Category: Uncategorized

Peach cobbler nachos are coming to Downtown Memphis. Chef Tam’s Underground Cafe has been so successful, the Memphis Flyer reports, that a second location will be opened in The Edge District. It will be in the old Quetzal space on Union, not far from Sun Studio. The space is big enough to not only sell food but Chef Tam’s line of spices and general merchandise. Oh, by the way, Chef Tam just introduced a new menu item: apple pie nachos.

It’s been confirmed that the TV series Bluff City Law will indeed film in Memphis. The show is hiring crew members to work July through November. Experience in episodic television is preferred but not required.

Expected bad weather is forcing the Cossitt Library to postpone its Riverfront Storytime from today to next Friday, June 14. RSVP here. This is an event that introduces children to the Mississippi River via stories and playtime. There will be two storytimes, at 10 AM and 6 PM.

A fresh batch of Nikki’s Hot Nuts just got delivered to Cordelia’s Market. This is a collaboration between Nikki’s Hot Products and The Peanut Shoppe on Main. Cashews, almonds and peanuts are in Nikki’s Hot Bloody Mary Mix and spices by The Peanut Shoppe.

Volunteer Odyssey is hiring. They are seeking a Manager of Fundraising and Special Events. This person will ensure that fundraising continues at a steady rate and will create and execute fundraising events and campaigns. This person will also work with other team members to ensure that Memphis is the best place in the country to volunteer. Send a cover letter and resume to nikole@volunteerodyssey.com. This position will be open through June 24. More info

Get fresh at the Memphis Farmers Market tomorrow. Representatives of Memphis 901 FC will be there to discuss Memphis’ new pro soccer team. There will be a Kids’ Corral with activities to celebrate National Fruit & Veggie Month. There will be live, local music all day thanks to South Main Sounds. The Market runs 8 AM-1 PM every Saturday at the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson, behind Malco Powerhouse.

Redevelopment is underway for the Snuff District, in Uptown along the eastern bank of the Wolf River Harbor. The area is so named because of the presence of the American Snuff Factory Building. Apartments, single-family homes, office space, retail, and a river walk are among the plans.

It’s National Donut Day! Here’s where to get free and discounted donuts today. Free donuts? Wonder if the Nuh-Uh Girl will show up.

The Belz Museum will show two movies this weekend. Howl’s Moving Castle will be on screen at noon Saturday, and The Book Thief will be Sunday’s noon movie. Admission to the movies is free. If you wish to tour the museum while you are there, it is $6 adults, $5 senior 55+, and $4 college students.

Good news: The FCC voted for carriers to be allowed to block robocalls before they ever reach customers’ phones.

Primas Bakery+Boutique has a new macaron-mobile. It will be popping up at parties and festivals around town. It will be available for catering as well.

I’m about to get on the WWE Network for Super Showdown, an event from Saudi Arabia that is supposed to be pay-per-view quality. I have to say I’m underwhelmed with the card, though. 54-year-old Undertaker will wrestle 52-year-old Goldberg for the first time ever, and for a bad 3-4 minute match they will get paid more than the average person makes in a year. Shane McMahon wrestles Roman Reigns in a match I couldn’t care less about, and Triple H faces Randy Orton for the 5000th time. Ugh. I will watch but I don’t have high expectations.

Back tomorrow with more news.

The June South Main Association member meeting has been announced for Rizzo’s by Michael Patrick on Tuesday, June 11, social at 6:00, presentation at 6:30. An incorrect date was emailed earlier and in the correction, the SMA noted that the meeting is always the second Tuesday of the month. The meeting is free for members and $10 for guests. Details about this month’s meeting topic are coming soon.

There’s an accounts payable associate job available at Jack Morris Auto Glass out in Midtown. Great family company. It’s run by Paul Morris who used to run DMC.

This is very cool: Later this month, Jupiter and Earth will reach their closest point to each other. At that time you will be able to see some of Jupiter’s moons using only binoculars.

NBA sources told ESPN that former Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins will be hired as an assistant coach by the Los Angeles Lakers. That’s a good hire. There has been a lot of drama in the Lakers’ front office lately and Hollins is a no-drama kind of guy.

R&B band The Garry Goin Group, also known as G3, headlines the Peabody rooftop party this evening. They played the Peabody’s New Year’s Eve party this year. $10 to get in, $20 VIP. Admission includes a buffet of popcorn shrimp, cocktail sauce and hushpuppies. If you’re in VIP you get a second buffet of tempura shrimp with sweet chili sauce, bacon wrapped scallops, and crab dip with fried pita.

Pints for Prostates is once again partnering with the Flying Saucer. Every Wednesday evening in June, you can enter for a chance to win a trip to Colorado for the Great American Beer Festival, including invitations to rare beer tastings. I know people who have gone to this, and saying you’re a guest of the Saucer tends to open a lot of doors to private brewery events.

