Yesterday the City Council gave the green light to two hotels to be built across from AutoZone Park on Union Avenue, on a vacant lot currently used for parking. There will be a six-story Holiday Inn Express & Suites, and a seven-story Hilton Garden for a total of 260 new hotel rooms Downtown. That will probably push ticket sales up at Redbirds games a bit.
The Grizzlies host the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight at FedExForum at 7 PM.
I previously mentioned that The Smashing Pumpkins will play the Orpheum on April 24. I have since learned that they will have Liz Phair with them as the opening act.
Keep an eye on the news this morning. President Obama will fulfill his Constitutional responsibility and nominate a Supreme Court justice. Now will Congress fulfill their Constitutional responsibility and vote?
The Memphis Daily News reports that the RDC has hinted at an expansion of Beale Street Landing that will cost 3 to 5 million dollars. River cruises that dock at the landing generate millions of tax dollars every year, and the expansion would allow Viking cruises to dock at least two more boats there every year. The river cruise business has really been on fire the past few years and that means tourism dollars for Memphis.
I once again did happy hour at the Brass Door yesterday. That place is really starting to feel as much of a home away from home as my other homes like Bardog and Max’s. I also like it how so much light gets in during the daytime, making it a bright, sunshiny place. The bartender is going to bring me some chocolate from Romania next time I come in. She told me about the Romanian diet and how it includes lots of pork. I will have to invite her to the Moody Ques booth at BBQ Fest.
Speaking of the Moody Ques… we have quite a few RSVPs for Saturday for our MEAT & Greet at Holliday Flowers at 444 Monroe. Team members who are planning on coming but haven’t RSVP’d yet, please send moodyques@gmail.com an email and let us know. Drinks at 4:30, shoulder and ribs at 6.
That’s all for now. I may do a second post at lunchtime or after work.
We’ve had a couple of announcements from the Orpheum the past few days. First of all, Smashing Pumpkins will play a show at the theater on Sunday, April 24. Tickets go on sale this coming Friday at 10 AM.
Furthermore, the Orpheum announced its 2016-17 Broadway schedule. It will include Dirty Dancing, Annie, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, and The Sound of Music. Options for season ticket holders include a return of The Jersey Boys, and a weekend-only engagement of Rent the 20th Anniversary tour.
Sunday, Mary substituted for B-RAD at D-RANKS with B-RAD. Here is how she did.
So, tonight Chicken Fried Steak Rodger and I got a ride in Mary’s Riviera out to The Pumping Station to see her boyfriend who was bartending. It was my first time in a gay bar in 16 years and I failed to see what the big deal was. Those dudes sit at the bar and watch TV and talk to the other people at the bar just like I do. They like men and I like women and they understand that. What’s the deal? How is that different from “straight” bars?
Mary was so excited that Chicken Fried Steak Rodger and I made the trip with her, and apparently it was completely unexpected that I would come. You know your regulars love you right Mary? Alex, great meeting you (again), we will be back.
Earlier in the evening, Rodger picked up a roach and chased Mary and Feeny, screaming, down the Main Street Mall. Afterward he wiped roach juice on my shirt. Thanks dude.
So, Mary drove us to the Pumping Station and it was next to Jack Pirtle’s. I told Mary we just used her so I could get a steak sandwich with gravy, and afterward we would be getting a Lyft home. Unfortunately they closed two hours before. The Pumping Station had a deep-fried hot dog in The Backdoor Room where Alex bartended but I wasn’t hungry.
Chicken Fried Steak Rodger played Miley Cyrus on the jukebox. You go dude.
Earlier that evening: Shepherd’s Pie special at the Brass Door!
This was a treat to the senses, with mashed potatoes covering ground beef with peas and carrots, all topped with cheese. A pleasure to eat and Diamond Dave was talking to exec chef KO about having it all week.
My friend Feeny who hangs out at the Brass Door says the Irish Stew (with lamb) needs to be next on my list.
