Category: Uncategorized

Tuesday update

Spring is a time of birth and rebirth, and that will definitely be the case this Saturday, April 6.

Saturday will the birth of Championship Wrestling, broadcast on channel 30 locally here in Memphis, sponsored by Pro Shingle and hosted by Dustin and Maria Starr. The new wrestling promotion is affiliated with a promotion in Hollywood and is a member of the National Wrestling Alliance. Watch the new show every Saturday at noon.

Saturday will also be the rebirth of the Memphis Farmers Market, which will happen every Saturday from 8 AM to 1 PM under the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson. Longtime readers know I am a big fan of the Market, which in addition to offering fresh produce is a gathering spot to mingle with your neighbors. Live music, food trucks, and a program of fun and educational events each week. They have dog-sitters too.

I will have details on this week’s opening Market in a few days. I PLAN ON BEING THERE this Saturday around 10:30, with visits to Max’s Sports Bar, Earnestine & Hazel’s, and Loflin Yard in the hours to follow.

It’s not too late to apply to be a vendor at Memphis Farmers Market, or to sign up to be a volunteer. Volunteering there is a fulfilling experience, with one of my BBQ teammates enjoying it so much that he rose to the position of board president a few years ago.

One day you will want to put on your calendar is Saturday, April 27. That day there will be a crawfish boil at the Market from 10 AM to 1 PM.

The Silly Goose has their spring cocktail menu up:

Penicillin and Peter Rabbit’s Revenge are the holdovers from the winter menu, with seven new cocktails added. The Non Compos Menace, with bacon as an ingredient, sounds like a drink I will have to try soon.

If you’re a fan of Cuban sandwiches, this is a good month for you to stop by Bluff City Coffee.

It just doesn’t get much more Memphis than this: Manhunt Monday is a thing on a local TV station’s website now.

The Grizzlies’ chances to CONVEY THAT PICK got slimmer yesterday, as the team announced that Jonas Valanciunas will be out the remainder of the season with a grade 2 ankle sprain.

More Grizzlies news:

Sunrise Memphis, the breakfast/lunch spot on Jefferson, is hiring for all positions. Apply in person.

The monthly Downtown Neighborhood Association meeting has been set for Tuesday, April 23 at Comeback Coffee, 358 N. Main. The presentation this month will be a panel discussion entitled, “How to Effect Change in Your Neighborhood.”

From time to time Amazon sends me promotional emails trying to sell me junk I don’t want. I usually delete them. Yesterday, however, they sent a promo for an item I’m seriously considering ordering: habanero ghost pepper Monterey jack cheese. Yummmmm!

A permit application has been filed for the new 9-story hotel that will be part of One Beale. After all the false starts, I won’t believe One Beale is going to happen until I see concrete poured, but this is at least a step in a positive direction.

The Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman has a list of the best landing spot for the likely number-one pick in the NBA draft, Zion Williamson. I like his thinking.

That’s it for now. Back tomorrow.

 

No foolin’

It’s April Fool’s Day. In the past I have posted gag April Fool’s articles, but I couldn’t come up with anything this year. Everything in this post is real.

However, I do have a programming note: My post tomorrow may be shorter than usual. That’s because I can’t trust anything I see on social media on April 1. If I can’t verify it, I will delay blogging it.

Bill Dries and Chris Herrington have a Daily Memphian headline story this morning that is a must-read: The river defines who we were and who we will become. This is a longer piece but worth your time. I will say it once more: The Daily Memphian sits behind a paywall (after a limited number of free articles) but at $7 a month, it is well worth your money. The writing is superb and the people there clearly love Memphis.

A Southland employee posted yesterday that tables are going live today: blackjack, craps and roulette. No need to drive all the way to Mississippi anymore.

More bad luck for the Grizzlies last night. With half the team already out for injuries, center Jonas Valanciunas went down with an apparent leg injury. I have become a big Jonas fan recently. The Grizzlies PR team tweeted that his 34 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks Saturday was the first game an NBA player put up that combination of numbers since January 1978 (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).

On a better note, Tankathon shows that the Grizzlies remain half a game out of ninth worst. Johnnie Cochran voice: “IF THERE IS A WAY, YOU MUST CONVEY.”

It’s an evening with Bon Iver tonight at the Orpheum at 8.

Grub will be the food truck at Cordelia’s Market tonight from 5 to 8. That’s the truck where I bought my Korean beef quesadilla last Thursday.

Other entrees include Memphis BBQ chicken, Falafel Ain’t Awful, and breakfast, all available in quesadilla, burrito, and sandwich format.

Shelby County Schools students showed off their creative side at the Halloran Centre yesterday.

Please don’t do this to your cat.

I never thought I’d be saying this, but I’m starting to become a fan of Bruce Pearl. Laying down the whoopins’ on both John Calipari and the Tennessee Vols in one month is hard to ignore, and you could see the genuine emotion in his face during the post-game celebration. He’s no longer employed by an athletic department where ethics are a secondary concern, and he no longer wears that ugly Volunteer orange jacket. I guess it’s time to let the hate go. Michigan State and Virginia are the two teams left standing in my bracket, but I won’t mind if Auburn wins its first national title next Monday.

Yesterday I stuck to my plan of staying home and teaching myself the Python programming language. Y’all want a quick lesson that is applicable to real life? I’ll keep this fun and as non-nerdy as possible.

In Python there are elements known as dictionaries (sometimes called associative arrays) that associate a key with a value. So I created a dictionary that associated the names of select 2018 BBQ Fest shoulder teams with their placement in the final standings. Then I looped through the dictionary with

for key, val in dict.items():
 if val <=10:
  print (key, "got a trophy")

By the way indentation is a big deal in Python and it’s hard to do it properly in WordPress. But anyway, the code would get to the {“Moody Ques”, 7} associative pair, see that 7 is less than or equal to 10, and print “Moody Ques got a trophy.” For teams with a value greater than 10, nothing would be printed.