Memphis Grilled Cheese Fest is making its return on Sunday, November 10. Teams will compete to see who has the best grilled cheese in Memphis. Tickets are $5 general admission, but I’d recommend going for  the VIP ticket with unlimited grilled cheese samples.

The three-point line is moving in college basketball. Having been 20’9″ this past season, it will move to 22’1.75″ for 2019-20. That matches the three-point line in international FIBA competition.

There’s a Windows vulnerability so bad that the NSA is begging you to update.

Jeeps on Beale happens for the first time tonight.

One of the other BBQ teams recently did a paella party to wrap up their year. We were doing paella parties back in 2012. Nice to see other teams starting to catch up.

Queen Elizabeth wore a ruby tiara to her state dinner with Donald Trump. The tiara was a gift from Burma and is said “to ward off evil.” LOL! More and more I’m becoming a big fan of the Queen.

That’s it for now. I guess today’s post wasn’t late after all. Back tomorrow with more news.

More information has been released on what will be going in the former Purple Haze spot at Second and Lt. George W. Lee Avenue. It will be a restaurant and LGBTQ-friendly nightclub called Atomic Rose. It will be open Wednesday-Sunday nights, starting off with dinner service which will include choices such as burgers, salads, shrimp Alfredo, ribeye steak, spaghetti, and 12-inch crust pizza pies. They hope to eventually expand to include lunch service as well. The space will seat 120 people for dinner.

At night, Atomic Rose will evolve into a nightclub, with new lighting and a dance floor that cost more than $125,000. According to the club’s Facebook page, this will be the schedule:

• Monday-Tuesday: Closed
• Wednesday (4:30 PM-2 AM): Atomic Retro Night with DJ Tree Riehl
• Thursday (4:30 PM-2 AM): Le Chic Night with DJ Space Age
• Friday (4:30 PM-3 AM): Maverick 1990 and DJ Half-Def
• Saturday (5 PM-3 AM): Maverick 1990 and DJ Half-Def
• Sunday (5 PM-1 AM): The Rose Review with Maverick 1990 + Drag Show

There will also be karaoke Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 7:30 to 10 PM.

I like the concept and welcome it to the neighborhood. A gay-friendly club will make the neighborhood more diverse and will attract more people down here. I like it that it is a totally different concept than Purple Haze; I liked Purple Haze’s concept too but it was attracting some bad people. I like it that the club is not staying open until 5 AM.

As your #1 source of news and information about The Edge District, I have  a couple of exciting pieces of news to share with you about that neighborhood. First of all, the CA reports that the first employees are moving into Orion Federal Credit Union’s new space at 400 Monroe. This is the former Wonder Bread bakery (with the sign still atop the building) and within a few weeks, all 150 administrative employees will be moved in. A new bank branch will open in the building, too. Welcome Orion employees to Downtown! Check out Sabor Caribe, Evelyn & Olive, and Trolley Stop Market over on Madison for lunch. Although, I hear there’s going to be a really nice employee cafeteria too.

Across the street from Orion, at 411 Monroe, is LEO Events, featured in the MBJ’s new column Open Office.  The company outgrew their space on South Front and the people fell in love with the building in The Edge, which had been an auto body paint shop for 100 years. With a second floor that is not even being used yet, LEO has room to grow.

The City Council has brought back the $5 cover charge to get on Beale 10 PM-2 AM Friday and Saturday nights until the end of the summer. Data shows that this program works; there is less crime on Beale when there is a cover charge.

The Memphis Flyer’s Hungry Memphis blog has a look at Catherine & Mary’s new menu.

For those of you interested in the Arkansas vs. Ole Miss baseball Super Regional to be played in Fayetteville this weekend, winner advancing to the College World Series, here’s the info:

• Game 1: Saturday, 11 AM, ESPN
• Game 2: Sunday, 2 PM, ESPNU
• Game 3, if necessary: Monday, 3 PM, ESPN2

A server at the Majestic Grille posted that they are hiring all positions and to come by between 2-4 PM Tuesday-Friday. That is one of the best places Downtown for service industry folk to work. Patrick and Deni treat their employees like family and I have personally witnessed them go way out of their way to make sure their employees are happy. They offer paid time off, highly unusual in that industry, as well as other benefits and flexible schedules. The Majestic is 1 block from the Orpheum, 3 blocks from FedExForum, and 3 blocks from AutoZone Park, and servers make some really good money when there are events at any of those spots.

On Wednesday, June 26 from 5 to 7 PM, there will be a Downtown Parking Study Open House at Comeback Coffee at 358 N. Main. Come to this free event and get a sneak peek at some of the plans and recommendations being developed. Talk to the team about tactics and strategies and what should be prioritized to improve the Downtown parking experience.