Earlier in the evening, because heaven forbid there be any actual news in this post, my favorite pair of librarian glasses was working the Blind Bear. She just got back from a meditation/mindfulness class and wanted to do bar yoga. Here’s the warrior pose:
She wanted to do the downward-facing dog pose next. I wanted to do it with her but she was standing in front of me, and I decided I could learn more from observing her form than trying to it with her.
My fav pair of librarian glasses is willing to teach a bar yoga class if there’s interest. I asked, “Will you wear yoga pants?” and she said that can happen. Then we did the tree pose and I fell down a lot.
Now that we’re done with my personal BS (after what, 9 paragraphs?) it’s time for the news. Run with the Grizzlies Saturday, April 9. Your $45+ fee guarantees you a race entry and T-shirt, plus a ticket to the game that night or a 2016 home game.
Yesterday we were sitting around the Blind Bear discussing what we want done with our bodies after we die. “I don’t want a funeral, a casket, none of that,” one of my friends said. “Take what you want for science and then burn the rest.” I agreed, that was the way I feel about it too.
“Instead of an urn, they should put your ashes in a PBR can and put it behind the bar,” my friend said. “That way, we could say, ‘Paul is still here with us.'” He thought for a minute and then said, “But… which bar? There are so many of them. We’d have to pass your ashes around. We’d have to say, the Silly Goose has Paul this week, then Max gets him the next, then Blind Bear…” LOL! That would absolutely be a proper way to remember me!
I blogged earlier today about the Monday Pie Day specials at the Brass Door… Diamond Dave emailed me the schedule for the entire week, so here’s the rest of it. On Tuesday, the Fleet Feet Sports Pub Run departs from the Brass Door at 6 PM, and it’s 2 for 1 fish and chips day (dine-in only).
Wednesday is British Bingo at the Brass Door, 7:30 start time, with a Guinness clock giveaway.
Thursday is the Brass Door’s St. Patrick’s Day party! This weekend I was talking to Seamus and commented that I liked it that he has his party on the proper day, not five days before because that happens to be a Saturday. There will be a $5 cover after 5 PM and things will kick off with the Sergeant Singleton Pipe Band. After that there will be live music by Memphis Ukulele, the Mason Jar Fireflies and Ringos. DJ Sounds by Pounds will also provide the music.
The Brass Door also has an ongoing Bud Light cooler giveaway. Order a Bud Light for a chance to enter.
The Book of Mormon will be in town at the Orpheum this week Tuesday through Sunday.
Yesterday I posted that I was going to D-RANKS with B-RAD at the Blind Bear. Well, it turned out that Brad was out of town, and Stacey and Mary were there. “Are you going to post a correction to your blog?” the same friend who recommended the PBR urn asked.
“I better not,” I replied. “Brad has a very loyal following. If I put it out there that he’s not working, people might not come and it will cost the Bear money.” I am really not kidding about this. There are people who call the Bear on Sundays and verify that Brad is working before they venture out. (In some cases they ask if I’m there too.) I thought to myself, “This has to be the only Sunday brunch in the world where the dude bartender takes a day off and two hot girls fill in for him, and the bar makes less money.”
Hey y’all, crazy morning around here so I am going to have to delay most of my Monday news until this evening or possibly tomorrow.
I do have one time-sensitive item: Today is National Pi (Pie) Day, 3/14. The Brass Door is celebrating with two savory pie specials: They have a Steak Pie and salad for $10, as well as a Shepherd’s Pie and salad for $11.50.
I haven’t been to the Brass Door happy hour in a while, so I will swing by there today and check it out. Check back at 5:30 or so… I can’t promise a news post, but maybe.
Memphis is still alive in the American Conference tournament, having beaten Tulane 74-54 in the semifinals yesterday. Once again, the Tigers looked like a team who belong in the NCAA tournament. There is only one obstacle standing in their way now: The Tigers play UConn at 2:15 on ESPN in the American Conference finals. Winner gets an automatic bid to the Big Dance.
Jimmy Ogle leads a free Bridge Walk tour, walking the Memphis-Arkansas (I-55) bridge. Meet at Crump Park (exit 12C, Metal Museum Drive) at 2 this afternoon.