Then I made a second dictionary, the keys again being the names of select BBQ teams, and the second element whether they have sponsor time during prime party hours when paid team members and their guests are encouraged to leave their booth and go elsewhere (True or False).

for key, val in dict2.items():
 if val == False:
  print (key, "loves its members")

This would see the {“Moody Ques”, False} associative pair and print “Moody Ques loves its members”.

Oh, by the way, if you want to be on a team that wins trophies and loves its members, the Moody Ques have a few spots open! Details here. If you want to take us for a test drive before making up your mind, email me at paul@paulryburn.com and I’ll invite you to our April 13 “Meat” & Greet.

That’s it for now. Time to jump back into my Python training. Back tomorrow with more news.

 

Sunday update

I just read Geoff Calkins’ recap of the Memphis-Orlando AAF game at the Liberty Bowl. Man… that game and the entire league seem like a complete shitshow. The Express have one remaining home game, on April 13, but it’s not clear that the league will even exist by then.

In much better Memphis sports news, the Grizzlies made a quality acquisition this weekend. Dusty Hannahs was a star for the Arkansas Razorbacks, and following college he signed on with G-League affiliate the Memphis Hustle. Hannahs was a star sixth man for the Hustle, averaging 29 points per game in their two playoff games this season. That convinced the Grizzlies to sign Dusty Buckets to a 10-day contract and give him a look. Hannahs wore number 9 for the Hustle, but out of respect for Tony Allen who will one day have that number retired, he will wear number 8 for the Grizzlies.

A new modern luxury cruise ship, the American Harmony, will dock in Memphis. The ship will accommodate up to 190 guests and will feature lounges 40 feet above deck. An economic study found that boat dockings added $36 million to the Memphis economy in 2013, and dockings have risen steadily in the years since. The boat launches in August, but be prepared to pay a pretty penny – staterooms start at $4320 per person.

Perjorie T. Roll wanted me to tell my readers about a great deal she found at the Downtown Walgreens this morning.

They’re phasing out the mint flavor of the Oreo candy bars and so they have been discounted to 69 cents each from their normal price of $1.29. Mint chocolate chip is my favorite ice cream, and the troll likes the candy bars because the inside is the same color as her hair, so this purchase was a win-win for the Ryburn household.

Ghost River is having a release party Friday, April 5 from 7 to 10 PM for its new Zippin Pippin IPA.

May 4 is Star Wars Day (“May the Fourth Be with You”), but did you know it’s also International Respect for Chickens Day? Be sure to tell a chicken you respect it that day. It’s okay if the chicken is on a plate at Gus’s.

Bardog has a new special (click the photo to see at a higher resolution):

For those who can’t read the fine print, it says, “Ask me about my Dickel Pickle.”

Cheers to the University of Memphis on taking steps to protect students from the rising cost of tuition.

Flic’s Pics will be playing BB King’s on Beale this afternoon 2:30 to 6.

As your #1 source of news and information about The Edge District, it’s my pleasure to inform you of a one-man poetry/prose show entitled The Making of Love at Marshall Arts, 639 Marshall, today at 3 PM.

Oh cool, a former co-worker of mine won a national title Friday in the bridge tournament that’s going on at the Cook Convention Center. Congratulations Richard! The tournament wraps up today.

Something different… this is the first Sunday Fun Day in quite some time when I haven’t gone out at 11 AM. I’m deep into my books on the Python programming language and using Python in data science, and continuing with them seems a better plan than getting out and drinking. I will be out tonight, around 7 probably. Back tomorrow with more news.

Saturday update: Margarita Fest coming Downtown

The Memphis Flyer’s Margarita Fest is coming Downtown this year! The tequila-fueled celebration will take place from 3 to 6 PM Saturday, May 11 at Fourth Bluff on the River. Admission gets you samples of margaritas from 15 of Memphis’ best restaurants, as well as live entertainment. There will also be a cash bar where you can buy full-sized drinks. This is a 21+ event. Buy early bird tickets here ($37.36 with fees). Proceeds benefit Volunteer Memphis.

Zac Brown Band brings the “Down the Rabbit Hole Live” tour to FedExForum this evening.

Rain, rain, go away! The predicted inclement weather has caused the Redbirds to cancel their Fan Fest that was to be held today at AutoZone Park. That sucks but you can’t fault them for wanting to keep their players, fans and staff safe.

Catherine & Mary’s, the Andrew Ticer/Michael Hudman restaurant in the Chisca, is once again hiring.

For those of you who are confused by the “link in our bio to apply” thing, here’s the link. Restaurants: Don’t do “link in our bio!” Use bit.ly to shorten the link and post it directly in the tweet.

More job news: The Memphis Restaurant Association recently sent out its monthly newsletter, and if you scroll down for a bit you will see that there is a concierge position open at the Orpheum’s Halloran Centre for the Performing Arts. This position would be mostly nights and weekends, and would involve front desk duties as well as event support.

Pirates of Penzance and other favorites from Gilbert & Sullivan comic operas will be performed live on stage tonight.

ArtsFest happens at the Halloran Centre tomorrow:

Bill Maher returns to the Orpheum Friday, October 4. Tickets will go on sale this coming Friday at 10 AM.

For those of you who plan on going to some Redbirds games this season, there are a Triple-A rule changes you should know about:

  • Extra innings will start with a runner on second base for each team.
  • Barring injury, a pitcher must pitch to at least 3 batters before he can be taken out of the game.
  • There is a limit of 5 mound visits. An additional mound visit will be granted for each extra inning.

