Category: Uncategorized

Just got breaking news from an AutoZone Park press release. All Memphis 901 FC regular season games will be broadcast on local TV, on WLMT CW30. The broadcasts begin tomorrow at 6 with Memphis 901 FC’s inaugural game vs. the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

In other soccer-related news, soccer supporters group Bluff City Mafia is moving their pre-game gathering to The Cavern, the downstairs area of the Brass Door, due to weather concerns. They had previously planned to make it an alley party in Maggie H. Isabel Alley.

BREAKING NEWS: Due to a busted water main, The Little Tea Shop will be closed for lunch today. Bardog is also currently closed and will open later today when the repairs are done.

Powerhouse Malco Cinema opened for business yesterday, bringing the movies back Downtown. There are 7 screens with recliner seating. This week is something of a soft opening, with Captain Marvel being shown on 6 screens and The Kid showing on 1 screen. Once they work out the opening kinks they will expand to a full slate of movies.

As many of us remember, the last time we had a movie theater Downtown, in the Peabody Place Mall, it didn’t work out due to the place being overrun by rowdy, loud teenagers. Malco is putting policies in place to make sure that doesn’t happen at Powerhouse. After 6 PM on Friday and Saturday, no one under 17 will be admitted to an R-rated movie, and those under 17 must be accompanied by a parent to get into a G, PG, or PG-13 rated movie. THANK YOU Malco for providing an environment adults can enjoy!

The bar & grill menu looks really good, with pub food, sandwiches, burgers, salads, and wood-fired pizzas. I’ve been told they have in-theater delivery of food (not quite sure how that works without disturbing other movie watchers, but interesting). There are milkshakes and you can add booze. There’s also a full bar, with a good selection of local draft beers, classic cocktails, and specialty drinks. The only thing I think they did wrong with the bar is that they don’t have PBR. I haven’t confirmed this but I’ve been told it’s possible to dine and drink at the Powerhouse bar and grill without having purchased a ticket to a movie.

The Redbirds have announced their promotional schedule for 2019. Here is a summary of some of the highlights:

• All-you-can-eat nights, where a specialty ticket gets you a seat to the game and a 2-hour all-you-can-eat buffet, are being moved to Fridays this year. The featured dish will change from week to week, including wings, crawfish, tacos, beef sliders, breakfast, and ribs… but the best one of all, in my opinion will be on Friday, August 23: crab legs.
• Fireworks will remain on Saturdays this year and will be sponsored by Terminix.
• Thursdays will be Throwback Thursdays with the Redbirds wearing the Memphis Chicks uniforms. $2 select draft beers and $1 Polk’s hot dogs.
• Mondays starting in June will be Musica Mondays, honoring Hispanic Heritage.
• Kids will still get to run the bases on Sundays and will get free Prarie Farms ice cream.

Edible Memphis is back with another of their excellent restaurant articles. This time the subject is Cozy Corner. You know, I hate it that I always forget to recommend Cozy Corner to tourists because it’s tucked away off the beaten path. Their food is worthy of being mentioned alongside Central BBQ.

The upcoming time change has been discussed and there has been some confusion. Here’s the deal: The minute after 1:59 AM Central Standard Time this Sunday, March 10 is 3:00 AM Central Daylight Time. So we will not have a 2:00 hour this Sunday morning. That’s why it’s said that we “lose an hour” and “spring forward.” The first Sunday morning in November, we have two 2:00 hours and get our hour back.

Canines, Cookies & Craft happens this coming Wednesday, March 13 from 5 to 8 at Cordelia’s Market. Diamond Bear Brewing Co. out of Little Rock will be doing a pairing of 4 craft beers with Girl Scout cookies. Weather permitting, Streetdog Foundation will have adoptable dogs onsite.

It’s International Women’s Day at the Grizzlies tonight with an all-female entertainment lineup. Memphis hosts the Utah Jazz at FedExForum tonight at 7.

The Daily Memphian has a food fight between two beloved locals’ bars, Bardog and Dirty Crow Inn: Who has the better club sandwich? Those of you who have the same inside information I have will find it a bit ironic that the Crow was chosen as Bardog’s opponent.

The Memphis Tigers are now locked into a 5 seed in the AAC tournament to be played in Memphis next weekend. Although the Tigers still have a regular season game left this Saturday versus Tulsa, the outcome cannot push Memphis up to a 4 seed or drop them to a 6. The Tigers will open AAC tournament play Thursday at 2 vs. Tulane. Assuming they advance, their next games will be

• Friday at 1
• Saturday at 2
• Sunday at 2:15

Thursday’s game will be on ESPNU, Friday and Saturday’s games on ESPN2, and the finals will be on ESPN.

The Brass Door is holding a Blackwater St. Patrick’s Day Throwdown Sunday, March 17 from 2:30 to 5:30 in the afternoon. Come spend St. Patrick’s Day hearing Blackwater Trio in Downtown’s authentic Irish pub.

