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Get Fresh with Us is the theme of the Memphis Farmers Market this Saturday. What better way to celebrate the beginning of National Fruit and Vegetable Month than a trip to the Market for some locally grown fresh produce? Kids can learn about animals on the farm by creating unique farm-animal visors from 9 to 11. Live music by Kayla Walker 8:30 to 10 and by David May 11 to 12:30. The Market is at the corner of Front and G.E. Patterson under the pavilion every Saturday from 7 AM to 1 PM.

This week’s vendor chitchat is with Erica Bodine, owner of Erica Bodine Pottery. Bodine’s parents were potters and taught her at age 12. She makes only utilitarian items, and one of her first for the Farmers Market was a 901 drinking cup. Later she expanded her line to include a 201 (Poplar) drinking cup that she sells at the Market.

Some days this blog just writes itself…

Bodine’s pottery can also be found at Trolley Stop Market if you can’t make it to the Farmers Market.

The public is invited to wear orange tonight to Loflin Yard to observe National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Speakers will include Moms volunteer Tara Johnson, Mayor Jim Strickland, Sen. Lee Harris, and Terri Lee Freeman, President of the Nat’l Civil Rights Museum. The program begins at 5 PM.

There will be a Creole and Patio Party at Church of the River tomorrow night, Friday, June 3. Gumbo and other New Orleans favorites will be served in the church’s courtyard and Great Mississippi River Room as Marcella and her Lovers entertain. $75.

My friend Chicken Fried Steak Rodger has confirmed for me that Uber and Lyft will take you to Southaven/Olive Branch and come pick you up from those cities and take you back to Memphis. Now, I know what you’re thinking… “Why the F would anyone want to go to Olive Branch?”, but our friend Mandy Marie teaches really fun classes at Painting with a Twist out there. Now I will be able to go without worrying about transportation.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade will play at the Orpheum tonight at 7, the first of the summer classic movie series.

The Harbor Town 5K is tomorrow night, Friday, June 3. Race is at 7 with a 1 mile fun run for kids at 6. Proceeds raised benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis.

I’ll be leading off at Silly Goose tonight after work. Keep scrolling for this morning’s post if you haven’t seen it yet.

Just barely enough time to fire off a post before work. Let’s do this thing…

Million Dollar Quartet is back Downtown filming once again. They will occupy the alley next to Bardog (formerly known as Scratchy’s Alley) today through Saturday.

Want to volunteer somewhere in Memphis but haven’t found the perfect fit for you so far? Come to VolunCheers at Emerge Memphis on Wednesday, June 15. It’s a “Minute Match,” kind of like speed dating where nonprofits and potential volunteers find each other. Food and Wiseacre beer will be provided.

The Dantones headline tonight’s Peabody rooftop party.. $10 to get in or $150 VIP for the season, first 200 ladies free, doors at 6, entertainment at 7. Admission includes a buffet of mini meatloaf and tater tots, and if you’re in VIP you have a second buffet of chicken & waffles, onion rings and mini cheesecake. Cherry margaritas are the drink special. Those with VIP passes have a beer tasting in the Corner Bar 5-6 PM featuring New Belgium Heavy Melon.

MyHQ is once again hosting Sunset Yoga at Memphis Park (formerly Confederate Park) Wednesday, June 8. The session is free and there will be a wine tasting by Quench afterward. If you don’t have your own mat they can supply you one. YOGA!

South Main Book Juggler will host a Simplifying Chords Book Signing Saturday from 1 to 3 in the afternoon. Elizabeth Goodline will sign her book, a textbook for the classroom and a reference for the road. Afterward she will play a set at South Main Sounds.

Claybrook Farms is now advertising its June Bundle: five 12 ounce ribeyes, five 12 ounce strip steaks, two 24 ounce sirloin steaks for two, and two 1.5 pound packages of ground beef. This collection retails for $185 but you can get it as a bundle this month for $150.

I expect to be back later today with Farmers Market news and more, so check back.

I am sad to report that Roxie’s, the grocery at Third and Mill that is known city-wide for its great burger, was damaged in an overnight fire Monday night/Tuesday morning. However, the building was not a total loss and the burgers will be back on the grill as soon as they can.