The U of M’s Greg Gaston makes a point worth remembering:

Memphis continues to be the class act of the state. Not that the Vols aren’t good at anything… I bet if BBQ Fest added a “possum” category, Vol fans and alumni would dominate.

Cheers to Downtown employer ServiceMaster on being a good corporate citizen. Employees spent a day this week beautifying campuses of Shelby County Schools.

Memphis 901 FC took a loss to the New York Red Bulls last night. Complete game stats here.

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra performs Tchaikovsky’s 4th at the Cannon Center today and tomorrow.

Stay safe from the rain this afternoon, and if you plan to be out all day pack a jacket – it’s warm outside right now, but the low tonight will be 39. Back tomorrow with more news.

Friday update

Two Girls and a Whip will host a Cupcake Dinner in the Underdog Room of Bardog Tavern Sunday, April 14 at 6:30 PM. You already knew you could have breakfast for dinner, but did you know you could have it in the form of cupcakes? Here are the courses:

Ham, potato, and cheddar quiche, baked in a wonton wrapper with green onion garnish

Garlic cheddar grits cake topped with a shrimp kabob and remoulade drizzle

Sweet potato hash cake with a slice of bacon and a poached egg on top

Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Caramel macchiato cupcake with marscapone cheese butter cream icing, a slice of French toast on top, crowned with bacon crumbles and a blueberry reduction drizzle

Each course will be expertly paired with wine or a cocktail by Bardog’s very own Melissa. Cost is $40 and seating is very limited so an RSVP is required. Call 901-472-2253 to make your reservation.

For my friend Katie Mac:

The Withers Collection Museum & Gallery on Beale Street, featuring the work of photographer Ernest Withers, will host commemorative history tours on Thursday, April 4, the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death. The tours will begin on the hour 10 to 3, and will include a short lecture, a guided tour of the Civil Rights Exhibition, and a collectible takeaway. $7 adults/$5 students.

Edge Motor Fest, celebrating the new automotive history museum opening at 645 Marshall, now has a website and it’s a very good one. As your #1 source of news and information about The Edge, I plan on being there!

While we’re on the topic of The Edge, Evelyn & Olive on Madison is having a jerk chicken festival there today from 4 to 8. While there, enjoy their signature cocktail “The Crazy Jamaican.” Or in some cases, “The Batshit Crazy Jamaican.”

Huling Avenue will be blocked between Tennessee and Wagner while the railroad works on repairing an overpass. The closure will start this morning at 9 and is expected to last until Monday, April 1.

Yesterday I tried the Grub food truck at the Thursday Court Square food truck rodeo. I got the Korean beef quesadilla.

Absolutely delicious! One of the very best Thursday food truck meals I have had. The Korean beef is also available in the form of a sandwich or burrito. All entrees come with fries. The truck has a variety of hot sauces, and there are to-go cups with lids to make it easy for you to take hot sauce back home or back to the office.

The Grizzlies’ G-League affiliate the Memphis Hustle has advanced to the second round of the G-League playoffs. They play the Rio Grande Valley Vipers tonight at 7 and the game will be broadcast on Facebook Live. I saw that in the last game, 6’9″ Yuta Watanabe got some time at point guard. The Japanese Magic Johnson?

If you love beer and people, as well as music, food, trivia, and good vibes, there may be a job for you. Ghost River is looking to hire a bartender for its taproom, 15-25 hours a week, mostly nights but some days. Come by and fill out an application, or email info@ghostriverbrewing.com.

94.1 Songwriter Fest comes to the Halloran Centre tonight. It will feature the music of three country hit songwriters: Ryan Hurd, Brandon Kinney, and Parker Welling.

Tomorrow is Ladies’ Day Out at Bass Pro at the Pyramid:

YOGA! The Kroc Center will have aerial yoga on Saturday, April 13.

Hard Rock Cafe will kick off a weekly Open Mic Night hosted by Amber Rae Dunn next Thursday at 8. They’ll have a house guitar and expert sound. Performers get free parking and discount food.

With the baseball season under way, I’ve got a couple of baseball-related articles for you. JSTOR Daily has a look at how baseball became a profession. The first team to put all its players on salary was the Cincinnati Red Stockings in 1869. In the early decades, baseball was not looked upon as a worthy profession, but rather the work of ruffians and hooligans. It took decades of work to evolve the sport’s reputation into one of a gentleman’s game.

Deadspin opines that the best way to see America is to visit every last minor league ballpark. There are 159 of them total. Take on this task and you’ll venture not just to tourist towns like Memphis, but to smaller towns like Johnson City.

Memphis 901 FC has an Off the Pitch video series so you can get to know the team, the players, and the fans better during the soccer club’s inaugural season.

Don’t forget that you have a chance to try the Cousins Maine Lobster food truck without leaving Downtown today. The truck will be parked at Stock & Belle, 387 S. Main, for Trolley Night this evening.

The work of the Memphis Ten will be on display tonight at Jack Robinson Gallery, 44 Huling. Come view the art of Houston Cofield, Brandon Dill, Ivy-Jade Edwards, Paige Ellens, Amy Hutcheson, Ziggy Mack, LaAndrea Deloyce Mitchell, Sara Moseley, Robert Sims, and Najee Strickland. There will be artist talks, wine, and snacks.

Mercy Me’s Imagine Nation Tour stops at FedExForum tonight, with special guests Crowder and Micah Tyler.

If you want to get a sense of how a visitor perceives Memphis, check out Ned Plays Bridge, a Londoner who came to Memphis for the bridge tournament last week and this week. He’s staying in the Chisca while he is here.

I’ve been recommending The Gaslighting Effect to protect yourself from the worst manipulators. Follow the author on Twitter for lots of good quotes like this one.

