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The Downtown Neighborhood Association is seeking volunteers for 2019. Volunteers are key to helping the DNA put on high-quality community events. There are opportunities in communications, advocacy, membership services, and social services. If you’re passionate about your community and motivated to help with provide services for our neighborhood, fill out the form at this link to volunteer.

The Daily Memphian has news about two teams headed to Orange Beach, Alabama to compete in the World Food Championships. One of the teams, headed by Tommy Shive of LBOE, won Best Memphis Burger Fest last year to qualify, then took first place in Burgers in the food championships with a Benedict Burger. The first-place win guarantees Shive five years of eligibility, and he is headed back this year.

Beginning today, Amazon is waiving the minimum purchase amount for packages to qualify for free shipping, good on all packages that will ship in time for Christmas. Prime members will get an additional bonus: 3 million items will be eligible for same-day shipping.

The legend returns to Memphis early next year:

NOW ANNOUNCING: Country and western icon Willie Nelson presents An Evening with Willie Nelson & Family at the Orpheum Theatre on January 5, 2019. Tickets go on sale Friday, Nov. 9 at 10am: https://t.co/rtYjC10JJW pic.twitter.com/X1dMADbI2h

— Orpheum Theatre (@TheOrpheumTN) November 5, 2018

Volunteers needed for Hour of Code. Kids in grades 5-10 will spend an hour learning how to code, and then will be treated to lunch and a featured speaker. Both technical and non-technical volunteers are needed.

We need more volunteers, especially technical volunteers. (we need both)
For the @hourofcode event on December 1st from 9am to 2pm.
Please sign up at https://t.co/gLEYWJcm3J pic.twitter.com/fsJRdk8t5Z

— CodeCrew (@_CodeCrew) November 5, 2018

After hearing friends rave about Marco’s Pizza, I decided to give it a try this morning. Their website did not show my address within delivery distance, but friends who live a few blocks away have gotten delivery. I called their 15 S. Belvedere location and confirmed, they do deliver to me.

The first time I order a pizza from a new place, I always do a build-your-own rather than get one of their specialty pizzas. I built a 14″ large with Old World pepperoni, sausage, black olives, and extra cheese.

Perjorie T. Roll, who likes foods that are the same color as her hair, hoped I would get bell peppers on the pizza, but I didn’t. I can see why my friends told me to get the Old World pepperoni instead of the regular kind. It’s thicker and it made this pizza stand out.

Next time I want to order their meatball bake, meatballs and sausage over pasta. Sounds yummy and I could probably get three meals off it.

This will probably be my last post before the polls open tomorrow morning for Election Day. Not sure where your polling place is? Google can help.

I am begging, pleading with all my readers to please vote. LocalMemphis.com has information on how to get free or discounted rides to the polls.

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

As I’ve mentioned here previously, I’ve been going through some health issues the past couple of weeks. Recently I was told that I should get a pair of compression socks. “They’ll help circulation in your legs,” I was told. “Also, it will help prevent the build-up of fluid in your legs. Walgreens has them.” The great thing about living where I live is that all I have to do is walk across Madison to get to Walgreens.

So yesterday I walked over to Walgreens shortly after they opened. I figured the compression socks would be in the foot care section, but no. I had to walk all over the store before I found them. They were on a narrow rack, and the ones at eye level all said, “Women’s compression socks color: nude.” No, that is not what I wanted. Finally as I looked toward the lower right of the rack, I saw a pair that was for men, black in color. I took them to the cashier along with some groceries and paid.

I got home and removed all the cardboard wrapping, and once it was off, I realized something – rather than compression socks, I had bought compression tights. Tights designed to fit from your waist all the way down to the bottoms of your feet. Well I hadn’t meant to buy those, but the packing materials were already off and I’d paid $21 for these things. Might as well make the best of it, I thought, even though I had never worn tights before in my life.

I sat down on the edge of my bed and attempted to put the tights on. I quickly learned why they call them tights! It was torture trying to get my feet through those tiny little legs. The legs kept getting caught on my big toe, or my little toe, and I had to pull the legs this way and that to get them unstuck. It took me 20 minutes to get them entirely on.

They were so tight they hurt, but I had been told they were therapeutic. I remember Serena Williams had been prescribed to wear compression tights to deal with postpartum maladies, but a tennis tournament (French Open I think?) ruled they were a violation of the dress code. If they were good enough for Serena, I reasoned, they were good enough for me.