Crawfish lovers, a good Instagram follow is @Glazescrawfish. Glaze does the crawfish boils at Sidecar Cafe Wednesday evenings, Railgarten on Thursday evenings, and Loflin Yard on Saturday afternoons.

Yesterday at happy hour at the Silly Goose, I was talking with a business owner about his new product that is coming to Memphis: Whey Good protein shakes on a stick. You eat these like you would an ice cream treat on a stick, and they taste as good, but they contain 21 grams of whey protein. They’re available in vanilla, double strawberry, and banana cream. They are now in the two Memphis-area Whole Foods, and the business partners are looking to get these in additional locations in the Memphis area.

While talking to him, a question came to mind: “I remember the menu from the smoothie truck that used to sell at the Memphis Farmers Market. You could add whey protein or vegan protein to your smoothie. Why wouldn’t whey be considered vegan?”

“Whey can be dairy,” he replied, and I immediately thought about the nursery rhyme that mentioned curds and whey. Little Miss Muffet I think?

The past three weeks, I’ve been experimenting with portable versions of the Linux operating system that can be booted off a USB stick. I have tried Ubuntu, Porteus, Slax, and FatDog64, but none of them did everything I wanted. Finally I have hit upon a winner: Linux Mint. This is the first flavor of Linux I have ever seen that is as friendly as Windows 10. It detected my sound card, which several of the other Linux flavors didn’t. It also found that my Wi-Fi card was being accessed with the wrong driver and offered to fix it. It offers a graphical interface to install additional packages (much like an app store) but if you need to install packages through the terminal (using apt or something similar) you can do that too. If you’ve ever thought about dipping a toe into the waters of Linux, Linux Mint on a USB stick is a way to do it without buying a new computer or messing up your current one. Hit me up if you want me to explain how to get Linux on a USB drive. It’s super easy once you understand the process.

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

I’ve followed the Mr. Frazier’s Fish Fry food truck on Facebook for a while, and when Mr. Frazier posted that he was back Downtown on Thursdays for the Court Square food truck rodeo on Thursdays, I decided it was time to give the Fish Fry a try.

Their main menu, full of USDA farm-raised catfish, shrimp, and dirty wings, looked good, but I didn’t see the thing I’ve been told you HAVE to try there was not on that menu. Then I saw the board with today’s specials.

The Crabby Fries are the thing I’ve heard is the must-get. These are waffle fries covered in a creamy Imperial lump crab sauce. However, I also wanted to try the fish and shrimp, so the Seafood Trio was an ideal choice. I walked it home and, after Perjorie T. Roll jumped in the box, I snapped a photo.

The crabby fries are at the top of the photo and lived up to all the praise I had heard. Catfish and shrimp were good too. This was a lot of food, so I have half of it left in the refrigerator for a meal when I get home tonight.

Mr. Frazier’s Fish Fry is a great locally-owned and African-American-owned business. Check them out on Thursdays in Court Square. If you can’t make it on Thursdays, follow them on Facebook or at @MrFraziersFishfry to see where they will be the rest of the week.

The Memphis Flyer and the Commercial Appeal have more information about Lucky’s Social Club, the new combination dog park and bar at 730 South Main. It’s at Main and Carolina, and it is being opened by Mac Hopper who developed Carolina Watershed and Loflin Yard, along with Chelsea Glass and Brian Ellsworth. The half-acre space will have amenities for dogs including a water station, tether ball, and an obstacle course, and they plan to eventually have a Paws of Fame wall. Dog owners will enjoy local beers, gourmet hot dogs, and live music. They plan to have food trucks on site as well. Also, the developers hope to have a beer for dogs on tap.

This will be a members-only park, with memberships costing $10 per day, $25 per month, or $275 per year. Owners must present paperwork that their dogs are spayed or neutered and have all their vaccinations, and they must sign a letter affirming that their dog is not aggressive. For the March 16-17 soft opening owners are asked to keep their dogs on leashes, but once the park is fully open, dogs will be allowed to run free inside the entirely fenced area. Yesterday I was talking to a dog-owner friend of mine who lives Downtown about Lucky’s Social Club, and if she planned to join. “Oh, hell yeah,” she said. “$25 a month? If I go there 5 times a month, it’s worth it.”

Okay. Before we move on to other news, I want to link to the Commercial Appeal article one more time. There’s a photo of a German shepherd with a ball in his mouth, and the caption underneath begins with “This is a dog…”. Well, NO SHIT. I thought I was looking at a brontosaurus. We’re so lucky to have the CA to clarify stuff like this.

Interesting breaking news this morning: Commissioner Tami Sawyer is announcing a run for Memphis mayor. That’s going to put me to a tough decision on Election Day. I am a big fan of the commissioner, but I also think Mayor Strickland has done a (mostly) good job serving the entire city (rather than just his cronies) and being transparent. The nightmare scenario is Sawyer and Strickland split the vote, resulting in King Willie back in office. I’ll be exploring apartment rentals in Downtown Little Rock if that happens.