One of my Final Four went down last night, as Michigan lost to Texas Tech. There was some good news though… Tennessee lost! Purdue beat the Vols in overtime. UT’s ranking prior to the tournament would have suggested at least an Elite Eight finish. As usual, though, they underperformed. Typical Tennessee. I think the Vols are so bad for so long that when they finally hit a decent stretch (like their football team beating 5 cupcakes and getting lucky in a 6th game) that people give them too much credit. But then once reality sets in (like getting shellacked by South Carolina), expectations come back down to earth.

That’s it for now. I’m going to spend the next several hours on my new interest: Data Science. It’s field that blends software engineering, math and statistics, and human behavior, all interests of mine. Much of it is a practical application of graph theory, which was one of my favorite math classes in college. It also gives me a reason to pick up the Python programming language, which has never crossed my path previously. The nice thing about installing Linux Mint on the laptop I inherited from my mom is that Python is part of the default installation. So I’m going to have some fun nerding out, and tonight I plan to head south to Trolley Night. Back tomorrow with more news.

Thursday update

(Impractical) Jokers, stars of truTV, will perform their pranks live on stage at FedExForum tonight. Memphis is tonight’s stop on their “Cranjis McBasketball World Comedy Tour starring the Tenderloins.”

Fantastic job opening in the nonprofit sector: Volunteer Odyssey is hiring a Director of Volunteer Experience. This person will work with individual and corporate volunteers as well as community partners. Volunteer Odyssey is in a great location, on the Main Street Mall, and they believe in investing in training and development for their employees. Deadline to apply is April 14, with interviews conducted in late April and the position beginning in June.

Despite the Grizzlies’ loss to Golden State last night, they are still only half a game out of the ninth worst record in the NBA, ideal to CONVEY THAT PICK. Still, looking at the revised 2019 NBA draft lottery odds, a seventh-place finish wouldn’t be totally horrible. They’d have a 31.9% chance of a top-four pick (and there are considered about 4 top-level picks in this draft), and a 14.2% chance of dropping to the ninth pick or worse in the draft, in which case they would convey.

Tonight there will be a kick-off of the new Cossitt Pop-Up Library at 409 S. Main from 7 to 8:30 PM. Bob Levy, a former Washington Post columnist, will give a short presentation on his new novel, Larry Felder, Candidate. There will be books from Friends of the Library for purchase, as well as books from the Cossitt Collection to browse. Be among the first to hear details of upcoming Cossitt programs. The Daily Memphian has more on plans for the Cossitt Library and Fourth Bluff.

There will be a celebration in Health Sciences Park tomorrow, 11 AM to 1 PM, for the opening of Dry Rain, a new art exhibit created by Atelier YokYok, the artist who created Treedom Memphis in Uptown last year. DJ Siphne Anye will provide the music, and there will be food trucks for those who want to purchase lunch.

Memphis 901 FC has announced the Salvation Army Kroc Center as its permanent training facility and partner. With indoor and outdoor soccer pitches and a weight training facility, the Center is an ideal fit.

Terrace at the River Inn over on Mud Island is starting Whiskey Night Wednesdays with weekly specials on whiskey as well as small plates. Here’s a look at the menu.

Speaking of alcohol-related specials, Max’s Sports Bar has a new, everyday one: A Yazoo Daddy-O beer and a shot of Old Grand-dad for $10.

Your days of seeing Johnny Manziel in a Memphis Express uniform may be coming to an end. The AAF, the league in which the Express plays, may be in danger of folding. The issue is that the NFL Players’ Association won’t give AAF teams access to young, practice-squad players contracted by the NFL, citing risk of injury and numerous other concerns. I have no sympathy for the AAF here. Why would you stake your very existence on the assumption that an outside third party, who owes you nothing, would be willing to bend over backward to help you?

I think part of the problem, at least for Memphis, is that the start of the Memphis Express’ inaugural (and perhaps only) season coincided by a matter of weeks with the start of Memphis 901 FC’s inaugural season. People only have so many entertainment dollars to spend and so much time to go to sporting events. Soccer was a novelty to Memphis this year, while football was not. I suspect that hurt Express attendance as much as anything.

March Madness resumes today, and many Memphians will be rooting for the Purdue Boilermakers to run the Tennessee Vols out of the tournament. That game tips off at 6:29 PM on TBS. I saw a good meme on Facebook this morning: “Behind every screaming goat there is a Tennessee fan.” How true.

Beer Connoisseur ranked all 50 states for beer, and Tennessee didn’t do too bad, coming in at number 24. I suspect the state should have ranked higher, as the writers didn’t seem to understand that Nashville is not the only city that brews beer. Congratulations to Mississippi on finishing dead last on yet another “states ranked” list, followed closely by good ole West Virginny and Alabama. Top three: California, Oregon, and Michigan.

The final installment of the In This Place speaker series at Clayborn Temple will happen Friday, April 5. Rev. Dr. James M. Lawson Jr., a civil rights activist and university professor, will speak about building the future of Memphis. Following Rev. Lawson’s speech there will be small group conversations about the topic.

Insider tip for those of you who work or live in the northern part of Downtown: There are food trucks gathering every day across from the Cook Convention Center, near Main and Exchange, to serve the bridge players who are in town. I’ve read they are there for both lunch and dinner, and I’m sure you don’t have to be a bridge player to make a purchase. The tournament runs through Sunday.

Of course, it’s Food Truck Rodeo day in Court Square for lunch, and I’m headed over there now. Back tomorrow with more news.

Wed update: Chicken Newport!