Here’s a list of all the big changes coming in iOS 13 that were announced by Apple yesterday.

A group led by Billy Orgel intends to renovate two old Cotton Row buildings at 99 and 105 South Front into apartments with lots of windows. The backs of the buildings face the Mississippi River.

A new Tennessee ban on handheld cell phone use while driving goes into effect July 1. VERY MUCH NEEDED!

Amtrak is having a buy-one-get-one-free sale on tickets right now. It appears that the City of New Orleans route connecting Chicago, Memphis, and New Orleans is included in the sale.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup begins Friday, although the USWNT does not play until Tuesday. The U.S. team is in a group with Thailand, Chile, and Sweden.

A summer concert series is being added to Food Truck Thursdays in Court Square, starting tomorrow.

That’s it for now. I have an appointment tomorrow morning so tomorrow’s post will possibly be late.

The Memphis Flyer is now accepting nominations for its over 100 categories in its 2019 Best of Memphis poll. The Flyer is not the only publication that does these types of awards, but their poll is generally considered the most reliable, the real deal. The Flyer’s poll is run by their editorial department, not their marketing department, and you can only vote once, rather than once per day or once per hour. They are really about finding out who’s best, rather than getting as many eyeballs on their website’s ads as possible. If you have a favorite ethnic restaurant, or record store, or bartender, or whatever, nominate them and make sure they get on the list. You have until June 27 to nominate, and voting begins August 1.

Jennifer Biggs of the Daily Memphian hosts Destination:Delicious lunches around town where she can break bread with her readers and get to know them. She’s bringing Destination:Delicious Downtown on Friday, June 14, and the venue will be Pontotoc Lounge, noon to 2 PM. The lounge normally isn’t open for lunch, but owner Daniel Masters is making a special exception for this event. Lunch will be served family style. Dishes will come from Pontotoc’s menu and the Mississippi Pot Roast has been promised to be one of them. Meal, tax and tip will be $25.85 for Daily Memphian subscribers and $32.85 for non-subscribers (the difference, $7, being exactly the cost of subscribing for a month). Wine specials and a signature cocktail will be available at an additional cost.

I have to admit I’m considering it. Conversation with Jennifer and other Memphis foodies would be fun, and that Mississippi pot roast is out of this world good.

Fino’s, the legendary Midtown deli that will reopen this Thursday, now has its menu posted online. Can’t go wrong with anything on there, but if you haven’t made up your mind I would point you in the direction of the hot, open-faced Italian roast beef.

Cow worried it will never live up to its father’s USDA rating. Psychiatrists for cows: the growing job market for the 2020s.

The Master Taster’s Club returns to the Chez Philippe at the Peabody tonight at 5:30. $25 gets you an expert sampling of American wines. If you choose to stay after the event, from 7 to 9 there will be half-off appetizers and wines explored by the club that evening.

Avocado toast is popular these days, and I know I have at least one reader who eats it frequently for breakfast. Well, the price is about to go up. Avocados are one of the exports from Mexico that will get more expensive if Trump puts tariffs in place to penalize our southern nation for not stopping immigration at their border. Lifehacker has a list. Thanks Trump!

The People’s Convention will happen this weekend at Paradise Entertainment Center this Saturday. Broad political issues will be discussed, which will lead to a slate of candidates for the fall election to be endorsed by the convention. 18 Memphis mayoral candidates have said they will attend, although current mayor Strickland and former mayor King Willie do not plan to be there.

The Memphis Tigers football team is set to play a three-game series with Arkansas in the years to come. The game will be in the Liberty Bowl in 2025, and then in Fayetteville in 2026 and 2028. Although a straight home-and-home would obviously be preferable, this two-and-one is worth it. Memphis adds an SEC school to its nonconference schedule, and if the two football teams remain at the level they are, Memphis will win easily. Also, Memphis will be paid very well for the series.

Courtyard by Marriott will hold its last patio party of the season tonight. DJ John E will play island favorites. The hotel is at the corner of Main and Jefferson.

Richmond, Virginia based band The Bush League will play Earnestine & Hazel’s Saturday, June 22 from 9 PM to 1 AM. This will be a stop on the band’s “3000 Mile Start to Summer 2019” tour.

There will be a run across Big River Crossing to celebrate Global Running Day tomorrow evening. Following the run, Loflin Yard will offer drink specials. Coach Kevin of Can’t Stop Training will be there to answer your running-related questions.

There’s talk that the Houston Rockets will trade Chris Paul this offseason. I guess he’ll have to get a new State Farm agent if he does.

Slideshow by the MBJ: Six Downtown and Midtown developments set to move forward. These include ARRIVE Hotel, The Ravine, FedEx Logistics, and more.

That’s it for now. My hair stylist Beckii had a noon cancellation and I grabbed it, so I’m about to head over there. I’ll be out later this afternoon. Back tomorrow with more news.