Earnestine & Hazel’s posted yesterday welcoming Malco Theaters to the neighborhood. E&H said that on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, they are going to open at noon from now on, so that movie-goers can enjoy a Soul Burger and a drink before or after the show.

Noon on Saturdays, huh… I’m going to have to figure out how to make that work with my trips to the Farmers Market when they begin about four weeks from now.

Michael Donahue stopped by Earnestine & Hazel’s recently for an update on what’s going on there. The jukebox is staying, the records aren’t coming off the wall, and Nate is still there. The place is much the same, with improvements that won’t mess with the character of the place.

This Sunday, March 10, the Grizzlies are having another Kids Free Ticket Game. Buy a Terrace I, II, III, or IV ticket to the game vs. Orlando at FedExForum at 5 PM that day, and receive a complimentary ticket for a child 12 or under. This is a great way to introduce kids to the joy of live basketball without breaking the bank. Get your tickets online or at the FedExForum box office.

Memphis 901 FC revealed its inaugural home jersey design yesterday. I love it that there’s a Silky O’ Sullivan’s patch on the sleeve. I bet Silky will be looking down upon the game from afar and smiling Saturday.

The Memphis City Moms Blog has a post about what you can expect to find at the Calvary Lenten Waffle Shop that starts today and is open Tuesday-Friday 11 AM-1:30 PM through Lent. Good photos of the food, and confirmation that the fish pudding and tomato aspic are worth a try even though they sound gross.

That’s it for now. Back to my battles trying to get a flavor of Portable Linux set up on a laptop. Trying Mint Linux after several others failed to meet my needs. Back tomorrow with more news.

 

Something very cool was announced yesterday: There is going to be a 4-weekend long Memphis Adult Sports League with play kicking off the weekend of March 22-24 and extending the following three weekends. The venues will be Carolina Watershed and Loflin Yard.

There will be over 20 sports total, and you can pick and choose the ones you like. Traditional bar games like beer pong and cornhole will be covered, of course, but there will also be sports like the ones you played in gym class in high school – volleyball, badminton, kickball, and the like. There will even be a sport you probably didn’t have in high school – competitive axe throwing. Plus many more!

The very interesting thing about this league is that you don’t have to find a team to be on. You’re already on a team based on where you live. The 7 teams will be

• Nomads – People who live inside the northern half of the 240 loop and who are not in East Memphis (so north Downtown, north Midtown, North Memphis)
• Somads – People who live inside the southern half of the 240 loop and who are not in East Memphis (so south Downtown, south Midtown, South Memphis)
• Beasts of the East – People who live in East Memphis
• Bougie Bourbonites – People in Cordova, Collierville, and points to the east
• Put Some South in Your Mouth – People in Whitehaven, Horn Lake, Southaven, Olive Branch, Hernando
• West Memphis Wackos – People in West Memphis, Marion, Jericho, Forrest City, or elsewhere in East Arkansas
• Go Forth from the North – People in Frayser, Raleigh, Bartlett, Covington and points to the north of the 240 loop

So, based on my address, I believe I would be a Somad. That assumes they use Madison/Walnut Grove as the north/south dividing line the way the city does. I like it that if I played as a Somad, I might have teammates from South Memphis as well as my own neighborhood. Very inclusive. It’s not just limited to certain zip codes.

The reason I really like this is because you don’t have to be part of a little clique to enter a team as you do in some other bar sports competitions. Heck, you could move to Memphis on Wednesday, March 20 and be out there playing by the end of the week! This is a great way to meet people and make new friends, while being active outside during some of the nicest weekends of the year. Whoever thought this league up, well done!

Rabid soccer supporters Bluff City Mafia have announced their plans for this weekend and the first-ever Memphis 901 FC match at AutoZone Park.

Here’s the agenda for this weekend:
Friday Night we are having a prematch event at the brass door starting at 7. Saturday prematch starts at brass door at 2. March to the match at 5:15. Make AZP hell for the opposing team at 6.

— Bluff City Mafia (@BluffCityMafia) March 5, 2019

The popular Drink-N-Draw drawing game returns to the Ghost River taproom this Friday at 7 PM.

People are raving about the Cousins Maine Lobster food truck. Here are some places you can catch the truck this week and weekend.

• Wiseacre Brewing Co. 5:00-8:30 Thursday, March 7
• Health Sciences Park, 799 Madison, 11 AM-2 PM Friday, March 8
• Memphis Made Brewing Co. 1-6 PM Sunday, March 10

The inaugural Spirits & Soul Fest will bring the Tennessee Whiskey Trail to Downtown Memphis April 26-27. Distillers from around the state will join artists, tastemakers and local businesses of South Main Historic Arts District for a weekend of good music, good food, and the finest Tennessee spirits.