Longtime residents of the Downtown core remember Cafe 61 on Second Street across from the Peabody. That restaurant offered many delicious entrees, my favorite of which was Chicken Newport, topped with mushrooms and cheese. Well, guess what… it’s coming back! No, not Cafe 61. Derk Meltzer, who was the chef at that restaurant, has taken over the kitchen at The Vault. He is overhauling the entire menu, starting with lunch and then dinner. When asked if any dishes regulars might remember could show up on the menu, he said that you can expect to see Chicken Newport.

For those of you who have never had this fabulous dish, I found a Chicken Newport recipe on Place at the Table.

The weekly Our Yoga Downtown series returns Tuesday, April 2. This free and open class, led by instructor Charlie Hayden from 6 to 7 PM Tuesdays, will be at the beautiful new River Garden this year. Bring your own mat or towel, and water and sunscreen would be advisable as well. You must sign a waiver to participate. Free parking the first week of every month in Shoppers Garage, on Front between Adams and Jefferson, with your signed waiver. YOGA!

Did you know that you can buy a fully operational inflatable hot tub from Aldi for $394? Well, it’s not in stores, but available online. We need to check the BBQ Fest rulebook and see if there’s anything in there about inflatable hot tubs being outlawed. As Director of PR that would be a huge selling point for me to recruit new members, and believe me I would go after a certain demographic.

Question for my readers which is COMPLETELY unrelated to the paragraph above: Which club in Memphis these days has the best strippers?

So, tomorrow is Major League Baseball Opening Day, as well as the beginning of the second week of March Madness. Max might as well put a Christmas tree up at Max’s Sports Bar, because that’s basically what tomorrow is for his clientele.

Memphis in May announcement!

Elle Perry in the Daily Memphian’s Daily Briefs column reports that the Orpheum will undergo some renovations. About $100,000 will be spent to upgrade the box office and front-of-house management offices. Eventually the plan will be to renovate the parlor located off the Grand Lobby.

Blind Bear is looking to hire 2 cooks, 1 dishwasher, and 2 servers. If interested hit me up at paul@paulryburn.com or on Facebook and give me your contact info and I will get you in touch.

Teach901 will hold another job fair Wednesday, April 10 from 6 to 8 PM at Crosstown Concourse. College seniors and recent graduates with an interest in a teaching career are encouraged to attend.

The Daily Memphian has an article on Comeback Coffee, opening in The Pinch on Friday.

The Grizzlies host the Golden State Warriors tonight at 7 at FedExForum.

Memphis Marketing Trivia Smackdown happens tonight at Earnestine & Hazel’s 5:30-8:30.

Stanley’s Sweet Street Treats will be the food truck tonight at Cordelia’s Market 5-8. Try the soft shell crab BLT!

Not a Downtown event but too cool not to mention: Drunk Lightsaber Dueling tonight at the Rec Room

Memphis Armored Fight Club is presenting Bluff City Brawl at the Hi-Tone in Crosstown Saturday, June 8. Dang… by booking events like this, the Jake “The Snake” Roberts live show, and The Bar Olympics, Skinny is definitely thinking way outside the box. I like it.

Oh, speaking of Olympics news, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is cutting all funding for the Special Olympics out of her department’s budget. I’m thinking of a word. It’s 4 letters and begins with “c.” Can you guess the word?

Short post today, at least compared to the previous two. I think I’ll hit Blind Bear for lunch. Back tomorrow with more news.

Tuesday update

The Battle of the Birds 2019 is in the history books. The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Memphis Redbirds, their Triple-A affiliate, by a score of 6 to 3, last night at AutoZone Park. The Cards haven’t made the MLB playoffs the past three years and it’s possible Redbirds call-ups will return them to the post-season.

A few blocks away, the Grizzlies upset the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder, 115 to 103. The Commercial Appeal has a look at what the Grizzlies need to do for the remainder of the 2018-19 season if they want to CONVEY THAT PICK to Boston in this year’s draft. The article was written before last night’s game. Following the win over OKC, the Grizzlies are only half a game out of ninth worst, the ideal place to be going into the draft lottery.

Hozier takes the stage at the Orpheum tonight at 8. Tickets are $49.50-$59.50. Special guest Jade Bird will open.

The Grecian Gourmet will celebrate its first birthday Saturday, April 13 with a Greek buffet dinner 6 to 9 PM. There will also be Greek music and Greek dancing. Beer and wine will be available. Tickets are $25 in advance or $35 at the door. Call 901-249-6626 or email greciangourmet@gmail.com for tickets.

Three-year civic engagement process Re-Imagining the Civic Commons, is winding down, having funded changes in the city landscapes of Chicago, Detroit, Philadephia, Akron, and here in Memphis along the riverfront (the Fourth Bluff). Leaders of the project will meet in Memphis March 27-29 to discuss next steps.

The Commercial Appeal has an excellent article about Cristina McCarter’s City Tasting Tours. The tours are a good way to not only sample food from some of Memphis’ best chefs, but also to learn the history of the neighborhoods in which the restaurants are located. The CA is partnering with City Tasting Tours for a special one-time event 4-6 PM Saturday, April 20. McCarter and the CA’s Jennifer Chandler will guide guests through the South Main Arts District, sampling dishes from Pontotoc Lounge, The South Main Market food hall, and Rizzo’s. Visit the City Tasting Tours website to RSVP.

Retired Supreme Court Justice Janice Holder will mediate talks between Memphis River Parks Partnership and Memphis in May on the redesign of Tom Lee Park. Holder is an excellent choice, having mediated talks on parking at the Memphis Zoo a couple years back.

Random thing that popped into my head last night: Thibault, a character who appeared in the Peanuts comic strip for several years. When I was little I collected compilations of Peanuts strips, and had over 20 books by the time I was 5. My mom encouraged this, figuring whatever I was reading at that age couldn’t be bad, as long as I was reading.