They were fine when I sat in my desk chair in front of my computer, but when I stretched my legs or got up and walked around, they hurt. My calves and thighs were fine, but around my ankles, where the tights have to bend, the elasticity of the tights was extremely uncomfortable. I dealt with the discomfort, though, knowing it was good for me.

After the 10:00 news and a couple of cop shows it was time to go to bed.

12:56 AM: Got in bed

3:08 AM: Still trying to ignore how uncomfortable these stupid tights are and get to sleep

6:10 AM: Woke up feeling like there were super-tight rubber bands around my ankles and around the tops of my feet. I knew there was no way I would be able to get back to sleep with my feet in such pain. At that point, I got out from underneath the covers and pulled off the tights. Thank goodness I got them off in less than 1 minute. I was afraid it would take as long to get them off as it did to put them on.

The tights did perform as advertised. It seems like I can move around better today than I have the past few days, and my calves seem considerably less tight than they have recently. They are just such a total pain to put on and to have on. Do women have this much trouble getting leggings on? I think women’s leggings are usually 50% elastic stuff and 50% material with some give. These compression tights are all elastic stuff. I might give them a second chance today or tomorrow, but I am absolutely not wearing them to bed.

And before you ask – Rahul & Tony – no I did not take a picture of my butt in the tights, and even if I did I would not be sending it to you.

Okay – here’s what’s going on with the health issue I’m having. I’m not going to go into great detail but these are the points that have been affecting my lifestyle. I first noticed it the evening of Thursday, October 18. In the morning and early afternoon I walked all over Downtown and felt great. I walked over to Calvary to early vote; I walked up and down the Main Street Mall; I walked to Court Square to get lunch from a food truck. However, that evening, as I walked home from the Blind Bear, I got winded on the last block of my 3-block walk home.

Since then I have observed the following:

• When I walk more than about two blocks, I tend to get winded and tired out.
• When I drink more than a drink or two, I tend to get winded and tired out. For example, one day last week I went to happy hour at the Silly Goose. I was there from 2:00 to 6:30 and had 4 PBRs. Since the body processes a drink an hour on average, I should have been fine; yet I felt weak by the end of that fourth beer.
• When feeling weak, winded, and tired out, I have trouble navigating up stairs and curbs.

Of course, this presents an issue, since two of my favorite spots in the Downtown core are farther than a two-block walk away: Blind Bear (which has three steps at the door) and Silly Goose. As a result, I have drastically cut back my going-out since last Thursday. It has been a change and I miss my friends at those places terribly.

On the other hand, the time away has made me re-discover how much I like being home by myself. I have been watching shows on Antenna TV and MeTV that I watched when I was a kid – Welcome Back Kotter, Benson, MASH, The Jeffersons, Three’s Company, Alice, Love Boat. Criminal Minds is one of my favorites and Ion shows it in marathons, but it’s hard to tune the rabbit ears to pick up channel 50. I’ve also been buying and reading Kindle books. About done with the current one, so if anyone has suggestions let me know. I prefer to tend nonfiction over fiction and I especially like biographies and books about history.

Thank goodness everything I need is close. I can walk to Walgreens. I can walk to my bank. I can walk to the garage and get in my car and drive to Kroger. I can walk to Maciel’s, City Market, Court House Deli, Sam’s, Havana’s Pilon, and Brass Door if I get hungry and don’t want to heat up something at home. My visits to Bardog remain unaffected, although I am cutting back on the beer there a good bit.

I do plan to get back out as the week goes on, although I will be careful. I am going to take today off because I don’t want to be out in the storms, and tomorrow off because it’s election day. Tomorrow night I plan on having one channel with election results on the TV, a second streaming on my iPad, and a third streaming on my phone. Weather and health permitting, I will probably be out a bit Wednesday.

Thanks to those who have helped me when I needed it, and those who have messaged me to check in on me and offer help if I need anything. I love and miss my Downtown family and hope to see you soon.

That’s what’s going on with me. Just wanted to give an update because I know people have been wondering. I hope to be back later today with a news post.

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If you live in the Downtown core, this is what your 7:30 on a Saturday morning sounds like this time a year. It’s race weather, and just about every Saturday there’s a 5K or 10K or some kind of race departing for AutoZone Park. One of the ways they celebrate the runners and get them all fired up to race at such an early hour is marching bands.

So yesterday morning as I lay in bed, I was thinking of an entirely new concept… the “silent disco marching band.”