Friday, April 26 will be Spirits & Soul Trolley Night. The Trolley Night, as always, is free to attend, and with your 1 or 2 day pass you will be invited to sample Tennessee spirits at participating locations. Saturday, April 27 there will be a Distillers Block Party at Old Dominick. There will also be two other ticketed events, a cocktail class and a series of Tennessee Whiskey Trail stories.

Lansky at the Peabody is hiring. They’re looking for people to work 4:30-9:00 weekday shifts and Saturday and Sunday shifts, who are outgoing, energetic, and who have a passion for people. If that sounds like you, email them at sales@lanskybros.com.

Check out this cool gift a liquor rep gave me Monday.

She was in Blind Bear dropping off some branded swag to owner Jeannette, but she saw me, recognized me as a regular there, and said, “I have something for you too.” It’s a Grand Marnier-themed journal with about 100 blank pages. I will use that for sure.

St. Pawtrick’s Day will happen at Lucky’s Social Club at 730 S. Main, Saturday and Sunday of St. Patrick’s Day weekend. Meet the staff and let them know what you want to see in a dog park. Live music, food trucks, local beer. Noon to 6 PM both days.

Mariposas Collective, an organization that supplies help and relief to refugees around the country, is in desperate need of winter gear, since the cold is sticking around longer than usual. Winter coats of any size, from baby to adult, would be appreciated. Three ways you can help them:

• Volunteer at First Congo (1000 S. Cooper) to help make sandwich bags and sort through donations
• Make a monetary donation via PayPal
• Purchase items from Mariposas’ Amazon wish list to help them get supplies

Pro wrestling is returning to Memphis TV. Dustin and Maria Starr will co-host Championship Wrestling presented by Pro Shingle, on CW30 (Jackson, TN CW39) every Saturday at noon beginning April 6.

In other wrestling news: Damn “The Man,” Screw “The Woo.” Ronda Rousey’s heel turn on Monday night was one of the best I have ever seen.

The best Mardi Gras beads ever are the ones with a Popeye’s chicken box hanging off the ends.

Lent has begun, and the Waffle Shop at Calvary Episcopal opens for lunch Tuesday-Friday 11 AM-1:30 PM beginning tomorrow. Here’s the menu. I want to stop in and give this a try a few times in the next 6 weeks. Corned beef and cabbage is what sounds good to me, but it’s on the same day as Court Square food truck Thursday. I’m a bit hesitant to try dishes like tomato aspic and fish pudding that I have never had before, but perhaps I will broaden my horizons.

There will be a performance for children of The Rainbow Fish at the Orpheum this Saturday, March 9 at 10 AM. Based on the books of children’s author Marcus Pfister, this is the story of a beautiful rainbow fish who learns to share his prized possession. There will be two other stories as well, “Rainbow Fish Discovers the Deep Sea” and “Opposites.” Run time of the show is about 50 minutes.

Diamond Dave is calling British Bingo tonight at Belle Tavern at 7, and this bingo night is a particularly special occasion. It’s his birthday!

Thai food truck Soi #9 will be the featured truck at Food Truck Wednesday tonight at Cordelia’s Market.

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

If you’ve walked down the Main Street Mall the past year, you may have noticed a business called Talent Development Complex that has moved in to a storefront in Pembroke Square. If you’re like me, you wondered what it was, what goes on in there.

If you want to find out, come to the monthly South Main Association meeting there on Tuesday, March 12 (6:00 social/6:30 presentation). The business seeks to develop a viable Memphis music industry by by providing resources and education for aspiring musicians and industry professionals. The space includes recording booths, music studios, practice rooms, and stages with all the latest technology.

(But no stripper pole… ?)

Due to the size of the group, the meeting will happen in the adjoining lobby of the Belz Museum. One of the artists working with the complex will give a performance, and before and after the presentation there will be tours of the complex. Bites by Grecian Gourmet and adult beverages donated by Kirby Wines & Liquors. This event is free for SMA members, $10 for non-members.

The Fourth Bluff is looking for Memphians to Fuel the Fourth Bluff. You can propose fresh ideas to invigorate our shared assets, and receive a grant of $1000, $5000, $10,000, or $20,000 to execute your vision. There will be an informational session next Tuesday, March 12, at 409 S. Main from 6 to 9 PM.

I want to say a word to people who post information to social media and then say “Link in bio” to view the informational link. Don’t do that. Include the link directly in your post or tweet. Don’t make your readers jump through an additional hoop to view your information. Use bit.ly to generate a short URL if you need something that fits in a 280-character tweet.

Crawford & Power, a band with its roots in classic country, Americana, and Southern rock, plays the Tin Roof tonight in a free show.

@PAPA_FLOCKA of SBNation’s Grizzly Bear Blues thinks the team should bring back Joakim Noah next season. I would agree! The intangibles he brings, like firing the crowd up and being a locker room leader, make Noah worth it, if he can be re-signed to a veteran’s minimum contract.