Memphis in May tweeted course maps for the upcoming Great American River Run half-marathon and 5K.

Fans of the Blind Bear, get by there in the next day or three, because something really cool is happening. They are re-doing the floor underneath the bar, and have made a temporary bar area where the main poker table had previously been. When Jeannette told me that was going to happen, I thought, “Yeah I can’t see how that will ever work,” but it looks superb! You can still sit at the main bar while renovations are being done, and all three poker tables are intact. There’s poker tonight (free to play) starting at 7:30  (poker operates on Charles Time, so probably more like 7:50). You can get in through an hour and 15 minutes after poker starts.

Spindini is now open for lunch 11-2 Wednesday through Sunday… with the exception of March 30, when they will be hosting a private event. Wednesday through Friday, they will take to-go, Uber Eats, and Door Dash orders, with Saturday and Sunday being full service.

This Friday will be a SoulRight Trolley Night on South Main, with most of the galleries and boutiques in the area staying open until 9 or later. The emerging stars of Consortium MMT will perform on the Loading Dock Stage outside the 409 South Main food hall, with performances beginning at 6. SMA members can enjoy complimentary burgers, dogs, and beverages at 523 S. Main between Primas Bakery and Peddler Bike Shop.

The Paul Boggs Band will bring Seattle-based bluegrass to South Main for Trolley Night on Friday. They will perform at the Century House at 151 Vance.

Wayne Russell, musician/painter, will exhibit “Hypnotic Cotton” at Edge Gallery, 509 S. Main, for Trolley Night. If you can’t make it Friday, the exhibit will be there through the end of March.

Primas Bakery+Boutique will celebrate Trolley Night with special guests Mobius Theory and Wanderlvst901.

Memphis Made Brewing Co. is coming to Loflin Yard for this Saturday afternoon’s crawfish boil.

The Daily Memphian’s Jennifer Biggs picked a great location for her $10 deal this week: RAWK’n Grub. For years, this was a food truck that operated around Memphis, until finding a permanent home last year in the Citgo at Summer and Highland. Chef Steph Cook is a super good guy and the food can’t be beat. Most of the menu has a musical theme, including the Patty LaMelte patty melt, Swiss You Were Here sliders, and Phish tacos. Definitely check it out next time you find yourself in that part of town. The food is so good, you’ll forget you’re in a gas station.

This evening there will be a workout on the rooftop of Old Dominick Distillery. Check in prior to 6 PM. HIIT workout with Keshia Williams of Tabata Tuesdays 6:00-6:45, and yoga by Amy of Sumits Yoga 6:45-7:30. Following yoga, cool down with an Old Dominick cocktail.

The Brass Door will be showing the USMNT vs. Chile soccer match tonight at 7.

Yesterday I was at happy hour at the Silly Goose, and the bartender told me that the new pizza oven would be installed soon. Maybe I should take a poll: Which do you think will get done first?

  • Silly Goose pizza oven
  • Silder Out, the new Slider Inn location at Mulberry and Talbot

Not a Downtown thing but I want to mention it anyway: Pulse, the Pink Floyd tribute band, plays Minglewood Hall this Saturday. A former co-worker of mine is in the band and I’ve been to see them. Really good! If bluesmen Pinkney Anderson and Floyd Council were still alive, I bet they’d be at the show.

Tails & Ales, hosted by Memphis Animal Services, happens at Crosstown Brewing Co. Sunday, April 7 from 1 to 4 PM. Donate a bag of dog treats to MAS and get $2 off your first pour. This event will happen during the weekly Bluegrass Brunch with crawfish by Memphis Mudbugs. Live music by the Late Greats. MAS will have adoptable dogs there, and they will have quite the special going on. Adoption fee of only $20 (cash only please) that day covers spay/neuter, microchip, vaccines, heartworm test (and treatment if needed), collar, leash, and a customized ID tag (available at the shelter).

High Ground News has a good post on how Smart City technology is being used to improve transportation and mobility here in Memphis.

Yesterday I posted that Hungry Hungry Hippos would be the championship round between the top two scoring teams at The Bar Olympics to be held at the Hi-Tone Sunday, June 23. Do you own the game? Might want to post on social media that you do. You might be able to rent it out to teams looking to practice!

Moody Ques teammates: Check your email, please! You’ll have information on a “Meat” & Greet happening at a Downtown venue on Saturday, April 13, a good way to get to know your teammates before the hustle & bustle of BBQ Fest. If you didn’t get the email, send a message to moodyques@gmail.com and we’ll get it to you. Also, if there are any prospective members out there who want to take the Moody Ques for a test drive before joining, the 13th is your chance to do it. Email moodyques@gmail.com and let us know you’d like to come.

Also, we had a few people who can’t return to the team for 2019 due to scheduling conflicts – so we’re going to have a few spots open. I will have a recruitment post on the Moody Ques website (and perhaps a less sanitized version of the post here) later this week.

Yesterday the public relations department was tasked with picking out the colors for our 2019 team rubber wristbands, keeping in mind that the theme this year is Memphis.

No.

The book I’ve been recommending, The Gaslighting Effect by Reva Steenbergen, is once again available for download on Amazon and the Kindle app. It’s $9.99, or free if you sign up for Kindle Unlimited. Learn how to protect yourself from really horrible people putting on an attractive, charming front while projecting their horribleness onto others.

Another long post in the books… and I’m still not done, because I’ve got to get started on that BBQ team recruitment post. Back tomorrow with more news.

Monday update: Battle of the Birds, difference between Adult Sports League and The Bar Olympics, get paid to run a chess club, and much more

Correction to something I wrote in an earlier post: Bridge players in town for the national tournament this week don’t get free trolley rides if they show the driver their convention cards. I saw that there were supposedly free rides on a popular forum where bridge is discussed and assumed the information was reliable. Today’s official tournament publication states that is not the case; trolley rides are $1 cash. I apologize for any confusion over this matter.