A silent disco is a dance party in which everyone is listening to the same music, but through wireless headphones rather than being broadcast over a speaker system or PA. Anyone at the party without headphones experiences a room full of people dancing to nothing.

What we need is to get a manufacturer of wireless headphones to sponsor a 5K, and have a silent disco marching band to fire up the runners.

I didn’t see it in time to post it, but The Rendezvous held a job fair last week, seeking hosts, barbacks, cooks, and experienced servers. If you didn’t make it to the job fair but would be interested in a position there, might want to go by this week and see if they’re still hiring. Being a server there is hard work, but a server who cultivates a regular clientele can make six figures a year.

The Daily Memphian has more information on the remake of Tom Lee Park to maximize its natural amenities and at the same time make it more inviting and accessible to the public.

The Daily Memphian also has the 411 on Downtown Dining Week which runs from tomorrow through Sunday. They have some good tips to help you get the most of of the week. If you don’t have time to dig through all 50 menus to determine which restaurants you want to visit, I published Paul’s Picks of the best 2018 menus last week.

I want to emphasize one thing for DDW: Be kind to your servers. They are going to be busy with full restaurants. If your food takes a few extra minutes to get out to you, it is probably because the kitchen is backed up and not your server’s fault. When your server comes to your table, ask around and find out who at the table needs anything so they can get it all at one time, rather than running them back and forth for requests one at a time.

In terms of tip on a $20.18 dinner, keep in mind two things: 1) Most of these dinners would cost more than $20.18 if you were paying full price; and 2) These are 3-course dinners, so your servers are doing more work than usual. A tip of 20% on $20.18 would be $4, but I would encourage diners to tip in the $6-7 range in recognition of the extra work their servers are putting in this week.

There’s an International Conference on Catalysis and Pyrolysis tomorrow at the Crowne Plaza. Woo hoo, that sounds like fun! I might have to be a party crasher.

Don’t forget that the grilled cheese festival is going on at the Hi-Tone today.

That’s it for now. Health issues continue to keep me at home more than I would like, but I will try to make it out to the Blind Bear for a little while this evening. Back tomorrow with more news.

Edible Memphis has a wonderful article about the friendship that has developed between Michael Patrick, chef at Rizzo’s, and Cristina McCarter, founder of City Tasting Tours. The two have bonded over food experiences and their status as self-appointed ambassadors of Downtown.

LUNCHBOXeats has announced that they are cooking Thanksgiving dinners and you can place your order through November 15. You can order a complete dinner that serves 6 to 8 (traditional – $130 or deluxe – $175) or individual entrees, sides, desserts, and beverages. Pick up your order Tuesday or Wednesday of Thanksgiving week, or (extra charge) Thanksgiving morning.

News for whiskey lovers:

This just in! 🚨 @chattwhiskey experimental batches 9 and 10 at The Tavern! Batch 10 is a Tennessee double barrel whiskey. 9 is a Tennessee double malt. 130 cases of batch 10 and 300 cases of batch 9 were released. You’ve gotta come try these!! 🚨 #belletavern #downtownmemphis pic.twitter.com/Z05OBimCLI

— Belle Tavern (@belletavern) November 2, 2018

RedRover, an agency in the Falls Building at Front and Court, has an opening for a Copy Writer. Everyone tells me this is a great place to work. If you have a dog, include a photo along with your resume.

The Grizzlies have already won five of the projected 34.5 games analysts expected them to win this season, having beat the Utah Jazz on the road last night 110-100.

Here’s something you don’t see every day: Bids to renovate the Cook Convention Center are coming in $175 million under budget.

Congratulations to my friends Joe and Lisa on their wedding today.

Don’t forget to set your clocks back an hour tonight before you go to bed as Standard Time starts at 3 (2) AM. No, this does not mean the bars get to stay open until the second 3 AM tonight; for lack of a better word, the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission are a bunch of dicks about this.

Okay, that’s it for now. Bardog time. Back tomorrow with more news.

Want to be part of the redevelopment of the Fourth Bluff and the parks along the riverfront? Tomorrow from 9 to noon you have a chance to do just that. Join Shelby County Schools students at the new River Garden at Mississippi River Park for Community Build Day. Participants will build a life-sized bird nest and customize flags for the park’s grand opening celebration on Friday, November 9. All ages can participate. Closed-toe shoes are required.

The Big River Crossing 5K and half-marathon is tomorrow, with the starting line at Tom Lee Park.