The Grizzlies host the Portland Trail Blazers tonight at 7. Tonight will be the Hoops for St. Jude kickoff.

The 7th annual Good People Good Beer gala happens at Memphis Grand Carousel, 2525 Central, at 7 PM on Saturday, March 23. Hosted by Operation Broken Silence, this event raises money for children’s education in war-torn Sudan. The theme of the party, which changes every year, is Masquerade.

Love, Sex and Marriage comes to the Halloran Centre April 6. This is the story of a superstar, Darrin, who is popular with the ladies and admired by the men. However, Darrin is a closeted gay man who is signed to a homophobic record label.

Cordelia’s Market will host a Sweet Water beer dinner Thursday, March 21 at 6:30 PM. This will be a five-course meal with beer pairings from Sweet Water.

What happened to the pigeons? They used to be all over the Main Street Mall and Court Square. Now I almost ever see them. I saw a dove, practically the same thing, yesterday and that’s what made me think about the pigeons. I remember at one point the city bought a falcon to try and control the pigeon population. The falcon flew away though.

Downtown Yoga is presenting a Nutritional Hacks Workshop Sunday, March 17 from 2:15 to 3:45. The workshop will be led by Gene Williams, an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer/Yoga-Pilates Instructor/Nutritional Counselor. The workshop will start off with an hour of yoga, followed by Q&A about nutrition. If your fitness program has hit a plateau, Gene will give you some hacks to jump-start your metabolism. He’ll discuss simple vs. complex carbs and the role of each in a healthy diet. YOGA!

Skillet, the food portion of the Lifehacker website, recommends adding pickles to your breakfast sandwiches.

The Commercial Appeal posted the obituary for my BBQ teammate Danny. Whoever wrote this did an outstanding job capturing the essence of Danny’s spirit.

Sad to hear of the passing of King Kong Bundy. I enjoyed watching Bundy on Mid-South Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling as a kid. Bundy was 450 pounds and demanded a five-count rather than the traditional three-count to win a match. In this video Bundy turns on his manager Paul Ellering in World Championship Wrestling in 1984 (fast-forward to 1:16:30).

Sorry for no post yesterday. I just didn’t have enough to warrant doing one. Back tomorrow with more news.

Sweet Magnolia Gelato, a small-batch artisan gelato company based out of Clarksdale, Mississippi, is opening a brick-and-mortar location inside the 409 South Main food hall. They posted that they are looking for a Manager of Operations for the new location.

If you want to come cheer for the Grizzlies to CONVEY THAT PICK, they have a deal for you:

Grizz Nation! To celebrate Spring, we’re offering up to 60% off on all remaining home games. To access the deal use promo code: SPRING. Sale ends Monday, March 4th.

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) March 1, 2019

BBQ teammates: I sent out an email just now about an open house celebrating the life of our teammate Danny C. If you didn’t get the email (or if you’re not on the team but knew Danny) email me at paul@paulryburn.com and I will forward you the information.

There will be a big ceremony at Memphis Made Brewing Co. today from 3 to 5. The Camp Fire in California was one of the worst wildfires in modern history. To help with recovery, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. organized the Sierra Nevada Camp Fire Relief Fund. Breweries across the country brewed their own version of Resilience IPA and served it in their taprooms. Memphis Made did a 10 barrel batch which is just about gone. Today they will pour the last few pints of Resilience and present a check to Sierra Nevada rep Derek Petrella for more than $7000. Come raise a pint with them and toast this collaborative effort.

PBR news: There’s going to be a Pabst Blue Ribbon whiskey sometime this year.

Speaking of PBR, those who drink the beer are seeing some unusual cans Downtown.

When I first saw this, I thought it was a throwback design. However, on further inspection it appears that the printer messed up.

From April through June, you will be able to enjoy live, local music, food by chef Karen Blockman Carrier, and classic burlesque as Velvetina’s Blue Moon Revue comes to Mollie Fontaine Lounge.

I love a good muffuletta and Bluff City Coffee has one this month.

Our Sandwich of the Month for March is the Muffuletta! Rich salami, ham, and pepperoni; provolone cheese; savory house-made olive spread; and fluffy muffuletta bread make a satisfying lunch to power you through to the weekend. Served with your choice of chips and a pickle. pic.twitter.com/fzv94Ynhur

— Bluff City Coffee (@BluffCityCoffee) March 2, 2019

The Daily Beast has a good article on the time Donald Trump tried to buy NFL team the Buffalo Bills.

The temperatures are going to suck the next three days, but still, this is March and festival season is fast approaching! I look forward to informing my readers of many fun things to do the next couple of months.

Going to stay close to home today due to the cold and the wind. Back tomorrow with more news.