On Saturday, June 18 there will be a soul food cooking contest at Slave Haven, the Underground Railroad museum in the 800 block of North Second. The museum is celebrating its 160th anniversary and the contest is part of its Juneteenth events. You can compete for the best of the best in sweet potato pie, bread pudding, hot water cornbread, tea cakes, and biscuits.

Saturday, August 28 is Go Topless Day at Overton Park. Everyone, including men, is encouraged to wear pasties and celebrate the day. This is also the day of Best Memphis Burger Fest and the Bardog alley party, so people are going to be spread thin around town.

The folks at the Hungry Memphis blog tried the deep fried ribs at King Jerry Lawler’s new cafe on Beale Street. Those look really good, and something different from the rest of the ribs you can find Downtown.

South of Beale is now delivering to Downtown and Midtown via Chef Shuttle. Here’s the menu.

Very cool for our local university: The University of Memphis is sending 14 journalism students to cover the Olympics. The games open August 5. Man oh man… the Summer Olympics back on TV… you know what that means…

ROMANIAN GYMNASTS!

I am still waiting to hear whether Catalina Ponor has accepted my marriage proposal.

For Max’s Sports Bar patrons: You may remember Lauren who tended bar during day football games several years back. She will be working Michele’s shifts for the month while Michele is on vacation, so come see her! I will definitely be spending some time at Max’s this weekend.

Max’s is mentioned in this post by the Flyer’s Frank Murtaugh about five tips for new Grizzlies coach David Fizdale. “Forget white collar or blue collar… Memphis may be America’s only no-collar town.” Love it. And Coach Fiz, if you’re reading this, you really should visit Max’s and meet the regulars. One of the friendliest bars in the city and they love their sports there.

And after you visit Max’s, be sure to go cat-a-corner across Main and G.E. Patterson and check out Earnestine & Hazel’s, a spot where a certain former Grizz coach used to take his 23-year-old dates.

Damn. Two Mr. Greens in one post. That hasn’t happened in a while. I think the only time it has ever happened before is when I mentioned the BBQ device that I’m no longer to mention on here.

(I mentioned the BBQ device I am no longer allowed to mention )

Three. A hat trick of Mr. Greens.

For my readers who are casual wrestling fans but don’t follow the action on a weekly basis, you gotta watch the clip below. John Cena returned Monday night after a 6+ month absence due to injury. WWE newcomer AJ Styles, already a legend in TNA and Japan, came to the ring to greet Cena. Last week AJ asked the other members of The Bullet Club (now just “The Club”) to stop interfering in his matches and they agreed to go their separate ways. However, The Club was none too happy about Styles sucking up to John Cena last night, and they came to the ring to express their objection. Probably the most important segment on a WWE show since Seth Rollins turned on his fellow Shield members two years ago.

I want to thank Moody Ques pitmaster Frank and his lovely wife Laura for having us over to their house on Memorial Day for a cookout. There were ribs and wings and sides, and it was all so good. The team is a shoulder team at BBQ Fest but we compete in ribs in some of the regionals, so this was good practice.

Vote for BBQ Fest as one of USA TODAY’s 10 best BBQ festivals here. You can vote once a day through June 20.

I’ll be at the Silly Goose for happy hour. Possibly a second post, check back.

You know, when something negative happens Downtown I always question whether I should blog about it. I love my neighborhood and I want people to come down here and visit and enjoy the amenities and even consider moving here. For years I have been saying that there is no other part of Memphis which has so much to do in such a compact space; there is no other area of Memphis in which it is so easy to make friends and find where you fit in.

On the other hand, I like to paint an honest picture of Downtown. No one pays me to write this blog so I can say whatever I want on here, and I generally do. Downtown is not perfect. Sometimes pointing out its imperfections, the things that get swept under the carpet because no one wants to talk about them, is the only way to get them addressed.

Sunday at 11 I grabbed a seat at B-RAD’s bar and got ready to enjoy a Sunday without a Monday behind it. I made my usual “D-RANKS with B-RAD” checkin on Facebook then scrolled through my news feed to see what was going on. There were multiple reports of a stampede on Beale Street just before 1 Saturday night/Sunday morning. Hundreds of people ran east on Beale from Second Street, then south on B.B. King/Third. A few minutes later, people stampeded in the area of Rufus Thomas and Beale. People were injured, a police car had a window busted out, and a section of iron fence surrounding Handy Park was damaged. This happened almost to the minute one week after there was a shooting at Second and Peabody Place just north of Beale.