In even more river news, the Memphis River Parks Partnership has selected firms to lead the re-imagination of Tom Lee Park. The plan is to add shade and restore natural conditions and trails to make the park more inviting, yet at the same time provide infrastructure for Memphis in May events.

The Memphis Union Mission operates a long-term drug and alcohol program for men and women. One of the locations at which men go through the program, called Calvary Colony, is in desperate need of bath towels and wash cloths. You can drop off donations at the Mission at 383 Poplar. Alternately, you can order these items online and request that they be delivered directly to Calvary Colony, 4535 Benjestown Rd, Memphis, TN 38127.

The Flyer’s Hungry Memphis tweeted this photo of food from The Nine, the new restaurant in the former Bangkok Alley space on Union.

Drunken noodle, The Nine pic.twitter.com/oYqhMaEUua

— HungryMemphis (@HungryFlyer) November 1, 2018

Not sure if the restaurant is open to the public, or if this was just a preview. I could not find any website or Facebook presence for the new restaurant.

Did you know that the Rendezvous gives out complimentary red beans and rice for Friday and Saturday lunch?

It’s actually cold outside this morning. Perfect day for red beans and rice. We give it out complementary at lunch on Fridays and Saturdays while supplies last!! Come get some! pic.twitter.com/v12pwEV319

— The Rendezvous (@Rendezvous_Ribs) November 2, 2018

The Memphis Tigers host their second and final exhibition game vs. CBU tonight at FedExForum at 7 PM.

That’ll do it for now. Watching the Crown Jewel supershow live from Saudi Arabia on the WWE Network as I type this. Back tomorrow with more news.

Now that Halloween is behind us, we enter the season known as “the holiday season.” Fa la la la la la la la la and all that crap. But seriously, though, some of the best holiday deals were announced this morning… holiday offers from the Majestic Grille.

The most important thing to know is that Wednesday, November 28 will be their half-off gift card sale. Doors open at 8 AM. You can buy $50 gift cards for $25, and you can buy as many of them as you like. Now, there are some restrictions… you can’t use the gift cards to purchase alcohol, and you can’t use them at all until 2019. Still, this is a way to enjoy the Majestic’s fabulous food at half the price. If you know people who live or work Downtown, the cards make perfect Christmas gifts.

One other catch…. you must purchase the cards IN PERSON on the 28th. If you can’t arrange to go in late to work that day, make arrangements with someone who can be Downtown at 8 AM.

Oh yeah, one more thing… don’t think, “Oh yeah, I’ll just mosey on over there at 12:30 or 1:00 when I take my lunch break.” The cards will have sold out by then. Best bet is to be in line at 8 AM. You’re taking your chances if you show up at 9 or later.

The annual Clark’s Christmas Dinner has been set for Tuesday, December 18 at the Majestic with 6:30 PM and 7 PM seatings. At 7:30 the classic National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation will be shown on the big screen. There will be two contests – one for best character from the movie, and another for best tacky sweater. Chef Patrick always offers a special holiday menu for this event, although the regular menu will be available too. If you want to reserve a table for this event (or any of the events I am about to name), call 901-522-8555. For Clark’s Christmas, you need to call RIGHT NOW for reservations. I would not be surprised if there is a waiting list by the end of the business day tomorrow. People love this and it has become a true Downtown Memphis Christmas tradition.

Brunch with Santa comes to the Majestic Saturday morning, December 15. This is ideal for getting your kids in the Christmas spirit, with 9:30, 10:00, 11:30, and noon seatings. There  will be a special kids’ brunch, holiday movies on the big screen, and special appearances by Santa, Mrs. Claus, the North Pole elves, and their friends. This one will get booked up nearly as fast as Clark’s Christmas. Do not delay making reservations if you want your kids to be a part of this day.

Edit 11:19 AM: Well that didn’t take long. You can still try to get on their waiting list.

Clark’s Christmas Dinner and Brunch with Santa are SOLD OUT. Thank you to everyone who had our phones ringing off the hook first thing this morning! Please call the restaurant at 901-522-8555 to get your name on the call list in the event of any openings. pic.twitter.com/ELST1JN2SB

— The Majestic Grille (@MajesticGrille) November 1, 2018

I hate most New Year’s Eve celebrations but NYE at the Majestic is an exception. They’ll have some scrumptious specials, but again if you prefer the regular menu you can order off it too. This is a place where you can get a good dinner in you before going to your New Year’s Eve party, or you can stay at the Majestic to ring in the new year. I have spent several NYEs at the Majestic and I tell you, this is right up my alley. Elegant but never pretentious. A place to make memories with wonderful friends. Reservations are required.