There’s been some confusion about the date of Beale Street Wine Race, with a couple of different dates having been mentioned. The organizers of the race cleared it up yesterday on Facebook. The Sunday festival schedule in April goes like this:

• April 14: Beale Street Wine Race
• April 21: Easter
• April 28: Rajun Cajun Crawfish Fest

For those new to Memphis, Wine Race is a competition among Memphis-area restaurants and bars. There are four events:

• Opening parade
• Queen of the Vine beauty pageant
• Grape stomp
• Four-person wine relay

Although some restaurant teams take the competition very seriously, in general this is considered the most debaucherous day on the spring calendar outside of BBQ Fest. It’s an event where servers can have fun one last time before the ultra-busy month of May begins. Normally Wine Race is the last Sunday in April, but the late occurrence of Easter this year messed up the festival calendar.

Cordelia’s Market on Mud Island posted a very valid reason to do your grocery shopping there: You can walk around with a beer in hand as you shop. Just stop by their taps and grab one.

Rizzo’s by Michael Patrick is celebrating the opening of the Power House movie theater this Friday, March 8, inviting patrons to stop in before or after the movie for 10% off appetizers and specialty cocktails. From 5-7 PM, show your ticket stub dated March 8, 2019, and they’ll bump the discount to 25%.

Tin Roof is having an all-day patio party the day of the Beale Street St. Patrick’s Day parade, March 16. Full band lineup inside, and four house DJs out on the patio. Tin Roof is a great place to watch a parade, as a group of people I know discovered back in December.

Max’s Sports Bar has announced they will have $5 Mardi Gras (half orange dreamsicle/half purple drank) slushies all day today.

Legendary restaurant Fino’s (the Midtown location) has been purchased by Chef Kelly English and will re-open next month. Other than adding some breakfast sandwiches, he does not plan on messing with an already successful and beloved concept. He is currently searching for former employees in hope that he can bring them back.

The Daily Memphian has a look at the agricultural startups making a splash at the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show this weekend.

Eight.0 plays the Center for Southern Folklore tonight at 7.

Attitude MMA Fights come to FedExForum this evening.

It’s not quite popsicle weather yet, but it soon will be. Here’s a recipe for Jack & Coke popsicles.

The House Ways & Means Committee is preparing a request for Donald Trump’s tax returns, and they are willing to go to litigation if necessary. They say they need the returns to investigate possible influence peddling, conflicts of interest, and Constitutional violations. 2019 is shaping up to be a bad year for Trump.

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

 

 

 

Come on down to the Orpheum tonight and you could be the next contestant on The Price Is Right. The Price Is Right Live brings audience members up on stage to play the classic games seen on TV, where they can win appliances, vacations, or even a new car. There will be a chance to spin The Big Wheel to win thousands of dollars, and two lucky contestants advance to the Showcase.

Exciting news: Memphis’ soccer team Memphis 901 FC is going to have one of their home games broadcast on national TV. The Thursday, April 10 match vs. ATL UTD FC will be broadcast on ESPNews as part of that channel’s USL Championship Game of the Week. In addition, a road game at Lousiville on April 30 will be carried on ESPN3.

More exciting AutoZone Park news: With a sponsorship from Budweiser, the park has upgraded its Redbirds Club – now known as Budweiser Club – for 2019. Members enjoy a private air-conditioned area, with TVs, pool tables, and couches and high-top seating. Members also get free Anheuser-Busch beer, house wines, Coca-Cola products, tea, and water, and there is an all-you-can-eat buffet for every game.

Memphis 901 FC fans will especially be in for a treat in the Budweiser Club. For one thing, the club is located exactly at midfield. There will be a full bar for Memphis 901 FC matches. Prior to the matches, head coach Tim Mulqueen will come to the club and deliver a 15-minute “chalk talk.”

Call 901-721-6000 for more information about the Budweiser Club. Single-game and group memberships will be available for both Memphis Redbirds and Memphis 901 FC games, and season memberships for Memphis 901 FC will be available as well.

Americana, soul and roots band Dustbowl Revival plays the Halloran Centre tomorrow night at 7:30.

Memphis Black Restaurant Week begins Sunday, with black-owned restaurants across the city offering two-course lunches for $15 and three-course dinners for $25. Participating Downtown restaurants include Sage, The Office at Uptown, Robusto by Havana Mix, and Downtown Nutrition.

Quench, the liquor store on Second across from the Peabody, will host a tasting of locally made liquors tonight from 5 to 7. Blue Note Bourbon and Riverset Rye will be sampled.

Half Pints for Half Pints, the annual fundraiser held at Memphis Made Brewing Co. in support of its neighbor Peabody Elementary’s PTA, is tomorrow evening. Your ticket ($30-85) gets you Memphis Made beers and food from Central BBQ, Sweetgrass Next Door, Aldo’s Pizza Pies, Mulan Bistro (including a vegetarian option), and Celtic Crossing. For those who are not beer drinkers, Joe’s Wines and Liquors has donated several magnums of wine. DJ Zac Ives of Goner Records will provide the music, and there will be a silent auction where you can bid on items donated by neighborhood businesses.