I was sitting there debating whether or not to talk about this, when a friend came up and convinced me that I should. So I will.

Downtown Memphis Commission: You manage the street. I know it is only temporary until you find a company to take it over. However, the time to act is now. You need to do something to get this crap under control.

The trouble is, there is really no good solution. One thing that has been suggested is an earlier closing time for the street. I hate that idea. Beale Street bars currently can stay open as late as 5; all other bars have to be closed by 3. I have many friends in the service industry who get off around 3 and go to Beale to unwind after work. They need that. I don’t want it taken away from them.

Another solution that has been proposed is to charge a cover to get on the street in the entertainment district. Maybe a refundable cover of sorts – you pay $10 to get on the street, but then are given back $10 in tokens to spend there. I don’t know… I have mixed feelings about this one. It may be the least bad of a number of bad solutions, but I do understand the claims of classism that arise from this idea, that you have to have a certain level of wealth to be able to enjoy a public city amenity.

The real problem is that parents need to teach their damn kids how to act in public, but identifying that as the problem doesn’t bring us any closer to a solution.

This coming Friday night I am having dinner at the Majestic with a couple who lives out of state, who have been considering a move to Memphis for years and have been reading my blog. They think the time may be right and they want to pick my brain. I hate to say it but I am going to have to tell them that I don’t recommend going to Beale after 9 on the weekends.

I’m just fed up. I rarely go to Beale on the weekends anyway so it’s not like I feel like something has been taken away from me. It’s just that I hate the black eye these idiots put on my neighborhood and my city.

Off my soapbox and on to the news. The Dirty Crow Inn has a special for active or retired members of the armed services today for Memorial Day. Show a valid military issued ID and get one free order of pickle chips or onion straws, and 10% off your entire bill today only.

The National Hot Dog Council says to never use ketchup on your hot dogs. I didn’t know where was a National Hot Dog Council, but I agree completely with their advise. Mustard all the way.

You can purchase a special ticket for Thursday’s Redbirds game that includes an all-you can-eat wing buffet. $12 bluff, $16 fieldbox, $19 dugout, $23 club level. The buffet will be in the left field area and will run from the time the gates open through one hour into the game.

Fun day at the Blind Bear yesterday. It was good to have B-RAD back (he was sick the previous Sunday) and the bar was filled with members of two of Downtown’s best BBQ teams, Porkosaurus and The Moody Ques. Sarah from Porkosaurus wanted to take a photo “for England” so I guess she is going across the Atlantic to visit family soon. I wedged between Sarah and Katie (not Mac) and we took the photo. “It’s a sandwich with Porkosaurus bread and Moody Ques meat!” I exclaimed, eliciting a few “ewws” on Facebook. Anyway, just a superb crowd at Brad’s bar. Stacey who works there has a shirt that says “Drinks Well with Others” and I thought to myself, that describes every person here.

A Monday where the office didn’t open at 8 and Bardog did… my kind of day! Seriously, I had people texting me at 8:17 and ask, “Why aren’t you here?” I’ve got a blog to write, people! On my way as soon as I take a shower. Five hours at Teryn’s bar sounds like exactly the right amount of time to pre-game for a cookout at our BBQ team pitmaster’s house this afternoon. Wearing my Friend of the Market shirt since both he and our vice-president are on the board of the Memphis Farmers Market. Fun weekend so far and it shows no sign of stopping!

Yesterday I walked down to the Memphis Farmers Market about 9:45. After checking in to retain my Farmers Market mayorship on Foursquare/Swarm, I looked around. “Not as many people here as I expected,” I thought. Then I walked to the back and realized where all the people were – standing in line at the food trucks! It was jam-packed back there.

I realized I made a stupid, stupid, stupid mistake. When I made my caffeine run to City Market earlier in the morning, I got a sausage, egg & cheese biscuit to eat. Not that there’s anything wrong with their biscuits, but it spoiled my appetite for the Farmers Market. The tandoori truck had added a new item – bison kabobs! I wanted to get them so bad, but I just wasn’t hungry enough to justify the $9 price. Maybe next week.