November 1 is one of my favorite days of the year! Here’s why:

Half-off Halloween candy at Walgreens! I got an $11 bag of Halloween candy for $5.49. This 50-piece assortment should keep me sugared up for the entire month. I like every kind of candy in the bag, too. The only alteration I will make will be to turn the Almond Joys into Mounds by removing the almonds. I’ll give the almonds to Perjorie T. Roll.

Okay, let’s get on to the rest of the news…

Quench will hold a whiskey tasting next Friday, November 9, from 5 to  7 PM. Blue Note Bourbon and Riverset Rye will be sampled.

Infinitus, a beat-boxing string trio, has been announced for the Halloran Centre for Thursday, November 15. They play classical standards as well as jazz/hip-hop compositions and arrangements.

Start Co. is hiring an Accelerator Operations Manager. The successful candidate will get to help budding entrepreneurs grow their businesses. This is a job that offers as much in terms of connections in the community as it does in terms of salary and benefits.

Don’t forget that tonight is Paint & Get Lit at Silly Goose. David Yancy will be conducting the painting class, and if you get hungry Wok’n in Memphis will be in the kitchen.

The 2018 Indie Memphis Film Festival begins today. Over 200 independently made films will be shown in 7 venues over a 5-day period. There will also be filmmaker discussions, parties, and more.

Shufflegrit plays Dirty Crow Inn tonight.

Cordelia’s Market is looking to hire a full-time cafe team member.

Chris Herrington is back with another excellent Grizzlies mailbag column in The Daily Memphian. I normally skip right over “mailbag” columns in the publications I read, but Herrington is just so good.

I don’t often recommend events in Cordova, but India Fest 2018 at the Agricenter this Saturday is one that’s absolutely worth the drive. First and foremost, Indian food! Love it love it love it! Over 50 vendors where you can shop for Indian clothing and items, Bollywood movies and dancing, Indian music, Henna, and more. Having worked with so many Indians over years, I can tell you, they have a rich and beautiful culture that is worth exploring.

I took the day off yesterday because I didn’t feel like getting out in the rain, and I never got around to finding a Halloween costume this year. Also, I had a lot of stuff to do at home. I had a book to read, I wanted to catch up on writing in my personal journal, I had a new Wi-Fi router I needed to set up, and I’ve been teaching myself the Ruby on Rails programming language/framework. It was kind of nice to have a day to myself, watching ’70s TV reruns on the local 3.3, 30.2, etc. stations as well as watching the WWE Network on my iPad. That said, I’m itchin’ to get back out today. I plan on being at the Silly Goose not long after 2 today and then the Blind Bear after that. Back tomorrow with more news.

Now that we’re down to five days before Downtown Dining Week and almost all participating have posted their menus, I want to go back and expand my list of Paul’s Picks. DDW is your chance to try dinners from Downtown restaurants for $20.18, and lunches for $10.18. For my readers who don’t have time to go through the menus of all 49 restaurants, I have gone through and picked the ones that seem to be the best value and/or the most interesting.

Aldo’s Pizza Pies – Good pick for vegetarians. They offer your choice of four main courses and two (butternut squash ravioli, cheese manicotti) are meatless.

Automatic Slim’s – You have choices, but I personally would go for the Cajun crawfish dip with wonton chips, the smoked beef tenderloin, and the homemade dessert of the day.

Brass Door – All of the appetizer and entree choices sound good. I would have trouble picking here. Based on my knowledge of the menu, the appetizer and entree prices add up to about $20 so it’s like you’re getting a free dessert. I especially recommend this place if you like soccer.

Carolina Watershed – $10.18 for a lunch for Cornish hen, collard greens, and Delta grits. This is a really neat space, based on silos, for those of you who have never been in there.

Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous – Another good visit for vegetarians, with vegetarian sampler platters available as an option for both lunch and dinner for DDW.

Felicia Suzanne’s – Personally, I’d get the crispy oysters with New Orleans BBQ sauce, the Sunday Sugo, and the chocolate bread pudding, but you can’t go wrong with anything on this menu. You do you. TWO NOTES: 1) This place will probably fill up the fastest with reservations of any Downtown Dining Week restaurant. If you want to reserve a table there, do not delay. 2) They will be open every day for dinner as well as Friday lunch, with the $20.18 dinner menu available. I seriously doubt they will be doing their 25 cent martinis for lunch the Friday of DDW.