Seen on Facebook yesterday: A receipt signed by a woman who left a decent tip on an $18 tab. However, the decent tip was then scratched out and $1 tip was left instead, along with a note “I’m her aunt I can’t let her spend like this.” To the woman who had the tab: Next time, don’t bring Aunt Cheap Ass with you.
Wine lovers: Food & Wine has a great article on how to talk to your sommelier. It lists five questions that could lead to the unexpected discovery of wines you will love, and five questions that really don’t lead to much value at all.
I made it to the Beale Street St. Patrick’s Day parade yesterday, at least for a while. I got a spot outside the Tap Room, and met up with friends.
I can always find some good people to watch a parade with at the Tap Room.
I saw a family walk by with an Aldo’s Pizza box and thought, “Those are the smartest people here.” I didn’t catch any beads, but thanks to my friend Michael I got beads earlier in the day at Bardog, shamrocks with a green shot glass. Due to being on call for work I had to refuse several offers to fill that shot glass.
I kept an eye on the radar on my phone, and about 3:30 I knew it was time to head for the hills before the rain moved in. I considered where to go… Blind Bear is the default, but I have had bad luck being at Blind Bear during parades. Max’s to watch the Tigers play was an obvious choice, but then I would have to deal with getting back to the Downtown core in possibly heavy rain. Diamond Dave put on Facebook that he and Seamus were bartending the Brass Door. I asked if they would have the Tigers on and Dave replied “Yes sir!” Having had such a good experience Wednesday night, I decided it was time for another Brass Door visit.
While the place had been packed Wednesday, it was relatively empty yesterday… which made sense, everybody was at the parade. Of course, it got full afterward. I stayed through the end of the Tigers game. I asked for a menu, but Dave advised me that I should try the chef’s daily special, the corned beef with cabbage. That’s a dish I love, so I was happy to take Dave’s suggestion.
This was some of the best corned beef and cabbage I have ever had. After I finished eating I shook the executive chef’s hand and thanked him for a delicious meal. If corned beef and cabbage ever shows up as the chef’s special again, get it; you will not be disappointed. “Like” the Brass Door on Facebook to keep up with specials and other things going on. They open early (like, sometimes as early as 6 AM) when there are important soccer matches on TV.
They are giving away a cooler:
Drink a Bud Light to enter to win. I decided not to enter because 1) I already have a similar Dos Equis cooler at home that just sits around and takes up space; and 2) Bud Light kinda sucks.
I am just heartwarmed by the respect Seamus has shown me the times I have gone in there this week – and really, every time I have ever been in the Brass Door. It makes me think, I may have to evaluate the list of bars I call my “Big Five” and determine whether the Brass Door should be in that list. More and more I think it should.
“Paul, I want to get you re-introduced to the staff here,” Seamus told me. Of course, I already know Diamond Dave, and I am friends with one of the servers there who I know from other Downtown bars. The Romanian bartender who served me Wednesday came in for the night shift, and I got to talk to her a bit. For those of you who remember the Romanians who were here for the summers of 2003-2006, she is from the same city they were – Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania.
Seamus, Dave and the staff at the Brass Door gave me plenty of reasons this week to keep coming back. However, Swarm by Foursquare gave me one more. I have a new mayorship to defend.
I’ve held three Foursquare bar mayorships simultaneously before, but never this combination: Brass Door, Bardog, and Blind Bear.
I gave Seamus my phone number so he can let me know about upcoming events. Expect to hear more about what’s going on at the Brass Door in this blog.
I am pleased to announce that the Moody Ques have acquired a partial sponsor. I will make an official announcement this week on the team website. The sponsor will help us with liquor and beer as well as a small amount of cash. I had a beer with him at the Blind Bear yesterday and he asked me who was the distributor for PBR in Memphis, because he wanted to talk to them. Things continue to move in a positive direction for the BBQ team. We still have room for another sponsor; if your company would be interested, send us an email at moodyques@gmail.com.