I turned my attention to the So Fresh juice truck, source of my weekly smoothie. There were seven people in line and it looked like another fifteen standing around waiting on orders. Based on experience, I knew I was looking at a 20-minute wait if I went up there. With little patience for crowds and no shopping list, I decided I was done with the Market for the week. I walked over to Earnestine & Hazel’s (love the 10 AM opening time) and had a couple of PBRs at Clarence’s bar. By 10:35 I was on my way back to the core. It doesn’t take 25 minutes to get to Bardog from South Main, so I had a little time on my hands.

That time ended up being well spent. As I walked past Stock & Belle at 387 S. Main, I saw a sign in the window advertising shoes with the Mid-South Food Bank logo on them. “The purchase of 1 pair feeds 150 people,” the sign said. I went inside to inquire about the shoes. “We have them through Wednesday,” the cashier at 387 Pantry next door told me. “Sizes 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. The awesome thing about these shoes is that 100% of the proceeds go to the food bank.” Knowing I probably would not be back in South Main before Wednesday, it was now or never to get these shoes. I needed shoes anyway, and if they were $60 or less I decided I would get them. The price was $50. “Ring ’em up,” I said. Nice looking shoes and a great conversation starter about the food bank.

I showed off my shoes at Bardog then moved on to the Blind Bear. My BBQ teammate Tripp joined me. “Want to check out 901 Fest?” Tripp asked. I knew Tripp was of a like mind – we could give a crap about the bands, but we wanted to check out the food trucks. We finished our beers and headed down there.

Food truck success! I never expected to be eating chicken & dressing at an outdoor festival, but I did and it was really good. I didn’t get the name of the truck unfortunately. Tripp went to Sushi Jimmi and gave me an extra egg roll. That was just about the best egg roll I have had in my life! Sushi Jimmi, please come back Downtown soon! I want some more of those egg rolls!

On to the news… I don’t have a lot of news today, but what I have is pretty good, involving some updates to the Downtown bar scene. First of all, Friday afternoon Daniel from the Silly Goose posted to Facebook that lunches and a barista are coming soon. Daniel travels regularly to New York and keeps up with the latest bar trends there, and as a result he is always innovating at the Goose.

The Brass Door has some things happening. They have a new management team and they are rolling out a revised lunch menu with specials Monday through Saturday. Mid-summer they will be rolling out a full dinner menu and also a wine and cocktail menu by Brad Pitts, formerly of Bari.

The tube top burglar I wrote about Friday has been captured in Cape Coral, Florida. Cape Coral officials: If you’re short on jail space, feel free to use my bedroom as an annex.

Sunday Fun Day! D-RANKS with B-RAD at the Blind Bear is first on the agenda. With no Monday Work Day behind it, this Sunday is going to be extra fun. Back tomorrow with more news.

A new event is coming to Tom Lee Park in October. The organizers of Delta Fair want to bring something similar to our side of town, so the first-ever Riverfront Fair & Festival will happen October 7-9. It will be family-friendly with a Ferris wheel and other carnival rides, as well as carnival games and food.

Food Truck Fridays are returning to the FedExForum in June. Here’s a list of dates and what trucks will be there.

In a previous post I wrote about all the things happening at the Friday, June 3 Redbirds game, most of which are related to the upcoming St. Jude Classic golf tournament. I have since learned that there is one more giveaway at that event which is not tournament related – first 1500 fans in the gate get a replica 1946 St. Louis Cardinals World Series ring.

Do you want to help develop and promote Downtown Memphis? The DMC has two positions open – a Planning and Development Analyst, and a Development Coordinator.

Volunteer opportunity: Pack produce bags for Bring It Food Hub, a nonprofit that serves lower-income Memphians and those who want to lead a healthy lifestyle. You can sign up for as many hours as you like anytime between now and November 17, Tuesday-Friday, 9 AM-2 PM. Of course, given my love for fresh produce, it is killing me that I can’t sign up for a bunch of shifts, but thanks to BBQ Fest I am short on vacation time at work. Bring It is at 694 Madison in The Edge.

Felicia Suzanne’s will be closed for lunch and dinner today (Friday, May 27) for a private event.

A burglar wearing a tube top has been stealing purses, jewelry, and perfume in Cape Coral, Florida. Hey, now! She can come burglarize my apartment anytime! Preferably when I’m home!

Starting Saturday, June 11, the World Food Championships will be shown on Destination America. Watch and you may catch a glimpse of local Memphis team The Fabulous Burger Boys who qualified for the event at Best Memphis Burger Fest last October.