Grecian Gourmet – Dinner menu sounds really fun, with spanakopita or lamb lollipop chops as the main course.

Kooky Canuck – Dinner for two for $20.18. Two entrees plus salad, mac & cheese, and two mini maple bread puddings. This is an outstanding value.

Majestic Grille – Go for that Petite New York Strip with Majestic butter. This place makes some of the best steaks in town. The pork pate as an appetizer sounds interesting too.

Paulette’s – Crabmeat stuffed sole? Yes, please. For those not into fish, Beef Bourguignon is also a main course option.

Regina’s Cajun Kitchen – A three-course Cajun lunch menu that seems like it would be a good value for $20.18, but it’s not – it’s for the lunch price of $10.18.

Rizzo’s – Three courses for lunch for $10.18, four courses for dinner for $20.18. Incredible value plated up by Chef Michael Patrick as is the case every year. My #1 pick of this entire list.

Sabor Caribe – This is just a fabulous menu with both lunch and dinner options. This would be a great way to expose yourself to Venezuelan cuisine.

South of Beale – This would be the place to go if you have a vegetarian in your group. General Tso’s Cauliflower, a Zaka Bowl, and choice of dessert. They have salmon and steak options for meat-eaters. Man, I’d be all over that peanut butter banana pudding.

Trolley Stop Market – 16-inch specialty pizza plus two drinks for $20.18 is a good value. They also have a meat-and-two lunch options. Personally, I would recommend going for lunch on Thursday and getting some of that Claybrook Farms meatloaf.

Westy’s – Bring a friend for lunch. For $10.18 you get TWO of a catfish basket, a patty melt, or a marinated chicken sandwich, each of which comes with fries or tots. They also offer a $20.18 three-course dinner: 1 appetizer and 1 dessert to share, and 2 entrees. The Hot Fudge Pie is one of Memphis’ most famous dishes.

I’ll say it one more time. If you are sure you want to go to any of the restaurants listed above – but particularly Felicia’s, Paulette’s, and Rizzo’s – call and make reservations now. The best times are probably already off the board, and if you want until DDW begins you risk not getting a reservation at all.

This is not a Downtown Dining Week thing but still newsworthy. The Majestic Grille’s chili is back for the winter months every Wednesday.

Now serving our famous CHILI on Wednesdays!#chili #downtownmemphis #getdowntown #majesticgrille #lunch pic.twitter.com/U739mnlZtv

— The Majestic Grille (@MajesticGrille) October 31, 2018

If you’re looking for stuff to do with the kids tonight for Halloween, here’s one more suggestion – Bass Pro at the Pyramid. Trick-or-treating 5 to 8 tonight, a costume parade at 6, pumpkin toss with prizes, and scarecrow and cookie crafts. First 500 kids to take a photo will receive a free Halloween frame.

There are events for kids in Crosstown Concourse tonight as well.

As for adults, don’t forget there’s a drawing for this beautiful hearse tonight at Bardog Tavern at 11:59.

Still plenty of time to run by and buy raffle tickets. You don’t have to be present to win, but you will need to answer your phone when they call you if you are not there.

There’s a costume contest along with weekly British Bingo tonight at Belle Tavern at 7:30. $50 male and female costume prizes along with the $100 in weekly bingo prizes.

Blind Bear is hosting Halloween Part Deux, the sequel to Saturday’s party, tonight. $5 Witch’s Eye shots, $5 Irish whiskey shots, $3 cinnamon whiskey shots – plus everybody gets service industry pricing tonight, which means $2.50 select domestic bottles, $4 well drinks, $5 house wine.

Dirty Crow Inn is hosting a Halloween party tonight. There will be a DJ, live music by Bobbie Stacks and Kevin Kilgore, costume contest with prizes, and $4 Jello shots, blood orange margaritas, and Hell-Cat Maggie shots.

Mollie Fontaine Lounge hosts its annual Halloween party tonight.

Ghost River will host a Halloween party in its taproom 4-11 with Flight Night 4-7. Eddy’s Pepper food truck, costume contest, Halloween trivia, live music by the Flying V’s, and a special chocolate brew on draft.

Silly Goose has its Hallows Eve Ball tonight.

Yesterday was a sad day as we lost a very special member of our Downtown family. It took me a while to embrace her at first, but the more I got to know her, the more I saw how she spread her big personality and her love all over our neighborhood, and how she brought a very unique perspective to the table. Heaven gained a unicorn yesterday. My deepest condolences for those who loved her. Many tears have been shed in the past 24 hours.