Yesterday I commented that it would be a fantastic civics lesson for the kids if the Republican convention became contested. On that note, I want to give some advice for my readers who have children: Watch the news with your kids. Part of the reason I am the person I have become is because my mother and grandmother had the news on all the time as I was growing up.
I remember when I was a toddler, sitting in my high chair eating Gerber’s beef stew and watching TV. I wasn’t watching The Bozo Show or Sesame Street; I was watching a bunch of men in suits having a hearing of some sort. It didn’t make sense to me, but my grandmother explained that the president did something really bad, and the hearing, called Watergate, was to determine if he should still be president any more. If he left office, my grandmother told me, it would be the first time in the history of the United States something like that had happened, and the vice-president, a man name Ford, would become president.
Because my mother and grandmother had the news on all the time, I understood what was happening when Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin signed their peace treaty. I learned what inflation was. I watched news of the Shah being overthrown and Ayatollah Khomeini taking power. I watched the 1980 Democratic and Republican conventions all the way through. That fall, my elementary school held a mock presidential election. I voted for Carter and he won my school, but lost the real election.
Of course, when I was little the news was subject to the interpretation of adults. I remember running into my grandmother’s room to tell her that a special report was on TV, and that Elvis Presley had died. “Oh, don’t worry about him. He’s just a drug addict,” she said. Well, while that was technically true, he was also the most important figure of a major genre of music. Three years later, that genre’s second most important figure, John Lennon, was shot and killed and my grandmother made a similar comment. (She liked Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr though. If she had an opinion on George, she never shared it with me.)
Watching the news as a little boy probably aided in a few of my trivia team’s victories over the past decade. So, if for no other reason than that, I urge you to watch the news with your kids (and please, not Fox News) and if they have questions, explain to them what’s going on.
I will lead off at D-RANKS with B-RAD today at the Blind Bear. About half an hour before the Tigers play, I will make a decision whether to stay there for the game or walk down Main to my home away from home on the south side, Max’s, which will open at 12:30 and will have the patio open as well. Go Tigers! An NCAA tournament bid could be just hours away.
Time to alert my readers to an absolutely screaming deal in South Main. Reel 2 Real Photography sells beautiful prints of iconic Memphis scenes. This weekend only, they are doing a Rain Sale where you can get any 14 x 20 canvas print for only $100. If you have been on the lookout for art to decorate your home, this is your chance to pick some up at a very reasonable price.
I had a typo on yesterday’s blog. I said that the winner of the Memphis-Tulane game would play in the AAC semifinals at 5 today. I forgot to convert Eastern time to Central time, so the game actually starts at 4. The Tigers will be in it! They trounced Tulsa 89-67 yesterday and looked like a team that belongs in the Big Dance. More good news: In the game to decide the Tigers’ opponent for today, 10-seed Tulane beat 2-seed Houston. So the Tigers are favorites in today’s AAC semifinal today. The game will be on ESPN2.
I watched yesterday’s game at my home away from home on the south side, Max’s Sports Bar. Before the game started, Max announced that if the Tigers won, he would open at 3 today. If it is not raining terribly hard, I want to go to the Beale Street parade, but I may head south to Max’s after that to catch the game.
I almost ended up in an entirely different location yesterday. My friends Feeny and Chicken Fried Steak Rodger went to Silky’s to see our friend Russian Aleks who was bartending. I was already settled in at Max’s, though. Good thing I didn’t go. Rodger made multiple reports on Facebook that he had pooped his pants. That must have been very embarrassing for Feeny.
I do want to get by and see Alexs sometime soon. I like Silky’s and am always looking for an excuse to go there. I see him at the Blind Bear now and then and next time I do, I will ask his schedule.
This is not a Downtown restaurant but check this out. Worth the drive, and those who work in Whitehaven or North Mississippi need to pay special attention.
Collard Green Egg Rolls filled w/ Chicken & Yam Dipping Sauce 😋 #1 Seller at The Bistro. 2945 Millbranch #MBRW16pic.twitter.com/aFm3ov5Sc0
Memphis is best known for BBQ and has many food-related festivals (crawfish, wings, breakfast, burgers to name a few). I have said for a while now that the city has enough diversity in egg rolls to have an egg roll festival. My friend DJ Lil’ Eggroll could supply the music. I am pretty sure that The Bistro would win.