Another team on TV: Life in Memphis Episode 1 featuring BBQ Fest is on YouTube, featuring our friends from Squeal Street BBQ.

WEEKEND! Office closed at noon. First stop is Bardog then to South Main for Trolley Night.

I’ll start off this post with some live music recommendations for tonight. On Felicia Suzanne’s patio, the South Side Supper Club will perform for the weekly “Tacos & Tunes” event. In addition to the music, there will be $2 tacos and $5 margaritas. The party kicks off at 7 PM.

Later in the evening, my friends Pam & Terry play the Blind Bear. This husband and wife duo is so much fun and there does not seem to be a song they don’t know. They take the stage at 10.

At Loflin Yard tonight, Chris Milam & Band have a CD release party from 6 to 9. Tomorrow night the Gayoso Bayou Boys will play the Yard, also 6 to 9.

Happy birthday to the Macs! My friends Katie Mac and Charvey Mac turn another year older today. No they are not twins. Don’t forget that you can catch Charvey every Wednesday night at the Silly Goose from 10 PM to 1 AM. Charvey also plays the Double J as half of Six String Lovers Friday nights from 9 to 1.

The St. Jude Classic, the golf tournament held in Memphis, is coming up June 6-12. In conjunction with the tournament, AutoZone Park will turn into an extension of the course on Friday, June 3. That evening, fans can purchase a special $30 theme ticket that will give them a Field Box seat to that night’s ball game and a one-day ticket to the golf tournament. The golf ticket alone is a $30 value. First 1000 fans will get “Hush Y’all/Loud Y’all” paddles. Fans are encouraged to wear golf gear. There will be golf-themed games and activities, and the Redbirds will be wearing one-of-a-kind jerseys which will be auctioned off after the game. Following the game there will be a special Friday edition of fireworks.

This could be useful: a wristband that measures how drunk you are. It transmits the information to your phone. It’s called BACtrack Skyn.

If you love BBQ Fest, here’s an exhibit you should check out at South Main Trolley Night tomorrow: High on the Hog: Ten Years in the Pits will be an exhibit by photographer Lawrence Jasud following 10 years of BBQ Fest. You can see it at Circuitous Succession Gallery at 500 S. Second from 6 to 9 tomorrow evening.

It’s Time for a Patriotic Picnic is the theme at this Saturday’s Memphis Farmers Market. You can pick up everything you need to grill out at the Farmers Market – steaks, fresh fish, veggies to put on the grill. You can also buy ingredients for a nice side salad at the Market, and chips and dips too. For the benefit of any vegetarians reading this blog, I will mention that meat vendor Pigasus sells grillable BBQ tofu. Master Gardeners are back this Saturday from 9 to noon to answer all of your questions.

Hmmm… the Market should find a master gardener named Mary to volunteer. Then we could ask her, “Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?”

… Okay, anyway, continuing with the Market… there will be live music by Emma Web 8:30 to 10 and Nick Parr 11 to 12:30. By the way, shout-out to Mark who books the music at the Market, the South Main Songwriter nights, and at various venues in the neighborhood. There is a lot more opportunity for musicians because of Mark’s vision. I appreciate all that you do for South Main, Mark.

The Memphis Railroad & Trolley Museum will have a booth at the Market this Saturday. Stop by and see them and learn about what they are doing for National Train Day on June 4, right around the corner at Central Station. Real Good Dog will be adopting dogs at the Market. Local blogger/Farmers Market Foursquare mayor Paul Ryburn will be at the Market from 9:40ish until about 10:40. The Market happens every Saturday from 7 AM to 1 PM under the pavilion at Front and G.E. Patterson.

As you all know, I am a HUGE fan of fresh produce. Therefore, I read every word of this week’s vendor chitchat with the folks from Roots Memphis Farm Academy, teaching the next generation of sustainable farmers. They currently have seven students growing at an “incubator” garden at Shelby Farms. They sell not only at farmers markets and through their CSA, but to Bleu, Bari, and Tsunami as well.

Seth from Best Memphis Burger has good things to say about the RAWK ‘N GRUB food truck. The truck named a burger after him, the Seth (I Hear Ya Callin’). DUDE!

That’s all for now. Tonight will be a bit of a late night, because I want to catch Pam & Terry at the Bear. With only a half day tomorrow, I should be able to deal with it. Possibly another post after work.