That’s it for now. Everybody stay safe tonight, and remember – if you want to stay out in the rain, that’s all you, but if you see lightning you need to get indoors. Back tomorrow with more news.

FreeWorld plays the Dirty Crow Inn this Saturday from 8 to 11.

Early voting ends Thursday. Here’s a list of Shelby County early voting locations. When you early vote, you can vote at any location.

Bardog Tavern is looking for a night server to join their team. Their tweet didn’t say how to apply, but standard practice is to apply in person before 2 and 4 PM on a weekday.

The Memphis Grilled Cheese Fest is this Sunday at the Hi-Tone. Holly has 10 things you should know.

Tin Roof hosts The Purple Madness: The Prince Tribute on December 6.

The 2018 Distracted Driving Superhero 5K happens at AutoZone Park at 9 AM on Saturday, November 10. You’re encouraged to run in your favorite superhero costume as part of the theme of “Be a Hero, Don’t Text and Drive!” Register for the race here.

Apologies to the River Rat Rounders for missing last night’s poker game at Silly Goose… been dealing with some health issues and just didn’t feel like being out that late. I definitely plan on being back soon.

In the news: Trump wants to sign an executive order to end birthright citizenship. Now, I’m not taking a position here on birthright citizenship one way or another. My problem with this is, the president of the United States thinks he can sign an executive order to overturn a Constitutional Amendment (the 14th). That’s not how it works! Pretty sure the courts would strike down the order immediately, but if he’s allowed to get away with it, what’s stopping him from issuing an order nullifying the 22nd Amendment (president is limited to two terms)?

That’s it for now. Back tomorrow.

Yesterday I was surfing Twitter and hit upon a very interesting piece of news. @BradPee posted a photo of the former Scoops location on G.E. Patterson across from Cheesecake Corner. I did not know that Scoops closed a few weeks ago. There was a sign in the window that said, “Coming Soon: Litttle Italy,” which I am taking to mean a second location of the popular Little Italy restaurant in Midtown. I got to try their pizza at a BBQ meeting this spring and it is very good.

It can be hard to find stuff to do with kids Downtown on Halloween, but Trolley Stop Market has an option for you. They will have a Trick or Treat from 5:00 to 8:30 PM on the 31st. Tickets are $10 per child under 12 and there will be candy, crafts, pizza and a beverage. For adults there will be dinner and drink specials. Seating is limited, so order your ticket through Everbrite if you want to go.

Wednesday is expected to be a very wet day, so whatever your Halloween plans are, better have an alternative it they’re outside.

Ghost River is celebrating the taproom’s second birthday this Saturday, November 3. From noon to 4 they’ll have a Small Shop featuring Madame Poindextra’s. The New Wing Order food truck will be back at the brewery serving their delicious wings, tacos and fries. The Lucky 7 Brass Band takes the stage at 8 PM (no cover). New beers will make their debut, and there will be giveaways all day long.

The South Main Association’s November meeting has been announced for Stock & Belle, 6 PM social, 6:30 program, for Tuesday, November 13, and they have a star-studded lineup of presenters. Kevin Kane, CEO of Memphis Tourism, will speak on the impact of tourism in South Main and what it means to the city. Tim Mulqueen, head coach of Memphis 901 FC, will inform the SMA about Memphis’ new pro soccer team. Krista Flanagan will speak on the St. Jude Marathon that will pass through South Main on December 1 (neighborhood guide here). The 2019 board elections will also be held at this meeting. Members free, guests $10.

As your number-one source of news and information about The Edge District, it’s my pleasure to tell you of an upcoming opportunity to play cards for charity… and this card game isn’t poker.

Hey you! Have you gotten your tix yet to #GetTheseHands ♠️ tournament and fundraiser? Flash sale going on right now! Don’t tarry! Benefits #MLK50 https://t.co/okn9gMIjKq pic.twitter.com/2TTe1eAOhm

— MLK50 Memphis (@MLK50Memphis) October 28, 2018

GET THESE HANDS! A spades tournament and game night benefiting MLK50 Memphis will be held at the Premiere Palace Ballroom, 629 Monroe, on Saturday, November 10. Register to play and the soul food buffet and first drink are on the house. If you don’t have a spades partner, one will be found for you. Winning pair earns a trophy, bragging rights, and free drinks for the rest of the night. Not into spades but still want to be a part of the fun? No problem, they’ll have dominoes, bid whist, Uno and other games. Alcohol will be served so this is a 21+ event.