The Big Hog Run, America’s premier 0.2K festival, happens again this year at Memphis in May on Friday, May 13. Only the strongest of the strong can survive this two-tenths of a kilometer run. You know, now that I am my BBQ team’s Director of PR and am no longer expected to be the Moody Ques workhorse at load-in, I will be in much better physical condition that day than I have been in past years. Perhaps I will enter the race. I plan on practicing every day between now and BBQ Fest. In other news, the Blind Bear is approximately 0.2 kilometers from my front door.
Wait, the Friday of BBQ Fest is Friday the 13th? We might as well go ahead and start making the “Welcome to Memphis, tornadoes” signs.
This is over a month away, but save the date: GrowMemphis is having an edible plant sale Sunday, April 17 from 1 to 4 PM at Idlewild Presbyterian at 1750 Union. If you’ve thought about growing a garden of your own, this is the place to get started. They will have all kinds of veggies, including heirloom and organic. They will also have herbs, flowers and more. Proceeds benefit GrowMemphis and they take cards, cash, and checks written to GrowMemphis.
The Grizzlies watch party organized by Choose901 and 3 Shades of Blue is tonight at Kooky Canuck 6:30-9:30. Food and drink specials, giveaways, and you can enter raffles to support the Memphis Grizzlies Charitable Foundation. The Grizzlies play in Atlanta tonight.
I got a post up on the Moody Ques website with final details for next Saturday’s MEAT & Greet. Since it’s the official team site, I went a little bit more in-depth about the team mixer than when I announced it here.
One thing a lot of people don’t realize is that a contested Republican convention is not guaranteed if no candidate reaches 1237 delegates at the end of the final primary in California. In modern times the convention is supposed to be four days of advertising for the chosen nominee, and the Republicans will miss out on that advertising if they have to spend the time negotiating to pick a nominee at the convention. There is six weeks of wheeling and dealing leading up to the conventions where some of the delegates can legally change sides according to their state’s rules.
I personally hope for a contested convention, though, because 1) it would be a fascinating civics lesson for our children, and 2) If Trump or Cruz gets the nomination, then I think the Republican party will be where the Whig party was in 1852, and we’ll get to watch it self-destruct before our eyes.
Plans for today: I will start off at Bardog with my “DAWG” John D. I want to maximize my John D time, so when I get low on my beer, I will start drinking it real slowly and look at John’s beer out of the corner of my eye to see how much he has left. If he orders another one, then I will have one more with him. If he asks for his check, then I can ask for mine too.
After that, a stop at the Blind Bear to see my favorite pair of librarian glasses. Weather permitting, I will wander down to Beale a little bit before 3 to stake my spot for the parade. Post-parade activities TBD. Max’s to watch the Tigers is the most likely option, but Pam and Terry are playing Rum Boogie at 4 and that sounds good too. Feeny works at Rum Boogie so maybe we could sit in her section, although Rodger needs to run by Walgreens for a box of Depends if he plans on joining us.
One thing I do want to do sometime soon is visit the bars in what I call my Overlooked Zone. Most of the time I hang out in the Downtown core, with the Silly Goose and Flying Saucer being my farthest bars south in my neighborhood. When I make the trek to South Main, I tend to go straight to Max’s and walk right past some really good places on South Main. I have never been to Cafe Pontotoc and I need to, not only because I have heard the food is great but because I told a friend I would go there to repay a favor. I want to go to the Green Beetle more often. I want to try Ray’s Barbecue. I do stop at South of Beale occasionally, because there’s a bartender who secretly loves me calls me a turd. It’s been too long since I’ve been to Nate’s bar at Earnestine & Hazel’s. I have yet to go to the reopened 5 Spot, and I have an inside tip that they have $2 PBR. Obviously I won’t make it to all those spots this weekend, but now that we’re getting into nice March-April weather, all of these places are on my agenda in the weeks to come.