Usually my posts get shorter as we enter the dog days of summer. Spring festival season has ended and people mostly want to be indoors where there’s air conditioning. However, lots of interesting events happening this month, many of them on Saturdays, came to my attention yesterday. Let’s have a look.

There will be an Island Block Party on Saturday, June 22 from 11 AM to 3 PM on Harbor Town Square. Food trucks, games, live music, and booths with information about businesses and organizations on Mud Island. Cordelia’s Market is the main host, but the way they see it, the more businesses on the Island that participate, the more this festival will unite the Island as a community. Participating businesses include

Nail Bar
Cafe Eclectic
Joy’s Harbor Town Pharmacy
Wolf River Conservatory
Memphis River Parks Partnership
Higginbotham Family Dental – Harbor Town
Harbor Town Day Spa and Wellness Center
Estates at River Pointe
Island Park and Harbor Town Square Apartments
Belle Harbour Apartments
Arbors Harbor Town

YOGA! Friday, June 21 is International Yoga Day, and the following day, Saturday, June 22, there will be an all-day yoga fundraiser for St. Jude. It will be at Wellhouse Fitness at 1029 Cherry out in East Memphis. Seven yoga mini-classes will be taught throughout the day, each with the theme of the St. Jude mission and “warrior” intentions woven in. Greg Graber, author of Slow Your Roll, will kick things off with an intro to meditation and mindfulness. Yoga sessions of 30-45 minutes will follow and lunch will be provided.

The day of yoga costs $50 and helps ensure that families of children treated at St. Jude never receive a bill for the treatment. In addition to the yoga classes, your registration fee gets you a chance at door prizes and a St. Jude thank you gift. If you wish to make an additional donation, you may get a tank top or yoga gear from Athleta.

If you’re looking for something athletic to do that involves drinking, check out the Memphis Margarita Madness 5K Run out at Shelby Farms on Saturday, June 22. This is an event less focused on speed and more focused on margaritas and good times! Avid runners and park walkers alike welcome at this race. Needless to say, you must be at least 21 to participate.

Also on Saturday the 22nd, Elite Total Health at Main and MLK will be closed for the day. If you go by there regularly for B-12 shots, sinus cocktails, or hydration therapy, make sure to schedule around that date.

Primas Bakery + Boutique at 523 S. Main will host a donut tasting this Saturday, June 8 from noon to 2 PM. Participants will enjoy a flight of four donuts along with complimentary brunch beverages. Donut flavors include funfetti, lemon blueberry, Almond Joy, and carrot cake.

The large portrait of Kramer from the TV series Seinfeld was recently taken from The Dirty Crow Inn. This portrait has sentimental value to Paul who runs the place. If returned, no questions will be asked.

Important read for dog owners: How to tell if the pavement is too hot for your dog’s feet. Short version: If you can’t keep the back of your hand on the pavement for 5 seconds, your dog’s paws don’t belong on it either.

Seems like there’s a subscription service for everything these days. You can now get the world’s hottest peppers mailed to you every month.

Congratulations to friends out in Las Vegas playing in World Series of Poker events this week, some of whom cashed in their events over the weekend.

The Arkansas Razorbacks men’s baseball team closed out the Fayetteville Regional without a loss, beating TCU 6-0 last night. They will advance to the best-2-of-3 Super Regional, playing SEC rival Ole Miss. Arkansas is the higher national seed, so the Super Regional will be hosted in Fayetteville. Game times will be released tomorrow.

You probably already suspected this, but it’s been confirmed: Alligators are in Tennessee. They are able to survive the cold winters due to a bodily function called brumation, similar to hibernation. A park ranger pointed out that gators are generally not a threat to humans if you leave them alone, and that the gators that are the biggest threat to Tennesseans are the Florida Gators football team. LOLOLOLOL!!!

Thanks to my friend Ariel, who brought me the newest item in my PBR collection yesterday:

Some of the Moody Ques were at brunch yesterday, and we discussed something that happened at BBQ Fest. Someone carefully laid a dollar in the business area of one of our porta-potties, wanting to see if anyone would be willing to put their hands in human waste to retrieve it. As far as we know, no one did.

“A dollar is not worth it,” said team president John D. “Now, if it were a 100, then I might have to go after it. After all, we have all kinds of hand sanitizer and cleaning agents in the booth.”

That got our most analytical team member, Otto, to pose a question. Assuming you can get just one bill for any amount, at what point would it become worth it to retrieve the bill from the waste? General consensus was somewhere around 40. If I ever teach again, this will be a problem I present to my calculus students.

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

Marc Gasol is back on TV tonight as he and the Toronto Raptors take on the Golden State Warriors at 7 on ABC. Toronto holds a 1-0 lead in the 7-game series.