In other brewery news, Meddlesome Brewing Co. out in Cordova is toying with the idea of opening their tap room 7 days a week. They are going to test being open Mondays and Tuesdays the next few weeks and see how it goes. On Mondays they will tap a cask of one of their offerings (if you’ve never had cask beer, you must try it – totally different mouthfeel than draft beer). On Tuesdays all the beers on their tap wall will be $3. For this coming week they’ve got some special events lined up: an Aldo’s pizza party on Monday the 4th, and a Mardi Gras party on Tuesday the 5th. They appreciate any feedback and if it works out, the 7 day schedule will become permanent.

There’s a ’90s Bar Crawl on Beale tomorrow afternoon and evening. Participating stops include Jerry Lee’s (where you register), Wet Willie’s, Peoples, Lew’s Blue Note Bar and Grill, and Tin Roof.

The landlord of Raymond James Tower on North Front says a plan is in place to modernize the building’s elevators, and the landlord hopes the tower’s namesake tenant will reconsider a decision to move. Last week several Raymond James employees leaked an internal memo to The Daily Memphian informing them of a possible move to East Memphis.

Yesterday I skipped the Thursday food truck rodeo in Court Square in favor of a different Thursday lunch tradition.

Every Thursday, all five Lisa’s Lunchbox locations have taco salad as their lunch special. I went over there late in the day (1:25; they close at 2) and they were out of tortilla chips, but had everything else. I assured the man at the counter that I was fine with no chips. As you can see, lettuce is topped with cheese, black olives, onions, jalapenos (upon request only) and generous portions of salsa and sour cream. You can get it with traditional chili, which is what I did, or beef chorizo. I got a can of Coke and sat in the window and watched traffic on Front Street as I ate. A very hearty and satisfying lunch!

Later in the day, I was telling people about my lunch, and it amazed me how many people live or work Downtown yet have never heard of Lisa’s Lunchbox. There are two locations down here and three more out east. The one I went to was at 116 S. Front, cat-a-corner from AutoZone’s headquarters store support center. The other location is in the Raymond James building, 50 N. Front St. Suite 200. I recommend you take the stairs to get to the second floor. Lisa’s serves breakfast, lunch, and smoothies, and they can cater office breakfasts and lunches.

Primas Bakery and Boutique at 523 S. Main will host a mixer for International Women’s Day next Friday, March 8, from 5 to 7 PM. Wanderlvst901 will be on site selling merchandise.

The 2019 Blues Hall of Fame inductees have been announced: Aretha Franklin, Booker T and the MGs, Count Basie, Pee Wee Crayton, Moe Asch, and Ida Cox.

Former ESPN anchor Jemele Hill will come to the University of Memphis to give a lecture on the First Amendment on Tuesday, March 12. Hill was criticized (criticism I don’t agree with) for supporting Colin Kaepernick on Twitter and also for tweeting negatively about Donald Trump.

The New York Times has an opinion piece about the Eagles of Reelfoot Lake, located in West Tennessee about an hour and a half north of Memphis. My grandparents lived not far away, in Trimble, and took me there when I was a teenager. For those of you who have never been to the lake, it’s worth a trip. It’s peaceful place to get away from the hustle and bustle for a little while.

Today in 1987, your school served you this for lunch and you were excited about it… pic.twitter.com/KYWqvJJrlR

— 80s Sports N Stuff (@80sSportsNStuff) February 28, 2019

If you’re feeling nostalgic, you can get school lunch pizza at Max’s Sports Bar on G.E. Patterson.

If you’ve ever thought about driving for MIFA’s Meals on Wheels, the program that delivers nutritious meals to home-bound seniors, but you’re not quite convinced it’s something you want to do, there’s a new option. The ride-along program will pair you with one of the organization’s top volunteer drivers for a morning of deliveries. It’ll give you a first-hand look at how much the seniors appreciate the food and also the conversation.

Memphis in May and Memphis River Parks Partnership officials met on Tuesday to try to come to an accord on how the redesigned Tom Lee Park will accommodate Music Fest and BBQ Fest. Few details were released, but those from Memphis in May called the meeting “productive,” indicating that the two sides might be getting closer to that win-win we all want.

Scheduled Music Fest performer BlocBoy JB has turned himself in on charges of possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia and being a felon in possession of a handgun. A Memphis in May performer who will be out on bail when he gives his performance… it doesn’t get much more Memphis than that.