Time to dig through my cabinets and find some green beads so I have something green to wear for the parade. Back tomorrow with more news and maybe some photos.
The Memphis Tigers play their first game in the American Athletic Conference tournament tonight. They play Tulsa in a game televised on ESPNU at 8. The winner of that game moves on to play the winner of Houston/Tulane at 5 tomorrow on ESPN2. Go Tigers!
You’ve probably heard by now, but it you take I-55 north to Riverside to get home from work (or to come to work from points east or south), you will want to think of an alternate route. Heavy rain the past few days caused a mudslide on Riverside north of Georgia into the northbound lanes.
There will be an UpRise Memphis Arts Festival Saturday, May 14 at Court Square Center from 2 to 7 PM. The description of the event reads,
The UpRise Arts Festival seeks to enhance the quality of life of Memphians by promoting greater appreciation of the arts through exposure and education; as well as build greater synergy throughout Memphis’ arts, business and residential communities.
I will be getting ready to go on stage with my team to collect a BBQ trophy that day, so I guess I won’t be uprising.
A new menu was announced to Agave Maria this week. They are now getting away from heavy Mexican, going for Vietnamese and Thai fare, while retaining Latin American influences for a fusion cuisine. Interesting. I wonder if their decision to get away from heavy Mexican had anything to do with Maciel’s opening around the corner.
Wednesday night when I went to Diamond Dave’s birthday party, I noticed that the bartender had a bit of an accent. I thought, “maybe she’s Irish” although she didn’t look it. Yesterday Dave emailed me to thank me for the recap of his birthday celebration… but, Dave said, I failed to notice one thing… the bartender was not from Ireland… but rather, Romania. Okay, everyone… I write this blog for free, but I do ask one thing from my readers. If there are Romanians working at bars Downtown, I need to know about it.
Seamus, you asked me if I would stop by once a week so you can tell me about upcoming plans for the Brass Door and the bar next door… I would say it’s downright likely I will be in at least once a week from now on.
The historic police headquarters on Adams, vacant since 1982, may have a buyer.
It’s wrestling night at the Grizzlies tonight at FedExForum. Free luchador masks to first 3000 fans, and Jerry “The King” Lawler will perform in the ring.
That’s it for now… working from home again today, so time to swing by Court House Deli for lunch.
Yesterday I posted a tweet from the @MemphisScanner account, which tweets funny things heard on the Memphis police scanner. The tweet said that a woman was chasing a man with a broom in the Peabody Place parking garage and would not let him leave.
Well, it turns out that I knew one of the people involved in the incident. A friend of mine for over 10 years contacted me and said it was the other way around, that a man was chasing a woman with a broom in the 110 Peabody garage and would not let her leave – and she was the woman. She said the man assaulted her in the garage and then trapped her, terrifying her. When the police arrived, one of the first questions they asked her was “What did you do to provoke him?” In general, I am a huge fan of MPD but that was just REALLY, REALLY BAD. One of the worst things people can do to a victim of an assault is make her feel like it must have been her fault somehow. Although this is the first time I have ever heard of an incident in that garage, I would remind my readers to be careful and to be aware of your surroundings.
Memphis has been named one of the worst cities to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The St. Patrick’s Day parade on Beale (happening this Saturday) is always a lot of fun, but the 17th itself tends to turn into Amateur Night at the bars Downtown. I will probably go to the Erin Go Braghless party at Bardog that evening – partly because Bardog attracts fewer douchebags than other bars, and partly because the idea of women taking their bras off appeals to me.
The Harbor Town River Music Series dates for this spring have been announced. The series happens in the Harbor Town Amphitheater and the dates are April 23, May 14, and May 28.
The Mollie Fontaine Lounge is now non-smoking. Excellent decision that was praised by many on Facebook following the announcement. Permitting smoking in public places is so 20th century.
Have kids who love the Redbirds? Sign them up to be part of Rockey’s kids club for 2016 for $15. Club members get a ticket to every Sunday home game, as well as 5 Boardwalk tokens. They get a chance to be “kid announcer of the game,” they get to lead the running of the bases after games, and more perks. There are ticket packages available for Mom and Dad as well.