I wonder if they know they stole Braun Strowman’s catchphrase?

Saturday I posted Pontotoc Lounge’s fall/winter menu and noticed one of the appetizers that I had never tried, chickpea fries with harissa ketchup and comeback sauce. I love chickpeas and chickpea-based products, but I guess I’d never ordered the fries because I’m not a huge fan of ketchup. Yesterday I was thinking, “What is harissa, anyway?” and I Wikipedia’d it. Harissa is a hot pepper chili paste from the Maghreb, most commonly associated with Tunisia, but also used in Morocco and Libya. Yum! Now I want to try those fries. As long as ketchup is interesting, not just the boring red stuff out of a Heinz bottle, I don’t mind it. The chickpea fries come with a side of Mississippi comeback sauce too, and I’m sure that’s good.

Singer Bettye LaVette, who has reimagined the works of artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Dolly Parton, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, and Bruce Springsteen, will perform at the Halloran Centre this Saturday, November 3. Tickets are $35.

In other Halloran Centre News, Kafe Kirk, the jazzy, groovy, series of performances by Kirk Whalum, returns to the Centre December 2, this time joined by a special guest: Sheila E. Due to demand a second concert has been added on the same day.

The Daily Memphian has a photo gallery of this past weekend’s RiverArtsFest.

From Mashable: The 10 types of trolls you’ll spot in the wild. Don’tcha just hate those crazy trolls?

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

I took the day totally off yesterday. Dealing with some health issues and badly needing to give my body a day to rest. With Halloween revelers out in force and no Halloween costume, it just seemed like the right day to do it. I discovered that one of my all-time favorite shows, Bar Rescue, had a one-day pass where you can watch unlimited episodes.

Bar Rescue is hosted by service industry expert John Taffer. He locates bars that were once busy and profitable but which have fallen upon hard times. He works with the owners and staff (often yelling at them) to mend personal disagreements and identify the bar’s problems. It’s really interesting to watch. You learn about things like food costs. You also learn that a lot of bars waste more beer/liquor than they sell due to poorly run beer taps and due to employees giving away shots. Taffer redesigns the bar to incorporate a concept that fits the surrounding area. He’ll bring in a mixologist to create a drink menu and train the staff. He’ll also bring in a chef to create a menu the kitchen manager and cooks can handle.

About a year and a half ago, Taffer’s people started putting out feelers to basically every Memphis-area bar, looking for rescues. He found three and the episodes are now online. A sports bar out in Arlington, now named The Legacy Bar & Grill (season 6 episode 1), was renamed as parents patched up differences with their son and prepared to hand on the business to the next generation. Season 6 Episode 2 comes to Downtown Memphis, where the owner of Havana Mix was having trouble attracting business to its adjacent cocktail bar. Taffer got the owner’s son, the bar manager, to stop spending so much time in the humidor, realizing that a drink sold was generally more profitable (and a much quicker sell) than a cigar sold. The chef worked with kitchen staff to come up with dishes with Cuban flair. The place got a slight rename, Robusto by Havana Mix.

The third Memphis-area episode, Season 6 Episode 5, was described as a “failing Mississippi dive bar” and I thought, it’s probably somewhere down near Clarksville. However, when the show started, I thought, “Wait a minute! I ate there!” It was the former Joe’s Thirsty Lizard in Horn Lake, right around the corner from the ACBL where I worked. Once I saw the “before” state of the kitchen – and learned that my food was likely cooked by a guy named Dirty Red – I regretted my lunch decision there. They cleaned it up real nice though, giving it a new concept called The Iron Horse that fit the area well.

On to the news…

NF brings the Perception Tour to the Mud Island Amphitheatre tonight at 7:30.

The Daily Memphian has a photo gallery of the Komen Race for the Cure that happened in Downtown Memphis yesterday morning.

There’s Pop-up Jazz in Court Square with Kelley Hurt & Chris Parker tonight from 5 to 7 PM. Food trucks will be there, and you can bring your own lawn chairs and picnic baskets. It should be a beautiful day to be outside – after a couple of weeks of below-normal temperatures, we’re looking at a high in the upper 70s along with sunshine this afternoon.

Musical celebration One Memphis will bring people from all walks of life together at Handy Park today at 4.

Time to get out and enjoy this day! What a great day for the Sunday of RiverArtsFest. Back tomorrow with more news.