Hey everyone. If you’re wondering why there are two posts back-to-back within minutes, it’s because I had problems with the tool I use as a staging ground for this blog. I had both posts pretty much ready to go about 7 this morning, then there was an outage and I lost access for about an hour. So I’m flooding you with information on your lunch break.

How would you like to pick up a case of local craft beer for only $16? Sounds too good to be true, but it’s not. Ghost River is closing out Midnight Magic for the season and $16 a case is the deal until it’s gone. Get it at the dock at Main and Crump.

Good news for dog owners in The Edge. A variance is being applied for, in order to open a doggie daycare at 320 Monroe. Looking at Google StreetView, that appears to be about a quarter block west of Danny Thomas. There is an attached grassy lot that the developers want to use as part of the daycare. The lot is the subject of some debate.

Friday is South Main Trolley Night, with many businesses in the area staying open until 9 or later and some with snacks and beverages to give away. The Songwriter Night at 550 South Main will be back. Other live music will include Roger Wild at Rizzo’s, Tim Plunk at Double J, Larry Randolph outside Obsidian PR and a full band outside Guidingpoint Financial. Sue Layman Designs at 125 G.E. Patterson will unveil her latest collection, and there will be wine and live music by Davy Ray Bennett. SMA will be grilling burgers next to Bluff City Coffee (free for members, $10 for non-members). Should be a fun night and my plan is to spend my Friday evening on the south side.

RealClearPolitics has a very good article on the potential for Tennessee Senator Bob Corker as Donald Trump’s running mate. I would have to agree, Corker has the foreign policy experience and the ability to build coalitions, and would not be a bad choice at all. Of course, the man at the top of the ticket is such a horrible choice that Corker will never get my vote.

This Thursday’s Peabody rooftop party features Fifth Kind with special performance by Shawn Hook. $15 at the door or $150 for a season VIP pass. Doors at 6, entertainment starts at 7, first 200 ladies free. Admission gets you a buffet of mini meatballs and fried ravioli. If you hold a VIP pass you get a second buffet of gnocchi with shrimp and pesto cream, rosemary pork loin, and Caprese dip with Italian bread. Peach margaritas and Firefly apple pie moonshine are the drink specials, with an additional pina colada drink special for those in VIP. Also if you’re VIP, there will be a beer tasting for you in the Corner Bar from 5 to 6 featuring Sweetwater Goin’ Coastal.

Great article from Smart City Memphis about Martin Luther King Riverside Park. That is the park west of I-55 that stretches from South Parkway to Mallory.

Here’s the menu for Chef Ana’s wine dinner at Bleu tomorrow (Thursday) evening.

We need these in Memphis! This huge camera rig busts people for texting and driving from up to three-quarters of a mile away. There have been a couple of times recently when I have been tailgated on 240 at 60+ MPH by people texting and driving and not paying any attention to the road. Scary.

The Redbirds are having that sweet club level ticket offer for $40 once again Tuesday, May 31. Air-conditioned, indoor and outdoor seating, buffet including wine and beer as well as favorite ballpark foods. One thing I didn’t know: There are pool tables. This seems like the way to see the Redbirds in style!

That’s it for now. This is the second post, so keep scrolling to read about the awesome birthday party I attended last night.

One day in December 2005 I was walking down the Main Street Mall, on my way for a beer or two at the Saucer, when I ran into my friend Patrick Reilly. I had met Patrick two years earlier when he managed the Gibson Lounge and I attended several events there. Later Patrick managed Swig, the martini bar in the location that is now the Silly Goose. On that winter day, Patrick told me about his latest project. “Have you heard about the new restaurant?” he asked.

“No, not yet,” I replied. “Is it going to be Downtown?”

“Yes, in the old Gordon Biersch space,” Patrick told me. I had eaten at Gordon Biersch several times and while I did like their crawfish pizza, I hoped that their closing would make way for something local. Patrick began to tell me about the new restaurant that he and his then-girlfriend Deni were planning. “Did you know the building used to be a movie theater?” he asked. “It was called the Majestic. In the 1930s it was the place to be to watch the latest movies and shorts and newsreels. We’re going to keep the movie theater theme and call it The Majestic Grille.” Patrick said that it was going to be a place that while classy and elegant, would also be a place where diners would feel comfortable being themselves. The menu would be upscale American, but unlike some nice restaurants, the portions would be sizable, not skimpy. They were planning a bar where guests could get a cocktail on par with any cocktail lounge in town.