Bleu has announced a new Downtown Social Hour from 11 AM to 6 PM with $3 bottles of select craft beers from Yazoo, Blue Pants, and more.
Working from home today, and I have been surfing Downtown lunch menus to try and figure out where to eat today… sad to hear that Bon Ton Cafe has ceased day-to-day restaurant operations and is now operating as an event space and catering company only.
The Tennessee Stiffs perform at the High Cotton Brewery at 4 PM this Sunday. There is no cover and all ages are welcome. The Hot Mess Burritos food truck will be there, and the patio is dog-friendly.
That’s it for now… everyone being real careful driving home.
Last night was Diamond Dave’s birthday and he sent me a Facebook invite to his party. Dave calls British Bingo around town and Wednesday was not only his party at the Brass Door, but bingo night as well.
(By the way: Apologies for the crappy image quality of this post. My image editing software is messing up this morning and I don’t have time to find the fix.)
It was raining cats and dogs to the point that I took the rare step of bringing an umbrella with me. Normally I hate umbrellas. Anyway, I led off at happy hour at the Silly Goose, and there were maybe 8 people in there, and I would call that a good crowd given conditions outside. About 6:45 I got ready to walk to the Brass Door. “Poor Dave,” I thought. “I bet hardly anyone is going to show up for his birthday party.”
Was I ever wrong! Every table was occupied, and every bar stool was taken. The only reason I got a bar stool was because the DJ got up to do his gig and offered me his seat. A packed house, despite miserable weather, and during the time of year (January 1 through St. Patrick’s) when Downtown bars are at their slowest. Last night was the first time I had been in the Brass Door in about 16 months. Now, I know some of the people were there to see Dave, but looking at that crowd, the Brass Door is clearly doing something to attract folks for happy hour!
Not long after I got there, Seamus made a presentation. He said there is one thing Diamond Dave has always wanted:
… And now that guitar was Dave’s birthday present. The crowed clapped and cheered “SPEECH!” but Dave was a man of few words.
At 7:30 Dave began calling bingo. British bingo works a little bit differently than bingo in the United States. Here’s a look at the card:
You’ll notice that each number 1 through 90 appears on the card exactly once, in one of six colored boxes. Each colored box is a separate game. You have to get a “full house,” in other words every number in the box you are currently playing, before anyone else does to win.
Once the game starts, it goes fast! Dave calls a new number once every six seconds! Fortunately there is a video board where you can keep up with what was called:
Dave has sayings that go with each number. 22 is “two little ducks.” 62 is “tickety-boo.” 66 is “clickety-click.” 4 is “knock on the door.” 11 is “legs eleven.” 90, the highest number, is “top of the shop,” with 89 being “nearly there” and 45 being “halfway there.” The crowd plays along with some of the numbers, quacking twice for “two little ducks” for example and knocking on the bar for 4. This is a lot of fun and if you are looking for a reason to get out of the house and drink a few beers, I recommend it. There are Brass Door gift certificates for the winner of each game.
Seamus, the managing partner of the Brass Door, and I did a Jameson together. He then took me over to the other side, the former Mad Earl, and shared with me some of his vision for that space and the block of Madison his bar is on. He really wants the Brass Door to be a true public house (from which the abbreviation “pub” is derived), where the customers feel like it is their place, that they have a stake in it. He suggested that we meet once a week so that he can give me and my readers updates, and I agreed that was a good idea. So I guess the Brass Door will be seeing more of me!
As for the worry that I wouldn’t know a soul there, I knew a couple of people sitting at the bar. I also knew one of the servers. As I left and walked down Madison, a friend of mine texted that she wanted to say hello but was trapped by other people inside one of the booths.
I drank Memphis Made Fireside Ninja. That is a delicious beer.
I am glad I re-discovered the Brass Door. Very comfortable place. I will be back. Happy birthday Diamond Dave, and thanks for giving me a reason to be re-introduced to this fine Downtown public house.
