4 months ago, but I plan to be at this one. I hope to see you there!

The Bank of America location at 100 Peabody Place will remain closed for the foreseeable future, according to a notice they sent a friend of mine who is an account holder there.

Insomnia Cookies’ spring specials have dropped. They are

• Hibiscus berry – a bright hibiscus cookie packed with melty white chocolate + sweet strawberries & cranberries
• Lemon poppy seed – a warm, fresh lemon cookie bursting with bites of bright lemony goodness sprinkled with poppy seeds

Chinese Connection Dub Embassy will play a free reggae show at Wiseacre Downtown 4:00-6:30 PM Saturday, March 26. Show your ticket to that night’s Grizz game for 10% off beer.

Speaking of the Grizzlies, they dominated the New Orleans Pelicans for a 132-111 win last night. They remain a half game ahead of Golden State, who also won last night, for second place in the West.

MakeUseOf has a list of the 7 best free streaming video services. Having found Pluto TV in my attempt to watch Bar Rescue episodes, I looked around at its other show offerings and was blown away by how good it was – and it’s only number four on this list.

Catherine & Mary’s will be closed this evening for the Enjoy AM wine dinner. If you planned to dine there tonight, they recommend their sibling restaurants The Gray Canary and Bishop, both within walking distance.

Today is National Meatball Day. Go get Aldo’s grandma’s balls at Bardog, by themselves or with spaghetti. Or get ’em on a pie at one of his pizza joints.

It’s also National Crabmeat Day. My recommendation to celebrate would be the seafood au gratin at Blues City Cafe.

My MacBook gave me a scare this morning. It was completely unresponsive. I checked to make sure the charging cord was in all the way and it was. Plugging it into a different outlet didn’t help. I was devastated at the thought of losing a computer that is not even 4 months old.

I fired up my janky old HP laptop with the schizophrenic trackpad and pulled up Google and typed in “macbook air isn’t turning on.” Apple Support had a recent answer to a similar search. It said to hold down the power button for at least 10 seconds, release it, then press it again. I gave that a try.

DONG

Apple logo

progress bar

Oh thank goodness. It was in the middle of a software update. I had to pace around the apartment for about 15 minutes to calm down after that.

That’s it for today’s post. Back tomorrow.

Huge news this morning – we have an opening date for The Peanut Shoppe’s new location at 121 S. Main, and it’s this weekend. They’ll be open at 11 AM Saturday, March 12 and Sunday, March 13. A lot of people who live and work in the vicinity of the new shop are very excited. They’re going to do fantastic in that new location!

Toby Sells of the Memphis Flyer reports that Memphis is about to get its first canna bar. Leafy Green, at 6 West G.E. Patterson, will have mocktails infused with CBD and THCV (“diet weed”). They intend for the bar to be a community hub with live music, speed dating, game night, and other activities.

USA Today reports that Stoli is rebranding its vodka and will no longer use the Stolichnaya name. Americans are refusing Russian vodka in support of Ukraine, and Stoli wants to make it clear nothing about its vodka – ingredients, production facilities – involves Russia.

Baby Shark Live comes to the Orpheum Thursday, March 31. Tickets are $28-$68 and photo experiences are also available.

South Point Grocery’s sandwich menu is now live. They’ll have the sandwiches 11 AM-6 PM Monday-Saturday. The sandwiches are $8 and are made with Boar’s Head products. Garlic bread is $5.

• The Heels – Bacon, provolone, hot sauce peanut butter, strawberry roasted jalapeno preserves, served on a French roll
• Care Package – Olive tapenade, marinated mushrooms, tomato, Swiss, provolone, fennel cream cheese, oil and vinegar, on a French roll
• Rick’s Reuben – Pastrami, Swiss, sauerkraut, black olives, Russian dressing, served on rye bread
• Me Spinach – Spinach, pesto, parmesan, lemon juice, tomato, French onions, on a French roll
• The Crackpot – Slow-cooked pork, banana peppers, French onions, tomato, fennel cream cheese, Swiss cheese, on a French roll
• The Grinder – Capicola, salami, pesto, tomato, banana peppers, provolone, vinegar and oil, on a French roll
• Juan Popper -3 jalapeno poppers, cream cheese, cheddar, American cheese, sriracha mayo, on a French roll
• The Club – Roast beef, turkey, bacon, tomato, Swiss, sriracha mayo, vinegar and oil, on a French roll
• Big Cheese – American, provolone, cheddar, fennel cream cheese, garlic butter, tomato, vinegar and oil, on Texas toast
• Ultimate Garlic Bread – Garlic butter, pesto, provolone, on a French roll