One thing I have confirmed from an official source is that they are offering free tours of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to bridge players. This is an amazing facility and I would encourage anyone who has the free time to take advantage of this opportunity.

I had a question come up this weekend and wanted to address it. “Paul, you blogged about two events coming up: Memphis Adult Sports League and Bar Olympics. They seem to include some of the same bar sports, like beer pong and flip cup. What’s the difference, and how do I figure out which is a better fit for me?” Excellent question. Here’s a summary.

Memphis Adult Sports League, Carolina Watershed/Loflin Yard on the far south end of Downtown, 4 weekends from March 22-24 through April 12-14

  • League play spread over almost a month
  • Events include actual sports (kickball, badminton, bocce, etc.) in addition to more traditional bar sports like cornhole, flip cup, beer pong
  • You don’t need to know ANYONE to join a team. Just sign up and you’ll be placed on a team depending on where in the Memphis metro you live
  • Since the league started this past weekend, it’s probably too late to sign up. Hopefully this’ll be a smashing success and they’ll do a fall league.

Bar Olympics, Hi-Tone Cafe in Crosstown, 412 N. Cleveland, Sunday, June 23.

  • One-day event
  • Events are more geared toward traditional bar games, but the cool thing is, they also have Wii games in the mix! Potential games also include quarters, team beer chug, mini basketball, Connect Four, and more. Finals between the top two teams will be Hungry Hungry Hippo. Complete list at the link below. Point is, they are going above and beyond the same ol’, same ol’ in their selection of games.
  • You have to form your own team and sign up. Registration site is www.thebarolympics.com.
  • The good thing is, there are no restrictions on who can participate/be on what team by ZIP code. You want to enter a team with two from the U of M area, one from Keswick-Stornaway, one from South Memphis, and two from Olive Branch, go for it!
  • Charity event benefiting ALIVE! Rescue Memphis. Just think about it – a dog’s life could be saved because you and your friends like to bounce an engraving of a president into a shot glass.
  • Skinny from Hi-Tone is organizing the games, so you know this will be a quality event worth your while

Both the Adult Sports League and the Bar Olympics are about a $7 Lyft/Uber ride from the Downtown core. In the case of Bar Olympics especially, I definitely recommend the participants not drive!

Although… I bet there will be that one dumbass who hops on a Bird scooter and tries to jet Downtown following the end of Bar Olympics. Yeah we’ll see how well that works out.

Heh… those of you who are fans of Beale Street Wine Race know that the Huey’s team practices the wine relay extensively prior to the event. I wonder if they’ll enter Bar Olympics and go to the toy store and buy Hungry Hungry Hippo so they can practice.

Since I brought up the subject of rescuing dogs in the description of Bar Olympics, here’s a very cool Business Insider link: Seven companies that give you paid time off when you adopt a dog

The Battle of the Birds happens tonight at AutoZone Park! The Memphis Redbirds take on their parent team the St. Louis Cardinals tonight at 7. The gates open early, at 4:15, so you can watch both teams’ batting practice. There’s a very slight chance of rain mid-afternoon but it does not appear to be anything that would affect tonight’s game.

I wasn’t real happy to see this yesterday:

I hope this means the building’s owner is putting it up for sale, and not that Court House Deli might close. Just steps out of my front door, Court House is my go-to more than any other for lunch. Whether it’s a mushroom Swiss burger, the loaded red beans & rice, the voodoo wings, or a Greek chicken salad, it’s all good! Hmmm… I really need to eat a salad… then again, I could just ask them to top my read beans & rice with some jalapenos. That’s a green vegetable, right? Also, I’m drinking a green Mountain Dew as I type this as a green-haired troll watches. Seems like that should kind of count for something too.

UPDATE 1:44 PM Monday: I just walked over to Court House Deli hoping for a bowl of red beans and rice, fully loaded with cheese, onions, and jalapenos – but the lock is still on the door. I hope Brad and everyone there are OK.

Left Field Properties, a rental company in the Downtown core on Madison, has several positions open: accounts manager, property manager, restaurant manager, and (get ready for this) chess operations and events manager. For that last one, you need thorough knowledge of the game of chess and an interest in operating a successful chess club. Well, that’s a job you don’t see posted every day!

Memphis-born Aretha Franklin got her note on Beale Street yesterday. Today would have been Franklin’s 77th birthday.

From time to time I blog about events at breweries or Central BBQ locations that are fundraisers for the Wolf River Conservancy. What is the Conservancy, exactly? Keith Cole of the Memphis Flyer has the details.

Related to the Conservancy, more than 200 volunteers gathered on Mud Island this past weekend to clean trash out of the Wolf River Harbor.

As a computer nerd/web developer, I find this very cool: Pope Francis became the first pope ever to write a line of code

The Memphis Grizzlies’ G-league team (sort of what the Redbirds are to the Cardinals), the Southaven-based Memphis Hustle, have made the G-League Playoffs. They play the Stockton Kings at 9 PM, and the game will be broadcast on Facebook Live.

At Wrestling Night at the Grizzlies this past Saturday, Jerry Lawler teamed with Rikishi to beat Buff Bagwell and “Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner in a match. What happened later in the game, though, was a bigger deal. Lawler’s late son, Brian Christopher Lawler, used to be part of a dance team with Rikishi and Brian’s Too Cool tag team partner, Scotty 2 Hotty. Saturday night their signature dance was re-enacted, with Grizz playing the part of Scotty and Jerry Lawler playing the part of his son.

The Grizzlies are back at FedExForum tonight in their quest to CONVEY THAT PICK, hosting the OKC Thunder at 7.