Gasol isn’t the only former Grizzly on the Raptors, however. ESPN has an article on how Kyle Lowry, drafted by Grizzlies in 2006, became the last man standing for Toronto. Gasol, Kawhi Leonard, and rising star Pascal Siakam may garner more attention, but Lowry is the glue that holds the team together.

For those of you who are fellow Razorback fans, Arkansas’ baseball team plays the winner of Central Connecticut vs. TCU tonight at 8 PM. It’s double-elimination and Arkansas is the only team in the Fayetteville Regional not to have lost yet. If Arkansas wins tonight, they advance to the Super Regionals. If Arkansas loses tonight, they play tonight’s opponent again tomorrow, with the winner of that game going to the Super Regionals.

Here’s an interactive bracket. Hmmm interesting… if the Hogs make the Super Regionals, their most likely opponent will be Ole Miss, although it could be Clemson or Jacksonville State.

The Flying Saucer had this to say about their newest burger experiment:

Meet the Gunslinger, our newest burger battle feature! Smoked cream cheese, mango pico, fried avocado, and a tequila lime aioli sit on top of this delicious chorizo patty! It won’t last long, so get in here and try it with your favorite draft today!

That sounds amazing. I may have to get by there and try a Gunslinger today.

Memphis 901 FC’s game at Saint Louis FC last night had to be postponed as storms and lightning moved through.

The folks at Wiseacre had some words about the groundbreaking of Wiseacre 2, their new Downtown brewery and taproom.

The Orpheum has revealed the lineup for its Halloran Centre On Stage series. There will be a 12-part Music Series, a 3-part Theatre Series, a 5-part Songwriter Series, and an Orchestra Unplugged symphony series.

For those looking to eat healthy, here’s an interesting idea: meatball subs with bell peppers in the place of bread

Springboard Memphis is having a Band & Brew Bar Crawl today. Come hear emerging artists at four Beale Street venues: B.B. King’s, Rum Boogie, Blues Hall, and Blues City Cafe. These artists have been through a Band Bootcamp this weekend, with industry leaders giving them the tools they need to navigate the path to success.

The musical Anastasia will play the Orpheum this coming week, June 4-9.

Downtown Memphis ranked #22 in MSN Money’s list of affordable downtowns to live in. They got our zip code wrong though. Little Rock made it into the top ten, with a median rent of only $836. Number one? Billings, Montana. Billings is beautiful, no doubt, but a bit small and cold for my taste.

The Accessories play a 5 PM show at The Dirty Crow Inn today.

The Barkers Brunch Artist Market will be at Wiseacre (the original location on Broad) from noon to 6. 10% of the proceeds from all works sold at the market will benefit Streetdog Foundation, an organization that finds homes for dogs who would likely otherwise die on the streets or in the shelter. Participating vendors include

The Button Brigade
babycreep
Funlola Coker
Paper & Clay
Question the Answer
Heart Over Hand
Pretty Useful
Lindsey Glenn Design
Latha Bar
Crybaby Club
Denim by LLA
Colbymade
MRussell Art

Andrew Cabigao provides the tunes at brunch at Sunrise this morning from 10 to 1.

Cadie Calhoun will have an album release party at Silky’s on Beale this afternoon. She and John Stone will perform 3-7.

Likely Grizzlies draftee Ja Morant is undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery and will take 3-4 weeks to recover. This has opened the door to speculation that the Grizzlies might take R.J. Barrett and let Morant slide to the Knicks at number 3. Pera, Levien, Tayshaun, Grizzlies front office… please don’t screw this up! And for heaven’s sake, no one say, “Hey Chris, what do you think?”

That’ll do it for now… it’s brunch time. Back tomorrow with more news.

 

 

The 38th annual Outdoors Inc. Canoe and Kayak Race is today from 10 AM to 3 PM, happening on Mud Island. Well, technically the race happens in the water around Mud Island. You get what I mean.

Makeda’s Cookies at 488 S. Second is hosting A Taste of Makeda’s this afternoon from 1 to 4. They’re debuting a new menu and they want you to stop by and taste what they’ve got.

Tonight is Margaritaville Night at the Redbirds. First 1000 people in the gate receive leis. There will be live Jimmy Buffett cover music, and Hawaiian shirts are encouraged. First pitch 6:35. Following the game there will be fireworks set to Buffett’s music.

YouTube sensations The Hodgetwins come to the Halloran Centre tonight. The comedy duo takes the stage at 8 PM. Tickets are $25-50 and the $50 VIP ticket includes a meet and greet.

Amber King and Leroy Clay’s All-Stars perform classic and modern rock tonight at 8 at the Center for Southern Folklore. This is an all-ages show. $7 cover.

The Cousins Maine Lobster truck will be Downtown today. It will be parked outside the Cannon Center from noon to 7.