Man, those sound good! You can get ’em to go or you can sit outside and eat on South Point Grocery’s front porch.

Funny: A French restaurant chain known for poutine had to release a letter saying it had nothing to do with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. In French, Vladdy P’s last name is translated as Poutine.

Memphis 901 FC’s 2022 kits (that’s “uniforms” for those of us who don’t speak soccer) are now available in the team store.

Memphis 901 FC supporters group the Bluff City Mafia will host a pre-season party in the Cavern at the Brass Door Friday at 6:30. With COVID mostly in the rear-view mirror, they plan on bringing some of that 2018 energy. Buy $1 raffle tickets for the chance to win drinks, merchandise, and supporters’ seats to a 901 FC match.

Independent analyst James Aycock reports we are down to a rolling average of 67 new COVID cases per day in Shelby County, and the positivity rate is 1.9%. Both of those numbers are among the lowest since the pandemic started.

The Center for Southern Folklore still has its event space in the back available for rentals. They offer any combination of food, music, and dancing you desire, and the space is perfect for a conference, business meeting, or rehearsal dinner. Call 901-525-3655 to discuss a reservation.

Trained and certified BBQ judges are invited to apply to judge at Memphis in May BBQ Fest at Tiger Lane in May of this year. The registration fee is $75 and the deadline to apply is April 4.

I tried Lea & Perrins steak sauce on Blind Bear’s happy hour beef tacos (2 for $5) yesterday. It was different and tasty. Give it a try if it sounds good to you.

Wiseacre’s Downtown and Broad Ave. taprooms are getting busier as the weather improves, and they are looking to add a few new people to their staff. They want people who can deliver excellent customer service while maintaining transaction accuracy and taproom ambiance. Check out Wiseacre’s job opportunities here.

Soul & Spirits brewery is throwing a St. Patty’s Day party Thursday, March 17 from 4 to 10 PM. The Memphis Pipe Band will be there to play the bagpipes at 7. They’ll have green beer and the Smashed Eats food truck will be there with some Irish specials. Want to imbibe without having to drive? The brewery is within Groove on Demand‘s coverage area. (Just remember, GoD shuts down at 9 PM.)

The Grizzlies host the New Orleans Pelicans at 6:30 tonight, with the game nationally broadcast on TNT. Good news – the Golden State Warriors lost their fifth in a row last night, once again putting Memphis in sole possession of second place in the West.

The CA reports that Trek Bicycle’s Downtown location at 517 S. Main will close and merge with its East Memphis shop. That leaves the closest bicycle shop to Downtown six miles away on Broad Avenue.

A man was shot dead at Fourth and Jefferson last night, just days after a 15-year-old was shot dead at Riverside and Beale. Fox 13 examines how crime is affecting tourism in the area. The reporter covering the story had his car window broken out twice since October.

Catherine & Mary’s is hiring a server.

President Biden is expected to announce a U.S. ban on Russian oil and energy imports this morning, but Russia is the source of only 8% of the oil used in the U.S. It will take Europe getting on board with the ban for it to really hurt.

A man was charged with drag racing just east of Downtown Sunday about 3:25 AM, in the 800 block of MLK Ave. He was driving his red Fin Fin at a high speed, possibly racing another Infiniti. He had a revoked license and the drive-out tag on the back of his car was found to be fraudulent.

Getting married this year? There’s a wedding season 2022 kick-off party at the Emerge Building tonight where you can network with wedding vendors.

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