Paulette’s has posted the menu for this week’s Monday night dinner… and next week’s too. Soup or salad, entree, and dessert for $19.99.

Johnny Manziel played his first snap as a Memphis Express member last night, but starting quarterback Brandon Silvers stole the show and got the W for the Express (a meaningless W; the Express aren’t going to the postseason). Just as I was disappointed in Memphians who booed the Cincinnati band at the Beale Street parade, I’m disappointed in Memphians who booed Silvers for not being Manziel. It’s not like Silvers put himself in. That’s coach’s call.

Congratulations to my friends on Sun’s Out, Buns Out and New Wing Order on their respective 1st and 2nd place finishes in Jalapeno Popper in the 901 Popper Throwdown yesterday. Jesse from New Wing Order: “Guess I have to run jalapeno poppers as a special on the truck from time to time now, huh?” Sounds like a plan to me! Sun’s Out, Buns Out is Glaze’s team. Glaze does the outstanding crawfish boils at Railgarten Thursday evenings and Loflin Yard Saturday afternoons. Check them out if you’re into the ‘bugs!

South Main Songwriter Night returns to 550 S. Main as part of South Main Trolley Night this Friday at 7. Lydia Waldrop, Andrew Cabigao, Nick Long, Sandie Lollis, and Joe Austin will perform. More details about Trolley night to come…

My NCAA bracket is in fair but not great shape, with 43 out of a possible 64 points after the first two rounds. The good news is that 7 of my Elite Eight picks are still in it to win it (Villanova being the one I got wrong) and all of my Final Four teams are in play going into the second weekend.

Over the weekend I had someone express interest in purchasing the book I have been mentioning on here lately, The Gaslighting Effect by Reva Steenbergen. It is the definitive manual to understanding and protecting yourself from narcissistic abuse. Steenbergen parted ways with her publisher and the book is temporarily off Amazon, but will soon be back up in paperback and Kindle format. I will post a link when it is back online for purchase.

Who sez Betsy DeVos is a do-nothing Secretary of Education?

Another really long post finally finished, and I already have two items on deck for tomorrow. I’ll see you in about 24 hours with more news.

Sunday update: Tiger Lane food truck rodeo precedes Manziel’s debut

Memphis’ professional USL soccer team takes to the road for the first time, traveling to Chester, PA to take on Bethlehem Steel FC at 5 PM today. The game will be televised on CW30 locally and streamed on ESPN+. There will be a watch party at Silky O’Sullivan’s on Beale.

The Daily Memphian notes that the attendance of 7250 fans at Memphis’ home game last Saturday was the largest of any in the league that week. This town has embraced professional soccer fully.

Tonight is your first night to see Johnny Manziel as part of a Memphis pro team. The Memphis Express play the Birmingham Iron at the Liberty Bowl tonight at 7. For those of you not going to the game, you can watch it on the NFL Network. From 2 to 6 there will be an Express food truck rodeo at Tiger Lane. Trucks will include Mister Softee, Millie’s Garden, Fresh Gulf Shrimp, Marble Slab Creamery, Fantastic Foods, Just Wraps, King of King’s BBQ, Churrasco, Lets Be Frank, Mojo’s Cafe, Gourmet Grillers, Lil Miracles, Pablo’s Grill, Fabulous Flavors, Smurfey’s, Moe’s and Polar Tropical Ice & Sweet Treats. If the rain clears out in time, that would be a delicious way to spend the afternoon! Coach, please put Johnny Football in at least for a couple of series of downs.

One last reminder that it’s bring your dog day to Cerrito Bingo at Loflin Yard 4 to 6 PM. Bring a dog, get an extra bingo card. Waaaaiiiit a minute… are they going to do Sunday night Turtle Races with all the dogs there? That could get ugly.

Flying Sobies Hen House will be at Brunch at Ghost River Brewery all day today. You can get Cornish hens fried or smoked, with your choice of several sauces. My rec: Get the smoked hen with the Memphis Gold BBQ sauce.

It’s your last chance to catch Fiddler on the Roof at the Orpheum before the show leaves town. Shows at 1:00 and 6:30 PM.

The National Coalition of 100 Black Women presents Men Who Cook at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Labor Center at 485 Beale Street from 3 to 7 today. Sample culinary delights from local chefs. Cash bar. Put tips in a jar to vote for People’s Choice for best food. Proceeds raised will to go the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Memphis Patricia Walker Scholarship Fund.

OK Grizzlies. Gotta call you out on something. Last night I was watching the game on TV and there was a note about a Game Day Clinic on March 27. It said to go to grizzlies.com for more information. “That’s blogworthy, something my readers would want to know about,” I thought, and made a note in Evernote to go look for the info for this morning’s post. However, when I went to grizzlies.com, the info was nowhere to be found, even when I typed “clinic” in the search box. If an event of interest is promoted on TV with a URL provided, it needs to be something that website visitors find on that page in no more than 3 seconds, without having to type anything in a search. And why couldn’t you create a short URL like grizzlies.com/clinic and promote it, taking visitors directly to the relevant page?

Mud Islanders: Cordelia’s Market is having a meet your neighbor buffet-style dinner the evening on Thursday, March 28. 6:00-7:30, family-friendly, with wine and beer available for purchase.

On Thursday, April 18 at 6:00, Cordelia’s will have Easter cupcake decorating.

If you want to see what a national bridge tournament is like, check out the daily bulletins for the tournament going on through next Sunday at the Cook Convention Center. There’s a new one each day, up by 5 AM.

That’s the news for now. I guess I’ll lead off at Blind Bear since I’ll get rained on less walking there than I will walking to Pontotoc Lounge. Back tomorrow with more.