The Rusty Pieces play the Blind Bear tonight at 10.

What I learned watching TV yesterday: Toe wrestling is a thing. We’re running out of ideas here, people. If Rahul is wearing a championship belt when he works the door at Blind Bear tonight, now you know why.

Useful: Which condiments need to be refrigerated

K.E.L.L.Y. Boutique invites you to check out their men’s collection in their June Pop-Up Shop at Puck Food Hall at 409 South Main.

Pig steals 18 beers from campers, gets drunk and picks fight with cow. This pig needs to be the Moody Ques mascot. No we would not put him on the smoker.

If you want to support local farms while eating well this month, check out Claybrook Farms’ June bundle. For $150 you get four 12 ounce ribeyes, two 8 ounce filets, four flat-iron steaks, one 16 ounce flank steak, one 9 ounce skirt steak, and four 1.5 pound packs of ground beef. Perfect for grilling and over a $30 savings.

The date for National Night Out, the night when neighbors come together with the police who keep them safe, has  changed. Formerly the first Tuesday in August, this year the event will happen on October 1. This is a good move since many NNO events are outdoors, and the weather is much more cooperative at the new, later date.

Memphis Gospel Fest will happen tomorrow afternoon in Robert Church Park on Beale east of Fourth.

Spray cheese, maraschino cherries, and pimiento-stuffed olives are some foods that could qualify stores to accept food stamps under relaxed regulations. But wait, before you start cussing those darn socialists like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, they didn’t do it. The relaxed regulations came from the Trump administration. Thanks Trump!

That’ll do it for this post. Off to Bardog to start my Saturday. Back tomorrow with more news.

 

Tonight is Star Wars Night at the Redbirds. Characters from the movie series will be available for photos throughout the game. There will be a costume contest for fans who dress as their favorite character, and those who dress up can participate in a special on-field parade at 6:30. There will be Light Sword classes the first two innings on the Terminix Terrace. (I guess “lightsaber” is a trademarked term they can’t use?) After the game there will be a drone race. A specialty ticket ($18 field box/$21 dugout/$25 club) includes a Light Sword that expands to 36 inches and features LED lights that rotate through 7 different settings of 4 colors.

I want a purple lightsaber like the one Mace Windu had. Samuel L. Jackson had it written into his contract that his character would have a purple lightsaber.

The Daily Memphian’s Jennifer Biggs has a recap of her visit to the grand opening of Puck Food Hall at 409 S. Main. Sounds like they have some delicious food there, as well as a re-thought business model that will keep their vendors around for a while.

The Memphis Business Journal has a look at 3rd and Court, the new diner going into the Hotel Indigo space at B.B. King and Court. Ryan Trimm is partnering up with Central BBQ’s Craig Blondis and Ryan Sapp to open the restaurant, which will seat 60 and employ 25 people. Trimm had always wanted to open a 1950s-style diner. He says the menu will be accessible to Downtowners and the restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. “Comfort food” is how he describes it.

I hope the new diner is a success. It will have to get past the (quite incorrect) perception that Monroe, home to the Little Tea Shop, Bardog, Flight, and McEwen’s, is the far northern edge of the food scene in the Downtown core. There are a number of places to eat beyond that, including Fam, Havana’s Pilon, Brass Door, Regina’s Cajun Kitchen, 901 Wings, and Willie Moore’s. All are north of Monroe but are sometimes forgotten.

I hope they keep the price points reasonable too. If they charge $22 for fried chicken, it’s not a diner, even if Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer have their own booth there.

Memphis Tigers football on national TV: On Saturday, August 31, the Tigers and Ole Miss will kick off on ABC at 11 AM. What a difference the past decade has made in Tigers football! They’re actually a ratings draw now, and that’ll be one of the best games during the normally slow first week. You know what would be really cool? If, during the broadcast, the camera cut to shots of James Wiseman and Ja Morant watching the game.

A Major League Soccer team is coming to Memphis. Memphis 901 FC advanced to the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup this week and will host Orlando City SC at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex on June 12.

The Brass Door will close at 3 PM today for a private event. They will reopen at 8 AM tomorrow and will have the Champions League final on tomorrow at 2, and of course there will be a watch party for the Memphis 901 FC vs. St. Louis FC at 7:30 PM.

Memphis in May has 2014-2017 Beale Street Music Fest shirts on sale for only $5 in its online store today.

Penny Hardaway’s new shoe drops at Nike retailers tomorrow.

From Distractify: Restaurant server tricks to get you to spend more money

The Harbortown 3 Mile happens tonight on Mud Island at 7:30. Proceeds benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Memphis.

New shop Vibe & Dime opens tonight at 510 S. Main as part of the monthly South Main Trolley Night.