Oh hell yeah… Donald Trump’s business associate Felix Sater will be PUBLICLY questioned by the House Intelligence Committee on March 14. Trump is believed to have participated in shady deals with Sater, including involvement in the Trump Moscow project that never happened. Committee chair Adam Schiff announced the plan to question Sater after a day of private testimony by Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen to the committee yesterday. I better pop some popcorn that morning and make sure the TV is in good working condition. Sater will likely be faced with the choice of committing perjury before Congress (and getting hit with a criminal charge by Special Counsel Mueller) or telling the truth and implicating Don Jr. and Ivanka in crimes. Donald Trump will lose it if his precious princess faces prison time.

A source I follow on Twitter, John Schindler (@20committee) tweeted that the March 14 date was “such interesting timing… #HINT.” Hmmmm…..

All right, that’s all the news I can find for today. Back tomorrow with more.

Reports are starting to come out about what’s being discussed in the BuildDowntown Design Studio planning sessions, tasked with creating a master plan for Downtown through 2030. There was a session on parking.

There’s plenty of parking Downtown, the survey found, but it’s not necessarily concentrated in the right places. There are 70,000 spaces in the Central Business District, which includes the core, the Pinch and Uptown, South Main and South End, The Edge and the Medical District. However, it was noted that people aren’t going to park at Jefferson and Manassas to come see a Redbirds game. They’re not going to park on a surface lot at N. Second and Overton and walk to a Grizzlies game. While parking is not scarce in the core, when big events are happening it’s scarce enough to produce significant upcharges and long lines getting out of parking garages. A good point was made that people often sneak out of Grizzlies games and other FedExForum events early to beat the long line getting out of the garage and out of Downtown. If they didn’t have to deal with that hassle they might stay Downtown longer and spend money on a post-game drink or a late dinner.

The loss of the garage at 66 S. Front, to make room for the Brooks Museum relocation, was also discussed. While a museum is certainly a higher use for that real estate than a parking garage, the loss of those spaces is going to hurt. A local business I frequent regularly, Bardog Tavern, is steps away from that garage, and I know for a fact that some of its patrons park there. I hope the loss of the garage doesn’t cost them business.

Another interesting fact that came out of the planning session is what Downtowners see as top priorities for their neighborhood to grow and evolve. By a 2-to-1 margin attracting a grocery store was the top desire, but that will require a lot of people living in a concentrated area. Downtown is on the way to getting there but not quite at a tipping point yet. Number 6 on their top 10 list, build more workforce and affordable housing, would be number 1 on my list. I am excited about the Brooks moving down here, improvements to the riverfront, and the new soccer team, but I also worry that increasing amenities Downtown will lead to apartment rents that approach those of Downtown Nashville. I want people from all walks of life – teachers, artists, musicians – to be able to afford to live here.

The Daily Memphian has a report on the restaurant and bar that is planned to go into the corner space at Central Station at South Main and G.E Patterson. The project will also contain 200 apartments, 124 hotel rooms, and a renovated Amtrak train station. As of yet the new restaurant and bar does not have a name. The main entrance will be from the Main Street sidewalk.

Yet another microbrewery is on the way to Memphis. Belz has filed a permit to convert a building it owns at 845 N. Main, in Uptown, to a microbrewery called Soul & Spirits Brewery, according to submitted renderings. According to Google Maps, that would be almost all the way to the end of North Main Street at Henry Avenue. Chelsea ends at Second but if it extended to Main, the new brewery would be north of Chelsea. This could be promising – I’ve seen in my hometown of Little Rock how breweries can thrive and be catalysts for change in neighborhoods a mile or so away from a city’s downtown. The new brewery would be a half mile away from one being constructed even farther north, Grind City Brewery at 83 Waterworks near Second Street.

Rizzo’s by Michael Patrick is back in its original location and will be open to the public Monday, March 4.

Tonight at 6 PM is the presentation of the VanWyngarden Cup to the brewery that won the 2019 Memphis Flyer Beer Bracket. Actually, we already know the brewery – Meddlesome. It’s just a matter of finding out whether 201 Hoplar became a repeat champion, or whether Broad Hammer claimed the trophy this year. They’ll be live on Memphis Flyer Facebook to announce the winner.

Tonight is DNA Night at the Earnest Withers Collection & Gallery at 333 Beale at 5:45 PM. Tour the museum and learn about history through the photos of Dr. Withers. Free for DNA members, $10 for guests. Food and libations will be provided.

Tonight at 7:30 at River Inn of Harbor Town, there will be a Music Is in the Air concert featuring soprano Marie-Stephane Bernard and pianist Angelo Rapan.

Don’t forget that the South Main Mardi Gras Bar Crawl happens this Saturday from 2 to 11 PM. Memphis Orleans Street Symphony 2-4, live DJ at Carolina Watershed all day, South Main Bar Olympics at Carolina Watershed as well. Mighty Souls Brass Band at Loflin Yard at 8 PM with a second line parade to Carolina Watershed. Dirty Crow Inn will have food & drink specials all day.

That’s all for now. Debating whether Court Square’s Thursday food truck rodeo or Bardog should be my plan for lunch. Back tomorrow with more news.