Patrick and Deni, you NAILED it.

When people ask me “What is your favorite restaurant?”, the Majestic is my answer.

When out-of-towners ask where they should go eat, the Majestic is my first recommendation.

There is no dish Downtown that says “comfort food” like the Majestic’s half roasted chicken, in pan juices with garlic mash and green beans. Of course I always ask for their focaccia bread and plenty of butter.

My favorite steak Downtown is the Majestic filet. I get it cooked medium rare with the garlic mash. Sometimes I will get the filet the simple way, topped with Majestic butter. Other times I will get it Au Poivre with a peppercorn crust and Jameson sauce. Like the chicken, it never disappoints.

When I want something more low-key, I might order the Majestic Burger, which can stand up to any burger in town. Other days I might decide on the Majestic’s Famous Grilled Cheese, with aged cheddar, bacon, tomato, and Creole mustard.

In 2007, the restaurant added Sunday brunch. Our regular brunch spot Sleep Out Louie’s just closed and the Majestic’s bar was a perfect place for us to relocate. Many a Sunday I would start my day with the smoked salmon hash or the breakfast flatbread. One of our group, my “DAWG” John D, even got a breakfast named after him. The Majestic is a very popular pre-theater and pre-ballgame destination, so much so that they eventually backed up their opening time to 10:30 AM on Sundays.

The holidays are always a special time. During the month of December the Majestic hosts Sunday suppers, family-style dinners that feed four. Diners are treated to classic Christmas movies on the big screen. The big holiday event every year is Clark’s Christmas, with National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation on the screen, with a costume contest and tacky sweater contest. This is one of the most popular Downtown events of the season and it always sells out with a long waiting list.

I have spent several New Year’s Eves with friends at the Majestic. Those were some of my favorite NYEs ever. They have their regular menu plus a few surprises from Chef Patrick, and it is an elegant but unpretentious spot to ring in the new year, a place for my friends and me to feel at home away from the craziness.

I’ve been to wedding receptions there. I’ve been to art openings there. I’ve been to rallies for my Congressman there. What an asset to Downtown. Our neighborhood just would not be the same at all without this lovely restaurant which, as of yesterday, has been open for 10 years. Last night I had the pleasure of attending a gala celebration of this milestone, a fantastic evening with good friends, good food, and good cocktails.

Congratulations Patrick and Deni. Downtown is so much richer a place because of the two of you.

Happy birthday to my Congressman, Steve Cohen! I first met Steve when I volunteered on his 1996 campaign when he ran against Harold Ford Jr. I lived in Midtown at the time and walked to his office on Union nearly every day that summer, mostly doing database work. I know Steve checks out this blog from time to time, so happy birthday if you’re reading this. I wish every member of Congress had the integrity that Steve has.

I have another “happy birthday” too but I will save it for later…

If you take Front Street home from work, figure out an alternate route for today’s drive home. The street will be closed between Union and Gayoso for Million Dollar Quartet filming.

The St. Jude Marathon happens the first Saturday of every December. Thousands run a marathon, half-marathon, or 5K to raise money for the children’s cancer research hospital. Have you ever wanted to support a Hero who runs the race, but didn’t know one? You can support my friend and St. Jude Hero Misty here. Not only has Misty been my friend for over a decade, but she does a fabulous job as treasurer for our BBQ team. #runmistyrun

For my out-of-town readers who have never seen the Peabody Hotel in person, Google StreetView has a HotelView with 360 degree angles.

From ForeignPolicy.com: Meet the Chinese Internet trolls pumping out 488 fake social media posts a year

Oh my God you can vote once an HOUR in the CA’s Memphis Most polling? That is the biggest sham ever. Skip this BS and wait for the REAL Best of Memphis poll, presented by the Memphis Flyer in the summer, in which you can only vote once (and you know what that vote should be for Best Blog).

ESPN is in the final stages of producing a 30 for 30 episode on the life of the “Nature Boy,” Ric Flair. Whoooooooooo!

My plans for this evening are to spend some time with some wonderful people. Well, that tends to be my plan every evening, but this one more so than most. Possibly a second post later today. Toodles!