Bloom into flower power is the theme at tomorrow’s Memphis Farmers Market. Beautify your home with flowers grown locally this weekend. Flower Power music will be supplied by South Main Sounds all day long. The Cossitt Library will be there 9 to noon with some summer reading and info about its Explore Memphis programs. YOGA! At 9:45 there will be a yoga class taught by Amy of Downtown Yoga. Free pet sitting while you shop, to the left of the restroom/food truck area. The Market runs every Saturday at the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson, behind Malco Powerhouse, from 8 AM to 1 PM.

That’s it for now. Back tomorrow.

Jennifer Biggs of The Daily Memphian has the info on the grand opening of Puck Food Hall at 409 S. Main, which happens tonight at 5:30. The food hall has expanded to 10 businesses with a few more to come. These include a bar, a butcher and deli, a dessert shop, a pizzeria, a coffee and tea shop, a pasta shop, an organic salad shop, a gelato shop, a Mexican restaurant and an American-Chinese restaurant. Space for a chef-in-residence will be added soon.

The Cossitt Library will have a presence at 409 S. Main tonight and tomorrow. They will have their Pop-Up Library from which you can purchase books. They will also be talking about the Memphis Public Libraries’ Explore Memphis summer program, and they will be signing people up to become a Friend of Cossitt and to join their email list.

The Cossitt folks will also be at the Memphis Farmers Market this Saturday. They will have flowers to give away, spring-themed books to read, and coloring activities for the kids. Follow Cossitt Library on Facebook to keep up with all the latest news.

The NBA Finals tip off tonight at 8 on ABC, and I betcha there is going to be a lot of interest from Memphis. Marc Gasol and the Toronto Raptors face off against the Golden State Warriors, and it would be so good to see Big Spain get a ring. The Raptors finished the season with the better record, and therefore will host games 1 and 2 and (if necessary) 5 and 7. Grind City Media has an article about Marc Gasol feeling the support of Memphis and his Core Four brothers as he competes in his first Finals.

On Friday, June 14, River Garden will have a Night Market from 4:30 to 7:30 PM. TapBox will be on site pouring cold beer, and food vendors 4th Cup and Soi Number 9 food truck. There will be hula hoops, yard games, music, and the following vendors:

Bluff City Turning
Estes Designs
IV by David
LATHA
Primas Bakery and Boutique
MEK Design
Mbabazi House of Style Memphis
Mili’s Flowers And Gifts
Paper&Clay
Pretty Useful Co
Question the Answer
Terri Scott Illustration

The Memphis Farmers Market’s annual 5K, Crop Hop, is getting even better this year. Due to popular demand, the race will move from Friday night to Saturday morning, with June 15 being the date this year. The race will start and end at the Market, and there will be a new course this year with scenic views and no hills. Race participants get an after-party with Bloody Marys, beer, breakfast sandwiches, fresh fruit, and more. Also, the great thing about having the race on Saturday morning is that when you finish your run, you’re right there at the Market. Participants will get a reusable tote and a $5 coupon to spend with Market vendors that day. If you want to enjoy the after-party but you don’t want to run, sign up to be a Spirit Runner. Register for the race here.

Memphis magazine has a look at summer on the river, and there’s a lot going on. There will be two Mud Island free concert series. The first, Soulin’ on the River, will be five shows featuring the sound of new Memphis Soul, curated by local artist Tonya Dyson. The second series will be called Vibe on the Island and will feature original Memphis music in a variety of genres, curated by actor/vocalist Bertram Williams. There are daily kayak and paddleboat rentals, and there will be a free kayaking orientation this Saturday at 2 at River Garden. There’s free yoga at River Garden every Tuesday at 6, and there is a new Yoga on the Gulf class combining paddleboarding and yoga in Mud Island River Park’s Gulf of Mexico pool Sundays in June. YOGA! Kids will have arts and crafts activities the first Sunday of every month in River Garden. This Sunday, June 2, kids will be able to craft and paint flags.

Studies show that crime goes up on Beale Street when the Beale Street Bucks cover charge is not in effect. The cover works, plain and simple.

Drunk Uncle, the self-proclaimed “Memphis’ Most Funniest Band,” headlines the Peabody rooftop party tonight. Known to play any song from any genre, the Peabody writes, “You may hear Aerosmith and you may hear Michael Jackson, or you may hear Shania Twain, Big & Rich, Van Halen, The Offspring or the Red Hot Chili Peppers.” $10 to get in, $20 VIP. Admission includes a buffet of mini meatloaves and tater tots. If you’re in VIP you get a second buffet of chicken and biscuits, beef brisket sliders, and mini cheesecakes.

Richard Carrier will be at the Silly Goose tonight 7-10. Carrier is a world-renowned author and speaker. Read about him here.

That’s all for now. Back tomorrow with more news.

 

If any of you have thought about getting into bartending, but have never pursued it, I learned of an outstanding opportunity over the weekend. I can’t remember if it was Facebook or Twitter where I saw it – I just copied/pasted into Evernote. The Gray Canary posted the following:

“Interested in learning how to bartend? We’re hiring! Send all front of house inquiries and resumes to nick@enjoyam.com.”

The Gray Canary is the Andrew Ticer/Michael Hudman restaurant in Old Dominick Distillery. I am stunned that they are willing to train. Usually bartenders applying to restaurants of this quality are expected to have several years experience. This is a chance to learn from the best. Get hired there, get trained there, work there for 2 years (and pick up shifts at any of the other Ticer/Hudman restaurants if offered) and you will be able to get a job behind any bar in this city. Seems like there would be some other perks too, like no ultra-late hours and some delicious shift meals.

Jennifer Biggs has a must-read article in The Daily Memphian about the history of the food scene in Memphis.

If you’re looking for something to do tonight, as of yesterday there were still spots open for the Coppola Wine Dinner tonight at Rizzo’s at 6:30. Treat yo self!

For those who live on the island: Cordelia’s Market will have another meet your neighbor dinner tomorrow night, Thursday, May 30, from 5 to 7 PM. This dinner will have some special guests: Memphis 901 FC will be there.

As for tonight, Stanley’s Sweet Street Treat will be the truck for Food Truck Wednesday at Cordelia’s 5-8. Try the crab po’boy!

Magician Hayden will come to the Halloran Centre on August 3. Based out of Charlotte, NC, he has been gaining popularity for his fast-paced magic show. He will perform tricks with audience members’ borrowed smartphones, perform in sleight-of-hand card tricks, and engage in mentalism with members of the audience. Visit Hayden’s website to learn more.

Here’s a list of black owned businesses to support in Memphis. The Four Way and Payne’s? I need to get out there and do some supporting!

Sorry for the lack of posts the past two days. Monday I had a good reason for taking a day off… I just didn’t have much news to post! Sometimes that happens, especially now that we’re in the dog days of summer where there’s not much interesting to do outside for two and a half months. Tuesday I had a different good reason… my friend Spiros came to town. Spiros is one of the most interesting people I know, and he has a job traveling around work sites across the U.S. This week his job brought him close enough to Memphis that he was able to stop for a visit.

About 8:30 yesterday morning, Spiros messaged me and asked if I knew of a place Downtown to get breakfast. I replied, “There’s a place right around the corner from me that has great breakfast. Bardog Tavern,” and Spiros said he’d meet me there.

While there, I got a new tambourine!

Someone left it in lost & found and Teryn told me they were going to throw it out. It was battery powered and lit up in four different patterns.

Unfortunately I didn’t have a tambourine for long. When I ate lunch at Lenny’s I forgot to take it with me when I left. Someone’s kid got a new toy yesterday, probably.

Don’t worry, I didn’t lose the troll.

For my new readers, I’ll tell you about the big thing going on this weekend. It’s not a Downtown thing – it’s out east at Park and Mt. Moriah at Marquette Park. Italian Fest is a three-day cooking competition. In some ways it is like BBQ Fest – teams build elaborate booths, and to get in a booth you have to be on a team or know someone on it. The teams tend to have names that reference Italy, as opposed to BBQ Fest where the team names reference pigs. For example, one of the Italian Fest teams I know is called The Made Men. Prize categories include Spaghetti Gravy, Anything Italian, People’s Choice, and Best Booth.

If you don’t know anyone on a team, is it worth going? Yes. There will be live music all three days, including Trouble No More and Hope Clayburn’s Soul Scrimmage on Friday and Ingram Hill on Saturday. Luigi’s Cafe will offer Italian dinners in air-conditioned comfort for only $15. There will be Italian food vendors such as Garibaldi’s and Coletta’s in the park too. Luigi Land will offer carnival games and mini carnival rides, and there will be arts & crafts too.

One caveat – if there is heavy rain at any point between now and Saturday, my take on Italian Fest changes from “worth going” to “not worth going.” Rain turns Marquette Park into a mud pit the likes of which Tom Lee Park during Music Fest cannot even compare (except for the year the river flooded maybe).

Activists are removing the middle bar on some of the benches Downtown, saying that the middle bar makes it uncomfortable for the homeless to rest.

Whoa! I turned on The Price Is Right and got Robert Mueller instead. I’ll leave it to the news sources to summarize.

(Edit: Changed my mind. Here’s a summary of what Muller more or less said.)

Shorter Mueller:

1. I wasn't allowed to charge the President with a crime.

2. I believe he committed crimes, or I would say otherwise.

3. Congress does have the authority to charge him with a crime.

— David Jolly (@DavidJollyFL) May 29, 2019

Damn they just gave away a Tesla! It’s Dream Car Week.

All right, that’s it for now. Back tomorrow with more.